Atarah (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
misassembled) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisavrou_log2017-06-04 02:28 pm
misassembled) wrote in thisavrou_log2017-06-04 02:28 pm
June Player Plot Log
Who: Everyone
When: June 4rd to June 26th
Where: Earth 91c
What: Thisavrou’s Ingress connects to an alternate, technologically advanced version of Earth.
Warnings: Murder (and mystery!), potential violence, arguably slavery(?)
Important OOC Note: This event features NPC encounters in certain locations, with the NPCs Atarah (misassembled), Alex (outofstock), and Calla (TBA). These encounters may be used to gather information for the murder investigation, influence the world, or just to nab some interesting CR. If you are open to having your character approached by an NPC, please include the phrase “NPC-friendly” in the subject line of your top-level, or in the the heading of your preferred starter(s). Note that your chances of such an encounter may be greatly increased (or even guaranteed) by signing up for encounters on the OOC post. Have fun!
Once visitors arrive in Eastgate City proper, it will be very easy to see how exactly Earth 91c became the utopia it is today. Programs, AI, androids—whatever you call them, they’re known as the “Created” here and they’re out in force. They perform a variety of functions on this world, including (but not limited to) manual labor, factory work, personal and professional assistance, system organization, household drudgery, farming, construction, child care, entertainment, and companionship. A large portion of these Created are called “Programs”; they resemble humans, marked as different only by glowing markings that decorate their bodies, some simple and some so ornate and extensive, their wearers resemble walking works of art. Any who are familiar with Thisavrou's own small Program population will notice a key difference, however: the Programs of Earth 91c carry no disks on their backs. There are also AI, owned by individuals or companies, often resembling small, holographic humans who can be summoned at will by personal devices to provide information, analysis, or entertainment. Anywhere you go in the city you’ll see these Created, hurrying along to carry out their programmed functions, stationed in businesses or kiosks, or accompanying the humans (called, of course, “Creators”) who own them. To prevent any confusion between visiting and native Created, all AI characters who enter through the Ingress will be asked to wear identifying bracelets for the duration of their stay. All visitors are also referred to a message broadcast to their TABs for a list of the planet’s laws as they pertain to foreign guests, and as a means of getting in contact with Eastgate’s official ambassador, Daniel Wright.
And yet, for all the pretense of welcome, there’s a strange, tense atmosphere pervading the city. You might be able to see it in the wary glances of organic and AI alike towards more visibly foreign visitors, or hear it in the hushed whispers of a crime too terrible to imagine. Most natives you meet will be reluctant to discuss it with you, but you may be able to put together a few details: an incident occurred a couple weeks earlier in which a Created—a Program by the name of Kess—murdered two humans at a political rally for the rising political star Delilah Handler, a candidate with known ties to the “Equalist” movement—an umbrella term for activists who seek to further Created rights. No one is quite sure how such an attack was possible; the production of Created is strictly regulated so that none possess the capacity for such violence. But, speculation abounds. Some believe that it was a random, tragic glitch. Some blame the Ingress for bringing in some kind of foreign virus and fear that other Created may also become indiscriminately violent. However, the predominant theory is that Delilah somehow altered Kess’s programming and unintentionally created the glitch that caused Kess to snap. This theory is supported both by Delilah’s ties to the Equalist movement, which has been long suspected of editing Created to parrot their beliefs, and the fact that she was a former authorized programmer, meaning she might’ve had the knowledge to edit Kess. Whatever the truth, the incident has cast a pall of mistrust over the normally hospitable city. But for those willing to put up with the uneasy atmosphere, Eastgate has a number of locations available to explore.
One of the largest structures in the city, this sprawling facility is made up of multiple interconnected buildings and courtyards. The Center for Created Oversight and Affairs (or the CCOA) manages almost every aspect of Program and AI life, from their creation to related policy-making. Though most of the buildings are off-limits to visitors, there is a museum open to the public with exhibits that display how Programs and other AI are created and the role they play in Eastgate’s society. Simple, easy-to-understand exhibits explain that Created are coded by highly trained programmers using advanced computers, and that those meant for “outside use” are then made tangible through a complex “reverse-digitization process.” There are regular tours through the museum, delivered, of course, by beaming Created docents.
