Act 2 - Zinc's Tapes¶
(Tape 79)¶
(9/14/1539) (5AU)
"Hey, Zinc here. Surveillance officer of The Underground. I swear, John, "The Underground" sounds much better than "The Resistance." Not so on the nose. Uh- Anyway, Log 79. It's Nevmont tevfor, 5AU. 5AU... It's been five years since we got our butts handed to us with a side of our friends, and the fifth anniversary of my position. It's 10:40pm, so it's time for my nightly check-in. To Amethyst, no signs of CU29 yet. Shelia and I have been scanning the market since you asked. We'll keep an eye out, though. Normal fluctuations of wolfpacks. They still like to stick to the main streets. We can probably get by through the side streets, instead of alleys only. Would have to check in with Josh. He's the Chief strategy officer, after all.
What's that, Shelia?
...I Have to go."
(Click!)
(Tape 80)¶
(9/15/1539) (5AU)
"Zinc here. Log 80. Last night gave us quite a mess to clean up. A supply run got caught. All that was left was a fine white ash in the air. So, scratch immediately any idea of using side streets. Supply run only got caught because they took a shortcut.
(Sigh.)
Lukas and Lapis' families have been notified personally. It was only their seventh run. It's a shame. They were so eager to go out as a team.
Wolfpack movements normal. Well, now. They took a bit of a detour down Emerald street, where they found Lukas and Lapis. But took the usual route back to Cabin Square. Still no sign of CU29. Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 81)¶
(9/16/1539) (5AU)
("-And here?")
("That's the corner of Green and Thorium.")
"Zinc reporting. Amethyst is visiting. She wanted to see for herself what we're dealing with. Still no sign of CU29. But Amethyst's still optimistic. And I am too. I know him. He's out there somewhere. Heck, the guy ate a penny, and his dad was in the military. He knows his way around a focus sword. Anyway, wolfpack movements normal. They swept a side street. Timmothy street. Make sure to tell Josh that. They're keeping an eye on the side streets now. The runs need to be more careful going forward."
("Who's that?")
("Lady, do you honestly think that I-")
"Hey. Shelia. Amethyst is your superior."
("Ahem, I don't know, ma'am.")
("That's ok. It's not him anyway.")
"Anyways, that's about all. Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 82)¶
(9/17/1539) (5AU)
"Eyyyy! It's Zinc, back atcha for log 82, with another episode of What Did the Replica Kni Do With My Brother, I'm Lonely! In this episode we reveal we have no idea! But we can infer some theories. In other news, no CU29 sightings. Wolfpack movements normal. And we found out that realmspace rifts...don't work. Like, I don't know what's going on, if the focus is just not being performed right, or how long this has been happening, but even Saul can't open one, and that's suspicious. Guy graduated from an advanced focus college only to fail to open a rift. It isn't right. Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 83)¶
(9/18/1539) (5AU)
"Zinc again, this time it's log 83. Wolfpack movements normal. They found a few kni out after dark. What a waste. Shelia, do you-"
"mmyessir"
"You're drunk."
"what about my drunk?"
"Why did you even-"
"HEY I FOUND HIM!"
"WHAT"
"that's what it'll sound like when someone finds him."
"Dangit, Shelia, if you weren't my cousin-"
"you know, i don't know if we'll ever find copper."
"ANYWAYS, Shelia's disorderly conduct aside-"
"disorderly conduct! have you ever known me to conduct disorderlyly?"
"Wolfpack movements normal. No CU29 sightings. Have to find out who the kni were who died. And Shelia?"
"mmmm?"
"Go home for the night."
(Click!)
(Tape 84)¶
(9/19/1539) (5AU)
"The Resistance, presenting Zinc! Chief Surveillance Officer! This is log number 84!"
"Zinc, please!"
"Shelia, do you have the names of the kni that were claimed yesterday?"
"Zinc, I have enough headache for five kni."
"That's fine, but we only need three!"
"Uhhhggggg...Sulfur, Garreth, and Jade."
"I'll have to look them up and see if they have any family. Anyway, Best of luck to you, Shelia!"
"Hhhhhhggggg..."
"Always the optimist!"
...
"Anyways, back to business. I have to send those kni' families a visit. They weren't a run, but they were ones of us regardless. The Wolfpacks seem to spread out now. They take peeks down side streets. It's not as safe there anymore. Guess we stick to the alleys and underground. No sighting of CU29. Not right now, I hope. Also, Shelia has a hangover from yesterday, and I'm having a concerning amount of fun messing with her. Zinc out."
...
"SHELIA!!"
"AAAHHHHHHH-"
(Click!)
(Tape 85)¶
(9/20/1539) (5AU)
"Zinc. Log 85.
