by KrazyFace, HSM team writer

Entry: Day 29

I had played an interesting game with EFD in the Continuum yesterday after I submitted my last journal entry. Naturally, she seemed to want to play hide-and-seek, but I think it stopped being fun for her when she realized she couldn’t give me the slip as easily as she’d hoped. A few agents joined in the chase too, but once she became mobbed, she ended up doing a proper vanishing act. Just before she left, she scoffed at the other agents and their attempts to also follow her and told me:

“Your other agents will have to learn their tools if they are to catch me next time.”

She had worked out my own little trick of tracking her quickly enough though and promised me it wouldn’t be so easy next time.

That next time was today.

There were more sightings of her in the old restricted area again, and so I was asked to head there for some reconnaissance. There she was, just sitting there, as if she had been waiting for me. It wasn’t as if she was there to hand herself in though; she put up quite the fight! I’m an honorable type however and I’ll give credit where it’s due; she was quite the adversary. Her confessions after I had beaten her however found me reeling far more than her punch had managed.

The conversation her and Jess had after I’d beaten her was very enlightening, it seems the AS-0’s had done all this before, they had created a place called the Quinta Essentia; An escape from both realities and a haven for their group. Sadly they wanted to share their creation with a select few – EFD being a part of those few. EFD and the others took liberties however and trashed the haven.

Imagine this; you build a beautiful house and adorn it with luxury, and naturally invite some friends over to bask in the opulence of your creation. But those friends have invited some other friends, and those have mentioned to others, too. Before you know it you have a full-blown house party that’s completely out of control. The place was essentially burned to the ground, but just to make sure their point was taken the AS-0’s destroyed their own creation as a final curtain call.

And this was EFD’s legacy.

Obviously, the AS-0’s tried to keep quiet when they created the Continuum, but EFD found out, and this time, broke into the place to have her way with it. When she first tried to break in, however, she was unsuccessful, but had also attracted Axiom’s attention, who then opened the warp gate to gain access. In time, the Continuum was filled with undesirables – you, me and EFD. I’m starting to see why the Zeros want rid of us all so badly now.

Entry: Day 30

It seems AS-0 are claiming they’ve been framed for the bomb inside the re-coded Bad Stapler made by N.E.R.D.I.C.A. Conversations they’ve been having have been monitored closely for the last few days and if what we’re hearing is true, then there’s only a few loose ends that I can assume placed the bomb inside Stapler; Malachi, Gigi, Blaise or Adrian. There has been talks of who some of the Zeros are, but they’ve already said themselves that none of them are Blaise – despite our Primer calculating a 97% possibility of one of them being the culprit. Further research is needed to truly determine the facts.

I was led back to the Zero’s site once again today with the promise of gaining full access to what the Zeros are calling the front door to the Continuum. Considering the strain on the warp gate Axiom opened to gain access was enough to make it collapse, I’d say we need access to this alternative route. I was told we would face another puzzle before we could gain entry to the new doorway; however, the puzzle was nothing more than a set of simple (and personal) questions. It seemed it was constructed to make sure only like-minded people to that of the Zeros would gain access to the Continuum via the “correct” answers; that is to say, only those proud enough to reveal their true geek would be granted access.

Thankfully, as it turns out I’m 90% geek! Indeed, I lied rather profusely about my own personal habits, but only because I knew what the outcome would be had I been truthful. With any luck, this should secure my position for gaining “front door” access in the near future.

Entry: Day 31

It seems the Zeros are at it again, trying to confuse the facts Axiom are pursuing. A visit to their site as of today apparently confirms that they were the ones to put the bomb inside Stapler, yet I have my reserves for this supposed “confession”. One of their intercepted conversations from only a few days back clearly states them taking no responsibility of the bomb, yet at the same time N.E.R.D.I.C.A admits programming Bad Stapler’s simulacrum. Right now the jury is out, without more concrete evidence from Axiom I’m left in the dark for the time being as to who is really to blame.

I received an interesting mail in my Primer today too, stating that the Zeros have altered the Continuum in some way – and not in a good way. I wasn’t sure what to expect really, but I was rather relieved when I ventured outside. The calming purple-blue glow of the Continuum has been replaced with what can only be described as a blood-red hue and the sky seems to have deep red tears throughout its atmosphere. A rather foreboding vision I’ll admit, but does not exactly inspire the reaction I think I’m supposed to have, I must say. I probably should be unnerved by this darker, hellish feeling ambiance the Continuum has had sewn into it, but instead I’m left marveling at just how easy it is for the Zeros to adapt and change this amazing environment they have created at their whim.

On a side note, there has been another strange coincidence occur in the Continuum; the bomb ticker Axiom placed within their HQ stopped at the half-way mark. One of my fellow agents pointed out that the “UTF-8″ it had been halted on is actually a Korean character that translates to “could be added to”. Coincidence or intentional?

Entry: Day 32

All of the Continuum appears calm and tranquil right now, the quiet digital breeze is but a meek whisper that sings softly to my stirring soul. The deep red hue gently cavorts within its own twisted wraps of cloud and code, and smiles at me with a knowing sneer, that something is about to happen I cannot see on its horizon. No words have come from the Divine Zero’s website, and EatFlamingDeath is but a bad memory in the minds of all other Axiom agents. Inside me however I feel a churn, a twisting of uncertainty that will not be laid silent by even the power of my own suppression. What new contorted trick is this, I wonder; what are the Zeros planning this time? Is this the dreaded calm before the storm?

