LOADING...

[recollecters]

[ At 9PM on the 1st, all phones or Retrospec-enabled devices will show flickering screens, until a static-filled image appears. It seems to be a security camera shot, in black and white from a high angle, of a simple computer room. Inside is Joanne Wiseman who many of the users may recognize - she looks young, blonde curls loose around her shoulders, and she also looks tired still. A young man who looks only slightly older than her comes in. He's dark-haired with a sweater and glasses, but a white labcoat that matches hers as well. Maurice comes over to stand nearby, watching the screen Joanne is looking at. Neither of them seem to realize they're being recorded. Joanne looks up, and speaks first. ] Did R and D know anything? [ Maurice shakes his head, says: ] No. They can't track them down either - it's almost as if... [ Joanne: ] They have to be somewhere. [ Maurice: ] Jim's trying to figure it out. You know we don't have anyone better at...ah, "creative" solutions? [ Joanne: ] No, I know, just...what if their souls are just, just - [ Maurice: ] I don't think they're gone. I mean - well, they're gone, but I don't think they're gone? You remember August, the one before last. They're, uh, pretty tough? [ Joanne: ] We're usually able to at least try to help them when we can, though! [ Maurice: ] Jo - look, we're doing everything we can. We'll find them. [ Joanne: ] Before they do? [ Maurice: ] Right. I mean...we have to, don't we? [ They both look worried. Before they do was said with a certain inflection - and hey, Retrospec. It looks like the employees have lost track of you for the month. How do you feel about that one? ] As of this post, character usernames are back to being their own names - or rather, characters will be prompted to put in their name as a boot screen loads. Now's your chance to change your preferred name, Retrospecters - but it appears whatever you put in will be locked in as your choice. Hope you didn't put in something ridiculous! Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. As a friendly reminder, you may also claim one of this month's freebie by submitting a thread from this mod post. This thread must be 10 comments from you and submitted before AC closes.

Comments

[thesettingsun]

Someone should seriously work on changing company policy about sharing info.

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa I know, right!?
Hitori Togusa Dear Retrospec Executive Board. Whoever you are, you've either never experienced, or you've forgotten what it was like to be a user. Please rectify this by putting Joanne in charge and giving Maurice a pay raise.
Hitori Togusa Also, please no more guns in the mail, thank you.

[thesettingsun]

No guns in the mail. Are swords/scythes/etc. still fine?

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa Do you want any more? Not accusatory, yours is very cool, but I'm just curious.

[thesettingsun]

I really don't. Actually, I didn't want the one I have now at first? But after having it for a while, I'm grateful to have gotten something to defend myself with.

[...even if he did injure some people who definitely didn't deserve it last month.]

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa I get it. That's why I was curious, I thought that was your stance.
Hitori Togusa After how much energy I put into the problem when it started, we've only had so few incidents of people using those weapons on people, instead of just the problems Retrospec creates. Feels like I was worried for nothing.

[thesettingsun]

Maybe we're generally good people? Not all of us, but most users I've met don't seem like they'd go out of their way to shoot anyone.

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa You get it, that a weapon is a responsibility, a burden. Koutarou said something like that when he got his gun.
Hitori Togusa Maybe it doesn't have to be that philosophical, though, and you're right. And the people here are just mostly good (with a few exceptions).

[thesettingsun]

Koutarou and I have a few things in common, besides the obvious. One of them is wanting to use our book-weapons to protect people instead of to hurt them.

A few people I know who have gotten dangerous powers have been freaked out over them and the possibility of hurting anyone. I think that's a lot more common than 'cool I can shoot people now'.

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa I was scared of the 'weapons training' at first, but you're right. People have been trying to learn control, or even just to be able to defend their friends when trouble happens.
Hitori Togusa I know even other officers that have trouble with that concept, so it has been heartening to see.

[thesettingsun]

People had a bunch of dangerous items dumped into their laps and you didn't think they'd want to learn how to use them safely?

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa From a humanistic perspective, that's the only right answer, right? Of course it's what they'd pick.
Hitori Togusa But from a cop's perspective?
Hitori Togusa At first, all I could see was unregistered, untrackable weapons being loaded onto the streets. What if they gave the wrong person a gun? What if people started getting their weapons stolen? What if.
Hitori Togusa A couple of years have proven me wrong, and I can admit those worries were for nothing.

[thesettingsun]

I understand. It's your job to worry about the 'what if' so that you can make sure everybody's safe. I'm just glad you were wrong in this case.

[standalonehuman]

Hitori Togusa So am I. More than I can say.
Hitori Togusa There was. An incident, and it made me really re-think my priorities between myself and as an officer. I won't name names, but I thought the worst had happened.

[thesettingsun]

If you want to talk more in private (without naming names), my inbox is always open to you.

[standalonehuman]

[There's a long pause before Togusa sends anything back, debating.]

Hitori Togusa I appreciate it. Hang on a minute, then.