voice; @kingofwei

[pure_havoc]

[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.

Comments

[callada]

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.

[pure_havoc]

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

...change? Do tell.

[callada]

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.

[pure_havoc]

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?

[callada]

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.

[pure_havoc]

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...

[callada]

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.

[pure_havoc]

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.

[callada]

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.

[pure_havoc]

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.

[callada]

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.

[pure_havoc]

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