apocalypsehowcomm | Network - Is This Thing On?

Network - Is This Thing On?

Is This Thing On?

(cw: reference to skin-related body horror)

The message that pops up on off-worlders' ADI-issued phones phones likely comes as a surprise given that the network has been down since May 25, along with all of ADI's other fancy tech. It's similar to other network notifications at first glance and looks like an official notification from the higher-ups saying that the network has been restored, but anyone who clicks it will find their phone redirected to automatically download a new app from a shady-looking URL that ends in the phrase "its-ya-boy-pyre".

Upon loading, the app turns out to be a private chat program with most of the same features as the ADI network, though the user interface is much, much less polished. It immediately shows a longer, less deceptive message from a user named "thecolepackage":

Sorry for the trick guys but I don't know if I can get the old network to do like back and forth and I wanted to send something you'd all click open on the first shot. And like if you know someone who's better at cyber security than you and didn't open the message maybe let them know it's okay? It's ya boy Pyre and I figured out how to get this app linked up with your phones, it should be private and safe and all that stuff. I only sent it to you offworlders for now, I'm still not so sure ADI'scool with the whole ex-desolation monster thing. But I thought maybe you could use this ~~and also maybe I was getting lonely~~ because it sounds like y'all have a lot going on right now

And Bonnie's telling me there's all kinds of arguments about what to do?? That's rough man I know what it's like to find out you're kind of doing the wrong thing and maybe feeding something that's going to end the world. And maybe it'll be good if you can all talk about that and figure out what YOU want to do without your bosses telling you since Bonnie says none of your bosses are agreeing on anything and it seems to me like its maybe important to figure out if you're still going to be in the apocalypse disruption gig. Youre in a tough spot and I'd say I don't envy you but also I miss having skin so I do envy you a little bit.

Anyway like I said have at and let your friends know this isn't a virus. Or it's a friendly virus I guess. Also I kind of want to go by my name Cole now instead of Pyre? So if you could call me Cole now I'd like that.

Peace.

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This section is for players who wish to interact with Cole/Pyre over the new hidden network. Please be aware that the primary purpose of this network post is for player characters to communicate with one another, and that Cole does not have any new plot information to offer.

At time of posting there is no deadline for tag-ins, but please be aware that the mods may close tag-ins to this thread at a later date in order to manage the volume of NPC responses needed at any given point in the event.

First off, shoutout to our boy Cole for getting this done for us—

And secondly—

Okay. Like, things suck really bad right now and I get it, I don’t fault anybody for wanting to get out. Hell, I wanted to get out. But I think that sticking with ADI—I can’t believe I’m saying this—will be the best bet. Nia isn’t a danger—in fact, having an Avatar on our side, with Avatar powers? That’ll be a huge help. If you’re worried about her, then we should have a monitoring system. Someone always keeping a watch.

I’ve also been doing some research, and it looks like whenever an ADI Warden dies, Dogtown gets…worse. If that’s before or after or because, who knows. But we’ve got enough on our hands already and having Dogtown get worse is…y’know. Not good.

Nia isn’t a help, either. She’s given up. I tried to get her to think of ideas, plans, outside the box stuff. She wouldn’t even entertain it. So it’s all on us. ADI is just us now, for all intents and purposes.

[Oh gross, he's siding with That Guy against Malcolm. This feels dirty.]

She's with Hunt. Nia won't stay out of this for as long as you might think. I agree that it can only help to keep her close.

I’m not sure she’s ever actually been in it.

Nia is maybe a useful source of information, or an ally if things are very desperate, but if we keep following her, then we're no different from any other cult.

As for Dogtown, if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that it is a feeding ground for the ADI Warden, either directly or through the people they inflict it on. When they die, there's nothing feeding there until a new one turns.

I hate to say it too, but we're on the same page.

If I had to guess, I would say ADI itself is a feeding ground for the Hunt, not Dogtown. The Hunt thrives on the chase, the strive, the never-ending pursuit. Why settle for something small, one horror or two, when one can chase the constant thrill of a new apocalypse?

Perhaps Dogtown gets worse simply because when a Warden dies, the biggest predator is out of the picture.

You haven't spent much time in Dogtown, have you? It isn't one or two small things. It's more like a laboratory of horrors. Or a zoo.

You may be right about why the Warden dying tips the balance, but Dogtown isn't a thing to discount.

I'll admit, I do try to stay away from things like that. I'm not much of a fighter.

And it might not be a thing to discount as a whole, but now? For this question? I think it is. After all, even if Nia remains the Warden, I doubt she will come into her full power as an Avatar. She seems far too hesitant to accept the role she sought out. It would be easy to spot that weakness.

We might have to deal with Dogtown no matter what choice we make.

She wants this one last mission, but yeah, I think we’re on our own for everything else.

She plans on taking herself out afterwards. I tried to talk to her about it but…she thinks she’s a danger—or at least, will be. Maybe after this mission we can talk to her again, try to convince her…

We’re not Hunt worshipers if we follow Nia, come on.

Maybe—my working theory is that the supernatural is attracted to the supernatural, and the longer an ADI Warden/Avatar works, the more stuff happens in Dogtown. Them dying just like…releases a bunch of supernatural energy like the end of Ghostbusters.

