Hidden Truth [Log]

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

What: A log for everyone to gain the information in the Hidden Truth video tape.
Where: The Observatory.

There had been a flurry of letters sent out from Jack and Chiaki, first to Zelda to ask to borrow the Observatory, and then to every Hero of Light, alerting them that they had uncovered some intelligence received in the Heran Empire before the Capital had fallen to Crystal, and that everyone needed to see it immediately.

Jack, Chiaki, and a few others brought in a screen connected to a machine that some would recognize as a VCR. "With our peace mission to the Imperial Capital over Christmas, we returned with a recording made on 20th-century Earth technology, the kind that doesn't have an analogue on Crystallis. It took us time to build a machine to be able to play it. This information comes from Kalki, recorded what appears to be years ago. We obtained it from the Imperial Spy, Jenni. As of right now, we still have no reason to believe that Kalki is alive. But this comes from her, and I apologize to everyone who might be upset by seeing her again."

With that, Jack plays the recording. He stands by the screen and repeats the words for everyone to hear, for those who cannot understand English. Since Kalki's first words are to explain why she is recording it this way, it makes sense why he has to do this. He keeps his own emotions in check throughout, until the explanation of the Bard song that everyone gets to hear. That seems to upset Jack.

Once the recording is over, Jack pauses. "We will need some help from any other English speakers to create a written transcript of the recording so that anyone can access this information at any time. The tape and player will remain here for any Heroes to review. We ask that you please be careful with the machine."

Finally, Jack sits down to let the room descend into the inevitable chaos.

Comments

[dancingbaronet]

Zack chuckled, thankful he had broken the somber mood somewhat and Tear felt better about it. "Yeah, punching out. 2002 was a very odd year."

He nodded and said, "Considering how everyone has differing abilities, powers and hardiness, we could find a solution somewhere."

Re: Tazendra | OTA

[fearlessherosheart]

"Oh, no doubt!" Tazendra said. "But this world has powerful magic, though we are not adept in its uses yet."

Tazendra | OTA

[mindofathief]

"Mmm," Duster hummed to himself and leaned back into his seat. His friends from home wielded powerful spells that he never got the grasp of. The islands were protected by a sort of powerful magic he didn't get, and this world...was just the same.

"What about our Crystals? Those are connected to our powers, and we're Heroes meant to save this world, right?"

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza shook his head. "The cycle does not solve the problem. It only places the burden on the Heroes of the future. We can no longer shirk our responsibility to protect this world."

He sighed. "I do not know precisely what it wants. That is why we must speak with it, to learn more. But we must have something that interests it, else it would not have reached out to learn more."

Re: Nanami | OTA

[umslay]

Ales let out a short breath that sounded like a laugh. "Then it looks like we have a new target to focus on. Better to get rid of someone who wants the world to be destroyed than to let him make things worse."

[wickedone]

Albel's eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips. Jack's quick answer annoyed him. Still, the Time Travel Man usually had a point, and Albel tried to give him the benefit of the doubt rather than outright insulting him. Maybe no one did have the right to take the power and responsibility of divinity. Maybe no one person could be trusted with it. Maybe not even Terra.

"So something else is causing the Calamity? And that's what we need to stop?" he asked. It wasn't a bad idea, exactly... But...

"Do we have time for that right now? If that's true, then of course we must stop the true cause -- but if the Calamity is progressing too quickly, then we'll have to find a way to at least slow it reliably."

[neverfirstclass]

"Well they'll be able to lend a hand with it at the ranch. I know a little bit about it but I'm a bit more trained with caring for the adult birds." Cloud frowned as he stroked his chin. "I think the first thing would be to figure out who the Sire was. That way you can figure out what to expect from the chick. Some birds are better at digging and some at running. Knowing their lineage can help with figuring out care so you can bring out their best."

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena was quiet for a moment. "Sometimes not doing anything at all is tougher than you might imagine, Twilight." Especially for someone who wants to get out there and do something. Sighing, she nodded.

"I was one of the ones who argued to not push the button. It was for a barrier that no one knew anything about. I opted to not turn the barrier off because if it was the one thing that kept the Calamity at bay, then the tower is the only place with the answers." She tilted her head. "Did whoever tell you this also tell you the previous Heroes left us a note wishing us better luck than them? That they hoped we find the answer?"

Shaking her head, Sheena met her friend's gaze. "Twilight, if it were you, would you have wanted to risk losing what is possibly the only source of information we have?"

[damn_juicebox]

Rukia wasn't too concerned with the parent of the chick. Whether it dug or run well, she intended to love the little ball of feathers, and train it to be a fine bird no matter what its talents might be.

"Perhaps," she inclined her head. "How long do you think it will take before the egg hatches? I would like to be present when it happens, if possible." Because she couldn't imagine anything more cute in all the world, unless rabbits were somehow involved.

Re: Nanami | OTA

[nomorecowbell]

"That... yeah. Why would you even want that?" Nanami said. "It's even your world, not someone else's. And it's not like you can go somewhere else."

