REBOOTING NETWORK...

[stringmods]

DATA UPGRADE COMPLETE

> Connecting to network. Current Time 1:11 1/28/10AC
> colonyzero is operational and online
> Audio playback operational
> Video playback operational
> Eruditio protocols perficiendis

LOADING 100%
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> Searching databanks
> One(1) Video Playback available
> WARNING Recording appears to be unstable. Data may be corrupted.

PLAY? この後、後戻りはありません...

Y/N
> Y

LOADING RECORDING.
T▋ME ΙΖ:ΩΙ Ι/Ζ▋/Ι▋A▋

[The feed turns on. It seems to be a recording that the nanomachines are picking up - but the sound is distorted. The voices echo and the lighting is dim at best. There's a persona lighting the the way, but most of what you can see and hear is water. Rows and rows of waterfalls are reflecting the reddish night of the 13th hour. Strange glowing mushrooms provide most of the light that isn't from the four figures walking forward.

The video stops and static causes it to skips ahead. The roar of the waterfalls is now even closer, and the camera shakes constantly to the rhythm of footsteps.


The area they are at it gigantic. More than forty feet, the giant robotic figure behind them is not having any troubles moving along with them. It is easy to guess that this is Brainstorm. The cloaked figure, Orpheus. The pointed hat, McGonagall. Someone else behind her, and it looks to be Q.

For some reason half of the Seven are here during the 13th hour...]

▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋▋ don't like ▋▋░▋░ look ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋. ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋ door suddenly appear ░░░▋▋▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░an ▋▋░▋░ of the open ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░ 13th hour ▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░ ill omen.

[That sounded like Orpheus' voice]

While ▋░▋▋░ I would agree ░▋▋▋░▋▋▋▋░, ░▋▋▋░▋▋▋▋░▋▋░▋░▋▋ cannot wait,▋▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░ opportunity will ░▋▋▋▋░▋▋░▋░. Fortune favors the bold,░▋▋▋▋░▋▋░▋░. ▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░▋ perhaps another message ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░░░ ghostly fellow...

[And that was Q...]

Regardless, ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░░ carefully, lest this is a trap. ▋░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░ enough bloodshed ░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░░ tournaments ▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋...

[Mcgonagall]

▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋ is just one blasted surprise after another. ▋░░░▋░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋░░░▋░ checked to ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋ fool of a mayor ▋░░░▋░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋░░░ spreading any more asinine rumors.

[If the condescension didn't give Brainstorm away, the mechanical resonation of his voice would have.]

▋▋░▋░▋▋░░▋░░░▋▋▋░ agree with Q. ▋░░░▋▋▋░░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋░░ figure out ░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋░░ being asked ░▋▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋░░. ░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░ there are no monsters yet.

[Wait who was that voice? Those who had meet or conversed with Eiichiro would recognize him, and understand that the recording came from his own nanomachines. That would explain why the camera was shaking so much.]

░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░ Jinx the expedition! ░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░ what ░░▋▋▋░░▋▋░░ and creatures lurk only ready to--

[And Orpheus again]

--oh do stop ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░▋░░ prattle of yours! ▋▋▋░░▋▋░░░▋ move on...

[Q rightfully interjecting.]

ERROR FEED U▩STABLE DATA INF▩RMATION.
> REPAIRING

90/100
▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋░▋

> DATA L▩AD COMPLET▩
> PRESS TO CONTIN▩E

[The video flickers off again, and suddenly the sound of the waterfalls is behind them.

There is now a large door, with strange cryptic runes that look more like a mixture of different human civilization and culture than a single entity. Greek-Egyptian pillars, writing that doesn't seem to match any language current or past on earth known. Aztec and Japanese-style paintings on the wall.

It's hard to see, and the feed seems to be getting worse and worse.

There is, however a symbol appearing before them]

> REPAIRING _

[The feed flickers again and it seems that the door was somehow opened, and they area already inside.

This time it is much easier to see. There are strange glowing crystals lighting up the room.

Looking around, humanoid figures are forming a circle, pointing to it. And in the dead front, three ten feet tall statues of strange creatures.

There is deadly silence.

Wait...

...is one of the statues starting to mov--

The feed cuts again.]

ERROR ERROR ERROR FEED UNSTABLE DATA INFORMATION.
> REPAIRING

> CONTINUING FEED
> PRESS TO CONTINUE⌛▋▋??▋

[Some time seems to have passed. Eiichiro appears to be breathing heavily with one hand being healed by Q's persona. It looks like they were locked in battle. The statues are still there, but have changed position.]

▋▋▋░░▋▋░░░▋ over?

[And now a pedestal rises from underground, the glow from the center crystal blinding even the view for a few seconds. When you can see it again, it appears to be a strange block spinning in the air.]

▋▋▋░░▋▋░░░▋ personally ▋▋░▋▋░▋▋▋▋░░▋▋░▋ want to--

[Suddenly the feed cracks and pops, and flashes of images appear in rapid succession.]

