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Post by Genesis on Nov 18, 2019 14:12:39 GMT -8
*It was some time after the events transpired that he arrived, taking a look around. While he did mention that he would and that he would run a little late in his message after that and some other details, he still also was later than he said he would be in the end. The fault laid on him for that entirely so there was no one else to blame on the matter. He just got himself caught up in his own thoughts for a while and also got to see Embera's place. This however was a place like he would expect the Doctor to be living in. He never was far from his screens if he had a say in the matter to see to his life's work. Almost like old times... almost because they were short some members of their old team.*
"Sorry I'm late, Psyche. Ran into some old faces and some new problems. Different day and all of that."
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Post by Raven8 on Nov 29, 2019 16:17:21 GMT -8
After Genesis made his greeting and took a closer look around, he'd notice something about Psyche's private network;
it's an absolute mess
Files and data are strewn around the floor as if someone had been going through the network searching for something programs had been left running on every console, and the entire network is in obvious disarray; something very abnormal for Dr.Psyche. It would take a few moments of this disorder before Genesis would finally hear something rustling off in the distance and shortly after see a large, bulb-like head peer around the corner.
Psyche: No time to explain; get in, quickly!
A door to a pod opens next to Genesis as Psyche very obviously tries his best to stay on the opposite end of the room, seeming oddly nervous...
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Post by Genesis on Nov 29, 2019 18:54:17 GMT -8
*On the contrary, it being a mess was certainly new. It was pretty clear that either he got ransacked by someone looking for something specific or that Psyche was looking to find what he could that was important and panicking about it. Normally he'd be a bit more leery of getting inside of a pod first thing with no explanations because he didn't honestly have good experiences with them. It was due to his experience with the doctor that he knew from Psyche's words and demeanor that he was nervous and worried about something. So he nodded and stepped inside. Also Embera came too.*
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 1, 2019 20:58:32 GMT -8
Psyche wasted no time once Genesis entered the pod. The door snapped shut behind him and scan after scan begins. Colored lights, rings, lazers, the works. Genesis finds himself subjected to this for several minutes before at last the door opens again, letting him hear Psyche mumbling to himself outside.
Psyche: No no no....
Back in the back of the lab, Psyche pounds a fist into his table as he looks on to one of his monitors, obviously upset by what he'd seen.
Psyche: It's already gotten to you too it seems, so no use trying to stay away.
Psyche turns to Genesis and begins walking towards him, obviously beleaguered and downright vexed.
Psyche: Right before you arrived, I had a visitor. He brought with himself some very strange data that apparently has infected not only my network, but me personally.
Psyche moves over to his research chair and outright flops down, motioning to the network around himself as the lights in his brain-case flash red in frustration.
Psyche: I've tried everything; I've run data backups, I've run personal backups, I've even gone so far as to scrap my old server hardware.
Psyche glances over into an empty corner of his lab with an almost paranoid expression
Psyche: ...at least that one got rid of the... flame....
Psyche regains a bit of composure for a moment, and then drops his face into his hand.
Psyche: I haven't been able to identify what exactly has changed yet; it's downright... foreign... but I do know this much; it appears to be slowly spreading, doesn't seem harmful as of yet...
Psyche parts his fingers to reveal one red eye, which he uses to look over his data sheet one more time.
Psyche: ...and you... potentially have it too? It's different from what's effected my lab, but it's very much of kin. Strangely, it looks to be focused primarily in your right hand... or perhaps your right gauntlet?
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Post by Genesis on Dec 1, 2019 21:29:46 GMT -8
*Ah, it was an attempt to try and make certain that he didn't contract whatever also had gotten to Psyche himself. He had thought that it was to keep him away, which to be honest he hadn't considered that. He had forgotten after it had been spread by someone else that someone like Psyche was probably outside of ground zero. Something his visitor made certain to remedy from the sounds of it when he paid him a visit. And flame... did that mean that it wasn't Nightshade who did it when he visited before, and was...*
"I take it that visitor was Rosso? His flame stayed through all of that?"
