Topic: News & Rumors

24. Designs and Plans

Heard in the Tower:

Kitty was seen at The Mall! It's not often that one of TSR sets their foot among the common people, and when they do, they're always up to something!
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They still haven't chosen a leader for the Restoring Life Support Project. Now they're asking around the smaller rings. They even asked Wacko, they must be desperate. What's going on behind the scenes of this dubious project? What are the real motives of Andrea, Laura, Sebastian, McGregor, and Quanto?
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I hear Jaana had some serious trouble with the database lately. A lot of her project material was erased by some random fluke. Well, that's what you get for relying on a juryrigged network.
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Something dubious is going on with those Da Vincians. They're always whispering to each other, stopping right away when they see you've spotted them.
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I hear McGregor is going to "teach" in this new school thing. Yuck!
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Tino was showing off his gear around new colonists again. I bet he promised them all that stuff if they joined. The Horizon has no shame!
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Do you know how to whistle?
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Did you know that Yanagimoto is a Lurker?
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I heard Toko of Bio Security Squad is a Lurker. She always slips them equipment when they do checkups on the "situation" in The Shaft. And Cassia too - you know, of Dreamers of Gaia. Not too surprising - she's raving mad!
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Have you heard anything about The Council of Elders lately? They're supposed to be guiding us but I say they're just a bunch of half-mad seniles who only think about the past.
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That's Mike, the one who screwed up the simulation. But it's okay, I guess. We got more hours from that Paavali guy.
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Do you think Gwandoya has a point? Are we really a mockery of democracy?
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Enough of these stupid rumors! I'm trying to work here...

Re: News & Rumors

25. Implementation Techniques (31.8. - 1.9.104)

You shoul have been in the Panel Discussion! Everyone's talking about it! The Revolution showed us a recording form the era of the First Colonists. You know the Corrosion Crisis? Seems Sebastian wasn't the hero he's been telling us he was. In the recording it shows that a now-dead First Colonist, a woman called Kazama, had noticed the problem with the waste disposal systems before the accidents and reported it to Sebastian. But Sebastian just totally screwed it up and didn't take care of it. Then when the trouble started, he made this huge deal out of it for nothing, when the only thing that was needed was to fix the settings in that one control panel - which Kazama finally did when she realized what was going on. On top of it all, Sebastian ordered Kazama's recording of the events to be destroyed so he can stay on the throne he'd built for himself!
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The Revolution is having yet another scheme against the "tyrannical rulership". This time they cooked up some fake recording, using material they secretly took of Sebastian in a meeting. I hear Felman's part of it too - he made the recording himself, so no one can ever tell it apart from a real one!
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Do you really think this investigation is anything but a show? The Revolution and their allies - The Scholars and Society of Free Colonists - have already bribed all the experts to overlook any signs that the recording would not be real. The whole thing is pure manure...
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That's Ishi, yes, what about her? Seriously? I'd have never guessed, tee hee hee...
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I hear they're trying to make a school out of that old gas tank near Recspace. That'll be some project, with all the toxic fumes and short circuits out there.
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Do you think anything's going to come of that school project? It sure is interesting, but there are so many more important projects going on. I for one would never waste time on it before the tower is stabile...
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What's with the Prospectors? They've been planning some big exploration, I think, fixing all their Envy Suits and all.
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Did you hear about the incident in the steambaths? One of the streams suddenly became burning hot! I suppose whatever it was cooling had a sudden spike of heat.

