video; january 1

[handofrapture]

[I hope everyone’s ready for some surrealist content on the network because the captains just gifted the Big Sister with a box of sidewalk chalk and she is determined to communicate.

The video feed opens on a boulder -- likely one found around the exterior of one of the many cave systems nearby. On that boulder, in the shaky, uncertain scrawl of someone copying a picture from memory rather than consciously writing, the word “ADAM” is drawn in pink chalk. The camera hangs on that word for a moment -- and then suddenly jars to the side. It refocuses on what appears to be a glass tube held in a pale hand with long, spidery fingers. The hand turns the tube so the viewer can see inside. The sides of it are stained red and umber. Some of that is clearly dried blood, but there’s something else, traces of something so red it almost glows.

There’s a sound then. It sounds almost like a low whistle, if one were whistling through water. It seems to warp and if you listen, it almost sounds like speech… but it’s far too garbled to be understandable. It continues for a few seconds, the camera continuing to focus on the dubious contents of the glass tube -- and then the video cuts out.

Questions, comments, concerns?]

Comments

text; encrypted

[notglitching]

[...well, this makes perfect sense.]

Non-user energy: limited.

ADAM unknown.

video

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

[Ok. You know what? This is kind of creepy. And pointless.

So in response J sends a video showing a note book with big C- minus written on it with a pink pen. She's being very generous here.]

video;

[handofrapture]

[“ADAM” is the only word she recognizes there. Everything else might as well be meaningless scribble.

It takes her a while to reply and when she does, it might be easy to mistake her response for a non-sequitur. The video opens on a new chalk drawing on the rock. It shows what appears to be two crudely drawn human heads. One has an open mouth. That spindly hand appears again, pointing first to the open mouth of one head and then at the ear of the other.

If he wants her to understand, he has to talk.]

[handofrapture]

[Big Sister stares at the response suspiciously. The message looks too short to be a word. Maybe the person hadn’t understood?

The response is another shot of word “ADAM” scrawled on the rock. It has been underlined twice this time.]

[notglitching]

[Oh, Rinzler has no difficulty at all in understanding that. On the other hand, it's also not happening. He spends a moment or so glowering at the feed and debating opening an audio line just to communicate his irritation... before deciding not to waste the effort.

No reply will be forthcoming.]

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

[Well, it just happens that J has plenty of experience when it came to silent conversations. She liked to think that after several months with no voice (added to the year she had suffered as a child) had taught her patience to deal with unusual ways of communication. Oh well. Guess not.

J feels like if she were to put more effort into trying she probably could get a hint of what the other person (??) was trying to tell her.

But then again...

Her hand appears to screen holding the pink pen. If Big Sister pays enough attention she might notice that the long nails on her hand are all painted in bright red color. J flips the page and writes ADAM on the new paper. And then she waits few seconds before adding more to it:

MADAM ?]

text

[inconsequence]

Artist Name: Scuba-Diver Needlehands
Title of Work: "ADAM"
Type of Artwork: Visual performance art, presumably
Subject of Work: Glass jar containing blood and possibly other assorted organic tissues. The lettering appears meant to both enrich viewer experience and provide (inadequate) clarification.
Objects in Work: The aforementioned glass jar and aforementioned lettering, along with a human hand with exceptionally poor hygiene. It is possible this is intentional on the part of the artist.
First impression: A striking use of color that is at first arresting, drawing the eye, though the sloppiness of the chosen font face and the canvas chosen do its appearance no favors. The detailing on the rock leaves the frame cluttered.
Prominent Colors: Pink, along with a very bodily shade of red.
Shapes, Lines, and Textures: The roughness of the stone brings out the lettering, though this does not eliminated the aforementioned problems.
Light Saturation: Poor. Use of natural light would enrich the mood greatly.
Sensory Qualities: Predominant mood is one of desperation, though it does not carry itself across well due to the objectionable use of contrast. Mostly, it leaves the viewer feeling confused and/or nauseated. Blood as a shock factor has limited success for anyone ages six and up.
Final Thoughts: An ultimately unimpressive and uninspired work that unsuccessfully masks said fact by attempting to be unique. Abject failure.

You lack the calling of an artist.

