THIRD TRIAL

[bathymetric]

[ Two bodies this week. As a result, it's a little longer before Mayor Fontaine's voice calls out over the loudspeakers. ]

All right, that'll do, all of you. Get to the bathyspheres. Trial time.

[ There's fewer bathyspheres this week, aren't there? It's starting to get really noticeable. One by one, alone or in pairs, you descend into the depths. The bottom of the seafloor, a place no human life was meant to travel to unassisted. It's dark, until it isn't, the same bio-luminescent slugs as before lighting up the area and revealing the great glass dome in which the trial takes place.

Within, three more podiums have gone dark. They remain empty as you all gather around into the circle.

The projector clicks on, and you see the silhouette of Mayor Fontaine above you. ]

We all know why we're here. Florida Man and Cryptobro got themselves got. Up to you to figure out who did it, or... well, you know by now.

[ Welcome to your third trial. ]

Comments

[fuckingguy]

Not everyone here sees the sacrifice of twenty as an unthinkable evil, Jonathan. Penelope certainly did not last week.

[hotpaprika]

... I suppose you're right

I... suppose I simply hoped that Penelope was a fluke among us.

[allatonce]

A lot of us are gay and would do crime, Jonathan.

[this is, despite all appearances, not a gagtag]

[hotpaprika]

[He looks

Somewhat offended.]

What sort of horrid person would be gay in such a dreadful situation?!

[Joy you might need to work on your terminology.]

[allatonce]

Gay as is queer. [A beat.] But also murder is pretty fun sometimes so, like. Maybe gay as in happy too. I'm not anyone's boss.

[hotpaprika]

... I suppose you must be somewhat queer to commit crimes.

[... I guess that's closer?]

[allatonce]

Congrats, you're part of the club.

[This is the only entertainment she's gotten so far this trial so.]

[hotpaprika]

[???]

What on Earth are you talking about? I am aware that I haven not been quite well lately, but I wouldn't call myself queer! A-and I am hardly a criminal!

[allatonce]

We went over this last week, Jonathan: Obi was your boyfriend, making you queer as hell. [A beat.] Also vandalism is a crime.

[giddyundertaker]

[ Agreed, but that's a sentence that makes the Undertaker crack up. ]

[fuckingguy]

Hope is not gonna get us out of here alive.

... Please do not do that sad kicked baby face you do. I am not chiding you, just saying.

[hotpaprika]

... Sad kicked baby face?

[He's kind of sporting it right now oops.]

[fuckingguy]

— You're doing it right now.

[specialyellthing]

She wasn't a fluke.

She was a scared, angry lil girl who thought she only had one way out.

[hotpaprika]

Sorry! I-I meant a fluke as in someone who would be willing to sacrifice the rest of us!

[Although he does eye Seo for a brief second.]

[sastruga]

I can think of a few people here who would do that and wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Openly so.

[visiblepattern]

...It's just going to get easier for people to do it, the longer this goes on.

Maybe you wouldn't sacrifice twenty people, but you would sacrifice fifteen. Or ten, or five.

To say nothing of there being fewer of us to solve every time.

This is going to get very bleak, very fast, if we don't find a way to stop it.

[fuckingguy]

Well said, Forrest. That is very depressing, but also very true.

[hotpaprika]

... Perhaps we should do something next week to curb anyone from being tempted by the motive.

[sastruga]

We could all just wear earplugs and blindfolds when Fontaine-san announces it~

[hotpaprika]

[He smirks at that mental image.]

I suppose it is better than nothing

[specialyellthing]

We've been tryin' that every week. It's why I told y'all not to go injectin yourself with anything, but can anyone listen to Zinda?

[apparently only a few people.]

[visiblepattern]

It's not as though we haven't tried.

[...]

No, I'm sorry. This is a discussion for another time. I'm not trying to be more upsetting than this already is. Sorry.

[hotpaprika]

It's alright, it's hard to keep up hope in such a dreadful situation.

... But as long as there is still a few of us left, there is still some hope left.

[bootyhunter]

[Once again sorry for this entirely unhelpful commentary, but Dandy feels pretty strongly about this-]

He's right.