EVENT ★ LABYRINTH III: THE ESCAPE

[futurologists]

LABYRINTH III The correct passageway to the inner ring of the maze is hidden behind a thick wall of vines. After cutting through the plants, the structure of the maze is noticeably different: the overgrown plants continue creeping up the walls, but the walls are no longer brick and stone, composed instead of some sort of blue metal with holes and divots carved elaborately into the surface. From some holes gush forth pure, clean water; from others, acidic liquid. The air is cool and crisp, the plants creating a lush, dim environment lit by eerie blue lights spread throughout this section. The lizards, rats, and other monstrous creatures seem to be absent from this area of the maze, replaced instead by rhinoceros-sized beetles. The beetles each have a single horn protruding from the head, and their hard carapaces make them difficult to kill -- a better method might be to simply climb somewhere high and wait for the beetle to get bored. But unlike the other monsters encountered in the maze, the beetles seem to have something else on their mind beyond wanton violence: they can sometimes be found rolling massive balls of dung throughout the corridors of the labyrinth. (This might explain why the plants are so lush closer to the center.) There is little time to explore this section of the labyrinth before there's a flicker of light all around and more ALASTAIR recruits suddenly appear, most dressed in a freshly pressed uniform and carrying extra food and supplies. They have been told that the cloaking surrounding Asterion Labyrinth is so strong and complex that Oska was only able to send in a handful of recruits at once for a relief effort. In order to leave, they'll have to locate the escape mechanism that lies deep within the labyrinth; the remaining Asterion Prison correctional officers know its general location, but not precisely what it entails. All they know is that it will require technological cunning to operate and that it's heavily guarded. After five days, the portal room is found. THE PORTAL ROOM The center of the labyrinth is a large, circular room with a raised platform in the middle. On this platform rests a circle of computer consoles surrounding another platform, on which sits an empty circular frame 2.5m (8') in diameter. This is the dormant portal, and it is now Audentes's task to turn it on and find their way back to Oska. Because the portal is not made for interdimensional travel, it must be overclocked, which will cause it to burn out and explode once it is used. In order to override the safety protocols in place to prevent such dangerous tampering, the control panels must be unlocked -- and unfortunately, the locks are all complicated puzzles, ranging from the numerical to sliding pieces into place to complete a pattern. There are many of these puzzled scattered around the portal room, and once they are all unlocked, it's a simple matter of flipping the power override switches. Ignore the dangerous humming sound and the way the frame suddenly fills with violent purple energy. That's probably normal. The new recruits have the correct coordinates to locate Oska, which has temporarily lowered its cloaking shield to allow Audentes to return. So there is a bit of a time crunch. Adding more to the difficulty of the situation is the presence of a monster lumbering around the circular portal room. Six meters (20') high, the beast is best described as a minotaur, but perhaps not in the traditional sense: while it resembles a bipedal bull, it is an amalgamation of flesh and machine with its body covered in pistons and glowing lights. One of its hands is an enormous axe and it belches fire and acid. Despite its head resembling an herbivore, the piles of desiccated bones scattered throughout the portal room tell a different story. Upon seeing the group, the minotaur charges. Mavahari, the Zymandis recruit, rushes to meet it with her sword drawn. Inmates and correctional officers do their best to fight it as well, but something becomes quickly apparent: it cannot be harmed by projectile weapons. The machinery of the beast keeps it protected from most attacks, though electricity will stun it and acid will corrode its metal. But in order to injure the minotaur, it must be stabbed between the metal plates where its vulnerable flesh remains. During the battle, the minotaur fights viciously and without regard for its own safety. The first casualty comes early: the minotaur swings its axe toward Mavahari, who is pushed out of the way by George. The axe connects with him solidly, sending him flying into the wall with a shuddering impact. George lies there still, but there's no time to mourn. The beast continues its rampage. Once the minotaur is defeated, you'll have to quickly decide what to do with the correctional officers and inmates who have followed Audentes through the Asterion Labyrinth. The overclocked portal won't hold forever, and the longer Oska leaves its cloak down, the better chance they have of being found by their enemies. OOC NOTES This log will last for six IC days: five days for exploration and one day at the center of the maze. We have also recently altered the calendar this month, so make sure you review it! IMPORTANT: Participation in the solution poll is mandatory for August AC. Failure to participate will result in an automatic strike. The only exception is for those who are exempt from August AC. The poll will close on 11 August 23:59 UTC. If you have any questions about the labyrinth that aren't answered here, please direct them to the Leramzen dossier. Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

[dbag]

George. The guy with the tentacle things on his head.

