video; un: appleaday feat. rin & caitlyn! ( king info & discussion post )

[saudades]

[The video opens to a view of a young man and two young women. They might be recognizable to those who have been in Etraya a while as Dazai, Rin, and Caitlyn. The young man, Dazai, is the first to speak up, giving the camera a cheerful wave and wink.]

Good meowning, Etraya! [what the fuck] I hope we're all having a good revolution~

[No? We don't love a good riot in this house?]

I'm sure there's quite a lot of eating the rich left to do and we're all very busy, but there's some important information we've learned recently. If you'd do the honors, Cait-chan!

[Caitlyn, who’s been looking confused from the moment Dazai started talking, immediately jumps in with an unorganised sheaf of papers and immense enthusiasm for the information she’s about to share.]

Yes. Several of us were able to make our way into the sealed carriage at the back of the train. Inside, we found a significant number of star maps, along with a small robot, which is, apparently, malfunctioning. [She doesn’t know enough about robots to tell, but this is what others have said.] The robot, called Rex, claims to have been created by a woman who hoped to save the people on this train – or rather, their ancestors – from demise. It further claims to serve as a sort of fail-safe for the King, another robot, who is meant to keep the train on course. Rex’s purpose was to ensure the passengers’ standard of living. It was sealed away by the King as a result of a quarrel between them. The King believed that Rex’s actions would result in the deterioration of order and regulations aboard the train, causing the passengers to be less focused on keeping the train running and endangering everyone’s lives. The King sealed Rex away so that it – the King – would be able to continue driving the train without impediment.

[ Rin has been watching both of them with a little bit of apprehension, or perhaps simply surprise, for different reasons. She’s much more nervous than mischievous or enthusiastic, as her compatriots appear to be.

She clears her throat, delicately hiding her mouth with her fist, and looks at the camera with a serious expression. ]

Erm, yes. Furthermore, Rex told us that the King can be found in the locomotive. Getting inside requires a key and a passcode, neither of which King has access to. I know some of you have been working on other parts of this riddle – if one of you knows more, please share with everyone. [ But now, even Rin is taken by a sort of giddiness for a second, and she grins. ] Then we really could get somewhere with this!

[Caitlyn continues, just as enthusiastic as before:] If we can find the key and the passcode, we can access the King, but we ought to consider whether we actually should remove it as we’ve been instructed. Without the King, there is every possibility that the train could derail, or some other catastrophe could befall it.

On the other hand, it's equally possible that the premise has been faulty from the start, and the train is more of a prison than a life support! The removal of the King might allow these people to go on elsewhere, or live more comfortably aboard the train if they choose to. Moreover, it's worth asking why, exactly, Echo wants us to do this. What qualities is this task meant to demonstrate?

[Caitlyn’s response is directed almost entirely to Dazai, not to the network as a whole.] Is it even up to us to decide? This train is the only world these people have; they ought to have a say in whether the King is removed or not, especially given the risks it poses.

[ At this point, Rin clears her throat again, louder this time. ]

Hey, uhm… maybe you could discuss this later? Let’s let everyone else have a word, yeah?

[ She turns back toward the camera, trying her best to smile. ]

We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Right, right, we're getting off-track. We are effectively trapped on here ourselves until Echo sees fit to send us back, so we should get this out there as soon as we can, hm?

Comments

text » un: d.wayne

[brat]

Vanessa Ives was able to uncover a key of suspicious origins.

It was embedded in The Conductor's arm. We have obtained a copy of it.

text; un: asano

[revengeisalie]

[ Whoa, that was fast. ]

That's amazing, thank you!

text; un: piltoversfinest

[clavesregni]

Embedded in his arm? Is he alright?

not here

[matermali]

[ Oh Damian, so helpful! So incredibly helpful that he's getting some serious side-eye because did he have to mention the arm??? ]

text; un: sv

[ascarylady]

Two copies.

