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Post by Gaia on Dec 11, 2019 18:43:52 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/182286591325110283/414432031947227148/Van~png
Direct Message
Sender: Vanguard.EXE Receiver: Genesis.EXE
Good to hear. I will meet you there. I come with a familiar face, but not one you may find friendly. Please refrain from any unpleasantries.
I have a few other loose ends to cover before departing my current location, so, I may not be as expedient as you in getting there.
Regards,
Vanguard
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Post by "Bill" on Dec 11, 2019 20:11:20 GMT -8
*Embera listened as Genesis mulled over plans. He was always one to have the plans. She trusted his plans, and more than that, she trusted his tried and true ability to see his plans to fruition. Still, she felt restless. Her hand trembled slightly as she held onto her holstered weapon. It was decided that they would go elsewhere, but it was not for her. This could be her only chance, trap or not. She just hoped Genesis trusted her as much.*
Embera: I want to go to Sharo. I know this probably be a trap, but this is the only real chance to know what Zane was thinking. Rosso gave me his weapon in my hands and not my stomach when I was at my most vulnerable. I need to know more or I'm going to go crazy from grief! Psyche, let me use the access data to go to Sharo. I need to go there, for my sanity's sake.
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 12, 2019 9:12:18 GMT -8
Psyche nods to Genesis, acknowledging PlagueMan as he does to, but his attention is obviously elsewhere. Psyche's eyes, and soon his full attention, are poised squarely on Embera. It was hard to tell from his robotic face, but he had an obvious air of concern for her, but he didn't have a response that she would appreciate.
Psyche: And that is precisely why I won't allow it.
Psyche allows his stern words to fall for a moment before he continues.
Psyche: Far more is at stake here than our feelings and relationships, and they must fall second with all of us. This is bigger than you, and bigger than Zane, and if you're so consumed with grief that you're willing to make this journey, consequences be damned, then you are blind and a danger to us all, and I will not allow you to proceed.
Psyche pauses again for a moment.
Psyche: I know that you've undergone much in your time, but you must control yourself now, or Zane will be the least of what you've lost.
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Post by Genesis on Dec 12, 2019 11:13:11 GMT -8
*Looked like the meeting would be held then. He had his own loose ends to tie up so not having to hurry along was fine on his end just the same. Those loose ends were right here though, looking between Psyche and Embera. Embera had improved but emotion was her most driving force as opposed to Psyche whose rational often drove him more than raw emotion. He often found himself in the middle and occasionally veered harder in one direction over the other depending on how everything turned out.*
"I didn't say don't go to Sharo, Embera. I said don't go to Sharo alone."
*As far as he could see it either path forward could be a trap. All he was doing was gathering more information before plunging into one or the other. They would have to pick a poison to drink and the one they chose would have to be the one that didn't kill them was all. And he was lacking confidence that just because she lived once she would do so again. He was more in line with...*
"...But..."
*He considered it for once, what acting on emotion over logic would accomplish. Every time thus far they always did what they thought was best one way or another out of necessity. It had gotten them this far and was likely the better approach to make in the end. So this time he supposed the option to make would be trusting others, even if that had gotten him burned with Zane thus far.*
"Psyche, try to replicate that shortcut for later if I need to head to Sharo with others later. Don't risk yourself and keep yourself safe. Embera, don't go investigating anywhere else in Sharo but there. Of course I'll have no way of knowing whether you'll listen to me or not."
*For the first time the voice of reason would side with Embera in this rather than Psyche. He wasn't wrong to say that it running into danger without a care was wrong. But if they shut off their emotions all the time then they would end up no better than the machines all their doctors worked on all the time. And he would trust Embera and hope that the worst didn't come to pass because she was determined to see this through.*
"This is bigger than us, but we are the ones who will have to deal with it. Come what may, whether you like what you'll learn or not. This goes for all of us."
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 12, 2019 11:24:59 GMT -8
Psyche grows silent and looks at Genesis for a moment, obviously seeming more detached than before as he speaks up in rebuttal to the Onyx Overlord
Psyche: It would seem that you've both misunderstood what I told you.
Psyche stands up at his desk, closing his eyes for a moment and taking a breath before he speaks.
Psyche: This isolated incident was a matter between Rosso, myself, and whatever organization that he now works with. Regardless of what my choice is moving forward, this matter is first and foremost regarding me...
Psyche opens his eyes, a faint red glow underlining his resolve.
Psyche: ...and not the two of you. I will do what I feel is best, and will share my findings regardless of the outcome should I choose to go, but this is my choice to make, and I would ask that you both respect that fact as I have respected your choices in the past.
