(no subject)

[recollecters]

Posting from this network, you'd probably assume I got my job back. Hey users. For those of you who're new, my name is Zee. Sorry to say it, but you've been pulled into the Retrospec project now. Not sure what that is? Get someone else to explain it to you, there're plenty of people who've been around for way longer than deserved. So…you'd probably assume I got my job back, and I kind of did. I kind of did, but there's a funny little thing about Retrospec and memories. Let me tell you a brief story. Once upon a time, there were the four founders who came to this planet, founded the city of Recollé and started the Retrospec project. Yeah. Another planet. They're technically aliens, I might technically be an alien, some of YOU might be aliens, it's hard to say. So anyway you have the four founders: Spinnato, Cavendish, Mahoney and Vanderweele. These four created an ideal project to protect life on other planets, offer inhabitants a safe haven to recover from tragic events of their world that were being destroyed (as planets are wont to do) and "regrow" the place you once called home. The problem is that the four of them weren't entirely in agreement on what sort of people should be "worthy" of being saved, or who should be able to become part of the Retrospec project to preserve their souls and recreate what was lost. Souls are a tricky thing. I should know, given I think mine was floating around in the endless abyss for a few months while my body regenerated. There was such a controversy amongst the founders that one of them, Vanderweele, ended up wiping out an entire family line. There are relatives left from the Spinnato family. Cavendish and Mahoney decided to spearhead the project themselves and sentenced Vanderweele to life in solitary confinement. Once that happened, they began changing how the project was one. They hired some of their own family members. They changed and became the "new" Retrospec. Vanderweele's not dead though. And as a master of illusion, you can guess where this story is going. I'm not going to do this vague and hiding bullshit that the company's fond of: Vanderweele is out there and meddling with the affairs of this city to overthrow and regain control of the project. All of these weird storms that are happening, the things that mess with your soul? That's Vanderweele's work. So why am I telling you this? …Vanderweele got to Retrospec. A lot of you asked if Retrospec knew I was alive again and at the time I didn't know if they did or not, so when I got back to this layer (thank you, by the way. All of you.), I went to headquarters. Everyone inside doesn't even seem to remember that they were working on the project. I don't know WHAT he did, but their memories…everything's scrambled. The entire tech department resigned and I'm not sure if Maurice thinks he's working in a normal mailroom or what. They're almost on the same layer that you guys are before you wake up. Or that's how it seems anyway. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like it's just you and me. We need to start moving and putting a stop to this to fix everything. I'm not saying you have to. If you want to sit this one out, fine, but I have a feeling most of you want to do something about this. Bring people back to themselves. That kind of thing. You're all pretty stubborn from what I've noticed and that's the good thing. There are some things I need to check. I'm learning how everything works here and I'm trying to understand all of their notes, not to mention I need to retrieve a few things and wait for a field agent but you'll hear from me soon. I have an idea, but these things take time. Stick together. Talk to each other. Keep focused. Oh. I guess also I should mention I moved offices? I'll be staying at headquarters for a while but my remote office is easier to access. Head to the public library, you should be set to get past the scanners on the back of the building and the door will appear for you. I'll be reachable by text, too. Good luck. Be in touch soon. Zee Carlisle Hiring Manager Retrspec Incorporated Characters' display names are the same as whatever has been previously chosen and are permanently locked in! 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, though you're free to hit up his individual inbox later. 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

[manufactured]

Oh, for the love of God.

While I know that attempting to discuss anything with you over this post is probably a fool's errand, I'm going to do so for posterity's sake, if nothing else:

Mr. Carlisle, assuming you're not a complete idiot, you're going to have to hire people. If you're going to talk about working with us and you're truly interested in ensuring that change comes about, bring some of us into the company on a temporary basis so you aren't doing this on your own while there is apparently someone infinitely more powerful than you destroying your infrastructure. I'm not saying this as someone angling for employment myself - I'm saying this as someone whose past life literally believed he was God, and yet even he knew when he was in over his head and started utilizing every outside resource at his disposal.

Since you seem to hold the standard Retrospec belief that we are resources, in one way or another, and we're going to be involved in whatever insipid and inane pissing contest this individual is insisting on carrying on with you, then at least let us do something directly about the tantruming manchild. We certainly all seem to want to, at the very least, and seeing as you have literally no one left, I'd think that's as good a qualification as any.

[thesettingsun]

+1 to all of this except for the god part. I'd better update my resume.

