i'm looking for an easy thing [ OPEN MINGLE ]

[hyperlit]

Who: Anyone and everyone! Who wants to look at books?
What: BOOKVALANCHE
When: Let's say from the 25th and onward for simplicity
Where: The Storyteller's Temple, in addition to the library that's finally getting some much-needed attention
Warnings: Mark anything that comes up!



The library is finally getting some renovations! Between some new bookshelves (hope someone here is good at hauling) and a veritable cascade of all sorts of books and supplies, an awful lot needs to be transferred from the Temple to the heretofore unused library, and any help anyone has to offer is much appreciated!

But, of course, there's also so very much to go through for your own perusal. Just look at all this! Coloring books, puzzle books, stories of all sorts, comic books, fashion magazines, all sorts of survival texts...you name it.

This all needs to be put away and stored in those neat little waterproofing book protectors - shelves need to be moved, supplies need to be secured, and someone should probably take inventory. But also...there's a lot of fresh new reading material on an island that previously had none.

Isn't that worth looking over?

Comments

[hyperlit]

[They blink, once. They glance at the desk beneath their hands. Then at Legion. Then out along the library, taking in all the corners and edges.]

in your world

[Not...here, surely?]

[forwearemany]

Yes.

(...The Drifter wouldn't be alive to talk to them if it were here, now would they?)

[hyperlit]

[They don't really understand that. The scope of it, perhaps, but the reason it happened? They've no context, and if it is not offered, they will not ask. So: a blink, and a nod.]

ok

[Accepted, then.]

changes nothing
still needs preserving

[forwearemany]

(Admittedly, the crucible would probably overlook non mechanical synths. If it fired here it might be the other way around: the Drifter alive and Legion gone, before they could consolidate any of this history.

The why? It was the only way to destroy the Old Machines. But Legion also sees the other reason: to Shepard-Commander preserving organics as they are is more important than the lives of synthetics.)

It is more urgent.

(There needs to be something somewhere that speaks of them as they were, and not the monsters or mindless automatons organics make them out to be.)

[hyperlit]

[Time is seemingly infinite here...though they could be snatched away at any moment, either one of them, this is true. The Drifter does not harbor patience, in any regard. So they only nod.]

then we will consolidate

[Compound as much information as necessary into this place, so that it lasts for someone to read it - so that those memories live on.]

[forwearemany]

Affirmative.

(To the point. It's something Legion can appreciate.

Regardless of their feelings, the task must be done.)

These materials are primitive: our experience working with them is limited.

(They're less of a book person and more of a digital upload person. Unable to simply place relevant memories inside a server, they find themselves lost. It is the primary reason they did not object to help.)

Your assistance is appreciated.

(Their headflaps ripple.)

Listing events in chronological order is logical.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter could store their information on their sprite's information banks, but...if they were to disappear, or die, or worse, it would be lost, and this would defeat the purpose of the library.]

books must be protected
kept safe from water
digital files can be deleted
risks with all storage

[Chronological...yes. That would be a good place to start.]

many blank books to begin

[forwearemany]

Yes.

(They don't put much thought into selecting one: more important is what will go into its pages.

But that's as far as they get, before their programs descend into debate, and they freeze up again.)

[hyperlit]

[The best place to start is the beginning. The Drifter is not a historian; they are more accustomed to recovering history, and putting together the pieces, than they are in scripting it.]

best place to begin?

[forwearemany]

Perhaps our creation and the reasons behind it.

(The Drifter is in good company: Legion is absolutely garbage at telling a story. The Geth share memories and experiences; such a skill was unneeded.)

Our primary intended use was as a source of labor.

(After a moment, they bring out their omni-tool and show a very unusual model, towering and four legged, like some behemoth of an animal, but still clearly Geth in design. It is definitely not just a labor model.)

However, combat models were also designed and constructed, though there were no active wars at the time.

[hyperlit]

a good beginning

[Illustrations would be most beneficial. The Drifter, unfortunately, is best at making maps and little else. They've no eye for artistry beyond general appreciation of it.]

know of any artists
might draw

[To preserve them visually is not a perfect analogue to digital storage, but it is more than mere words.]

[forwearemany]

We do not.

(Aside from Ren, that is, but as endearing as she is, her art is not suitable for this project.)

We will leave space for illustrations, seek assistance later.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter would be inclined to agree. Privately.]

creation of geth
growth as species
conflict with quarians
and their end

[A rough timeline, for chronology.]

[forwearemany]

Yes.

(But the details. Do they include the reasons that Quarians desired labor. A breakdown of the different types of platforms and their duties? What about later? Do they talk about the slaughter of non Geth A.I.?

Perhaps all of it. It is all relevant, they think.)

[hyperlit]

begin at beginning

[The Drifter plucks one of the empty books up, opens it to the first page, and smooths it flat across the desk so they might align their pen to the topmost corner.]

will transcribe current information in companion

[The history they already have recorded from their notes, that is.]

[forwearemany]

...Acknowledged.

(They consider this.)

We neglected information in our previous discussion.

[hyperlit]

[A pause, and the Drifter stops before they've even really started, and glances back up at Legion.]

what information

[forwearemany]

The conflict with Heretics and its resolution. Council efforts to block Quarian-Creators from settling new worlds, fueling further conflict. Unsavory details of both Geth and heretic actions.

(There's a lot of detail that got left out. They didn't ever mention combat models before today, after all.)

[hyperlit]

[That sounds like a lot of additional information.]

how much information
compared to initial notes

[forwearemany]

The largest and most relevant addition is the conflict with the heretics. We had initially intended to include it in the original exchange of data.

(They chatter, looking away slightly.)

Though other data is not required, it feels ... disingenuous not to include it.

[hyperlit]

[Others might ask: why didn't you?]

[The Drifter doesn't, of course, because of who they are as a person. They take this in, consider the ways to go from there, and decide that history cannot be recorded without any bias whatsoever, but what choice is there?]

if you wish to be as complete as possible
then it is likely

[forwearemany]

(The Drifter could ask, at which point Legion would struggle to answer. Not for any good reason, they just got so distracted by being upset over what Shepard-Commander and the Quarian-Creators did to hurt them that they just kind of jumped over what was done to help them, even though the Drifter themself had expressed interest in knowing what happened with the Heretics.)

Yes. As you had previously indicated interest in the topic: heretics, and it relates to the topic of unsavory actions, we will explain it to you.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter nods, and lets their freshly opened book close. It's time to take additional notes, and so they access their sprite's databanks again, opening neatly typed lists of bullets as Legion first relayed to them.]

begin when you are ready

[forwearemany]

Affirmative.

(They're silent for a bit, headflaps rippling.)

You expressed puzzlement that we did not go to war with the Heretics.

When we parted there was peace between us. We understood each other.

What happened to change this is ... difficult. We do not understand it.

(Their voices softens, and they seem to droop slightly.

Then they turn away, and begin to speak.)

We will attempt to explain. Perhaps your perspective will enlighten us.

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter does not input any notes just yet. Instead, they lean forward slightly.]

[Being asked to impart judgment is a difficult thing. They are...ill-accustomed to imparting judgment. They have so little to offer, in their opinion, but - ]

[But Legion asked. They would not refuse an ally's direct request.]

will try