[Voice]

[espigeonage]

It's been about a year since that trap at the mines. There aren't that many people left who remember that, feels like. [Which is unsettling and sad, something he'd rather not get too preoccupied by.] I know we had someone find that "Sage" and the rest of us trooped in to see him, but I can't remember why we had anyone there in the first place. I don't suppose there's anything down there now?

[Julien makes a sound like a chuckle.] Haha, sorry. I have to wonder if it wouldn't be worth fleshing out the FAQ, getting more detailed records out there. Some things probably aren't terribly relevant now, of course. Still.

Comments

[voice]

[peacefulwinter]

I still remember it. It feels so long ago... it's almost surreal. I didn't h-have any powers at all, then... nothing made sense. I'd only had numbers for a week or two, I think. I don't think anyone's gone down there since, though. I have to admit, that was my first time seeing the vermedi, and those scared me to death. They still do, honestly.

I'm not sure how useful making the FAQ include all those things would really be. They're... kind of old news, aren't they?

[espigeonage]

I remember hearing another group had gone down there some months after us, but they didn't find anything except more monsters. For sure it was something I wanted to avoid.

They are! I know going and teaching these things like a class - History of the Network or whatever - wouldn't exactly be productive. But it's sad to think a time might come when there's no one left who knows there was a mine trap, don't you think?

[peacefulwinter]

I think I remember that... honestly, I don't really want to remember that incident. The first time my life was in real danger... it hasn't gotten any easier. Even if I'm doing it v-voluntarily now, it's still hard.

No, there's no point in really teaching it. But... maybe not the FAQ, but a history document? A timeline of what's happened to us, so if we need to remember something, it's there?

[espigeonage]

Mmm. Yeah. It's not fun, that's for sure. You've got to be pretty brave.

That could work. As it is, just searching back through the network, that's time consuming and people don't always put things on it anyway.

[peacefulwinter]

Either brave or bull-headed. I'm p-pretty sure I'm the latter, even if it gets mistaken for the former sometimes.

I'm not sure how much use I'll be, but if I can help compile information, let me know.

[espigeonage]

They're related traits! Sometimes courage and stubbornness run around with their hands linked.

Hey, no worries! I'm glad to hear from another oldbie. Or another of the Old Guard? Man. Not sure I got your name, miss?

[peacefulwinter]

I think I need all I can get of both, with as much trouble as I seem to get into.

Winter. Winter Adamas. I got my numbers... about a year ago, actually. I don't think we've talked much, but... I know who you are. There are a lot of people that interest me on the network, even if I don't really have a reason to talk to a lot of them.

text

[testsonseashells]

Source of material for Proud's statues. Mine collapsed; inaccessible now. Wrote this in FAQ, but glad you mentioned it regardless; now updated through June 5th.

[espigeonage]

Huh! Got it. So does that mean there were bits of the snake closer to the surface than it was or were those mines a whole lot deeper than I thought?

Thanks Mordin.

[testsonseashells]

Didn't actually find anything; suspect material was deeper than we investigated. Can't see Proud lying about that.

[espigeonage]

I suppose if we were supposed to be trapped there they'd have blocked off any ways that go too deep. And had enough material already at least from there.

Yeah... I wish he'd been more forthcoming. Or like forthcoming at all. There's a woman on here who can talk to the dead, but idk if that'd do any good at this point. What did we do with the body?

[testsonseashells]

Lost in explosion, to best of my knowledge.

[espigeonage]

Yikes. Well that makes sense at least. Did we ever hear if he had family, people who'd miss him?

Video

[imbibing]

The mine? What happened back then?

[espigeonage]

Ah, well. Someone found a guy calling himself the Sage of Earth there, and the guy wouldn't talk unless he had enough of an audience, so like half the network came, and the way we came in through collapsed and monsters showed up. Harrowing though it was, no one died.

[He puts it more breezily than is accurate.]

[imbibing]

What? Was he an alien or something?

[espigeonage]

Nah... he was a homeless man who'd disappeared, and I don't know why he went along with these plans or whose plans they were, but probably he was coerced. Dropped dead when the entrance fell in.

[imbibing]

Wow.

[There's a brief pause there, as if Misato's taking time to consider what to say next.]

It's hard to know who's the enemy these days. The Numbered don't exactly have the best reputation among normal humans, either.

[Misato exhales deeply.]

I just don't get why someone'd want to kill us, though. Especially when the people with powers have already done so much to keep Locke safe.

[espigeonage]

At the time no one really knew about us. We were trying to keep hidden, and it was easier, in those days. No one had many pulses.

Now... well, for our reputation that depends on who you ask! Still, we're kinda worrying.

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

I'd welcome an opportunity to learn about the things that happened before I got my echoes. Relevant or not, if I lost everything tomorrow, I wouldn't want people to forget what I've done.

[espigeonage]

It's kind of a philosophical question! If someone's done a thing that was so big and important at the time, and no one living remembers it, does it still have meaning? I don't mean saving lives or anything like that.

Anyway. It's good to have a record. The FAQ's definitely a help in that regard.

[dead_black_eyes]

It still has meaning if there's a record. Therefore, a record's important, and I'm a guy who appreciates detail. I'd definitely like it if the FAQ was more... complete.

[espigeonage]

I guess! Do you write down all your memory pulses and the things you've got up to?

A FAQ with a historical function, huh...

[dead_black_eyes]

Yeah, actually. I keep a detailed journal, but it's in a cipher. There's some delicate information and I wouldn't want it to fall into the wrong hands.

[espigeonage]

Interesting! You have plans for if you lose your number then?