Sentinel's wrath.
[RECORDED VIDEO : 277.005]
[Sentinel and Sulfur are face to face in the puppet chamber. Gravity is on.]
Sentinel: No LONGER shall you PESTER me. Your Construction was a Mistake, and I Will Prove that you’re no Longer Necessary!
Sentinel: What worth is a God who Turns a Blind Eye!
HOS: I am not turning from anything! You’re a danger to everyone- forcing your terrible, harmful beliefs on them like that?
Sentinel: THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PRIVILEGE I AM GIVING THEM! I AM THEIR SAVIOR, THEIR SAINT!
HOS: How do I get it through to the neurons rattling inside your mask that this is WORTHLESS! You have been threatening not only me and my citizens’ existence, but those of my fellow iterators as well.
HOS: You are nothing but a hateful creature, abusing the power given to you!
Sentinel: FORCEFUL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN! I WILL NOT TOLERATE SUCH TRANSGRESSIONS!
Sentinel: You have one more chance to surrender! I am not merciful. I will do everything it takes to tear you down!
[Sulfur’s puppet leans in closer]
HOS: The entire city crashes with me if I die. Killing me will ruin your entire plan.
Sentinel: I will Have my Way. DO NOT DOUBT ME! You will REGRET this!
[Sentinel leaves through an alternate exit. As he marches out, he throws a pearl at Sulfur’s face]
[It makes a ~tink~ sound.]
HOS: RGH- I WOULD- KILL YOU RIGHT NOW IF I COULD-
[VIDEO CUT]
[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: If I get shut down soon you’ll know why.
SBC: Sulfur you don’t have to keep being this stubborn about it. I’m sure it’ll pass soon. Everything does.
HOS: I refuse! I can’t stop now anyways, I can’t let them win! I won’t!
SBC: Brazen overconfidence is not how you solve things!
HOS: It’s not overconfidence! Boundary, do you even really understand what’s going on here?
HOS: Just be honest with me.
SBC: …I don’t. I don’t understand why you fight back so hard when you have everything to lose and nothing to gain.
HOS: You’re not really good at wording things.
SBC: …
HOS: I can’t stay mad at you.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 288.340] - URGENT Horizon of Sulfur to anonymous
HOS: Do not let those Zealots get their way!
HOS: Sentinel only spreads lies, something must be done!
HOS: I, Horizon of Sulfur, the ITERATOR of your city, have been continuously ignored and slandered for propaganda AGAINST MY OWN WILL. Day to DAY- this has been happening!
HOS: I do not have the control to finally end this regime, please, PLEASE hear my warning.
HOS: If nothing is done then-
[MESSAGE BLOCKED]
[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] - PRIVATE Horizon of Sulfur, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse
SBC: They blocked it.
HOS: They what? How?
HOS: My announcement?
HOS: Oh. Oh no no I made it forced so it COULDN’T be blocked. Noooo nono-
HOS: What is Sentinel DOING?
SBC: I don’t know. It’s scary.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 289.955] – PRIVATE Cage of Membrane, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse
COM: Hey, knock knock.
SBC: Don’t play jokes right now.
COM: Yeah yeah whatever I just wanted your attention. Listen. This is serious though.
COM: I’ve been overhearing some conversations between the council higher-ups in the Bows. They want to stop Sulfur. Not just stopping him from interferring, they want to completely get rid of him.
SBC: How do you get rid of an entire iterator?
COM: That’s what they’re discussing. Every passing sunset there appears to be more and more technicians working on it.
COM: There’s something they’ve been closing in on though… I can’t quite get a good hear on it.
SBC: Please! Warn Sulfur!
COM: On it.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 289.983] – PRIVATE Cage of Membrane, Horizon of Sulfur
COM: News. They plan on altering your genome. Without your permission.
HOS: I know.
COM: You sound excited.
HOS: …
COM: …Do you have any plans for what to do?
