mayfield_rpg | the water's rising, but i know the course

[phone, completely public]

[Dist has spent the past hour trying to find the proper pronunciation for "ubezhishche," but he'd be damned if he screwed up such an important call by stumbling over a foreign word. A little editing would have to do.]

I'm only going to read this once. Get a pencil and pay attention.

GRIGORI SADYKOV

CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT

In the type of event that Project U. is created for -- God forbid such a thing should happen -- there would be no power source capable of sustaining it indefinitely. Project U requires, by design, a greater source of energy than we have access to.

It would be, therefore, inherently unstable. It could not be maintained at the level specified in the original directive. I predict that over time, it shall become more voracious in its consumption of energy as external conditions become less forgiving.

I advise that we bring the project to a pause to reanalyze our design, if not a complete stop. Conditions within it CANNOT LAST according to the original directive. Eventually, disrepair, malfunctions, and ultimately ruin are, I fear, the inevitable consequences of Project U.

I cannot stress further the risk presented here. Attached are my findings and calculations. The math does not add up: the entire project is in danger as it stands.

Grigori Sadykov
Scientific Architect of Project U.

The emblem at the top of the document reads CCCP, if that means anything to anyone. Project U has a longer name that I can't define or pronounce; someone proficient in Earth languages might do better there.

[Dist pauses, thinking for a few moments. It was a shame he'd misplaced the order calling for the man's execution; that would have been nice to read too.]

The date of this document is beyond recognition, but it's clear that Mayfield is what the project eventually became. Those of you who fell into the little town inside the carnival witnessed it falling apart. I've gotten dubious confirmation that the same is starting to happen to the town we all inhabit.

They knew about it from the start. I can't find my copy of the official document but Grigori Sadykov's execution was called for soon after he sent this letter, for crimes against the state and their "Glorious Leader." I don't know what's going to happen to us, but I know that if any of you have any brilliant plans, and I'm sure plenty of you do, now is the time to start pursuing them.

Their hold is breaking. Whoever it was I spoke to, the one who confirmed it, spoke through one of the residents here, overriding the body's holder; this is someone who is outside the system, or who can move inside it more freely than we can. I'm inclined to believe them.

Get on it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, the history is there. The undercover 'spy' war between America's CIA and the Russian's KGB was rather legendary. Perhaps it's best to educate one's self before making any decisions.

I don't care about your history if it doesn't pertain to getting out of here. If the Americans stole it, fine; if the Russians just made Mayfield look like America so we would hate it and like them, whatever. That isn't the point.

If you refuse to educate yourself about relevant history, you're doomed to repeating the same mistakes others have.

Or missing cultural references that would be very important, such as knowing what the CCCP is.

I'm not refusing. I'm sure if there were a history book in this place that wasn't filled with propaganda I'd find it fascinating. I'm from another reality; we don't even have the same physics as you back home.

[Ugh, Dist is starting to get a headache. Why had he bothered, again?]

Look -- why don't you tell me all about it.

Sure, why not. History is my favorite subject, after all.

Excellent.

[It's not even sarcastic; Dist is kind of tired of being stuck on a world he knows almost nothing about.]

Start at the beginning.

[That's a bit pointed, though.]

It starts in the year 1917, during the first World War. During the war, the Russian populace and army, fed up with being underfed, and driven by a new political doctrine of giving power to the people, rose up against the monarchy. Of course, this took Russia out of the war completely and Russia's allies didn't take all too kindly to that. One of them, the United States, actually stationed troops in Russia for a short period of time in an attempt to stop the revolution but they failed.

Through a series of backstabbing, a man by the name of Josef Stalin came into power and ruled Russia with an iron fist, creating the USSR.

Do you follow so far?

Sounds plausible, and like someone who would insist on being called a glorious leader. Go on.

In the year 1939, World War 2 started. As the war progressed, two sides became clear. Germany, Italy, and Japan were fighting against America, the USSR, and England. As the war drew on, it became increasingly obvious that America and the USSR did not trust each other as far as each could be thrown. The USSR felt that America was wasting too much time doing nothing and wanting to watch Russian soldiers die. America felt that the USSR was always hiding information from them.

Though they eventually defeated Germany, Italy, and Japan, the moment the war was considered over, both America and Russia started pushing each other to the limit, seeing if a fight would break out between the two. A blockade here, weapon shipments shipped there, etc.

In 1945, it seemed that America had an advantage because it had atomic bombs. But Russia, through the use of spies, obtained the knowledge needed to build their own and showed the world in 1949 that they had atomic weaponry too.

But it was those actions that filled what the world called the "Cold War". Both America and Russia were at fault for dragging out that conflict but that is the environment we live in at this moment.

Were, past tense? How does it end?

American outspends the USSR so much that the USSR go broke. The Soviet leadership gracefully steps down from their position as dictator and their leaders are now voted into their position much like they are in America.

That's a creative way to win a war but it doesn't sound like anything that would produce this. Something else must have happened.

If used for military purposes, this type of project could have its advantages.

I suppose so.

Either way, I'll be making them hurt as much as I'm able. The history lesson was illuminating.

Edited (WORDS) 2012-08-18 04:02 (UTC)

You're welcome.

the water's rising, but i know the course

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