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

[zodiac_brave]

When Ramza spoke, it was quiet. "I saw it. The shades in the garden..." Ramza didn't think they were trapped spirits so much as echoes of Heroes past. But it was clear Kaji thought they were more than that.

"I think they would dislike you belittling what they did. They risked their lives to try to save the world. They deserve our respect for their bravery."

"We can try to talk to the Avatars. It may be different this time. Shakyamuni wanted to talk to us before. She spoke, and sent us home safely from the rift. It could happen a second time."

[iknowtheconsequences]

"You saw!?" Color Kaji surprised. He slowly holds his hands out in a placating manner. "Look, I don't want to belittle what they did, the exact opposite, really."

Better start this train of thought from the beginning. "Ib was there. I can talk up a storm, but I don't know if I can frame the argument 'please don't destroy our worlds' any better than she can. Go there. Yes. But. We need something more than just an argument. And I don't even mean a fight, either."

Kaji pulls a cigarette from his pocket, but just fidgets with it, makes no move to light it, or he knows Zelda would ninja out from thin air and extinguish it. "That whole scene, it's played out over and over again in my nightmares. And the little girl, that guardian there? She wanted to help us. She was helping Ib. I don't think she needed to be convinced to not destroy the world."

[zodiac_brave]

Ramza shook his head. "I did not see their attempts. Only their shadows, in the garden. I am sorry." He knew Kaji cared for Ib. Seeing her like that, even separated by thousands of years, would have been painful.

He tried to think of how best to voice his thoughts. "We have an an ally, or at least an envoy, in the girl. Maybe she could help us understand what the Calamity needs to survive. What precisely it feeds on. Because...it is fighting to survive just as we are, and so it will fight just as fiercely as we do. But if there is a way it can sustain itself without destroying everything, perhaps it can change its course."