Who am I recording these for?
Josh is...gone. He pulled a...He pulled a focus sword on a pair of replica kni.
I...I just keep re-watching the recording, but...
Humans can use focus?
It doesn't make sense, I-
This hasn't happened since the Man."
"I swear, his blood looks shiny, Zinc."
"It's a liquid, Shelia. It just looks like that."
...
"He didn't look unskilled, either, he...
One false move, though. One misstep and he was cl- he was killed."
"...I guess his body is proof enough he wasn't a humanlike kni... Something doesn't add up."
"Wolfpacks are sweeping the area, they're going out from the corner of Green and Cabin Square. Be aware.
...No CU29. And I?
I have a body to recover. And I fear it'll be a closed-casket. Zinc out."
...
...
...
"Huh? Oh, Zinc must've-"
(Click!)
(Tape 86)¶
(9/21/1539) (5AU)
"Hey. Zinc here."
(Click!)
"Zinc again."
(Click!)
"Zinc's log. Log 86.
I recovered Josh.
(Sigh.)"
(Soft thud)
"Didn't know...blood doesn't wash out easily. I had to wash my shirt like five times to get the stains out. Josh had no next of kin. It was just...me, John, Amethyst, Radium, Shelia, and the rest of the strategy board, which was just like two other people. We had NOTHING to talk about. I guess we were all just as stunned.
Wolfpack movements have returned to normal.
No sightings of CU29.
Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 87)¶
(9/22/1539) (5AU)
"Another day, another mark. Well, that's if I was actually being paid. This...isn't actually my job. I work as a "broom boy" for a replica bakery, despite being 23. They don't even call me a janitor... Anyway, this is Zinc's log 87. Wolfpack movements normal. Thought we had a CU29 sighting, but it was just a look-alike kni. Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 88)¶
(9/23/1539) (5AU)
"Hnnn, Zinc here..."
(Soft thud.)
...
...
"uhh...Zinc?"
...
"(Sigh.)"
(Cloth ruffling.)
"There."
(Plastic clacking.)
"Shelia reporting. Zinc is...asleep. I put one of our reserve blankets on him. We haven't seen CU29 yet. We're still looking. Zinc's been looking too, especially since that false-positive. I'm not sure he slept last night. Wolfpacks are still doing their normal rounds. And I think that's all he reports on. Shelia over and out."
(Click!)
(Tape 89)¶
(9/24/1539) (5AU)
"Hey. Zinc here. Wait. Hey, Shelia."
"Yeah?"
"Sit."
"Uhh..ok?"
"Great."
(Plastic sliding.)
"I'm sorry, I just need a break. You know what to log now, just make sure to introduce the log number."
"Oh, ok. Well, I'm Shelia, and this is log..."
"eighty-nine."
"Eighty-nine. No signs so far of CU29, and wolfpack patrols are normal."
"Great. Oh, and Shelia?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
(Click!)
(Tape 90)¶
(9/25/1539) (5AU)
"Shelia reporting for log 90. I've waited for Zinc to go home. Guy puts up a heck of a fight, but he's looking a little threadbare. Can't say I haven't been there myself. Uh- No sightings of CU29, but I hope we do soon. Zinc needs it. Wolfpack Pawtrols are taking their normal routes. They don't tend to shake things up unless they figure something's up. I guess that's why they're wolves. Gives them a better sense of smell. Does form focus actually do that? That's actually a little overpowered if so. But yeah. Shelia over and out."
(Click!)
(Tape 91)¶
(9/26/1539) (5AU)
"Shelia reporting for log 91. It's quiet here at the surveillance base without Zinc being...himself. No CU29 sightings. I personally don't remember much about Copper. I know we went to the same focus school, but that's about it. I wasn't really in the same clique with him, but I know Zinc was. And believe me, I'm looking. Wolfpack patrols are normal still. Shelia out."
(Click!)
(Tape 92)¶
(9/27/1539) (5AU)
"Shelia reporting for log 92, presenting..Hggg- son!"
"hi!"
"It's Bring Your Kid to Work day here at The Resistance, so I decided to bring Scott along. He's 3, and let's be honest, I think Luke likes the downtime. So he's kind of just hanging around here, playing with Zinc. Zinc's actually pretty good with kids! Who would've known? Anyway, haven't seen anything of CU29 still. Still looking. Wolfpack movements normal-"
"woovs"
"Yes, they are wolves. But they aren't nice wolves. You stay away, ok?"
"ok"
"And that's all! Shelia out. Say goodbye Scott!"
"to who?"
"Just say it!"
"bye!"
(Click!)
