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Post by Gaia on Aug 13, 2022 17:42:19 GMT -8
Heartless recognized that tone of voice; that dismissive approach that told her all she needed to know about what Gate's opinion of her was. Of course, it wasn't personal, for that matter - it was professional, it was cautious, and it was the right move to make. Even if he knew more on the matter - and it was clear that he did - the correct thing to do was to hold onto what he knew until there was more information to act on.
Still, his choice of wording got her to thinking. "Contagious?" she mumbled aloud, pulling up something on her computer, looking at the numbers again, and at the unnamed value Gate showed her. ". . . What if we did had a way to track it? To determine how many individuals were affected by it? While determining each and every affected individual would require a thorough search, determining the actual number of affected parties would be a fair deal easier.
"Gate, do you happen to know where Nebula Grey is? If I remember correctly, that particular program is just a pooled collection of data on the corruption of human souls. If souls are being augmented, in any way shape or form, shouldn't it be augmenting its code, in the process?"
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Post by Raven8 on Aug 13, 2022 17:51:59 GMT -8
Gate had tried to make it clear that he was no longer a part of this conversation, and simply occupies himself with his work while she speaks, content to dismiss her and possibly leave, should she continue to press in. However, her final question does change his tone. While still working on his own project, he chooses to continue the conversation for the time being.
Gate: I do, but the issue is the fact that Nebula Grey only performs such a function while working on Soul Net, when disconnected it's little more than just another pile of evil data. And since I assure you that Nebula Grey is not connected to any human souls, and has not been for a very long time, rest assured that it will have garnered no adaptations currently.
Leaving it at that, Gate continues his own work, waiting to see where Heartless would move next.
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Post by Gaia on Aug 14, 2022 13:19:30 GMT -8
She had a response to that, in truth, but the way Gate said it made it sound as though Nebula Grey not being connected to the Soul Net was a really good thing, and therefore she was in no mood to suggest connecting it back to it.
"Well - I'll continue on working on this on my end. Joker, I presume you're looking into something important on your side, as well. Consider this an official directive to continue acting as you please, and if you have need to contact me again, use whatever route of communication you're currently using - I can't track it at all, and that's impressive.
"Be careful out there, Jokie. While you're out there, away from me, I can't repair you if something goes wrong. I'll leave you be so you can get back to whatever you were doing before a quite inspiring spark of actual concern came to you. It seems time away from Mr. King has been good for you."
Joker didn't make a response for the time, unable to express what he was thinking to her - he didn't feel the need for her approval, nor for her insistence on being safe, as among her creations, he was surely of the most powerful and durable. He did note her concern, though, and appreciate the provision of an official directive. He chuckled, nodding his head. "Understood. Joker, returning to duty."
The gigantean Wizard nodded to Gate, letting him know the connection could be severed.
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Post by Raven8 on Aug 21, 2022 12:51:57 GMT -8
With a nod, Gate tells Gamma to close the connection, which he does in short order. Gate closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, knowing that yet another scientist now had an idea as to his plans, but he'd have to deal with that later. For the moment, he still had a guest to entertain. Opening his eyes with a serious expression, Gate looks to Joker and folds his arms behind his back.
Gate: Well then, I suppose that ties up all of our loose ends for the time being.
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Post by Gaia on Sept 4, 2022 12:24:31 GMT -8
Joker considered Gate, after all was said and done, and remembered the power he wielded before, and the Seal of the Generational he still possessed, even now. Being reminded of the power just Heartless' voice registry had on him also reminded him of another, far more unpleasant experience, that was still fresh on his mind.
"The other generationals are quite stranded in that paradox cloud, within the Galaxy Network, I presume?" he asked, a very sudden change in conversation, to be sure, but he had something on his mind. "When I first acquired the Seal of the Generational, the power that was inside of it was mostly the force of Aeon within it; now, would it still be possible to drain the power from it, to claim that power without being bound by its restraints? I do not enjoy entertaining the idea of any being capable of controlling my actions, no matter how brief an interaction such an occasion may be.
"I have some more questions concerning my time with Aeon, as well, if you would entertain my queries."
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 4, 2022 13:27:10 GMT -8
An interesting choice of words, but not one that Gate felt a need to correct at this time. Joker's understanding of the inner-workings of Project Eon and his accessory projects was enough for what he needed, so no point in beleaguering the point.
Gate: That is somewhat of an interesting question. You see, Triad and Eclipse are Navis with a specific purpose, and when Eon was defeated they took on the task of cleaning up his mess and sealing away the core, as you know. Now that you've successfully taken the core from their pocket-dimension, they should actually be able to leave at any time that they wish. I can't actually hazard a guess as to why they are choosing to stay put.
