DATE: 5/11/2016
Hi, I guess. If anyone is reading this, my name is, well, I guess I shouldn’t use my real name, huh? At least that’s what she said. I’m getting ahead of myself though, I’ll just go by J.L. here. So, I’m J.L., hi! I’m not really sure how these CaDCom thingies work, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. It seems like a weird mix between a tablet and a typewriter. Also, this thing is HEAVY! What the heck is in this thing?!
So anyway, this is report number 1. Well, number 1 for me anyway. Sophie told me all about the old Cafe and Diner over coffee. She didn’t say much, but I think I get the gist of it. The Cafe and Diner is an organization that deals with… well, the unknown. I’m not actually sure how much I should say here. Or even can say here. Sophie told me that I need to keep the Cafe and Diner secret.
Sophie tracked me down and invited me to coffee. She said she was impressed with my recent “investigations” and wanted me to help her rebuild the Cafe and Diner. Now I did find some info on the Cafe and Diner in my research but I kind of glossed over it, assuming they were just a generic cafe and diner that happened to get mixed up in some seriously wacky stuff. But Sophie told me they were actually the ones who saved Long Beach back in the ’90s and also the ones who stopped the event from happening in the ’00s. Apparently, after the event, they disappeared, leaving behind only a single “number” which Sophie has given to me. I can’t say what the number is here, but it’s why six was scared of seven.
Unfortunately, most of the old Cafe and Diner files were either lost in a fire or seized by the Astoria 23rd. I kinda didn’t think they actually existed… but I guess the conspiracies and my theories were true. So, for now, I’m flying somewhat blind. Sophie said she’ll help “when necessary,” but that true Cafe owners can figure it out independently.
So, I need to first figure out this CaDCom system. Apparently, it has more than one channel for reports. Second, I need to get a staff together. Third, I need to figure what exactly I’m supposed to be doing as the owner.
J.L.
CAFE
DATE: 5/12/2016
Ok, well, this should be in the “Cafe” channel! It’s basically the second level of security, and Sophie said I should use this channel when I want to write about stuff but not in a “coded” way. She described it as like, the Diner is where “tourists” come in, and the Cafe is where the real work gets done. There’s apparently a few different levels of security…
So first off, there’s “Diner,” which is the default place for reports. Interestingly enough, I can’t type some words in there like “Demon” or “Cryptid,” it just blacks it out, and it won’t let me file the report until I remove those words or switch it to the next security level. I guess it’s some sort of built-in filter list to keep certain words out of Diner receipts. I’m sure there’s some way to override that feature, but it’s more helpful than annoying for now!
Oh yeah, I also can’t type… well, that number. The number that Sophie gave me. Well, first off, there isn’t even a key for the number on the CaDCom. But when I try to type it out, you know, e i g h.. etc., it immediately shuts off the CaDCom and wipes all the data from the report. So that’s… weird. I wonder why I can’t/shouldn’t use that number? Sophie never really explained it, but she sort of hinted that it “attracts” certain entities. I wonder who or what it attracts?
Anyway, next up, there’s “Cafe,” which is where you’re at right now if you’re reading this! It doesn’t seem like there’s any sort of filter for these reports, although I haven’t tried every single word. The Cafe reports also require a password and password hint to publish. Again, I’m sure I could find a way around that, but I think I probably should still use a password. Sophie explained to me that the customers I’ll be dealing with have a primary universal weakness which is their inability to think laterally. So tossing up a simple password like… uh… “#TheSkyIs” and then the answer could be “#0000FF” that would keep most demons out of the reports because they can’t make that connection. Of course, customers could brute-force passwords. But that’s why there is…
The “And” channel! Get it? Cafe AND Diner! Hidden in plain sight! It’s basically the same as the Cafe Channel, except it doesn’t catalog reports with the Diner and Cafe reports, so you have to know where to find it in the CaDCom System. And unless you make an “And” report as part of a series of reports, there’s no indication it even exists. Sophie said I shouldn’t really worry too much about using the And channel, but I can if I feel the information could be dangerous in the wrong hands. By default, the “And” reports get filed under Cafe Diner or “CD.”
So that’s basically the security system. “D” then “C” then “CD.” I’ve still got a lot to learn about all of, well, this… but I’m making progress!
J.L.