( Mithrun is not so mindful of typical email formatting. For him, the way he is now, it might as well just be texts on your PC.
@ dv, huh. )
Yes. I have personal reasons for engaging in this beta. I'm not alarmed by risk to myself, or others. Changing circumstances may cause me weigh again Fragment's worth in the future, but, for now, I intend to remain.
Firstly, the individual going by "dv" has access to personal player information collected by CC Corporation in the course of our signup for the beta. Whether this is the result of a data breach on their part or an internal leak, I cannot say. However, the individual referred to me by my legal name in our communications. It is of course standard security practice not to have this information available for any but need-to-know employees, and I doubt any of the in-game moderators even have access to it without authorization.
Do you agree with this assessment?
In light of this, are there any actions you intend to take? Ways you intend to engage with the software differently? As for myself, nothing has really changed. It isn't in the way of my goals just yet. But I'm sure not everyone feels the same way.
Secondly, have you given thought to the motivations of "dv" given their actions thus far?
Mithrun reads through the email with particular care, turning it over in his mind before he sends his reply. )
Query 1:
I would agree with your assessment. The information the public-facing administrators (Hien, Zelkova) and moderators (Pink) have access to appears to be limited. While it appears that administrators can request access to user data as needed (IE, Hana's inability to log out; on the forums, Zelkova indicated he could send her real world information to another user to help her), in line with your presumption, it does not appear to be information by default available to them.
If it is, they don't advertise it the way you're saying @ dv has. There are some number of things Hien says but I'm unclear if he believes. There are some number of things Zelkova refuses to say. Both administrators, however, appear to be relatively low on the hierarchical ladder. (Pink at the bottom, as only a user with forum privileges.)
Query 2:
Following the topic of query 1, I believe the game has access to our memories. This isn't unreasonable, given the devices effectively link up to our brains directly in order to function. We cannot process false nociception, sensation, or forced emotion without access to the synapses of the brain. There are two possibilities here. See Query 1-a.
Neither of these things are things I can take direct actions about, except putting down the game. At the moment, I lack the desire to do this, so I won't. I will continue to play the game with the expectation that there is this risk.
Query 3:
Following the topic of query 2, I believe there are three incidents @ dv is linked to. Or, an entity like dv, if there are multiple actors here. If linked to additional other elements in the game, their motive remains vague, still, but with more context than before. See query 1-a.
Query 1-a:
What do you know about @ dv that you are willing to trade for what my hypotheses, and why do you want to know?
Query 2-a:
What benefit is there for me if we exchange this information?
( It's not that he seeks particular gain - as he said, Matoba is not unwelcome to use him. But he dislikes instances that will inconvenience him later, and he dislikes being left in the dark. )
Edited (forgot shoka's username is @hana) 2023-08-22 23:41 (UTC)
[One line catches Matoba's interest in particular in that first answer ... He will be a "team player", so long as this seems fruitful.]
Mithrun-san,
I will answer your questions in order. I have one of my own in the end.
As for 1-a. I have a number of hints as to the identity of this user, although nothing concrete. The information I was able to glean from them is limited, but I will convey to my best ability.
Firstly, "dv" confirmed to me that they are not on the payroll of CC Corp, however avoided confirming whether they were directly associated with the company. I have a few theories as to how to interpret this:
a) They are a former, perhaps disgruntled employee b) They are a non-employee with access to CC Corp data (such as a contractor, investor, etc.) c) They are an individual related to an employee, or a non-employee, with access to that individual's credentials d) They are a part of CC Corp's systems [Mithrun is free to interpret this bullet as he likes.]
As for my pick, I have an additional reason to suspect theory (d).
[Matoba attaches a cropped image of his message and the reply directly to it, showing only the first line of dv's response: / THE CALL CAME FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE // YOU SURE ARE NOSY! and removing the second part which contained his real name.]
[Moving on;]
Secondly, they seem to have a notable dislike for the head admin. Initially, I thought that perhaps the title had been granted by the admin team as a result of our little experiment, and so I responded with a message intended for Hien-san. [He gets a -san today, this is a business email,] They reacted quite negatively to the implication that they were Hien, but on the other hand, seemed quite enthused that my little testing venture with the equip glitch had been intended as a mess for him to clean up after. I thought that was quite funny. I don't really need to wonder what he might have done to "dv" to earn their ire, considering how he is. It could really be any number of things, couldn't it?
