Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:18 No. 1092524 ID: 0b7e05
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You realize you're not getting any closer. In fact, nothing moves here. The corridor is frozen in a single moment.
You have a distressing feeling of something lurking behind you. Like something might jump out at you at any moment. You're afraid to turn around though you already know what you'd find if you did.

Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:18 No. 1092525 ID: 0b7e05
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A quiet, weak voice calls out from the darkness behind you.
"Is that you, Dee? You look like death.
"Ah, no... We're here again. So you must just be me."
Its tone betrays a deep, exhausted sorrow.

The low ceiling poses no obstacle to your head as you straighten.

Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:18 No. 1092526 ID: 0b7e05
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You stand and - after a deep breath - you turn.
There it is. Whoever it is.

The corpse says: "We can't help but come back to this moment over and over again, huh? Damn Serenity-100! Damn him all the way to hell! As if it wasn't enough that he made us monstrous. Poison to the world!
"We could have at least been safe and sound and contained in our cranny! Instead we were here, trying to prevent an utter catastrophe. None of this would have happened if he'd just shut up and stuck to the plan. But no. No, no, no, he had to have his victory lap.
"That's how we lost her. All because of him."

Your voice catches in your throat. You swallow.
"Lost her? Who?", you ask hoarsely.

Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:19 No. 1092527 ID: 0b7e05
File 171771234397.png - (122.03KB , 990x660 , HU_02_000_E.png )

"You."
"That's how we lost you."

"Disq?"

Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:19 No. 1092528 ID: 0b7e05
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"GYAAAAAAGH!!!"
"Great God!"

Part 2: Destroyer Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:19 No. 1092529 ID: 0b7e05
File 171771237985.png - (198.34KB , 990x660 , HU_02_000_G.png )

"Sorry! Sorry."

Silicon 2024/06/06(Thu)15:19 No. 1092530 ID: 0b7e05
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While you're still readjusting to the waking world from that bizarrely vivid dream, Maya grabs your cup and goes to fill it with water. She's talking but you're distracted. Something about this nightmare has left you alarmed and confused. You try your hardest to commit it to memory.

Finally, wakefulness catches up with you in earnest.
Maya is still apologising: "I swear we didn't mean to intrude, but you didn't respond to anything, so we got a bit worried."

"I didn't respond?", you ask.
"Not to knocking, not to the door opening, not to us calling out to you... We found you tossing and turning."

"Nightmares?", Gamal ventures.

Nightmares, or memories? Both, really.
You were somewhere with microgravity, probably in Earth orbit, in the midst of a firefight. Did they find any signs of struggle outside, or hull breaches?

"Fractured memories. I found out what happened to the crew. There was either a mutiny or a raid, and... well, almost everyone died. Even me, in a way."

>>1092536
Well, depends on how confident you are that was a memory, vs some metaphorical dream thing. Even assuming it were literally true, I'm not even totally sure a mutiny or raid happened, at least not according to the spoken words.

>>1092530
Yeah tell them you had a nightmare, but since it was a dream you can't trust any information from it. Better they don't know, since it might lead them down the wrong path.

You do think they can start calling you "Dee", though. Not Disq.

You had a dream about someone having a dream about you. You're dead though, so they know it has to be a dream. They talk bitterly to dream you, about betrayal and petty egos, that resulted in this whole disaster, as well as your death.

>>1092550
But given the memory loss involved, "Dee" might be a very different person to Disq. Maybe not someone they would want to be again.

Just say that it was disturbing, but you aren't sure if it was a memory, a dream, or a mix of both.

>>1092530
Not sire if nightmares or memories, probably a mix of both

Hmm. Zero gravity in the flashback. Looks like this is indeed a grounded ship.

"I think it was a repressed memory. Violence happening on the ship. Shots fired. Someone saying we have been there before... but it only really lasted a few minutes, how long did you spend trying to wake me?

A bad dream about a gunfight... maybe, it wasn't very clear. Lets stick with Disq until we know Dee is/was the kind of person we want to be. Lets also keep the name to ourselves for now.

Silicon 2024/06/09(Sun)14:37 No. 1092725 ID: d1187f
File 171796904454.png - (302.36KB , 990x660 , HU_02_001_A.png )

You decide that you're missing too much of the context to make a useful attempt at interpretation yet. So you stick to the basics.

"A nightmare, yes. Perhaps even a memory, or a mix of the two. There was... violence. On the ship. Shots fired. There was someone having a dream about me. Said it had to be a dream because... I'm dead? They talked bitterly to dream me, about betrayal and petty egos, that resulted in this whole disaster, as well as my death.", you explain.

Gamal strokes their beard and gives a noncommittal "Hm."
You shrug: "Yeah I don't understand it either."

"Well, it's another piece of the puzzle. Every bit is likely to be helpful in some way.", they say.
"Hm." you reply and take a sip of water from your cup.
Damn, you think. Water is good. So good. What an odd thought.

Maya nimbly lifts herself up onto the chair.
"Well, dreams aside, I have good news for you. We've had a mission meeting and decided unanimously that your demands are reasonable. While we haven't found a consensus on how to implement them yet, we're ready to make some concessions.", she says.
Gamal goes to take the other chair. "Please bear with us for the time being.", they say.

"So, Shyama has uh... assigned us some worksheets to go over. It's mostly translations we need, some symbolism we're curious about. That sort of thing. But once we're done with that, we can talk about whatever you like. And!", here Maya points to the box on the table, "I brought some of your gadgets to look at. Should we get started?"

>>1092725
Ah, maybe the "important" thing you had to do was to tell the others you're alive? Maybe that's the only reason you're still here. They left you behind, thinking you were dead. Except, shouldn't an advanced civilization such as yours be able to TELL if someone is dead or not? Hmm. Maybe this is some secret backup body they didn't know about?

Anyway, yeah. Let's get to the analysis. Think about what to tell them about the objects before you do.

It would be nice to see a few of their gadgets, to see what tech levels they've got. Pass it off as curiosity, but it would also give us an idea of what tech not to reveal to them, if it comes to that.

Not much water on the moon. You've been here a while; it's probably not easy to come by.

If they haven't eaten yet, why don't we eat together... oh, we overslept didn't we. Yeah, let's get to it.

Silicon 2024/06/10(Mon)12:26 No. 1092787 ID: 815fee
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A strange thought pops into your head: What makes one alive or dead?
The question has a cold familiarity to it. Like you've thought it many times before. It's not a happy thought.
But you're alive! Cogito ergo sum, no?

You return your attention to the conversation.

"I'd like to see some of your gadgets, honestly.", you say.
"Oh." Maya hesitates. She's a bit quiter, less excited when she says: "Yeah, I can... I'll bring some of our stuff, too, later. Sure."

Before any kind of awkward silence can descend, you muster what enthusiasm you can. "All right, let's go, then."
Maya nods. "All right!", she says with more vigour and reaches for the cassette recorder.
Gamal helpfully pushes it into her reach and hands her a writing pad, which she then passes on to you.

"Here, have a look, please.", she says. Then she pushes the record button on the recorder. "This is session three, cassette one, 7th of Pausha Waning, 2512. Interview conducted by Maya Ramesha Gha- Dog's Dick!"
She stops the recording with an annoyed groan, then pushes another button and then finally the record button again.
"This is session three, cassette one, 7th of Pausha Waning, 2512. Interview conducted by Maya Ramesha. I've given Disq some samples of English writing."

