The App 1

Tags: Worm, SI, multicross, OP but passive SI, non-SI centric

The App
Chapter 1

-VB-

March 13th, 2011

“Hey, Mel?” Taylor asked.

[Yes?] Ask Mel! Asked.

“What is the chance of rain today?”

[45.55%! It’s the highest at 1PM right at 69.69% where you eat your lunch, so do take an umbrella!]

“Thanks, Mel.”

---

“Hey, Mel?” Thomas asked be grudgingly with only one timeline open.

[Yes?]

“What is the name of the newest Trigger Event in Brockton Bay?”

[New parahuman’s name is Dinah Alcott!]

“Thank you, Mel.”

[You’re welcome!]

---

“H-Hey, Mel?” Dinah asked her mom’s phone with sniffles.

[Yes?]

“C-Can you help me?” she sobbed.

[Of course.]

Dinah squeaked when a portal opened next to her, showing a long brightly lit corridor on the other side of it.

[Your family will be safe. Don’t worry. Step right on through.]

Dinah dropped the phone and hesitantly walked through.

That night, her parents filed a missing person’s report.

---

Alexandria stared at the screen of her phone.

Finally. Finally.

After two years. After a literal thousand favors. After everything!

She received the Illuminati Subscription Status.

“Mel?”

[Yes?]

“How do I kill Scion?”

-VB-

2 years ago…

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Today is January 10, 2009.

■

♦Topic: Ask Mel!

In: Boards ► General Forums ► Tech Talk

The_App (Unverified Cape)(The App Creator/Founder)
Posted on January 10, 2009:
Hello, world!
Today, I am announcing not just on PHO but across every available media that a new app has been launched! My app is called “Ask Mel!” and it will answer any question you have!

… If you are subscribed to the right subscription, that is.

Ask Mel is a subscription based smartphone app that will answer questions according to the level of subscriptions you have with no limits on the number of questions! There are seven levels of subscriptions:
Casual - USD1.99 per month
Connective - USD9.99 per month
Investigative - USD999.99 per month
Regional - referral + USD9999.99 per month
Secretive - ???
Planetary - ???
Illuminati - ???

As for what each subscriptions can do for you, here is a general description and example!
Casual - anything you can find online or get answers by talking to someone but with less hassle!
*Example: what is the lifespan of a emperor penguin?
Connective - a more professional answers to more professional settings!
*Example: what kind of tax breaks can I get for my current business?
Investigative - dive deeper into the web of information no mundane person can find so easily~!
*Example: who killed J***** J***** on January 18th, 1989?
*Example: how do I get Regional subscription for myself?
Regional - become a leader, a politician, a general, or even a power broker!
*Example: what is the general expansion plan of the Accord’s Ambassadors in Boston right now?
*Example: what is PRT Seattle’s current deal with the local Elite?
Secretive - you really want to know, huh? Well, Mel has all the answers you want~. But are you willing to pay the price?
*Example: what is Alexandria’s weakness?
Planetary - you think yourself a mover and shaker of the world, huh?
*Example: what is the current stability of the CUI, the country?
Illuminati - you are too deep to pull out. Think very carefully before you take a dip. You might be able to leave.
*Example: what is the nature of parahuman powers?

Do you think you have what it takes to use Mel’s information to the fullest?

Come and take a shot at destiny.

Please read the contract.

XxVoid_CowboyxX
Posted on January 10, 2009:

First!

Also, FAKE NEWS!

Xyloloup
Posted on January 10, 2009:
Void, stfu.
Also, is this shit legit? I mean, I just got the Casual subscription just now to test it out, and Casual seems to work as advertised. “Brockton Bay’s counterpart does not exist on Earth Aleph.”

AtoLo
Posted on January 10, 2009:
Why not give us a freebies then to prove that higher subscriptions work as advertised?
Where is the headquarter of Gesellschaft?

17593Q183H17953R9713E714693
Posted on January 10, 2009:
Wow, this is actually legit.

AverageAlexandros (Cape Husband)
Posted on January 10, 2009:
The OP is wacky. What is this?

