text

[carolinesays]

[Guess who just returned from a prolonged business trip and is drained and cranky from air travel? THIS PERSON.]

Hello. I would have posted sooner, but I had a burning need to undergo selective amnesia and forget any of you ever existed. It was an enchanting experience for everyone involved.

I suspect the abysmal time I just spent in airport security can be attributed to:

1. a youthfully-boisterous caper from one or more of you
2. something to do with our fair hometown's authority figures
3. both/other/unknown

"Eco-terrorists"? Really? Really?

Still, I escaped the TSA's attentions intact. Which is good. This means, now that I remember having done so, I can present the findings from the video tapes I collected from you some time ago.

My intention in collecting this data was to narrow down how we interact with this Whatever-this-is. I requested video footage of you people using the network, along with control footage of you not doing so.

Every single piece of footage I received was functionally identical.

Initially I believed that some of you had sent duplicate video files, or simply misinterpreted my request. But it beggars belief that every single participant could be so clumsy. To verify this, I made my own video footage. See for yourself:
[control.avi] [viewingnetwork.avi] [accessingnetwork.avi]

[The attached videos are each about a minute long, and show a woman's hands resting on a laptop keyboard. None of the videos show her typing or doing anything, and instead of the network, the screen shows a blank word processing program. Caroline's face is not visible.]

I can only assure you that that was not what I thought I recorded.

Input as to the meaning of this would be welcome.

[OOC: Just to confirm that, yeah, Caroline's findings are legit, the video tape experiment is in reference to this.]

Comments

[wirsinddiejager]

holy shit that is kind of creepy.

[carolinesays]

Yes. Well. I was hoping not to add more fuel to the shared delusion conspiracy theory, but.

Happy Halloween.

[vanisland]

That's very interesting. It seems we can't even see ourselves use the numbernet.

I conjecture that whatever is allowing us to access it thinks it's a security measure.

[carolinesays]

I suppose it is some consolation to think that we haven't entirely become derelicts raving to ourselves on the streets about our alien reptile overlords.

Or, at least, if we have, then no one can see it. Very kind of them. Whoever they are.

[text]

[amberhearted]

[ wow, that's. uh.

really weird. ]

So if we wanted to use the network to coordinate break ins we wouldn't have to worry about it caught on film at least?? And people without numbers can't see in person...

The airport's no more or less of a hassle then? That's good news too I think

[text]

[carolinesays]

Indeed. Literally hiding in plain sight. I'd say it's elegant, if I wasn't involved.

Oh, I think if someone showed up at the airport sporting, shall we say, a peculiar personal enhancement, they'd have a much more exciting experience.

Handwritten

[originaloddcouple]

Well.

That's...

Mildly horrifying.

Yet somehow convenient.

But mostly horrifying.

I don't think we can stress how horrifying this is.

text

[carolinesays]

Scintillating.

Of course, given that this network has been regularly used for... seven months? eight? There's no real reason to find it upsetting now.

[epimethean]

So it doesn't even look like we're typing or anything? Just zoning out in front of the computer? There goes networking in public.

[carolinesays]

That depends. I think staring at a web browser with an expression of drooling blank ennui on one's face is an unremarkable enough sight.

text; sometimes i wonder why i didn't upload this icon sooner

[hawaiianheir]

well.
that's creepy as shit.

text; john looks into the void and the void whispers "let me tell you about toku"

[carolinesays]

And... that's two check marks for "creepy" and two checks for "horrifying". Thank you for your contribution. I anticipate collecting a wide variety of adjectives as time passes.

text;

[ladyofluminosity]

I've seen some people compare the Numbers to a potential telekinetic network that we're all connected to, and this is definitely evidence for this theory. Still, this reminds me of the zoning out incidences I've at least encountered with some of my classmates and other people around the city, and that concerns me just a bit.

Re: text;

[carolinesays]

Concerns you how?

I confess I have not encountered these "zone-outs", having been overseas. It is possible that nobody in my personal acquaintance is associated with this "club". But it seems statistically unlikely.

[ Text ]

[throughtears]

Interesting. Perhaps the theory of a collective subconscious is not as far off as it would initially seem.

[ Text ]

[carolinesays]

Perhaps. In retrospect, I wouldn't like to focus so heavily on a single theory, when, after all, this is only one piece of the puzzle.

This is something that bears revisiting. When one has not recently spent hours in transit and under the tender mercies of the TSA.

text;

[shortspoken]

I'm not sure why people are so disturbed.
Perhaps I'm missing something, but it seems this only helps us blend in better. We'll look normal, since people have been seeing non-numbers people "spacing out" a lot lately. It's good cover.

text;

[carolinesays]

Oh, the usefulness of this feature has surely demonstrated itself over the course of this year, even if we were unaware of it.

Yet, while I would not presume to speak for others, the idea that I am not... fully cognizant of my own actions is vexing.

[somesayinfire]

Yeah, I'm with Ellie on this one. I mean, it's really weird that even /right now/ I could just be spaced out in front of my computer and possibly hallucinating every conversation I have with you guys, but. It does kind of make us seem a little more normal.

[carolinesays]

I find it hard to be enthused about the idea that I am not entirely in control of my own body. Even if it is to my benefit.

I dislike secrets. Moreso when they are secrets I am keeping from myself.

[Text]

[shiromadoushi]

Can't even see us typing? Nice! Stick ear buds on your phone and you look like any other idiot on the bus.

[Text]

[carolinesays]

Oh, I'm sure that's how regular network users have always looked like to the general public. Staring blankly at one's smartphone, longingly refreshing one's inbox. Over. And over.

And over.

[Handwritten]

[dododo]

I do hope that in itself doesn't strike people as very odd.

text

[carolinesays]

It is not entirely unsurprising news. I suppose. But having it laid out like that would be quite disconcerting. Like a cat drop half of a dead mouse on your foot.

text

[testsonseashells]

Supports theory that network is tied to individual, not any given surface used to connect. Good work - appreciate you posting this.

Re: text

[carolinesays]

I appear to have caused quite a stir. Dear me.

Still, it was no trouble.

[Text]

[lightsoflife]

Perhaps try it with a witness on the network next? There must be an illusion somewhere, but the question is where and how.

Re: [Text]

[carolinesays]

Perhaps. Regrettably, I lack any "IRL" or "meat-space" contacts from those in this club. It is certainly something to consider.

I considered recruiting an outsider to view the footage, but I assumed that would be considered a breach of security. Not to mention it puts one, shall we say, in an awkward position.

text;

[reapsthewind]

does the program we're staring blankly at change depending on what was being used to input the information?

because if so i can come up with a whole bunch of overlays that make it look like you're working on spreadsheets, reading an RSS feed, listening to music... anything, really

everyone says it's creepy and yeah I don't want to think about the explanation behind this BUT I think it's great news, means that this is a lot more secure than i thought

text;

[carolinesays]

Difficult to say, given my sample size. Would that all statistical data come neatly in groups of 100 or more.

I would imagine that if you ran such a program before using your access number, it would suffice. If nothing else, they would do much to allay the worries expressed here.

Video;

[wannabered]

Ok, so ... well that's just spooky. Does this mean it's all in our heads or something? Wait, that's even worse. That is far far worse.

text

[carolinesays]

So many have said.

Still. No knowledge is ever wasted. Even if that knowledge is spent quaking in fear at our own limited perceptions of self.