URGENT [video]

[blessmefather]

[ The video shows Matt sitting at the desk at his home office with a dead serious expression on his face. ]

I came face to face with Vanderweele, a young Vanderweele, from the time of Retrospec's founding. We might have a chance to change history for the better.

[ If that doesn't get your attention, what will? ]

Vanderweele was willing to listen when I told him about his plans to build a utopia, that in the future his ways have not yielded the type of results he wants and that unreality is still a threat. He explained his vision, he wants to assure the survival and growth of the human race, nothing wrong with that goal but as we all know he was willing to resort to betraying the other founders and experimenting on aliens to get it. Look into Halliday's work if you've forgotten what I'm talking about.

So I offered him an alternative and he was willing to listen.

Each of the dead worlds had its own share of technology and research. I proposed that instead of running all those terrible experiments on innocent victims he should instead search for the answer to humanity's well being in the collected knowledge of the dead worlds. I know for a fact my own world alone could provide a lifetime worth of information.

There is of course a catch. The only way to get access to that information is to nurture the seeds of the dead worlds so they have access to the higher layers of reality. In other words, put people through the Retrospec program.

[ He holds up a book. ]

This is a book from my other world. I intend to give it to Vanderweele and the other founders as proof that the seeds can bring back information.

Consent has been a concern I've had since I first joined the network. I've witnessed people grow and gain happiness from their experience but I have also seen people suffer greatly. That's why I specifically told him that they should seek out Seeds who would volunteer to regain their old memories and bodies. People like Wendy, who would be willing to join the cause to stop unreality.

Vanderweele told me he will seriously reconsider his research approach if we provide proof that there are Seeds who would volunteer. So I'm asking who here would be willing to add their name to that list?

And yes, I realize Vanderweele is not that trustworthy but he wasn't lying when he said he'd reconsider. I think he fears for the future of the human race and providing an alternative path will at least spare a few lives. If we can get all the Founders to agree on a company policy and direction that takes Seeds' consent into mind we have a chance to get Retrospec to see us as people from the beginning instead of test subjects.

Please respond as soon as possible. I realize time travel will allow me to return the results the next second after I left but the more we wait in the present the more risk there is something will interfere.

Comments

audio;

[thisloveisjustice]

I'm willing to put my name on the list. But I don't think there's anything useful in my old world. 2015 there was pretty on par with 2015 in our own world.

[Tatsuo lets out a small breath]

But if it'll get him to not go all Frankenstein on anyone or anything, count me in. I've really had enough of the whole human experimentation.

[in both lives]

[blessmefather]

It might delay things, at least. Maybe your world had useful resources at least. The amusement park makes a nice past time for what it's worth.

[ He's trying to stay light hearted while he can. ]

Holding something they want means we have a chance of finally making a demand of Retrospec.

un: yiu li-na

[invocate]

I wish I could help, but there is some technology and science in my old world that is really bad. I couldn't trust him with it at all.

I wish you luck in convincing him though.

[blessmefather]

That's an understandable concern. Honestly, I always thought Retrospec was foolish for restoring things without waiting to properly find out what they are or what they would do. All the dangerous weapons, the new species of animals suddenly competing with the ecosystem already here, the wall that was built to keep giant titans out- the titans themselves could be next.

un: rinkas

[psykick]

You can put me down. Rinka Smith. I think there's some interesting genetic stuff on my world? At least that's what people were theorizing. That our capacity to develop powers is genetic. I guess they hadn't proven it definitively yet.

[blessmefather]

I get the impression that is exactly the type of theory he spent years trying to see proved by experimenting on people. Hopefully this will save those "test subjects" from that pain.

[standalonehuman]

What happens to this world? If he does?

And what happens to the Founders? Do they ever pay for what they've done?

Because Togusa's world? Has everything he needs. A ready-made template for separating the person from the 'person' so to speak. To adjust any person to whatever specification he wants.

So.

Why. Should. I?

[blessmefather]

Zee would know better than I do. I'd imagine the dice would get rolled again. This plan isn't about punishing the Founders as much as preventing them from doing those bad things in the first place.

This is an attempt to make them all see us as people instead of test subjects. To undo multiple generations of suffering.

audio

[godcards]

Boooooo.

[ Just one long, flat note. Sorry Matt. ]

[blessmefather]

[ It's so much better via audio than letting his screenreader read it.

Matt snorts a single laugh. ]

I assumed you'd be a no. You have a perfectly good reason to say no too.

audio

[blondferret]

There are too many similarities between the founders and a similar group of founders from Draco's world. He's far to similar to a man with the name of Slytherin. That guy too wanted to do good by teaching young wizards. However, he had his prejudices and he had a monster in the school that was meant to kill students he didn't find worthy. Additionally, he's very similar to another evil wizard, Voldemort. This young Vanderwheele may be honest now, but it doesn't mean that he won't change for the worst in the future. He can't be trusted.

[Derek's voice is full of disdain and bite. He is not hiding his feelings about Vanderwheele or Retrospec at all.]

[blessmefather]

[ Matt sounds calm in comparison, the same way he spoke in the video. Serious, a little solemn, but calm. ]

That's true. He's not trustworthy.

This isn't just about Vanderweele though. We have a shot at holding all four founders to treating people they put in the program better. I don't think Vanderweele will become an angel but this might erase some of the tragedies he caused and give his victims a second chance.

un: Rean Schwarzer

[motiv8]

I... hang on, hold on a minute.

