rekindleme | INTRO LOG

Who: Everyone
Where: The Welcome Center
When: 18th June, late afternoon
Summary: The new arrivals, freshly pulled from their worlds or others, awaken in a strange place...
Warnings: Inbox death may occur. System overload at own risk. NPC responses may be slow.

It's a shuddering breath, a sensation of being pulled to elsewhere and finding oneself pressed against something on the soft and some place cozy. However, before one can fully stir, there is and odd, warm stirring sensation that lifts you up from wherever you've been dropped, when you begin to drift off once more.

Yet the feeling passes quickly, and when you awaken, you begin to realize your surroundings. It's a small room with what some might recognize as a Far Eastern theme when it comes to decor, from the walls to the sofa (or bed) you find yourself on. Illumination is provided by carefully crafted lamps, and even a candle flickering on a nearby desk. The doors are made from paper and wood, with a thin frame; through them it's easy to hear other people stirring, talking, or coming to.

You are not alone...

Close at hand there's a note that reads:

WELCOME CENTER
Newcomers: Please come downstairs to the lobby for refreshments and your welcome packets!

Odd... This wasn't written in your own language, and yet you find it easily understandable. Soon enough, if you don't enter on your own, there's a gentle knocking on the door as someone comes from downstairs to usher you along.

"Welcome to Saeng Seong! I know you must be confused as to where you are and what's going on, but we promise to explain this to you once you've had a chance to stretch your legs!"

Whether you go downstairs immediately or linger a little longer, eventually you must come down and get out of the small space, and sooner rather than later would probably be better. You'll find yourself in a well-lit lobby, filled with comfortable-looking couches and chairs. Along one wall are refreshment tables, loaded with all sorts of cool and relieving food and drink, including some you probably aren't familiar with. It's just as well they're in good supply, as the windows outside show a city well heated from a summer sun.

On the wall opposite are a pair of desks, each with a sign, and one person at her station-

Rhea, General Assistance
Andi, Technological Assistance

The plaques have a shiny new look to them, as do the desks. The one with 'Andi' listed appears to be empty, though. Gathered around both desks and several tables are boxes as well, and...Empty jars? The woman minding her desk doesn't appear to give them a second thought.

However, before you can go over and give at least one of them a piece of your mind and ask questions, the same person who ushered you downstairs hands you a manilla envelope that contains your welcome packet, urging you to read this before asking the two figures questions that the packet likely answers.

Inside it, you will find: a ring with a key and apartment number on it, some kind of cash card, a map and informational guide to the city, and a letter folded neatly on the top -

Welcome to Saeng Seong!

You are among a new group of arrivals to our city, from many far-apart worlds.
We have gathered you here because our city is in a crisis, and we are at our last resorts. The energy of the city is in a slow downward spiral, and is dangerously close to expiring altogether.

That's where you come in - you and everyone else we've brought to the city. Unlike those of us here, you have the potential to generate the energy the city needs, but you'll need to work together to do it.

Why? Because the energy can only be generated when two people touch each other. Any touch will do, but it must be between two of you who are new to the city. If you don't keep in contact with someone, eventually your energy will begin to drain as well, making you dangerously ill.

A few other things:

The closed-off sections of the city are closed off for a reason; approaching them will cause your energy to drain very rapidly. We're working to open the rest of the city to you as soon as we can, but for now, please remain within the first five districts of the city.

You have been given a key to a one-bedroom apartment in a complex set aside for you and the other new arrivals, near the riverside in the 1st district. You're free to change your living quarters whenever you like, and we encourage you to move in with someone in one of the larger apartments. When you want to change, just come back to this building to exchange your key.

We've also included a cash card with a living stipend; if you're unfamiliar with this system, or the network established for new arrivals, you can talk to Devin in the lobby for help. It's what he's here for. If you need medical assistance, contact Mai, one of our nurses.

Again, welcome, and thank you for all your help.

~~Irene~~ Rhea
Arrival Liaison

Outside, and through the translucent glass you can see a banner hanging from the tiled roof of the building across the street. The cheerful colors on it match well against a bright blue sky:

WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He'll admit that he doesn't know the reason behind it either, but he can accept it as a thing that's done without understanding why, especially considering he's been the recipient of it several times in the past. Just how many times was erased like the rest of his memory, but he knows it well enough.

Reluctant to share that he's missing so much but programmed not to lie, the assassin meets Diarmuid's eyes.

"Yes."

When James' answer confirms Diarmuid's suspicions, a sad look enters his eyes. He reaches out with one hand unconsciously to touch the man's arm, but seems to realize what he is doing at the last minute and stops himself, unsure if the touch will be welcomed or not.

"I'm sorry. No one has the right to do that to someone else. Don't they know how much it hurts?" He shakes his head, but as if he can tell James doesn't want to talk about it, he lets the discussion go at that. Instead, he runs a few steps forward and points to the doors of a rather tall building, "Here we are! This is Building One! The media center is just inside!"