MINERVA! HOLD ▋▋░▋▋▋▋░░▋▋ HAND!

[That was Q's voice. Frantic.

The crystal has expanded. It looks like a large glowing white mass- and in another change, it seems like both Minerva and Q were pulled inside by gigantic white tendrils.]

▋▋▋░░▋▋ really, ▋▋▋░░░ all it has ░░░▋▋▋▋░? ░░░▋▋▋▋░░░▋▋░░▋▋ blasted tentacles, I swear I wonder why I work ░░▋▋░░▋▋ people ▋▋▋░░░▋ sometimes...

[There's the sound of an energy weapon discharging a few times, then a pained noise from Brainstorm.]

▋▋▋░░░▋ Stop that! No! I'm ▋░░ smart to die ▋░░ ▋▋▋░░░▋▋░!

[It grabs both him and Orpheus and they disappear.

The camera flickers again, as another tentacle comes closer to the view, and then violently grabs Eiichiro by the leg before dragging him into the white light--]

ERROR LOST CONTACT!
ERROR LOST CONTACT!
ERROR LOST CONTACT!
ERROR LOST CONTACT!

[...and then the feed shuts down completely.]

> ...REPLAY? _

[Note: This video will be available in the databanks, so if your character is still out cold, they can find out about this later.]

Comments

[forceofnature]

Maybe you can use it to negotiate with the abominations! Be our 'Guttural Sounds That Induce Permanent Insanity' to English translator.

[stolemylook]

[...oh for the love of.]

Shut up, Viridi.

[forceofnature]

Oh, you don't have to make the incomprehensible angry guttural growling noises now. Just when we're talking to whatever's down there.

[otakuro]

...

Definitely the abominations. I bet it's some elaborate plan to slowly consume the whole city, picking us off one by one with each rescue team we send in.

[He's probably joking. ...Probably.]

[text]

[greatseal]

[Dogs on the network is still so strange....]

Don't worry, Koro-chan. We'll figure out what to do.

text

[greatseal]

It's definitely the monster that's the problem.

[text]

[greatseal]

Right. We just have to proceed cautiously so that no one else winds up in danger.

voice;

[doesasordered]

That was.... a lot to take in. Do we have any idea what that was?

not tagging directly yet;

[technomaturgist]

[ Ferrus, in spite of his position in bed, is gonna try and track the signal anyway, without announcing his intent. He can see people being like no don't tell anyone anything, but he's curious. ]

[video]

[selematpagi]

I don't get it! Was this what that guy with the tie and the mask was talking about?

[ These plot twists make her head throb... ]

[text]

[greatseal]

There is that, at least. Thank you for your concern, Blues-kun.

voice;

[spaztastic]

I'm not sure if we do. I guess the others are working on it.

[notifwhen]

The Seven are the best we have right now! Why would we send anyone else in? Especially since you guys were busy with the tournament!

[Sorry she doesn't quite understand the concept of "Red shirts."]

text

[notifwhen]

It's a happy face! The two small lines at the top are the eyes and the triangle's the mouth.

[notifwhen]

It's in a place called Mictlan. It's some strange building that only appears during the 13th Hour. Before we thought it was inaccessible.

text

[notifwhen]

Yeah, that's what I thought too. We don't really know what it is yet though. It doesn't look like any demon I've seen before!

[drakenguard]

Exactly. The Seven are the best we have right now. Sending perhaps one, with a large party of people, would have sufficed if you were concerned about safety and quality during this recon.

Sending four was bordering on irresponsible, as shown in the video. We have lost four of them, when we could have lost only one or two. It is about managing your resources effectively. I'm certain if you asked there would have been some fodder amongst us willing to be the canary in the mine, so to speak.

[Yamato tries to explain the concept of Red Shirts? Then again he views everyone, even himself, as tools so...]

text

[greatseal]

And it doesn't look like a shadow, so I've got no idea either.

[Shadow tentacles were usually more.... shadow-y.]

voice;

[doesasordered]

...Every day here, I feel as I know less instead of more. Though I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

[von_schweetz]

So what exactly are you gonna do to fix things?

[notifwhen]

Stop acting like they're totally dead.

[Dude you are so insufferable like wow.]

We're not just going to ask you guys to be cannon fodder on something like this! Besides, even if we only wanted to send one, all of them insisted on going. Mr. Takeba too.

[notifwhen]

I don't even know anything about Shadows, so your guess is as good as mine right now. o(´^｀)o But Ciel's working on it, and Ideo went off to help her.

[notifwhen]

We're going to go back in and get them back!

[Well that was simple enough.]

[Video]

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Not what I was expecting, but I'm not a xenoarchaeologist.

I assume you're going to go rescue them?

[Video]

[greyerrant]

Of course. You're coming, no doubt.

[ Because the old (By anime and JRPG) protagonists need to keep them teenagers in line. And off the lawn. Okay Garviel is old by any standards at 200. ]