[open mingle] I do my crosswords in pen

[keepgodwaiting]

WHO: Constantine (keepgodwaiting) & you!

WHAT: Metaplot deciphering!

WHERE: The Welcome Diner

WHEN: Early December

WARNINGS: Probable discussion of human experimentation


Another month, another weird new building, and Johanna has been thinking. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then they ought to try some new things, right?

Trying to stay away from the dorms at Halloween didn't work. Trying to escape the mall had mixed results. So maybe it's time to abandon the avoidant strategy and see what happens if they approach things a bit more head-on. Starting, in her case, with investigating every open door she could find in the Science Center until she found the director's office.

(Yes, she did just get told off by several friends for running into potentially dangerous situations with no backup; no, she did not alert anybody that she was going to do this; but hey, it was completely uneventful and therefore she has not broken any promises to anyone!)

The most interesting thing in there, by far, is the unlocked computer, and with a little digging she found a very interesting email. More carefully redacted notes. And she wonders ...

So one evening -- around dinner time, after sunset, in the hopes of being available to the most residents -- Johanna posts up in the welcome diner with a stack of notebooks, pens, and her phone. She's hand-copying the redacted file from her phone onto paper, with XXXXXs to indicate the number of characters in the redacted words. It's an arduous process, and every so often she straightens up from the work with a groan to crack her back. After she gets the whole thing copied down, she picks up her phone to make a network post:

Anyone good at crossword puzzles? I've got a doozy of one I'm working on in the diner and could use some help.

Anyone who cares to join her and try to decipher the redacted words, or make additional hard copies of the file to share out, is more than welcome to do so. Or just grab a cup of coffee and share theories with each other.

[ ooc: Feel free to treat this like an open mingle, converse with other characters, hop around, etc! I'll be making a top level with the text of the two redacted files from the newsletter, in which we can crowdsource guesses about what the missing words might be!

ETA: Feel free to put guesses in this document! ]


 

Comments

MEMO 0112.txt

[keepgodwaiting]

IN MEMORANDUM

ATTN: Director XXXXXXX

L,

The Committee is absolutely going to shit themselves when they hear about XXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX. We downplayed it as much as we could in the XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX for CE-47-949.38, but as soon as they read it, they're going to XXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXX down here to make sure we've fixed the problem.

Tell XXXXXXXXX he needs to figure it out and FAST or we're all dead.

Comp tech is done in UAT and ready to roll out into XXXXXXXXXX with the next XXXX push. We might be too late for CE-47, but if so, the XXXXXX is ready to incorporate it into CE-48 and onwards if we keep seeing the same XXXXXXXXXX trends in future XXXXXXX.

K

[abstractart]

-oh, you meant this kind of crossword.

[hi, what's up. they haven't met, really, but netzach gives her a little wave anyway as he settles in with a drink in hand to look over the paper she's working on.

in all honesty, he did not realize that was code and just figured it sounded potentially fun to try out word puzzles in addition to the physical ones he likes putting together, but on giving it a look--? well.]

Huh. Kinda sounds like some of the old company memos. Think I could come up with a few guesses, anyway...

[maybe vague familiarity could do some good here? possibly? maybe.]

[keepgodwaiting]

[ Johanna looks up from the copy she's been bent over, and groans as her neck reminds her that she's been hunched over for like ten minutes. ]

Don't all companies sound the same? [ She stretches, wincing. ] Bureaucratic bullshit? Although this--

[ She taps her pencil on absolutely going to shit themselves. ]

--Not exactly a beacon of professionalism.

[miyagimagic]

[ Even if Daniel hadn't seen the message on the network, there's no way he could've missed this, considering he's practically always in the diner. It makes it easy to spot Johanna working at it - and though Daniel is very interested in taking a look at the full documents themselves after catching a glimpse of what Johanna is really working on, something a little more involved than your regular crossword, he instead moves to grab her a drink. He isn't sure about Johanna's preferences, so he just takes a cup of coffee and a cup of tea over, figuring he'll have whichever one she doesn't want.

