UserWiki:NautALoid

Tuning In

A radio transmission is only as powerful as the capabilities of the receiver. A transmitter could be sending out signals for years, but if the technology doesn’t exist to receive the signal, it will fall on uncomprehending ears, and will be as meaningless as if it were never sent at all.

Th█ █nly Wyatt Mason█ materialized with the Lift just after notable trucker and truck mechanic Engine Eberhardt finished tuning up the Legscraper’s Psychoacoustics to catch worldwide radio stations for “some sweet practice tunes.” Psychoacoustics switched on, radio receivers started appearing on nearby skyscrapers, and Eberhardt, who had briefly paused on a spotty signal from a college station in Los Angeli just as the Psychoacoustics came online, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Mason. Self-proclaimed Psychoacoustics expert and radio buff Rylan O’Lantern has theorized that Eberhardt tuning in at just the right time is what led to the Lift being the first to receive a Wyatt Mason, though Eberhardt herself is on record as saying, "Come on, I was just listening to some music on it, you know, like it was made for. There's no way a little tuning would have made any bit of difference."

Reception

Many members of the Lift took Mason under their wing, with Wyatt Quitter coming to quickly view her as a little sister and introducing her to all the movies she had missed, and Silvaire Semiquaver lending her old clothes. Some teammates even took it upon themselves to teach Mason an assortment of colorful swears and curses, much to the mounting dismay of then-captain Stijn Strongbody, who went on record as saying that “no ██-year-old should know such foul words.” Mason’s appearance also made a particular impact with then-Lift player Alejandro Leaf, who declared she would “do everything in [her] power to keep [Mason] safe.” In the quiet moments between the first incident of static and the day Mason herself echoed, four days later, Mason and Leaf were observed to spend many quiet evening hours together in the conservatory, conversing about undisclosed subjects as Leaf showed her how to knit scarves.

Going Live

Although the preliminary evaluations predicted she would be one of the worst-performing iterations of Wyatt Mason to materialize from the Second Wyatt Masoning, Mason’s short career with the Lift was successful, and she scored her first run in her debut plate appearance.

Outside of blaseball, Mason could be seen skateboarding around Tokyo with Quitter and Grollis Zephyr, maintaining the antennae that started appearing around Tokyo after the installation of the Psychoacoustics system, and practicing her favorite splort, kickball, with acquaintances who frequented the Gym. She was known by many for her almost unnervingly plastic personality, perfectly mirroring aspects she appeared to admire from whoever she was around with ease. She seemed to prefer Semiquaver’s warm sternness, Quitter’s rebellious spark, and Leaf’s quiet steadiness and compassion, and by the end of her time with the Lift, she had managed to start making these traits uniquely her own.

Lost Signal

On Day 79, Mason’s echo became Quitter’s as well. Two days later, they were due for their next feedback game.

The morning of Season 14, Day 81, Mason set her few affairs in order, granting her skateboard to Zephyr, giving her clothes back to Semiquaver, and making a card thanking the Lift for making the Lift feel like home. Whether she predicted her luck with the weather had run out, had a feeling it was her time, or had a mission to fulfill, she echoed into static before ever reaching the plate after only 8 days of active play. Onlookers at the time noted that while Mason was fielding, she took a position close to the opposing team’s Mason while it was at bat. Some have theorized this was a way to protect Quitter from echoing into static, as they were due to bat in the subsequent inning.

Dead Air

Mason’s echo into static did not come as a surprise to the Lift, but it was some time before they were able to come to terms with a life cut so short, so soon. Having never so much as witnessed an incineration first hand until two seasons later in Season 16, much of the team was unprepared for such a swift and brutal reminder of the true stakes of blaseball. When they progressed to the postseason on a wildcard, they did so with both Mason and Quitter in the forefront of their minds.