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[senseandcecilbility]

[And so Cecil Keller finally fed the number to his perfectly safe Windows 95 and hoped the madness would go away.

He was, of course, terribly wrong.

As a result, you are now looking at the nonplused face of a young man in his late twenties. Unfortunately, the image resolution is not that great and unlikely to get any better. But he seems to be wearing a USPS uniform. And there are so many paperbacks and potted plants in the background that you might wonder why he has not been entombed yet.]

…Hello?

Hello?

[Cecil’s voice is smooth, though perhaps a little too even. He is not a particularly good liar and anyone can notice the underlying shock at the surrealistic situation, but he is trying his best to keep his feelings under control.]

...Excuse me. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it seems that I am having a... er... psychotic episode? Numbers and...now this.

I-I am quite aware that one should not indulge in their own hallucinations. [Particularly those inspired by irresponsible and sensationalist journalism, no doubt.] However, in the event that you are real and watching this, I would be most grateful if you called emergency and let them know there is something odd with Cecil Keller at… [he states his Vegas address, clearly and carefully.].

If my condition becomes permanent, I would like to declare that everything that belongs to me should be used to support my neighborhood’s public library after my death...everything but the penguin figurines. Those should be inhered by Mrs. Halifax on the first floor, who once expressed interest in them and also taught me how to remove mustard stains. Oh, and only if it is not too much trouble, could anyone look after my ferns?

Comments

[Video]

[scramasax]

[The words are "hrmm"-ing together just a bit.] You're not having a psychotic - episode, sir... ermm - prob - probably; you've...

[Coughs. His voice is thrumming a little less - gone to dry and husky instead.] You've -- found -- the... network.

[Probable first-time connector. He'll wait to offer any explanation until the metaphorical axe of whatever reaction might possibly be coming drops.

Mumbles an obligatory:] -- I-I apologize -- ...

Re: [Video]

[senseandcecilbility]

[Unfortunately, the reaction in this case is less along the lines of a metaphorical axe, and more along the lines of very literal SCREAMING.

And more SCREAMING.

In Cecil's defense, it is not as shrilly as it could have been. Still, in spite of the abomination's kind reassurances there is no doubt in his mind now. He is having a psychotic episode, and it's not even a nice and peaceful one.]

[Video]

[scramasax]

[And that's a good slap across his brain's strings! Winces down tight - ]

Please don't -- please don't; I'm sorry, I'll - turn it off. [Fell to stilted monotone by the end but hold that thought, no, why doesn't he do that now? Pushes back from the table, gets himself out of sight - and with a couple of edges back he stumbles a moment into the wall, hopes that didn't wind up onscreen, but now to wait to hear if the screaming dies down...]

[senseandcecilbility]

[The scream does die down, but mostly because a very stern part of Cecil's brain has reminded him that The Living Dead Don't Exist. ]

Are...Are you all right? Sir? Sir!

[So here is a new hypothesis: yes, he is still hallucinating, but perhaps his hallucination is suffering from some really aggressive kind of skin disease, in which case he has just made a fool of himself and behaved like a total bastard. And why is that unfortunate person stumbling into things?]

I-My apologies! I was not prepared!

[scramasax]

[Sir, who -- oh.

That's... the man's voice again. He's being called back - careens forward once, drops himself onto the edge of the table. Still just out of sight of the feed, though he skims his hand over the table to confirm its position and push it further out of one for his face to get in the way.]

N - no...! [Quavering high to a crack.] My apologies - sir. Most - err, peop - people often -- aren't, uhmm. I'm sorry, I - should have said something... first...

I - I'm not a sir -- also; I'm - I'm only sixteen...! [He's picked up just a little more tentative, hopeful, politely-conversational clarity.]

video

[sunshinethatwarmsherup]

[Linda usually wouldn't have done something with video, but well, considering this guy was using it and apparently he was in Vegas and thought that he was going nuts, it might be a good idea to use it, right? --No Linda it was probably a bad idea--. ]

Yeah, sorry. But this network is completely real and you're not going nuts. So I don't think that you're going to have to worry about it much, Mr. Keller.

So... what's this odd thing that's going on with you?

Re: video

[senseandcecilbility]

[On the plus side, the young lady is not a zombie.

On the minus side, he'd much rather be going nuts than having people telling him all this network nonsense is real. Next, they will be trying to persuade him that the pink light in the sky was real too. And then what? Aliens? He is an honest mail carrier. He doesn't desire or need a life of adventures.]

I-Hello. T-There is nothing odd besides this...number business. [Though that is not quite right, is it?]Well, there was a false memory some time ago. Rather, a hallucination, but it was very brief!

video

[sunshinethatwarmsherup]

Well... I...

