WEEK 0 — MARCH 29, 30

[cartesio]

Week 0

You have been threatened by the Sergeant: if nobody dies before March 31st at noon, you, along with everyone else, will forfeit your lives. The Sergeant pushed everyone away from the Lodge, judging that had been enough interaction with his guests. So what now?

Will you submit to the Sergeant’s demands? Will you resist him and wait to see what happens? He wouldn’t be capable of killing you and everyone else, right?

Only time will tell.

The next day you'll find a newspaper at the motel lounge, telling you about today’s weather forecast with 100% accuracy. Looks like you can expect to find a newspaper every day to find out the weather and any other news about the town. It even includes something branded 'THE SHARK ALERT'. Who could that be directed to?

There's also a copy of yesterday's newspaper. There's nothing about the Sergeant or about your predicament, but there is something about your arrival to the town.

Cartesio is your world for the next four days, better make the most out of your time here.

OOC Note: The current IC:OOC ratio for the days is as follows: The 29th top-level covers Monday and Tuesday, while the 30th top-level is for Wednesday and Thursday.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[cartesio]

[It's dark beneath the asphalt. If it wasn't because of the sun high in the sky, you wouldn't have seen anything.

But it's there: wiring. There's wiring underneath the streets.

Nothing unusual, really. After all, where else would underground wiring be? And now it's all melted and ruined, a shapeless puddle that doesn't even spark anymore.

Did the underground wiring cause the fires? Was it a mere unfortunate coincidence? How can a person tamper with underground wiring? Why would any of this happen in the first place?

Who knows. What's for sure is that there are no clues as to how that was possible.

All you know for sure is that there was a fire, and that it may have been worsened intentionally]

[cartesio]

Wait a second, I'm not letting you do anything! Heard something about knocking me out!

[He raises his voice, and shows something in his hand. A paperweight.

A tired man with a paperweight versus several soldiers. Well at least he's giving this a try?]

[anonsoldier2]

[soldier number two steps in front of the other soldiers to try and employ diplomacy.]

Sir, excuse me! Didn't you get the message? I thought it was supposed to be common knowledge, but this building needs to be evacuated immediately.

[doublelammy]

I guess. I dunno - that kind of stuff doesn't mean a whole lot to me. That's always been Gramps' territory. I just smash things when people ask.

[cartesio]

It needs to--wait, what?

[Despite what he just said, he doesn't sound...unsurprised. Guess he has been hearing sirens in the distance, but he doesn't seem to know for sure what happened]

Evacuate for what?

[doublelammy]

Yup. But it's still fun. Some of 'em - you know how some people get real worked up over absolutely everything? So even if they do make it a little too easy sometimes, the reactions are totally worth it.

[anonsoldier2]

You've heard the sirens, haven't you? Apparently there's some sort of serial arsonist on the loose that's torching buildings left and right. We're here to clear the building to make sure they haven't run in here to strike again.

[anonsoldier1]

[Ugh this is so stupid and they want to SMASH but-]

Yeah. And when we heard someone creepin' around after us, we thought you might be the arsonist!

[If they play along and get this guy to go away will they be allowed to smash...]

[snailedit]

You know, I like how you think!

[That this was an automatic response certainly makes it seem like he has no fears about the situation. Which is the same for her, because what is fear anyway.

She gives herself a small sample for now and hands the scoop off to Axel.]

[cartesio]

[The man seems to be getting convinced, although not entirely. Only when a second similarly tired intern, looking almost identical, comes behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder he snaps out of his nervousness]

Just go, man. Get to safety.

[Somehow that's enough to get him to go. The new intern watches him leave for a second and turns to them]

You'll have to forgive him, he's not very bright. He'd have fallen for this lie no matter what. You're not with the police nor with the firemen, I can tell. [Must be the uniforms] Tell you what, I won't denounce you as long as you let me give you a tip for whatever you came to do. You gonna steal something? Fine. I don't care what you do, I don't care if you set fire to this place like you did to the streets outside, just let me smash something. I'll even tell you the security box is over there. You gonna need to get rid of it. [He points to the right of the room. Should be easy enough to get over there through the walls] Just obliterate this place to the ground.

[A bit more long-winded than he thought it'd be, but it's done. Giving them one last glare, he walks away, navigating the hallways with ease. He seems...discontent, for some reason.

But you're alone for now and that's what matters. Still, there are two places, and everyone being together may not work. How are you going to do this?]

[anonsoldier1]

[MUSIC TO THIS SOLDIER'S EAR, TO BE HONEST. THEY'VE ONLY BEEN WAITING ALL DAY.]

...Welp. I heard "get rid of" something. Anyone mind if I go get all smashy on that security box?

[anonsoldier2]

Well, I don't see why not. Given that there doesn't seem to be much workplace satisfaction here, we're obviously doing everyone a favor by leveling this place.

[anonsoldier1]

Don't mind if I do.

[And they waste no time hurtling toward the security box. Any cubicle walls in the way are going down.]

[cartesio]

[It's like you're tearing through wet paper. The cubicle walls come crashing down, one after another, each one also bringing another one down. What used to be hallways are now unsurmountable, and some of the walls push over piles of documents onto the floor, covering it in a very flammable layer of stuff.

The box itself you're looking for is rather obvious. Must be the big black box right there on the wall, with the pipe that goes into the door that's visible from there -- the only door other than the entrance. That can only be your main target!

Still, first things first: smash that box like your life depends on it! Destroy this place, its computers, its remaining walls, everything, until there's nothing left!]

[anonsoldier1]

[They have been waiting for this moment for their entire life, it feels, but finally, it has arrived - no more waiting, no more tired men with paperweights getting in the way.

We are going to assume, for the sake of this event, that at some point, they acquired a smashing stick.

For now, it is the smashing time.

Now, we smash.]

[anonsoldier6]

[ One particular member of the group, who has remained silent throughout, withdraws a can of gold spraypaint and breaks away from the others.

The quiet soldier finds a wall off to the side, and just goes to town, the absolute madman. ]

[snailedit]

Kid like you would feel pretty lucky getting an unlimited supply then. Well, whatever keeps your spirits up, I guess.

[They have to entertain the children somehow in murder town?!]

[clearities]

I know it's not. ... The end, I mean.

But what do you mean? [Does he already have ideas? She can't help but wonder.]

[clearities]

Yeah! He uses it to make his magic appear! He's really amazing!

[She sounds... really enthused about talking about this?]

[clearities]

Then... we should definitely do it.

[paciscere]

So which is it? I thought your point was making up one's mind.

[paciscere]

Ah, so you do the grunt work and someone else does the thinking.

[paciscere]

Hm, your expression says he's more than just amazing.

[anonsoldier4]

[ Two places, eh? Well this one will go over to where the others haven't gone yet on this floor -- aka wherever this second place is. And more importantly is there any paper lying around?

...for purely arsonist reasons, of course. ]

[odoruhinokaze]

And if you were paying attention, you'd remember it doesn't apply to anything except picking a favorite.

Now side-stepping your tendency to try to always look the smartguy...if you had to pick one dessert or food over everything else, and couldn't have it all, what would it be?