[2] text

[krangke]

Some things worth noting:

1. You can apparently be brought back to your home world and it's as if you've never left it at all. You can be there for weeks, months at a time and then one day, show back up back here and it's only been a day or so here that you've missed. I don't know if anyone else has had this experience before.

It is unpleasant.

2. I went into the tunnels to see if they were anything like the Maze I know of back in my world. There's two interesting things worth noting. The rock inside of the tunnel is different than out in the main area. Not sure if anyone's noticed this yet. It's strange.

But there's something stranger that we found in the tunnels. Deep inside, a ways in, there was a burnt computer chip. Totally useless but it was stranger than the formations almost.

That's about it. I figured it's more valuable to pool our information together rather than hog it to myself. Not going to find any answers that way. In my opinion, if there's tunnels and tunnels made out of different rock then that's got to mean there must be some sort of way out of here. Or at least another place to be found. I didn't explore the entirety of the tunnels and I don't really want to but it is possible.

If you do, run fast, take weapons, and try to remember everything. Back in the Maze, we'd send people in and they'd come back at the end of the day and record the route they took on a piece of paper.

Maybe that wouldn't be a bad place to start. It helped us figure the Maze in the end. Maybe the tunnels will be the same.

Comments

[text]

[vendetta]

[ Miller would never, ever say no to extra information, and this Newt has plenty of it. The facts about the tunnels are interesting, no doubt about that, but he's not exactly a good candidate for exploring them himself given his physical limitations.

Those first points, though... ]

You're saying you returned home, lived there for months, and then got brought back here all over again? I guess the gods were completely full of it when they said there was no way to send us home.

[text]

[krangke]

(Newt tries his best to be a constant source of reliable information. Even if in this case it's mostly experiences. But in this world, those two things go pretty hand in hand it seems.)

Yeah. I couldn't tell you the exact amount of time I was back but it was for a month and a couple days, weeks? Either way, an extended period of time. And it's like nothing back home changed at all. I didn't even remember Hadriel when I went back home.

I'm pretty sure they're full of it on lots of things. Including being gods but that's not a very popular opinion around here.

Besides, that's kind of stupid to believe, isn't it? If someone can send you somewhere then they can send you somewhere else.

[text]

[vendetta]

You didn't remember? So everything just came back to you when you returned here?

I don't necessarily believe they're gods either, but we have to call them something. Their story was that one of their kind that hasn't been revived yet knew the trick to sending us back, but clearly they were just stalling.

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[werewolfing]

do you remember enough to make a map?

[yes he's sitting right there in the same room. what of it?]

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[krangke]

(...............Okay fine he'll humor you, Peter.)

Yes. That was a big part of being a runner. I already drew it out.

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[werewolfing]

[good newt. the point is sharing with the audience.]

wasn't sure if that happened while i was sleeping or not.

anyway, it'd give people a point of comparison and a place to start if they want to go cave running.

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[64th]

that happened to me, before here. Except it was the other way, I was missing for a week but it felt a day to me.

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[krangke]

Before here? What do you mean?

I guess time is displaced when it comes to what

world jumping?

(That sounds so stupid.)

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[64th]

when i was at the hotel, I went home and died and when I came back everyone said I'd been missing for days.

[ who needs details, right? ]

[Voice]

[mercurialize]

[He doesn't try responding or using the device until he has at least some inkling of what it does and how it's used. Unfortunately, he's still working out the kinks and his hand covers the part recording his voice. It makes his words sound distant and foggy, at best. He'll catch on though, eventually.]

Maybe it isn't the tunnels we should be looking into. They might just be a distraction from a real exit.

[Voice]

[krangke]

Then what do you suggest?

(Newt somehow manages to sound both sincerely curious and sarcastic at the same time. Mostly, he just sounds tired though.)

Seeing as we actually found something in the tunnels, it's hard to want to look elsewhere for the time being. Though I guess it wouldn't hurt to divide group effort into two places at once. But we kind of need a lead first.

[text]

[mismanagement]

I'd like to add your information to the map I've been working on, if I could.

[text]

[krangke]

(Color Newt impressed.)

You've started a map? Yeah, I can send you what I drew up.

(Not that it's particularly detailed yet- as they only went the one time, but it's drawn out well and he sends it along. There's two red dots and one green dot on the drawing in three separate locations.)

The red is where we encountered monsters but the green is where we found the computer chip.

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[quaerit]

[ Oh, Gansey likes how this boy thinks. This is exactly what he wants; ideas, forward thinking. He hasn't been here long, but he's really not keen on staying. He has to get himself and his friends home. He's absolutely ready for any plan that services that goal. ]

I've not lost time, so far as I'm aware, but I was sent away and returned without memories of my previous tenure. As I'm sure you can imagine, that's not pleasant. The Door's operation seems chaotic, which I suppose is better than imagining it's obeying someone's will. I don't honestly think it's surprising that you've been displaced in time. We already know the Door moves us through space, and time is the other side of that coin. If it can manage one, it can manage the other.

Regarding these tunnels, I'd be wary of jumping to conclusions about the differences between rocks. You'll get rock that's older, that's true, but logically speaking you'd also get different stone appearing at different depths. And that's assuming the cave system here follows the sort of pattern we'd see on Earth, and it may not.

Regardless, it's definitely worth exploring, so all caveats aside, I'd like to join this hunt.

[ And that, really, is what he's been building up to. He likes this boy's plan; it seems solid and workable, and it's clear they'll not move forward if they don't explore what's around them. ]

Why were you in a maze, by the way? It doesn't sound as though it was by choice.

