raisetheearth | VIDEO - [Viewable to those who signed up to recieve information.]

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[A video post comes online on the Network, but there's something strange about it. For one, it's only viewable to a select group of people, and secondly, all it shows is a silhouette on a screen. When the voice speaks, it sounds distant, almost as if someone were speaking from far away. What's more, there's a strange reverberation on some words.]

Hello. My name is [A garbled noise obscures the sound.]. I am... I am a scientist working for Thunder Corp. I am not a Numbered, but I am contacting you by a means I have created to access your Network. This line of communication only goes one-one-one way, so I am afraid I will not know if this message reached you, or if my full message will even get through at all.

But I have made a terrible-terrible-terrible mistake. Thunder Corp has created a device that allows-allows them to identify wherever Numbered are in the world. They-they... no... we wanted to find a way to find all of you. To make sure that you could never stand up to us again. If they knew where you all were, they could find you one by one. First-First they'd approach you, weed out the ones that were naive enough to listen to them. If that didn't work, they'd hunt you down-down.

But something went wrong. Something-something happened, and it caused those snakes-snakes to reappear. Like out of thin-air, this-this green slime formed and turned into them! Then those dinosaurs in Gateway appeared out of nowhere, and we detected another anomaly in New Zealand. I'm not sure, but my research hints that-that something else is going to happen soon. I don't know where. I don't know WHEN. But something else is going to happen.

We've broken something. You have to warn everyone. I used the device to find you all so I could pass the information on, but I wipe-wiped the records so they'll never know what I did. The others they've already found, their ability to track them is going to run out soon, so I think they've decided to make their move-move. I can show-show you where the device is held... maybe... maybe one of you can destroy it. Maybe you can get this information out to the media, or someone who CAN do something about this. I just don't know...!

...

They've talked about how they've become a different company, that the old corrupt Thunder Corp is gone, but the new leaders... They're the ones that have always been in control. The old leaders were just a front. The ones in charge are the real power now. They-they... they're not going to stop what the tried to do a year ago. I thought... I thought they'd changed. But I've done so many horrible things, I've-

[A loud bang can suddenly be heard, followed by the figure screaming in pain. He lurches forward, and after a moment, seems to press something on some kind of control panel. The image cuts out, and for 10 seconds, a map of Locke can be seen on screen, showing a warehouse in the Phoenix District of Locke City, followed by security footage of some kind of facility, where green slime begins to propagate and form into gigantic stone snakes.

Then it vanishes. The mysterious figure is back, and there's black drops of what appear to be blood.]

Forgive me... for what I've done...

[And the recording finally ends.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She doesn't really want to speak to Lazarus any longer than she has to, so he gets a text instead of video.]

I saw this as well.

It's been a little while, Alexandra. Why do you think it's us, and not some others?

It has. I Wouldn't have minded waiting a while longer though.

...Can't say I have any idea why. I'm certainly not a prominent member of the club here and don't have any abilities that stand out. It could just be random.

Yes. I realize that not everyone particularly likes my way of conducting conversation, but at the very least I endeavor to keep a professional and pragmatic approach regardless of personal feelings. I could give you some tips on that front if you're interested. In the meantime, randomness, while certainly a possibility, feels a little too chaotic for the planned-out way Thunder Corp has always tended to do things. It could be that this man contacted the first Numbers he could access quickly; it could be we all have something in common. It could be that we were selected because this person believed that we're the most likely to take it seriously and react. Regardless... I would like to get a list compiled as quickly as possible.

Pass, I don't want or need your help in that regard.

He didn't exactly seem to be "with" Thundercorp at the time he sent this message, so that is a point toward this being a touch random or at least that we were the first he could access quickly.

Otherwise I can't say I know enough about the any of the others here to know if we have something in common or not. You were the expert on people here before, can't you figure out what we all have in common?

It's clear you don't want my help, I'll agree with that much. He might have been, or he might not. Thunder Corp has pulled the wool over our eyes before; they created the original teleporter and found a way to get on the Network without a Number. This could be a trap. Working on it. The head count is really the first step.

You have a fine grasp of the obvious, then.

I think it's safe to assume anything to do with Thunder Corp is probably a trap.

Yes, I do, considering that the part I didn't say is the most obvious thing I've observed in awhile. Assumptions in general aren't really safe. We have a lot of factors here to consider before we make any kind of decision.

That's nice, don't care.

Scum bag company up to scum baggery seems like a good one though.

We're all in this together. You should know that making an earnest effort toward getting along and taking this seriously goes a long way.

Yeah, I got that speech from someone already today. Can you guess how it went?

Why are you so resistant to opening a productive dialogue? I've known a lot of people who use sarcasm to mask their pain, and I have guesses about that, but I think it's generally considered rude.

It might be because I just plain old don't like you.

And you're right about that, it would be considered extremely rude.

I welcome constructive criticism; if you have a specific problem with me I encourage you to share it and if I field enough similar testimonies, I am open to examining and changing my behavior. But "I don't like you", alone, does not help either of us.

Plain and simple: I don't like how you feel the need to pry into my personal life. You went way past overstepping the line last time around.

Happy now?

Also don't mind me if I don't believe you'll actually work on that at all.

"The line" is different for everyone. No one knows where it is during an initial conversation until it's established and revealed, so I don't know if I really consider that a fair reason. That being said, I am working on it, so I'm afraid you're incorrect.

Here's a hint. When someone says something is a personal matter they don't want to discuss: You can usually find it around there.

You're off to a great start in thirty seconds.

I'm aware that I'm more interested than the layman in the details of people's lives. It's unusual for someone to react in such a hostile manner to what is ultimately pretty harmless. You can always decline answering, but getting belligerent is like putting a suspiciously complicated security system on a door that might have gone ignored otherwise.

Don't give me that crap. I had already declined answering beforehand and you kept pressing for information anyways.

I had a keep out sign posted and you blatantly ignored it.

I think that my point is that curiosity is a powerful force, and the person who would rather insist on silence than make up an easy lie to get someone off their backs is making an interesting choice.

I didn't make an interesting choice. I made an honest choice. I told you exactly how I felt about the situation and you disrespected that choice.

I'm not about to start lying just to keep your curiosity at bay.

You're wrong. Your choice was definitely interesting; you just don't know why.

Or you're just looking too far into it.

It's better than missing something, isn't it? Well.... I guess you wouldn't think so.

Of course I wouldn't think so, given the situation.

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