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[[File:TSUKI banner.jpg|right|thumb|400px|The Tsuki Project front page]]

[[File:TSUKI banner.jpg|right|thumb|400px|The TSUKI Project front page]]

The '''TSUKI (月) Project''' was a website based on the belief that our reality is just one system among many in existence, and that when we die, we ascend to the next system.

The '''TSUKI (月) Project''' (systemspace.link) was a website created by an individual called ''Tsuki'' that professed a belief system largely based on the simulation and multiverse hypotheses. It borrowed heavily from [[Serial Experiments Lain]]'s aesthetics and some lore details, as well as other media, used [[Lain]] as its mascot, and has managed to attract a large community of followers through its lifetime. The website offered information about the Project, as well as hosted community services such as an imageboard and a chat. It came under immense pressure after a mainstream news outlet investigated a link between a real-life suicide and the website, and the rather wide online coverage of this incident, along with mismanagement, ultimately led to it shutting down.

Several references to the anime TV series [[Serial Experiments Lain]] were present on the website and its multi-reality theories.

It originated on 4chan's /r9k/ board in early 2017, quickly acquiring a large community which gathered on its imageboard and Discord server. On July 1, 2017, an attempt to create an indigenous chat system failed, and shortly thereafter Tsuki disappeared. The community survived on various Discord servers, until Tsuki returned in December. A second, more successful, chat system was created in March 2018, and on November 10 registration of new migrants stopped and large parts of the site ceased to be accessible. The site shut down completely on December 22, 2019. By that time, it had amassed over seven thousand registered migrants.

 

Owing to its /r9k/ antics and Tsuki's young age, the Project and its community have suffered many technical and social incidents due to many instances of mismanagement. The less-strict stance on suicide proved controversial in the mainstream discussions, and lent much ill fame to it, with some even labeling it a suicide cult. Hosting a troubled community, its history was rife with friendships as much as it was plagued by violent feuds. Despite this, the Project was a source of hope and a home to many. It remains a staple of unconventional web design, and could possibly be credited with spurring the renaissance of the Lain fandom.

 

The website claimed that our current world is just one of many other ''systems'', existing together in a multiverse called ''Systemspace''. It purported that our system, called ''Life'', is about to be "recycled" due to its enormous energy usage, and that the ''TSUKI Representative'' (also known as simply ''Tsuki'', or ''Rep''), a person from Life who could communicate with the outside systems, was called upon to facilitate the transfer of "souls" of Life inhabitants into another, much larger and diverse system, called ''LFE''. Tsuki claimed to represent a consortium of corporations and other groups, responsible for Systemspace itself and some of the largest systems in it, who had an interest in preserving Life culture and knowledge. Through the website, a person could sign up to become a ''migrant'', allowing themselves to transfer to LFE after their death by any cause. Suicide was believed to be destructive to the soul, but its discussion was not largely restricted. Belief was not required to participate, but a migrant's hostile actions towards the Project or its community could lead to the revocation of their status.

== History ==

== History ==

=== Origins (Jan-Feb 2017)===

=== Origins (Jan-Feb 2017)===

On January 15, 2017 a 4chan user began a thread on its /r9k/ board anguishing about his "daydream world telling him to die before August 28"<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34157760/</ref>. Other anonymous posters asked him questions about his situation, which he answered them, remarking that "they're comfy and it feels good to have others talk about your daydreams".

On January 15, 2017 a 4chan user began a thread on its /r9k/ board anguishing about his "daydream world telling him to die before August 28"<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34157760/</ref>. Other anonymous posters asked him questions about his situation, which he answered, remarking that "they're comfy and it feels good to have others talk about your daydreams".

He made two other threads on January 20 and 26 respectively. In both threads, he was mocked by doubters<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34427161/#q34428439</ref> and asked questions by believers<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34305385/#q34306529</ref> - themes that would repeat throughout the history of the Project. It was in the latter thread that he first began to call himself Tsuki<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34427161/#q34435689</ref>.

