Act 3.5 - Amethyst's Documentary¶
Cobalt's Nightmare¶
taped by Amethyst Silver
(Beep!)
(WED - 12/8/5AU - 2AM)
(The shot is completely dark.)
Cobalt: "-moldirlires! Thusvasyomar! Thusvassoyomar! Moldirlires! You're all-AH!!"
Amethyst, groggy voiced: "...you alright, Co?"
Cobalt: "I...yeah."
Amethyst, voice shaky: "You're glowing...and you were calling someone or some people...uh...moldirlires...'those who kill without reason-'"
Cobalt: "I know what it means, Ame...I just..."
(Cobalt takes a breath.)
Cobalt: "just a nightmare."
(Cobalt hops down off the top bunk, the camera can see a figure covered in kni sweat, very faintly glowing purple to the side of the frame.)
Cobalt: "It's ok. I'm going to go...towel off. just...go back to sleep, Ame. please."
(The figure leaves the room, opening the door and closing it behind them.)
...
(Amethyst moves the camera to herself, the frame only able to pick up her warm, glowing irises.)
Amethyst: "Mol, to kill. Dir, without reason. Lir, one who does. Es, make it plural."
"The closest single English word would be 'murderers.'"
"Well, the energy and distain behind the phrase would be closer to 'fricking murderers'...just without the English euphemism..."
"'Thusvasyomar. Thusvassoyomar.'"
"Thus, referring so something specific. Vas, referring to what, or asking what. Yo, you. Mar, states the act of being. So, refers to all."
"'That's what you are. That's what you all are.'"
"I, uh..."
...
"I don't think...I should've heard this..."
...
"I...don't know if I've ever heard her use Knilang before..."
...
"I hope she's actually okay...I can only make an educated guess who she was talking about..."
...
(She whispers to the camera.)
"Was it Ferrite?"
(Beep!)
nightmare again¶
written then promptly pulled out, crumpled into a ball, and discarded by Cobalt Wilton, recovered by John Hayes
wed 12/8
had that nightmare again
they found me this time
woke up in cold sweat, Ame asked if i was ok
don't know at this point
i was talking in knilang
moldirlires
true but sorry she had to hear that
all layers soaked, glowing faintly
left room, dried off, towel glowing from sweat
core pulse still elevated, face still glowing
too much glow, i could almost see my way around if i didn't know this place already
one shotlet to help calm down, at least this glow is my own fault
that was ferrite's joke, always teasing how little i drink :)
wonder how realm 10 makes vodka
hung out on outside bench for maybe hour afterward
if i'd guess, it's like 3-4am
it's cold out
silly c of course it's cold it's winter
city feels empty tonight
i've written too much
Amethyst's Documentary¶
(Beep!)
(THU - 12/9/5AU - 1PM)
( Amethyst Silver )
"The date is Firmont 17th, 1533.
A replica kni camp in the eastern Crystallyne area is empty. Not due to lack of food or water, or a camp relocation, no. They went north and met another replica kni camp in the northeastern Crystallyne area. Meeting them there as well were the warriors and able-bodied of all of the nearby camps. They've taken all their possessions with them. They don't intend to return.
The Crystallyne guard are not unaware of this assembly. They double their stationed guard. Seeing smoke billowing from the northern forest, they prepare for the worst. Unfortunately, they come to would grossly underestimate their foe.
This clash, come to be known as the Replica Kni Uprising of 1534AM, or just "the uprising" for brevity, will change several lives permanently, over not even a year. It would spell a new era for kni and humanity alike in realm 04."
...
"I'm Amethyst Silver, and this is how Crystallyne fell.
...That's it! That's the take!"
(Beep!)
(Beep!)
(THU - 12/9/5AU - 4PM)
( Amethyst Silver )
"Ok, Radium. As you know, I'm making a documentary about the uprising."
( Radium Tungsten )
"I'm aware."
( Amy )
"Can you tell us about yourself? Just for the record?"
( Radium )
"But you know me, Amy! Haha.
I'm a female monklike kni originally from southern Crystallyne. I originally worked as a teacher, and still do for the resistance."
( Amy )
"Ok. So, if you had to sum up the uprising in one sentence, what would it be?"
( Radium )
"One sentence?"
( Amy )
"Yeah."
( Radium )
"Hmm."
( Amy )
...
( Radium )
"Probably...'The uprising changed everything.'"