He puts them down on the table she's working at, giving her a smile. ]

Seems like you're figuring out some pretty big things.

[keepgodwaiting]

[ Johanna looks up when she hears him approaching, with that abstracted air of someone trying to wrench their train of thought out of a deep rut and into a new track. Christ, how long has she been bent over this notebook? She rolls her shoulders and gives him a grimace as he sets down the drinks. ]

Hell if I know what I'm figuring out, at this point. I'm seeing redactions when I close my eyes.

[ Glancing at the drinks, she takes the coffee when he indicates it's fine. ] Thanks. You shouldn't've.

[fashionably_strong]

[Bulla's very familiar with computer tech terms, as well as those for scientific experiments, due to coming from a family that produces cutting edge technology.]

I think I know what some of the missing words might be in the third paragraph. Production and code for the first sentence. In the second sentence, the eight letter word could be downward.

[None of which are reassuring, but better to have bad news than be in the dark.]

[keepgodwaiting]

"Code"?

[ Johanna looks up, blinking, shaken out of her focus, then looks back down at her notes. ]

"Ready to roll out into 'production' with the next 'code' push" ... like computer code, you reckon?

[ oh god it's a simulation isn't it. she's going to flip a table. ]

Instrumental Analysis

[keepgodwaiting]

REDACTED University Department of Social Sciences Jan. 11, REDA CE-47-949.38: REDAC RED REDA RE REDA Instrumental Analysis Title: REDA as a Factor Predicting REDACTEDR REDA - REDACTEDREDA Behavior among Residents   REDACTED REDACT REDACTEDR REDACTEDRE on REDACTEDR Stability Abstract: Although the changes made to REDACTEDRE CE-47-361.74 resulted in a 41.3% REDACTED in REDACTEDR-REDACTED behaviors among Residents, the post- REDACTEDRE survey still garnered an unprecedented number of REDACTEDREDACTEDRED-REDACTED responses. As the REDACTEDR is well aware, this study has REDACT 47 REDACTEDRE of Residents since its inception nearly RED years ago. In that time, the REDACTEDREDA REDACTEDRE have focused entirely on creating strong REDACTEDREDAC bonds between Residents by REDACTEDREDA their REDA of the immediate surroundings. However, beginning with REDACTEDR CE-45, we have seen a consistent increase in REDACTEDR - REDACTED behaviors when Residents are REDACTED of the REDACTEDR consequences should the REDAC fail. Hypothesis: Well-understood consequences for REDACTE to REDACTE the goals of this REDAC will moderately REDACTED Resident morale, but will have an REDACTE REDACTED effect on communal orientation, with an REDACTED of no less than 21.9% above the results measured following REDACTEDRE CE-47-361.74. Experimental: The Science Discovery Center located in District 4 of the City enclosure was made available to Residents on November 1; however, its keystone exhibition on the historical and scientific basis for the City REDACTE was not revealed to Residents until December 19. The purpose of the Science Discovery Center is twofold: one, to provide Residents with a form of educational entertainment, allowing them the opportunity to perform hands-on experiments that will enable a better understanding of the world they now inhabit; and two, to demonstrate for the Residents the variety of REDACTEDR REDACTED should the REDAC REDACTED not be met. The former is achieved through a number of "permanent" exhibits on areas of scientific knowledge, while the latter is achieved through the keystone exhibition that demonstrates the history of all 46 previous REDACTEDRE of this REDAC , as well as the ways in which they each RED REDAC REDA . An exhibition hallway depicting each REDAC of Residents and an image of the REDACTEDRED of that REDAC was set up on the upper level of the Science Discovery Center. Each image was accompanied by a REDACT which was intended to inform Residents about the REDAC , the duration, and the REDACTEDREDA of their failure. These REDACTE were formally designated "preview REDACTE ," but received the colloquial internal designation of "apocalypse REDACTE ." For reasons unknown, instead of REDACTE a REDACTEDR that informed the Resident about the REDACTE of each REDACTEDR , the REDACTE of the apocalypse REDACTE resulted in a REDAC REDACTEDREDAC REDACTEDRE of the REDACTEDRED pictured. The potential cause of these unexpected results is being investigated by the REDACTEDRE team and will be reported on to the REDACTEDR as soon as more information is available. Results and Discussion: The overall REDACTED in communal REDACTEDRED recorded was 20.7%, falling short of our estimation by 1.2 percentage points. It is our belief that this shortfall was a consequence of the REDACTEDRE REDACTE . However, the post- REDACTEDRE survey recorded a marked decrease in the number of REDACTEDREDACTEDRED - REDACTED responses from Residents. These results are within REDAC REDACTEDRE and do not yet meet the criteria for REDACTEDRED of CE-47, but corrective action must be taken immediately to avoid the REDACTEDRED of yet another REDAC of Residents. Additionally, in keeping with the trends observed in previous REDACTE of Residents, the series of negative location-based REDACTEDRED has caused a decline in Resident willingness to REDACTE RED locales. Future REDACTEDREDA may need to make use of compulsion REDACTEDRE to REDAC Residents to attend; participation is REDACTEDR , whether REDACTEDR or otherwise.

