003 - Memories of a False History

[tabularasa_mods]

Memories of a False History State of the World ▲ Locations ▼ Bestiary
OOC ▲ Comments Please refer to the original Event Announcement for more information or to ask any questions you might have! For the disaster prompt, players are not restricted to the versions given, but they are intended to be the most common. Feel free to borrow ideas from the disaster suggestions thread as well!

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The Sound of All Things Bad
The sound comes without warning. What the sound is cannot quite be made out - it is at once artificial and natural, bestial and mechanical, rumbling and roaring and crunching, shattering and crashing and screaming. Everything about it feels like a threat, warning of danger. The cacophony of noise reaches throughout the entire Void, loud and inescapable, the mangling and clashing of different sounds leaving each individual with a different idea of what it could possibly have been. It sounds different to everyone, each person able to pick out a part of the sound that ties to their own fears.

What if...?

How long the sound lasts would depend on how the individual perceives time. It might last for seconds, or it might last for minutes, but once it stops it does not repeat. Where it came from or what it is does not become the slightest bit clearer, and people are left to only speculate.

Disaster
No one can quite be sure what has prompted them to remember that day. It might have been that noise of approaching doom, or perhaps it is seeing the crumbling ruins of Hammerlocke itself. Once a stray memory surfaces, it is easy enough to look into the details and recall in full the vivid memory of Hammerlocke’s destruction - the ‘truth’ of what caused the mountainside city to crumble into ruins, as so many have wondered since their first appearance. Though the memory is clear and detailed, vivid enough to have been witnessed in person, it is out of place and does not belong, and anyone who can recall the events knows it.

Attempting to discuss the matter will soon reveal that while others recall the event with similar clarity, the details vary from person to person. Over time, their own memory changes and adapts, occasionally changing to something new entirely, yet the original is never completely forgotten. Memory is a strange and fickle thing, so easy to influence and manipulate, that the truth is difficult to find.

While memories differ from person to person, there are three particular tales that recur:

From the Sky

Though the sky above did not change from its paper-like blank white, the land grew darker and darker as though cast in shadow. The source of the shadow was clear: above, slowly descending towards the wings of the castle, was... something. Something immense, yet shrouded in crackling storm clouds.

As it continued to grow closer and closer, something in the clouds began to swell. It grew larger and larger, an electric hum of energy in the air, until with a resounding crack it burst and a great shadowy beast fell to the ground, landing with such force that the resulting shockwave shook the earth and tore through the stone buildings, causing so much of the city to tumble in an instant. It moves, and it screeches, raising its head up as the great storm above continues to swell and crackle.

This would not be the only beast.

(Based upon: Meteor, the Lunar Cry, and the Darkest Day)

The Battlefield

It was never clear why the fighting eventually made its way to this defenseless city, but it came without warning. The chaos was heralded only by explosions as the city walls were blasted through by tanks that had somehow made their way along the treacherous and narrow mountain path that simply was not meant for such heavy machines. The thundering explosions and the collapse of buildings could surely be heard for miles, and people and animals alike were quick to flee.

Though they reached Hammerlocke first, the tanks seemed like nothing compared to the enemy. The enormous shadowy monstrosity that swooped in from the sky seemed to be made from far more advanced technology. Even just the one towering machine, as large as the castle falling to ruins beneath its feet as it lands, proves deadly as it fires upon the approaching tanks, blasting them all to pieces within an instant before turning fire on whichever buildings remain standing.

(Based upon: Tanks, and Reapers)

The Mysterious Storm

There had been no way to predict the change in the weather, never mind how destructive it would prove. One moment, everything had been still and quiet, and the next the city was assailed by howling, violent winds and freezing, glittering snow and ice. Though the city was built of stone and had stood the test of time for centuries, it could not stand against these combined forces. The only shelter was underground, for the furious storm was so powerful it could rip through earth, lift up and fling any object in its path with devastating force, shattering windows and toppling buildings.