*As far as he knew right now he was the only one with flame that was causing some problems. Because they had a pretty fragmented picture of everything that had gone down from person to person. But aside from that the fire lasted until he scrapped the entire hardware? ...Then what did that say for any Navi he used those very same flames on? The damage they've taken had changed, how they functioned had changed, and he had a fire that could linger and burn through backups and all. He didn't want to say that this was worse than a lot of things that they had contended with to this day.
He did want to say that it was steadily becoming so, however. And this thought magnified when he heard the rest of what he had to say. His right? The dots connected slowly but surely as he almost did it out of reflex, but caught himself as he opened his hand, looking to it instead.*
"I ran into a foreign machine I couldn't make heads or tails of either. Hopefully you can better analyze what I picked up from it than I could. If it's focused on my right hand or gauntlet, that's usually where Fate is stored at. I hadn't noticed anything myself so I had no idea."
*He wasn't sure if he should call her out or not now thanks to this revelation. The doctor looked like he was fine from his strain and the Overlord was too, but her case could also be different. And she was fine when he used the sword to fight in his battles up until now, so there may be no harm to it. Or there could be and he'd bring about a tragedy by doing it on Psyche's network. He used his left instead, calling up the materials he managed to salvage from the golem he fought. Looked like it was about time to put their heads together for this. From his encounters down to the person who used to fight by their side for a common goal.*
"From personal encounters so far, I've seen networks stay online even with their cores were taken from them. We made certain of that at Rammount in Netopia, and yet we can access it just fine as if it never happened. Given that it hasn't been repaired, that's strange. Unknown weapons, unknown data... but not an entirely unknown face."
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 2, 2019 19:55:37 GMT -8
Psyche rubs his temples in silence for a few moments as Genesis talks, the red lights in his brain-case still flashing in frustration as he mulls over the entire situation.
Psyche: It's going to take me time to figure out what's going on here to say the least, but time is something that we probably don't have much of. You guessed correctly: it was indeed Rosso that visited me with the exclusive goal of outright killing me.
The red lights stop as Psyche finally begins to consider his previous meeting.
Psyche: I knew just enough to know that I stood absolutely no chance against him, so I defaulted to plan B: stall for time. We actually had a very civil conversation... which seemed somewhat odd to me.
Psyche reaches into his overcoat and pulls out the small program that Rosso had handed to him, looking it over before clenching it in his hand.
Psyche: In essence, he came here to kill me. He was entirely unwilling to allow me to take a neutral stance or join him...
Psyche then glances up to Genesis, knowing how that sounded.
Psyche: ....which was stated as an entirely hypothetical situation, mind you. I did not actually ask that he spare my life in any form.
Psyche takes a breath before he continues, knowing that Genesis would understand.
Psyche: ...but he was willing to speak so long as I gave him information. He almost exclusively wanted to know about the WWW and their dealings, so with any luck they'll remove that thorn in my side soon enough. But then the oddest thing happened: Rosso was apparently in contact with a being named Nero, who gave him permission to extend a hypothetical offer: lock myself away and stay entirely neutral, join their ranks, or surrender myself to be killed.... on top of that, he also gave me time to make my own choice, and...
Psyche pulls out the program and shows it to Genesis and Embera as the lights in his head-dome once again flash red.
Psyche: ...this. Despite what he appears to be, it seems that Rosso isn't truly the Zane that we once knew... at least not per-say. Rosso gave this to me and said that it would take me... and, amazingly, anyone what I'd wish to bring along....
Psyche motions to Genesis and Embera, as they would be the obvious choices.
Psyche: ...to an archive in Sharo where he said that Zane left a record of his thoughts on what's happening currently. He informed me that I'd be able to use this to make my choice.
Psyche looks down at the program in silence for a few moments, examining it
Psyche: My scans don't seem to show this to be anything more than what was stated; a shortcut to a network in Sharo. The odds are obviously high that it's a trap, but it also seems somewhat unlikely overall. He had me, he knew that it was a foregone conclusion, yet he let me go. Really, the only way that it being a trap would make sense would be if they need me elsewhere for some reason, or they want to see if I bring anyone with me...
