04 November 2015 @ 08:46 am
[The rumpled wizard in the sliver of mirror, adjusting his glasses. He's standing near the shouting rock, which has a new boulder rolled up near it. On the surface of a the boulder, there's what looks like an enormous poster, black-and-white, the details hard to make out.]

Morning, everybody. I hope most of us are more-or-less unscathed from the bloody weird wind that blew through the other week, may Mr. Mendoza rest in peace.

Today, I'd like to present a map. [A beat.] Kind of.

Some of you remember Hermione. She and I put together a-- sort of a map. We photographed the terrain from the sky, as much as we could cover before the tether kicked in. The shots are now spelled together, so it's continuous, but you'll see that it's... animated. Like a movie on loop. [More sophisticated and less predictable than that, but it seems ludicrous to get bogged down in technical detail, so Harry doesn't.] Don't worry, it can't be used for spying-- everybody's too small to see, and it isn't realtime. [He knows y'all and your sundry paranoias. He has some, himself.]

[Harry angles the mirror to view the 'map[ooc link].' It stretches five feet up and across, is roughly circular, attached to the boulder's face with a sticking spell and proofed against the weather. Trees obscure loads of the detail, their tops reduced to a semblence of broccoli heads swaying slightly, but you can see where the river flows and how the canyon begins, protruding from underneath the Tranquility's nose. Trees bob far below. Some flocks moving by as well, too far below to make out in detail. It's a little funny— out of the edges of the circle, occasionally you'll see a foot or the front end of a broom swing in.]

I've also got a cat. [His face darkens slightly. Mostly, he looks sad.] Please inquire within.

OOC: For future note, will be needed to 'renew' the map! If left neglected, it will eventually fall apart into individual pieces, peel off the boulder, and suffer from wind and rain. Please PM me if you have other questions.
 
 
[even though the feed is garbled, rikkus' frustration and something akin to fear are clear in her voice]

Don't be ▒▓▒▓ing idiots. Get to medbay or somewhere not en▒▓neering! Trust me, you don't want a▒▓ of what's here.

[there's a short pause]

I need my engineering cr▒▓ on deck though. Stay together, stay safe. Find Fitz, stick with him. He'll ▒▓▓▒▒▒

[the feed abruptly cuts to white noise]
 
 
29 July 2015 @ 08:33 pm
There's somethi▒▓ very wrong with engineering. [ The announcement's accompanied by a convincing visual: a view of one of the lower walkways in engineering, the rails on one side twisted. The ladder up to the next level is warped, too, cut off several feet from the landing it's meant to be attached to. One of the walls just to the right of the camera seems to buckle as the view's turned away.

The shrill sound of metal distorting and grinding wavers in and out, a steady background noise that's broken only by short bursts of static. When the camera turns to face Fitz, the lights flicker and stay dim. Very horror movie chic.
]

I can't get back to the ▒▒ive or out of the blo▒▓ hallways, and it's— [ He pauses, glancing off screen for a second. There's no clear evidence of what's got his focus, but another low whine of metal makes it easy to assume. ]

Rikku says it's the s▒▓▓ ▒▓ the last time engineering went tits up, but I haven't been able to fi▒▓ her or anyone else since it started. [ A louder crash of noise this time that begs a second of distracted silence, then a curt: ] If you get anywhere near engineering, use ex▓▒▒▒ ▒aution.

[ Then the feed stops. ]

( OOC: Replies will happen, but they may be icly delayed! Post coincides with second part of July 31 plot. )
 
 
[ The feed begins with a single tone, low, as if testing the audio capabilities of the devices. On the screen is an older man, white haired with bright blue eyes, standing in front of a deep blue banner emblazoned in gold with a circular symbol containing three five-pointed stars. Though his face now is solemn, there are laughter lines soft at corners of his eyes, the set of his mouth one clearly used to the curve of a smile. He only waits a moment before beginning to speak, voice level, carrying an assured authority, a confidence borne from experience. ]

Residents of the Tranquility, I greet you today after many, many years of waiting. My name is Hendrik van Rijn, Prime Minister of the Miraxian Triad, the people who built and launched the ship you've been trapped on. You may not have heard of me, but I have heard of you, and all the terrible events you've been forced to endure as a result of the unprecedented malfunction which took the Tranquility so far from her intended path. I offer you the deepest sympathies of my people, and myself. Mistakes have been made, and I give you every assurance that now, with your return to us, we will find the cause of this tragedy and set things right.

