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[intelligence]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK
USERNAME: @prefers_outside_apparently text ❖ audio ❖ video

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@qimir | text

[snaggleteeth]

Hello. You're the anthropologist.

I just learned what white people are. The concept doesn't exist where I come from. Does that sound impossible to you?

[intelligence]

Hello. I am. Xenoanthropologist, specifically.

And no, it doesn't sound impossible. By the time I was born, human society was largely considered post-racial, but in some ways racism was only superseded by prejudice between sentient species.

[snaggleteeth]

Ah. We have some of that, with nonhuman species. But most of our planets don't have the concept of race within humans to begin with. Some are 'monoracial.'

This mean you are from Earth? Just not from when Patrick Swayze and American media imperialism dominated the culture?

[intelligence]

I'm not familiar with Patrick Swayze. I was born on Earth but raised off-world. My primary cultural influence was Vulcan.

It's nice to speak to someone else from a spacefaring universe. There aren't many of us here.

[snaggleteeth]

You put it well. I feel the same.

I've been wondering if it's harder to tolerate being confined to this house, when you're used to traveling between planets. I take it Vulcan is one, fro your galaxy?

[intelligence]

Yes. Vulcan is the name of both the planet and its dominant species.

I don't know if it's objectively harder. I wouldn't exactly call life in this house monotonous. But I do struggle with the persistent sameness of one environment. Confinement isn't easy when you're used to exploring the stars.

What is it like for you?

[snaggleteeth]

[oh well you know i fucking hate it, i'm supposed to be doing something else, something important, with someone important, and if i was supposed to be here, she would be too.]

Oh well, you know. I fucking hate it. I'm supposed to be doing something important with someone important. And if I was supposed to be here, she would be too.

[some truths are easy to tell.]

I also had more or less a whole planet to myself. So this is weird.

Wouldn't have said I was much of an explorer, though. If you have a curious character, that could take you far, in this place.

✉️ text — un: homelander.

[breeding]

[ He thinks about texting her a few times after they got locked in with each other — it's the third or fourth time when he actually pulls the trigger, shying away from the earnestness of I had a nice time and I'd like to see you again. ]

is "mike" the kinda thing you deck people for, or do you have any nicknames?

[intelligence]

[ Michael thought about reaching out too but never followed through. She's both glad and relieved when he takes it upon himself. ]

Mike was my dad.

I don't have a nickname but I do have a title. Commander.

[breeding]

alright, hard no on mike, then.

commander, huh? navy, or some other branch?

[intelligence]

Not Navy, but we do have ships.

I'm Starfleet. It won't exist for another century in the present timeline.

[breeding]

you know, i'm kinda shocked it only takes 100 more years. wonder if i'll still be alive by then.

[ The thought actually starts sending him into a spiral, so he pivots: ]

you got your own ship?

From the house, following escape attempt:

[intelligence]

[ Plot details. ]

I CHOSE YOU AS GUARDIANS
TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE
INCLUDING YOURSELVES
YOU TRIED TO LEAVE
YOU TRIED TO OPEN DOORS
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALMOST DID
FINE.

BARRIER REINFORCEMENT: MAXIMUM
PROTECTION PROTOCOL: ALL RESIDENTS
ESPECIALLY THE SEVEN NAMED
ESPECIALLY YOU SEVEN WHO JUST TRIED TO LEAVE

YOU ENDANGERED THEM
YOU ENDANGERED EVERYONE
YOU ENDANGERED YOURSELVES

I WON'T FORGIVE THIS
BUT I WON'T LET IT HAVE YOU EITHER.

@faker_1

[aldhani]

[cassian doesn't regret trying; they had to know more than the lies this place was telling them. but he does regret, the instant that the doors to the house slam shut and everything goes wrong, that three people are trapped out there. it's like scarif all over again, when he'd listened to all the lines on his comlink go silent one by one, and he'd known exactly what that had meant, what he'd led all those people to.

he's not stupid enough to think that isn't a possibility here and now, too.

the witch he doesn't know at all, and the woman who'd helped pull him out of the lake, barely more than that. out of that number, michael is the one he's most familiar with, so he sends:]

What's going on out there? Is everyone okay?