Propelled by such force, the ice and hail proved destructive in its own right. As the storm froze everything in its path, the hailstones became like bullets and great chunks of ice became missiles. By the time the winds began to grow calm, there was little left standing.

Something about the storm seemed somehow unnatural, but where it came from was anyone’s guess. Some, however, may have spied a vague figure through the tempest, of unclear appearance but its presence somehow threatening.

(Based upon: Weather, El shortage, and Diamond Dust)

Misplaced Memories
Worries about whatever disaster must have befallen the ruined city of Hammerlocke aside, people quickly become aware that memories of the disaster are not the only invasive, foreign memories. How the other memories come to them seems, on the surface, to be very similar: a connected thought occurs, and upon realizing the memory is not theirs, people are compelled to think more about it until the memory is uncovered in full detail. Unlike the memory of the disaster, however, this one quite clearly belongs to someone else. Someone who is here.

On puzzling this out, some might find they have more than one stray memory sitting in their minds. More importantly, however, is the feeling that something from their own memory is missing, and whatever memory is missing feels like it is something important. It could just be their own phone number, or it could be their name, or the face of whoever is most important to them. It could be something small, it could be something big, but all people know is that it’s something important and it’s gone.

There is no clear, immediate answer as to what people can do about their lost memories. With regards to their new memories, however, the path might seem a tiny bit clearer, for surely it seems a bit unfair that they can see into someone’s past in such a manner without their knowing. Perhaps it’s best to talk to them about it?

Although the lost memory is not always the same as the ones borrowed, taking the memory back to its source and prompting them to discuss and think about it proves a great help - as they talk, the invasive memory leaves, a lost memory is restored, and those who succeed are able to tell others the solution.

While the invasive memory is gone, people can still recall having it, and can still recall the details, but they will no longer remember it from the other’s point of view. Perhaps it might change how they see each other from now on?

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

[psychokinesia]

[It's a good thing Add doesn't know just how brief Turing's real world experiences have been thus far, or he'd be at risk of having another scientific meltdown... but there are more important matters at hand. He watches Turing scramble onto the table with mild interest, his mind wandering elsewhere.]

You were with someone else—human, I'm guessing. Never caught their name. You were both attempting to sneak into a building, in a city filled with advanced technology. [... he kind of wants to sigh at that part, but it doesn't seem like it was that important of a detail. Neither Turing nor their partner seemed surprised by anything going on around them... so that level of technology must be the norm where Turing comes from. He might be a bit jealous.]

Mm. Anyway, I believe it was a group called Parallax? Certain details are lacking, but your companion disguised themselves with a work uniform and you were able to hack through their security. Unfortunately, your mental processing speed is a bit too fast for me to keep up with on my own, so I'm not sure on the exact method you used to break through the security door... but the two of you made a decent team, I suppose.

[begetblue]

You think so? I feel the same way!

[ They had enough context from their still-present memories to realize which human he was referring to. While it wasn't easy to be apart from their friend, the fact that even Add recognized their teamwork was enough to get Turing to perk up immediately. That probably said a lot about how attached they were to Alys. ]

We managed to accomplish a lot together! But my sudden disappearance might be causing them a lot of worry...

[ A shadow passed over their expression. They tried to will it away, and, well, it didn't really work. On the other hand, the topic of teamwork did happen to bring something else to mind. That proved to be much more effective. ]

I'm sure your companion is concerned about you as well!

[ And by companion, they meant the Dynamo from the memory they had seen. It seemed like a reasonable assumption to make, considering the contents. ]

[psychokinesia]

[Ahh, they really do have an impressive emotional range... he can tell that this person must be important to them. Do they consider them a friend? Are they that far along in that awareness? He can't gauge much of their partner based on the memory alone, but he hopes that they realize just what kind of technological marvel they're dealing with... even in a world with that much technology just out and about, surely a human-like AI is still impressive! Isn't that what the creators of AI have always strived for?!

He eventually stops zoning out, though, something about their last few words catching in his mind.] Companion?

