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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

listen to me

okay guys, this is Wes

they've really cracked down at Hilling, things are bad. i hadn't heard from GE for 3 days now.

they're not letting anybody leave. I keep hearing from official sources that students have become violent against the uni, but GE says it's a cover story. it's worrying.

the final HUB broadcast was all about how the Uni was trying to control the student's ability to think for themselves. how the 20 or so disappearances before and soon after Dr. Child's class. not all were as publicized, but they were still happening. now they're arresting people without reason, and holding them without rights. nobody outside knows either, because nobody's been allowed contact out of the uni. phone signals are impossible, internet there is down, and GE had to do some wacky thing with his crappy flip phone to get a call to me. he's like an electronics macgyver, I swear.

did Murray know what was going on? i don't know, and GE doesn't either. he couldn't find out anything on his run to the administration. from the sounds of things, Murray didn't want anything to do with what the uni is doing. I really don't blame him at this point

i have this bad feeling they're monitoring this blog. what does it matter, though? this needs to get out and known. this needs to be ended.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Blackout

Okay, so this is the first time I've had internet access since last update. I caught a bus to town and the Starbucks has their free Wifi still going. Most places around here don't, though, because their internet access is through the university (it's pretty much the school and the shops out here). Hilling claims that they've been attacked by hackers, and to prevent some of their important research documents they shut down most of the servers. That is a lie, I just know it has to be. No school would do something like that because of hackers, or at least no reasonable IT staff would.


There was something that a few students discovered earlier that started getting spread around on facebook. People started putting up flyers on campus about it. A bunch of people noticed that everybody who got flu shots all looked more sedated and just "off". RF got one last week and he's been much more dull and monotone lately, which is definitely not like him. The same thing happened to a few of my other friends, and even a couple of professors. That's when I thought about BM's whole deal with Dr. Murray. GE went to go talk to Murray yesterday, and he found out something interesting - Dr. Murray left.


He didn't retire or get fired. He just left. Everybody in his department isn't sure why. He told them on Friday that he was leaving the job, but he refused to give any details. We've been trying desperately to get in contact with BM to try to understand more about him, but she's being refused any visitors. At this point, I don't think her parents even know she's in jail! It's ridiculous!


HUB is putting out a special issue tomorrow. They said it won't be on the usual day, and that it is one not to be missed. It's a little worrying, since they've lost at least half their staff already. There wasn't a miniature paper on Thursday or the normal HUB Sunday like there normally is. I figured it was because of how few people there were left, but the HUB staff sent out an announcement Monday about what they're calling "Our Last Run".


Finally, I saw that kid Lucas on campus again. Earlier this semester I was in Dr. Child's class, front row, and the kid recognized me from that somehow. He went up to me and practically begged me to stay with him. He said he ran away from his foster home and needed to desperately stay with someone at the school. I really didn't want to, but the kid had nowhere to go. He told me this crazy story about Dr. Child and how things were gonna get all screwed up. I didn't believe him at first, but remembering Dr. Child's last words in class…well, I took Lucas in. He's been sleeping in my room on the floor with a couple spare blankets. He's got whatever food I can bring him, and there's some games he can play while he's there. I don't know why he or Dr. Child thinks he's safe here, but he's not leaving and I don't know where else he'd go if he doesn't trust his foster parents.


But Dr. Child was right. Something strange is going on with the university administration, and we need to figure out what it is. GE says he's going to risk going to the administration building and see if he can do some snooping.


Please, wish us luck.

Friday, March 9, 2012

An Unusual Request

The following is a transcript of a visit between Lucas [REMOVED] and Dr. Brian Child at Gold County Jail. Dr. Child will be represented by INM ("inmate") and Lucas will be denoted by VSTR ("visitor"). The conversation took place on telephones typically used for chats between inmates and visitors, was recorded, and was stored in the jail's database.

INM: Ah, hello, my boy Lucas. Why are you here?

VSTR: I wanted to know why you did that.

INM: Why I did what?

VSTR: You know what. The shocks and that gun.

INM: I didn't want to hurt you, Lu-

VSTR: [loud bang, presumable slamming fist on table] Then why'd you do it?!

INM: [pause] For those who were in the class.

VSTR: What?

INM: What I did was a test for them, to see if they would stand up against authority.

VSTR: What do you mean? I don't get it.

INM: They're about to be in danger, one that myself and my colleagues have seen coming.

VSTR: I'm not stupid, okay? What are you talking about?

INM: Listen to me, Lucas! These students don't understand what's going on. The faculty of the university is planning something.

