thebluewraith | Inbox databurst

That... sounds like a success, I think? Catherine said it'd failed, but perhaps something was undone regardless...

Anyway, if it was there without your consent, there's no telling what else it was putting into your brain. It's for the better it's been deactivated.

[Catherine said...it must be an "AI" thing. He still doesn't get it, to be honest.]

It still functions in some capacity. But nothing that requires a "connection". Though I agree. It was doing strange things to me that I could not explain, and it does those things no longer.

[Like allowing him to suddenly read? That might sound like a good thing to most, but it was honestly unsettling. He never thought he would be glad to have to use the "text to speech" function.]

I suppose I should thank you.

Everyone deserves to keep their agency. It's no trouble.

Besides, you helped me, too. I was only granted Catherine for a particular assignment: I don't know why or how I arrived with her in tow, but I did. Using her to remove the implant shook some of the dust off.

[A sentiment that sadly surprises him to hear.]

Did you not have...ah, her...with you before you arrived then?

[Because that's usually not how that works, from his limited experience. And he also had something similar happen upon his arrival here...]

Not for the last four years, no. Which means... whoever sent me here took enough pains looking into me to send her along too.

Four whole years?

That is...troubling. Could someone have been watching you long enough to know about her — to know to bring her here with you, for whatever reason.

A lot of things happened in those four years. I'm not eager for someone I don't know-- especially someone who's trapped me inside a digital world-- to be privy to them.

There is a certain criminal from home who might know enough about me to do something like this. At first, I thought it might have been his work, but now I'm not so sure.

Before I arrived here, I had experiences waking up with an item from home, and no idea how I got it, much like you.

Whoever is behind this...they wish to get personal, for whatever reason.

God, I fucking hate that.

[HE'S LITERALLY SO TIRED.]

Could you tell me more about that place, though? [a quick beat, then he texts again--] Just the facts. You can exclude anything personal, I hate talking about myself too.

Tell me about it.

I wasn't there very long. At least, not from what I remember. I awoke in a place called New Tokyo and was transferred from there to New Amsterdam, where I spent the rest of my time in that world. It was a lot like this place. The glow everywhere, these devices that let us communicate...though there were far more people. And they didn't feel as...hollow as the people here.

My first week there I learned that everyone is made to stay in a poorly named safehouse until they set up our implants properly. And we truly had no choice, seeing as they drugged us to make us compliant. The leadership was questionable and no one seemed to ever know who was in charge. It made getting answers futile.

I wonder the longer I stay here what kind of connection there could be. New Amsterdam was...oppressive. This place is odd, yes, but the feel is entirely different.

[The story is more than a little worrying, particularly the drugging. Sumio frowns, then types out his reply:]

1) Do you know if the neural net I deactivated was administering the drugs?
2) Are you entirely sure that that world wasn't also a simulation?
3) If you are... what if you haven't left? If the technology's at the level I'm expecting, we can't rule out that Svelte is a simulation occurring somewhere within New Amsterdam.

1. I hadn't considered that, but there was a tube sticking out of my arm when I came to. I believe that is what kept us sedated.

2. I'm not. I had heard that before I arrived everyone was trapped in one of those "simulations" but they were ultimately released from it through death. I don't know enough of how this kind of thing works to say for certain, but I would not be surprised.

[Maker's balls, he hates this thanks.]

3. Like a dream within a dream. I suppose we have no way of knowing at the moment, but it would explain the striking similarities. Not to mention why there are a few of us from New Amsterdam here.

[But wait—]

That would explain all but one thing. I distinctly remember being home before I arrived here, almost as if I made a short stop. And while that could be a trick of the mind, I have my armor and even Autumn came with me. Surely that isn't faked as well...

[Sumio reads the responses over thoroughly. He's about to launch into some Truly fucked up simulated human consciousness shit, as he'd previously gone through with Noiz on the network, when--]

Who's Autumn?

She is a mabari hound.

[And she is her own person hence why he didn't just say "my dog".]

I see. [mental note to pet her and not make too big deal out of it but like: pet]

Well, I was going to suggest something else. Since you said you aren't so familiar with technology, bear with me...

Even if you remembered returning home, it's possible that you didn't actually return, especially as you had that neural net in your head. Where I'm from, memories can be easily extracted from a person's mind as if we were simply sophisticated hard drives, storing each and every experience in our heads like files. Along those same lines, they could've just "uploaded" your time home into you.

I've seen it done with magic, I have no doubt this strange technology could do the same.

[Though he is not discounting magic being involved completely, because he's like that.]

If what you say is true, then that means whoever is in control of this went through the trouble of bringing Autumn to this blighted place just to make it seem as if I went home, because she wasn't with me New Amsterdam. And she couldn't have been hidden away, or she would have let me know.

[Don't ask.]

Though I must ask...if these two worlds are connected or one in the same...do you have any unusual abilities? Ones that you never had before.

[There Fenris goes about magic, like all the other people here...]

By the same concept, they could've also uploaded data of Autumn to the simulation. If we're all sharing it, then we'd all perceive her as she was in your memory, wouldn't we?

As for abilities, no. Nothing from before I came here, at least. It's just that this place feels off, I guess. Unnatural, as if I'm somewhere and nowhere at the same time... like my intuition is going haywire.

[Welcome to hell, there's magic.]

I suppose so.

I see what you mean, though. It almost feels like a dream trying its best to mimic the real world, getting some things right, but most things are off. Sometimes it's obvious, yet other times you can't quite put your finger on it.

[it’s the wooOOOOooorrst]

Yeah... exactly. I’m glad someone else felt it too.

By the way. If there’s anyone who was at this New Amsterdam who’d like me to try turning their implant off too, I’m willing to do it. I assume you know who they are better than me, so just let me know.

It might be of interest to them. I'll talk to them about it.

[When he relates this information as well, because Maker, he's going to be thinking about this for a while.]

I suppose I have a lot to think about now.

Being here IS kind of a lot to take in.

Anyway, if you find anything interesting, or if your friends want to take me up on my offer, let me know. I'll let you know if I encounter anything of interest too.

[Hm. Sumio seems...well, Fenris isn't the most trusting type, but he seems just as eager to figure out what's going on as he is, and for now that will have to be good enough.]

Then I will keep in touch.

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dogge....

the most important part

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