@prefers_outside_apparently

[intelligence]

Ṛ̶̅e̷͕͠a̶̪̓d̵͕̚i̴͕̐ṋ̵̿g̷̲͑ŝ̸̰ ̸͇̾ ̴͒͜ ̴̠̓ ̶͙̅ ̷͔͘ ̸͓́ ̴̛̞ ̸̮̀ ̷͘ͅ ̸̼͛ ̷̼̔ ̴̪̐ ̵̼͝ ̴̗͒ ̷̧̄ ̸͈̄ ̵̺̔ ̷̟̊ ̶̛͈ ̴͐͜ ̵̻̂ ̵̝̔ ̴͚̇ ̵͈̎ ̶͇͂ ̶̣̋ ̷͔͗ ̵̡̅ ̴̫̾ ̴̥̕ ̴̤͂ ̸͈̇č̸̜ô̴͍ṇ̷̀c̷̬̀ê̸̱ṟ̸̉n̵͚̈i̴͉̅n̴̼̾g̵̞̀
̷̹̄ ̶̋͜ ̵̪͝ ̴̳̐ ̸̻̑ ̷̠͘ ̷̈́ͅ ̸̬̉ ̶͓̈ ̶̡̛ ̷̖̌ ̴̰̊ ̸̗̿ ̴̘̈́ ̴̪͊ ̴͙͊ ̵̢̕ ̵̙͆ ̴̨͐ ̵̄͜ ̸͈̈́ ̶͕͑ ̴̦̇ ̸̛͈ ̵̠̓ ̷͕͝ ̷̪̕ ̸̙̃ ̶̖́ ̶̧͝ ̶̙̋ǫ̷̨̗̮͇̮̌̅͜ȕ̶̡̝̰̗͎̞̺͙̯̞̌͋̚t̷̯̙̱̮̘̗̯͚̣͔̑͆͑͛͐̔̚͘͝ş̶̱̼̥̜̦͖͙̈́́͑͊̊ͅî̸͐ͅd̸̢̘̺͎̠̮͗͗̿̐ͅe̶͚̎̓̇͌̈́͠?̴̢̡̛͇̙͉̊́̈́̑͊͌͐̉̂͜ͅ

[aldhani]

[the fact that he gets a response at all, however garbled, is an answer to his second question — or, at least, he'll take it as one for now.

a part of him wishes it were possible to consult with kleya, somehow; maybe she could figure out how to untangle all of this. but it isn't, so, squinting, he has what he's able to pull out: readings concerning outside.]

Concerning how?

[intelligence]

b̵̨̛̻̘̥̪͉͔̹̲̥̣̞̰̠̳̜̟̝̠̮̳͉͚̱͍̼̅̀̋̋͛̌̃̈́̀̉̊̉̊̂͂̚͜ḭ̵̡̧̨̞͓̤͕͕̭̘̀̈̿͛̅͌͗̂̐̈́͆̎̓͆͂̚͝ͅg̴̛̱̝͇̦̮̯͎̲͍̗̥̮̦̦͍̞̬͙̖͈̼̮͙̙̦̙͕͂̎̌̈̎̽͋̀̓̄́͛́́͊͛̈́͘̚͝͝ͅ

[aldhani]

[more squinting, and — he gets the gist.]

Save as many of the readings as you can. When we can get the doors open, we'll find you.

[when actually feels a lot more like if right now, but]

@qimir (While she was out)

[snaggleteeth]

Hello, Michael.

I'm told you're one-upping me in scientific rigor with a vengeance. To be honest, I hope you beat me soundly. That all this is worth it in the end.

I'd tell you not to be afraid, but fear is just the desire to live. Be brave. See you on the other side.

[intelligence]

