WEEK 1 - Online

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ONLINE CAPTAIN'S LOG: WEEK (1)

monday (41) survivors It had been three days since you had awoken. The ship was still quiet, except for the low hums of enigmatic machines with no apparent purpose. You awake, like usual, to dim lighting and poor rations. Perhaps being on the ship had grown monotonous — it was, perhaps, amazing how little anything seemed to happen in space, a final frontier of malaise. That monotony is crushed by a voice echoing through the narrow hallways. Reformatting . . . Reformatting . . . Reformatting complete. The Pygmalion is online. Welcome, travelers. Please assemble in the meeting room. Your presence is mandatory. Silence falls once again. A minute or so passes, and the lights around the ship finally brighten, the walls looking more alive and more unfamiliar — as if you must relearn the ship's interior once again. The robots on deck begin to make rounds, nudging and pushing at the ship's passengers to make their way to the meeting room. You hear the doors behind you lock. It seems there is only one path to take. ENTER COMMAND_

Comments

[breakshot]

[ here it is here it comes it’s time to be free and do what he does best it's time to holler. machias STANDS UP AND BANGS BOTH HANDS ON THE TABLE ]

Is this some kind of sick joke?!

[ he didn't even wait for her to finish SORRY for your eardrums, everyone ]

[al2955]

No, it is not.

[ Machias's exclamation is met with her typical steady voice. ]

[breakshot]

You--! This is absolutely sickening! You're insane - you and whoever else is involved in this!

[ he's absolutely livid and don't give him that steady voice or he just might holler louder. someone really should make him sit down. ]

Just what gives you the right to force us into this?! What makes you think any of us would really participate in this sick game of yours?!

[thanatosincarnate]

{ And a bit later, probably after Machias got his (un)helpful answer-- }

That machine could care less about how we feel about this. Including whatever programmed it.

{ ... }

You might as well sit down too. Don't give "them" too much satisfaction -- and we might learn more.

{ Which he highly doubts, but, he figured he'd throw in his two cents. }

[breakshot]

[ okay fine but he still hasn't calmed down nor has he sat down. he shoots arumat the most downright furious look, and his fist is shaking. his fist is shaking and a fight very well may break out if arumat or anyone else doesn't step in. ]

Don't tell me what to do. If it thinks it's going to get some sick satisfaction out of watching us kill one another like this, then...!

[ as you can see he's obviously thinking straight ]

[thanatosincarnate]

Then what? You're going to try take it on yourself -- that watery hologram?

{ He looks Machias straight in the eyes. He can understand -- he was angry enough to try doing the same just a few moments ago. Maybe that's why he approached him. }

If you want to fight against them, that machine and its creator and their other allies, then fight, lad. But, let it be not in the way they'll ever expect!

Stand against their lies, their falsified incentives that they'll bring to lead us astray -- and their attempts to have us kill each other until a few remain. Search for the hidden truth they've kept locked away from our eyes and use whatever knowledge that can be learned as the key to bringing their downfall.

Revel in the satisfaction as we corner the enemy, reading every move they've taken, and strike them down when they'll within our reach. Let that guide your actions.

That will be what it means to survive and return home.

1/2

[breakshot]

How else do you expect us to take this!? Do you honestly expect me – for any of us to just take that thing’s words sitting down?! That we’re supposed to just deal with it? You can’t possibly— There’s no way any of you possibly—

[ It doesn’t seem like it works at first but then Arumat keeps going and then he goes silent. Did it work? ]

2/3 i lied

[breakshot]

It can't… [ It's gradual, but his tone is slowly getting back to normal. ] I won't… I…

[ Wow. Good job, Arumat, he's stopped shouting. He falls quiet at Arumat's words, his fist slowly stopping its shaking and his eyes closing shut as he inhales sharply. An attempt to pull himself together. ]

[breakshot]

… You're right. That's what it wants from us - to lose our heads like this.

[ Wow, look at that. You defused him. He finally turns away, and he's quiet for a good minute until finally... ]

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.

[thanatosincarnate]

Hmph. As long as you've settled down it will do.

{ Which mean he'll accept that apology. }