CHAPTER THREE ♔ in an isolated system the entropy can only increase

[goodbyecaroline]

♬ the device has been modified - victims of science

WHO || Gold, Faye, Emma, Mars, Astrid, GLaDOS
WHAT ||  The Knights become unwitting test subjects for a psychotic AI  
WHERE || Luckman Industries computer-aided enrichment center, Germany
WHEN || May 31st/June 1st [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

Why Wynn ever thinks there will be such a thing as a 'simple recon mission' we just don't know.  

Several Knights were dispatched to a small isolated town in Germany where magic was rumored to not function, only to discover that the situation was a bit more complicated.  Yes, magic didn't function when attempted - sometimes.  But other times it had bizarre and dangerous side effects, including driving townspeople insane.  

Research led the team to a company called Luckman Industries who had bought digging rights to make a large quarry beneath the town, but further investigation revealed that they had actually constructed a massive underground laboratory instead.  Some sort of strange device stood at the center of it, magical in nature, but when they attempted to leave, they found the doors locked, and were forced into trying magic despite the potential side effects.

The spell seems to have attracted the attention of something within the building itself - a disembodied voice that's offered them a (mostly) pleasant greeting - to the Luckman Industries computer-aided enrichment center.

There will be cake.

Comments

[uncurse]

ASTRID!

[ emma throws out a hand and casts close on the wall. one day, when they're out of this, she will sit mars down for a talk about not asking permission when they're in mortal peril. now just isn't the time. ]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ emma feels the magic manifest in her hand... and then fizzle out instantly as more sparks erupt from the machine. ]

Do you see that large device on the other side of the room? Yes. That one.

That is a Luckman Industries Eldritch Suppression unit. Or L.I.E.S. for short. Don't worry. The name is merely an unlikely coincidence.

In the process of creating a machine meant to nullify magic, we've discovered a great many kinks to work out. As of now, the machine boasts a fifty percent rate of success in canceling spells cast in its vicinity. However, instead of directly nullifying these spells, it will often cause magic to instead behave unpredictably. You are helping us to gather valuable test data by repeatedly utilizing different types of magic in a controlled environment.

In other words, sometimes your spells will succeed. Sometimes they will have unforeseen consequences. The only way to successfully use your magic is to continue casting it in spite of these. Good luck. And happy testing.

[ and in fact, the unforeseen consequences of this spell make themselves known to emma pretty quickly, because she's suddenly able to read the surface thoughts of everyone in the room for the next twelve seconds. no save. ]

[pathology]

[astrid's thoughts are all in german but "idiot" sounds about the same as it does in english so she can imagine these are not flattering thoughts. about her teammates. she's ... also simultaneously imagining her funeral with attica and adam weeping profusely over her dead body (which is looks like she's peacefully sleeping and not a roasted marshmallow) and arguing over who loved her more. y e p.] TRY HARDER!

[uncurse]

[ she lets out a sudden grunt and staggers backward, hand slapping to her forehead.

the images and sounds from astrid's mind are suddenly clouding her own—it really doesn't help that she doesn't speak german—and making it impossible to focus.

and everyone else's, ofc. give me your thoughts. ]

[reallywicked]

Unlikely coincidence, my ass. [Faye's thoughts are mostly just fuckfuckfuckfuck. As well as a very clear order of priority for those in the room: Gold, Emma, Astrid, Mars. Although Astrid has kind of fucked that up by being firsties for experimentation time.

Faye also has the open/close spell, so she is going to give this a go. Because she doesn't know that's what Emma tried and she isn't going to worry about consequences... yet.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ faye's spell... is successful! the space-age light material that makes up the door slams shut as astrid keeps being pulled along the track towards it. she's still... shackled to it, so she slams into the wall, but that's better than slamming into a furnace.

of course it... keeps slamming her into the wall. ow. ow. ow.

the robotic voice echoes around them once more. ]

Not bad. As promised, your participation has helped ensure that your friend not meet an untimely fate being boiled alive inside a giant furnace.

