SECOND TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Time's up, boys and girls. Please gather up your evidence and make your way to the vault door.

[ The process of heading to the elevator and crowding in remains the same as last week - Angel leads you all to the elevator car, then stays behind as you make your slow descent to the dome below. You might not even notice if you aren't paying attention, but... the cart is already less crowded than it was last week. You certainly won't be able to avoid noticing it if your numbers dwindle too much further than this.

When the doors open on the trial room, it's just as bleak a place as last week. ]

Take your places, won't you? And this time, you all know what's at stake. No more... funny business.

[The number of podiums displaying that red light is higher now - Damien, Lif, and Piers are all represented by blank spots now, no tasteful covers or anything normal to mark their passing, just a red glow and a gap in your number.

Cheery!

The screens raise up to the ceiling to give you all room to see, and the Professor's final words before the trial begins ring out: ]

Find the killer, leave alive. And killer? Try a little harder to stop them from doing that than the last one in your shoes. Call out for me if you require anything.

[ Welcome to your second trial. ]

Comments

[emberserker]

Wait, that doesn't gel, Alice. Not with what you said when we first met the Professor.

[precognit]

[Alice frowns, confused.] What do you mean?

[emberserker]

You asked about what they'd done to your body, and then what they could provide for your "previous diet," didn't you? I thought you were on one of those American fad diets where you consume nothing but Slim-Fast.

[precognit]

Right, but...I didn't request that from Angel. As far as I know, it came from the Professor.

[blackmass]

[RECORD SCRATCH]

'What they'd done to your body'? Is there something wrong, Alice?

[precognit]

I just...

[Alice sighs heavily. Are all the skeletons going to come out of the closet today?]

Normally, in my own world...I'm a precognitive. I can see the future. I'm sure you all noticed my title...'The Clairvoyant.'

The minute I woke up here, I knew something was wrong...something had been done to me, because I couldn't see anything. That's what I meant by that.

[emberserker]

Is a power like that really just a physical trait?

[precognit]

Well, there's also the fact that I'm significantly weaker than I'm used to.

[philoxenia]

She's... not the only one whose powers are gone, so...

[precognit]

[...well that's.]

Mira? Are you missing something?

[philoxenia]

.... I'm an empath. I can feel others' emotions. Or... I used to.

[precognit]

Oh. [It's a soft, sad...hopeful? sound.] Just like my Jasper...

[The one from home, not...the rock.]

[lovelikeyou]

There are Gems who can see the future, too. I'm sure they would have lost that power just as I've lost all of mine, if they were here.

[emberserker]

I know that. Do you think I've sensed a drop of magic since I got here? But physicality is a separate matter, generally.

[nothingcanstop]

...The protein shake. [ Della frowns a little, at that. ] You didn't get in touch with her after?

[precognit]

I did, yes, just to ask why I couldn't get any more.

[Alice looks...unsettled.]

She couldn't tell me why, just that she'd put in an urgent request.

[philoxenia]

... An urgent request?

[precognit]

So I'd have something to eat. My stomach is incredibly sensitive, so it's hard for me to ingest much else.

[drladysounds]

So he's in a way holding you hostage...

[...hm. Well this sure is starting to take a turn Shelley isn't sure she likes. She has to ask:]

Is that a life or death situation for you?

[precognit]

[Alice chews her lip.]

In a way. It could get dire, if I didn't eat for a long time.

[philoxenia]

[ hey so is there anything different about Alice's eyes, even from earlier in the week to today? ]

[fivestagegod]

That's an interesting new definition of "immortal", if you ask me.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and guess that if we were to ask you what specific kind of undying thing you are, you're not going to give us a straight answer, are you.

[emberserker]

He implied just the things from Angel. But what he actually said was "suspending your requested goods." Isn't that right?

[precognit]

I...I guess so. [Alice shrugs.] All I know is that he told me it would be provided. I didn't think that counted as a request.

[philoxenia]

... It's just the sort of thing to be unreasonably pedantic about. I'm sorry, Alice.