...I haven't updated my resume since I was a teenager. Well, at least it's something to do to distract myself from terror.

[manufactured]

The "god" part was...interesting. Not precisely something I would want to attempt again, though admittedly the amount of self-confidence that comes with such a thing was a nice bonus.

[thesettingsun]

Self-help books are probably a better way of going about that. Or having people who love you and remind you that you're great the way you are?

[manufactured]

That was another front my past life had an interesting time on. That latter one, anyway, I can't say he ever had much use for the self-help whatnot.

Not that I'd expect him to, given the whole god complex, but I'm sure you understand what I mean.

[thesettingsun]

This sounds like a story. Possibly one not meant for a public forum, but I have similarly terrible stories and the ability to make cocktails. Or just get water.

[manufactured]

I've told people on the network before, to at least some extent. I don't like keeping much from people, given how terrible I was in my past life; it's to a degree where I feel people have a right to know.

But if you'd like to meet up at some point to discuss things, I wouldn't mind.

[blondferret]

For once we seem to agree old chap. Particularly like you choice of words: "insipid and inane pissing contest"

Nice touch.

[manufactured]

Well, that is precisely what's happening; I see no need to not state it as it is.

I've always been willing to assist those I don't particularly care for against common enemies. If we want anything to be done about this, we need more structure than we have. We need to strategize, and we need to mobilize, and we need to be prepared to do so regardless of what Zee tells us to do. As it stands, I see him as a resource as opposed to a source of either comfort or leadership.

[blondferret]

This is true. Even the evil wizard in my memories had a lot of followers to do his work. He called them Death Eaters. Not that we should take on that name.

And I wouldn't follow him at all. I'd rather pick his brain.

[manufactured]

"Death Eaters." I'm trying to sort out if I approve of that name or not. Not that I'm saying we should adopt it, either.

I've spoken to him a few times, for better or worse. It seems he enjoys doing the same to us.

[blondferret]

I wouldn't. They were pretty much Nazis, but instead of jew, the persecuted muggle born wizards. And muggles.

[manufactured]

What is a muggle? Because that term sounds derogatory.

un: rinkas

[psykick]

When you put it that way... SERIOUSLY ZEE DUDE. You cannot run a whole system that supposedly required multiple people on your own.

And, just out of curiosity. When you say 'literally' do you mean the proper definition of literally?

[... i could get such a regain off this damn]

[manufactured]

My past life believed that he was a god, created with the explicit purpose of passing judgement on mankind.

So yes, I do mean the proper definition.

[psykick]

Wow. That's pretty egotistical of him.

He didn't succeed, did he? Like, that's not the reason your planet got destroyed, is it?

[manufactured]

[...You know, he is really glad he doesn't have to question that anymore because for a while, he wondered- ]

He didn't succeed, no. What he planned to do would have resulted in the deaths of an unthinkable number of people, but he was prevented from carrying it out.

[psykick]

[what a thing to have to wonder about]

On the one hand, that's good. On the other, planet got destroyed anyway.

Do you know why he believed what he did, that he was created to do that?

[manufactured]

A fair amount of it was pure egotism manifesting in the worst way possible; most of it was due to circumstances surrounding how he was raised and various things that happened to him that he had blocked from his memory. He was experimented on, bluntly put. Brainwashing and behavior modification, culminating in the stripping of his humanity and rendering him into something else.

He didn't take it well.

[scythegun]

If anyone has a chance of getting an actual response, it's you. In fact, I really would like to see his response to this. If things are as bad as he says, he has no reason not to hire some of us on to help fix this mess.

But I'm sure this will go as it always does, and he won't respond. I suppose he did tell us how to reach him, though...

[manufactured]

I don't expect a response here, as usual. But I will talk to him personally soon enough, once I've calmed down well enough to do so without being openly angry with him.

[scythegun]

That's fair, be sure to let me know how that goes! I can't say I would want to work for him or Retrospec, but I'll admit I'm very curious about it... I suppose I'll have to try to talk to him at some point now that he's back, though I'm still not sure I really have anything to say to him that isn't complaining.

[manufactured]

Then complain. He'll generally listen to it, and I'm not opposed to people making his life a little more difficult than it needs to be once in a while.

[scythegun]

Well, I certainly can't say no to an opportunity to complain, now can I? I'll be sure to do that; who knows, maybe it'll be nice to complain to someone involved with Retrospec. At the very least I will see what else I can learn from him!

[manufactured]

Do let me know how it goes.