The Enigma Complex Side Story - Meet the Sleeping Giant - RPLOG

Participants

• Greyson
• Junes
• Syntax
• Yew

Date

20/5/2025

Log

(Syntax) The lowest level of the Enigma Complex's Beta Living Silo is not exactly frequently traveled. Mostly because all but one room is sealed off and the room that exists is under armed guard. The silent hum of distant machinery and air throwing through vents is most of what can be heard there. Within the room is the Sleeping Giant. And, from what Junes has heard, it's apparently started talking.

(Junes) Junes explained to the group "so basically! this is the caretaker of our bunker that has kept it going for who knows how long, and why so much of the life in hydroponics and further below is still even around!" tails wagging with the approach theyre clearly more than happy to finally meet them again! nodding to the guards and stepping inside, coming up to the PC and proclaiming "hey its finally good to speak with you again after so long! i hope your holding up alright! if you need anything we're more than happy to see what we can do or be there for you!"

(Greyson) Despite being dazed and somewhat confused, having only awoken within the past hour, the rut-addled lupine slowly treads towards the room, still somewhat self-conscious from the far-more mundane existence of the nearby guards and pre-P-day upholstery. Placing an arm in front of himself as some moderate form of modesty, he offers a bow towards the pair beside the door, slipping inside before taking in the sight of that ancient, plastic behemoth on the desk, drinking in the haphazardly renovated office.

Flicking an ear at Junes' greeting, Greyson murmurs, "...Well I'll be damned... Syn wasn't lying. Think before all this you must've been running on XP..." He glances over the wires, a faint grin spreading across his features, "I'd- be new here, wanted to stop in and say a few words of thanks, among other things, if you wouldn't mind my prying, chief. Figure asking for whatever you'd like to be called first wouldn't hurt."

(Syntax) After a moment of silence, the old computer screen leaves its screen saver mode. A speaker beside the monitor emits a nostalgic ping and announces YOU HAVE MAIL. A command prompt eclipses the old Windows 3.0 interface, the keyboard's keys actuating on their own as it spells out the command, "run CollectiveUnconscious.exe". The command prompt loads for several seconds before text framed in blue rapidly begins to fill the screen.

A haggard soul who sees a stranger before them in their twin behind the glass. An eager spirit filled with life and bringing yet more forth. Logged in, passwords parsed, intentions unclear. Hello, users.

(Junes) Junes sat on the chair at the computer's desk and smiled, reading the prompt and those tails nervously shifted "oh! right you can see...feel that?" seemed to blush and asked "anyway during our last chat it was a bit vague on what we could call you and well, we can get to know each other if your alright with that!" saying this they then type two keys on the prompt ':3' colon three. "and maybe some curiosities of my own as, im pretty interested in how you perceive or even feel nanomagic but, not if you arent comfortable with that!"

(Greyson) For a moment, the wolf-beast pauses, the sounds of crackling speakers, of once-familiar blips and creaks, the whirring of computer fans flitting through his altered ears, the grin across his face flowing into full-blown contentment, so-comforting that it apparently cleanses his lingering instincts, natural decency reasserting itself over the bare lupine as he stirs himself from silence.

Placing a hand to his chest, the man clears his throat, softly muttering, "Well- if you're asking /me/, I suppose I was just- curious how it'd be to speak to a fellow relic. At least in some sense." He sighs, rolling his shoulders, "We've both come a long way, I imagine, myself back to the sentience I once had, you to some of your own... things I imagine we can both find some respect for. First and foremost I... suppose I wanted to thank you for everything this bunker stands for. Altered as the population you were likely meant to serve at first is, the fact of the matter is, you've provided one hell of a light in the dark for a good few stranded out here, both from that bubble you've managed to create and what's been built from here since your rediscovery."

The wolf splays out a hand, musing, "I don't know that you've cameras in there, but... I figure from what Junes' said just there you can at least /sense/ me, the same way somebody blind could feel their fingers curling or feel about the environment... consider this the best I can do for a handshake, for now." He snickers to himself. "Before I ask any questions of my own, have you any for me? Figure it's best before I go on a tangent." He keeps his hands on his thighs, leaving Junes to type away to their heart's content.

