chiseler | I'm not calling you a ghost, just stop haunting me [ Week 10, Thursday]

[It's about 8pm when Luke sets plans into action. Initially, he'd kept things between himself, Adam, Grell and Dorian. He hadn't anticipated that Dave would also be contacted by someone from the other side, nor did he anticipate the other things that had happened this week.

It takes a lot of convincing. It takes convincing the others and vouching for Dave, ensuring that no, he's pretty sure Dave isn't an alien and yes he does understand the risks of bringing someone in. But he feels like it's important that they all talk and start to put this puzzle together.

It doesn't hurt that all of them had also explored different sections of the top deck, too.

So it's Thursday evening shortly after dinner that he rounds up the group and tells them to wait in the chapel for him. The doors lock once they're all inside and the lights are low, but at least they can all fit comfortably in here and it's less conspicuous than the viewport. Like on Tuesday, Luke's leading the discussion and he leans back in one of the pews, looking at the other four thoughtfully.]

We are gathered here today because...well, a bunch of dead people are talking to us. [That's about it.] We should compare notes further and see if there's any sort of answer we can come up with. Who wants to go first?

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I spoke to the Bull again this morning. Most of what we discussed was - [hesitating slightly in finding the words to explain this] - of a personal nature. But it's worth noting that I gave Adelina a message to pass on, before she died. A code word of sorts. The Bull was able to repeat it back to me. It's proof of not much at all, I know, but it's something.

[A sigh. It was easier to talk about all of this when he was pretending it wasn't real.]

I should mention, as we're into Thursday evening - if any of our number are suspects, we shouldn't name the meeting. Choose one of our number who isn't a suspect, and say you met with he or she alone.

Another thing. Alice tells me that, if someone were to kill for the motive this week and succeed, the person they raised from the dead would be revived immediately. I hope I don't need to explain the significance. Unless she's rigged the trial, I doubt she'd promise something that she couldn't do, not when it could actually be disproven.

So she's actually promising to revive anyone—not just someone from here, but anyone we choose.

That means it's possible. Sure, it'd take a lot of power to revive everyone who's dead, but she's fully admitting she can do it. They can be saved.

Exactly. If it was a promise to revive someone from home, it would be like any of the other meaningless, impossible to confirm offers she's made.

But someone here - she told me explicitly. I told her if I were to kill, I'd need explicit confirmation my intended pick would be revived after trial and brought here, in case of a fight. [Realizing how that sounds a second too late.] Obviously I'd be mad to really mean to do it. But she'd never risk being exposed as a fraud. It's within her power.

[ Adam doesn't seem bothered by it. He's actually smiling. And considering a little bit if they could manage to let this motive come to fruition, just for the sake of proof. ]

So, ultimately, we have to protect her. She may be off, but she's the best chance we have. Were you able to ask how she'd do it?

I'm not sure, truly. But you're right. Alice is an ally. An unpredictable one, but the Admiral's communication makes it only more clear.

[ He's quiet for a moment. ] I think, after everything we've learned, anyone who continues to show hostility toward the AI should be watched.

[Raising an eyebrow.]

Not a bad sentiment. But are you speaking generally, or have you someone in mind?

Jessie was pretty clear about not trusting the AI when we met about her message. To the point that we met in the captain's quarters because she didn't want her to overhear.

She said that Shelley had specifically told her not to trust her, but we never heard anything of the sort, right? Arumat wasn't happy with her, but nothing like that.

[ There's a pause. ] Of course, anyone who's possessed wouldn't know what the aliens know, but something to consider.

Ah. That is tricky. The Bull never said to trust her, of course. Maybe Shelley really said so. But it certainly stands out.

Whoever speaks to one next, you ought to ask them to ask Shelley to confirm it.

Maybe we should try to gather a list of things to discuss with them for whoever gets a message next. We don't want to waste our connection.

[ raises hand ]

That would be helpful because I am getting the idea here that my questions were like, not as business-y as they could've been.

[ like at least he focused on SO HOW DO I REVIVE YOU rather than entirely on GREEK FOOD!!! but. adam was so much more on point? ]

[He hums to himself, leaning back and staring at the ceiling in thought.]

We just learned a bunch this week. What kind of questions can we draw from that?

What do we define as hostility, however? The anger and hate that's a predictable result of this game? As much as I agree that we should protect her - and I will, with my blood if necessary - it would be difficult to write all who simply mistrust her as potential threats. One can understand that she keeps us alive, keeps this ship running, and still despise what's happened. She told me that she anticipated us to hate her from the very beginning.

[it's not trying to contest Adam - she's sincere in wanting to hear his answer on this.]

Trust me, I understand that. I don't mean simple name-calling, but people who are trying to make plots against the AI or deem her the real enemy are more suspicious.

And obviously, we all know why people would feel that way at all. But the fact is that she's the lesser of the two evils.

... I'm also not sure why keeping an eye on people who show signs of mistrust would be that bad. We have to be aware of everyone, don't we? [ He's valued for his suspicion for a reason. ]

It's not that it's bad - it's that we have to be as discreet as possible. Knowing exactly where we need to look aids us, so that we might conceal instead of accidentally coming off as paranoid.

[because that never worked out for people.]

I know, but we really have nothing else. As far as we're aware, there are no other signs of who's possessed. There's nothing that we can narrow down.

They probably anticipate some sort of trick or bluff to get them to tip their hand, don't they.

They're not stupid. [ So yes. ] The only thing that gets them to react strangely is when one of their own becomes threatened. Rhys and Elizabeth with the poisoned wine, for example

We didn't think anything of it, but maybe we should have.

...threatened, huh? That's not something impossible to pull off.

[someone please stop Grell Sutcliffe.]

[ Nope, he's smiling. ]

It's a bit harder now that people have had time to develop friendships, but they can't be that good.

Why, Adam Parrish, someone would suspect you of plotting with that expression.

If I were, the AI would be here trying to offer some weapons.

No, I'm suggesting.

I'm not calling you a ghost, just stop haunting me [ Week 10, Thursday]

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