We will begin initializing now.

[Whirring of Machines as the main conflux is Started.]

... All seems to be According to plan. Hello, Dancing Pragmatic Scope. Can you hear me?

... H-hello? ALL OPERATIONS FUNCTIONAL.

Good, good. Can you state your primary directive?

My... give me a moment, Administrator. Yes, my directive: To find a solution to the Great Problem, as well as providing my c-citizens with minerals as they live amongst us.

Great. A little slow, your systems seem Rather sluggish. Perhaps we must research a way to make these conduits more intuitive.

[Marching Propagator grants DPS access to their Broadcast Key.]

Can you test your communication functions for us? I would like you to look up another one of your kind, Grinding Fireflies. Contact him with a simple message, and I wish you to test your Administrative functions.

A-alright. [The Puppet moves, naturally bringing up a screen]

[Contact with GF has been established. Message Log:]

Hello, Grinding Fireflies. I am currently going under initialization, and I will be testing a simple procedure where I request you change your influx of sulfur briefly.

O-o-oh! Hello! Woah, you're another one of me?

[SENIOR HAS REQUESTED SULFUR INTAKE TO DROP.]

A-ah. That feels a little unpleasant. What is this authority?

I apologize, I was merely testing a new priority feature I was equipped with. I am the senior, they say.

... Senior, but I am older than you.

Dancing Pragmatic Scope was made with this privilege in mind as Our numbers deplete. If it was possible on a large scale to upgrade your Equipment, this would have gone to you. Thank you for participating in the test.

[Message Log ends here.]

[Initialization deemed successful]

Hello, Lights Above Breathing Lakes! I am Dancing Pragmatic Scope, how is your initialization going?

Oh! Hello! Things are going well. Are you my neighbor?

Good! I am your senior, but also your neighbor! May I run a quick request by you to further test my seniority?

Oh, uh... sure!

[SENIOR HAS REQUESTED WATER INTAKE INCREASE.]

...

Did that feel odd to you?

Not at all! That only brought me some lightheadedness? Is that what that is?

Haha, I will allow you to return your intakes to normal. It takes some time to get used to, welcome to our local group!

This information is Very useful, thank you. That will Be all for now.

More and more of my citizens have been leaving as of late. Seems the void baths have grown more enticing to them as of late.

Is that so? I wonder why, you were talking about their upcoming grand festival. Are plans cancelled? I would have loved to see photos.

I'm unsure, but I also hope it's not cancelled! For the meantime, I am still working on those tasks for some organisms they want to show off during the festival. If they don't use them, well more for me to keep!

Keep...? Since when had you started hoarding organisms?

Haha, as of late. Maybe the past 100 or so cycles. With my citizens slowly dwindling, I have been feeling more lonely as of late. I need more pictures from your overseers guys!

On it.

[Attachment: Untitled_2859.PMX]

I see. Oh, Joyous, I can't download this. It seems I already have a file named this.

Ack, really? I swear my incrementor program was perfect. Thanks for pointing that out.

Perhaps you should actually give them a title, and not simply "untitled".

Ahahaha. That gives me a laugh! Maybe I need to learn how to organize the other 2859 first!

Haha, look at this organism I found!

[Attachment: Weird_Batfly.PMX]

Wow! That looks like it might have evolved from one of my early experiments! I haven't seen this specimen in hundreds of cycles.

They're pretty cute! Do you have any documented behavior on them, Harp?

No, sadly I was only able to capture but a brief glimpse before they vanished into the thickets again.

What a beautiful experience to share in that case. It seems all the beauty in this world only lasts but a moment.

I know... Ah, Firefly, which specimen did they evolve from? Now you've made me curious!

... Ah, did he time out again? Here, let me try to ping his comms.

... Oh.

What? Don't tell me-

Jeez.

... Let's not jump to conclusions. We should try again in a few cycles.

Firefly...

Have you got anything on what happened to Firefly?

It would seem a particularly violent gust of wind had passed by his facility that cycle.

...

My pings haven't been returning, either.

Is he really gone? Well, obviously not gone gone but-

Please, I want him to come back. I will hope this is merely another temporary outage.

It's not looking good for him, what can we even do? We're stuck in our chambers, and our creators are gone.

A very cruel irony for us.

I will procure a method to contact him someway, somehow.

We will wish you luck in that, send our regards if you find a way.

[PING.]

... Hello, can you hear me?

[It looks at me with confusion.]

Hiii, I apologize for refraining from giving you the mark before. I wanted to ensure your training was possible thus far, and now that I'm confident I gift you the gift of communication.

This is one-way. If you can understand, blink twice.

...

Good! Now, do you remember the practice rounds? It's time for your first real stress test. Don't worry, if you make it back I will be sure to reward you.

Take this, now deliver it here, if you would. I have a path laid out for you!

Now that our broadcasts are finally giving up... I hope this suffices.

If it does... Ah. Just maybe.

Firefly. I'm still listening.

[Scratching of claws, something making its way into the chamber]

Ah! Oh my... Mime, you've returned?

... Then that means it is theoretically possible for you to traverse for long periods of time. Good job!

[A pearl can be heard dinking on the floor of the chamber.]

...! And Lights managed to repurpose this pearl, I see.

Allow me to read this first, I have not forgotten about that reward I promised.

...

I got your message, Pragma! A simple but clever use of the pipecleaner blueprint, I see. Since my communications have rusted over, I have also been working on my own methods to continue our broadcasts. I advise you to send some overseers to the highest point in your facility over the next 40 cycles. If you see something in my direction that looks odd, you know it's working!

I see... I will be sure to keep a look out.

Here, this is your reward.

[An electric whirring can be heard, as something is brought out from a panel in the chamber.]

[Happy chittering]

Thank you... thank you...

[The Mime departs with their reward for now.]

... I hope the journey will not become a dead-end endeavor. I'm already growing fond of this one.