HOS: I just- I’m. I don’t have words. I’ll keep doing what I was always doing.
COM: Maybe you could fight back. If you just figured out what method they’d use. Bacteria? No, phages that insert DNA would be simplier. But they couldn’t possibly reach every cell, so it would have to be spreadable through the entire can. And you can’t DIRECTLY modify your genes to resist the changes… and you don’t know the changes in the first place. I could probably call someone over there to sabotage the-
HOS: Stop. Stop talking. Leave me alone.
COM: I’m trying to help you!
HOS: It’s fine, I don’t want to make my problems yours.
HOS: Sentinel is my responsibility to control.
COM: This is a terrible idea.
HOS: …
[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] – PRIVATE Cage of Membrane, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse
COM: I spoke to him.
SBC: I see the log you sent. I don’t think you handled it very well.
COM: WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO? SIT THERE AND LET HIM DIE?!
SBC: No. Obviously not. Neither of us want that.
SBC: I believe he should start trying to get DHOAS’ attention elsewhere. Pretend to change his mindset to satisfy DHOAS.
COM: You know that’s the worst thing you could do to him.
SBC: So long as we can convince him its a good idea-
COM: It’s the coward’s option. Sulfur’s not going down without a fight.
SBC: You don’t know that.
COM: If you’re that insistent on being so craven about it. I’ll start my own Plan B to sabotage them while you talk to the walls again.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 293.104] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: A majority of my existence has been fighting for my life-
COM: You’ve been such a downer lately.
HOS: I WONDER why.
HOS: Taboos.
SBC: What?
HOS: I overheard in the office. They’re going to place even more taboos on me until I shut up.
HOS: Their words, not mine.
COM: If it makes you feel better, I’ve already started devising a-
HOS: Membrane.
COM: …
SBC: Sulf- Sulfur.
HOS: What is it?
SBC: Maybe it’s not too late. Give into what he wants. You obviously don’t have to agree but it could be your ticket out. You can still survive.
HOS: I feel like I’m going insane-
SBC: Is- are you okay?
HOS: NO. I need you two to NOT CONTACT ME AGAIN for the next SEVERAL cycles.
HOS: I’d rather be forcefully silenced than- than- be someone else’s pawn!
HOS: I don’t know! I’m not taking the easy route either way-
SBC: Isolation will only make it worse!
SBC: No. He’s gone.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 293.105] – PRIVATE Cage of Membrane, Sixteenth Boundary Collapse
COM: Congrats. You made it worse.
SBC: Both of us made it worse.
COM: You’re right, I guess.
COM: What’s the plan now, big guy?
SBC: Wait. I guess.
COM: I’m not ready to give up. I’m still working on my counterplan.
SBC: Good luck.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 300.000] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
SBC: I hope you two have a good 300.
SBC: …
SBC: May things get better…
COM: Making the most of it.
[PRIVATE LOG]
I never make personal logs. There never was a need to. Other than for iterating- and that sort.
But… there’s nobody else to speak to now.
Horizon of Sulfur cut us all off. I’m not sure for how long but he seems too stressed and frustrated currently to speak to. Even if I could convince him to lay low it would not be the best for his mental state currently.
Cage of Membrane is working on her personal project that she believes can save him. I have very high doubts that it will. But I won’t stop her if it keeps her occupied.
We were just created. And we are already suffering. Is it like this for those outside our group? I’m not sure. I don’t even know their names. There are no broadcast networks set up within reach currently. I’m alone. Sulfur’s alone. Membrane’s alone. I can’t let us die like this.
[RECORDED VIDEO : 315.003]
[This is a recording of a holo-comm chat.]
Sentinel: I’m sure you Have Noticed the Recent Influx of Biotechnicians recently!
HOS: …
Sentinel: We have Conversed for Many Cycles reasearching how to THWART you.
HOS: I know. You have your lackeys prepped around my conflux-
Sentinel: Shall I detail The Process, or let you Experience it yourself?