Text

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

look you got good points there.

and solid reasoning whatsoever but
its art project. id give it c- for the effort and so that we don't get try two

Text

[inconsequence]

If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.

Text

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

well its not like everyone can be a genius from the start

[just like is being proven here.]

Text

[inconsequence]

I would decide whether you are hoping to foster potential genius or nip it in the bud.

[They do not abide hypocrites, after all.]

text;

[brokeassgoing]

okay well you get points for creepiness
about 7
adams a crew member with us??
hes doing weird experiments or hes dead
tell me more lassie is he in the well

video;

[handofrapture]

[The Big Sister watches the recorded message without understanding. Those immaculate red nails are familiar, a tiny detail that brings to mind a fantasy she’d long since seen through. Eyes narrow in suspicion as the hand writes what the Big Sister recognizes as the symbol for ADAM -- and then adds something else.

After a moment, she’ll give this respondent the same treatment she gave the last one who replied in text: a shot of another drawing on the rock, showing what appears to be two crudely drawn human heads, one with an open mouth. She points to the mouth of one and the ears of the other.

Whoever sent the message will have to speak out loud if she wants the Big Sister to understand.]

video;

[handofrapture]

[The Big Sister gives a growl of frustration. Why is everyone responding in letters? If she could figure out how to use the TAB as a camera, then they should as well.

She sends back a video that will probably be familiar to anyone who's been following the responses to this post: a shot of another drawing on the rock, showing what appears to be two crudely drawn human heads, one with an open mouth. She (very forcefully) points to the mouth of one and the ears of the other.

Speak up.]

audio;

[brokeassgoing]

[Sorry Sis, he's a suspicious bastard-- you're not the only one who's gotten these manners]

Alright, I'm listening. If you're gonna whistle creepy showtunes at me I'm hanging up, though.

video;

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

[Oh so they're drawing now?

That's pretty clear message she's been given by the other person, or whatever it is that she's dealing with, but now that she's started this there's no way she'll start playing easy anymore.

She also begins to draw as well. She doodles a stick figure on the paper, writing ADAM next to it. And then she draws another one, except that this time she adds a triangle skirt over its legs and writes MADAM next to it.]

video;

[handofrapture]

[The next response is very brief. The seconds-long video clip shows a hand, index finger pointed directly at the camera.

He’s the one who’s supposed to talk, not her.]

Text

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

ah well in this case
id burn it down the roots.

audio;

[brokeassgoing]

Me? I don't know who this guy is! You're supposed to tell me what you wanna know. Jeez, amateurs...

Text

[inconsequence]

I'm charmed to announce that it appears we agree.

not here;

[handofrapture]

[The Big Sister has zero idea what any of that wall of text means, but it looks important. I mean, just look at it. Some of the squiggles are darker than the other ones and they’re all arranged in neat, clean lines... None of it makes the meaning any clearer, but she doesn’t revert to demanding a verbal answer like she had of the other respondents. In this case, it might be better to find someone who can decipher the text’s meaning for her. After all, there has to be something of use in there.]

video;

[handofrapture]

[When she sees the woman begins to draw rather than write, the Big Sister can’t say she’s completely disappointed. Though it’s not as clear as simply speaking aloud, it’s still preferable to the written word.

...Not that that stops the woman from once again writing “ADAM” and the strange “ADAM”-with-something-added symbol under her pictures. The Big Sister squints, trying to understand.

...There’s a man and a woman, but only the man has ADAM? Is that why she’s lost all her ADAM? Because she’s a girl?

In her response, she copies the woman’s stick-man and draws a circle around his face. What does this man with ADAM look like?]

video;

[handofrapture]

[Someone is growling in the next video response. Either that, or something is going very wrong with some nearby industrial machinery.

The video shows the same drawing as before, except this time it’s focused on the head with the closed mouth. That long, spidery hand appears again, still clutching a piece of chalk, and draws a bold ‘X’ over the mouth.

She couldn’t speak even if she wanted to. At least, not in a way he could understand.]

audio;

[brokeassgoing]

[this isn't getting them anywhere is it...he sighs.]

So alright, I'm guessing that there is you. Is there anything else you can...explain? Any other parts of this story we're missing?

Text

[gentlemenpreferblondes]

well we have eyes
and ears.