Inbox: Upcycled

[syntech]

[Just that simple, automated voice saying 'leave a message'.]

This page also serves as the text inbox for Ethan's Upcycled phone, as well as for any more secure networks he/someone may set up to use.

Comments

[whiteshroud]

Built.

I'm a knight of the church. I'm trying find the cause of our current predicament, but I lost my original tracking tool when I arrived here.

Finding the materials to make a replacement for my tool is unlikely, but it might be possible to make an app that does something similar. Admittedly though, it's a long shot.

Can you help?

[syntech]

Just a tracking tool? I should be able to write one, yes. Will it be to track specific items, or generally monitor surroundings to try and uncover things? Either way, I'll want to take another look at the root directory of the phones though, unless you had a piece of machinery that will work instead.

There were... Unexpected complications in my previous attempt.

[His arm still aches from them, in fact. He also ignores the bit about the church, because... It doesn't actually mean much to him. Oops.]

Further, and it probably goes without saying, I would be designing it after everything stops malfunctioning.

[whiteshroud]

[He's fine with that bit being ignored. The less questions about his work, the better]

Ideally, to track unusual energy or spiritual phenomenon with the ability to prioritize larger readings.

Your equipment is malfunctioning?

[syntech]

I'll likely need your assistance to confirm the pinpoint, since I'm not adept with non-mechanical phenomena.

And yes, everything has been - including the phone they gave me. Is yours not glitching?

[whiteshroud]

I hadn't noticed, I've been busy.

[You know, doing holy knight work and what not]

When did the malfunctioning start?

[syntech]

[good old holy knight things.]

Around the same time as the mold started showing up in the house. Maybe two days?

It's not the machinery or the software, either. I've triple-checked my error logs; there's nothing out of the ordinary despite what I've experienced.

[he Doesn't Like It.]

[whiteshroud]

[Oh. Oh no. He knows this one]

A dampener. Should've figured.

[That's what it is. Likely thanks to the Cause]

Shit. There goes that idea.

[syntech]

[you know. For how badly that would have sucked, he thinks he would have preferred it.]

I doubt it's a dampener. My machinery wouldn't be overheating in the case of a dampener - it's malfunctioning, not just working poorly.

Plus, I've never known of a way to make a dampener able to literally manifest limbs strong enough to grab a person through a phone, much less whilst burning them.

[he'll just.... Let that sink in.]

[whiteshroud]

[....

...Well then.]

The limbs are new, but I've heard of something similar before.

[What is Jun's life really]

[syntech]

[not actually that much different from Ethan's, apparently.]

If there were any evidence of this being connected or alongside to the Intranet, I could agree. But even in dead zones and black box areas, you can still find the edge of the overlay. And it's not VR, or my actual body isn't the body that would have been pulled in.

In either case, some of the machinery would have to be actively installed with a virus to malfunction like it is. It's not active naturally.

The whole situation is suspect and bizarre.

[whiteshroud]

[...

There's a pause as he rereads this a few times to get the gist of what this guy is talking about. He's not tech-illiterate by any means, but you are talking to a guy who grew up in a convent here so there's limits. ]

That's a good way to put it.

[Anyway]

So in other words, making a tracker app is probably out unless we want one that's unreliable and might kill the users.

[syntech]

[That and the fact that Ethan is now sort of in full tech thought mode. At least until Jun brings it back to the item in question.]

Not necessarily. If there's a way to load the app without having to go through a side-door, that doesn't mess with the security. It'd be like downloading anything they already have in the app store.

But for what you want, it's a bit trickier, yes. It'd be safest if I could get the parts to build a specific device, right now. Otherwise, I'll figure out rooting this thing eventually.

A little burn isn't enough to stop me.

[Ethan. Half of your arm isn't a little burn...]

[whiteshroud]

[Wow...this guy is committed. Someone else would probably tell him "hell no it's too dangerous." But Jun meanwhile....]

...You seem to understand the risks, so if you can figure out how to make it work...

I'll do what I can to help. Either with magic or gathering supplies.

[It's dangerous, yes, but it's not like sitting around doing nothing would be any better]

[syntech]

[See? This is how Ethan thinks. Doing nothing is just being content with the lot you're given, man.]

At the risk of sounding dramatic, everyone dies eventually, and it's already a risk in what I do every day where I'm from.

I can compile a list of materials for a completely separate item, but a lot of them will probably be scarce, given how the houses were cleaned prior to our arrival. An app mostly just requires me writing a program code that's compatible with the phone system.

[whiteshroud]

[....

Wow. Programming is way more hardcore than he thought.]

Alright.

Try not to die at least.

[syntech]

[This is what happens when you assume "programmer" is his actual job, Jun.

But y'know what, let people think it's that hardcore.]

That's generally the idea. If there are any specifics you need, then, let me know.

[whiteshroud]

[Look maybe someday he'll do more small talk about people's lives but it's uh.

Probably not today.]

I will.

Thanks.