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You... I don't mean offense, but you shouldn't exist. Na-Zo says not for 57 years, by the official timetable, and that's assuming the social engineering system doesn't have more schedule slip they enter the room, examining the hologram. none of this is possible. no system could recreate the entire stack, hard-light holograms don't exist, and AI isn't possible. So, Allison, tell me what you are, and I'll tell you what I am.
Ms. Inverness. I'm glad you arrived so promptly. but, all things considered, with issues as sensative as what I have Na-Zo holds up a datacard I rather think meeting in person is more appropriate Na-Zo very much did not like this. If she wasn't bluffing, and SHe sounded fairly confident, then there was someone else who could understand Onomastic tech. maybe a traitor, or a mad genius.. or one of Them.
Na-Zo goes to slip on their jacket, and is sad to discover it isn’t there. damn, there goes half my ninja cred right there. "Umi, I have something I need to do. I’m going to leave you here. The kitchen, this room,a nd that bedroom" Na-Zo points to each in turn "are relatively safe. The rest has piles of expirimental tech, most of which is incomplete, or arcane, to the point I don’t understand it.. Please don’t mess with it. I could go through all the potential consequences, but lets just go with ‘just you and I dying’ is one of the nicer ones." they say. "By the way, I’m borrowing this. Promise I’ll give it back." They pick Umidiz’s grey-yellow coat up and twirl around as they don it before stepping through the portal. They appear in a dark closet, deep inside IA. They slip outside and start to make a beeline for Nosrettap, eyes flitting around, looking for threats, dangers.
No problem Na-Zo typed back, really hoping Rache was paying. @CHLover one of their people almost tore the Scrape apart due to a malfunction of their tech. Gonna go blackmail Nosrettap. any preference for location? they say, trying to find an unobserved location in Nosrettp's office.
The Veil. this question is still hanging. Not quite anywhere. It has to be unobserved by consciousness. you see, the observer effects the nature of the world, via quantum entanglements and uncertainty and... okay, look, it's magic, and one of the rules of this magic is no one can be looking where you appear.
I think AI might be supposedly fictitious. this might be an Onomastic thing, like Coil, or she is secret. we'll find out soon!
The Veil. this question is still hanging.
yo, Bastian, would you mind ging a TL&C:DR on your storyline?
okay, I'm going to take +1 sad, and also, I forgot to use the holiday level, so I'll take Gaze into the Abyss
1. The world isn't fixable. This was tested. Na-Zo came very close to telling Umi that it wasn't so bad it needed to be destroyed 2. The system exists only to perpetuate itself. Didn't interact with this one much, except kinda brushing off Rache's whole Giri stuff. 0 xp I think, but almost was 2 3. They wouldn't like me anyway. does not seekig old friends, and staying isolated until Umi almost tore down The Scrape count as getting me in trouble, even if it was a pre-Start of game choice?
Before I do that, I need to know what happened with the last one. but I may be able to get you one, and help out a ... benefactor., I'll need to know where they met you, and had you working. Na-Zo says, plans already forming in their head. their eye flutter a little as a message is sent to LaChessa. @CHLover: Finished Ms. Kosto's errand. Think I have a way in. Can I go down tonight? Before Ms. Kosto's program begins streaming?
Listen- That group created a concurrent reality by folding a 5-cube into 10 tesseract, and using those to latch onto reality, keeping us mostly stable within time, but entirely separate within space. the only way to access one is to be an onomastic... or be taken here by one. Na-Zo says I wish I could explain it better, but that stream of jargon just about exhausts my understanding of it. You wanna tell me what's happened the last few years? they ask
Na-Zo uses his interface to send the data to a computer, one not connected to the safehold network, just in case, and shuts off that channel when the're done. Na-Zo breathes deep, they were safe again. You remember that... I beleive the word you used was 'cult', that I joined a few years back? He waits for confirmation, before saying We're in one of their bases. it's kinda complicated, but I'm the last one, so I guess this place is mine now.
It's more important to return a burnt out relay, than to figure out what went wrong? I'm not sure I agree with those priorities. Na-Zo asks, raising an eyebrow Probably the iconoclasts, corrupting the tech, giving her the idea to destroy the scrape... We hadn't talked in years, and I still put her in danger, They place the burnt out device onto the ground beside them If they don't want it, I do. might be related to... My Order's sworn enemies., and turn theatrically, sliding their arms out of their cloak and sending it floating in front of Rache's eyes as they reach out with their interface,a nd fall back to the safehold
A message pops up on Rache's feed moments after Hey... could you grab my coat... Actually really like that.
