citylogs | [OPEN MINGLE]

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[OPEN MINGLE]

WHO: Everyone! It's a mingle!
WHAT: Discussing recent reveals about the simulation
WHERE: Pairidaeza Architectural Studio
WHEN: Feb 3rd morning to evening
WARNINGS: Potential existential crises, discussions of death, memory manipulation, basically everything to do with their actual situation in a simulated environment.

[The actual setup within the garage-turned-studio is away from all the actual workbenches.

On one folding table are copies of multiple documents available around the X: The main document is a summary of a resident from a prior iteration that's clearly been redacted via scanning copies with stuff blocked out. Additionally are copies of the most recent newsletter with the memo on the back and photos of the hotel journal printed in black and white.

Lined up on another folding table away from the one with the documents is an array of finger foods: hummus, chutneys, and yoghurt dips with a variety of sliced vegetables, cheeses, cold cuts, and fresh pita bread. cardamom cookies, panipuri, and both vegetable and chicken samosas take up the other side. Mint water and fresh juice are in pitchers to the center. It's actually a little crowded.

Chairs are set up in small grounds and around the document table. And finally, a whiteboard has been rolled in for people to make use of in group discussions.]

((This is a mingle, so everyone is encouraged to threadjack, make toplevels, etc prior plot mingles have been done. Alhaitham and Kaveh will be around and participating but not taking the lead beyond making sure people stay orderly in the studio and have enough papers.

If you character has discussed the simulation with either Kaveh or Alhaitham, you can also handwave they texted them directly about it.))

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[Vergilius is ever the wallflower, here, not stepping up to talk or share anything, simply watching. He does move to grab a copy of the documents after some time, and when he reads it...]

[Ishmael.]

[His eyes are certainly glowing here, his face a stern glower.]

....They really need to leave us the fuck alone. [He doesn't know what to think of this, at the moment, but...] They really are just copying the City's nonsense, alright. Can we even influence the damn simulation without them freaking out and shutting it down?

There's no way to guarantee or predict their reactions in we try to upend their experiment. But if we wait it out, they're going to simply end it and wipe our memories regardless.

[So, the risk seems worth it to him.] How common is something like this in your City?

...

[Wiping memories...he's silent at that, but grimaces with the question.]

More often than not. Corporations do like to experiment on people where they can.

[Alhaitham hums. He has half a thought of whether this City is actually where they've been brought to and used, from everything he's heard. But it can't be proven until they're out, and thus the answer won't be important until then. How many hellholes with apocalyptic crises are generically calling themselves The City anyway?]

Personally, I'd rather try whatever option will let me keep my memories intact than continue to be manipulated for their goals. [Even if it's a long shot.] Do you recognize the first four names?

Cheers to that. [And a pause.] ...The ones under "origin associations"? I do.

[He won't lie about that. It's written all over his sullen face.]

I wonder where they get their information, outside of observation. Outside sources? Our memories?

[Alhaitham nods once. Then Vergilius can probably guess who's file this is, though Alhaitham still won't bring it up directly.]

I have no doubts they have access to our memories, and the memories of anyone related to us that they pull into this. That can already be quite a bit of information if it's three of four associates.

[Yes, he can guess at whose file this is, which only makes his annoyance grow.]

Memories...

[Fucking hell.]

That's technology on an immense level. And then adding the whole "pulling people from other worlds" thing, too. Wonder where they're getting the power. Don't tell me we're the batteries.

It's certainly a possibility. [No way to prove it, of course, but Alhaitham just knows that his own similar experience involved using the subjects as fuel as well as data.] But who knows the extent of what they're really capable of. Even transferring people from others worlds like this is beyond anything I know.

[There's the temptation as always to reach for Vergilius' hand, but Daan refrains, keeping his own into pockets. Instead, he gives a little shrug and looks away at his own feet, frowning.]

You mean more than that Rher ritual? [He asks, not to throw shade at Fearne (this time) but just as a simple question.] That shook things up a lot.

But granted, I don't know enough about this stuff to know if there's something else we can do. Be nice if we had a programming expert or something, huh.

[He also spares a glance for Daan's hands, but doesn't move, simply glowering as he thinks. This whole thing is a mess. And even THAT mess didn't do a thing.]

I now wonder how "real" that ritual was. If magic can mess with a simulation...what's more "real", then? Was that ritual just bad coding, in the end?

...Admittedly, I have no idea. I'm out of my depth completely with this. I don't know hell of a lot about this kind of thing.

[There's a helpless, angry sigh.] Junpei tried describing the effects as maybe like... the simulation reacting the way we think it would to magic. I sort of get what he'd been trying to say at the time.

Yet, what we experience is very real. The mind is truly impressive if we're really not here, convinced that this is reality. I'm sure if I was a more disciplined man, I might have a better suggestion.

[He has half a mind to reach out to reassuringly cradle Daan's face, but he doesn't. Instead he allows himself a small gesture - a light pat on the shoulder.]

It's fine. I'm sure it's all complicated bullshit in the end. Maybe its like a hologram. Or an induced hallucination. Regardless of the cause, we now know its just part of this simulated mess.

Depends on what it is they're testing. If we manage to influence it but it doesn't actually cause problems for whatever they're studying, I'd think they'd keep it going instead of starting all over again...

...Yes, that is a problem. A good point.

However...too much trouble is too much trouble. Even a scientist will get irritated with a tampered subject.

[ hong lu considers the look on vergilius' face. he tilts his head. ]

If they shut it down and start it up again, do you think we'll get to see Ishmael?

...

That's what you're concerned about? Her?

[ No doubt some of the names in that document are very familiar... And so is the situation at hand, the goal of obtaining results regardless of the price. ]

They must be aware of the discussions and plans regarding our environment, yet they haven't intervened.

[He grumbles.]

Another part of the experiment?

Or....they're just itching to get to the "punishment".

The former may yield more useful data for them than the latter, at least.

[ Yesod frowns, thinking back to the variety of dissolution events — the absurd ones in particular. The researchers criticizing those measures themselves came quite late, by the sound of it. ]

...I presume this resident record contains details that you recognize?

Damn data.

[He doesn't want to hear that word - it brushes up on something far too vulnerable, a wound hidden deep down.]

....Yes. The names. I know them.

[ He's already glanced over the available documents, and indeed, they have all the markings of a proper report. ]

It seems unlikely.

[ Ever the fatalist. And yet -- ]

Though it is not uncommon for test subjects to react in unforeseen ways. The unpredicted behavior is often more noteworthy.

[Thanks, Captain Downer.]

...Mm. So you're saying that we need to be so chaotic, but not too chaotic for them to hit the off switch. [A pause.] What would you consider "unpredicted behavior"? You're a scientist, aren't you? Or, I guess, more specifically, an architect.

[ He nods. If their ultimate goal is to avoid being erased, they should utilize any means of prolonging their existences.

Vergilius' question gives him pause, and he frowns because he doesn't have a good answer for that. ]

...I do not have any insight into that. "Unpredicted behavior" is precisely that -- unpredictable.

[ He's helping.

Yi Sang returns to glancing over the redacted report. He holds out the page listing "Recommendations" to Vergilius. ]

It does, however, appear the project's organizers wished for cooperation amongst some residents. And based on references to psychological testing, it seems they also wished for subjects to remain docile.

Cooperation...

[Yes, that's true. He glances back over the page Yi Sang is holding out, his frown deepening.]

So throwing a fuss and arguing probably wouldn't be in their wanted parameters, huh.

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[OPEN MINGLE]

OTA

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CAPTAIN DOWNER.......

ITS WHAT HE IS....