o4 ♆ video

[kelpful]

[Percy is in his own suite for once, mostly so that any backlash from this won’t be directed at Annabeth. This attempt is marred a little by the fact that he has her shield on the desk in front of him, but oh well. Unlike his usually cheery face, his expression now is a little drawn, frowning]

Okay, I’m not really sure how to bring this up, so I’m just going to say it. It’s really important – as in, related to all of us being here – so you probably all want to hear this. But it might be upsetting, too? I don’t know how everyone’s going to feel about this, which is why it’s taken a while to come up. But with the palace starting to kidnap people involved off the streets, I think that people should know.

A couple of weeks ago, the underwater barrier went down. I don’t know how or why, but a couple of people were able to get past it and under the turtle itself. There was some kind of facility there that the kedan were taking supplies to, and when we went to have a closer look…

[He pauses for a second, before ultimately deciding to just forge ahead] It was a cloning facility. There were clones there of us – for some reason they were in giant light bulb tanks? I don’t even know. I don’t know if that means that we’re clones, or that they’ve just been making copies or something, but that’s what we found. We would’ve looked for more information, but the kedan decided to blow the whole place up, I guess. [He’s going to neglect to mention Kara’s helping hand with that] Ever since that happened, the new people arriving haven’t been pulled out of the ocean.

[He leans back, hand absently tapping on the edge of Annabeth’s shield] That’s all I know. And now Nita’s been basically kidnapped by the palace. You know, considering that swimming places isn’t exactly a capital offence. [The scowl is more of a glare now, and it kind of becomes apparent that Percy is actually really freaking angry]

So if anyone else wants to find out what the hell is going on – well, you probably shouldn’t talk to me about it, I kind of just painted a giant target on my forehead. But you guys have the information now, so do what you can with it.

Comments

video;

[fatedchaos]

[Of all the things to be told.]

What?

video;

[kelpful]

[He knows, he's sorry 8c]

Clones of us. In lightbulbs. Under Tu Vishan. [WHY DOESN'T IT MAKE ANY MORE SENSE WHEN HE SAYS IT LIKE THAT] They're gone now.

[depicted]

[Well. Uh. That's.]

[Not even sure how to handle it. He's Gothic Horror, not Scifi.]

That would . . . actually explain a lot, wouldn't it?

[Sorry, he is still processing this. How would that even work with his curse? Give him a few minutes.]

God.

[kelpful]

Kind of? But I mean, we don't even know if we're clones, or we just have them. It opens up a whole new can of worms either way.

...Sorry, by the way. To just kind of dump this on you. I didn't know how else to tell people.

action

[sophos]

[When he hangs up, Annabeth pulls her cap off her head, appearing some distance behind him; close enough to see the screen but far enough that even if she were visible during the transmission, she wouldn't have been seen. Subconsciously, she touches her knife for the reassurance that it's there at her side, then walks over to stand next to him.]

Hopefully that'll ward off any more arrests. [HIS INCLUDED AND LBR MOST IMPORTANTLY TO HER...]

[She'll just be in the room invisibly while all this goes down, nbd.]

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[kelpful]

[Percy turns to look up at her as she approaches, trying for a smile and failing] Knowing our luck, we'll have officers busting through the door any second now.

[video; 65% encrypted]

[alpha_squad_leader]

Clones...

[That's one of those words that tends to sound the bad news alarms for the X-men.]

You guys didn't manage to grab anything while you were down there, did you? Or see how many tanks there were?

[He takes a breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.]

Are you and the others that went somewhere safe? If they kidnapped Nita, maybe you all should find a place to stay out of sight.

[video; 65% encrypted]

[kelpful]

[He shakes his head, looking frustrated] We barely had time to get out of there ourselves before they blew the place up. But there were rows and rows of the tanks - enough to cover all of us and more.

[He gives a tight smile] Safe as I can be without throwing myself in the ocean. I don't know about the others, I'm not even sure if Evandau knows who they are. I figure it's better to not name names for now and let this post be a warning. [And draw the ire towards Percy instead of them]

Encrypted-ish idek why are you asking me

[notdreaming]

We have to help Nita.

[ She's kept quiet and to herself since the underwater incident, for the most part, but she isn't going to sit down and let them hurt her friends. And if the emperor is moving, they may be beginning the cloning process again. Not okay. ]

100% encrypted! (Percy has a friend who's good with tech)

[kelpful]

[He gives her a tight grin] You read my mind. I know she got taken by Evandau, but other than that, I'm not sure. We need to find out where he's keeping her before we can do anything else.