Re: News & Rumors

26. Stress Testing (2.9. - 13.9.104)

...pssstt... did you heard, that maniac "father" of that insane girl is just ordering around the handlers of the big rings... yeah, you bet, he's also ringless
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He's never going to get that project off ground with an attitude like that. Not that it's anything but a waste of resources anyway.
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Did you hear what kind of ancient software is that Mike planning to use in the care center?  Maybe he's a bit mentally limited himself...
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I saw Tagato at the door of the gym today, wonder who he searched for. He should learn to use his necklink for a change.
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That Asian chick is kinda' creepy, you know the one called Mizuki? She's always slinking around labspace with her RCI, never talking to anyone, never looking at anyone, always working, always clad in black. I bet she's a coldhearted bitch.
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You know about Marco? Saying the Revolution tried to make him make false statements about the Sebastian recording? Well, -we- think he's just saying that to cover up because he was embarrassed about what actually caused him to have that heartattack. It was in McGregor's appartment you know, everyone knows -those -sessions are held there. And it was that Ishi and Huo from the Horizon that found him, half naked and tied up...
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Did you hear they created a vaccine for the fungus/algae/whatever thing down in The Shaft. Tam, the guy who got infected by it during the cleanup operation, seems fine, but he doesn't want to talk about any of it. Know what I think? I think he was used as a guinea pig!
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I think I saw Miko of TSR yesterday. She was hanging in a harness on the inside of The Silo, wearing a stange set of glasses and wawing around some kind of a pen-size sensor. They had stopped the storage elevator just because of that.
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The Lurkers have been pretty quiet lately. Maybe they really do just want to be left in peace.
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What's Sebastian going to do about the Lurkers? It's been more than a month since he got the job - I'd expect results by now! The only things I hear is his thugs interrogating random, innocent people!
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Didn't they already interrogate The French Clique? Twice! I think The Horizon isn't telling us everything... Who's interrogating them?
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I got interrogated on orders from Sebastian today, by some people of The Electrocuted. No bit deal, really - I've got nothing to hide. At least Sebastian's ring is doing something about it all.

Re: News & Rumors

27. It's All About Hormones

Have you seen Andrea lately? He seems quite harried. I told you that project was too much for him to handle.
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What is with that Huo and Ishi from the Horizon? Meeting up in hidden corners and private spots all over the Tower?
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What's with the hands of Mizuki? They seem like they were burned or something, but she's a researcher, right? Maybe some accident or something?
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What is with that Jaana girl? It's not like her project was anything but a freak idea... But she's complaining about it like it's the end of the world. Finding the TAU Master Processes. Like we didn't have enough trouble with our own processes.
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I wonder if they still haven't figured out where the Lurkers got all those Stimulants and Inhibitors... That's how they survived after we started watching the floatbeds.
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I think I saw McGregor cry the other day.
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What's with that Riki guy? He just runs around the Labspace and never listens to anybody.
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I think Kamala's doing fine as the new Fire Chief. We had this gas fire the other day but she put it down like it was nothing. Poor Calacai, though...

Re: News & Rumors

28. The Tailoring of Turncoats

I don't really like those Da Vincians? I mean, they're always like they're better than everyone else just because they were the first ring of second generation colonists.
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Well, I kind of like that Wacko guy, though. Relaxed fellow, not too many worries.

Not too many worries indeed... I heard he once ventured into the floatbed shafts to fix something - without bothering to ask TSR to halt the floatbed traffic! Almost got himself splattered againt the wall!
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I think McGregor is great. He might be a little strange at times, but at least he doesn't let his ring get messed up in politics like the rest of them.
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Wait. Was that Andrea entering McGregors appartment with Ami following?
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I heard the Lurkers attacked someone again! This time at the Shaft!
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Did you hear the Lurkers have started killing again? They killed Iwo, of the Stalwart. You can ask Zeven, Ishi, or Andrea, they say it was them who found him.
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There's this strange device in the AI Core near the Silo. I wonder what it does...
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The Chimbots are really kind of cute, don't you think?
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I heard McGregor has three modules worth of this... lore of his.
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Look at that Mara! What vanity!
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The Tubelift Central sure is empty these days. I guess all the machines are so beyond repair nobody bothers... yesterday, when I passed by, I saw only four people altogether.
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Sinuhe really should stick to his mathematics...

Re: News & Rumors

29. Complexities of Enlightenment

There was this horrible accident in the Steambaths! The machines that are being cooled by the Steambaths overheated and the whole bath was *boiling*! Luckily Xanders and the Firemen got there in time before more people died! Five didn't make it, though, and a whole 15 people were burned up bad...
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The Fire Brigade with some engineers from various rings are investigating the accident. I wonder what they'll find out... So far it seems it was nothing but a malfunction in the machinery.
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Six people were found dead and four wounded in the Canyon ledge near the Recspace entrance! They had been shot in the head, all of them!
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Sinuhe and Andrea are fighting over Mira of The Scholars now. I hear they had a real loud exchange outside McGregor's appartment today. What's the deal with these people? Can't they see how irrelevant such things are?
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Did you know Mike has converted to The One Faith? They had his ceremony this very morning.
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Theodore of The Horizon has really been on the edge lately...
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What are the TSR up to *now*?

