[ second → video ]

[mingus]

[ heeeeey network, have a video of auggie! he's at his desk in the communications office and his headphones are around his neck. the communicator is in his hand and he's looking off to the side, in a sort of spaced out way. which is probably because he's blind. ]

Heeeello, network. Your friendly neighborhood communications team with a tiiiiny bit of an update. As you all know, this ship is ... [ a wave of his hand as he tries to come up with a word before he snaps his fingers ] insane and you're probably all dealing with the repercussions of that at the moment so I wish you the best of luck!

Juuusst, to anyone actively using the network at the moment, please do not be alarmed if you hear something, uh, out of ordinary, so to speak? We picked up a bit of a disturbance and the source seems to be from the ship itself, not anyone on the network. If you do happen to hear it, you will probably be a bit alarmed at the sudden noise. Please please, do not panic and try not to go looking for the source because like I said, it's from the ship. Stay in your groups, stay in your camps, don't do anything stupid.

[ or at least, they think it's from the ship. There's not actually much of a source but he's at least sure that the screaming isn't coming from anyone on the ship. ]

Anyway, yeah, there's your warning. We'll be watching the channels from here to keep track of ... whatever it is. Good luck!

[ AUGGIE'S SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE ENCRYPTION 100%; FILTERED TO COMMUNICATIONS DEPT + EVERYONE NATHAN SENT A MESSAGE TO ]

So. Screams, huh?

[ hey, at least it's to the point ]

Comments

text | sweatervengers { i saw nossing!

[anomalies]

right. so there's no real solution, but... it'd be nice if there were.

what thing?

[ sorry there's no thing he doesn't know what you're talking about. nope.

... seriously, though, nobody else knows about that but him. what thing. ]

text | sweatervengers

[andblockbuster]

[That moment when Topher realizes CONNOR WASN'T THERE WHEN THAT HAPPENED. FUCK. HOW IS HE SUPPOSED TO KNOW EVERY PERSON TONY'S EVER KEPT ON THOSE ENCRYPTIONS.]

did i say thing? i meant things. plural. as in a combination of all the variation things that creep us out starting with hellbeasts, gaining ground with smiley, and ending with our friend the mysterious Mr. or Ms. T.

and also the entire ship is blood mist during jumps. that might as well be a thing.

text | sweatervengers

[starked]

topher no.

text | sweatervengers

[andblockbuster]

so personally i think you should punch him.

him being cambridge.

text | sweatervengers

[starked]

thank you.

i may punch you. out of manly- no manly love isn't gonna do here. just shhh. and go make sure you know who was on that encryption now. SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

i avoid a cambridge mess and i get this.

text | sweatervengers

[andblockbuster]

i just looked. it's committed to memory. if you must hit me, can it be anywhere but the face... or below the stomach. preferably just the stomach. still painful, i'm just... really tired of being hit in the face.

and two people is better than two hundred.

text | ...no just topher and tony. team immoral motherfuckers

[starked]

i'm not gonna punch you in the face. who punched you multiple times in it anyway?

...not when they're chapel and connor.

text | sweatervengers | auggie and everyone else, good luck getting into this unhackable forever

[starked]

topher. remember they weren't there for my suit adventure.

okay well in the interest of having you both not yell at me some more. i had recorded something like this with the suit way back a few jumps ago and i released the audio feed i got to the...public.

[ waits for the realization to happen in five, four, three, two...one. ]

text | sweatervengers | auggie and everyone else, good luck getting into this unhackable forever

[tarheel]

that's where the screaming .wav came from? i can't decide if that's brilliant or if i still hate you because apparently this is a RECURRING PROBLEM WITH YOU.

(it's not yelling, it's capslock. deal with it.)

text | sweatervengers | auggie and everyone else, good luck getting into this unhackable forever

[starked]

IT IS NOT. I DID THAT ONE BECAUSE I WANTED TO TEST IT OUT. I DIDN'T EXPECT SCREAMING.