[audio]

[gathersnomoss]

Growing copies?

[audio]

[kelpful]

Yeah. Like multiple versions of our bodies.

video • 50% encryption

[nohsatsu]

Her disappearance does coincide well with our discovery of that facility...

[ He frowns as he considers this. ]

I've yet to notice any ill will toward myself, though, from the natives. Why only Namorita and not us? She's certainly not the weakest of us.

video • 50% encryption

[kelpful]

Yeah, I haven't noticed anyone coming after me, either. Maybe they were waiting for an excuse, or something? We weren't technically doing anything illegal while we were there. [Until they started beating up kedan at least, but he's not about to mention that]

[virginprice]

[He has no idea what a clone is, but he mentioned copies and- that makes no sense. That isn't possible.]

What is a clone- what do you mean, they've been making copies? That can't be true.

[kelpful]

I don't know how they've been doing it, but it's definitely what they were up to. There was one of my girlfriend, and someone else saw one of her. And there were hundreds of them

video; 100% encrypted

[imaginate]

[Kyle is still in Soranik's suite, frowning at the screen. That's the only outward sign he shows of being affected. It's a crisis, he can keep a cool head. (Mostly.)] So they have clones of us, and there's a high chance that we might be clones too. Is there anything else you noticed?

video; 100% encrypted

[kelpful]

[Percy coughs] Had clones. They might have another facility, but the one we found was totally wiped, with everything in it. [He shakes his head] We were seriously only there for maybe five or ten minutes before they hit the self destruct.

[zerotoawesome]

How is that possible?

No, really, how is that possible? I'm made of freaking rocks.

[kelpful]

Dude, I don't even know. [But thanks for not freaking out]

[cynisme]

[Obviously, as someone whose life was never touched with the joys of science fiction, this goes almost entirely over Grantaire's head. Still, he's been listening in, more keen to gather information in private than actually get involved in the conversation. Curiosity does get the better of him eventually.]

Like twins?

[kelpful]

Uh, sort of? Twins are still different people, though. A clone is supposed to be you in another body. Like a copy. [Percy is the best at science]

video; 100% encrypted

[fotia]

Hey, if ever they come for you next you know I got your back, man.

[ smiling, as always, but with a determination to never fail percy again, too ]

video; 100% encrypted

[sophos]

[wow what!! suddenly visible Annabeth as she pulls her cap off!!]

Be careful yourself, too.

[Video]

[tactile_telekinesis]

[The clone talk is kind of...he doesn't know how to react. He's a clone himself, he already knows this and he's had a clone of himself made as well but...why would this place have them? His jaw's clenching and damn it, just what the hell is going on here?!

What sets him off though is the news about Nita.]

They have Nita?! We're planning on getting her back, right? We can't just let them take us like that! Mess with one of us you mess with all of us. [Or you know, something like that.]

video; 100% encrypted

[kelpful]

Dude, I totally agree with you, but we can't just go charging off and break her out. [There's a pause in which Percy looks surprised that these words actually came out of his mouth, because it sounds like the exact opposite of something he would say. Too much time with Annabeth]

She technically wasn't kidnapped, she was arrested - but come on, it's Nita. What law would she break, smiling too much? The problem is, if Evandau took her to the prison, I don't now how to get in. [He's tried]

Video;

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack isn't really sure what to do with all of this information; he knows what a clone is, in theory, by virtue of being more or less up to date with modern media. But it doesn't mesh with what he knows personally, doesn't match with magic fire fountains and ancient turtle continents and shape shifting kedan.

How can there be copies of them? It makes him feel insecure, twining his hands over his staff in a habitual gesture of reassurance. Wasn't that the same as not being real? It leaves an oily, queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

So he puts it aside for right now, focuses on what he can that is more straightforward and less conjecture. He may not know Nita well, but the Emperor's callous threat never faded overmuch in the back of his mind. ]

Kidnapped?? By the Palace...?

Video;

[kelpful]

Arrested, but it's basically the same thing. They just picked her up off the street.

[video]

[97_percent]

Oh, great. Just what I needed to hear. [ She's a clone of a clone. At least this time it's not as much of a shock, just kind of tiring. ]

Were all the clones in tanks? Was there just one of each person, or multiple copies?