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Post by Genesis on Dec 2, 2019 20:34:49 GMT -8
*So he had shown up exclusively with animosity in mind... from his own relatively brief encounter with him, that was rather believable. He didn't see any room for compromise and had fought it out, yet at the same time he was blinded enough by his own agenda at the time that he hadn't even put the connection together until after the engagement. On the other hand Rosso knew him from the onset of that battle and wholeheartedly wanted it. But why would he change to a civil conversation instead of following through? He agreed with Psyche that it sounded odd just from hearing it and he wasn't even the one who actually experienced it. And that program... he knew it too. And his expression darkened because there was something he hadn't quite considered that was starting to make him concerned again.*
"I recognize that program as well. It's something that the members of the Twilight Vanguard carried with them. As I recall the group as a whole consisted of Zane, Zerix, Zaven, Flare, Astrapos, and Twilight himself who were all in possession of it. It granted entry into their fortress without engaging its defenses, all of them pretty protective of the program itself. As for the WWW, yeah, it'd be nice if they did get taken out this time. Save us from any future problems that they have brewing up."
*They were always skating by as it were so if someone wanted to out them, more power to them. While he himself took a more neutral stance to their dealings, he wasn't exactly a supporter of the mysterious agenda either and just dealt with the punches as they were rolled out. He also couldn't make heads or tails of who this Nero was however, as the only one he knew of was the one Arancione often kept as his pet dog. Lots of old names coming up now. As for it being a trap he had to agree that it would have been unnecessary if it was one designed for the doctor himself. Rosso already had him and given he didn't take the shot had to mean that it would be one or the other: they wanted him to move, but why? Or they wanted to get to him or Embera, the only people Psyche would bring with him.*
"Even if it is a trap set for us, it would be much more risky for you to take it on your own and they just decide to spring it on you instead. Getting out would be a task better performed with more of us than fewer of us, at least on paper that is."
*He wanted to say that Rosso had an ample chance to take out Embera in their first meeting, but refrained. It would have been the most optimal time to strike her as she would never see it coming since she thought he was Zane. Was Rosso lying about there being information about Zane's thoughts on the matter? He was already curious to find that out, but he really wanted to know now. There were two elephants stacked up in his mental room that he wanted out of the closet. And neither one made him jump for joy, quite the opposite in all honesty. If either case were part of the reality of their present situation... he would find himself hard-pressed with letting Embera just knock some sense into him when they finished.*
"Truthfully, all I've gathered is his new defensive barrier couldn't be brute forced down, at least not with the firepower we've thrown at it. Furthermore he's at least in some capacity affiliated with the NIA. Our only leads at getting closer to them is effectively cut down to just Netopia and Sharo, but not which we should take care of first. And I can't help but feel that unless we take the fight to them, our position won't be getting any better."
*Which, suffice to say with the limited amount of information they had about this as a whole, sounded like a bad time even by his standards. But they weren't going to learn anything more by waiting either. Instead they'd get a surprise visit much like Psyche did himself when they were right and ready to see their job tended to. So he was willing to take the risk for the reward or the punishment and narrowed it down to a simple matter of which poison would they drink from first in an attempt to make more time for themselves.*
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Post by "Bill" on Dec 3, 2019 16:11:22 GMT -8
*Embera stayed by Genesis' side during Psyche's....episode. She had seen him flustered before, but never consumed by terror like this. Puzzled, she continued to listen. And then the name dropped. With every mention of Rosso, Embera gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the handles of the blazers at her hips, thumbing the pommel passively. Hearing someone else refer to him as Zane, however, her eyes sparked to life.*
Embera: Wait, how could he have Zane's face and Purgatory? Why did he give it to me instead of killing me? He rested here with us!