I know you may have heard promises before, and met with the unfortunate souls in our society who prefer to cheat and steal than offer a helping hand. I know you have no reason to trust me; if I'd been through as much as you have, I wouldn't trust me either. But we have someone else here to speak to you, and I hope hearing from her will help to show the truth of our intentions, and allow us to begin the forging of a strong partnership as we move into the future.


[ With a last look to the camera, he steps back, turning his attention to the side and holding out a hand to greet and guide the woman joining him to take center. The woman's face is one known to many aboard the ship. She's gracious as she steps into view, appearing to squeeze the man's hand before she lets go and takes her place.

Odessa Knutson.
]

Thank you, Prime Minister.

[ Her attention turns to the camera then, head tilting to one side as a wide smile spreads across her familiar features. She has a look of health to her. A better diet, some proper sunlight, and time will do that. ]

Hello, Tranquility. [ Spoken in the same way one might ask, did you miss me? ] It's been a long time. Too long. For all of us. [ That smile turns a little sad. They've been through some horrors, haven't they? Time and distance has allowed much of it to become a distant memory. ]

The time has come to stop running. When I left the ship, I didn't know what to expect. We received so many conflicting stories, didn't we? I expected all the worst ones to be true, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I'm sure many of you can understand why. Still, I was afraid that I would find monsters. That I would be thrown in a dark cell and never see the light of day again. Now, I don't say this often, but... [ Her hands spread out to her sides, palms up in a gesture that says just look at me. ] I was wrong. After my escape two years ago, Prime Minister van Rijn's people found me. They gave me food, clothing, shelter, a new life and a new purpose...

To find all of you, and help you to be rescued as I had been rescued. I know most of you aren't like me; I'm starting over here, and I'm happier than I've ever been, but many of you have lives you want to return to.
[ The delight she has in sharing this good news seems genuine enough, especially (or even) to those who know her well. She clasps her hands in front of her, a light in her eyes. ] I've seen what the Miraxians have been working on myself. There's hope, so much hope.

Pack your bags, my friends. We're coming to take you home.


[[ OOC: van Rijn exited stage left once off camera, and responses will come from Odessa Knutson only. ]]
 
 
19 July 2015 @ 11:21 am
[Since coming out of the Jump with four years of new memories and six months of isolation, William has organized his thoughts somewhat. Most importantly: happiness requires survival. Apart from that, some nebulous but helpful facts about manifestations and the way that Clarke Griffin's life sucks unadulteratedly lately. He has this on his mind when he gets to typing.]

william tsang again. i'm a dr. now but you can just call me william.

for the past 3 weeks, ms. clarke griffin and i have been working on using manifestations to replicate equipment and supplies. we've determined that magical effects won't manifest (e.g., potions), but functioning technology can be duplicated to the extent that the person knows what the fuck they're doing. the effects will outlast the manifestation. although we haven't worked a lot on anything besides what the department needs, this probably applies to other stuff you're interested in.

please share your tech specs, but don't leave advanced weapon details unlocked/unfiltered. you may want to direct those remarks to xg, sec, or gunnery. thanks.

do you have an intermediate-to-advanced understanding of biochemistry, physics, and technology as it relates to medicine? let us know. we may have some stuff to share with you. thanks to the regular occurrence of disasters/emergencies, most of our work is focused on triage, mobility, and crisis stabilization. the medical bay is equipped to provide practice.

our current replicable medical inventory includes:

- procoagulants
- handheld cauterization devices (heat, but also laser, chemical)
- defribillators
- epinephrine/injectors

these resources may be extremely helpful while we have our abilities, but dangerous too; again we need you to practice until it works or not fuck around. we may also be able to advance your knowledge thanks to our new abilities. dr. bones mccoy and tadashi hamada are especially tech-savvy, and might be willing to provide more guidance. i will be consulting about manifestations of tech that's more invasive or is of risk disproportionate to the scenarios you're likely to need them in.

again, galadriel is deputy cmo should i be kia/whatever. cheers.


