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 Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2026 9:12 pm
Quote: Room 3: Unknown - The centerpiece of this room was impossible to ignore. Suspended within concentric rings of polished metal floated an ancient mechanism of crystal and stone, cracked in places yet somehow still functioning. Every few moments it awakened with a quiet pulse of light before projecting a cascade of unfamiliar symbols through the air. The message repeated endlessly, each cycle accompanied by faint harmonic tones that seemed almost, but never quite, recognizable as language. The device in this room seems to recognize when it has company, and the message sometimes flutters, or distorts faintly, but it yields no clearer results. Surrounding the device are star charts etched onto translucent crystal tablets, each depicting regions of space that bear little resemblance to any modern map. The largest display seems to trace a route toward a distant location marked only by a symbol--one that appears repeated throughout the room, but never in the same place. Whatever it is--or was--it was recorded throughout time, across different worlds. And nothing in Almadel's exhibit gave any indication of what it was.
Chariklo had been sitting in this odd room for nearly an hour, absorbed in the odd contraption and trying to puzzle out what, exactly, this thing was and what it was doing. Sure, she might be wasting precious exploring time, but this... this machine drew her in and she couldn't tear herself away. So far, she had decided that it was sending a message out, but to whom, she couldn't begin to guess. But, the strangest part was the symbol that traced throughout the exhibit. Time, space, it kept repeating and there wasn't a damn thing that gave any kind of hint as to what it meant!
Huffing a little in frustration, the senshi of seagulls closed her eyes and found an empty sliver of wall to lean back against for just a second. Reaching into subspace for her phone, she gave herself a few minutes to rest and clear her mind. Then, she began to methodically circle the room, taking pictures of anything that looked interesting. Maybe she and Angus could go over them later. Or she could upload them into the database and see if anyone wanted to help play puzzle solver.
"Wish I knew what you meant," she muttered at the repeating symbol as she took several pictures of it from a few angles.
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2026 5:16 pm
"Oh, you and me both," Almadel hummed. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed and watching as she circled the room. "I've spent years collecting all of this and I still haven't the foggiest idea what it's supposed to mean. Truthfully, I was hoping one of you might have some information to share. But," he sighed dramatically, and pushed himself off the wood so he could join her where she stood. "No luck so far, unfortunately. But I suppose the night's still young, hm? You'll let me know if you find anything out, won't you?" he asked, nodding towards her phone. "I was hoping one of those very old Senshi, or a Vanguardian, or a Cosmos Knight might have some secret clue to help piece things together. Ah, one day, perhaps."
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2026 5:57 pm
To Chariklo's credit, she managed to not jump three feet into the air as Almadel was suddenly there in the room with her. How anyone could be so quiet was beyond her. Though... in fairness, she hadn't exactly been paying attention either. Offering a rueful smile, she shrugged slightly before tucking her phone away for the moment. Once that was done, she offered her hand and a grin.
"Don't believe we've been formally introduced yet. Though I know who you are thanks to that mess with the Hallow and rampant rumor. Chariklo, at your service!"
The eternal senshi was practically radiating a sunshiney cheerfulness in spite of her frustration with her lack of understanding of the contraption. If Almadel didn't know either, then what he was doing made a lot of sense. Put the information out there and hope. She could appreciate the logic. And she couldn't resist a bit of light teasing.
"I hope by 'very old' you mean more experienced. I'm just barely past thirty. Surely I don't count as old," she pulled a mock mournful face before chuckling and briefly turning her attention to the strange symbol. "Am I guessing right in thinking that this thing is showing both moments in time as well as space that that whatever it is was relevant? Doubtless you've already considered that angle and sifted through whatever records you have access to in order to try cross-referencing."
She paused for a moment, wishing that past her had been a little less self absorbed and a little more interested in the rest of the universe. "That's about the best I can offer. I'm afraid past me was a bit of a twit and didn't pay much attention to the things happening in the larger world." And that, she thought grimly, was being generous. "She certainly didn't keep records that I've been able to find. Unless you count memories that pop up and make me think the b***h was writing a massive Burn Book."
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