FIFTH TRIAL

[bathymetric]

Quite the spread of evidence, isn't it? You have all you need, make your way to the vault door at once.

[ Once you're all at the door, Angel lets you through and into the elevator as always. And speaking of that elevator... your space to roam inside has grown again as you head down. Four is a heavy number to lose in one week, isn't it, between Nova and the three bodies you've just found? Though the number of things to discuss might be weighing heavier on your mind, if you're one of the investigators. The elevator might seem bigger or smaller than usual, despite the increase in space.

The trial room is as it is most weeks, apart from the newly-red podiums, so at least that's not a surprise by now. The screens are lowered, the familiar spiral displayed as ever. ]

That's three down this week. Up to three parties can be found responsible, when all is said and done - so go forth and find whoever did this, won't you? And to whoever did this... as always, best of luck to you as well.

[ The screens raise.

Welcome to your fifth trial. ]

Comments

[emberserker]

Do you think I haven't? I would have done it the first day if I still felt the same as I did in my own world.

[fivestagegod]

But you don't.

[He laughs a little, softly.]

Feelings are a bitch, aren't they. Never doing what you want them to do. How badly has it been screwing with your head? Knowing you should do something but for some reason, just not wanting to?

[emberserker]

I don't know why things turned out this way. I don't know why that -- that push isn't there, that thing telling me that only one thing matters. Whether the Professor's right about it or not! But I couldn't just lose my resolve because he said so!

[fivestagegod]

It's because you're in a situation where something else has to matter more than that. At least, if you want to survive. Here, your life matters. Everyone else's life matters in that it keeps yours from being taken from you. You don't have to be last against the wall, remember?

You actually mattered here, and keeping your life meant that that one thing you were after couldn't matter right now. Your resolve didn't go anywhere, you just backburnered it. This whole thing is a shitshow designed to mess with our heads. It just hit you harder and faster than some of us.

[emberserker]

...And I suppose you think this means it's different?

[fivestagegod]

I think this means the Professor got to you, that's all. I've said from the beginning that I don't hate people for that. Hell, you're not the only one with some seriously messed up stuff to look forward to.

[emberserker]

Perhaps. But what happens here, what's supposed to happen at home... Isn't that a good reason to tear this place down?

[fivestagegod]

I never said it wasn't.