ever since you’ve been my ace of hearts -

[uprisenheart]

WHO: Open to all Dualizens
WHAT: A heart-to-heart with the Heart
WHERE: A run-down warehouse on the outskirts of town.
WHEN: Sept. 21-22
WARNINGS: Please use these in comment subject lines if applicable!



Random text messages happen sometimes, though maybe not as often in Dualis as where you’re from. But there’s one today, and this one comes to your inbox from the number 432-78, which is definitely not a standard phone number. If you open it, there’s an image file, one you likely recognize - an anatomical heart. You’ll need to zoom in on the image a bit, because there’s a short message written along one of the veins, and it’s very small: LET’S TALK.

Below the image is a shortlink, and if you click it, you’ll be taken to a page that is blank except for one of those “Prove you’re not a robot!” messages with a box to check. Once checked, a series of six images appears - five are cartoon hearts, and the sixth is the same anatomical heart illustration that led you to this page. The instructions to pass through this virtual gate are to “Click on the Heart,” and choosing any image except the anatomical illustration redirects to an error message that bricks your phone until you perform a hard reboot.

Choosing the correct image takes you to a page of strange clusters of colored dots. If you look closely (and aren’t color blind), you’ll be able to read the real message: TOMORROW, AT SUNSET and a set of coordinates. A blinking banner scrolls along the top of the page and warns THIS MESSAGE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 10 MINUTES, and the 10 counts down after one minute to 9, then 8, and so on. It’s probably a good idea to write this information down somewhere else!

The inbox message also deletes itself 10 minutes after it’s been opened. All unopened messages are auto-erased 12 hours after the original sent timestamp.

If you happen to be interested in following this rabbit down the rabbit hole, plug in those coordinates on your phone’s Dualis GPS app, and you’ll be directed to a run-down, empty warehouse on the outskirts of town. Be sure to take the time estimate to get there into consideration!

The warehouse is mostly dark inside, lit only by sparse flickering overhead lights; it’s dusty, empty except for the people gathered. When the sunlight outside has all but disappeared behind the horizon, a burst of loud electrical humming echoes through the warehouse, and the lights shut off. All electronic devices inside the perimeter of the warehouse have also been disabled, albeit temporarily.

Comments

[aleifr]

Aleifr, for his part, had taken the more pedestrian route of the front door, and he'd done so with his knife belted around his waist. Needless to say, he didn't trust one damned bit of any of this. He didn't trust the Heart or their motives, and he didn't trust that this whole thing wasn't some sort of trap ... but this was the first chance he was going to have to actually see the Heart. To hear what they have to say, take the measure of them when he can look them in they eye, and maybe get some slightly greater understanding of what in the hell is going on in this city.

Too much potential upside to simply ignore, in his mind.

So he came, albeit with the expectation that this would turn into a fight. The warehouse certainly looked like an ideal place for an ambush. Secluded, lots dark corners where people could hide ... made him even more uneasy with the whole thing than he already was and set his eyes wandering, searching for any sign of treachery. The ground seemed to be clear aside from the other residents of Dualis that had been called here, but the ceiling was raised high and was crossed with support beams, and so he looked up ...

And wasn't exactly sure what it was he'd found when he did.

Blonde hair, some sort of cloak ... whoever it was looked small, but he didn't have a good enough angle to make any more than that out.

[ichoosefight]

The Heart, these mysterious cloaked people, are all pretty unreactive so far. Steph watches the crowd for reactions too. Nobody seems to be buying into this, at least, not yet. Probably that's wise.

She spots Aleifr looking up at her and raises her eyebrows. She's impressed he thought to look up. She smiles and shifts to get more comfortable. She'll be keeping a distance until she's certain there's no threat.

[aleifr]

Comes with the territory when you come from a planet where everything is trying to kill you.

Of course, having the wherewithal to look up doesn't mean that he has any idea what it is he's looking at -- which he doesn't at first. Then the figure shifts, and while there's still a good deal of shadow obscuring their form, the motion sets them off from the backdrop of the ceiling enough that he can make out the shape of them -- or her, as the case seems to be.

The smile, though, is what gives it away. He knows that smile, enough if he's not sure what in the fuck it's owner is doing.

So, eyes still fixed on her, he slowly retrieves his phone from his pocket, and sends Steph a fairly simple message:

are you in the damn ceiling?

[ichoosefight]

In any other circumstance she would ignore it, but she's been through this rigamarole before. They're in an alternate universe. Who cares about her secret identity? So she checks the phone, fully aware that he can see her checking it. Her answer is short:

🦇

[aleifr]

He doesn't answer immediately. Just looks at the unfamiliar symbol, then back up to her.

well done. don't know what the fuck that is, but well done.

[ichoosefight]

I live to confuse.

She leaves it at that for a time, until the Heart has made their speeches. Soon enough she's texting him again.

What do you think of our mysterious friends?

[aleifr]

Don't know. Wouldn't be surprised if they're right, but not sure how I feel about THEM.

[ichoosefight]

I think they're novices. Better not to agree to anything just yet.

[aleifr]

Agreed. They don't inspire confidence. I think they don't know what they're doing, and that's why they need us.

[ichoosefight]

We'll have to see how well they take advice. They seem surprised we aren't throwing ourselves at their feet.

[aleifr]

seem to think that they're the only ones clever enough to have seen the writing on the wall.

[The vaguely annoyed sarcasm is palpable even through text.]

[ichoosefight]

to think I was worried this might be a trap

they don't seem smart enough to set one

[aleifr]

Could just be a shit one.

[ichoosefight]

they can't keep this party going long if they want to avoid official attention. I'd say they've got ten minutes tops to close it.

[aleifr]

then they'd better hurry the fuck up and tell us something we don't already know.

end here?

[ichoosefight]

no kidding.