You take a look.

Silicon 2024/06/10(Mon)12:27 No. 1092788 ID: 815fee
File 171804763925.png - (193.26KB , 990x660 , HU_02_002_B.png )

Hmm...

I don't think that was our current self in the dream. We looked different. Blue hair, with softer curves, and freckles.

Maybe this body adjusts the holographic parts of our appearance to the mind inside?

Also, did anyone else notice the symbols? There was one next to us that's also on the cup, one next to the corpse when we looked closer... and this huge encircled sun symbol in the background when we spoke to the corpse.

Anyways... I think it should be safe to translate these words for the crew. Start a new sheet of paper perhaps where you note them down like "Command = *Command* " and such.

>>1092788
Looks like a building directory an elevator panel, and a login screen. I don’t think there’s anything in here that would be dangerous to translate that they won’t figure out with elbow grease and a crowbar.

First up, you need to write '0123456789' and specify this is base-10.
Looks like they copied a map. Ask for the map, and you'll label what goes where.

This one says ’No Entry.’ You can ignore that warning, as obviously if they didn’t want you to enter there wouldn’t be a door. It’s merely a formality.
We need context for ‘Pa55word.’ Was there anything else written around it? What was it written on?

Ooh, you have an armory?

>>1092791
Oh also point out that they are confusing the numeral 5 and the letter S. maybe pre-emptively explain 0 and O.

>>1092788
Okay, we can infer from this that they explored around and found all those locations. Also, the Armory was likely last since it was put in awkward empty space, and "no entry" was written at the same angle so the armory must be blocked off thank goodness. Potentially password-locked but that could be Command or Science... You could ask?

Huh, they only found Habitat 3? Where's 2 and 1?

Anyway, read everything out loud. No sensitive information that I can see. The top right looks like it's a floor selection in an elevator, which means now we know there's three floors to this facility.

Now would be an excellent time to remember what's in the armory

>>1092796
We don't know that for certain. Maybe the cybersecurity around here is atrocious and someone wrote down their password, which was literally 'Pa55word.'

That's either Pa55word or Pa55w0rd. Explain the word 'Password', and the horrific practice of extremely poor cybersecurity of just replacing the letters with numbers to comply with computer requirements that passwords involve both letters and numbers. Most security systems should have more complex requirements, and have a list of 'very poor passwords' that are automatically invalid. Someone was breaking security regulations by having such an easy to guess password for their login AND also writing it down like that.

>>1092796
The more likely explanation is that they are writing symbols in ways that resemble their own writing. Note the line at the top, not just on the S but also E R P and G.

>>1092800
I don't think we should tell them that PA55W0RD is the password for whatever they're trying to get into, not until we go see what it is.

Ah, they found the armory. …Why did your ship need an armory, anyway? Who were they going to shoot?

Funny Question: CAN we actually write their language?
Otherwise we will have to start with a word by word translation were they have to give us the equivalent in their tongue.
Also, we're not in a ship I think. The signs on the upper right are elevator signs and there is no basement in a spacecraft :)

What about the symbols in the top right you don't recognize? What does that say, 1G? 1/6? 1B? Maybe they read them sideways or upside down, or maybe that's not english at all.

>>1092823
1
G
1B
They're floors.

Silicon 2024/06/15(Sat)01:53 No. 1092970 ID: 6d3a6d
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The dream pops into your head again. What could it mean that your appearance was so different? It's reasonable to assume that the DtR projector could do different shapes and colours. Why not freckles, too?

And yeah, those round glyphs come to mind. In the dream, they seemed to just pop up around people... Yeah, you're pretty sure they relate to people in some way, but how? The one on your mug seems closely related to you specifically.
You're so close to getting it. You can feel it.

But understanding eludes you and so you focus again on the task at hand.

The only words on there that strike you as potentially troubling are 'Armory' and 'Password'. Could anybody really be so careless to choose a password as obvious as 'PA55WORD' and leave it written down somewhere?!
Then it hits you. A bunch of the other letters also look kind of strange, especially the Gs. Whoever copied these was clearly not familiar with the latin alphabet. Maybe that's why a bunch of these letters have that line at the top like Devanagari script.
So that's not the number 5, that's an S!

You look up at Maya and ask: "Did you write this?"
She smiles apologetically. "Yes. I uh... I was in a bit of a hurry when I copied that down. I hope it's legible."
"Oh I can read it fine.", you reassure her, "But particularly your S looks kind of strange."
You point it out to her. You also point to the 'S' on your name tag.
"Oh. Good to know. Hm, yeah that one kinda looks like a reverse 'ta' to me so that's how I wrote it. Yeah maybe you can teach me your alphabet sometime..."

You ask: "Did you copy these off a map? Maybe you can just show me that and I'll translate it there?"
Maya shakes her head. "No, these are from a storage room right around the corner."
"Ah."
"Oh, except for the one at the very top. That's on the outside of the facility. And the three short ones in the corner, which are from the hallway."

You nod. "Okay, this says 'Habitat 3', which means 'Habitat 3'. These are look like fl-"
"Wait, wait, wait! Uh!", Maya interrupts.
She grabs a pen from the table and reaches out her hand for the writing pad. You let her have it and she leans over to allow you to see it while she's writing little translation notes, as you go.

"Okay... 'Habitat 3'. Next?"
"These are floor designations I think. '1, G, 1B', which probably means 'first floor', 'ground floor' and 'first basement'."

It does occur to you that a spaceship or even space station with a basement would be quite... odd. So then this must be a more permanent structure. Maybe?

"Then these three here are 'Armory', 'Password' and 'No Entry'."

Silicon 2024/06/15(Sat)01:54 No. 1092971 ID: 6d3a6d
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"Armory?", Gamal asks, incredulous, "You've got weapons up here?" He seems genuinely perplexed.
You shrug. "Apparently.", you say.
"Is that... normal?", he wonders.
"Couldn't tell you."
"Right, the Amnesia. Carry on."

Silicon 2024/06/15(Sat)01:54 No. 1092972 ID: 6d3a6d
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You return to the translation. "These look like department names. They are, in order:
"'Command' or 'Leadership'...
"'Science'...
"'Medical'...
"'Security' or 'Protection'...
"'Engineering'...
"and 'Operations'."
You can see Maya frowning as she notes these down. When she's done, she looks at the page with clear scepticism.
"Are you sure, teacher?", she finally asks.
"Yes I'm sure. Why?"

"I said these are from a storage room, right? 'Armory', and 'No Entry' are on a door in there. 'Password' is from a little panel by the door. I already suspected it was a security measure."
She runs the back end of the pen along the remaining six words.
"These, we found as labels on the compartments of a container unit full of clothes. Uniforms. They all look roughly the same and similar to yours. Different collar, longer pant legs and they have sleeves. But otherwise, same shape with the skirts and everything.
"The only difference between the labelled compartments is the color of the clothing.", she explains.
"You said, you're an engineer?"

Silicon 2024/06/15(Sat)01:54 No. 1092973 ID: 6d3a6d
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"I... I am.", you say, suddenly less certain of it.
"Well... Maybe it doesn't mean anything, but... The clothes for what you said is 'Engineering' are orange. Your clothes are white. That'd be 'Science'.", she says.

Science? That doesn't sound right. Doesn't sound right at all.

