DAYCYCLE 5

[ NOV 16-20 ]

MORNING

You wake to yet another exciting day in Alpha Complex at 0600, but you may immediately sense that something is off. Your mind is muddled and it takes you a moment to remember where and who you are. But even that is uncertain, because if you think hard enough, you can remember people calling you other names. In fact, you can remember a singular, life changing memory that makes no sense when you compare it to all of the others that you possess…

Heads are going to roll at the MemoMax facility. Apparently, last night instead of downloading memories, someone hit the upload switch instead. Each Alpha Complex citizen now possesses life changing memories from another citizen’s life. This doesn’t make much difference for the majority of Alpha’s citizens, but makes a big difference for the Specials who possess the glitch that left them with past memories. Enjoy this window into a stranger’s life while you can, by midnight tonight the MemoMax facility will be under new management and memories will be restored to normal.

Ray Palmer and Alec Hardison are pulled from the morning briefing for interrogation regarding Maria Hill and her recent actions. Hardison is released after a brief session, but Ray is subjected to almost an hour of questioning due to him being the common link between recently convicted traitor Abbie Mills and Maria Hill.

No missions are issued to any of the specials today.

All other Troubleshooters: You are to report to your Service Firm positions for the day, until called on for Troubleshooter duty.

AFTERNOON

There is an R&D Synovation conference today beginning at noon. R&D Project Directors host these conferences so researchers can share ideas and show off their latest triumphs. However, because R&D researchers tend to be highly secretive about their work, many present bogus projects and inaccurate data, to throw off their jealous rivals. All citizens at a clearance level of RED or higher are invited to attend.

EVENING

There will be a TopWare party in the Troubleshooter’s common room at approximately 1800. Come see the wonders of TopWare and all it’s capable of! Bring your ME cards.

Sleep aid gas is expelled into the sleeping quarters at 2100.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Judging from Barry's response, he definitely experienced the same thing. It had been like a dream only because he knew for certain that those things had never happened to him, but it had been so vivid, just like a real memory, he understood what Barry was trying to say. When the woman rushed off after Barry's statement, he couldn't help but chuckle at her obvious discomfort.

"I did," he confirmed "About your...mother..." and that was uncomfortable, because mentioning it was... difficult, the emotions still felt like his, despite the fact that he just didn't feel things like that.

Pain shuttered Barry's expression as he looked down at his feet for a moment. That was definitely something he hadn't wanted to share with anyone. He swallowed, trying to fight the overwhelming grief that came up at the mention of his mother.

That memory was still all too clear for him. He took a deep breath. "I take it, it wasn't a happy memory?" He could tell by the hesitation in the other man's statement that it hadn't been.

"How? I've never met you before."

Maecenas recognised the expression that crossed Barry's face, he'd felt the same look on his own, or rather, on Barry's, as if it were his- this was giving him a headache. He shook his head slightly at the question. A happy memory it definitely was not.

"There were happy memories, as well..." he explained, thinking back on the snippets of life he'd seen. Barry had been so charmingly awkward, it was almost sweet, if Maecenas was the type of person who found these things sweet.

"I have no idea, so little about this place makes sense to me, this is just another in a long line of strangeness." he had tried to write a poem about it, but he'd found he didn't have the right words to express what this place was like.

Barry reached up and ran a hand through his hair. That was putting it lightly. He felt exposed somehow, standing in front of this stranger. Though, that wasn't entirely true, since he himself had gotten a glimpse into this man's life.

Enough to know that he wasn't against playing the odds.

"I'm Barry," he said after a moment.

Though he already knew, it felt good to fall back on normal conventions and treat this situation like any other, perhaps that would make it a little easier to handle, even though it was going to be very hard to drag this whole thing back to any semblance of genuine normality. They could at least pretend.

"Maecenas," he introduced himself. Then, after a moment, because while he didn't want to make it any stranger than it already was, he was curious, he had to ask "...What did you see?"

"It's hard to describe," Barry admitted, even as he screwed up his face in concentration. "You spoke of poetry and speeches. You supported your friend Octavian and teased Agrippa. It was more flashes than anything."

He wouldn't comment on the impression that he'd gotten of him. A bit snobbish and opportunistic was what had come through the most.

"It was interesting to see Rome first hand," Barry supplied, noting that he must feel some homesickness to have gravitated to this exhibit.

Maecenas' lips quirked slightly into something that might have almost been a smile, but was probably more of a smirk. "Those are all things I did often, you could have seen anything really I suppose." still, those were some of his fondest memories. He understood what Barry meant about the flashes, he'd seen a few of them himself in Barry's own past, it was just that the event with his mother had stuck out so much more. It made sense, he didn't really have anything that dramatic to stand out. A few great victories he supposed, but those were mostly Octavian's and Agrippa's, he just wrote the songs.

"Technically, it was yours that were more Flashes than anything," he commented, amusing himself with the wordplay. He didn't quite understand why Barry was also known as the Flash, it was perhaps something akin to the way Octavian had taken the name Augustus upon becoming emperor.

"Rome is certainly something to be admired."

"You know?" Barry asked, his eyebrows rising with surprise. He hadn't told anyone about what he was back home yet. There didn't seem like there was any reason to if he couldn't perform the same.

"It certainly is," Barry agreed, studying the other man. "I think in the Computer's mind, that's what Alpha is supposed to be."

"...Is it a secret?" Maecenas looked confused, it was hard to tell from the jumble of memories he'd received that there had been any kind of subterfuge about Barry's identity as 'the Flash', although he supposed the mask might have given that away.

"Rome? This place?" he laughed derisively "Rome would never dare look so drab, and it certainly would never be lacking for wine."

"Sort of," Barry said with a small smile. "It doesn't really matter here, since I can't move like that anymore."

Something about Maecenas's laugh made Barry crack a smile and relax his shoulders. "You know, I heard they have a bar at the other end of the exhibit. We could see if they have wine." He paused. "Not that it would be as good as Rome's, of course."

"Perhaps Mercury has rescinded whatever blessing he granted your steps, another sign that the gods may have forsaken this place." Despite his apparent cynicism, he spoke of the gods in perfectly frank terms. He also didn't bother to try and explain himself, clearly assuming Barry would know exactly what he was talking about.

"It rarely is," he lamented "but it will be better than anything I have yet drunk here, we can at least try it. Lead on," he waved a hand.

DAYCYCLE 5 [ NOV 16-20 ]

DAYCYCLE 5

[ NOV 16-20 ]

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