retrospec | (no subject)

Happy New Years, users.

I'll cut to the chase; the barrier we instilled a few months ago is decaying quickly and we're sorting through the new data as fast as we can. This barrier was originally designed to contain a rogue error. There are several of you who have taken care of this issue and from here we will handle the rest...thank you. The influx of data will help us decode our next steps.

As mentioned, we've spent December tracing several magical sources that are coming up in our readings. We're doing the best we can to trace Clarence--Mr. Vanderweele, and corral the effects he's altering in the city. I believe we're ready to tear down the firewall and begin exploring further. If our information is correct, we're really breaking the boundaries of the layers we've discovered lately! It's exciting, don't you think?

The only information I can offer is that we will need you to be strong no matter what happens. We believe things have changed outside of security measures we've set in place, though we will need more data to understand the best way to stabilize the city from his control. We understand if you cannot and do not wish to help, but please know we're doing everything we can.

Please take care.

Joanne Wiseman
Technician 2nd class
Retr

spec Incorporated

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Some of them seem like they care. Others don't. At the end of the day, they use industry as part of their terminology, so our souls are a job to them and our livelihood is a business.

Clarence Vanderweele is only more cutthroat about it.

It doesn't have to stay existential dread. It's what you do in response to the chill down your spine that matters.

And no matter how you look at that, it's wrong.

...Sorry. I'm sure I'm just preaching to the choir, here. But it's hard for me to even imagine having so few scruples I'd just be okay with doing these kinds of things. Making a living isn't worth your morals.

I don't know what to do with that feeling just yet. I just know I can't sit idly by and wait to see what happens.

It's fine to be impassioned about what you believe in. Isn't that what makes living worth it? Some people just believe more in themselves than anyone else, and I imagine that's what Clarence Vanderweele is like.

It'd be silly to simply spin your wheels when you think something is so wrong.

That's true enough. And I suppose they must... but that sort of thinking is just completely beyond me. I guess I'm not missing much by not understanding, though.

On the contrary, even if we all lack understanding, I think we're all missing a lot. Too much.

Let me ask a question: do you want to understand?

How so?

That depends. Do I want to understand what goes on in the mind of someone who values themselves above others so strongly they have no problem putting others in harm's way? No. But do I want to understand more in general? About this, about other people, about the world we're living in? Yes. Always.

Wouldn't it be better if we had all the facts? That's the best way to formulate a solution to a problem. That's how research works the best.

If you understand someone, you don't have to agree with them. It's what separates a criminal profiler from being a criminal. Since you say you're type who says who can't sit and be idle, I don't think you'll have a problem coming to understand the world in general.

That's true enough.

I suppose you have a point, there. As I am right now, though, I don't know that I'm willing to break out of my comfort zone quite that far. A limitation I'll have to overcome, now that I've identified it.

And, well, I'll take that as a compliment, I guess.

I should warn you that Retrospec doesn't usually wait for people to be ready to leave their comfort zones on their own. You'll get thrown out sooner or later. It's only a matter of when.

If it's your aim to learn, you will learn. As long as you don't sleep your days away and as long as you don't run so fast as to not see anything, I find it difficult not to understand at least a little more about something (or anything).

Then it's all I can do in the meantime to try to ready myself as much as I can.

I'll do my best to find some pace in the middle, then. If I'm honest, though, Retrospec's already thrown me out of my comfort zone. I think I was a lot more of the former before I got the app, but that's not really an option anymore. It shouldn't have been before, either, but it was easier then.

[ ... ]

A lot of things were easier before Retrospec happened, but even if I don't know, I believe in you.

You seem like the resilient sort, and you seem to want to do more than however you were before. All it takes is one step in the right direction.

...Thank you.

I'll do my best to live up to that praise.

... I'm sorry. Did I presume too much?

I didn't mean to say any of that to add any undue pressure on you.

Not at all. Don't worry about it.