Maya gives a nervous laugh and says: "It probably doesn't mean anything, teacher. Let's move on!"
You try to shake off the anxiety. "What are the other colors?", you ask.
Maya thinks for a moment. "Command is Golden, Medical is Greenish-Blue, Security is Black and Operations is Karmija."
"What's Karmija?"
"Uh... deep red? Bit purple?"
"Ah. Crimson..."
"I guess."

"... You wouldn't know what happened to habitats 1 and 2, would you?"
Maya shakes her head. "No teacher. There's only the one building. And I'm pretty sure we scanned the moon's surface quite thoroughly."

This does not make you any less anxious.

"Should we move on?", Maya asks nervously.
"Yes, let's.", you say.

She flips to the next page of the writing pad and hands it to you.

Silicon 2024/06/15(Sat)01:54 No. 1092974 ID: 6d3a6d
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It's full of those glyphs. Here they are again.

"These are on the outside of some of the doors in this area.", Maya says. She points to the familiar one. "This one's on your door. And your mug, of course. Do they mean anything to you?"

Okay. Glyphs refer to people. Probably. That one on the bottom right is especially familiar and it seems like it's... embellished. Didn't you see that in your dream?
You are so close to a realisation you can taste it. What's the missing link between Glyph and person?

Hmm. Next time you're alone, you should check your body for bullet holes. If they thought you were dead, then you should at least have signs of recent repair to your frame.

>>1092972
>different colored clothing for each department
That makes perfect sense. Uniforms are often designed to show the wearer's assignment at a glance. Ah. Here's something worrisome: you only "know" your name due to your nametag, which is on your clothing, which doesn't match your memories. What if you're wearing someone else's clothes? The corpse in your dream seemed to imply that you were both the same entity, somehow... maybe there's some weird mind transfer going on and you're SHARING a body with Disquiet-247?

>>1092974
>glyph and person
Rank? They're geometric with the vertices clearly marked; perhaps those translate to numbers somehow. Reading from the middle, the fanciest one is effectively 1-0-0. Top left is 2-4-7... ah, that's your symbol isn't it? Then that's what it is, they're geometric representations of each person's numbers. The bottom right must be Serenity's-100's symbol. The embellishment must be a sign of rank, so Serenity was/is the captain?

Seems safe to tell them. The symbols represent your numbers.

Do you remember any of the uniform colors from your dream?

So... In your dream, you saw 828 get shot by 503... presumably right after shooting 642.
100 has been mentioned.
So far, we have no idea whom (if anyone), the numbers 294, 156, 202, and 310 designate. And what words go with these numbers.

Ah, alternate theory: You're wearing someone else's uniform, but the nametag is yours. They detach, right?

We DO have context for the numbers! We remembered some of them in Chapter 0!

Anguish-739
Rage-828
Serenity-100
Excitement-947
Regret-528

So Rage-828 is the one who was shot in the dream!

I think we can also safely assume that this wasn't originally our body. The different looks in the memory, the name we didn't remember, the nonfitting clothes, the cryptic reference to us not being "Dee, the way our body feels unfamiliar and awkward... I think we can begin admitting to ourselves that this is the likeliest option.

>>1092982
Oh oh this makes perfect sense too. In the dream the glyphs floated like hud elements! Possibly they exist as a sort of IFF system so you can identify a person no matter what body they inhabit!

Right, can we remember anything about who 642 is?

Silicon 2024/06/20(Thu)13:27 No. 1093183 ID: 6d3a6d
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"Of course! They're numbers! Numbers in names! Of course, there it is! Disquiet-247! Serenity-100! Rage-828!", you blurt out with excitement.
Maya startles and asks: "What? Hang on, slow down. What?"

You hold the pad over to Maya and tap the three parts of the top left glyph in order from inside to outside.
"There. Two, Four, Seven. As in Disquiet, Two, Four, Seven. Disquiet-247! And this one...", you point at the one on the bottom right, "One, Zero, Zero. Serenity-100! Pen!"
Maya hands you the pen and you quickly write the names down in English next to the symbols.

"And who's that?", she asks.
"Someone in charge. The captain, perhaps. Maybe that's what these embellishments mean.", you tap the outer part of the symbol with the pen.

Maya squints a bit as she looks at it more closely and she says: "Is that really all that means?"
You shrug. "I'm really just guessing with that one.", you admit, "Why?"
"Because it looks like the Tripundra.", she says.

You look at her, then at the symbol again.
"You know...", she prods carefully, "Three horizontal marks? One central dot? The Eye of Lord Shiva? No?"
"Well I've definitely heard of Shiva before."
Maya looks disappointed when she says: "I guess it's a coincidence."

Meanwhile you're already flipping over another page on the writing pad to note down the symbols from your dream and memory.
Eight-Two-Eight
Six-Four-Two
Five-Zero-Three
Seven-Three-Nine
Nine-Four-Seven
Five-Two-Eight
And next to the first one, you write 'Rage-828'.

Silicon 2024/06/20(Thu)13:27 No. 1093184 ID: 6d3a6d
File 171891526609.png - (266.59KB , 990x660 , HU_02_004_B.png )

Who is Rage-828? In your dream... he... was shot. He said you're him. Is that literal? Is that true? Can you trust a dream? Is it even possible to change so drastically? It would explain why your body seems so alien to you. It would also explain the problem with the uniform colour.
But in addition to the 'how', there's also the 'why'. Why would you... become Disquiet-247?
You notice your jaw is clenched. The anxiety is back. Your breathing quickens. Something in you is struggling against the realization. You don't want to think about this. It hurts. The pain makes it harder to think.

Maya must have noticed your distress. "Teacher? Are you all right?", she asks.
You swallow, you try to blink away the tears. "No", you manage.
She speaks softly: "What is it? Can I help?"

"I...", you take a deep breath and hold it for a couple seconds before letting it go.

Silicon 2024/06/20(Thu)13:27 No. 1093185 ID: 6d3a6d
File 171891527622.png - (312.10KB , 990x660 , HU_02_004_C.png )

"I am not me..."

Maya looks at you and her expression slowly shifts into a frown. "Is that what Shyama has told you?", she asks.
"Huh?"
"Because, y'know... that's not necessarily true.", she says and launches into a full-on rant heedless of your confusion.
"His perspective is just that, a perspective. There are other ones and most of them don't throw out the ontological foundation of everything. Just because we misinterpret our experience of the self that doesn't mean there is no substance or continuity to it. You're you. I'm me. And that means something. And perhaps if I were wiser and you didn't have amnesia, we'd know that we're the same or how exactly we are different. Even just thinking 'I am not me...' gives the game away doesn't it? Who's thinking it? Where does the impulse originate from? It has to come from somewhere. And even if the thought is a function of a physical brain and nothing but biochemistry and neural connectivity, who's watching the thought forming in that mind? Somebody! That's you!"

...

You're not sure what to even say to that.

>>1093185

No no, I mean I think I can be loaded with different physical brains or something.

Ah, no, I meant that this isn't my body. Like my mind was moved from a different body into this one. So Disquiet probably wasn't my name either.

Whoops!

Hey, before we delve into what we actually meant - what does Maya mean with this? Maya, you sound a bit upset. Are *you* okay? Did Shyama do something to upset you?

Either way... thank you. For what it's worth, if our Dream was true, it's more like we used to inhabit a different body. Either our brain or a copy of it may have been moved into this one. Which begs the question... what happened to Dee?

We called her Dee. That seems affectionate. And if she gave us her body, we must have been really close.

