Hi again, everyone.

Entertaining banter is much more fun when you have things to banter about. Period. I was hoping that I would be able to swing in and tell you something really interesting about the coordinates, and carefully craft it into some witty statement about my superhero identity. [There's a beat.] But uh, that's not happening today. Sorry.

The important bit is that I decoded it, and the message is coming from right where you guys went. No surprise, right? Well, here's the kicker, the AI, which, as we all know, is kind of outsourced from the UE, is asking one simple thing.

"Kill me."

So.

Yeah.

[Last time Jaime posted as Blue Beetle, he kept to text. This time, he thinks that people might need a face - masked as it may be - to match to the words. His voice is put through a technological filter, just distorted enough for him to keep from being recognized. He's in the VR room in the most professional looking room he could think of, which is essentially a large table with wall-to-wall windows behind him looking out onto San Francisco - potentially recognizable to some canonmates as a loose copy of the Titans Tower meeting room, which is fairly generic anyway.]

So... hi. I'm Blue Beetle. A bunch of you already know that I've been trying to dig up as much info on the Chimera Project as I can - those are the cloned children, for you new guys - and I think I've got enough information to get going. Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this, by the way - you know who you are. I know everyone must be really tired of hearing people give long speeches by now, so I'll try to keep it short. [He smiles at the camera for an instant, a flash of white, human teeth behind the armour]

[He's making an effort to sound professional, but he's not used to public speaking. Sometimes, he looks down at his lap instead of the camera (consulting his notes as if he's giving a speech for class if he's honest about it) and he's stiff, uncomfortable, but his voice is even and steady. Small victories, and victories born of actually rehearsing.

Are you ready for a fun history lesson, Transports? Because you're sure as hell going to get one.]

( Non-IC cut! )

Excuse me.

The computer "AI" - the one that helps run the Initiative - said that radiation levels in the city are back to normal. Does that mean we can return to it? I thought that it would be years or - decades - but, if the computer says so, then - ?

[If she sounds a little scattered and nervous, it's probably because she's a little scattered and nervous. She understood what to do with the zombies (punch them), but the mutiny and the fallout from that she's still struggling with. She prefers to have someone in charge to tell her what to do, not have everyone fighting over it with her in the middle.]

Please do not turn this into cats. Even though they are cute.

[Fenris so rarely uses the tablet, even less so to publicly speak to everyone. It's pointless, as far as he's concerned. Sharing words on a machine when they could be shared face to face. This time, though, is different. He feels this is important enough to share. Not one for chatting purposelessly, he gets right to the point]

Today, I awoke with a message on this contraption. It appears to be one of the memoirs that have been brought up of late. I suppose it might be important to some of you, so listen.

[And he'll play the file, the tablet giving out the automated text-reader of the file (because Maker knows, Fenris can neither read nor write it onto the tablet himself, the electronic voice crackling out the message. Perhaps it detracts from the emotion of the message, or perhaps hearing the words from a voice, albeit a robotic one does the exact opposite. However people may feel about it, the message plays on:]

The "E" in my name is for "Elaine", so my name is Joyce Elaine--which means "Joyful Light". Well, let me tell you, I don't feel like a happy ray of sunshine at the moment. I feel angry. And scared.

But mostly scared.

I don't want to die. I don't care what anyone says. No one can be prepared for death--not even those who have lived a long time. There's got to be some final struggle involved; some sense of staying on this blasted world for one moment longer...

And this is my struggle. This is me. My final thoughts and my final fight against the reaper. As long as this survives--I'll always be. Just do me a favor and don't erase this, okay?

Thanks.

[Fenris considers leaving it there, his job done. But he feels maybe it would be wrong to the memory of this Elaine to do so. As much as he disliked the Initiative as a whole, he understood the words she spoke. There was some common ground, here]

Her words are wise ones. Perhaps it would do some of you good to learn from them.

[ it has been a while since morgana has appeared on the network and when she does, she does so suddenly. the feed clicks on to reveal her as she steps back from the tablet, there is more of a coldness to her face, edges gained only by time. pale skin is stained with blossoms of red, scraps and cut still unattended (she had a bloody cave dropped on her head not too long ago, thanks merlin), fain traces of dust collected in her hair. ]

And I thought my loathing for this place could grow no more.

[ as striking as morgana herself the large white form behind her begs more attention. the creature croons softly, head lowering and wings folding in tight. ]

Her name is Aithusa. [ even morgana's tone is colder now. there is a pain to it, joy and pain. aithusa her dear ally and friend, brought here to this dreadful rock with no sky to stretch her wings and fly. yet part of her is happy to have the dragon here, at her side. ] And she is under my protection. [ aithusa's head raises and the dragon pads forward a single step. morgana exhales, her hands balled into fists that none can see. they shake. ] She is not to be harmed. This is the first and only warning any of you will receive.

Heed my words or you shall regret it, unimaginable suffering will follow if you do not. [ it is a threat, plain and simple. lacking in subtlety, but she could care less, she will have herself understood now and understood plainly.

and just as quickly as morgana and aithusa appeared, the feed cuts. ]

[ And here appears the face of an elf, one with short and dark hair scattered with braids, tattoos swirling across her face and around her large, almost insect-like green eyes. Her smile is awkward, only half there as aware as she is that it's a poor time to smile. ]

Hello there. This is Merrill again, um. I suppose it has been some time, but then I haven't had anything worth saying. And then I did, perhaps, but it didn't seem a good time. Is it ever a good time? Well, near half a million people have been destroyed despite our best efforts. That doesn't seem like a good time.