Re: Nanami | OTA

[umslay]

"I never understood those types of bad guys. Villains who want to conquer the world for glory or power, yes, but destroy? What's even the point?" He sighed. "But if he's the Avatar of the Calamity, he doesn't care what happens to this world as longa s it serves a purpose to Narayana. It only sees us as an expendable resource."

[not_most_days]

If she had actually asked that of Mary she would have commented that she looked rather good for her age and never seemed a day over 50 at least. The punch she'd get for it would be worth it.

"No. It's good to know we have a plan, such as it is. But there's no promise it would go exactly as she said either. We're better off holding that in our pocket while we keep on investigating." Mary drifted closer as they walked along, slipping her hand into Saori's.

"It's alright. I've been....distracted lately as well. Frustrated. At all of this. I'm glad I have you here to keep me anchored though." She was silent for a beat before glancing over to look Saori in the eye, "What's on your mind?"

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud thought back to that brief encounter, and as he did the memory came back with all the emotion of the moment. Chuckling, he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I had tried to approach him sneakily but he saw right through my lies. He didn't even seem surprised about who I was or that I was from the future. If anything he seemed annoyed at me for doing it."

Cloud looked at the floor as he thought about that day. He could have approached him directly. Or at least tried to push the point further instead of letting him walk away....not that there was much he could have done to stop him, he was sure.

"So it was just that, really; that he wouldn't be the same person in our time. I think he was trying to tell me that I shouldn't try to give him any sympathy. Or not to expect any from him. He was resigned to it."

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud sighed and looked at the ceiling. He admired Ramza's idealism but sometimes he wondered how he could hold it up in the face of everything they had to deal with.

"You're right about the cycles. We need to do something about it or it's just going to keep going or get worse." His eyes followed a small crack for a moment longer before he looked back to Ramza. "When you want to try, count me in. I want to hear what it has to say myself."

[neverfirstclass]

"Hmmm, depends really but chocobos tend to hatch quickly. I'd have to see it to make a real guess. We should go to the ranch after we're done here and check it out." And if he couldn't figure it out he was sure someone there could.

(ooc: I have no clue how long they take in this game but in FF7 and Type-0 it's like...instant, so that's not realistic. FF11 was 4 Earth days....which also equates to about 100 Vana'dielian days but that time measurement was always wonky, and I think is actually a bit too long for birds, even large ones.)

Re: Tazendra | OTA

[fearlessherosheart]

"That was my thought exactly. But, we do not understand all the uses of such things yet. They are different from the way the natives use the Crystals and the Job system. We, for instance, may equip two Jobs and change our Jobs, with the assistance of our Moogles."

Re: Nanami | OTA

[nomorecowbell]

"Why would you follow something like that, though?"

Nanami | OTA

[umslay]

Ales didn't answer at first. He wanted to say that the leader was charismatic, that the cultists needed someone to follow. If he were younger, he might have listened to someone with lofty goals.

"Because." He searched for an explanation. "They don't know any better."

[mindofathief]

"And with that sort of magic, we can figure out a way..." This was all to confusing. Duster was used to being told the plan and following it through, not leading the charge. "...I need to think this over. There's gotta be a way to get into the Rift."

[zodiac_brave]

"Once I figure out how to get back to the rift, I will call a meeting," he promised Cloud. It was stupidly optimistic, he knew, but he knew no other way to be. If he abandoned hope, he feared he would lose what drove him to do what he thought was right.

"I am glad we are in agreement. I think it will take many voices to be heard by the avatars, not just one Hero."

[neverfirstclass]

"That makes sense....I just don't want us to lose anyone if we try to go to the rift again. That's what happened....that time, right?" His had a worried look on his face but quickly forced it aside.

"You're right though. If this works it would take more than just a few of us."

[zodiac_brave]

"I...think so?" Ramza was still uncertain about the whole affair with the Rift and the girl they had spoken with there. But he had a feeling she knew more than she had been willing to part with before. The plan was flimsy at best, and likely more dangerous than it was worth, but it was the only way Ramza figured they even had a chance.

"Well, we certainly cannot give up searching for some sort of solution. But we can do it, all of us together." Without doing something like 'becoming a God' or destroying all of existence.

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud was more referring to the incident in the lab with the crystal creatures that had killed Sephiroth and Vincent. He didn't know everything about what was going on there and what caused it felt like a simple jump of logic to put the two points together based on what he remembered seeing.

That was of course assuming any of the vision can be trusted.

But he had faith in Ramza, and he gave the other Hero a tight smile and a short nod. There wasn't much more to be said on the matter without them going around in circles.

[fearlessherosheart]

"There is... a suggestion. In the lab of Palitutu," Tazendra said. "I do not believe it is being pursued, however, due to the danger. "

Which made Tazendra think. While she ran towards danger in most cases, this was not because of any death wish, but because she wanted to test herself against whatever caused it. She'd dealt with dangerous magic before, but it meant showing actual caution. All the more because it wouldn't merely kill her, but risk others. "I wonder..."

Re: Nanami | OTA

[nomorecowbell]

"Oh, you mean they think he doesn't mean it, or that they'll go to some better, new world after they destroy this one" That was the sort of thing Nanami could understand. Put that way, it didn't sound that different than what End of the World promised the Student Council.