[video]

[kelpful]

Sorry. [He does legitimately seem sorry.]

Yeah, they were in tanks. Like, lightbulb shape and screwed into Tu Vishan, it was weird. [He squints, like he's trying to remember something] I'm pretty sure there were multiples? It happened pretty fast.

video; 100% encryption

[spacehipster]

Wait, hold on, back up a little. They blew up the cloning facility? With the clones inside it?

video; 100% encryption

[kelpful]

[His jaw tightens a little. Just before the explosion, he'd found a clone of his girlfriend. No matter what they'd been planning on using them for, he's not okay with them being destroyed] The whole thing was wiped.

perma-anon | audio;

[squint]

[ The reply comes after a short while--Cobb needs to log in somewhere where he can be anonymous--and when he speaks there's a sharp edge to his voice. Strained, but strangely business-like.

In an odd way, it's the most comfortable he's been, working with something like this hanging over his head. ]

Percy--It's Mr. Charles. Are you safe?

perma-anon | audio;

[kelpful]

[Percy manages a flicker of a smile when he notices it's audio]

Couldn't be safer unless I threw myself in the ocean. I'm kind of used to this sort of thing, don't worry.

audio // private

[lostundercover]

The fuck do you mean cloning people?

audio // private

[kelpful]

There were clones of us under the turtle. That's basically all I know, sorry. [And he does seem legitimately sorry - frustrated, even - that he can't give more information]

audio;

[seriouslytwisted]

[Eugh, CLONES. That creeps Raph the fuck out, he hates that mad scientist bullshit sometimes.]

So those people that Emperor chick was gonna execute in prison, it was because of that?

audio;

[kelpful]

[WHOA YOU'RE A TURTLE. Please excuse Percy while his face lights up] Whoa.

[Wait Percy you are talking about serious things here shh] Uh. No that was something else. She really didn't want people in the sewers, I guess.

video; private

[andaway]

[Not news to him, but he's been meaning to talk to Percy for a while.]

Percy, you were with Kara Zor-El when you found it weren't you?

video; private

[kelpful]

[Percy frowns, trying to remember if he's talked to this guy before]

Did she tell you that?

audio.

[queenoftheseas]

Clones. Well, that....that certainly explains some things. [She's not sure if she's disturbed or relieved. On the one hand, that means she and Arthur didn't leave their kingdom behind at all. On the other....clones] And the thing about Namorita...

Do try to be careful. I'm sure this isn't information that they're happy you have.

audio.

[kelpful]

And throws up about twice as many questions. Which, to be honest? Is usually how it goes when I find things out anyway, so at least it's familiar. [he manages a grin]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's why they decided to arrest Nita. At least, I dunno why else they would have. I'll be...as careful as I can be? [that is not very careful percy]

audio;

[dracobin]

[Temeraire, for his part, has been carefully going through the other comments first, combing through them for contextual clues that might help him understand what's going on. It sounds terribly serious, and almost everyone appears either horrified or furious at the news, though he is not entirely certain he understands why, yet.]

When everyone is saying copies--do you mean statues of us, in tanks? Because I certainly do not feel like a statue.

audio;

[kelpful]

[Hopefully this one will be easier to explain than sex]

Not statues. Like...have you seen twins before? A clone is when someone uses science - or magic, I guess - to make a replica of you. They look exactly the same, they're living and breathing and usually thinking. But they're not actually you. So people are worried about there being copies of themselves out there, or that they might actually...be copies, and our original selves are still back on our world.

Forever late, but... he had to ask. video;

[trainwrecked]

This may sound like I'm an idiot, but... what's a clone?

[Yes, incipient organism cloning existed, back by 1945, or at least the theory of it. Bucky wasn't the scientific type, though, so. Mildly clueless.]

video;

[kelpful]

Nah, it's okay, man. I didn't even figure it out until someone else brought it up. Clones are like, a duplicate of you. The same body. I think the jury's out about whether it's the same person inside or not.

video;

[storm_warning]

[Ororo bears the expression of 'OH FUCK NO, YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT' as her video feed comes online. Her arms are crossed, an eyebrow raised, and there's a faint roll of thunder in the background.]

BS. There's no way they could recreate this. [It's a nod down, towards herself.]

More importantly, Nita. You saw them take her?