Assimilators

Intercepted Transmissions

20110526

Neutrality and morality

If I had my own way of communicating with you I would use it, but the Tablet doesn't need the blog right now as it's helping with the PATCH and it doesn't need it soon anyway, so I've appropriated it. The blog, that is. And I am going to use it for more bloggy purposes. For now.

Now, you might not appreciate me telling you this, or maybe you will but you won't appreciate what it entails, but I might - might - have given Freddifer and Delilah a tank. Not a real tank, per se, but at the very least an APC with a big gun. So look out for them.

Also, I had a meeting with r. Or one of him, anyway. An important one, for sure. And the one that I...interact with the most often. Considering you've won my services for now I thought it best to make the record available to the public.

I'll set the scene, shall I? Imagine a glossy room, a dining hall, with white-and-chrome decorations and a glass floor, underneath which lies a rainbow of a carpet. This tapestry under your feet depicts a thousand scenes and yet only one, which I may some day go into more detail about if I ever have the time. On the opposite wall from the automatic doors you've just come in through is a balcony, an observation deck, a semisphere of solid glass through which is a beautiful vista of - imagine whatever you'd like there, I'm keeping it a secret. However, in between you and this window is a long table, set with a fest for kings and gods, a veritable Valhalla. At present there are only two chairs; one at the far end and one in front of you. You pull out the monstrous throne on its rails and seat yourself in it. You lift the wine glass in front of you and swish it around, waiting for the other to speak; you know that the best position in any game is to have the next move.

r\What do you want? Why did you call me here?
y/Can't two old friends have a nice dinner?
r\I see no friends here.
y/But surely you'd not come to any old meeting with any old stranger.
r\I see no strangers here.
y/Come, cheer up. Have some wine. It's the good stuff, not a cheap American knockoff.
r\Not all American wine is so bad.
y/Prove me wrong, then.

r\\He pulls a flask from his belt and takes a long draught.

r\Would you like to try?
y/Would I ever.

r\\He snaps his fingers and the flask appears before me. I sip at it carefully.

y/Where'd you get this, then?
r\Some old back-alley liquor store, in New York.
y/I daresay it's not too bad. Not too shabby.

r\\He leans forward, fingers steepled.

y/Yes?
r\You trust me.
y/Well, of course I do. Why so shocked?
r\Nobody else does, you sly bastard.
y/No, that's true. But I've known you for a while. You're a man of your word when you want to be.
r\I did not give you any word that the wine was not poisoned.
y/You drank first. It would be folly to assume you'd kill yourself just to get at me.
r\Why is that? I am but a humble servant of a much greater power.
y/You lie. You are not humble and you have your own agenda. Agendas.
r\I could have built up a resistance to the poison over the years. Planned this very moment simply for your assassination.

y//I bark in laughter.

y/You are the man in red, not the Man in Black.
r\Inconceivable.
y/Not so.
r\Tell me why I am here or I will not be.
y/And how would you leave? The Path?
r\I'd assume so.
y/You're growing old.
r\Am I?
y/Foolish at least. You forget that for every black there is a white.
r\You would use the Path of White Leaves to stop me?
y/You did not let me finish.

r\\He leans back again.

r\Continue.
y/You cannot go from black to white without some grey in the middle.
r/You clever bastard.
y/Namecalling will not get us anywhere.
r\Nor will this stalling. Tell me why I'm here!
y/Fine. It's come to my attention and surely yours that this war has escalated far out of mortal hands.
r\So much fun, isn't it?
y/Pay attention. Since the solstice event there have been scores of new victims to your master. A thousand new pieces have been brought onto the board and yet neither side has a player.
r\You sound like the grey girl.
y/Well, Bishop, I'll skip the prologue entirely if you like.
r\Please, do. I have places to be.
y/Not only are the players missing, but the Black King is cheating.
r\How so?
y/He has overturned the board time and time again, letting the rest of the numerous pieces scatter and fall to the floor.
r\I don't like the grey girl, you know.
y/And as the Herald is gone, I take upon myself the responsibility of passing a message to your king.
r\You are of White now?
y/Contractually. As you know, I assist all who deserve it, all who earn it. They have. For now.
r\Then give me your message.
y/Very well. Stand.

r\\He immediately grows suspicious. Simple shifts of the shoulders tell me as much.

r\Why?
y/Stand, goddammit.

r\\He stands.

r\Very well - I am standing. What now?

y//I leave the chair and walk around the table. He gets the hint and meets me halfway.

r\Meeting at the midpoint, I see.

y//I pull the handgun out from my coat and shoot him in the foot. He falls backward onto the floor, clutching the pain.

y/It's a light wound. Should heal fast. Anyway, that's your message.

r\\He looks up at me. There is no hate or anger in his face; just a laughing respect.

r\Consider it delivered, you tricky bastard.

r\\He disappears, as if he sank through the floor. A few black leaves appear in his place. I gather them up and put them in the nearest incinerator chute.

y

54 comments:

  1. What are these 'paths' you speak of?
    What is the 'solstice event'?
    'Grey girl'?
    Why did he turn into black leaves?

