2020-10-06: Web of Horrors: Chapter 1D: A Little Bird Told Me...
| A Little Bird Told Me... | |
|---|---|
| High5 tracks down some rumors in the Digital Web and manages to find a Netspinner who took a trip to one of the accessible Sectors. | |
| IC Date | October 6th, 2020 |
| Players | High5 and Vivian (ST and Big_Bird) |
| Location | The Birdhouse, Digital Web |
| Prp/Tp | Web of Horrors |
| Spheres | Mage, Mortal+ |
A few hours listening to rumors and buying digital drinks in the Spy's Demise led the intrepid cyberpsychic Hector to this address and its occupant, a Netrunner named Big_Bird. Formatted like a hollow on the inside of a tree, the oversized nature of the grain of the wood makes one feel like they have shrunk, rather than that the tree is massive. As this is the Digital Web, perhaps that really is the case. Regardless, the hollow is decorated with quaint, rustic furniture like a one-room apartment. A wooden ovoid three-legged table lies off the to side, with two wooden chairs set on either end. A spiral staircase, looking like it was hewn directly from the surrounding wood, moves up to a second floor composed entirely of bookcases and a walkway curling around in a circle; one can see directly up through the hole in the center. There is brown leather overstuffed chair next to a fireplace (why is a fireplace built into the wall of a -tree-?), the back facing the entrance. A rich red fez can be seen poking over the top of the chair and occasional puffs of smoke in a variety of wispy images waft up next to it, moving slowly towards the ceiling before fading and disappearing into nothing.
Hector knocks on wood, aka any surface around him really, to announce his presence and then calls out in a polite tone, "Hey, is Big_Bird home? I'm High5, came over to see if I could pick their brain about some wacked-out sectors running amok."
There is a brief pause before a flutter of feathers is heard coming from the overstuffed chair. "Come in," a high-pitched voice says, gender unclear, "Pull up a chair... High5, was it?" The tip of a wing can be seen poking from the side of the overstuffed seat, pointing to the two chairs by the table.
Once done and now fully facing the occupant in the overstuffed chair, one can see that Big_Bird is definitely an appropriate name for this Icon: it is, indeed, a big bird. Looking like a cross between a kiwi and an owl, this big puffball of feathers has huge blue eyes that take up at least a third of it's flat face. A short, bright golden beak juts out of the center of the face, the top portion curved down to give an overbite. Thin, spindly legs poke from the lower round body, too short to reach the floor while sitting in the chair. The Icon does have wings, but when not in use, they pull flat against the body and seem to just disappear into the general roundness that is the bird; the wings also double as manipulators and don't seem to have any trouble dexterously manipulating objects as if it had full arms, hands, and opposable thumbs. The Icon does, indeed, have a bright red fez on the top of its head, and there is a long-handled pipe stuck in its beak.
A feathery wing removes the pipe to speak, "How may the Big_Bird help you?"
Hector settles into the chair and says, "So, I've been looking into the dead-links going on, and Schaffenvolkvania and the other sectors. I can't remotely view any of the other sectors on my lonesome, and going into one by myself is just /not/ smart. Sooo, I did some drink-N-chat to see if anyone else was around to talk with it all about and that led me here. Rumor has it you went into the Periphery and managed to make it out, figured I'd see if you could clue me in on what was what there. If that's chill with you?"
Big_Bird listens for a while before the huge eyes close. The Icon begins puffing heavily away on the pipe, the images made by the smoke becoming jittery and disconcerting. The Icon's feathery puffball body fluffs up even more, the feathers looking a little like flat spikes for a moment before slowly settling down.
"For-forgive the Big_Bird," the Icon says, voice trembling, "The Sector you mentioned... it has bad memories." The high-pitched voice comes with conviction, "Big_Bird will -never- go back there, or to any of the other corrupted Sectors, and would warn anyone else away from them." A more sedate puffing at the pipe, "After all, we are all birds of a feather. Should this forest of Prospect grow tainted, we can just fly to a different tree. The Web is infinite, after all."
Those huge eyes open again and regard Hector solemnly, "Big_Bird bids you to forget this quest, for your own safety."