Re: News & Rumors

30. Tranquility
31. Fragility
32. Dreams of Transcience
33. Decline in Human Resources
34. Acts of Uncertainty
35. Categories of Injury
36. Solution
37. Offensive Statement
38. With Great Effort

I don't get why people buy that "rogue chimbot" thing so easily! Who actually saw those things? A couple of Horizon outlooks and some of their friends, that's who. Why are they lying to us?
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It was a true miracle that we were able to analyze the program flows in response to the different codes we tried. Otherwise it'd have taken, like, centuries to crack the standby lock of the AINNs - Laudatur's Paradigm or not.
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They're taking all the credit for this!
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Did you hear? Xanders *shot* Corteza! And there wasn't even any
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What was Sebastian doing down there in the quarantine zone? I saw him walking out of there after the power came back.
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Not everyone came out of the floatbeds alive even after they were "fixed". Seems certain individuals and rings didn't enjoy the favor of the almighty TSR.
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They were hoarding oxygen!
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I wonder what Tagato and Mike were up to... I saw them coming out of the guarantine zone when no one was supposed to be there!
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Corteza is alive?
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I wonder what Andrea was up to...
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Have you seen any of the pieces of the big spherical machine the Chimbots built? I hear The Horizon and their friends have hidden them somewhere.
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I don't believe this crap about TSR deliberately killing people in their floatbeds. I mean, if that was the case, why did they bring Mira to help them, all the way from Labspace?
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Many lives would have been spared if the Fire Brigade had provided The Horizon with the helicopter when asked.
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This is what happened: Someone was fixing the flow-regulation software in the Tubelift Central in a hurry, and didn't take the time to perform regression testing. When she restarted the system, it caused an exception, which due to faulty program logic propagated all the way to TAU's core functionality. Somehow this caused TAU to go into this "secure state", which not only put the entire system on standby but also gave a few Chimbots autonomy. Too bad those were the Chimbots TSR had been messing around with, so they went haywire somehow and I guess they tried to kill us all. And built that big thing in Canyon C.

Then, while TSR tried to keep everything together, with the poison gas and all, the Scholars figured much of this out and finally managed to restart the system. Meanwhile The Horizon tried to disable the Chimbots and they killed like tens of them before they succeeded. Of course, it was all in vain, since the bots would have gone back under TAU's control anyways.
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What was that deaf guy, Riki, trying to tell us all that time in Labspace?
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This is what happened: TSR had been messing up with TAU a little too much, and managed to accidentally put it into a passcode-locked standby state. They tried to cover this up by telling people it was a failure propagated from the flow-regulation systems. Of course, instead of fixing this as soon as they could, they took advantage of the power the situation gave them: for instance, they took manual control over the floatbeds in order to decide who gets to come out of them alive.

The Scholars would have found this out but Xanders ordered them away from the AI Core, on some fool's errand. Meanwhile, the Lurkers took control of some of the now idle Chimbots, and started to kill people and build a huge machine of some kind into the Canyon. I was there when The Horizon sent their first two teams to scout them - the second never returned. Then they asked for volunteers to help jam the Chimbots with some kind of device. I would have volunteered, but I had no experience on that kind of missions, so I thought it better to let those better equipped do it. Miko was there too, spreading some lies about "Rogue Chimbots" - no doubt to cover for the Lurkers.

Anyways, lots of the volunteers died, but with their help, some other group managed to destroy the big spherical machine, as well as the factory they used to build it, with some kind of an explosive. Not long after that, the power came back, and, curiously, Sebastian returned soon after. If you ask me, it was Sebastian who fixed TAU - it's just his kind of feat. With the help of Mizuki and his bodyguards.

Anyways, that's how I see it.
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I so despise Zesiro. Even in the situation yesterday, he would do nothing but keep critisizing The Horizon!
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We really need to do something about those gaping holes all around the Canyon. Who was the hole head who thought maintaining overpressure would be enough...
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I have a bad feeling about all this...
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Were you with Corteza in Ringlab A? I don't think I saw you there. She must really have pissed Xanders up by asking all of those questions...
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The TSR have lethal weapons! Granted, they're designed against Chimbots but...
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That Ishi, she's such an annoying person. Always poking her nose in matters that don't concern her with one of her holier-than-thou speeches.
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That's Tagato! He's the one who survived a confrontation with those rogue Chimbots!
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Did you know that even Tagato's part of the "Happy Horizon" flock these days? Pity. He, I thought, if anyone, would be able to resist empty popularism...
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From what I overheard from the firefighters, they seem to have something against Andrea. Something about making a difficult enough situation even harder.

