Chapter 2: The Headache Felt Around The World

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♦ Topic: Kyushu Rises! Cause Unknown!
In: Boards ► Global
Aka Ranger (Original Poster) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Jul 6th 2010:
Holy hell, so I'm sure you've already seen various news sites addressing this but to everyone who hasn't heard yet: at around 8;00 AM (JST) the island of Kyushu rose back out of the water.

Various fishermen were the first to take notice given that it happened right underneath them. Miraculously none of these people were hurt and some even took pictures on their phones which can be found [HERE].

A few of these photos were of a city roughly located where Fukuoka once stood. Most concerningly it appears to be a tinker made city, as some eagle-eyed viewers have spotted plants which match no natural example and can stand higher than even the tallest Redwood trees. Naturally the suspicions of a biotinker having a hand in the reconstruction of Fukuoka have alarmed what remains of the Japanese Government and has seen elements of the PRT and the Guild arriving to assess the situation.

Naturally this has led to some tension as Japan still holds some bad blood for America pulling out of Japan following the sinking of Kyushu. The CUI has also sent some pointed addresses regarding the overreach of the PRT, but frankly fuck the CUI.

EDIT: Okay so apparently not all of Kyushu was raised out of the waves, the current island is about 29.7 kilometres squared, while the original island was about 36.8 kilometres squared. Still pretty impressive.

EDIT: New photographs have come in from the user HIKI Gaya, giving us a much better look at the new Fukuoka. It's beyond pretty, as can be seen [HERE]

EDIT: Teams of various agencies have begun searching through the city and have issued a blanket warning to all civilians to not enter the island until it has been properly assessed.

(Showing page 1 of 546)

►Chrome
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Uh, what?

@Tin Mother
is this real?

Who the hell would be able to drag Kyushu back?

►Groupies
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Chrome
It definitely seems real, I'm watching the news and they're all reporting on it.

On the one hand: I'm really glad that a lost piece of Japan may have just been returned, hopefully it'll help with their current situation.

On the other hand: I'm extremely concerned about that biotinker.

►Kriketz
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Eh, just burn the plants. Seems like an easy solution to me.

Hell, just nuke the entire place. Better to be sure.

►Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Kriketz
Do. Not. Nuke. My. Home.

Whoever returned my dear lost home has my profound thanks, I, and the many other survivors of Kyushu, had long lost hope that we would ever see Kyushu again.

►Answer Key
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Kriketz
I feel like that's a bit premature, what if the city's like Nilbog and nukes just make things worse?

@Laotsuun
Despite my trepidation I'm glad your home has returned.

So this is obviously a team of tinkers right? Because a Biotinker alone wouldn't have been able to rebuild the entire city, hide the reconstruction happening, and bring the island back from the surface. That's, at minimum four tinkers.

►Aloha
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Answer Key
They'd also need someone capable of allowing them to survive the bottom of the ocean for long periods of time. Not necessarily a tinker, but surviving that amount of pressure and lack of oxygen would necessitate another parahuman.

►Sothoth
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Hey, wasn't there a tinker who used to mass produce tinker tech for the Sentai? Maybe he helped with the city?

►Procto the Unfortunate Tinker (Not a tinker)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Sothoth
You mean Masamune?

Yeah that could fit. He's a mass production tinker, so building a city isn't exactly out of his wheelhouse. He's also probably still somewhere in Japan, though that's hard to say as he hasn't exactly been seen since the Sentai dissolved.

►WagTheDog
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Maybe it's ToyBox? They have lots of tinkers!

►Loyal
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Eh? What do you mean Kyushu is back!!!

How! It got sunk by the big scaly asshole!!!!

►QwertyD
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@WagTheDog
Sure, but it's not really their MO.

@Loyal
Well it got unsunk, don't know what else to tell you.

►TinMother (Banned)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
[USER'S POST HAS BEEN DELETED]

►Tin Mother (Moderator)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Chrome
Yes, I can confirm that this is indeed real.

@WhiteFan88
The use of racist and inflammatory language on this site is not permitted, as you have already been warned about. Enjoy your ban.

►Lolitup
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Tin Mother
LOL, only responding after 11 posts? Your losing your touch.

►Tin Mother (Moderator)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Lolitup
I'm currently rather busy with something important, but rest assured the rest of the Moderators are hard at work.

►Lasersmile
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
So have the PRT commented on this yet?

►Nondeceptive
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Lasersmile
Nah, they're getting all of the facts together first. Give 'em a couple of hours.

