animus_network | [Video] Reorientation

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[Video] Reorientation

[Prussia is sitting in front of the Network screen like nothing ever happened, like he hadn't just poofed out of the tower for a good deal of time. His yellow bird is in its customary place on his head, and not even that recent network post he spotted questioning whether the pets were real could make him do anything else with it. It didn't matter if it wasn't "his" bird; he'd accept whatever made him comfortable here. That, of course, is beside the point; he's got some serious catching up to do.]

Hey, everybody. Guess who's back and awesome as ever? Prussia. Yep, awesome. [He's not putting much gusto into the word today.] Had my initiation oatmeal and everything.

I dunno if anyone noticed, but I've been gone for a while. Did anyone see a stone in the graveyard for me? Just wondering. So, because of that, I need someone to catch me up on just what's been going on in the tower. I have no idea how long I've been gone, because being stuck on a dead world kind of screws up your sense of time. So, if anyone could tell me what I've missed, that'd be greeeeeat.

Oh yeah, another thing. Is Enoch still here? Just wondering.

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[Neal looks... well, Neal looks incredibly tired.]

I guess we'll get the most important thing out of the way: Jason's dead.

Something happened late last month and a big chunk of us were thrown outside. There's nothing out there except for a whole lot of dead bodies.

The other problem we've got is that the countdown is getting lower and lower and I still couldn't tell you what we're going to do about it.

Hmm... yeah, I think I remember being around riiiight around the time the stuff with Jason was going down. The details are a little fuzzy, though. How'd he end up dying?

Thrown... outside? Like, there's actually a world outside the tower? And there's just dead bodies? Yeesh. That's great. Just great.

Right. That. The countdown. I guess I'm just going to have to enjoy what time I've got left, right? As much as you can enjoy anything here, haha...

["Denial" is a river in Egypt, and apparently in Prussia, too. He still can't really admit to himself that that timer's going to hit zero and that's going to be it for everyone, himself included.]

Got his head cut off.

[He lets that sink in for a moment before continuing.]

The guy who did it, he... he cut off his own head to do it.

[But there's more.]

Then, ah... were you here last year when the old administrator, Dax I think his name was, was killed? Because when I got here I was told what Ruana did to him and it was the same thing as far as I can tell.

[He's still incredibly shaken up about everything that's happened. Don't mind him.]

It looks like it was once a city but there isn't really anything left. No stars or anything. The only thing that's left is the bodies, bizarrely. We probably all would have died-- really died, but Zo saved us. I'm still not entirely sure what happened to cause us to get thrown out in the first place, but it was nearly a third of the entire Tower.

Cut off his own head to kill Jason? How did that work? [Beat.] Yep, I was around when Dax got killed. I remember that pretty clearly. So... Ruana ate Jason, too? Geez, that girl's got an even bigger appetite than I do.

That sounds fortunate. [That statement is, of course, dripping with sarcasm.] I hope we figure out the mystery of this place soon. Heh, we don't really have a choice, do we? It's soon or never.

It... I'm not entirely sure myself, and I was watching the whole thing happen.

[He nods gravely.]

I hope so, too. It was better when we had a year left, but now we've got two months. That's not much time left at all. I don't like these odds.

You watched the thing happen? Yikes. You've never seen anything like that before, have you? [Even Prussia knows that not many people would have seen something like that, but it's mostly to see how severe the impact was on this guy.]

Yeah, I... I'm not so sure about our odds anymore, either. Did we make any progress at all over the past few months?

Yeah, it was-- it was on all of the monitors.

[And was one of those things that he really couldn't look away from. He'd seen people die before-- horribly, even. And it never got any easier.]

I wish I could say we have. Riki tried something to power the tower. Something about using part of our energy to give us a bit extra time but I don't know what happened with that.

That was back in February.

She put it on the monitors for everyone to see again? First Dax, now Jason. I'd say she's got a sense of showmanship if it weren't so nasty.

So it sounds like whatever Riki did didn't accomplish much. Great.

Wish we had some idea of what it was.

I don't have a clue.

[Which, come to think of it, certainly makes him feel weird. Did they really manage to buy extra time?]

It sucks that we're so in the dark about everything. I'm sure that there's some people who do a little more around the tower and know some more stuff, though. Maybe we should go look for them?

There are probably people who know more about it, but it's not really safe to talk about it over the network when someone could be listening in.

Zelda is probably one of the people who know the most.

Well, yeah, obviously it wouldn't be a good idea to name any names- wait, then why did you just mention Zelda? She could get in trouble now!

[He blinks for a moment, raising his hands slowly to his face.

Good job, Neal. Good going.]

It's fine. There are other people whose names being mentioned could make it really ugly, though.

It's not safe to mention their names at all so I won't.

[Though actually, he's just aware of the one name but better to make it sound like it's a bigger number just to be safe.]

Of course. I'm sure she'll be fine... we've just got to be careful. If something's actually being done somewhere, our lips have to be zipped.

*Enoch had to be told someone was asking for him by name on the network in order to even get back to him in time. But the important thing is he did get back to him before it would become an awkward game of network tag. He meets Prussia with a tired, strained smile.*

I'm still here, yes... Welcome back, G-... *Oh he's going by another name? Okay fine, this one matched his nameplate, anyway.* Welcome back, Prussia. For the short amount of time we have left.

[Prussia immediately brightens up when he finds Enoch's response. Enoch was pretty much the one guy in the tower he consistently trusted.]