Re: News & Rumors

39. The Foot of a Shadow

I still don't buy the thing about the chimbots attacking...
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Weren't you in the Panel Discussion? They said that The Horizon saved us from the chimbots during the Blackout. Oh, and Tagato was there too!
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Are you idiots really buying into the biowaste Corteza's trying to feed us?
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I never thought Tagato was a... shooting person.
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I don't think anyone was telling the truth in the Panel Discussion. TSR the least of all. Chimbots controlled by Lurkers, bah. It was their own experiment gone awohl!
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I'm not saying that I admire what Tagato did. I'm not one to advocate violent solutions, even when the targets are mere Chimbots - that's a slope far too slippery. I do hope, however, that I was half as brave as he is...
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It was the scientific method that saved the day, again.
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Was that Tagato over there?
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I can't believe this! Religion is sneaking its way into the Tower! As if we didn't have our hands full of infestations already!
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Me? No way... You go talk to him!
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I just don't see the point in it. Why waste our lives fixing this and tweaking that when the central processes can go down at any time and end it all for everyone? It's better to just cherish what we do have. Another chewstick?
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They say Tagato lost that "daughter" of his in the floatbed accident, yet he still keeps working on... I wish I had his strength.
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These Panel Discussions really help clear things up. Some say the Collaboration never does anything of use. I say that the time saved spreading pointless rumors far outweighs any help they could give by getting their hands dirty in motor oil.
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What's this fuss about Tagato anyway?

Re: News & Rumors

40. Encounters Between People

Simeone and Klatch were talking pretty heatedly with Andrea. It sounded much like all those interrogations they do. Why don't they go after the Lurkers instead of harrassing honest people?
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Balthazar seems to have some trouble convincing some of his converts to accept his God. No wonder, the ridiculous concept that it is. I wonder what Mike thinks about the whole thing.
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I heard Tagato turned down Corteza's invitation to join her cause. I wonder why. Maybe this whole thing is a little hasty, actually...
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I think I'm being spied upon...

Re: News & Rumors

41. Introducing Awiti-Bitisururu (2.-3.10.104)

I hear Corteza managed to convince several of the leading scientists of the Tower to help in our project! They also made the official applications for simulator and laboratory time to The Association of Scholars. The Scholars aren't going to deny access from all these big names! Actually, if the next council sessions go our way, they might even lend some of their expertise to the project!
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This Klatch guy, he thinks he's a big star just because he can break everybody's records on repairing speed. Like anyone else actually keeps records...
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Those folks at The Electrocuted, they mean business! There's a problem you fix it, it's that simple. No standing around and deliberating ad infinitum... If I was a mechanic, I'd be sure to join up...
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I think the power levels are a little off in Recspace lately.
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It seems Ishi and Mike are doing damage-control these days.
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Dammit! I bet it was The Electrocuted again...

Re: News & Rumors

42. Pretty Cool, Huh! (3.-16.10.104)

I walked by the sermon of The One Faith the other day. There was a broken chimbot in the middle of their circle. Are they worshipping TAU as a god now, perhaps providing the bot as a sacrifice?
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Corteza's project has some great momentum going. At this speed we'll have natural reproduction at the end of the year!
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Don't tell anyone, but McGregor said that Andrea said to Mira when asked not to mess up his room (he's so tight-assed about it for some reason...): "We're goint to be about each other, not the room." Sweet, huh!
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Hey, isn't it weird that this Mizuki from the Horizon was allowed to take part in the new Prospector exploration? They never allow people from outside their ring to do that I heard.
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I saw Tagato with The Electrocuted today. It's no wonder he likes their company, being such  a daredevil himself.
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What's Sebastian going to do about this whole Corteza business?
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What was Ben steaming about the other day? Was there something wrong with that conveyer belt he was fixing?
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I was at the Dawn Party yesterday, and guess what? Not a moment of peace to sit back and enjoy the illustrations. Ben was constantly shouting at somebody, over everybody else's voices...
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Why isn't The Watch doing anything to stop Corteza?
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What do you mean? They're training for the next exploration, of course. It's not only the scientists who use the simulators, as much as we'd like to.
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Corteza's research can't be safe. The Scholars should do something.
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I hear Zeven asked about one of those cybernetic limbs from Servants of Evolution. I've heard they're designed to make their owner lose more body parts so the Servants get to build a fully functioning cyborg in the end.