[Haha. That wacky Hien-kun! Hey, don't circle back to this in about, checks watch, an in-game week.]
Thirdly, when I began to further question their identity and intentions, they seemed open to the idea of sharing more with me, however it seems that they have now decided to keep a watch on my in-game communications and activities, I suppose in order to "gain trust". You see this is one reason that I have decided to communicate with you by external means. I must be careful about what I discuss while in Fragment.
That about covers what I was able to get out of them at the time. There's no way to contact them again, so all I can do is wait for "dv" to reappear.
If all of this suffices for you, I would like to know which incidents you believe are connected to "dv", besides the emails, and the motivations behind them.
My additional question:
In your first answer, can you be more specific as to what sort of information Hien seemed to "believe"? Information pertaining to how the game interfaces with us, or is this referring to information he seems to have about particular players? [One of these was far more dangerous than the other.]
A pleasure as always.
--0koto
Edited (cobbles together my html with chewing gum and a prayer) 2023-08-24 00:48 (UTC)
If "dv" decides to place trust in me, it would be best if I can seed that information to another trustworthy individual in a location where they will not be able to track it, in case of any complications. Ensuring that there is evidence to be exposed in the event of Fragment being compromised, for example.
Are you disinterested in what else they might know or their intentions? About us individually, or our use of the software?
Of course, I cannot promise, nor do I expect, a total open exchange of information. But where it benefits us both, I don't expect you to be someone that squanders an opportunity.
I've attached my synthesis below. While the text appears long, I personally consider it a bare amount of information - scattered facts and speculation. It wouldn't make for much of a thesis, never mind a real report.
However, an agreement - if we use this term - to exchange information of any measure is useless if we don't start out with a similar basis of knowledge. I've included what may as well be useful to know, and excised the rest.
Tell me your thoughts, if you have anything else to add to what I've collected.
While I haven't written off the possibility of @ dv being a disgruntled or malicious individual, d) is also my speculation, simply because it is possible.
Portions of the following synthesis presume the administrators are speaking truthfully. Because its foundation is based on presumption, and not verified fact, any portion of this text can be challenged or proven untrue at any time. Humans, at the very least, can lie.
Have you spoken to Zelkova much? It seems he's unable to lie to users. He's implied this to an extent on the forums, but in our conversations, and after a conversation with Hien, I've come to consider that he may be an AI program, or something similar. Zelkova exists as such within Fragment and is growing more dimensional in his character with time, per his own admittance. I wouldn't be surprised if he were one of many similar programs.
This @ dv could be an incomplete or corrupted program, or simply a rogue one. Additionally, @ dv may not be the only internal operator in Fragment. For example, the anonymous user who commented under Akatsuki's post some weeks back had similarly glitched text.
Additionally, in one conversation, Hien mentioned that the individual responsible for the issue with the revealing visions in the hall of mirrors (the building itself is meant to exist, per Hien), and the individual who issued pointed level cap gear (which is not meant to exist, like titles), are the same. Hien was able to identify this issue by sight, when gazing at the mirrors in the game; I was with him at the time. This could be @ dv. It could be another internal actor. Regardless, this user is able to pull information from our minds (your legal name, for example) and create visual representations of them (level cap gear, mirror memories).
Continuing the previous paragraph: Zelkova claimed that affects that alter players' mental states (falling in love, gaining aggression, altering beliefs, etc) are not intended functions of the game. Zelkova attempted to investigate these effects, but could not verify the effects to redress them, because they only trigger on, it seems, living players (by my own testing, they do not appear to activate on NPCs; or, by his own admittance, Zelkova). That effects are not meant to affect non-users appears to be intended behavior, as a glitch that proved otherwise was quickly patched out of the game. Administrators, consequently, are not immune by default to this injected code. Anything that affects players can affect Hien, for example. @ dv's nature as program or person could be verified if an affect triggers on them. However - returning to the point - because it appears that Zelkova cannot lie to users, these effects must have been injected by malicious actors - @ dv or otherwise - perhaps in the same way the abnormal heat has been injected into the game. Thus, @ dv or otherwise may be able to "read" (as a program) some level of information stored directly in our minds, as well as "write" into it.
