X-Frequency

We live underground, simply because they live on top. Who 'we' are and who 'they' are really doesn't mean much. Only that we are geo-spatially separated and what we defend is the same thing they have sought to destroy. We are rebels against a system bent on taking the mind. Free will became a commodity traded by massive corporations, like debt. The more base consumers a corporation had with free will, the more it was seen as unprofitable and risky, but it was also opportunistic. They wanted to take free will from us. Badly. Not through Blitzkrieg, but poisonously. A slow, subtle kind of pandemic. The brewing of the poison really began in the 20th century, but evolved into a deadlier concoction through digital devices and other massively used consumer tech products. At first the idea was presented at a large business conference in Moscow. It was titled, 'A New Way of Thinking. A New Way of Selling.' The idea was that an unused and newly discovered technique that involved radio waves was perfected that when projected from a device, accurately captured one's attention specifically, and then modified an individual's buying behavior in a subconscious way. These 'X-waves' were synthetically modified to target specific regions in the brain that essentially activated certain thought processes of desire. Each major corporation began blasting these frequencies out from Smartphones to Augment Visors, and tailored them to align its target to specific categories of products. Soon, mega-structures called Skybeams were secretly engineered to blast a majority of the earth with these waves. Through thick concrete and metal, it was brutally effective. An insider leaked out information to the masses that the government was in cooperation with these methods 'for the betterment of society' right before the Skybeams were turned on. Had the leak not happened, we'd be up there zombified with the rest of them. And so I met your parents. Then, you were just recently born and I was tasked to take care of you in case something happened to them. The original resistance, whom your grandparents founded, moved underground 150 years ago subsequent the leak. What you see underground today is the result of recruitment efforts before the majority of the populous had been under X-frequency influence - a few thousand people strong headed by your family tree. The world above is a very different place now. [["Tell me more."]]

We're not seen as a threat. Just a nuisance. You see, we live underground, but the crust and darkness of the earth is not where we are supposed to be. We need natural light, food, and water. Our resources down here are too limited, so we must frequently venture to the surface for necessities. These essentials cost money. Down here, our currency is trust. Up there, are credits. Since we don't have those, we take what we need. Never by force is always the rule. We do it through a process called 'Repeating.' [["What is repeating?"]]

The major corporations began modifying devices that worked like virtual wallets. Their functionality began in what used to be called 'smart phones', but later migrated to Augment Visors, or Augmenters. We call them 'Augs.' Digital credits, in their encrypted fashion, were stored within the Aug Network and enabled people to make purchases with them. If one wished to inquire of the product they were interested in, or 'directed' to be interested in, as is the case now with x-frequency influence, they used their Augmenters to research it and make a buying decision. [["But what does this have to do with repeating?"]]

When your brain is targeted by X-frequencies, a team of our engineers discovered that key X-waves separate from the ones that influence the brain were reflected by Augs, like a bullet bouncing off metal. It was later determined that these key waves were stray waves that could be 'repeated' back to the Aug to both trick it into successfully purchasing a product without having any credits to assume ownership, and also protect the brain from future attempts by that specific x-frequency to infiltrate the mind. The way transactions work now is, say you wish to buy a chicken. A chicken now costs 5 credits up top. You drone order the raw chicken through your Augmenter and we use our Repeater device to trick the Aug into thinking it has enough credits to make the purchase. You 'bought' the chicken on your own accord, without being influenced to do so. And you did so without spending anything. Repeaters act like a sword and a shield. With so few of us, and so many people above, the Corporations know their products are leaking without compensation somehow, but the leak is only a drop in the bucket for them. The cost to find and prosecute us with our Repeater technology outweighs the benefits, so they pay us little mind. This is similar to the mindset big media had with those that 'torrented' intellectual property in the earlier part of the 21st century. Make no mistake though, we are still being watched. [["Oh, screw this. I'm going up top."]] [[You ask what your purpose is here.]]

You interrupt Jack by sliding your metal chair backward from his desk. The dim lights and smell of stale paper begin to assault your senses. Behind you a door leads to an elevator with red lettering. <center><big>//NEVER FORGET YOUR REPEATER//</big></center> Inside the elevator a black button with white wording spells //Street Level//. As you press the button, you anxiously wait to see what Jack has been droning on about. About 5 minutes into the ride, you begin to ponder making a new life without living underground. Perhaps you should buy a house and then find a partner of your dreams. Or perhaps, you will find your true love first, and //then// buy a house. No credits? No worries, you will take out a loan from Need Credits Now. But how will you transport? Maybe a bike. No, a car. Auto-driven. Red. Lexus. You're not hungry, but you have this sudden urge for a burger. A big, fat, juicy burger. They're on sale now at Burger Giant. And ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream...

