[Open] There's a Point Where It Tips, There's a Point Where It Breaks

[zerotohiro]

Who: Everyone in Cerealia who figured out the code words for this meeting
When: Evening of IC 5/31, after Hawke's network post
Where: Sanctuary
What: "A pizza party" aka a meeting about the new masked figure that appeared.
Warnings: N/A, maybe some talks about what Alien-kun had to say, etc.


[It's evening by the time Hiro gets to the Sanctuary. Anyone who had seen him this morning will have spotted him with Baymax, both of them sans their normal armor and Baymax carrying what looks like a giant box. They had preparations to make, after all. He makes his way in and out of the building a few times but by the time the first of their guests arrive, everything's set up.

Upon entering the Sanctuary, Baymax moves to stand guard and collect your CereVice in a box at the door. Please don't cheat, he doesn't like when people aren't playing fair. In exchange for the CereVice, you will receive a form and a pencil before Baymax cheerfully waves you away.

Hiro's sitting on a table at the head of the lounge watching people come in. Hawke had promised these people pizza and cake (Hawke why) and he's delivering on that promise. The stack is about as tall as he is, more than enough to feed everyone who's shown up. He waits until a majority of the people show up before he clears his throat to gather attention.]

...uh, hey! [Well. That's a great, confident start.] I know this was sort of last minute and everything, but I really appreciate all of you coming by and actually listening to Hawke. [Sorry Hawke. But there's a grin which says he's more than appreciative.] I know you're probably here for free food, but there's a couple of things you should know. [Sliding off of the table, he moves to stand in front of what looks like a small mechanical box.]

When we all got back a few days ago, I started thinking about the fact that CERES can watch us from...pretty much anywhere. So I took some plans for something else I've been working on, improvised a little bit and created this thing. It'll deflect the signal from our implants and block them out completely as long as we're in this room. I've tested it out a couple of time already, the whole thing gets thrown off. It's...why I wanted to meet here! Because that sort of leads right to my next point.

[There's a small sigh as he paces the room, Baymax waddling after him. He moves back to the table he'd been sitting on to pull up the mask he'd been given a while ago.]

All of you probably received one of these either from that fortune teller, Aria, or it just showed up. And while we were out there? Some of you probably found the terminal like I did and spoke with a masked figure. [A beat.] I'm starting to realize that it told all of us something different, but the most important part is that it's with the Flamine Federation. You know. The guys who supposedly destroyed our planets. Baymax gave all of you a form--um. [And here he pauses, unsure if it's really appropriate to be ordering people to share information but then again that's what they all need. He's always believed everybody needs to be aware of what's happening.] Basically I guess just...answer what you can and tack it up on the board--[A gesture to a large bulletin board he pulled from who knows where.]--and talk amongst yourselves about what happened out there? Alien...the monsters, that weird altar? A bunch of you saw that, right? What was that about?

[Dear god somebody help him.] ...look, I tried. There's free food. This is about all I could throw together so fast before something else happens here. So...yeah. Let's just start figuring out what's really happening here, okay?

[Vague hand gestures? Vague hand gestures. He shuts up after that and sort of shrinks back into his hoodie, jumping back up on the table to hand out food and keep an eye on the room. All right, colonists. You know what to do.]

[ooc: Welcome to the info-sharing mingle! The idea behind this is for characters to ICly fill out this form (coded by the wonderful Fidgey/Katsura-mun) and have it displayed for everyone to view that information. You can post your sheet in your comment or link it to a post elsewhere in your journal, or even post it in the post I made that the form's posted into. HOWEVER this is open to everyone even if your character didn't speak to the alien and just wants to check stuff out! As a note: characters will start to feel sick after about two hours in the Sanctuary due to the frequency deflector. Sorry about that! Any questions hit me up via PM or plurk at alternatively]

Master List of Forms

Comments

[succeeder]

No one ever watches every minute of footage until it's needed... But the more people you gather, the more people they might notice blacked out on a random spot check. Or a regular error-checking program.

—Well, we'll see what happens, I suppose. We're all here already, after all. It is worth the risk to test the limits of what escapes punishment.

[zerotohiro]

The nice thing about having this many people here is that more than likely they'll probably think it's their equipment first just glitching out and when we pop back on their grid and everything's fine they should leave it alone. [In a perfect world. But this is Cerealia.]

Here's a question for you. How much further do you think we really can push our limits?

[succeeder]

[ He tilts his head, curious. Is this another question where Hiro already has an answer in mind, or a genuine question? Well, he'll have to think about it and give his honest evaluation either way. ]

If we deactivate surveillance more permanently, I cannot imagine that CERES will not take action.

As far as I am aware, we have no proof that CERES is personally and deliberately responsible for the not-infrequent modification of our personalities and feelings, but we must consider the possibility that it is within their power to force us to submit. Protecting ourselves from surveillance will be meaningless if we cannot protect ourselves from being rewritten.

