malnosso | [Locked to Luceti Residents]

[In the afternoon, the enclosure receives a message from none other than Mr. Catherine himself. He hasn't been heard from by the village since his death last June. Remarkably not only does he sound chipper and full of life, but the old raspiness that identified him as an old man is gone. In fact, he sounds quite full of life, like a young man high on life.]

Goodness gracious, how long has it been? Nearly a year, I should think, since we truly ever talked. Not counting that nasty business where I died. Best forgotten, that.

Now then, I suppose you've been beside yourselves with concern about my whereabouts. Well fret not, I've been hard at work! I'm not quite the CEO of the Malnosso, but I have made remarkable progress. You all have been quite helpful to that as well. We are quite a team, the lot of us! Wit and might mixed together for a remarkable combination of change. I suspect we could do most anything if we worked together!

In any case, to business. As you might guess, you will be undergoing an experiment soon. No doubt your more experienced 'old feathers' have enlightened most of you on what to expect. I realize this is all terribly frustrating. The heart strings are quite the delicate things, but it is very important. I won't be involved in running the experiment, but I've been assured that this will provide some absolutely astounding data in the future of Shift research. Your participation, willing or not, it is greatly appreciated.

Ahh- what else? Oh yes. I suppose you wonder what I'm up to? Well, it's quite exciting. I'm at Sirry Crags! The mountains, oh yes. The skies are perfectly clear. Blue skies abound! Not a single cultist dots the skies. Indeed, they haven't been spotted here in months. Mark that one for a victory. After hundreds of years, this mountain range is finally free from those nasty cultists. Exciting, isn't it?

[Locked to Rem]

Oh ho, I hear it's nearly over. You must absolutely tell me how the experiment went!

[Locked to Molly]

Well well, my dear. I do hope you have some news for me. Please, please, do not spare the details. This channel is absolutely secure.

[Locked to The Great One]

A-ah, I hate to intrude upon your important work, Great One, but might I trouble you for a moment of your time? I sincerely promise you this won't be like last time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That would be the favorable end. One that I would like to see.

As would I! Conflict hampers progress, but it is not yet a lost cause. Every day we come closer to finding the ultimate solution.

Searching for the ultimate solution... In which case, do you know the ultimate cause for this? Does anyone?

There are many theories. I suppose, perhaps, there are a few who might know. Certainly the Great One does. But the cause predates the organization and myself. Even then, much of the organization's early days has been lost for lack of record keeping. Truly a shame, as those times were certainly the things of legend. Oh, what I might have done had I only arrived in this world a few centuries sooner!

Edited 2013-03-13 05:48 (UTC)

The Great One. I see. [So, once again, the scientist was proving to be the most knowledgeable of their situation and what was to come next.]

Did something occur in the past that led to records being kept? [The emphatic need for records usually occurred after something significant had happened.]

I suppose you might say stable civilization happened. The organization may have existed for a great long while, but it wasn't always skyscrapers and cities on the Moon.

That is true. At some point in the past, Shifting technology emerged. The barriers produced would allow for stability.

How astute of you. Indeed, indeed. That certainly was a contributing factor!

[But there were multiple factors -- ones they had no idea about.]

Do any of the buildings or enclosures of that time still exist?

Very few. Most have likely been completely wiped out by now. Or cultists have taken to living in them now.

I am somewhat surprised to hear the cultists would want to live in anything from the Organization's control, but that may be because of my limited knowledge of their culture. We have only seen them living within that jungle, after all.

Tsk, you haven't forgotten about the underground city already, have you? That certainly wasn't crafted by their hands.

Ah, no -- I should have been more careful with the use of "we." I personally did not have a chance to see their usage of it. [He frowns wryly at the thought of that particular draft and the likelihood of people developing claustrophobia.] Is there a known base region for the cultists? One that they have held and controlled for the duration of this war?

Several and many. There's two continents entirely under their control. But what is alarming is the knowledge that we are powerless to help all the arrivals, the ah, New Feathers, that arrive in those parts of the world. They are doomed from the moment they appear.

[Locked to Luceti Residents]

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