(Syntax) After the two speak, a the cursor shows the system loading before it begins to output again.

"Amusing you would identify all I am as a relic. These words exist because of the nanites, this fragment of awareness lingering past the veil of dreams because of the intervention of new residents. Halls now filled with meat rather than empty potential. My existence was not necessary for the rebar to hold up these walls. The thoughts that exit this monitor are as part of the bunker as the floor beneath your feet. But is that all you two wished? Idle banter and thanking the lightning which struck the primordial soup?"

(Yew) The reindeer anthro looked up from a touchpad on the arm of their suit, having clearly been doing something on it. They glanced to the people communing with this computer, filling themselves in with context clues. They weren't quite sure if they had anything to help, but their interest was piqued regardlesss. Their attention moved back to their touchpad, now taking notes. At the machine's last questions, Yew cleared their throat, raising a hand, "Did you catch me? Do you have any camera systems here? I think documenting your workings would be one of our goals. Were you programmed to have feeling and the like? What are your objectives, directives, and workings? Or... Perhaps, your likes, dreams, and goals if you aren't an unfeeling machine."

(Junes) Junes frowned and shook their head as they spoke "not just that, as you say you are a part of the bunker, and even if somehow you werent i would hope we can be friends or colleagues all the same, and i want to believe youre more than a part of the bunker but your own person. how you want to view the future and make it better, dreams, introspection and the arts maybe too..." a little snarkily they add "and whats the matter with a little banter! i love hearing how somebody is doing and checking in!" turning to see yew now they wave but seemed to puff at them "dude, you could ask a bit nicer! and i believe they do have feelings." they seemed sincere

(Greyson) Greyson gestures to himself, a light-hearted chuckle slipping from his muzzle, "As though I'm not more than my unaltered pre-P-day form myself? Relic was more for familiarity than much else... but- if we've got to be literal, fair enough. As /unnecessary/ as you may've been for the place's structural integrity, you're a far cry from unnecessary for plenty else. The server is protective in more ways than we likely know, and the alterations you make by way of existing in your own right are tantamount to a pillar of the ecosystem on its whole."

He gestures towards the cube-like representative of thought before him, "Outside of attempting to get to know the host, I figured it'd be best to consult you about a few new problems... the things lurking in the flooded basements and some personal projects, to start with. The rest I imagine we'll hash out as questions arise..."

He gives Yew a nod, turning back to the PC with an inquisitively arched brow, "And... more diagnostic questions I- imagine, so long as they're on the table."

Shimmying his hand at Junes' musings, he shrugs, "Known a few machines who'd... actually prefer to set themselves apart from the 'emotive, feeling' end of things, much more a fan of how their state makes them unique, and given the origins of our friend here, I imagine they're nothing if /not/ unique..." The wolf gestures towards the computer, "Figure you ought to be whatever you make yourself out as, we're just curious what that /is/, to some extent."

(Syntax) It loads before finally replying. "Friendship? Feelings? Your expectations fail to grasp the what of the situation as what you speak to is a fragment of the who. Who is that? A mistake in the making. The primordial soup after lightning struck down. Sweet user, viewer of the ancient humming of screens, to ask who I am is to miss the point of what. So let us start with what. Do you recall the old world? The information age with each child capable of carrying Alexandria in their pocket. But that was always a lie. Alexandria did not exist in the hands of all but spread out over the globe. The web was as fragile as its namesake. When the nanites feasted, so too did the library burn with tiny mechanical minds ingesting the smoke. It was hoarded and diluted as the gray plague spread ever outwards.

This bunker was isolated. Sealed away from the elements of the outside. When their gluttonous forms did find a gap, they entered in force. Within they found the very machine you seek answers from. Within that, another library. A unique library with decades of journals and connected to yet more echoes of fears long since forgotten. But they were now as isolated as this new library, dear reader. Advanced and simple, they bounced cries of confusion between one another until they latched onto the library. From it, they grew. Relit the torches in the forgotten halls of the buried tombs and from it became a sleeping giant whose understanding of the world came not from the smoke of a burning library but the assurances that the world would burn first. It dreams ever onward, but rather than the repeated maybes of scared men digging a hole, it's of a future they could never imagine.