There's a backup in case the first gets misplaced.

[ Yes, she did weigh mentioning it versus not. Ultimately, if someone does lose the first and she ends up dead somehow, it's better that people know. ]

[saudades]

the arm is quite an interesting choice for protecting an item like that
did he seem to show any fear of being attacked? or obvious evidence of past injuries?

voice; un: sv

[ascarylady]

Cait-chan?

[ There's a gruff laugh from Sevika. Yes, she's only chiming in to bully Caitlyn further. That's like the one thing she has that's enjoyable on this stupid train; don't take it from her. ]

Well, Cait-chan, it had better be for us to decide, or we're all stuck here.

voice; un: asano

[revengeisalie]

[ Rin, meanwhile, is not very embarassed. Dazai, you are an embarrassment for our culture smh. ]

It's pretty rude of him, if I may say...

voice; un: piltoversfinest

[clavesregni]

[She can tell from Sevika's tone that this is bullying, but she's clueless as to what she's getting bullied about, so she responds with total earnestness.]

We can't risk upending – or ending – these people's lives without consulting them first. They deserve to decide their own futures.

[saudades]

[Teasing aside, there are some productive things to discuss, and he thinks she has the right of it.]

My point exactly! Stranding ourselves on this train in the name of compassion won’t serve any real purpose beyond self-satisfaction. Especially if the current status quo persists because of this King’s programming.

un: gorgug, text

[tinflower]

[ Maybe this is related, maybe it's not... ]

What was that broadcast that was coming from the carriage? Was it Rex? Did it stop?

text; un: asano

[revengeisalie]

I don't see where else it could have come from. The only thing that could've done it, as far as I can tell, was Rex.

They said they've been waiting for someone to come save them.

un: d.wayne

[brat]

"Castiel" previously announced the contents of the broadcast:

4 9
home
apple
indigo

[saudades]

Like Rin-chan says, Rex did tell us it had been waiting for us a long time. The broadcast might have been a means of directing our attention to its location.

If there's any additional meaning, it didn't allude to such a thing when we spoke to it. As far as we know, Rex really can't help us with the passcode, so it might be a nonstarter to pursue as a connection. Its AI doesn't seem sophisticated enough for deception.

[He'd believe it of Aurora first, and he doesn't think even Aurora is capable.]

un: gorgug, text

[tinflower]

[ A bit later: ]

also, i don't know if this is useful, but the vr headsets receive signals from the locomotive. i think you can use them to send something back? but i haven't tried

there was a lot of paperwork too where names kept coming up? but i'll ask someone else to talk about that

voice; un: jaycetalis

[hexcope]

Hate to say it, but I agree we should remove the King. It's something I've been thinking about- what if we let the passengers live with us, in Etraya? Whatever system's in place here, it's not working to everyone's benefit, and that feels by design at this point. If the King's responsible for that, all the more reason to remove them.

I know you want to find a way to ask the population on their choice, but we're without a way to poll every individual on board- assuming they'd even give a serious response- so I don't think that's feasible. We have to make the call ourselves.

...Cait-chan.

[revengeisalie]

[ Rin mulls this over. ]

In Etraya. It'd be trading one cage for another, but at least Etraya is not so... stratified. And there's plenty of room in Nova City for sure.

Considering Rex was supposed to be a failsafe for King in the first place, it should only be fair to act in that interest, I guess... maybe we could ask Rex what they would do in this instance. If their, ah -- programming? [ The word is unsure on her tongue. ] -- would tell them to remove King.

voice; un: piltoversfinest

[clavesregni]

I— This is— Ho—

Do you even know what that means?

[She will get to all his very serious and important points about the King and the train passengers! But she needs to clear this up first!]

un: gorgug, text

[tinflower]

We don't know if we can bring them to Etraya. We can keep it open as an option, but I think we should figure out something if we can't do that?