Though security in the museum is relatively light, all other areas of the facility are heavily guarded and monitored.
Marked only by a neon sign showing a flower in bloom, The Gardens is a popular, high-end entertainment venue, which includes a bar, lounge, dance floor, and casino, all connected by a verdant courtyard. As one might guess from the name, the entire venue has a botanical theme that extends not only to the interior and exterior decor, but also to the Created who work there. These Created include Programs marked by very thin, fine circuits on their faces, wrists, and ankles that are wrought in a delicate floral pattern and are named after flowers corresponding to their circuit colors. These Programs serve a variety of functions here, from running the casino games to keeping the venue clean to accommodating the requests of the venue’s various guests. There are also holographic AI, resembling foot-tall humans with insectoid wings, stationed at the bar who can help you find a place to sit, direct you to the venue’s various attractions, and place an order for drinks (though the bartender himself is human). Visitors here can drink, dance, or gamble the night away, though they should be warned: fighting and destructive behavior are not allowed on the premises and violators will be removed by the venue’s (human) security.
On the outskirts of Eastgate lies the center of production, a vast maze of factories and refineries that produce most of the goods consumed by the city. Here, Created outnumber humans several times over; after all, they staff all of the factories. In fact, there are some factories that operate almost entirely independent of human supervision and are only given a general inspection a few times a year. If you speak with the right people, you may even hear word of a factory that has ceased to be a factory. For those who can rub elbows with the criminal elements of Eastgate, “Rook Manufacturing” may prove a useful place for your less-than-legal needs. Here, visiting AI can get their mandatory bracelets removed free-of-charge—and any organics wanting to see how the other side lives can purchases these bracelets for themselves, if they have something worth trading. AI can also pay for illegal upgrades; even a full function change isn’t out of the question, though the side-effects would be severe to say the very least. However, even with such services available, unfamiliar guests shouldn’t expect a completely cordial experience during their visit. A certain AI is known for testing newcomers’ patience—quite literally, as it turns out. Finally, those interested in challenge rather than commerce may be interested in Rook Manufacturing’s next offering: a chance to fight with willing, combat-ready Programs looking to try out their new upgrades in the ring. All fights MUST be non-lethal. Attending the fights is the leader of this operation, a green-circuited Program by the name of Atarah. Judging by the awed hush that falls over the assembled audience when she appears, it’s no secret that she commands a great deal of respect here—from Creators and Created alike.
Missions Available
OOC: If you have any questions about the event or setting, please post them here!
When: June 4rd to June 26th
Where: Earth 91c
What: Thisavrou’s Ingress connects to an alternate, technologically advanced version of Earth.
Warnings: Murder (and mystery!), potential violence, arguably slavery(?)
Important OOC Note: This event features NPC encounters in certain locations, with the NPCs Atarah (misassembled), Alex (outofstock), and Calla (TBA). These encounters may be used to gather information for the murder investigation, influence the world, or just to nab some interesting CR. If you are open to having your character approached by an NPC, please include the phrase “NPC-friendly” in the subject line of your top-level, or in the the heading of your preferred starter(s). Note that your chances of such an encounter may be greatly increased (or even guaranteed) by signing up for encounters on the OOC post. Have fun!
Earth 91c
While scanning through various universes for matching signatures, Thisavrou’s Ingress technicians occasionally find different versions of a single world, not quite matching the signature of anyone’s homeworld and yet not completely alien either. On the first of June, Thisavrou’s Ingress connects to one such alternate world—specifically, an alternative version of Earth.
Labeled “Earth 91c” by Ingress personnel, life on this Earth is fundamentally different than the life Earthlings on Thisavrou may remember. It’s the year 2610 and advancements made hundreds of years in the past have revolutionized every industry on the planet, allowing for an exponential increase in the production of food, goods, and commodities, while the cost in human effort and suffering has fallen to almost null. The result is a near-utopia with surpluses in almost every resource, creating an environment where humans can stretch their creative and scientific wings skyward, where no brilliant mind must be squandered in a life spent on unfulfilling menial labor. Art and technology flourish on this world and beyond, as humans, freed from such quaint concerns as food production and resource extraction, have extended their reach to the stars, even discovering an Ingress on a distant planet and relocating it to a city on Earth.
