text; un: panoptes

[sisterswitch]

Wow, that weather outside sure is frightful, huh? Seems like a good time to chat, since you're all snowed in.

I've been watching your little slumber party here for a long time now, and I noticed you haven't managed to do anything about the problem of Admins on this network - which I've encrypted, by the way, for the next hour. After your sixty minutes are up, this post and all comments will be scrubbed, and as far as the Admins are concerned, it will be like nothing ever happened.

Now, I can make that encryption permanent. The real question is whether you can make it worth my time.

So let's talk business. Unless, of course, you're comfortable with this kind of cyber-strangulation. And if you are? Fine by me, no judgement, it's just not my kink.

Comments

text

[notalive]

Yes, you're both more skilled than anyone else at encryption and also understand the gravity of the situation more than everybody here. You might be the smartest person in this whole city.

[He doesn't know why so many people in this place need their egos massaged to get anywhere, but he is so very bored with it. But he'll start with the easy part and work his way up:]

What do you want in return for bothering to do something that could help people?

[sisterswitch]

Sweet summer child, I am in no way the smartest person in the city. I just have certain talents that give me an advantage.

As for what I want, that’s easy - I want a story. A true story, from one of you, about the worst injustice that person has committed and gotten away with.

[notalive]

[If Connor knew what a The Office reference looked like, he'd be glancing into an imaginary camera at that first line.

But anyway. He falters a little- he's got exactly such a story. He's not not open about it. But.]

What do you want something like that for?

[sisterswitch]

I have unusual dietary requirements. A confession like this will do nicely for keeping my Hunger satiated. :)

[notalive]

You'll have to give me some more details before I agree to something like that.

You don't just feed on words on a phone screen, right?

[sisterswitch]

Nope. I actually don’t know anyone who does that, and a good thing, too, because that would be gross. Do you know how many germs live on the average screen? YUCK.

And I’m not asking you specifically to step up to the task, btw. It would be better if it’s a communal decision, don’t you think? You’ll all benefit from my work, so everyone should have a say in how the payment is made.

As far as details ... let’s start with basics. I’m Eshmaki. Does that mean anything to you?

[notalive]

You don't have to tell me; I have a mini-forensics lab in my mouth.

[OK, sure, usually it was dried blood he was licking, but he'd get bits of the surfaces it was on as well. At the time, as a machine, he hadn't considered it a problem. As a deviant... Let's just say he's never planning to use that function ever again.]

I know you're not asking me specifically. But if I'm not willing to do it myself, why would I make anybody else do it, you know? I want to know more about it before making any decisions.

I'm afraid I don't know the Eshmaki. Where I'm from, it's just humans and androids - and I've never met any here.

[sisterswitch]

Yeah, I haven’t come across any of my kin here either. Kinda sucks, tbh. :( I know there are a couple of distant vampire cousins around, but I haven’t been able to get in touch with them, so they might be the extra-distant type.

Basically, you would refer to Eshmaki as monsters. We’re also called Lurkers. And no, we don’t go around randomly murdering people, or anything stupid like that - history is written by the victors, and lore is usually written by Heroes. They’re not as impartial as you might think.