(text, un: dante)

[durante]

Good afternoon, Ximilia Station.

By now I've had some time to get accustomed to the situation here and what we're expected to be doing, but there's still a lot left unanswered. However, I don't want to wear someone out with too many questions, so I've decided to try something different. Anyone who responds to this post, I'll ask one question I have about life here, our missions, or our purpose.

Thank you in advance for helping out.

Comments

text; un: naruhodo

[locumstudentesquire]

This is... Strangely clever.

[Gathering info AND making introductions in one go? He wouldn't have thought of that.]

Well, I can't promise I'll have an answer, but I'm happy to try and help.

[durante]

Any insight you have is welcome.

The orbs want chaos, from what I understand from my reading. Undoing our regrets should then be equally chaotic, right? Or at least, we can expect that kind of execution?

[locumstudentesquire]

Well... The whole deal has struck me as a devil's bargain from day one, and the orbs have done little to dissuade me of that notion since then. I'd say it's safer to assume that's the case than not.

[durante]

In that case, then it's possible that undoing the regret would lead to something worse later down the line. Why trust them to undo it in the first place?

[locumstudentesquire]

[Seriously, Dante, you are making him feel so much less insane right now by questioning these things? So thank you for that.]

It's... Complicated, I think. For many people here, their regret is significant enough that they're willing to take that risk anyway. There's also the chance that the orbs have already taken their payment of chaos by plucking us from our respective timelines in the first place.

[durante]

[it's only because they just recently started remembering to question why they're in their own predicament, but hey! everyone benefits.]

And it'd get more chaos payment when it puts you in another one?

[locumstudentesquire]

That's a distinct possibility, though I don't think we have any way of knowing for sure.

There was a previous crew who came close to completing the mission, but something went amiss that caused all of the pieces to scatter once more. It's almost like they actively abhor the idea of being contained and reunited.

[durante]

Which is at odds with some other information, that they want to be reunited. Almost like they're capable of holding two contradictory thoughts at once. Or they weren't done spreading chaos around.

[locumstudentesquire]

...I guess contradictions are a bit chaotic in nature, if you think about it. So it fits the bill.

To return to your question: this is merely speculative on my part, but... I have wondered if 'undoing' a regret merely involves being transplanted into a different timeline. Swapped with another version of yourself.

[durante]

That'd be kind of rough on that other you who got swapped...

[locumstudentesquire]

It certainly would. But it would also track with how generally untrustworthy they are, wouldn't it?