Upon exiting the Ingress, visitors will find themselves in a vibrant center of technological and cultural exchange, in the midst of a human civilization that seems to be in the midst of its golden age. The technology that made this prosperity possible is on full display throughout Eastgate City. And some of it is very familiar…
Labeled “Earth 91c” by Ingress personnel, life on this Earth is fundamentally different than the life Earthlings on Thisavrou may remember. It’s the year 2610 and advancements made hundreds of years in the past have revolutionized every industry on the planet, allowing for an exponential increase in the production of food, goods, and commodities, while the cost in human effort and suffering has fallen to almost null. The result is a near-utopia with surpluses in almost every resource, creating an environment where humans can stretch their creative and scientific wings skyward, where no brilliant mind must be squandered in a life spent on unfulfilling menial labor. Art and technology flourish on this world and beyond, as humans, freed from such quaint concerns as food production and resource extraction, have extended their reach to the stars, even discovering an Ingress on a distant planet and relocating it to a city on Earth.
Upon exiting the Ingress, visitors will find themselves in a vibrant center of technological and cultural exchange, in the midst of a human civilization that seems to be in the midst of its golden age. The technology that made this prosperity possible is on full display throughout Eastgate City. And some of it is very familiar…
Welcome To Eastgate City
Once visitors arrive in Eastgate City proper, it will be very easy to see how exactly Earth 91c became the utopia it is today. Programs, AI, androids—whatever you call them, they’re known as the “Created” here and they’re out in force. They perform a variety of functions on this world, including (but not limited to) manual labor, factory work, personal and professional assistance, system organization, household drudgery, farming, construction, child care, entertainment, and companionship. A large portion of these Created are called “Programs”; they resemble humans, marked as different only by glowing markings that decorate their bodies, some simple and some so ornate and extensive, their wearers resemble walking works of art. Any who are familiar with Thisavrou's own small Program population will notice a key difference, however: the Programs of Earth 91c carry no disks on their backs. There are also AI, owned by individuals or companies, often resembling small, holographic humans who can be summoned at will by personal devices to provide information, analysis, or entertainment. Anywhere you go in the city you’ll see these Created, hurrying along to carry out their programmed functions, stationed in businesses or kiosks, or accompanying the humans (called, of course, “Creators”) who own them. To prevent any confusion between visiting and native Created, all AI characters who enter through the Ingress will be asked to wear identifying bracelets for the duration of their stay. All visitors are also referred to a message broadcast to their TABs for a list of the planet’s laws as they pertain to foreign guests, and as a means of getting in contact with Eastgate’s official ambassador, Daniel Wright.
And yet, for all the pretense of welcome, there’s a strange, tense atmosphere pervading the city. You might be able to see it in the wary glances of organic and AI alike towards more visibly foreign visitors, or hear it in the hushed whispers of a crime too terrible to imagine. Most natives you meet will be reluctant to discuss it with you, but you may be able to put together a few details: an incident occurred a couple weeks earlier in which a Created—a Program by the name of Kess—murdered two humans at a political rally for the rising political star Delilah Handler, a candidate with known ties to the “Equalist” movement—an umbrella term for activists who seek to further Created rights. No one is quite sure how such an attack was possible; the production of Created is strictly regulated so that none possess the capacity for such violence. But, speculation abounds. Some believe that it was a random, tragic glitch. Some blame the Ingress for bringing in some kind of foreign virus and fear that other Created may also become indiscriminately violent. However, the predominant theory is that Delilah somehow altered Kess’s programming and unintentionally created the glitch that caused Kess to snap. This theory is supported both by Delilah’s ties to the Equalist movement, which has been long suspected of editing Created to parrot their beliefs, and the fact that she was a former authorized programmer, meaning she might’ve had the knowledge to edit Kess. Whatever the truth, the incident has cast a pall of mistrust over the normally hospitable city. But for those willing to put up with the uneasy atmosphere, Eastgate has a number of locations available to explore.
