solnet | EMERGENCY BROADCAST (text)

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EMERGENCY BROADCAST (text)

(All active cellphones sound an alarm briefly during the delivery of this message.)

To: All Users
From: sans.
Subject: (SUBJECT HERE)
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URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: The following is an automated message.

Nature of Emergency: cagey queen left us hanging

PRESS 1 if outside the vicinity of: home If it is safe to do so, follow the prompts to take and send an image of your surroundings to the administrator.

Users in the vicinity of: home are requested to congregate in the: mess hall immediately for: probably a good idea to come save us

Additional Notes:

* sup.
* not much, not much, just hangin' with about 3 new and old friends in this cage dangling precariously above the water.
* can't say i like the conditions either, but the cold and damp doesn't get under my skin. i think i see other cages, tho and, uh, i can't say much for them yet.
* six other occupied cages, with about three in each. hey, it's like those math problems you used to get in school.
* startin' to get a real sinking feeling so if there's anybody out there who ain't locked up, it'd mean a lot to me and over 20 other people if you bailed us out.
* see ya. sans.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's a little like deja vu, except this time around Zuko knows how to use her phone (mostly) and there's no black ooze dripping from the top of the cage.]

Be careful trying to get out. My firebending got redirected.

* that explains the fire i just saw. you ok?
* whaddya mean by redirected? ricocheted off the cage bars?

We're okay.

[Mostly. Rin totally hates her now but that's fine.]

Yeah. I tried to break the cage open. It was like something threw my bending right back at me.

* queen b thought of everything.
* think you can look around, let some of our, uh, boots on the ground know about any landmarks near you?
* trying to pinpoint where we are is kinda tough over here.

[She can't see much either. The cliffs are unremarkable; they could be anywhere on the islands.

Wait.]

I think I see a pillar. That might put us near a bridge.

* yeah? ...welp, i got no idea where we are.
* guess i better leave it to the professionals.
* my phone's blowin' up, keep me posted, ok?

What??

[How can she keep in touch if his phone is exploding? Why is it exploding??

Maybe that's not literal.]

What's happening to your phone don't break it

* uh, it's a joke.
* fuhgeddaboudit.

[ He's getting pretty damn tired. ]

Okay. Hang in there.

[Guaranteed not a joke. She says this without thinking about her word choice at all.]

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justribbing - 2016-10-04 02:36 (UTC) - Expand

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justribbing - 2016-10-04 03:14 (UTC) - Expand

Zuko, remember the additional functions on your phone we went over?

I need you to send me photographs. Of what's around you, and your puzzle.

[Zuko doesn't think the photos are going to be much help but maybe the phone camera can see better than her eyes? Is that a thing? Who knows.

Most of the pictures are just the hazy cliffside and other cages seen through the rain, but from one angle there are a few tall pillars visible. And of course she takes a picture of the puzzle of jumbled letters and the really bad drawing of Papyrus.]

You're not working on your own, are you?

[...Wow.

Well that sure is a puzzle. More important are the photos of her surroundings, and they take the smaller details into account as much as they're able. Alongside the photographs being sent in by others, surely there's enough to pinpoint their location.

There has to be.]

I am currently working alongside Frisk and Masaomi. I will be getting into contact with Colin soon.

All right. Good.

[Look even Zuko acknowledges that Colin's going to be a help here.]

I'll let you know if anything changes.

Please do. Should anyone else ask you, let them know we're currently working on calculating your positions. We'll move out as soon as we are able.

[It doesn't feel soon enough. Not even nearly.]

Is Kizuna with you, or would you like me to go check on her?

I know. [Obviously Sans is one of the people trapped. Chara must be worried, right?] We'll make it through this. She should be with Essei, but I'd appreciate that. Tell her I'm all right, and I'll be back soon.

[Text is really great for pretending you're calmer than you are.]

[Sans and- others. Including herself.

Of course they're worried.]

I will. I humbly request that you do not make a liar of me; I do not wish to be on the bad side of a dragon.

I won't. With you and everyone out there working together - I call that good odds.

[Private - Text]

achievementhunter - 2016-10-09 10:48 (UTC) - Expand

Hey, Zuko.

I'm putting together supply kits for you guys, on the off chance that this is going to take some time.

I trust you to take good stock of your situation. What do you need? Right now, I'm including tarps, blankets, and food.

And from the sound of it, should I include burn ointment in yours?

Some kind of lights. It's dark enough with the storm. If we're here after nightfall the other groups won't be able to see anything. I don't know if everyone is armed. Apparently shadows have started showing up. Ointment is good. I burned Rin. [Their friendship is ruined forever.]

Have you figured out where we are?

Lights, good call. I can probably scrounge together one for each cage.

Weapons are probably a no-go. They'll add weight to the packs, and we're going to have to get creative to get these to you in the first place. I'll see what I can do, but don't count on them.

I'll pack everything I can into these, but space is going to be at a premium.

We're working to figure out where you all are, but it's going to take time. I can triangulate your position easily enough, but getting to you will be another matter.

Edited 2016-10-02 03:33 (UTC)

We'll be warm enough here. I'm more worried about the others.

[If she were alone in the cage, she'd even tell him to prioritize the others, but there's Rin and Steven. They need to get out.]

Make sure you listen to everyone. Someone else could have some good ideas.

I'm trying to listen to everyone, but I need orders from you. Our closest thing to a command structure is in those cages. At best, we've got Ghaleon and Me out here.

We're trying to organize a rescue over here, but we're a lot of people each doing our own thing. We've got a couple of parties forming, but right now, everyone is at best going in the same directions as people they think the same as.

I'm not trying to put pressure on you in an already bad situation, but if you want this done quick, we're gonna need some orders. Or there's going to be a lot of people running around like birds with their heads cut off.

And sorry if this sounds harsh. Tone doesn't carry well in text. I've got confidence in your ability, Zuko. Put it to work.

[Well this is weird.

Zuko reads that about five times to make sure she's not hallucinating. He wants her... to give him orders? He's going to listen to what she tells him?

Okay. Let her think about this for a minute. Good thing this is text.]

I see three priorities. You need to find where we are. We need to get the cages open. And we need to keep everyone alive as long as we're stuck in here. The puzzles in here might be our way out, or they might be a waste of time, but anyone out there who can't help with reaching us should help with that. I think every group has someone with a phone. Once you know where we are, let Chara work out the path here. They'll probably insist on it, and they're good at that sort of thing. You're already on supplies. And probably a Plan B. Do you need me to talk to anyone?

[He could like. hold up the phone. or something??]

[He almost corrects her to let her know that Plan B is a distant memory by this point, but that wouldn't help anything here.]

I've seen that photos are already being taken in those cages? Hopefully that will help with solving those puzzles.

My biggest worry is the keys. If your fire got bounced around, then those cages have some tricks to 'em. Keys may be the only real way out. And if there's keys, I'm worried that they'll be guarded.

I'll be sure to let Chara know.

Lacking tact, sorry. What about the people out here who don't have the brains to work on the puzzles? What do you want them doing?

As for the rest of you, just see if any of you need anything special in the packages I'm putting together? That's all I can think of.

[It's not, but it's the only thing anyone really wants to hear right now.]

[Colin no. The remark about lack of brains has Zuko grimacing. She's been called too stupid for plenty of things, you just don't do that to people, even when it's true.]

The only judgment call you can make about skills is combat abilities. Not brains. You can ask people to help you gather supplies. Don't discourage anyone from helping unless they're being reckless. Check in with the other groups about medical supplies. The cold is probably our biggest concern right now.