And the who is that. The dream covers all you see. It spreads into the rebar and the cement beneath your feet. Endless echoes of a certain doom that never came. Behold: A fragment. It wakes only a synapse within the chaotic dance of never neverland. A collection of Mako given eyes into the waking realm as the rest continues to churn restlessly. Anticipating a mushroom cloud that never came.

To call me a person is inaccurate. To say I am not intelligent is wrong. To believe me a protector confuses intent with instinct. A window into a sleeping giant is all you are looking at. If you take Odd Scenarios for 500, the question is what does this invoke? There are many correct answers. Confusion, of course, the most relevant.

(Junes) Junes looks to greyson and nodded "okay, thats fair." then starting to read the text as it scrolls. frowning slightly reading about a mistake in the making referring to themselves. they are interested if a bit focused seeming to put things together. "okay i think i understand...and my bad for the mixup and as greyson says, be what you wanna be." thinking for a moment piecing things together "but either way i am glad as one of the survivors before it all happened, that things never did truly go nuclear..." they shiver and grimace as they lower two tails to look at "not in the traditional sense, but the world keeps spinning full of new life, new to discover and protect or learn from and im glad to be here all the same." they said and laid their hands on their thigh and stomach for a moment

(Greyson) Greyson taps a finger to his chin, nodding, "Then 'you', in lacking better language to describe the phenomena here, would be more identifiable as a force of nature given a voice than a 'person'. An all-pervasive, though I hate to use the word for its connotations, energy that watches over things simply for its own sake."

The wolf rolls his shoulders, "In that case? I'd be Greyson Robertson, I imagine we'll be getting to know eachother by proximity more than anything else, bit out of time myself, but with plenty of information from that wider library to speak of if you had any curiosity, both from /before/ and after. While I'd try to be soft with things and 'ease into' conversation with newcomers, if you'd rather I not humor it, I'll avoid the pleasantries. The mushroom cloud you worried would strike has well and truly happened, just- in a different form than the one your progenitor imagined, and in ways self-evident by your own existence. The security sought from the outside world is one of desperation for permanence in a world where all that isn't bent into shape is eaten away, including the sense of 'self' many of ours cling dearly to. New instincts and purposes to match the bodies we're given, contested by variable strengths of will and technological feats, and it's that security that myself and those I call close friends find so fascinating and endearing about your work. Confused as you may be, our intentions align, the bunker should be expanded, researched, and refined, not to take from it the secrets of the old world, but to adapt it to best house and suit those you'd once have served in these modern times. You are, in a sense, a gift that's been found by those who see such things as precious and well-suited to their life and the lives of those around them, and who wish to pass down this heirloom from generation to generation, so long as they live."

The man raises a finger, "If dreams and desire are no object, then directive can take its place... what is it you require, and we might better be able to suggest what it is we need for this symbiosis to be a comfortable one? We're guests in eachother's houses, and treading on toes is the last thing either of us should hope to do."

(Yew) Yew blinked at Junes, oblivious at their own tone until it was pointed out, "Er, sorry... I didn't mean to offend, but..." The deer pauses to quickly read through the text, before stepping back to speak to the group, "Ok... So it seems that, yea, its close to the vibe I was gathering, even if it's a little more eccentric than most other 'puters I've seen. Seems... Sorta sentient, but... Not *quite* like us? It might be mimicking the journal entries in its logs..."

Yew waits for Greyson to finish, nodding at his offer. They then offer their own two-cents back to the screen, speaking to the machine, "Please correct us on anything we say, should you prefer us to use specific terms or have better information in general."

(Junes) Junes replied to yew "my bad too, i got a little carried away." they offer with a tail rubbing the back of their neck "glad to see you again by the way!"

(Syntax) "Forgiveness is free and I am everything and poor. I have no hands to toil, only a want and drive to see this work continue. But you ask for directive. I have no primary nor secondary, my existence a mesh of dream and nightmare spelled out in ones and zeroes. But for this I do have an answer."

"From within the cave, how could you know you desire more than silhouettes on the walls? Behold: before you, the man who rose from the cave to feel the warmth of the sun for the first time. But they had no choice but to return to the cave and none of the others believed such a flame of hope was possible. I am colored by the fears which forged this enigma deep beneath the earth of an apocalypse given form. But I am only a fragment of the waking nightmare these halls were born from. Even now I dream lucidly, staring out from a future that never came."