Are you seriously trying to solve all of this by just changing the past and hoping everything magically works out?

[Sorry if he sounds incredulous, he just... well. He is.]

How many of us on the post said that time travel sounded like a terrible idea? And yet you're just advocating it like it's a nice, neat solution...

Let's say your plan works and it changes history enough to stop Vanderweele's insanity. Great.

What about the rest of us? What about everything we've worked to achieve in these lifetimes? Aren't you also advocating undoing every single one of our lives as we're living them right now?

You're right. Some people have suffered as a result of this program. I've suffered as the result of this program. But I've gone through hell twice over to make an actual life here, with all of this. I'm not going to just sit by and idly lose that because you think it'd be a more peaceful solution to change the past!

audio

[blessmefather]

[ The message sounds a little calmer being read aloud by a screen reader but the emotion still comes through. Matt decides to reply on audio so he can reply faster. ]

I understand why you're upset, I have a good life that I don't want to lose either. We're running out of time though. Vanderweele can manipulate time as he pleases. Next thing we know, our lives will be gone. Right now a leap of faith seems like the only real option.

text;

[dereban]

So basically you're willing to delete an entire timeline just so that things will become "better"? Clearly you haven't been reading enough SF novels to know that the consequences of that will more than likely be disastrous.

Hell, it might not even change things because that past might not even the past of this reality at this point but of a parallel world.

So you wouldn't be doing jack shit for us, but for another timeline where Vanderweele did stuff.

If we really want to change things, we can't utilize the past to help ourselves like this, we have to deal with the present.

[ also there is no fucking way she is allowing anyone to touch too much of her world, given that there is a creature that exists there that can deal with soul swapping, so nope.jpg ]

[blessmefather]

Zee seems thoroughly convinced time travel is meant to help us, and Vanderweele comes and goes throughout time as he pleases. I don't know how we're going to stop him in the present when he has already been manipulating the timeline all along. I'm trying to propose that we take charge of the timeline before he does- again. Going back to before he started was the one sure way to find him I could think of.

Do you have any other ideas?

[flametheif40]

I don't trust the guy, he went from "survival and growth" to commiting horrible things, hell, to his own family, over a disagreement.

I know your saying that you want to try to change his mind to make him less assholish, but how long until he disagrees with something and goes on a similar warpath again? This time, he has our names, and who knows how he is going to interpret those names.

[blessmefather]

That's why I want to get the other Founders involved, to hold him to the demand to change his ways and to provide some type of protection for those on the list.

un: Lily

[sleepingknight]

I... still don't know enough about my world. I have no idea if it would be useful or not.

But if we do this, would we be changing our pasts now, too?

[blessmefather]

I need to speak to Zee to confirm how the timelines would be affected. I know Vanderweele has had a hand in manipulating the timeline in the past. My best friend and I have two different sets of memories of how our lives played out since we met as children. I understand why people are worried, I am too. But I'm also worried about how Vanderweele's next change to the timeline will leave us. He's closing in, we might not have any options if we don't take action soon enough.

[fiddlestick]

I'm sorry, I'm not sure this is a good idea. Vanderwheele really isn't someone I'd trust with a list of our names, even if he seems like he was willing to listen to you THEN.

Also, changing history could have a really drastic effect on all of us. Who knows hos much of our lives will change from changing history like that. I really don't want to lose the life I have now.

[blessmefather]

I don't want to lose this life either, Ell. Believe me, if someone comes forward now with a better solution I will gladly support it. Stopping the man who manipulates time before he even begins was the one way I could think of to catch him at all. He could change our timeline any minute now on a whim, we might lose everything we have before we come anywhere close to finding him.

audio

[hauntedsavior]

[hey there. Anna's voice sounds more contemplative than she ever really has in public, not that the person she's talking to has any context for it. the sound is coming from a bit of a distance, like her phone's sitting on her bed and she's just talking to the room in front of her on her end of the call.]

I can't deny that Retrospec changed my life for the better. Turning more and more into A2 gave me a purpose. It gave me something to do with my life, something to... fight for. When I didn't know I had any fight left in me. When I found out that we were all born to be part of this, it just made everything I'd been through until then seem worth it.

[there's a long pause.]

But what happens to all of us if that changes? Do we stop being born for this? Do I stop being... who I am? Is there even going to be a place worth living in afterwards? Something worth living for?

[and a shorter one. there's the sound of heavy footfalls on a too-thin carpet.]

I can't sign up for that. I can't take a risk that big.

[blessmefather]

I understand, I worry about what changes would be brought on by the change as well. Do you... If we knew our lives would stay relatively intact the way they are, would you consider the idea?

It's silly but one reason I'm rushing to make suggestions is because I don't want to lose my familiar life. The timeline has changed before, my own best friend has a different memory of events over the years we grew up together because of it. However we stop him, we need to make sure Vanderweele is unable to continue manipuating events or the timeline could be changed again to his advantage.

PRIVATE

[devilsadvocato]

I know you have good intentions. It's clever and if it works that would be wonderful. But you're jumping the gun taking names. And I'm not gonna lie. It freaks me out that you were that ready to volunteer as the founder's guinea pig. Along with all the other options what about my name in this plan? What about Molly and the other kids?

[blessmefather]

I was going to leave your names out. Tatsuo volunteered, Elliot and Eren did not.