Network Post

[dreamtamer]

Date: [June 9]
Characters: Thom, Anyone 
[Thom's Number]

---

[It opens with some carefully drawn letters that are just barely recognizable as Japanese. For anyone who can read them, the phrase reads "No Data".]

Can anyone read what this says? There's this weird device that just kind of showed up, and this is on all the screens.

Also, I kind of remembered something else. Gizmo did too, and he's really upset about it.

Comments

[channingchanningchanning]

Where is Gizmo now?

[He'll come over and help! He's mentoring the younger dog, after all!]

[dreamtamer]

I'm teaching him how to draw!

[channingchanningchanning]

So you're at home? I'll come over!

[As a dog this time. He's sure a large household like Thom and Gizmo's would have clothes in a pinch if he has to change into human form. He might not have fully understood the idea of gendered clothing on humans. Or fit.]

[dreamtamer]

That's right! We're both in the living room right now. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you.

[Because Gizmo was still upset and Thom didn't know how to fix it. ]

[channingchanningchanning]

Not too long after, there's barking outside the door leading out into the garden. SENPAI TO THE RESCUE!

[dreamtamer]

Thom laughs at the sound and runs over to let the other dog inside.

[channingchanningchanning]

Chad shoots inside, and once he finds Gizmo nudges him with his head. Hello, hello!

[dreamtamer]

Gizmo immediately cheers up when the other dog arrives and happily barks at him.

[channingchanningchanning]

"What happened? Are you okay?" He heard things, of course. But he wants the story from Gizmo, in person, with all the details that just get lost otherwise.

Also that way maybe Gizmo can make more sense of it for himself, too.

[dreamtamer]

"There was a mouse! And then I remembered a scary thing!" He had calmed significantly since the echo had returned, but he was still upset over the entire thing.

[channingchanningchanning]

"The mouse made you remember a scary thing? Was the thing about mice?"

With the stuff that's been going around it could have been a giant mouse trying to eat Gizmo in the memory, who knows!

[dreamtamer]

"No! A mouse dream would have been much better. We were in a park, and there were red things all around, and a scarier thing that made the trees die! And it said some things to Thom and made his head hurt. And then we ran and it chased us and all the plants died!"

[channingchanningchanning]

Gizmo will get some more sempai cuddles, because that sounds indeed very unpleasant. A completely different kind of unpleasant from Chad's memories, and one that he'd honestly prefer; but nonetheless scary, especially for a kid as young as Gizmo.

"Why did the plants die?"

[dreamtamer]

Gizmo appreciates the sempai cuddles. It had been a terrible experience for a young dog.

"I don't know. Everywhere the scary thing went, plants died around it."

[channingchanningchanning]

"And it wasn't on fire?"

Maybe the memory will get a bit less scary if Gizmo can understand it.

[dreamtamer]

"No! It was a very bad thing, but it wasn't on fire! The trees died but they didn't burn."

Gizmo was struggling to find a way to describe what he'd seen.

[channingchanningchanning]

"Poison, then?" He's watched enough TV in his sentient life that he has a much better grasp on what that is than a dog ought to have. "Sometimes things are poisonous and kill you if you lick or eat or drink them. And sometimes even the air is poisonous and can kill you if you breathe it in, or even if it just touches you. When you can't smell poison they call it radiation."

[dreamtamer]

And now the dog had something new to be alarmed about. Good job calming him down, Chad.

"The bad thing was doing that? It hurt the park!What if Thom was hurt too?"

[channingchanningchanning]

"Well, he is fine now. So he cannot have gotten hurt too badly."

Quite evidently. Be logical, Gizmo. "And you're fine, too."

[dreamtamer]

"But what if its something we can't see? How do you protect humans from bad air?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

No idea, but it's Japanese, I think. So somebody around he should be able to.

What did you remember?

[dreamtamer]

Thanks! That helps. Do you know anyone who can read Japanese?

