audio//un: vegas

[architector]

[He supposed this was something like a podcast or a radio show, only instead of recording one's voice and posting it only, one simply thought and it was so. Useful if a little cumbersome, fascinating though. His voice, a deep baritone, warm and welcoming in tone, was softly accented and sounded vaguely western European.]

Good evening...what is it we call ourselves? Citizens? Spherites? Spherians? [A self-deprecating chuckle filters across the network before he continues.] Which do you prefer?

[A sigh, and a moment's pause.]

Forgive me. I digress. If I understand our situation correctly, many of you have been here for some time, a year or even more in some cases, yes? What do you make of this place? Even those of us who have only been here a short time, I would know your minds as well. I can understand your predicament is troubling, and why not? To my knowledge, such a structure should be physically impossible, and I've yet to find any record of schematics explaining the construction. That's to say nothing of the means of communication with which we've been provided.

Very disconcerting, I know, but it is, and thus it can be understood. I'd like to know how far we've come. Thank you in advance.

[There's a beat before he chuckles again.]

Forgive my lack of manners. My name is Antonio. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

(OOC: If you'd like, we can totally continue the threads on his TDM post! We can continue them here or there, whichever you'd prever!)

Comments

video; un: wallofsleep

[cacophonish]

I'm pretty sure this place is, like, one big hallucination and everyone in it is a figment of my imagination.

[ He makes a thoughtful face for a moment, brow furrowed and nose scrunched. Man, that sounded really self absorbed. People keep accusing him of being totally focused on himself, and his counselor even gave him some homework on that, so. Here. He'll make An Effort. ]

You seem like a really smart imaginary person, so, um. You'll probably come up with a way better explanation!

video;

[architector]

[On the other end of the video, a man with sharp features, deep gray eyes, slightly disheveled brown hair, and a warm smile appears.]

Well, I can safely say I've never been the figment of another's imagination before. What can I do?

[cacophonish]

[ Jeff returns the smile, though there's something of a nervous twitch in his own. It's not as easy to communicate over the network when he's sober. ]

I dunno, I've never had one ask me that before.

[ He thinks for another moment. ]

Maybe you aren't a figment of my imagination. I don't think a figment could use words I don't even know.

[ Like 'schematic' and 'disconcerting'! ]

[architector]

Well, that's a comfort at least. I don't think being imagined would sit well with me long.

[He smiles, and it may be apparent from the video that his incisors are very prominent, though they don't resemble fangs in the traditional sense. They just look a little larger than usual.]

Why don't we start from the beginning? It's a pleasure to meet you, but what am I to call you?

[cacophonish]

[ My, what big teeth you have! Noticeable, though Jeff doesn't think it's too unusual, yet. ]

Oh, uh, Jeff. I think I'm as new here as you are. [ So, alas, he doesn't have any useful insights yet! Though tbf it's not like he'd likely have useful insights even if he was a seasoned veteran of this place. ]

[architector]

Well, that is more evidence you've dreamed me up, isn't it?

[He chuckles at his own, bad, joke before shaking his head.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Jeff.

Audio - UN: DETWATTS

[gadaboutdetective]

Now that is an interesting question! Can we truly be called any of those things... given we’re not locals and do not intend to stay permanently? Perhaps adventitious tourists? Or uh— more on the mark perhaps, random abductees.

[He pauses now and then, but was clearly interested in this line of thought. Of course, there were also more important topics than what they should all consider themselves. When Llewellyn speaks up next, he jumps to the more serious matter.]

Unfortunately, I’ve only been here for... a few days at most? So my knowledge is still largely incomplete, but I am working on compiling evidence that might be of use and I have a few basic details that I’ve learned from others since arriving. Mm... More like starting points, really.

audio;

[architector]

We can if we choose to be, and I'd rather claim temporary citizenship than resign myself to kidnapping.

[He's aware there are more serious topics, certainly, but given the length of time others have spent here, presumably attempted to puzzle them out, a few moments of light-hearted discussion couldn't hurt.]

The key to any great discovery is starting out. Have you learned anything yet, Detective? That is your title, is it not?

[gadaboutdetective]

Hm... Well I would think that saying it’s a resignation to being kidnapped would only be accurate if you accept the situation without attempting to do something about it.