Like, it’s not the best theory…

I never thought I’d say sticking with ADI is a good idea but here we are.

It’s our best chance.

We already lost one guy to the Hunt, but he was like…really into it.

Nia doesn’t give off those vibes. I think it’s safe to trust her, honestly.

hey, kid. Glad to hear you're holding up. I mean, aside from the still not having skin I guess

this... actually ought to help a lot
thanks, Cole

[Look, it's a new version of network! Soon after it comes back up, there is a message from Elidibus.]

I would like ask everyone to list the options we have at our times. Why it is an option. Their strengths and weaknesses. And if you should wish, your perspective of options others may not have thought of.

I have started this in order to collect this information in one place so it may be referenced by all the visitors to this world. I will likely respond to ask questions about options I am unfamiliar with and to any who have questions for me.

-Elidibus

Or, if that doesn’t work, I know where there’s a brick wall we can try to talk into helping us.

I certainly agree that it's safe to trust Nia. My main point is that if she doesn't come into her power, those in Dogtown might view that as a weakness and try to strike anyway.

That is splitting hairs so fine as to be useless. If we're following a Hunt avatar and feeding the Hunt and thinning its competition, it doesn't matter that we aren't formally declaring allegiance, we're still serving the Hunt.

We are definitely going to have to deal with Dogtown no matter what choice we make.

I'm thinking it's beyond time to break with ADI. Even if someone replaces Nia, even if they manage to weed out every single operative who was corrupted along with her, there's nothing guaranteeing that the next leader will not end up exactly the same. There is obviously something fundamentally flawed in how ADI operates, and that can't be fixed with just a changing of the guard.

It will be difficult walking away from ADI's resources, but that isn't a good enough reason to stay. And neither is the hope of getting home. That was never going to happen, and I think all of us know that, if we're being honest. It was just another lie to keep us compliant.

I fear that you are correct.

But even still, what are we to do if we walk away from ADI? The danger still exists.

I never thought I’d be the one to say this but I think keeping the ADI around might not be the worst thing

I want to get home. I need to get home

I know it’s the same for a lot of us

we won’t have the resources to try if we’re spending our time just trying to make a living here. And we’d probably be putting people in danger working other places. At least with them we’ve got ways to research. We can try

and you know what? I don’t think Nia’s the worst, either.

She shouldn't have trusted Steel, but that part’s not even on being an avatar. Believing someone’s your friend is… well I saw how much trouble that can cause back home. She’s not the first person to fall for someone’s lies. But it’s better than her knowing what Steel was up to

at least she’s turned on the guy. At least she’s trying to fix things.

I don’t think the ADI’s lying about the big stuff, as much as I wish they were. And she’s part of the reason it’s not worse–that we’re not all dead or locked up. That they’ve helped any of us

as for what she is. Well, it took her long enough to figure it out but at least she knows. And at least we know. I’d rather know what we’re dealing with than have someone who says they’re not mixed up with an entity at all because I don’t believe that for a second in this place

besides. The Hunt? I’ll take that over some other things it could be.

The way I see it… the Hunt’s part of nature. Well it’s not, not the actual entity or whatever. But the thing it feeds off is.

I’m not saying it’s good, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t think it’s going anywhere. As long as there's life here it's going to feed whether we feed it or not, right? Things are always going to need to eat and things are always… not going to want to get eaten

Not saying we should feed it any more than we might have to. But I don’t know how much difference she’s gonna make.

And I mean, even if we got rid of her, do we stop fighting things at all? Tracking down cults? Anything that could feed it? Then something else just wins and the world ends before we have time to figure out how to take them all down

I WANT it gone. I want them all gone. But that’s gonna take something smarter, something bigger than nothing feeding it because that’s… never gonna happen. We have to take ‘em out directly and I don’t know about any of you but I don’t know how to do that yet. Which means we need to buy time.

We’ve gotta be careful but we can’t make not doing anything in case it feeds something our top priority. It’s not realistic

we know what she is and we can keep an eye on her. At least she’s not someone who wanted it. And she’s not someone who wants it now. That takes some strength

I don’t think we should crack down on using powers and that stuff more either. It just makes people sneaky. And maybe so hungry they’re less reliable. If everyone owns up, if they admit what they have to do sometimes, we can keep an eye on each other. And we can use what we can do to keep people safe when there’s no other way

anyway doesn’t them being scared of us, of what we can do, of everything to do with the entities just feed the things another way?

I say we for now we accept we’re all mixed up in this and we’ll get less things like her not figuring it out sooner.

It would be nice if getting rid of this place would fix everything. But I think it’ll just make things harder than they already are. Together we can try and do some good. Try and get everyone home.

It’s something.

Edited 2023-06-04 21:05 (UTC)

yeah, I don't think trying to go it on our own is gonna help anything. Especially if it's true that spending time with the locals puts them in more danger... and it seems like it is

I agree. ADI is starting to feel way too much like SHIELD. At some point, the rot goes too deep. I think we can do better without them.

Although I still think there's a way home.

[Sorry, he may never give that one up, but it's not important now.]

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Page 1 of 21

Network - Is This Thing On?

NPC Responses - Cole Guttuso (aka Pyre)

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