( channel 0 + message board ) dr. rousseau ; open dialogue

[officialnotice]

( the following message from dr. charlotte rousseau is on the phone network + transcribed via text on the message board. )

Hello again, Wayward Pines. You've had a couple of days now to work through the things we explained to you on Thursday. Now, we're opening the floor to you — for your questions, and hopefully to begin the dialogue that will help all of us figure out how to peacefully coexist.

MOD NOTES

This is the interaction portion of the public address posted last week! While all approaches are welcomed, the post is ICly intended to address questions/concerns and to reach an agreement (or realize that an agreement can't be reached).

This post is currently available both on the audio network & on the message boards, so characters can choose which they'd prefer to respond to.

This is the final piece of our Arc I metaplot. Congrats — we made it!

Comments

phone.

[aeturnus]

So, how did you guys come up with the memories? Have an English major back there who couldn't find any other work?

[ Down, boy. His real, actually pertinent questions may come later but he's a bit sour about having all these people he's attached to without his permission. No takebacksies, though, don't even dare. ]

phone.

[officialnotice]

In fact, we didn't. The generation and distribution of memories is handled by a semi-autonomous virtual intelligence system. We don't have the sort of manpower to facilitate that level of large-scale corroboration.

I myself am not altogether versed with the technicalities of it, but I'm more than willing to request more information on your behalf.

message board. un: takeba.y

[snipers]

What the hell gave you the right for any of this?!

Did you honestly think filling our heads with lies would make it easier to "fit in"?

un: rousseau

[officialnotice]

It seemed to do just that for the first two and a half years after the unfortunate illusion began. Only in the last six months has it failed to settle with more than the rare outlier.

You're from another world, aren't you? In our experience, the memories settle much more poorly when you're able to directly compare and contrast with your recollections of the world you came from.

That isn't what you asked. I apologize, I'll admit that I'm overly eager to tell you all that I know in hopes of bridging the gap between us.

Your first question is a very good one. Unfortunately, it becomes a matter of philosophy and those are very hard to achieve concrete answers on. Those who founded this ark and rebuilt this town stand by the belief that they've acted correctly in pursuit of the preservation of humanity as a whole. If they hadn't, we would all be just like the aberrations which brought grave harm so many of our friends and neighbors. They believe not that they had a right to wrong any of you on a personal level, but that they had an unquestionable obligation to do all that they could to protect humanity from extinction.

( yes, that was a lot of 'they' rather than 'we'. she explained on thursday that she signed on pretty late in the process, and much of the 'big question' discussion took place long before she even heard of the project. )

voice;

[dehanded]

[ blunt, to the point. ]

The creatures are not so formidable that we [ read: me ] need cower from them. Open the wall!

[ IBARAKI YOU FUCKING ATE THEM ]

voice;

[dragoness]

[ MUFFLED ELIZA CACKLING IN THE BACKGROUND ]

[guerrilla]

[Equally blunt:]

You want me to open a hole in your damn skull?

[why is the most effective (read: only) way of stopping ibaraki and elizabeth just killing them]

un: arcarius

[angelic_archer]

If the rest of our families aren't in town, does that mean they're dead or can they still be in cryogenic stasis?

un: rousseau

[officialnotice]

It's very possible, yes. In our experience, whoever or whatever brought you here originally appeared to select by either association or general location. Essentially, those who have been misplaced into our world tend to know one another.

There's also the strong possibility that they're neither dead nor in stasis. Our limited observation so far seems to show that even individuals who were placed into stasis just days apart are able to have come from weeks, months, or even years apart in their own world or time. It's possible, then, that if we're able to figure out how and where the breach in reality occurred, we might be able to replace you directly into the moment and location from which you left.

phone;

[slowdancer]

What the fuck is wrong with you people? How about we start with that one, then--oh, and: how the fuck did I get here? I've never been anywhere near...wherever in hell we are.

phone;

[officialnotice]

Your first question is, unfortunately, far too subjective for anything beyond wild conjecture.

As for the second, I believe this was covered on Thursday, hold on just a moment -

Yes, there it is, under "I am "from another world". How did I get to this world, and how do I return?" And also a bit more in, "How long have I lived here, really? Where was I before?" To summarize, we don't know how you arrived in this reality, let alone within the vicinity of Wayward Pines, but a large percentage of the resources not allocated to your survival are currently being funneled into figuring it out.

audio;

[oversight]

You keep sayin' "we" but I feel like all I'm hearin' on this is from you. Who else knew this was goin' on?

audio;

[officialnotice]

I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable pointing fingers until we've reached some sort of resolution. Any sooner, and I would be personally painting a target on their backs.

( a pause in which the phone is muffled, then: )

I've just received the go-ahead to let you know that Sheriff Griffith was in the know, and that he's more than willing to talk the matter through with you any time in which you're available.

network. un: blaine

[blaiiines]

[he's not really in the mood for a clever username right now]

Just making sure I got it right: you put us all on ice for a thousand years. You didn't just leave a few people to wander around all that time.