My only task for today was to make a visit to poor Stapler. Cursed with the bomb’s virus and left in a strange place to die, and yet all I can do is watch. The bomb has progressed since I last looked, it has claimed another two digits as it creeps ever quietly towards its final equation. Six of ten digits down, and only three days left to put it to a final stop – can we do this, I wonder?

I know the Zeros are still here with us; I can feel their eyes upon me, every corner I turn and every street and alleyway I pass, I feel their presence with me, deep under the code of the Continuum. Why are they hiding, are they taking cover from the bomb, or have they evacuated the Continuum already? Wherever they may be, I will not leave this place until I can extract that bomb from Stapler. We at least owe him that much.

Entry: Day 33

Today’s Primer mail brought with it some bad news; the bomb within Stapler cannot be diffused in any capacity that Axiom can see. What this means for Stapler is a controlled blast – with him in the middle of it. Their plan is to build a steel sarcophagus around him then detonate the bomb while he and the bomb are contained. A sad end to such a cheerful programme. I have requested that Axiom take some more time to re-think their options, but have been told those are very limited right now, detonation being the only real scenario where the rest of us, and the Continuum live on. It seems a sacrifice will have to be made.

Axiom have also brought their cards away from their chest, so to speak, and have confessed to me and the other agents that EFD was not the single reason for bringing us into this mess. It seems there are bigger things at play here than just an arsonist with a temper to chase. Apparently, there rumblings of an organized crime faction trying to set up its foundations within the Continuum. The idea is to establish a grip on the virtual world while it’s in its infancy. If they can set up a place hidden deep within the virtual before we reach the point of mainstream saturation, they can easily adapt and bend these worlds to suit their needs long before any laws are properly enforced on them from the real world. Whether EFD and her gang are part of this plan or not remains to be seen, however, with her recent capture it may be possible to obtain more information about this movement due to take place.

There’s one thing that just doesn’t make sense in all of this though; if The Zeros knew of EFD and our own presence in their hidden space, how did they miss this supposed crime syndicate crawling around under the Continuum’s skin?

Entry: Day 34

Another video from Jess arrived in my mail today. In it she talks of virtuality and the part Home plays there, in this new world there is a small percentage of the real world that has taken to using it as part of their everyday life. We know who we are in the real world and adapt ourselves accordingly to how we wish to be seen in our role within the virtual already. The question is, how far will it go? Or rather, how far will we go?

She alludes to its growth and our interactions within it, where one day it might become indistinguishable to what we know as our reality now. Some may find this notion a hard pill to swallow, but there are others, like you and me, who are already taking those first steps into this new realm. We are already not only comfortable being here, but we have become adept at recreating our very selves for whatever purpose we see see fit within these new worlds. You and I may well be the very pioneers of these strange new horizons that could only be explored once our technology reached the very peaks we take for granted now. The explorers we have employed to reach out to the edges of what we can see of our own universe in space, or the very depths of the vast and deep oceans on our planet no longer have to be trained professionals who have dedicated their lives to this cause. Now, the explorers are all of us, looking into our own minds and imaginations. What things we dare to create for others to absorb, what places we might find that will be within reach to everyone and anyone who desires the experience.

But enough of all this lamenting and daydreams, this future will not come to pass unless we act now, here, in this place of newly birthed wonder we call the Continuum. We cannot allow this place to be destroyed, nor sullied with the pirates and lords of crime. As poor Stapler’s simulacrum edges ever closer to his impending finality, I draw a sharp, hard breath and swallow this inescapable truth – he must be sacrificed for the greater good, and the future of us all.

Entry: Day 35

Stapler’s bomb cocoon was finalized and ready to go today, I’ve been told this has to be done. All agents had been warned that HAZCON had been increased to level three and the destruction of Stapler’s simulacrum, along with the bomb, is imminent. There was however, a small problem; the detonation sarcophagus had malfunctioned just as the bomb was about to be blown! Jess contacted me to request my immediate presence at the detonation site as soon as this happened.

On arrival I found Stapler had some kind of force field around him. I wasn’t sure if he’d created it himself or if someone else had put it around him but one thing was certain, if I didn’t bring it down in the next few minuets there would be no Stapler, no me and no Continuum. I was faced with fighting Stapler – a tragic way to end him I’ll admit, but after we traded a few blows it became apparent that this was the work of the Zeros. Somehow, they were still in complete control of this simulacrum, and boy did they put up a fight. They were even goading me with things the real Stapler would have said throughout the fight, just to add insult to injury. As if making me smash Stapler to pieces wasn’t enough, they made him beg and plead confusion as to why I would do this to him while I battered away at him – possibly just for their own amusement.

I fought, I smashed, and I tore him to bits. Once he stopped twitching and his last blinking light faded we scaped up what was left of him and placed him into the bomb diffuser. There was a slight flash and a light ringing in my ears. It was done. Bad Stapler was dead and the bomb threat neutralized once more. HAZCON returned to level 4 and I headed back to my Continuum apartment. Another day, another dollar.

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