THE FINALE - 【 ZERO 】 ESCAPE

[vivariummods]

It's been ten days since the so-called "anniversary" on Day 90. Every single trace of a makeshift casino has been cleared out, leaving this suspiciously identical second warehouse empty (and the doors within that lobby locked), and Calhoun has mysteriously stopped dropping by as often as he should have. In the rare times he did drop by, he hemmed and hawed about what was happening and outright avoided answering any questions, shrieking that he's a busy mouse and he shouldn't be harassed by test subjects. Thus, for nine whole days, not a single particular event has occurred. No Calhoun Hours, Ambidex Games, or even a little announcement. It's not until the morning of the tenth day that something finally transpired. A loud siren goes off and the sound of a heavy door being slid open echoes from the second warehouse's lobby. Within seconds, however, both nuances cease and silence returns...

Comments

[1st_response_is_anger]

She had a key and she was using it to escape a deathtrap that the rest of us were drowning in. If we got rescued though...she's probably still here too. *Maria cracked her knuckles.* If she is, she better be hiding because there's a few of us that'd like to make sure she understands what she put us through.

[1st_response_is_anger]

We're going to need to study these new guys to make sure they're not all backstabbers. Then we can get everyone together and figure out a plan.

[toybombs]

But that one takes so much longer to explain! If she didn't worry so much about her balance, she'd have her chin in her hands. As it is, one continues to brace against the trunk to keep herself steady.

"How much have the others explained so far?" Because really, it's just tedious to go through the whole thing.

[detectiveofthewest]

Hmm. Well, there were several other people here, and he didn't yet know what Rio looked like. Either way, if she was here he doubted she'd be able to go incognito for long.

"This warehouse ain't that big, so if she is here, you'll know pretty soon." Maybe it'd be a good idea to be on the lookout for her. There were a few weapons around here, after all.

"I know ya probably got other stuff on your mind right now, but when you got a minute, we should put our heads together and exchange info. Since we've been in different areas of the warehouse, maybe we could find out somethin' that could give us an advantage."

[detectiveofthewest]

Heiji went ahead and touched again on the salient points that the others had mentioned. The other robot had offered them a chance at escape, they'd ambushed/distracted Calhoun, they uploaded the virus, the power went out, death trap, etc.

[not_that_sasuke]

Apparently. Or maybe... this group has one.

[He's still not sure how this is going to go, to be honest.]

[toybombs]

Ugh, this is going to take forever.

"They can't even explain things properly..."

Well, she needs to start somewhere. She raises her hand, finger out like she's a teacher giving a lecture.

"First of all, the robot only ever said he would 'save' us. We all assumed that meant he would help us escape, but as it turned out, he meant he would save us - through our deaths. He didn't have very high opinions of any of us." Small wonder, with Rio among them, but it may be worth noting.

"The room we went into in order to cut the electricity had two attached rooms that could only be accessed by the vents. That left myself and Ellie as the only two who could reach them. Since the switches to disable the power were in those rooms, and both had to be deactivated at the same time, there was no option but for both of us to go into the rooms. But when we deactivated the power... That's when Zero found his opportunity."

"He sealed the rooms off and set off alarms in the main room. Even though I'd acted innocent up until then, he immediately cut to the chase and offered me the deal. He must know more about me than I do, right now..."

It certainly was an opportunistic move, catching her alone like that. Of all the people in the group, she was the one in the best position to help him, and with the exact mentality to actually try. After all, why on earth would she follow an escape plan that their captor already clearly had caught wind of?

"He gave me the ability to unlock any door, but only for myself. In return, I had to betray the others and ensure the robot followed us into the room with the tanks. I didn't expect the robot to leave us there, but I'm sure whoever was controlling it thought their little plan was going off without a hitch. I was able to follow it out the door, but..."

She pauses, and then shrugs.

"The next thing I knew, I was here with the rest of them. Zero's plan must have been to prevent the robot from escaping. Whatever it was, it severely damaged his AI - even though it wasn't on our side, I doubt it was on his, either."