OOC: Corresponding mod note here. You can also fire me questions/corrections via Plurk/PM. Sorry for the spontaneous name-drops, Medbay! Note that ~practice~ involves cloned tissue rather than human experimentation. I can start a log if you like!
 
 
Hey, guys, it's Hughes. :) 

Since I am in communications, I have been spending a horrible amount of time getting used to this insanely advanced technology — thank you for that, by the way! The best way to arrive in a new and totally dangerous world is also learning you're completely behind by many centuries! 

But I have adapted. Made great progress! Look, I can do faces. :) 

:( 

6_9 This one looks dizzy. 

:'( And we have a sad one here.

I need more! Please send me your faces ASAP, it's gravely important. So much more enjoyable than typewriters! No need for white ink or ribbons or buttons jamming! I wrote an entire letter to my friend Roy missing my R key.

So essentially I was diving him insane because I wote oy eveytime his name came up.

He eally hated me.

Anyway, hone your art skills! Show me what you can do while I'm on the clock. I'll need more than two things to focus on around here, because my attention span is far too used to being split three different directions.

Look. I made a flower for my favorite people (you know who you are).

............._ _
..........._{ ' }_
..........{ `.!.` }
...........,_/Y\_,'
............{_,_}
..............|
............(\| /)
.............\| //
..............|//
...........\\ |/ //
.......^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I CHALLENGE YOU TO... AN ART COMPETITION. I SCORE BASED ON CREATIVITY AND EFFORT. 

OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU CAN DO WITH THIS THING. 

I've already figured out the picture taking part.

;)

..._

thanks sirius for the face tips :))))
 
 
09 July 2015 @ 11:08 pm
[You may know the drill: the low, calm, somewhat English-accented voice of a young man.]

This is Ryuuzaki, speaking for Communications.

From the viewpoint of network traffic, there are still no signs of any new arrivals this jump. The department will let you know if anyone turns up.

Those of you who have been monitoring the length of jumps: do you know how long this one lasted? Is it possible to tell whether or not we've moved at all?

Did anyone find new items in their lockers?

We can't check on the drive itself, but we can determine whether or not there's anything further to discuss.

[Talk of past jump drive malfunctions leads to concern about potential current ones... other than the usual. Or does the lack of new arrivals mean it's now functioning as it's supposed to?]
 
 
08 July 2015 @ 05:04 pm
[This month, your welcome arrives in the form of your friendly neighborhood Frenchman. He looks ... Tired is probably the best word for it but he still manages a polite smile before getting straight to the important things]

Bonjour, Tranquility. My name is Guillaume Feuilly and I am with the Support Staff. While there is much we do not yet understand of the ship and her ways, let me reassure you that we are still all quite alive despite what we have each awoken from. [There's a small wry smile at that before continuing]

That said, please make yourself familiar with the following for any answers you may be seeking.

THE RUNDOWN » What happened, where you are, what to do.
SUPPORT DEPARTMENT INFO » Who we are and what we do.
REFERENCE* » Basic facts about the ship and solar system.
A TIMELINE OF EVENTS » This will take time to read thoroughly, but we strongly recommend it.
FAQ » Please read this before asking a question on the network.
SPACE TRAINING » If this is your first time aboard a space ship, please watch these helpful videos.
LOOKING FOR WORK? » If you have any questions about the departments, track down a chief officer or someone who operates within it about recruitment.
COMPLAINT BOX » Need to get something off your chest? Bring it here. We might just be able to do something about it.

