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

[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.