On one further point, the special areas and their linked narratives (the poems, songs, etc) are intended elements of the game; at least, according to Hien, if he is an honest narrator. What is not intended is the experiences of the users therein: falling unconscious (Ganymede) or experiencing migraines (Hector), etc. The Areas themselves may be intended, but faulty code may have been injected or inadvertently triggered. It's also possible that unconsciousness, migraines, etc were not the intended effects - they were unintentional consequences of some type of code being executed.
Continuing, elements in special Areas certain users described as being there upon first visit (ie, the Goddess statue and rubble in the church) no longer exist - either despawned once the instance was exited, or removed by administrators. Additionally, that keywords were forwarded to players by an anonymous user may be unintended.
Onto your question: Hien may have access to our information in the way Zelkova does, but he doesn't seem to know it by default - at least, this is my impression. However, he's relatively frank about the fact that he considers certain issues encountered by users while interacting with the game completely false. He claims he "personally verified" that Hana was lying about being able to log out, and he was taciturn about the church, but seemed to take on a similar stance that those incidents are not caused by the game. (He was very particular when speaking on the church - he asked for particular specificity when I asked him questions on it.)
Whether he genuinely believes these things or if he's obligated by corporate PR to say these things is arguable. It's also possible that users like Ganymede, Hector, Hana, etc, are, indeed, lying.
The most interesting outcome is if neither party is lying: these incidents are truly occurring, and it slips beneath Hien's gaze - a gaze that can identify the fingerprints of a malicious actor just by gazing at the mirrors. The less interesting but more likely outcome is that Hien has been dishonest about what he knows.
However, his and Zelkova's understanding of the issues going on within Fragment is also limited. Additionally, per Zelkova, they are left out of discussions at a higher level. Zelkova is limited to in-game functionalities - not having reach or communication beyond the game - and Hien necessarily must occupy that niche in his place. They're above us in hierarchy, but only by so much.
Does this satisfy your interest?
Post script—
I estimate have a neutral or neutral-negative relationship with Hien. If @ dv is hostile to Hien, then there's a chance it may not look fondly upon me for maintaining this status. I would recommend you keep from Hien's good graces in public, then, if you're looking for further communication, as @ dv isn't like to come to me. Do what you want in private.
By the way, if you go to Hien to tease him with anything particularly sensitive I've mentioned here - allowing it to be too apparent I spoke to you about these things - and make it so that he is unwilling to speak to me in the future, I won't be collaborative in the future. I dislike being inconvenienced.
I have some data for you. Please anonymize it if you intend to record or spread it anywhere; I don't have anything to gain at the moment from being associated with its discovery.
I've just logged off from what I believe is a new Special Area. It is a castle-like structure located beneath the depths of Indieglut Lugh.
The keywords are: "Θ Hidden Forbidden Hades". Judging by this, and the area info, it appears to be Fragment's IC "underworld". We didn't discover any additional lore by exploring it, however. There were no monsters, treasure, or NPCs present within this area, either.
Notable abnormal area effects: Extreme winds which seemed to carry voices from our memories. The game is playing with access to our brains, again.
I attempted to invoke "dv" to see if it was watching us, but got no response before logging off.
Side effects: severe migraine that has persisted since logging off. [Yeah he's just typing through it, dw]
( The response comes a little later than Mithrun usually manages, even when he's playing Fragment. )
I see. I'll make note of this information. I wonder if any of these tie into the narrative "storyline" from the German texts.
In return, I'll offer you an encounter I had today. Oria and I were sent the keywords △ Hidden Forbidden Virgin Peaks. It was less eventful and less intrusive; it featured a castle set at the top of a mountain. The ruins of the castle did not seem to like intrusion, and cut off our air supply when approached and explored. There was an invisible wall in the very first rooms. Over the ledge of the mountain you could see every map available to us so far, including Root Towns and Special Areas. It may be useful in some way. There's no invisible floor, though, so you will die if you fall off the cliff.
( Speaking from experience.........? (He was testing it) )
Indeed, you would certainly think that "Hell" would play some interesting role in such a story, if they created the area to begin with, hm? But for the time being it seems like there isn't anything fun to do there.
Although, I can't say that it doesn't fit the theming for Hell to be unenjoyable. Tortured souls and all of that.