Will that suffice?

[detectiveofthewest]

Well, it was a more coherent narrative than the others'. "What exactly was the robot's plan? If it just wanted some stooges to take down Calhoun, it could've ditched you after you'd gotten that far. So what was it after? Something in the maze that it couldn't get unless the security was down? Or just a way to try and get outta the warehouse?" That hadn't particularly come through in the story. Besides, what would a robot care if it was inside or outside robotism alert

"Also, why did you have to lure the robot into the tank room in particular? Was it just an area where Zero had more influence over the robot? Or did he just have a trap set up to catch it?" Certainly during the blackout, Zero's control had been spotty. Perhaps examining Zero's limitations during the blackout would shed some light on how the warehouse itself worked -- and therefore the nature of Zero's control over their surroundings.

If nothing, they at least ended up with evidence in favor of a third party. One that was apparently hostile to Zero and ambivalent at best to the test subjects.

"Also, have you tried testing if your ability still works?"

[babel_hacker]

Yeah. Take their words with a grain of salt, until we can be sure we can trust them. After we talk with them, we can share our findings later.

[babel_hacker]

A bracelet? [Atsuro's eyes glance over towards Snake's wrist, if he can see it. Is that a bracelet as well? And on his... right wrist? He glanced down at his bracelet on his left wrist. It seems to be a pretty minor difference.] Yeah, I do. All of us here do.

[It's safe to say it. Anyone with eyes can see it on them.]

[babel_hacker]

[That's not surprising at all. So his next question is reasonable.]

What are you going to do next? Beside dealing with everyone who wants to talk with you.

[Or tie her up, but that's kind of unspoken.]

[toybombs]

"The robot wouldn't leave its safe room until after we had disabled the power. And even when we came to the room with the tanks, it was reluctant to enter." But she'd kicked up enough of a fuss to spark the others' paranoia and get the robot to come in too, at least.

"Zero's plan must have been to control its escape route. I went down the same route, but he must have captured me not long after I stepped through that door. If he was able to do that, he must have dealt with the robot by then, too."

In the end, no one won.

"As for my ability... If you could ensure my safety and escort me to a door, I would be happy to try." Honestly though, she doubts it. There's a reason she prioritized getting herself all the way up here instead of immediately trying the doors.

[toybombs]

I don't exactly have many options, do I? I can't trust Zero anymore, and if I want to get out of here alive, my best bet is to cooperate with the rest of you.

[She still wants to survive, after all. But more than that...]

...I don't plan to let him get away with this. I'll make him regret betraying me, no matter what it takes.

[detectiveofthewest]

"Its 'safe room'? You mean a room where Zero couldn't get at it, somehow?" That was news to Heiji; there were bits of the warehouse that Zero couldn't see, but so far no evidence suggested that there was an area of the warehouse he couldn't work his will on as long as the system was working.

"You're sure that the robot was trying to escape the warehouse and not just get to a different location inside?" But why? Robot rebellion? Did it have something that it needed to physically get out -- data, maybe?

"No one can ensure your safety in here, but I can take ya to a door. I wouldn't recommend stayin' up there, anyhow. Someone really wants to get at you, one scraggly tree ain't going to stop them."

[toybombs]

"That's what it seems to have been. He drew us to it while Calhoun was occupied using the screen in this room, sending us a message to leave without calling attention to ourselves." If it were sided with Zero, it wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble to trick them. Why add on a whole extra layer of complexity?

"If it wanted to get to a different area, going into that room with the tank must have altered the route it needed to take. But it was willing to go inside once we called it out on sending only us inside, so either way, it must have been confident it could go where it needed to through that room."Who knew where it was truly headed, though.

She seems to consider the last part for a moment before slowly sliding off from her perch and onto the next branch down, making her way with less ease than Sasuke but more than one might expect from such a small girl. She lands on the grass with a small thud, keeping her balance well enough.

