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

[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

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.

There's a lot that you want people to miss.

Gee, I wonder why.

It's not like I've had to deal with people getting upset when they press me for information. Doesn't matter whether I told them to mind their own business or not.

I hope you realize all of that was dripping with sarcasm.

I can tell it's sarcasm. Pointing it out really helped. Who got upset with you when you revealed your boundaries? That sounds like dense and difficult behavior.

Good, I'd hate for that to go unnoticed.

I couldn't have put it better myself, you can go look in a mirror for the answer to your question.

Oh, I see. You think I'm upset. Not much really upsets me.

I was talking about the last time. I think you're just being annoying this time around.

Is it important to you to think that you can upset me?

No. Not at all, really.

It's just an interesting and charged word choice. Emotional. Out of control.

You're getting close to that line we just had a talk about, just so you know.

I see. If you tell me what more of your sensitive topics are I can more effectively avoid them in future.

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