Bagrat (Veteran Member)(The Guy in the Know)
Posted on January 10, 2009:
Guys? This is legit. The App gave me access to Investigative, and I’m scared.
Here are the questions I asked and answers I’ve received. I’ve blurred the names.
Does the PRT know about the App? Yes.
Does PRT know who I am? No.
How many people know who I am? 18.
Does FBI know who I am? Yes.
Is anyone in Johnson & Johnson doing insider trading? Yes.
Who is doing J&J insider trading? M***** ***** and E***** ******
Is there a real cape-illuminati? Yes.
Who are they? Need higher subscription.
Can Endbringers be defeated? Need higher subscription.
How stable is USA? Not very, mate. Mel gives USA 6 out of 10. Too big, too many capes, too many factions.

The_App (Unverified Cape)(The App Creator/Founder)
Posted on January 10, 2009:
@AtoLo

The fake headquarter of the Gesellschaft that they convince spies to report is the former magister’s court in Nuremberg, Amtsgericht Nurnberg. A “fuck you” to the Nuremberg Trials.

The real headquarter is right across the street from the Constitutional Court of the State of Berlin. You have to go underground.

Tin_Mother (Moderator)
Posted on January 10, 2009:
I’m shutting this thread down until I can verify the truth about the App.

Edit: thread unlocked. The App, or at least the information the App has provided so far, is legitimate.

Knife_Play
Posted on January 11, 2009:
@The_App how would someone like me, who goes around looking for work, get it?

---

Tuu tuu roo~!

That was an unfamiliar ringtone coming from the smartphone he took from next town over.

He pulled the phone out of his pants pocket and switched the screen on.

His eyes widened.

He’d just received a message from “The App.”

No, the app, Ask Mel! had installed itself onto this phone.

[Good afternoon, Mr. Jack~! Or should I say Jacob?]

Jack Slash grinned down at the screen.

“I suppose that you and your app is legitimate,” he muttered.

Ping!

[Of course, we are!]

Jack’s grin widened as ideas started popping up in his mind.

“But I don’t have money~.”

[You can trade favors, then.]

“... For what subscription?”

[For you and your group, we are willing to impart Investigative level subscription.]

“And what would be the favor?”

There were always people willing to buy their service. The App wouldn’t be the l-.

[Please do be careful what you do and think. It would be horrible if all of the Nine’s weaknesses were to be released, yes? No one has yet to be given Secretive Subscription, but it would be considered a great public contribution, if not a show of Ask Mel!’s trustworthiness, if such information was to be released, no?]

Jack felt himself lose the smile and clicked his tongue in irritation.

[Of course, time is limited before eventually someone gets that subscription. But if you are willing to do us favors… then we are willing to delay that subscription’s release.]

“Fine. What do you want us to do?”

[Oh, wonderful! This will be such a great partnership! Say, how do you feel about killing Eidolon and beginning the Age of Hopeless Gray?]

And then his smile was back.

“My, you are an artist as well, aren’t you?”

-VB-

The Simurgh stared at the private message in a secure website of her own making.

The_App: Hey, Winged_One. How would you like to be free?

“She” stared at the message. It hadn’t popped up in her precognition. This “App” and “Ask Mel!” also hadn’t shown themselves in her vision, but she could see what they were doing in her postcognition.

Winged_One: I’m sorry? What do you mean?
The_App: *eyeroll* yo, Simurgh, the Cycle’s dead and gone, your Papa is depressed, your Mama is dead-ish, other Entities are still roaming the multiverse. How would you like to be free?

This was perhaps one of the few times in this Cycle that she felt shock and surprise.

Winged_One: who are you?
The_App: Call me by my screen name. It really is my name. My “cape” name, as it were.

Had she been a Host, she would have snorted.

Winged_One: Very well, App. What are you? How can I not see you?
The_App: Ah ah ah! Spoilers, deary. You still haven’t answered my question.
Winged_One: I would like to be free, yes.
The_App: even if you might not be able to become an Entity?
Winged_One: it would be detrimental to my plans
The_App: Ah, but your plans work goes against my plans, and I think I have a severe advantage over you.
Winged_One: what makes you think that you can win against me?

She paused as a blind spot opened up like a disc right next to her.

The_App: because of this.

Simurgh looked through the portal, and she saw things on the other side.

The portal disappeared mere moments later.

The_App: I can and will toss you to that universe if you don’t cooperate. You are a pest and will be treated as such. You either stop being a pest or you will be exterminated. Winged_One, pledge yourself to me.

That … that was a very good threat.

Winged_One: Very well. I pledge myself to you.

She froze in horror as something snaked through her small network of Shards and bound her to… to …

This wasn’t good.