Are we all familiar with the test parameters now? [ without waiting for a response: ] Good.

Our preliminary test results have informed us that you are all mostly human. This is rather unfortunate, given the notoriously fragile nature of human biology. I'm going to have to work extra hard not to accidentally kill you during the testing process. [ she manages to sound slightly exasperated ] You're not making this easy for me.

[pathology]

[OW. OW. OW.] FUUCCCCKKKKK YOOOOOOUUUUU!!!

[charismapotion]

[ Mars' thoughts were just that he's fucked it all up. Cause he should have just gone for it. He stayed quiet unsure of all of this. At least Astrid was down..]

[reallywicked]

Yes! [Okay. Not exactly a time to celebrate while Astrid is being bodyslammed against the wall.]

Uh-- anyone think they can pry these open? Unless you're holding back on some sort of un-shackle spell that I really don't need to know what you use it for otherwise.

[pathology]

Maybe — OW — I can — [escape artist ... 6. no, you can't, astrid. u can't do shit. besides make sweet sweet love to this wall.]

[uncurse]

[ emma's concentration check was 7 to shut out all the thoughts so don't look at her to pick that lock. her head is spinning and she's stumbling like a drunk bitch on the strip in vegas. ]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ a very helpful observation: ] This was supposed to be the easy part.

[undealt]

[CHILDREN.]

That spell will work on her shackles as well. [(wis 23) Unfortunately, he doesn't have that spell, so FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. Or I guess he could try something and see if it works.] Someone see if they can hold her still.

[uncurse]

[ still concentration 9 over here. she’ll be with you in another tag when the thoughts-reading wears off. she can at least read gold’s thoughts to know he doesn’t have the spell for himself. ]

[reallywicked]

What? Oh... [Whoops... Will it work on both at once or just one foot at a time??? GUESS WE WILL FIND OUT. Casting again~]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ and it works! on one of them, at least. 8| astrid has one foot free, which might... help her in not getting bashed repeatedly into the wall so much. ]

[pathology]

Ugh, I'm gonna have to cut off my foot like that coyote guy!!

[AND THEN SHE NAT 20's ANOTHER ESCAPE ARTIST CHECK?????]

[uncurse]

[ meanwhile, it seems emma has recovered! she straightens, and looks at gold, then faye, then astrid. ]

None of you guys heard that, did you?

[undealt]

[OH GOOD SHE'S FREE. Because Gold was going to try and corrode the shackles off and he might have taken her foot off

much like the coyote guy.] Heard what, Ms. Swan?

[goodbyecaroline]

[ astrid manages to slip her other fucking foot free YEAHHH freedom ] Oh dear. Hearing voices, already. Tsk.

Test subjects who experience mental breakdowns in the process of testing will be afforded psychiatric counseling at the conclusion of our research.

[ another panel slides open on another wall ] Please proceed in an orderly fashion to the next testing chamber.

[pathology]

[she doesn't really want to go ... but it beats sticking around in the room where she ALMOST DIED and saw her life flash before her eyes, so she's heading the fuck over to the next room.]

[reallywicked]

[Faye is close behind because apparently she's keeping an eye on dis bitch now.]

You alright?

[pathology]

Yeah, I'm fine. I had like my whole funeral planned out in my head. You and Lila were crying about how much you missed me. Oh, and If I Die Young by The Band Perry was playing. [this isn't even a deflective bluff she really has ... already moved on.]

[uncurse]

... In your head?

[ emma's head whips around to astrid. ]

... That close spell. She turns it into some kind of—mindreading. That explains the German.

[ she follows after them, casting a shifty look at gold. THIS COULD GO VERY BADLY. ]

I don't know how to do that.

[pathology]

[her face contorts into a sulk and she makes a shooing motion with her hand.] Hey! Get out of there!! [the funny thing is she pretty much says exactly what's on her mind 24/7 so it's not like her brain is the fucking chamber of secrets ok.]