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

[raisednpcs]

[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.]

Comments

[video]

[jasminebloominginshadow]

[Jasmine is clearly shaken, and for a while, she just sits there, frowning, hands clasped in front of her. A million thoughts are running through her mind, like how the hell she's going to tell this to the people important to her.

No... now she needs to talk to... whomever the hell else just saw this. She sighs and sits back.]

Is anyone else, besides me, not surprised at all?

[Text]

[switch_over]

[Alexandra has decided it might be best to communicate by text for this one. She feels numb over what she just witnessed but she also has a job to do, she doesn't want to other people seeing her making notes to take her to grandfather at the moment.]

Not at all... The obvious has been confirmed.

[Text]

[jasminebloominginshadow]

You're that new girl. Alexandra.

I'm sorry you had to see something like this so early.

[Text]

[switch_over]

[That catches her interest. She was for the most part overlooked before she became a numbered.]

You've heard of me?

It's not your fault. ...It's been my luck to get thrown into the deep end of the pool since I got here.

private; video;

[purestambition]

[Saretha just stares at Jasmine for a moment or two.]

Not in the slightest. Sadly, I do not think it is surprise that is important here - the implications are... dire.

private; video;

[jasminebloominginshadow]

Hey, Saretha. They sure picked some of the right people to contact for this.

But you're right. Everything that's happened in the last few months... it goes back to this. The giant wads of snot that appeared one day, the dinosaurs, the fucking ghosts... everything... I mean, I can't think of anything else he'd be talking about that happened in New Zealand...

private; video;

[purestambition]

Tsukuy-- [Wait, no. There's too many of those, now.] Jasmine. This is... more than a little disturbing, "right" people or not.

It would certainly seem to be clear cut, but Thunder Corporation rarely is.

[Video]

[scarlet_devil]

[The vampire is not at all surprised. The Numbered should have taken down Thunder Corp when they had the chance, and now they were going to pay for it.

There was only one thing left to do in her mind, and that's to let people know about this.]

We should have done away with Thunder Corp when we had the chance.

[Video]

[sakuya_izayoi]

Celine's eyes weren't quite crimson, but they were getting there. The video had left her both nervous and angry and she wanted some answers.

"Emilia, Thunder Corp was before I became numbered so I've not heard much more than the basics. Could you bring me up to speed?"

Re: [Video]

[scarlet_devil]

"Ah yes... Perhaps you have heard of the modified humans, some of whom were in the Mafia and out to kill us? A few of us found evidence linking them to Thunder Corp. And they also made that old teleporter... which we stole."

You and her both, Celine.

[sakuya_izayoi]

"Yes I heard of them but I haven't heard that much about them. Just bits and pieces here and there with little understanding of how it all links together, unfortunately. But I suppose the details don't really matter. I'm really not liking the implied scope of this..."

[Video]

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus stares blankly at what he's just seen. He has seen it and feels like he needs to say something to acknowledge it, even though it's difficult to swallow, much less speak after witnessing what they just did.]

If this is genuine... obviously the device has to be located. How many of us were able to see this?

Voice

[solvethepuzzle]

[There is the sound what is obviously a calming breath before this answer comes.]

I saw it. [He wishes he hadn't. He's seen too much death recently.]

Voice

[numberedshepherd]

I'm sorry.

...that being said, it's important to use this to help others. Can I count on you to assist with this? I need your deductive abilities.

Voice

[solvethepuzzle]

I'm alright. [As much as he can be, after seeing that.] I can help.

private; video;

[purestambition]

[Yes, she is only contacting select people privately, just because that's how she rolls to some degree.]

It could be genuine. It could be a trap.

We've certainly seen enough of both in the past.

private; video;

[numberedshepherd]

My thoughts, exactly. I don't want to jump to either conclusion, but I am working on getting a head count of those who have seen this message. It wasn't everyone and if there's any kind of common thread uniting the ones who were contacted, it's worth considering.

[Video]

[scarlet_devil]

[And he's soon got a rather displeased Emilia appearing on her own video feed.]

I did, not to mention the map of Locke this person brought up. It doesn't looked faked...

[Video]

[numberedshepherd]

[He nods, appearing deep in thought.]

You're probably more familiar with Locke these days than I am. It checks out and looks accurate and up to date, this map?

[Text]

[switch_over]

[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.

[Text]

[numberedshepherd]

It's been a little while, Alexandra.

Why do you think it's us, and not some others?

[Video]

[jasminebloominginshadow]

I replied up top, but I'm throwing into the headcount all the same.

As for the device, we need to consider the chance it moved, since they clearly shot that guy.

[Video]

[numberedshepherd]

Thank you for contributing, truly.

That's an excellent point. Going to that location first is the logical thing to do since it's currently the only lead we have, but whether or not it started out as a trap or a trick, it might well be one now.

[Video/Private]

[sakuya_izayoi]

Celine was biting the corner of her lip, one finger tapping nervously on the flat of a knife.

"I was able to. Though I'm not as familiar with this Thunder Corp as many of the other numbered. I've heard quite a few horror stories."

[Video/Private]

[numberedshepherd]

[Lazarus responds, even though he knows that the private setting is keeping out everyone except his fucking doppelganger.]

What horror stories have you heard? Unfortunately, they're very likely true.