reach the residents

[ximilian]

● ● ● REACH THE RESIDENTS

For any questions you want to ask Viveca or Degar and receive an IC response, please direct them here. Please indicate in the subject line who you are trying to contact.

// VIVECA

Hi, what can I help you with?

// DEGAR

Today was gonna be the day, but they'll never throw it back to you. And by now, you should've somehow realized what you're not to do.

▶ NAV

Comments

[vivecai]

Rosinante. Sure, of course. That's what I'm here for.

[ well... partly, at least. ]

Usually, it takes time for me to be able to locate the next orb, and when I do, I can search our database for information on the planet, the city, and everything you might need to know... so by the time I have the information ready, the teleportation platform is already activated. It requires the close presence of an orb to do that, so if you linger for too long, it might run out of power and you might miss the chance to go on that planet.

But... I think a day won't hurt. I'll try for that next time.

[callada]

Right. Thanks. I understand if it can't always be done, but we want to maximize our chances of success, after all.

Second question's similar, but on the other end. Both of these times now, we've had to leave pretty quickly once we had the orb. But that means leaving people in a bad situation sometimes. Newton regretted not being able to stick around after the first mission so he could treat his patients in the city, and after this second mission, I'm worried we left a power vacuum when we took the orb that's going to cause a lot of pain for the people there, and maybe we couldn't have done much about that, but it feels wrong to leave so quickly and not even try to take the time to make things right. What I don't want is for us to be as disruptive as the orbs themselves, or maybe even more damaging. Defeats the purpose, if we're trying to contain them to keep people from getting hurt.

So. What are the chances we can have more time afterward, to set things right so that we're not leaving people worse off than they were when we got there?

[vivecai]

I'm afraid I can do little about that. I'm sure you've already realised that your going there and coming back are both tied to the orb... and the moment it's in your possession, it activates the teleportation.

I can try to change that, to give you more time... but it means the orb has a chance to try and make a bargain with one of you. I wish I could say I believe in all of you and that none of you would ever do that, but...

[ but. she knows what the orbs are capable of. ]

[callada]

More of a bargain than we've already made, huh?

[Yeah, fine, all right. He doesn't want that either, and while he has his reasons not to take every word she says at face value, she's probably right about that point.]

I know you've reassured everyone a few times over that the containment here on the station is safe, and that they can't do any harm there once we get them. But I also recall you telling me this isn't the first time you've done this, back when I asked how you were so sure nobody could find us.

So, how's a safe containment facility end up losing the orbs so we have to go get all of them again?

[vivecai]

Yes, more or less.

[ the ways in which the orb and its smaller entities work are many, and what they are capable of... well.

it takes her some time to answer his question, and when she does, her voice sounds somewhat pained. ]

Things went wrong. A lot of them at once. But we're taking precautions now to stop any of that from happening again. That's why you haven't seen your commander, or been let into the North Wing. He's doing all he can to make sure this time things go better.

[callada]

Anyone ever tell you you're really good at giving responses to questions that aren't actually answers?

[He's not mad, though. It could be worse, she could be like him and just tell outright lies when it suits her. So far that doesn't seem like what she's doing, though perhaps who is he to really say.]

Anyway - no, that's rhetorical. Look, I appreciate the attempt at security. It's just that a lot of us are starting to get worried. The lack of intel means I've heard all kinds of speculation. People wondering if you're programmed not to answer us, or if the Commander has himself made a deal with the orbs. And that's the kind of thing that's going to make people start to question if we should be collecting them at all.

[vivecai]

I've been told I'd make a good politician.

[ there's a faint trace of humor in her tone, there. ]

I understand your frustration, but I share what I can, when it becomes relevant. Right now, all you need to know is that yes, we failed in the past, but we learned from our mistakes.

[ an edge of steel enters her voice. ] No one has programmed me. I am my own person, with my own choices, even if I my existence differs from yours. I have not lied to you. And I don't lie when I say the Commander is the last person to make a deal with the Orb. If you want to know why we're doing this... we want to do what we failed to do before — gather the orbs and keep them here.

You're a Marine. Your job is to stop pirates from endangering the people who live in the islands. Is it so hard to believe we want to do the same? Our job is to stop the orbs from messing up world after world.

[callada]

Sorry, didn't mean to offend with the "programming" comment. I don't know a thing about your kind besides having spoken to you and then listening to what others tell me about artificial intelligence. It's, uh, been a topic of debate. Everyone I talk to keeps telling me that programmers put limits on what folks like you can say.

Glad to hear that isn't the case for you. I can't imagine having to live like that.

[vivecai]

Well, no one here has met anyone quite like me, in that case.

[ she sounds a little proud of that fact. ]