oo1 [ voice → video ] (July 1st)

[interspace]

Testing, testing... Is this thing on? ALFRED?

[ Despite the sound of rain mostly being filtered out of the audio, there comes a slightly-computerized male voice with none of the background interference. As if it's speaking from inside the microphone. ] We're transmitting.

Positive?

Positive.

All right, and now... [ Video! Here's a young woman with some bright red hair tamped down by the wet rain falling all over her as she walks down the street. She does have a rain jacket on with the hood up, but that never really helps completely. She's wearing a frameless visor over her eyes, but even with that, she may look pretty familiar to some of the Transports here, though her "user name" identifies her as 4d 69 73 68 61 20 48 75 6e 74. ] Voi la! Are we in business?

Not only that, but it's booming.

Great. Okay, now to finally have a point to this instead of just futzing with my new toy. What's the current progress? I mean, sure, all these links to history and general info is great, but there isn't a whole lot of talk on how far we are now, what's left to go, how coordinated the actual effort is... Basically, how much shit is this Initiative still in and how much do we "Transports" have to keep digging?

... also. [ She flips the notepad around to momentarily show the street that she's on, heading toward the apartments. ] Am I going the right way?

Comments

video;

[mostqualified]

[ Redheads unite. Or something. Pepper gives a short smile. ]

You wouldn't believe just how unorganized this place and their efforts are. It's best not to think of it that way, really.

[interspace]

[ All of the redheads. Misha gives an exaggerated grimace to that news. ]

I just might, actually. Is it really that bad?

[mostqualified]

It depends. I don't think they know what they're doing most of the time. [ Story of her life right there. ]

[interspace]

How long have they been in this business again...?

What way are we supposed to think of it, if not by organization?

Right. That, too.

[bodilesswarrior]

So far. [Barbara is leaning forward slightly, eyes lit with fascination.] Is that all your visor or is there another component?

[interspace]

[ Misha grins at her interest. ]

Visor's just part of the interface. He's small, but not that small.

Are you calling me fat?

Don't even joke.

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara grins back. She always enjoys sassy AI.]

He came along with you?

Video;

[100hearts]

If you're wondering on legitimate facts, history gets more elusive as time passes. I've heard all worthwhile events are pretty much beyond our reach.

So, just doubt everything and stop trying.

[interspace]

Beyond our reach in what way? We can't get there, or we aren't allowed to touch?

Stop trying? Ha. Never.

[100hearts]

Fuzzy. Memory gets fuzzy and it gets even fuzzier when it's passed from mouth to mouth. 'The truth' is as simple as your own perception of an event, based on how much proof you really want out of it.

It's up to you, but I find it useless to intercede. I've been part of plenty of things that are likely to be distorted by people who don't want them to be known in the proper light. I imagine they'll be made worse with apathy and time.

[Video]

[feel_nevermore]

Someone tells the Initiative to provide newcomers with instructions to use those phones. [Please.]

[A sigh.] ...And a map.

[interspace]

[ She looks fairly amused at the assumption. ]

I know how to use a phone. If you must know, I was checking if the network connection to my peripheral worked like they said it would. Spoilers: it does!

The map would be nice, though.

[feel_nevermore]

Your...? Right. Good for you. [This is Raven, not Cyborg.]

You're headed to the housings?

video;

[weapabilities]

At this point I have a feeling it's anyone's best guess. You'll probably get varying answers though.

[interspace]

I'm definitely seeing that. It's like no one ever asks these questions on a regular basis. Who'da thunk?

[weapabilities]

More often than you might think, I just don't imagine the answers, or lack thereof, change much.

video;

[worldswillburn]

An A.I?

[interspace]

Yup. Interested? Say hi to the nice lady, ALFRED.

Hello to the nice lady.

[worldswillburn]

[cute.]

You see a lot of them back where I'm from.

First time I met one named Alfred, though.

voice;

[motherofnemesis]

Sounds like you've got an interesting sidekick there.

Anyways, about your questions. Yes, you're going the right way. There's not a lot of info on how we're doing right now because we're not. Doing. Right now. There was a bombing, it was all very dramatic and everything's a mess.

[interspace]

He's my one and only pain-in-the-ass. All others, please stand down.

How much farther? [ She's walking at a fairly normal pace, just hoping not to pass the building and look like an idiot. Of course, she passed on the chaperone because there's no fun in it, but there is definitely a line on how much independence to exert in a completely foreign scenario. ] So I've heard. How long ago was that, and where are the effected areas?

[motherofnemesis]

Good to get one of those sorted out early on.

You're about a block away. It's the tallest building, hard to miss. [ And that last question gets a sort of snort from her, a gesture with her hand that Misha can't see. ] Try everywhere. It can be kind of hard to tell what was already rubble and what's newly minted destruction, but yeah. The entire city was evacuated and in the catacombs.

Audio

[maddeninghatter]

[ After a bit of eavesdropping on the public conversations... ]

It sounds as though you've been filled in on the bad news, sufficiently. The good news is that your... "AI"...

[ Forgive him, it's been quite a leap from fantasy Victorian Japanese France, but he's learning. ]

Yes, your AI might have the opportunity to make a lady friend.

[interspace]

[ Misha isn't really able to stop the surprised look. A lady friend? For ALFRED? ]

You're joking, right?

There's another AI present?

[maddeninghatter]

Yes, that's right, the Iniative has one. And, er. I think she's a lady.

[ Lowering his voice to a stage whisper. ]

How does one tell?