veilbreak | CJACOBS: 002

Maryle and I were able to pull data from the CPU delivered by Cal and Eva.

The Sterilization Event was triggered by a significant group of people in Xitang being partially severed from the veil. 20 self-reports were evaluated by HDroids, which identified a specific defect in the neural implants. HDroids fixed the imperfections and relinked to the Veil. However, anti-Architect graffiti began to pop up around the city, indicating more people had defective implants other than the 20 self-reports.

Mass scans revealed that the entire city had spontaneously partially severed. This triggered three protocols:

The sterlization protocol in Xitang. We disrupted this.
Mandatory inspection check by HDroids for anyone with chips that were implanted in 2005 is currently ongoing.
A relocation effort of all defective implants to Sighisoara, Romania by Feb 28. This is for another sterilization protocol.

Issues

Do any Dislinked agents have a chip that was implanted in 2005? If so, they are going to end up being noticed as not on the radar.
How to deal with Sighisoara, Romania?

Do we fully sever the evacuees, or relink them? Being in a prolonged partial state can trigger catastrophic neural regression. Relinking them and re-integrating them into other pres cities would keep them protected.

How do we deal with our agents who had chips in 2005?

[Engineering]

Do any of you have a 2005 implant?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sometimes I feel like my mind is still catching up to that fact too. It's [...] scary? I don't know. But I hope it settles into yours soon.

Do you want to talk about this hands-off situation?

Edited 2026-02-13 18:23 (UTC)

Risk was easier to assess when lives were on the line, which I suppose is scary, in a way.

Mi vida, you won't be able to take back what you learn if we do.

Yeah, and easier to not to think about yourself and just focus on the work.

Mi corazón, who do you think I am? Literally nothing will scare me.

Precisely. Now my workload has gone from "my entire life" to "minimal at best."

It's [...] not unlike the negotiations you and I used to engage in, with the exceptions of its aforementioned hands-off nature and the other party being a great deal more [......] acquiescent.

Edited 2026-02-13 19:22 (UTC)

Infuriatingly difficult to have your own life, isn't it? I guess it's really been a while for you.

Wow, inappropriate things to share with your coworker. And I can't believe someone would be more compliant than me.

You're enjoying yourself, though? [...] Or is it causing too much discontent because of the feelings aspect of it all?

Yes, I'd like a handler to sort it all out for me. Not you.

A combination of the two? I'm enjoying myself immensely and yet it's all in the name of something I can't have, hence the discontent.

I'd be so good at it, though. Look at how well put together my own life is.

[...]

And why can't you have this "something"?

No comment.

We want different things. [...] Which is fine for now; there's no need for me to chase anything but I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing with fire.

Edited 2026-02-13 21:25 (UTC)

Rude.

I understand that. [...] I'm sure you're being clear about expectations and wants, which doesn't guarantee anything, but [...] I don't know, Dom. Honestly, everything up here is playing with fire.

On the surface as well. Perhaps that's simply the case for anyone trying to eke out a life while the Architects persist.

Different kind of risk, different kind of fire, but yeah. I never envied your assignments.

I'm grotesquely impressed with how all the older gentlemen haven't murdered each other yet.

They threaten it daily but if they ever followed through they'd rapidly run out of partners with whom to get off, and then no one would survive.

Edited (this is such unfortunate phrasing lmao im sorry) 2026-02-13 22:55 (UTC)

Eternally grateful I'm not a 40-50 something year old man. If they start getting too messy maybe I'll just kill them all to spare us.

You going to tell me who this person you have an arrangement with is? I can guess, but I'm also willing let you hold onto this secret for a little longer if you want to.

Would you like to hear what Aldana got up to this week?

I'd like to know your top ~~three~~ five guesses.

Yes. Is it horny, stupid, or both?

Five is so many. Let's see. Niko, Jax, Cal, Phil, and Dark Horse Séarlait.

Edited (sorry) 2026-02-13 23:52 (UTC)

Hearing Philip referred to as "Phil" feels somehow sacrilegious.

That's exactly why I do it.

How's the list, Chirp?

I'd like to swap Caledon with Ronen given his marital status but am otherwise flattered. And according to Josefina, I'm allowed to "kiss" neither Jaxson nor Caledon.

[...] Flattery aside, it's not an inaccurate representation of current affairs and I don't think either of us needs elaborate.

I just feel like Cal could be into it, and people have loose marital agreements all the time now, I assume. Also, Sefi's giving you rules?

I'll leave it at that, then. But I am always here if you need.

Of course she is. Four names I'm not allowed to liaise with, three of them at least ten years my junior.

Thank you.

[...] Adrían informed me he was about to visit his ex-wife, on the surface, alone, and that he didn't intend to inform Nikola, Phil(ip), or apparently his own daughter until he returned. He was chewed out by each of us in turn and took his daughter and current lover as his security entourage.

Who are the others? And pish, ten years is nothing.

Always, of course.

[.....]

You know, I was going to just absolutely tear into him, but someone I know didn't tell the most important person in his life that his brain was fucked up, so I'm going to be a little generous with him.

And now that that's done, what the every loving fuck?

Murphy and Finotti.

You're right. It's a good point. I should inform the nice older woman in the Mess, that was my oversight.

We each asked the same thing.

This is so funny. Does she think you're as sloppy as everyone else?

You know, I always figured you two would get married.

I'm glad we patched up our little disagreement but I'm also glad we're not friends. I would kill him.

I hope so, it would be an exciting addition to my mystique.

As did I.

Once again: the death threats were myriad, colourful, and creative. I don't know what Adrían expected to come out of the whole ordeal but now they're all home, safe and sound.

As fun as mystique is, I don't think I'd want to be known as sloppy. But, I guess I can see it for you.

Starcrossed lovers.

I would say unfortunate that he didn't learn his lesson, but I guess we should probably want all of them alive and well.

maryle/dom.

loculus - 2026-02-14 03:40 (UTC) - Expand

chemveil - 2026-02-14 04:40 (UTC) - Expand