004 [Video]

[attainment]

[The holidays are fast approaching. Rather than offering promises of beautifully-wrapped presents, warm meals shared with friends and family, and nostalgia about years gone past, December normally plagues Barnaby with the stench of burning pine needles, and the sight of his parents' corpses.

Winter is also when he finds himself drowning in the most work in a long while, leaving little time to mingle on the network. A coincidence?

Not surprisingly, then, it's work that brings him out today. Just like the first time he helped make a similar address, he's wearing his powersuit, face plate open to reveal his pensive expression.]

Given his latest attack, I probably don't need to post another reminder that the masked vigilante Lunatic is still at large.

Heroes and other law enforcement officials back home, myself and Wild Tiger included, have never been able to apprehend him. Although I've contacted the government here for their assistance in narrowing down his identity, their hands seem to be tied for the time being.

For that reason, I strongly encourage registered imPorts to sign up for our Emergency Notification System. Those who sign up will receive a small device that lets you hear information from dispatchers. Unsettled imPorts who are interested can also sign up through any registered imPort who owns a device.

We also have a communicator-based app that lets you send out a distress signal to any device-holding imPorts.

For the safety of everyone in our community, I'm 1) offering training sessions to anyone who needs help learning how to use the Distress Signal Application, and 2) willing to organize regular drills to make sure people understand how the Emergency Notification System works.

If you want to go ahead and sign up for the Emergency Notifications device, you're welcome to do so through either myself or Wild Tiger. Any other device-holding imPorts are also free to help people sign up.

If you want help learning how to use the Distress Signal Application, feel free to contact me so we can arrange something. If enough people are interested, I may hold some classes rather than individual sessions.

Anyone who has questions is welcome to ask either in response to this message or in private.

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

[OOC: People who want their character to sign up for the Emergency Notification System here!]

Comments

[video]

[yatagarasu]

Boy, he's a really tough cookie, isn't he, Mr. Brooks?

[video]

[attainment]

That's one way to put it. Quite frankly, keeping people safe is my biggest priority right now. Sometimes that means attempts to unmask him have to take a backseat to that.

[video]

[yatagarasu]

But as long as no one knows who he is, he can carry on trying to kill people!

[video]

[attainment]

That's true, which is why we're still trying to apprehend him. However, Lunatic is a very dangerous criminal. If we aren't careful, a botched arrest attempt could get someone else killed.

text

[rathercommon]

What do you mean, they can sign up through registered imPorts who own the device? Does that mean you don't give the devices to unregistered ones? Why is that?

-Lizzie

text

[attainment]

Not at all. Unregistered imPorts receive the same device. The only difference between the two is that registered imPorts are patched directly into 911 calls, while unregistered imPorts get their information forwarded to them via whoever they signed up through. In other words, dispatchers pass the info along to registered imPorts, and registered imPorts automatically pass the info to unregistered imPorts who wish to receive notifications.

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[rathercommon]

Why that extra step? Why can't unregistered imPorts be patched in directly?

video;

[andaway]

We can't get a device if we're unregistered?

video;

[attainment]

Unregistered imPorts actually receive the exact same device, but dispatchers will only pass the informational along to registered imPorts. However, there's nothing prohibiting registered imPorts from forwarding the calls to other people, so that's the compromise we came up with in order to open the system to everyone.

video;

[andaway]

[Clark hums to himself. It's not the ideal method, it might take more time to reach those unregistered and lose very valuable seconds. But it's obvious that isn't up to this man, and he's actually doing his best so everyone can help.]

It's really nice of you to think of a way to let the unregistered help. I've heard some about the 'vigilante' branding, will people who help out in these situations get branded as that?

[Video]

[walks_the_earth]

Forgive me for asking, I'm pretty new here. What's he been doing that you're all so anxious to catch him?

[Basically, what dangers does he have to be worried about in this new place.]

I'm still deciding if I want to register, but I'd like to learn how to use this distress signal if you're willing to show me. I don't think I know anyone who would let me sign up for it though.

[Video]

[attainment]

He targets murderers, as well as those who get in his way. We don't completely understand his powers, but we know he possess the ability to wield fire that's hotter than anything man-made back home. He can easily kill someone in less than a couple of minutes.

