Fourth Cycle [Action + Written]

[survivethesiren]

[Gem has gone to speak with Tron. Tron is the only one who might understand why she would be struggling with what happened, her processors trying to pare up the conflicts in her data. She had been happy during the shift, she had had a family. Something she'd never truly had before. Having that ripped away seems unfair. But Tron, whether a true

Comments

[Private] aaaand I'm sorry for late! I got swamped by backtagging so I'm catching things now. :)

[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder takes a moment to consider this. He's always reluctant to work with people who aren't Scully. But it's not like this is something he wasn't already planning on doing... nor is it anything he's planning on keeping a big secret, either. Plus, he's finding that he has every reason to want to trust fellow prisoners villagers over the Malnosso...]

Actually, yeah. I'm still going to keep track of them. I feel like it's still a good idea to watch out for patterns and to understand the nature experiments in general. Maybe it'll even give us clues to getting out of here.

[Private] It's all good <33

[survivethesiren]

In my work before coming here, I was an information gatherer. I know how to watch, wait...to find the things people miss.

[Private] Aw, good to know! <3!!

[ufo_fanboy]

[Again, Mulder takes a while to consider, before he returns to respond. He's not sure he can work with anyone else. He just wants Scully here. Yet if working together can get them home faster...]

That's exactly what we're going to need if we want to figure some way out of our predicament.

[He knows he needs to find out more about her. They no longer have a shared background of having always lived here.]

You say you were an information gatherer, could you tell me more about that?

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

What is it that you do, in your world, that makes you want to do this?

I'm a computer Program. While I was originally programmed for something else, over the cycles I became re-programmed to gather information. Study and watch the world we lived in, to give information to my leader, Zuse.

I think in some circles it would be called spying.

[Private]

[ufo_fanboy]

And what does Zuse do with the information?

[Mulder is intrigued by even just the fact of her being a computer program, that's an X-File in itself... but he knows he'd better give a little too.]

Oh, right, I'd better make this show and tell go both ways... I'm an FBI agent, which is a specialized type of law enforcement. Back home, my investigations center around crimes of a paranormal nature. I've run across far too many government conspiracies and illegally-performed experiments in my time...

Actually, the Malnosso are exactly like what I've run across back home. And I can't let that continue. I need to put an end to what they're doing to us. I feel like there are a lot of things about this place left unexplained, and if we only had the answers... we could get out of here.

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

It depends on the situation. But above all, he uses it to survive. It allows me to survive as well.

[She has no idea what most of that is.]

I assume I would be considered Paranormal, then. And I come from a place that is...was highly repressed. I do not intend to live under the yolk of it again.

Have people fully explored this place?

[Private]

[ufo_fanboy]

Survival is often what it all comes down to in most cases. So, is Zuse also a computer program? A leader of some kind?

[Mulder is at least used to things from his world not being anything like others. As long as he gets the basic ideas across, anyway.]

You would count bigtime as paranormal, you'd get your very own X-File. The X-Files... that's just the name for all of the cases that I research. Anyway. It's not every day I get to meet and speak with a computer program like this. I've run across an AI before, but it was mostly trying to kill us all at the time rather than stopping to chat, so I don't think that counts.

And repression of any kind isn't fair or right. I think a lot of things have been researched, they have that Guide, for instance. But even then there's still a lot left unknown about this place. And about the experiments in general... Their Shifting technology for instance is still really mysterious in nature.

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

Yes. Zuse is a leader...through a gray one at best. He had to adapt to survive in the current climate.

Well I'm not going to attempt to kill you. And I'll answer the questions you have as best as possible.

I am used to going undercover, doing things that put me in the appearance of the enemy. I wonder if there is a way to infiltrate the group.

[Private]

[ufo_fanboy]

I've met a few leaders like that where I'm from, too. So... questions... actually, I'd be curious to know more about the world you come from. Is it inhabited by computer programs only, or are there other lifeforms?

[Mulder takes a moment to think over what she's said. He's dealt with a few really useful informant-types in that kind of position... and even his boss had spied on the syndicate, to some extent.]

I like this idea, but... you probably understand the risk you'd be taking, if we get to a point of following through with such a plan? [Mulder has lost a few informants too.] The hardest part would be figuring out how to infiltrate them...

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

Programs for the most part. Those created, and those that...came from the ether. Created themselves, really. Called Isos. There have only been two Users on the Grid as long as I have existed. The Creator and his son.

It wouldn't bother me. Returning to my world is not an option for me, I fear. So it is better to focus on freedom in this world.

[Private]

[ufo_fanboy]

I knew that all of those theories about artificial intelligence sustaining and even creating itself couldn't just be science fiction. [It sure would have been nice to be able to prove this to everyone back home though.] By users... do you mean humans? [He's curious if this world does relate in any way to his own.]

Right now, getting a way out of this mess is my goal too. So it looks like we're on the same page.

...but why can't you return to your world?

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

I do mean humans, when I say Users. Anyone who 'uses' us from a terminal, a port.

[She is happy at least that he understands.]

I believe I was de-rezzed--killed, before I arrived here.

[Private]

[ufo_fanboy]

So this terminal could be located in any world, theoretically?

[Understanding weird things is what Mulder is all about, of course.]

...Oh. De-razzed? I'm sorry to hear that. It seems like I've met a lot of people lately like that here. I guess if nothing else you have another chance at life now.

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

Not for the Grid. But for other systems, sure.

...

This isn't exactly the place I would like to start over, but it is better than nothing.

[Private]

[ufo_fanboy]

I'm sure it's a safe bet that no one expected to end up here in their next life. Still, if someday we can be free of the forces holding power over us... then maybe this place wouldn't be so bad.

[Private]

[survivethesiren]

I'd still like to get rid of the ridiculous wings.