GRADUATION

[descentinto]

[ There’s a spark in the darkness outside the dome, somewhere. The pale rainbow of some kind of bio-luminescent jellyfish. Then another. Then two more. Then ten more.

Within moments, the seafloor around you is illuminated by jellyfish, shining brighter than nature should allow, and you find your surroundings changed. Statues, piles of gold, paintings, all of them lie scattered around for as far as the eye can see in any direction. Just a disgusting amount of wealth.

The frosted glass box in front of all of you just… vanishes. And standing at a podium that doesn’t at all match the previous silhouette, you finally get to see The Professor, in all his slightly ghoulish glory.

Honestly? This might be exactly the kind of man you pictured he would be. ]

Allow me to introduce myself properly, boys and girls. I am Professor Gunnar Maelstrom, one of the five sitting members of the Faculty here at VILE. I suppose, one way or another, this is where it ends.

[ You’re getting close, gumshoes! Don’t give up! ]

Comments

[fivestagegod]

I'm here for the first option as well, actually.

[...]

And I promise I will not try to drag the guy back with me anywhere, hilarious though I think that would be.

[bolderfell]

Actually kind of enjoy the thought of him going back to your world.

[ladygeryon]

Actually same. Especially if he starts at the bottom of the ladder.

[fivestagegod]

[...]

...Is this seriously what we're doing. I mean, I'm not saying no.

[ladygeryon]

Can't really believe I'm saying this either, but at least this way we'll have a better idea where he is.

[hardnosed]

Take a backup or something. I'm going to destroy him — but not where it won't last.

[nothingcanstop]

...If there's anyone I trust to keep this guy in check...

And by that I mean, trust to completely fuck him up if he tries to fuck with you.

[fivestagegod]

[he actually did mean it when he said he was less after maelstrom than the rest of you

but he meant it more along the lines of "not taking up personal umbrage with the guy"

...he doesn't have anything personal against any of his other test subjects, either

just saying]

[nothingcanstop]

[ ...look

stay alive and keep your family alive and that's

william birkin can have little a test subject

as a treat ]

[wheremst]

I mean... if you want him, we'll have to take a sec to track him down, but that can probably be arranged.

[fivestagegod]

[...]

You know what, sure. Kick him over to me once you've got that worked out.

[WHAT CARMEN DOESN'T KNOW WON'T HURT HER]

[wickedskills]

I'll hold you to that, Birkin. VILE is our business. And it's already going to be tricky enough getting the machine working that can take you home.

[fivestagegod]

Actually, I'm going to argue that first part with you. The organization may be your business, but I'm pretty sure this guy is ours. We were the ones tortured by him, not you, so you can actually step off until we figure out what we're doing with him.

[wickedskills]

Whoa, be my guest. I'm not trying to stop you from making a choice. But just remember that your options are kind of limited.

[fivestagegod]

...Look, it's been a really long two months.

[wickedskills]

You're telling me. Things have been rough for almost a year, but now it looks like we finally have a handle on VILE's activities.