>>@SGT | TO: @ALL.

[byhand]

I usually reserve these communications for private networks, but it seems necessity has hastened our meeting. For the safety of myself and my family, I would be of no uncertain gratefulness if you would refer to me as Sargent, and little else. Though I am sure, with time, some of you will come up with more colorful nicknames.

Pleasantries aside; welcome, new faces and old, and I must ask this with all seriousness and kindness: What have you done?

Things are moving at the wrong speed. The prognosticators were not expecting to compensate for such a load. Several droids have begun misfiring, our protochron readouts are gaining sentience, a prophet is missing, and the birds are growing increasingly agitated. This is not the series of events your ancestors knew, much less my progeny.

To put it simply: things are not moving apace. I cannot say for sure if this is your influence, or the influence of an outside power, or perhaps both. And yet:

Mary Wollstonecraft, who was not supposed to enter Paris until next month, is already here.

The King's Trial has not even been proposed by the revolutionary government.

Mirabeau sleeps still in a place of honor.

I will put more work into discovering the source of this snarl in history. But you must be warned: every action you have here changes the lives of untold million not yet born. Tread carefully, for as the poets say: you walk upon dreams.

Comments

un: @MINIMALCAT

[hakanai]

@SGT We don't know enough to know 'what we have done,' or if we have done it at all. Most of the terms you use are unfamiliar to myself and probably many others.

From my observations the COST members I am familiar with have done nothing to make themselves obvious and only followed orders. We've had no grand mistakes according to the information we have been allowed to know, which is something of a miracle considering some of the delightful personalities amongst our number. I've been tracking as many as I can to make sure. Of course, there's always a chance someone decided to sneak off and cause trouble.

Perhaps if you enlighten us more we might be able to take more care. As it is, we can only go with the flow... or perhaps you mean to tell us we should know more, and our lack of knowledge would be strange to you?

un: @DIEDHARD

[mylawn]

@ALL Following orders as they've been given. If the prognosticators are having trouble, are you saying we're flying blind?

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

I've always striven to be delightful; I welcome the compliment.

In any case, I seem to be misunderstood. My fault, I am sure. Chastizing is the dear Commander's job. I am asking. What have you done? An inventory would be preferred; your actions have consequence beyond staying in character, hidden away. A moth's wings are apt to inspire hurricanos, as it's said.

un: CMDR

[byfist]

[ daaaaaaaaaaad. ]

Thank you for the reminder, Sargent.

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

There is, regrettably, always an element of myopism to these operations. We could simply download all the information you needed to know directly into your minds, but how, then, could you be sure we had not downloaded memories either, positive experiences with us? The Regency is known for these tactics. I'll book no charge with them.

We also operate with fewer resources. A Regency mission of this scale would involve some of the best prognosticators in their hallowed halls, with fresh minds harvested from the tanks. We only employ mechanical servitors, and usually one or two is sufficient, but the amount of derivations have been... upsetting them. I have, however, used one of the overheated consoles to keep my tea warm.

[hakanai]

@SGT Delightful and poetic both? I must admit I was talking about my fellow comrades from across time and worlds; most aren't the best suited to delicate work like this, though if you ever find us a battle that involves pointing and charging you're in for a win.

I can detail the Battle of Valmy and the taking of the spy if you'd like a very long report, though I'd be surprised if you haven't spoken to the Commander about that. Paris has been a succession of being praised for being 'heroes' and then many, many riots, whilst several of our number have infiltrated the palace. You are saying the King ought to have been on trial by now?

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

Have you yet taken on a name en français? I await tales of your exploits with breath short.

And don't forget to eat again; your strength is not a commodity to be wasted.

[dorzalta]

>>FROM:@STORMBORN
>>TO:@ALL

We've done exactly as told. There's been little direction provided, save for blending with the armies of Jerusalem and the smallfolk of Paris. When a task requires completion, it is completed.

[ She's cleaning bedpans, you big bear. ]

And now we're to be blamed for things not 'moving apace?'

>>@HAWKWARD

[alsohawkeye]

How do you tell if the changes are caused by things we've done or things the Regency has done? Or is that the whole point of your question?

[mylawn]

I appreciate that.

[Really, he does--if it's true.]

Is it possible the deviations could be originating outside of Paris? If someone is here already who shouldn't be.

[byhand]

@MINIMALCAT And I suppose your comrade, from your home, is so blessed?