*The slight panic in her voice was a small escape of the anxiety she had bottled up for the last few days since the incident in Electopia. Regaining her composure, she continued to listen as Psyche and Genesis talked about the data.*
Embera: I never heard about the Twilight Vanguard. Zane never talked about it with me, and I wasn't me when they were a group, but, I need to find out answers. There's nothing in Netopia for me, so I want to go to Sharo, Doctor. I need to know what's going on because this mystery is tearing me apart on so many levels and until I have a better idea of what's happening with Zane, I'm going to lose my mind.
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 7, 2019 7:06:45 GMT -8
Psyche looks over the program again as Genesis explains its origin. The doctor had never gotten very deep with Zane, so he was largely in the dark about his back-story, which now turned out to be a liability. Still, at least someone knew about this. He then takes the program and places it into a sealed compartment in his system, letting out a deep sigh as he does so.
Psyche: Rosso.... I don't fully understand him, but something is very off about him. The way that he spoke, it seems as though he's lost the capability to feel any positive emotions. Rather than expressing positive feelings, the strongest emotional response that he would elicit was that he couldn't hate something or someone.
Psyche sits in his the chair behind his main console and leans back, looking up as he thinks in silence for a moment.
Psyche: My initial hypothesis is this; the Zane that we know has been split somehow. The Rosso that we met is his darker side... his... hmm...
Psyche looks to Genesis with a probing expression, starting to put some of the pieces together.
Psyche: Genesis. When Zane had his run-in with Caliga, his vision was of his flames burning him, correct? I never thought much of it before, but doesn't that seem an odd fear for a Navi with such a devastatingly innate connection to fire to have...?
Psyche pauses for a moment before he continues, trying to draw out his conclusions a bit more in his mind before he continues.
Psyche: What if it wasn't the flames that scared him. What if it was the fear of whatever Rosso is taking over? If this is correct, then it seems that Zane may have been harboring more plans than we expected from the start...
...this was troubling to Psyche. Zane had been a close ally that had been entrusted with quite a bit. If this theory was correct, when where did this leave them...?
Psyche: ....but back to my hypothesis; if I'm correct, then we have even more to worry about than it seems, as it also insinuates that we have the positive portion of Zane somewhere out there as well, and since we haven't seen anyone who obviously fits that description, it's obvious that there's more than meets the eye happening behind the scenes.
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Post by Genesis on Dec 7, 2019 10:35:42 GMT -8
*Embera picked out the same thing that was off about Rosso too with their encounter. He didn't have any reason to spare her, so why not kill her? Or was it that his own thought pattern on it was the one that was flawed compared to his? If their goal was to learn more about Zane then Sharo was certainly a more direct approach than trying to get his attention the other way. Losing all positive emotions... that was a chilling path to find yourself stuck on. There was either full blown hate or not hate, a vicious cycle when hating something was so easy for some people. But then something that was so telling was something that had brushed under the rug all that time ago.*
"That's right. I had thought it strange, but put it down as one of those fears you just have. I never bothered to ask what would ever cause that fear to take root inside of him. But if the flames were a representation of Rosso instead, he would have known this was coming for a long time now."
*Psyche had asked a probing question that he thought about as well. Admittedly he was a little wrapped up in his own encounter with Caliga that very same day, however he did always think it was strange. Zane not only wielded flames, he wielded some that was stronger than practically every other flame he'd seen. It had never gone above being fire, but he could decimate foes in moments, yet use that very same flame for intricate techniques and even was innately able to be unharmed by his own burning force. And yet that was what he was most afraid of? ...It was hard to say, but they were too self-absorbed to bother ever asking him about himself very often. Even he only knew that he said he used to be an assassin and he was with the Twilight Vanguard before joining the Revolution, and the other bit of information he first learned from Twilight and then confirmed with Zane. He never spoke about himself... and they never bothered to ask him any questions as his friends. And he never bothered to let them know that he had his own plans for years. Imagining that they had double the trouble from Zane alone was on the table now too, because if the positive portion wasn't taken care of then he was obviously walking around too, and not in plain sight. More importantly, he still hadn't contacted them. That was more than enough to let him know that either he could not or he would not.*
"We should be aware of Zerix and Zaven then. I've seen and spoken with them, but they also have left with some rather uncanny timing. Zaven was with me at Rammount, though not as directly as I was. He never said when he left, but he had before we finished. And they haven't made contact after last time either. If I recall correctly, their vision was failing to protect Zane. We know where their allegiance lies in that case."
