networkinthenight | voice; @kingofwei

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voice; @kingofwei

[he opens with a deep sigh, tired and slightly pained]

My fellow citizens of Beacon...

The recent visits by spirits appear to have been fruitful, in the sense that some of us have learned new things about this world and the past. If you have something valuable to share, I encourage you to speak up. I am less concerned about network security these days so we need not purposefully meet in person. I should like to know what you all know, and in turn, I have some disturbing news of my own.

The spirit who met me...I believe, strongly, was actually one of my own people, from my world. A foe, in the past, whose death impacted me personally. I have no evidence aside from the sensations of his thoughts, which in the dream state is hard to be sure is real, but my experience is difficult to interpret any other way. This means that the spirits are not just the former residents of Beacon from before the darkness, they are also...us. Our own. Others like us who were brought here upon death and forced to try to rectify the situation before it's too late. It is very likely that in time, we too will become masked spirits.

Hence, 'what is death to a dead thing?' Their deaths brought them here, and the world turned them into what we see.

[a long pause. Not because the rest is difficult but because that's such a heavy thought and he's not managing it well]

Additionally, through his memory of still being human, I have discovered the location of some sort of bunker, a storage space hidden behind a thick metal door. The 'plutonium' that the Night Market wanted so badly is apparently kept there. If the Wild Hunt is no longer a threat, it may be safe to mount an expedition to recover it, I have the location written down as I remember it being given to my mind. However, I think the more urgent and prudent expedition should be to Helix Station, if Weaver would be so kind as to transport us. I will have plans made to leave within two days of now. Do let me know if you wish to join me, I have already spoken to some but would like to settle it.

Please, share with me what you have all learned.

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Thanks. I had been recording everything I could get information on myself, but I'll share what I experienced directly to begin with. The spirit that Law and Mary and I met with showed us it was previously a child of a town cartographer. We saw from up in the air, in a balloon, while they were working on a map of the town as part of siting the power station. The map itself was still in the library, just old and worn. Hard to make out much in some areas, but the power station looks like it's near the north coastline, directly west of downtown.

Dr. Ingram and I then later met with a forest spirit who was a scientist working at the Helix Station, again before the town went dark, but probably closer to its end. They were talking about how the researchers at the station were instructed by the military to take on a project for them, and they didn't seem happy about it. They had some sort of top secret folder with the project details. A weapon, I'm guessing, but it wasn't clear. The spirit thought the folder might still be in the station, but I'm not so sure since it's been so long. Worth a look, though.

That's quite a bit. It gives us one more thing to look for in the station, which given that I was shown the location for the substance that seems to be used for those weapons, will be important.

I say we, though I don't presume to speak for you. If you wish to accompany me, I will clearly not turn you down.

I would like to. Been meaning to go back for a while now. But I've also told a few others I would accompany them to the power station, so it depends on how much time I end up with. Thankfully, getting down to the Helix Station is as simple as waiting for the submarines to be ready, so don't wait for me and Law if you're all set and we're not.

As for your discovery that people like us become forest spirits, I guess that explains why sometimes people seem to just vanish without a trace. Or how we change as our lanterns get harder and harder to repair.

All right, I will plan it that way, then.

...change? Do tell.

You haven't heard? All sorts of things. Daylight couldn't see the color yellow. Captain Winters had scales on his arm. Little things, but they add up. I'm guessing you get hit with all of it at once if you lose your lantern and it can't be put back together, if that's what happens with a couple dents and cracks.

I had not, though I do remember Master Winters' scales. To be honest, I thought that with so many strange individuals from different worlds, it was normal for him somehow.

That makes me wonder, though. If those here whose lanterns have been destroyed did not...vanish, or pass to another afterlife, or return. Have they already become spirits?

That's what it's starting to look like. So I guess they're still out there, in a way. But who knows how much they remember of themselves.

[There's a break, like he means to stop recording and then just doesn't.]

I haven't seen Mary in a few days despite doing everything I can to look.

I think we'd better try our best to help them.

Enough to be able to recall memories of their humanity, down to thoughts and feelings they had at the time.

[the jolt in his mind when he felt Yuan Xi's grudge inside his own head...]

No, not her...

She's always come back before. She might still. Might have wandered out of network range. Might be the spirits are looking after her.