A vantage point sounds very useful, though, with proper safety precautions. Wings, perhaps?
I think it'd be worthwhile. We have 24 hours with the wings, so we can go through all the special Areas. I believe there's also an Area with a broad wall...
I know we just saw one another, but with all the excitement this past week I had nearly forgotten. I learned something quite interesting from Hien-kun recently. Do note that this information was very difficult for me to obtain, so I'd appreciate if you treat it with some discretion.
I see. That you were able to get him to that point, even as another player, is still surprising. He didn't ban you or anything?
On topic: there is something I can trade you. But I think the thing I've found is worth a little more than that. Is there more you can offer?
( It's not that he thinks Matoba's information isn't worth anything - obviously, it is - but he apparently thinks whatever he's got is particularly weighty. )
He didn't. He is a little too compromised for that.
[And regardless of Matoba's own returned feelings, he recognizes bloodlessly, impartially that that is what they are: a weakness. An opening. Learning and knowing what Matoba's true goals were, if Hien didn't want to be taken advantage of, he should have withheld himself.]
[But he didn't.]
Oh? There might be. There are some things I can't easily reveal to you at this time, due to an ongoing contract, but.
Do Hien-kun's personal motivations for defending CC Corp interest you?
[Anything is up for grabs, so long as it works into his goals in the end. That's just how business goes.]
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@Mithrun1
[EXTERNAL EMAIL]
To: -- [m7291682@mail.com] (external email)
Date: Aug 18, 2005, 8:32
Subject: dv
Greetings, Mithrun-san.
English isn't my first language, so I will use my translator to compose. Excuse me.
[Just a standard, polite business opening :)]
Before I tell you what I know, I would like to ask your cooperation in answering something for me.
With the increasingly apparent access these headsets have to our thoughts and memories, is continued access worth the risks to you?
--0koto
no subject
@ dv, huh. )
Yes. I have personal reasons for engaging in this beta. I'm not alarmed by risk to myself, or others. Changing circumstances may cause me weigh again Fragment's worth in the future, but, for now, I intend to remain.
Does this answer satisfy you?
no subject
Mithrun-san,
Very well. Here is what I know.
Firstly, the individual going by "dv" has access to personal player information collected by CC Corporation in the course of our signup for the beta. Whether this is the result of a data breach on their part or an internal leak, I cannot say. However, the individual referred to me by my legal name in our communications. It is of course standard security practice not to have this information available for any but need-to-know employees, and I doubt any of the in-game moderators even have access to it without authorization.
Do you agree with this assessment?
In light of this, are there any actions you intend to take? Ways you intend to engage with the software differently? As for myself, nothing has really changed. It isn't in the way of my goals just yet. But I'm sure not everyone feels the same way.
Secondly, have you given thought to the motivations of "dv" given their actions thus far?
I eagerly await your assessment.
--0koto
hacks through my inbox like indiana jones
Mithrun reads through the email with particular care, turning it over in his mind before he sends his reply. )
Query 1:
I would agree with your assessment. The information the public-facing administrators (Hien, Zelkova) and moderators (Pink) have access to appears to be limited. While it appears that administrators can request access to user data as needed (IE, Hana's inability to log out; on the forums, Zelkova indicated he could send her real world information to another user to help her), in line with your presumption, it does not appear to be information by default available to them.
If it is, they don't advertise it the way you're saying @ dv has. There are some number of things Hien says but I'm unclear if he believes. There are some number of things Zelkova refuses to say. Both administrators, however, appear to be relatively low on the hierarchical ladder. (Pink at the bottom, as only a user with forum privileges.)
Query 2:
Following the topic of query 1, I believe the game has access to our memories. This isn't unreasonable, given the devices effectively link up to our brains directly in order to function. We cannot process false nociception, sensation, or forced emotion without access to the synapses of the brain. There are two possibilities here. See Query 1-a.
Neither of these things are things I can take direct actions about, except putting down the game. At the moment, I lack the desire to do this, so I won't. I will continue to play the game with the expectation that there is this risk.
Query 3:
Following the topic of query 2, I believe there are three incidents @ dv is linked to. Or, an entity like dv, if there are multiple actors here. If linked to additional other elements in the game, their motive remains vague, still, but with more context than before. See query 1-a.
