SECOND ♋ VOICE ♋ EARLY 17TH OF APRIL.

[crab]

Before I get into anything else, if anyone has any healers and/or narcotics handy, I'd appreciate it if they could be delivered to this [ insert .pdf attachment ] address. Thanks.

Now that's out of the way, let's get to the real purpose of this broadcast. I suggest you drop whatever vastly unimportant rubbish it is you're wasting your vastly unimportant time with and pay attention, as this greatly concerns all of you.

Most imPorts operate under the assumption that when you leave here, you go back to your native universe, resulting in the never-ending wave of newbies telling us that, no, really, the world is at stake, person nobody cares about is going to suffer a fate worse than death only I can prevent in approximately point three seconds, I left the stove on, my problems are unique and more important and time sensitive than any of my predecessors have ever been, so please, make history by making me the first imPort to ever be returned to the sorry butt crevice I crawled out of just through asking.

Most people will tell you that nobody decides when you go back. It just happens. It's random. No one can predict it. But you will go back! And, conveniently, it will be at the exact instant you left. With no memory of ever having arrived here. Sometimes you might come back from a different point in time, after a few days or years, with an influx of memory from your time here upon arrival. Sometimes you come back without it. That's random, too.

But nobody can prove that.

I've been over this before, but the gist of it is, your options in "going back", are either to be effectively erased from existence through having your memories of here erased, or sent back to a dead or dying timeline to await your inevitable doom. There is no going back. It's just a lie we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel better when one of our friends blips out of existence. Nobody goes back! Nobody is ever going to go back!

[ There's a pause, where he seems to catch his breath, something close to a groan, before he goes on. ]

I was serious about the healers or drugs. Sooner rather than later.

Comments

video;

[larker]

[Dying timeline, that hits a bit close to home.]

Yeah well, I've got to go home, I left the oven on and it's important.

video;

[crab]

Your hive is going to burn down and your universe as you know it is going to end. Deal with it.

voice;

[humanistic]

[Steadily--like the suggestion of all of that didn't totally unsettle him:]

So then what happens?

voice;

[crab]

After which part?

permavid!

[centurybaby]

Did something happen, or did you just fucking wake up like this?

permavid

[crab]

Nothing important. Went for a walk, happened across an in-progress murder scene, had my leg snapped, lost half my blood volume, skipped out on surgery, neglected to account for the lack of morphine away from the hospital. How was your week?

[fingerbang]

And what of those who do return and remember? Don't misunderstand -- I'm not saying it's impossible.

[crab]

If memories can be taken away, is it so much of a stretch to imagine they can be put back? Even if you weren't the original owner?

VOICE.

[enabeled]

Can't be proven and has been disproved are not exactly synonymous. Statement like that demands you show your work.

Something broken?

voice;

[crab]

What work do you want me to show? I'm speaking from experience. And whatever's broken is only important if you can fix it.

voice;

[kattobings]

Wait, I'm confused. So it doesn't matter if we go home cause it'll just be bad?

But there's nothing going on at my home right now...

voice;

[crab]

It's not a matter of what was going on when you left. It's the fact that leaving at all corrupted your personal timeline.

video

[toolongdidntrejoice]

Healing is the origin of my magecraft -- but it would be remiss to not first know the extent of the issue at hand.

I will not, however, pry further than you desire.

[ how respectful and considerate ]

video;

[crab]

[ Karkat actually looks considerably relieved to see his boss, though it probably has more to do with the mention of healing than it does with Kirei himself. ]

Broken femur. They said it was a clean break.

AUDIO.

[selfimage]

The omniverse is a very large place, and personal experience seems to be a very small part of it.

[he doesn't sound like he's discounting it, but he doesn't quite sound like he's entirely convinced, either.]

On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most, of course, just how certain are you of this little theory of yours?

AUDIO.

[crab]

[ He pauses, and then, with a sigh; ]

Six, I guess. Certainty is kind of a luxury, around here.

[video]

[closetshark]

Well. that certainly clears up my schedule, thank you.

Not that I cared about that ape infested rock, they can have their kumbaya ending and happily rot obliviously away.

video;

[crab]

Yeah, now you only have to deal with this ape infested rock.

[unbrkableteen]

Wait, are you sure?! How can you be sure that we'll never go back home?

[Her world isn't exactly in peril, but she'd still like to get back to it one day!]

[crab]

I can't be sure. [ He admits. ] But even if you do go back, you won't remember anything. Nobody seems to grasp the full implications of what that means for them.

voice;

[notdaredevil]

And you can prove this, can you?

[Might be time for another talk with Valeria Richards.]

voice;

[crab]

I can't prove anything. [ Grumbled. ] The thing flying over everyone's heads is that even in the event my theory isn't true, that's still nothing to be rejoicing about.

video;

[symbionic]

[That sure is a totally unsettling theory you have there, Karkat.

Obviously the most intelligent way of responding to it is to decide that it must be total bullshit, and refuse to believe it.]

Look, kid, if somebody you cared about left, I'm sympathetic, but you can't go around saying crap like that.

video;

[crab]

It's got nothing to do with people I know leaving. [ He's been relatively lucky in that regard. ] I can go around saying crap like that, and I am going to continue going around saying crap like that. Let me ask you this: would you rather be essentially erased from existence, or die?

audio;

[databoner]

So in summary: 'There is no going back. We are all going to live here, in violent disharmony, for as long as we're still needed, and then we die.'

Correct?

audio;

[crab]

Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner.

audio/

[bulwank]

Saying something like this to a mass audience is extremely irresponsible. Mass panic is unnecessary and chaos could be caused. Did you really think this type of information should be spread like this!? THINK!! If you have lost your hope FIND IT, find it for THOSE AROUND YOU if you're too unable to grasp it for yourself.

voice.

[selfequipped]

You've never jumped dimensions before, have you?

[Kate doesn't think she'll be erased from existence when she leaves.

It would have happened already.]

voice;

[crab]

[ The reply is the sound of raucous, bitter laughter. Occasionally he seems to try to talk, but just ends up setting himself off again. ]

audio;

[earnedmystripes]

[He'd be a hell of a lot more disturbed by this message if he hadn't dealt with people recognizing him upon arrival already. Instead, his first comment is quiet.]

Someone I know had his memories messed with for years. That doesn't mean he exists any less.

[Pause.]

...I could give you a lift to a hospital, if you need it.

audio;

[crab]

Thanks, but I just got out of the hospital. I'm not looking to go back.

[ Not touching that first part. ]

text;

[lastnerv]

[He waffles on replying since this is someone who can possibly identify him, but...]

you're wrong

i know i went back

text;

[crab]

OH WOW! INCREDIBLE! IT'S NOT LIKE THE MAJORITY OF IMPORTS HAVE, INCLUDING MYSELF!!!!
THE IMPORTANT THING TO CONSIDER IS DID YOU REMEMBER THIS PLACE WHILE YOU WERE THERE?

voice

[youbastard]

Not going back might not be so bad for a lot of people here. [A pause]

Have you gotten help yet?

voice;

[crab]

I think you might be the first one to comprehend that fact so far. [ He sighs. ] My boss is a healer.