It was strange. I was holding some cards, like from a game. And then one of them glowed and turned blue. I swiped the card through some kind of card reader, and then the card reader glowed and changed shape. And then the device showed up for real!

[scarsolderthanyou]

Well, I know Benjiro speaks it. Try asking him.

So this thing you're showing us is the card reader in your vision?

[dreamtamer]

Thanks!

Mmm, I think so. Well, not the card reader but the thing it turned into. It has buttons on it, and I tried pressing them. But it shows the same thing on every screen, so I can't really figure out what it does.

[scarsolderthanyou]

It might be looking for some kind of network that we don't have here. Maybe that says "no signal" like a phone would.

[dreamtamer]

If it needs something we don't have here, I wonder if I'll ever find out what it does?

[voice]

[spaghettimonster]

I can't read that... but I know someone else who can, probably.

They won't respond to any messages here, though. Is there another way I can contact you, and put you in touch?

Re: [voice]

[dreamtamer]

That's okay! I just found someone who could read it. It says no data.

[spaghettimonster]

...Does it seem like a mobile? I found one that didn't have service, either.

[dreamtamer]

It doesn't really look like a phone.

[Here Thom adds a quick simple drawing of this.]

[spaghettimonster]

[Russell takes a moment to study it.]

A... decorative smart watch?

[dreamtamer]

No, it's bigger than that. About the size of my hand.

[spaghettimonster]

I have no idea what that is.

...Which probably means, it's another found object.

[Considering a memory an 'echo' makes sense, but an actual physical object doesn't seem like an echo so much as a thing that just found its way here.]

[dreamtamer]

But I don't remember losing it?

[spaghettimonster]

Huh? Wait, no, not one of those lost and returned objects.

I mean to say... I found a strange phone, with pictures that, uh, resemble a few of the memories. That kind of 'found'.

[dreamtamer]

Oh! So you think these really did come from those strange memories?

[spaghettimonster]

I mean. It's strange, it appeared suddenly... Just makes sense, doesn't it?

[Text]

[iamnotgod]

[Fortunately, Benjiro is not the only Numbered who can read Japanese now - it's an independent project from having learned All The Japanese on his birthday, but deciphering Thom's scribbles is not outside of Walter's scope of abilities.]

It says 'No Data.'

It may be like the phone Russell received - inasmuch as it's technology that doesn't work here.

[More immediately at hand, though:]

What were you doing when you received the memories?

Re: [Text]

[dreamtamer]

I guess that means I won't be able to figure out what it does. [He was a little disappointed, but at least it still looked cool.]

Oh! There was some kind of mouse under the couch. I was trying to make friends with it, but Gizmo barked and it scared him.

Re: [Text]

[iamnotgod]

More Echoes could clarify things, but that would also mean more Echoes in the first place.

[The phrase 'punishment is its own reward' comes to mind.

Aaaand Thom just confirmed something Walter was thinking about due to discussion with Russell.]

Could Gizmo say what the mouse smelled like, or was it otherwise an ordinary mouse?

Re: [Text]

[dreamtamer]

I haven't really minded any of the echoes I've gotten so far, but Gizmo was really upset about what he remembered.

He doesn't know. What does an ordinary mouse smell like?

Re: [Text]

[iamnotgod]

That one I couldn't answer for him.

Has he encountered a mouse before?

[After the rabbits, perhaps he shouldn't take Gizmo's knowledge of any one animal for granted.]

Re: [Text]

[dreamtamer]

I don't think so? He's mostly been interested in squirrels.

Re: [Text]

[iamnotgod]

If he starts finding other mice, he might develop an aversion to them.

Watch out for that.

Re: [Text]

[dreamtamer]

What does aversion mean?

Re: [Text]

[iamnotgod]

To prefer to avoid.

Re: [Text]

[dreamtamer]

So... if he sees other mice he'll start avoiding them?

Re: [Text]

[iamnotgod]

That's the assumption, though it's more of a worst-case scenario out of all the possibilities.