VI Safety Travel Tips

Displays of tri-fold travel pamphlets adorn hotels, space stations, airports, and more across the Talos Sector. One on traveling safely with a virtual intelligence has drawn attention lately for its focus on VI safety in a time when human safety is of far greater concern.
Now that people have claimed to have found a hidden message on its pages, the mystery of this pamphlet has only deepened.

The Pamphlet

An unusual pamphlet has appeared in travel hubs across the sector. It has basic advice for traveling with a shelled VI -- that is, a virtual intelligence that's been downloaded into a human-like body known as a shell. While the pamphlet is very high-level, a QR code links to a website containing in-depth details on public charging stations, top VI service shops, and VI-friendly locales.
Overall, the information between page and webpage is nothing unusual. Much of it has been shared in different ways before, and now it's consolidated in one place. What makes it stand out is the information it doesn't have.

Real talk, it's kind of iconic. It's been twenty years but I don't think we've recovered from being told our political leaders were spies, and now there's robot spies around every corner.
Then we get this brochure that's like, here's some totally normal shit, and we're out here insisting there's gotta be more to it. We don't trust people, why trust a piece of paper?
Is there an option for mass-therapy? Because babes, we need it.

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VI Safety Travel Tips

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VI Safety Travel Guide by Rin Garnett

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Information

First found

February 3230

Confirmed sightings

Stations and spaceports on or in orbit around Nisora, Mithorous, Livonia, Xeros, Devali

Created by

Unconfirmed

Context

The VI mega-corporation Integrell had a reputation for high-quality and advanced VIs. In late 3228, a public trial revealed that the company's then-president had secretly embedded a spy program in the base VI code. All Integrell VIs had been spying on their users for years.

Did you know?

The spy program is called The Watcher. Trying to remove it can result in a data wipe process known as Burn.

The only known way to remove the program requires reformatting the VI, erasing all training and personalization. Some owners are keeping their VIs and coping with the implications. More are abandoning theirs, destroying others', and boycotting businesses that employ them. In a growing number of cases, shelled VIs have simply disappeared.
Recently, advice for travelers has focused on navigating these events, such as keeping yourself safe and knowing which businesses to avoid. A pamphlet and website on VI safety seems to ignore that context, but an increasing number of people suggest that not all is how it seems.

Curiosities

In addition to its odd choice of topic, the pamphlet displays curious spacing, phrasing, and styling. The simple explanation is that it's poorly made or even VI made. The prevailing theory, however, is that these choices support a hidden message.

Vigil Tag

Vigil Tag by Rin Garnett

The image of an eye with the power symbol for an iris first appeared in Galendra on Nisora in early 3229. Since then, it's shown up in several other cities on Nisora and on other populous planets.

The brochure is unaffiliated with any known organization, and the bisected eye logo (half in each logo corner) resembles spray-painted symbols that have appeared in cities across the sector. Notably, these are also cities with the most reports of missing VIs.
While not likely a coincidence, there's little beyond speculation about what the connection might be. Those who claim to have found the hidden message also suggest it's only half of the puzzle. If there's another half, then it stands to reason that this pamphlet is only the start of something bigger.