week 3

[airlockedmods]

Week 3

[Come week 3 of the Champion Excellence Program the high-flying feelings that came with the dodgeball game last week has dissipated, especially after the...everything that was that trial. Satan Mask sure was a thing that happened.

Just like last week, right on the dot at 7 am, the mechanical woman's voice chimes to awaken the remaining champions on Sunday morning. After the initial wake-up call though there's a new message tacked on:]

Congratulations, Champions! By surviving your second trial, you have unlocked the third floor of the ship. A new mini map has been added to your P.I.P.! To access the second floor please stand on the teleporter and select the floor you wish to be teleported to.

[And again the Champions are awakened they have regained one new memory from the ones they've lost. Starting again on Sunday, as well, Jamie and Bolton will be back to their usual office hours in their usual locations.]

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday


[ooc: welcome to week 3, everyone! Check-in has begun and don't forget to submit your memory regains!]

Comments

[misplacedxsheath]

[Last weekend, his dream was confusing and concerning. This weekend...in a way, it makes perfect sense. That's why Heinlein was acting strangely. That's why nothing they did yielded the results they wanted. It was all...

For the first time, he skips breakfast, though he's seen using the teleporter. Those who look for him will find he
has discovered the holodeck. There he's recreated a cityscape, futuristic and with alien writing on the signs...though not completely unlike modern cities. It seems to be bustling with life, but Margulis stares st it with a hollow expression. One look at his face and it's clear something has changed.]

[almightyconflagration]

[McBurn comes in during his explorations. Of course, since he comes from a not very modern world where a single skyscraper in a city is a marvel still, seeing something like this is just amazing to him.

He's just staring at it in such awe and wonder that sadly he doesn't even notice Margulis' hollow expression at first. He can't really help it, he's just never seen such a thing and couldn't even imagine it being possible.]

Damn, this is amazing.

[If Margulis doesn't respond to him, then soon enough he'll pick up on the hollow expression once he's gotten a good look at the surroundings.]

[misplacedxsheath]

Miltia was a planet of many remarkable locations. Its capital in particular. And yet...

[His tone is subdued and unmistakably hurt as he fixes his gaze on the tallest building in what is, really, a fairly short city.]

[almightyconflagration]

[Well, he'd been stationed more recently in a less advanced city and only had seen the wonders of Roer and Crossbell from the deck of the Pantagruel during their arrival to Erebonia.

He definitely picks up on that tone though. Something is off, definitely.]

And yet something disturbs you. I'm guessing your dream wasn't as good as mine?

[misplacedxsheath]

Last week...I came to question Lord Heinlein's motivations. Yet I still wished to believe he was merely operating based upon a greater scope of information than I. Heh. [It's a bitter bark of a laugh.] Well, in a sense I was correct. The truth of the matter was...greater than I ever imagined. To think, Ormus, the Federation and Vector...were all puppets dancing upon the same strings, moving to a tune of lies.

[almightyconflagration]

[He's no stranger to political manipulations. While he may not be directly involved in some of it, Ouroboros certainly tended to manipulate numerous groups in order to progress their plans. Their manipulations could affect a lot and hurt people, but they did typically make some effort to ensure mutual benefit.]

So you feel like you did everything you did for nothing in the end?

[misplacedxsheath]

To say we accomplished nothing...would be speaking a kindness. This place you see before you...the planet it belongs to was once my home. Planet Miltia, the second haven of the Immigrant Fleet, all that remained to us after Michtam was overrun by Gnosis.

The building you see in the distance is Labyrinthos, the first headquarters if U-TIC. It was there that we developed weapons for use against the Federation, as well as performing link experiments with the Zohar, making use of human test subjects. Our ambition, to understand a relic of God and, with its power, obliterate the Gnosis...would you care to see what came of it?

[almightyconflagration]

I have a feeling it won't be pleasant, but yes, I'd like to see it.

Cw: war imagery

[misplacedxsheath]

[He adjusts the settings on the console and the scene changes. The city is now a wreck, buildings destroyed and in flames. Soldiers and ten foot tall mecha alike prowl the street, in both dark purple and beige uniforms. The corpses littering the street are both soldier and civilian, with a number of women and children among them.

Then the music starts and strange, alien monsters appear out of empty air to attack everything in sight.]

This is the fate of Miltia, brought on by the ambitions if both U-TIC and the Federation.

[almightyconflagration]

[There is definitely something to be said about a less populated world. Even though he was in the middle of a civil war that Ouroboros was manipulating both sides on, they could still keep the effects the civilians felt to a minimum. True, life was harder, but they did what they could to leave the civilians alone.]

Wait, so someone summoned the Gnosis with that creepy song?

[Wow, that oddly reminds him a bit too much of Abyss. She has a tendency to sing and bad stuff happens. Was the creepy song like her witch magic then?]