(well i forgot to turn mine off so there.)

[ tony, you're legit a five year old. ]

text | sweatervengers | doot doot unhackable i can remember to change subject headers

[tarheel]

did you expect another part beyond just screaming? because it's sounding suspiciously like there was another part to that file that you didn't tell the class about.

[ CHAPEL IS GOING TO GO PUNCH DENTS IN A WALL NOW. ]

text | sweatervengers | doot doot unhackable changing them is lame okay

[starked]

actually! i wasn't. i really wasn't. and technically this was to avoid the panic they're trying to avoid right now and technically, connor came back that jump and i still wasn't sure if i wanted you on my secret encryption yet but now i do and. i meant to show it to you both before now?

i've just.

I WILL SHOW IT TO BOTH RIGHT NOW.

text | sweatervengers | doot doot UNHAXORBLE

[anomalies]

hang on, that was the jump i got back - i said i'd try and take a closer look at the audio for you, try and isolate anything that seemed weird, with the... screaming.

[ and then...

... it dawns on him. ]

there was another part, wasn't there. a part you didn't want everyone to know about.

text | sweatervengers | THE MOST UNHAXORABLE.

[andblockbuster]

in his defense, even i wouldn't know about this if he hadn't decided to spill the beans while he was dying of space plague and swear me to secrecy.

text | sweatervengers | UNHAXOREST!

[anomalies]

it's alright, i understand.

[ but he a little mad, tho. ]

text | sweatervengers | UNHAXOREST!

[starked]

in my defense that was the jump you came back and...i wasn't sure about chapel at the time.

text | sweatervengers | UNHAXOREST!

[anomalies]

no, i totally get it. it's fine. now i know.

text | sweatervengers | doot doot UNHAXORBLE

[starked]

and the winner for realizing what i just said goes to you, connor.

do you wanna see it now? or just get the description?

text | sweatervengers | doot doot UNHAXORBLE

[anomalies]

if you could just send it to me, i'll - look it over.

text | sweatervengers | doot doot UNHAXORBLE

[starked]

[ you know what no i'm just gonna describe it as slenderman only more human. it's late. don't expect more from me. ]

there. keep it close.

i did mean to tell you guys.

there's a reason i let you guys in on this encryption.

not here ( 1.2 )

[anomalies]

[ connor knows—and that's almost the worst thing, being trusted with stuff he's not sure he really wanted to know about in the first place, or deserves, really, even if he is a self-proclaimed "genius". but he's got a responsibility (he's obligated) to help, he wants to—but there's... something about it, about being a part of a group of people who are still keeping secrets like this. it's familiar and foreign and it sucks, if he's honest.

but it's tony, and he trusts tony. it might not be ideal, but there's a reason to keep the worst from the public eye; there's a reason why panic doesn't solve anything. panicking isn't good. neither are secrets. but it's one or the other, and connor's had plenty of experience will choosing the lesser of two evils.

he watches the video. ]

voice | sweatervengers | doot doot UNHAXORBLE ( 2.2 )

[anomalies]

[ ten minutes later: ]

Right, that was freaky beyond belief.

[ he pauses. this is weird. he's a bit miffed, but at the same time, he gets it. ]

Just wanted to say thanks. For trusting me—trusting us. I won't let you down.

I know you've probably combed it over much as you can already, but I'm gonna try as well. Maybe there's something that matches up with the red mist.

[totally not here]

[cargojet]

[ Not in this encryption but if he was he would tell you guys that you are dicks and at least Comms only intended to keep this secret for a day or two.

Not months.

Dicks. That is all. ]

[totally not here]

[starked]

[ yes, well. they're all dicks in this encryption.

sorry nathan. :) ]

[totally not here]

[cargojet]

[ If he ever finds out about this he is breaking your nose, Iron Man or not. It's going to be one of those cute stories he can tell his grandkids. Except for the whole dying young problem. ]