I am sorry. Especially to those who were from there. So sorry.

But I cannot put off this question any longer. My curiosity has gotten the best of me, and maybe a distraction would not be out of place for a short amount of time. [ She clears her throat and taps a fingertip to her lower lip, near pouting. ] I suppose a joke or story would be better in that case, but there I go again with my poor sense of timing.

In any case, does anyone here know of the Chimera Project? [ The petite elf holds up a small booklet, or thick leaflet, however you choose to see it. The title is clear as day. It's stained with something, though... ] I regret to say that...ale spilled all over it in the drastic move, sorry about the appearance. But I would like to hear if any Transports or even Initiative employees know of this.

( private; Fenris )

[ ooc; Sorry I might be slow on tagging back some threads until I hear more about the pamphlet thingy. Will get to them ASAP! ]

So for those of you that don't know, I have a bag that's bigger inside than out, and no matter what weighs ten pounds.

If there's things that are on the must-take list that isn't possible for you to take with the weight allowance - musical instruments, ammunition, weird medical supplies - let me know. I've got room for about a hundred pounds in the bag, and I can carry ninety more with me.

Medical supplies, to be honest, are more important, followed by food, ammunition, and then other things.

Yo, listen up. I dunno how close you guys been paying attention to the intel coming in about where the U.E.'s holding our people, but there's something really important we gotta remember before we rush in there:

You can't go in there if you got superpowers or magic or anything. They got alarms and shit. The second you step in there, they're gonna know about it, and then we're totally blown.

Which sucks, right? 'cause if you're like me, you wanna be with the rest of the group busting in there to save your friends.

Okay, here's the thing though. I got a superpower. And it's one I ain't talked about before, but I'm talking about it now, 'cause it's important. 'cause we're gonna need as many people as we can get on that rescue mission.

[He takes a deep breath. This is hard for him, okay, coming out like this.]

I can, um... I can take away powers. And I can give 'em back. And it don't hurt or nothing. You just turn regular, okay, like a normal human. Norm is what we call it where I come from. Or "non-powered".

So... So if you need to rescue somebody and you can't because you're superhuman or whatever, I'll be there and I can take your power right before you go in. And then I'll give it back as soon as you come out. I swear to god, I will.

If you got any questions about it, I can talk to you right now. So you're ready for it and everything.

( Private: Fenris )

[ Over the network, a quiet voice speaks up, getting louder and more excited as she progresses, only to slow down somberly towards the end. Merrill is somewhat reluctant to use the video feature this time, wondering if people will treat her better if they don't know she's an elf right away. Not that she's ashamed! It's just an experiment, right? ]

Hello, everybody! My name is Merrill, and it's so good to meet you. But oh, I suppose this isn't really the same as meeting, is it? I mean, you can't really bow or shake hands or see the way someone stands, or go places with them. But it's still a marvelous creation, this contraption! If we had such a thing on Thedas, I wonder how much more quickly everything would be taken care of! But then people might visit each other less, and that's no good.

[ Although if she fixes the Eluvian, won't that virtually be the same thing? Maybe that's why this thing fascinates her so. There might come a time when she has to take it apart. ]

Is that the case here? I hope not. It's much more fun to go to the market with an actual person, but then I guess this is better than a ball of twine! I do wish I had a ball of twine, though, to keep me from getting lost. Even with the map, it doesn't seem to help much, but fellow Transports have been very kind with directions. And speaking of, what I was hoping to ask is if anybody knows of a proper garden? I know of where there used to be one, but it's clearly been abandoned.

I am sure there are many plants of this world that could be revived and nurtured if we could create the proper environment, and I also have acquired some very interesting seeds and species from that ancient beach we all visited! Most of what I scavenged was lost in the trip, I'm so very embarrassed to admit, but not all of it! Beyond the barrier, you see, there was so much more than you can even imagine.

Here, even if it isn't bright and warm, I just think there must be something we lot can do to make this soil healthy again, even if it's just a small start. If there's really nothing to hunt, then I suppose we should rely more on what can grow from the ground, if we can only attempt as much. And imagine if we had actual flowers...and trees of grandeur and health!

This place is simply...too sad and too lonely, no matter where it is I step; Inside or out, it chills my feet and my bone.

[There's a bit of rustling at first once the feed clicks on. The screen is filled with a small snout and tiny paws and it seems almost like it was turned on by mistake by the pet in question on screen. After a moment or two though, a voice speaks up, mechanical and deep.]

My GPS program appears to be malfunctioning, as I am unable to download a map of the island wirelessly. [There's a pause and a mechanical hum before the voice speaks again.]

Please instruct me on a place where I may find a USB connector to transfer information from my tablet. Thank you for your assistance.

[One paw stretches forward to tap the tablet and shuts the feed off.]

[Fenris has been hounded by the shadows since they first appeared. At first, nothing but whispers, nothing he couldn't ignore if he tried hard enough. But now they are louder, and they are hitting a little too close to home. He doesn't use the video on his tablet, unwilling to let others see even a touch of fear in his eyes. He keeps his voice steady, though the anger lying behind it is a little stronger than usual]

We have demons like this in Thedas. They slip through the Fade, into mages foolish enough to deal with them. These, however, seem to have no physical form, despite them knowing things only demons would know.

[You slaughtered those Fog Warriors after all they did for you, after they taught you what freedom mean, you destroyed them]

I wish to know how to destroy them. [He hates asking for help. He HATES it. But neither sword nor lyrium seem to have any effect, so ask he must] Does anyone here have a clue as to how to achieve this?