Fourth Investigation

[bathymetric]

It's hard to tell that - of if - the motive has passed. The radios are the same, there are no missing powers, the day begins like any other. But there's something heavy hanging over you, the knowledge that, well... it's Friday. And unpleasant things happen in New Rapture on Fridays.

While we would love to say it's remotely quiet and peaceful, we can't. Helios Suites and the grounds around them are body-free, at least, but... there's a series of booming noises coming from somewhere else in New Rapture, echoing through the empty halls.

Looks like the game is afoot, citizens.

Comments

[pairtner]

[It takes around fifteen minutes after the announcement for Aiba to appear, flying in direction of the dark ride, the rotor on top of her head whirring. When she sees the body...]

......

[There are benefits to being a little eye, and one of them is that she's very hard to read. Makes it easier to hide her thoughts.

Anybody who comes to investigate this body gets Aiba's attention, she approaching. Oh, it's Zinda]

...I'll assist you.

[Her voice sounds...surprisingly strained, despite the somewhat monotone voice. What can she say, the sight of Dandy does hit her harder than she thought it would]

How awful...

[Let's begin by finding out the damage to the body with a good ol' scanning. So, what do we have in our hands here?]

cw gore

[bathymetric]

[ Go, little eyeball friend, go...

Well, first off, someone seems to have brute force cut their way into his chest and removed his heart! His ribs are broken as well, in the general area. ]

[pairtner]

[So, how clean is the ribcage breaking? Does it look like it was hit repeatedly? Are there any signs of like...sawing and stuff?

Uf, it's a good thing AI: the Somnium Files is HORRIBLE MURDERS CENTRAL because at least it means she can find this kind of stuff without reeling back]

[bathymetric]

[ "Hit repeatedly" seems about right! It's not clean collectively, but like... the individual wounds mostly are, you know? ]

Content Warning: Gore

[pairtner]

The chest has been carved in, and the heart removed. From the way the ribcage is splintered, one can tell it's not one single injury, but the ribs were hit repeatedly until they broke...

[Goodness gracious, who had it out for this man.

Aiba focuses, zooming in reeeeeal close, looking for certain signs...signs that might tell if this all was done post-mortem, or if he was still alive when it happened. There's plenty of blood either way, that's for certain, but she searches for anything that could hint if he was still alive when...all this happened]

cw: torture, gore

[bathymetric]

[ Unfortunately, all wounds appear to be pre-mortem. ]

Content Warnings: Torture, Gore

[pairtner]

All the wounds here in the chest were done pre-mortem. In other words, it's very likely this is the mortal wound.

[Geez, geeeeeez, geez. Seriously, who had it out for this man?

Still, that this was what killed him, it means he was restrained first. There might be...

Aiba searches for any secondary injuries, especially in the head. Anything that could indicate he was hit in the head, or knocked out, or any other way to subdue him before tying him up]

[bathymetric]

[ It looks like there isn't really anything on his head, but there are other injuries going on here!

In about the farthest place we can get from the head (since your mod and certain hand injuries do not mix), you'll find both of Dandy's Achilles tendons cut. ]

[pairtner]

[Oh, that sure will take a person down, be sure of that. Geez. Let's focus here and see what's there to find.

So, how is it looking? Clean cuts?]

cw: achilles tendon injuries

[bathymetric]

[ The cuts are pretty clean, yes. They've bled a lot, but not enough to indicate that the wound was made here. ]

Content Warning: Achilles Tendon Injuries, Torture Probably

[pairtner]

There are cuts to the tendons in the lower calves. They seem to have been made with a smooth blade. However, it seems these particular wounds were not made where he's lying at right now.

[Which was to be expected, she thinks. Dandy must have been attacked somewhere else...hm.

Alright, any other wounds?]

cw finger trauma!!

[bathymetric]

[ All the fingers in his right hand are broken. ]

Content Warning: DANDY GOT MESSED UP DON'T LOOK finger trauma pretty bad

[pairtner]

[Oh, geez, hmmmmm...

What kind of broken are we talking? Completely obliterated? Snapped? Like...curved unnaturally outwards or something?]

cw finger trauma cont

[bathymetric]

[ It's consistent with like. Blunt object trauma? Not crushed to powder or anything, but something with force crunched his fingies.

There's other wounds to look at too, but like. Those are notable because Man, Come On. ]

cw finger trauma continues THIS KEEPS GOING

[pairtner]

[So, something heavy hit it...hm...

Anything that could hint that, like...someone stepped on his hand? At all?]

cw finger mention but.

[bathymetric]

[ Nothing in particular, but it does look consistent with that! ]

Content Warning: Last mention of finger mistreatment

[pairtner]

The fingers of this hand were stepped on repeatedly until they broke. It's unlikely it happened post-mortem.

[And pretty hard to figure out without an in-depth autopsy, so she'll have to leave it at that.

Alright, what other wounds do we have?]

cw uhhhhh bad painful wounds, torture

[bathymetric]

[ There are also several wounds across his chest and limbs - no particular pattern, but none of them are deep enough to kill. Just to wound. ]

Content Warning: Torture

[pairtner]

[Augh, if only you had anesthesia at some point, but that's unlikely.

All of them made with the same object/weapon?]

Content Warning: Torture

[bathymetric]

[ Seems likely!

One last piece of body evidence - back on his right hand, actually - there's a deep gash across the palm. By all accounts, same source as the rest, but this one is particularly deep. ]

Content Warning: Torture aaaaaa

[pairtner]

[Hm...does it go all the way to the other side of the hand?]

[specialyellthing]

[jesus christ girl just prattle it off--]

You, uh, wantin me to take notes, or just talkin as you go--

[pairtner]

[Aiba's demeanor takes a serious dampen when Zinda says that]

...force of habit. I'm used to talking to Date about the things we saw while investigating, and since our minds are connected, it was...a lot of back and forth.

[It truly isn't the same without Date, she thinks]

I apologize. Please don't mind me too much.

[specialyellthing]

Ah. I got it. Don't mind me either. [She gives a weary almost-smile.]

Got a smart mouth on me, but now ain't the time. Thanks for the help.

[pairtner]

......

[Aiba mumbles something else, forlorn]

Date would solve these murders. Together we would have gotten us all out of here already. I hope wherever he is Date is...

[.......

Aiba looks up at Zinda]

You're welcome. If you need assistance, tell me right away.

[She really isn't one to take charge of investigations, haha. That's not her role]