[wordchain]

Greetings.

[ Here on occasion as it is to check on the diner's information resources and prepare for another wave of new arrivals, Yesod approaches Johanna before long. In favor of her idea to invite others' contributions, he has a few guesses of his own, and he takes out a notebook to set down in front of him. ]

Are there any sections that you have already completed?

[ So as not to waste anyone's time. As he speaks, he glances over at Johanna. ]

[astraphilia]

[ Reno peers over her shoulder, skims over the crossword work she's already done, and then points to a chunk of text. ]

"41.3% increase in community-building behaviors among Residents." Or community-oriented, same difference. That shit came up like fifteen times in the university files.

[ he drags up a chair and spins it around to sit straddling it, bracing his arms over the back as he keeps skimming over what Johanna's working on. ]

This your crossword?

( for johanna )

[strongroots]

[ Even if he hangs out at the diner fairly regularly, Robby isn't going to nose at what someone's doing just because he can. But you know what does give Robby an incentive to know what Johanna's doing over there at that table with her coffee and papers?

The new network message that he probably saw her even type out. From a 'I'm behind the counter and screwing around on my phone too' way, than actually watching her. He's got some books back here he reads.

But there's been some shit on Robby's mind, more than just the books. Some fairly recent shit, but that will only become relevant later. For now, have one teen approaching the table, casual enough as: ]

Crossword help?

[ 'Sup. ]

[keepgodwaiting]

[ Johanna's been staring at this nineteen-letter word for several minutes, and it feels like her brain has been stuck on that staticy part of the dial-up Internet noise for most of that time. When Robby approaches, she looks up, raising her eyebrows curiously. ]

Oh -- hey, yeah. [ Plucky teen! Hello again. ] If you've got any bright ideas, I'll take 'em.

CE-09 ITERATION DEBRIEF (ota)

[strongroots]

come to the diner. we found something important.

[ It's a message sent over the network about an hour or so after Johanna's own crossword assistance is asked for. The papers of redacted papers sit available, but also a few copies--not enough for everyone, but that some people can read them, pass them along, or read over shoulders--of a report with very few redactions visible.

There's none. And across the top on the front page reads boldly: Iteration Debrief: CE-09.

Feel free to share your reactions, and talk about the report if you've come to see what's going on. Some of the words in the report might help with that crossword puzzle. Robby can be asked questions, but this is OTA/a mingle. ]

[abit_ofboth]

[Though he has seen the request from Johanna about the crossword, he isn't feeling much in the mood for puzzles and instead has chosen to stay in his apartment for the time being. It isn't until he gets a direct message from Robby when he decides maybe he should go down and find out what is actually happening. Not that he wouldn't go help Johanna, had she actually asked him, but well, crosswords are boring. If she wants his help with these things, she should dress it up a bit more.

