WEEK 4

[strangerpeople]

WEEK 4

[A third of those of you who came here are now dead.

Its a sobering thought as everyone wakes up the next day to find their profiles updated once more, with Rosie and Naoya now added to the list of the discarded. There's an entire empty room, in terms of humans - Rocky, Murray, Elly, and a a strangely new and realistic robot bird are still there, somehow. Someone will need to take care of them now that their owners are gone.

Just like last week, no one has regained their memories, but their powers have evolved. Also like last week, a new floor has opened for those remaining to explore. It's...definitely different from the previous ones, to be sure. Emptier, more militaristic. And very, very large.

Maybe that's where the transport will arrive? Whatever the case, Marie's claim about the universe - if she's telling the truth - means there's less than two weeks left before the universe's destruction. If anyone has not yet thought of a way out that doesn't involve killing, the time to figure something out may be running out for everyone.

Meanwhile, even despite the lack of Naoya to hack the computers, the random computers belting out shittyfluting has, if anything, increased in their frequency. Which is definitely odd, since no one else has tried to hack into the computers...right?

There are ten strangers in this place.]


SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

Comments

[earietale]

[Well, that was...surprisingly easy. Not that she's complaining, it's just...not something she expected.

Anyway, Barbara will open up the door about ten seconds after the knock.]

Hello?

[commandurr]

AHAHA!! YOU READY? YOU WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW ME, BUT I PROMISE, IT’S SUPER FUN!!

[earietale]

Ready as I'll ever be, really.

[She doesn't know how 'ready' you can be to see a possibly comatose, possibly pregnant woman who managed to build a robot, but being in her waitress outfit is probably enough.]

[commandurr]

GOOD, GOOD!!

[And so Marie leads Barbara to the elevators. One they are both in, Marie takes out a blue card, sliding it onto the glass.

A whole panel of floors lights up, and Marie presses what can only be for the top level.]

[earietale]

[Blue card and top level. She'll make some mental notes on that to tell the oth-

Actually, wait a second.]

Am...I allowed to tell the others about her? How this woman is doing and everything?

[commandurr]

AHAHA, SURE! NOT THAT IT WILL MATTER, BUT...!

[Barbare will notice that, between all the floors she would be currently aware of and the top level, there is at least one other floor.

With seconds they are in...well, the best way to describe it is a throne room with a large control panel lining the wall. The throne itself is in the center, with the elevator behind it. There is also something on the throne, carefully leaned against the cold metal construct.

Above is a see-through dome, where Barbara can see the stars.]

HERE WE ARE!

[earietale]

Okay, thank you...I guess.

[Two new notes: One more floor to see, and she needs to wash her mouth with soap later.

And...okay, weird throne room. Not actually too surprising to see this woman make a throne room for herself.]

Okay...so she's somewhere in this room, then?

[She won't move, but she'll try to identify what that thing is that's leaning against the throne.]

[commandurr]

[Its a big stuffed animal. It’s the kind a child might snuggle into.]

AHAHAHA!!

OH NO, SHE ISN’T IN THE BASE!! THE TRUTH IS WAY MORE FUN THAN THAT!!

[earietale]

[She freezes a second after hearing that, as a layer of fear settles over her.]

Y-you...what do you mean by th-that?

[She has an idea, but she really doesn't want to believe that.]

[commandurr]

[Marie snickers as she goes to the control panel, pressing several buttons on it.

The silhouette of a woman pops up like a hologram in the middle of the floor, with multiple red dots blinking on and off.]

COMPUTER, SHOW THE DIRECT FEED FROM THE CAMERAS PLUGGED INTO THE OCULAR CYBER-NERVES!!

[With that, the hologram changes, revealing...a grey ceiling. A dark curtain goes down, then rises back up, the image blurry.

Barbara will recognize this as someone slowly closing and opening their eyes.]

[earietale]

[Okay, she is NOT DEAD! Thank goodness 'cause she was afraid something else entirely was about to be revealed to her.

