Prologue

booting...

_dev

Sep 11, 2024

Summary: Prologue

_dev

September 28, 2024

Read full story

`BLACK SCREEN`

The unmistakable muffling and unmuffling of bobbing on water – that BLOOP – and the looping FIZZ of intersecting tides.

An empty cursor blinks — flickers — loads.

In a high-pressure system, the air is descending. The feeling is calm waters.

ADJUST THE CONTRAST UNTIL THE PATTERN HAS AS MANY SHADES OF GRAY AS POSSIBLE

You jog a horizontal slider. The steps grow more or less distinct.

You dial the contrast in and hit confirm.

BLACK SCREEN

BLOOP.

ADJUST THE GAMMA UNTIL THE SYMBOL ON THE LEFT IS INVISIBLE AND THE SYMBOL ON THE RIGHT IS BARELY VISIBLE.

Two dithered icons side by side:

The more the chair is barely visible, the more the imprint on its backrest jitters and dims: interference patterns of an all-seeing-eye, scintillating when you hold the slider’s thumb.

You eyeball the gamma and hit confirm.

`Alert!`

FULL TRANSPARENCY:

This gamma test evaluates a 48% gray field against a black-and-white pattern, rather than assessing gamma across a spectrum of luminance levels or individually calibrating the red, green, and blue channels.
The choice of 48% gray, as opposed to the standard 50%, mitigates common saturation artifacts that frequently occur in the final 5% of brightness on some screens, which could otherwise skew the accuracy of gamma calibration.
Focusing solely on a 48% gray level fails to capture the full range of your screen's performance across varying gray scales and discrete color components.
This decision has been made in the interest of user experience.

I CONSENT

I DON'T CONSENT

You don’t consent.

The screen clears but this time it’s more technical — a more sophisticated workflow, the one alluded to above: like — it says you need to get up — you need to be a few steps back before you can even meaningfully evaluate the red & green & blue & grayscale columns: their dithered tones — shifting with the slider’s back and forth — giving you tight control over the smoothness of these vertical gradients — ensuring that the color channels & grayscale are perfectly balanced to your setup, assuring smooth transitions and consistent gradients up and down each strip: accurate gamma reproduction across the entire luminance spectrum, affording you the best experience possible.

If it’s too much can always just go back.

You adjust the gamma and confirm. The ocean swells.

BLOOP.

BLACK SCREEN

ADJUST THE BRIGHTNESS UNTIL THE SYMBOL ON THE LEFT IS BARELY VISIBLE.

The chair is to the left this time.

Adjusting the slider makes it more or less visible.

On the right, the boot is considerably more distinct. You adjust your brightness and confirm.

BLANK SCREEN

BLOOP.

The Slider’s back — thumb centered — dividing the screen in half.

Above the slider: the icons boot & chair are left & right again, equally dim.

Below it, in negative space: a single attribute appears.








INTELLIGENCE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

You jog the slider to the right— 
the boot fades; 
the chair sparkles, brightens; 
the eye on its backrest dithers, 
dissolves.
The more right you slide it, 
the more stats pop in—

Likability—Memory—

Charm—Fast-Talk—

AI—Conspiracy—Content—

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Max the slider and the boot’s gone— 
but the chair’s brightness doesn’t feel 
maxed.
Where the rugged boot was, a prompt appears:

Choose A Path:

You’re more yourself, which means you’re even more of an outsider. You remember you were home — streaming — about what? Can’t recall; you fell asleep maybe. But ever since you woke up here, everybody’s calling you “Land Surveyor,” whatever that is — maybe just a fancy word for content creator. And while your charm outweighs your intellect, the feeling is: there’s something oddly familiar here — pinned, for now, to the tip of your tongue.

Attributes:









INTELLIGENCE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
LIKABILITY
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
MEMORY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Skills:

CHARM
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪




FAST-TALK
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪






LANGUAGE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
PERCEPTION
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
PERSUASION
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Knowledge:

AI
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪




















CAMERAS
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
COMPUTERS
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONSPIRACY
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONTENT
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
ENGLISH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪












GENETICS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪




NANOTECH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪




QUANTUM MECHANICS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Yank the slider 
left— 
Some stats go 
down;  
some go up. 

The boot fades in;
the prompt fades out. 

