introduction log.

[falsitates]

JUNE 1, 2021

The first day of summer - it’s unbearably hot. Temperatures are high and relentless, and without a single cloud in the sky, the sun blazes down heavily on the unlucky few stuck outside.

Weather predictions warn of an intense heatwave that’ll last all week long. The young and elderly are advised to stay indoors and hydrated, and anyone with the symptoms of a heat stroke is urged to head straight to the city hospital. Schools are temporarily closed until new air conditioners can be installed, and businesses come to a slow grind as many call out sick from heat exhaustion.

The city warns that it’s going to be a long seven days.

  NEWCOMERS

You wake up.

You’re left to your own devices. You have a vague memory of the last few moments of your time back in your world, in familiar surroundings, but you’re now somewhere new. Whether you’ve awoken on an unknown rooftop, in a stranger’s bedroom, behind cell bars, or under six feet of water - you know that you’re no longer at home.

You’re on your own for the time being. You must escape whatever predicament that you’ve found yourself in and find answers to your own questions. What brings you here? How did you arrive? What happened to your friends and family? You have an hour to explore and speak with the people of this world before your time runs out.

Something then vibrates in your pocket.

  RESIDENTS & NEWCOMERS

Your phone vibrates.

It buzzes incessantly until you pick it up, but when you look at the screen, it’s blank. It will not turn on, no matter how hard you press the buttons. It’s possible that it overheated and shut down, but it’s unusually cold to the touch, almost as if you’re touching a brick of ice. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, white text appears on a black background.

Decryption confirmed.

Condition green.

Booting program.

The screen goes dark once more. Seconds later, new words are typed.

WELCOME TO [ AVA ]

→ MISSION 001
HEAD TO THE CITY CROSSWALK BY 1500. FIND THE [ OTHERS ]. YOUR REWARD WILL BE ANNOUNCED THEN. FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.

  WELCOME TO [ AVA ]

You can't avoid the mission; you don't have any choice. Any attempt to ignore or avoid it is futile, as convenient coincidences occur all around you as a motivator to go.

Did you have work? For some inexplicable reason, your shift has been cancelled. Were you trying to get some rest? The fire alarm went off and you were evacuated from your home. Did you attempt to travel to another part of the city? The sidewalks and roads have been closed due to a sudden blackout.

No matter what you do, you are compelled to head to the city crosswalk.

For the middle of the afternoon, it's unusually quiet and empty. Despite the heat warning, there should still be more than just a handful of you and a few others, but you won't have the time to ponder about it. Your phone finally reboots and appears to be back to normal - or so it seems. You've got a new app.

[ AVA ]

It's an icon with a white eye. It stares at you, and the screen remains frozen until you press it. It then starts the initialization process.

WELCOME TO [ AVA ]

PEACEFUL DAYS ARE OVER

ALEA IACTA EST

The text vanishes, revealing the app's interface. It's an online social media network with public forums and private messaging, but it's completely devoid of content. It currently only contains the user profiles of those who have signed up for the app, and you are one of them. Your full name, date of birth, personal address, height, weight, and a mugshot that you don't recall taking are all listed on your profile.

You quickly discover that you have no way of deleting or even editing your information. You can't even get rid of the app. The option simply does not exist.

Minutes after opening [ AVA ], you receive a notification. There have been two new forum posts. MISSION 002 and MISSION 003 are the names of the new threads. You open them to read.

→ MISSION 002
NEWCOMERS, WELCOME TO VITAE. YOUR GOAL FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS IS TO SURVIVE. IF YOU ARE ALIVE TO SEE THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH, YOU WILL BE GREATLY REWARDED.

→ MISSION 003
RESIDENTS, BE AWARE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THIS CITY. ONLY TRUST THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW. YOUR COMPENSATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN TWO WEEKS' TIME.

These threads allow you to leave comments. What do you do now?

Comments

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya stares, uncomprehending.]

Get to... this spot? [He tilts his head with a vague smile.] Sure, I walked here.

[stormsoff]

Huh? Wait, like, you’re not finding this weird? Or like—-

[



... ]

Uh look can you wait there while I get down?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's expression twists wryly.] Yeah, I can wait. What are you doing up there?

[stormsoff]

What do you mean what am I doing? You think I want to be up here?? Ugh, forget it, hang on—

[ Isaac

jumps off

the fire escape?




okay it’s more like he swings off the level he’s on and jumps to the one below. he does this one more time, then starts taking the ladders and stairs quickly, muttering darkly to himself while he goes. he’s pretty daring...

