[Locked Transmission to Residents]

[endgames]

[On the evening of September 1st, the following transmission is both dictated and typed.]

Hey, Luceti. This is Nara Shikamaru, and I'm transmitting this over a secure network that, unlike the one our personal journals operate on, is hidden from the Malnosso. Before I get to the point of this briefing, I wanted to touch on some things I heard out in the field concerning recent events. All there is are tidbits here and there.

Some of you might know CJ from the MARS program. It seems he's been promoted to head of Region 6 - that's the region Luceti and Kin'cora fall under. Something about "barrier incompatibilities" too, as the Malnosso try to fix those. I can confirm Carol's reports that Luceti wasn't the only enclosure targeted by Zompano's invasion. Vaskoth is lost. Pagoda, Quell, and Zompania haven't recovered yet, or at least no one's seen them since. Other than us, the only enclosure that was able to overcome the illusions on their own was Tyrus.

If we get the chance, we need to do what we can to help these people. I don't know why, but we're not very popular with the other enclosures right now - more so than usual, anyways. Thing is, however they might act and do, we don't need more enemies right now. We're all in the same boat, and we should be working together. It's a tall order, but we have no excuse not to try.

[Silence follows for a good minute. Not a lot of people are going to be thinking about this after the rest of the news he has to share, he knows, but he stills wants them thinking about it.]

To get back to what I came on here for... Last night, the decryption program that was working on the keycard cracked its first code. We've opened the door labeled "Classified", and if you wish to see it for yourself you may do so at this time. I wouldn't recommend that for everyone, but that's getting ahead of things.

As it happens, Classified did yield results, including notes from the personal journal of a Doctor Sallis Kal. I'll transcribe them now.

[The following is typed only, with dictation continuing once more following the notes.]

Cycle: 1553.040
Finally the organization has recognized my talents and transferred me to the Luceti project. It’s a strange name, but it seems only fitting. Luceti began it all, it is only fitting Luceti ends it as well. Our goal is the most ambitious of them all. We will defeat the cycle of death and rebirth.

Cycle: 1553.046
We’ve received new test subjects for our experimentation. They have been tagged so that the first wave of executions begin. For the first group, we have chosen a group that are as similar as possible, all of them with small filial wings. The second group is a diverse set. All will be executed humanely via injection. They are expected to revive within seven days, at which point we will conduct tests to determine what loss they have gained.

Cycle: 1553.060
As we feared, no correlation between the individual’s original world, age, gender, wing size, cause of death or any other factor can be found to explain the types of losses received. We have discharged the test subjects. Perhaps refined procedures with the next two groups will prove more fortuitous.

Cycle: 1553.090
An entire month wasted. The head researcher becomes increasingly erratic in his decisions. I believe he is receiving pressure from the organization to show results, which only makes work harder for the rest of us.

Cycle: 1553.095
They sacked the entire upper staff. Illegal experimentation is what they called it. We all know its bullshit. We weren’t getting the results they wanted, so they call our work inhumane. Now we have to deal with a new lead researcher. Horace Brandt.

Cycle: 1553.122
New arrivals from Region Six are being brought down here daily now. Even it may mean I risk my mind to the madness of this world, I find myself grateful that I was born here instead of being spat out into this world to be herded like cattle. Kotar was sacked for complaining about their living conditions. Whatever problems we have with it, it’s far better to keep it to ourselves.

Cycle: 1553.129
Brandt claims the key to Shifting is in the Filial wings. It’s hardly surprising, but its always been the province of the insane.

Cycle: 1553.130
Brandt is insane. I can still hear the screaming, even in my own mind when I’ve left the facility. He won’t rest until he finds a way to give himself true Filial wings. No matter how many of the test subjects he has to kill to do it.

Cycle: 1553.160
He’s locked it all down until the test subjects are contained. The last I heard from the comms, the Commandant was on his way. Gods have mercy on us if he finds out what we’re doing.

Cycle: 1553.170
Imprisoned for ten life sentences for crimes against humanity. Good riddance to Brandt, but we all know it was only to pacify the Commandant’s fury. I can hardly blame them. I’d heard stories of him, but he’s even more incredible to see in person. Tyr the Hero. Afterwards, he smiled at me. I don’t think he would have if he ever got past the lobby of the facility.

Cycle: 1553.200
A new lead researcher, a new subject to study. So far, Doctor Zompano has proven to be far more humane than the last two. Though he has taken to calling our subjects his ‘little mice’, he treats them kindly enough. At least until one of them tried to attack. I thought the Commandant had been terrifying, but I watched Zompano break the man’s neck with only a flicker of his eyes.