Taking it all in. You pause to count your breaths. It's very rare that the leader of the underground calls someone in directly to his office. And for more than a 5 minute discussion. "So what is my purpose?" you ask calmly. "We need people like you to go up top for us, repeat the systems, and acquire resources for us down here. I have something more crucial for the long-term viability of our society in the near future, but I will hold-off on that for now. Of course, this is all dependent upon how you do in your first month," he says intently. [["Ok, what's next."]] [["Oh, screw this. I'm going up top."]]

The man in front of you adjusts his glasses as he gazes into your eyes. His head shifts to a drawer in his desk where he pulls out a silvery box. "This is your Repeater," he says while eyeing the device with admiration. "We only give one to the brave souls that will go above for us. Currently, we have about a team of one hundred willing to Repeat for us. Each Repeater takes many months to make, so please keep it safe. What ever you do, never turn it off." Before he hands you the device, he presses a small button on its side which triggers a tiny blue light that flashes in spaces. "Before I let you go, you must know the most important thing about these devices." In pause, you can hear the soft rumble of the pipes and metal that flow through the room and the tunnels that surround you. "As I mentioned before, these Repeaters aren't just used for hacking drones. They protect you from X-frequencies. As such, when it detects an infiltration attempt, your Aug will beep. In this instance, you will be required to answer Aug questions to successfully defeat the specific frequency that is targeting you, by repeating it back to your Aug. Failure to answer the questions correctly will result in a Repeater Fail Scenario, otherwise known as an RFS. When an RFS occurs, your repeater will cease to function. You will-" he paused looking at a picture of your mother and father on a bookcase that sat beside him. "You will be lost to the above," he finished. "Your mother and father are up there somewhere. They went together with one of our Resource Collection Groups when we received reports of a mass-Repeater failure. The devices they received were older prototypes of the one you are holding now. In fact, your father helped develop it." You look down at the silvery box that intermittently glows a bright blue into your palms. A knock emerges from behind you. [[Press the button on the Repeater's side.]] [[Go to the door.]]

"Did I not just tell you to never turn it off?!" he barks. "Leave my office. If you can't follow this simple instruction, you will not survive 5 minutes on the surface. I cannot be the reason to lose you too." [["Oh, screw this. I'm going up top."]] [["I am sorry. It will not happen again."]]

A man faces you from behind the door. His broad jaw and expressionless face suggests a leadership type. "This is your RCG Leader, or Resource Collection Group Leader. He will direct you on your first mission. His name is Orion and he will assist you in defeating x-wave influence." He again glances at the framed picture of your parents. "Your parents would be proud," he continues. [[Greet the RCG Leader.]] [["Explain again why I am here?"]]

The man wipes his brow in frustration. "You are very important to me. Please keep the device on." The knocking continues. [[Go to the door.]]

The RCG Leader firmly grips your hand. "Your Parents were heroes," he says. "I do not doubt the same will become of you." Nodding to the man behind the desk, he asks that you follow him to meet the rest of your team. You can hear the final request, "Take good care of him Orion," before the door is closed. You follow him through the dark, dimly lit tunnels. The shimmering lights capture the floating dust in each crevice. The tunnel curves into a long bend housing other various conference style rooms. "Leader on Deck!" yells a chirpy voice. You look to see a girl, no more than 18 with purple hair, chewing gum. "Ah! New meat!" she yells. Beside her stand four other souls. [[Greet the Team.]] [[Orion's Briefing]]

