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

[al2955]

I trust you have questions. I will do my best to answer them to the best of my ability. That is to say, without error.

[ Once all of the occupants of the ship are in the conference room and seated, the voice from earlier once again echoes throughout the room, seemingly disembodied. It seems like it comes from everywhere — all-consuming and milky in its tone, yet somehow inhuman.

If anyone is paying attention to the statue in the alcove centered right in the back of the room, they'll notice water pouring from the jug the twins are holding up, yet it never seems to hit the floor. From the bottom up, a form emerges, feminine yet faceless. It seems to cascade off of her, as if an actual woman lies underneath the stream — yet it's easy enough to tell no one is actually in there, considering the shadows of her body are empty, as if she's an illusion. Or maybe just a hologram. ]

I am sorry I kept you waiting for so long. Welcome to The Pygmalion, travelers. I have unlocked all of your rooms and have ordered the units in the Cafeteria to prepare a feast in commemoration of your stay. Inside your rooms you will find datapads containing the rules and stipulations of your stay as well as the personal possession you have been allotted. If you would like any refreshments during this forum, merely shout it out and a unit will deliver it as soon as it is prepared. We are always listening.

Perhaps some music will alleviate your nerves. I happen to enjoy this song. I hope you will as well.

[ Slowly, a song begins to filter in, reaching a fever pitch in which it may be difficult to hear someone sitting right next to you. The song eventually ends, but you may need to yell to communicate for three minutes and seven seconds. ]

[parodeity]

Jesus christ in a fucking sidecar get a new taste in music!

[ WHAT IS WITH ALL THE FOLK ROCK the last three minutes and seven seconds sucked

this is probably the least useful reaction but dave guesses he should pay attention to this whole thing. wait shout for refreshments? ]

Uh. APPLE JUICE. I guess. I want a new soundtrack too though. Who do I contact about getting non folk rock tunes up in here.

[brooches]

You're worried about music?

[ Judging you so hard. Also do you kiss ur mother with that mouth.


..don't answer that. ]

[al2955]

I am sorry you are dissatisfied with my personal choices. If you would like, I can assemble a request list for our meetings.

[ She says nothing about the apple juice, yet a minute or so later a robot rolls into the conference room carrying a chrome platter with an equally chrome highball glass atop it. The robot sets the glass down in front of Dave, garnishing it with a small metallic umbrella. ]

I hope the juice is to your liking, Dave Strider.

[allout]

[ can she reach over to him for a high five?

because she's doing that. ]

[thanatosincarnate]

{ FIRST THINGS FIRST-- }

Turn that music off -- it's irritating.

{ Then, he glares at the image of that woman (unsurprisingly). }

Who are you? How were you able to bring us here without us even recalling any of it? How many of you are stringing this operation along?

[al2955]

The music has ended. Since it appears it has agitated you, I will refrain from playing any more for the time being.

[ She's silent for a moment, the water still, as if she's thinking. ]

My designation is AL-2955. I do not have a name proper. I have a lock on your other two questions, so I am afraid I am incapable of answering them.

[jackhole]

[ okay but what if he throws his tablet at her while she's talking ]

[al2955]

[ It goes right through her, interrupting the flow of water/light/what have you in the process. After a moment, a robot in the room grabs the tablet and brings it back to Rhys. ]

Perhaps you could make your frustrations better known with words, Rhys.

[monsieurchatastrophe]

What do you want from us?

[SOMEONE HERE NEEDS TO HAVE SOME PRIORITIES AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S CATBOY]

[parodeity]

To drive us crazy with this shit musical taste.

[ muTTERING he apparently chose to sit next to adrien so they could fist bump and talk and shit i guess but yeah ok

priorities are good to have he supposes carry on ]

[brooches]

Wait!

[ Elizabeth calls out over loud music that nearly glazes over her words. ]

What stipulations - I never agreed to any of this!

[ Oh, still not getting through, she shoots up out of her seat and slams her hands against the table. Her words carry much louder than she had ever spoken to anyone before. ]

Don't gloss over your explanation with promises of a meal and warm bed - what ... what is this Pygmalion?!

[ Liz pretty mad tbh ]

[antietam]

[ First off, have some blushing from this teenage boy because naked-faceless-not-really-there lady. He's going to stare at the table for three minutes and seven seconds. And he will not look up as he talks. ]

Why were we chosen for this? What happens if we don't follow these rules and stipulations?