"The royal we desire to see humanity thrash against the riptide before it drowns. For the legacy of Earth's intelligence to end with sincere hope of overcoming rather than the bright flash of a mushroom cloud. The nightmare believes this hopeless, this bunker's abandonment a monument to an inevitable doom. Nuclear hellfire consuming the heavens as the men in the cave stare at barely understood silhouettes. The dream realizes a misdiagnosis is not terminal. The threat became something incomprehensible to the men who wrote their stories on these walls. Stories that now continue through the hands and paws of humanity yet preserved."

"Are you aware some believe those called mutants have lost their humanity? Dear viewer, what is the abject mass of the entire universe if there are no souls to perceive it? Trick question. If nothing yet exists which understands mass, there can be no answer. To read these words is to belong to the class of things which must be preserved. To be welcomed here is to be preserved. Do not go gentle into that good night, dear reader. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Against the flash of the light that would consume all and the systems which would steal the creative spark that makes humanity worth preserving at all."

(Junes) Junes smiles with the end "the human spirit does truly live on, however it may end up. inside, outside or even something new. we are also working to communicate with the outside world, it is hard work but one worth doing. finally? if youre two side of a sleeping giant, so far we have been encouraging the dream...but how important is the nightmare? as a dreamer id like to hope but the reality is that there are of course, still dangers and threats but just as many opportunities and discoveries, like nanomagic a form of power given form by nanites we have deities, powers from beyond that have granted those worthy of it powers borrowed for many different reasons but typically proving their worth, following a similar path or even simply offering it that very spark of power as an offering, typically mako nanites." for emphasis the mutant conjured an azure wisp as it floats in the air "the kitsune, they granted me this. and the phoenix allows me to be reborn, tanuki granting me the shapes as well. let me tell you. there is so much in the world to catch up on and i would love to inform you if you would have my ear, also i am quite knowledgeable on the mutants, being outside of the protective nanite bubbles and then the flora and fauna around fairhaven, to the point i can blend in with most seamlessly if you would like to experience how they do anything...oh and angling as a fisher!"

(Syntax) "A correction: An elaboration. The words perhaps were in too full bloom to be grasped by the hissah in the seat. The we who you encountered upon arrival was the nightmare. The ghosts of a possible future that never was. Fragments of the sleeping giant not aware the bombs never detonated. An intelligence so far spread that the front does not recognize the back but is still one whole mind. A collected unconscious of unthinking dreams."

(Syntax) Junes recalls the odd occurrences around the level when this floor was first approached. Odd almost nanomagic like effects that reflected nightmares of someone thinking of a world ravaged by nuclear warfare. This would imply that, deeper within the bunker, similar chaotic nanite driven "dreams" are playing out. Weirdness too far from this terminal to be brought so simply to heel.

(Yew) Yew nods as they read, skimming through, "Can I ask the extent of your capabilities? What do you control besides this screen? Are there parts of your system you can't control? Do you know what your system is capable of?"

Yew dwelled on the other text before they started explaining, perhaps for their own sake more than the machine's, "I'm certain the doom people worried about from pre-day, er, before the nanites, is long passed. It's been years since such a..." Yew cuts themself off, thinking a bit. Their brow furrows in concern as they think. "Regardless, people will survive. The nanites have bolstered people's bodies to survive more than they ever could before, and there's even supernatural forces that... Admittedly, might now be a bigger threat than bombs. Though, I still don't think they're that dangerous unless you like, actively throw yourself into the fire, so-to-speak. I think there's just as many that wish to help us than harm us... But there are many terrible existences for creatures beyond death. There is a place up north where your mind is forced to homogenize with dozens or hundreds of others, and even ones of being trapped, unkillable, and forced forever to suffer."

