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

[gutpunching]

[Being experienced in the intricacies of being absolutely full of shit, Jason takes that obvious bullcrap and rolls with it. Easily—]

You ought to be, you already missed out on the other eight circles of hell.

[So, y'know, lucky you. But since he hasn't had a chance to chat up the newbies, yet—]

Did they tap you for the heroics because of your sunny disposition, or just just dump you in and hope for the best?

[Three guesses who "they" are and the first two don't count.]

[sadgay]

Yeah, now all we have to do is climb down Satan's legs and we're out of here.

[He has read a book or two.]

And I'm definitely thinking the second one. Heroics haven't really been my thing since I was seven and jumping around with a blanket tied around my neck.

[He then tilts his head back to point with his chin up the face of the metal wall.]

How exactly were you planning on getting up there anyway?

[gutpunching]

[Unlikely-looking lit nerds: the cr, ig.

The cape-and-cowl joke puts a strange bitter twist to in Jason's wry expression. Though he scoffs with a little more venom than particularly warrented (from an outside perspective, anyway,) he doesn't see fit to comment further. Instead, he skips to Connor's more-immediate question, spreading his hands in front of him demonstratively.]

Well, I don't see an elevator. How d'you think?

[There are all sorts of crags and carved ridges in the walls. By Bat-Standards, it's basically a walk in the park. But he's not above being obnoxious about it.]

[sadgay]

[His frown twists a few degrees more severe, because he isn't sure how he could have possibly offended this guy, and his eyebrow arches upward for the ludicrous implication in Jason's words and gestures.]

What, are you gonna Spider-man your way up?

[Joke's on you, sad little gay man; there are no fewer than two Spider-mans (Spider-men?) on this team.]

[gutpunching]

[Google tells me the correct term for this is a "cluster" of Spider-men. The more you know. Breezily—]

Spider-Woman, wasn't it? [Gwen may have been more public about her persona than the Peters, in his experience. So she gets top billing. Anyway, he makes a point of looking himself up and down.]

Must have left my other four legs at home. Don't worry, I think I can manage without.

[Superpowers aren't everything, y'know.]

[sadgay]

[He rolls his eyes for the show of bravado, stepping back and gesturing sharply to the wall that looms before them.]

Be my guest. [Then he holds his hands up in a gesture of refusal, as if preemptively washing his hands clean of Jason's imminent fuck-up.] But I make no promise to try to catch you if you fall, got it?

[Please don't fall, weird edgy kid. He is not a fan of dead bodies.]

[gutpunching]

[Hey, hey. He was a dead body once. Don't be insensitive.]

Well, that's not very chivalrous of you.

[What kind of rescue party is this? The complaint seems pretty insincere, since he pulls his feet back underneath him to stand. Inmate, rescue thyself.]

Stick around, maybe I'll bring you back something nice.

[With that, he'll commit to hopping off his perch to the nearest carved outcropping. And then, up the geometrically scored sides of the labyrinth. Not with any Spider-person wall-crawling, but with the apparent ease of someone who makes a habit of freeclimbing—or, y'know, stupid vigilante parkour. It's high enough to look daunting, but not so high that he'll be at it more than a few minutes to scale. No grappling guns needed, probably. Hang tight, if you're curious. This won't take long.]

[sadgay]

Oh no, now I'll never be welcomed back into King Arthur's court.

[The interjection is dry, his distress affected. Two can play at this game.

As soon as Jason begins to forge his way up the wall, however, Connor's expression shifts from deep-set skepticism to open disbelief. The kid moves like a monkey, flinging himself to the next point as soon as his hands or feet find purchase. Although he never falters once, and although he had denied responsibility for catching him, Connor finds himself hovering uncertainly below.]