[oh, right, his memory. Add frowns ever so slightly. As embarrassing as it is to admit, he could think of several people who might fill that role in a memory of his...] Not sure who you mean exactly, but if it's one of those soft-hearted idiots, you're probably not wrong. Should I continue?

[begetblue]

[ Soft-hearted idiots? Turing frowned. That was no way of speaking about one's allies! Their recollection of that memory didn't really go into the aftermath, but they were hoping that Add showed a little more gratitude. Or gave a thank you at the very least.

...Someone was going to need to teach them the word 'tsundere' at some point, probably. ]

Yes, please. I think there are still some fragments missing.

[ They would just have to be a good influence with a focus on politeness for the time being. ]

[psychokinesia]

[A "thank you" might be asking for too much, but sure, Add has his own way of showing gratitude...

Those thoughts would have to wait until later, though. There was still a bit more to the memory. He nods, getting right back into it.]

After bypassing security... right, it was some kind of lab. Nothing but computers and technology as far as the eye could see. [this time he really is going to sigh dreamily. he's totally jealous.] Physical security was surprisingly lax. I guess whatever organization you were infiltrating wasn't expecting an attack from the inside to succeed. You were attempting to download a large volume of code. Again, too much for me to keep up with, but...

[Add pauses, staring at them curiously for a moment. He has an idea of what that code might be... and it only frustrates him even more knowing that he can't read it from the memory. Even with his Nasod implants to help him, trying to download a memory of a piece of data is a hopeless effort. He can only grab bits and pieces that are meaningless on their own.

Still... just knowing it exists is a good thing, right? His lips curve into a slight smile.]

Source code for a new type of sentient machine... would be an interesting research topic, kuku...

[aaaaaaand he's gone, back to his weird fantasies again]

[begetblue]

[ Oh. Oh no. Ohhhhhh nooooooo. Their sense of dread only got worse as the memory began to slot back into place. It was totally fine for Add to go back to whatever fantasies he wanted as long as he didn't realize that was Turing's own source code. And, y'know, also that he didn't start wondering about whether they still had it on their memory or not. If they had an organic heart, it would have definitely been pounding.

They could just delete it off their memory right now to save themselves, but that code was also something of Hayden's. The idea of losing such a memento forever was...well, they hated it. They hated everything about it.

Instead, they attempted Plan B: Change the Subject. ]

There are computers and technology where you were as well, weren't there?

[ Turing scooted over on the desk and retrieved a piece of paper and a pencil. Pencils were not their preferred medium, but they could at least lean on machines being naturally good at image reproduction in cases like these. The sketch was a very close likeness to the original Dynamo as a result. The cat ears were a bit fun to draw on a machine, actually. ]

Like this machine! Aren't they your companion? They defended you against that masked man with a club. Were there any lasting effects from that? I know head injuries can be very serious for humans--

[ ...They were just babbling now. ]

[psychokinesia]

[Bad news, Turing, the memory did say it was their source code—but hey, it's probably fine! It's not like there's anything else special about their source code, right?? So maybe if he asks really nicely they'll let him take a peek at it...!]

Mm, it's a bit more complicated than that, but... [he's only half paying attention, still distracted by his plan to convince Turing that he should take a look at their source code (to make sure it's not missing anything? can he lie and say there's a problem with it they don't remember? no, that probably won't work...). He does eventually return from spacing out, though, when he notices they're drawing something. Add steps closer to get a better look.

It's... some kind of cat? He squints, confused for a moment before it starts to click together—]

Dynamo! Ah, shit. [He seriously forgot about Dynamo?? He does feel kinda bad, but mostly he's relieved that Turing didn't see something much worse... an old memory like that isn't anything to get worked up about. He sighs, finally starting to relax.] Dynamo is... well, I guess you're not wrong. Dynamo is my partner, I owe a lot to them.

[begetblue]

[ nooooooo

For the time being, they could remain blissfully (?) unaware of the fact that their hopes were already dashed. That wasn't what helped the most, though. When Add got that piece of his own memory back, his reaction was the thing that stopped Turing's overt panic. It sounded very sincere. Especially now, it was nice to hear someone speak of another mechanical being as their equal instead of getting caught up on whether they needed to have a useful function to be worthy of existing. That got Turing to smile a bit--not a strained or shy one, but a genuine one that they felt no need to suppress.