"Remember, it will only work if I'm there, so you need to at least get me to the door in one piece."

[detectiveofthewest]

Hmm. So in the end, they didn't have many more answers than what they started with. "Whoever it was behind that robot, then, sounds like they ain't get what they want. Which means they might try again. But why claim killing you was savin' you? Because of the virus...?"

That was the only thing he could think of at the moment. People usually didn't have a hateboner for kidnapping victims.

"I don't know what the people in your group're like, but I don't think anyone in mine's gonna have a problem with trying to see if you can still open doors." He began walking to the entrance of the greenhouse.

[blind_badass]

All right, how much BP do you have on it? *A perfectly logical question. His bracelet is blank but not broken. On further inspection, it does have an extra button on the side.*

[blind_badass]

What do these new people look like to you? They sound overall younger.

【 TWO 】

[vivariummods]

[ Within 30 minutes of the meeting between the first and second group, the screen in the Greenhouse (up against the wall beside the entrance) flickers on. It gives off a bright green tint and remains on for a few minutes before the blinking cursor begins to move and type. ]

IF YOU WISH TO LEARN THE TRUTH OF THIS PLACE...

COME TO THE MAIN WAREHOUSE LOBBY AND TAKE THE HIDDEN ELEVATOR DOWN.

HOWEVER, IF YOU WISH TO STAY IN BLISSFUL IGNORANCE...

THEN STAY AND WAIT.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU MAY CHOOSE, THE NEXT STAGE WILL CONTINUE.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU.

[ And with that, the screen turns itself off... ]

【 THREE 】

[vivariummods]

[ True to the message, those who venture back into the original group's warehouse will find a new entrance: the hallway to Zero's elevator. One might remember this area opening up during the blackout, when Zero made a personal request to barricade it, but now, in plain sight and in broad day, the hallway and the elevator is shockingly open. This elevator is strangely large, easily fitting in the entire first and second group, if needed. Furthermore, there is not a single button on the panel. In fact, there's not even a panel at all, or even an indicator of what floor one might be on. Asides from the iconic metal doors, one could never assume this to be an elevator... Regardless, once everyone steps inside, the doors close and begins to take them to some unknown floor below... ]

[ The trip itself seems unbearable slow, especially without any way of seeing where one is heading, but after what seems to be only a minute or two, the elevator comes to a complete and sudden halt. It rattles back and forth, then stops and the doors suddenly open. As they do, thick smog rushes to fill in the elevator. While this air is surprisingly breathable, it's difficult to see through it and it smells of sulphuric acid. Furthermore, it's filled with dirt and dust, easily making one cough. ]

[ Should one look outside the elevator doors, they will see themselves in a large, yet strange, room. With the dim lights and the thickness of this air though, one might not be able to see very far, or even get very far, as if they were to look down, they will see a large pool of something... ]

[ The elevator doesn't seem to be moving anymore, however, and in fact, the lights within the elevator has turned off. It appears that it no longer has any intention of going anywhere, at least unless something happens... ]

[detectiveofthewest]

(Heiji read off the message for Snake first, ever conscientious. )

"Well? What're we waitin' for, let's get a move on!"

[babel_hacker]

... BP? [Atsuro sounds confused. He looks at his bracelet, touching it with his other hand. Is there a function in this? He looks back up at Snake.] What do you mean, BP?

[babel_hacker]

"Right. But keep your guard up, guys. Who knows what we might find?"

Atsuro was definitely going. If he stay here and stay ignorant, he knew he won't ever be happy even if it's 'safe' to do. He want answers, he's going to try and get it.

[toybombs]

[...Great. More swimming in... something. Rio will stick near Heiji, hoping he'll be nice enough to at least intervene if someone decides to try to get... violent with her.]

Does he really expect us to swim through that?

[Ewwww...]

[toybombs]

Rio stands near Heiji, because he seems like a cool guy who doesn't want to punch her like... a good number of other people here.

"He can't really believe any of us would rather stay here."

So, naturally she'll be going along too.