FIRST TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Alright, that seems like more than enough time to poke around the crime scene. Gather at the vault door, won’t you? It seems that for many of you it will be a short walk.

[ Once you’re all gathered at the vault door, Angel meets you there and quietly taps a keycard to the side of it. There’s an enormous whirring and grinding from inside as various mechanisms within the door move and whir - until with one last shuddering thud, the door starts to swing inwards, revealing a fully-glass tunnel leading off the side of the plateau the base is built on. Small lights built into the floor illuminate as you walk forward, until finally they light up an enormous elevator, perfectly capable of holding the twenty-four of you.

Angel comes too, putting a few numbers into a keypad just outside the door and inserting her card key once everyone is inside. She’ll gestures to get in if anyone seems unsure, but doesn’t really speak or enter the car herself. ]

Going down.

[ And down the elevator goes, leaving the lights of the facility behind - from here everyone can even see some parts of the facility you don’t have access to, it’s bigger than you realized. But it’s a long and uncomfortable ride to the depths, at least a minute or two before the elevator stops.

When the doors open, enough lights flash on to show that you’ve reached the ocean floor, some distance below even the depths you knew before. Lights around the outside of the massive glass dome you've found yourselves in illuminate the barren depths of the sea, with little if any ocean life to currently disrupt it.

At the top of the dome, among the lights, is an outward-facing circle of five or six different screens, each showing the telltale spiral that indicates The Professor is as present as he ever is.

Below them, of course, are the podiums, a circle of simple metal stands with some kind of video screen embedded into each, though they’re turned off for now. Each of your names is carved into one of them, though the podium constructed for Aela seems to have been just set to display a blank red light.

The screens lower down until they’re too close to eye level for anyone’s comfort. ]

Welcome to the trial room. You have as long as you need to discover who among you killed The Huntress. Once you have, I will explain further action. Take your places.

[ The screens rise back up - welcome to your first trial. ]

Comments

[bathymetric]

Oh, I suppose I failed to mention, didn't I? Let me illuminate you.

If you discover the correct culprit, that person alone will be executed. This seems harsh, I know, but it's better than having a killer walking among your number, don't you think?

Besides, if you fail, well... the rest of you will no longer be needed. As the rules state, the facility will take care of the rest. If you catch my meaning.

[bogwife]

You're saying if we get it wrong, the rest of is die?!

[emberserker]

Apparently so. A demon like this wouldn't show all his cards until the moment it mattered anyway.

[blackmass]

Of course. Heaven forbid that things should ever be easy.

[oh, this is the best day ever.]

[nothingcanstop]

[ ...Oh.

Oh, that's. ]

You're a fucking madman.

[bathymetric]

I've never claimed otherwise.

[hardnosed]

The facility, the facility. You just can't bear to get your hands dirty, can you?

[bathymetric]

You have to admit, one versus twenty-four isn't favorable odds for me. But one of the perks of power is that you don't have to do all the killing personally anymore.

[archboxer]

The words of a coward who should not have any power.

[snackooed]

[ Oh, well that's just lovely-- ]

...Did Aela's killer know that?

[bathymetric]

They do now. All of you misreading Rule Seven is hardly a mistake on my part.

[ ... for the record, his tone is absolutely joking ]

[ladygeryon]

What the-what the hell? [Nira stands up straight, pointing her walking stick at the monitor in front of her.] You can't just-declare yourself an arbiter of justice like that! Did-did you tell the culprit this before this trial started? To make sure we'd have to-have to hunt them d-down? [Aria's eyes widen and she rushes back to Nira's side, right before she half-slumps over on her podium, panting hard, legs nearly giving out.]

[obstagoodboy]

Nira!

[He follows Aria to her side to help her up]

[baitless]

Nira, are you alright?!

[HANG ON, LET HIM SEE IF HE CAN LEND A HAND...]

[fivestagegod]

[fucking spectacular.

he'll be keeping an eye on that from over here, although- ]

I don't suppose you brought those meds you mentioned with you.

[onefuture]

[...Oh.

Lif goes tense at that, glaring in the direction of the professor's voice.]

...The culprit deserves everything they get, but why kill the innocent people who couldn't solve this? That makes no sense, even in the context of this 'experiment'!

[bathymetric]

You wouldn't know this, but lab rats generally are not granted second chances.

[pimpplan]

Oh, sure. Now you tell us! You got anything else you been meaning to divulge?

[ yikes x1000 ]

[bathymetric]

Keep your mind to the task in front of you, Casanova. You apparently didn't realize how much is riding on it.

[baitless]

What on earth is wrong with you?!

[archboxer]

The Goddess will guide us to the right decision, then.

[lovelikeyou]

[Rose gasps, hands going to her mouth.]

That's...so cruel.

[But she doesn't sound too surprised. Not so different from shattering a whole squad of Rubies for failing a mission or something, is it?]

[valentinus]

[ His eyes narrowed. ]

...Of course.

[mouflon]

[ Rin is grinding her teeth. ]

Great. Keeps us from letting the killer go so we can all leave, I guess.

[thieviusraccoonus]

So, either we win, or we die.

[Honestly not the most surprised face.]

That's despicable.