Re: News & Rumors

43. Into the Unknown (14.-20.10.104)
43b. Disciplinary Action (20.-22.10.104)

Did you read that interview on Mike of The Horizon? Finally one of the Horizon sheep dares to speak out!
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Did you hear the news about the Prospectors? Seems like they're trapped somewhere close to the Lower Cluster and they can't get back up or something. Someone's going to rescue them I hope. What a way for their new trainee to start, huh?
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Don't believe everything you read. Nine out of ten, this "news service" is just there to spread dirt and lies about certain rings. Who they're working for is another question. They seem to have mocked both The Horizon and the Scholars in the first issue.
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You'd have to be insane to be a Prospector! I heard they just got back from another 'adventure' of theirs, with their leader having broken his spine or something, and all of them nearly dying. Seriously, this is way too macho without any real results.
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It's true. If you ask me, Mike has always seemed kind of vacillating. Never really part of the Horizon team if you ask me.
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Tino's giving a lecture to Mike right now. I hope he shows him his place...
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It seems to always be Tino who gets to talk to the members about to desert. I wonder if it has anything to do with his rather... volatile history?
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So, the traitor has left the ring. Good. At least now he can't leak any more information to the enemy. Makes me wonder, though, why do these people give the oath if they've no intention of keeping it...
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There seems to be some arguments going on within the Prospectors. Some seem to think Mihailo should step aside in favor of Ami. I wonder what Ami thinks...
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I hear Mike and Tino had a big fight right before Mike left the ring. Something about oppressive dictatorships! They could hear the shouting across half of the Canyon base.
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Nonsense! Tino never yells. The fight was with Bengu.
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And now he's joined Society of Free Colonists. Talk about turncoats...
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We welcome Mike to our ring. It's great to see a shread of wisdom occasionally getting past the propaganda The Horizon feeds to its members.
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Listen everyone! The Way of Life supports the reactivation of the TAU Basecode Project! The project was killed off by a mandate from TSR, and it's come time to put an end to their power! We demand the Scholars to immediately restart the project!
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I wonder why the Way of Life cares about the TAU Basecode Project. Aren't they supposed to be against all things TAU? It does give them a lot of popularity, though...
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Must have been horrible for Mike to live under all the scheming, powermongering and secrecy. Good he found the courage to leave. I hope The Horizon will leave him in peace...
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Geez, with all this hussle about Mike and him leaving the ring. He must be the only one not spreading this folklore about how horrible his life was with The Horizon.
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This crisis within the Prospectors is going to delay the future explorations, I fear...

Re: News & Rumors

46. Nakade! Games Are for Winning! (25.12.104)

Doesn't McGregor's ring know any shame? Once again they're trying to take over Hansila's charity sharepoint! As if she hasn't enough to worry about already...
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Corteza gave out the voting instructions today. Do you think I should put all my votes on TM-22, like she asks?
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Did you hear? Mizuki, that hot Horizon bitch, is working with the Scholars! She's been having secret meetings with Mohale in a SEAL-D Room!
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Speaking of the Scholars, what's with all the arguments lately? I thought Alexandra and Mohale were the best of friends...
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The Lurkers killed again! Why isn't Sebastian doing anything?
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The Lurkers killed again! Why aren't people cooperating with the investigation?
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I heard Claude requested that the Mark VII Cockpit-Controlled Structural Displacement Engine of The Tubelift Central Collective be placed under vote.
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Those newborns, Relay and The Prophet, are pretty suspicious, don't you think. I mean, come on... "The Prophet"?

Re: News & Rumors

47. Damezumari! Get the Mark VII CCSDE! (27.12.104)

Someone in the Restoring Life Support project asked me to help them get the Cockpit-Controlled Structural Displacement Engine to Claude's control. It's going to be used in the construction work they'll do to Ringlab B. I'll give them one - it'll be good to see that Mark VII see some good use at last. The Tubelift Central Collective have been wasting it for building their factories for long enough.
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I've got to move my research out Ringlab B? What the flush is that? What announcement two months ago? I didn't get any announcement! I don't care about the life support project, my experiments cannot be moved!
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Wow, the new colonists really are popular at the eve of the elections! There were, like, five people per newborn in the chambers, all talking at once!
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I think this rift within the Scholars is serious... Hope it won't affect the science. This Life Support project bossing everyone around is bad enough. They've even forced The Common Good to take the patients out of their hospital to some cramped quarters at Ringlab A.
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I saw another one of those Geneasthetic folks working with Jake and Jiang today. His hair was, like, snow white. I think his name is Hammond. Kind of the polar opposite of Amas, who's some kind of a half-albino.
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So, who are you going to vote for?
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At least the Lurkers don't get to vote. Right?
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I must admire Mike. Day and night, face stuck in that RCI of his, not talking to anyone at all. He must be one heck of a workhorse!
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Did you hear the latest on the Zeven/Ishi/Huo? They're having some biiig trouble there! They even asked Lamda and McGregor for advice. Talked long in the floatbed yesterday. Sheesh, that Zeven can scream - must have echoed all the way out to the other end of the pipery.
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Mizuki and that Relay guy came to the HQ the other day. Asked for 400 bolts and nothing else. What kind of a repair job needs 400 bolts and no nuts!?

