VL121R | Day 2 Morning | Text

[meadqueen]

I’m southwest of the mountains, near the shore. There's an abandoned village here.

A central square, strangely paved, surrounded by several metal longhouses and an odd tower at one end. It's been abandoned for quite some time.

Comments

[meadqueen]

I’m glad you see it that way. I feel like I'm navigating without a map.

If that man hadn't been yelling right at the start I'm not certain I would have kept this.

[metalicarus]

Luckily, plenty of people apparently not afraid of being discovered or retaliation, but in this case I guess it worked out.

It's a radio. Military grade. Not usually something civilians can't get their hands on.

[meadqueen]

Are we civilians?

[metalicarus]

Most of these people? Yeah. You're not part of the army, you're a civillian, most of the time.

For you, don't know.

[meadqueen]

I’m not sure that delineation is as clear for us as it is for you. Irrelevant, I suppose. We wouldn't have these anyway.

[metalicarus]

Maybe not. just don't get yourself killed. I'm around if you come across anything you don't know what it is, I can do my best to help.
Good luck.

[meadqueen]

Thank you. I won't need luck, but I'll take it.

[Luckily for her he can't see how precarious the tower is.

As it is, it takes her nearly an hour to climb it]

I’m at the top of the tower. It looks as if someone beat me to it.

[metalicarus]

[They've moved...like maybe three feet in that hour and it's grating on Jet's nerves, so her message is a relief. Even if it's also confusing.]

How can you tell?

[meadqueen]

One of the others suggested I look for “communications” up here because of the flagpole on the roof.

I see where they would have been, and the very thorough nature of their absence suggests deliberate removal.

[metalicarus]

That's something.

How light is the area around where they used to be? Very noticeable or only a bit noticeable?

[meadqueen]

I think this was done before the tower’s stairway crumbled. If I hadn't known what to look for, I would have noticed nothing.

[metalicarus]

So definitely a while ago.

Either they cut off communications on purpose or they needed the parts for something and whoever they were communicating with stopped mattering so much.

[meadqueen]

If our visit is "unauthorized" it may be that they wished to ensure no one could come back here.

[Without a lighthouse, ships run aground]

[metalicarus]

Yeah. Which would then bring me back to how we got here. Spread out, no obvious wreckage, no other planes or boats seen. If we were in a shipwreck, you'd think we'd remember at least swimming up here.

Us being unauthorized makes some sense to me why no one on the island's come looking for us yet.

For every answer there's just more confusion.

[meadqueen]

Some of my things were taken, which feels deliberate, yet no one seems to know we’re here. Save the author of that warning people are hearing in the north, I suppose, but they don't seem like they were expecting it.

[metalicarus]

We don't know how much is automated here either, probably won't until we get a better look at some of the local structures.

[meadqueen]

[She still doesn't really know what automation is either, sorry]

You think it may be following an old plan?

[metalicarus]

[...he knows his misstep as soon as she responds. It's been A While since he had to deal with someone out of time, but he's trying.]

Might be. If it was set up before we got here by people long gone? Machines are only as smart as they're told to be
Most of the time
These ones are probably like that: following orders they don't know they don't need to anymore

[meadqueen]

I see. It seems a bit sad.

[metalicarus]

What?
The machines are a bit sad?

[meadqueen]

To be left behind, I mean. Unable to do anything but follow orders that don't matter anymore.

[metalicarus]

Machines don't actually feel anything, you're just projecting human feelings on metal.

[meadqueen]

They can think and follow orders, but they don't have minds?

[That's sad too but she won't say it]

[metalicarus]

They have minds enough to problem solve and be able to keep doing what they're doing even in adversity that would make normal people stop.
They're not programmed to have opinions.
Most of them.

[Which, ok, kinda sad when he types it out like that, but also there's got to be a line in there somewhere. For himself, at least. Not that he wants to go anywhere near that opic.]

[meadqueen]

I see. Is there a way now to change their orders?

[Or is that why people keep asking about power?]