Transmission 002 - What's to Come?

It's been a long time since I've last posted... Or had the time, or willingness to post, for that matter. Things have gone a bit... haywire, I'm sure you've noticed.

As for me, personally, they didn't seem to mind much when I told them I thought I was crazy... As the previous hacked tapings may have indicated. That was a bit strange, I can tell you... But I don't know, I've considered myself unstable for a while, and maybe, just maybe, the sanity's kicking back in. As if the end of the Truce weren't a harsh enough reality check...

I've also started a new... eh, line of work, shall we say? My operator Wanzer and I have dedicated ourselves to the elimination of the Cypherite threat by any means possible, which largely includes the use of sabotage and murder in the Real. That seems to be the only true and permanent way of stopping them. Not that I don't take a particular enjoyment in it. A few of our records of these events can be found here.

Anyhow, as a result of this "work" we ended up aboard a Cypherite ship when all hell broke loose, and we heard it first hand when "they found it". What a day.

I'm still unable to comprehend how some people justify the Machines' ending the Truce. They say that it was done in order to keep us from circumventing the Truce (which, in my mind, means start up a war) so, basically, it's a war waged on pretenses - false or not, we'll never know. I still don't see how a city, even with defenses is cause enough for those pretenses, but I guess it doesn't matter much.

They'll think what they'll think, and what they think is war. But it's also said quite a bit more to me, and that is that they never really envisioned a true, lasting peace. They always planned on exerting an immeasureable amount of control, and never wished to promote any freedom of any sort, god forbid one that quesitoned their control.

And when I think about it, that's the kind of peace I've always been striving for. Equality, freedom, happiness, and, of course, peace from attack. But really, it seems like they view humanity as inferior beings, well, as if Wednesday's incident of a bluepill being killed for the purpose of tracking Zion extraction teams wasn't enough evidence...

You know, it's funny to me, on that subject, that I've always heard Machinists clamoring that the Machines were entirely about protecting the bluepill population, and that Zion endangers them, puts them in harm's way. But really, who's harm? The Machine is harm, that's who.

Who pulls the trigger? The Machine, not us. If a bluepill dies on extraction, I'd severely doubt it was a Zionite at fault. And yet they blame us for continuing to offer the choice. They use it as an excuse to justify the killings. They claim that it's all "for the greater good". And it's a load of shit, because to achieve this "greater good" all they need to do is either:

A: Stop attacking extractions.
B: Get the Architect to say the word and call off the war.

War over, bluepills out of danger, et cetera. I really just don't see what's so complicated about it.

But I'm sure they do, for whatever convoluted reason. We'll just have to keep fighting the fight, and doing what we think is right, regardless of interference. We've got a tool that'll help keep us safe while we do what we've always done, and we've got just a little bit more time than previously...

I pray we make it out alive.

'Cause if we don't, I'll have to do some pretty terrible things to make sure that someone does.

Captain's Journal 002 - A Last Word On Psychology

Recording has begun.

Tomorrow's the big day. I suppose I should elaborate, should this journal ever really need to remind me of anything - the day of my Psychological Evaluation.

A sigh is heard.

I suppose I'd say I've been worried. Yeah, that sounds about right... Why? I couldn't tell you. Maybe I really believed I'd hit the wall for a while. Maybe I did hit the wall for a while.

Laughter is heard.

I don't think that's beyond belief. Command's been overloading me with paperwork, and they haven't lessened their expectations of my operations in the Matrix. I guess that's for the best, anyhow. I would complain if they started telling me to stay out of the Matrix to focus on paperwork. Maybe that would've broken me more. Yeah, come to think of it, it probably would have.

Quiet laughter is heard.

Anyway... I guess I did have a bit of a mental breakdown. Albeit a quiet one. I made a few quick decisions, but now that I've thought about it, I don't think they were uncalled for. What I think they'll really be worried about is the way I doubted my direction with Zion. And I make no mistake that they've heard about that. But it's not as if I've tried to hide it.

I do my best to be an honest man - I won't pretend that I didn't have my doubts.