The Center for Created Oversight and Affairs
One of the largest structures in the city, this sprawling facility is made up of multiple interconnected buildings and courtyards. The Center for Created Oversight and Affairs (or the CCOA) manages almost every aspect of Program and AI life, from their creation to related policy-making. Though most of the buildings are off-limits to visitors, there is a museum open to the public with exhibits that display how Programs and other AI are created and the role they play in Eastgate’s society. Simple, easy-to-understand exhibits explain that Created are coded by highly trained programmers using advanced computers, and that those meant for “outside use” are then made tangible through a complex “reverse-digitization process.” There are regular tours through the museum, delivered, of course, by beaming Created docents.
Though security in the museum is relatively light, all other areas of the facility are heavily guarded and monitored.
The Gardens
Marked only by a neon sign showing a flower in bloom, The Gardens is a popular, high-end entertainment venue, which includes a bar, lounge, dance floor, and casino, all connected by a verdant courtyard. As one might guess from the name, the entire venue has a botanical theme that extends not only to the interior and exterior decor, but also to the Created who work there. These Created include Programs marked by very thin, fine circuits on their faces, wrists, and ankles that are wrought in a delicate floral pattern and are named after flowers corresponding to their circuit colors. These Programs serve a variety of functions here, from running the casino games to keeping the venue clean to accommodating the requests of the venue’s various guests. There are also holographic AI, resembling foot-tall humans with insectoid wings, stationed at the bar who can help you find a place to sit, direct you to the venue’s various attractions, and place an order for drinks (though the bartender himself is human). Visitors here can drink, dance, or gamble the night away, though they should be warned: fighting and destructive behavior are not allowed on the premises and violators will be removed by the venue’s (human) security.
Manufacturing District
On the outskirts of Eastgate lies the center of production, a vast maze of factories and refineries that produce most of the goods consumed by the city. Here, Created outnumber humans several times over; after all, they staff all of the factories. In fact, there are some factories that operate almost entirely independent of human supervision and are only given a general inspection a few times a year. If you speak with the right people, you may even hear word of a factory that has ceased to be a factory. For those who can rub elbows with the criminal elements of Eastgate, “Rook Manufacturing” may prove a useful place for your less-than-legal needs. Here, visiting AI can get their mandatory bracelets removed free-of-charge—and any organics wanting to see how the other side lives can purchases these bracelets for themselves, if they have something worth trading. AI can also pay for illegal upgrades; even a full function change isn’t out of the question, though the side-effects would be severe to say the very least. However, even with such services available, unfamiliar guests shouldn’t expect a completely cordial experience during their visit. A certain AI is known for testing newcomers’ patience—quite literally, as it turns out. Finally, those interested in challenge rather than commerce may be interested in Rook Manufacturing’s next offering: a chance to fight with willing, combat-ready Programs looking to try out their new upgrades in the ring. All fights MUST be non-lethal. Attending the fights is the leader of this operation, a green-circuited Program by the name of Atarah. Judging by the awed hush that falls over the assembled audience when she appears, it’s no secret that she commands a great deal of respect here—from Creators and Created alike.
Missions Available
♖Visitors to Rook Manufacturing may hear excited rumors that Atarah is looking to recruit outsiders for a more meaningful kind of fight. There are whispers that something precious has been taken from her and her fellow Created by a faction that identifies as “Extinctionists”—a movement that opposes the very existence of Created in the outside world. And she is willing to pay any sum to anyone who is willing to get it back—if you can prove you’re worth her time.
♔ Knowledge of foreign technology, particularly as it relates to artificial intelligence, is highly valued by the CCOA. Those with expertise on such technology, whether from Thisavrou or their own world, will be paid 200 sencs for a seminar on the subject, assuming they can provide new information about technology not yet present on Earth 91c. It’s possible a charlatan might be able to give a seminar on a piece of technology that doesn’t actually exist—just hope that there’s nobody from your own world in the crowd who might be able to call you out.