Re: News & Rumors

Fools do have their own brand of luck - did you hear about The Prophet and Relay? They tried to get to lower cluster by running into dark tunnels without equipment. What's really amazing is that they came back like 30 minutes later unhurt but with The Prophet sobbing.
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I heard some guy explaining to other how important it is to have training and equipment before trying to play Prospector. People these days...
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Re: News & Rumors

53. The Truth About Judas

Have you seen Andrea today? He's not responding to queries.
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Did you see the new Scholarspace entry on the Technocracy? Whoever that "Stayn" is, he seems to know his trivia. I can't wait to read it when he's finished. Could take a while, though, without knowledge transfer...
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What? Someone's been wasting time creating an entry in the Scholar database about the history of the Technocracy? That beats even the Dawn Club parties and the steambaths when it comes to pointlessness.
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What's the latest story about Mizuki and Mohale again? Are they together or is she just begging for it? Or is it something else entirely?
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So the TAU Basecode Project is running again. Cool. Maybe one of these days we'll figure out what "Cheetah" is doing carrying all those glassteel rods around in TLC.
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Where does all those Substance X chewsticks go?
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It seems the steambaths are regaining their popularity. People have short memories. I, for one, will never again step into that furnace.
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I tried to follow Kitty this morning, to find out where their hideout is. But when I got to Labspace I couldn't find her anymore.
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Am I imagining it or has Tagato been a little blue lately?

Re: News & Rumors

54. Resorting to Dialogue

What's going on at the bottom of the Canyon? I think I saw some people from SoFC going in there. There's nothing there but fallen rubble! Maybe they were trying to find something useful amongst it...
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What's that... thing... in the steambaths supposed to be?
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I must say I agree. The Newborn Care Center is dangerous, expensive, and ultimately useless.
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Why is it that everything interesting happening around here seems to be some kind of a secret these days? I'm telling you, the colony is in a downward spiral!

Re: News & Rumors

55. Things Heaten Up

There's a magnificent piece of art at the entrance to the steambaths, can you believe it? A statue of an eternal worker bent over a broken piece of machinery. Quite fittingly to the theme, it's built of scrap spare parts and broken tools. It makes me wonder if we can avoid that fate if the work keeps piling up the way it does.
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I'm hearing some disturbing things about the Lurker investigation.
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Mirca still hasn't admitted to torturing Marco. No wonder - I wouldn't admit it if I was her.
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What's up with Mizuki? She's not been helping out with the project at all after it got reinstated. Actually, I haven't seen her much at all lately.
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I hate all this secrecy! Nigh impossible to get any real information about what's going on in the tower...

Re: News & Rumors

57. Judas Unrequited (16.-25.1105)

You know what I heard? That Ishi never had any orders to torture anyone, she just made it up on her own, then put the responsibility on others and now Sebastian has to take the fall for her. I think she might even have done it on purpose, brought the whole Ring down with her, then left the Ring. Bet she was a plant for some other Ring that dislikes the Horizon. The Common Goods better watch out.
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What's up with that Ishi going into the floatbed so flushing often?
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Hey, you remember what Sinuhe and Aviah tried to say about Mira of the Scholars being one of the Lurker collaborators? Why would they say that if it wasn't true, huh? It's not like they're her personal enemies I think, and it was a weird place to throw out accusations otherwise. We'll probably never get to the truth of this. As usual.
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I heard Berry complain she's been demoted to recruit?
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After hearing all this, it's no wonder Zeven and Huo are no longer involved with Ishi. They probably ran screaming when they learned about what she'd done. Long before all the rest of us learned, of course...
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Hah! not exactly a gentle and caring reputation. That has to be the understatement of the century.
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You know Mike and Jaana are in love? It's like they're glued together at the hip.
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That guy with the weird name... The Prophet. I think he's crazy, with his dreams, and now making posts and then saying he didn't make them and someone is posting under his name?
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Mizuki seems to be back at her usual spot in front of the Window, just sitting there you know? Yeah, the one in charge of capturing and interrogating those Lurker collaborators. Must take quite some determination and harshness to do what she must have done. Maybe she's nursing her bad conscience up there?
---
Is he from column 6? No? I just thought, from the way he looked, you know. White hair and those freakishly large eyes...
---
Relay, Mike, Hansila and the rest are certainly strange - volunteering like that to Tyler's Ailment as test subjects- what are they trying to tell the tower? Lack of common sense?
---
Now we're torturing people as punishment for crimes. Why did they even put the Horizon members on trial if this is what we use as punishment?
---
That freak seems to have joined a real project. Just as pointless as his other one
---
Did you know that Mike, Ishi and Mizuki were from the same patch? They joined The Horizon at the same time, and now only Mizuki remains. Makes you wonder when she'll quit them as well.
---
If you can do something like that to your own patchmate, there has to be something seriously wrong with you. Really, I want nothing to do with her and I hope she dies in those tests.
---
Has anyone else noticed that Mark is no longer part of the Horizon? Second in a row and third in a short while, seems to be a steady outpour for that Ring, wonder what's going on...