On the last landing before the ground, he kicks the ladder free, then jumps down anyway. He very clearly tries to do an intentional Hero Landing, messes it up, squawks and goes stumbling, and then quickly straightens up like that didn’t happen. ]

.... hey.

[ wow, smooth. ]

[hippocarnival]

Hey. [Yuya puts his hands on his hips. To his credit, he doesn't laugh--but the amusement on his face is not well masked.] What's up?

1/2

[stormsoff]

[ WHO ARE YOU TOTALLY NOT LAUGHING AT!!!! ]

2/3 I lied

[stormsoff]

[ ahem ]

Sup.

[ yeah, okay, it’s fine, he’s cool, right, he’s definitely cool ]

[stormsoff]

... wait so what do you think I was doing up there, hanging out? I just woke up up there, dude.

[hippocarnival]

Uh, yeah? [Yuya looks Isaac up and down, in case he needs to reconsider his impression of him.] You're way too young to get so drunk you don't know where you woke up, so... I thought you were up there on purpose.

... Are you okay?

[stormsoff]

DRUNK? What are you talking about?! I didn’t drink anything! What are you trying to accuse me of?!

I SAID I just woke up there! Like, I’m from someplace else entirely, dude!

[hippocarnival]

Whoa, hey. [He's getting agitated, so Yuya holds his hands up.] I didn't say you did! But... what your saying doesn't really make a lot of sense? It's not really normal for someone to wander off and wake up somewhere else entirely.

[His expression gradually shifts to a frown.] Do you know what city you're in at least? Country?

[stormsoff]

Tell me about it. [ pinches the bridge of his nose ] I mean, last thing I knew, I was in school, so.

... uh, no. I have no idea what this place is. I’m at least hoping I’m still in the US.

[hippocarnival]

[Hm. Maybe this is a kidnapping situation.]

Yeah, it's still the US. You're in Vitae. [He pats around his pockets until he finds his phone, pulling it out.] Is there... someone you can call? To tell them where you are.

1/2

[stormsoff]

[stormsoff]

... no. No one. It’s — I’ll be fine.

Vitae? What kind of name is — I’ve never heard of a city named Vitae.

[hippocarnival]

[Well... Yuya won't press. He can get being all alone in the world.]

I don't know, what kind of name is New York? [He shrugs.] We're not a big city like that.

[He slides his phone in his pocket.] My name's Yuya. I've lived here all my life, so... if you have any questions besides how you got here, I can help.

[stormsoff]

No, I mean that it’s like... it sounds like Latin. Uh ... I dunno, maybe I’m overthinking it.

.... ‘m Isaac. [ he grips his elbow with his other hand, uncomfortable, but .... he’ll look up, making eye contact. ]

Is your phone working? Mine’s been all weird since I woke up.

[hippocarnival]

Yeah, it works. [There's a weird virus app on it, but at long as he doesn't touch it, it seems to be working fine.] Sorry, I don't know anything about fixing them. But you can borrow mine if you need it.

[stormsoff]

[ shrugs. ]

Like I said, I don’t have anyone I could call. Guess I was just wondering if your phone acted weird too, given you actually stopped to talk to me. I tried a few other times and people didn’t stop. I dunno. I thought you were like me but I was pretty obviously wrong. Sorry.

[hippocarnival]

They ignored you? [Yuya frowns. That's terrible. Especially since he seems like... well, not much younger of a kid than Yuya, but still. A kid.]

Hey, are you hungry? [Yuya points outward.] There's a cafe, I can get us something to eat. Since you're lost.

[stormsoff]

Kinda? Most of them just seemed to think I was messing around and kept walking.

Oh, uh ... I-I can’t pay you back, though. It’s okay.

[hippocarnival]

You don't need to! You don't have a lot of money on you, right? [Actually, does he have any money? Is he going to be able to take the bus home?]

[stormsoff]

Nope. [ VERY STRAIGHTFORWARDLY ] Just a couple dollars that was supposed to pay for lunch.

[ except he forgot and never ate so it’s fine ]

[hippocarnival]

You should save that right now. [He gestures.] It's this way. They have sandwiches and all day pancakes.

[stormsoff]

[ perks up ]

Pancakes?

[ er ]

Uh, I mean, that sounds ... fine, I guess. ... thanks.