CONTENT WARNING: TORTURE Lunar elites are conspiring together to use advanced AI to control all of humanity. And tonight, I am going to prove it.
I've been watching them for some time. I can't name any names, but I can assure you that some very familiar faces are ending up attending the same private events. Heavily guarded, unannounced to the public. If you watch the elites of Luna like I do, then you know of whom I speak.
I've found murmurings on the shadownet, murmurings which I've corroborated with my own observations. They point to these gatherings as meetings with this highly advanced and illegal AI. Whether they follow its orders, or it follows theirs, I can't yet say.
Tonight they're holding another one. I saw the signs this morning as I watched Hotel Q from my observation point, which will remain undisclosed for my own safety. At these gatherings, a contingent of guards from a private contractor known as Jupiter Security arrive many hours before the event to sweep and set up. The venue is always closed down to the public for that day. And they're always catered by Carmignano, a favorite restaurant of the uber-wealthy and uber-connected.
I knew that eventually they'd hold an event at Hotel Q. I've done my research. And since I wouldn't be getting an invite anytime soon, I made sure I had a way in prepared beforehand. I've hacked into their systems and found building plans, and know ways into every room that they might host an extremely complex AI in. Those things require cooling, power, constant observation! ...So I've heard.
But tonight, guesswork will not be needed. As I poke my head out from behind a door containing the maintenance tunnels, I peer into the gilded, marble halls of the hotel. Large wires and tubing snake past my view, down towards one of the convention center ballrooms. Just as I thought. My breath catches and my eyes widen. This is real! I'm not crazy! A great smile grows on my face as I step back into cover in the maintenance entrance, closing the door behind me gently. I can finally show the world the truth!
I know how to access to the ballrooms surreptitiously. It takes some work, but I manage to climb above ceiling tiles, slipping from one room to another, dashing across deserted hallways with quiet feet, climbing up once more. The ballrooms are quite tall, and it's dizzying to look back down once I'm high enough to access the recessed lighting and load-bearing beams above the ceiling. In this dark crawlspace above my prize, I shine my dim, red flashlight to show my way forward. A warm, candlelit glow emits from the spaces between the ceiling that I hang above, and the lighting recesses.
I stop and listen. There is a strange music being played. Bells, atonal and...just wrong. A mathematical sort of melody. More like language or code than song. The slow pounding of what must be a massive drum. Deep lowing of bassy horns, a primal sound that makes me shiver. Frequencies that light up my fight or flight.
Then...chanting. A language that sounds nothing like anything I've ever heard. Flashing blue lights through the gaps, overpowering the candlelight. Then incomprehensible sound. Indescribable by human language. Bellowing through speakers. The music goes silent. A lone human returns the bellowing, speaking in tongues. Rustling of clothing...the sound of hands and shuffling and excited but reverent murmurs. A lone pounding of the great drum. It must be over 10 feet wide, I swear...I feel it in my bones, my eyes.
Silence again. I try to peek through one of the gaps, moving my head back and forth to form some kind of picture. I can make out dark robes and a carved, octagonal stone altar. I hear whimpering. Their mouth must be bound. A figure is carried, struggling to the altar, and is tied to it. The whimpering turns to muffled moaning, a tone of desperation and fear. My heart sinks and I feel like throwing up.
My eyes catch the shine of a blade. The bound one is crying now, and would be pleading were it not for their gag. I don't want to watch, but the world must know. The only one I can see who wears a red robe takes this knife from an attendant, and slowly slices through the skin of the victim's belly, with the tip of the blade. A scream of agony. I retch. Just a shallow cut. He moves out of sight for a few moments. The machine bellowing resumes, and then stops again. The red robe returns to my view, and takes hold of the victim's arm. I can see that it has scales on it. A mutant. The red robe slices a messy looking graft, and I retch again, tears blinding me. The victim yowls through their gag.
I can't take it anymore. Blood filled with fear and adrenaline, I hastily crawl back to my point of ascent, and make my way to-
%get_Vitals%...
msg: vitals critical!
%get_TTinfo%...
error: get_TTinfo() returned null
wait 259s...
- Classified log, recovered by SigNet Corp, for purposes of investigation of Hotel Q event breach, provided to Jupiter Security Group, 2493
ONN News:
"Tonight at 8: We report on a tragic incident on the set of the upcoming film, "Machine Cult", where a Lunite man fell to his death this evening after sneaking onto the set. Stay tuned..."
((Epic. Demand more.))