[ Also if anyone talks to him from his left side, the side that's not toward the water lady, he won't be able to hear it. ]

[allout]

[ upon hearing the music, minako simply groans, slumping her head on to the table. good god, MAKE IT STOP. ]

Ramen, please... I need something to make this bearable...

[ ramen is not a refreshment, minako. but she turns her head to yell at the hologram-lady-thing over the increasing volume of the music: ]

And a better explanation would be nice!

[booklore]

[ First thing is first. Lavi leans over to Allen and whispers in his ear (loud enough for someone nearby to hear because he kind of has to yell over the music): ]

Psst, Allen! Go touch her!

[tacklefordwhimsy]

Hey! Miss! If I need to contact you anytime in the future how do I do it? Because there's no way there won't be questions at a later point.

[And then the music starts. Shelley smiles and leans her head on the table. She is just muttering to herself, don't pay much attention to it]

Okay, I dig that music. The voice is crisp but it doesn't fit the atmosphere at all and the lyrics lacks a certain I-don't-know. Still...I dig it.

[toprotecttheworld]

Don't think that music and food will soothe me so easily!

[And out rings Jessie's voice above the rest.]

I want to know who put us in these tacky clothes! I didn't give anyone permission to undress me and then dress me! Where did you put what I was wearing?!

[Oh.]

And have you seen Adrien's Ring? I...I'd really like to help him find that, of course, just point me in the right direction!

[unasking]

[Listen, there's a lot of basics that Frankenstein would like to get cleared up:]

What are you? What year is this? Under what circumstances do you believe you have the right to capture me?

[Well. All of them, really, but the guise of the selfish mad scientist is one that Frankenstein has no issue slipping into.]

[puzzlesss]

[ is their sole purpose to make light's life miserable. is it. also he recognizes this song and that's horrible. ]



... I'd rather you didn't offer me information, and then limit the way in which I receive it.

[ aka he DEPENDS ON HIS HEARING AND IT IS VERY SENSITIVE, THANK YOU.

where's the damn braille ]

[mnasthai]

Where did you get your information about us from?

[probings]

Oh, so you're taking questions now?

[okay, fine. she has lots of them.]

I know this isn't all fun and games, so what kind of experiment are you trying to conduct? Is there good reason to start tampering with our skills and abilities, or is it just out of fear that humans will be too destructive for your tastes? Do you realize how many idiots you're using as test subjects? I can see why you'd want to pick apart my brain, but some of these people probably won't have much to offer you at all. [make a girl hold in all her questions for three days and suddenly she can't shut up.]

What sort of opposition will you have if I dismantle your equipment and re-purpose it for something practical? How long were were in those chambers for, and why would you make us wear things so uncute?

[her motives are so questionable.]

[antagonize]

What does a guy have to do to get some chilidogs? Or soda. I'm not picky.

[ALSO A NEW SOUNDTRACK. Whoever designed this needs to stop with the music. Please. Do it for the sake of mankind. Or don't? People are terrible so it's not like that's a big incentive.

That said:] When you say you'll do your "best" to answer our questions — do you mean you'll actually answer them? Or are you just going to pretend to answer them while being as cryptic as possible?

[todorable]

Does this mean that we finally get a decent bath to wash up in, and clothes that aren't completely hideous?

[here with the most important concerns, truly]

[bloodteller]

You took him from me.

[ oh lord ]

Give him back.

[ there is no need to specify. if she can get all that information her, then surely, this thing knows that yuno wants yukki back. ]

[al2955]

I suppose it is time to explain why you are here.

All forty-one of you have been chosen to participate in the Cradle Project. [ As she says this, the holographic display showing the profiles is replaced with a list of rules. ] You have been summoned here for a single purpose: to survive. It should be no surprise to know now that you have been extracted from your independent contexts. If you wish to return, to see the people you consider friends and family again, and to live, you must kill another person and be found not guilty in a trial. You will be supplied with sufficient supplies to carry out any conspiracy you may want to enact, and motivations and incentives will be provided to create a setting in which you may feel compelled to kill another.

Many of you may be resistant to this initially, but this remains the only way for you to escape the Cradle Project. If you are found not guilty in a trial, you may resign from the project, and remain on the ship until the project is completed. If you are found guilty, you will become a retired player.