Not So Empty After All

I hate to sound paranoid but I am. Really so often the choice has come down to paranoid or dead and I'm still here. That said, I'm also here, online, sending up a bright, loud signal flare for anyone who might want to see. I should bypass the metaphor this once, though, the method I'm using to send this out is one way and taxing, and I should be using this time to do more studying. All other conduits to the outside have been compromised or destroyed and other alternatives are either too risky or too permanent for me to commit to right now. It's strange though that my contact to the outside world was compromised almost immediately after I used it.


The word coincidence comes from the word "coincide" which means to exist in the same place as something else. In a sense everything in this City is a coincidence. In a sense nothing is.

Within 8 hours of my posting about "where" I was in the Empty City another individual found the library I was in and set up camp. As if a reminder that sometimes the choice is between paranoia and death, she immediately pulled a weapon and fired at me. I was smart enough not to get too close, but I fancy I have exactly the number of bullets I need and catching one from another gun wouldn't do me much good at this point.

She wasn't alone, either, the City is suddenly teeming with life. I've counted eight so far, they're all wearing the same kind of jackets and most I've noticed have masks. If it weren't for the timing of it all and the fact that most seem to have staked out sites where I've stayed I might think they were here under the banner of an old friend of mine. Maybe they are, but even that doesn't mean I should trust them. Several are setting up traps already, the Librarian isn't the only itchy trigger finger of the lot, and... well they're dangerous. Some more than others, but there's a pretty strong and diverse Fear influnce across the group. I'd give a lot for the ability to freely browse some blogs or send out an email right now, the difference between a coordinated team here to force me into a confrontation and a scattered collection of runners just trying to survive isn't one that can be determined at a glance, but it is important for how I approach them.

Not that I'd believe the emails or blogs.

It'd just be nice to have.

I suppose at least two have computer access, which means it's possibly they functionally all do. Regardless, an open statment here can't hurt. In fact I've said very little that can hurt, and mostly lied through my teeth about that. Standard M.O. and all that. Point is, if you can read this and you're in here with me. I mean you no harm. I mean you exactly as much harm as you mean me. I have been in the City for eight months and am intimately familar with each stronghold you've settled.

I see you
FC

Dark Reading

(Transcribed from Journal EC2)
Nightlanders Experiment 4

Forward Notes: The Nightlanders have continued to avoid directly interacting with me, but have remained a somewhat notable presence. Consult NL Experiments 1-3 or EC Field Notes 3-4, 7, 9-12, and 16.

Expirment Iteration 1: I transcribed the entirety of Journal DC1 (judged after long consideration to have the least accurate and therefore valuable information) into a new blank journal and then placed the origonal on the ground and shoved it forward towards a collection of Nightlanders.

Results 1: After aproximately seven minutes percieved time one of the Nightlanders moved forward and enveloped the book. I remainded 10 feet away with established secondary precautions for the duration, shifting my attention between the Nightlander and my transcribed copy of DC1. The Nightlander remained in place obscuring the physical aspects of the book [section omitted] for one hour and 16 minutes of percieved time. When it moved the origonal DC1 remaind and I retrieved it. Comparing it side by side against my transcribed copy and later notes from DC2-3 it appears as though several of my incorrect early assumptions and hypothesies had been partially corrected against both information I later aquired and entirely new facts. (The new facts have not been verified but were recorded into DC3 with notes indicating further testing is needed.) All changes to the origonal journal appear to be in my handwriting. No changes to the transcribed copy occured.

Iteration 2: Experiment repeated with the same two journals. At present there is no methodology to confirm or deny whether the same Nightlander interacted with the text.  (See notes under NL Experiment 9 in Journal EC4 but regard this note as functional for this experiment.) Experiment was carried out two hours of percieved time after the first iteration in the same location.

Results 2: Again interaction occured only after seven minutes of percieved time. I remained 10 feet away with established secondary precautions and shifted my attention between the Nightlander and my transcribed copy of DC1. This time the Nightlander only remained in place for 43 minutes of percieved time with the same obscruing and [section omitted]. This time every page of the origonal copy of DC1 was converted to a perfect black. High risk precations were observed in an initial test of the quality of the paper, but no abnormalities were found. DC1 (origonal) was stored with medium risk containment and DC1 (copy) was used to replace it in The Archive. Again no changes to the transcribed copy occured.

Iteration 3: Journal SM2 was selected and transcribed in its entirety (after determining much of its content redundant when held against journals SM1, SM3-7, and the online archive (currently inaccessible)). This time I placed the copy of SM2 on the ground and shoved it towards the Nightlanders while keeping the origonal on hand. Experiment was carried out 39 hours of percieved time after the second iteration in a visually identical location three block "right" of the origonal testing location.

