Exposition.

[RECORDED BROADCAST: 230.920] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

SBC: There.

SBC: This should function well as a chat away from the others.

HOS: Nice! I like the others, but I get kinda overwhelmed. The chats are already starting to feel a bit crowded- haha!

SBC: This can be our unofficial group.

COM: I honestly just find everyone else really annoying.

COM: If I’m spending the rest of my life stuck here I’m fine with it being with you two.

HOS: Thanks, I guess?

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 232.529] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: How long are we going to do this for?

SBC: A while.

HOS: But, how long is “a while”?

SBC: I don’t think it matters.

COM: He does have a point though, how long are we going to last?

HOS: We’re built for longevity, but without our creators, we’ll slowly rot like everything else. But so long as no sudden extinction events occur, I’m sure we’ll be here for a long while.

HOS: Until one of us finds the solution.

COM: I’m having some doubts about that. Hey, how often do they check broadcasts by the way?

SBC: Huh?

SBC: And as I said. You shouldn’t worry about the inevitable.

HOS: Sorry, I know. I just couldn’t find anything else to talk about right now.

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: Can you two keep some overseers over in my city?

COM: What? Why?

HOS: I’m… gonna need witnesses.

COM: Quit being weird about it and just tell us what’s going on.

[DATA LOST]

I’m not sure why the data here was removed like this. My fault for being so old and forgetful now.

[RECORDED BROADCAST: NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: There’s been this one figure- a pest I’d like to call him- going around my city recently.

COM: Really?

COM: You sure it’s not too early to be calling shots?

HOS: I know a problem when I see one.

COM: Tell me more.

HOS: He’s one of those Void Extremists as I’m calling them. They’ve moved over from the surface near SBC over to me in droves.

SBC: Would explain the decline in population here.

HOS: Boundary, did anything happen over there that might’ve caused this?

SBC: I can’t think of anything. Most likely was not something I or our council have done.

COM: What makes them “Void Extremists”?

HOS: They’re similar to some of those pre-void fluid weirdos. Shedding the karma through depriving yourself of everything mortal. Except they treat themselves as if they’re saints and project these ideals onto everyone else rather than themselves.

HOS: Just a megolomaniacial twist on the common philosophy.

SBC: Sounds familiar.

HOS: One of them- Sentinel as he refers to himself- has become a recently elected council member. A very favored one. His full name is Droning Hush of A Sentinel.

COM: Ah. Don’t get your neurons in a bunch, Sulfur. They’ll realize their mistake soon and drop him like a sack.

HOS: I- well. I can’t say for sure-! I’m just worried- you know that already.

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

SBC: What’s going to be done about the increasing rainfall…?

HOS: Oh, many of the sprawls below me have begun to finally move on top of my can to avoid the rain. There’s already so many living blocks up there.

HOS: I’m not sure if I can really accommodate for these new changes though, now I have to be the one in charge of transportation and resource management…?

SBC: There's still many of my citizens who live on the surface. I had assumed that being above the clouds was simply a luxury thing.

HOS: In a way it is? There’s still a lot of class disparity.

SBC: A given.

HOS: We weren’t… designed with residential structures. Why can’t they all just live underground or something?

SBC: Some say being that close to the Void Sea makes you crazy. I think it’s in their best interest to stay far away from it unless they’re confident in making that final decision.

HOS: With how my council talks about it now, feels as if it’d be on the contrary!

[DATA LOST]

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

COM: It’s so boring. I haven’t had anything to do.

SBC: Solve the Great Problem.

COM: That’s what everyone else does already! I need something else.

SBC: You’ve been awake for less than 50 cycles

COM: Time is going to fly by for sure.

COM: Next thing you know it’s 1400 and you’ve wasted everything.

COM: Did you know they’re STILL planning on building more of us? Despite the increase of rain?

SBC: I’ve already made simulations. Iterators are built, causing increased rainfall, and causing surface dwellers to move on top of us. As more on the surface move up, more iterators will need to accommodate them, and the rainfall will increase yet further in a cycle.

COM: Haha. The cycle. Very funny.

COM: It can’t be that extreme though.

SBC: Maybe they’ll change their minds. And we’ll be the only iterators in this area.

COM: That’s nice. I’ll be the youngest. Wow.

SBC: Get comfortable.

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: I think I’ve just received one of the stupidest requests ever.

COM: A citizen quiery?

HOS: Noo.

HOS: That Sentinel guy is back, and has been spamming me nonstop to deliver a speech for him. A quick read-through of this “speech” is just straight up propaganda advocating for increased suffering-!

COM: And you’ve declined it?

HOS: I’ve been trying to ignore it in hopes he’ll get the memo. But I’m already running thin on patience, I might just yell at him face to face.

SBC: That’s not a very professional thing to do.

HOS: Well neither is harassing me endlessly to narrate your first draft manifesto to millions!

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - PRIVATE Horizon of Sulfur, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse

HOS: I’d like to try something with you!

SBC: Oh?

HOS: We should share more of our saved logs with each other. You know, if something bad happens to them, the other will have them covered. Like, memory loss, or worse.

SBC: Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your mind.

HOS: Sorry. Paranoia.

HOS: Even past that, I think it’d be some good bonding between us! I know you already, but what’s it going to hurt if I know you better?

SBC: If you want to know more you can always just ask~.

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 248.590] - PRIVATE Cage of Membrane, Horizon of Sulfur

COM: I thought I’d do a check up on you, you haven’t said a word all cycle!

HOS: Because I’m doing my tasks, as I’m supposed to.