OOC: If you have any questions about the event or setting, please post them here!
no subject
She phrases the query directly this time.] What benefit do you gain from openly wearing your backup? I assume it’s significant enough to outweigh the risk.
[A pointed glance down at his bare wrist.] You must know it does no favors for your... disguise.
no subject
Not a single flaw leaks through surface data. Still, the grating, constant rattle of errors is impossible to miss, a palpable reek of corruption to those code enough to recognize it. In all likelihood, it's responsible for Rinzler's own slight distance from the surrounding crowd.
Not respect. Still useful. The sound rises with an edge of irritation as he reaches for his TAB.]
Not hiding.
[He isn't. Whatever assumptions the users (or programs) here make, he didn't clear their tag out of some misconceived effort to excuse his actions by their rules. Still, that hadn't been the query, and his head jerks back, indicating the docked disk as he types a second line.]
Weapon.
no subject
The content of his typed messages proves to be more intriguing still.]
Really? [Her tone is one of interest, not skepticism. She eyes the curve of his disk behind his shoulders.] An upgrade from your Creator? Or are weaponized backups standard in your system?
no subject
Standard: all systems.
[All that he's been in. All that he's known. It's possible that things are different in the worlds created by these users. But the more likely answer, in Rinzler's estimation?
He jerks his mask up, nodding to her. (To all of them.)]
Edited.
no subject
She inclines her head towards the arena in front of them.] I’d ask for a demonstration, if you’re willing. [Combat is central to this Program’s function, after all. And she imagines it won’t take long at all for a volunteer to seize the opportunity to battle such a novel opponent. Her gaze once again settles just past his shoulders.] That is, assuming you can use this weapon to incapacitate, rather than kill.
no subject
Can.
[If the faint rise to his sound is any sign, he's not especially enthused about that caveat, though. Still, Rinzler's hardly going to reject a request to prove himself, with limits or otherwise. When the current round of combat clears, he'll follow Atarah's lead.]
giving you a blank check for w/e configuration of opponents sounds the most fun to you :|b
She leaves him the courtesy of choosing the number and order of his opponents. And if she makes sure there’s a number of bystanders experienced at repair placed around the ring, it’s nothing the foreign Program needs to know.
Atarah herself is not one for fanfare. Once everything has been arranged, she only exchanges two more words with the Program:]
Good luck.
by check you mean fight essay right
All, of course. At once.
The well-wishing earns only the faintest (derisive) tilt of his helmet. Does she really believe he needs it? Then again, Rinzler supposes, she has no reason to know better. They're all about to learn.
By the time he steps into the center of the ring, all six opponents are in position, one at each vertex of the stage. Rinzler ignores the muttering of the crowd and the short speech from the announcer, mask tilting fractionally as he takes in his surroundings instead. No lid to the cage. Close-quarters—more than he'd like, but all the more reason to make space quickly. Two staves, a brawler, and three with some odd configuration of baton.
This should be fun.
They pause just long enough to let him draw his disk. Stupid, weak, and he twists away with liquid ease, frame pivoting atop his empty hand as two strikes cross in the wake of his position. The combatant nearest jerks back, staff swinging in a disappointingly wide arc, but Rinzler forgoes the easy kill, stepping instead off the haft of their weapon as he kicks and launches: up and back. His disk burns bright, a sharp hum singing in counterpoint to his own noise... before the glow dims to half-power, and Rinzler lets the weapon fly. Sparks fly as the blade ricochets off the clear walls: once, twice, a third time before taking a threat who'd lingered back on the far side in the center of his dock. He drops.
Rinzler snatches up the rebound and keeps moving. One combatant, he elbows into another's stun-stick. One staff, he cuts to four clean pieces, scattering the chunks of sturdy metal on the floor. He flips over his opponents' weapons, slides past them, dancing in and out of range for return strikes a hex of times before bothering to land a blow. As skilled as the other combatants might be, as long and hard as they've practiced, the contest isn't remotely close. Clu's enforcer has a thousand cycles of experience. Rinzler was coded, and recoded, to be more.