[he may be hoping to blame them for the Romero he had to put down]

un: rousseau

[officialnotice]

Are you referring to the clinically-dead individuals currently quarantined in the hospital?

[naneunyulyeongibnida]

How dare you?

[ That's it, that's the question.

...No, just kidding. He'd like to stay mad and let that be it but he's got legitimate questions too. ]

Okay. Talk to me about vaccination against MVX2022. Did it ever work? Did you ever get a chance to test it?

[ He's still got that vial Aranea brought him to investigate. He knows... what he knows. Will he learn anything else? ]

[officialnotice]

( oh, how inexplicably refreshing. )

All of our remaining employees entered cryogenic stasis within twelve hours of 22's confirmed release into the population. Our last contact with the outside world suggested multiple viable attempts to vaccinate against the mutagen, but already a number of 'viable attempts' couldn't have failed more catastrophically if they'd delivered the mutagen door-to-door wrapped in a bow.

At current, we can remove '22 from the systems of those who've already been exposed via a quick and relatively painless shot to the arm. We're still figuring out how to prevent it from affecting the body in the first place — from what I hear, it's unusually tenacious.

un: swan

[sheriffing]

What if I don't buy it?

un: rousseau

[officialnotice]

Buy what, specifically? If you don't mind my asking.

channel 0;

[paragon]

What happened to the people who disappeared after getting taken off the ice? The ones who were here in town.

[ You know what's fun? Already having a vocabulary for this bullshit. ]

[officialnotice]

They're still very much alive, don't worry. Either their mind or their body was experiencing unforeseen side effects of some facet of exiting cryogenic stasis and being integrated into Wayward Pines. How do I explain? Something inside them was, in some way, beginning to unravel on a fundamental level. To let them stay would be to let them die, in a way that no doctor could hope to fix.

( a pause, and then a bit quieter, more solemn: ) We're studying the situation as best we can. Some people, we can fix and reintegrate immediately. With others, the usual remedies don't seem to take. You have our word that the moment we can safely give you back your friends and family, we'll do so.

audio.

[sospita]

[ -- sorry, he's literally eating while calling in. #stayclassysteel. ]

This can't be the only "ark". How many others are there? Are you in communication with them?

audio.

[officialnotice]

( there's actually a pause before she answers this one. it's safe to assume she's asking for further information on the matter, herself. then: )

This was the only ark built and maintained by Ortech labs, but it seems as though it's very much possible for there to be another, perhaps multiple, that developed in different hands. Rather than covet our scientific breakthroughs, Ortech has on record more than a dozen individuals who received in-depth schematics of much of the technology required to facilitate cryogenic stasis with enough time before the apocalyptic event to feasibly create an additional ark.

At this point, it's all conjecture. We have yet to make contact with another living soul, outside of Wayward Pines and our Ortech facility.

voice;

[gotbottle]

So, all these fake memories: is that gonna stop, or is that just how we are now?

[ Yeah, there are probably more pressing issues than this, but it's alarming to realize you have memories of entire relationships and parts of your life that never happened. ]

voice;

[officialnotice]

Technically, we are able to remove them on a case-by-case basis. It requires fairly invasive surgery and will at the very least take with it all memories you've gained since you arrived.

Ideally, we recommend that citizens learn to live with these memories until we figure out a less hazardous means to take them away.

voice.

[oldladyleia]

Why was there no mention of the removal of trackers with the rest of your security measures?

Will people who wake up still have those false memories implanted in them?

Did you people kidnap children to bring them here?

voice.

[officialnotice]

I apologize, that was a personal oversight. They should have been mentioned. We're more than happy to remove the tracking devices. On a case-by-case basis, it might be strongly advised to retain it — should you choose to expedition outside of the fence, for example, it might be the difference in our ability to find and reclaim your body in time to revive you — but we won't force it upon anyone. In fact, you're welcome to drop by the hospital at any time and have it removed professionally.

On the topic of memories, yes, it's almost guaranteed. The wetwork technology that facilitates the false memories was put into place prior to cryogenic stasis, originally originally as a means to preserve the structural integrity of your cognitive function through a millenium on ice. We're able to remove them on a case-by-case basis, but it requires fairly invasive surgery and will potentially compromise the structural stability of the memories from their own reality, so we'd prefer to obtain informed consent before doing so.

( but ah, the children. her voice is a little quieter now, a little more solemn. ) Yes, we did. If you'll give me a moment... ( she wants to get the details right before she responds. this wasn't, after all, her department in any shape or form. ) The standards for collecting children were different than those for collecting adults. Any adult who ventured within the designated collection zone ended up in cryogenic stasis, but for children, only those who originally resided in Wayward Pines or who appeared to be traveling with a parent or guardian were chosen. These protocols were put into place based on the rationale that the harm done in collecting a child was significantly lower than the harm that would be done in separating that child from their parent.

un; linda

[holdmybeer]

and here i thought i'd met all of the galaxy's biggest assholes. congrats!, you guys have definitely taken the cake... now how's about doing us all a favor and choking on it. [ spoiler alert, he ain't happy. ]

un: rousseau

[officialnotice]

Should any questions occur to you as you work through your anger, feel free to present them and I'll do my best answer.