Loki makes his way inside and scans the area, spotting both Jo and Robby. He figures he'll talk to Jo later as she looks a little busy going over papers and heads over to Robby.]

I got your message. So there is actual new information then?

[limbical]

[When he had seen Johanna's request for "crossword" help, Daan had been disinclined toward assisting mostly in part that he knew his focus wouldn't be that useful, and also he just plainly dislikes solving those kinds of puzzles.

But it's much harder to ignore Robby's message, and the results that are shared.

Daan is rubbing the bridge of his nose, sighing softly.]

So, we can confirm that... if nothing else, this is some kind of insane experiment by these people. Well, there's a lovely confirmation.

At least we're getting some answer now, even if it's just peppered here and there.

[justscribing]

[Alhaitham comes, because he knows Robby is a serious enough kid that if he's saying it's important, it's important.

He offers him a nod in greeting before going right to the papers laid out and picks them up to read... and read... and read.]

Well. [He breathes out.] This confirms a lot of my theory.

[It's a bittersweet vindication. Of course he was right. Of course being lab rats was the most powerless of options it could have been.]

This one seems to have been a notable failure. But why vet for violent behavior if they're looking at an organic population?

[The purpose of the experiment has been the missing context. Could it be this data is for a creation of a new society, one in which specific personalities would be welcome?]

[coolerjunpei]

[Junpei, beginning to believe that the diner is actually a better meeting place than the conference room he keeps haunting, arrives just to have a burger and go.



No, he's here for mysteries. He's got a copy of his own smoking gun document folded up in his back pocket, because he's decided to carry it everywhere now, just in case it comes in handy. And lo! More documents!

There are, of course, a couple words that stick out to him, considering, um, his whole. Habitual ranting. Upload, programming, respawn...]

Holy shit, are we actually in a simulation? [can he really clip through the floor and T-pose the fuck out of here!!!!] Huh. Won't lie and pretend I don't want to do a victory pose right now...

[junpei.]

"CE-09"... that's pretty far back. Annnnd we still had some murders.

ota!!

[aceslow]

[ Kim had arrived soon after Johanna put out a call to help with her so-called crossword puzzle. He had pored over the paperwork, wishing that the Detective were still with him to help make sense of it - creative thinking was always more his forte - and had been perfectly content to continue on until his phone buzzed again. A message from Daniel. Information. And important information at that.

As he reads it, he copies it down in painstakingly neat handwriting, quite unlike the chickenscratch you can see in the notebook by his side, then takes it away so he can read it through more thoroughly on his own. When he's through, he shakes his head, incredulous. ]

Goddamn it. I knew that their choice in recruits was too deliberate for this not to be a study in crime.

[ An experiment. Just as he and so many others had hypothesized from the moment that they had arrived. ]

Hoo... okay. [ He pinches at the bridge of his nose, heart hammering wildly in his chest. Answers at last, but what recourse does this leave them? ] They're facing their own sort of porch collapse. But what kind of apocalypse that requires such drastic measures is slow enough to waste this much time messing around -- and can take up this many resources? Unless this really is a simulation...

ota!

[featheradrift]

[ With a message like that, sent to everyone in the city, so soon after Junpei revealed what he found, he would have been a fool not to come.

And what a doozy of a document it was.

He'd already had his suspicions—the way this place defied common sense felt more like a dream than reality—but it's still a shock to have it confirmed so plainly.

Nahida once handled a man who had uploaded his consciousness into the Akasha. His body had been left in a coma while the man's mind was trapped inside a dream sustained by the system. Could that be the case here too? It would be far easier to manipulate variables in a dream—a virtual world—than in reality, which they make abundantly clear in the document.

But what of their bodies? Were they in the hands of these researchers?