*Squarely opposite of his at the very least. If he had caught on about Rosso sooner he would have questioned them the second time more thoroughly. The part that made it sting a bit? They knew he had engaged Rosso before contacting them and still had shown up. Either that was to show there was no connection or to show they were fully aware he wouldn't piece it together after the battle.*
"...In short, going to Sharo is a bad idea. The more we analyze it the more obvious it is that it's a setup. But how it was setup is the confusing factor."
*He spared Psyche and gave him the option. There were many other ways to lay that trap without making it obvious, so why make it so straight and narrow? Could it really just be because they wanted Psyche to make his choice with the information obtained? Why test it like this? Or was it simply a way to make them miss something else about all of this?*
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 9, 2019 12:27:12 GMT -8
Psyche looks away for a moment as Genesis makes his final statement. Everything about this scenario was delicate, and every outcome had the potential to end badly. Someone was pulling these strings quite well, but to what end...?
Psyche: ...strange enough, I can't help but believe what Rosso said. I genuinely believe that he was here to kill me, but relented in some sort of transmission from this "Nero".
Psyche pauses and looks back to his systems, growing silent for a moment.
Psyche: Come to think of it, my systems didn't pick up any digital signals going in or out of this network.
Yet another question. Did Rosso have some way of communicating with his group without sending a digital signature? Was he lying about this order?
Psyche: Either way; Rosso stated that he didn't have time to spare when he left. Whatever they're planing on doing, they're getting ready to do it as we speak.
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Post by Genesis on Dec 10, 2019 0:25:53 GMT -8
*Rosso hadn't struck him as the merciful sort either, so he didn't really think he was lying about the message even with the revelation that they could also communicate without them knowing how. This Nero at least must have some sway in their group, their time still running up. So their communications also weren't able to be traced just like keeping track of them was also not possible for them at the time. Guess it was time to put their options flat out on the table, closing his eyes as he considered their circumstances and the reality of their situation.*
"We can consider that you two are relatively safe then, at least compared to me. Rosso let Embera go once and Nero had him stay his hand for you, Psyche. If we wanted to make the safest bet investigating Sharo then it would involve sending one or both of you. But we have no guarantees that's the best course of action."
*If it was turned on its head while they were there then they would be wiped out or heavily harmed, either or. Normally that wouldn't be so bad, but this wasn't their every day scenario either. Those haphazard risks would spell the end of them instead if they didn't approach it as seriously as they had to. Which meant he had to go on all the same because that wasn't the end of it either.*
"Even if we ignore Sharo, Embera will want to head there one way or the other and putting it off to deal with some of our other problems will distract her. It will at least be safer for us if she didn't do so on her own. So she and I will head there ourselves, also meaning you don't have to worry about whether or not keeping that item here is another health hazard."
*If it was with them then it wouldn't have to be a concern about it spying on the Doctor at least. The rest would involve getting the information that they needed and leaving Sharo after that since as far as they knew at least, that was all that they needed from Sharo. And assuming that things didn't go too poorly there, he could still continue with his original plan from there. If anything, this could even serve to give further confirmation that he would have to see it done.*
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Post by Gaia on Dec 10, 2019 8:36:48 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/293160301073793025/412999963883208704/PlagueMan~png
PlagueMan.ERR
PlagueMan never responded very well to porting between Networks, even as often as he did it. The network Genesis moved into this time seemed all the more volatile in comparison, his code violently twisting around on itself. Something else was wrong, too, however; his mass of bugged data naturally connected with and collected other bugs in the air around him, and usually this was very minimal. He felt his consciousness suddenly splice across multiple leagues, perhaps the network as a whole, as he attempted connecting with and collecting the bugged data in his environment to his own hivemind without even thinking.
