Naoto Shirogane (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
truedetective) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
retrospec2017-06-01 01:41 pm
truedetective) wrote in retrospec2017-06-01 01:41 pm
Entry tags:
I reach out to the truth; text
It's no secret that what we've experienced over the past several months has been unnatural, to say the least. Things that shouldn't be possible have been occurring with regularity. Our memories have been changing, our physical bodies have been changing, the world has been changing, and sometimes it seems that though we are the only ones aware of it.
Upon observation and analysis, I have a theory-- rather, a hypothesis. I'm not entirely happy with it, because it seems ridiculous even to me. Yet it would seem to explain everything that is going on here. I've yet to encounter a piece of evidence that would disprove it... though I welcome any suggestions, because as I've said, I don't like the implications either.
Before we get to my hypothesis, let's examine the oddities we've faced.
1) Memory alteration, version 1. (Which may in fact be memory preservation.) We are the only ones aware of changes to the world and the prior state, such as the existence of horses.
2) Memory alteration, version 2. We have awakened to "hallucinomemories" of things that seem impossible, of lives we've never lived, of people we've never met. Often, these memories accompany us remembering skills and abilities that return fully and immediately-- such as a completely new set of languages spoken.
3) Physical changes. Eye color, hair color, even physical limbs changing to something new.
4) World changes. We all shrank, temporarily, while the rest of the world did not.
It is worth noting that these only ever apply to users on Retrospec. There doesn't seem to be any instance of non-Retrospec users encountering these; moreover, people who did not previously use Retrospec but who were given access to the app suddenly began experiencing these as well. For that reason, I believe Retrospec users are "awakened" of some kind. I don't know if that's the best term, I'm not a writer.
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But I digress. The point is this: I believe that this world is a simulation of some kind. We are inside some sort of vast computer program.
However, we are real people. I don't know whether our physical bodies are hooked up to some computer in "reality" or our minds were copied, but we existed elsewhere at some point. This is the reason for items 2 and 3: The "hallucinomemories" we've been having, the skills we've been relearning, the physical changes... these aren't invented. We're remembering our real selves, our prior lives. I'm sure of this much; I have personally remembered shared experiences with other "awakened" Retrospec users, with shared details that none of us had told the other.
This also explains items 4 and 1. As a simulation, the world and its parameters can be changed. It would be trivial to change our size, or to replace horses with chocobos.
Retrospec is the key to this, obviously. I do not yet know whether it is intrinsic to our being "awakened" or if it merely exists as a means for the simulation operators to keep tabs on us. But it, and the company behind it, do seem to be the masterminds.
Think about it: Isn't it odd that a social media company would limit its presence to a single city? Where are the nationwide Retrospec users, where are the international ones? Does that mean that this city alone is the simulator?
Again, I am aware that this seems far fetched. But this theory does seem to explain every question we've encountered, and I can't think of any data to disprove it. If you know of any information that might make this less likely, I eagerly await it.
I don't like the idea of being a data simulation any more than you all do. But I am resolved to find the truth, even if it's unpleasant.
-N
Upon observation and analysis, I have a theory-- rather, a hypothesis. I'm not entirely happy with it, because it seems ridiculous even to me. Yet it would seem to explain everything that is going on here. I've yet to encounter a piece of evidence that would disprove it... though I welcome any suggestions, because as I've said, I don't like the implications either.
Before we get to my hypothesis, let's examine the oddities we've faced.
1) Memory alteration, version 1. (Which may in fact be memory preservation.) We are the only ones aware of changes to the world and the prior state, such as the existence of horses.
2) Memory alteration, version 2. We have awakened to "hallucinomemories" of things that seem impossible, of lives we've never lived, of people we've never met. Often, these memories accompany us remembering skills and abilities that return fully and immediately-- such as a completely new set of languages spoken.
3) Physical changes. Eye color, hair color, even physical limbs changing to something new.
4) World changes. We all shrank, temporarily, while the rest of the world did not.
It is worth noting that these only ever apply to users on Retrospec. There doesn't seem to be any instance of non-Retrospec users encountering these; moreover, people who did not previously use Retrospec but who were given access to the app suddenly began experiencing these as well. For that reason, I believe Retrospec users are "awakened" of some kind. I don't know if that's the best term, I'm not a writer.
----------
But I digress. The point is this: I believe that this world is a simulation of some kind. We are inside some sort of vast computer program.
