Magic and technology [ OPEN ]

[prorenataa]

Who: Ingress nerds, coffee gods and OMG please help [ OPEN! ]
When: ICly this lasts across multiple days in the beginning of November
Where: The Ingress Room and Section U but also where ever your mingle takes you.
What: Trying to unwrap the puzzle of the Ingress and Ploitoas
Warnings: Language probably. If a thread requires a warning please place it on the comment line!

NOTES: This is a multi-part log for This Ingress Journal Plot. Since most folks were up for threading interactions! You DO NOT need to have signed up to participate in the first part of the log. Anything from noodling on the journals to blowing spitballs at the nerds.

For reference here is the IC announcement about this plot. Again you DO NOT have to have responded to them to come around and investigate what's going on.



OOC: This log is going to be split into three sections with a fourth spot for results to be posted as the characters work things through.

If at any time you have questions please do not hesitate to hit the OOC Post, PM prorenataa and nudge me on plurk at
Laekhund. My plurk is set up to accept p!Plurks from any users.

Some details:

1) ICly this log will cover just the beginning of November.
2) The mods have a plot kicking off on the 15th of November. Elements of this player plot lead into that plot.
3) These are the key IC events that lead up to this.

• This event introduced the Ingress Journals
  
• This IC call for help set off searches for one of the missing journal, leading to the discovery of the second.
  
• This is what one journal looks like and This is the other.

Go for it guys!

Comments

[a_shadow]

"Yeah, I get it." She crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. "So you wanted me to come by, why? If you're doing so well guessing what's in the book."

[ryuuzaki]

She seems mildly annoyed. He aims a sweet smile at her.

"Because the faster we get through all of this, the sooner it will be done." That he'll have more free time again is the implication. "Also, is it wrong to want to spend time with my girlfriend?"

[a_shadow]

She shoots him a look that's supposed to be annoyed, but though she rolls her eyes there's a hint of a smile behind it. "I would never say that," she says. She reaches up with one hand and rubs her forehead briefly, pushing her hair back. "Charmer."

[ryuuzaki]

"Is that bad?"

Without waiting for an answer, he shoves a small screen over to her, then opens it to a captured image of a page he doesn't think anyone has tackled yet, then hands her another screen with a rudimentary key of some of the symbols.

"Or you can play with that thing," he says, cocking his head in the direction of Ronan's device.

[a_shadow]

"It's only bad if you use your skills for evil," she says, watching as he places the items in front of her. She looks the page over for a moment, then glances in the direction he pointed. "Wasn't the explanation for that thing that it was magic?"

[ryuuzaki]

"Magic-ish."

His tone is skeptical, but the device isn't incorrect. It's just that it's so complicated to use that it's better after a while to not have to, unless you're in a bind and otherwise stalled. That's aside from his skepticism about magic... but he learned that it's a tool, nothing more or less, sometimes useful and sometimes troublesome.

"I used it quite a bit at first, but you wouldn't want to have to use it at every moment for everything. It's... oh, baroque is one way of putting it, but I have to say, I'm still pleased that we have it."

He wouldn't be if the translations it offers didn't seem to check out, but as far as he can tell, they're the real deal.

[a_shadow]

"Mm," she says, disinterested, as she continues to scan the page he gave her. "There are no notes on this." At least that means she's not treading ground someone else already walked. She settles in a little more, leaning back with the tablet, and crosses her leg so that her foot is touching his leg—nothing drastic or especially affectionate even, just keeping a little contact, since he mentioned this was an excuse to spend time with her.

[ryuuzaki]

"I don't think anyone has tackled it yet. Trying to analyze what appears to have been someone's life's work as quickly as possible means that there's plenty to do, and everyone but the Ingress people are working on a strictly volunteer basis. The rate of progress hasn't necessarily been consistent so far.

"That said, even if efforts were to overlap, it's fine as long as there isn't too much of it. It's a way to spot-check the consistency of our work."

Or they'll learn the hard way by eventually causing further problems with the Ingress. Double-translating a few pages here and there would be preferable.

[a_shadow]

She picks up the stylus that lays nearby and starts making some minor markings on the page. "I've got the symbols that appear in it memorized," she says. "I haven't learned any of the language it's in though. I've mostly been picking out patterns."