Cycle: 1553.204
Doctor Zompano may be kinder to his test subjects, but it’s been worse for those working for him. Most of the senior staff has already been fired for ‘incompetence’. I’ve been promoted because of it. And to think, I actually used to want this position.

Cycle: 1553.210
Test subjects who have lost one of the five senses to a loss are the most beneficial for experimentation. A new group was brought in with these losses. I’ve been assigned to find the mathematical formula to emulate the sense of taste.

Cycle: 1553.330
After four grueling months, we finally did it. Our test subjects are claiming to experience a diminished form of taste. With more advancements, we may be able to begin producing implants to replace control over loss senses. In time, we should be able to do the same for other losses as well.

Cycle: 1554.010
This world mocks our efforts.

Cycle: 1554.015
The simulations predicted a five percent chance of failure with the implants. But now all but two of the test subjects have suffered a complete overload of bodily functions, resulting in their death. We removed the implants from the remaining two, but it may be too late for them. And to think, we thought we could conquer these losses with science.

Cycle: 1554.060
I’ve seen pictures of ‘Shift Hunters’ in books before, but they are so much more hideous in person. Doctor Zompano has brought them in for testing with an ambitious new project. We’re going to splice them with people. The best of both worlds.

Cycle: 1554.075
Operation: Hunter. What kind of a ridiculous name is that?

Cycle: 1554.099
One of the Shift Hunters killed a researcher today, right in front of me. So much blood...

Cycle: 1554.140
Our first test seems like a success. It’s not perfect, but this ‘Hunter’ seems unstoppable. Doctor Zompano smiled when he saw the numbers. I should’ve been happy, but there was something chilling about his eyes.

Cycle: 1554.174
The organization is pleased with our work. It looks like Doctor Zompano is leaving us to head Project: Hunter under the scrutiny of the MSF. Good riddance to both him and those ugly beasts. Maybe we’ll have someone sane in charge of here now.

Cycle: 1554.183
The new boss is Cora. She seems nice enough, at least. Our new field of study is Shifts in relation to superhuman abilities. Apparently a cultist found a way to block the Commandant’s powers and kill him a few months ago. It will be nice doing honest work again.

Cycle: 154.305
I’m dreaming in numbers now. The boss is such a hard ass.

Cycle: 1555.025
The diggers have found an ancient city, but where did it come from? The organization has fallen and risen from the ashes before, but this does not seem to be the work of our predecessors. I find myself wishing I was working down there and instead of up here. At least they’re getting somewhere.

Cycle: 1555.032
I think I’m going crazy.

Cycle: 1555.033
I’m hearing something in my head. Is this what happens when people become cultists?

Cycle: 1555.051
I wonder if this is what Cora was really after? The remains of a lost world. I wish I could get out from under all this number crunching. All the interesting stuff is coming out of the city.

Cycle: 1555.106
I caught one of my coworkers lighting up a cigarette with a snap of his fingers. I knew other people were learning from them. That explains why Rebecca’s garden looks so good. I knew she was cheating, somehow.

Cycle: 1555.251
Joss is still locked up in his apartment and won’t come out into the light. He says it burns his skin. Well, that’s what you get for learning to create shadows. What on earth made him think that was a good idea?

Cycle: 1555.303
Maybe learning this ‘magic’ wasn’t such a good idea. Cora is making us test our new power dampening Shift on them. This would be so much less frustrating if it actually worked. Back to the number crunching...

Cycle: 1555.351
I swear, if I have to correct Jason’s formulas one more time...

Cycle: 1556.064
And now we can’t use our powers in the compound. As nice as it is to finally succeed at one of our projects, I can’t help but be disappointed. At least the facility will be safer now that no one can use special abilities in here.

Cycle: 1556.140
Finally recognized for my successes. Second in command. Who would have thought I’d make it this far after two years? I wish I could take all the credit, though. Doctor Zompano thinned the competition a lot.

Cycle: 1556.212
Cora has departed back to the organization. I’ve been handed down a new project. Project: Hybrid.

Cycle: 1569.012
The things I have seen and the things I have done... if there are any monsters in this world, they are not the ones that wear leather and raid cities. It’s us, those of us who claim to be people of science. My dreams are plagued by the memories of the people I have cut open, whose wings I have severed, and their eyes. Always their eyes.

The knowledge that I can never escape this world haunts me. I used to take pride in being a so-called ‘Lucy’, but now I realize that I am without hope for the future. Two years ago, Horace Brandt avoided his life sentences by being sent back to his own world. Many of the people I experimented on were returned to their world even as their wounds were still being healed. But I won’t. I’ll be here forever.

