compnetwork | Sixth Echo

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Sixth Echo

[Video]

Good morning, Hinoto-Ri.

[A woman wearing a brown robe and a vague smile seems to be sitting on the roof of a building and enjoying the morning sunlight while looking into her COMP watch.]

I seem to have been gone for a couple of months, or at least long enough that they had to give me a new ID card. It's kind of disconcerting, since I'm pretty sure I was only "back" in my galaxy for a few hours, but at least they were quiet hours for once.

Anyway, if the last major thing I remember is the bull monsters, what have I missed?

Oh, and for any new Visitors, my name is Meetra Surik. I come from another world, like you, and I've been trying unsuccessfully to figure out the meaning behind the mystical events here for a while. I also enjoy card games, sunrises, and meandering philosophical dialogs.

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[Well, hello. Have a very serious looking teenager.]

You retained your memories of this place. When did you return back to- the same moment you had left?

It's hard to be sure. I was here for a lot longer than I was back there, and hyperspace looks pretty much the same no matter where you are. No one seemed to have missed me, though.

I see.

[She brings a hand to her chin.]

Hyperspace?

A dimension that allows faster-than-light travel. Very convenient, but hard on the eyes after a while.

I'm assuming your world doesn't have hyperspace technology.

No, not that I'm aware of. We haven't even reached light speed yet, I don't think.

I'm from Earth. Where are you from?

All over the galaxy. Pretty sure it's not even the same galaxy, really. I grew up on a planet called Dantooine, but I don't think I was born there.

Interesting.

[That certainly was different.]

Do you know where you were born?

[She shakes her head.]

I was taken in to a kind of religious order when I was very young, and it never really mattered much to me anyway.

[There is a blue spider robot among a generic cyberscape responding to the call. Meetra might not have seen Tachikoma's network avatar before, but the voice is the same. As is the curiosity indicated by the string of questions, so she may be able to put two and two together.]

Miss Surik! You're back! It's so great to see you again!

How have you been? Was the return home fun? What was it like? Did you see your friends?

Tachikoma? Oh, is this what you looked like when you were a dr--robot?

I think I was only there for an hour or two, but my friends seemed to be fine. It's strange, but I remember what happened there, but while I was there I didn't remember being here. I think that's consistent with other people who "returned", right?

Yep! This is pretty much what my tank chassis looked like!

But that's strange alright. I wonder if that would happen to me, would the memories I make here be erased? Maybe I should make backups and keep them on me so I can share my experiences with my other Tachikomas...

Well, I remembered everything when I got back here, but judging from some of the other COMP traffic that's not always the case. A backup couldn't hurt, really.

Welcome back. [ He doesn't know what else to say, really. He's not sure if she wants to be there or not. ]

I had a feeling you'd still be here, Cerberus. I take it that means the forces of Chaos haven't been smited from the city yet.

I doubt the work will be done within my lifetime, and I don't age.

Fair enough. Have there been any other major attacks or problems since I left?

I don't believe so, no. I've mostly just lost friends due to their disappearance. Not even the underground is acting up much. We had some kidnappings but they were qucickly resolved.

More people went back than just me, then...

Yes, quite a few. There are still some old faces around that you will recognize, however.

I wonder if that means things are getting more dangerous, or less...

I'm not sure. I do know our political situation as visitors is growing more precarious, however.

Not really that surprising. Was there an incident, or are people just getting tired of the influx and outflux?

The sum of several incidents, really. They fear us. I'm used to it. The Astartes have always been rightfully feared, but even more than I'm accustomed to, in this case. No one views us as saviors or protectors anymore, and it rankles a bit.

Well, we're going to need to do something to change that, clearly.

Hopefully not something that involves another monster infestation, but if that happens it happens.

(I am assuming no one has figured out why that happens yet.)

Hoooooo! Of course you'd come back. The city is now a little brighter with your beautiful face, babe!

[But seriously, welcome back.]

I guess I'm glad to hear that.

Back? So you've been back to your world?

[This is relevant to Maugris's interest - and a couple hours is all he really wants.]

Well, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Surik. Call me Maugris - and I'd be happy to help with looking into the mystical stuff. I've been sort of trying, myself, but I don't think I've been having a lot of success.

Briefly. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it apparently happens with some regularity.

And the arcane here is definitely...well, arcane. Even the demons can't really give much information other than "we're here, we've always been here, the humans just started getting more uppity in the last decade".

At least, the ones I've met can't.

I haven't really talked a whole lot to the demons. But I'm used to the kind of demons where even talking to them is dangerous.

So far all I've really got is a rough idea of how Personas work and that Butterfly Guy - er, Philemon - is a thing. Something about a bet or contest? I've only been here for a couple of months.

Well, that's the basics.

We briefly ran into "Butterfly Guy"'s rival once when I was here before. Or rather, when we got sent to another world. The stakes here are a little higher than just a contest, really.

This stuff takes time. I haven't been in this city long enough to really know the right places to look or the right people to ask. If this had been back in my town it would be different, especially if this was a repeating phenomenon.

Well, of course they are for us. Gods - or whatever they are - aren't known for having quite the same sense of scale as the rest of us.

I guess not. And most of the people who seem like they might know what's going on are the distant mystical types themselves. Probably under some kind of agreement not to help us too much, or something like that.

Edited 2013-09-11 03:45 (UTC)

I hate it when people do that, I really do. I am a mystical type, and I don't do that.

Well. I try not to, anyway.

Sometimes there's a reason. Usually it's just a mark of being full of oneself, though.

Yeah, no kidding. It's still a pain when you're trying to get something done and need their help, though.

It's actually an even worse pain when they're being paranoid for a perfectly good reason.

Because you usually get to find out that reason the hard way?

Oh good, you've done this before!

Unfortunately, yes. Nobody ever seems to want to make things easy, even when you're trying to help them. I have a lot of experience with that issue in general.

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Sixth Echo

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