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

[silentends]

Jun, okay. I knew something wasn't right. It all got mixed up in my head...

[ He takes in a deep breath and sighs. ]

Sorry about that. It's Jun. Did I get it this time?

[whiteshroud]

[He scratches his jaw]

Yeah, you got it right. [Weird, but harmless he supposes] Nice to meet you too, Nier. Are you from here?

[silentends]

Um, yes! I lived in this city for most of my life.

It's not normally so...chaotic I guess.

[ He frowns and looks upset.]

Do you want me to give you a tour?

[whiteshroud]

Um, thanks, but it might be a little too hot for a tour.

[It's sweltering heat and he's in a long sleeve uniform with a sweater vest. He's basically melting here.

But man...he needed to figure out what was going on here. As he thinks what avenues to take...one place springs to mind]

Actually, do you know where the nearest church is?

[silentends]

I mean, you have a point. It's way too hot to do anything.

[ Nier nods in understanding. ]

Sure, I can show you where the church is. It's not too far from here. Follow me for a bit. Let's stay closer to the shade.

[whiteshroud]

Mm, I'm no stranger to heat...but this is pretty bad.

[Definitely doesn't want to tour a whole city in this. But he nods]

Thank you. I'll follow your lead.

[And indeed he does! Lead the way Nier!]

[silentends]

[ It takes them a couple of minutes to arrive at the church's doorstep. There's this large gothic architecture standing before them now.]

We're here. I've never been inside before so....I don't know what to expect after this.

[ Maybe Jun might be more knowledgable with the inner workings of a church. Nier isn't too familiar with how any of it operates. He only knows where it's located because it's so large. ]

The doors are open so I think we can just walk in.

[whiteshroud]

[Ah. That large gothic architecture. Even if he's never been to this city before, at least this is familiar]

Haha, it's alright- you don't have to follow me in. I have an idea of what to do from here.

[Read: he intends to ditch you. It's nothing personal, he's just got secrets.]

Thank you for helping me out though! Maybe I'll see you around.

[silentends]

Mhm, it's probably better if I don't go in there anyway. It would just be awkward and I'd be lost.

[Nier doesn't practice religion so he has no reason to enter a house of worship. Jun seems to know what to do here so all's well.]

Yeah, maybe I'll see you around again. Take care of yourself, okay?

[whiteshroud]

[Jun gives a little laugh at that. He's pretty used to non-religious folk, so it's not a particularly strange statement to him.]

Mm, you too! Stay cool!

[And with that, he heads into the church- disappearing from sight]