Maybe she's still in here, somewhere?

Well, okay, brains have baseline core personalities and capabilities, but could possibly be projected like an over the air television signal to other brains via a technological mediation to remotely override the local brain's actively run personality to be the local subject matter expert on the scene if need be, perhaps.

Or if each body is a computer, and storage density is powerful enough, everyone's full brain and identity could be loaded on everyone's else's body and with a strong enough taboo in running multiple instances of a person at a time, you could sort of swap bodies, provided you also had an update protocol for experiences in another body.

Or something even more exotic. Which model the group was using... hard to say.

>>1093183
>Serenity's symbol looks like a major religious mark
Perhaps the interference with this timeline was more than erasing Rome. That would explain why the dream mentioned a "victory lap"...

>>1093185
Tell her you think you might be Rage-828, in Disquiet's body. Or a fusion of the two, somehow. If such a thing were possible, and Disquiet was the sole survivor of the conflict with Rage dying next to her, then it makes sense that she would try to rescue Rage-828 in this way.
I think we might want to check the room marked 828, if she knows where it is.

You're you. Maybe you're not who you think you are, but whoever you were, you are, right now, here trying to answer that question. You have Disquiet's chassis, and maybe you were Rage, or maybe Disquiet just has Rage's memories. I mean, really you're trying to recover the memories of everyone that was onboard this ship. You can figure out which ones are yours later.

Could we trace the history of this Eye of Shiva back a little further? Where does the symbol originate, how far back? Maybe it fell to Earth among some wreckage.

>>1093185
Tell Maya you're thankful for her faith in your authenticity, you appreciate that, afterall what is a person if not the collection of their experiences and emotions? I mean, even normal humans replace all their cells over the course of a lifetime, becoming a cyborg is just a shortcut.

This is probably why we cried when we looked at the mirror. We might have been staring into the face of a deceased dear friend, perhaps even a partner.

Wow, this is grim. Maybe Dee's not gone though. If she donated her body to us when we got shot, perhaps she moved to a new body before hand, or some data storage medium. A Hard-drive? Brain-in-A-Jar? The Main Computer?

Also I have a small inkling your boss may have being trying to set himself up as a god in the new timeline. Just a hunch.

Also Maya, you're plenty wise! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

(Maya keeps calling us teacher, I wonder if that's a hold over from a caste system thing?)

Okay, this reeks of stigma. Tell her your timeline had this problem by the truckload, but humanity eventually realized that most anti-identity discrimination was capitalized by the elite as a means of dividing the common populace and creating scapegoats out of naturally-forming individuals. Acceptance is a momentous battle, but every little victory can save thousands of lives.

But also inform her that you're saying the identity you've been assuming may need to be altered due to abnormal shenanigans. It just means you'll need some more time and information to find yourself.

Silicon 2024/06/30(Sun)14:55 No. 1093622 ID: 6d3a6d
File 171978451680.png - (294.77KB , 990x660 , HU_02_005_A.png )

"Okay w-", you begin, but it seems Maya isn't quite done.
"Honestly, if I find that extrapolating from my philosophy's base principles leaves no room for any kind of persistent self, I don't go 'Huh! I guess there is no self, then', I rethink the base principles, for heaven's sake!", she says.
"Maya, I-", you try again.
She goes on: "And they're so smug about it, too! Just-"

Gamal loudly claps their hands together. "Maya!"
She startles. "Huh? What?"
"This is maybe not the most appropriate topic, don't you think?", they say.

She looks at them and then at you.
"Oh... Yeah, sorry. I got carried away... You were saying?", she asks sheepishly.

Silicon 2024/06/30(Sun)14:55 No. 1093623 ID: 6d3a6d
File 171978453011.png - (315.99KB , 990x660 , HU_02_005_B.png )

Finally able to get a word in edgewise, you give Maya your best smile. "Well thank you for your concern and for your faith in my authenticity. What I meant to say was that I might not be who I thought I was... But first uh... are you okay? Did Shyama do something to upset you?"
She fidgets. "Er, not... specifically, not really, no. Look, Gamal's right, it's uh... not the time."
In their usual calm demeanor, Gamal adds: "Maya chafes under the predominantly Buddhist Kushani culture. You hit on a sore spot."
"Oh, you're not a Buddhist, then?", you ask.
"No, uhm... I'm a Shaivite Hindu. Look, can we pretend that didn't happen and I was just normal back there?", Maya pleads and then she changes the topic, "What did you mean you're not who you thought you were?"

You feel this is probably not the time for a lecture about prejudice, even though you'd love the excuse to not dig into the identity issue further. But this is probably important.

"I assumed I was Disquiet-247, because of the name tag on my uniform, but now I'm not so sure anymore. From the start my body felt off to me. I burst into tears when Shyama showed me the mirror. I think I knew Disquiet-247. But somehow it's me in her body now. And that I was actually Rage-828.", you explain.
Maya looks sceptical. "And... who's that?", she asks.
"I don't really know.", you admit, "Maybe we can find more in the room with this symbol?" You tap the 828-Glyph.
Maya shrugs. "We haven't found any such room, but I'll keep it in mind.", she says, then she brightens, "Wait this might fix the uniform problem! Maybe Rage-828 is the engineer!"
"Maybe."

"Well if you consider this a real possibility, I assume you have some kind of idea how you ended up in someone else's body?", she asks with clear interest.
"Well, nothing concrete, but I mean... it's a mechanical body. I don't think I was originally a... robot or cyborg... an artifical lifeform, you know? That already implies someone put my brain in this thing, or perhaps installed me on it like a computer program and who's to say there wasn't another brain or another program in here before me?", you say.

Silicon 2024/06/30(Sun)14:55 No. 1093624 ID: 6d3a6d
File 171978454798.png - (251.45KB , 990x660 , HU_02_005_C.png )

She looks at you with big eyes. "Well if that's true, that would... sure be something!"
"What do you mean?", you ask.
"Well... what is a person if one body can belong to two people? If you are Rage-828, then where's Disquiet-247?", she ponders.

This hits you right in the guts... if you even those. It knocks the air right out of you and you must concentrate for a moment to get the breathing started again.
Where is she now?

"Maybe she's...", a sob shakes your whole body. "Maybe she's still in here somewhere?"

"Yes, I... I'm sure she is!", Maya agrees hastily. You can't tell if she means it or is just trying to make you feel better. The grief hits you in waves. You've lost her. You lost her and it's all because of you.
You're so alone. So alone. You were supposed to be together. But she's gone. She's not here.

Silicon 2024/06/30(Sun)14:55 No. 1093625 ID: 6d3a6d
File 171978455991.png - (238.34KB , 990x660 , HU_02_005_D.png )

Gamal walks around the table and goes down on one knee in front of you. They raise their arms.
"Do you need a hug?", they offer.

Hug from a stranger? Well, fine.

Here's a minor thing to worry about: I checked the system notifications from when you plugged in to the cable, and you were given a drug cocktail designed for Disquiet-247. This might be bad for you. Taking someone else's medications is seldom advised... though depending on how you were transferred to the body it might be appropriate-- maybe the drugs are designed for the body, not the mind.

Yes. Yes we need a hug. And that was definitely why we started crying at the sight in the mirror.

I'm sorry, Rage. But I don't think all hope is lost! Your memory was from Dee's point of view, so there must be SOME of her cognitive stuff that carried over. You might carry bits and pieces of her in your mind, and you're within her body. She is all around you and she wanted this more than anything else.