Query 1-a:
What do you know about @ dv that you are willing to trade for what my hypotheses, and why do you want to know?
Query 2-a:
What benefit is there for me if we exchange this information?
( It's not that he seeks particular gain - as he said, Matoba is not unwelcome to use him. But he dislikes instances that will inconvenience him later, and he dislikes being left in the dark. )
that's the mood this week fr
Mithrun-san,
I will answer your questions in order. I have one of my own in the end.
As for 1-a. I have a number of hints as to the identity of this user, although nothing concrete. The information I was able to glean from them is limited, but I will convey to my best ability.
Firstly, "dv" confirmed to me that they are not on the payroll of CC Corp, however avoided confirming whether they were directly associated with the company. I have a few theories as to how to interpret this:
a) They are a former, perhaps disgruntled employee
b) They are a non-employee with access to CC Corp data (such as a contractor, investor, etc.)
c) They are an individual related to an employee, or a non-employee, with access to that individual's credentials
d) They are a part of CC Corp's systems [Mithrun is free to interpret this bullet as he likes.]
As for my pick, I have an additional reason to suspect theory (d).
[Matoba attaches a cropped image of his message and the reply directly to it, showing only the first line of dv's response: / THE CALL CAME FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE // YOU SURE ARE NOSY! and removing the second part which contained his real name.]
[Moving on;]
Secondly, they seem to have a notable dislike for the head admin. Initially, I thought that perhaps the title had been granted by the admin team as a result of our little experiment, and so I responded with a message intended for Hien-san. [He gets a -san today, this is a business email,] They reacted quite negatively to the implication that they were Hien, but on the other hand, seemed quite enthused that my little testing venture with the equip glitch had been intended as a mess for him to clean up after. I thought that was quite funny. I don't really need to wonder what he might have done to "dv" to earn their ire, considering how he is. It could really be any number of things, couldn't it?
[Haha. That wacky Hien-kun! Hey, don't circle back to this in about, checks watch, an in-game week.]
Thirdly, when I began to further question their identity and intentions, they seemed open to the idea of sharing more with me, however it seems that they have now decided to keep a watch on my in-game communications and activities, I suppose in order to "gain trust". You see this is one reason that I have decided to communicate with you by external means. I must be careful about what I discuss while in Fragment.
That about covers what I was able to get out of them at the time. There's no way to contact them again, so all I can do is wait for "dv" to reappear.
If all of this suffices for you, I would like to know which incidents you believe are connected to "dv", besides the emails, and the motivations behind them.
My additional question:
In your first answer, can you be more specific as to what sort of information Hien seemed to "believe"? Information pertaining to how the game interfaces with us, or is this referring to information he seems to have about particular players? [One of these was far more dangerous than the other.]
A pleasure as always.
--0koto
prayer emojis for both of us
I've written up a synthesis of my thoughts and findings, and I can send it to you.
But because you quite like clear terms of service:
What is the benefit I gain by sending you what I know?
Are we agreeing to a continued information exchange?
I look forward to your reply.
( Or so they say in the professional world. )
no subject
I'm glad that you remember my preferences.
If "dv" decides to place trust in me, it would be best if I can seed that information to another trustworthy individual in a location where they will not be able to track it, in case of any complications. Ensuring that there is evidence to be exposed in the event of Fragment being compromised, for example.
Are you disinterested in what else they might know or their intentions? About us individually, or our use of the software?
Of course, I cannot promise, nor do I expect, a total open exchange of information. But where it benefits us both, I don't expect you to be someone that squanders an opportunity.
Call that my "agreement", if you like.
/2
Fine. I accept these terms.
I've attached my synthesis below. While the text appears long, I personally consider it a bare amount of information - scattered facts and speculation. It wouldn't make for much of a thesis, never mind a real report.
However, an agreement - if we use this term - to exchange information of any measure is useless if we don't start out with a similar basis of knowledge. I've included what may as well be useful to know, and excised the rest.
Tell me your thoughts, if you have anything else to add to what I've collected.
attachment: 98437a.doc
Portions of the following synthesis presume the administrators are speaking truthfully. Because its foundation is based on presumption, and not verified fact, any portion of this text can be challenged or proven untrue at any time. Humans, at the very least, can lie.
