ａｕｄｉｏ

[uncurse]

Maybe it's just that I've done a crap job checking in with people since I got back—sorry, still getting my space legs back under me—but I can't shake this feeling like we lose more and more people who were around at the beginning each time the ship jumps. I mean, how many people remember the Cyllene at this point? [ Her voice tightens, like she's trying to sort through a quick tally in her mind. ]

I know some people have been keeping archives and crunching data, but I'm starting to wonder how much information about what's going on here we've already lost. [ Huff. That's a depressing thought. ] Couldn't help noticing how empty the whole place feels while I was patrolling. Or maybe that feeling's because people haven't been migrating downwards with each new jump. Consider this your reminder: SEC only consistently sweeps levels one to ten.

Comments

[voice]

[uncurse]

You've ... never seen Stepford Wives a day in your life, have you?

[voice]

[circumitus]

No, never.

[voice]

[uncurse]

Relax.

Weirdly, I'm getting used to people not getting my references. [ Fairytale characters, man. ] Like robots, basically.

[voice]

[circumitus]

Ah- um. [Pause.] Oh.

[She's... not technically entirely a robot, but--]

Well, close enough. [What.]

[voice]

[uncurse]

Yeah, people were being replaced with them, so they'd all be compliant and exact copies of each other, it was creepy. Anyway. Good movie, maybe less good to stumble on in a space station. What'd it do to our people?

[voice]

[circumitus]

[What Emma meant finally clicks.

[And her brief movie summary hits a little closer to home than Rey would care to admit. She blinks, pauses again.]

As far as we know, no one was being replaced, but changed. While on the outpost, our people proceeded to behave in the same manner as the locals, in that they were all exhibiting synchrony. They seemed to return to normal once they were returned to the ship, though.

If there were any lasting effects, we wouldn't know. There aren't that many left who had undergone the full assimilation.

[voice]

[uncurse]

Did anyone manage to figure out what had them assimilating in the first place? Some kind of ... illness, or ... I mean, something had to get them drinking the koolaid, right?

[voice]

[circumitus]

Negative. Mostly what we discovered was that the outpost was once property of this "New Alliance" government, but by the time we arrived it wasn't anymore. We also know that they considered this lifestyle they had adapted a utopic way of living.

[She pauses.] It's not so hard to believe that some people would rather throw away the burden of free thinking to become part of a collective consciousness. Rather, it's been done before. It's also possible that this "utopia" had been forced on them as well. We don't know for certain.

[voice]

[uncurse]

I have a hard time imagining anyone signing up for that, but ... stranger things, I guess.

[ That doesn't do much for the perplexed tone in her voice. ]

Thanks.

[voice]

[circumitus]

Have seen it happen before. But then, have also seen free thinking taken away. It happens.

["It happens" might not be the best way to phrase that. Even she can see some appeal of not having to think for herself, when her life was all about doing what she was told. Things seemed easier.

[Sigh.]

You're welcome. If you need to know anything else about things from early on, just ask.

[voice]

[uncurse]

Will do. Not a lot of 001s left to ask.

I'm Emma, by the way.

[voice]

[circumitus]

No. Other than Tyke, there really isn't.

...Rey. [She really needs to work on these introductions. Despite being in the same department, she's pretty sure there are a few more in SEC who have no idea who the hell she is.]