video;

[blackbirdsing]

[ When Sarah comes into view, she's sitting with her elbows on a table, fingers steepled, and she actually looks Very Serious™ while contemplating how best to phrase her question. The conversation has come up privately, and she needs to have a full understanding of one of the parts of Wonderland she's never bothered with - the Vendors. ]

Hey. I know everyone's kind of consumed with what the dormouse had to say or...didn't say. But I really want to see where everyone falls regarding opinions on the Vendors.

Since we can't pick the memory they want, that means somehow they can rifle through our minds to pick the thing they want to take. And it'd probably have to be something meaningful or impactful. If I ever, for whatever reason, had no option but to use the Vendors, I could lose something like the birth of my son. I'd have no choice or say in the matter.

[ Her reason for using the Vendors would have to be extraordinary. Something involving Kurt or Ray and dire circumstances. ]

Anyway, my actual question is...how do we know, if the Vendors can access our minds and memories, that they or someone or something else doesn't do that all the time, on a constant basis? If Wonderland does actually use our memories to fuel the things that happen here, does that mean our brains are constantly being...I don't know. Monitored???

I'd really like some opinions on this.

[ Sarah isn't paranoid at all usually, and she'd say this is more concerned than paranoid, but it feels like such a violation of privacy that she can't help asking the community at large. ]

Comments

[video]

[jivitadana]

[The problem is that they don't know, which is unfortunate. He avoided using the Vendors too for that very reason of not being able to select whatever memory they took.]

We're probably being monitored, but only for memories from home, not memories we make here.

[At least, that's what he figured since it didn't seem anyone lost memories of Wonderland, if that Christmas event was any indication. So far.]

[video]

[blackbirdsing]

But still, those are...mine, you know? I don't want someone being able to dip into my life anytime they want. But for sheer virtue of being here, I don't have a choice.

[beautifullies]

This is the first time I've sat to think about the implications of Wonderland. Well, perhaps the second, the first was with brochure we were all sent yesterday. Everything about this place is completely unnerving. I don't trust it, and yet I'm forced to rely on it.

[ Not to keep her alive though, apparently. From what she's gathered, this place will actively try to kill her. ]

video;

[eatsyourscience]

[A couple things here...]

The vendors don't only take memories. If you had to go to them, you could trade something else.

[With that out of the way, onto the more serious matter.]

I think you're right--I think Wonderland could access our memories at any time if it had the power to do so.

[video]

[jivitadana]

[Minato understood. He hadn't wanted anyone to go snooping around like that either.]

I don't think they'd take anything so fast if it's running on our memories. If it takes too much, then it won't have anything for later.

[fancylad]

[Hi did someone say "Wonderland theories", this eleven-year-old is absolutely ready to throw around Wonderland theories.]

I don't think we can conclusively say whether or not our minds are being monitored actively, ma'am. I think all we can say for sure is that our minds are not safe at any particular moment. But it is a valid theory!

video;

[screwedontight]

You've got to assume they're monitoring it all. How else do the events happen? All of them seem to be based on someone's life from here, right? How else would they manage that if they're not picking at our brains twenty-four seven?

Or pulling them all when we first get here.

The vendors? I would assume whoever is behind this pays them by pulling a memory. I'm betting they personally don't have the ability, but someone higher up does.

[blackbirdsing]

I mean, they or...whoever could do anything to us and what are we gonna be able to do about it?

[ What are they going to d? It's not like they could even go after the Queen because she's not accessible as far as they know. ]

video;

[blackbirdsing]

I wonder if anyone knows what the percentage rate is of the vendors accepting what you have to offer or rejecting it and wanting a memory instead?

[ Because what this place wants are memories right? She doesn't get what tangible objects would do for Wonderland. ]

I get there's probably nothing anyone could do about it. But this is the most unnerving aspect of this place for me.

[video]

[blackbirdsing]

The problem is, we just don't know. If it can pull in as many people it wants, and any time it wants, I don't think there actually is an issue of shortage. But I don't know, maybe over-fueling would break the magic.

[blackbirdsing]

[ Well, it's quite possible Sarah just met a child who is 100% smarter than she'll ever be. ]

Lemme ask you something, then. Who do you think is taking our memories in the first place? Or is it just some...magical thing pulling thoughts out of our minds?

[ She's kind of imagining that scene in Harry Potter where the wand pulls the strand looking thing out of your head and boom, that's a memory. ]

video;

[blackbirdsing]

A good question to ask might be, for people who have been here for a long period of time, has an event ever repeated itself from their home, or have they gone through more than one that's familiar? Because maybe we have to have...a certain type of memory or life for Wonderland to pull us in.

[ Just to agree with this second point, there. ]

I wonder if that higher up is the Queen of Hearts, or if it goes even higher than that.

video

[thesamurai]

Good rule of thumb is to not trust anything about this place, ever.

Just saying.

[beautifullies]

There isn't much, admittedly.

[ Which is disturbing - a word Claire finds herself using about Wonderland at least once per day. ]

I suppose the best we can do is write out what we can and compare it. If you ever go back to your notes and don't recognize something you yourself have written, then perhaps Wonderland has taken it for itself.

video

[naughty_nurse]

I d-didn't think about it before, but I am now!

video;

[beatupgrass]

Oh, look. Someone's finally askin' the real questions.

[uncoils]

I hadn't thought about this before.

[And she'd like to go back to not thinking about it.]

That's fucking creepy though, and they probably are monitoring us.

video;

[eatsyourscience]

I doubt anyone knows. But I think it just depends on what you're trying to trade for. The trade has to be comparable, I mean.

[He cants his head to one side, considering the topic.]

I think...Wonderland can't do everything we think it can do.

[video]

[jivitadana]

It must know how much it can hold. No one has been here longer than ten years except maybe for Alice.

video

[burntvideocassette]

[Jay has to take a couple hours in mute horror, turning ideas over in his head, before he's ready to reply.]

Safest bet is probably... [He sighs, rubbing at his eyes.] ...assume we're being monitored. But if nobody's noticed anyone or anything responding like it knows what we're thinking, then maybe whatever's monitoring us isn't doing anything with the information.

[Yet.]

[fancylad]

Well, that's one of the big mysteries, isn't it! Is there a person or being behind Wonderland, or does all of its apparent will come from its Core alone, without an operator? I personally like the one where Wonderland has its own consciousness, but that's personal bias! That's one of the main things I've been trying to work out, but even with other peoples' notes, it's, um, that's a toughie!

[Still, as he talks about being stumped, he has a big grin on his face the whole time. This is what he lives for. The feeling of not knowing, pulling threads to see how far they go, where they go, and then finally, finally, the feeling of understanding at long last. And everywhere a mystery takes him along the way.]

text.

[crisised]

it doesn't mean they're being constantly monitored
but the odds of our heads being fished around in are pretty high
still incredibly creepy, but not quite as bad

video

[blackbirdsing]

I mean, I don't, but that's a solid reminder.

[blackbirdsing]

Like a diary? That's not a bad idea, but...maybe it could go video. Anyone could write anything about you or impersonate you. Not much you can do put listen to your recorded self.

video

[blackbirdsing]

Yeah, sorry about that. This was the easiest way to ask a big group of people. But if it helps, either way, it probably doesn't matter. You just keep living life the best you can given the circumstances.