However, we are real people. I don't know whether our physical bodies are hooked up to some computer in "reality" or our minds were copied, but we existed elsewhere at some point. This is the reason for items 2 and 3: The "hallucinomemories" we've been having, the skills we've been relearning, the physical changes... these aren't invented. We're remembering our real selves, our prior lives. I'm sure of this much; I have personally remembered shared experiences with other "awakened" Retrospec users, with shared details that none of us had told the other.
This also explains items 4 and 1. As a simulation, the world and its parameters can be changed. It would be trivial to change our size, or to replace horses with chocobos.
Retrospec is the key to this, obviously. I do not yet know whether it is intrinsic to our being "awakened" or if it merely exists as a means for the simulation operators to keep tabs on us. But it, and the company behind it, do seem to be the masterminds.
Think about it: Isn't it odd that a social media company would limit its presence to a single city? Where are the nationwide Retrospec users, where are the international ones? Does that mean that this city alone is the simulator?
Again, I am aware that this seems far fetched. But this theory does seem to explain every question we've encountered, and I can't think of any data to disprove it. If you know of any information that might make this less likely, I eagerly await it.
I don't like the idea of being a data simulation any more than you all do. But I am resolved to find the truth, even if it's unpleasant.
-N
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[Kanji presses into James' hand with a happy little whine. Please all the pets.]
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Well, Kanji, aren't you a good boy.
[ James has officially entered: The Dog Zone. He is powerless to resist. If you don't stop him, he's gonna start straight up tackling and wrestle-playing with him. Only you can prevent this tragedy now, Naoto. ]
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Oh, yeah. Right.
[ He stands up and walks further into the apartment, and also a little further from Kanji. He'll probably be trapped in the Dog Zone still if he doesn't actually physically step away at least for this conversation. ]
I tested out the whole 'matrix' theory as soon as I first logged onto Retrospec. Me and another kid [ he's not sure if Yuri would be comfortable with being named in the scheme, so he omits him ] went around trying to 'break' the matrix. You know, roughing up trash cans, messing up fences, generally just trying to find some glitch in the world that, if you just approached it in some way they didn't expect, would break.
We didn't get anything though. Nothing happened except for nearly get us in a lot of trouble.
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What on earth gave you the idea that you'd accomplish anything except property damage?
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That's how it works! The matrix always reveals itself when you've broken it hard enough.
[ Disclaimer: James has never actually seen The Matrix. ]
Trying was better than just sitting around doing nothing wondering about whether we're all just simulations or not.
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Are you still interested in testing the theory? Perhaps there are more productive uses of your time than random vandalism.
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What are you thinking?
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Don't you think it odd that every person on this social network is physically within a single city?
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For what it's worth, Fort McCoy is pretty out of the way. I don't know if it's technically still within city limits or not. But the app still works out there, and Retrospec can still send packages to the base.
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See if anything odd happens from it.
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[ He hadn't considered trying to access Retrospec from outside of the country but it's...an interesting concept. Now that Naoto's proposed it, he's curious. ]
Know anyone with enough cash laying around they can make a quick international trip and check it out?
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[ Although as he says it, he looks around the apartment a little more. Come to think of it, he hasn't seen any hints of any other people living here... ]
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[She says, very matter of factly. She's used to it.]
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[ James would know. He's had the talk--more than once--about where he and his sister would end up should his dad ever die. The army wouldn't even let his dad serve unless he had surrogates in place for him and his sister.
For this kid, a minor, to just be living alone anyway is...kind of mindblowing. ]
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If it's with their consent, I don't believe it's the law's business.
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[ He hadn't even considered the possibility of having a guardian and not living with them. James's dad had always been so hands-on in parenting him and Becca (probably because he was a nightmare to deal with) that he couldn't even imagine what it would be like to not live under the same roof as his guardians. ]
I didn't even know people could just let their kids live alone like this.
[ No wait there was a topic at hand here. ]
Okay, fine, so--can't you get your grandparents to help you get a flight out of the country, then?
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I have no doubt that he would be an excellent resource, should it come to it. However... I would prefer to not rely on him if at all possible.
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I would also like to do as much as possible with my own resources. That may just be my pride.
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Looks like you're stuck with bussing it to Canada then. If they'll even sell tickets to someone your age.
[ How old is this kid anyway? 14? 15 tops? ]
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...that actually might work, now that I think about it.
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Oh. Yeah, they probably would sell a ticket to Canada to you. If you really wanna take that road trip. That's gotta be, what, like a 15 hour ride?
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Hm. Perhaps I should consider it... going myself would eliminate any ambiguity in the reporting whatsoever. [Sorry James, she's not totally speaking to you anymore.]
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