If you haven't already, it would also be prudent to find quarters in the first ten floors of the ship. There is a safety in numbers, especially recently. I would not wish for anyone to be caught unaware where no aid can reach you.

If there is any more unanswered questions, please, feel free to ask myself or any of the other members.


[There's a pause as he goes to turn the video off, hesitating for a moment before]

And a question of my own perhaps. Has anyone in fact, noticed any new faces this jump?
 
 
01 July 2015 @ 05:14 pm
[ NO FILTER: MEDBAY RECRUITMENT ]
[For those who have seen William Tsang's typing at all in the past month or two, it comes as no surprise that he's opted for video. He's in his white coat, meticulously groomed and just as meticulously-- not hungover, the quiet sterility of Medical Bay all chrome and blue light behind him.] Oi oi.

If you've got experience or want experience in medicine or the healing arts, please apply today. You don't have to be a fucking brain surgeon, although we could use a couple more of those. [A beat. He blinks hard.] We've got need for: field medics and EMTs, psychiatrists, nurses, medical scientists, pathologists, pharmacists, robotics experts, magical healers, potion-makers, and people who just straight-up like to clean. We're making use of the volunteer program as well. Please give us a bell if you're interested and capable of learning. The nanites and other technology does a lot of the heavy-lifting, but we still really need personnel.

The past few clusterfucks, Medical Bay has become something of a stronghold. That stronghold is weaker when we're understaffed.

We have a few medical practitioners in these past few Jumps, although we've lost a few too. Our current staff is as follows. Contact them when you need help, and they'll do their best to provide an assist. Some are combat-ready, others prepped for room visits, and some operate strictly out of the Medical Bay.

[William attaches a spreadsheet, that is also carefully groomed of typographical errors.]

NAMETITLEMAGIC/SCIENCE AND SPECIALTY
William TsangChief Medical OfficerResidency-level Physician, Magical Healing
GaladrielHealer, Emergency Deputy CMOMagical HealingExpand roster )
[ FILTERED TO MEDICAL BAY: ...WELL, SOMETHING! ]
So, [William's masque of sobriety and lucidity is probably less convincing to those of you who actually see him at work day-to-day. But he does look decidedly less run-down today, for the purposes of his video, than usual. And very gamely, he continues:] A slew of you lot are new. Some of you are really small, and might have even gone completely unnoticed since joining due to a general failure to be observed over the counter-tops. If I fucked up any of your task and ability descriptions, please let me know, and I'll-- [he gestures vaguely.] In any case, I should've made introductions earlier.

So here goes. Any of you guys ever played doctor?

[He hoists a morbid-looking dummy into view of the camera, its plastic chest-plate missing. Dozens of sockets for missing organs, all of its alarm lights off for the moment. Someone's competing for creepiest manifestation.]

Let me know if you want to do a meet-and-greet, and I'll set up the shift rotation. Whoever ain't on-call can maybe join in a toast to Dr. Simon Tam, Lúthien, Lily Potter, and Dr. Jennifer Keller, may they be remembered as those who held any number of passengers' herniated intestines in during disasters past. Updates and advisories on the ship's latest methods of confusing and killing us, also welcome.

Even if not, say hi to each other here, too. Some of you probably need friends or some shit. [William's understanding of psychiatric health ends here!] Cheers.
 
 
29 June 2015 @ 08:02 pm
[the video flips on, and rikku is running a hand through her long hair. she is doing this in a very nervous way, but there's a smile on her face so... that's a good sign, right? right.

she takes a deep breath.]


So... about a week ago, this showed up on my arm. [she flashes the inside of her wrist, which now has CEO in front of her ID number. she only shows it for a second, and then goes back to playing with her hair.] I thought it might've been some kinda mistake, but it's still there and I dunno. I guess I'm in charge of engineering now.