Re: News & Rumors

I wonder what shennigans those SoFC are up to. Did you hear they all went to steam baths 'accidentally' as if no one realised that they were meeting there. Some secret plans - strategies for coming year perhaps.

***

You know about SoFCs secret meeting - I hear they had handler from Common Good with them there. Some grand scheme perhaps?

***

Tyler's ailments volunteers and other certainly take different attitudes to being test subjects. Some hardly appear to care about it.

***

Last edited by Relay (2008-08-03 16:15:57)

Re: News & Rumors

61. Layers of a Maze (10.3.105)

They say the Prospectors got a new hangaround recently. That asian girl from The Horizon, the Zen one you know? I don't know of any non-Prospectors they've accepted like that, so what's the deal? Is she also about to leave the Horizon, like all the others recently?
---
Where's that damn Hussein this time? He was supposed to be here by nine. I'm gonna link him...
---
I'm getting really pissed off by those folks! They always just hang around in the steambaths, never working at all! Maybe they should be made into test subjects next...

Re: News & Rumors

62. Nothing Major (30.3.105)

News
===
(9.3.105) Floatbed Chamber Beta turned into an Isolab!
  * Off limits to anyone outside Tyler's Ailment Project
---
The Central Shaft elevator installation completed!
  * "None of your business" - ringleader Ami on delays

Re: News & Rumors

64. Secret Wisdom

News
===
Breaking news! Ishi Immune to Tyler's Ailment!
  * Doctors assume genetic cause

Re: News & Rumors

67. Are You Up to It, Tagato? (29.5.105)

Rumors
===
You know about the pedestal - some people have been curious about it. Searchs related to
it have spiked slightly. Funny really.
---
I bet that the Recspace collective was killed purposefully. Someone arranged the Blackout just for that.
---
People are mad nowdays. Rumours one after another without any point.
---
One of the recspace collective got warned and jumped boat early. You can guess where he ended up.
---
Scholar's are drunk on the information - they have access to so much data that it is hard to imagine even.
---
I wonder what's the thing with the Servants of the Evolution - what can they really do with their technology. Are they just fooling around with cadgets or is there some more sinister purpose?

Re: News & Rumors

68. The Enemy Within

[Note: NOT QUITE FINISHED!!!]

News
===
One of the hottest topics in the Tower these days is the worrysome re-emergence of the Tyler's Ailment. Here'a an update of the situation by DVI-Inet:

Q: Khitasang, leader of both The Common Good and the Tyler's Ailment project: what are the latest developments?

A: We can now say, with an error margin of 3%, that Ishi has indeed an immunity to the ailment, most likely of genetic nature. We've been conducting experiments on how to duplicate the conditions in Ishi's body that bring about her immunity, in other patients.

Q: I'm sure half the tower has been wondering: why is she immune? Have you been able to shed any light on that?

A: ???

Q: I see. I understand you've been making good use of the volunteers and those made test subject by Tower decicion. Have the volunteers come to any risk?

A: The test so far have been low-risk.

Q: What kind of tests have you ran?

A: For example, we've been tracing small amounts various substances we've developed. We need to know if they'll concentrate in the body in such ways that could cause serious harm in larger quantities.

Q: How do you feel about the controvercy about using those found guilty of crimes as test subjects of this research?

A: As I said during that discussion, I find the decicion reprehensible. However, we must all abide by the decicions of the community.

Q: I understand. How about these new experiments? How long will you be able to keep the risk factors low?