The gaming chair is gone. 
In its place, a different  
prompt:

Choose A Path:

You’re a professionally trained outsider. Your area of focus: uncontacted peoples. You’ve done some fieldwork before but you’re still green. You haven’t published much but what you have produced is turning heads. Your methodologies precede you, and it’s no secret your commission as Land Surveyor rests almost entirely on the provocations of your doctoral thesis, “Etic Bias, Informant Consent, and the Triangulation of Reflexivity in Contemporary Field Sites.”

Attributes:

CONFIDENCE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪








INTELLIGENCE
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
LIKABILITY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
MEMORY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Skills:

CHARM
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪


EMPATHY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
FAST-TALK
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪






LANGUAGE
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
PERCEPTION
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
PERSUASION
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪

Knowledge:

AI
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪


ASTRONOMY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BIOLOGY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BOTANY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BRAWLING
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CAMERAS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
COMPUTERS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONSPIRACY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONTENT
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ENGLISH
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
ETHNOGRAPHY
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪


GASTRONOMY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
GENETICS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
MUSICIAN
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
NANOTECH
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪


QUANTUM MECHANICS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
STEALTH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SURVIVAL
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪












VEHICLES
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
WEAPONS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

You diff it back and forth — right and left again — modulating the values of the stats trying to make sense of how it works.

You notice when you let go of the slider: it doesn’t stay; it drifts, all the way left or all the way right, depending on which side you’re on, as if the sheer gravity of each starting class were enough to sink it entirely one way or the other.

Choose A Path:

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Boot?
or chair?

Ethnographer or 
Streamer?

You choose a path. You hit confirm.

`Alert!`

There’s no going back from this!

You reconsider.

Fine.

I CONSENT

I DON'T CONSENT

You acknowledge.

You consent:

Ethnographer:

Attributes:

CONFIDENCE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
DEXTERITY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
FITNESS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
INTELLIGENCE
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
LIKABILITY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
MEMORY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SIZE
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
STRENGTH
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
WILLPOWER
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Skills:

CHARM
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CLIMBING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
EMPATHY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
FAST-TALK
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
HAND-EYE COORDINATION
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
INTIMIDATION
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
JUMPING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
LANGUAGE
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
PERCEPTION
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
PERSUASION
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
RUNNING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SWIMMING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Knowledge:

AI
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ASTROLOGY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ASTRONOMY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BIOLOGY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BOTANY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BRAWLING
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CAMERAS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
COMPUTERS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONSPIRACY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONTENT
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ENGLISH
⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪
ETHNOGRAPHY
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪
FRENCH
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
GASTRONOMY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
GENETICS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
MUSICIAN
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
NANOTECH
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ORNITHOLOGY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
QUANTUM MECHANICS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ROBOTICS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
STEALTH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SURVIVAL
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
TENNIS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
TEUTHOLOGY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
TINKERING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
VEHICLES
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
WEAPONS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [9]`

It says you have to spend them all.

Fine.

You hover over CONFIDENCE:

The ability to deceive, disguise oneself, and perform sleight-of-hand tricks, often relying on charm and cunning to manipulate or outwit others.

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪  +1 FAST-TALK, PERSUADE, ASTROLOGY, CHARM

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪  +1 SURVIVAL, STEALTH, INTELLIGENCE, EMPATHY

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫  +2 PERCEPTION, CHARM, CONSPIRACY;  -3 LIKABILITY

You gloss over a few more definitions to get the gist. Seems like any stat you max has the same penalty:

-3 LIKABILITY.

Fine. Seems like getting stats to 4 is the move.

You spend a point on INTELLIGENCE:

INTELLIGENCE ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪

+1 BIOLOGY, COMPUTERS, EMPATHY, LANGUAGE

Nice. LANGUAGE hit 4. Two-for-one.

LANGUAGE ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪

+1 EMPATHY, FAST-TALK, FRENCH, PERCEPTION

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [8]`

Now PERCEPTION is at 3 and you realize ENGLISH already was.

You spend two more points.

PERCEPTION ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪

+1 DEXTERITY, EMPATHY, HAND-EYE-COORDINATION, LIKABILITY

ENGLISH ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪

+1 ASTROLOGY, COMPUTERS, INTIMIDATION, TINKERING

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [6]`

You’re on a roll. EMPATHY & COMPUTERS next.

EMPATHY ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪

+1 CONSPIRACY, CONTENT, STRENGTH, TEUTHOLOGY

COMPUTERS ⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪

+1 AI, CAMERAS, HAND-EYE-COORDINATION, ROBOTICS

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [4]`

Hmm.