[alright, she seems to puff up a little bit with pride. damn right she's in charge!!!]

Yeah! If you're interested in gettin' your hands dirty with some other technophiles, hit me up. [for effect, she uses those spiffy new in-game mechanics to manifest a neat old wrench in her hands. she points it at the camera. it's called showmanship.] Seriously. We're the best department.

[her two little robots, scout and scoutette, whirr and chirp from where-ever they're hiding in her room.]
 
 
22 June 2015 @ 08:25 pm
hullo im posting a survey on behalf of Support
Support asked me to
answers here please but direct all questions to mr R J Lupin hes head of Support surveys thats why he asked me to do this one for him
interdepartmental unity

SURVEY.URMOM.DOC )
 
 
19 June 2015 @ 11:27 am
Is there a software library being maintained anywhere? If not, does anyone have anything they've written for themselves that they wouldn't mind sharing? I've already found "Spunes."

Thanks.
 
 
19 June 2015 @ 12:21 am
[Rey is looking significantly different now than most have seen her prior to the jump. For one, her hair is much shorter, almost pixie-ish, but not so much as cut as it has been growing back. While she has an array of new scars, the most notable one right now would be a nasty-looking horizontal gash across her throat that resembles a knife blade.

[Other than that, she looks no more worse for wear than her last public appearance. But she's not really here to talk about her harsher mien.]


"Other people saw it, right? Outside of the pods at the jump?

"Seems that it's been watching us for a long time."

[She looks away briefly, biting the inside of her cheek, and then back to the screen.]

"Whatever is happening to us, this connection we share... Perhaps it's supposed to help us fight it. Not sure how yet, but if it wants us alone and it can't control us to the point where we have it scared, it'd be nice to think that we've been given more of a fighting chance than the old crew ever had." [Hey, she's at least trying to be optimistic here.] "So maybe we should be learning how to control our link, rather than resist it."

['The clock has stopped.' 'It means the path planned for you is gone now.']

[Taking a deep breath, her eyes close. When they reopen, her expression changes. Even her voice is different when she speaks; suddenly hardened by fortitude.]


"Don't know about you, but I say fuck it. I plan on taking my own path."
 
 
This is Mystique.

Some of you may recognize me from the Jump star-mapping and timekeeping projects, where I collaborated with passengers from the Science Department and Flight Deck. Some more details on those works are here and here, but we've been keeping the latest updates on those figures in other storage because of the network presence of hostile entities.

I've never joined a department. I know I'm not alone. There are more possible reasons why a passenger may have made this decision, even if that decision is only to wait. In the majority of cases, we are interested in sustaining life on this ship, and we all know that this is becoming more crucial with every passing Jump. Many of us coordinate with departments as it is.

I'm offering and requesting help with making this happen more often and more efficiently.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

  • Potential volunteers: let me know what skills you have and what/kind of projects you'd be interested in working on.
  • Department heads: please let me know if you are willing to accept formal volunteers. If you want to specify a representative for contact and training from your department, do.
  • Roster of volunteers is now here.
  • Resident software experts: I've started to hammer together some basic software to make tracking easier, but I may need a tech assist too. I'm trying to keep it separate from the native nanite programming, and I doubt integration is possible, but a scheduler could be great.
PROPOSED PROJECT MANAGEMENT (pending departmental cooperation)

  • Flight Deck: complete construction of combat spacecraft and other equipment
  • Gunnery: complete construction/repairs of weaponry
  • General: maintenance, repairs, general assistance
  • Updates pending department input
My assumption is that volunteers will require supervision, training, and assistance with access to department-specific equipment, and work schedules will need to be determined. Serious disagreements should be resolved with someone getting fired; silly ones, I suspect we don't have time for.

If there is enough interest to proceed, I will make the information available in a few weeks.


OOC Note )
 
 
08 June 2015 @ 03:58 am
BE ADVISED. NEW ARRIVAL ARMED AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. LEFT MED BAY, POSSIBLY HEADING TO THE HIGHER LEVELS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO ESCAPE.
 