Now, try to focus. What did we mean by "it was supposed to be both of us"? Was there a plan to do something about everyone else? Can we recall what Dream-You meant by us having been turned into monsters? We seem certain that we weren't a robot, so what did that mean?

>>1093628

I'm guessing bombing Rome back to the ice age had something to do with that.

If you're looking for my power switch, don't bother. Turning me off then on again won't help.

Hug him, recenter yourself

Yes. Very much so.

Silicon 2024/07/11(Thu)12:14 No. 1094128 ID: 0b7e05
File 172072524377.png - (323.33KB , 990x660 , HU_02_006_A.png )

What could a hug possibly accomplish?, you think. You have lost someone important. Someone that you will never get back. Even if something of Dee remains, she will never be whole again. How's a hug gonna fix that? You were supposed to be together. You're certain of it. She wasn't meant to be lost. You're not sure what that means, but you know it's true.

Clearly, you figure, surely, Gamal knows that hugs don't solve these issues. Surely they're only offering because they don't know what else to do.

Well... no point in spreading your misery. If it helps them cope with having to watch you fall apart, you can do them this kindness.

It's just a hug.

You slowly slide your arms under Gamal's and they awkwardly shuffle closer and the both of you wrap your arms around one another. You can feel their warmth, the gentle yield of their body against yours.

...

Hmm...

Silicon 2024/07/11(Thu)12:14 No. 1094129 ID: 0b7e05
File 172072526946.png - (173.65KB , 990x660 , HU_02_006_B.png )

"Oooouubbllugghhh Ahuuuuuugh buh ubuhh oooboobuh"
"There, there. Let it all out.", Gamal coos softly.
"Thabk oouuuuu buhoooo dhis feels abazingh"

Gamal tightens the embrace ever so slightly.
You were wrong. This is the best thing ever. How could you have been THIS WRONG???

Silicon 2024/07/11(Thu)12:14 No. 1094130 ID: 0b7e05
File 172072528570.png - (294.55KB , 990x660 , HU_02_006_C.png )

"U-uhm...", Maya clears her throat.
"I think that's all the chorework done. Uh do you... Do you wanna see what I brought for you? Hmm?", she asks.

Schrödinger’s Box! Until its opened it is in a superposition of containing an earth shattering doomsday device or a very fancy future oven timer! Lets open it immediately and find out!

Is she... using her eye as a spotlight??

>>1094134
I think it's just a gold plated orb, nonfunctional. These people don't have cybernetics.

>>1094130
Ooooh a present. What's in the box?

Oh boy! They saw how much you liked the first rubic cube and got you another.

Whatever it is, why not let it distract you for a bit until you're in a better head space to grapple with your grief?

First, take your time with the hug if you need a moment longer. Its good for you!
Second, appreciate that this capacity for feelings (and sadly also trauma) is another indicator for you being actually originally human or such a human-like artifical construct that there is little difference at this point.
Third, I like the guess that they got you another enrichment item and second it, but maybe don't tell them beforehand. They seem so happy with making it a surprise :)
Fourth, consider that your human capacity for getting overwhelmed by grief/trauma and other emotions could be kinda dangerous with your until now not fully tested physical capabilities. I mean even with normal strengh getting overwhelmed is bad because it feels awful, so maybe we should think about something for emotional anchoring like a fidget toy, a mantra or something that helps with staying calm when more memories come back?

Or an Emotional Support Gamal. They're great at this, maybe they can keep us?

Interesting Idea, but with this I have to raise the issues of of consent and transportability. Something we always have at hand seems... handier.

Funny. Summing up the three digits per name each results in a different number, and it looks almost as if they're ordered.

Excitement 20. Anguish 19. Rage 18. Almost like we're counting down to Serenity.

Just in case you need a pointless detail gnawing at the back of your skull.

Silicon 2024/07/30(Tue)15:24 No. 1094966 ID: acf30e
File 172237824164.png - (327.37KB , 990x660 , HU_02_007_A.png )

"Just another minute.", you say and linger in the embrace just a bit longer.

You compose yourself eventually. "Ok...", you say with a sniff, "Yeah okay, let's have a look."

You let go of Gamal with some hesitation and they give you a compassionate smile before returning to their seat on the opposite side of the table.

Maya chatters away as she grabs the box and carefully places it into your hands.
"One of the things I picked to show you was a bit controversial.", she says, "Shyama and Vijaya both said it looked like a bomb. Can you believe that? Ridiculous. As if we could determine the purpose of your advanced technology at a glance! And who would keep a bomb in their own room?!"

You open the box.

Silicon 2024/07/30(Tue)15:24 No. 1094967 ID: acf30e
File 172237825305.png - (160.67KB , 990x660 , HU_02_007_B.png )

Inside you find three devices. Two of them instantly feel quite familiar: a sleek Bit-on-Demand (a versatile tool for making disposable tools) and a HoloRec (a novelty holo-message player and recorder), with its characteristic orientation flaps on top. These give you a faint, but warm fuzzy feeling.

Hey, you know what these are! That's good! That's a memory!

If your impression of Maya is accurate, the Bit-on-Demand is probably gonna blow her mind. It's a very practical thing with obvious utility.

Given her comments on your hair, she'll probably also love the HoloRec, but... It's more toy than tool, which might make it less impressive. Though the technology it uses is probably still quite interesting.

The third one in the back isn't immediately recognizable behind the HoloRec. You idly wonder which one of these you should pick out to explain first, as you fish out the mystery device for a better look.

Silicon 2024/07/30(Tue)15:24 No. 1094968 ID: acf30e
File 172237827121.png - (282.17KB , 990x660 , HU_02_007_C.png )

...

Silicon 2024/07/30(Tue)15:24 No. 1094969 ID: acf30e
File 172237827947.png - (125.34KB , 990x660 , HU_02_007_D.png )

...

Silicon 2024/07/30(Tue)15:24 No. 1094970 ID: acf30e
File 172237828693.png - (129.93KB , 990x660 , HU_02_007_E.png )

This is a bomb.

Hey uh… Maya uh… this is a bomb.

Is it... ticking? Can you disarm it? Or just flush it out the airlock.
The holo-rec could be critical to memory recall. You should probably not get it blown up.

Tell her this object should not have left the armory, on account of it being explosives.
Then check that it's not armed, put it back in the box, and take the rest out of the box.

Is it a makeshift bomb or, like, an official one?

Ask Maya where exactly they found it. It wasn't in your (rage's) room was it?

>>1094970
How powerful a bomb is it? Is it something you'd rather they not have access to? In that case you should confiscate it... somehow. Or disable it in a way they won't be able to reverse.

At this point they have access to ALL the things in the base and you are kinda technically their prisoner, so I don't know if that works. Disabling is first priority, if possible permanently so we don't habe a Chekhov's Bomb on our hand...

Lol, I say. Lmao.

I don't think we should immediately tattle about the bomb? If Shyama finds out, this might become part of the tech he will try to use in the war. We should first check if it is disarmed and defuse it if not, I think. Maya can probably be trusted with the knowledge what it actually is, if we also tell her that we don't want it to be used anywhere. Perhaps we can instead offer its energy source up for something?

The tool in the box will probably help disarm this puppy.

And then, we should check out the Holo-Rec. It... might contain a message from Dee.