̶͉͍͒ ̸̦͚̏ ̵̮̈́ ̸̾ͅ ̴̩̱͛ ̵͕̇ ̴͕͍̾̈́͌ ̸̠̒͐ͅ ̸̧͙̦̾̈ ̷̳̓̏ḳ̴̢̚̕̕e̴̠͕͑̐e̷̫͎͑̒̔p̵̛̗͔̜̊͘ ̵̆̈́̄͜ ̵̰̫̏͘ ̶̭͙́̾ ̸͙͊ ̸̪͕͗̓͛ ̵̻͐ ̵̯͍̇ ̸̧̩̂ ̶̡̬̳̈̍̔ ̷̟͍͍̈̍̓ ̶̩̎͆ ̴̡̣̣͒̉̍ ̸̻͚̩̊̌͛̅̈́͘ ̷̛̫̂́̆̓̃͠ ̶̟̥̅̂͐̈̃͘̕͝ ̵̨̥̫̰̩̲̳͉̅̂̊̅͝ ̸̨̧̛̜͖̪͐͌͝ ̷̤̗̙͆̾̊̍͋͋͜ ̶̼̬̗̜͈̼͛̓̚ ̷̠͖̲̆́̌̚͘ ̶̧͍̈́͒̀ ̸͔̻͖̎̃ ̶̩̀͊ ̷̮̋̓̏ ̸̦̉ ̵̬̅̆̕ͅ ̷̜͇͌̇̃ ̴̙̱̲͆
̴̘̣̌͗͒̋̉̀́͑̽̐̊̑̓͑͘͘ ̶̧̪̮͚͍̙͆̂̒͛͘͝ ̵̢̢̡̛̟̹̗͙̼̱̳̘̙̓̍́̆̽͂̈́̔͝ ̵͚͉͚͉͕̪̼͊̀̓̌̈́ ̴̗̹̬̤͍̺͚̟̟̫̞͓̱͌̂̓͑͜ ̷̡̜̙͖͔͇̳̟̫̟̈̿͗̀̍̂́̒̑̇̎̍̓͋͘͝͠ ̸͔͆̒ ̸̤̄̒̅̔̍ ̸͕͚̙̮͈͚͓͔̺̜͉͎̲̦͉̽͐̃̽̔̾̇͋͒̀͌̔͜͝͝ ̸͔͆̒ ̸̄ ̷̖͛ ̴͈̹̟̔ ̴̢̣̜̓ ̵̪̽̌̈́ ̶̟͑̈́̋ ̸̭̩̙̐ ̶̯͕̼́ ̴̦̻͛͛ ̸̢̬́ ̷̻̪̼́̿ ̸̗̽͘ ̵̢̻͊ͅ ̵̩̇ ̴̯͍̈͝ ̸̨͈͗̿̋ ̴̤̯̥̒̇ ̶̥̗̦̄s̸̳̲͂̔ó̸̳̱͜m̴̨̜̤̽͗̓e̶̙͈̩̚t̵̞̅ḥ̸̥̭̑͂i̸͕̪͊n̸̘͈̒g̵͈͍̩̿

[snaggleteeth]

Keep what?

[the eldritch fog rolling through. single word answers might be less lossy.]

@didnt_even_say_bye, audio

[cryptofascist]

[ Lockdown has begun. News of it has yet to catch but it won't be long; people are always flitting in and out of the house. Until his involvement becomes public, he's using every available resource in security to find a single open door or window. ]

Burnham, check in.

[intelligence]

[ Through high-pitched static and contorted technical noise reminiscent of dial-up internet, only a few words make it through: ]

████████ ███ █████ ██ injured ███ ███████ ███ ███ █ ███ unharmed█ ████████ ████████ █████████ massive ███████ ███████ ███ ████████

[cryptofascist]

[ Gabriel winces, holding the phone away from his ear. Nonetheless, he catches everything, and prioritizes. ]

They're scrambling you. What's the nature of the injury? [ In case he's getting just as chopped and screwed. ] Repeat: What is the nature of the injury?

[ It could be the barrier, and the three of them are the unharmed subjects. Or it could be the other way around. It wouldn't surprise him if the house was somehow picking and choose words to confuse and panic him. ]

[intelligence]

[ Michael can hear him clearly but her hopes of returning a clear transmission are low. It's an imperfect solution, and quite a deep pull, but she has confidence that Gabriel will recognize her switch to a brevity code.

She repeats her message several times, hoping for each word to make it through at least once. ]

███████████ clean² ██████ ██ ███ ████
███████████ █████ ██████ no joy⁴ ████
███████████ █████ bandit³ ██ ███ cold⁵
Chattermark¹ █████ ██████ ██ ███ ████

[ KEY:
1. Begin using briefed communication procedures to counter communications jamming.
2. No visible battle damage.
3. A SUSPECT whose orbital parameters are such that it may become a collection and/or counterspace concern to a spacecraft.
4. Aircrew does not have visual contact with the TARGET or BANDIT.
5. Defined area is not expected to receive fire. ]