But it's funny, really. I've always believed that by doubting, by challenging one's own faith, that if it survives the doubt, then it becomes that much stronger, that much more a part of the one who challenges it to begin with. After all, you've got to have a lot of faith to call it into question to begin with, don't you? And when it survives, well, I guess there's at least a good number of questions out there which you've got answers to.

An almost inaudible chuckle can be heard. (Sound Technician review pending)

I amused myself today. Probably something I shouldn't aim to do before a Psychological review, but I did it anyway.

I said "Zion needs me."

Following another quick laugh, a sigh is heard.

If I'm pending review, I suppose that's hardly my call to make. But I guess it was at that point that I realized that I'd overcome my doubts, made my decisions, and had come to realize that I'd done things correctly. That through it all, perhaps the fact that they'd been pushing me so hard proved that I was an asset.

Until a week or two ago, I'd been hoping for discharge from active duty, retirement to an intelligence position within Command or something. Now...

I can't do it. I won't. I pray that they'll find me fit for active duty and leave me my ship. Because otherwise...

There is a slight pause before speaking resumes.

Reposco approached me yesterday. He'd read one of the transmissions I'd made to Data Node One during the breakdown period, where I was basically begging for reassignment. I told him about the situation - the pending evaluation, as I said, I'm quite honest about most things. And this is hardly anything highly classified.

He's a nice guy, you know. Wished me luck and told me that if was found insane by Zion, E Pluribus Neo would probably think otherwise.

Laughter is heard.

I didn't know what to think about that at the immediate moment, but it was a nice offer, really. EPN's just not my cup of tea. Never have been, ever since their inception. Zeissman had approached me with a similar offer far earlier in his career. The both of them are fantastic individuals, truly dedicated to their cause.

It's a shame they didn't stay with us.

And here I am talking about "us" and "we" referring to Zion. And while I may be speaking in a rather roundabout fashion, likely another thing which isn't too good to do before a major Psychological evaluation, I've come to realize that I consider myself a part of Zion.

Crisis of faith over? I'd like to believe so, but I suppose that's ultimately in the hands of my Psychologists.

Here's to you, Saltpillar, there will be no looking back.

Recording has finished.

Captain's Journal 001 - Psychology

I found out a couple of days ago that Command was pulling me in for a Psych Eval, and I hadn’t jacked-in until today. I suppose that was for the best anyway. On both accounts, I mean. I realized that I’d had a small mental break of some kind when I decided to part ways with the Kings, and Command’s still been stacking paperwork in front of me.

I mean, I suppose they must have taken it as a sign to see me completely discharge my crew, rename the ship, and take off, right? It was a sudden decision, I guess. And sudden decisions get the attention of Psychologists.

Maybe they’ll write it off as some sort of midlife crisis, hah. They couldn’t have upped the life expectancy of a Zion Operative so soon after the Truce, anyway, so I’d guess 22 is as good an age for a “midlife” as any.

But to be honest, I’m not so certain I completely understand it myself. There are points and issues I remind myself of which give me enough of a picture to rationalize the decision a bit. I mean, there was a time when we were right on the same wavelength. I couldn’t have been in a better situation, and, of course, I celebrate my long-standing relationship with the Kings. I remain very good friends with all of them, and they are a fine bunch of people.

But at some point, I think we split off in direction. The Kings became a little too independent for me. And that Morpheus sim… Well, I think it exposed a direction I’d never seen in them before. A direction I didn’t believe in. And as much as I wanted to stay, it was something I just couldn’t do. I refuse to fight for a cause I don’t believe in, and that’s what it had become.

So I guess I’ll have to explain that whole thing to Command. Maybe they’ll understand that explanation. Maybe I ought to omit that little bit about not completely understanding it. That might make me sound a bit crazier than I am.

It sure as hell hasn’t helped any that I’ve had to keep up with the paperwork they send me, though. They’re all such stupid questions, too. And the important ones… Well, I’m starting to believe that they don’t even listen to what I have to say. If they do listen, it remains to be seen.
They lightened up the load a bit after I finally quit putting it off, which, in hindsight, I realize was a sign that they’d be calling me in sometime soon. But it has been a bit of a relief. I have a little more time to myself, to think, to reflect, to make sense of things, and even for a little R&R in the Matrix apart from my operations.