He doesn't move away from Diarmuid when he reaches for him, and he's about to answer the question when he moves forward to the apartment complex and his train of thought is cut off.

They clearly knew. They couldn't have not known, because it was so painful not even he, who could ignore most pain, could stop himself from reacting.

But the soldier follows and enters the building, looking around carefully to see if anyone else is around. He recalls that the room he was given is in this building, on the second floor. In some ways it seems beneficial that some of these network terminals are in the same building, in case he ever needs them immediately.

It was very helpful to Diarmuid when he was learning to use the Network for the first time to have them so close by too. Now he lives farther away from them, but that doesn't really bother him so much because he doesn't need to look at them everyday to remember how they work.

Of course, he probably should look at them everyday so he can keep up with what is going on, but...

"The computers are just over here!" Diarmuid moves away from James' side and toward a room off to the side of where they entered. Nearby is the staircase that leads up to the rooms above, "It's really pretty easy to use the Network once you know how!"

For now, the boy seems to have forgotten about the whole memory discussion, which is probably for the best...

That's a discussion the soldier doesn't have any intention of returning to by his own efforts, so he follows Diarmuid into the media room and lets the thoughts leave his mind for the time being, glancing at some of the half-familiar machines. He knows what they are and some of what they're for, but he hasn't had much experience operating them. Now is as good a time to learn as any if he's to keep up with this place, he supposes.

"Which ones are the terminals?" he asks, looking at a few of the screens.

"All of these here are," Diarmuid points to one wall that is filled with terminals, before walking over to the one closet to them and motioning for James to join him. "There are others around the city too. I've heard some people have devices that let them connect from someplace not a terminal, but I haven't ever seen one."

Actually, he has once, but he just didn't realize at the time what it was.

"We can post to the Network using one of three options--video, audio, or text. Does that make sense so far?"

So these are it, he thinks as he steps next to the boy to examine it; he saw a few on the way here on street corners, in something like phone booths. (He wonders where he learned about phone booths, not remembering one ever being relevant for a mission. Maybe he used one at some point.) He imagines these devices Diarmuid is referring to are likely similar to mobile phones, if they're used for communication. Phones can be tracked. He's not really interested in getting one.

"Yes," he replies, knowing the meaning of the words well enough. He doesn't know if he plans to use the network to post anything himself, but text sounds like the safest option. At least, it is if he can type quickly, and he realizes he doesn't know if he can. He'll have to find out.

"Good! It's really easy from there! You can use this to set the type of message you want to send. This lets you record if you are doing video or audio, and this lets you go out to look at what has been posted by other people!" Diarmuid points to a series of buttons on the terminal and then the keyboard, "This is for typing stuff, obviously and this..." he moves the cursor to highlight a certain button on screen, "...this lets you go out to look at the other pages people have started putting on the Network. I don't really use it, but I remember that someone did a lot to set things up."

Diarmuid pauses to look back at James, "And that is basically it. I don't know if you will use the other things besides the posting system, but if you need help, I am sure there are people who will help you if you just ask!"

The soldier takes in the various buttons Diarmuid points out and commits it to memory, intending to keep track of what's going on through the Network and his own surveillance. It's an easy way to do it, and he's learned that people tend to share more than is safe. It's useful for tracking targets.

At the end of the boy's explanation, he nods. He's acquired skills with much less direction than labeled buttons; finding out any other functions should be simple.

"I can figure out the rest."

"It's more fun trying to figure some things out on your own anyway," Diarmuid nods and then looks back out of the media center and toward the stairs leading up to the floors with the apartments on them. "Do you need me to show you to your apartment or do you think you can find it yourself? You just head up those stairs until you come to the right floor and each room has the number on the door. The key to your room should be in the packet you were given."

He won't rush James away from the terminals if he wants to take some time and mess around with them. Now that he is in the right building, it shouldn't be hard for him to find his room alone.

He follows Diarmuid's gaze to see the stairs, and with the number listed on his key, he can't imagine he'll have much trouble from this point.

"I'll find it."

He does want to go ahead and check out the different things these terminals can do while he's here, and while there's no one else around. He imagines it'll be useful for later.

"Okay! I will leave you to learning then. I am in room 2-05 in Building 3 if you need me to help you with anything else!" Diarmuid runs over to the door and then stops and waves back at James, "Good luck settling in! I hope to see you again soon!"

Diarmuid smiles at him and then disappears out the door.

"James" watches the boy as he leaves, wondering why he gave his location out so easily to a stranger, and on that subject, why he was being so helpful at all. But he reminds himself that Diarmuid is very young and likely has a simpler view of the world, one where there are no targets or threats.

Maybe it's best that he knows where the boy lives. It should be easier to make certain nothing befalls him that way.

INTRO LOG - JUNE 2014

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weird brainwashed assassin big brother acquired