And that's not even mentioning the way they ended this iteration's run. Death to all...it wasn't any less than he expected. ]

Ha. So these damn bastards think they can play gods with us, do they?

[luminously]

( Zelda hadn't hesitated to make her way to the diner. With as much as she's wanted to put in her own efforts into trying to help others here, she's mixed with both anxiety and relief to know that something's been found here. At the same time, she knows better than to get her hopes up. Things have been kept from all of them on purpose. While she doesn't doubt that Robby has found something that could indeed help... to what extent? And, how much more would be out there to discover?

She opens the door, stepping in swiftly, but quietly before she greets Robby. )

Good afternoon, Robby. I thank you for waiting for me here. Though... I trust that others have made their way to the diner to see what has been found as well.

[fashionably_strong]

[Bulla's feeling a great deal of internal conflict at this reveal. It's alarming, and she's torn between wanting to try to blast a giant hole through whatever is containing them, versus trying to approach this rationally and work out a technological option.

The conflict and worry she's feeling inside is being masked with an unimpressed and irritated look.]

I wonder what these creeps would think if we all bonded together as a community to break out of here. We could even go try to find the other groups and free them, too.

[wordchain]

[ Yesod waits his turn to read through the report, whose contents are admittedly not especially surprising, as far as conducting unethical experiments goes, whatever the end goal may be. He restricts himself to a handful of notes before returning to some of the gaps left to fill in the redacted documents. He thinks back to his conversation with Robby last month, too — at the time, the numbered keys that had suddenly appeared hadn't been identified as linked to the university dorm rooms yet. Now they also have additional mentions of CE-47 in particular, and references to past "classes" and presumably images purposely created in an effort to encourage the current iteration to consider the possibility that they have longstanding bonds formed in this city to recall. ]

So this is one instance of their "dissolution" measures...

[ Which, frankly, seem to be a waste of time and resources, if this sort of failure has occurred up to forty-nine times and a variety of extreme methods to dispose of their unwanted guinea pigs is utilized in response. ]

...By the way, assuming that there are photographs to find in every room corresponding to the numbered keys that we received some time ago, has anyone compared these from room to room? I'd like to determine whether any are implied to depict individuals from iterations CE-09 and CE-47, for example, or the supposed owner of the room is simply inserted into identical templates across each room.

[ And if they are genuine glimpses of past iterations — including ones whose selected test subjects were "sub-par" — is there some significance to their allocation for this iteration to discover? ]

[numerouno]

[He skipped the diner crosswords. Can you blame him? The only time you'll catch Scaramouche making small talk at a small do like that is when he wants something; something like info.

Case in point: he sees talk of "something important", he goes to check it out. Having recently slipped away from the gathering at that conference room, he wonders if he's about to see more of the same.

When he arrives, there are papers everywhere and a lot of tired eyes. A document is passed to him and he makes quick work of it, skimming through each paragraph, the frown on his mechanical face deepening the longer he reads it.

After about a minute:]

Someone found this. Where?

October Instrumental Analysis

[keepgodwaiting]