You ask the RCG Leader to kindly wait a moment as you close the door and turn back to the man behind the desk. "//That// is your repeater," he says sighing, while eyeing the device in your hands with admiration. "We only give one to the brave souls that will go above for us. Currently, we have about a team of one hundred willing to Repeat for us. Each Repeater takes many months to make, so please keep it safe. What ever you do, never turn it off." "Before I let you go, you must know the most important thing about these devices." In pause, you can hear the soft rumble of the pipes and metal that flow through the room and the tunnels that surround you. "These repeaters aren't just used for hacking drones. They protect you from the modded x-frequencies. When it detects an infiltration attempt, your aug will beep. In this instance, you will be required to answer aug questions to successfully defeat the specific frequency that is targeting you, by repeating it back to your aug. Failure to answer the questions correctly will result in a Repeater Fail Scenario, otherwise known as an RFS. When an RFS occurs, your repeater will cease to function. You will-" he paused looking at a picture of your mother and father on a bookcase that sat beside him. "You will be lost to the above," he finished. "Your mother and father are up there somewhere. They went together with one of our Resource Collection Groups when we received reports of a mass-Repeater failure. The devices they received were older prototypes of the one you are holding now. In fact, your father helped develop it." You look down at the silvery box that intermittently glows a bright blue into your palms. [[Greet the RCG Leader.]] [[Press the button on the Repeater's side.]]

"Ok, listen up team," Orion says. "We've got a new recruit. We're going to take this one easy, and then get into the dirty stuff." "Nice. Easy 'peazy," Zack smirks in your direction. "What's the target?" Rocko's voice boomed. His hulking body silhouetted Angie. Orion turns on a digital projector that wall plasters an image of gallons and gallons of milk, all arrayed and stacked neatly into towers as high as the structures that housed them. "A milk factory," he says calmly. "Milk?!" Angie shouts. "Ugh! This is like that water bottle mission." "Yeah, Boss, that didn't go so well. Carrying all that stuff was sort of a shitty deal," Rocko states. "Yes, but we need it. We don't question our leader's orders." A quiet fell within the room. "Enough chat, we're out of time. Let's go." [[Follow the team to the elevator down the hall.]] [[Gear up.]] [[Greet the Team.]]

"Gotta gear up first," Mai says. [[Gear up.]] [[Greet the Team.]]

Zack leads you to the Gear room. "Here, you gotta make sure your Repeater's on. But that's a given. Never turn it off. The old man is crazy about that." "You mean-" you refer to the man behind the desk. "Yeah, that's my Dad. Ok, Your Aug is good to go." He hands you an Aug, a Visor that fits snug across the eyes. It powers on and immediately starts displaying data as you peer about. "The Aug is simple. Think of it as an automated computer for your face. Terminator Style. You remember that movie right? Classic. I'll uplink it to you so you can watch it in your spare time." He speaks to the air, "Upload Tmovie1 - Link - Nearest." Immediately, your Aug beeps with a soft female voice pinging in your ear, 'File received.' Zack continues, "If you stare at something long enough, it will give you information on what you're looking at, simply speak the given commands within your vision to review that stuff in depth. Try it now." [[Look at Zack]] [[Look at the Repeater]]

Her purple hair swayed as she walked. "I'm Angie. The huge guy is Rocko. Zack's super hot. Mai's a bitc-" "Hey!" Mai interrupts. "Hah! Just kidding. But I'm really not," sticking her tongue out at Mai. "And Leon's our fixer. You'll need him in a pinch." Leon looks to you with a nod. "Ah, well nice to meet you all," you announce. [[Orion's Briefing]]

Your Aug beeps into your ear again, 'File sent from user.' [["Open TMovie."]] [["Delete file."]]

"No time for that now," you can hear Zack say beyond the movie that displays the text '//The machines rose from the ashes...//' [["Delete file."]] [[Ready to Go]]

The Aug pings once more, 'File deleted.' "Gee, thanks man. Was only trying to be nice," Zack says sarcastically. [[Ready to Go]]

"Team! Let's move!" You can hear Orion shouting from down the hall. "Wait." Zack stops you. "Suit up," he hands you dark, leathery looking clothes with an emblem bearing a symbol of a silver Triangle. "It represents the mind. Which is ours. It cannot and should not be bought. You're one of us now," he says slapping your back. You suit up and meet the team at an elevator down the hall. They must have all suited up while you were in the Gear room. The smell of leather begins to heighten your anxiousness as you step into the elevator. It rumbles upward. "How much longer?!" you yell past the creaking of the metal and wire. "This is a 15 minute ride bud!" Rocko shot out. You think about the world, and how it came to be. What exactly you're doing in this elevator. And why you are going to a milk factory to digitally steal milk. You wonder about your parents who stopped coming back. The knock on your underground home's metal door. His face. The man behind the desk's face who stooped to greet you and tell you that your parents left you to his supervision. He was the leader of the Underground. And he bred you to become an RCG agent. Is this what Mom and Dad wanted? Your thoughts are interrupted by a vibrating at your waist where your Repeater is fastened. "Hey- I think my Repeater is buzzing!" you shout. "Already? What the fuc-" you can hear Angie begin to say. "We must be near the surface." Leon puts his hand on your shoulder with a look of pity consuming his face. "You won't see anything for a bit. Do not take off that Aug, or-" He stops to correct himself. "It's critically linked to your Repeater. Taking it off will halt the Repeater's ability to protect your brain. Come back to us." Your vision is immediately swamped in black. "You got this hero," you can hear Orion say as your hearing begins to deafen. Within the blackness and silence, you finally see the words in front of you. <center><big>Repeat Session Initiated</big></center> [[Wait]] [[Take Aug Off]]

