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

[red_planet_blues]

[Sparks watches this whole thing with one mighty frown on his face, one that gets mightier as it goes on. A few muttered comments about the ancient technology gets snuck in there at some point, too, but he keeps anything loud until it's all over.]

So. Uh. Remind me why I trust anything that lady says, again?

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

"There's trust and then there's trust. She certainly believes what she's saying." Jack sighs and leans his head back to roll his whole head around in a show of frustration. "And I'd trust that song works without testing it out. She's the type of person to make a Scorched Earth solution."

Jack leans forwards, letting his chair settle onto all four feet with a thunk. "But that Temple. Even she's admitting she doesn't know what's in there."

[red_planet_blues]

"Oh, I'm sure she believes what she's sayin'. But that don't make it right."

Sparks folded his arms sharply. Getting him on Kalki's side was going to be tough.

"Besides, even if she is right somehow - would you trust anyone in this group to become a god?"

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

"Only one person in all of time and space I'd trust with that kind of power, and she's not here. So nope."

"It's not right. Anybody tries to go through with that plan, and they know they'll have the rest of us stopping them. Same thing with the Bard song. I feel a little dumb for picking Bard up, any of those Jobs we got from the Empire. What other tricks does she have hiding for us? It's infuriating."

"But it's out of the damn question."

[red_planet_blues]

"So are we gonna bother listenin' to her? Or are we gonna try out own plans? Whatever they are."

Granted, it's not like he has much more in the way of ideas, but at least it wasn't attempting to become a god.

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

"Funny you should ask that, because one of those alternate plans probably involves you." Jack looks at the Marshal seriously, eyebrows raised in an appraising manner.

"Temple of the Heroes of Light, whatever's waiting in there, you can't get in without mastery of the Onion Knight job, according to the people who went to Mysidia," Jack nods in Rukia's vague direction.

"You're one of the most powerful people in the room. If I had'ta bet money on it, I'd guess on you, Zelda, Ramza, Cloud, and that ten year-old as being the closest."

[red_planet_blues]

Sparks wouldn't turn down the compliment of being one of the strongest guys around. Appealing to his ego seems to get him to loosen up a little.

"Uh, well, I am comin' up on completed Job number 6, true. I'd be further along if I, um, hadn't gotten used to the idea of havin' my own airship around." He'd been quite fond of Sky Pirate.

"Gonna be me one of the XP orbs. See if I can't hurry the process along a little."

[not_most_days]

[Kidd glances sideways at Sparks, but there's sympathy behind her eyes. Not just for the woman on the screen but for Sparks having to deal with all of this. Also a bit of agreement with the muttered comments about ancient races.]

I don't think she's lying here. She knew she wasn't long for this world and had nothing to gain from it. Still, I'm not sure she's in control of all she's saying. If she's an avatar of the Calamity it may have been using her as a puppet without her realizing.

[She said as much in the video. She didn't know what aspect of the Calamity she represented.]

[red_planet_blues]

Sounds like even less reason to trust her.

Let me be straight: I ain't sayin' she doesn't believe what she's telling us. Bit that don't mean I trust her. She ain't proved herself to be a paragon of virtue. I'd been to that lab.

[There's really nothing Kalki can do to redeem herself fully in his eyes after that.]

[not_most_days]

Aye, I know I was there too. [She slips her own cleared crystal from her pocket, just showing it off before putting it away.] The woman has my pity, but that doesn't mean that she's cleared of her crimes.

[Kidd is about to turn away when something else occurs to her.]

Speaking of labs, that talk of the Rift reminded me. Wasn't that something that lead to the disaster in the lab in that vision?