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

[stormsoff]

Yeah! Me either! And have you seen all the profiles and stuff? They’re stalking us. It’s pretty bizarre.

[tsunotarou]

I wouldn't say stalking, more like stealing information. Most of that is public if you have social media profiles.

[Which, admittedly, Malleus does not.]

Do you think someone is behind this?

[Wait, why is he asking a kid this?]

...Are you scared, by the way?

[stormsoff]

It’s still creepy—and of course I do! I mean, the app, waking up here all of a sudden—ugh, unless you’re another person that’s from here?

Huh? Scared? Uh... no? Why?

[tsunotarou]

Oh, you're from another country or something?

[He wasn't expecting that, so he's a bit surprised.]

Just wondering.

[stormsoff]

No, just ... another town. Place called Mayview, not that anyone’s heard of it.

... I’m fine. [ totally. ]

[tsunotarou]

Sounds like somewhere in the midwest, for some reason.

[Malleus stares at him, hard, for a few moments, and then nods. Not going to force the kid to complain.]

Do you have a place to stay yet?

[stormsoff]

Haha, what? It’s in the northeast, actually.

—iiiii’m working on that. [ he totally doesn’t. ]

[tsunotarou]

It is?

[Huh.... He needs to learn more about geography of his own country it seems.]

If you don't mind, my house has rooms for visitors to stay in.... Though I would need to know your name first.

1/2

[stormsoff]

Uh—wh—huh?

[stormsoff]

... do you just go around offering homes to all the lost children you meet?

[ WEIRD, DUDE. ]

[tsunotarou]

No. Just the ones that don't seem like they'll steal all my things and leave.

[stormsoff]

[ OPENS HIS MOUTH




shuts it bc that comment is a trap and he KNOWS IT and he HATES IT

narrows his eyes outrageously at this sneaky/suspiciously nice dude. ]

How do I know you’re not some kind of outwardly nice yet inwardly dastardly apparently-psychic child-napper?

[tsunotarou]

Good point.

[He takes out his wallet and shows the kid his ID.]

I'm Malleus Draconia, student, and heir to the Draconia family.

[stormsoff]

[ This ... seems to surprise Isaac, who is momentarily taken aback.

Then: ]

None of this proves you’re not a kidnapper, though I guess it kinda helps in that I could look you up now if I wanted. Also, wait, heir?

[tsunotarou]

Yes; my family is very... Influential I guess?

[Ah... He's never had to explain this to someone.]

My grandmother is an architect with a very big firm, she specialized in restoration of buildings and apparently was really good.

[stormsoff]

[ Isaac is silent for a long moment. ]

.... my name’s Isaac. Isaac O’Connor. I’m a student at Mayview Middle School, and...

...I need a reason to trust you if I’m gonna stay with you. Just one reason. Something.

[ he sounds like he WANTS a reason. ]

Also do I call you Malleus or what.

[tsunotarou]

Any reason?

[He thinks for a moment, and smirks.]

I haven't done anything to you the while we've been talking. Is that enough?

[He nods then.]

Call me whatever you like.

[stormsoff]

... good job, you didn’t assault a child. Maybe something with a little more substance? Aaaaaanything at all.

[ A beat, and a shrug. ]

Malleus then. I’ve heard weirder.

[tsunotarou]

Anything? I'm rich?

[He does chuckle though, because wow ok Isaac, you're special.]

...How is my name weird?

[stormsoff]

No no, I’m saying I’ve heard weirder. Yours is ... [ SHRUG.

He knows someone named Johnny Jhonny

And Jeffavorite Flavors

And Rich Spender

you’re fine.

anyway.

Isaac takes a deep breath. ]

And not—no. [ DAMMIT THAT WAS ALSO A TRAP!!!!! SIGHS ] ... look, I’m just. Maybe I’m being paranoid but I don’t wanna live with someone I don’t really know so I wanna be able to trust you, okay? So, like. Other than you can afford to, why do you want to help me?

[tsunotarou]

Well, you'll get your own room and you can live without seeing me, if that's what you want.

[His turn to shrug.]

Whenever I see someone in trouble, I get the urge to help them.

[stormsoff]

[ Isaac is quiet for a long moment, studying the other’s face. ]

Kainé said you’re cool. If she thinks that, then I believe her.

[ ... ]

S-So... so if you’re really sure, then ... [ scuffs a toe on the ground. ] ... you’re sure?

[tsunotarou]

[Malleus raises an eyebrow. Kainé? He's heard of her, but never actually hung out or did anything together.]

Did she now?

[He chuckles, and takes out his phone, sending his dad a message, before pocketing it again.]

I'm really sure. You're welcome in my home, Isaac.

[stormsoff]

[ By “cool” all he meant was “not bad,” but his hip teen slang probably isn’t helping that translate.

Anyway, Isaac somehow still looks startled when Malleus laughs and says yes. Not just startled—shocked. He doesn’t seem to know how to process what’s happening.

After a minute he roughly shakes his head and lowers it, trying to hide his expression by rubbing his face.

Eventually he lowers his arms to loosely hug himself, giving a somewhat hangdog smile before offering a short, jerky shrug. ]

... thanks. Least with all the weird crap going on I don’t have to add being homeless to my list of problem.

[tsunotarou]

[Malleus watches him for a moment, and nods. Kid seems a bit off, really.]

Shall I take you there, then?