WELCOME TO THE DARK WEB.

[ashaya]

Who: Spock and anyone interested in the aforementioned technology plot.
Where: Mostly around the port, because you have to really lean into the Gothic Romance of it.
What: Local nerds build a computer and a system of their own to exercise privacy online for everyone with mixed results.
Warnings: TBD. None so far, unless you want to count Spock veering into poeticisms inevitably in metatext.




[ chances are, if you're curious, you've been seeing a handful of ciphers cropping up around aldrip.

they start in places most chosen would frequent, spiral out to areas more remote in the coming days. but, no matter which ones you encounter, they all seem to written in the same hand. the words, if you can call them that, are jumbled in such a way that it looks impossible to unknot at first. but, there's a odd weight across some of these... messages? the letters look strange and, comparing them over time, you'll find a key.

curious, indeed. someone likes vigenère ciphers.

what it shakes out to is a set of coordinates that will lead you squarely to an abandoned warehouse by the pier, a date, and a time. if you're compelled to go on your own, you might find some of your fellows waiting around with you. if you're not? well, maybe you can take a friend just in case.

either way, you'll get your answers one way or another. ]

( ooc: HELLO FRIENDS. first and foremost, please see the comments and the sub-comments below for week blocking and organizational efforts. if you would like to summon me into your comment, just put spock in the subject line or ping me directly on plurk at askefise or on discord! i'm usually around in some capacity or another.

other than that: have fun! if you need me to help you brainstorm why your blorbo would show up or how, i'm here for you. time for totally fun and normal times that will not end in any abnormal way whatsoever on the 19th. )

Comments

[drugsnotclubs]

[The help with cryptography had been great, honestly. Shinjiro's been assuming that the ciphers up over town are by the same sassy maybe-alien who posted one to the network a few weeks back-- and maybe that's why he'd been drawn to the challenge. He'd lost the first round, but he absolutely was not gonna lose the second. Even if that means a lot of lurking and listening in in alleys, figuring out what Chosen are interested, and eventually finding one to relay that info to and work with.

For all the effort and nosing around, fnding the warehouse feels like a big nothing- no signs or anything. But it's a location that makes sense. Nondescript. Out of the way, but accessible enough.]

I dunno. Got a lot of room in here, though. I'm just hoping we're not gonna have to listen to any crazy speeches or whatever.

[After all, every so often some Chosen has to go on some sort of rant against being trapped here and forced to whatever and something-something need leaders for a New-Aldrip-Order or whatever the hell they think will solve whatever problem they have. Or someone explodes something in protest.

Shinjiro doesn't treat the bare room with any awe or respect as he walks right in, footsteps echoing slightly in the suspiciously-clean room.]

They've been setting up for a while, huh.

[After a moment, those gray eyes flicker back over to Miller. They'd worked together, but not talked a whole lot outside of the goal. And so perhaps it's our of nowhere when he asks easily:]

You think it'll be all us? Or some locals put in the effort to figure it out, too?

[It's an innocent question, but stems from his slow suspicion that the locals here are somehow less whole of a consciousness than themselves. Filler codes in with basic tasks and routines, as opposed to any true will, such as the Chosen.]

[melnik]

[ Having missed those original cipher signals himself, Miller doesn't have the same indication of who might be behind this secret meeting. He does, however, still have a fair degree of conjecture forming about this person (or people) in his head, which he's relatively anxious to test the veracity of. Although he doesn't recognize the cipher itself, it strikes him that someone using a code like this to communicate is intentionally trying to skirt the attention of the Council. Wouldn't it only make sense then that they were trying to gather intel among likeminded individuals? If he's right about that, well... he has to admit that the thought of some attempt at a rousing speech might not be totally off the mark. ]

What, like a big call to action? It could be. Since we've spent so much time finding the place, I suppose I'd hear them out.

[ While the words he exchanges with his companion in this effort have thus far been impersonal, the questions that he's raising are certainly ones that he has been rolling over in his mind as well.

The possible implication that the locals wouldn't be able to crack a code like this is among them, and he makes no effort to stop Shinjiro from casually strolling into the place in part because he's so sure that this was planned by another Chosen.

He brings up the rear, looking around the place and noting its incredibly clean interior. ]

Just us, without a doubt. This code was used for the explicit purpose of giving only the intended people access. Of course, it can't account for whatever runs this place deciding to break the laws of reality to take a peek... but the attempt is clearly to keep it exclusive.

[ "Magic space aliens." You know. He respects what must have gone into this even if he's not sure that it's possible to really hide anything from the Council. ]

What about you? Now that we've made it... do you have any theories?

[drugsnotclubs]

[He listens thoughtfully to Miller's reasoning, even as he casually snoops... not that there's anything to snoop or see just yet. But it lets him move as he thinks even if it's at his typical careful, easy pace.

At least he's not the only one who has suspicions about the locals here. How easy they seemed to be for the world to re-wrote when it had struggled so hard to do the same to them. The lack of depth to so much about them and this world, compared to the rich histories the Chosen brought with them. And so he nods again, agreeing with the assessment.]

....That's what I was thinking, too. They don't really seem to look too deep into things. Even when it was their own going missing a few months back.

[But that's a good question he return, and he pauses long enough to stuff his hands in his pockets and consider that.]

Someone posted a bunch of number puzzles on the network a while back. This feels pretty similar. Whoever it was was pretty....

[Cunty?]

Maybe not condescending.... But someone who knew what they were looking for, if you get me? Even if they didn't share what that was.

[He folds his arms and continues, ever the Info-Guy. Paying attention to people and happenings is kind of his thing.]

Usually when people are doing shit here it's to press at something. That one guy blew up the council one time... Another time someone set off some kinda explosion in another city. Someone else went on some kind of rant about how we need a leader to rise up against the council or whatever. But all those seemed like selfish bullshit.

[After a pause, he shrugs again.]

I got no idea if this'll be more of the same. But it's already got way more thought put into it so far than "rant at people" or "blow shit up to see what happens."

[melnik]

[ He's pleased to hear Shinjiro's assessment about the locals is similar to his own, too. In reality, all of his attempts to garner information from the existing population here have been a complete flop. But theoretically, when he arrived here and other Chosen gave him the rundown, the obvious places to confirm that info came to mind. The city hall, Jerry, and of course, the locals. Surely it's well-trodden ground for those who have been here far longer than he has, but trying to discern the reason it has gone nowhere has led him to think about the same things.

So, he nods back, a thoughtful hand coming to his chin as he moves on to discuss the person behind this operation. He wasn't here for all of the things Shinjiro is bringing up, but he's heard about most of it by now, so is quick to agree. ]

It does seem more promising, doesn't it?

[ As he starts to walk around the room to check it out, he stops at the bulletin board which appears to have a list of wanted items pinned to it. Miller looks at it without comment at first, continuing their conversation. ]

Those who are "Chosen" are chosen for a reason. So many of them are irrational, impatient scoundrels who thwart all of our efforts to make progress that won't immediately be undone. I'm not so stupid as to think that wasn't by design.

[ He pauses, looking across the room at Shinji. ]

However... I don't know about you, but I would like to think I am not alone in hoping to peel back the layers of this place a bit more carefully.

[ Miller gestures to the list in front of him. ]

Take a look at this. If that person you mentioned and this one are one in the same... perhaps they were trying to scout out suitable help for their project all along.