compnetwork | [Voice]

[Well, Shelly has had quite enough of interrogating the locals. It would have been splendid if they had managed to answer all of his questions, but that wasn't the case. Not to mention, there are other questions he cannot pose to them. He can't pose them to the network, either - not directly. But it's time to seek more information, regardless. He just has to be careful about it.]

Greetings. I am new here, and I was told that I could use this device to communicate with other... "Visitors", was it? Other people like me, at any rate. I have already asked a fair number of questions to the inhabitants of this city, but I must admit, some of what they've said is difficult for me to understand, and I feel quite lost. Any further help would be much appreciated.

Speaking of this device... The "COMP"? [He pronounces each letter separately - Cee Ohh Emm Pee.] Something worries me. How secure is it? I think I saw some privacy settings while I was attempting to begin recording this message, but are they reliable? I assume the device's functions are powered by the internet, and the problems that may arise from such a thing are well known... or so I hope. In fact, how easy is it to determine the identity of a given person on this network? You never know who you may be speaking to, after all.

[There. Subtle. ~~Boy just wait until he figures out the government has his name on record.~~]

That should be all for now, I believe. Thank you kindly.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[In a world where murder victims can be called "Deid Mann", how can anyone question anything?]

Is that so? Quite impressive.

... I have heard less flattering reports, however. A young lady told me that the very same people in charge of ensuring the privacy of this network may spy on private messages... and I very much doubt that is legal.

That's a pretty stand-out name.

I appreciate the qualifier.

Haaah?! They do that? That's terrible!

I haven't read about any specific laws that protect the privacy of COMP users, but that's just not right! If I ever see them, I'll give them a piece of my mind!

[Evidently, he's outraged by this notion.]

... Do you think so? It seems quite normal to me.

How diligent of you, Mr. Detective. It is reassuring to hear that, I must say.

Law or no law, the residents of this fair city should never have to worry about their privacy being jeopardized. If you have any other worries, feel free to bring them to my attention as well!

Thank you, Mr. Detective.

Speaking of law... I was wondering something. Would you happen to know if the government of this place keeps records of every Visitor?

Records? What sort of records?

Names and ages, for instance. I suppose it's only natural that they do... although I question how they could obtain such things.

Hmm... Have you paid a visit to the government office for your passcard yet? The card does have things like that printed on it, but now that you mention it, I'm not sure where they got their information. That's... kind of odd.

[Questionable as the notion is, he's not about to complain. His own passcard has all the information of Bobby Fulbright on it. Perhaps it's because he identified himself as such towards Philemon.]

... Passcard? [The locals had somehow neglected to mention this to him...

Ohh dear.] Where is this government office?

Why, it's in the Leo ward, smack-dab in the middle of the city.

There were. My last major job involved programming for them. Their primary use was as a handheld gaming console, though it also had email capabilities. The programs themselves were fairly easy to customize, and they ended up being used as devices to summon demons.

There was a map function somewhere... ah, there. What a useful little device.

Unfortunately, I don't suppose they will agree to send me back home if I present my complaints there.

[To summon-- okay.] Is this related to that supposed "power" we have been given?

No, I'm afraid it's not that easy. But hey, this place isn't too bad at all! We were all chosen by a god to protect it. I'd say that's quite the honor.

... A god? Is that who that masked man was?

Anyhow, I suppose that isn't too different from what you usually do, Mr. Detective. [At least he's guessing so, judging by the man's attitude towards JUSTICE.] I, on the other hand, can't say I am used to this.

Well, I don't know a lot of English names in the first place, but I know that one.

[He laughs a little bit.]

In some ways. They seem to have some similarities in terms of elemental affiliations and abilities. Though the demons were summoned from an adjacent world, rather than from our own psyches.

Magic is not uncommon here, and in some worlds it's more common than technology.

[Bobby has no reason to question that Philemon's a god. He's the one who brought him here from another world, after all. That sort of power sounds godlike enough. He nods at the first questions, even though John Doe can't see him.]

Oh? What do you do for a living?

It is a fairly common name, I suppose.

Are you saying that the... demons here come from our minds?

[This is going to take a while to get used to...]

[Shelly has so many questions, and there are so few satisfying answers. Magic. Demons. Were it not for the sheer scale of it all, he would dismiss it as an elaborate prank.]

I sell sweets. Ice cream, crepes and several other baked goods.

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