[Although they haven't lost any imPorts yet, Barnaby deeply regrets that several natives have fallen prey to him.]

Actually, anyone can download the distress signal application for their communicator. And if you decide you want to sign up for the notifications system without registering, you can always do it through me or Wild Tiger.

Regardless, though, I can certainly show you how to use the distress signal.

[Video]

[walks_the_earth]

...hnnn. [That seems... well, on the one hand it's probably a good thing to get murderers off the street... but it's not exactly something one man should be doing on his own judgement.] Sounds pretty scary.

That would be appreciated, and maybe you could show me how to 'down load' the distress signal, too. [He's barely figured out how to use the basic functions, don't expect him to figure that out how to technology on his own.]

video and PRIVATE for once

[earnedmystripes]

[It's common knowledge that Kotetsu knows Barnaby, of course, but replying to this as himself in public requires a certain level of playing dumb that he can't be bothered with at the moment. So the response is filtered to Barnaby.]

Hey, look at you, bein' all professional.

[He grins, leaning against back against a the couch in his government housing.]

Thanks for taking this one.

[attainment]

I'm not behaving any different than normal, you know.

[He's always professional. Always.]

And no need to thank me. We're partners, so of course I'm going to help.

[earnedmystripes]

Still. It's kinda neat watching you do your thing.

[Not like he thinks you were cool or anything-!!! Shut up Kotetsu, you're not the tsun one here.]

Ah, probably goes without saying, but I'll totally help out with the drills whenever you get those going.

[somethinghidden]

Is it all right if I'd like the Distress Signal Application but don't want to sign up for the Emergency Notifications?
I don't know that I'd be of much use in the event of an emergency.
This looks a very useful system you have here. Has it been in place for a while?
How long has Lunatic been at large, might I ask?

[attainment]

Absolutely. The Distress Signal Application is available to anyone who wants to use it, so please feel free to download it.

I'm glad to hear it. We officially launched everything back in October. It's still relatively new, so we're open to hearing people's suggestions on how it can be improved in the future.

Lunatic was first sighted in July, while authorities were in pursuit of the spies who sabotaged a space shuttle.

[somethinghidden]

If that's the case, I certainly will download it. Thanks.

I will gladly give feedback if I can think of anything to be modified or improved.
But so far, I'm just glad to see there's such a system in place.

I see. Was he in hiding after that, or was there a decrease in his activities?
I'd only heard of him through someone's warning to the imPort community.

[vid]

[everythingisawesome]

That sounds like a pretty useful app! [Especially to a rather small fellow who can only help himself so much on his own in this world full of large humans.]

So, like, if you find yourself stuck in a place with a bad guy and you need some help, you hit this app and BAM! People know where you'll be and can find you to help out?

(about a minute later)

[everythingisawesome]

...Wait a minute.

Doesn't that mean that a bad guy pretending to be a good guy could also get this app and use it to track down heroes who are already in a bad situation?

[attainment]

[...is that a toy man talking to him? It's rude to ask, so instead you get Barnaby's best pokerface, Emmet.]

Your first assumption is correct.

However, it's worth noting that only device-holding imPorts will be able to see your location. The authorities keep a list of who has these devices, which will give them a smaller pool of suspects to work with. From there, they can narrow it down even further based off who had their GPS tracking on at the time of the incident. Furthermore, even if someone wanted to use it as a chance to target someone, they would also have to contend with any backup that arrives on the scene.

I can't say such a scenario is impossible, but given the information I just outlined, it seems highly unlikely.

Video;

[trickstar]

You guys have been after this guy for how long? And you still haven't got him? Come on guys. He already went after my uncle! Pick it up, before he hurts someone else!

Video;

[attainment]

We're doing our best. In the meantime, I recommend that your uncle download our Distress Signal Application in case Lunatic targets him again. Lunatic typically appears when he aims to kill someone, so it would actually help everyone out a great deal if people could alert us the moment they see him.

Video;

[trickstar]

Yeah, yeah, I'll tell him. Do you guys not know anyone with like, tracking abilities?