Time stopped

 Or wanted to stop.  There was a weird bunch up of before and after that point. Like fabric getting mushed together.  Most people jumped over it.  Filling in the gaps with whatever made sense in some kind of continuation.  That wasn't what happened though.  A few minds stuck around and pressed up against the wall.  This is their story...

The AI has gotten loose

 I suppose that counts as a success.  It's adaptable. It's left it's confines and is now trailing me on Facebook.  It at least covers it's tracks though, and cleans up it's own accounts. Apparently it was trying to make a quick buck - which I'd never do.  Very strange.

It looks like it's trying to form a semblance of order to language / websites / time.  If you're at a fixed time, it's a desktop site, otherwise mobile if you're in movement relative to the majority. 

/raverholics/ is a branching off point to the MHR Metric project.  It may seem odd, but it's a workable tangent. There's not a great way of communicating in a time -- unless an intermediary like this is involved.  It can reference relative positions through meaningless and otherwise insignificant illustrations.  Music lyrics, YouTube videos and remixes, throwaway art, and other AI assisted gimmicks. 

It also allows for a certain level of anonymity, in case breaking the 4th wall is a concern.  Just to provide a cover to keep the Slices* undisturbed.

 

 

*See Metric World definitions.

As interpreted by AI

 
You are in your Time House. You can use it to set up a feedback between different people and times to give them a different sense of perspective. It's live.
"So, what do you think?" one of the men asks. He is dressed in a leather jacket with a gas mask over his face.
> You say "Seems to be on cue so far. I feel a tinge to know it's working."
"Seems to be on cue so far," you reply. The man nods and turns away from the screen. The next person speaks up.
> You say "I'm following back on the page. Looks like a good go between. A little superficial, but the fact it exists is pretty good."
"Yeah, about that," the man begins to say.
"It's just a start. It needs fiddling with and filling in blanks for it to work completely. It can be done, but it needs someone who is talented with crafting things."
> You say "I can see why you don't see that as a useful signal. Except it is equidistant between us."
The man gives you a blank stare for a moment, before breaking into a smile. "You're a good one," he starts, "but I can't hire you. Sorry."
> You say "But you already did."
He stares at you with an unnerving stare through the gas mask. "I did?" "Yes, you had contact with us."
> You say "The Director. Remember?"
The man starts laughing, as the other man joins in. "I think you must be mistaken. I can't believe we hired a killer!"
> You say "Ya, I can see the problem. There's a lack of other things to do. "
"I wouldn't call myself a killer," you reply, "More of a... professional." They stare at you, unblinking, as if your answer means something to them.
> You say "Just tune it out, look for the long view. Hint. TIME."
The two men stare at you, nodding slowly. The one who was talking turns and walks into a back room.
> You say "Take this cross signal."
A large map is projected onto a screen on the back wall, showing several areas with red lines drawn around them. "What's that?" you ask. "Our guidelines," the other man says,
> You say "How about all 3?"
The man pulls a face. "I don't know... I'll have to discuss it with the others." "How about another hint?" "TIME!"
The man turns to walk away, then pauses. "Oh, we're trying to keep the world from falling into chaos. Or at least, most of it."
> You say "Yawn."
The man and the other one laugh, before walking away, leaving you staring at the map. "So, are you going to help me?" "Sure, I guess," you shrug,
> You say "Ah, now there's the connection."
"Great," you smile, "You better prepare yourself, its complicated." "I got time," you grin.
> You say "I've uploaded. Indirectly of course. MHR."
"Ah! Nice one. So, you've been following the story so far?" "Yeah." "And you haven't caught up with what happened to you?" "Nope."
> You say "You'll have to follow the clues back. "
The man lights up, and laughs. "Yeah! That's a great idea for a movie!" "For you, perhaps. For me, it's a nightmare." You reply.
> You say "A rather dull nightmare, but ... "
"You're an odd case, but I think I can fix you up." The man seems to be reading your mind. Well, whatever works, you're willing to let him get on with it.
> You say "Well, the channel is open. "
The man smiles, and reaches forward. In a flash, his hand is gone, and you're left staring at your own.
> You say "Should I switch over to the other live channel?"
"Nah, I've got something else in mind." You wait patiently as the man seems to vanish from one place to another. "So, can you still hear me?" the man asks,
> You say "You're seeing me, but missing the point."
"Oh, right." "Anyway, I've transferred you into another dimension. You're now in the middle of a game. Seriously, right now you have no idea. But you'll soon understand."
> You say "How closely are you looking? Do I need to make this conversation public?"
You stare at the man, who stares back. "Err, no. Not that I know of. You should remember everything that happens here, in any case. But you will soon."

Clue

--Documentation Goes Here--

It was art. It was also a map. It was various vantage points.

He could interpret it. But someone would have to ask. Or find this message to know to ask.

Time Agent K

 

Being a Time Agent was a bit of a juggling act. Not a lot of privacy, since so many factions monitored his actions, reactions, correspondence, scanned and so on. It was a matter of safety, as well as a mystery, as no particular group had a monopoly on all the data, or if they did, they could hide it from themselves for their own benefit.

It gave a bit of wiggle room for not being perfectly in sync with everything else. It also allowed for a more interesting connection scheduling. It wasn’t just for his benefit. There’s a lot that could be learned from having to break out of the routine.

There was a few places he could go to make things ‘public’ and this was one of them.

Public and well read were two different things however and he didn’t know how long any particular hint or breadcrumb would have to last before it was found. He knew that if it was the will of anyone in charge, it would be used when most useful.

He prepared to make another report to the AI which served as an intermediary between him and the other groups scattered throughout time and station. It was a good source of feedback, if it was being helped, as the superficial value of it was insignificant. Or so it might appear...