FIRST | video

[gilding]

[The feed clicks on to show a very well-dressed man eyeing the device with a hint of mistrust - almost as if he has perfectly well worked out how to use it, but would still rather not. It's an expression that's only there for a moment before it smooths out, replaced instead by a polite, friendly smile as he begins speaking.]

I'll spare everyone the repeated demands of how it is we're here and why no one has succeeded in changing the situation. I think I've been here quite long enough to skip over that apparently necessary initial introduction, and I'm certain the more long-standing residents of this vessel are tired of enlightening that particular strain of ignorance. And while I will throw my voice in with the chorus of those that would prefer not to be here, my question - and offer - is more what can be done to help.

[His gaze travels away from the camera, but it isn't with an air of uncertainty. More the look of a man who isn't used to being pinned in one place - or having to hold a camera - as he talks.]

I've taken the time to read over the information offered, but found the matter of how some of it was acquired notably... absent. [A tilt of his head, a more wry smile on his mouth.] I've an interest in the details. The devil's often in them, as they say. And perhaps a fresh set of eyes might discover some previously unnoticed potential, given the opportunity.

Of course, if anyone else would like to take this chance to fill in any gaps in our so-called F.A.Q. [A loose gesture of his hand.] My ears are open.

Comments

video;

[suddenlycaptain]

You could ask how it was acquired.

video;

[gilding]

I believe I just did.

video;

[suddenlycaptain]

With specifics.

untraceable transmission.

[blunted]

F̥̣͈͉ͥ͐͜ȉ̗͓͕̠͗͢͢͝ļ̢͍͖̮͔͔̍̋͆͂̐ͯͅlͭ͒ͩ̆ͪ̀̓̑͏̵̗̼̺͍͎̦̥̹͠ ̳̼̜͍ͪ̄̊͗͆̑͌̀į̫̖̮͓̹̃̀n͍̯̦ͭ̈ͩ̇͒͑̏͆ ̷̥͈͌̀͛͑ͤͩ͞ţ̫͚̲̥͖̳̞̖͗ͤ̓ͪh̨̳̬͍̬̤̩̘̞͉̐͒̅͐ͣ̅͝e̟ͦ͂̓́ͩͭ̄ͫ͞ ̵̴̣̗͖͔̫̺̂ͯͤͫ̔̄́g̸͉̤͎̼ͩͮ͟ȁ̘͎̬̣̹͇͋͐ͅp̱̜͕̲̙̠͉̪̑ͫͩ̍͘͟͡s̠͖̦̲͈͈̆̓͋̉̐ͪ͆́͘͡ ̰̤͚̣̯ͬ͗̍̈ͫ̾͢ͅy̵̟̜͑͐̋́o̡͔̬͍̪͕̣̩͐͌ͨ̎̐ͯ̉͂ũ͈̗̬̟̘̭̰̍͒͊̿̋ͯ̕͜͝ ̢̼̤̥̐̆ͧ̉͊̉̉ͅs͉̍̄ͧ̎͠a͓̩͍̮͉̝̖̥ͤͩͫ̚͡ͅy̺̲̲̻̤͈̓̿̿͒́́?̩̼ͪ̍͂̓́̈́̀͜ ̵̩͌̉͆ͯ̐̈́̆I̞̥̍̆̉͆ͯ͗̚ ̲͔͙̤̳̎̃k̨̬̰̠͑̆͊̉͒̊n̛͔̤ͫ̎ͮ͑̓̆͘ö̵͎̼̞̤͇͇̲́̔̇ͥ̚ẅ̴̘̾̉́̚̕ ̨̰͇̦̭̹̭̩̝͖̆̎a̶͖̰̘̺ͥ̽̔̐̋̏ͫ͝ ̡̖̤̩̩̤͋͌̂̑̈͛̃g̠͇ͧͭ͂̈́͠u̪̜̠̺͉̫̍̆̿ͯ͟͡y̨̅ͬ͞͏̱̯̭͈͍ͅ.̹̰̒̐͑͢͞ ̸̤͍͒̈́̐ͦ͑̈͑̋͟͢N̠͉̪͋͌͐̊ͬ̈̄̚o͖̥͔͉̫̘͑ͪ͘͞ͅt̄̆̔ͩͨ̂̅̀̾͏̻̫̗͔̘ ̢̼̮͎̠̥͐̽̔͌ͬ̐ͬͬ̀͠ͅm̓ͭͮͧ́҉̟͚̹̻̳̗̤ù̴̜̼̒̇͑̀̆ͤͥ͋ͅc̥̘̣̰̎̓ͪ́̔͋h̹͂̔̓ͭ͗͡ ̵͈͇̳̦̙ͧ̓̊̉̋͆͗̏̔́͟ö̬͓͉̻̙͈̥̻ͥͅf̴̴̟͕͇̻̩̠̗̌ͮ̽ͫ̚̚ ̢̼̙̖̮͖͚̽̉ͯ̈ą̵̡͈͎͕̖ͪ̐̒ͫ̔ ̢̤̩̣͖̆̌ͦ̓ͪ̐͟ẗ͔͍̤̥̩̥̘̀͠a̳̣̰̻̳͉̳͗̈ͮͣ̃̑̚͢l̦͕̝̤ͤ̊̐̏̚͞k̙̑̒̾̓̔ͨ͋ͨe̶͖̘̱͎̹ͬͅr͇̫̫͇̉ͦ̽ͣ͑̿̈́̕͜ ̠̫̗͙͍ͧ̐̓͗͛ͨ̆̐̈́t̸̢̨͔̳̽ͦ̎ͩ͒ḫ̡̯̼̂ͫ̈̽́̆ͩo̶̘͔ͮ͆̌͗̀u͂ͩ̂҉̶̝͖̘̮̰̲̝ͅg̠̮ͦ̐ͯ́͠h͚̝̰͚͔ͨͫ͗̓̓̊̂́͝.̝̘̰̻̼̻̍ͬ̐̿̕