Still, that city looks amazing. I hope it's not dangerous, because I'd like to visit it, y'know before it breaks down due to lacking maintenance or the creators being caught.

►Char
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Nondeceptive
Yeah, it is kind of irresponsible of these tinkers to create a death trap for anyone wanting to stay there.

I understand they're trying to help but wouldn't it be better to join the PRT or help the local government instead of doing this with no warning?

►Hikotsu
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Char
Uh, can't speak for the PRT but the Japanese government is kind of hanging on by a thread. Most of Japan is made up of warlords vying for more territory. If these tinkers had gone to the government they either wouldn't have been able to do anything or they would have been kidnapped and pressganged by one of the warlords.

So probably best that they didn't. I'm frankly just glad someone is trying to do right by my country, depending on the condition of Kyushu we might be able to use that island for more food production.

Oh, who am I kidding. One of the warlords are going to snatch it up.

►Mane Magenta
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Hikotsu
Well at least they won't be able to do that while the PRT and the Guild are there!

Plus I'm sure They'll be able to do something to keep it in the proper authorities hands once they leave.

End of Page.   1, 2, 3 ... 544, 545, 546

(Showing page 2 of 546)

►Naru Naru (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Mane Magenta
Ha! The PRT doesn't give two shits about us! They LEFT when Kyushu was destroyed and now they come crawling back the moment it has something they want?!

No! Fuck you!
[USER HAS RECEIVED A WARNING]

►TippyTappy (Moderator)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Naru Naru
I can understand why you're upset but please keep it civil.

►Hikotsu
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Mane Magenta
I wish I had your optimism, but as a poster has already noted the PRT and the Guild are likely only here temporarily, which may actually be a good thing.

I've already some rumours about Shuten-Douji using the presence of foreigners to stir up the local population.

►HIKI Gaya
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Holy shit! guys, my uncle was one of the people fishing at the time and he sent me some pictures! It looks fucking incredible!

[Link]

►Deimos
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@HIKI Gaya
Oh boy, here I go clicking suspicious links again!

EDIT: Guys it's legit, the link has about forty pictures of the city, and it's insane! It looks like some environmentalists wet dream!

►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
The PRT has yet to issue a formal address to the current ongoing situation but I can confirm that, with the aid of our long term allies: the Guild, as well as the Japanese Government, an investigative search of the city has begun.

Rest assured that we will update you with any pertinent information as it comes up.

►Ne
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Reave
Well thanks for the heads up, I guess.

Think they'll find any beasties?

►Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@Ne
I'm really hoping they don't. I want to be able to return to my home, the island getting quarantined kind of goes against that desire.

►Miraclemic
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
@HIKI
Oh wow, god I wish I could move out of my crappy apartment and into one of those houses. The one with the rock garden looks especially nice.

►Poit
Replied On Jul 6th 2010:
Oh wow, I go to sleep and wake up to find this.

This has been a nice surprise.

Now let's see how it'll inevitably end horribly.

End of Page.   1, 2, 3, 4 ... 544, 545, 546

■

-Rebecca Costa-Brown POV-

The preliminary report on New Fukuoka, as some had taken to calling it, laid across her desk. She had already read it. The steel trap of Alexandria’s mind would never forget a single word but Rebecca Costa-Brown, Chief Director of the embattled PRT was not expected to have such a sharp memory.

So it stayed.

Eventually she looked up from her third reading of the report and gazed upon her monitor. There the various Directors were shown hunched over their own reports.

This was not surprising, it was a rather unprecedented situation. An entire island restored to the surface and a grand city having been built upon it. The sheer scope of it was already impressive, but what truly unsettled her, and the rest of her organisation, was that they had had no warning of it happening whatsoever.

The PRT was an organisation that stretched across North America and had a wide recruiting base for thinkers of all sorts. So large was their access to these parahumans that an entire thinktank called Watchdog had been formed to monitor and prevent economic, social and political disruption from parahumans. An entire tinker tech city hidden in the depths certainly should have been discovered long before it was completed.

Yet no one had had a clue.

Cauldron’s resources stretched yet further than the PRT’s. They had accrued favours from thousands of people across the world, had the ear of every major government and possessed the strongest precognitive parahuman to ever exist.

But they were just as blind to this as the rest of the world.

“Dragon, is there an update” she asked the only non-member of the PRT present on screen. Dragon had volunteered to inspect the city herself, reasonably arguing that there was no one better suited to examining the tinker tech of New Fukuoka.

“While I have yet to fully sweep the entire city, much less the rest of the island, there are a few details that I have been able to ascertain”

Director Armstrong leaned forwards, a spark of interest in his eyes as he spoke “what have you been able to find out, is the city hostile?”