A: Let me begin by explaining what we're about to be doing. We've found that certain elements in Ishi's body chemistry disrupt the [AGENT'S???] reproductional process. We need to find ways to replicate those conditions in the systems of others. Unfortunately, everyone's system is unique, and it often tries to restore its chemical balance if it's altered. We'll try to find ways around this, but often we'll simply have to fight the body by using large doses, or by controlledly disrupting its natural processes. This may have unforeseen consequences to the subject.

Q: Lethal?

A: That's a possibility.

Q: Who will you run the tests on, then? The volunteers?

A: We'll test the treatments on those already suffering from the ailment.

Q: I see. That brings me to another question: What are the latest numbers?

A: The mortality count is still three, all second generation colonists. Five others are in critical condition. The total of people who have been found infected is 47, with 17 third generation colonists among them.

Q: Are we looking at a towerwide epidemy?

A: The risk is high.

Rumours
===
Wonder what people are really up to nowadays.
---
Tyler's Ailment must be connected to Scholars - its public history is just fake.
---
Aliens captured me and made disgusting experiments with me - TSR is hiding it all.
---
The Stalwart are more powerful than they look. They have secret spying technique that no one else knows about
---
TSR has new spy drones - They probably don't trust their control over TAU enough.
---
I wonder what it is with the Da Vinci Information Network - they don't broadcast enough falsehoods!
---
What's this thing between Mike and Mizuki? I thought Jaana and Mike had something going on. SoFCer and The Horizon member? Awwww...
---
I heard Mizuki didn't want to volunteer, yet the next day, she did, loud and clear. Strange, huh?
---
I just wish people wouldn't be so mean to each other.
---
One has to wonder what Zeven is up to - I thought *she* was rumourmonger.
---
I saw Mohale to disappear in a puff of logic. He is just that kind of person.
---
SoFC isn't that far from the Horizon as one might think. I mean you can see people from those rings meeting each other on every corner. Secret affairs galore.
---
You know, in general Mike seems to be average silent nerd, but then you hear how he has had a disagreement with this Jaana and guess what - he is immediately seeing Mizuki. And no it wasn't because he was lonely, but because Mizuki contacted him. I tell you McGregor is nothing compared to Mike - Mike is just more discreet.
---
I bet Mike is secretly doing some hushhush-project. Lurking around like a real lurker. I bet he is a real spy around here. After  that Mizuki affair I think that he must be some James Bond of bygone days.
---
If you need some programming done go to Mike!
---
He is in middle of a every secret. I'm sure he would love you to believe he is just a another mathematician, but  when push comes to shove you know who has been caught red handed participating every big secret in the tower? Sinuhe.
---
I'm sure Laudatur's paradigm is the real thing for some people. "Oh Beauty of it" It is a small wonder that Sinuhe hasn't started a ring for Laudatur's paradigm hearing him speak of it. I mean come on... there must be something more to the life than math.
---
You know what I hate about Sinuhe? I left my chewstick on rock in the garden when I had a small urgent business elsewhere - but guess what happened to it? Sinuhe chewed it! He hadn't even noticed he had changed to half-chewed stick after his own ran out - he was so in middle of his thoughts.
---
Va Bene indeed. I know people keep using colloiqual  expressions, but come one. How are we supposed to know what you mean when half of the words you use are some foreign language.
---
He is another real schemer and convicted one too, that Andrea. Not only participating in every secret, but also being bad enough to get caught.
---
You know that this Relay guy just never seems to watch around himself. Only half of the time he looks around and rest of the time he walks almost blind. I'm not sure he should be allowed to go walking around the tower like that.
---
Talking about suicidal people. Mister 'Could someone please kill me?' that volunteers to every dangerous project he can find out. "Oooh great! Someone needs more volunteers for Tyler's Ailment project! I'll sign up! What I haven't died yet? They need volunteers for 'extra-dangerous experimentation on Tyler's Ailment'? Sign me up for that too!"
---
You know that suicidalism can be a good for your popularity. Several girls from the Horizon just congratulated Relay's bravery - and he is from SoFC!
---
Mizuki just is soo dangerous. I mean really dangerous. Anyway about that something else...
---
You know Mizuki has been seeing The Prophet - officially it is about the Zen thingie, but come on.. we know there is more to it. What would be a more complete match - one is called The Prophet and other is religious nut too. Maybe they'll start their own religion.
---
About Mizuki: Maybe just was so jealous of Relays popularity after he volunteered that she had to volunteer for the Tyler's Ailment projects 'extra-danger duty'. You know those two are sometimes equally 'silent and mysterious'.
---
Is there any time Tagato isn't thinking about his pet project?