❧ Wind of Change

[luministimods]

[things around town and within the open areas of the spacestation have been quiet lately. very quiet. the townspeople continue to go about their routines and most sites of past destruction have all been repaired to how they were before the destructive forces of the residents got their hands on them. all except for the stone and Neptune sundials. some effort has been made to repair them, but like Humpty after his terrible fall, they can't be put back together again, not completely. Neptune is bent, warped, and missing pieces like his fingers and trident whereas the reconstructed stone sundial in the park looks like a child's feeble attempt to put together a broken vase. (the spacestation hasn't been touched, however, so all wrappers and stuff remain how it they have been left unless one of the residents has taken it upon themselves to clean.)

eventually, the somewhat idyllic peace is broken--at least for those in the spacestation--by an automated voice with a somewhat friendly tone. many will recognize this voice sounding almost exactly like Verita. unfortunately, those inside the town will not hear this announcement:]

Greetings and thank you for visiting the site of the Luminsiti Research Labs! Every day at Luministi, we strive to find the best solution and method so anyone struck with the grief and pain of losing a loved one may finally find some peace. Many advances have been made in recent years thanks to donations and funding from people like you. Currently, we are in the process of researching a live test, and once we have gathered enough data, we will release our--hopefully!--successful findings to you and eventually the public. Please wait here in the observation deck for the next available lab assistant for your free tour of our facilities.

[and as soon as the automated message ends, the young man from this video appears suddenly right where Lab #3 should be. there is nothing wholly special about his appearance; aside from the fact that he just appeared out of thin air, he looks like a regular young man with brown hair in his very early twenties, except his dark eyes... something about them seems off. that's not the only thing, though. a pained look immediately crosses his features, his hand shooting out to brace himself against the wall. his body flickers for a second, going translucent before it solidifies again]

No...! Damnit, I should've known... [his fist clenches] They shouldn't still be here.

[he closes his eyes, falling silent. his brow furrows, jaw clenching after a moment, then he turns suddenly to face anyone who happens to be there. as he starts to talk, his voice strained and struggling to remain calm, his free hand fumbles for something in his pocket] Hey, it's taking a great deal of effort to even be here right now, but you gotta listen to me. You can call me Nathan. I'm a friend of Audrey's. You were supposed to be home by now and I can take a couple guesses why you aren't. Everything in this place has been changed around. It must have happened after she helped you guys out. Unfortunately, someone's sudden fascination with feng shui and kidnapping my friends has made my job of getting you all outta here even more difficult than it already was.

[a small beeping noise sounds from the device he now holds in his hand. it looks similar to a CAT, and every scan and inspection will say that it is a CAT, but it's something more. he glances down at it, muttering a soft, "...Shit," under his breath] Always running out of time in this damn place... I'm going to do what I can to open up this place up, but I can't visit for long. You've got to understand that I cannot be found here. If I am--[he closes his mouth, waving an impatient hand as he flickers again]--just trust me, I can't be! When I've caught him, I'll explain everything, but for now my priority is getting you home, not telling you stories. In the meantime, you have to continue on as you have so far. Play along with what the this place throws you and above all, you need to stay calm and safe. It's very important that none of you allow your emotions to get the better of you.

[he closes his eyes for a second again and finally, slowly, pushes away from the wall and fights to keep himself from wobbling] I'm going to leave this here. Don't worry; it can't be traced. But don't hold onto it for too long. Keep passing it amongst yourselves and keep it hidden. Just because it can't be traced doesn't mean they can't see it once it leaves this precise location. You'll need it so I can pass you information and...other things when I can't be here, so you can't just leave it in this spot. I absolutely need this in someone's possession at all times.

[he drops to his knees suddenly, but plays it off as something he meant to do as he purposefully sets the device on the ground.] But please, since I can only do so much, I need everyone to search for Audrey and Lab #3 for me. Though I fear the worst... [he starts to flicker again, and he lets out a sigh as he fully disappears this time.]

[just as he does, the locked and bloodied door at the very end of the observation deck clicks and slowly slides open.]

( OOC: Plot Details )