 
07 June 2015 @ 12:02 am
[Today, Elsa wears a long blue gown with a pale, diaphanous overlayer. She wants to be as much herself as possible, after days with other people. She's addressing the network very seriously, but her words are initially uncertain. As she continues to speak, she sounds more confident.]

Hello, everyone.

About six months ago, I didn't wake up after the jump. I missed a whole month, and I know I wasn't the only one. I had dreams during this time, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything about them.

I've been starting to remember things since the last jump. Everything that has happened since then... the way that girl Seraphim died and the things she said... it makes me think that what I remember might be important, if it wasn't just a dream.

I talked to Emily about it recently, but there's more now.

The trouble is, I'm pretty good with math, but I don't understand the technology here very well. It's not like anything we had at home. That might be important, too.

My dream was about a woman with thick black hair and a ruddy complexion. She wore her hair pulled back. She left the pods after a jump, and the lights were red, and everyone was lined up in formation. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who looked like her here.

A lot of things that happened after that are still coming back in bits and pieces. The thing that I remember now is... after some time passed, she went to the jump drive. It's the thing that helps the ship move, isn't it? It wasn't easy for her to get in, but I still don't understand why yet: the important thing is that she made it. And it wasn't what she expected to see, it was... there were things that should have been moving that were... frozen. Not as if they were in ice, but they were just hanging there in the air, kind of like lightning that never moved or ended.

[Her expression has grown increasingly troubled through the course of this narrative.]

It scared her.

Did anyone else see this? Even if you didn't... do you know what it means?
 
 
04 June 2015 @ 09:27 am
curious updates from this side of the ship, in continuation of this last post.

since then, several things have occurred in direct relation to the effects I last described. the observable ones include:
  • inc░░░░sed pain and bleedin▓▓░▓░ly treatable by physical contact with others (see medical's update re neurological damage)
  • the psychic observation being that the "ripping" sensation continues in earnest where that membrane area is attached to our minds, and physical contact triggers a "strengthening" of that area that resists that ripping
  • it also appears to make that membrane area "thinner"
  • the psychic whiteno▓░ going on behind the membrane seems to have increased in activity (imagine an angry beehive)
  • as of latest observance, I can sense the ripping/pulling become weaker
  • last but not ▓▓░st, ▓▓░cinations/projections of various stripes tailored to past experiences or ▓▓░chological states
  • here's the thing.

    when I talked about this presence before, I talked about its influence exerted over us -- as if the membrane were a window, and the ░░░ng on the other side of it is shading through its influence like light.

    what I've begun to sense is the opposite:
    I believe we are imposing control over or towards "it". I think it is trying to detach from us, for whatever reason, and we are collectively not letting it break free, and this resistance is only increased via physical proximity, and the more the merri░░░░░

    in extension and in support of that idea, I think we have more power than we realised.
    in the past week, I have ob▓▓▓ed our ability to 'find' people and dimin░▓ the effects of our projections. not only are we overcoming these projections ourselves, but it's very possible that we are in fact generating them by accident, and focus is allowing us to tame them. I think we are even changing our environments around us to 'find' people more efficiently, however subconsciously, and that this "thinni▓▓░ of the membrane is granting us access to these abilities.

    I implore▓▓▓▓o remain in contact with others to avoid harm. those on the passenger quarters end should gather together and equally try to help people get to safety. the clock is ░icking towards next jump and we have friends on the wrong side of the ship.

    we need to st░░░ ░onsidering how to get them back and whether we have the power to do so.
     
     
    26 May 2015 @ 04:10 pm
    [When the feed switches on, it shows Hiro flushed, breathless, and clearly ducked into a small, dark hiding place with a hand pressed to the side of his head and his eyes shut. He tries to keep his voice down when he speaks so that he won't be easily found, but who even knows what someone might be able to hear. Keeping his voice low also helps with the headache that started pounding behind his eyes; which had happened so suddenly that he'd stumbled into things and gotten him into the mess he's in at the moment.]