Tell her about the other two, but say you're not sure about the third object. Even without amnesia, it's not like you were proficient in bomb making! Then ask her if it could be a bomb. Try to learn what they have figured out about it.

Is this an improvised pipe bomb or something used for legitimate demolitions work?

Silicon 2024/08/13(Tue)07:37 No. 1095761 ID: 1d6349
File 172355983036.png - (119.36KB , 990x660 , HU_02_008_A.png )

You inspect the bomb further. This does not take a lot of time because it wears its nature on its sleeve. It's a pipe bomb, a makeshift thing. Attached to the casing are a switch and some kind of small circuit board with a little screen and wires running into the casing. That's probably a timer.

Honestly, this thing is beyond old-fashioned. It makes the puzzle cube look state-of-the art. The most advanced thing about this is the circuit board, which judging from the wiring was scavenged from a much more complex device. Barely any of it is used.

Now you don't really have any way of knowing what's in there exactly, but the fact that it's a pipe bomb suggests that the payload is nothing to write home about. The whole point of this kind of bomb is compensating for weak explosives by detonating them inside a sealed container to build pressure until the casing shatters. It can be assembled from readily available materials, though it's highly unsafe.

It's a nasty, brutal thing. Unlikely to do a lot of structural damage to the habitat, but the container shrapnel would make it quite lethal. It depends a bit on the state of the explosive mixture inside. Perhaps it's long gone inert and this is nothing more than an edgy paperweight.
It's also possible that it's a dud, that the thing has already ignited on the inside and simply failed to break the casing, in which case it's full of highly pressurized gas just waiting to blow.
But turning the bomb in your hands you can see no bulging, so you have a good feeling about the integerity of the casing.

Based on the assumption that this thing is exactly what it appears to be, it should be fairly simple to disarm. And given the fact that your captors know what bombs are, this design is probably not gonna blow anybody's mind.

And it should be pretty safe to just cut the wires and rip off the circuit board and explain what this thing does in detail.

Again... if it's exactly what it appears to be.

But then there's the amnesia. How sure can you be of these conclusions?
Well you're still pretty sure. But perhaps, given the risk, that's not good enough.

Silicon 2024/08/13(Tue)07:37 No. 1095762 ID: 1d6349
File 172355984297.png - (238.29KB , 990x660 , HU_02_008_B.png )

You decide to play your cards close to your chest while you ponder what to do with this. You fish for more info.

Clearing your throat, you ask: "You found this in my room?"
"Yeah it was on the shelf over there.", Maya replies, "What is it?"

You try to sound nonchalant: "What do you think it is? Got any guesses?"

She grimaces and says: "I don't know! That's why I asked."
"Come on, guess!", you demand.
"You're just gonna make fun of me because I'm not advanced enough to recognize a machine I wouldn't even imagine anybody could ever need!", she replies, defensively.
You promise: "I'm not going to make fun of you. Come on, guess!"

Maya sighs and with some hesitation ventures a guess: "Well it's clearly handmade and seems like it's pressurized. While I can see why someone would assume it's a bomb, context clues tell me it can't possibly be. So, best guess is it's for some kind of chemical or biological reaction that requires pressure, most likely to make something you can't get any other way. So... uh... some kind of medicine fabricator?
"Also uh we didn't break it. It was already broken."

A feeling of dread descends upon you.
"It's broken? How do you know?"
"I flicked that switch a couple times when we found it yesterday.", she says, "The little screen wouldn't even turn on. No lights, nothing."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Tell her you were of the opinion that it was a bomb, and if it indeed was, then she was very lucky it was broken.
Well, "broken" may be too strong a word. For all we know its power source simply depleted over time.

How safe would it be to simply pull one of the caps off and examine the contents?

Oh, you got the dud. So probably memorabilia then. When you’re using code names like Rage, Disquiet, it suggests a history of violence yeah?

>>1095762
You’re not revealing any antimatter super WMDs, for all we know flicking that switch started a countdown, inform her immediately, tell her you are going to unscrew the cap and hopefully determine that it is A) not armed, or B) VERY EASY to disarm.

>While I can see why someone would assume it's a bomb, context clues tell me it can't possibly be.

The context clues of it being "a machine I wouldn't even imagine anybody could ever need"?
Tell her she's not stupid, but please to not flip switches on any more things that look like a bomb.

Why don't you all take a little trip to the airlock and put this where it won't cause any eventual problems?

>>1095762
Disarm it.
Then tell her what it is. Or, was, anyway. As for WHY it was in your room, tell her that fighting broke out between factions in the facility, but you don't remember a lot of details. They should be wary of makeshift weapons such as this, and if anything looks dangerous they should have you check it before they mess with it.

There are some weird things here.

Since this bomb is built with salvaged materials (which also raises the Question where that circuit board was originally taken from) it seems likely that it was assembled covertly for a secret purpose, otherwise someone could've just used whatever was available in the advanced space age armory.

Its also suspicious that it was in your shelves, since if anybody wanted to blow you up with it that would be a kinda stupid hiding place. If you wanted to blow something up with it that would also be stupid, because who keeps their secret bomb on open display?
If you or this body wanted to use this bomb for suicide while sleeping, you would have had it in your hands or at least on the table by the bed.

The only way this could have been an active bomb meant for detonation would be that someone snuck it into your room while you slept and then it malfunctioned and the batteries ran out after some hundred years.

Other things to consider:
Should it be disconcerning that you know so much about bomb designs as a mere technician? Is that part of the standard education for this job?

It seems like your gut (or maybe energy conversion unit) feeling doesn't want to aknowledge this as a bomb so maybe the bomb design is a decoy or this is some kind of memento? An edgy conversation piece?

I think Maya is right with her context clues and this is not a functional bomb, but you should use your robo-x-ray vision and look at the inside of this just to be sure! :)

Tell her it's nothing you're familiar with. The circuit board could be a countdown timer. Other than that, You know as much as she does about it. All you know is it looks like a crudely assembled makeshift bomb.

Silicon 2024/08/21(Wed)05:48 No. 1096226 ID: 0b7e05
File 172424451801.png - (252.23KB , 990x660 , HU_02_009_A.png )

You try to shake off the shock of that revelation. Good God, you could all have died there! You want to grab her by the shoulders and yell at her, but you're holding a bomb and so you reconsider.

"Okay, give me... a moment.", you say as you compose yourself.
Maya is starting to look worried. "Of course...", she says.

You consider the facts.

No two ways about it, context clues or no, this is either a bomb or something deliberately made to look like one.

It did not respond to Maya's fiddling. It has a screen and a little light on the switch. If neither of those lit up when the switch was flipped, it's very likely that the circuit is busted or the battery is dry. Both would be good news because they would make intentional priming impossible.
Less likely but possible is that the light and screen are busted and this thing has been counting down for at least a whole day, maybe more. You feel it's safe to say that if this thing was primed it would have exploded by now.

You turn your mind towards defusing it. It didn't explode when fiddled with so you're now reasonably sure, you can just pull the wires to be extra safe. Then the state of the payload inside is all that matters.

You know for a fact that unscrewing the caps on the bomb is extremely unsafe. The act of screwing those on is where most accidents happen during construction due to static electricity or sparks igniting the payload. Those caps best stay on.

Honestly the safest way to entirely neutralize the threat would be to break the container from a distance.

You decide to take a small risk to mitigate a larger one: You rip the wires off the circuit and then gingerly place the device on the table.

Both Maya and Gamal watch this with clear apprehension.

