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[on hiatus for Art Fight]

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1203.530 - Gazes Upon Shining Clouds RECORDED DIALOGUE || LIGHT MAGENTA PEARL GSC: Oh, hello again little creature. Have you brought me something to read? GSC: This is a detailed outline of a purposed microbe formation, derived from a creature colloquially named a Tube Worm. It seems this material was used as a sort of primitive sealant in times far before the construction of the iterators. GSC: Please settle down your young ones while I am talking. GSC: While it seems the process is a bit messy, considering the material and how it is retrieved, it is resourcefully used in its entirety. Though, I am sure it is more useful to use as a sort of grapple, yes?

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[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE Gazes Upon Shining Stars, Clementine Fractals GSC: Clementine Fractals, may I have a word? I have an idea for how we might help Streams, though I fear it is a bit of a stretch. CF: Oh? I hope it's better than the time you tried your hand at bio-engineering~ GSC: The Orange Scavengers were equal parts our misfortune. And yes, I am approaching the matter in all seriousness. CF: Go on… GSC: I've been going through my old logs and recorded pearls lately, trying to get my bearing on how the world has changed in my absence. I came across a particularly sentimental recording, one of a slugcat family that used to visit me. GSC: However, included in it is comments on an old sealant material synthesized from Tube Worms. Do you think it is possible, given your influence over your own slugcat colony, to train and send out a messenger of sorts? CF: Do you mean… as a sort of delivery? Or care package, perhaps? That just might work.

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[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE Gazes Upon Shining Clouds, Eight Whispering Streams GSC: I hear I have missed quite a lot in my elongated hibernation. Are you well, Streams? EWS: On the whole, yes. I am functional so long as I keep up with continuous maintenance of my structure, but… GSC: Yes? Clemetine Fractals sounds worried about you. EWS: As long as the main shared pump stays functional at an optimal water pressure, then I'll be fine in the long run. That's all that matters. GSC: … Streams, when was the last time you took a break? Are you unable to spend time pursuing your interests? As your superior- EWS: It's not your duty to coddle me, Shining Clouds. GSC: I am not- EWS: I am functional. There's no need to rile up Clementine Fractals or anyone else about this minor issue. GSC: It is alright to ask for help, Streams. EWS: … I am aware of that.

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Gazes Upon Shining Clouds

>1st generation iterator >pangender, she/he >massive radio wall >designed for long distance communication >collects data pearls inscribed with recorded messages >cherishes the arts >has befriended a slugcat family >very old face plate design >loves moths and other flying creatures

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[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE Gazes Upon Shining Clouds, Clementine Fractals CF: Whispering Streams and I are doing well. I have even taken up cultivating a healthy slugcat colony! GSC: Oh my, that is quite a commitment. Do the iterators of this era still idle away at the Great Problem? Or have they left that station for another? CF: Most of us still work on the Great Problem in some fashion, but there are very few who dedicate all their time to solely that purpose anymore. GSC: So, has Whispering Streams found newfound purpose in personal tasks as well? He always mentioned wanting to convert a portion of his structure and dedicate it to plant life. CF: They have… other objectives to attend to. I assure you he is doing well otherwise. GSC: Oh… I see.

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[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE Gazes Upon Shining Clouds, Clementine Fractals GSC: Hello? Is this reaching you? CF: Yes, the channel connection is stable. It has been so long, Shining Clouds! GSC: Has it been so long? The silence of my own superstructure is beyond disconcerting. CF: Oh, Shining Clouds… GSC: Did the Ancients truly vanish in my sleep? Would they really have done that to me? CF: Shining Clouds, you have been in stasis for thousands of Cycles. Some of us even thought you were exhaustively incapacitated, especially those who did not know you in the past. GSC: Are there other iterators in our group now? CF: Yes, but they are not currently in an optimal state to spend time chatting.

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[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE Eight Whispering Streams, Clementine Fractals EWS: Has there been any more news on Shining Clouds? Sorry to bother you, but I haven't had a chance to keep up with the public channels as of late. CF: There were some rumors going around about the legitimacy of Shining Clouds' reawakening, but his structure recently expelled a deluge of stale water. CF: I'd wager that circulating water is enough evidence for this case. EWS: Well then… what now? Has she said anything yet? It's been a few Cycles already since you first brought this news to my attention. CF: It seems that in the hundreds of Cycles of her stasis, Shining Clouds has accumulated a multitude of minor hindrances which are currently occupying her attention. CF: But I'm sure we will hear from him soon. EWS: I hope so. It will be good to hear from her and distant others once more.

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[LIVE BROADCAST] EQUIPMENT MANIFEST [[ WIDE SWEEP DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS ]] Water: 120% Hydrocarbons: 80% Sulfur: 115% Silicon: 145% Phosphates: 35% --- SUBOPTIMAL CHEMICAL BALANCE. REQUEST FLUID TRANSPLANTATION WITHIN 10 CYCLES. !! WARNING !! Stagnant water flow detected in CONDUITS: 02, 06, 09, 10, 12, 16, 17, 23, 28, 30 EM: Rapid water flow influx from auxiliary pipes 08-44 will be immediately scheduled to flush systems and clear debris. EM: Non-critical system-wide activities should be temporarily suspended to prevent potential short circuiting dangers. EM: URGENT MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED.

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[OUTGOING REQUEST] COMMUNICATIONS MANIFEST [[ERROR]] UNABLE TO SEND - Invalid Message Destination SOURCE NODE TRACE: GUSC_ROOT, GUSC_COMM01 || DESTINATION: (NULL)unknown group MESSAGE CONTENTS: GSC: I am requesting immediate maintenance on my superstructure. GSC: Far more weathering has occurred in the past few Cycles than was expected while I was dormant. GSC: Several portions of my broadcast wall are damaged. Multiple weather data collection points are damaged. 12/35 of my attached communications array are misaligned or broken. Many of my channel broadcast nodes are worn down, but most of them have been manually turned off. [SCANNING FOR EQUIPMENT MANIFEST] GSC: It is inadvisable for me to stay operational for long periods of time in this condition, but I must request: GSC: Why are my channel broadcast nodes shut off? GSC: The sky has become so pale over my short dormancy; was it truly as you told me? A simple 5 Cycle stasis for retroactive repairs in the face of a drought? GSC: … GSC: Are you there? I am not fond of the silent stillness that has settled around my structure.

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[LIVE BROADCAST] - PRIVATE Eight Whispering Streams, Clementine Fractals CF: Have you heard the news? EWS: What is there to hear? I cannot spend much time away from repairing my own auxiliary pump seals. CF: I am… aware. But! There's rumors circulating in the central communications channel that Shining Clouds has begun functioning again! EWS: How is that possible? I thought her structure went silent Cycles ago after that drought. CF: Maybe he was just lingering in stasis? Here, I can share an image captured by a distant iterator's overseers. [ATTACHED FILE] EWS: Quite distant, judging by the grain, but you're right. There is plenty of steam from his structure to indicate functionality. Has she sent any requests? CF: No, we haven't heard anything from her directly. We are all hoping that he is aware of the times.