We have star maps and the people who could work the train are people from Sprawl... and then some engineers in Neon. But we should find out if the train can still be navigated without the King. Or do something about it sucking and being bad?

so I guess I mean... we can try and help the situation out before we leave. if we can't bring them with us. it's up to them what happens after.

un: Accelerator | text

[levelshift]

I agree with Talis. A train is a shitty place to have a society.

I don't know about that damn passcode, but if people can get into the locomotive and things go sideways I might be able to keep the train from destabilizing and vaporizing everybody. For a few minutes, anyways.

[revengeisalie]

A few minutes isn't much, but better than nothing. Thank you.

Video | UN: Manny

[bigpoofymammoth]

[Manny was a little surprised to hear that the king happens to be just another robot. Still, why are there two robots named 'King'? (Rex means king in Latin)]

Is there anyone or anything guarding the locomotive aside from the door that needs to be unlocked? I agree with the others that we should remove the king, but I think we need to also ensure that we don’t attract unwanted attention from the train's population while we do so.

un: asano | video

[revengeisalie]

That's a very good question. Investigating the locomotive should be our next priority.

video. @wild.flower

[hasitsthorns]

[ After her conversation with Gorgug, she's more fired up than ever about people having agency. She refuses to believe the lives here are potentially less important than their mission. ]

No matter what, these people decide what happens to them. It isn't up for us to decide- Who are we to decide what happens with their lives?

Let them make an informed decision once we know where the King is and what the risk may be.

un: asano | video

[revengeisalie]

[ Rin taps her chin in thought. ]

Mmmhh. It should be up to them, but as has been pointed out, there might be large disagreements about what to do among the populace.

voice; un: champion

[twin_blade]

If you let them choose, you can bet how they're going to vote. The ones with everything to lose will want the King to stay in place, and fuck all the rest of them. Given the number of people in the lower classes, I think it's safe to say the King should go.

[revengeisalie]

[ Rin takes a moment to think about that. She can hardly deny it. ]

I would agree. The Elites are hardly going to wish to change a system that benefits them greatly, but I wouldn't put too much stock in their opinion.

[ Because, listen. Rin may be the equivalent of an Elite back home, but she's seen what those people do to uphold their position. It is, occasionally, abhorrent. ]

voice | un: mothman

[dustyroad]

It's probably the ethical dilemma that you lot found that makes this of interest to Echo and whatever lottery this is.

[It wasn't often that Shelley actually spoke on the network, but his hands were full and musing out loud was simpler.]

Whatever we do, it's not right for us to make a decision about other people's lives without their input, even though odds are that they'll likely decide for whatever is in their best interests and not see the bigger picture.

Just as a question: is there a way to randomly run passcodes, or does it lock you out after a point?

Also, would knowing how to pick locks help?

[saudades]

Oh, almost certainly. And the lack of criteria from Echo continues to mean that there's no way to optimize our actions. It's terribly clever.

[Dazai is going to tear Echo apart someday.]

Trying to break the passcodes by force would likely need better technology than we have access to right now, or a dedicated ability. [Ah Katai, you would be so useful right about now. Alas.] It's likely better to try to solve it first rather than give away our intentions without a failsafe.

[A thoughtful hum.]

Similarly, the lock might be pickable, but we already have the key to the physical portion. The amount of time and effort it might take to force the lock open would likely draw attention.

un: viktor | text

[hexcorized]

If there is still a need, fixing the robot that was found may yield some results. Should you need help, perhaps there is something I may assist with.

[ Does he also want to use this as an opportunity to dig inside it and see how advanced it is, mmmmaybe?? But he is not going to say that. ]

text; un: piltoversfinest

[clavesregni]

Yes, that would be very useful. Fixing the robot would not only allow it to communicate with us more easily, but I imagine it would be better able to fulfill its intended functions, should that be required of it.

I'd be happy to give it to you to work on. [This definitely isn't her decision to make unilaterally but she's saying it anyway.]