Hector listens and pauses a moment before responding, "Uh, I appreciate the warning, but you can't just let corruption spread. Firstly I live in Prospect and don't really want to move anywhere else, and secondly, running from something is a lame way to live. I'm sure you've seen Ferngully and Pirates of Darkwater, Moana, or played the Okami game; you gotta fight against the darkness dude." he sighs a bit, "If you don't wanna go back, or you wanna ditch this place I'm not gonna nay say that, but I'm gonna keep looking into it. If you have anything that you can share to help me out I'd appreciate it dude."
Reluctantly, Big_Bird bobs in the chair -- presumably the Icon's equivalent of a nod. "Very well, since you insist on continuing your fool course," the high-pitched voice says with a sigh, "I will tell you want you wish to know." More puffing on the pipe, the smoke twirling up into three different strands that then weave together like rope. "The Sector Big_Bird went to -- the third, Big_Bird believes -- was initially quite... benign. Suspiciously so. It appeared to be nothing more than a typical suburban neighborhood, albeit one that looped back on itself. Big_Bird attempted to fly the breadth and length of it, only to end up back in the same place, eventually."
Again, the Icon pauses to puff on the pipe, the smoke now curling into a spiral above its head. "The neighborhood seemed to be abandoned and the whole Sector had a.. dreamlike quality to its format. Big_Bird could find no one else there in any of the houses, with... one exception. There was that place -- the funeral home. Everfree Funeral home." The bird shudders, the feathers making the ruffling sound. "The Director of the funeral home is always available. He will usher you inside for the service."
Hector listens along and then his eyebrow raises at the end, "Uh, the service?" he asks with a morbid curiosity.
"The 'service'," Big_Bird actually makes air-quotes with the tips of its wings, "Consists of death. -Your- death. Or, at least, it was with Big_Bird. A funeral service just for Big_Bird." Again, the Icon's feathers ruffle and the bird closes its eyes. "I saw my death," it says, no longer speaking in third person, "My -true self's- death. Not this Icon. I don't know how the Sector or the Director knew anything about me, but somehow it or he did. Seeing my own body there in the casket, I was already filled with indescribable terror, and then the... the whole place -shifted-. Like the Sector was being rewritten from scratch, -on the fly-! I don't know how that is even possible!" The bird is hyperventilating somewhat, the puffball body growing and shrinking with every puff and the smoke rising from the pipe pumping out like the smokestack of a steam engine. It closes its eyes again and begins to calm down. Several moments later it continues.
"Every fear I've ever had came back to haunt me. Everything from silly childish things like monsters under the bed to-- well, more adult, personal fears. I couldn't even log out! I tried -- desperately, I -tried-! But I couldn't do it..." The bird takes a deep breath, "I only got out when I derezzed. I was killed, you see. Fortunately, I didn't go in that deep and had appropriate shields. I got a ping on a Corr shield as I derezzed. Fortunately, I don't think I was tracked, but something was definitely -trying- to."
Hector listens and his frown frows deeper and deeper and as the story ends he rubs his chin, "Shit man, that's, Fucked. I get why you are done with the whole thing. Thanks for the infodump though, way better than if I had wondered into that." he sighs a bit, "I, will have to up my security shields, and then try to look at that sector through code, cuz Fuuuuuuuck, wondering into that place." he nods.
"Yeah, it was... not a pleasant experience," Big_Bird says before shuffling in the seat and clearing its throat. "A-anyway. That is all Big_Bird can tell you about that Sector. As previously noted, Big_Bird would not suggest going there. Maybe some of the other corrupted Sectors are better, but Big_Bird would not like to try." Another puff on the pipe, the smoke curling up and forming a smiley face, "So, is there anything else Big_Bird can do for you, High5?"
Hector nods, "Thanks, I appreciate it. Uh, I don't think so. If I have to go in I'll set up a suicide command to derez myself if there's no other way out. Way better for a quick wipe and reboot than a torture." he rises out of the chair, "Want me to send you an update once the sectors are cleared, or, failing that a 'couldnt clean it, you should get outta prospect.' warning?"
A faint hooting chuckle rises from Big_Bird. "A very sound precaution, High5," the Icon replies with approval on the self-destruct code, "Big_Bird wishes Big_Bird had such foresight." More puffs from the pipe curl into a question mark as the Icon considers the question posed. "Since Big_Bird wants nothing more to do with these Sectors, a heads up to flee the coup if the birdshit hits the windshield would be appreciated. Thank you." The bird bows forward slightly, "Good day to you, High5. I bid you luck and success with this problem. Fare thee well!"
