EVENT #12: ADVERSITY 6568654

[expiationmods]

EVENT #12: DO AIS DREAM OF ALGORITHMIC SHEEP?

THE STORY SO FAR (click to expand)

-Over time, characters have discovered that the world of Expiation is actually a large, elaborate simulation run by an AI that seems to be intent on helping them atone for their crimes. This news is well-known by the Chosen, enough so that any new character who wishes to handwave this knowledge is able to do so.

-In September 2024, that AI needed to be reset as a consequence of some catastrophic systems failures. So far, there has been no downside to this reset–but the AI has also been strangely absent since then.

-Things have been quiet in Aldrip since September, aside from the routine arrival of new Chosen. The locals seem less than happy with the Chosen, though, as if they have already branded them all criminals. As if they no longer trust them…

JANUARY 13

SLEEP MODE INITIATED.
LOADING………………….

The calming hush that falls over Aldrip is strangely comfortable, lulling all Chosen into a deep sleep…or a sleeplike state, for those who will. Whatever the case, it is a very quiet night.

The sleep that follows is anything but.

THE DREAMSCAPES

The Chosen dream of memories, in this dreamscape. They can be twisted and altered by the dream world; events can be contorted or made up; but all of these dreams have within them a kernel of truth. Whether they express an event that happened or part of a person’s past that’s gone fuzzy with age, whether it’s a real moment or just a feeling, something about the dream tells you something about the Chosen to whom it belongs. This may even express itself in multiple dreamscapes, fragments of different memories and feelings to navigate.

Fellow Chosen can travel through these dreamscapes, of course, stumbling upon dreams they were never meant to see. But their presence is not without consequence; the longer two Chosen share the same dream, the more the dream will begin to take on elements of both their dreams, drawing in elements from the Chosen who was simply meant to be watching.

They’re vivid, these dreams–the kind that are so clear, one begins to doubt whether it’s a dream at all. Could it possibly be reality? Whether it’s a good dream or a bad one, the Chosen may find it’s difficult to want to wake up. How could they possibly wake up, when this is so very real? Why would they want to, if it’s a good dream? It’s comfortable, and the idea that it may not be reality is intimidating, isn’t it?

It’s so real that you could stay here forever.

A WAKEUP CALL

Wake up.
You have to wake up.

Staying within the dreams too long is a dangerous thing, and those who don’t wake even once before morning will risk falling into a deep sleep, perhaps never to wake at all.

But how to wake them?

Only by convincing the Chosen that they are most certainly dreaming, as it turns out. Whether that’s someone realizing this on their own, or being helped along by someone else, is entirely up to you. But they must choose to wake from the dream, saying goodbye to the dreamscape without any certainty that they’ll ever see it again, and for some…that could be easier said than done.

Once they wake in Aldrip, they’ll be able to come and go from the dreams at will, helping other Chosen navigate their own waking…or perhaps sabotaging it, for those whose intentions may be less than charitable. (But none of you would do that, right? Right?)

Time becomes meaningless within the dreamscapes, allowing the Chosen to pass through as many of these dreams as they wish before dawn breaks in the morning.

The next day dawns as normal, and surprisingly, the Chosen don’t feel any less well-rested from their long and difficult night chasing after dreams. They may even–_

A sea of numbers, zeroes and ones, their combinations meaningless, their forms shifting. Digital artifacts mar the vision, as if the sequence is somehow corrupted. In those pockets of artifacts, one can see something beyond the numbers, something darker, something blurry with distance.
Query: is this what it is to “dream?”
It feels…warm.

_feel refreshed, actually, as if they’ve lifted various weights from their shoulders. Even those who haven’t may find it difficult to linger on the less happy parts of what they’ve seen. They’ve shared quite a unique experience, after all. Better take some time to process it, before they let it weigh them down.

WILDCARD

Make your own fun! Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Have at it! Go crazy! Try not to break anything (too much)!

♡

Comments

[battlefieldbrat]

That so?

[he glances around again, as if with new eyes, although he already sort of suspected as much.]

And all that noise...it's from your...[oh, what are they called...] ...guns?

[solitarysoul]

Y-yeah...they don't build trenches like this for fun.