REDACTED University Department of Social Sciences Nov. 3, REDA CE-47-361.74: REDACTED REDACTED Instrumental Analysis Title: REDACTEDRED in Community Building among REDACTEDR REDACTED REDA CTED REDACTED REDACTED Abstract: Our previous assessment that the presence of REDACTED REDA CTED REDAC is a positive REDACTEDR of REDACTEDR community-building behaviors was REDACT REDACT REDACTED REDACTEDRE CE-47-185.43. In this REDACTEDRE , RE REDA change the REDACTE to REDACTED RE DACTED REDACT REDACTED REDA derived entirely from the Residents' RED REDACTEDR REDACTED REDACTED and REDACTED REDA instead with the possibility of REDACT REDACTEDRE REDACT RE REDACTEDRE RE R REDACTEDRE REDACTED . Variable REDACTEDR are chosen from among those RED REDACTEDR REDACTEDREDACTEDRED RE RED RED - REDACTEDRE survey subsequent to REDACTEDRE CE-47-185.43. Hypothesis: The changed factors will positively REDACT RED REDACTEDR of groupings and increase community-oriented REDACTEDR among Residents by RE REDACTE of no less than REDAC REDACTED REe REDACTED REDACTEDRED . Experimental: The REDACTED University REDA REDACT Dormitory (hereafter "the dorm") was REDA REDACTEDR RE Residents REDACTE REDA REDAC of October 19 and October 31, REDA . In an effort to REDACTEDR Residents to REDACTEDR REDACTEDRED , the dorm was REDACTEDR RED REDACTED specifically in R REDAC reminiscent of the commonly- REDACTEDRE REDACTE " REDACTEDR ." The dormitory was REDAC REDA REDAC REDACT , each representing varying levels of REDACTEDREDAC REDACTED , with the REDACTEDR REDAC populated primarily by RED - REDAC REDACTEDR and the REDACT REDAC populated by RED - RED REDA - REDAC REDACTEDR , including the REDACTEDR REDACT RE REDACTEDR . Residents were REDACTE REDAC RED RED REDA REDACTE RE RED REDACT REDAC and were REDACTEDRE RE REDACTE through the REDAC RED REDACT REDACT in groups RE RED RE REDA . REDAC RED REDACTE REDA REDACTE REDACTEDR REDAC to control for the REDACTEDRED RE REDACTEDRE REDACT REDACTED . Residents who successfully proceeded in groups RE RED REDAC REDAC were rewarded with a " REDACTEDR REDAC " and a REDACTED REDA to REDACTEDR their community-minded REDACTEDR . Results and Discussion: In REDACTEDR REDA RED REDACTEDRE , the combination of changed factors ( REDACT REDACTEDR acting as REDACTEDRE ) and REDACTED REDACTE for community-minded REDACTEDR ( REDACTEDR REDACTE ) had a positive impact on the REDACTEDR RE groupings REDAC Residents. REDACTE , the positive trend REDA REDAC RE REDACTEDREDA , measuring at REDA REDAC . Further REDACTE is scheduled for REDACTED .

ota

[featheradrift]

[ So this was what the 'crossword' referred to. He hadn't bothered trying to figure out the redacted words when he first looked at the documents, but now with the added context of two more clean documents, there might actually be a chance to decipher them.

It's surprisingly engrossing, trying to figure it out. The Wanderer's occupied one side of a table. He's brought copies of the other documents that were found earlier and spread them all over the flat surface. The CE-09 Iteration Debrief is next to his notebook as he mulls over a redacted document. Of course he's picked the one with the most redactions.

On his notebook, he's started creating lists of keywords from the debrief, sorted by number of letters.

2 RE	3 RED	4 REDA	5 REDAC cause trend
6 REDACT garden origin proven stress reason upward	7 REDACTE factors subject correct debrief	8 REDACTED criminal communal resource deletion distrust downward	9 REDACTEDR influence indicator resilient predicted community iteration empowered diversity incorrect
10 REDACTEDRE summarized resilience population individual experiment prioritize	11 REDACTEDRED cooperation	12 REDACTEDREDA satisfaction

He also has some lines written down as he attempts to decipher them, with little notes written in between the spaces.

↙ something that promotes cohesion. what is it?

Our previous assessment that the presence of REDACTED REDA CTED REDAC is a positive REDACTEDR INDICATOR of REDACTEDR RESILIENT? community-building behaviors was REDACT PROVEN? REDACT REDACTED REDACTEDRE EXPERIMENT CE-47-185.43.

10 letter word following iteration codes probably always 'experiment'. last 5 digits is the unique code for the experiment?

REDACTEDRED EXPERIMENTS in Community Building among REDACTEDR EMPOWERED? (are they referring to those who have unique or extraneous abilities?) Doesn't seem to fit the rest of the document.

It doesn't seem like he's gotten too far into the document yet. Join him? ]