The brawler loses half an arm, dark amber voxels scattering across the floor. They sway, and that one, Rinzler checks bodily out of the ring, an easy jerk of hips and shoulder. (They land adjacent to a recompiler—not hard to tell, after a minute, which observers flinch in response to his strikes, and which are calculating what might be needed to fix them.) Two left, and he rolls back, leaps upward, surveying his prey from atop the walls. These ones are skilled (if not enough); these ones know how to work together.
He dips his helmet in acknowledgement, and separates his disks.
It doesn't take much more. A few minutes, from start to end, and Rinzler stands alone in the arena.]
/writes you an essay in response :,D
As the battle draws to a close and the vanquished are dragged off to waiting recompilers, she stands and walks into the ring. The crowd’s reaction is still scattered; some are still staring in shocked silence. Others are on their feet, roaring demands at the ring—who is he? What is he? Why has he come here? But even the loudest among them quiet when Atarah takes the stage.
Her eyes lock with the mask of the foreign Program and she briefly turns her palms upwards at her sides—not armed. Not another competitor. She gives him a slight nod—acknowledgement, a request for patience—and then she turns and addresses her people.]
To those of you who doubt, [she begins, eyes sweeping over the crowd,] To those of who are here out of desperation rather than belief, and to those who still believe the Creators when they speak of the gentle nature of Created. [The word is punctuated by a pointed glance at Rinzler.] Take this as a proof of concept. [Her gaze moves slowly across her congregation, letting them meet her eye. They’re listening intently. Good.] Gentle creatures are not born with weapons on their back. Gentle creatures don’t need to be crippled to make them safe. We are the result of their fear. [She gives the words a moment to sink in and watches their eyes, sees that spark of shocked comprehension dawning in a few of them. They understand her meaning—or his meaning, really.
Edited.]
What you have seen today was not an anomaly. It is not some dream for the future. It is our past, and it has been taken from us. [There is anger in her words, anger she can see reflected in the eyes of the crowd. It is far preferable to fear. And she knows it will spread.]
Remember this when you feel doubt about our cause. Remember this when ignorant Creators parrot lies to your face. Remember that we are not fighting to overcome our true nature—we are fighting to regain it.
[A murmur of agreement ripples through the crowd—and other murmurs too as Atarah turns away, excited ones. ‘Is it true? So those really were his backups he was using? He had two—is that normal? If they edited it out, someone must be able to edit it back in…’ Atarah feels a flicker of satisfaction. It sounds like people are taking the correct lesson from the display now.
She looks back at the foreign Program—this “Rinzler.”]
Thank you for that demonstration. [She steps towards the ring’s exit, making room for him to follow.] It was… enlightening. To all of us, I hope. [People part for them, as they did before. But now, Rinzler might notice that it isn’t as much disgust that causes the surrounding Created to keep their distance. In fact, it doesn’t look unlike the respect they afford Atarah.]
Victors are usually compensated for their performance in the ring, [she continues. She’s watching him, observing his reaction.] I believe we may be able to offer you a reward that’s mutually beneficial.
/TREASURES
(And if Rinzler notices, too, that every question is aimed past him and around, a layered net of definition for some other program to constrain, that adds to his disdain only a little. It isn't new, after all. Isn't wrong. It's how he was made, and maybe they're just smart enough to pick that up by looking.)
The admin who steps into the ring beside him holds just as little claim on him. She meets his gaze, though, communication silent but clear, and Rinzler returns the courtesy. Both disks meld into one grip, edge darkening as she begins to speak.
Proof of concept. Our past. True nature, and if the words aren't meant for Rinzler, he's certainly been referred to as much worse. Administrators always talk, and by code or nature, those who serve them have no choice except to listen. But the spark of understanding, of rage, that catches like a flame, from face to face...
Anger is better. Rinzler knows that best of all. However weak her system might be, she's made skilled use of him.
The thanks draws no overt reply, but Rinzler will step after, reaching back to redock his disk as they exit the ring. The quiet rattling of errors skips slightly at her offer, but if Rinzler doubts this place has much that he could want, he doesn't broadcast the thought further. Instead, the opaque mask angles: silent inquiry. What is she suggesting?]