The Will to Fight: comms

[voidtreckermods]

Talk to All

Talk to Team

Talk to Individual

For the third option, a list of passengers appears and names can be searched for by letter. Anyone who has been working to try and make communications happen on their own devices will find those linked in to this network- though it is still only possible to use voice. If they have headphones from the music room they can make it so they work like earpieces.

Comments

[sciencegirl]

The records say it. Problem is, we don't know how long this illusion has been in place, and the victory it talks about wasn't so long ago. The big win people have been believing in obviously hasn't happened, so I don't know if this is true or if it's an adjusted history to go along with the illusion.

[This is just her questioning the records, though.]

A western army existing and fighting is confirmed, at the very least.

[flatteries]

[ Inigo lets out a breath, going quiet for a moment. Seeming to consider this. Considering the talk about the illusions over the comms, her theory doesn't sound entirely unlikely to him. ]

Is it confirmed as them having existed in the past? Or in the present too? I mean, if we really can't trust the more recent parts of those records, we could be the only ones still fighting out here at this point. [ Who's to say the demons didn't already get to those other guys? ]

[sciencegirl]

I've not yet found anything about them still existing, but I'll keep an eye out. So far it's just referred to their victory.

[Hopefully they're not the only ones.]

[light_of_willpower]

Do the records give any idea of how far west?

[sciencegirl]

Not so far. Just "western army". Sorry.

I should have made a fast moving drone before this, we could have sent it out that way.

[light_of_willpower]

That's why I was hoping to get some kind of idea of range. I can travel fast and far if needed. There are a few of us who can. But heading out that way blindly probably isn't the best idea, which is why more info would be good.

[sciencegirl]

Well, I'd try to find you a map but considering we can only transmit audio data-

[she blows a raspberry at that]

Maybe someone could give you an item you could use as a divining device? I'm sure something as big as these demon gates or a magical battleground would leave some sort of magical residual energy, so long as whatever's out there didn't throw it off.

[adregem]

[ Roland tunes in at the last second, not out of breath, not quite, but he's running for certain. ]

Entrapta, everyone -

[ He pauses, breathes. ]

I spoke to one. A demon with the dagger. Give me a second. What it said isn't exactly filling me with confidence.

[ He comes in and out; won't speak again until he's gotten an Elixir in him, giving more people time to tune in. ]

[sciencegirl]

Oh! Good! They can communicate like I suspected. Maybe nothing good, they can communicate!

What did you find out?

[adregem]

[ A few seconds later, he's back and ready. Thank you, FF potions for restoring full health and stamina. ]

Nothing explicitly useful, but...

[ He'll let others interpret the conversation. ]

I tried to trap it into admitting they had accomplices in the city. And that it was over for them, we've got the upper hand. The demon only said, who will you trust when you can't trust yourselves? [ A beat. The next part, Roland repeats verbatim. ] 'Do your young cry, or do you have no young left to leak? Leak water, and not your blood? Who will you blame?'

[ He shakes his head. ]

I used the info you shared in the comms to trap it some more, mentioned that humanity's won so many times already and we'll keep doing it again. All he said to that was everything struggles, even when it's as good as dead. Didn't really have time to chat some more, after that.

[sciencegirl]

Oh, well, that's very interesting of them, isn't it? And creepy. That's probably a very demon thing to do. To be creepy. And unclear.

[But! She's going to do her best.]

I'll talk to Orange team and see if there's anything to do with crying and water and leaking and children or alternatively other young things while they're looking around for clues.

...We might want to also watch out for some of the younger team members, I'm thinking.

[adregem]

Sure. Keep us updated.

[ If her literal interpretation of that helps them some, Roland's not going to stop her this time. Or even correct her. He's still unnerved, doesn't like that if the demon needed to taunt him some it had to bring the young into the picture...But more than that - ]

Something or someone's not telling the truth. That much is clear, isn't it? You said eight months ago, they won a decisive victory in the west and everyone caught in the illusion thinks it'll happen again. But that's not the case at all. I know you can't see it, but the damage outside of the city is...irreversible. It's a barren wasteland. This wasn't done overnight.

[ But eight months sounds just about right to destroy everything around the Shining City, wasn't it? Again, Roland will let others decide, those tuning in, those listening. ]

[sciencegirl]

Hey, are the demons at all affected by the illusion? I mean... we know the people are seeing what they want to see. But is the illusion also affecting the demons so that they think they've already had a total victory? Do they look at the city and only see a wasteland?

I know you've only had the chance to speak to one, but I've not really considered if that illusion is going both ways.

[adregem]

That's a good question.

[ A really good one. Though it'll have to wait for another moment, if Roland can get it again. Demon interrogation wasn't exactly his strong suit, and if anyone else listening in the comms had something to offer here, now would be the time to pipe up. All Roland can really do here is stay in amenable silence, and one other thing still haunting him, hallowed in his head despite the demon long passing. He repeats it quietly, under his breath, before pausing speech and waiting for someone else to chime in. ]

Everything struggles, even when it's as a good as dead...

( same time frame as the thread; definitely before the dawn attacks in Ongoing )

[adregem]

[ Entrapta's going to hear his feed come back to life a little while later, and while Roland is okay now, he had been through hell and back for one particular thing he's not about to forget. Not after that fight. ]

Hey. [ He waves the thing around though he knows she won't be able to see it; her or anyone else listening in still on this line. Still worth saying, worth telling people about. ] I have a dagger. From the tiny menace.

[ God was it a menace. ] Borrowed it when it wasn't looking. Heh. [ A joke, which he hopes someone picks up on if not for Entrapta. They hit so hard. But he hopes it'll be worth it to have. ] If anyone wants to take a look, it's with me.

[sciencegirl]

Oh, thank you!

[You are a champion Roland.]

Those are special! I need the magically conductive metal to build us some things once I run it by some purifiers. The casting properties should allow us to build 'healing' weapons as well as magical defenses.

[Those will be important later.]

I really wish I'd had time to get those done before this mission. But that might be the component I really needed.

[adregem]

I figured. That just means there's no time to waste at all.

[ The special bit, he means. He'll let the geniuses in Orange figure out the rest. But from the sound of Entrapta's musings, Roland also realizes she's got something up her sleeve that could turn things around for not just the Treckers, but for the citizens they're protecting. ]

How do I get this thing to you over at the Shining City? [ A pause. ] If I pop in there via teleportation, I'll be affected by the illusion, won't I?

[sciencegirl]

Yes, and luckily it's been proven that people with magical clarity or keen senses of reality can shake the illusion.

Unfortunately, it's still something I'm weak to. Right now my perception is stable but if I start having problems I'll mention it. [Which she absolutely will, because that tower is going to be a doozy for her.]

[adregem]

Gah. That's just great, then. I've got next to nothing when it comes to magical anything.

[ Seriously. ]

Till we can find a way to get this to you, then. Take care of yourself, won't you? You're doing a great job keeping everyone over on this side updated. Hope I can continue to assist your work to get the job done.

[miseris_socios]

I can take care of myself.

[He doesn't need to be looked over. Not by anyone, even Vexen.]

[thawed_pride]

And if they turn out to pay younger humans greater attention? Use your head instead of your pride, boy, anyone could get overwhelmed alone in our situation.