cradleproject | WEEK 11

WEEK 11

the pygmalion. . .

ONLINE

CAPTAIN'S LOG:
WEEK (11)

monday - thursday

(14) survivors

Sunday's trial was only mere hours ago, but you find yourself faced with a new week on The Pygmalion. When you awaken, you will find the ship restored to its previous state, all areas interfered with during the murder looking mostly the same as they did before. It seems you have more exploring to do. The robot in the cafeteria has prepared another breakfast of various foods.

(OOC: Please submit your murder proposals by 9 PM EST Tuesday.)
taken list
profiles
private conversations
setting
rulebook
murder proposals

ENTER COMMAND_

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[Adrien's here. But Alya's there. A few weeks ago, Marinette would have flared up with Shounen Heroism, but she's just tired now.]

We don't know how many aliens are still left. One, or two, or even more than they said.

[Hesitating when she speaks up. This needs to be discussed, but it doesn't feel as though Adrien or Marinette ought to participate in the decision making. Speaking of children... But after a moment of weighing, the thought wins out that the two of them have earned the right not to be condescended to.

Carefully making sure Dave is not within earshot before replying.]

We lost three to the first souvlaki, but it could easily have been more. Four to the latest, and that's not counting injuries. Another four were lost between trials, though fortunately it's been some time since. There are ways to minimize casualties going forward, I think, but even so. If there's two or more left, that isn't much leeway. If we kill this week, we'll have twelve survivors. The truth of it is, we cannot last much longer.

But the other truth of it is, the dead may not be completely lost to us. They're still aware enough to be trying to help us. They've helped us more than most of you know.

[okay so Clover has firmly established that Fuck This Guy but that last bit catches her attention and she actually leans in, voice quiet and cold.]

What do you mean they've helped us more than we know?

[if the fact that she's actually talking to him isn't enough indication, the look on her face screams that he should probably be careful how he answers this; most people she cares about are dead and this is highly relevant to her interests.]

[Reakly obviously unsettled by the fact that she's talking to him at all. That wasn't what he was planning to happen he thought they'd had an arrangement. But yes. Okay. He'll just be very matter of fact and impersonal in his response.]

After the Furry Passing update a few weeks prior, some characters representing those who died here have been sending brief messages to a few individuals. At first it seemed an obvious hoax, but there have been a few potentially corroborating details. I don't know how many of us have been receiving messages; we've been told to keep the information close. But that hardly matters now. Dave was one of the ones they were speaking to.

Wait, what? What kind of information?

[and wow leave Dave alone that's not his fault smh]

[Listen it is absolutely not Dave's fault but also it's a huge disaster. The whole reason they were hiding these things was to keep the aliens from finding out.]

What little they can piece together from where they are. They have access to information sometimes. Much of it we've eventually learned here ourselves, but belatedly.

I'm sorry, I wish I could say more, but I can't tell you more than what Dave already knew. Still, I trust them. I trust the information comes from a helpful place, and I trust that at least in some sense, we really are communicating with them.

That's... Insane.

[he'd gotten the corrupted letter from Frankenstein but hadn't believed it, and even though he was ready to accept the potential "revival" through the project, the actual speaking with the dead part is a bit... much.]

How can... where are they?

[His lip twists slightly in concern at the question, remembering something.]

Somewhere else. I thought on the ship somewhere, but it turns out they may literally be inside the Furry Passing game. At any rate, it's nowhere we can get to.

Inside the game? That's... [he looks at Luke for two seconds before shaking his head and turning back to Dorian] All of them?

[Giving Luke a suspicious look himself?? What have you guys been talking about.]

It's only speculation, but the theory, I believe, passes muster.

[~it is a mystery~ ghost emoji]

... Could we... bring them back out?

[he's not sure he wants to ask, because it feels like a crazy thing to want and ask, and because-- well. Clover's right there.]

Don't ask me. It may be possible. Whether we'll manage it is another matter entirely.

[Trying to be nonchalant about this although he clearly isn't.]

... I hope so.

[normally he'd be more optimistic but like give him a little bit]

[Okay look both of you are giving him looks for different reasons and it's weird. But Adrien gets a reassuring look and one that says he'll talk to him later about all of this if necessary, and Dorian gets one that's a lift of the eyebrows. Sorry bro, business as usual.]

[listen as much as she enjoys (or like, as close to enjoying as she can do anymore) watching Dorian squirm because of her, she doesn't like breaking the status quo either? and apparently this answer disappoints her because she just flops back into her seat, arms crossed, frowning.]

That's nothing new. [mutter mutter harrumphs, she was expecting new information!!! but she's back to the usual furiously ignoring him now, things are back to the way they should be.]

[Internally rolling his eyes!!! They can talk to the dead, no big deal. Why couldn't he share something cool! But know, he assumes from her words she's received a message, too.

So, he'll add one more thing. He doesn't want to mention what he learned about the motive last week; it's too likely to upset her and then where will he be? But he does think she deserves to hear what he knows, so he'll take the risk just a little.]

Last week, the AI offered us something entirely impossible, as she does each week. For the first time, however, it was an impossible offer she would have been forced to prove. Think of what it would have meant, if someone had succeeded, and she wasn't able to do what she'd offered.

[He doesn't trust the motives, but that one, at least - he doesn't think it would have been a motive if it wasn't possible for her to make good on her word. And Alice privately confirmed to him that someone who died on the ship would have been revived right away.]

You must, and will, make up your own mind, I imagine. Just a thought.

I know. I wasn't fast enough -- I'm sorry. [He obviously wasn't accusing her, but she flinches anyway because she's blaming herself like an idiot.] But-- in future trials, I think we should subdue the suspects around voting time. That way, if we get an alien.... maybe... we have to protect whoever's left.

[Marinette listens to the rest of this explanation, but it seems just so surreal.]

The Furry Passing thing... I thought it was a joke. But-- Alice already has the power to revive the dead, doesn't she? Or--- perhaps they're not really dead after all.

Neither was I. Hard to be faster than someone who can run down a hallway in under five seconds. But I had the same thought. I've even just the spell for it. We'll do better next time.

[Trying to give her a reassuring smile even though that's very upsetting. Don't blame yourself, Marinette.]

I thought it was a cruel hoax at first, too. And I can't say how it's possible, but the motive last week convinced me. I don't think Alice would have offered something to us if we could easily prove she wasn't capable of it. I even took the opportunity to ask her, privately, to assure me that if I went, my chosen target would be resurrected and brought to the ship immediately, to see how she'd respond. [Don't get him wrong, he was never planning on it.] She said yes. Therefore, I believe that she believes it possible.

I also gave Adelina a message to convey before she died. They knew not only what I had told her to say, but what it meant, even though my grammar in Old Tevene is atrocious.

We will. [But it sounds hollow even to her own ears]

[On the other hand, being dead inside means she can't even bring herself to be mad at Dorian, so while ordinarily she'd get suspicious and snap at him, she doesn't have much of a reaction to this]

Communicating through the dead.... So, if they have access to Furry Passing, they must exist somewhere, right?

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