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. ]

Comments

[bathymetric]

[ He can, in fact, get all the way up there! The screens all seem to run into the ceiling, but that's not the most remarkable thing he can see up here.

There's a steel hatch with no handles built into the roof of the dome. ]

[bolderfell]

[Door! Door door door. There's no handle on this side, but does a push do anything?]

[bathymetric]

[ Nope! But it is very cold. ]

[bolderfell]

[...Oh.

Okay. Well, maybe he'll start climbing back down, then. Would he be able to unplug one of those cords from their screens, just to see what the end looks like?]

[bathymetric]

[ Not a very fun discovery, but it is what's up here, unfortunately.

Sure! Each screen has one proprietary one that's what we oocly would call The Power Cord, and one that's just an HDMI cable. ]

[bolderfell]

[Just gonna leave those unplugged as he makes his way back down to the floor. The petty vandal returns.]

[bathymetric]

[ Valid as hell, Therion. ]