That’s about all for today, I guess. We’ll just have to see where this all ends up, and I’ll be crossing my fingers for a positive verdict. And if it’s not? Well, I’ll have to see where my ship takes me, then…

Transmission 001 - Morpheus Is Dead

(Picture taken 6/5 in First United Church in Sobra Shores)

It's about time everyone mustered up the courage to admit it - Morpheus is dead. He died a long time ago when, as the Oracle would say, "he found a new purpose".

Many would tell you that a man is defined by his purpose and I believe that in this situation, it holds true. As such, Morpheus, the one who awakened Neo, taught him, worked with him, and was his friend, died when he discovered his new purpose, as he forgot all about his old one.

He forgot about Neo.

He shook off the peace Neo brokered and started setting off code bombs in an attempt to secure his remains. That's not a way to honor his sacrifice; his purpose, it's a way of desecrating his memory.

I hear many within E Pluribus Neo shouting out that Neo asked for peace absolute, and it should be known that Morpheus did not abide by peace absolute. As much as he was a great man, when he found his new purpose, he became the antithesis of peace absolute. He became his own worst enemy, the one who once guided, trained, and believed in Neo now opposed his beliefs and wishes, whether he knew it, or yet knows it, or not.

Morpheus is dead. Choose to honor Neo, not to dishonor him.

Story: 6/5 Thanks to a Contact's Work, the Imposter is Rooted Out

On June Sixth in the Second Year of Neo's Truce, Zion operatives received a list from Rylet by way of a code specialist friend of our exile contact Korigann. The specialist found the list in a microchip contained within the simulacra skin flakes left at a known location of the one behind the false "Nabonidus Beacon" Morpheus sightings.

Said list contained fifteen locations throughout the Mega City, though most of the locations were within a short distance at least one other point. Additionally, five locations were found to be crossed off before we even got our hands on the list.

In the afternoon, Tyndall sent out a broadcast to all available Zion operatives to meet with Rylet at Club Avalon for further instruction and information on the list. After a few moments, Rylet confirmed that the list was a list of safehouse locations used by the man behind the false Morpheus sightings, and informed operatives that the man behind the sightings was broadcasting his signal within the Matrix, and that command needed operatives to analyze his RSI by scanning him with a data tap.

Within minutes, the man, who appeared to be Morpheus, was found and analyzed at First United Church in Sobra Shores, where Zion operatives congregated about him to ask questions.

However, the imposter Morpheus was hardly vocal, and spoke only short, harsh statements including "It's all just a matter of time" and "You will not stop me" as he attempted to exit the church while redpills blockaded the doors.

Eventually, "Morpheus" managed to elude redpill pursuit throughout Westview, and Zion met back at the church for a brief discussion regarding the situation, while theories abounded, and EPN operatives, and some Zion operatives, too, still seemed to have confidence that this Morpheus could be genuine.

Thanks to a scan by Draggy, the truth will be known soon enough, as the RSI will be isolated at command and tracked directly in the Matrix, much as the Nabonidus Beacons were tracked during the end of their usage.

Stay vigilant for this "Morpheus", Zion, he is a threat, and must be cornered and taken into custody for questioning.

Transmission 000 - A Forewarning

Some thoughts here may disturb you. Others may anger you, provoke you, entice you, confuse you, confound you, embolden you, enlighten you.

That is my goal, at least.

I have set up this communications relay as a way of "learning by teaching" - I will share my opinion on one subject, without reservation, and I ask that you act in kind and do the same. There is no greater honor than to have an intellectual dispute - a conflict of ideals or philosophies - so long as the idea is what is being challenged, and not the man behind it.

As such, there is only thing I ask of anyone who reads or replies to this relay, and that is that there be no personal attacks. Such a thing benefits no one, and I will not tolerate it on this channel.

Aside from that one rule, the rest is fair game. Let's hope we both learn a little.