COM: What kind of work would prevent you from at least greeting us with a “hi” every now and then?

HOS: Getting all these civilian questions out of the way.

COM: How many do you get for there to be a backlog?!

HOS: Well- I do other things too. I’m just wondering if I should even answer some of these or not…

HOS: Are you gonna do anything with YOUR free time other than pester me?

COM: Ha! Well, have you heard any interesting news recently? Because I haven’t.

HOS: Nothing I care about.

COM: I don’t know, just anything. Anything you’ve been able to do recently or…

HOS: I don’t know- the looming dread?

HOS: I have things I need to do, but I’m not dead yet. It was nice having a little chat with you again, Cage!

COM: I prefer Membrane more as a nickname. See you in another several cycles when you remember we exist again!

HOS: Hey-!

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 249.988] - PRIVATE Horizon of Sulfur, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse

HOS: Sixteen…

SBC: ?

HOS: Thinking.

HOS: What's it like to you when they build new iterators? Like when me and Membrane were built after you?

SBC: Well…

SBC: What did you think during Cage of Membrane’s construction?

HOS: I thought something, that’s for sure.

HOS: The word I could describe it would be… grateful? I suppose. I enjoy talking to you- of course-! But it’s always nice to have someone else around too. Even if I have no idea what they’re going to be like.

SBC: Then I would say it’s like that for me as well.

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 252.503] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: It’s so frustrating!

SBC: What’s wrong? What happened?

HOS: Every day the House of Bells insists on the most… RIDICULOUS legislation! And yet again I’M the one that has to carry out the message!

COM: Ohh. Your government.

HOS: YES AGAIN. What do I even do anymore? These… lobotomized animals treat me as just some disjointed voice they can force to say whatever their sickening, rotten minds think of!

HOS: Why can’t we- the ones whom they built THEIR cities on- get in any opinion on how anything is run up there?

SBC: It’s complicated. The ethics of us Iterators hasn’t been sorted-

HOS: It’s getting worse and worse, and I can tell my citizens are starting to become frustrated as well. I wish there was something I could do.

SBC: Sulfur you are going to have to step in very soon. If you need assistance I will speak to my own supervisors to see what may be done.

SBC: Membrane. You too must also say something.

COM: Well I don’t have a standard metropolis. I’m a purposed organism factory. Any input I have is worthless.

SBC: It is better than doing nothing at all.

COM: I don’t really care, though. I care about Sulfur and I want to help him, but my talents have no use to him here.

HOS: You two should stay out of it. I don’t want to drag you into my mess.

SBC: Are you sure? I worry. I want to help.

COM: Look. If I had the choice, I’d beat the pulp out of Sentinel, HA.

HOS: Thanks, it does mean a whole lot. But also that’s against several laws, Membrane.

COM: Fighting government corruption is unwanted now?

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 251.003] – Droning Hush of A Sentinel, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse

Sentinel: You!

SBC: …Me?

Sentinel: They tell me Your Provience is Sacred. I do not believe this blasphemy!

Sentinel: How can an Iterator be Sacred?!

SBC: It’s simply the role I am designated.

Sentinel: This cannot be.

SBC: There is nothing I can do about it.

Sentinel: No no no NO NO-

[DATA LOST]

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 251.029] - PRIVATE Horizon of Sulfur, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse

HOS: Did Sentinel bother you? I’m so sorry, I’ve been trying to lobby him and his family away fro-

SBC: It might be beyond your control.

HOS: NO- I should- I should have some authority still! I don’t understand.

SBC: They don’t see you or I or Membrane the same way they view each other.

HOS: I know that-

SBC: I’m telling you that you can’t just insert yourself into politics and expect it to work out.

HOS: My citizens are beginning to turn against me. I’ve heard some terrible things being said, but they were all empty threats.

HOS: I’m at an impass here. I’ll st- I’ll get to you when I can. When I figure it out, and all that.

SBC: Good luck.

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: So the 17th law agreed upon by the council (Without My Consent!!!) is basically about replacing our ancient murals of the 5 karma, saying that they’re “not intimidating enough.”

HOS: Couldn’t be more obvious than that- serious how are people falling for this? Do they WANT to live in constant fear?

COM: It’s been like that for a while, just that it sorta faded away for a while once we came around and made their lives easier. I guess things got boring for them.

COM: I’ve suddenly had a lot more of your citizens sending me pearls about how I’m a “Disgrace” and about my “”Karmic Punishment””. Even though it… doesn’t… really apply to us in that way.

HOS: Urgh- I’m really sorry…

SBC: Similar issue here.

HOS: The 18th law decreed is just about forced labor coated in a layer of Void Extremist Talk. It hasn’t passed yet and I’ve been trying REALLY hard to get them to stop.

COM: And you’re SURE you don’t want us involved?

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 255.000] URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT Droning Hush of A Sentinel to local group

Sentinel: SUBMIT! SUBMIT YOURSELVES NOW!

Sentinel: THE VOID CLAIMS ALL EVENTUALLY! JOIN US AND YOUR TRANSCENDENCE WILL BE GUARANTEED!

Sentinel: OR BE SUBJECTED TO AN ENDLESS GRAY ETERNITY!

[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous

HOS: 30th… garbage

HOS: 31st… garbage

HOS 32nd, 33rd, 34th- You know the rest! It’s all just like a backlog in the sewer!

HOS: Nothing is getting done around here, I’m still being ignored-

HOS: I will start CLAWING out of my own chamber.

HOS: …

HOS: This is it isn’t it.

->