Have you spoken to Zelkova much? It seems he's unable to lie to users. He's implied this to an extent on the forums, but in our conversations, and after a conversation with Hien, I've come to consider that he may be an AI program, or something similar. Zelkova exists as such within Fragment and is growing more dimensional in his character with time, per his own admittance. I wouldn't be surprised if he were one of many similar programs.
This @ dv could be an incomplete or corrupted program, or simply a rogue one. Additionally, @ dv may not be the only internal operator in Fragment. For example, the anonymous user who commented under Akatsuki's post some weeks back had similarly glitched text.
Additionally, in one conversation, Hien mentioned that the individual responsible for the issue with the revealing visions in the hall of mirrors (the building itself is meant to exist, per Hien), and the individual who issued pointed level cap gear (which is not meant to exist, like titles), are the same. Hien was able to identify this issue by sight, when gazing at the mirrors in the game; I was with him at the time. This could be @ dv. It could be another internal actor. Regardless, this user is able to pull information from our minds (your legal name, for example) and create visual representations of them (level cap gear, mirror memories).
Continuing the previous paragraph: Zelkova claimed that affects that alter players' mental states (falling in love, gaining aggression, altering beliefs, etc) are not intended functions of the game. Zelkova attempted to investigate these effects, but could not verify the effects to redress them, because they only trigger on, it seems, living players (by my own testing, they do not appear to activate on NPCs; or, by his own admittance, Zelkova). That effects are not meant to affect non-users appears to be intended behavior, as a glitch that proved otherwise was quickly patched out of the game. Administrators, consequently, are not immune by default to this injected code. Anything that affects players can affect Hien, for example. @ dv's nature as program or person could be verified if an affect triggers on them. However - returning to the point - because it appears that Zelkova cannot lie to users, these effects must have been injected by malicious actors - @ dv or otherwise - perhaps in the same way the abnormal heat has been injected into the game. Thus, @ dv or otherwise may be able to "read" (as a program) some level of information stored directly in our minds, as well as "write" into it.
On one further point, the special areas and their linked narratives (the poems, songs, etc) are intended elements of the game; at least, according to Hien, if he is an honest narrator. What is not intended is the experiences of the users therein: falling unconscious (Ganymede) or experiencing migraines (Hector), etc. The Areas themselves may be intended, but faulty code may have been injected or inadvertently triggered. It's also possible that unconsciousness, migraines, etc were not the intended effects - they were unintentional consequences of some type of code being executed.
Continuing, elements in special Areas certain users described as being there upon first visit (ie, the Goddess statue and rubble in the church) no longer exist - either despawned once the instance was exited, or removed by administrators. Additionally, that keywords were forwarded to players by an anonymous user may be unintended.
Onto your question: Hien may have access to our information in the way Zelkova does, but he doesn't seem to know it by default - at least, this is my impression. However, he's relatively frank about the fact that he considers certain issues encountered by users while interacting with the game completely false. He claims he "personally verified" that Hana was lying about being able to log out, and he was taciturn about the church, but seemed to take on a similar stance that those incidents are not caused by the game. (He was very particular when speaking on the church - he asked for particular specificity when I asked him questions on it.)
Whether he genuinely believes these things or if he's obligated by corporate PR to say these things is arguable. It's also possible that users like Ganymede, Hector, Hana, etc, are, indeed, lying.
The most interesting outcome is if neither party is lying: these incidents are truly occurring, and it slips beneath Hien's gaze - a gaze that can identify the fingerprints of a malicious actor just by gazing at the mirrors. The less interesting but more likely outcome is that Hien has been dishonest about what he knows.
However, his and Zelkova's understanding of the issues going on within Fragment is also limited. Additionally, per Zelkova, they are left out of discussions at a higher level. Zelkova is limited to in-game functionalities - not having reach or communication beyond the game - and Hien necessarily must occupy that niche in his place. They're above us in hierarchy, but only by so much.
Does this satisfy your interest?
Post script—
I estimate have a neutral or neutral-negative relationship with Hien. If @ dv is hostile to Hien, then there's a chance it may not look fondly upon me for maintaining this status. I would recommend you keep from Hien's good graces in public, then, if you're looking for further communication, as @ dv isn't like to come to me. Do what you want in private.
