{???} [Voice post]

[adstring_npc]

[A male voice comes over the PCD, slightly uncertain and almost hesitant.]

H-hey, what are the conditions of the generators out there? Are they still running?

Comments

[Voice // Filtered to Greg]

[ethereal-genius.livejournal.com]

[Video feed kicks in, and Greg can now see the boy's grim expression. Near's eyes are haunted, and his tone is still flat.]

Please do what you can to try and figure this out. Whatever you are told, we know less. Everything that happens is up for speculation and interpretation, and disagreements lead to disaster in a situation with such tension as this.

I'm Near.

I stopped believing in a god when this version of Hell came into effect, Greg. It's not right. It's not right at all.

[Voice // Filtered to Near]

[adstring-npc.livejournal.com]

[There's a long pause before the video feed kicks in on Greg's side, showing him, a young man in his 20s, sitting in a dark room.]

I'll do my best. I can't promise anything soon... I mean, I'm taking risks even with this since the big guys monitor everything we say and do. But...

We want to go home too. We miss our families and... we're working on something. We really are. I swear we're trying to fix this.

[Voice // Filtered to Greg]

[ethereal-genius.livejournal.com]

Great to know even those working at the city center have internal struggles. Very reassuring.

I believe you. I think we're all just hoping some good comes out of this.

[Voice // Filtered to Near]

[adstring-npc.livejournal.com]

There's been weird things. One of the guys at lunch was saying there were... I don't, weird things going down in the science lab. But there's always weird things in the science lab.

[Voice // Filtered to Greg]

[ethereal-genius.livejournal.com]

Considering that would be where experiments are conducted, that sounds about right.

So you guys are trapped here too. Out of curiosity, are you being forced to work there? Why do you distance yourself from the community out here?

[Voice // Filtered to Greg]

[adstring-npc.livejournal.com]

I was hired through a summer internship, they were looking for some additional coders and I got into the program. I didn't expect it to turn out like this.

And why we distance ourselves from the community? I guess... I've never really had much of a reason to leave. If I'm not working, I'm catching up on sleep or eating. The days I get off, I hang out in the rec room. But security is tight. Even getting out of the buildings can be a hassle.

[Voice // Filtered to Greg]

[ethereal-genius.livejournal.com]

Sounds more like forced labor, to be honest. If you work there, you should be able to come or go as you please.

And as I said, the fact that your higher-ups and even those working with you never contact us is grounds for much harbored hostility...

[Voice // Filtered to Near]

[adstring-npc.livejournal.com]

Govie job. All hush-hush. Even before... this, they didn't let us go around too much.

...I don't blame you guys, but even this, talking to you guys now is a bit of a fluke. Was poking around with this device and noticed some of the blocks were down.

[Voice // Filtered to Greg]

[ethereal-genius.livejournal.com]

Disgusting.

I'm grateful you were poking around. Obviously your superiors are telling you lies. Meetings with the community...

[He makes a soft noise of disgust, then coughs.]