001 | [Video Post to the Public Network]

[disconinjafrog]

♪ The most fitting music ♪

[When the video feed comes on, you might all recognize a very famous looking face appearing on your screens. One Yosuke Hanamura has got his COMP on his wrist aimed at his face, and he looks... terribly deep in thought about something. Concerned, even. And, for a change of pace, he seems to have actually posted to the entire public network.

This isn't just a message for the visitors, this is a message for all of Hinoto-Ri, one he's sure people are going to look at because of his mini-celebrity status. Boy it must be important.]

You know I've been thinking about some stuff ever since we got here. Things have been so crazy recently that I wasn't even able to realize it before but now that we've had some time to catch our breath and stop and think about what's been going on...

[He isn't going to say it out loud because he gets the feeling it's kind of taboo to mention them in public like this, but he's been thinking about what the Anoli said.... about the government hiding the fact that the outside world isn't what they say it is.]

I've been here for almost six months now and I feel like such an idiot for not noticing this sooner, and to be honest I'm wondering why the hell nobody else noticed it either. But guessing that we really are in a city that's been completely cut off from the outside world-- an outside world that's supposedly destroyed and totally in ruin... How is this place running as smoothly as it is?

I mean we're still getting fresh produce coming into the stores every single day, we've got energy powering all of the buildings, and new products coming in on shelves. This town doesn't have any farms, or any factories for processing food, it's too small for factories to build most of the stuff that we even get coming in. I mean even if there is a factory or two around, like in the Cancer district or whatever, they'd run out of materials pretty damn fast if they weren't getting regular shipments of plastics and metals and whatever else.

[Yosuke shakes his head in frustration.]

This place runs like the world economy is still a thing that exists out there... if the whole damn world is gone, how can that even be possible? Does anyone know what the hell is going on? I have a bad feeling that we're getting some serious misinformation here...

[It seems like this teenager has stumbled onto a stroke of genius after all.]

▋░░░▋▋▋░▋▋▋▋▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░

[Only one half an hour later, this video suddenly can no longer be found on the public network. While it is still available on the private visitor's network, the message is now terribly artifacted and the audio horribly distorted.]

░▋░░░▋▋▋░░ been thinking about some stuff ▋▋░▋░░░▋▋▋░░ Things have been so crazy recently that I wasn't ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋ but now that we've had some time to catch our breath and stop and ▋▋░░░▋░▋

I've been here for almost six months now and I feel like such an idiot ▋▋░░░▋░▋ ▋▋░░░▋░▋ wondering why the hell nobody else ▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋ But ▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋ cut off from ▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋-- an outside ░▋░▋▋░░░▋▋▋ and totally in ruin ▋▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░

I mean we're still getting fresh produce coming into the stores every single day, we've got energy powering all of the buildings, and ▋▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░ This town ▋▋░▋ ▋▋░▋░▋▋░▋░ farms, ▋▋░▋ factories for processing food, ▋▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░▋▋░░░▋░▋░▋▋▋▋░▋░ get coming in. I mean ░▋▋░░░▋▋ there is a factory or two around, like in the Cancer district or whatever, they'd ░▋▋░░░▋ pretty damn ░▋▋░░░▋░▋▋░ weren't ░▋▋░▋▋░ regular ▋▋░▋░▋▋░░▋░░ and whatever else.

ERROR FEED U▩STABLE DATA INF▩RMATION.

▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋▋░▋

[ooc: The original format of this post will only be available for a half an hour and it will be available for the entire city to read during that time. Your characters are able to respond both before and after the message is distorted, however note that if they respond to it before it is distorted, it is very soon after it is posted.]

Comments

video

[disconinjafrog]

What? You mean ░▋░▋░▋▋ trying to ░▋▋░▋▋ message? ░░░▋▋▋░▋

Wait ▋░░░▋░ the hell! Stupid ░░▋░▋░▋thing, stop messing ░▋░▋▋▋ ░▋░▋▋me!! Ugh, damnit!!

[genkibot]

The only problem with the theory is that it's very hard to prove unless the virtual space we're contained in provides the evidence of such. The questions you proposed though might be one of those indications! After all, if this space is trying to emulate a real city and world, things like power, goods, and services need to continue normally despite any actual external limitations.

[Sometimes in explaining things, Tachikoma can just make it more confusing...]

Oh, but I meant that before I woke up here, I was an AI controlling an urban combat tank! I worked with a special government agency to protect Japan from cyber-criminals! But then that Philemon person asked me to help here and I woke up with a human body with skin and blood and organs and everything!! It's been great so far!

[Voice- *Private*]

[disconinjafrog]

Or why they're hiding it from us...

You know, I'm seriously starting to think that we're not dealing with the good guys here, I think we might be sitting in more of a gray area than we thought.

[terminalemulation]

_{[Oh dear. It seems like that data corruption has started to seep into even the replies to the post! It starts a bit innocuously, but the latter portions of the conversation are completely unrecognizable. This won't be immediately evident to either Yosuke or Anant, but eventually all that they'll hear of each other will just turn to static as soon as its said.]}

[terminalemulation]

I'm sorry! I'm really very sorry... This doesn't us░▋▋▋▋y happen, so I'm just as confused as you...

Please don't abuse your COMP ░░▋▋▋that. It might worsen the pr░░lem.