Your Aug pings, 'Unknown device.' [[Look at Zack]]

<big>X-Frequency infiltration attempt detected from Cola Company....</big> You gaze forward in anticipation, your heart races. <center><big>You pass by Cyber Mart. Inside you will find a can of Soda from Cola Company for .50 credits. Your daughter wants you to purchase her a stuffed bear for .75 credits, all funds will go to local charities. But you only have .75 credits. Do you:</big></center> [[A) Buy the Soda, promise your daughter the bear another time.]] [[B) Buy the stuffed bear. Forgo the Soda. Charities are more important than your instant gratification.]] [[C) Buy neither, saving is good. Debt is bad.]]

Your visor comes off as you stare at your team next to you, their mouths agape. Your memories of who they are slowly dissipate. That old guy down there really oversold the dangers of the top. In lieu of this realization, you decide that insurance is a great way to protect yourself. You've always wanted to own the new Lexus in all its auto-driven glory. Only 500 credits a month, and with Auto Safe Insurance, you'll know you're protected. Satisfied with your strategy, you realize you're standing in an elevator next to people in black, all staring at you. Their clothing is dreadful. It's a good thing you were just on your way to CyberRobe to make a new wardrobe fit the new you. A 25% credit clearance has your name on it. [[Flashback]]

Your vision is immediately swamped in black. "You got this hero," you can hear Orion say as your hearing begins to deafen. Within the blackness and silence, you finally see the words in front of you. <center><big>Repeat Session Initiated</big></center> [[Wait]] [[Take Aug Off]]

<center><big>Repeat successful.</big></center> Your vision clears and your hearing is restored. You find your team all staring at you. "Hey man, up for a burger?" Rocko breaks the silence, Leon watches you patiently. "I'm not that hungry," you declare. As you do, everyone in the elevator breathes out a sigh of relief. "Shit! He made it through!" Angie squeaks. "Damn man, thought we lost you," Zack says confidingly. "Beginner's luck," Mai interjects. "Good Job," Orion assures. "Team, enough chit chat. We're here." The elevator squawks as the rumble comes to a halt. The doors creek open to reveal a very white, marble stoned place. You look about and you're almost blinded by the whiteness of it all. Screens everywhere, but no people. Just white stone as far as the eye can see. [["Where are we?"]] [[Run ahead.]]

<big>REPEAT FAILED</big> As you clench in anticipation of perhaps a grueling and agonizing battle for your mind, you're surprised to feel nothing. In fact, you are unsure why the old man played up the idea that any of this is dangerous. Thinking of danger, you decide that insurance is a great way to protect yourself. You've always wanted to own the new Lexus in all its auto-driven glory. Only 500 credits a month, and with Auto Safe Insurance, you'll know you're protected. Satisfied with your strategy, you realize you're standing in an elevator next to people in black, all staring at you. Their clothing is dreadful. It's a good thing you were just on your way to CyberRobe to make a new wardrobe fit the new you. A 25% credit clearance has your name on it. [[Flashback]]

To be continued...

You sprint forward to see what all the fuss is about. "No!" you can hear Orion blare as you thrust forward. But before you can turn to stop, a bullet is fired from a turret on the ceiling. The crack of the bullet startles you as it strikes you in the head. [[Flashback to arrival]]

"It's a CyberMall," Orion says. [["Where are all the people?"]] [[Run ahead.]]

The elevator squawks as the rumble comes to a halt. The doors creek open to reveal a very white, marble stoned place. You look about and you're almost blinded by the whiteness of it all. Screens everywhere, but no people. Just white stone as far as the eye can see. [["Where are we?"]] [[Run ahead.]]