    So-- here's a question. Totally hypothetical... but let's say you got caught sneaking into areas you shouldn't be in or touching things maybe no one wants you to touch. What would you say is the best way of getting out of it?

    [He only asks because his usual tactic of "play the totally innocent/dumb kid card" doesn't seem to work so well on the few staff members he's run into in the engineering area, and even the "I'm so sorry, my head's been hurting and I got confused" angle failed. All of which has ended up with him kind of backed up into a corner. He wouldn't bother asking a whole bunch of strangers otherwise. Hiro bites his lip, glances outside of his little hiding spot, then turns back to the camera with a slightly sheepish look.]

    It's not as bad as it sounds. I swear. I just... needed some things.
     
     
    This is really bad! This is serious!!

    [look how damn serious he is to match the seriousness of this situation]

    Everyone's not feeling good, and it's 'cus of this — this stupid ship! Sometimes it makes me so mad...! But we gotta do something 'bout it so you don't get anymore hurting heads and bloody noses. We gotta work together!! Like a team! We always gotta stick together like a team! And I'm gonna help as much as I can; it's like a mission, a real important one, and I'm your team mate, and I'm not gonna let you get hurt anymore than you gotta! So I accept my new job...! I will find you!!

    I'm gonna hug everyone who needs the hugs!

    [YOU THINK THIS IS A FUCKING GAME]

     
     
    16 May 2015 @ 01:52 pm
    [ Charles Xavier has managed to time this video for a moment when he isn't bleeding from the face, but his face is quite white, like maybe he has been not so long ago. When he speaks, his tone is level and informative-- but in most other ways, a certain amount of anxiety radiates off of him.

    One of his eyes has blood blotting over white at the corner from burst blood vessel. ]


    I wanted to share something I found when I was asked to examine Felix Laurens. Some of you know I have psychic abilities and-- well, now all of you do. [ Ha. Ahh. Anyway. ] I sought to find out what-- prevented him from speaking directly, or caused him to behave in strange ways, and a little about how he came to be here at all. Last we knew, he was dead.

    What I found was a second presence, buried deep in his mind. His consciousness was separated from it by a sort of psychic, membranous barrier, which I don’t know the nature of. In my haste, I broke through the barrier so I could understand what it was, and-- initially, it was just. Sounds. Memories. Thousands of them, and I wasn't able to make any sense of it. But there was something else, too, something intelligent and aware that seemed to see me, like a single searching eye, and tried to-- do something. Pull me in, is what it felt like, to all that noise. Felix helped break off the connection before that could happen, and I experienced symptoms not unlike the ones we're experiencing now.

    [ Charles hesitates. Taps his fingers against the desk. Continues, to the point. ]

    It's in everyone. Everyone's mind.

    This barrier is, anyway. It reads to me as being "thinner" [ you can hear the quotation marks in his tone ] for those who have been here longer, and "thinner" for those that attended Shepard's recon mission a while back. I haven't looked beneath it since I observed it in Laurens, but only because I fear that I'd find the same thing.

    It's also-- I believe-- causing the rolling side effects we're all experiencing now, or has something to do with them. I've observed that there is a resistance happening, a ripping, like the barrier is trying to detach from our minds, and then when we seek physical contact and the symptoms abate, the barrier strengthens. Perhaps it isn't a barrier at all, but a--

    [ He stops. He hadn't want to ramble and speculate. ]

    Study is ongoing, anyway, about what it means for us, what it does to us. I'll put up my own findings in the archival timeline, and keep it up to date. If-- if anyone like me is looking to confirm this phenomenon, I can't stress enough that it's important you go carefully. It will overpower you, given the chance.

    [ Grim public service announcement executed, he tries to consider how to sign off. ]

    For those that are newer, my name is Professor Xavier, with Xenogen. Sorry about all that.

    [ Aaand cut. ]