trash bin PART TWO

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ??? OPENING PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . _PROGRAM CRASHED _PROGRAM REBOOT? >N >SCAN PROGRAM . . . _PROGRAM CRASHED . . . >EMERGENCY LEVEL . . . >EMERGENCY LEVEL . . . _EMERGENCY LEVEL LOADING LOADING. . . LOADING. . . LOADING TEXTURE-NIGHT-SKY, TEXTURE-FULL-MOON, TEXTURE-DIRT-PATH, TEXTURE-CAMPFIRE LOADING SOUND-CRICKETS, SOUND-GRAVEL, SOUND-WIND, SOUND-FIRE-CRACKLING UPLOADING USER UPLOADING USER UPLOADING USER UPLOAD SUCCESSFUL TRASH BIN It feels more like an electrical zap than dying. Dying might feel a little bit more like falling asleep, but this is harder, more painful. If you've ever been electrocuted, the feeling might seem familiar; the discovery you make when you open your eyes, too, is likely very familiar. It's the night sky. Stars twinkle, a fire cracks warmly. You sit up and observe the surrounding area, and it's like you've woken up in some sort of canyon. The fire burns brightly, the moon shines beautifully, the crickets sing, and it is ... peaceful. Mostly. You know you're dead. This must be, then, the after life? Or something like it, at least. The horizon stretches on forever, the dirt and gravel seemingly endless. The moon is so big and bright, it's like you could reach out and touch her. There's a shed not too far from the fire, only but a stone's throw away, as if someone else might have made it, and then went inside it. Approaching it, you can see the light glowing inside it through the dusty windows that are littered with fingerprints. A computer screen, so large and wide that it's baffling, sits, waiting. Turning knob reveals that the shed is unlocked, and stepping inside... it doesn't feel any different from the outside. A chair sits in the center of the room, a strange contraption strapped to the head of it. It looks like it would lower itself upon the head of whoever dares to sit on it, and wires from it's bottom curl up towards the machines attached to the screen. Several smaller desktop screens sit beneath the giant monitor. They, too, are hooked up to the machines scattered around the room, to the ominous one perched on top of the medical chair, and they blink, as if fighting to stay alive without use. Pressing the giant monitor on, it lights up, and displays, strangely enough... a security camera feed. You push the button. It switches to another room. Again, another room. Again, another room. So on and forth. You peeping tom! But no one can blame you, in the end. You might as well digitally haunt the rest of the ship until the game ends, and AL-2955 can clean out the trash bin. ...Right? rule book taken characters information cards

Comments

[bloodbiter]

—You've come back! What happened?

[qundercover]

[WHERE TO EVEN BEGIN. At the beginning I guess.]

You remember the ship from this week's motive? The Nuwa? Showed up there. We were like ghosts . . . or spirits or something. Couldn't speak to any of 'em, but we saw all the supposed hostages. Seemed real friendly, definitely not a place where they're all murdering each other on a weekly basis. Even saw one of them try and kill - turns out they've all got immunity over there. Because their game is over. They're already free of whatever alien infection we've got running around.

[bloodbiter]

...They're safe? Truly?

[there are so many questions she wants to ask, but:]

Did you see a man around my age? He's a bit taller than I am, with dark, wavy hair...

[qundercover]

. . . Yeah. Saw someone like that. Saw Krem too - they didn't see us though. Machias and Hancock seemed to recognize folks too so looks like at least some of them are still alive.

Guess as far as I saw they're safe. Can't confirm it's not an illusion or trick, but seems a hell of a long way to go to fool us some more.

[bloodbiter]

[the relief on her face is clear and immediate, though she moves forward quickly.]

What are they doing now? If their game is over...

[qundercover]

[Apparently sitting around drinking?? Having fun. Who knows.]

Didn't press for details on that - realizing now I should have. We ran into their version of Alice - or, River, I guess - called herself Dr. Lin. Had questions about Alice's motive being obviously fake - it was pretty clear she had no expectation of purging her own clear ship, right? What are we expected to do with that.

Alice's plan is pretty simple: she set up this in an attempt to draw out a Souvlaki, give them an incentive that saves their own skin if they kill. Problem is it's not perfect: hostages are a pretty good way to make an ordinary person act too, right?

[bloodbiter]

...So nobody on the Pygmalion knows that the hostages aren't really in danger in order to draw out an alien.