...Point is, I don't think we should be killing them unless it's an absolute last resort. We need to encourage everyone to learn to speak with them.

Agreed. I would advocate for killing only to prevent your own death, from here on out. If death also hastens our descent into that form, it isn't worth a good relationship to simply stand there and let them kill us.

The green-eyes are still going to be trouble, but perhaps there are solutions already at hand we simply haven't tried yet.

Diode says he knows their language. It has to be harder to learn, and they're not easy to deal with as individuals even when they're willing to speak, like we saw with what they did to Robin. But anyone here who's good with languages really should try.

The other thing we should try to look into more is how the World Eaters speak, since the spirits can understand them innately. It must all be connected somehow.

Hm. I will endeavor to speak with him, then. There must be much more we can learn from a past keeper.

One thing at a time, though. I should like to get to the station and back so we can move ahead with other things quickly.

I have a feeling it's one of those situations where I should be asking him questions every day, but I don't know enough to know what to ask. Glad he's here with us, though.

Anyway, you're right. One thing at a time.

As disturbing as all of that was, I feel strangely energized. Having a direction in which to look is surprisingly helpful.

I went to the spirits four times.

Time 1, Merwen: Can confirm many spirits were once like us. Saw one of our own "lantern havers" turn into the junkyard dog spirit. This is also where green-eyes come from, spirit confirmed. Spirits must make their masks, it grows from them (so do not try to remove ever). Maybe made a friend of the spirit that calls themselves Flesh Horse. Has a long tongue.

Time 2, Reiju: Saw lantern havers try to fight the world eaters and die. They were violent and turned away spirit help so most spirits turned on them, went green-eyed. Spirits that get too close to the world eaters go mad and try to kill, "become enthralled by death" they said. Felt it inside the spirit, fighting it, because they wanted to help not hurt. Spirit then said that if we are friends leaders uniters more would be able to resist and help against the world eaters. Maybe made a friend with the scarecrow spirit.

Time 3, Misty and Inspector Javert: Spirit was an original Beacon resident, Bryson Langstrom. Saw the aftermath an attack on a world eater through cameras right before he died. He thought it worked. He was very angry and very damaged, though the spirit seemed less angry now. He made a note to think "the power plant is the safest place in town". We should probably find it.

Time 4, Pudding: Rye-mother showed us fields that might still be fertile if we can find them. Where many lantern havers tried to kill her and her companions and steal her grain without payment. She suggested we should care for the fields in spring. It may have been a metaphor (I am bad at recognizing those) or it may have been literal.

It seems very much like having good relationships with the spirits will continue to help us, even against the world eaters. And that they are more like us than not, even the green eyes.

What an excellent trove of information, thank you. You have done extremely well, along with all your companions.

Then the commander is right and finding the power plant should also be a priority, though I do like the sound of those fields.

The fields will not be useful until spring anyway. She said "It is harvest time, and nobody has come to plant. Little grows this year in this lifeless place. Come spring, will you care for the fields?" So I think we have time, and the station and power plant and wild hunt caves should take precedence. We just need to make sure we can find her and give her payment and not hurt her again.

[Soldat may be kind of protective of these spirits.]

Yes, that does not sound metaphorical at all, rather literal. I am well acquainted with the need for farmers and fields to supply a town or an army. I would gladly offer whatever tribute the spirits need in order to maintain this resource.

[you know, so long as it's not the corpses of its victims or anything]

[Yeah, they wouldn't be super into that, either.]

I am not good at plants but it does seem very important.

I will come to Helix station, too. I promised Weaver I would when she tuned up the arm.

I will gladly have you along. Your diligence is exactly what we need to make sure no stone goes unturned, so to speak.

[Cao Pi is really laying on the compliments today. They're embarrassed and a little uncertain about it. Ever since taking "leadership" Cao Pi has done... very little. Nothing to disrupt anything. Maybe their fear was a little of an over-reaction.

Maybe.]

Yes sir. Please tell me when we are ready to call the submarines.

[of course he is, but it's all to make sure his favorite, reliable resources feel appreciated. Is it working?]

The morning of the fifth should be sufficient to give everyone time to prepare. I do not know how long it takes for the boats to travel and get loaded, but we should be underway by noon at the latest.

[Not particularly. They're still uncertain, and have a hard time accepting compliments even from people they care about. But they're thinking, anyway.]

