#redacted project Meridian

[thefablefoxart]

Ily Marcus <3333 my pathetic soggy little wife (also don’t get too attached the the comic thumbnails I can’t promise I’ll finish it)

[tankwiththeangst]

I’m so ready for the project meridian push but also REALLY nervous

A lot has happened but I’m honestly still so confused

[bubblergoespop]

i’m loving this project meridian narrative push so much lately that i can almost forgive erik for accidentally making us wait A YEAR since the last update

[urfrenfishy]

am i freak wanting asset and not!james to have an affair or something

MORE UNDER CUT

james because he’s so desperate for any kind of attention and he wants to set down being in control for five seconds and it’s just been so long since he’s seen or even heard from his partner he just needs something.

asset because they have never had control over anything in their life and here’s this pathetic wet cat of a man practically begging them to take control of something, and they just feel so bad for him..and they want to prove that they can feel. it wasn’t just a virus implemented by some idiot. they can feel. they want to feel.

but they also have hesitations and they know what they are doing is wrong

james because he feels like he’s taking advantage of them and the last thing he wants to be a new marcus and they are meant to focusing on the project not earthly desires-

asset because they know he has a partner, they see his wedding ring every day, they hate that they might be destroying something, and the last thing they want is a new obsession but- but they won’t get obsessed this time- they can balance it-

but they’re both just so desperate that they throw caution to the wind.

[definitelynuwonhere]

I need James to call his fucking spouse

[angel4221]

DAMN IT MARCUS IF YOU DIDNT DIDDLE THE ROBOT I COULD HAVE MY MAN HOME BY NOW

[vind3miat0r]

project meridian loop theory

oohhh boy, we're back with me putting on a tinfoil hat and yapping about theories again

this is, of course, about the newest Project Meridian audio, so spoilers for that!!

(putting everything under the cut because theres a LOT)

JESUS CHRIST. okay. thats a lot. lots to unpack here mhm yep.

okay guys hear me out: Asset is stuck in a time or a simulation loop

bear with me im about to get REALLY nerdy with this BUT

Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 5 Episode 18 — "Cause and Effect" is a time loop episode. the entire crew gets caught in a time loop for about 27 days (but they obviously dont realize this until theyre out of the loop) the loop always begins with Captain Picard's personal log, and always ends with the accidental destruction of the Enterprise brought on by their warp core exploding due to being damaged while attempting to get away from an incoming ship that lost control of its direction

throughout the episode, each time the loop resets, the crew experiences intense deja vu, brought on by the fact that theyre reliving the same day over and over. theyre able to predict small events that happen (what cards come next in a poker game, Beverly predicting Geordi coming into Sick Bay, etc)

AND in one iteration of the loop, the crew figures out that theyre IN a time loop, and devise a method to avoid getting hit by the previously mentioned ship, which would set off the chain reaction of the warp core exploding

they do this method by using big brain science time knowledge that im too tired to understand, but basically the motif of the number 3 starts showing up in the next loop reset, and when the Enterprise is once again faced with only two choices to get away from the incoming ship, Data realizes that the reoccurring 3s are connected to Commander Riker (who has three pips to signify his rank)

(for context, in every loop where the Enterprise gets destroyed, the Captain followed Data's plan of using the tractor beam to steer the incoming ship away from the Enterprise. Riker's plan was to depressurize the cargo bays) Data follows through with Riker's plan, and this time the Enterprise doesnt explode (yippee!!)

you might be thinking, "Vinn, you just explained the entire episode to us. what does that have to do with project meridian??"

well, using instances from "Cause and Effect," we can compare them to some instances that just happened in "Something's Wrong"

— the second phone call could be an outside attempt to break Asset from the time/simulation loop

— Asset knowing who the Solitaires are despite not having access to information on them could be from another loop where James told them who the Solitaires are, and Asset remembering

— the phone at the end could signify the end/restart of the loop

— Asset's uneasiness about the Meridian in the beginning of the audio and their want to "seek approval" before entering it ( could be brought on by them somewhat remembering whats happened in previous loops)

— the first phone call (the one James picks up), theres some spooky ooky ambience in the background (could be that the phone is a conduit to the "real" timeline/world and only Asset is able to pick up on that??)

— when Asset and James leave the first room and enter a new area, someone on the PA makes an announcement for the Deltas. this announcement glitches, but James doesnt seem to notice, as he continues talking (i cant quite make it out, but it almost sounds like someone else is saying something?) (again, it could be interference from outside of the loop attempting to reach Asset)

— when stepping out of the elevator, someone brings James "the latest simulation report." again, outside interference/echoes from a previous loop perhaps trying to signal to Asset that theyre stuck in a simulation

— phone at the end also as someone saying "pick up" or "wake up," didnt realize until someone pointed it out. its very faint, but its there (again, could be someone attempting to break Asset out of the loop)

one thing that i find interesting (thats not related to the loop theory) is that James says the force in the Meridian "diverts demons away" and "breaks human minds" when usually demons are allowed through the Meridian and humans just. die. then again, we have no idea when PM takes place, so it could be normal if this is like,,, a good number of years in the future

uhh hashtag yeah. im perfectly sane guys :3

[moronkyne]

You see how Anton asks for consent before making modifications to asset? Very mindful. Very demure.

[pycth]

Someone get this man a drink..and a nap—

I felt like if there was anyone I was gonna draw from the Project Meridian series, it was always gonna be Anton first (and probably the only one)

[androgynouspenguinexpert]

ENDLESS LIFELESS GIGABYTES

[dumpfrontdesk]

me whenever i enter the yearly "dahlia's most pathetic man contest" but blake, marcus, and quinn are already there.

[cryateiil]

Wake Up

so I may or may not have gotten a little obsessed with the Project Meridian time loop theories...

[sinnaminttoast]

“They don't need to accept you—“

Well James! The Meridian fried Asset and did not accept them…so now what do we do?

[urfrenfishy]

something has been off with james and i need to talk about it

- being weirdly uncaring about the deltas

- being REALLY weirdly uncaring about assets code, especially since he just learned the lesson about how much damage fucking up their code can do (marcus.)

- oddly…dare i say…sentimental and romantic with asset?? sir?? don’t you have a wife(/gn)??

- AN ASSHOLE TO ANTON WTF MAN

[s0lairee]

project manager managing projects

(20/31) listen, i only kinda like james. he's very cool, 10/10. but FUCK, that audio where he confronts marcus? i barked like a dog. i'm not ashamed. i need him back, i need project meridian back, i need the bois to get home and i need to beat marcus up.

[vind3miat0r]

"You are not needed. You are not enough."

when something goes wrong in the meridian idk i wasnt paying attention

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