Week 5

[airlockedmods]

Week 5

[In a tragic yet seemingly inevitable turn of fate, the Champions have lost Zombina this week. OsoKaramatsu and Korra, too, are gone, both having fallen in their attempts to help their fellow Champions out of terrible circumstances.

Again, the Champions will find themselves experiencing strange dreams on Sunday night, until they're awakened by C.E.C.E.'s announcement. This is all starting to become routine.]

Congratulations, Champions! By surviving your third trial, you have unlocked the fourth floor of the ship. A new mini map has been added to your P.I.P.!

[The trash compactor is completely shiny and new again. In addition, the profiles on the P.I.P.s still inticate that Karamatsu is dead. Because of course he is, right?

Fuck you.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday



(( Welcome to Week 5! Don't forget to check in and submit your memory regains! Turn in your benefactor threads for sweet loot, too! ))

Comments

holodeck

[playthedamncard]

[He doesn't go finding her immediately. It's a courtesy call from her, if she told everyone. Part of the new motive, he's gathered. It doesn't surprise him what she is, just that she finally said it at all.

Later, when he's feeling up for it--making himself come out of his room, for instance--he looks for her. He questions a few people first rather than going room to room when it's clear she's not in her quarters, because extra movement does not sound like fun. Might help warm him up, though.

When he does find her, he doesn't announce himself. The scene is...both heartening and distressing. Would the shock do less damage to her or more for what she is? Now that they know Petuu doesn't have to shoot anyone. So he settles himself against a wall, bundled in a scarf and a blanket and observing intently. He'll be really obvious to spot that way.]

[in4apounding]

AH-!

[Another frustrated swing at HoloRox, not quite quick enough to beat the fingertip swipe on her phone. Penny turns to retake her position as the simulation flickers into an approximation of the cafeteria; and that's when she sees Kaiba, and stops.]

Oh- um. Salutations, Mister Kaiba. ...Did you. Get my note?

[playthedamncard]

[He can't help it when he smirks at her reaction.]

I did, yes. ...Thank you. For sharing.

[He's not here to gloat, though. If she wants to talk about it in more detail, that's up to her.] It looks as though you're having about as much luck as Akira and I did. [That is to say, none at all.]

[in4apounding]

I- I can't let them use my secret against the people I care about.

[She's honestly still sort of terrified, but losing any more people scares her worse.]

...and no, sorry. Maybe if we could surprise her, but I- we can't count on that. She knows how much we all hate her.

[playthedamncard]

As much as you love people back home, do you really think they'll hate you for knowing? Do you think so little of them, or of yourself?

[in4apounding]

...I don't know. I know Ruby doesn't, and- her friends probably won't? Maybe? But everyone else-

[Sorry Kaiba, this fear is too deep-seated to really be rational.]

But- there's something else I wanted to ask you. Please.

[...she's not JUST changing the subject.]

When we get out of here- I know you probably don't completely trust her, but. Do you think there's a way we could take CECE with us?

[playthedamncard]

[His pause is thoughtful.] ...If there's a way, we'll find it. I'd need to find a way to free her from some of her lockdowns and protocols, the programming that leaves her unable to fully help us. And then we'd have to find a way to store her, or to bring whatever she's currently stored on. We'll need to find a control room, a central computer system, anything like that, and I'll do what I can.

[in4apounding]

Thank you.

[She almost, but not quite, sags in relief.]

I think she'll help us as much as she can. She doesn't want to be stuck here anymore. I- know what that's like, a little.

...And she's my friend.

[playthedamncard]

I can't say I've made friends with her. But she has a sense of humor. You don't see that in every AI running a computerized game of murder.

[in4apounding]

It's not her fault the Overseers have been making her do the executions.

[u wanna go m8, she'll go]

[playthedamncard]

No, it's all the limitations and extraneous nonsense they've plugged into her. I believe she might have actually been helpful to me and to Akira behind the door, but she literally wasn't able to. In some ways, she's as much a victim as we are.

[in4apounding]

...almost more than. She can't even move around. She just has to watch everything.

[playthedamncard]

We don't know if she was designed specifically for this or not, either.

[in4apounding]

I don't think she was. I don't want to say why, it's kind of private- but I think she might have been brought here like us.

...I mean not EXACTLY like us, but. I'm not sure she was made here.

[playthedamncard]

It would explain the blocks in place to keep her from telling us everything.

I can make no promises, except that if I'm given the chance, I'll try.

[in4apounding]

Thank you. That means a lot. ...I was going to ask Roxy too, she's good with computers.

[playthedamncard]

I'm better. [He didn't even know Roxy was good with computers, but that does not deter his fact of an opinion.] Have you talked to her about this? CECE, I mean.

[in4apounding]

Not yet, no. With- Zombina and Korra and everything...

[playthedamncard]

Well, she can hear everything we say anyway. And if we get out, there's not much Petuu and Dudely can do to stop us. Unless she's still capable of shocking us all, then we might be in trouble.

[in4apounding]

Oh. Oh! No, I meant I haven't gotten to talk to Roxy yet. I've definitely talked to CECE, she was the first one I asked.

[playthedamncard]

Oh good. I just hoped you didn't come up with a cockamamie plan over her head.

[in4apounding]

[Penny's quiet for a few seconds- and then lets out an honest to god giggle.]

[She's trying to stifle it, but it's not working very well.]

I'm- sorry- just... "cockamamie".

[playthedamncard]

...It's a legitimate word.

[in4apounding]

I'm sorry I've just never heard someone actually say it before.

[It's an old-person word, Kaiba. You are sixteen.]

[playthedamncard]

[Excuse you he is educated.]

There's a first time for everything.