( Amy )
"That's wonderful."
( Radium )
"It doesn't say much."
( Amy )
"Doesn't have to.
You said the uprising changed everything. What did it change for you, personally?"
( Radium )
"Wow, starting off with the strong ones, Amy!"
( Amy )
"Haha, yeah."
( Radium )
"Well...I lost my home, my actual job as a teacher, and...well, it turned everything upside-down. Most of my old friends were gone or I couldn't find them afterward."
( Amy )
"I couldn't find my parents.
Anyway, how did the uprising affect how you teach? What's the biggest takeaway that you think the students should learn from it?"
( Radium )
"Oh, I'm sorry about your parents, honey.
I would probably have to say that...Hmm...
I'm not in an actual focus cottage anymore, I've had to get creative a few times. Saul and the rest of the supply department are a gigantic help, though. And it would totally be defense against focus. Before the uprising, the focus classes used to be optional for humans. I think that was a horrible mistake, because they wouldn't learn then how to defend against it."
( Amy )
"Definitely.
Do you recall the moment you realized it wasn't just a regular raid from one of the camps?"
( Radium )
"Probably the 17th. The day they doubled the guard. They never did that before for the regular harebrained raids."
( Amy )
"How did the students you had then handle it?"
( Radium )
"They were relatively calm. Until that first PSA came out. Whoo boy. Sirmont 21st was not an easy day in Granite focus cottage. I heard one teacher say that talk of the PSA was not permitted in his classroom, he had heard about it so much. The PSA after that threw things into chaos. It was impossible to keep all of their attentions."
( Amy )
"Where were you when you got word that the guard's perimeter had broken?"
( Radium )
"Ohh...I was at home. I was cooking some pasta for dinner when that PSA came in. It was...
Well, sobering. I had known and read that replica kni had the capability to be very dangerous, so to know that they had been seen inside the city...
...What do they call themselves now? 'Sons of the Third Son?'"
( Amy )
"I think that's it."
( Radium )
"There's a reason why I'm in the resistance."
( Amy )
"Now...do you ever think Crystallyne will ever build up to where it was before, or are we stuck underground forever?"
( Radium )
"That's a tough question, Amy. I'm not really at liberty to say.
But I hope so."
( Amy )
"Alright, thanks Radium! This will be very useful."
( Radium )
"Anytime, Amy."
(Beep!)
(Beep!)
(THU - 12/10/5AU - 2PM)
( Amethyst Silver )
"Alright. Can you tell us about yourself, Lieutenant Mason?"
( Lt. Andrew Mason )
"Sure. My name is Lt. Andrew Mason. I am a humanlike kni in the Crystallyne guard. Or...what's left of it. Now I run recon for the resistance, mostly."
( Amy )
"Thanks. Now, if you had to sum up the uprising in one sentence, what would it be?"
( Lt. Mason )
"Hmmh. Brutal, bloody, and unnecessary."
( Amy )
"Do you remember where you were stationed on Sirmont 17th, 1533?"
( Lt. Mason )
"Yep. Station 58, near the northern city limit. Been there for about 3 years. After that, they changed my station to station 27, near the northeastern city limit, where the perimeter had been set up. On the 18th the replica kni made contact with the first line initial guards, and we had front row seats. Replica kni streaming down the northeastern hill as foxes, wolves, tigers, and kni. They were overwhelmed almost immediately, and we had to step in to hold the perimeter."
( Amy )
"What do you think the guard underestimated the most, the amount of replica kni or their unity?"
( Lt. Mason )
"Probably both, but mostly their unity. Until then, we had never seen the replica kni come together at such a scale. Even today, we have wolf packs patrolling the streets, never alone. But there were also much more replica kni then than we expected. The working theory is that there were more replica kni camps over the northeastern hill, past the existing camp."
( Amy )
"You said that the guard was overwhelmed. Can you say how you felt, in that moment?"
( Lt. Mason )
"None of us had known that we were overwhelmed until it was too late. We all had to hold the line, unaware that the line was slowly creeping backwards. When we realized we were overwhelmed, we- at least, I- felt hopeless as the perimeter faded."
( Amy )
"Was there ever a moment that you thought to yourself that the guard could still win?"
( Lt. Mason )
"Yeah. We're trained for battle. But...not quite battle against replica kni as animals. The morale hit when we knew that the initial guards were overwhelmed was huge, but it also drove us to fight harder. For a few seconds, we all felt unstoppable."