Na-Zo picks up the smoking datajack Safe to say they won't want this back. They say, pocketing it and cradling Umi I think that datajack had a bad interaction with your... installed hardware Na-Zo quietly interfaces with the device... not running anything, but copying the files, and looking through them, seeing what it was that set Umi off.
Goddamit Umi!, Na-Zo yells, rushing in front of Rache, before she can hurt the girl any more. They take the bag from her and carefully pushes it toward Rache I don't know how to help you. I don't know what's wrong... but I will.
Umi, please, calm down. Na-Zo says, holding out their hands Rache won't hurt you. I wouldn't hurt you. they approach quietly, hands raised. You're not well. You're scared, and you're hurting, and you're so desperate for it to stop that you're about to do something really bad. please, don't. I can help you, we can help you. you don't have to do this. Na-Zo watches Umi for tells, for sudden movements.
Sorry guys, know I've been the limiting reagent lately. With finals done, that should change.
Crap Crap, Crap Na-Zo moves quickly, gathering up all the schematics and anything that looks valuable and is easily pocketed and rushes for the door. Umi had gone mad... or someone was pressuring her enough that she was acting it. either way, what she planned was insane. is it though? a small voice in the back of their head asks. She's being hunted, she's cornered... trying to make her own safehold. But I can't let her, not like this, now when it would strand Rache and I, and everyone on this half-damned level They get up on the roof, making more noise than is advisable, and start going from rooftop to rooftop, marginally safer than running in the streets, as they head for the cable.
Na-Zo looks over the apartment, fuming slightly. So close! they though, no realizing until now how much they wanted this reunion. but something wasn't right... they pick over the appartemnt, trying to figure out what.
As Na-Zo retracts their eternal interface, Rache would have a good view of the readout, including the gate-locations in her house (and LaChessa's, and a few others), and their open line with Coil Rushing away, they reach Umi's room. Their knuckles rap on the door thrice, and they call through the door Umi?
Okay she's gone. Na-zo says, interfacing with the retinal scanner that blocks the way past the security booth... a quick scan reveals that it can't be hacked, to primitive to be vulnerable. Their quick fingers get the case off it, exposing the lens and wires, moving quickly, heart pounding, knowing the attendant could return at any moment, they try to hard-switch it to read that a matching retina has been input... it was almost like being back a few years, throwing Joywires together from anything. except now, there was a time crunch.
When you get their attention, do direct, or better, escort them over to the Abattoir Na-Zo indicates to the woman. The Abattoir, despite the name, is one of the areas of neutral ground on the 1147, and also about 30 minutes away. it would give Them time to get in, Deal with Umi, and get out... hopefully.
Na-Zo plasters a smile to their face, This person wants fame, so let's dangle a little. Hello, miss. good evening. I'm Na-Zo, a special guest on Her Na-Zo indicates Rache Giri Program. Would you be willing to receive a credited appearance on the program? we would just need your help making contact with our co-star.
Okay... Na-Zo says, still feeling somewhat a traitor Could you send a message up to Umidiz? Tell her the second best Joywriter on the 147 wants to see an old friend.
We could buy a room and hunt her down, but... I have a better idea, if you promise not to hurt her They say. Rache was nice, she was cool, but Na-Zo wasn't sure about loosing her on a friend... former friend, at any rate.
Okay. Na-Zo says, looking for a route to Umi as they scrub their shirt. eventually they reach the point where it will have to be good enough. Okay, lets keep going, I think I have a path mapped
That'll cause more damage than good. there's a reason my order didn't just reveal them. Na-ZO says, And please don't put that gun away. The people here aren't likely to be much friendlier Na-Zo tries to push forward, looking for familiar landmarks Umidiz might gravitate toward.
Thank you. I need you to delete that footage. Na-Zo says, rubbing their neck. ANd we need to keep moving. I should have kown they would have a few of those things stationed here... maybe more than a few.
The things claws close around Na-Zo's throat, and they start to feel the world going dark... No, not like them! Not to these things! they bring the plasma-cudgel around onto the things wrist, and kick off it's chest, heart pounding as they desperately struggle to free themselves
Do we need to get the retcon stick?
Na-Zo freezes momentarily, as they ignore Rache's blade... they wonder if they imagined it, or if there really was an image for blood-greased gears, and the tench of fresh offal. She's... she doesn't know... They think, reaching into their pocket, checking that their cybertome is still intact, and with their other hand, bring their cudgel to bear at the heads of those Things.
