video

[animusnpcs]

[At first what Dax is saying is completely incomprehensible--a good ear for languages may notice it's the same language the worker units are speaking. Dax has some sort of device in his hand, though, and after fiddling with it a little eventually his words become understandable to anyone listening:]

--Testing, testing--aha, there we are. Alright--well, to get this out of the way for our new residents, I'm Dax, and I'm an administrator of the Tower. Anyway, as you may have noticed, we're having a few minor malfunctions when it comes to our usual translation process which wasn't helped by having to divert all that power to quarantining and scrubbing radiation. I'm using a portable device to translate this to all of you and to translate any of your responses, but it's a bit fussy.

We should have everything fixed within a day or two, however! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

[He sounds just a bit nervous about the prospect of Q&A, though. It's as if these situations often bring long discussions and arguments, or something.]

Comments

[Voice]

[heavenscorpse]

I have a question. It's not about this though. Can I still ask it?

[animusnpcs]

Go ahead.

voice;

[eternallily]

Radiation?! What happened? Was anyone hurt?

...more importantly, any suggestions for what we should do in the meantime?

[animusnpcs]

Regarding the radiation, that was the result of an experiment one of your fellow residents performed. You'd be best served asking around for specifics about that, although there was no lasting damage. We helped clean the radiation and contained it to as few floors as possible, which put a bit of a strain on the systems.

In the meantime, perhaps it would be best to find those you can speak to around the Tower. This issue shouldn't last too long.

voice

[doctor_dismemberment]

Is that why I don't understand the gibberish that's coming out of my mouth? Oh, lovely.

Can't you people do anything right?

[animusnpcs]

This is the first time the translation systems have failed; our record isn't bad at all for everything required to run this place. Regardless, the issue will be fixed in a day or two.

Video

[littlelifeforms]

I have noted you mentioned above the selection process is random.

However, many people I have met come from the same worlds or at least different version of the same world at different point in time. Earth appears to be one of the most common homeworld. Furthermore, even when their homeworld counts billions of people, more often the people you take in the tower knew each other. How is it possible? By random selection, even counting the multitude of parallel universe, it should be close to impossible for you to randomly get people so close to each other.

[animusnpcs]

When I say the process is random, I mean that the one chosen from a world once we contact it is random. The process of connecting to different worlds is very much not a random one. We are following the virus--and note that's for lack of a better term for it--that's destroying universes, and it tends to spread in a somewhat predictable fashion. When it reaches one world it tends to spread to similar ones, and therefore we end up with clusters of residents from similar universes. As for why we get so many who personally know each other, that seems to have to do with a quality of our residents we can't yet define. The arrival process isn't quite as simple as us pulling you here and you waking up in your beds.

video

[stalemates]

Bring back the whale!

[animusnpcs]

Whales are incredibly rare--to the point we thought them extinct--and not something we would like to attract again anyway, although I am confident the Tower's defenses would hold were another event to occur.

video

[selfinteresting]

I've been told you're the most reasonable among the administrators, so I'm glad it's you doing this.

Is there any rhyme or reason to the colours of the collars we're given?

[animusnpcs]

Yes; what's required for your collars is different based on certain variables. You may wish to inquire to those who have been here longer about what happened when they were accidentally switched. The specifics of how you are all sorted are, unfortunately, not my department, and I would advise against asking the person whose department it is.

[video]

[justabignobody]

[Well, if Dax offers like this...]

You wouldn't happen to know what exactly those... beings are, that Ruana left with a few of us after last month, would you?

[He turns his head slightly, though it's probably kind of obvious tha the is talking about the Komory Bat that's sitting on his shoulder (it's grinning at Dax; hiiii strange, screen person! ^o^).]

[animusnpcs]

[Dax examines it for a moment.] I believe if you received that as a result of last month's activities it is something from your universe.

Video

[doc_brown]

I am very sorry if the explosion is what causes you troubles!

[ Rude as hell to blame him and now Doc's going to hide in a hole for the next seven months. ]

But do you know why it exploded? My calculations were precise and I used this very same kind of reactor countless time without ever encountering an anomaly in my homeworld! This should have worked!

[animusnpcs]

You overloaded certain systems in place here.

Voice;

[giveschase]

You took him away! Why why why why why why why why why GIVE HIM BACK!

[...Sorry, Dax. Majora is in a Mood and you happen to be the first admin she's sen since Fierce Deity vanished.]

[animusnpcs]

I believe you're referring to someone who has disappeared from the Tower? That isn't something we do intentionally.

anontext

[silentsacrifice]

[He's still figuring out the network, so he might as well ask now that an administrator is being so kind as to talk to them.]

Is there any way to contact you privately? I have concerns that I don't feel comfortable addressing in public.

locked; unhackable

[animusnpcs]

I have locked this conversation. No one will be able to view any replies following this except you.

video

[midgarhorizon]

[Another PR attempt by the most sane one amongst the admins, huh.]

So about the new floor additions... that graveyard, is that your memorial to people you misplaced? Are they dead?

And are you people sick or something? What kinda floor is that "bar" floor? Picking up the Midgar Museum's House of Torture off Gaia woulda been kinder, and that's saying a lot.

[animusnpcs]

They aren't dead, they have been returned to their own destroyed worlds. As for the other floors, they are Riki's decision, and he's always been eccentric. I believe the graveyard was an attempt at a memorial for those who have vanished, as distressing as it ended up.