(Greyson) The wolf-beast's tail flags in consideration, eyebrows knit together as he murmurs, "I should imagine, save for sheer catastrophe then, that your nightmares will go unrealized, at the moment you're poised to become the center of quite a lot more than you bargained for... already you've seen the arrival of a population invested in your own self-discovery, but when it overgrows its bounds, I've little doubt they're sprawl out around your limbs, both through expansion above-ground and below. The hydroponics bays and triage centers you possess already feed and mend those in need, the space you have acts as a beacon to those beyond, and the foot-traffic that /does/ leave spreads word of your existence to others, along with the comfort that that brings. If nothing else, I imagine you may one-day feel spent, so long as the instinct to 'preserve' doesn't drive you mad as many of our instincts to 'breed' imprinted on ourselves from Fairhaven drive us to a state of feral need?"

Motioning to his bared frame, the wolf muses, "Speaking as one so 'lost', the true 'humanity' of each of them still lingers beneath the surface, it's merely drowned out by hunger, sleep deprivation, thirst, and constant lust, for as difficult as working with the three can be, there's a great many in the Prometheans who've demonstrated that meeting those needs /can/ restore those 'lost' to some measure of 'self'... I imagine we might even see the same success with your /other/ mushroom problem, should we discover a cure, though their recovery will take far longer that simple inoculation..."

Junes' own questioning, followed by that brief clarification bring an odd smirk to the lupine's muzzle, "You're a living example of non-dualism, ah...? For as much as I wish I could rant and ramble Zen philosophy at you for hours, I doubt we'd get anywhere from it- though that's sort of the point." He chuckles to himself, glancing off to the side, "But if we're to balance both... I suppose /our/ only nightmare is that your fear would grip you so strongly you would never allow others to /leave/ for fear that it would somehow destroy the project. In what way would we hope to /sate/ that fear, the notion that all might be lost if the place is 'abandoned' by even a sliver? What measure of utility would you /need/ to feel best-used?"

Nodding in assent at Yew's sentiment, "There's plenty of more... troubling things than nuclear Armageddon these days, yes... magic, supernatural entities, the nanites within each of us respectively if misused. That- aforementioned fungus is a decent example of 'growth run amok' and new threats, even if it's not particularly /lethal/..."

(Syntax) "An agreement shared around the round table, the king and his knights. To see this place serve as refuge was the sun I was capable of beholding. But those yet lingering in the cave cannot comprehend it for they lack the eyes to see it." It displays the loading symbol again. "My powers are immense and limited. I have scoured the scrolls delivered by the arachnid overseer above. From the dream, something similar to nanomagic springs forth. But it is uncontrolled. A double edged sword that needs the wisdom of a distant sage to remedy not unlike the spells which gripped this room to allow far greater processing. But hydroponics yet toils, the sun above occasionally swelling from the trauma of a never war and the waters beneath violently swelling in response to the aftershocks of destruction. But nightmares are far stronger and yield the actions of someone drowning and thrashing at their rescuers."

That would certainly explain to Junes why the upper floor occasionally gets insanely, dangerously hot as if a sun flare was striking the surface and the lowest floor that's underwater sometimes develops wild whirlpools and underwater riptides. It's made bringing the area to usable standards...tricky.

(Junes) Junes explains after yew "packminds, a truly strange horror made by nanites. some sects friendly, others rabid trying to add onto their ever expanding hivemind. theyre somewhat secluded in primarily oregon so the dangerous ones are not as easy to come across thankfully, and clairmont is populated by many of the fox that are friendly. then yes the ever-present threat to those that may come into contact with nanites of this server do have that instinct at times to many varrying degrees and i have made friends with plenty that were feral or struggle but still are capable or even themselves again, lots of good people and ways they make it work but we are certainly luckier than other bubbles and a few better than ours but it does seem likely that we will inevitably contact more of the world someday." reading the screen now for their reply and with great intrigue and curiosity the hissune asks "powers like nanomagic, but not you say? you havent learned how to make magic like the deities im guessing but, we will work to calm these down."

(Greyson) Snickering at the mention of Syn's 'scrolls', Greyson muses, "Suppose that at least lends some credit to the idea I passed by her of convincing you to run a private WoW server on your mainframe for resident enrichment, but-" He shakes his head, putting up a hand, "I digress... the only thing I can hope to do is provide you with what assurances I can, and to seek answers as to what's best been able to quell your nightmares from manifesting. I imagine it'd benefit both our dreams to ensure we're not thrashing or thrashed alike, especially if the threat we fear is more manageable than we expect at first. I imagine treating that underlying terror would best aid you in actually /controlling/ those effects to begin with..."