Result 3: Again interaction occured after seven minutes of percieved time. I remainded 10 feet away with established secondary precautions for the duration, shifting my attention between the Nightlander and the origonal copy of SM2. This time the obscruing and [section omitted] lasted nine minutes of percieved time. I retrived SM2 (copy) and examined it. The entirty of the document had been alphabetized. An extensive count of the letters in SM2 (origonal) confirmed that the exact same number of "a"'s (968, a little over five pages worth) and "b"'s (153) appeared in both the origonal journal and the copy. The letters in SM2 (copy) were in my handwriting, but since I was not able to transcribe the origonal perfectly down to the letter style I cannot confirm that they appear in the order they were used. A more extensive count is still needed to confirm no letters were added or removed. No changes to the origonal journal occured this time.

Conclusions:

• Current established minimum precautions OR an aspect of The Archive prevent the Nightlanders from interacting with an object until it has lain free from influnce for seven minutes OR it takes seven minutes for Nightlanders to get within 10 feet of me and interact with things while established secondary precations are in place.
• Nightlanders seek out or enforce order, but "individual" Nightlanders have disperate views on what that means OR they are as intent as I am to test things in different ways.
• It can be possible to theorize on objectives of the Nightlanders, but devloping a catchall understand of their methods is unlikely.

• [section omitted]
• Nightlanders are capable of interacting on objects with increasing speed and effectiveness the more times they have seen the same or similar object.
• Nightlanders cannot effect the source material of something they're interacting with, nor copies of that thing, unless they interact with the source/copy seperately. (See Conclusions for NL Experiment 9 in EC4.)

Perpetual Disclaimer: As with all experiments I am testing forces that are also testing me, possibly with intent to manipulate. As such all conclusions are purely working theory. DO NOT ACT ON THESE UNLESS YOU HAVE TAKEN PROPER PRECAUTIONS OR ARE VERY DESPERATE. If you've found these journals and have no concept of what is described within return them to the exact place you found them and never return there unless you are desperate.

The City That Always Sleeps

I’m not sure how long I’ve been here. My last record from outside the Empty City indicates that it’s been about 8 months, if the post date on this computer is correct. I have no way to verify that, though. I’ve reached out, once or twice, other opportunities allowed me the chance to comment on other blogs, send emails, once or twice I even got to leave a physical message in the human world.


For all the good that did.


Really I’ve been out of the world for years. The Real World, the Runner World, a few others I’m not ready to talk about yet. I’ve been a ghost: on my own and out of the way except for the inescapable gravity of the Fears and a few choice moments of personal weakness. I guess this is another of those moments, The Empty City generally seems to have an agenda, and letting me reach out when it’s seen me reject the opportunity before is probably intentional.


Right now I’m in what one might generously call a library. There are tall wooden shelves reaching up to nearly the ceiling, and more of the same on the second floor, all arranged into neat little rows. I’ve scoured both floors and found a grand total of six books. Two on the first floor and four on the second. I claimed all of them before I came back to the collection of desks I’m sitting at now and tried turning on this computer.


I feel an opening. If I stopped right now and ran, out the door, right, left at the building with the chipped stone, up two flights of stairs, and through the window I could make it.

I could still make it.

It’s still open, but now it’s too late. It’ll close before I get there.


The name of this place is a misnomer, this “city” isn’t empty, it’s very very far from empty. I could step outside right now and look up and three blocks away I’d see a tower, stretching so tall into an empty sky I couldn’t make out its height. Stretching the height of the earth, probably.





The opening is gone now.





I’m going to queue up three more posts. An intro, a study, and if I can manage it a story. If I can find another computer before this month ends I’ll probably pull the story. It’s that sort of indecision that got me here, hell I think it’s what made me. But it’s also kept me alive, it’s given me tools and options I wouldn’t have. If you really need me follow the alphabet, but honestly… you’re probably safer where you are.

See you?

FC

The Rules

Before I go any further I want to point something out. I am going to lie to you.

Some of these lies will be my secrets, things that aren't important and don't matter to anyone but me. Some will be hints. Clues left behind because the only way you'll ever believe me is if you're proving me wrong. People suck like that. Finally some lies will be because there are things that once you learn you can't go back. Maybe I'm protecting you, maybe I'm just protecting myself. Either way pray you never discover those lies... or don't. Sometimes it doesn't matter.

The point is: I'm going to lie. Everyone lies.
This is rule #1.

Rule #2 is that eventually, however long we put it off, the truth comes out.

Looking for a new sign off,
FC