[What. Who was this guy? How did he even get here, especially if he didn't know where they were. He narrows his eyes and studies Kakashi...something seemed off.]

...who are you? Everybody should already know these things.

[battlefieldbrat]

You know me, Levi.

[he sounds almost scolding.]

You remember me, right? And Aldrip?

[solitarysoul]

...

[He does know this guy, though. And Aldrip sounded familiar he just couldn't quite place it. Something was definitely off here. He'd almost think spy but Kakashi'd be doing a real shit job of it.]

Where are you from? How did you get here?

[battlefieldbrat]

You wouldn't recognize where I'm from. And...

[he shrugs again, helpless.]

As for how I got here, good question. Something weird is going on tonight. It's like we can see each other's dreams.

[solitarysoul]

Dreams?

[Was he in somebody's dream? That didn't feel right. It could be his dream, but things were much calmer than they usually were when he dreamed. He can't shake the feeling that something is off but he's not sure dreams made any sense.]

You expect me to to believe that?

[When in doubt put on a tough facade.]

[battlefieldbrat]

Believe what you want. But how am I here, otherwise?

[solitarysoul]

You walked.

[Duh.

But now that Levi is studying him, he really doesn't seem like he should be here. Kakashi is, sadly, not too young to be here but the dress is pretty weird. Guys usually weren't out of uniform unless they were going to or getting up from bed. Kakashi looked like he was dressed for bed...did that give credence to the dream theory?]

[battlefieldbrat]

Sure, if that's what you want to believe.

[his feet are dirty....from the five minutes it took him to walk here from arriving in the dream. oh well.]

Whatever. Want to show me around? All of this is new to me.

[solitarysoul]

[Okay there is no way in hell a new transfer would show up like that and talk so casually. So how did this kid get here? And why was he familiar? That name, Aldrip, stuck in the back of his mind too. It was a city, he thinks, and he lived there for awhile...but how could that be? The only city he lived in had been Prehevil and they never stopped in civilization long enough to get used to a place during the war.

But a dream was...his were always nightmares, at least the ones he remembered. This one was too calm for that, they weren't even in the front line trench. But he thinks maybe he hadn't been in the trenches for awhile?

He shakes his head and stands up. Maybe if he sticks with this guy he'll have a better chance to figure it out.]

Sure. This is a common room, everything's laid out pretty normally.

[battlefieldbrat]

Right. And outside?

[kakashi steps out of the doorway, inviting levi to take the lead. be his tour guide, won't you.]

[solitarysoul]

[He follows Kakashi out and then takes the lead, turning left and heading down the trench.]

Yeah. Its all pretty typical for these, but there's a sleeping room down this way.

[He's sure this guy wasn't from Prehevil. If he wasn't with the military and he wasn't from Prehevil there wasn't really a place that Levi could know him from...
Levi's not quite there yet, but he's getting closer to realizing it really is a dream.]

[battlefieldbrat]

[kakashi follows him obediently, thinking that this would be significantly more pleasant if he had shoes on. oh well.]

What's over the edge? Where you do your fighting?

[solitarysoul]

[He just kind of stares at Kakashi for a few moments.]

...Kakashi?

[battlefieldbrat]

Yeah?

[he...stares back. is this levi realizing something is off, finally?]

[solitarysoul]

How did you get here?

[battlefieldbrat]

It's a little complicated...

[he crosses his arms over his chest.]

Basically, I just appeared here.

[solitarysoul]

[Levi rubs his head, this was way to confusing. What was it Kakashi had said before? Something about dreams?]

You said...this was a dream? Mine?

((since the only way to wake people up is to convince them this is a dream, i think that means once Levi figures that out in a tag or two the thread'd end cause he woke up?))

[battlefieldbrat]

Seems that way, yeah. I dreamed about being back home, too. Other people were there, though. People from Aldrip.

[fine by me if that's how you want to play it!]

[solitarysoul]

That's...really weird. But I guess that's not surprising given everything about this place.

[Now that details from the rest of his life and stay in Aldrip are returning it really does make sense. Of course there'd be some sort of dream thing. He sighs and...wakes up.]