[frowns]

I agree that the plan is flawed.

[qundercover]

The idea isn't bad, though.

[Is that Bull sort of agreeing with the homicidal A.I. Is it really. He looks around quickly for something to write with and something to scribble on - obviously trying to get something down before he loses it.]

Honestly, they should keep believing the hostages are in danger. That isn't the issue - the problem is that everyone believe the best way to solve this right now is to kill. Not just the aliens. You've got to tweak it, make it so it's not us taking a crapshoot into the dark about who might be "safe" to spread that information too. Obviously we tried that and it resulted in four dead and a kid losing a hand. [Thanks Davealien!!] We need to change the narrative. Tell them about the Nuwa - but not the entire thing. That'll just make them think it doesn't matter, they'll kill to save themselves and it won't affect the hostages either way, that's a choice anyone could justify.

[ Still writing furiously.]

Talked about this with the AI but I think I've got an idea. You release enough information to turn this motive on its head. If we can contact the Pygmalion, tell them the Nuwa is still running the game, but their motive is different. Their AI believes that the best outcome is both ships not killing, and if the Pygmalion kills then the Nuwa gets purged. Tell them that everyone on the Nuwa is protected, they literally can't kill each other. It puts that motive in a different light: now they've got to choose to either let themselves be sacrifices for the Nuwa, or they kill to save themselves and take out the hostages on the Nuwa. Now that's a choice an alien would make. They won't hesitate to move to save their own skin and they don't care if the hostages die in the process.

[Holding out a piece of paper for her.]

We've got a chance to help them draw out an alien, but they can't know the truth yet.

[bloodbiter]

...Every member of the Pygmalion is going to think that they're going to die. And if an alien kills, they'll believe that their loved ones have been slaughtered as a result.

[she takes the paper, though.]

Are you certain this is the only way?

[tacklefordwhimsy]

[Their game is over? So...]

If their game is over why are they still on a ship? Why weren't they returned to their worlds?

[qundercover]

[That's a tougher question. ]

Don't know for sure, but the feeling I'm getting is the point of this isn't to go home. They've got us here for a reason and we're running this game to clear us of aliens, not to return us safely back where we came from. Took us for a reason in the first place and the Souvlaki are messing with their plans.

[tacklefordwhimsy]

Right. I think I get it.

[So the whole murder thing was to weed out who was invaded by aliens...huh]

Then I guess the motives really were useless...consarn it. I was such an idiot...

[But enough self-pity]

So now what? This all sounds like something the living people should know! Let's use the five minutes we have to contact them!

[qundercover]

I can't contact anyone - that other AI on the Nuwa said it was dangerous. Could "erase my data" or some shit after getting wrangled over to the Nuwa and back.

Still - you can't tell them. It'll ruin the trap - when they find out the Nuwa is safe whether or not they act and the only choice then is to kill to save their own skin That's something anyone would go for, not just an alien. We tell them the truth and I'll spread to everyone, even the aliens - we've proven already our contacts are prone to leaks. Once it's over there we can't control the spread of information.

[He has a plan, Shelley!!]

We have to keep them in the dark about some shit for now. Let them really believe that if they kill, the Nuwa gets taken out. It's the best way, and we don't have to worry about who knows it on the other side.

[tacklefordwhimsy]

[Huh. This is a lot of information to get at once. It takes Shelley a moment to process everything]

"Hey, guys, their rules are different. No one in Nuwa can kill because they're invulnerable to each other, if you kill someone you guys live and they all die. If you don't kill anyone you guys will all die but they'll be okay"

[Something sounds kinda off, and Shelley knows it. She looks away]

...I'm not good with words, for a journalist. No wonder I was fired.

[qundercover]

Nah, pretty good.

Want to connect the fact that a different AI is running their game though, that the AI's will enforce their own separate rules.

"We made contact with the Nuwa. Important: their motive is different than the Pygmalion's. Their AI thinks the best outcome is neither ship kills. Alice will probably follow hers and purge you if no one kills this week, but on Nuwa, they'll only die if you kill and they don't.

Problem is everyone on the Nuwa has immunity. They can't kill this week. They're helpless. If the Pygmalion kills this week, everyone on Nuwa will die."

