Episode 6: The Engineer of Echoes | Events & Announcements | New Locations
05/24/2025
EPISODE 6: THE ENGINEER OF ECHOES
A Bellisseria Bureau of Bureaucracy Mystery
by Liberty Fairelander
The sky above Bellisseria trembled, just faintly, as if the world itself had taken a breath and forgotten to exhale. In the hush of early morning, Liberty Fairelander and Robert Rhodan stood in the atrium of the Bureau Headquarters, waiting. Jezebel "Bel" Bailey, CEO of the Bellisserian Bureau of Bureaucracy, entered swiftly, closing the door behind her with a deliberate finality. Her normally crisp demeanour was strained—eyes sharp, mouth pressed into a line that spoke of sleepless nights and classified knowledge.
"You're going to see him," she said without preamble.
Robert arched a brow. "Tesla."
Bel nodded. "He was never supposed to be part of this again. But things are... unravelling."
Liberty leaned forward. "You knew about the Architects of Unbeing."
Bel hesitated, then pulled a small device from her coat—a Bureau clearance badge, but unlike any Liberty had seen. Gold-trimmed, marked with symbols not used in modern Bureau classifications.
"There are programs,” Bel said, “that existed before this Bureau had a name. Tesla built one of them. Something that could read the imprint of a person—who they are, not just their data. It worked. Too well. And then it started pulling echoes.”
“Echoes?” Liberty asked.
Bel met her eyes. “Alternate versions. Shadow selves. Ghosts of choices unmade. We shelved it. Hid him. But if anyone can track the true presence of Lord Junibalya—or Viola Mole—it’s him."
The Workshop Between Worlds
Tesla’s domain was not on any map. The land between region borders flickered as Liberty and Robert passed through—water changing direction, trees leaning the wrong way. Finally, they arrived at a squat building surrounded by impossible geometry: staircases that fed into each other, an arch that led nowhere, a floating gear spinning slowly in place.
Tesla opened the door before they could knock.
"You’re late," he said. "Or early. Time’s slippery here. Come."
Inside was a cathedral of clutter. Brass instruments pulsed with energy, coils buzzed softly, and lenses focused on screens that showed... nothing. And yet everything.
Tesla was tall, wiry, and wild-eyed—his jacket layered in tools and broken pocket watches. He seemed both lucid and on the verge of vanishing.
"You came because you’re losing your world," he said. "Good. That means you still have one."
Robert stepped forward. “We need to find Lord Junibalya. And the real Viola Mole."
Tesla nodded slowly, then walked over to a metal console shaped like a spiral. He flipped a switch. A hum filled the room.
"They’re inside the labyrinth. Not just trapped—transformed. It’s a space rewritten by the Architects. But they didn’t build it. They found it. They’re using it."
“Using it how?” Liberty asked.
“To erase what came before. And replace it with something that obeys.”
Bel’s Message
A light blinked on Tesla’s wall. He turned a dial, and the image of Bel shimmered into the air. Static crackled across her face.
"Tesla, they’ve begun Phase Two," she said. "The Bureau is shifting. The archives—they’re changing themselves. Staff members have started forgetting me. I’m the CEO, and I had to show ID to get into my own office."
Tesla tilted his head. “The resonance is destabilizing. They’re coming for you.”
Bel’s face hardened. "Then finish what you started. Give them what they need. Before there’s nothing left to remember."
The image winked out.
Echo Mapping
Tesla led them to a circular chamber in the back of the workshop. In its center was a strange machine: a globe surrounded by concentric rings, each rotating at a different speed.
He gestured to it. “This maps echoes. Every person leaves a resonance trail. Normally, it’s a single line. But the replaced ones? They fork. They glitch."
He turned a crank. The globe shimmered. Lines of light danced across it—some smooth, some jagged. He stopped the globe on one flickering node.
"That’s Junibalya. You see that anomaly?”
Liberty squinted. “It splits."
“Exactly. He exists—and doesn’t. Reality is undecided. But it’s Viola who troubles me more.”
He adjusted the dial. A second node came into focus.
“Viola Mole’s signature should be here.” He tapped. “But it isn’t. And yet...” He pointed. “There’s a shadow of her. An imprint in places where she’s been. She’s real. But not where she’s supposed to be."
Robert leaned in. “Can we reach her?”
“With this?” Tesla smiled faintly. “Yes. But you won’t just see the truth. You’ll see everything you forgot was true.”
The First Ripple
Tesla powered up the Reality Tuner. Lights surged through the lab, and the air thickened.
Liberty blinked—and for a moment, she saw two Roberts. One older, with silver in his hair. One younger, with different eyes.
Robert flinched. “Did you see that?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “What was it?”
Tesla didn’t answer. He was looking at the globe again. A new anomaly was forming.
“Bel,” he whispered. “They’ve started rewriting her.”
A new fork split her line in the map. One version led toward shadow. The other flickered like a flame in the wind.
Tesla turned to them both. “We don’t have time. The labyrinth is ready. But you must go now. Once inside, the world will not obey its old rules.”
Robert clenched his jaw. Liberty reached for her satchel.
“Then we go,” she said. “Into the labyrinth. For Junibalya. For Viola. For Bel. And for whatever truth they’re trying to bury.”
The lights dimmed. The air stilled. And then, without a sound, the wall behind them unfolded. A tunnel of pulsing light yawned open.
They stepped forward.
And the world began to bend.
To be continued...
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Save the Date
ART EXTRAVAGANZA @ ART COLONY – Land of Sleeping Giants
📅 Thursday, May 29th, 2025
🕐 1 PM – 3 PM SLT
Join us for a vibrant celebration of art, creativity, and community! Explore stunning works by renowned Second Life artists, pick up exclusive gifts, and don’t miss a special event stamp for collectors by AmandaT.
Dress Code: Channel a famous art character or embody your own artistic muse!
🎶 Music by the one and only DJ Frank Atisso
Let’s make art come alive—see you there!
******
The BBB will be at SL22B
We're happy to report that our application to participate in the celebrations of Second Life®'s 22nd birthday (SL22B) has been accepted. We've had a lot of fun with our previous SLB exhibits and have enjoyed meeting many of you there.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our "Myths & Legends" build!
NEW LOCATIONS
Amanda Tamatzui has had stamps on offer at various locations over the years but has never found a permanent home for her gallery. That's no longer the case as she's moved into an imposing new building in Manda Vale. We wish her a long and successful career there.
As a public service, the art-conscious leaders of Manda Vale Borough Council have provided a building to house portals to art galleries all over Second Life®. Accept the experience once and you can walk through any of the doors to explore SL's rich art scene.
Save the Date is a fancy dress Art Extravaganza at the Land of Sleeping Giants. See Events & Information for full details.
As always please bear in mind that events are announced in the last issue of The Gazette before their opening. Regions may not be open or stamp terminals in place until the start date.
Amanda Tamatzui Gallery PE | ||
Art Galleries of Second Life PE | ||
Event: May 29, 2025 |
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