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

[rosewitch]

[No, she'd be much kinder if he were an animal. As it is, she simply can't see the point. She doesn't know him, he doesn't matter to her, his only value (such as it was) was being sentient. So? Better not to be, honestly.]

[And here comes the conflict, because despite everything that's happened, freedom of the mind doesn't come instantaneously. Anthy's instinct is to pull back, to smile apologetically and turn her eyes to the ground, to defer and to make herself small until her social transgression is forgotten. Until her role as acceptable burden or convenient punching bag is cemented once again.]

[At the same time, she's afraid of Connor. Not because he's threatened her, but because he's been kind to her--because he's shown interest--because of this empathy, which is spat across his entire periphery like a cobra's poison.]

[She wants him to fear her too. Or at the very least, she wants him to hate her.]

[Her gaze is cold and distant as she stares at him.]

He's not in there now. It's a body. That's all. Does it make you feel better to pretend this isn't for your benefit?

[sadgay]

[Perhaps out of some repulsion he feels underneath his skin, in his bones, inculcated into him by the ordinariness of his life, he takes a small step back from her. Fear does not yet form, nor does hatred, because inside of him rattle far too many emotions for any one of these to build from the gathering sediment and settle. Then the primary emotion that grips him at present is confusion.]

He was a person. He's still a person. How is it selfish for me to want to remember that?

[Because he is desperate to believe that despite hacking a man's cold body to pieces and pitching the remains in a dumpster, he is still a good person. A person caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like now - but this time, he can do the right thing.]

[rosewitch]

[Good, she thinks. She can see those seeds taking root. He's going to hate her eventually. She knows she can make this happen. And then--then he'll leave her alone. Then she won't have to be afraid of the other shoe dropping, not from him.]

[So she backs off. Just a little, but enough to make it difficult for him to follow her logic, hopefully, and to make it seem as though she's meeker than she is.]

I must be wrong, then, [she murmurs, averting her gaze down and to the side. Avoiding eye contact with the corpse, maybe.] I must have been thinking of someone else.

[sadgay]

[She is as utterly inscrutable as she hoped to be. He stares at her with incredulous eyes, but her words form a cloak that she is able to hide behind. Then, uncomfortable with the heavy silence around them, he shakes his head and looks away.]

Yeah...sure...

[He sees now that in the time they have been talking, others have come to the fallen man's side. Connor is relieved, that his concerns are shared and that he need not be the one to handle the body. He turns and is already walking away when he mutters his next words. (To her? To anyone?)]

Let's just get out of here.