Good thank you. I will be prepared.

I know that I'm on record, possibly multiple times, stating that plutonium in its raw form is rather harmless unless eaten or inhaled. I would, however, like to caution against blindly entering a place with a large amount of it stored inside.

[This is a general PSA, but he doesn't think it warrants its own network posting.]

We don't know what form it's in, necessarily, and sizeable quantities can prove terribly fatal. This would not be a pleasant death. Perhaps we can find some equipment for protection or detection in Solis' lab, or we could fashion something from the junkyard's scrap, but going without any precautions is probably a bad idea.

["Probably".]

That said, while Rosinante has already described our encounter, I'd like to add that if those plans are for a weapon that could be used against the World Eaters, that's an opportunity we can't risk missing.

[thanks Will, he literally knows nothing so...good cautions good post]

Oh? I see. You would surely know far better than I would. This is what powers those weapons Master Daylight described, the utter destruction that they all feared...

That is the information we need, then. We will plan that expedition later, when we have the precautions in place. Helix Station first.

Nuclear weapons are particularly insidious that way. Not only is the initial blast enough to vaporize cities off a map, but the resulting poison kills everything in its path and makes the land itself toxic. You can't see it, you can't taste or smell it. It's the closest thing to black magic that exists in a non-magical world.

In any case, I agree. There's quite a bit to learn at the Helix Station, even beyond whatever might be in that folder.

[jesus fuck future humans what the hell...on the inside]

Master Daylight's description was far too gentle.

I understand now the hesitation toward using such a weapon on a living world. But if it becomes the only one that can even slow down a fully-grown World Eater...well. That will become a nasty decision to have to make someday.

[What the hell future humans indeed.]

Yes well, there's a reason they're almost universally banned in my time. Here's hoping we find something useful that doesn't require us to make that choice.

Agreed. Yet, I plan to have all the possible options at hand when the time comes, so that we are not left scrambling for a backup plan in case all others don't work.

Oh, make no mistake, I'd be willing to drop ten of the damn things if it was the only way to kill a World Eater. It's just not the preferable option.

Naturally. I do so enjoy being on the same page with you, Doctor.

We may be immune to radiation. Atomic bombs were already dropped on Beacon in the past maybe more than once. I think that's what the bombs in my memory were, and Solis told Daylight about this, too. Daylight was very upset but passed along that Solis said being dead means it should not hurt us.

That's possible, yes, and I am aware that nuclear weapons were deployed here in the past.
But they weren't dropped on the town proper.
They were used against a creature in the lake.
Water is a very effective radiation shield, so it's likely nowhere near the full impact of the fallout was felt on land.

It's also possible that the smaller amounts that did reach Beacon itself are relatively harmless to us, but that an overwhelming amount could still be fatal.
Other environmental factors can still kill us, after all.
Solis was a very intelligent woman, but she also wasn't standing in a nuclear reactor.

[That's a lot of talk from an actual doctor and Soldat is not great at arguing. They make one point, at least:]

In the memory I saw there was a crater and a dark stain. Not on the lake.

[God. They need to invent vision recorders asap, this is frustrating not to be able to see.]

Where?
Were you able to make out any points of reference?
Solis didn't say that the event was centuries ago, so that crater should still be quite visible if we could find it.

No points of reference directly in the memory. There were cameras on towers, feeds into the power station. The power station may have maps to where cameras were placed. Could find it that way.

God what I wouldn't give for a simple geiger counter.
That would solve this mystery quite quickly, I believe.
It's possible there are some hanging around in Solis' old lab. I'll have to look around.
In the meantime, the power station is already on our priority list of places to locate, I believe, so at least there's that.

Good. If I can I will come too. Javert and Misty saw the same memory, so one of them can help, too.

There will likely be a call for volunteers when the time comes.
I'm not going to claim any responsibility for the thing, but whoever wants to come along, I'm also not going to stop them.
Do what you want.

[There's a pause as Soldat tries to work out what sort of tone "do what you want" is supposed to be.]

Just meant if I have time I will come.

[It's Will. Hard to tell what his tone is at any given time, though it's typically safe to say it's somewhere bordering on sarcastic.]

Right, I got that much.
And I'm saying I'm not the boss of you, so you do as you please.
I'm sure we could use more bodies, but I'm not here to recruit.

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voice; @kingofwei

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