VSTR: Oh yeah? What?

INM: I don't know just yet, but I have overheard some of my fellow professors that were discussing many changes in administration, that so much was happening so quickly. People were getting fired for almost no reason, and replacements found within days. That doesn't happen in any normal school.

VSTR: So just 'cause a bunch of people got fired, you think something bad is gonna happen?

INM: In a sense, yes. Considering who got replaced, and meeting the replacements, there is something definitely wrong. They started bringing up ideas of conformity and compliance from the students.

VSTR: But I don't really care about them. What's this got to do with me?

INM: You recall that nobody stepped in to help you?

VSTR: Uh…yeah

INM: They didn't want to stand up to authority, which is what I represented. If that seed of speaking out gets planted, then the students may be able to resist what it is that the university is planning.

VSTR: I don't get it.

INM: If they can't stand up to me when I am doing horrible things, they can't stand up to any of the rest of the university if the same things happen.

VSTR: But you put a gun to my head, man!

INM: [sighs] The gun was not loaded.

VSTR: But…why…

INM: To get my point across! Do you see now?

VSTR: But the electric stuff…

INM: Listen, I hated myself for doing it. But those college kids needed to understand that people with authority are not always right.

VSTR: Then I was just…

INM: I am sorry for what I put you through, my child. I was never going to kill you, or anything of the sort.

VSTR: [uneven breathing]

INM: Who are you with now?

VSTR: I dunno, the police gave me to this couple not that far away, and-

INM: Did they pick you themselves, or did someone else give you to them?

VSTR: The police and the school did most of the stuff that-

INM: Lucas, did the school choose your foster parents?

VSTR: Yeah, but I don't-

INM: You must leave them, okay?

VSTR: Wait, why do I have to-?

INM: You cannot trust the university either.

VSTR: But where would I go? I've been living on the streets forever and they're so nice to me.

INM: Do you remember the faces of anybody in my class?

VSTR: No…not really, I mean, I think so?

INM: Look for them. Find one of them, and beg and plead to stay with them.

VSTR: But what about my foster parents?

INM: They'll look for you, of course. However, they are likely people to make sure you're under watch and don't want you reminding university students of what happened in my class. They need that reminder, Lucas.

VSTR: I don't know…

INM: Ask to go to the university, and see what your parents say. If they say no, then they don't want you there. Keep pressing them, make up whatever you can to say that you want to visit. If they keep saying no, then you must go there yourself. Do you know the way?

VSTR: Yeah, it's not that far.

INM: Good, good.

VSTR: But why should I trust you?

INM: [long pause, sigh] Because, Lucas, I have nothing left to lose. The university will ensure that I will not have any reasonable credit to my name, I am going to have no money left because of lawyers for my case, and I will not be able to hold a decent job ever again. I also stand to gain nothing from these events, either. I only want these students to be safe. Do you understand?

VSTR: [silence]

INM: Do you?

[END TRANSCRIPT]

Note: I "obtained" this through means in which I'd rather not say. Just know that the jail doesn't have the most secure network out there. It's understandable though, considering the budget cuts of the last few years and that they just implemented the recording system. --JS

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

RF Updates

Hey, RF again. I've enlisted the help of a couple of my friends - you can call them JS and GE. I really don't want to say it, but I don't want to trust Hilling administrators anymore. It's like, every time we see one, they look at us condescendingly. They tell us everything is alright, but there have been more and more arrests lately, notably some of the HUB staff. Friends of those arrested keep saying that the crimes can't be linked at all. They can't have visitors and from the sounds of things, haven't gotten lawyers or a single phone call out. It's like they're being blocked from contacting the world. I'm glad BM and I were sending these to Wes secretly already, yet I think I'm going to be jumping around more before sending them to make sure they get through. It almost seems like emails are being watched…but I have been able to hear back from Wes, so I know these are getting through.


There's one other point I'd like to mention. Some of the kids around here seem more…sedated. I'm not sure what it is, but a few of my friends and even one of my roommates is just a little less energetic. JS and GE have noticed it too, in people around campus. We first joked that it was because of midterms, but it happened all at once. Things seemed fine before the weekend, and it's not just starting a new week that's caused this. I'm not sure if it's important, but it's just another little oddity around campus.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

HUB: Flu Vaccines

The following is an advertisement in the smaller, Thursday edition of the Hilling University Broadcast:


FREE FLU VACCINES FOR STUDENTS


Hilling University Health Services is offering free flu vaccinations for the next three weeks, starting Monday. All students are highly encouraged to come by and be protected from the flu. The sooner, the better!