('Cause I'm the right one!)

(On my touch-tone, touch-tone telephone...)

[burningm0th]

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[ask-squip-hq]

Yo, General Interest Check

Guy writing the characters here, hello! If you're still here, thanks for sticking around. TLDR life is, how you say, A Lot, and running askblogs isn't working for me right now, as evidenced by the intense hiatus.

That being said! Regarding HRTech and related lore, there are details that have never been written down and ideas I haven't had the chance to expand upon yet. It's a personal project I greatly enjoy playing around with and have for years now.

Is this universe something you would like to see more of? Genuine question, please let me know. I'm thinking about breaking kayfabe and making a blog just to compile the lore itself and talk about it out of character. Is that, or something similar, something people would be interested in?

[ask-squip-hq]

Yo, General Interest Check

Guy writing the characters here, hello! If you're still here, thanks for sticking around. TLDR life is, how you say, A Lot, and running askblogs isn't working for me right now, as evidenced by the intense hiatus.

That being said! Regarding HRTech and related lore, there are details that have never been written down and ideas I haven't had the chance to expand upon yet. It's a personal project I greatly enjoy playing around with and have for years now.

Is this universe something you would like to see more of? Genuine question, please let me know. I'm thinking about breaking kayfabe and making a blog just to compile the lore itself and talk about it out of character. Is that, or something similar, something people would be interested in?

[burningm0th]

[HS] examines the equipment strewn about the lab.

...And all of it looks more expensive than they're used to.

On the one hand, it looks like there's electric microscopes, chemical storage equipment, heating utensils--just the things one might expect in any sort of science lab. It's so standard that they're certain one of these cabinets must contain PPE--goggles, aprons, gloves and the like.

Then there's also the more... mechanical things around the room. [HS] can only imagine the things must serve some insane, specialized series of purposes. Structures of levers and arms and cables, affixed to the tables and powered by hidden sources.

They decide they aren't going to touch those.

Quickly scanning the room again, they're able to discern which counter the person in the coat had taken something from. The space is largely empty save for a few scattered hand tools--tweezers, scalpels, and what looks to be a soldering iron. They're all sat a little ways away from a sizeable built-in sink.

...Wait a moment. It looks like there's something in the sink as well. It's so small, they almost didn't notice it amidst such hulking equipment--a tiny vial, about two centimeters in length, full of something... red.

◇ ...What on earth?

◈ ⪯What?⪰

◇ Found something. Should I--?

◈ ⪯Ah. Eh--hm. I... can't recommend that, no.⪰

◇ What, do you know what it is?

◈ ⪯...Well. Maybe.⪰

What does [HS] do?

◇ Take the vial

◈ Leave it

Voting ended onSep 5, 2024

[burningm0th]

[HS] waits to see if the coast is really clear, at the behest of their Squip.

...And thank goodness they did. Mere moments later the door to the central lab opened once more and the very same person in that trailing white coat came strolling back in, muttering... something.

"--awareness need to be triggered beforehand..? Maybe. Version seven's approach to maintaining the consciousness is significantly different than its predecessors... here we go."

[HS] can only see so much through the grate, but as best they can tell the person in the lab coat trots to the counter at the other end of the room and takes something. Shortly afterwards, the person leaves a second time. And this time, they seem to stay gone for good.

...They find themself reminded of the Squip 'hierarchy' they've heard so much about, the way some units are granted just leagues of authority over others. They shudder.

◇ ...Alright, let's move.

Into the lab they go! While bright in comparison to the ventilation shafts, the room itself is rather dimly lit. Miscellaneous equipment is strewn about, and some sort of computer terminal sits at the far end of the room.

While no longer in as much of a rush--

◈ ⪯--Moving quickly with intent is key here. Where should we start?⪰

What does [HS] do?

◇ Examine the equipment

◈ Attempt connecting to the terminal

Voting ended onSep 3, 2024

[burningm0th]

[HS] continues towards the lab grate, determined to get closer to the action.

...Or whatever theoretical action may lie ahead, that is.

They crawl forwards until another light source reveals itself, and sure enough it's another grate. With the right angle, they're able to see through its openings into the central lab.

And in doing so, [HS] was just in time to witness the end of a white coat trail out of view, followed by the slamming of a door. Their heart skipped a beat or two; that must have been an employee. But now, the lab's been left unattended...

◇ ...Phew. Look, we've got an opening, let's hurry.

◈ ⪯PLEASE hold off for like a second, [HS]. We know somebody else is here now, we should REALLY wait until the coast is clear. What are you going to do if they come back right away?⪰

◇ Er... hide.