Dragon paused for a second “ as previously stated I have yet to examine the city in full, but all signs point towards no” Dragon waited, likely expecting someone to interject but when none spoke up she continued.

“The technology present in Fukuoka appears to be around fifty years more advanced than current day technology, and seems to be primarily focused on renewable energy and sustainability”

She saw a few Directors relax at that, their shoulders lowering so minutely that few others would have been able to tell. Tagg, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and appeared confused for a short moment, likely having caught the same thing Rebecca had.

“Well that’s relieving, I suppose. A specialisation like that doesn’t seem well suited to combat” The Carolina Director said, mopping her brow in relief.

“No” Tagg cut in “any specialisation can be dangerous, a parahuman’s capacity for destruction will always outpace their capacity to create” Tagg finished, giving voice to the unspoken concern regarding this city.

Parahumans had a tendency towards conflict, and even the most benign of powers often had hidden side effects. So now the many Directors of the PRT, as well as every other organisation on the planet, had their eyes on New Fukuoka and were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

She leaned forwards, her eyes locked onto Dragon.

“Dragon, that was a very interesting way to describe the tinkertech of New Fukuoka. I know you always choose your words carefully, so would you like to explain further?” She offered, not really giving Dragon a choice in the matter.

Dragon briefly looked hesitant.

“It is as I have said the technology of this island is fifty years ahead of us” Dragon said “I confirmed it myself, a number of engineers and scientists on the away team also confirmed it.”

The room was shocked silent for a moment as everyone present came to understand exactly what Dragon had just said. She stewed in that silence as her hunch was confirmed.

This was big, no it was huge.

There was a person or group present in the world capable of advancing science by decades. How? Had they broken the black box of tinkertech? Was it their power?

“Dragon” Director Hearthrow spoke up “are you trying to tell us that not a single part of this city is made of tinkertech?” His face was pale as he looked at the rest of the Directors on his monitor. The rest seemed just as lost as him.

“I’m placing a gag order on this information” she began “no one is to know of this, this coul-“

“Chief Director, I have already informed the liaison of this 20 minutes ago” Dragon cut her off “As you know the only way I was allowed into Japan to inspect this case was by allowing a personal liaison who served on behalf of the Diet to accompany me. I was ordered to report any relevant findings to him.”

She held back a curse as she rubbed her head, to most Dragon only seemed neurotic in regards to the law but Rebecca was one of the few who knew of Dragon’s nature as an A.I. as well as her restrictions. The obligation to obey authorities, regardless of her opinion on the matter, was one that Rebecca had eagerly taken advantage of in the past, so it was a rather bitter irony that this restriction was now coming back to haunt her.

“Fine” she waved her hand “You can inform your liaison, I can speak to the Japanese Government and impress upon them the need for secrecy. The interest the CUI would give them should be enough to convince them.

Rebecca looked across the many Directors “I don’t think I need to explain why this is so paradigm shattering or why this situation needs to be handled carefully”

She continued to speak, directing various elements of her subordinates as well as her bureaucracy all the while her hand deftly texted a number she rarely had much reason to call so urgently.

‘Dammit Contessa, you had better be on top of this’

-Meanwhile-

To: NaotoHiroyama@Gov.JP

Subject: Fukuoka Documents

Dear Prime Minister

Please find the attached documents linked to this email.

The investigation into New Fukuoka is already bearing fruit, the city is not made of tinkertech it’s all mundane technology decades more advanced than anything we’ve seen!

This could be exactly what we need to gain support from the rest of the world that will be needed if we wish to regain what we have lost. Everyone will want what this city has, the solar panels alone could revolutionise the energy industry.

Swift action will likely be needed to secure New Fukuoka before anyone else can.

Yours faithfully

Renji Nakamura

Number 33 looked up from the device, a piece of tinkertech designed to secretly observe calls and emails coming and going from a certain radius.

Number 33 as well as #22 and #17 has been teleported into Kyushu in order to observe the situation. Foreign interests in their sphere of influence always drew heavy attention from the Yangban.

He accessed the attached documents and scrolled through the detailed schematics and documentation.

One would need to be informed of this.

AN: And here we have the first ripple effects of what the SI has done. His tech doesn’t have a black box, or at least the more understandable parts of his tech don’t. 1st level SilkPunk and 2nd level SolarPunk don’t really have anything esoteric enough to trip up Earth Bet’s scientists, it’s basically just current technology if given a push in a certain direction for a few decades.

What’s Contessa doing during all of this? You’ll see.