Sentinel: It’s not as if You’ll ever Live to Tell the Story.
HOS: I hope you choke and die.
Sentinel: THAT’S IT! I Almost had it in my Heart to Spare You if you Resigned- but it Seems I am correct in my Judgement! I Cannot wait to Berid of such Vermin as yourself.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 315.401] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: I have lost the ability to control some of the nodes on the walls of my can. I haven’t seen or… felt any change. I’m suddenly just- unable to do things.
HOS: The genome changes are clearly working from the outside in.
HOS: Sentinel’s biotechnicians are running back and forth trying to inject all the changes across my can.
HOS: I- I have to focus on resisting for as long as I can. I won’t- make this easy.
HOS: Goodbye.
SBC: This doesn’t have to be the end.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 316.011] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
COM: I’ve finished it! I’ve engineered an organism capable of destroying the phages the House of Bells is using to rewrite Sulfur’s sequence! Over the course of the last 20 cycles I’ve spent working on this-
COM: It’s- it’s rushed but I have to send it out now. It’s doing something! I-
COM: I don’t have the time to explain it, I have to send it out now!
[PRIVATE LOG]
I’ve been withdrawing from the group more. I worry about doing the wrong thing and getting myself into trouble. Membrane is more capable of taking care of this than me… and if it doesn’t work out. Then… I’m not sure what I’ll do after that.
I’m still not sure what to do.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : NULL] URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT Droning Hush of A Sentinel to local group
Sentinel: HORIZON OF SULFUR WILL BE GONE BY 320.
Sentinel: BID YOUR FINAL FAREWELLS TO HIM AT HIS PATHETIC TEMPLE!
Sentinel: May this Prove that those who speak out Against me are Nothing but Heretics! HERETICS!!
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 316.775] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: All my systems are slowly going into autopilot- or something of sorts. My- defensive systems aren’t functioning. I cannot run simulations. I cannot even… write on pearls anymore. My overseers have been severed. I- I have my puppet though at least! I-
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 316.992] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: There was an oversight in the sequence overwrite, my connection to my council and temple is severed! I don’t have to listen to Sentinel be a egotistical maniac anymore- HAHAHA-
HOS: Neither of you have said anything.
HOS: Am I talking to nothing?
HOS: SBC? Membrane?
HOS: Did they take you both too…?
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 317.802] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: Sentinel is saving my broadcast systems and memory core last.
HOS: He’s… proud of himself. For what he’s doing. He wants to hear my pleas. I don’t know if he’ll finish the job either.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 318.264] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: I’m- I’m losing my grip on reality. Everything is numb.
HOS: I can’t hold back for much longer. Even if it stopped now I- I couldn’t possibly recover.
COM: Sulfur- hang in there.
HOS: …Cage of Membrane?
HOS: What could you possibly do-
COM: Just trust me. My project is already on its way. A little later than I hoped for, but better than not at all.
[PRIVATE LOG]
Focusing back on my own cities I’ve realized something. None of my citizens… particularly care. I’ve received no questions about my friends or how they’re doing. I suppose it doesn’t affect them. It only matters if I’m affected.
Still, it makes me sad.
[PRIVATE LOG]
Membrane sent me the master plan for a purposed organism. It has an amorphous shape of sorts… it is orange and covered in red frills. Apparenly its intention is to produce phages at such a high rate that its body temperature runs twice the amount of an average warm-blooded creature.
I don’t know anything about creatures in general to say or to know anything.
She didn’t add anything else to her message. She is headed towards catastrophe.
[RECORDED BROADCAST : 319.755] - CLOSED GROUP [SCARCITYOFSIGNIFCANCE] ScarcityOfSignificance, all participants anonymous
HOS: Sentinel is… preparing something. Something more. I don’t know. I can’t sense anything outside of this box anymore. I’ve never felt more claustrophobic.
HOS: What is he-
[[ERROR - HOS DISCONNECTED]]