....that wasn't entirely true. Gate already had a few running theories as to what Triad and Eclipse were up to, but none of that would be relevant, so best to just let it pass for now.
Gate: And on the matter of the Seal of the Generational; all power comes with restraints. In order to truly grow stronger, you must learn to circumnavigate or potentially even utilize those restraints, as their removal will frequently result in making the power that you seek inert. I'm afraid that this is one such case; your only escape from the restraints of the Seal of the General is to release yourself from it entirely.
Gate pauses, allowing that fact to sink in before he continues.
Gate: And yes, I still have time if you had questions regarding Aeon.
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Post by Gaia on Sept 4, 2022 14:39:42 GMT -8
Given that it was Gate that brought him here, and he had no other means to leave that he was aware of, he would gladly utilize Gate's presence as a source of knowledge until he was banished from here.
That in mind, the answer to the question was as he expected it to be, and was now faced with the reality that whenever Eclipse and Triad decided to leave that space, he would be powerless against them. However . . .
"You speak from a position of power and knowledge, and you say that it is possible to either overcome or otherwise utilize the weaknesses of the Seal, knowing what I worry about from the pair. Is it as simple as acquiring enough strength or mental fortitude to resist the absolute control of the Master Generational, Eclipse?" he asked, curious of Gate's take on the matter. "My databases are designed for problem analysis and removal, specifically for combat scenarios, but I'm quite afraid any ventures for further power have backfired, and I may need alternative perspective to guide me in a separate route should power not be the answer."
Joker continued on with his own thoughts, however, his thoughts moving to another topic. "As for Aeon - When we fought, he utilized a variant of the legendary Space Time Nightmare, and I survived it. That data still exists within my systems, as does the data that I absorbed while he shared a system with me. What would it take to replicate it, using the ultimate offensive program?"
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 4, 2022 15:06:07 GMT -8
Clarity comes to Gate's eyes as Joker elaborates on his previous request, realizing the actual scope of what was being asked of him. The lack of context left a few questions, but now they were answered.
Gate: Now I understand... and if the stars themselves didn't just align themselves for you....
Gate's smile relaxes as he holds out his hand, opening up a small screen that he begins to scroll through.
Gate: I'm not sure how aware of the situation you are, but within the whole mess that is Eon, we encounter multiple "levels", so to speak. The first is Eon himself, who is split into three pieces, as you know. The second level below him are his three "Scions", which Eon himself created as manifestations of his own desires. Moving down, we come to the three "Guardians", which are and were Triad, Eclipse, and Resonance. These were projects created by the OEL to more easily seal away Eon in the event of an incursion. Finally, we come to the Generationals. While many consider these to be soldiers under Eon's army, they are actually a force constricted by the thee Guardians in order to aid in their primary task. The confusion comes from the fact that Eclipse misused them in times passed, leading to their current reputation.
Now, moving up a level, you met Triad and Eclipse. The latter of these is the only Guardian to actually create any Generationals to the best of my knowledge, which would explain why he calls himself with such a title. However, your crest, while no different from any other on the surface, was originally owned by Resonance, who himself was more-or-less on a par with Eclipse. The difference is that this crest doesn't fully interface with you as it doesn't recognize your systems.
Finishing scrolling, Gate taps on an entry and causes a blue Mystery Data to form, which he hands to Joker.
Gate: Here you are, a small patch for your systems that will enable a Guardian's program. It's actually the same one that was installed into Resonance. You see, he wasn't actually supposed to be a Guardian, but the Eon incursion happened before the OEL was prepared to fully counter it, so they installed it into an unrelated project who was quickly retrofitted in order to do the job.
You may also find it to be a useful program in-and-of itself. It's designed to store Navi data in a manner similar to Exa Mem, but substantially less powerful. You could potentially store another Navi in your own data using it.
Gate pauses before he addresses the next issue.
Gate: On the matter of Eon's primary program... I'm sorry, but you lack the capability to wield it. The version that you encountered was doubtlessly a substantially weaker version than what Eon himself utilized, as that is not actually an attack, but Eon finally carrying out his program. Destroying a network is what happens then it fails. When successful, it theoretically could shut down reality as we know it. Fortunately, the latter extent is no longer an issue as the device used to generate such a result is no longer available to any part of Eon, but it could still wreak cataclysmic damage that would be suicide to utilize... and that would be the absolute best-case scenario.
