SIXTH INVESTIGATION

[bathymetric]

It's Friday again, never a sign of great things in this place. There's a foreboding sense of... something in the air, though you have no idea what it could realistically be. There's nothing immediately off as you leave your rooms, but... it's of note that you do still have your powers. So maybe nothing bad happened after all! Look how small your number is, have you finally gone a week without killing just through the elimination of sheer volume alone? It's easy to hope so! And easy to think so, given the whole of Area A is clear.

So why won't that sinking feeling go away?

SIXTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Alright, same as every week before this - gather at the Vault Door so my Assistant can let you in. And I can start hoping to salvage at least the aquarium.

[ The Assistant, nee Failsafe, stands in her armor at the ready when you arrive, not saying a word and simply unlocking the door and elevator for you to head on down to the trial room. Second verse, same as the first five verses, but a whole lot quieter and a whole lot meaner.

The elevator is a lot emptier now, isn't it? Your number has fallen yet again since the last time you were here. Feels like yesterday, or maybe forever ago? Time's feeling pretty weird right about now, but trial days are for getting locked into the moment. You're here, you're present.

You're running out of allies.

The screens are the same as ever, though, and lower as you enter. ]

I see you haven't decided to continue to increase the number of bodies this week. Perhaps something to be thankful for, in all of this. Hotshot is dead, and the responsibility of finding his killer falls to you. Hopefully this is all old hat to you by now, no?

[The screens rise.

Welcome to your sixth trial. ]