ᴏɴᴇ. [ video; later afternoon ]

[secondcomingof]

[ Despite his reputation as a prominent figure, Casval Mass still held a certain aversion to showing his face in public when he deemed it unnecessary. The fact that he's doing so to what he's deduced to be a bunch of strangers, seemingly picked at random by some outside force, makes him all the warier.

But what Casval likes even less than an overabundance of frivolous contact is a serious lack of answers. And answers were nowhere to be found, in this situation. Those strange lights, those strange numbers connecting him to faces and places he didn't recognize, but above all else, that haunting name, Char Aznable, which plagued his dreams and stole away what little sleep he managed to grasp at night.

So even though anxiety prickles through his consciousness, he figures a straightforward effort on his part may be the only way to find those answers he's seeking—and with a click of a button and a flurry of digits he couldn't discard from his memory even if he tried, Casval makes his first appearance on the network. ]

Greetings. This is Captain Casval Mass, though I'm sure that name means nothing to any of you. In fact, from what I've gathered so far, none of our names mean anything to each other.

[ Leaning back in his office chair, Casval folds his hands, staring sternly at his monitor and speaking with a swift, sure tone, lightly accented, the mark of a tested politician. ]

While some of you appear to have written this off as some kind of joke or hoax, I would advise you that such a possibility is highly unlikely. I am no believer in gods or the mystical forces surrounding them, but for now, we have to accept that what's going on is beyond our present capabilities to understand.

And I would like to understand.

Therefore, I would request—merely for the purposes of resolving this matter, mind you, I've no true personal interest in how you may spend your time—that you all tell me a little bit about yourselves. More specifically, any recent happenings in your lives that have stricken you as odd, or out of place, something that you saw, heard, or felt, anything that can might be interconnected. Because we are all accessing this same "network", we must all then share something in common, even if it isn't immediately coming to mind. I, of course, will disclose whatever you wish to know, within reason.

As a final note, I am currently stationed at Fort Turner, on a joint military venture with your country. I don't expect to be staying very long, so if you would prefer to discuss matters in private, feel free to stop on by; just ask for Captain Mass at the gate and they'll wave you on through. [ His face twitches, briefly, as if to say any juvenile jokes regarding my name will result in painful strangling, courtesy of myself. ] We could always use an extra hand or two around the base, if you've skill with a wrench or some related field.

[ Casval bows his head to his audience and offers up a polite smile. ]

I look forward to working with all of you to arrive at a logical, and mutually beneficial, resolution.

[ And click! goes the feed. ]

(( Respond however you like here! Casval will be sitting at his computer drinking tea like a boss or I left it open to anyone interested in some action for swinging on by the base. Public areas only, obviously, since they're not going to let just anyone go wandering around, but other than that have at it. Casval is NOT wearing any mask whatsoever, so you can disregard that in my icons for now. ))

Comments

[ text; typed into computer ]

[secondcomingof]

[ Yes, Captain Mass, really. And at last, the promised time has come, when the immature children have left the building and the functioning adults provide him with legitimate information to piece this mystery together. Bless the Lord, for this well of patience hath run dry. ]

Do you know who it was?

[northless]

I don't know. I suppose this means I need to quit watching History Channel when I have nothing else to do.

[secondcomingof]

[ You should probably stop watching History Channel because it sucks now, Robb, but that's beside the point. ]

Were they any other details you recall about this beheading? Anything that was said, clothes that were worn? Even minor objects in the background might yield some clues.

[northless]

It felt like something from medieval times. Beyond that, there isn't much else.

[A lie--he can remember the blood staining his clothes all too well.]

[secondcomingof]

[ He has a feeling there's more to the story, yes, but for once, Casval isn't going to press. He's beginning to realize that much of what's going on here involves sensitive information, touchy memories, and he knows firsthand that it's best not to poke at those. ]

Thank you for the information. It makes little sense now, all these scattered bits and pieces, but perhaps once we bring them together, we'll come up with something.

[northless]

Or there's a chance it still won't make any sense even if we bring them together.

[secondcomingof]

Well, I do have the habit of making the impossible possible. So my wingmen like to point out. Repeatedly.

It may all wind up being for naught, but we can at least say we tried. It's better than sitting around, twiddling our thumbs and sitting through those awful reality show reruns you Americans call television.

[northless]

There is such a thing as quality television here. It's just harder to find in between Jersey Shore and the Kardashians.

[secondcomingof]

Like the History Channel?

[northless]

It isn't actually quality TV these days, either. I just watched it because there was nothing else on at the time.

[secondcomingof]

[ He was actually being sarcastic, but okay, Robb. He'll let you have a free pass on that one. ]

I'm going to guess you're a university student, then?

[northless]

Film student and part-time barista.

[And there's a long list of short-lived jobs somewhere in there, but hey, who needs to know all that?]

[secondcomingof]

[ It's alright, kid. You're on his good side. So far. ]

American as apple pie, as they say. I suppose this all came as quite a shock to someone like you.

[northless]

[He stifles a laugh. American as apple pie, ha.]

It did, but I'll get used to it.

[secondcomingof]

...I don't think this is the sort of thing you should get used to.

[northless]

I meant...whatever this is. I'm guessing it's a network or something? It looks as if I'm stuck with it, anyway.

[secondcomingof]

We all are, for the time being. But as I said, better to make the most of the dilemma at hand rather than stall in place.

A comet is not admired for idling, after all. And I will be just as driven, just as relentless, in my pursuit of the truth.

[ For the sake of his sanity, he has to be. ]