(Tape 93)¶
(9/28/1539) (5AU)
"Shelia again for log 93. Zinc is still slaving over maps and cameras, but he's been a little lighter since yesterday. Maybe I should bring Scott over more often! And, bringing Scott over here...makes me realize that I can't afford to get drunk on duty again. For Zinc and Scott. Think, I might miss CU29, and it wouldn't be a great role model for Scott. Anyways, another false alarm for CU29. Another look-alike kni. But we're still keeping our eyes out. The wolfpack patrols are taking different paths back to Cabin Square. They straight-shot to the ruins of the city wall, then kind of zig-zag back. It's making life harder for the strategy board. But the time it takes for them to get back means we've been adding a number of items to our archive! So there's a win. The archive is still really spotty thanks to the replica burning the monklike kni' museum, but it's good that we have something. Shelia over and out."
(Click!)
(Tape 94)¶
(9/29/1539) (5AU)
"Shelia here with log 94. Zinc's back from a bit of an excursion. He took a trip down to The Resistance's depths where they're actively digging out carefully planned rooms. It helps that the dirt underneath Crystallyne is rather clay-rich, so the rooms hold their shape more easily. He came back today and was covered in dirt. He may've help them some, I don't know. No CU29 sightings. Normal wolfpack movements. Well, new normal. Shelia out."
(Click!)
(Tape 95)¶
(9/30/1539) (5AU)
"Shelia here for log 95. Zinc wanted to do this log, but I told him to take another day. You never know. This week off of logging for him has been a load off, I can tell. He doesn't have to take in so much at one time. I know I could never do this full-time. You have to keep track of all wolfpacks, their paths, and witness any...any disturbances there may be. And you log them. Every day. And those logs get written down in a more official format, then delivered to the strategy board. Anyway, Wolfpack movements are normal, and still no sign of CU29. Still not yet. Shelia out."
(Click!)
(Tape 96)¶
(10/1/1539) (5AU)
"Zinc here, back for Log 96. That break from logging was well needed, and Shelia did a fine job. And Scott definitely helped. I have to send him my thanks too. Anyway, Shelia already mentioned the Wolfpacks' change in patrol, and that seems like it's now the new normal. Offers a lot of spaces where the strategy board can come in. Still no sight of CU29.
Where are you, Copper?"
(Click!)
(Tape 97)¶
(10/2/1539) (5AU)
"Hello again, Zinc here."
("ARE YOU LITERALLY REFERENCING REALM 10'S AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER?")
"Hmm! Log 97. We've got a bit of a breakthrough. Saul's been able to open a rift about the size of a coin. And it takes quite a bit of energy to do that alone. But he's been able to open a rift to realmspace at all. We'll take whatever we can get at this point. Saul says he's going to try to open a direct rift to a realm. I wish him luck. Still no CU29 sightings so far. Normal wolfpack movement. Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 98)¶
(10/3/1539) (5AU)
"Log 98. You know Saul, the guy that only a week ago couldn't open a rift? He's opened a rift to realm 31 and saw a stone carved with what is unmistakably knilang. He said that it, translated into English, said "Copper's in cabin in realm 25" in slightly broken knilang. Now, someone's maybe having one off on ol' Zinc, but I personally hope not. Also, Amethyst wouldn't let me live it down if I didn't believe it. Do we count that as a CU29 sighting? Not sure. I haven't actually seen him, so I'd say no. Wolfpack patrols are taking normal routes. Meaning they're taking forever to sweep the city. That's fine, if I have to be honest. Zinc out."
(Click!)
(Tape 99)¶
(10/4/1539) (5AU)
"Saul found him."
(Click!)
(For CU29)¶
"We're here in realm 04! We're safe...ish-"
"Zinc!"
"What? It's true, we're not promised another day-"
"What Zinc is TRYING to say is that we're safe here in realm 04! But something's going on with realmspace rifts! Saul could only open a small one, but it's supposedly big enough to push a cassette through! We hope you come back soon!"
"Uh- Hey! I couldn't even say anything, Amethys-"
(Click!)
(Tape 99(again))¶
"Ok, stand back. I need space."
"Do you think you'll be able to hold it big enough?"
"Only one way to find out."
("HHHHGGGGGG-")
"Hey, Amethyst. You think he'll be able to pull it big enough to get it through?"
"I hope so."
"...same."
("GO! NOW!")
"He's sleeping."
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! THROW THE TAPE!"
(Light plastic clattering!)
"There!"
(Snap!)
"Whew. I...Don't know if I can do that again."
"Just the once is fine, Saul. Thank you."
"Nahh, it's...it's nothin'."
(Click!)
"Log 99. Wolfpack patrols normal. One confirmed CU29 sighting. Zinc out."
(Click!)