[video]

[sageprincess]

[After taking a moment to look over some of the responses, and... hm.]

Some time ago, Jason attempted another one of his 'experiments' upon a section of the Tower populace. However, we were given a certain amount of anonymous information - likely without his consent - that allowed us to reverse the majority of the procedures.

Would you happen to know who we are to thank for that little victory? I am certain there are several of us who would wish to do so, if given the chance.

[... well, maybe 'several' is pushing it. But she knows people were happy to stick it to Jason at the end of all that.]

[animusnpcs]

Regardless of who gave you the information it was you yourselves who reversed the process, and therefore you all who should receive the credit.

[video]

[boxingemperor]

[Dax...he's shown up before. During the whale attack, if Akihiko remembers right. He seems approachable. Maybe even reasonable.]

That explains all the gibberish and funny looks. I was wondering how we could all understand each other before. So it's not the collars that control it?

[animusnpcs]

No; although the collars do contain a device which receives the translation, it is transmitted by a different system which is currently malfunctioning.

[video]

[warriorscribe]

*So the question about the worlds was answered before him. And the graveyard wasn't actually filled with bodies. That was good, at least, to have some answers. But by the time he's opened up a video feed, the only question that comes to mind is:*

How is it you can control us so completely? How could she have...have destroyed my free will?

[animusnpcs]

Are you referring to the events of last month?

video

[puppy_lancer]

I speak just fine. Dunno what you're talking about.

[animusnpcs]

Currently our translation systems are malfunctioning. Some of you are speaking your normal language, but others have ended up speaking something different. In all cases the translation system that normally allows you to converse with those in the Tower who do not speak your language has failed.

voice; private;

[egotrigger]

[He's locked this as well as he can. He does have a question and he'd rather ask someone who might have more information than just a single captive.]

I'm just wondering if you know of how many people here have quantum brain waves or something that can interfere with my own brain waves in a similar way. There was an... incident, shortly after I arrived, and I'd like to know so I can attempt to avoid similar incidents in the future.

[animusnpcs]

What incident are you speaking of? The abilities many here have are very different even if some of them have similar names.

[Text]

[lightofhumanity]

Good evening. I have a question regarding the note that said my universe was destroyed. I am sorry to have to point this out, but..if my universe was destroyed, then I would cease to exist as well. Please, what actually happened to our universe, and how were you able to pull me out of it?

Also..you may not be the man at fault, but I have heard that one of you has been involving children in your..games. The fact that you are having these games is horrific enough, but involving children is going overboard. Please, at least spare them.

[animusnpcs]

Your universe has indeed been destroyed. As for why you are alive, it's a resulting side effect of the process in which we bring people here--it's the same one which prevents death here, and it's not one we fully understand. As for the games and experiments that the other administrators put on, I have no control in who they choose to select and I suggest you do not ask them to remove people. In the worst case you may provoke them into doing an experiment entirely with children.

[flared]

So you're the reasonable one in the bunch, are you?

[animusnpcs]

That seems to be the general Tower opinion.

[video]

[prayed]

[Of course, she's stuffing her face as always, so she'll be talking through (and during) bites.]

I got a couple things I wanna ask ya in private. So, ya think ya can handle locking this? Ya run this joint, so ya gotta be able to do a better job of it than me.

locked; unhackable

[animusnpcs]

I've locked the conversation, go ahead.

voice

[egotist]

So you're one of the persons who runs the tower, correct?

Then I demand to be released, your accusations of the world's end are nothing but a falsehood. How dare you keep me here, grouping me with these idiots.

[animusnpcs]

[Dax sighs.] Your world really has been destroyed, therefore sending you back isn't exactly something we'd like to do.

[ VOICE ; ]

[prototyper]

Ah... Hello.

It seems like there are people who aren't affected by this. Well, thank you for the update.

... May I ask you a few questions? It's unrelated to this. Do you exactly know what destroyed our worlds? It must have been something we couldn't stop, since there seems to be people who are pulled from different time periods as well. [ Considering Lancer is probably a few days or so in her future. ]

[animusnpcs]

We aren't sure what it is that's destroyed your world, though it spreads like a virus and destroys incredibly quickly. As for that situation, you are not from the same world as those people from a later time period. Everyone who is brought here is from a different universe.

[voice]

[attheclocktower]

[Xion has been checking the network a little because of the language issue - trying to find out if there was any news or explanation exactly like this, but it's a while before she actually remembers that this is something she could ask. Things have been so hectic, she'd forgotten. So this message comes a little later than perhaps some of the others]

I can... ask about anything?

[It really is important.]

[animusnpcs]

Yes.

[Voice]

[clumsyjesus]

Y-you're one of the people in charge of this tower?! [In other words, the people who keep torturing the residents here. Colette is smart enough not to bring that up. However, she would like to ask a few questions which have are to do her world...]

[animusnpcs]

I am, yes.

[video]

[bow_of_the_galadhrim]

I have a question.

Why the graveyard?

[animusnpcs]

I believe the thinking behind that was that it would be good to have a memorial to those who have accidentally been sent back. I'm not entirely sure why it's a graveyard, though.

[video]

[brokenstove]

[This is the first time Mami's used the network - successfully, anyway. When she hears this, she sighs and puts her head in her hands for a moment.]

Oh mah. So this be why Ah canno' understan' anyone 'cept Ryong, then?

[animusnpcs]

Correct. The entire system seems to have malfunctioned.