e x p e r i m e n t #08 (video)

[mviw]

[Some time Friday morning, September 8th, a new and particularly important broadcast appears on the network.

The feed flicks on to show Ford at a desk in his lab looking both tired and very guilty. ]

Uh, yes! Hello. Uh. Good morning?

[He clears his throat. Might as well get right down to it.]

As anyone who's slept since Wednesday will know, something weird has been happening. I may have been experimenting with a ward against a certain demonic triangle when there was an explosion that caused the ward's effects to warp and, for lack of better layman's terms, gave everyone the ability to traverse the Mindscape--that is, the realm parallel to any waking dimension.

To put it simply: Once you left consciousness at any point, you likely were able to explore your own mind, and the minds of others.

Fortunately, the effects seem to be temporary and I only singed half an eyebrow in the explosion, so... Good news! Everything should be back to normal by tomorrow.

Ahh, science. Well! That's all for today. If you don't want to deal with it, I suggest visiting one of the tea rooms for a delightful pot of industrial coffee. Always works for me!

[With a winning smile from Ford, the broadcast ends.]

Comments

[mviw]

In a manner of speaking.

He can't possess you if you don't give him permission, and from what I understand there needs to be magic involved to let him break into your mind and rummage around for memories.

The worst he can do on his own is give you nightmares and read your thoughts.

[postictal]

ANY thoughts?

[HI THAT'S A BIG AND TERRIBLE PROBLEM WHEN YOUR THOUGHTS CONTAIN SOMETHING THAT COULD HURT EVERYONE]

[mviw]

From my experience it runs the gamut between "guess what number I'm thinking of between 1 and 1,000,000! Oh no, you guessed" and your general mental state, to knowing about something embarrassing you did in 8th grade.

He isn't the All-Seeing Eye for nothing, but he doesn't actually know everything. He's also extremely arrogant and makes mistakes when he thinks he has the upper hand.

If he does show up in your dreams that's where he's at his strongest, but also weakest. Learning lucid dreaming can be a powerful tool for booting him out of your head.

Also, if you have any American money with the all-seeing eye on it, mark out the eye. He can see through triangles with eyes in them.

He also hates synthesized music, for what that's worth. I hope you like bands from the 1980s.

[postictal]

[Get rid of triangles with eyes in them. Got it.]

got nothing against them personally

[Good thing music is one of the few things he can appreciate.]

you know how?

to lucid dream i mean

[mviw]

Yep! Sure do. Always known, I think my brother and I know naturally, but it's also something you have to work at and you won't feel rested when you wake up.

One of the tricks that helps me is I overthink and question everything. Once you realize you're dreaming, you have to hold onto that thought and then be willing to admit you can change reality. It's not easy to shut off gravity, for example, because your brain will accept certain things as universal truths and constants.

It also helps to have a wild imagination.

[postictal]

i don't feel rested anyway

[Lifetime of insomnia, buddy.]

not really something you can teach huh
i mean

thanks.
i guess now's as good a time as any to learn to try

[mviw]

I think the last time I felt well-rested was last spring, and only because I'd nearly been electrocuted to death and had to rest.

Unfortunately no, but I'm always happy to dispense advice. It wouldn't hurt to ask one of the librarians for books on the subject. I know Evelyn in particular is extremely trustworthy.

[postictal]

books on dream demons?
you kinda sound like the expert

[mviw]

As much as someone can be an expert on something like him, yes.

I meant lucid dreaming though. I doubt you'd find anything in the library on Bill but it's worth a shot.

[postictal]

right
i guess that's fair

[And it isn't fair to put it all on Ford. But...Evelyn. He'll put her down.]

is there a way to encrypt stuff here so bill can't get to it too?

[mviw]

He's a master of encryption and decoding so... no. But if he doesn't deem you relevant he won't spare you a second thought.

You're better off communicating via paper when it's important and not engaging with him. If you don't have an apparent use to him, or if you don't show him you're intelligent and potentially useful, he'll keep his eye focused on other things.

[postictal]

you can't wire your phone with that ward or unicorn hair or whatever?

[Tim did not major in electrical engineering or mechanical engineering, and it shows.]

what does he count as relevant?