[controlling]

[ how, he starts, and erases it. it's fucking obvious how, nor is it the priority. ]

What about the body? Is someone carrying it back?

[dbag]

I

[ Wow. He really doesn't know. God, he feels like an asshole. ]

I don't know. I guess I just assumed we were going to leave him here.

[controlling]

I'm not.

[ the response follows immediately. bruce didn't know george outside of passing acquaintance due to the mission. but that means nothing in this circumstance. his resting place shouldn't be in this damn hell hole. ]

Where is he? Are you nearby?

[dbag]

Yeah. He's in the portal room. The minotaur killed him.

I'm in there, too.

[controlling]

I'll be right there.

[ true to his word, bruce doesn't waste time. he is easy to spot: a large man moving with purpose, especially once he spots the body. he glances from rhys to george. for once there's no time to question about symbols. with a frown, bruce removes his makeshift pack and kneels by the alien. ]

Damn, [ he mutters under his breath. shaking his head, he turns toward rhys. ] You still have his magitek?

[dbag]

[ Rhys isn't quite so comfortable getting up close and personal with George's body; for starters, it's just gross, not to mention the emotional toll it takes on you when you look at a former ally's corpse. He's slouching, arms crossed, until Bruce inquires about the magitek. He uncrosses his arms and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a watch. ]

Yeah, this is it. Mavahari, um— she seemed pretty upset. She just kind of handed it to me when she left.

[controlling]

[ mavahari. the infamous zymandis agent. bruce tips his chin down, mouth working. ]

They'd been traveling together. Someone should see to her. [ zymandis or not.

it's not so easy to remain impersonal when death has a face, a name, memory.

from his pack, bruce removes the two blankets he kept. he doesn't ask for help. he'll take it if offered, but he doesn't ask for it. handling the dead is never easy. one of the blankets he stretches out beside the body. with the other, he covers george somberly. the purpose becomes quickly obvious: to wrap the body entirely, give it some modicum of respect in the transportation. ]

You have anything I can use for bindings?

[dbag]

Bindings?

[ He drops his backpack off his shoulder and kneels down to start rummaging through it. It's filled with mostly useless shit that all feels unimportant and stupid now. As he digs, he glances back up at Bruce, although his eyes still don't linger long on George's body. Even covered, it's just uncomfortable. He's seen lots of dead bodies before, but it's different when it's one of his own; while the body of an ally is unsettling, when it's a stranger or an enemy, it's just gross. ]

Um. [ He looks back down again, frazzled by the whole experience. ] Like what? I don't have a lot.

[controlling]

[ it doesn't take a detective to pick up on rhys' discomfort. only eyes, of which bruce has a particularly good pair. though he does not smile, something of the directness with which he approached and took charge of the situation gives way to a subtle understanding. ]

Anything that will work to tie the blankets together for when he's moved. If you don't, it's okay. [ kindly; without patronizing. ] I'll figure something out.

[ like the formal dress shirt bruce wore to the gala. something he kept in case the material proved useful at some point. bruce tears the sleeves off, then uses one of the shivs he and damian found to help him in tearing the rest to ribbons. through the preparation and when he secures the blankets, his mind clinically sorts through the actions. this isn't the first dead body he has seen; that dubious honor goes to the dead he found and removed from the downed ship. like then he works almost without thinking: a series of steps visualized and taken in order. need supersedes emotionality. ( experience makes for a well-tread map to follow. ) ]

[dbag]

[ It's impressive how calm Bruce is about all this; it's like he's unfazed, but not in the sociopathic way that's all too familiar to Rhys. No, he's just badass. Rhys feels like he should do something to make himself seem less like a useless coward, but he's not sure what. He stares down at his hands for a moment, thinking. Maybe he can just talk. Moral support has always been his forte. ]

Sooo, not your first corpse rodeo, eh? Oh, my god, why did I think that was a good thing to say.

[controlling]

[ oh my god. ]

No, [ he answers after a brief pause. the obvious nervousness prevents bruce's irritable snap. still. corpse rodeo. ]

I got as many injured as I could out of the ship when we crashed. Some of the injuries were fatal.

[ spoken with the solemnity the subject requires. yet something in the way it is spoken downplays his own actions. a man who did what he could. that's all. ]