Silicon 2024/08/21(Wed)05:48 No. 1096227 ID: 0b7e05
File 172424453090.png - (241.25KB , 990x660 , HU_02_009_B.png )

After releasing a breath you hadn't noticed holding in, you say: "I don't know how to... put this delicately. Uhm..."
"Great God... It is a bomb, isn't it?", Maya whispers.
"... Yes.", you assert.

Gamal virtually jumps out of their seat and declares: "I'll get Shyama!"
You raise both your hands, palms down in a calming gesture. "Please sit down, Gamal."
"He's the expert! He'll know what to do!", Gamal insists.
"It's not an immediate threat.", you assure them, "The detonator is disabled. As long as we handle it delicately it should be perfectly safe."

They hesitate, but they do eventually return to their seat.

Silicon 2024/08/21(Wed)05:49 No. 1096228 ID: 0b7e05
File 172424454203.png - (251.04KB , 990x660 , HU_02_009_C.png )

"I-", Maya mumbles, "I was so sure..."
"In the future, Please don't mess with stuff you don't understand without showing them to me first.", you implore her.
She stares at you, still in shock: "Why did you have a bomb in your room?"

That is an excellent question, you must admit. Why make a bomb and then not use it? Did you make it only very recently and didn't get around to it? But then why keep it on your shelf? That would be extremely irrational.

Could someone else have put it there? To harm you? But according to Shyama they found nothing that would suggest anybody else has been here.

It's another mystery. You feel exhausted. It feels like every clue you find just begs more questions than it answers.

And then there's the fact you know so much about improvised explosive devices. You think these things are definitely interesting, but was there perhaps more to it than that?
You're pretty sure this wasn't part of your job to make pipe bombs. Demolitions experts wouldn't use something like this. They'd use actual high explosives, which are more effective and safer.

"I wish I knew.", you say with a sigh, "I'm pretty sure there was some kind of armed conflict. Maybe the bomb was for that, but... No I just don't know."

There is a pause.

"So what do you propose we do with it?", Gamal asks.
"Well, it's possible, though unlikely, that it's a dud, which means it's under a lot of pressure and could still detonate if the casing ruptures. The only way to be sure is to breach it, ideally from a distance and far away from here. But taking it outside could be risky because of the higher pressure difference in a vacuum.", you say.
You shake your head.
"I don't know what the right approach is, but that's okay. We have time to figure this out."

They both look at you very anxiously. You wonder if there's a way to put them at ease.

If you recognize any numbers on the bomb components, they could tell you if this was made out of shipboard parts or brought along from elsewhere.
Maybe there’s an armored enough area at the center of the ship that could withstand a basic pipe bomb and serve as an impromptu bomb disposal?

>>1096228
Talk about the rest of the stuff in the box!

>>1096244
Yeah, reassure Maya that she just got caught up in all this shiny new tech. Just check out these cool things. Distract her with the holo-rec, and maybe it'll have some useful info recorded.

Dealing with the bomb depends on what we have on hand. Do we have any of the following: a thick container, an empty unimportant room, armor, a gun, something heavy we could rig to fall on it?

You know we could =just throw the bomb out of the air lock.

>>1096352
Disq said it might explode immediately when exposed to low pressure. Maybe if we put it in a nice heavy box with the opening facing out the airlock door, so if it does blow it only hurts the regolith.

What if we put it in a box that's designed to slowly leak when exposed to vacuum, and then throw that out the airlock? It's like a time bomb, except designed to explode in space.

Silicon 2024/09/01(Sun)08:38 No. 1096765 ID: b22bc5
File 172520509393.png - (199.70KB , 990x660 , HU_02_010_A.png )

You idly think about just venting the damn thing into space. This would not be wise, of course. Since you just defused it, the only way the bomb could still be a danger is if it were a dud, already ignited and now filled with pressurized gas but not enough pressure to break the casing.
Venting this thing would only be necessary in this case, but it would also only be dangerous in this case. The sudden fall of outside air pressure might just be what pushes the steel to its limit, finally allowing the payload to shatter it and explode. This could damage the airlock and perhaps even compromise the atmospheric seal of the whole facility.

An airtight container, though... That might work as a way to safely remove the bomb from the habitat. Best keep your eyes open for something like that.

Silicon 2024/09/01(Sun)08:38 No. 1096766 ID: b22bc5
File 172520510413.png - (162.89KB , 990x660 , HU_02_010_B.png )

Well. You figure it might be best to get their minds (as well as your own) off the bomb for now and the gadgets are exactly the thing to do it. You set the box down on the bed and carefully move the bomb from the table to the desk where it will be out of the way.
Then you lift the HoloRec out of the box and raise it up to where Maya and Gamal can see it in all its silly, silly glory.

"This! Is a HoloRec!", you declare, "It is an integrated player and recorder for uh... volumetric... mmh three-dimensional video data."

You pause for dramatic effect.

Silicon 2024/09/01(Sun)08:38 No. 1096767 ID: b22bc5
File 172520511434.png - (288.62KB , 990x660 , HU_02_010_C.png )

...

Tough crowd.

Silicon 2024/09/01(Sun)08:38 No. 1096768 ID: b22bc5
File 172520511730.png - (211.22KB , 990x660 , HU_02_010_D.png )

You continue in a more conversational tone as you place it on the table: "It's honestly a bit oversized for this purpose. It's really more of a toy. It uses these big cartridges to store the data on, simply because it's more fun to leave a physical cartridge for a friend to find than just send them a file via messenger."

"I didn't... bring a cartridge.", Maya says with a deep sadness.

"It's okay, don't worry", you quickly reassure her, "Look, the HoloRec has a compartment for them. You just need to push in this part on the side here..."

Silicon 2024/09/01(Sun)08:38 No. 1096769 ID: b22bc5
File 172520513188.png - (198.19KB , 990x660 , HU_02_010_E.png )

You push the compartment lightly and when you let go, it pops open and lets you pull it all the way out of the HoloRec. Well look at that. There are a whole bunch of cartridges in there.

Guys, surely if you made it to the moon you know what a television is. What else would you watch moon landings on from home? This is that, but three dimensional.

>>1096769
Alright, let's play number 1!

Ask them what kind of cool tech they must have if the idea of a statue made of light isn't exciting.

Play lucky number 7

>>1096781
I’m feeling lucky! 7

Number 7 it is. This is probably gonna take me a couple of days.

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:50 No. 1097204 ID: 1d6349
File 172591141806.png - (224.68KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_A.png )

You wonder if these two are honestly unimpressed or just still worrying about the bomb. Well, you're pretty sure seeing this thing in action will be sufficient distraction!

Since the order probably doesn't matter, you pick out cartridge number seven on a whim. There is a slight bit of friction as you pull it out of the compartment, so snugly is it fitted to the slot.
You turn it in your hand, but find no label or other identifying features on it.

Having exhausted that avenue of investigation, you push it into the reader slot until it audibly clicks into place. There is a quiet humming noise and then the DtR-display flickers on. Also a glowing number seven appears on the cartridge itself.

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:50 No. 1097205 ID: 1d6349
File 172591143110.png - (259.77KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_B.png )

There is no jingle, no company logo, nothing. Just basic text displaying the catridge's basic metadata. Since it's a bit hard to see, you ask Gamal to turn off the lights. They comply without comment, pressing the circle switch by the door before looking at the volumetric display again.
You can see both them and Maya moving their heads from side to side, gazing at the glowing text in clear astonishment.

