video; | id: hank_127

[lostsymmetry]

[The call registers as video, but displays only a geometric mess of blue. Those who recognize the logo won't be too surprised by what comes next.]

<Welcome to Domesticon. Working together today, for a more efficient tomorrow.>

[Cheery and automated, like a call center recording... and replaced, immediately after with a much more human range of tone.]

Hey. Me again.

So, your friendly local techs took a crack at system access the other day. Most functions are still locked, but we're reading big electrical spikes along the shaft and behind the sealed area on Deck Two. Something to think about, if you're the type to pry at doors.

[If, unfortunately not the only thing.]

This also, ah... showed up on the camera feeds.

[The AI's "face" vanishes from the video display, replaced with a view from one of the consoles. It shows a young, fair-haired human making his way down one of Reverie's many halls: Snake, for those who knew him. He doesn't do anything unusual. But after a moment, the human's outline distorts... shimmers... and melts away, leaving no trace of flesh or clothing.

The video reverts, and Hank's voice picks back up, tense with concern.]

He's not the only one. Run a headcount with your friends?


[[ooc: The tech collaboration he's referring to is here. While not OOCly planned in conjunction, the Deck 2 spike is the same area Team Door will be ICly going for on the 15th—so feel free to have your characters connect the dots!]]

Comments

un: rocipilot

[donkeyballs]

Holy Christ.

[ He looks pale. Sorry, that's as helpful as he's going to be right now. ]

[lostsymmetry]

Mm-hmm.

[If Hank knew a way to be more helpful, he'd be doing it himself.]

[donkeyballs]

[ He scrubs his face, fingers trailing through his beard as he tries to collect his thoughts. ]

How - how many cameras do you have access to? Are there any in the private quarters?

[ He's not sure if he wants the answer to be yes or no, but he needs to ask. ]

text; @hinatahajime

[hopefragment]

i don't understand. how is that possible?

[Over text, he doesn't sound as frightened as he is. Over text, no one can see just how messed up he is about this.]

text;

[lostsymmetry]

I don't know.

Some kind of military tech? Maybe the same thing that cleared out the last crew.

[Assuming they weren't all eaten by floors...]

text;

[hopefragment]

[He's going to have a panic attack.]

is it only in that area? can we block it off or something?

Video | un: apollo2

[solarcharged]

[ Oh, god. Apollo feels sick. He lifts a hand, massaging his forehead. ]

Kara. She disappeared a few weeks ago. I've been looking for her ever since but... God, maybe...

[ No, he can't say it. Apollo breaks off in dismay and silently shakes his head, refusing to say it out loud. ]

video;

[lostsymmetry]

...maybe.

[Hank never thought he'd be unhappy not to have corpses strewn across his feeds. But this is disconcerting in a whole new way.]

What does she look like?

[solarcharged]

Blonde, slim, late teens... [ Apollo shrugs a little, unsure what else to say. ] She was often in the observation deck and lived on the third deck. Next to me. Does that help?

video » un: rook

[onlydoubts]

[ For a moment, he just gapes at the screen. And in replying, Bodhi can't hide his shock. ]

Did he just... vanish?

[ He doesn't have friends here. Maybe they were here, though - and that's what happened. Oh, force... ]

[lostsymmetry]

He did.

[It's a sober confirmation.]

I thought it was a camera problem at first.

[onlydoubts]

[ He scrubs a hand over his face a bit. ]

You said there were others? That also vanished?

audio; un: alucard

[reposing]

I appreciate you sharing this information, disturbing as it is. At the very least, it may explain the sudden appearance of items and people as well, alongside with those disappearances.

Though it still leaves many questions.

audio;

[lostsymmetry]

It does that.

[Appearances. It had occurred to Hank—he's got a subprocess checking through saved video logs right now. But that would imply...]

You think it's a transport device?

un: slothbaby | voice

[morphogenia]

Does anyone know Kara Zor-El or Kale's usernames? I haven't talked to them since week one here which wasn't a big deal until apparently some of us are vanishing into thin air???

[If she sounds freaked, it's because she is. Freaked enough that she hasn't even noticed someone else noticed Kara's disappearance too.]

Uh... Kara is a blond, blue eyed teenager. Pale. Kale has dark hair, pale skin, and is short like I am. Does that help narrow your search, Hank?

Voice - apollo2

[solarcharged]

I think Kara's is "House of El" or something like that. I'm not sure what it means.

...Meant.

voice;

[lostsymmetry]

That does, thanks.

<Processing...>

[The station continues to have a lot of blond, blue-eyed human teens. But even looking outside Deck 3, the time ranges don't match up. Not if she was here a while ago, but missing now.]

<Oops. I'm sorry. That human is not present within the facility.>

No sign of Kara. Now, anyway. Kale's trickier, but if that's a strict height limit, we might be out of luck.

[There are well over a dozen dark-haired pale humans on the station.]

un: piercedearring, voice;

[imperialsun]

What?! It's like he was erased!

[Well that does not sound good in the least.]

I think all the people I know are here but...I'll keep an eye on them. Thanks.

voice;

[lostsymmetry]

Erased or taken. Not sure which is worse.

[Or if the latter is just wishful thinking, considering what data they've gathered on the last group.]

But no problem.

[Among all of this, Hank thinks the most surprising thing might be the number of polite humans.]

text; un: aphrodite

[wingstosee]

oh my god

[ and for a while, that's really all she can type. that's beyond horrifying?

she closes out of the conversation and heads into the main room. she'll say more when hank responds - right now, she needs to check on the other devils. and akechi. and maybe a couple more people. ]

text;

[lostsymmetry]

That's the consensus.

[He doesn't know Venus, but he's seen her around. He can guess her priorities right now.]

un: aqua

[aequoreal]

That is concerning.

( understatement of the year. )

text;

[lostsymmetry]

It is.

Does your world have anything like this?

voice; un:1

[uniqueone]

That does not seem to be normal of biological death.

[ He sounds more perplexed than concerned. ]

If there is no corpse left, is there a certainty that other organics won't end the same?

voice;

[lostsymmetry]

[Is that a synthetic echo he detects? Good articulation. Hank's much less sure about the logic involved—there being corpses wouldn't make survival any less uncertain for the rest.

But most AI haven't exactly had reason to consider the topic. At length.]

No one's sure of much yet.

But yeah. That's the fear.