[video]

[disconinjafrog]

Hey it's not me!! The stupid COMP is glitching out on me, I don't know what's going on!!

*Hyun-ae isn't helping, either, I think she's making things worse. [He's just going to blame the AI because clearly that's the best thing to do when things don't work right, blame the computer for it.]

[Not really here]

[youonlylivethrice]

[He's just going to watch this closely, don't mind him...]

text

[prototype_blues]

yes actually, that.

[He's keeping his replies short and simple in the hope that it won't end up scrambled.]

ULTIMATE PA INTERRUPTER: HYUN-AE

[terminalemulation]

...Um. Being impolite isn░▋░▋░▋▋▋▋ good way of giving people incentive to help fix your problems, but I'm going to just ignore ░▋░▋▋▋▋ keep trying anyway, I guess! Seri░▋▋, is that really something you would say about your tech support right in front of their face...?

[Voice- *Private*]

[gigglesnortpriestess]

[And the government watches the visitor network...would something happen to Yosuke if they found this?]

After hearing that group of people in Libra, it's like no one can tell who's in the right or wrong.

[As an after thought...]

Is it...safe to talk about this even in private?

[disconinjafrog]

This place isn't a TV show, it's reality. I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.

If I had to guess they're ▋░░░▋▋▋░░ without ▋░░▋░▋░░ know▋▋░▋▋▋░░ There might be some con▋░▋ac░▋ going on.

Maybe the ▋░░▋▋had a ░▋▋░▋ and we ░▋▋░▋

[video]

[feminine_carnivore]

Yeah, like I'm going to believe that. *Hyun-ae? Isn't that the AI? [ She's just gonna stare some more. Because if someone was gonna break the computer, between Yosuke and a real AI...it's probably gonna be Yosuke. ]

Although, I guess it could be a secret government plot set in motion to stop anyone from revealing their true plans! [ You know, but not really. ]

[Video]

[disconinjafrog]

We can continue this in person, but I really figured I had to get this out there before then.

You know I'm done just blindly believing everything that's handed to me. We're all about finding the truth, right?

There's definitely some truth we're missing.

[selfgodded]

[???]

Ah, my apologies. The message seems to have distorted a little. How odd. Have you broken your COMP?

...or perhaps this is a somewhat forbidden territory of discussion? I heard that c ▋░░░ip was ▋░░▋▋▋░ in the Col▋▋░░░░. Maybe the gov▋░░ ent do not wa▋░ ▋▋░ ░░▋ questioning?

[Video]

[linefacingforever]

[Yu gave a nod.]

That's right. Just because we're not in Inaba anymore, doesn't mean we have to stop that.

[A small smile crept onto his face. Count on his partner to remind him of that.]

Keep this in mind for when we find the others. We can talk it over and see if we can come up with anything until then.

Video

[all_wound_up]

Now that you mention it, that is strange.

[Video] Before Distortion

[eyewillprotect]

...Now that I think about it, it is strange. And it doesn't look like any of the other stores have trouble getting materials for their merchandise.

But... If it isn't from the outside, where could it be coming from? It couldn't be underground, either.

[misery_hates_company]

Oh my, what fantastically coincidental corruption! Surely it can't be because you're talking about something DANGEROUS, hmmm?

Video

[disconinjafrog]

I'm really surprised nobody else has noticed it yet...

[Sometimes he gets strokes of genius like this, but usually not over something this big...]

[Video]

[disconinjafrog]

I mean the only place it could be coming from is outside, right?? There's gotta be something out there, in that case. I kind of wanna check it out.

Video - obviously before the glitching because I forgot to mention it orz

[all_wound_up]

But what reason would they have to hide something like that from us?

[disconinjafrog]

I don't ░▋▋░▋ if ░▋▋▋░▋░░▋ Why would th░▋ ░▋▋░▋

It isn't da░▋▋ous!! Wouldn░▋ ░▋▋░▋ look really s░▋icious for ░▋░░▋▋ to ░▋░▋ ░░▋░▋▋░▋

[Ugh this stupid distortion is getting worse and worse.]

[disconinjafrog]

The message is distorting? What? But my COMP seems ░▋▋░▋ work░▋░▋ just ░▋▋░▋▋

Your messages are ░▋░░▋▋▋ too? Who does░░▋▋░▋▋ now?

[He can't tell what this other person is trying to say anymore... What the heck?]

[disconinjafrog]

No, no I'm fine on food, I was trying to ░▋░░▋░▋░ gov░░▋░ ▋░▋░ something is not ░▋░▋░ They might ░░▋░▋░ ░▋░░░▋░▋▋░▋░

[There's more distortion and artifacting coming through, and the audio is started to be reduced to high pitched squeaks and garbled junk.]

Video

[disconinjafrog]

[Yosuke follows Tatsuya's instructions as he talks, trying to get access to edit his post.]

I was saying that the city can░░▋░▋░ and ░░▋▋░░▋░▋░ if they ░▋░░▋░▋▋░ said ░░▋░▋░░▋░

[He doesn't seem entirely aware that his message is getting distorted, though something else appears to be wrong.]

Hey, what gives? ░░▋░▋░ can't seem to ░▋░▋░▋░░▋░ says access is den▋░░▋░