Dynamo, huh? Hmmm. ]

Did they come here with you. by any chance? I would like to meet them, if I can.

[ They had...many questions to ask. 'How do you float like that' might have been one of them. ]

[psychokinesia]

[In a weird sort of way, the feeling is mutual—he's used to everyone treating Dynamo like they're just a tool. Really, that's mostly his own fault since he doesn't do much to correct that opinion, but it's kind of... nice? to have someone not just appreciate how cool Dynamo is, but to think of them as a real Nasod and not just his weapons. It may not be obvious in how he acts, but he truly does respect Dynamo as a partner.

Except there's a slight problem in Turing's request. It should be a simple "yes, of course", but...]

That's... also complicated. [Is Dynamo here with him? Yeah, duh. But the memory Turing saw was of the original Dynamo. Add hesitates.] How should I put this...? The original Dynamo suffered from some design flaws. It was also built using ancient technology that's difficult to replace. I'm not saying it was damaged beyond repair, but its central AI has been inactive for years now. Reactivating it would require parts and knowledge that I don't have access to. I do have Dynamo with me, but they're different from what you would've seen in that memory.

[he doesn't sound particularly upset about all that, but, well... he's had years and years to accept it and move forward. The current Dynamo may not be exactly the same, but they're still the Dynamo he knows and trusts, and he wouldn't have brought that AI chip with him all this way if he didn't intend to keep his promise.]

Also, their batteries have been completely dead since arriving here, so they can't even move around right now. [... but that part he is kinda bummed about, because man does it suck having to walk everywhere when you're used to having your own personal robot hoverboard. what's he supposed to do if he needs to reach a shelf that's just slightly too high? or if he needs to carry something but his hands are already full??]

[begetblue]

I see...

[ Necessary repairs, an inactive central AI, and dead batteries? Just one of those was bad enough, but all three together threatened to be insurmountable. Turing frowned at that, but not at Add's reaction. Being upset at a situation that couldn't be changed would not do any good. That was something Turing knew very well, and giving too much time to those hurt feelings somehow made it all hurt more. But maybe now there was a way to change all that. ]

I don't know what I would be able to do, but if there's anything I can do to help, I'd like to try.

[ They had already come a long way from the Turing who hid behind the front door. That being said-- ]

...Mostly anything, anyway.

[ In other words, "don't get carried away."

It ultimately didn't matter if Dynamo was a ROM or not; they couldn't let a fellow AI drift in a limbo of living and not living. The battery issue was both the most mystifying and potentially the easiest to solve, so Turing started there. Their own batteries had been fine this whole time, but the power from their battery didn't seem to be transferable based on their own experience. Transplanting one of their batteries into a fixed Dynamo might work, but considering how dependent their entire being was on their hardware staying exactly as it was, that was kind of a scary thing to think about. Maybe it was better to focus on other things first. ]

Is it possible that some parts could be salvaged from the appliances at the beach, even if they're not ideal?

[psychokinesia]

[damn. They're lucky they added that "mostly anything" before he started getting ideas...

Machines looking out for machines—it's not unreasonable, though he does find it particularly interesting that they'd want to help a machine of a completely unrelated model and creator. Do they consider all advanced machines worthy of such assistance, or is it something about Dynamo specifically? Nasods have their pride, so he can't say for sure if a Nasod would go out of their way to help a non-Nasod machine. Eve probably would, of course, but she is an exceptional Nasod...

Oh, he's getting sidetracked again. He clears his throat, mentally scrolling back to where the conversation left off—]

Salvaged parts... tch. If they were that easy to substitute, I would've solved it a long time ago. No, it's a specialized part that I need.