By the way, if you go to Hien to tease him with anything particularly sensitive I've mentioned here - allowing it to be too apparent I spoke to you about these things - and make it so that he is unwilling to speak to me in the future, I won't be collaborative in the future. I dislike being inconvenienced.
( I will kill you, in short. )
laughing w/ salad at these last paragraphs, this is fine
mithrun closes eyes
[EXTERNAL EMAIL] Dated to late in August
I have some data for you. Please anonymize it if you intend to record or spread it anywhere; I don't have anything to gain at the moment from being associated with its discovery.
I've just logged off from what I believe is a new Special Area. It is a castle-like structure located beneath the depths of Indieglut Lugh.
The keywords are: "Θ Hidden Forbidden Hades". Judging by this, and the area info, it appears to be Fragment's IC "underworld". We didn't discover any additional lore by exploring it, however. There were no monsters, treasure, or NPCs present within this area, either.
Notable abnormal area effects: Extreme winds which seemed to carry voices from our memories. The game is playing with access to our brains, again.
I attempted to invoke "dv" to see if it was watching us, but got no response before logging off.
Side effects: severe migraine that has persisted since logging off. [Yeah he's just typing through it, dw]
Do with all this what you will.
--0koto
no subject
I see. I'll make note of this information. I wonder if any of these tie into the narrative "storyline" from the German texts.
In return, I'll offer you an encounter I had today. Oria and I were sent the keywords △ Hidden Forbidden Virgin Peaks. It was less eventful and less intrusive; it featured a castle set at the top of a mountain. The ruins of the castle did not seem to like intrusion, and cut off our air supply when approached and explored. There was an invisible wall in the very first rooms. Over the ledge of the mountain you could see every map available to us so far, including Root Towns and Special Areas. It may be useful in some way. There's no invisible floor, though, so you will die if you fall off the cliff.
( Speaking from experience.........? (He was testing it) )
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Although, I can't say that it doesn't fit the theming for Hell to be unenjoyable. Tortured souls and all of that.
A vantage point sounds very useful, though, with proper safety precautions. Wings, perhaps?
[Of course he was!!]
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It's possible. I'll have to return to the Area with wings, then. Did you want to join me?
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Shall we do the same, then, to attempt to reach the floating upside-down castle in Hades?
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( So much to explore!! )
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Very well. Let's make it a date, shall we? When we have the time.
[Too bad Mithrun's gonna be dead as a doornail not long after this!!]
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All right. I'll contact you a little later this week.
( And then he dies...................... Don't you hate it when death interferes with your date plans :/ )
[EXTERNAL EMAIL] Dated to after the Telo dinner
I know we just saw one another, but with all the excitement this past week I had nearly forgotten. I learned something quite interesting from Hien-kun recently. Do note that this information was very difficult for me to obtain, so I'd appreciate if you treat it with some discretion.
The name of CyberConnect's lead designer.
Does this interest you?
--0koto
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It would. Who are they? Have you already done research on this individual, or should I?
I'm surprised you managed to get that out of Hien, though. He seems willing to talk a little, but not that much.
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If this interests you, then surely you would be willing to pay a price for it? This is something I don't think I should give up lightly.
As for Hien-kun, he isn't much. An easy man to predict after a little while, and still a human player at the end of the day.
There seem to be no programmed safeguards or immunities for Admins.
[If you catch his drift.]
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I see. That you were able to get him to that point, even as another player, is still surprising. He didn't ban you or anything?
On topic: there is something I can trade you. But I think the thing I've found is worth a little more than that. Is there more you can offer?
( It's not that he thinks Matoba's information isn't worth anything - obviously, it is - but he apparently thinks whatever he's got is particularly weighty. )
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[And regardless of Matoba's own returned feelings, he recognizes bloodlessly, impartially that that is what they are: a weakness. An opening. Learning and knowing what Matoba's true goals were, if Hien didn't want to be taken advantage of, he should have withheld himself.]
[But he didn't.]
Oh? There might be. There are some things I can't easily reveal to you at this time, due to an ongoing contract, but.
Do Hien-kun's personal motivations for defending CC Corp interest you?
[Anything is up for grabs, so long as it works into his goals in the end. That's just how business goes.]
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They do. Though, before we proceed: are these "things" something you may be able to reveal to me at a later date?
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[Is that an answer? Nope. Take it or leave it, pal!]
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