He made two other threads on January 20 and 26 respectively. In both threads, he was mocked by doubters<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34427161/#q34428439</ref> and asked questions by believers<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34305385/#q34306529</ref> - themes that would repeat throughout the history of the Project. It was in the latter thread that he first began to call himself Tsuki<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/34427161/#q34435689</ref>.

===Buildup to the opening of the Gates (May - July 1, 2017)===

===Buildup to the opening of the Gates (May - July 1, 2017)===

By May 5, 2017, lainchan.jp (later known as Arisuchan), which had split from [[Lainchan.org]] earlier that year, became affiliated with the Project<ref>https://legacy.arisuchan.jp/x/res/2.html#q20</ref>.

By May 5, 2017, lainchan.jp (later known as Arisuchan), which had split from [https://lainchan.org Lainchan.org] earlier that year, became affiliated with the Project<ref>https://legacy.arisuchan.jp/x/res/2.html#q20</ref>.

On May 10, eNdymioN announced the liquidation of a developer System, in order to gain more Aurora (fundamental energy of Systemspace) for the mission of the Project. This Aurora could "be used either as slots for users (28K) or time (560 days)"; hence, every 20 new migrants would bring the unlink, for which it was feared Tsuki would have to kill himself, one day forward<ref name="news">https://classic.systemspace.network/news.php</ref>. The increase in migrant slots was not universally popular; some complained that the new slots would only go to "normies"<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/37055891/#q37064407</ref>, but Tsuki reasserted that "Robots are still the higher priority for us."<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/37055891/#37058468</ref>.

On May 10, eNdymioN announced the liquidation of a developer System, in order to gain more Aurora (fundamental energy of Systemspace) for the mission of the Project. This Aurora could "be used either as slots for users (28K) or time (560 days)"; hence, every 20 new migrants would bring the unlink, for which it was feared Tsuki would have to kill himself, one day forward<ref name="news">https://classic.systemspace.network/news.php</ref>. The increase in migrant slots was not universally popular; some complained that the new slots would only go to "normies"<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/37055891/#q37064407</ref>, but Tsuki reasserted that "Robots are still the higher priority for us."<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/37055891/#37058468</ref>.

When the Gates opened, a countdown to a few days later appeared on systemspace.link<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38093044/#q38093175</ref>. What would happen when the countdown expired was not stated<ref>https://legacy.arisuchan.jp/x/res/2.html#q42</ref>. Some assumed it counted down to the time when all migrants would kill themselves<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38193473/#q38193909</ref>; others, that the whole Project was an alternate reality game<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38193473/#q38198093</ref>. The truth was far more mundane.

When the Gates opened, a countdown to a few days later appeared on systemspace.link<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38093044/#q38093175</ref>. What would happen when the countdown expired was not stated<ref>https://legacy.arisuchan.jp/x/res/2.html#q42</ref>. Some assumed it counted down to the time when all migrants would kill themselves<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38193473/#q38193909</ref>; others, that the whole Project was an alternate reality game<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38193473/#q38198093</ref>. The truth was far more mundane.

The countdown expired to reveal the homepage of systemspace.link with a new button, "Join Chat", prominently displayed<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38209530/#q38211959</ref>. Less than half an hour later, the chat was inaccessible due to overload by the torrent of users<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38209530/#q38212194</ref>.

The countdown expired to reveal the homepage of systemspace.link with a new button, "Join Chat", prominently displayed<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38209530/#q38211959</ref>. Less than half an hour later, the chat was inaccessible due to overload by the torrent of users<ref>https://desuarchive.org/r9k/thread/38209530/#q38212194</ref>. Still, as a separate chat system independent from Discord, it continued to possess a hold on the migrant psyche far out of proportion with its limited lifespan.  

What happened a week or two later, however, was anything but mundane.

|| Italics indicate a person who was later a moderator on Miniwatrix.