◈ ⪯Hide--???⪰

What does [HS] do?

◇ Hurry into the lab and find a hiding spot

◈ Wait and see if the coast really is clear

Voting ended onAug 30, 2024

[burningm0th]

There does seem to be to be a duct system. How are you with tight spaces?

-lsk

This wasn't the first time [HS] had crawled through an air duct to get to where they needed to be.

...Though with any luck, it at least might be their last.

Surveillance is what corporate beasts like HR Tech do best, which makes the probability of successfully sneaking in through the front door basically zero. So in through the air ducts it is.

They wouldn't exactly call themself claustrophobic, but the sight of an accessible exit grate from within the vents was still a welcome one.

◈ ⪯That's going to put you in the hallway. Easy in.⪰

◇ So not an office or anything? We can probably get deeper into the building than that, can't we?

◈ ⪯There's another grate to what appears to be a central lab a little further ahead, but I. Hm. I mean if there are staff here right now, they're more likely to be in a more critical space like that, and we're trying not to get you killed. That's way too risky.⪰

◇ A central lab has got to be a huge lead though. We should be able to assess whatever's going on in there through the grate itself, right? That won't necessarily reveal us...

What does [HS] do?

◇ Continue towards the lab grate

◈ Exit promptly into the hallway

Voting ended onAug 28, 2024

[burningm0th]

Now, i don't think you can see the door, but...

-lsk

◇ ...Right. Here goes nothing.

[burningm0th]

Oh hell yeah! Blueprints! Can we pretty please see them 👀

◈ ⪯Nnnnnnnnoooo. Why would I show them to you people.⪰

⪯...Well okay, right, whatever. If I have them up for reference I guess you can look over my shoulder or whatever it is you do. I doubt I could STOP you.⪰

[burningm0th]

how did you-- i guess unblock?-- the line :O

◈ ⪯Same trick one might use to, theoretically, bother HRTech frequencies. It doesn't always work for long, especially if the head honchos are paying attention, but if you REEEALLY need eyes on data? I've got a strategy of sorts.⪰

⪯Imagine something like a VPN. If I can trick the thoughtless, automatic computer systems into thinking I'm a unit with, say... more clearance than I have, or even just different clearance, then for as long as it takes to wise up I can access things I'm definitely not supposed to.⪰

⪯And I can sure learn things I'm not supposed to as well.⪰

[burningm0th]

cool, send me over those blueprints when you get a chance

-lsk

◈ ⪯Already on it.⪰

⪯Do not get us killed.⪰

[burningm0th]

so, lee, did you manage to distract sutton long enough to actually get some plans going? -lsk

◇ Wh--?

◈ ⪯Oh just in time. Now would you BELIEVE. I managed to crack those office blueprints after all?⪰

◇ --! From the blocked line??

◈ ⪯From the blocked line.⪰

◇ Oh my god, that's fantastic.

[burningm0th]

you walk into hrtech

you see [REDACTED] H. playing minesweeper with his mind

what do you do

◇ Uh--leave the man be, probably! That's--can you... do that with a SQUIP? That's a fun idea, actually. I would love to try that.

[burningm0th]

what are you *up* to, little mothhhhhh

-the Arbiter.

◇ NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE, FRANKLY. I SEEM TO BE DOING LITTLE MORE THAN RESPONDING TO STRANGERS ON THE INTERNET ATTEMPTING TO FRIGHTEN ME THESE DAYS.

[burningm0th]

Moth in a spider's web, perhaps.

- 🕯️

◇ No. No. No you don't. Do not get poetic about my circumstances at me, I swear. The present risk is still both abstract and avoidable. Not perhaps. I am not going to get freaked out about it.

[burningm0th]

my goodness this is the wrong house

Forget everything I said please!!!! That mail was not for you!!!!

Let's see if I do have mail for you though... hmmm...

###### #########... or HS, right right right? I do have one thing for you to hear!!!!

That one lovely woman with a cup of coffee as her signature is currently going "through it" at the moment. Her identity revealed, she's spiraled, spiraled, with the circuits beneath her skin glowing brighter and brighter!!

- 📬

◇ AH... I, UM. I SEE. YES, THIS IS HS.

OH DEAR.

I hope I haven't made things worse for her...

[burningm0th]

ring ring ring!!

Great news from the ants below to the god above, mr. HR! It seems a solution has been found to the trouble with trojans! The plucky RABBIT is scrambling to stop it, but will fail, fail!

Huzzah!

- 📬

◇ ...Uhm--okay! Hello there! I uh.... I think you have the wrong number there--! I don't think this is supposed to be for me! Oh dear!