[ She pauses for a moment, not really sure how to explain the whole 'false memory' thing. ]

That 'false memory' that you're talking about. It... isn't really all that false. From what I've read, anyway. The only one of them I've had so far happened a couple of years ago, and it was pretty brief too. But that's something called an 'echo'. Or 'pulse', depending on who you talk to.

[senseandcecilbility]

[ The false memory thing was very personal. What with the crying child and the double burial. That, and the most strange feelings associated with it, is why he would much rather keep the memory false.]

I appreciate the explanation. However, I-I cannot help but have doubts. Mass hysteria is more likely than echoes, wouldn't you agree? For instance, where would those so called echoes come from?

[ Perhaps now that he finally used the numbers he will be able to take a nap and go back to life as usual.]

[sunshinethatwarmsherup]

That's... not really something I think I can answer. [ Linda sighs, leaning back a bit as she tries to think of something. But well, there's another point that she needs to bring up too... ]

So... how would you explain all of us who've had them who got super powers then? Or do you think that giant snake thing that happened in Locke a few months ago was a mass hallucination too?

[Video]

[brotimaeus]

If we're real and watching this - which we are, by the way, hey there - there's really no reason to be callin' emergency services.

[The faintly Texan-accented voice belongs to a blond, hazel-eyed thirty-something currently arching one eyebrow at the poor bewildered young man.]

I was in your position about a month ago. [A small grimace.] Iiiiit takes some gettin' used to.

Re: [Video]

[senseandcecilbility]

[ The bewildered young man lets out a small sigh and looks like he would much rather have a good cry. Unfortunately, that would be a little embarrassing.]

I beg to differ, sir. Right now as we speak, there is a young lady suggesting that giant snakes do in fact exist... and the other screen is showing me a young man who looks like the undead. Given these circumstances, I believe I have every reason to call emergency.

[Who on Earth would want to get used to any of that?]

[Video]

[brotimaeus]

[Wow, does he ever know that feeling.]

Yeah... yeah, those things are real. You ain't been watching the news much lately, I take it. New in town?

Re: [Video]

[senseandcecilbility]

[Let's skip that part about those things being real, all right? ]

I-I am not that new, though why would I watch the news? Ah, sometimes I watch TV shows. Hm, Downton Abbey and such.

[Video]

[brotimaeus]

Why would you watch the-- Why wouldn't you watch it? [Pardon his very visible disbelief.]

If you did, you'd have way more of a handle on just what's goin' on. You gonna tell me you missed the massive snake coming out of the ground, too? And the aliens?

video

[featherduster]

[ ........... Bless you, stranger. There's going to be a lot of explaining to do. But first; ]

You're gonna see a light real soon, but don't panic, ok? Don't go toward it either, though! Run away from the light at all costs!

Re: video

[senseandcecilbility]

A LIGHT?

[ What kind of light does he mean? The moonlight? The light behind his eyelids? VEGAS NEON SIGNS? Should he start running now?

He tried so hard to look calm, and got so far. But in the end, it didn't even matter. He is hallucinating about networks and zombies. THE LIGHT IS COMING TO GET HIM AND HE KNOWS IT. ]

video

[featherduster]

Yup! A great big white one. And a tunnel, probably.

Are you already seeing it? That was fast!

[senseandcecilbility]

No! Oh no, I-I am not seeing it!

[ But he is certainly bracing himself!]

[featherduster]

Oh, really? How fortunate! Looks like you're gonna make it after all.

[ Polite congratulatory claps ]

Now that you've successfully made it through that trial, welcome to the world of secret superheroes.

voice;

[saviorsoul]

Uh you probably shouldn't give your address out like that... We have people who might be sorta gunnin' for us right now...

[ Alexi's tone is clearly young and kind of nervous. There is the sound of something shifting, as he tries to get comfortable, still slightly sore from the other day. ]

[senseandcecilbility]

[There are days in which one should not leave their bed, no matter what, and this is certainly one of these days.

Gunning for us. That can't mean what he thinks it means, right? And why is the voice so painfully young?]

L-listen, I am merely a mail carrier...

[He is not important. He will never be important enough to be a hitman's target. Not even in Vegas. Why is he in the middle of this mess?]

[saviorsoul]

That's fine. I'm just sayin' that if you got this number, you're also part of this now. It's just how it works.

[senseandcecilbility]

Reality doesn't work this way.

[ He keeps telling people that over and over. Why can't they understand? ]

[saviorsoul]

It really doesn't help deny it... there's too much goin' on.

[ He sounds a bit melancholy. It's obvious this other guy doesn't want to be part of this and is having a hard time dealing. Why can't they be given a choice in any of this? ]