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Post by Gaia on Dec 12, 2019 11:38:10 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/293160301073793025/412999963883208704/PlagueMan~png
PlagueMan.ERR
He riled himself up in response to hearing the doctor's approval, first appearing as a faint red sheen around Genesis' form. Rising up, the mass of bugged data poured out from Genesis' body, oozing in pools of pixelated forms to amass into the large mass of red data in front of Genesis, not unlike a horribly deformed mystery data crystal.
Perhaps the completing time for this, however, was the massive sphere of red data that simply floated out of Genesis' navi symbol, squeezing itself out from the cracks. This large sphere shifted into the mass before Genesis, and Genesis would instantly feel that PlagueMan had disconnected himself from him.
The red mass turned as if indicating it was speaking, facing the brunt of its form towards Psyche. "Dr. Psyche, yes? I am PlagueMan, as Genesis introduced. I was preoccupied the majority of my time here, and also was unsure if you would welcome my presence.
"I have been listening to your conversation from within Genesis. I understand your request in doing this on your own, but, you have already presented your fears of it being a trap. You have no reason to throw yourself into this situation alone. Were I to join you, the enemy would not even be aware of my presence, lest they scanned your code carefully - even your instruments did not pick up my presence within Genesis, if that is any indication to you.
"I simply wish to be of service in any way that I can. I do not believe Genesis nor Embera are in need of my support, and I think that a being of my kind would be welcoming to your code, should you decide to leave your chosen home."
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Post by Genesis on Dec 14, 2019 14:15:55 GMT -8
*So that was what he was going with. He was letting them be informed about the matters, but he wasn't wrong either. He could recall that many times they discussed things just like this so that the other could respect their choice and wishes. This time it would be no different. He was willing to extend his trust to the Doctor just as well.*
"I did forget that you can be stubborn just like the rest of us. So be it. I'll share what I learn with you once I'm done."
*It was his way of saying he planned to see Psyche again. He was able to understand his resolve just from his actions here. If he took PlagueMan with him then that would at least alleviate some of his concern. Should he take the invitation, that is. It would be up to him whether they learned anything from Sharo or not unless they found another way in. Until then he would go and scope out the meeting place to see if there was anything that would be there. And if there was to take care of it so that wouldn't be a problem for them. So he turned to leave, heading out and for the Forest Network as planned. And if things moved forward from there, then odds are they would be short one branch of the enemy group soon as well.*
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Post by "Bill" on Dec 17, 2019 13:07:35 GMT -8
*Embera gritted her teeth behind closed lips as she was rebuffed by Psyche. As her fist clenched the blade at her hip, the temperature of the room would climb. It took everything in her power not to take one of her Blazers and threaten Psyche with death, not that he would budge.
*In her mind, Embera would be found pacing around the onyx floor screaming in futility at Psyche's denial. Furiously muttering to herself for quite some time. She made her way towards the onyx tower. Meeting with the Generational, Embera pinched the bridge of her nose with obvious frustration. With a sigh, she sought some form of council.*
Embera: I'm out of my wit's end here Eon. I need to find out what Zane was up to, but my only lead is refusing to cooperate. What do I do?
*Embera's hand loosened her grip on the Blazer, as the Somnium cross glowed slightly. Letting out a defeated sigh, she took a few steps away from Psyche.*
Embera: I'm...I'm sorry for losing my temper as I did, Psyche. I think I'm going to take a few moments and gather our thoughts on the current matter. By the way, I was so distracted in my own head, do you know where Genesis decided to head off to?
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 17, 2019 18:07:36 GMT -8
Eon closes his eyes within the time-rift that he and Embera now share and takes a deep breath. He looks into the events of her present in silence, then glances to Psyche's position.
Eon: Regardless of the outcome, you will find out what happened. However, the real issue is learning to cope with timing that isn't what you want; right now your enemy is not a Navi, but time.
Eon turns fully to Psyche's position within this reality rift and closes his eyes.
Eon: ....though it seems that your choices may have just defeated that enemy before you expected.
Psyche's head-globe flashes red at Embera's words, glancing between her face and her hand for a moment before raising a hand dismissively.
Psyche: It seems that he neglected to say.... again. Honestly, that Navi is going to be the death of me. He almost was once, after all...
Psyche sighs. It's obvious that he's ready to force a tone-shift now that Genesis left, and he begins by reaching into his desk again and pulling out the program that was the source of this tension.
Psyche: Embera, you are an intelligent Navi at heart, so you probably already know what I'm going to say, but I'm going to say it anyway: I truly don't care much about what happens to me, and I honestly don't care too much about what we find out from this whole fiasco. My one worry is just what kind of back-lash this will bring on the rest of the world. I've seen at least a bit of what these Navis are capable of and how well organized they are; what if our going there will somehow bring about a cataclysm?