[volitaunt]

You knocked us out remotely. How?

[officialnotice]

You currently have a pair of implants providing regular updates to the things you falsely remember. These implants are also capable of a select few other functions, one of which is remote incapacitation on very limited terms. For example, they're only able to safely incapacitate you once per two-to-three months.

[therewerefifty]

[It's safe to say Makie only understands maybe half of the terms being used on the network right now, but she listens to other explanations (like what's cryogenesis before posing a question of her own.

To be honest, she doesn't really care what this place is, though she prefers her initial impression. So much for that.

One question to begin with, then:]

Am I one of your accidental collections? I don't know anything about 1980s but I don't believe any of what you're discussing is even remotely possible in my... time.

[officialnotice]

It's very likely, yes. I wish we could give you a more definitive answer, but we don't necessarily know beyond individual testimonial who exactly is or isn't from this specific reality.

phone;

[allfornothing]

What does 'haptic tests' mean?

[officialnotice]

'Haptic' refers to the sense of touch. Haptic tests, then, are tests in which your touch-response is assessed.

If you don't mind my asking, why that question in particular?

( rousseau specifically doesn't recall any mention of 'haptic tests' in her explanation, after all. )

audio;

[dadiolus]

Did you even think, for a second, these memories would end up meanin' somethin'?

( so. maybe. there is a reason he's asking this, but that's neither here nor there. he's. upset and confused and. more upset. )

What gives you the right!?

audio;

[officialnotice]

They were intended to. These memories weren't provided simply to 'pull one over' on the town's residents. They were intended to form positive bonds between previously unaffiliated individuals — to create an environment that felt like home.

( the second question doesn't get an answer just yet. she's hoping, possibly, to skirt past it without getting into the subjective philosophy of it all. )

Audio

[sirnyxalot]

[He sounds tired, but firm. Don't take his overall acceptance as a lack of anger and frustration. There're just more important things to do than indulge in wasted emotion.]

I've only got two for now: How did you bring people back from the dead? And where do I sign up to go out there?

Audio

[officialnotice]

Our medical technology is top-of-the-line. We're able to treat a number of previously-irreversible illnesses or conditions. The simplest way to explain it, perhaps, is that death itself is a 'previously-irreversible condition'. The trickiest one to remedy, to be certain, but we can typically manage.

( a muffled pause, and then she's back. ) It seems that sign-ups will route through the Sheriff, projected to begin in early July.

voice.

[ceoinstilettos]

[ everybody had jumped at the chance to get a word in edgewise. a lot of questions she had surrounding the situation had been asked and answered, which left her with room to ask something personal. ]

I was in the hospital over a month ago and I was wondering if you could shed some light on what happened… [ she had been out of commission for a few weeks and following her discharge she was still feeling poorly. only now did it seem like she was back to her old self. ]

thank you so much for your patience

[officialnotice]

Miss Potts, ( she greets, almost thoughtfully. it's likely that she's looking up some sort of file for a definitive answer. then: )

It seems that you had an encounter with a highly unstable crystalline artifact which... from what I understand, manifested some sort of power or ability within you. It was quickly identified as unstable, acting outside of your control. It was a hazard. You were likely to hurt someone or yourself without intending to, and Ortech wanted to prevent that on behalf of all parties involved.

You were recalled to the lab and sedated while our scientists formed a working understanding of the nature of your newfound abilities and used that understanding to stabilize them on a fundamental level. I'd have to dig a bit deeper for the specifics, but I think I recall it being genetic in origin?

voice; pls ignore the tl;dr

[windchasing]

[ Pietro hadn't been sure what to feel, after the initial broadcast. There are trackers in their legs and cameras in their homes and a fence-- that's apparently meant to keep those creatures out, not keep all of them in. They aren't being experimented on or exterminated. If he trusts what the doctor said (and he doesn't, but hypothetically), they're being "protected" from a world gone to hell.

He can't remember the last time anyone except his siblings gave a shit if he lived or died. The last time he wasn't sure, if he stopped hiding, he would die.That if he had children, if his siblings had children, they'd they'd be in danger every minute of every day, because no one wanted to see them survive but them. And here is this Dr. Rousseau professing how much they value his life.

But just his life. Not his bodily autonomy. Not his mind. Not his free will. Not the parts that make him a person. It makes him feel a little sick in whole new ways, and he doesn't even know the full extent of it. As the details begin to trickle in, though, and the whole of what was done begins to take shape in his mind, that's when anger starts to curdle in his veins, caustic in his voice. ]

How do you propose we differentiate now, between our real memories and the lies you've been feeding us?

i apologize immensely for the delay

[officialnotice]

( that's a good question, angry as it may be. )

That may very well be simple: For most, their actual memories come back entirely within a few short weeks, while your false memories trickle in gradually and in pieces as time goes on.

There's also the fact that most false memories center around this town, Wayward Pines.