Yes, that was my implication. Your file leads me to believe you may not be familiar with this, but the death of the royal family is a pivotal moment in the history of this dimension and time. It must happen just so.

un: @BOARING

[lonelywar]

[As usual, a healthy swathe of this is completely outside Ashitaka's realm of understanding. He's grown accustomed to not spending too much time on that and merely glossing over it, however. (Though, really, what on Earth is a "protochron"?)]

@SGT With more comprehensive information and a clearer understanding of what we are meant to do, perhaps you would not have noticed such problems.

[Usually Ashitaka is not the kind of young man to point to the faults of others for something he has his hands directly in, but... well, let's just say he has a few corrupting influences.]

@SGT You speak of such things as if they were common knowledge. I know not of who these people are or their importance, or if such a trial was to have been suggested. How are we supposed to shape these events into an appropriate shape when we were not given the targeted form?

[Listen... he's got plenty of experience with vague quests (he'd only had "to see with eyes unclouded" to go on in order to save his own life), but at least the conflict between Irontown and the gods of the forest had been something he could understand. All of this was very much outside of that.]

[byfist]

Jean-Marie or Claudia, depending who we are speaking with.

I am perfectly well. [!!! ] You are missing the evolution of restaurant service. Are you quite sure you wouldn't rather be here?

[byhand]

I am glad to hear it, poor fellow-soldier.

That is what I am attempting to assess. I admit I am no great mind for computers; I am a trainer of men, not... mechanical relays. But the readings are clear enough, once they've been translated. Regardless of my ineptitude, it's occasionally unclear. For your safety, we try not to make it too easy for our remote safe-houses to track you down too exactly.

un: @COWBOYBEEPBOOP

[crownless]

>>TO:@ALL

+1 @stormborn
How the hell is this OUR fault? we're following this org's orders - you think we know the ins and outs of the space time continuum or whatever we're dealing with ??
im calling bullshit

un: hawkward

[alsohawkeye]

awwwwwwwwwwwww

[hakanai]

@SGT He's amongst those who aren't at all delicate and would be very good at charging; there aren't many battles where he didn't end up on the front line, which any medical notes you have on him will no doubt tell you. Those scars are a a map of his history.

So yes, he's delightful.

This time and place is completely unknown to me, so I have so far gotten by on very minimal information. I assume this pivotal moment is still fixable, and that the Regency has already been at work here. Can we do more right now, or should we remain quiet until the snarl has been found? I would usually have an idea of what is coming and what to do, but there is not enough fuel for my foresight and no room for my philosophy in this current situation.

[crownless]

[There's something about the Sergeant's attitude that irks him -- of course he's ignorant of the nuances of time travel, of course none of these names ring in even the faintest tones of high school history familiarity -- but tread carefully?]

@SGT maybe this wollstone broad wanted an early vacation
whos to say things are changing for the worse? If things play out MOSTLY like they should arent we still in the clear?
we're just working with what we got
dont blame us for your miscalculations, sarge

[byhand]

Bonjour, Jean-Marie.

I would enjoy that greatly, you know. You will have to keep a very strong record of your involvement here. For my entertainment and edification, of course.

[byhand]

Is this some "meme"?

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

Smallfolk! An interesting new term. I'll add it to the multiversal lexicon.

Time is fickle and fluid, my dear. No fault is found, and I am not here to blame. I do worry at the safety of the masses. If you are not the cause of this chronological dam, who, or daresay what, is?

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

Precisely! You understand, and I am most grateful for it. I was trained for decades to train soldiers, not give public speeches. Retirement has seen fit to twist me from my natural purpose.

Anyroad, it is a difficulty. We do not have the superior technology or equipment in this battle. Hearts and minds, yes, but our prediction software, so to speak, is not nearly so advanced.

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

A fine point, soldier. Were that we could give you all the information you desire. Our enemy does to their soldiers, though they are also fond of implanting false memories and falser loyalties. As such, perhaps we sometimes give you too little information to compensate. The balance is a hard one to strike. Subtlety is not a characteristic I was known for.

Which I suppose is a very grand way of saying: If you have questions, you need only to ask.

@ALL (forever).

[byhand]

Sarge? How charming.

Who, precisely, is to blame for your confusion and our miscalculation is an ongoing mystery. I do admit this is a troubled cell, having been attacked so heavily by data breaches. I should like all of you to have a better understanding of your origins here.

In general, "mostly" is often the best we can do. However, I worry this is something we cannot achieve.

[byfist]

Oh, stop that. You gave me this name. You don't need to have another.


My reports will be thorough as ever.

[ read: thoroughly bland. ]