DAY 04

[thecomputer]

[Good morning! The doors unlock at 07:00, the enforced sleep effect wearing off just a few minutes prior. Feel like braving the Emergency Backup Labyrinth? Because the Edutainment Sector is where you'll find Simon's body!

The Computer doesn’t speak up until someone finds him.]

Good morning, Citizens! Last night, participant Simon-G-TRO-1 was terminated due to Communist action. In addition, participant Aud-G-CIT-1 was terminated due to system error. There are now $UNDEF Citizens and $UNDEF Communists.

Trial 03 will begin at 20:00.

[Friend Computer will remain to answer questions for ten minutes. One hour after the body is found, the usual fleet of cleaning droids will clear up the corpse and surrounding mess.

On the profiles list, Simon’s full User ID is now visible, and his status has changed to DEAD.]

Comments

THE BODY

[thecomputer]

[Simon’s body was found in the Edutainment sector, clinging to one of the computers. The entire body appears to have been frozen like an oversized popsicle, and the entire head is missing. The computer is running a game of Oregon Trail where the third family member has just died of dysentery, leaving only JOHNNY alive.]

[Aud, meanwhile, is simply nowhere to be found.]

ANONYMOUS MESSAGING

[thecomputer]

[The following messages are cycling display on the main monitor, and also available via the PDCs.]

AM0401
If I'm dead this morning, you should check my room for a letter. It has some advice you're going to want.

-Yomiel

AM0402
Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?

AM0403
Hey everyone this is Rin.

Just want to remind everyone know I'm a dick.

AM0404
I, Paul, am also a dick.

Like, a mega-huge, fucking asshole. Who probably has no respect for Shakespeare. Or Dracula movies.

AM0405
Always remember to honor thy father. Thanks for the whiskey.

[staunton]

[ Panic had seized him the second he notices that Simon wasn't with him in the room when he woke up; this couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. The one person he wanted to make it out of here alive had been killed off. It's just a joke, right...? His denial doesn't last very long, however, and harsh reality soon catches up with him when he finds the body and replaces the coldness in the pit of his stomach with raw anger.

His immediate reaction is to punch the nearest wall so hard his knuckles begin to bleed, but the pain barely registers. ]

Simon, why...!?

[ He can't bring himself to look at the body, but he'll remain in its immediate vicinity until the cleaning droids show up. Anyone who tries to come close will be told to fuck off. ]

[standbyrival]

[Paul at first was just casually going around sector to sector to check for a body, but hearing the computer announcement, that speeds up.]

[When he does find it, he just makes a frustrated noise.]

Oh COME ON.

[standbyrival]

. . .

Well, it's not a lie.

[schrodingers_man]

[ Oh. Well.

Looks like the jig is up.

This is not how he expected or wanted to be found out, but it looks like the real cat's pretty much out of the bag now. ]

[schrodingers_man]

...

[ Yomiel's just gonna... hold his arms out silently. He did promise. ]

[plentyfriendly]

Well, you're honest about yourself, at least. And I wouldn't think anyone your age would have had much exposure to Shakespeare in the first place.

That said, no, I didn't write that. It was most likely Dan.

[plentyfriendly]

So, you weren't really the Troubleshooter. You gave a signal to Simon, and he pushed the button.

Is that right?

[fullonbraced]

[Robin freezes up when she heads over and sees the body. They just kept getting worse and worse looking.

And now... the guy with the monkey? He seemed so nice! He didn't look like he'd hurt anyone!

and now he was dead too.]

[staunton]

[ Knightley is dangerously close to doing exactly what he threatened to do, but now probably isn't a good time. So instead he just glares at Yomiel for a moment before raising his arm and punches him squarely in the face with a closed fist. ]

[standbyrival]

All I know is he was an overrated poet and liked killing off characters and skulls.

Yeah, it's pretty obvious. What a petty little man.

[schrodingers_man]

...That's right.

[fullonbraced]

Heeeey! What's going on here, man?!

[Robin looks to Yomiel, probably because he's the closest thing they have to a leader right now.]

[plentyfriendly]

[Phi stares at the frozen, headless corpse for a few minutes and then realizes something.]

Where did his buying power go?

[no one but you will understand that]

[plentyfriendly]

Were you and Paul both working with him?

[schrodingers_man]

[ Yomiel wasn't expecting that, and he just barely manages to stay on his feet, stumbling back for a few steps. The surprise and pain on his face quickly fade into anger, even as he reflexively brings his hand up to cover where he was just punched. ]

Come on, Knightley! I thought you said you were going to break my arms! You're not chickening out, are you?

[ That's it, Yomiel, goad him on, that's a good idea. ]

[schrodingers_man]

[ Yomiel's head snaps around to glare at Robin. ]

You! Don't you dare act surprised! Not about Simon, not about Kimbley! "Can't believe he's gone," "he was supposed to survive with us," liar!

You're one of the ones who killed them!

[schrodingers_man]

[ He shakes his head. ]

As far as the brat knew, I was really the Troubleshooter.

[fullonbraced]

[Robin visible flinches at Yomiel's shouting, taking a step back.]

Eek! What?! Why are you thinking that?!

[staunton]

[ ...Yomiel, why. That actually surprises him a little bit. ]

Tsk. What are you, some kinda masochist?!

[plentyfriendly]

I think the skull thing was just one scene. It is true that his most famous works involve nearly everyone dying, though.

So let's avoid that here.

[schrodingers_man]

Moron! Think for yourself for once! I'm tired of leading you idiots around by the nose! Why do you think I pretended to be the Troubleshooter? Who do you think the Loyalty Officer is? Who do you think was investigated last night?

Can you connect the dots yourself, or do I have to explain everything?!

[standbyrival]

Right, we're doing so well with that.

[fullonbraced]

HOLD IT, MAN! I'm not a communist! You're just lying cause you think you're gonna get some kind of confession out of me!

But I'm not a communist! I SWEAR! I didn't want Kimbley to die! I didn't want anyone here to die! SO CALM DOWN MAN!