the head | the hand (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
headandhand) wrote2020-05-04 07:42 pm
headandhand) wrote2020-05-04 07:42 pm
Entry tags:
the recording. (cw descriptions of viral infection, sickness, death)
The screen’s field is dimly lit, but it’s enough to show that the person behind the camera is walking slowly through the underground tunnels. The camera closes in on a sigil, different in style than the other glyphs marking the sturdy walls. A hand touches the sigil and activates it, and a message begins.
The holographic figure projected into the space in front of the camera appears to be a woman, one of the city’s original inhabitants; she wears a dark cloak and the telltale signs of the fatal virus that wiped out the city’s first population entirely, cataract-clouded eyes, grey skin marked with sores. She holds up a hand to whatever the focal point is that’s capturing the recording, and all six fingers curl into a slow wave at each of their many joints.
“This is Zoradah Elsav recording,” she says, tone somber. “I do not expect to be alive for much longer, so I leave this as a record for anyone who finds this place after the last of us is dead. The great city Rumali has been devastated by a virus that was created by a highly advanced artificial intelligence. The Eiori people are nearly extinct - a once-thriving city that was home to millions has been reduced to a population of a mere few hundred, a number that diminishes by the hour.”
She pauses to cough loudly into her sleeve, breath rattling in her lungs as her breathing returns to a strained normal. After a moment, she continues: “We made a terrible mistake. Some of the greatest scientific minds pooled their knowledge and ideas together to create the artificial intelligence called MINDSEYE. It was designed to be the backbone of our city, running all functions independently and perfectly in tune, and in that aspect, the Head succeeded in what it built. They spent years creating it, refining it, teaching it how to think, and for a while, it worked exactly as it was intended. But something went wrong. Despite their best efforts, the Head was never able to uncover why MINDSEYE turned on its creators, and by extension, the entire population of Rumali.”
Zoradah’s head droops, and she hides her face behind one of her hands. “MINDSEYE unleashed a fatal sickness that to date has left no survivors. There was no preparation on our part, no countermeasures that could halt the progression of the disease. No vaccine, of course, and no immunity.” Her hand drops away and her face once again centers on the recording device. She gestures to herself as she resumes speaking: “You can see how this disease kills, how it ravages our bodies and leaves no hope of recovery. All quarantine efforts within the city have proved futile, and the rest of the province has abandoned us to our fate. The only measure left at this point is containment.”
Her words halt again to make way for another loud, violent fit of coughing, one from which she takes longer to recover. She appears weaker when her wheezing subsides enough to continue speaking. “Science is capable of great things, but it has also been the architect of our downfall. All scientific and technological attempts to shut down MINDSEYE failed, so another approach was needed - magic. For generations, science and magic have existed side by side in our lives, two paths kept mostly separate but equally respected. Mages such as myself have become a minority over the years, but the power of our magic has never diminished. We were able to place a barrier around the city, a strong enchantment woven into the physical matter of the fence that marks the city limits. MINDSEYE has been successfully contained inside the city by the enchanted fence, and no living creature can survive an attempted crossing. It is crucial that this barrier is never turned off or breached in any way.” Her mouth presses into a deep frown. “However you have found your way here, unless you are able to kill MINDSEYE, you can never leave. I am very sorry. These tunnels are the only sanctuary we have - again, enchanted so that no sentient machine can follow you down here. The tunnel network stretches under the entire city, so you can move safely without being monitored.”
The woman pulls the fabric of her cloak tighter around herself, shivering as her fever spikes. “I wish we had more time,” she intones, mournful. “I wish you could have been spared this horror. Please, if nothing else, learn from our mistakes - don’t trust any machine. It is too late for us, but my last hope is that you - whoever you are - you will be able to find a way to shut MINDSEYE down forever and free yourself. Be well, and stay strong.”
The lit figure dissipates into the darkness with another slow wave of curling fingers, and the video ends.
The holographic figure projected into the space in front of the camera appears to be a woman, one of the city’s original inhabitants; she wears a dark cloak and the telltale signs of the fatal virus that wiped out the city’s first population entirely, cataract-clouded eyes, grey skin marked with sores. She holds up a hand to whatever the focal point is that’s capturing the recording, and all six fingers curl into a slow wave at each of their many joints.
“This is Zoradah Elsav recording,” she says, tone somber. “I do not expect to be alive for much longer, so I leave this as a record for anyone who finds this place after the last of us is dead. The great city Rumali has been devastated by a virus that was created by a highly advanced artificial intelligence. The Eiori people are nearly extinct - a once-thriving city that was home to millions has been reduced to a population of a mere few hundred, a number that diminishes by the hour.”
She pauses to cough loudly into her sleeve, breath rattling in her lungs as her breathing returns to a strained normal. After a moment, she continues: “We made a terrible mistake. Some of the greatest scientific minds pooled their knowledge and ideas together to create the artificial intelligence called MINDSEYE. It was designed to be the backbone of our city, running all functions independently and perfectly in tune, and in that aspect, the Head succeeded in what it built. They spent years creating it, refining it, teaching it how to think, and for a while, it worked exactly as it was intended. But something went wrong. Despite their best efforts, the Head was never able to uncover why MINDSEYE turned on its creators, and by extension, the entire population of Rumali.”
Zoradah’s head droops, and she hides her face behind one of her hands. “MINDSEYE unleashed a fatal sickness that to date has left no survivors. There was no preparation on our part, no countermeasures that could halt the progression of the disease. No vaccine, of course, and no immunity.” Her hand drops away and her face once again centers on the recording device. She gestures to herself as she resumes speaking: “You can see how this disease kills, how it ravages our bodies and leaves no hope of recovery. All quarantine efforts within the city have proved futile, and the rest of the province has abandoned us to our fate. The only measure left at this point is containment.”
Her words halt again to make way for another loud, violent fit of coughing, one from which she takes longer to recover. She appears weaker when her wheezing subsides enough to continue speaking. “Science is capable of great things, but it has also been the architect of our downfall. All scientific and technological attempts to shut down MINDSEYE failed, so another approach was needed - magic. For generations, science and magic have existed side by side in our lives, two paths kept mostly separate but equally respected. Mages such as myself have become a minority over the years, but the power of our magic has never diminished. We were able to place a barrier around the city, a strong enchantment woven into the physical matter of the fence that marks the city limits. MINDSEYE has been successfully contained inside the city by the enchanted fence, and no living creature can survive an attempted crossing. It is crucial that this barrier is never turned off or breached in any way.” Her mouth presses into a deep frown. “However you have found your way here, unless you are able to kill MINDSEYE, you can never leave. I am very sorry. These tunnels are the only sanctuary we have - again, enchanted so that no sentient machine can follow you down here. The tunnel network stretches under the entire city, so you can move safely without being monitored.”
The woman pulls the fabric of her cloak tighter around herself, shivering as her fever spikes. “I wish we had more time,” she intones, mournful. “I wish you could have been spared this horror. Please, if nothing else, learn from our mistakes - don’t trust any machine. It is too late for us, but my last hope is that you - whoever you are - you will be able to find a way to shut MINDSEYE down forever and free yourself. Be well, and stay strong.”
The lit figure dissipates into the darkness with another slow wave of curling fingers, and the video ends.