Maybe that’s why the call of the General is so strong. Some say our only way to escape the futility of this world is through sacrifice. Life and death, life and death.

A month ago I saw my parents as infants. It will be years before they’ll be allowed to remember me.

I won’t be around for that. I refuse to be a part of this cycle any longer. If my science has gotten anywhere, it is that I have learned the secret of sacrifice for myself. I have placed this room into a Shifted field that will prevent my resurrection. I surrender myself to this planet. You won, you hideous demented rock.

If you are reading this and feel any pity for me at all, please let my bones remain where they are. I do not wish to be a part of this world again. If there is any justice at all, I can spend the rest of existence in oblivion.

- Doctor Sallis Kal

You probably noticed the jump in the dates between her final two entries. Everything in her journal besides that was ripped out. Most of the room itself was gutted. Chunks of machines have been removed, and all of the filing cabinets have been cleaned out with the exception of one. It contains the files on the research subjects the Malnosso used for their experiments, including the death penalty research mentioned in the doctor's notes.

Besides that, there's nothing else but human remains: Sallis Kal herself. If you can't handle it, don't come poking around. Keep the kids back while you're at it.

To end things on a more positive level, thanks to her presence we found more than we thought we would in Classified. We have plans to open another door soon, so watch out for that. As always, feel free to discuss among yourselves, but absolutely do not speak of anything you heard here off of this channel. It might only be a formality at this point, but this can only stay a secure network so long as the Malnosso don't catch wind of it.

[/end transmission]

((ooc: As usual, this is an open discussion post! Start your own threads and threadjack away. And the IC place for exploring the room is here!))

Comments

[voice]

[chikaidestroyer]

[...That's a whole lot of notes to read through there. Albert goes and makes himself another copy of the typed entries before addressing what was mentioned earlier in the post.]

To take down an enclosure as large and experienced as Vaskoth and strike so many enclosures at once... Hn. Zompano's faction is much larger than I had expected in such a short amount of time. [And now it was that much stronger after those simultaneous invasions.] Was there any mention of if Kin'cora was targeted as well?

[yourhatred]

[Itachi will have Law read everything to him, just to be certain he doesn't miss anything. He makes a copy of the notes as well.

For a while now he's been concerned about his own lack of involvement in the affairs of their village. The only one who can really change that is him.]

I agree.

[This is, of course, in response to Shikamaru's claims that they should work with the others.]

We should do our best to stop any infighting before it begins.

[i_speak_softly]

Can I help with anything?

[markofthewise]

[Reading those notes leaves him uneasy. So after awhile, he rounds back to the first part. For the sake of other people, it would be useful to elaborate on the other enclosures.]

We fought to defend Vaskoth last year. It was invaded, but things went sour when some kind of disease infected everyone. I wasn't there for it, though. I heard the enclosure was big, though. Thousands of people, with roads and cars and everything.

Tyrus... they were on TERRACE. They had their own MSF soldiers, so I guess it makes sense that they fought off the cultists.

I think I recall Pagoda being one of the enclosures we were protecting from those guys in Depot 8.

As for Zompania, I've worked with people from there on missions. Go figure Zompano would want one named after himself.

I don't think I've heard of Quell, though.

As a matter of fact, just how many enclosures do we even know about? I feel like we should be keeping a count of them.

[voice]

[selphie_t]

[Selphie reads all of the transcriptions and it leaves her feeling cold and shivering as a result. There's instances in those notations that she finds herself feeling she was better off knowing but she's aware of it now and it leaves her full of disdain for their keepers.]

Well at least Zompano's gone right? Or is he gonna resurrect like everybody else? Usually if you take down the leader, the rest of a group will scatter but some of the stuff in that journal... If we can reach out to the other enclosures, some kinda compromise can likely be made. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and the like.

As for Dr. Kal, is there any chance that we could at least bury her remains in that room? If that's even possible, mind you but still...

This has to stop.

[wise_maiden]

Including ourselves and now Quell, that brings us up to ten that I'm aware of. I have a list in the guide, but I might as well list them here -

Kin'cora, Excenn, Vaskoth, Segretar, Tyrus, Zompania, O'Connell and Pagoda. So that would leave quite a few that we don't know about. The Excenn population always seemed to like us, though, so I wonder if that's changed...

Also, according to Carol, a possibility of why Vaskoth fell so easily could have been due to the fact that a majority of their forces had moved to TERRACE after that draft had completed. And any possible weakness that was exploited and left over from their previous invasion, considering the stress they had been under. And let's not forget the Malnosso were willing to abandon them at that time as well, if the cure hadn't been found.

[voice]

[daisy023]

[After all they fought to save Vaskoth, it was that bastard that took it in the end. It reminded her too much of the situation of many planets in her universe.