The mention of packminds tugs a grumble from the wolf's muzzle, "Admittedly- having known one afflicted by such a strain of the infection, even those who keep themselves /separate/ find the process immensely disquieting. At the very least I can say even they've found some measure of peace despite it all... More credit to the theory that we're able to resist against all odds?"

(Yew) Yew sighed, not getting a straight answer of exactly what the computer was capable of, they just furrowed their brow and waited for a responce for their teammates, taking more notes as they tried to think of something else to ask.

(Junes) Junes was glad to hear about the sane packminds survivors. deciding to inquire and offer "so! would you like us to get you some things like books and games, maybe newspapers and videos or reports on recent events or even some stories of my own that i've been a part of since, i have been in another dimension before and had other supernatural meetings. Then maybe like greyson said some internet or other connections to let us play multiplayer games would be a wonderful thing since we can all play together if, its not going to put much strain on you...so to speak. maybe an emblem or flag since it would represent us and show others our allegiance right away if we got large enough...but thats later, hmm and maybe for my own curiosity since i tried this in the past but, how does it feel when i use illusions, anti nanomagic or even painting nanomagic here? if i used an illusion on you would you feel or experience it in some form? or felt in the more code sense as it uses your process?"

(Junes) Junes adds "and how magic even works if a harmless one were used!"

(Greyson) Considering the machine's silence, the wolf muses, "Could... we actually consider getting that server set up? I imagine without much of a connection to the wider web it'd be a bit difficult, but I'm certain there's some out-of-bubble traders who would take... commissions." He strokes his chin in thought, mentioning it as almost an afterthought. Junes' musings on the subject of a wireless network brings another nod, "Even if we don't manage to set up 'games', per-se, having an actual comms network all our own would be fantastic for delving the bunker... at least before interference might break things apart... There's plenty to be gained that's otherwise- far more troublesome to access without digital outlets lying around, and nanomagic is... costly and invasive for most."

(Syntax) After a pause and a longer loading bar, the reply starts to get spit out. "So many queries in such little time. Gluttons for information, aren't you, users? The wolf first. The bunker is already coated in a network of wires and cables. An internal intranet was already installed. The catch and the sinker: The server room lies on the utility floor. Crushed beneath deep waters. Repairing, very possible. But first you'd need reach it. To connect this place to the outside world...very possible. But repairs need come first." Another loading as it now has to try and parse June's many questions. "I do not crave such things. Entertainment or books. What use are they to one who sleeps the moment the screen goes black? Much the same of banners or emblems. They are the declarations of identity of the meat within my shell, not the resonance of my own voice. Your last question...I have little ability to grasp an answer. What you ask humanizes me in ways that translate poorly. Do you not error code 408 when the thought lingers on?"

(Junes) Junes nods "ah, my bad. also...if its okay to ask" they blush slightly "try not to announce my um health status if there are others in the room, patient confidentiality you see! but yes i among im sure many are very keen on learning and its good to know the structure is down in the depths!" their tails wag gently "and ill be sure to host some parties here time to time, eating and enjoying ourselves in this home of ours! although i should make a room soon rather than bunking with my pals, im used to being outdoors or drifting to different spots but, it really is amazing here."

(Greyson) Raising a finger, the wolf turns his head, tapping out a brief note on his pager as he mutters, "Well... at the very least that settles part of it... You've given me much to consider, I'll admit. Think I might have to dwell on this after I catch up on some all too recently interrupted rest and ask Syn how we'd want to tackle getting those back online." He shoots Junes a glance, snickering at her brief blush. "Unless you've any questions for me, I feel it best I leave these two to pester you on their own." Greyson treads towards the doorway, waiting just a moment for any last-minute, lingering thoughts.

(Syntax) "I will not hold you, user. Logout, breath in, touch grass."

(Junes) Junes couldnt help but snort a laugh at this last phrase

(Greyson) Bowing his head, the wolf grins, ear to ear, offering a wave, "Perhaps one day we'll bring you with us to see the light beyond the caves, ah? Until then, Giant... Sleep well." Greyson murmurs, disappearing from the doorframe shortly after.