This isn't too happy either, though. Barbara walks out of the elevator somewhat timidly to get a better look at this place. Is there anything else she can tell about where this woman is by getting a good look at it?]

[1/2]

[commandurr]

[In a hospital, most definitely, judging by the two blurry white-clad figures above her.]

OOOH, I WONDER WHAT THEY'RE SAYING! ACTIVATE AURAL SPEAKER FEED!

[strangerpeople]

"--purities have increased substantially. At this rate, her organs will start to fail her."

"And there's been no positive change in the situation otherwise?"

[The first voice is soft and low, like a kindly doctor - it comes from the taller figure. The second is a bit more high-pitched, but gravelly, and comes from the shorter.]

"The battle convoy hasn't responded to our hails in the past four hours. I fear the worst has occurred to them, and if her condition doesn't improve soon, we will have no choice but to consider our efforts a failure."

"OoooOOOOH! Our most advanced technology and we can't even save the girl genius! Now the Star Wars fleet will be sitting ducks to any enemy that may attack Earth!"

[The sound of a door opening. Then, footsteps. The head slowly turns. A brown-haired blob appears right next to the bed.

Marie, meanwhile, starts laughing at the new arrival as he speaks.]

"Ivy! Ivy, can you hear me!?"

[earietale]

[Ivy...that is definitely not anything related to Halley. Something she'll have to figure out later, then.

Wait. Brown haired blob. It's a boy...

If Barbara tries to get a closer look, will she be able to tell if the man is the same one from the torn theater photos?]

[1/2]

[strangerpeople]

[While it's difficult to make out finite details, the hair color is definitely the same.]

"Cheol!? How--!?"

"We cured the president! The operation mission was a success! Now, I'm going to cure Ivy!"

"No, no, no! Out of the question!"

"Cheol, we can't let you. We already started an operation, putting you on it as well would--"

"I HAVE TO!! I SAVED HER ONCE, I CAN DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE!"

[The two doctor blobs are silent. The blob now being looked at starts to form something on its face: tears.]

"No, I...I...please...Ivy...!"

[2/2]

[commandurr]

[And Marie just bursts into laughter.]

SERVES HIM RIGHT!! GO ON AND CRY, CRYBABY!!

AHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[earietale]

[Did you hear that noise? It was faint, but it was definitely sound Barbara Finch's patience snapping like a twig.]

Shut up, you...you fat, shitty bitch!

[commandurr]

[!!!!!!!!!!!]

WHAT!??! HOW DARE YOU!!!

[earietale]

What gives you the right to insult him for being sad that his friend might be dying?! He just wants to save her, and here you are, acting like a spoiled brat and making fun of him!

Go to Hell!

[commandurr]

OH YEAH!? HE STARTED IT BY MESSING WITH US!! I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO MAKE FUN OF HIM FOR BEING TOO LATE!!!

UGH I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS SO GENEROUS WITH SOMEONE SO UNGRATEFUL!!

[earietale]

How did he mess with you that makes you think you have the right to do that?! Unless they both killed your whole family or something, I don't think there's any good reason!

[commandurr]

LOOK, JUST BECAUSE HE ONLY KILLED MY BROTHER, DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T ALSO HAVE OTHER REASONS TO DISLIKE HIM!!

[earietale]

...okay, that...that changes somethings, but what has she done to deserve that? Was she involved somehow? Or are you just enjoying an innocent woman's death just because he cares about her?

[There's not as much edge to her words now, but still enough to sound frustrated.]

[commandurr]

WEREN'T YOU PAYING ATTENTION? SHE'S THE GIRL GENIUS!

WHERE DO YOU EVEN THINK WE ARE RIGHT NOW, HMM??

[earietale]

Is that supposed to mean something to me?! Because I'm drawing pretty big blank there!

[And there's that edge again!]

How should I know?! All that I know is that we might be in space or on a different planet right now, and since this is the freaking future, it might be even further away than Pluto!