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

[morient]

[ ... 💧 ]

I was addressing the individual sending us these 'missions'.

[stormsoff]

[ oh. ]

...... uh. Ok dw about it but maybe be more specific next time??
I don’t blame you though
This is messed up
Like everything but especially the missions thing
What kind of creeps think they can kidnap us and then try to USE us or whatever??

[morient]

It's probably a hacker prank somewhere, or something.

We should report it.

[stormsoff]

oh man I’d love it if that were true
At least that we could deal with
Report it to who though?
The cops??
“We’re being harassed by a weird stalker app”
They’ll totally buy that

[morient]

Why wouldn't they?

[ Noah has to tell his parents and then they'll take it seriously. At least, that's what he thinks. ]

If not, then someone proficient in digital stuff.

[stormsoff]

Huh?
Are you crazy??
Where are you from that the cops would take that seriously??? They’re gonna think we’re nuts
Uh but that second thing is a good idea
Know anyone?
Cuz I don’t

[morient]

I'm from this city.

I'm sure my parents can find someone.

[stormsoff]

Σ(ﾟﾛﾟ｣)｣
I’m starting to feel like the weird guy out NOT being from here
Why, who are your parents
Are they like important

[morient]

So where are you from?

My mom's very smart. [ He's not outing his rich person status here. ]

[stormsoff]

A town called Mayview. Ever heard of it?
Oh that’s cool
Is she like a professor or something?

[morient]

I haven't. What country/state are you from?

Not really. She's a business person.

[stormsoff]

Oh, uh, MA. In the US? [ don’t make him spell out Massachusetts please ]

Oh. I guess she just must be like super well connected and knows someone?
Have you tried calling her

[morient]

Did you get here randomly or something like that? Someone else got teleported too.

I'll ask her when she's free. She's busy now.

[stormsoff]

Yeah!!! I just woke up here suddenly. Teleported?! Is that what happened to us??
Uh
Okay I get that but
Isn’t this kind of more important

[morient]

I mean I live here so.

She's pretty strict about not being disturbed.

[stormsoff]

No I mean me and whoever else you spoke to
Who was that btw?
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ok
I’m sure the creepy threatening stalker app will wait

[morient]

[ Okay Isaac has a point.

So Noah goes to find his mom's secretary first. ]

This is gonna be weird but adults don't perceive this stuff at all.

[stormsoff]

Dangit
I was afraid you’d say that
I tried to ask some passerby what was going on and they totally blew me off
Only the people with this app have taken me seriously at all
Does that mean you’re a kid too

[morient]

Kind of
So you're a kid here without any guardian adults?

[stormsoff]

I’m fine

[ read: yes. ]

[morient]

[ ... 💧 ]

Do you at least have a place to sleep?

[stormsoff]

Im working on it!
Not exactly a ton of resources here

[morient]

[ 💧💧💧💧💧💧💧💧

Noah will get chewed out by his mom if he takes in any more people. ]

I'll look around too.

[stormsoff]

[ just your casual homeless extremely tsundere 13 year old boy. ]

you will?
I mean
That’s cool but like
You don’t have to

[morient]

[ That's the problem!! Why is there a 13 year old on the streets!!! ]

I will.

I don't want you to get hurt.