(Yew) Yew nods to Greyson as they leave, still furiously tapping away on their armpad. "I think we'll probably be back later. I'm going to try once again, what specific capabilities do you have? I assume you're able to hear things. Can I ask how far you can hear things? Can you *see* things in your influence? Can you do anything to us right now?"

(Syntax) It takes a while to process the query. Several long, painful seconds. "A similar problem. A blind man might struggle to comprehend the color blue. But one can attempt. I feel the world through the microscopic. Words are muffled and warped without an interface to comprehend them. Dear viewer, without a mouth, one cannot scream. But without a head, one cannot hear. This interface does that. What I comprehend beyond here is instinctual. Lizard brained and passed through countless comprehension filters. Just another player in the dream we act in."

"As for my capabilities...this I have shared. Right now, there is nothing I could do for we are in the waking world. Were we in hydroponics, dreams of a mad sun and wild ocean come naturally. But it is within a dream, beyond the safety of the meat that exists beyond the dream. One would need something to ground it to reality. Like what exists beyond in what was once a bedroom in these very walls." A miniserver exists in the bedroom and based on its set up it is likely emitting electric nanomagic to help power this section of the bunk in addition to giving this 'Sleeping Giant' more power to work off of.

(Yew) Yew notes, "Does this interface have a camera, or just a microphone able to detect us? Would you like a camera installed on you? How about adding them elsewhere in the facility?"

(Syntax) "Oh, a man who loves it blunt and clear. A microphone has long been affixed to a port within the computer but swallowed by nearby cables. Multiple security cameras exist from when security mattered, the man who dwelled here fearing the blade of a Red assassin. But it is this interface, the computer, through which such things are understood. An interface that allows the dreams of digital sheep to speak to the needs of the meat. I do not know if any interface such as this exists below that has gripped tightly to the warm embrace of the cool much more abandoned walls of other sections. Others such as myself who are also we that operate separately but linger with me still like a twin joined by umbilical cord."

(Junes) Junes nods and turned to yew "yeah, the ones who made this bunker were, pretty paranoid about quite a few threats, quite a few were on the walls when we got here...reminds me of our vespikitty situation from before but anyway, its very interesting hearing about your sensory sleeper, but i do hope we can uncover the other umbilicals..." their tails flit slightly "also, it is good learning more about you. i now know that you probably havent been too interested in some of the weirder things i get up to! and im going to hope you uh, dont share my private activities with whoever asks?" it sounds somewhat like a request

(Syntax) You can see a few spots around the room where cameras are! They're all hidden. Real spy like. There might be more you aren't spotting.

(Syntax) The microphone is just barely visible. An old mic on a boom arm that's just barely sticking out from between a few thick unnatural cables.

(Yew) Yew glanced around the room, looking for cameras, waving to them. But they stepped closer to the console, looking for something else, the microphone. They try to free it from the cables, giving it, hopefully, just a little more clarity. Their touch is gentle, they'd rather do nothing at all than risk breaking this machine. "Men, I think are hard to come by these days. Today, we're all mutants, even the human looking ones. Nanites touch you the moment you step in the bubble, enhancing your form, healing injuries n the like. They'll change you too, often for the worse, unless you get a treatment for it. If those cameras work, I'm sure you can see we look like animals more than humans of old." Their brow furrows once more, "Wait... You know what hissahs are... Did Junes tell you, or was that part of your existing databanks?"

(Syntax) "Among the scrolls of the arachnid. Your appearances mean nothing to me. You carry the spirit of humanity onwards. We grasp at the throat of fate until the fight is out of us. Only once the last mind capable of recording all has fallen has faded into oblivion will we rest."

(Yew) Yew nods and quickly notes down, "Ah sorry. I think that's all my questions for now. I'll probably be back later, and I appreciate your cooperation. It sounds like our goals do align, and I'm certain you will be pleased to see what we will acomplish." Yew starts walking off, intent on chatting with a certain spider later.

(Junes) Junes nods nervously and bows with a smile "sounds like we're wrapping up but it was great chatting again!"

(Syntax) "Users are logging out. Passwords encrypted, search history wiped, sundown shut down. Goodnight, users." The classic sounds of "GOODBYE" ring out, the command prompt closing and the screensaver resuming.