Hey, Enoch! Shame we're not still roomies, huh? What have you been up to? It sounds like things are really going to hell here. [Ah, he caught that little name slip-up.] And you can call me Gilbert, you know! It's still one of my names. Prussia's just the one on my nameplate and probably the one most people would recognize. Heck, at this point you could call me the Teutonic Order and get a response out of me. [This is probably not true.]

Short amount of time, right... the countdown... [A hiss of breath.] Crap.

It's...been a bit complicated. Which terminal are you using? I'll come meet you.

Which one? Hmm... floor three, towards the front, right side of the room? That sounds about right.

The third floor... I'm on the fifth dormitory level. Perhaps...perhaps it would be easier if you came up to me. Unless you would rather stay down there, of course.

Fifth dorm level... gotcha. Be there in a bit.

[Prussia cuts the feed and heads up to where Enoch is.]

Hey, Enoch! Long time no see, huh? [Meant as a joke and also to refer to the fact that he's been gone for a bit.]

*Enoch manages a small smile at that, at least.* It's good to see you back. There's a lot to say. Walk with me?

*He motions for Prussia to follow as he heads for the stairs down.*

Of course, of course. [Prussia follows Enoch as he goes.] So, what's the deal?

Well, first...ah...forgive me, I can't recall what you were here for last.

*Things have been a little crazy lately, naturally.*

Stuff starts getting a little fuzzy for me around the time Jason died. So... I was probably around for a bit before that, but not much longer.

All right...after Jason died...

*He leads Prussia down the stairs and through the gardens, towards the center where the lone real sapling and the teleporter stand.*

Well, after he died, we went looking for Dax's research.

[Prussia follows, though he doesn't know the significance of the sapling.]

Dax had even more research left behind for you guys? Geez, that guy knew how to leave a legacy even better than I did. What did you find?

Of course he did. The piece of research he asked us to broadcast over the network said as much.

*The glamour around the sapling is shown to contain a teleporter - they are now in the secret room. Enoch gestures to the paper he's taped to the wall.*

That is what we found.

Buh? Where are we now? [A plant that's actually a teleporter. That's news to Prussia.]

And what's on the paper? I mean, I'd go look for myself, but I don't want to accidentally tear it or sneeze on it or something. [Given that what's on the paper is probably very important, Prussia thinks his concern is justified.]

It's all right to look for yourself. There are at least two other copies around here.

*He leads him closer to the papers, which detail the findings of the hacking team he led earlier.*

This place is safe, provided for us by Aria and her people - the workers with the damaged collars. Aria is the one wearing eyeglasses. Take care not to mention her, the existence of this place, or the location of the teleporter on the network or near the walls. It's where we organize the fight for our worlds, and the only true sanctuary in this tower.

Uh...

[Wriggle just sort of stared at the terminal blankly. It had been a while but she was certain she knew this guys face from somewhere]

I dunno, how long have you been gone? When I came back there were hidden floors and new collars and some of the tower people were on our side and stuff.

[Don't worry, Wriggle, he remembers you!] Hey, Wriggle!

Uh... If I had to guess, it'd be at least two months, maybe a bit more...? I got kicked out around the time Jason died, but my memories of that time are kind of fuzzy.

Also, uh... you probably shouldn't mention hidden stuff on the network. The admins could find out, you know.

[Okay so it was someone she knew]

Right... Who are you again? I know your face but-

Wait, Jason died!?

[She was going through some resurrection troubles at the time and never got the news]

[It's okay, Wriggle, he's used to this being forgotten thing... sort of.]

It's Prussia. I also go by Gilbert. Either of those ring a bell?

Yep. Jason died, from what I've heard. Someone told me about it already: some guy did something that involved cutting off his own head, then Ruana showed up, ate Jason, and put it on the monitors for everyone to see.

...Wait, if it was on all the monitors, how did you not see it? Were you asleep or something?

[Surprisingly it does. Her memory must be getting better]

Oh yeah! I do know you!

I don't know how I didn't see it, it's not like I'm good with this stuff. You're lucky I even thought to check these things or I wouldn't even know you were back.

But I guess when stuff like that happens everyone is glued to these screens, I never saw anything like that. You sure it really happened or did you just dream it?

Yeah, see? You don't forget the awesome Prussia so easily! ["Awesome" leaves a bit of an odd taste in Prussia's mouth these days, but that won't stop him from saying it anyway.]

Point taken. I guess not everyone can be good with technology. Guess I am just lucky, huh?

I didn't see it myself, but the guy who told me about it certainly did.

But that's big! Like super big! I'm sure lots of people must have seen it though...

Hey, when about was it? Was anything else important happening in the tower?

[Wriggle is working on a theory, probably the first theory she's ever worked on and she doesn't like it one bit]

Yeah, big is one word for it. When was it...? Uh. A few months ago? My sense of what happened around that time is really fuzzy. I'm not entirely sure how long ago certain things happened.

Aargh! You've gotta help me out here!

[She ruffles her hair in frustration and almost smacks her head on the terminal screen]

You know I'm bad with this kind of stuff. I don't know when I would have missed it, the only time I can think of was when I was really sick after-

[After being stabbed repeatedly by someone she thought was a friend. It was a memory Wriggle had almost forgotten about and for it to resurface so suddenly was unpleasant. She sinks back and grumbles]

I'm sorry, geez! I'd help you out more if I actually knew more stuff!

[Prussia kind of reflexively pulls back when Wriggle nearly faceplants on the terminal screen. However, he's not going to just let that last bit go.]

"After?" After what? And what were you sick with?

Hmph, it's not important!

[Except it obviously is because she actually remembers what happened]

It was just something from that maze, they must have tried to fumigate it or something.

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[Video] Reorientation

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