Damn it.

She focuses on the numbers of the enclosures, and the numbers of all sides.]

When we were sent to the jungles in the draft of June of the fourth cycle -- our fourth cycle. [She corrects herself.] There were too many cultists even for all of the draftees at full power. With so many worlds taken, I think there's a lot of them.

Another is Segretar. [It makes her a little glad not to see her in any of the names listed. At least one of her battles to defend other enclosures wasn't in vain.] It was a village almost our size, a hundred or so, not with many commodities yet, and most of them were non-human non-combatants. A group of us fought to defend it.

[ voice ]

[alloys]

[ Damn. Vaskoth gone? That wasn't something he was expecting to hear after seeing the size of that place. If that many people were lost to a similar invasion, Luceti must have been lucky indeed to come out of it relatively unscathed.

But that was food for thought. His primary focus is on what was found in that room. He's been down there already and read the journal for himself, but he rereads everything again. ]

Not to play devil's advocate, because I don't necessarily think it's a good idea - but we could probably learn a thing or two from the machine in that room. It might be one of the most obvious examples of Shifting technology we've encountered, and if we took it apart, we'd be that much closer to understanding what makes this world tick. It should at least be discussed.

[ He's much more cautious about it than he would have been before the portal. Who knows what could happen if something went wrong while dismantling the machine. Reviving the doctor could be the least of their problems. ]

[markofthewise]

I guess it's been awhile since I looked at the guide. Kind of easy to miss when you've been here so long, huh? It would be easier if we knew how many there were in total...

But that makes sense. Vaskoth just wasn't ready for it. [... neither were they, frankly.]

[voice]

[markofthewise]

Segretar. I always forget about that one. I read about it when the mission was announced, but that was it.

[ voice ]

[snikting]

I say you do it. Ta hell with this doctor. There ain't a damn thing she's done fer us to feel sorry for her about.

[With the things he's gone through... he has no sympathy for scientists like that. Let them burn, for all he cares.]

[ voice ]

[endgames]

If it was, they were probably one of the ones the Malnosso stepped in early to help. Kin'cora's a younger enclosure.

[endgames]

It's probably too late for that. At least they still seem chummy with each other.

[Not that that's good for Luceti.]

[endgames]

You're good with computers, right?

[ voice ]

[alloys]

Oh, I definitely could care less about honoring her last wishes. [ She hadn't earned that with the type of work she was doing, if that journal was anything to go off of. ] However - I don't want to be the one growing a third arm because something went wrong with the machine. Not to mention having a mad scientist suddenly on our hands.

[ Unless they could use her as a bargaining chip - but he quickly dismisses the idea. It doesn't sit well in his stomach. ]

[ voice ]

[chikaidestroyer]

So there was no specific mentioning of Kin'cora? Knowing if it was targeted or not would at least hint to whether geography was a factor in their plan. [If Kin'cora wasn't targeted despite its relative closeness to Luceti, it would imply that the cultists had another focus in mind with their invasions.]

[wise_maiden]

There are a lot of different regions to keep in mind as well. We only are aware of a few, but not how they'd relate to each other on a map.

[ voice ]

[endgames]

"We'd be that much closer," he says. That machine has to be as old as the computer we're running the codes through. You know that, right?

[voice]

[endgames]

If he was killed, and killed by normal means, he's already back among the living.

As far as Doctor Kal goes, I was thinking about making a coffin. Or burning her bones, if it can be managed.

[ voice ]

[alloys]

Considering we're basically in the stone-age equivalent of understanding Shifts, I'll take what I can get.

[ voice ]

[endgames]

It didn't come up with the MSF. There was a guy from Kin'cora on my second mission, but getting him to talk about anything was like pulling teeth. The only thing I managed to get out of him the whole time we were there is Korras Blake is back among them.

[ voice ]

[endgames]

You're not gonna understand it though. That they left it behind means it was worthless to them. That it's been functioning this whole time means that woman rigged it to perform a function it wasn't meant to. It's old enough that if your tampering causes it to stop working, you might never get it going again.

[ voice ]

[alloys]

Keyword being 'might'. I still remember a trick or two from sabotaging the droids. We might not get another lead like this.

[ voice ]

[voidseeing]

[There's a new tone to Gai's voice when he responds, one Tony likely hasn't heard before. It's cold and sharp, like steel, though he keeps his voice level.]

You'd disrespect a woman's final wish in the hopes that we might be able to learn something from some antique that was useless enough that they didn't even bother to come back for or destroy it?

[ voice ]

[endgames]

It's not worth the risk. This isn't even a lead. It's paperclips and bubble gum.