He spent some time actually observing his surroundings through Genesis' eyes, and was suddenly very aware of a scan going underway. Instinctively coiling himself up within some of Genesis' code, he placed a layer of densely packed, non-corrupted code on top of himself, trying to hide his corrupted mass from the scans. When the scans ceased and no alarms went off, it seemed that he was safe. He came out of his safe spot in order to continue his work, grossly aware of how rapidly he was building connections.
Eventually getting his own code in order, he forced his Pandemic protocols back into his core, nestling within Genesis without any connection to the Network around him. Feeling how densely packed with bugged data this Network was confused and concerned him, but, he kept himself silent for a time after this, allowing the last of Genesis' conversation with his new allies to calm down.
He was a passive observer, as he often was in such scenarios. He did not know Psyche at all and did not know Embera much better. He did his best to take in information, but, much of this he already knew from being within Genesis' shell. Rosso was somehow connected to a friend of theirs, and each of them had different reasons to be concerned about his actions thus far. Their histories with one another compounded together to create a very telling story, with many different reasons as to why this was happening now. They did not have as many answers as they wanted, and PlagueMan was not deaf to their endeavors, but, in full honesty, he did not know their friend well enough to care about saving him. He knew that they needed to connect the dots to figure out what was to come next - and be prepared for it. If he could, he would do his best to make sure their friend was rescued, but, if a man did not want to be saved, as PlagueMan well knew, it was best to just remove them from the equation.
Still, it seemed that the next course of action had been decided upon as he was trying to figure out his own code. He wanted to provide some information before this decision was made, however, and ebbed his consciousness against Genesis'. Would you mind introducing me before I make myself known? I do not want another situation like the Armored Destroyer.
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Post by Gaia on Dec 11, 2019 14:46:21 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/182286591325110283/414432031947227148/Van~png
DIRECT MESSAGE
Sender: Vanguard.EXE Receiver: Genesis.EXE
Genesis,
I do not know if you remember this name, but, I am the Navi that was present when you first assailed the Netopian Border. Events have rushed quickly towards us, and we are not sure what is safe to share over communications, but we have information.
We have good reason to believe that you are working towards similar goals. If you would like to meet in order to collect a better understanding of the puzzle, we could arrange a meeting place.
Regards,
Vanguard
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Post by Genesis on Dec 11, 2019 17:06:58 GMT -8
*That would explain why the Doctor hadn't just asked about it. He had assumed it was just because he saw it and figured if Genesis made no mention of the plague that it was something he was okay with. It was fine to assume that because of how often he dealt with glitched data in general. And it was incredibly more frequent than anyone would expect from someone like himself.*
"You didn't have to hide you know. He's eccentric sometimes but he'd treat you properly, as you likely noticed from his chosen surroundings. But sure."
*He was about to, introduce him when the message arrived, looking it over. He recognized the events described which allowed him to draw the name to him. He was the one who sniped it after and then the NIA pinned the fallout in the public eye entirely on him. That was fine as while it started as safe-defense he was going to destroy it after all was said and done once the fighting started. Sounds like things were heating up in Netopia after all just as he expected. And if they were working toward similar goals Vanguard was fine, as he wouldn't balk in the face of adversity at the very least. He could confirm that in their first encounter with each other even when the guy was clearly outgunned at the time. If he had information they were lacking then that was still more than what they had to run with now.*
"Also I've been serving as a host for PlagueMan, as he's had it a bit rough. He's just trying to be a good person and survive, so I'm helping him with that. And while our next course of action is mostly laid out for us, it looks like there's some information to gather right now that could prove useful. Especially considering how little we have and that Vanguard has been working in a place I've been suspect of for some time now."
*Picking a place for that was the next deal. Not here, as last time Nightshade got that one Psyche got a pleasant surprise from Rosso personally. The location he thought of was one that was always of high risk, so high risk in fact that it would either be covered because it was inevitable or not be covered because no one in their right mind would go there. It wouldn't hurt to find out now whether or not they covered the most foolish options or not.*
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