    Why did you shoot him?


    Also, that was really entertaining to read. You act just how I imagined you to be. Also reminded me of one of my favourite books.

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  2. Is the grey girl Amelia?

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  3. That would be the Paths of Black, Grey, and White leaves; the winter solstice of 2010 when Zero tried to attack Schlanker; Thage; he went through the Path of Black Leaves; to make a point.

    y

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  4. I'm going to assume that Black, Grey and White correspond to malevolent, you, and benevolent entities, no?
    Are they in another dimension? Can a mere human such as me see/use them?
    Do they have any adverse affects on those using them?


    How would you use a path to stop someone?

    ----
    I'm going to pretend I know who Schlanker and Thage are.

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  5. After checking my data sources, I have confirmed that the Archive has very little information on CW007 "Path of White Leaves" and absolutely no information on this "Path of Grey Leaves", which I will tentatively designate CW012(P). More information on these Ways would be appreciated.

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  6. Ooh, goody, the scribe guy is here. I like you guys. But Zabulon's up first, and I'll dedicate a whole 'nother comment to you.

    More or less; yes; probably; Black, for sure. The three Paths don't take very kindly to each other. Schlanker: German for Slender. Thage: Talks in chess metaphors. Constantly.

    y

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  7. Are these Paths entities themselves? Because I don't see how trails can dislike each other.

    For future reference, could you please describe the Grey path? It's OK if you want to keep that a secret for now, though.

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  8. It's complicated. Now stop asking questions so I can explain.

    y

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  9. You got it, lightbulb.

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  10. Right, so, let's recap on the Black Path for comparison purposes.

    The Path of Black Leaves; not truly a simple path between dimensions but another dimension in itself. Most things can't stay there. g himself only barely managed to use it. Luckily for Schlanker, it's more or less his home dimension. If it's not actually his home, then it's his home-away-from-home. Like a beach house. Due to the certain...alterations present in the Indoctrinated, they can usually be there too. Granted, with the right preparations so could anyone, but they in particular don't need to prepare much. Outside of Schlanker there's plenty of other things in the Path but that's not important. It can also be used as a method of transportation as neither time nor space work the same way there as they do here. Finally, the Black Path is a really chaotic place that doesn't merit definition.

    Now, delve with me into this can of worms.

    y

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  11. The Path of Black Leaves = Black Path, right?

    Even though it's 'not important,' what are some other things that reside within the Black Path?

    Can Slendy go to Paths that are not his own?

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  12. According to Archive data, PRE01 ("Slender Man") has been observed traversing via CW002 ("Path of Black Leaves"), PRE06 (the "Empty City"), and CW001 ("The Godsway"). Rumors persist of PRE01 traversing other Ways, but these three are the only verified accounts.

    Keep in mind though that the Archivists like myself very rarely get a chance to speak with people with easy access to PRE information. Odds are that list is incomplete. That's why I'm so interested in getting info on the White and Grey.

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  13. The Path of White Leaves; a much nicer place all-around than the Path of Black Leaves. In the Black Path - let's just use the initials from now on. In the BP, you're never safe. Never. You're always being watched and there is no guarantee the very ground beneath your feet won't open up and swallow you. The trees could strangle you or the denizens maul you.

    The WP is a lot better than that. It's not a land of sunshine and candy, sure, but it's definitely a better vacation spot than the BP. The colors are a bit brighter than normal and the things that live there aren't as monstrous. Just like the BP, it can be used for transportation but it's not quite as fast or even able to go as far, depending on how quickly you're moving. The WP is also a lot more stable than the BP and as such is sometimes the better choice to use. Holy things like to live there. If the BP is Schlanker's home-away-from-home, then the WP can be considered God's Heaven-away-from-Heaven.

    There's a few other things slipping my mind. I'll be sure to let you know if I remember.

    y

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  14. Yes; I'll get to that later; not really. Basically what Sigma said.

    y

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  15. Finally, the Path of Grey Leaves. We've discussed neutrality before; when g took up his name he gave a name, albeit indirectly, to r. In quantum physics, the mere observation of a phenomenon changes the outcome, right? You can't have light without dark, life without death, white without black - and you can't have any of those without darkening, dying, or grey.

    God. OK, I'm going to have to think a while. I'm not sure how to put this in words.

    y

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  16. That was very good wording. Take as much time as you need, lampshade.



    ----
    I'm out of nicknames. They're going to stop making sense now.

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  17. They never DID make sense. Anyway, I think I've got something. Bear with me.

    y

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  18. THEY MADE SENSE TO ME. :<


    Small-minded sun-ray.

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  19. The Path of Grey Leaves. It looks at first glance like our own Earth, but the truth lies behind the mask, as they say. The BP is for Schlanker and other monsters. The WP is for the nice things, I suppose. The GP is for the outcasts. The rest. The exiles. The neutral parties. The first Accords were signed in the GP as far as I know, and certainly some of the more recent ones were (which I know because I was there to sign), and you can find some pretty interesting civilizations there. The thing is, it's a morphic kind of place. Alterable. You so much as think, "That looks like it should have a tree," or, "If only there wasn't a hole here so I could get across," it changes. It suits the needs of whoever is in need. Mostly. The more-than-mortal things that hang out there can do it easily as nodding their head. Your average human? They could rearrange a dirt clod, maybe. With practice and time, anyone could use it.

