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

[charismapotion]

No one asked you. [ He grumbled at GLaDos's chime in, then to Gold.] Sounds like a good plan to me.

[uncurse]

[ Emma moves to stand on the platform, turning to ... try and find invisible Astrid. Yeah. ]

I'm standing closest to the button. Astrid, you wanna stand on the other side of the platform? Let Faye know when you're on.

[ Since she's the one with the plan, Emma assumes she's near the button to press it when they're ready. ]

[pathology]

[being invisible kind of sux. it'd be cooler if she was the only one, but alas. she hops onto the platform, happy to be one of the first. praise jesus.] Okay, I'm on.

[reallywicked]

[And for the second time tonight, Faye hits a button and we all HOPE REALLY HARD that it goes better this time...]

[charismapotion]

[ Mars moved over to the button by them, as soon as Astrid said she was on, Mars hit the second button. Figuring both needed be be pushed of course.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ oh to clarify there is one button down below, and one up by the door. not two buttons down below. \o/

the platform lights flash, and then it starts to slowly ascend, taking astrid and emma up with it. wheeeeeeeee. ]

[undealt]

[As the platform ascends, Gold addresses some vague spot where he thinks Faye might.] You know, I do believe there was a time when you wouldn't have hesitated to leave someone behind, Faye.

[reallywicked]

[Turning her head towards the sound of Gold's voice, Faye is quiet for a few beats. Which probably feel like more because they are invisible and maybe Gold is just talking to thin air. But no, she's there.]

I guess things change.

[uncurse]

[ Right! Stepping off at the top floor. ]

I'm clear. Astrid?

[ Her hand hovers over the red button to press it when Astrid confirms that she is no longer on the pad. ]

[pathology]

[she got off the pad without saying anything ... and then remembers that she needs to confirm this with the world after emma speaks.] Yeah, I'm off.

[uncurse]

[ Pressing the button! Boom, magic return-o-pad. ]

[undealt]

[it's our time, daughterchan. gold waits until the lift stops and steps onto it, looking over to his left in the vacant spot to... hopefully where Faye will be soon.] Faye?

[charismapotion]

[ Mars was waiting for them to let him know they were on so he could hit the button to send them up.]

[reallywicked]

[Faye joins Gold on the platform.]

Ready.

[And since I'm in road trip land and on my phone I will just also add that once they get to the top, she hops off and announces that for the group to know she's off.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ the door behind them on the top platform whirs open. ]

Well. That wasn't such a hard decision. He does look like the runt of the litter.

Please proceed to the next test chamber.

[reallywicked]

[Faye sends that shit back down. You saw nothing.]

Mars, get on the fucking platform.

[charismapotion]

[ Oh he hates you Glados.

When the platform comes back down he steps on.]

I'm on! [ He called up. Since, you know invisible. Hoping this works.... ]

[undealt]

[Gold attempts to cast mage hand to push down on dat button down there.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ success! an invisible weight presses down the button and the platform begins to rise, with mars on it. GLaDOS makes a HRMM noise that sounds less than pleased with their progress. ]

I bet you're feeling really clever right about now.

[undealt]

Isn't that the point of these tests?

[Don't sound so smug, Gold...]

[uncurse]

Sounds like someone's bitter about her results.

[charismapotion]

[ Mars stepped off the platform before flipping Glados off, glad to be invisable.]

Thank you, guys. Okay, I'm off.

[reallywicked]

Don't mention it. [No really. All of you stop gloating.]

Lets just get on with the next piece of bullshit.

[Invisi-Faye will be headed for the next room now thx.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ the next chamber - 04 - is another long rectangular room, on the other side of which the door lies. about thirty feet in the air on either side of the hallway are narrow two foot platforms jutting out from the walls. on them rest three oddly decorated cubes, far out of reach. ]

My sensors indicate a decline in general party morale. As a result, we will be introducing enthusiasm augmentation beams into the next phase of testing.

[ as soon as she says this, five red beams of light slice out from the left hand wall, out of five round small lenses. the beams horizontally cut across the hall in front of them, in five parallel bands. the first is relatively low to the ground, and each one is spaced about a foot above the last. the door seals behind them. ]

As safety is paramount to operations here at the Luckman Industries enrichment center, I am obligated to warn you that while the enthusiasm augmentation beam has been shown to cause a dramatic increase in test participation, direct exposure to the beam may result in third degree burns, memory loss, and in some cases, utter vaporization. Thank you for helping us maintain this test environment as a safety-first zone.

[undealt]

[Gold has clearly never played Portal, so this just feels like someone is being really racist against people with disabilities.]

I would hope we're not meant to crawl around those.

[CATHERINE ZETA-JONES IS NOT ON THIS MISSION. WE CANNOT REMAKE ENTRAPMENT.]