[A realist and a pessimist, Llewellyn would have to be hard-pressed to put a positive spin on all this.]

You would be correct, Detective Llewellyn Watts. Ah, of the important things I’ve learned of so far...? I would say the most important would be the fact that the device we use to communicate also has the drawback of uh— occasionally sharing our personal memories for the rest of the community to see. I don’t know why, or if there is a way to prevent it. But! I intend to look into this further.

I’m not sure why we’re here, other than the fact that apparently this place needs a population. I’m hopeful that I might find a pattern that shows some sort of mm... commonality between us all that might have triggered our arrivals specifically? At the moment it seems rather random.

[The detective wasn’t willing to rule out either possibility, but he would quickly do so one he had evidence to support one or the other.]

I admit that I’ve been a bit slow to start, it would seem that I’m quite out of my time here. I have had to... get caught up on how things work.

[architector]

True. Perhaps accepting would be a better turn of phrase.

[There's a sound of an agreement to go along with his response.]

If the voices are to be believed, it was random, and unintentional, though I'd be more quick to believe it to be unintentional now rather than always. This place is far too convenient to be happenstance. I do believe them when they say we weren't meant to come here, but I'm not naive.

If I may, what was the year, by your last reckoning?

[gadaboutdetective]

That is precisely it, we can only say that this is all unintentional if the voice is to be believed. But... Well, in my experience deceptions and lies are quite natural, especially in a situation like this one. Even if they were honest in part, It wouldn’t surprise me if the truth isn’t quite as it was presented.

[And, given how things seemed to operate here, he certainly wasn’t about to trust some pleasant sounding voice... Or the stranger who had a word with him to explain the basics.]

Ah, the year for me would have been 1905.

[song_of_fire]

[ooc: Continued]

Even an architect has stories.

[architector]

They do, but they aren't often interesting. I...suppose I could tell the story of how I was hired recently to design a new library branch.

[song_of_fire]

Tell me then. I should like to hear it.

Perhaps you may find such work here.

[architector]

Unfortunately, that was the long and short of the story.

[He chuckles, self-deprecating.]

Perhaps I can, but I have little to no experience building underwater.

Video; Continued

[minus1twin]

[Here.]

That might not be entirely incorrect and I believe its access. Some of the areas of the sphere's are inhabitable and therefore shut off.

I think the sphere does what it can to protect the people here, though it's sometimes unclear as to what it's programming or design was.

[She looks surprised and is caught off guard for a moment.]

Yes. Not many know where I am from.

Re: Video; Continued

[architector]

So, you believe the Sphere itself to be a benevolent entity?

[Interesting, and apparently at odds with others' perspectives.]

I spent some time in that part of the world. It's a beautiful country, if rough.

[minus1twin]

No. A program that's running a code.

The timing isn't the same but many things it does is repetitive in some way.

[She smiles a little thinking of home. It's a sad smile but not entirely depressing. She has a lot of bad memories of her home but she has a lot of good ones too.]

It is. I haven't seen it for some time. [She misses it but it doesn't feel like she can go back there. Not without her brother.]

[architector]

Somehow, that seems worse, rather than better.

[Something benevolent has an agenda. A program, though, is cold and remorseless.]

A shame, but many things stand in one's way. I understand.

[minus1twin]

I know.

[She thinks so too.]

I wish I had better news for you but that does seem to be how it is.

Yes.

Where are you from?

video un: nemesis

[wasinnocent]

I prefer none of the above. That an option? [ She has an amused smile on her face and her tone is pretty jovial, bordering on being slightly teasing. ]

Boring. I'd call it a boring predicament more than a troubling one. But that's just me personally.

video;

[architector]

It is, so long as you provide an alternate suggestion. [He returns the smile, clearly meaning it as an ice breaker rather than anything serious.]

Boring? Truly? Even knowing what we're subjected to?

[wasinnocent]

No group defining names. [ Please, anything but that. ]

The worst thing we have to deal with is the broadcasting memories shit. Besides that, not much happens.

[architector]

[He chuckles at that.] As my lady commands.

Oh? I'd heard our nightmares also shared. Is that not true?

[wasinnocent]

Every now and then. Demons happened once and then ghosts. Neither really went that far.