You can't reason or negotiate with Them, Rache. Believe me, we tried.
Na-zo punches their access code into the elevator, suspecting that the elevator would be more compliant with theirs than with Rache's. They had tried, with Coil, to analyze the Elevator's algorithm once... but it was written in an unfamiliar and incomprehensible language. Okay, so some warning. If you didn't know, 1146 is rough. Most people worked for Phoenixolutions, and when it folded... well, a 72% unemployment rate can do a number on a level. we avoid anything valuable. a clinc, stockpile, area with power, we walk down another street. keep your weapons close at hand, in fact, if you have anything heavy duty, it might be good to be visibly armed. the elevator door open, to reveal an image of the worst idea of pre-scrape cities, with rusted out building dominating the skyline, dim lighting, because half the environmental generators have burned out, and not been replaced. multiple groups lay beyond the edges, trying to cook questionable food over half-burning flames. a few of them started moving closer. Some of them will try to ride to another level with us, uiing our codes. your call how we deal with that. Umi will be in deeper. she'll feel safer near the hear of the city Because no one would be batshit enough to follow her here for a thrice-damned datajack.
I could take yo- Na-Zo says, before they remember Coil. I think we should just walk there together. Not gonna get my tricks on camera that easily, folks. they say, before looking around. Still no cameras? Damn. they say, feeling foolish.
Yeah, I think the first 500-ish floors are probably uninhabitable (toxic smog, bad welding, you get it) so, 05XX-15XX or slums/labor force works for me (honestly, labor-force kinda makes me think "treated like crap, and so poor they live in a slum" anyway)
Na-Zo slips away. their eyes fashion with a new message. Lover Umidiz? have it covered. already working with a Giri-enforcer. probably gonna deal with the return of stolen IA tech personally. Thanks anyway They double and triple check their weapon, and body armour. they'll be with Rache, but if they get swarmed... but the Iconoclasts haven't attacked in nearly 4 days, maybe they're backing off.
She was... lonely. we really only had eachother, and I left. maybe she's found someone else. maybe several someones. but she might still be alone. The Lower K's... not safe, but she knows them. try not to corner or trap her, she'll pull a weapon. I should go with you, i could probably sniff her out without scaring her.
Dam. Na-Zo says The one time I remember to make a dramatic entrance. So, what do you want to know. She's an old friend, the only other non-delinquent my age within a few kilometers of me. She was a Joywire addict last I saw her, but that was 3 years ago. We were both really young when Phoenixolutions corp folded, and was not acquired. we both grew up in that shitshow the 110's through the 125's turned into. anything important I've left out? they ask, giving Rache a third once-over, hand on their plasma cudgel... just in case they can mimic people, or disguise themselves enough to fool me at first glance.
Damn, damn, damn Na-Zo thinks, as they receive Rache's message. they gladly take Lachessa's dismissal. Should deal with Lew soon, but Umidiz takes priority... just this once, for old times sake. Still not a ninja. En-route, will fill you in there. They slip back into the closet, taking care to avoid cameras, if possible. Back already? Coil asks did everything go well? 'Fraid not, just using the entrances. Na-Zo says, altering the entrance to Rache's residence. But i have two jobs lined up. pretty quick, I do the job, and get paid, stock up, and bunker down with you again. They say, closing their eyes as they step through the portal They stumble out of Rache's bedroom, eyes still closed, and look around, trying to find where she was filming. as soon as they identify it, the walk over, in the speed-walking fashion that makes their longcoat billow behind them. You called for me. they say, an impish smile on their face as they walk into the room.
Damn, damn, damn Na-Zo thinks, as they receive Rache's message. they gladly take Lachessa's dismissal. Should deal with Lew soon, but Umidiz takes priority... just this once, for old times sake. Still not a ninja. En-route, will fill you in there. They slip back into the closet, taking care to avoid cameras, if possible. Back already? Coil asks did everything go well? 'Fraid not, just using the entrances. Na-Zo says, altering the entrance to Rache's residence. But i have two jobs lined up. pretty quick, I do the job, and get paid, stock up, and bunker down with you again. They say, closing their eyes as they step throught he portal They stumble out of Rache's bedroom, eyes still closed, and look around, trying to find where she was filming. as soon as they identify it, the walk over, in the speed-walking fashion that makes their longcoat billow behind them. You called for me. they say, an impish smile on their face as they walk into the room.
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