[thanatosincarnate]

{ Arumat, as usual, doesn't have much to say. He doesn't figure he needs to, and hardly shows much surprise when the others reappear, even if inwardly he does. The other tell is him beginning to pay attention at some point. }

Hmph. Did your travels somehow elucidate any information on how to detect the Souvlaki or any of their weaknesses whatsoever? If not that, anything revolutionary in general we should know about?

[breakshot]

Unfortunately we only had ten minutes to spare. But one thing we do know is that this doesn't involve just us - it involves all our homes too if Dr. Lin was telling the truth.

[ Machias folds his arms, sticking close to Arumat. And it's possible she might not be, given her last words. But their only option at this point was to trust her, right? Trust in her as she trusted in them. ]

That, and this is only the first phase. Turns out the Pygmalion is needed to advance to the project's second phase, and that involves finding new bodies for the deceased... if you can even call us truly "dead" at this point.

[thanatosincarnate]

{ He'll first turn to Machias. There was the portion about being truly 'dead' as an aspect up in the air, but one thing at a time. }

Involves our homes? I don't suppose she was able to elaborate further on that, was she?

[breakshot]

Not before we got cut off. The reason why we can't be sent home just yet is because those monsters are still present, and whatever means they have to send us home? That'll open up a pathway for them too. That's why we can't go back.

So we really have to deal with those things first. Not only so we can go home, but so we can actually get our bodies back without risk of them being compromised.

[thanatosincarnate]

Tch. Of course. Not that I had any intention of letting those bastards get away with doing whatever the hell they want.

{ ... }

That said, it's good to know that it's been confirmed that we are not entirely beyond the hope of being saved as well.

[breakshot]

For what it's worth. Though the thought of all of us being data awaiting new shells doesn't exactly sit well...

[ Machias's expression tenses, specifically at the phrasing. He glances aside. ]

Nonetheless... it's not about us, or those still alive on the Pygmalion at this point. Those onboard the Nuwa are still in danger if the Souvlaki find out the truth.

[qundercover]

We already know a good deal about the Souvlaki. We know they infected this ship, killed us all once previously including the Captain. Gonna make a guess based on what was told to Machias that they gave us new bodies and the Souvlaki picked hosts among us then. We know they hunt in a pack of four or five, and they've got a Queen and operate as a hivemind. We know you've got no way to tell if you're possessed yourself, and they can only control your behavior when they take over completely: usually to murder. The host doesn't remember this.

The game is being run as a way to deal with the "infection" - we've got to make sure the aliens are eliminated before we can keep going to . . . wherever this shit this project is taking us. Another guess, but they seem to pick people who might appear harmless or unlikely to kill, but can be pretty damn dangerous when the time comes they get cornered. A host that people are ready to defend when it comes down to the wire - when in truth it doesn't matter if that person would ever act that way or not. The alien controls them and that's why they're so powerful. Right now the people alive can't trust anyone, and shouldn't trust anyone.

And they do have a weakness. We know they will act in self-preservation - they find out someone has a role that could out them, or knows too much information, they target them. We force them into a scenario where they have to act to save themselves over the lives of family and friends, they'll lash out.

[thanatosincarnate]

{ He turns to Bull next, contemplating the words: 'Who might appear harmless'...'but can be pretty damn dangerous'.

Arumat had a feeling that there was a pattern at the very least -- for how they selected their hosts. He doesn't know if he was right, but Bull's guess sounds more plausible than his own. }

I see. Yet, they'll likely want to trust who their friends happen to be.

{ Still... }

Then it's simple what we do next, isn't it? If they need to be believed that they'll need to act rather than someone who isn't infected, then some sort of deception is required possibly in our delivery of information to the others.

[qundercover]

Yeah, they will, and that mistake lead to a kid straight up killing his mother. Apparently.

[He fucking laughs at simple.]

Simple? Shit no. It's a pretty damn duplicitous act of espionage to pass along technically incorrect information to get people - or aliens, I guess - to act in a certain way. You go in there and you hesitate on that lie for a hot second, this will all go to Kal-Sharok in a carton faster than you can say "ballpit." Be careful.

[thanatosincarnate]

I'm not stupid enough to hesitate when I'm lying-- maybe that'd be an issue for those less hardy around here.

{ He'll glare and then scoff, crossing his arms. }

I'll fulfill the mission objective successfully with no mistakes, simple as that -- and with assistance as needed.