( Amy )
"How did your superiors react when the perimeter was breached?"
( Lt. Mason )
"Oh. Panic, mostly. They rushed out an evac notice and it stirred up chaos.
...I like to think it might've helped some people, though."
( Amy )
"And...And it's ok if you don't want to answer this one...Is there a moment that keeps you up at night?"
( Lt. Mason )
"Yes, there is. Good buddy of mine...Corporal Thomas Packer. Tom. He was in the line with me not too far off. This gets kind of gross, are you sure?"
( Amy )
"I can edit it."
( Lt. Mason )
"Ok.
He had taken a replica kni's arm off with his sword. This is typically a pretty important pick, they don't usually know heal focus. So the replica kni doubled over, but then collected some of his essence in his hand, throwing it at Tom, catching him off guard.
The replica kni took the moment of vulnerability and speared Tom in the torso with his off-hand. I fought through as fast as I could and carried Tom back to the aid station, but...it was full.
They said that the spear had gone through his core and he'd lost too much essence to be stable enough to wait. There was nothing they could do.
...
I knelt there on the ground, trying to heal him myself, but...
(Sigh.)"
( Amy )
"Oh...I'm...I'm sorry."
(Beep!)
(Beep!)
(THU - 12/10/5AU - 7PM)
( Cobalt Wilton )
"No, Ame...Don't...don't get me on camera."
( Amethyst Silver )
"I'll point it out the window then."
( Cobalt )
"Can you hide my name, too?"
( Amy )
"Sure, how's 'CW?'"
( CW )
"No. Just C."
( Amy )
"It's done."
( C )
"I guess we have to get on with it, then."
( Amy )
"You don't have to answer anything you don't want to."
( C )
"i want to help you with this, though. the kids need to know what was lost in the uprising."
( Amy )
"That's...that's up to you, Co- C."
( C )
"thanks."
( Amy )
"Well, C, what can you tell us about yourself?"
( C )
"my name is C. i'm a female humanlike kni in the resistance."
( Amy )
"Simple."
( C )
"that's all they need."
( Amy )
"If you had to define the uprising in a sentence, what would it be?"
( C )
"F-...th-...mo-...hold on..."
( Amy )
"Take your time, C."
...
( C )
"'the whole thing's a nightmare i wish i could wake up from.'
that's it."
( Amy )
"Yeah. That's good.
What was the first moment that you knew something had gone wrong?"
( C )
"the day the snow didn't pack. F- my brother urged me inside almost immediately."
( Amy )
"when the replica kni came through the perimeter, what was your first thought?"
( C )
"it's childish...but we got the memo and my first thought was 'oh, this is the end.' that was before my brother calmed me down."
( Amy )
"What do you want the people to come after you to know, the ones that weren't there to experience the uprising?"
( C )
"i-...uh...i'd say...try...not...to take things for granted, and...the effects of the uprising were felt...even after it took place."
( Amy )
"What, would you say, is the hardest part to talk about, even today?"
( C )
...
( Amy )
"We can skip this one if you-"
( C )
"no.
i...uh...."
...
"it was...a year after the uprising...autumn...i was on a supply run with my brother...
we- (laughs) we- we had to watch our step because of the leaves..."
( Amy )
"C, I-"
( C )
"don't.
the wolves were out...more than usual. we were in shadow, but...we were seen...they called out to us.
...Ferr- my brother told me with a smile to stay put...
and..."
( Amy )
...
( C )
"they..."
...
"they...claimed him...
i...had to cover my mouth to stay quiet..."
( Amy )
"...if he could see you now, what do you think he'd say?"
( C )
...
( Amy )
"I'm sorry, are you ok?"
( C )
"...prefer not to answer..."
( Amy )
"...That's all I had...thank you, C..."
( C )
...
"it's nice to finally tell someone, Ame."
(Beep!)
(Beep!)
(THU - 12/11/5AU - 10AM)
( Amethyst Silver )
"This is a lot, and I still have more to write! But I told Saul I'd help with the bigger version of the thing, and that's going to take a lot of my time. He's been calling it the 'rift engine.' I'm going to be honest, that's better than what I was thinking about calling it. 'Rift engine' sounds a lot better than 'rift opening device.' It sounds like an exotic can-opener."
(Beep!)