Week 6

[bathymetric]

Good morning, New Rapture. A new day is dawning.

Another week at the bottom of the sea. You may start to mark the passage of time by the increasing number of people you seem to be bleeding each week - look how few of you there are now. Nearly half your number gone, and for what? The shadowy machinations of some madman? You've met some others, but they seem unable or unwilling to solve this problem for you. Time marches onwards.

In the abyss, New Rapture starts to wake. It's small things, for now - the lights of a building here and there, the flicker of a neon sign for some small business. The restoration of this city continues.

Speaking of this city, there's a new branch of your little slice of it to explore. It's certainly the most picturesque of the branches you've seen.

There's more to see and do, citizens of New Rapture. And hey, there's coins to get, too.



SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to the sixth week of Unknown Seas Round 3! Please make sure to mark any investigation toplevels accordingly, post your ac, and you can reach either Mayor Fontaine or Eleanor for conversations! ]

Comments

[howveryglib]

A book of things that, were I to show them to people I know, would either inspire them to make a version that was not terrible or simply send them into an apoplexy.

[like. look at this fucking thing.]

[dullshooter]

What...

[Misfire tilts his head.]

What am I looking at here?

[howveryglib]

I believe it to be some variety of tank that people engineered before they knew what tanks were intended to be.

[dullshooter]

[Yeesh.]

I don't want to sound like a functionist, but if that were my alt-mode I'd want to be put down for the greater good.

[Thankfully, the edginess of this joke is lost on someone not from his corner of the multiverse.]

...Could do some impressive wheelies on it, though.

[howveryglib]

Ah, that is a capability of yours, is it not? Not to transform into something like that, of course, but...

[...]

I imagine it could be more functional if there was an independent intelligence controlling it instead of some sort of driver.

[dullshooter]

I don’t know if I’d put that much faith into the average intelligence of our species; I mean, sure, we were on the cutting edge of tech once, but we never moved past settling all disputes with beating the ever-loving scrap out of each other.

[howveryglib]

Is that not how it is for most civilizations? Ultimately, it is those with power who decide the fates of those without.

[dullshooter]

There’s got to be some species out there that’s evolved past that.

[He sighs.]

If they did, it’d make sense they’d want nothing to do with the rest of us.

[howveryglib]

If one exists, they likely only managed it by putting down any challenges to the peace.

[or they uploaded themselves to the cloud or something. or they accidentally started an apocalypse when a guy with chronic depression made a bird out of emotions and they discovered the Fermi paradox the hard way.]

[dullshooter]

Wow. That’s bleak.

[No such thing as a free utopia over here.]

Do you think war is just one of life’s big inevitabilities?

[howveryglib]

I suppose my perception is colored by my profession, but as I see it, the only way for war to cease is for the world to be united under the banner of a ruler strong enough to ensure peace and prosperity for their citizens. Even then, I am not so certain minor conflicts could be avoided, but with proper governance it may be possible.

[dullshooter]

[Ah yes, of course. Proper governance. Proper governance under Starscream.

.
.
.]

So you're saying I should enjoy peace while I still can?

[howveryglib]

...

Is it that bad...

[dullshooter]

[DEEP INHALE-]

Pretend for a moment: you join a political movement, not just because you believe in it but because you believe in the guy leading it. I mean, we’re talking charisma to the nines here. The guy’s a poet. Literally. See if the library has ‘Towards Peace’ in it sometime.

[He’s never read it but y’know. It’s SUPPOSED to be good.]

You follow this guy into a war that’s about overthrowing our current leadership and taking back control, the end goal being that he, presumably, will be the new leader of Cybertron. But- [He holds up a finger.] He has a second in command. Proper annoying guy. Always screeching, vying for power, et cetera - his name becomes a synonym for backstabbing.

[So far, no one has noticed he edited Autopedia to say this.]

War ends, we lose, our esteemed leader defects and who’s the one ushering in a new dawn on our previously abandoned planet? …You know, it’s funnier if I don’t say.

[howveryglib]

...

My condolences, that sounds terrible. Hopefully someone assassinates the current leader or... something.

[this conversation is going to be very funny to look back on once he gets home and goes through the events of canon.]

[dullshooter]

Let's hope it's his right hand man. That would be beautifully ironic.

[And that guy's Rattrap so like, it'll happen if a revolt doesn't come first.]

For the moment, though, we've come to the unanimous agreement of not going home, which is fine, really - saves me having to make any 'plans' or 'long-term goals' - but it'd be nice to have the option without worrying someone'll blow you head off.

[howveryglib]

...I understand that feeling.

[...]

I have been trying to make my peace with the fact that it will be... difficult to return home for me. Not for the same reasons as you, though I do believe there will be some internal strife in my homeland unless our emperor does name a successor before he passes... I do believe our prospects to be generally competent, even if I have my preferences, but I do not believe I will have any say in the matter.

[dullshooter]

...Have you considered just not? I mean, if we even make it back, unless there's some wild time-travel business going on, everyone'll probably assume you've upped and left anyway.

[howveryglib]

...I do miss my homeland, though, and I do not wish to leave my children on their own. I believe they are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, of course, but... after the second week, I would at least prefer to be aware they are doing well.

[dullshooter]

Fair enough.

[Misfire shrugs, then pats good ol’ woofie on the shoulder.]

You don’t really seem like the ‘run away from your problems’ type, anyway. I’m sure you can face whatever political strife waits for you with open arms and a gunsword between them.

[howveryglib]

...I am certain I can, though I am not looking forward to the political end of it, truly. Regardless of what awaits me, I will simply have to adapt to it...