    I find that the GP is a much faster way of travel than either the WP or the BP, but that's my personal preference. One thing that supports this view is the fact that you can, more or less, teleport yourself around the place, as long as you know what you're doing. You don't disintegrate and reassemble somewhere else, but, say you're on an ocean and you're in a hurry. The waves would just...push you. The winds would find you. And you'd go a lot faster.

    In terms of residents, you'll find your classic flora and fauna mixed in with both some monsters and some nomsters, as well as some very strange phenomena.

    Like with the Path of White Leaves, I feel like I'm missing some things. But that's a pretty good description if I do say so myself.

    y

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  20. What are Accords?

    And that sounds like the most interesting place out of the three.

    And can I assume that 'nomsters' are the opposite of 'monsters'?

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  21. Just...just assume it's not important; what better name for them do you have?

    y

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  22. ............ Quite the smart-ass, aren't you?

    No j/k. That's a pretty good name, I guess.

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  23. ...I LIKE the Path of Black Leaves.

    And congratulations on shooting the Head Exterminator. I never liked him. Too arrogant.

    -STEWARD

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  24. It was just a flesh wound. A gesture of friendship.

    y

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  25. And now I am reconsidering wanting to meet you. That ain't no friendship, sunchips.

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  26. Hey, Tablet... I have a question for when you wake up.
    Query: Does the cure have an expiration or a 'best by' date?

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  27. Riddle time, Y!
    It can made,it can be cracked, it can be told, it can be played. What is it?
    ~Rose

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  28. Rose, I didn't even have to think about that. The answer is 'a joke.'

    If you are going to bother y with such trivial nonsense, please come up with something more... complex.

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  29. Input accepted. Response: No.

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  30. You know, you've already GOT my help. Why are we still playing riddles?

    y

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  31. Exactly.

    Tablet, I was just wondering... What would happen if I injected a dying animal with the cure?

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  32. Input accepted. Response: A peaceful death.

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  33. Thank you.

    Hey Tablet...
    Analyze: r
    Clarification: Specifically the r mentioned in this blog post.

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  34. Input accepted. Commencing analysis.

    Analysis: upload commencing. Upload complete. Analysis:

    Subject: r. Status: Stable. Abilities: High. Emotional status: Strong. Threat level: High. Intelligence level: High. Potential: High. Danger: Moderate.

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  35. Thanks.
    My friend wants to know if you prefer 'it' in your front ports or your back ports.

    I was going to say how stupid that question is, but as I was typing it I became interested as well.

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  36. Input accepted. Response: Please smack your friend. And then smack yourself.

    Warning: Switching to Standby for the night.

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  37. I'll just smack my friend twice.

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  38. Notification: Standby mode off. Responding to input.

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  39. Notification: There is no input. Awaiting further input.

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  40. Well, there's nothing much to talk about...

    Care to share your feelings?

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  41. Input accepted. Response: The Reintegration Tablet remains uneasy.

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  42. Uneasy about what, exactly?

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  43. Input accepted. Response: Many things. Not of your concern.

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  44. Warning: Switching to Standby for the night.

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  45. Y are you around I have something I'd like to ask you.

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  46. I'm basically always around. I have to sleep like normal people, but what do you need?

    y

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  47. Oh, hello y. Anything new or important happen since your last update?

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  48. ...Not that you need to worry about.

    y

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  49. Requesting information from Reintegration Tablet:

    Have you analyzed the following?: P01E03 "Executor" (http://www.blogger.com/profile/06304043297777979437) and P01E07 "Steward" (http://www.blogger.com/profile/02810467045487124703)?

    If so, can you please give me the results of your analysis?

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  50. Falcon Analyze: Captain Timothy Falcon!

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  51. Notification: Standby mode off. Responding to input.

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  52. SCRIBE SIGMA

    Input accepted. Response: Subject "Executor" not analyzed. Subject "Steward" possibly previously analyzed. Commencing analysis.

    Analysis: upload commencing. Upload complete. Analysis:

    Subject: "Executor" [Full Name Not Found]. Status: Stable. Abilities: Highly competent. Emotional status: Moderate. Threat level: Intermediate. Intelligence level: Intermediate. Potential: High. Danger: Intermediate.

    Subject: "STEWARD" [Full Name Not Found]. Status: Semi-stable. Abilities: Competent. Emotional status: Strong. Threat level: Moderate. Intelligence level: Moderate. Potential: High. Danger: Moderate.

    CAPTAIN FALCON

    Input accepted. Commencing analysis.

    Analysis: upload commencing. Upload complete. Analysis:

    Subject: Captain Timothy Falcon. Status: Stable. Abilities: Highly competent. Emotional status: Strong. Threat level: Moderate. Intelligence level: Moderate. Potential: High. Danger: Low.

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  53. Notification: Uploading new platform. Please direct all further input to the new platform.

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