[ Sam's been absent for a few days. And probably, he should've said something about that before the fact, as much as he'd like to stubbornly not admit that maybe Bruce had a point in there somewhere, but what's done is done - and now that he's been chewed out by the goddamned Batman, had a much nicer chat with Ilde, and maybe even caught a quick nap in there somewhere, he's got some findings to report.

You know, if anyone's into that. ]

( Hey. Uh, I guess we got new people? I'm Sam, sorry I wasn't around to meet you, but I was kinda busy.

Which is what this is about, actually. So I took a quick flight outside the station - except it wasn't actually that quick, see the "kinda busy" part - and it's...actually pretty weird out there? Dunno if anyone will find this stuff useful, but maybe it's at least interesting. )

[ Quick pause for him to organize his thoughts. Sam tends to be pretty transparent over the mental link, so there's a clear feeling almost like he's shuffling through notecards in front of the class. ]

( One: time is iffy out there. Apparently. It felt like things were getting a little fuzzy on my end, but definitely not "you've been gone for days and I'm gonna glare at you like your mom isn't here to" lengths of time. ) [ thx bruce B| ]

( Two: space is iffy, too. Like, it's weirdly hard to fly in a straight line away from this place kind of iffy. And if anyone was gonna make a crack about me just not being able to fly in a straight line anyway, bite me, I already thought of that. ) [ - which doesn't mean he can't fly in a straight llooommmmgggg that was so stupid, words are hard, he'd better just keep going - ] ( I tried using my helmet's auto-pilot and it was just as bad. It's like it doesn't...want you moving away from it?

Which brings me to three - ) [ He's ticking them off on his fingers and everything now. ] ( It's hard to get outside in the first place. Not physically. Like, mentally - and that's definitely weird because I can promise you that I've usually got zero problems with hopping out strange airlocks into alien space. But the farther out and the longer I was out there, the more it started to feel really...I dunno. Have you ever felt like you're really small and there's nothing for miles, except also really claustrophobic at the same time? Okay, that sounds kind of stupid. But it's the best I've got. ) [ He's trying not to project the memory of what that felt like everywhere, because just because his mental control is unimpressive doesn't mean he's not trying, okay. ]

( And four: no stars, nothing to navigate by out there. It's like "inside of a black hole" levels of nothing happening. )

[ When he finally stops rambling, there's a slightly awkward pause, like he's run out of words and isn't really sure what there is left to say, before - ]

( I guess that's everything I've got? So. If anybody was wondering. )

CHARACTERS: Everyone (really)
WHERE: Outside of the Memory Bank, On the Lam, The Stealth Ship, and Station 72
WHEN: DAY :052/DAY :001
SUMMARY: Things don’t go exactly as planned. When do they ever?
WARNINGS: Violence, death, allusions to weaponized suicide. Will update further if necessary.

( AAAAHHHHHH!? )

[Withholding information had not been Lexa's goal, but she had wanted to thoroughly research what she could before she brought it to the rest of the Nest. For that reason, Lexa has been busy, but has been careful not to reveal what she has in hand until she's ready. Even as she prepares to speak to the Nest, she's not completely prepared, and there's a sense of agitation over this.

By now, she already knows the results of them following Ven, but they haven't yet received the information they require. Why they didn't take the opportunity is bothersome in and of itself, but there is little that she can change about that. It's about moving forward, and it's not as if she has the fullest degree of faith in the Nest. Nothing changes that.]

( Today, I'd like to speak to you all about the results of our meeting with Mind Life. The conversations we had prior to this meeting with the hacker group that privately contacted us may have been accurate on this front. ) [She deliberates revealing what she told them about their goals, but decides against it: Mind Life's desperation to remain stagnant and inactive is worrisome, to say the least.] ( They have their hearts in the right place, but not their minds. I'd say it's ironic given the name of their organization, but not surprising. They prefer passive communication over action. Their idealism may be worthwhile, but they have little help to offer because they refuse to make a show of any aggression.

As a result, our only boon from them is a list of people who they deem trustworthy. Or untrustworthy. Unsurprisingly, Saffit is on the list of unsavory individuals. She doubts that even the untrustworthy men could be behind the bombings, but we may come to see her perspective as one of denial given her unwillingness to act.

I've done the beginning search into many of the other individuals named, but I cannot be as thorough as any of our technical people. Trust that I will not be handing over this list lightly, and that the contents of it will not be available to everyone in the Nest. I would rather prevent any reactionary behavior as a result of what Sheena Frey chose to write down. ) [If anything, she refuses to share everything on the list with the Nest. She may give names, or an idea of whether or not someone is on the list, but she doesn't want any of the Hosts to set out on a crusade.

Especially when she can barely trust Sheena's judgment.]

(Tell me, have any of you spoken to Cathaway within the last two months.)

[The newer Hosts are the most likely suspects, but perhaps through the link—

Perhaps he feels nothing not because of distance, but because she's chosen to keep him locked out. The possibility is a nagging itch at the base of his skull; he'd rather know for certain.]

[ It is actually quite late when Ilde's soft voice moves through the hosts, her scent of smoke and earth. She is at a club somewhere deep in the city, dazzled by noise and light, something you are free to establish if you look for it. ]

( It has been suggested to me by a hacker named Y that I throw a concert to lure our bombers out again. )

[ This part is forthright, a statement of fact with no value attachment to it. ]

( I believe she is questioning who I really am. If I refuse this idea, I may encourage that. )

[ This may not be strictly true, but it is how Ilde has perceived their conversation. ]

( She seems to know something, but is it worth losing my guise? If not, how am I to refuse this suggestion and maintain it. I do not know if she is a part of the group who contacted us before. She may already know I am false and this is all a game. )


OOC: link & all threadjacking here very much encouraged!

[ Sam crashed hard after the vigil, because between all the lies making him feel like he was going to puke and trying to pick them apart giving him one mother of a headache, staying awake felt like something you only do if you really hate yourself.

Do all newfound psychic powers suck this bad? He was fine with just flying and blowing things up, thanks. ]

( By the way, just figured everybody should know: Seong-Hye Ngazi is full of crap, the Public Safety Commission isn't half as gung-ho about bringing the bomber to justice as she makes it sound, and I'm like ninety percent she actually knows who did it, but that part I'm not quite positive about.

So, you know. In case anybody wanted to break into her office or stalk her or something. I hear some of you guys are actually good at the cloak and dagger stuff.

You're welcome. )

[ He can be found in the common area of the Bearings, scrolling through news reports and radiating pure frustration, if anyone would rather comment to his face instead of over the link. ]

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: Concordia - VEN DIAGRAMS HQ + BOUT IT OUT PARLOR + BEARINGS APARTMENT BLOCK
WHEN: Late Day :022 + Early Day :023
SUMMARY: The results of all your hard work - for better or worse. One win, one draw, one loss. Anakin Skywalker bites the big one.
WARNINGS: Violence, non-graphic character death.

( ROUND TWO... --BOOM! )

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: Concordia - VEN DIAGRAMS HQ + BOUT IT OUT PARLOR
WHEN: Day :022
SUMMARY: Plans are in motion. The hosts tackle their mission on two fronts - one group works to infilitrate the Ven Diagrams HQ in pursuit of hidden H+H1 information while another fights (literally) to get an audience with Bout It Out superstar and reluctant pro-synthetic activist Kun Adetokunbo. The only question is how will it all shake out?
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.

( ROUND ONE... FIGHT! )

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: The Station + Concordia
WHEN: Day :000 - ???
SUMMARY: Leaving the Station; the arrival and first days on Concordia. Concordia pt.1.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.

( WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL AGE )