[zerotohiro]

Yeah. I've thought about that, too. There are several things that've happened here that're directly affecting our code. The thing is just finding how to hack into ourselves? If that makes sense. I know if I could find the code I could do something about it to enforce it.

On the other hand, I'm not sure if it's just CERES who's doing the modifications to us. I know they've got a hand in it just due to the modifications they've already done to us, but we've already seen there're more people here at work than we anticipated.

Look at the fortune teller. Who's she working with?

[succeeder]

Hmph. I didn't waste my time meeting with a fortune teller, so I wouldn't know. She was handing out masks, correct? You don't think she's connected to the rest of these mask fetishists?

...But I agree, about the code. It's surely possible for us to access the code ourselves, if only we had the right sort of... program. [ Without knowing how this place is constructed, he's at a loss as to how to uncover any kind of command console. ] But I'm sure many of these factions have access to modifying it.

[zerotohiro]

Seeing how I got a mask even when I didn't meet her at all? I don't think she's connected, no. You've heard of copy-cat crimes haven't you? Think about it.

Our best bet is probably finding an in with at least one of these factions and working our way from the inside out. They're not going to give us answers like that right away, but if we got in at least a little we'd have more ground to cover. [He gives Togami a skeptical look then.] How much do you know about coding anyway?

[succeeder]

I got a mask, too. I'm well aware of copycat crimes, but I see no reason to assume she's a mere impostor. When did any of us even know about the masks until this started happening? If she's a copycat, she still has knowledge beyond what the average person had. Though I'm not going to dismiss the possibility... [ Really he doesn't know anything about her either way, so he's not going to jump to any conclusions in any direction. And he's a little more staunch in that position in the face of some kid trying to act superior to him. ]

I am reasonably familiar with the workings of computer code, but it is not my specialty. It is unlikely that I would be the most effective choice to hack an unfamiliar system. [ What a grudging admission. He waves his hand, dismissing it. ] But I am more than willing to pursue my lead with the Flamines. I don't think they're going to be stingy with information as long as they get what they want. Or at least a fraction of it.

[zerotohiro]

Who said she was the impostor in this case? Maybe we didn't know about the masks, but some of us knew about that alien before they showed up on the terminal. Even back then it kept saying "bare" and wouldn't talk to us, and now I know why. [It's unfortunate that he feels like he can even try to be remotely superior to someone like Togami, but he's a little arrogant that way.] That's a good way to be, though. We can't dismiss much anymore.

...what is your plan anyway?

[succeeder]

How is it evidence that the Flamines are mimicking the fortune teller, when you say that they have been consistently demanding masks all this time? Is that not evidence that they are the originals? Who is mimicking whom in your copycat scenario? [ Now he's just lost...

But when he hasn't got a concrete plan yet, he can't be all that high and mighty himself, now can he? ] —I can't solidify a plan of action until I have gathered all of the information that is available to me. [ So, all of the information that other people have that he can make them tell him. ]

[zerotohiro]

There were reports of the fortune teller being around first, that's why. If what the alien said is true and they know all about us even if they don't care about, then reasonably they'd know about what's happening in Cerealia given what we can see. [Sorry, Togami, you're also talking to a teenager who probably hasn't slept over the last couple of days working on throwing this whole thing together.]

And while that's admirable of you, it kinda also puts us at a disadvantage. [But he doesn't mean it snidely. It's just...] Some of the information we've been gathering has backfired on us already. That's the only thing I really worry about.

[succeeder]

[ He sighs. They're only speculating anyway, so he may as well just drop the topic about who-did-what until further information illuminates the answers. ] Whatever. I don't have time to untangle your stream of consciousness.

What information has backfired? Regardless, you think remaining in the dark is preferable?

[zerotohiro]

I don't think remaining in the dark is preferable but I also think it's smarter not to show all of our cards at one time or whatever. And the one thing that's really backfired is breaking the masks ourselves...not to mention some stuff that came from Yu Narukami's conversation with Mosley. [He points out the silver-haired boy.] Talk to him if you get a chance, he's been helping me out with a lot of this stuff.

[At the very least, it won't be hard for Togami to hear what Yu says to the group at large.]

[succeeder]

Narukami...

[ Kirigiri had mentioned that name as a particularly trustworthy ally. Not that Togami was distrusting Hiro right now, but a recommendation from a colleague had a little more weight stacked on top of this. Hmmmm. ]

Yes—I shall make sure to do so.

Don't worry. I have no intentions of squandering all of my resources at once. [ But he does need to... actually gather more resources, first, before he can use any of them. ]

[zerotohiro]

That's what I like to hear. [He nods confidently while also stifling a yawn. Ugh, that's embarrassing.] Good luck. Let me know if you pick up on anything else interesting out there.