NOT HERE

[growling]

[ what the fuck ]

video;

[gilding]

[Well that wasn't annoying to read.]

I'm not surprised, if he suffers from the same problem as you.

[blunted]

voice;

[jilt]

This is rather new. We don't get very many offering to be helpful.

video;

[gilding]

Maybe there's the reason why so little progress has been made, then.

video;

[growling]

As far as I can tell, most of the information we have was acquired by accident or walkabout. I wouldn't really recommend either method.

video;

[gilding]

No, I've seen quite enough to know the results of those. But I can't believe that's all that's been done.

(voice.)

[carbonite]

Apparently, don't shoot anything. (that, he finds, is quite stupid.)

[gilding]

That I would have assumed to be common sense.

video;

[fraud]

[ have a curious glance and one, two, three beats pass before -- ]

... Why is your suit so nice?

[ RELEVANT!!! (not really) ]

video;

[gilding]

[Not quite the kind of response he was looking for, but oh well.]

A man has to take some care in his appearance.

[certainproclivity]

Dear God, someone with actual sense. [Not that he expected anything less from the man, but he can be sarcastic with the best of them.]

[gilding]

Has there been such a lack of it?

[theshabbiestofmen]

I can answer any questions you have, if you'll give me an idea about what it is you're interested in.

[gilding]

That's a very broad offer. I'm interested in what's missing, though I understand a large amount of it is still very much a mystery to everyone here.

[ text ]

[sexting]

One quick question: I don't suppose you have any excruciatingly boring opinions on the ecological footprint of full-grain calf leather shoes or anything along those lines

video;

[gilding]

[That would win for weirdest response so far, if he hadn't already had that text noise mess spewed at him.]

There's rarely a way to make discussion of any kind of footprint interesting. [Unless you're tracking someone, maybe.] So no, I prefer to avoid it.

video »

[stacked]

Try the nerd brigade, they're the ones who throw that shit together.

[ so helpful, faith. ]

video »

[gilding]

And where would I find them? Considering the transmission was made anonymously, I'm assuming they don't walk around with 'nerd brigade' pinned to their shirts.

[voice]

[doggedly]

Oh, I dunno, I like enlightening that, er, strand of ignorance that you're on about. Are you sure you don't want to hear some theories, I could give you an earful, and they're a great deal more fun to listen to than a load of people trying to act as if they understand anything.

Which everyone spends a great deal of time doing around here.

video;

[gilding]

Do these theories actually hold any merit? Or do you consider them to be much the same as all this acting at understanding?