Psyche turns an eye back to Embera, speaking in dead serious tones.
Psyche: The choice to use this item could spell the end of all that we hold dear; it could turn any who use it into an agent of destruction like that Nightshade fellow. It could destroy our friends, it could end the hope that Genesis holds onto even now, and we may never be able to repair what happens.
Psyche sighs before he continues.
Psyche: Or it could also be on the level, as you seem to believe. Here is the summery though; I'm willing to make whatever sacrifice is needed should I make the wrong choice in order to protect what I believe in.
Psyche looks back to the program on the desk, then looks Embera right in the eye.
Psyche: You are not the same Embera that I fought with long ago. You have something that is your obsession before you with only one old Navi standing in the way, and yet here you are still talking. Forgive me for not seeing it sooner.
With a groan and a grunt, Psyche stands up at his desk, taking the program in his hand as he does so.
Psyche: But enough of this pontificating. I am going to see what it is these Navis want me to see, and you are welcome to join me...
Psyche then pulls back the program a bit as he pauses in order to demonstrate a bit of gravity in the situation.
Psyche: ...but just remember what's at stake here before you make your decision. And speaking of decisions;
Psyche then looks to the sphere that constitutes PlagueMan and nods.
Psyche: Interestingly I didn't detect your presence here; likely because you are a bug swimming in a sea of bugs. However; if Genesis trusts you to such an obvious degree, then I am wiling to extend my trust as well. However, I am afraid that this is something of a personal matter that I must attend to myself regardless of the outcome.
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Post by "Bill" on Dec 17, 2019 18:36:54 GMT -8
*Embera looked at the window-pane that was her eyes, seeing the events play out. It felt like Eon and she were homunculi in her own head; she didn't mind it, and as strange as it was, she found peace in Eon's company.*
Embera: It appears your right. I'm sure you don't care much for my temperamental ramblings, but I am grateful that you are here and do listen. Just having the seconds to confer with you helps me distance myself from kneejerk decisions.
*She looked at her hip, completely empty of the weapons she held physically. It seems anything that was not her did not appear in her mind, which made obvious sense if given a thought. She gave a thankful nod to Eon as she addressed Dr. Psyche.*
Embera: I understand your concern, and...I know that there are risks involved. I also know that the longer I spend thinking instead of doing anything is time that our enemies are preparing. I know they're already two steps ahead of us, but we cannot allow it to become three, or four. If there's any chance to gain insight into what is going on with Zane and this mess, then it's for the benefit of everyone if I come with, despite the risks. I would love nothing more than to return to The Heap and continue with my peaceful life, ideally with Genesis' peace of mind; but with how Netopia turned out, It's only a matter of time before Rosso's entire group raze more of the net, and I won't let them destroy my home and my people. I can't. I ask that you take us with you.
*Embera turned to Eon once more, realizing that she's made the full decision as executive of the physical body. It soured her a little, as she put her hand in her face embarassingly.*
Embera: I'm terribly sorry, Eon. I sometimes forget I'm not alone. In fact, I just thanked you for taking that burden away from me. I never bothered to get your consent. Are you okay joining me to Sharo to figure these things out? I don't want you to do or be a part of anything you don't want to. You may be trapped in this cross, but while you're with me, I promise you will have as much agency as this body can afford you.
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 17, 2019 19:02:28 GMT -8
Eon continues to look on through Embera's eyes; the once feared tyrant that threatened every life on the net, now giving bits of advice. Honestly, he didn't know how exactly to take it all in.
Eon: Existence for you has been a journey of taking up your own strength and forging your own path. You're climbing a mountain and finding yourself along the way.
Eon cocks his head slightly as he continues to look into the abyss of existence before him.
Eon: I was borne atop that same mountain, and was only told of the achievement of reaching it, but I did not gain the strength from the climb. While your goal is to ascend, mine is to descend and discover the same path that you've already walked.
Eon sighs a bit, his ever-changing eyes examining the view from Embera's gaze as if a child gazing at a beautiful sunset after a long, rainy day.
Eon: You never owe me an apology.
Psyche, meanwhile, now nods his head slightly, finding it the perfect time to address the elephant in the room
Psyche: ...this is the second time that you've referred to yourself in a plural sense. Is there something that you'd like to address, my dear?
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Post by "Bill" on Dec 17, 2019 19:15:57 GMT -8
*Embera chuckled lightly, the man spoke in such wordy metaphors to convey such simple things.*
Embera: Haha! You could have just said "yes you can take me with you."