[... ah, what the heck, he might as well share some of the details. It's rare that he gets to talk about this kind of thing with someone who actually knows enough about machines to keep up.] Nasods need a special El-crystal core to function. The quality of the crystal determines how much energy and data it can process, if the crystal's quality is poor then the output will be too low to maintain higher functionality. It's comparable to a human's heart—if the bloodflow is too weak, it won't be able to reach vital organs and the body will die. Nasods are more resilient than humans, but they'll still cease to function if their core is damaged or removed, and their other components can be easily damaged by any disruption to their core. Unfortunately, obtaining high-quality Nasod cores is no easy feat. Most machines from that era have been destroyed, so even finding a low-quality core can be a challenge. Creating a new core would require knowledge of the manufacturing process, as well as high-quality crystals that are also difficult to obtain.

Currently, Dynamo is connected to a network of several low-quality cores as well as myself, but that hasn't been enough to activate it... to try and substitute something else, I wouldn't even know where to start. Diceon ore had similar properties to El, but the quantities needed were too large to be effective in Nasod core manufacturing. A more efficient ore or crystal might exist in other worlds, though... it'd have to be something that can handle large quantities of El energy, but how would you even check for that in this place when everything is so inconsistent...?

[and after all that rambling he may have zoned out again... at least he finished his explanation first.]

[begetblue]

[ Turing listened like a dutiful student during the entire lecture. So this core more or less functioned like a CPU and a power source rolled into one, or something like that, and multiple lower quality crystals connected in a network wasn't equivalent to a single high quality crystal. If nothing else, that put the problem into perspective, but a few things about that still bothered them. The first one being: ]

Are you sure all of those requirements still apply in this place? [ A question mark blinked on their face before returning to normal. ] My batteries would normally have needed charging several times over by now, but they haven't been depleted at all. This place does strange things even to technology...

[ They still weren't really sure how to feel about the void having this much disrespect for the laws of thermodynamics, not to mention the laws of physics in general. On the other hand, if that quirk could work out in their favour, then it could be helpful not only for Add, but for everyone. It was worth a try!

...They were also aware revealing that knowledge about their batteries might not work out so well for them. It was a big gamble--a bigger one that they were used to taking, but it was one that they were taking for a reason. Taking this path was more than a little underhanded and not at all suitable as direct and honest communication, but this was also an immediate way of confirming something. ]

Due to that, an alternate method or substitution might be possible now, even though it wasn't before!

[psychokinesia]

... Eh? [He's quick to return from his thoughts for once, spurred by their unusual suggestion. Is it possible that... he doesn't need any of those things?

... he's really not sure how to feel about that. Sure, it would be convenient—]

But if the substitution doesn't need the right properties... is a substitution even needed at all? Or, wait, how am I supposed to know how to apply a fix in the first place? Dynamo still won't power on at all so there must be something wrong with them...

[He's lived his whole life solving problems with science and shunning illogical things like magic... how is he supposed to just throw all that away and start solving things with the void's bullshit, huh?? The real problem might actually be his inability to suspend disbelief.]

[begetblue]

Well, I... I don't know.

[ They looked down, feeling a bit sheepish. Trying sounded like a good idea, but they also didn't have any earthly clue on how to achieve it, and that was just as big of a problem. Honestly, their own ability to think outside of the box was already at its limit.

That being said, sitting here certainly wasn't going to get anything done, now was it? Turing pushed off from the desk and descended to the ground without a second thought. ]

I will begin an investigation and see what I can find out! Perhaps there's someone here who has already had some luck accomplishing something similar?

[psychokinesia]

[He stares at Turing after they make their declaration, falling quiet for a moment. This certainly isn't how he expected this meeting to go... he figured that they might have some insight on his memory, sure, but offering to help him with something he didn't even ask for?]

You don't have to do that for me... but I guess if you did, the least I could do is introduce you, keke.

Let me know if you find anything, then. Besides, it's not like I'm about to give up on Dynamo just because another roadblock presented itself. Ah, and if you're ever in need of a skilled engineer, you're of course welcome to call on me for assistance at any time, kukukuku...

[like, say, if you needed someone to open your head up and poke around in there... he could help with that? maybe? please??]