Nothing else at 3.

Better use the remaining [4] for boilerplate:

+1 FITNESS, SIZE

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [2]`

+1 MEMORY?

No .

Every time you click it’s the same ui sound: eh-eh.

Hmm.

Fine, probably for the best: these two seem important:

+1 JUMPING, RUNNING

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [0]`

Shakes out like this:

Attributes:

CONFIDENCE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
DEXTERITY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
FITNESS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
INTELLIGENCE
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪
LIKABILITY
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
MEMORY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SIZE
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
STRENGTH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
WILLPOWER
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Skills:

CHARM
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CLIMBING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
EMPATHY
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪
FAST-TALK
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
HAND-EYE COORDINATION
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
INTIMIDATION
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
JUMPING
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
LANGUAGE
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪
PERCEPTION
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪
PERSUASION
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
RUNNING
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SWIMMING
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Knowledge:

AI
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
ASTROLOGY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ASTRONOMY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BIOLOGY
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
BOTANY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
BRAWLING
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CAMERAS
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
COMPUTERS
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪
CONSPIRACY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
CONTENT
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
ENGLISH
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪⚪
ETHNOGRAPHY
⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫⚪
FRENCH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
GASTRONOMY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
GENETICS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
MUSICIAN
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
NANOTECH
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ORNITHOLOGY
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
QUANTUM MECHANICS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
ROBOTICS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
STEALTH
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
SURVIVAL
⚫⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪
TENNIS
⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
TEUTHOLOGY
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
TINKERING
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
VEHICLES
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
WEAPONS
⚫⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

Is this build any good? You wonder: are there more points along the way?

You look it up online

(coward). Ok, you get more points.

Fine.

Fuck it then; confirm.

`Alert!`

FULL TRANSPARENCY:

There’s no going back from this.

I CONSENT

I DON'T CONSENT

You consent.

`BLOOP.`

BLACK SCREEN

A crescendo of froth and a big white word:

Epilogue.

up next:

Epilogue

_dev

September 13, 2024

Read full story

Author's Note

Summary: Prologue

Epilogue

Discussion about this post

Prologue

booting...

Go Back:

Author's Note

Read:

Summary: Prologue

BLACK SCREEN

ADJUST THE CONTRAST UNTIL THE PATTERN HAS AS MANY SHADES OF GRAY AS POSSIBLE

BLACK SCREEN

ADJUST THE GAMMA UNTIL THE SYMBOL ON THE LEFT IS INVISIBLE AND THE SYMBOL ON THE RIGHT IS BARELY VISIBLE.

Alert!

FULL TRANSPARENCY:

This gamma test evaluates a 48% gray field against a black-and-white pattern, rather than assessing gamma across a spectrum of luminance levels or individually calibrating the red, green, and blue channels.

The choice of 48% gray, as opposed to the standard 50%, mitigates common saturation artifacts that frequently occur in the final 5% of brightness on some screens, which could otherwise skew the accuracy of gamma calibration.

Focusing solely on a 48% gray level fails to capture the full range of your screen's performance across varying gray scales and discrete color components.

This decision has been made in the interest of user experience.

You don’t consent.

If it’s too much can always just go back.

BLACK SCREEN

ADJUST THE BRIGHTNESS UNTIL THE SYMBOL ON THE LEFT IS BARELY VISIBLE.

BLANK SCREEN

BLOOP.

Likability—Memory—

Charm—Fast-Talk—

AI—Conspiracy—Content—

Choose A Path:

Attributes:

Skills:

Knowledge:

Choose A Path:

Attributes:

Skills:

Knowledge:

Choose A Path:

Alert!

There’s no going back from this!

Ethnographer:

Attributes:

Skills:

Knowledge:

POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [9]

POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [8]

POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [6]

POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [4]

POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [2]

No .

POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [0]

Attributes:

Skills:

Knowledge:

Alert!

FULL TRANSPARENCY:

There’s no going back from this.

BLOOP.

BLACK SCREEN

Epilogue.

Epilogue

Discussion about this post

`BLACK SCREEN`

`Alert!`

`Alert!`

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [9]`

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [8]`

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [6]`

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [4]`

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [2]`

`POINTS TO ALLOCATE: [0]`

`Alert!`

`BLOOP.`