[misplacedxsheath]

The Song of Nephilim... [His voice has been tense, but now it almost sounds afraid.] A song that brings madness and ruin upon the world. Calling the Gnosis is but one of its effects. It should have never been utilized, but in our hubris we put it to use, and as a result ensured that this battle would be remembered as the worst in human history.

[As the Song plays, many of the mecha pilots and soldiers dressed in red uniforms begin acting erratically, attacking even their own allies.]

[almightyconflagration]

[As he sees the people acting strangely, McBurn starts to wonder if he should even keep listening to this considering the poor effects that could result from him losing control.]

Should I even be listening to this? Well, considering...

[misplacedxsheath]

This is only a replication of the auditory element. The true danger of the Song lies in the parts that can't be heard. In fact, were this the real thing, it's doubtful you would be able to hear even this.

[almightyconflagration]

[McBurn definitely seems relieved. Even if he was concerned enough to get insurance, he'd prefer it never be necessary.]

Good. It just reminds me a bit too much of Abyss' freaky magic. It's sung too.

[misplacedxsheath]

What you're hearing is an incomplete translation of Lemegeton, the words of God. The project was deemed too dangerous to complete by its creator, and this is the result. This chaos, the destruction you see here was the result of us believing we could turn the power of God to our ends.

And now, after this and countless more sacrifice, it turns out that our goals were nothing more than mere bait, meant to distract us from the truth. And only now that the veil of lies has been lifted do I see our atrocities for what they were.

[almightyconflagration]

It's incredibly atrocious. For all that Ouroboros is out to spread plenty of chaos by reviving the forbidden gifts of Aidios, we are also attempting to do so with little bloodshed and upheaval. I was brought here from the middle of a civil war and it's nothing like this.

Not like I have room to judge though. My hometown isn't listed in my profile because it no longer exists. I burned it down when my abilities manifested. I'm not even capable of regretting my actions. I burned the envelope they gave me the first week only to destroy the evidence of my past.

[misplacedxsheath]

Until this morning, I had no regrets either. That motive contained only a picture of myself after Uzuki left this scar on my face. After all, what reason had I to regret the lives I've sacrificed, so long as I was following the will of God?

But now I know that all of that was nothing but a justification I told myself. And now that I know the truth, it's still meaningless. So long as I remain here, I can do nothing. I'm even unable to find satisfaction in settling the score with Uzuki.

[almightyconflagration]

[McBurn thinks Margulis is somewhat misunderstanding his inability to feel regret. It's far deeper than an ability to justify his actions and more along the lines of never learning any set of moral codes because he spent his childhood as an Enforcer of Ouroboros. That sort of life results in very skewed morals and a rather odd education that isn't helped by being a rare non-human in a world of humans.]

So explain to me how you know that you aren't still following your god's will even if your leader is a lying piece of shit?

[misplacedxsheath]

Lord Heinlein...Wilhelm is a being who claims to have borne witness to the birth of Ormus. Created it for his own purposes. Given historical records already indicate he's far older than he appears, as well as the power of his Testaments, I'm inclined to believe him on that matter. Our true purpose was, from the beginning, to be his tools. He said as much in his own words, that everything we had done was for but a lie.

[almightyconflagration]

I think I get it. It's one thing to know you're a tool and choose that path because the being you serve is worthy of your service. It would be like if the Grandmaster suddenly changed from one who guides us to one who forces us. You feel your free will was taken from you because it was based on something that isn't true.

[misplacedxsheath]

Precisely. The path I forged was not my own, it was the calculated result of words meant to keep me blinded to the truth. To motivate me toward unspoken ends. And now that I know that much, it's far too late to change what I have done. After all, have I not spent the past weeks reminding people that the past is immutable?

Even worse, the words revealed to be falsehoods were those I've built my entire life upon. There's little left that I can trust, much less rely upon.

[almightyconflagration]

There's yourself. You said I couldn't help what I did when I couldn't control my abilities. I think it's the same for you acting based on falsehoods.

[misplacedxsheath]

McBurn... [He adjusts the holodeck settings again, returning the city to its intact state.] Your vote of confidence means quite a bit, considering you're among those I still feel as if I can trust. However, wilfully ignored many things that should have revealed to me my mistake, all because of my own desires to make a difference in the world. How can I trust my own judgment, after having chased a lie for so long?

[almightyconflagration]

Same way I did. I certainly didn't gain this level of control overnight.

[misplacedxsheath]

[He's silent for a moment, thinking.]

You know...it's been so long, I'd forgotten what it feels like. To have someone around who understands me, who communicates in the same manner. I suppose that's why I chose to confide in you these doubts.

For now, at least, the path is clear. I'm not the only one here with a betrayal fresh on their mind, and Xander will no doubt need assistance in keeping everyone together. With that in mind, I would appreciate it if you...kept these confessions to yourself. The people here would certainly doubt my motivations if they knew of the blood already on my hands.