malnosso | [Locked Against Malnosso]

Well, first of all, I expect you're all a bit cross with me given the past two weeks. No doubt there's more than just a few of you who wished you had got a piece of me while you had the chance, aha! I shan't apologize for it. I suspect it won't make much of a difference and I'm afraid it was quite necessary.

But I shall give you an explanation of sorts! To put it quite simply, I've moved in! There's been a bit of trouble with the organization, I'm afraid. I'm afraid with the war effort going so poorly, the renegades have been becoming more daring and the security forces continue to do whatever they please. I'm afraid you have all felt the brunt of that in the recent battles you've been called into. I'm reluctant to say that it will happen again and I won't be involved at all. I won't be able to speak on your behalf.

As for myself, I've become a bit unpopular. So before someone attempts to take my place, I've decided I might lie low a bit. And as everyone knows, there's nowhere in this world quite as peaceful and secure as Luceti! I did use some deception getting in using the latest experiment, but I'm afraid it was the only way I could ever safely arrive in the village without risk to my life. An old man like myself wouldn't have lasted long against you all. Oh! I do hope none of you mess about with those nasty beasts about. They weren't after any of you, they were just looking for me.

You may also have noticed I brought an assistant with me. I have some contacts in the organization who will gladly supply those various conveniences you enjoy so much. She'll be assisting in these transfers, so please, don't be shocked if you hear her lovely young voice answering you. Molly's a bit shy, but she means well. Aha, I'm afraid she's even a little taken to all of you. She's not very happy with how I do things at all.

Nevertheless, take heart! I don't plan to be here forever. I will return to head the company again in due time. It may start to look a bit grim, like your early days, but it's always darkest before the dawn. Or is it the other way around?

[Filtered to John]

Oh, Great One, I do hope you'll forgive me for that bit of fun with the festival. But you do deserve it! I only wish you would have come out to enjoy it!

But I'm afraid I must ask something of you. I've scrambled the journal system's signal to prevent real time monitoring by the Organization, but I suspect it won't be long before they catch on. I thought, perhaps, you might be able to come up with something a bit more permanent?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Indeed! Though I suspect it's all a bit too fantastical to be believed. I am quite a manipulative, crafty fellow, after all.

You wouldn't have become CEO of that organization if you weren't.

[He can't assume you're telling us the absolute truth about all of this. But there's elements in play here that can't be ignored.]

The security forces simply see the whole of us as a weapon to be swung at the Third Party. Which means this Shift was proposed... and designed, to turn us into more efficient soldiers. Believing that our homeland was in danger and our glorious benefactors needed our assistance.

Pretty effective. If completely unethical.

Quite right. War brings out the worst in people, even scientists.

...For their sake, I hope they're prepared to deal with the hive they've stirred.

[Truthfully, Batman would prefer if those responsible were punished lawfully, through a court and given fair trials. He doesn't want to condemn them to the bloodlust of Luceti's inhabitants, and Bil no doubt knows that, given Batman's history.]

Nevertheless, the war needs to be ended first so some measure of sanity returns to these people. You were one of the only forces standing between their more unethical desires and us. These people are only interested in results.

...We need a way to fight back. Leverage. So we need a way to pressure them into playing ball with us, rather than trying to use us as pawns in their game. Unfortunately, Shifts like the last one severely weaken our position.

Quite so. But I'm afraid the only way they might reconsider your position is if, ahem, you were to lose. That is, if the Third Party was to defeat you.

Or we sit by and refuse to fight.

[Unfortunately, that's an empty gesture, as many of the heroes here couldn't do so in good conscience if lives were at stake. Himself included.]

Edited 2011-04-30 05:37 (UTC)

It would have much the same result.

In reality, all we have is the waiting game. Like it or not, we don't make the rules, and we just have to play along. For now.

[He doesn't like it, no one does. But this is the reality of it and it has to be dealt with. But...]

...You said elsewhere that what happened doesn't fit into the goal of the Organization. Your goal is ending the war and getting everybody to return home, correct?

Returning home is the only goal. The war would be irrelevant if we could get everyone home, after all.

[Everyone. Everyone. So everyone out there didn't come from this world. Like the people of Luceti, they're all tied to this world by Shifts as well.]

...If everyone else comes from different planes in the multiverse, why hold us in an enclosure like this? What makes us special enough to want to study?

It's quite simple. You won't be here nearly as long. That, in itself, makes you quite unique.

...Of course! The random Shifts that remove us from this world and send us back to our own!

That we're not bound by the same rules that govern the rest of the world. So... many of these experiments are attempts to replicate those natural, random Shifts that bring us here or send us home?

It's not quite so simple as that, but yes, that's very nearly it! Well done!

[If he's not on the mark, he's pretty close. And given a few guesses about the organization... a massive, world wide corporation with enough influence to run a military and fight a very bloody constant war...

The resources they have at their disposal must normally be tremendous. And to think they haven't found a way to counteract the shifts that bring them to this world... the difficulty must be beyond most's comprehension, let alone the financial costs of all the research, development, equipment, payroll, and everything else.

And he thought Wayne Enterprises was sprawling.

But this leads to another line of inquiry.]

...Is there some reason we weren't openly informed of this? People might be more willing to help if the situation was explained to them more honestly.

Hmm. Well I suppose the simple answer is that it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

...For experimental purposes, I would assume not. Forming good relations with a captive audience is a low priority.

[Said kind of dryly, but not really as a shot.]

...How long has the Organization existed?

[If people can live multiple lifetimes on the outside, it'll help give a further sense of scope...]

Aha, well, I suppose that's a bit of a complex question isn't it? Suffice to say, it's been quite some time! But the Malnosso is only a few hundred years old.

Hundreds of years...

[Just the Malnosso... which meant...]

So there were other groups trying to do the same thing, or did the Organization change in make-up?

[Locked Against Malnosso]

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