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Post by Gaia on Sept 4, 2022 15:21:30 GMT -8
Joker immediately eyed the Blue Mystery Data with unease, looking between the easily offered solution and Gate, himself. "You'll forgive me for not immediately trusting your altruism. I know all too well that while we are each fighting against an impossible threat, your willingness to provide this, alongside the Core from earlier, still concerns me. For what reason do you have to give me such things, aside from your apparently being impressed with my overall design, as well as our shared enemy? What would stop you from somehow manipulating me using these things once all of this was over?"
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 4, 2022 15:37:50 GMT -8
Gate smiles in response to Joker, a cool and knowing look on his face as he motions to the mystery data in the crimson titan's hand.
Gate: Well, I have a few reasons in actuality. First is the concept of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", in a manner of speaking. We're both on the same side by default, so equipping you with the ability to utilize various advantages is an advantage for me in-and-of itself. Besides, the majority of the powers that you're now trying to use were made by me in the first place, so it's a tad late to worry about that, isn't it?
The question falls between the two as Gate looks on, pausing before he continues.
Gate: Still, I have kept my word on all fronts. All that I've given you thus far is the ability to interface with existing technology, and this new bit is no different. While it was once considered fairly advanced, it's actually basic by today's standards. In fact, most programmers could easily re-create it, the only issue being that they don't know the specifics. Feel free to request that Ms.Heartless scan it if you like, as the program itself is fairly easy to comb through.
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Post by Gaia on Sept 4, 2022 15:53:56 GMT -8
It was a tad late to consider all of this, that was true; but at the same time, accepting more when he already knew of the danger presented was surely not safe. Still, he had no reason to distrust Gate, given that he had fully permitted Joker to have access to everything else he was looking for at this point, without worry. Joker downloaded the data into his systems, feeling the changes made, took a precursory glance over what it was doing to make sure nothing went astray as he did it.
"The enemy of my enemy indeed," he mused, considering everything that has gone on up to this point. He looked up, as he had once done quite often, although the sky in this network wasn't nearly as life-like as he was used to. He missed the certainty of his satellite in the sky, truth be told, and ever since it was first threatened, he felt himself aimlessly walking as though unsure of himself, and had been asking himself question after question of what he could be, if not only insistent on following his programming. The words of the watcher passed through his thoughts again.
He brought his gaze back down to Gate, sighing to himself. "I believe that covers all of my ventures up to this point, then, as well as all of my needs. Unless you deem it fit to permit me to exact my revenge of Parallax, there is nothing more that I can see myself needing from this conversation at its current point, and would much prefer being returned to work with my allies."
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Post by Raven8 on Sept 4, 2022 16:04:52 GMT -8
Gate glances upwards for a moment, but then shakes his head.
Gate: Perhaps later, right now it's best to leave well-enough alone and focus on more constructive uses of our resources and energies. I assure you, "Parallax" will be available to you once this entire mess ends. You should have access to any teleportation that you may require, so I wish you luck on your endeavors.
With that, the visage of Gate fades away, and soon Joker is left with nothing but the visage of the dragon-like Eregion.
With a growl, Eregion reels back and slashes one of its huge claws forward and towards Joker, ripping open a rift for the Crimson Giant to return to his original place before repeating the process and opening another rift for itself. Backing away, Eregion then enters its own rift and closes it behind itself, leaving Joker alone.
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Post by Gaia on Sept 4, 2022 16:45:02 GMT -8
With Gate removed from the equation, and Eregion giving him a way back to where he was, Joker first sends out correspondence to his team as well as to Xion, in order to see if he can't cut out some steps in between. He had been missing for a little bit, and with the reputation of the individuals he was traveling with, a lot could've happened in a very small span of time.
Topic: Rendezvous Sender: Joker Recipient: Xion, Warrior Message: Where are we currently located? I got separated from the group and would like to rejoin.
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Post by Genesis on Sept 4, 2022 17:19:41 GMT -8
Topic: Re: Rendezvous Sender: Xion Recipient: Joker, Warrior Message: We are currently not located together still. Join back up with them first unless they're out of reach at the moment, in which case I'm on the move and won't be in the same space long anyway. My final destination should be Netopia as things stand right now, so if you want to wait up for me there that's fine.
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Post by Warrior on Sept 5, 2022 10:00:56 GMT -8
Topic: Re: Rendezvous Sender: Jacob Rayner Recipient: Joker, Xion Message: Glad you made it out okay. The rest of us have returned to the Dark Colony. Regrouping here or joining with Xion works either way, it's up to you where you want to head next.
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