*As she let the joviality echo in the room, she took Eon's hand, to make the closest thing to a "physical" contact with the man. A dim blue glow surrounded both of them, as a warmth was transferred.*
Embera: We share this now. It is "we" and "us" as long as we're together in here, Eon. Though we may have different destinations, this is now our path.
*Embera gave a small shake of her head, smiling at Dr. Psyche, as if she just had a splendid experience.*
Embera: I'm sorry. This office looks so much like my own, I forgot you weren't there. Do you remember this? The cross you could not properly analyze?
*She drew out the Somnium Cross, its faint blue glow emanating from her chest, with its spines embedded in her, appearing to cause her no harm.*
Embera: This is the core of a navi who is a friend of mine. I didn't know what it was until I poured my power into it and woke him up, but his consciousness is now in my mind. We can converse internally, but that's all, really. I was just asking if he was okay coming to Sharo with me, and he, more-or-less said he was fine coming along.
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Post by Raven8 on Dec 26, 2019 19:21:34 GMT -8
Eon gives no response to Embera, instead keeping his eyes forward as he gazes on with a soft, almost curious expression. He understood the jovial nature of her response, but retains his silence as Psyche responds.
Psyche strokes his chin for a few moments as he looks over the cross, glancing up to Embera as she finishes.
Psyche: I suppose that does make sense; these things were specifically made as interchangeable Navi-cores with specific enhancements tied to them.
Psyche looks at the cross a little closer as his cranium flashes red with thoughts, his eyes narrowing as he draws a little closer.
Psyche: Honestly though; what sort of fellow designed these things? Crosses and stars; it seems to me that someone just played some silly game for too long and thought it a fine idea to make jewelry for Navis based on items that they'd collected.
Psyche shakes his head and leans back, waving off the silly nature of the accessory.
Psyche: Well, my advice to you is simply this: be careful. If another Navi has access to your mind, it would be wise to take measures to ensure that he can't take any more than that.
Eon's eyes blink slowly. He looks on in silence for a moment longer, but chooses to speak up at that.
Eon: ...technically I'm not in your head, this is more a rift within that pendant that.... alright, let's just say that I'm in your head for simplicity sake.
Eon all but shrugs as he glues his eyes on Psyche again.
Psyche: Either way; you're a smart lady, I've no doubt that you'll have a handle on it. But please don't hesitate to ask for help should the need arise. But with that...
Psyche holds up the program and hands it to Embera, placing a hand on her shoulder at the same time.
Psyche: Shall we?
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Post by Gaia on Dec 26, 2019 20:07:11 GMT -8
#s://cdn~discordapp~com/attachments/293160301073793025/412999963883208704/PlagueMan~png
PlagueMan.ERR
PlagueMan perked up, for some strange reason, even unknown to himself, as Psyche referred to him as a "bug within a sea of bugs." His writhing mass of small, pixelated data converged upon itself, some bit of his code rewriting itself before their very eyes - or, perhaps, a portion of his code that had been long buried resurfacing.
As the mass spread back out from its sudden convulsions, closer inspection to the form made it very clear that the now very stationary sphere was itself very active with activity, perhaps even more active than it was before. Each individual pixel moved all around, members shifting and takin one another's place far more often than they were just before. Upon even closer inspection, the most miniscule of detail would be seen to the mass of bugged data - the collective had modified in such a strange way, each individual member looking very fish-like, giving him the appearance of a school of incredibly small bug-fish.
He took a moment of introspection, trying to get together his thoughts as he felt a portion of his code sudden resurface. Analyzing his new form, he came to the conclusion that it was overall safe, if not a little strange to now have a sudden distinction between what his code was supposed to look like; it was, before, just a mass of constantly moving, misshapen particles of varying colors. Now, it was decidedly uniform, albeit different shades of red, and very much a defined shape. Unsure what caused this, PlagueMan vibrated from within, his entire form rippling one last time as a whole-body shudder.
"I . . . understand. What the both of you are saying, I mean. However, I do not believe it wise to go alone - nor without someone that could at least somewhat support you, should things not go over as planned." PlagueMan floated up, the entire collective shifting as if swimming through the air to be face level with Psyche. "I ask if you would simply invite me into your code. Once I am settled, I will come with you."
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Post by "Bill" on Dec 27, 2019 2:22:23 GMT -8
*Embera nods both internally to Eon, and externally to Psyche. It was about time to move on, and figure out what exactly is going on with Zane. She moved next to Psyche, and patiently waited for the data transfer. Not being directly addressed by Plagueman, Embera simply stood at the ready, not finding need to respond to the amalgamation.*
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