It reads:
REC_2325_02_03.vvf
author: HR_d2h5N2ZpcnN0>disquiet247
play time: 00:03:23.78
created: 03 FEB 2325
size: 963 GB

As you close the cartridge tray, sit down and give the command to play, your voice catches in your throat. You cough and try again.

"HoloRec, play!"

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:50 No. 1097206 ID: 1d6349
File 172591144611.png - (277.78KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_C.png )

The text disappears and is replaced by a truly three-dimensional image. It's you. Or perhaps it's Disquiet-247. Whoever it is, they look awful, miserable, tired. It looks like their skin is flaking off. You can feel a tingling sensation shooting up your spine at the sight. Your stomach feels like it's trying to drop straight through the floor. It's like looking at a corpse just as it begins to speak.
And speak it does.

"Hey Dee,", they say in the most desolate tone imaginable.
"Wish you were here. Maybe you could have distracted me from this endlessly circling train of thought. I need to get it off my chest and there's nobody but..."
Here, they stop and look down for a second before continuing: "There's nobody. So...
"I keep thinking about alternatives, other avenues we could have taken. I know that at the time we were... I was convinced, anyway, that there was no other way. The only way to guarantee we wouldn't ruin the world all over again was to kill everybody. And perhaps that's true. But was a guarantee worth it? Perhaps there was an approach that would have given us a CHANCE at a better world at a price less steep."

The words that follow strike you like lightning.

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:51 No. 1097207 ID: 1d6349
File 172591146031.png - (280.41KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_D.png )

They anxiously grip their forehead in one hand.
"Half a million. People. My God, Dee.", they sigh, "What have we done?"

You tense up. You can hear your teeth grinding against each other. You feel like an icy hand is squeezing your heart.

"Disq? Are you all right?", Gamal asks.
Maya whispers: "What is she saying?"

You're in no condition to answer any questions right now, so you just force out a curt "Shush! Quiet!" just before the other you continues.

Their voice is breaking, as if they're about to cry. You suddenly feel so connected to this other... you.
"Surely some of them could have been reached. Surely we could have saved the innocents by killing only the worst, the most stubborn.
"We should have tried. If it had turned out impossible, it would be so much easier, but we didn't. We didn't try. We assumed there was no other way. And we murdered half a million for it. And more! I have resisted the urge to check the collateral deaths. Surely less than half a million again. Surely."
They let out a sob, then compose themself somewhat.
"The stakes were high, of course. How many lives do you think their regime would have consumed? Millions certainly. Our math is sound."
They shake their head.
"But this is more than a number. They must have been so scared. The ones that were conscious, I mean. Do you think they spent those final days frantically trying to avert their deaths? Do you think they resigned and just waited for the impact?"
They seem to look straight at you, with haunted eyes.
"I keep returning to this one moment, when they must have realized the lot of them were doomed and the habitat modules that could have saved them were detached and inaccessible but still close enough to see. What a cruel, cruel thing that we did.
"But you knew this didn't you? It took me forty years to really grasp the gravity of it, but I'm still not half as old as you were then. Surely you knew.

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:51 No. 1097208 ID: 1d6349
File 172591147334.png - (250.75KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_E.png )

Their gaze turns cold and their voice grows bitter as they add: "Maybe that's why it's me contemplating it now and not you."

They glare at you for a few seconds more, before visibly deflating, shoulders sagging, their expression turning soft and so, so tired.
"I try not to be angry with you. I love you, Dee. Even after all that, all this time, that awful last wish you saddled me with, I love you and I miss you and I guess that's my punishment. Who am I to say it's undeserved?"

They reach out towards you and the recording ends.

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:51 No. 1097209 ID: 1d6349
File 172591148725.png - (265.07KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_F.png )

After the image has winked out, Gamal turns the light back on and you shut your eyes against the glare. You just kind of crumple in on yourself.
You can feel the mattress shift as Maya sits down next to you and then she's suddenly pushed right against you, her arms wrapped awkwardly around you. You can feel her warmth.
You're startled.
"M-Maya...", you mumble, "What are you doing?"

Gamal is lightly shaking their head at this, but says nothing.

Maya looks up at you and says very quietly: "I don't know if this helps at all, but... That was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen, Disq."

Silicon 2024/09/09(Mon)12:51 No. 1097210 ID: 1d6349
File 172591149941.png - (244.24KB , 990x660 , HU_02_011_G.png )

You can't help but laugh. At the absurdity of that statement. At the stark contrast to the mood. And as laughter shakes you and robs you of your breath, you kind of forget to stay upset.

Once the laughter subsides, you gently push Maya off of you and ask: "Do you wanna watch another?"
"Yes!", she exclaims excitedly, but then adds, sheepishly: "Uh if that's okay, I mean. That last one seemed to be pretty rough."

Gamal leans against the table.
"Do you want to talk about it?", they ask.

You're really not sure. Do you want to talk about it? Is it even wise to reveal what was said? Or would you rather just... watch another one? Surely they can't all be like this.

>>1097210
Tell them no, you don't want to talk about it. You probably don't want them to know you're this dangerous, justified or not.
That basically confirmed the "half a million" were colonists from your future. Apparently this was part of a colony ship and your civilization colonizes alternate timelines, interfering with them destructively to mold them to their liking... I guess that explains a lot-- why you didn't go home afterwards, why HU interfered with the timeline, and why they had to be stopped. We still don't know what the important thing was that you had to do... but maybe it was Dee's "last wish"?

Watch one of the smaller numbers. Number 1?

Yea, watch all of these in order. You MUST have context!

The numbers... are they iterations? Like, each time the colonists alter the past, they choose if they want to preserve their memories from the previous iteration of the timeline or if they want the next iteration to take their place.

Either you @#$%ed up, or you were forced to @#$% up.
Decisions like these... you can't half-ass them, and you can't minimize the number of people making such a choice. Maybe the colonists would have created a hellish dystopia of the ancient world - created literal Hell by repeatedly torturing the same exact people to death, over and over, to pander their egos. Or maybe you were deceived, brainwashed into thinking the colonists were all insane and had to be murdered. A few saboteurs will never be enough to fully inform themselves.

The question is, how pressured were you to trust yourselves? Because this is a dumb decision - too dumb. It's possible you were wired this way by an outside force. Serenity-100 would have the perfect motivation to excessively screw you over - kill all the other colonists, and he'd obtain a monopoly on supertech and could finally play god with the world.

just say that the message didn't really tell you anything new, it just hurt to hear it coming from your own mouth, as it were.

Lets watch another, they can't all be heartbreaking confessions, right?

I second the motion that you play another record and that you don't talk about this yet.
We don't know what else is on these records but at least the language barrier might help with them not getting too much possibly disturbing information out of it before you want to show your whole bloodstained hand here. :/

Also, this might be the only time to see them for yourself if Shyama decides that you shouldn't have access to them once the others tell them about this.
PS: I am not sure yet how the timeline with the bodyswap works out, so think about the voice in that record: was that your intonation, your typical choice of words or does it feel like that might have been another person in the body that you inhabit right now? (The text color matches but it doesn't really match up with the way you pictured yourself in your dreams)

PPS: Also, maybe tell Maya a bit about how the projection works technically, I have the feeling that she may appreciate that :3

>>1097212
We can't have context, we need to watch them totally out of order. Pick 5!