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[krangke]

(Similarly, Newt automatically decides that he likes how this boy thinks. Newt's a relatively natural puzzle solver. It's nice to see someone putting an equal amount of effort into this- whatever this all is.

Personally, Newt's fine with staying. He just wants to know more about what he's dealing with. Being in the dark is something he rather hates.)

Apparently I was here before as well. You're the first person I've met that's also shared that experience. Memory loss is a lot more familiar to me though than whatever I just went through. It felt more like a....glitch. I'd say that the Door functions in controlled chaos. It consistently brings in people from other worlds at the beginning of each month. But what it brings is the chaotic part.

We don't know that for certain- though it's a good theory and one I can back. If there's anything at all to know about this sort of situation- it's not to trust what's right in front of your face. I try to keep an open mind.

(That doesn't always work. He still doesn't believe there's any magic or gods here.)

Jumping to conclusions is our only bet right now. Geographically speaking, this entire place doesn't really scream 'earth'. The architecture alone suggests alien life form. I'm not trusting this place to work completely like earth does. I'm taking my chances on taking those different rock formations as a lead. You are right. Strata doesn't always mean anything but unless we actually break apart some rock and check it out more thoroughly...

(Which is a lot more work than Newt has energy for lately. There is a reason he's recommending other people do this whole expedition.)

I wouldn't offer up so casually. The tunnels are dangerous. If you're new here then you haven't seen the monsters. Do you know how to fight? Are you fast?

(Newt's not being a jerk. He just doesn't believe in spilling blood unnecessarily. He's cautious and protective- even of complete strangers.)

It was for an extended experiment. The Maze was considered a Trial in a series of Trials to induce stress in order to study brain patterns. An organization was attempting to find a cure for a disease that plagued my world, a disease that was directly relevant to stress levels, and we were its lab rats. "Choice" is a word I've only recently been acquainted with to put it lightly.

(Yeah he really is gonna be that blunt about his past. The Maze really isn't a secret for him nor are any of its details.)

[morphinum]

oh my I see you've met the town's local blonde kissass

sup, kid. I'm johanna and cashmere is right about something for once. I chucked that axe right into her chest. bam clean shot toppled straight into the water

fuck if I know why she's here now because if you saw all that blood you'd know that she was as dead as democracy

[krangke]

(For a moment, Newt doesn't really know how to respond. But it isn't the first time he's dealt with difficult kids around his own age. Probably wouldn't even be the last.

He'll go the blunt route.)

I had a bullet go through my brain so I'm fairly certain I was "dead as democracy" too. Can't figure out what I'm doing back either.

Guess this place is full of mysteries huh.

Johanna. I'm Newt.

(He'll hold back on the 'nice to meet you' just for the moment. Thing is he remembers Cashmere telling him that she was technically in an arena filled with kids fighting to the death. Doesn't really know where the morale in killing each other falls into their world.)

text.

[thebigredog]

[cliff actually spends a really long time glaring at his phone and newt's message over the network before finally responding, tapping out the letters almost angrily.]

ugh. fine. i can help.

text.

[krangke]

(Newt spends a really long time staring at his phone and kind of just.

Sighing.)

Gee thanks. So glad for the enthusiastic volunteer. Do you know how to fight? Those tunnels aren't exactly empty.

(He's not about to encourage reckless bloodshed, see.)

text.

[hedgings]

What information is there on the gods?

text.

[krangke]

(Newt is strategical enough that the bluntness doesn't annoy him but rather makes him glad for it. It's easy to answer.)

I'm relatively new but here's everything I've learned so far or at least have gathered from others. I can't assure you any of this as factual but it's all I've got:

1. They require a source of emotional energy from us. Hope, Rage, Fear. Not really sure how that works.

2. They can influence this world ie; bringing in people from different worlds, sending them back to their worlds, trapping people under ground, and a variety of other things I haven't had personal experience with yet.

3. They can give us things in exchange for something from us. Like you could go and ask for a dog in exchange for- I don't know. Something. I haven't actually done it yet.

4. Apparently they're trying to revive another god. Not really sure what that's all about.

5. Sometimes they reward you for doing certain tasks. We just had a hunting mission for monsters and if you made kills, you received random items. Some useful, some useless.

That's about it for me, sadly. I'm trying to figure more out though. Are you new?

[text]

[attagirl]

[ pretty thorough, and also incredibly useful. huh. axton - well, skims over it, if we're going to be honest here, but he's appreciative all the same. ]

Sounds like you've been here for a while.

[text]

[krangke]

(That's how Newt works. He could have been more thorough but he had mercy. He's got a map and everything, see.)

Not quite. I've only been here for almost a little over a month I want to say? I'm just not into sitting around doing nothing in a weird situation like this.

Did you just get here?

[Text]

[amos_moses]

All very enlightening, thanks!

I've spoken a little with Hope, and I'm familiar with pagan pantheons, magic, and monsters. I'm not sure how much of what I know would be useful, as a lot of the myths I know weren't particular true at home, either.

As far as exploring, I and the new birds can help you with that, a little. They're not was good at seeing in the dark as some, but they're quicker than us and can avoid the monsters better.

Wouldn't be the first time I've drawn a map from an animal's view.

[Text]

[krangke]

You're welcome.

I've absolutely no experience with magic. Monsters, yes, but the kind I always knew were technologically based. I feel like it's similar but at the same time - not.

The new birds? The jabberjays?

Animal-eye view I've found can be extremely useful.

(He knows two boys who can turn into wolves at this point. It kind of leaves him wondering idly but both those boys were private about their gift. Well. There's other ways to ask.)

Are you good with animals or something?