awakening

[deceptura]

wake up.

When you wake, you'll find yourself laying on a cold, hard sidewalk. The gentle sound of rain fills your senses, and you can feel your clothes, damp, clinging to your skin. The sky is still a little bright, but it won't be for much longer. The sun is setting. You rise, and pull the hood of your top over your head to shield you from the rain. The clothes you're in will keep you safe and warm from the cool, rainy weather.

You survey your surroundings. You only vaguely remember where you were before this, and not much else. Though you also remember the gentle voice in your head that offered you an opportunity you didn't want to pass up: The chance to remember who you are.

And perhaps that starts here and now, in this strange futuristic city you've found yourself in.

Not long after you get onto your feet, a screen -- a hologram, for those who would be able to recognize that -- pops up in front of you. A soothing, calming voice speaks to you:

Greetings, [name], and welcome to Harmonia. My name is Abby and I will be your personal assistant. We will be making our way to the DICE building at the heart of the city. I have connected you to your other associates in the instance where you must communicate with them. Please listen and watch carefully as I will be providing you with directions to the location.

Suddenly, the screen changes to a navigational system of sorts. Those who aren't familiar with technology may be at a total loss, bu Abby is here to help.

Directions may be as follows:

Head 40 feet north and make a right onto Cygnus Bridge. After the end of bridge, turn left.

And for anyone who defies Abby, they'll be met with something cryptic. Something worrying.

Something dangerous.

You will follow these instructions if you value your life.

Comments

[nyansensical]

My name is Kit.

[They don't know that!!]

...How do you not know? It stands for Artificial Intelligence.

[Even babies know.]

[eyeshadowing]

Okay, Kit. Are you here to be my other personal assistant?

[ he doesn't even realize he's talking to a real person right now. smh. ]

And artificial in what way, exactly?

[nyansensical]

Depends on how you want to be assisted.

[Oh, Yuri... Though, to be fair, their monotone speech probably isn't making them seem more real.]

As in...Made by someone? Fake. Synthetic. Lines of code and programming dictating reactions and reasoning.

[eyeshadowing]

...Listen, as much as I'd love to sit and chat about this..."programming," I have a building I need to get to, since I do, in fact, value my life.

[ he still has his suspicions about this whole thing, but it seems he has no choice. he is at abby's mercy. ]

Alright, Kit. Are you at the DICE building?

[nyansensical]

And I value mine, but I can walk and talk.

[Smh... Don't be fucking rude!!]

I'm almost there. Just a blocks away, I think.

[eyeshadowing]

That wasn't aimed at you, but sure, if you say so.

[ it's hard to kind of juggle hearing kit talk with abby's directions playing in the background, so he's quiet for a few moments as he tries to navigate his way to the building. ]

When you get to the building, tell me if this is some kind of scam. According to our new friend Abby, I'm around five minutes away.

[nyansensical]

[They diplomatically do not say that they think they're doing a better job at it then he is.]

Well, there's definitely a building here.

[And they're standing right outside of it, looking up.]

[eyeshadowing]

Did Abby tell you go to inside?

[nyansensical]

[...]

I don't want to go in alone.

[eyeshadowing]

Understandable, but it looks like you're going to have to take one for the team here, Kit.

[nyansensical]

[...]

Are you sure? We could go in together.

[eyeshadowing]

I'm still four minutes away. If you're fine waiting out there by yourself, where anyone or anything could get a hold of you, then that's your call. Not mine.

[nyansensical]

I got this far through the city without being harmed, and entering a mysterious building under the command of a mysterious AI all by myself seems like the riskier option.

[eyeshadowing]

Consider that this is the "AI" that is telling you to follow its instructions if you value your life.

[nyansensical]

[...

There's a considerable pause.]

If I die, it's your fault.

[But they will square their shoulders and venture into the DICE building...!]

[eyeshadowing]

You'll thank me later.

[ ...of course, he's just bluffing, he actually does not know if this is all some kind of trap. but he's putting his stock in it being a legitimate lead. ]

[nyansensical]

[There's a pause, as Kit gets shepherding into the elevators and taken up and up and up until they're led to a waiting room. The murmurs of those in the building are probably picked up and transmitted, so hey!

They're not dead!]

...Not dead so far.

[...]

This building is really, really fancy.