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

[pathology]

And really, hypocrite much? [firing again at the target ... (ranged atk 18; 20 dmg bc she is just mad as hell ok. SO MUCH TARGET PENETRATION.)]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ what are we at? twenty feet. TWENTY FEET. the gap closes even more :) ]

[reallywicked]

Just empty the clip on it before she sends more creepy robot babies out here.

[A+ motivational speaking. Faye spares a glance back at the busted statue of Emma and grits her teeth.]

I'm going to fry every damn circuit.

[undealt]

[Gold is just gonna accept that he's useless and let the womenfolk handle it.]

[pathology]

[astrid uses her beautiful mind do some spatial calculation and figure out that they're only moving about five feet with each shot and are at about 20 feet apart now. (int 22) so they only need ... four more shots. if she can make them!!] I shouldn't need the whole clip. [but she's just gonna go for it and stop pussyfooting now. (ranged atk NAT 20, 17, 14, 23)]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ the platforms crash together, creating a bridge to reach the other side and the open door. glados sounds less than pleased. ] You didn't even attempt to begin a meaningful discourse with the friends I sent you. You merely mowed them down, without thought or mercy. I don't know what I expected, considering the way you let your friend die in this very room.

Oh well. I'm going to go ahead and record the results of this last test. Do you know what I'm going to put?

"No."

That's it. Just "no". Although I should commend the three of you for your ability to survive at any cost. Who needs friends anyway, when you have science?

[pathology]

Thank ... you? [WAIT DOES THAT MEAN IT'S OVER???? fucking finally.]

[undealt]

[Gold spares a glance at where EMMA'S HEADLESS STONE CORPSE is just hanging out.]

I hope you're prepared to fry that thing's as well, Faye. [His stupid clay cane won't support his weight, so he's... probably leaning on her a bit.] I certainly am.

[reallywicked]

[Faye isn't even listening to GLaDOS at this point. She's got her eyes back on Emma. And she's not currently budging. They made her leave Mars behind, but he was a stranger. She didn't actually KNOW him. This was Emma.

Emma.

Her jaw works as she continues to play the whole thing in her mind, over and over. With Gold using her to balance, Faye can't pull herself fully up to the connecting bridge they've formed.]

Can you pull yourself up? [She asks Gold, trying not to sound entirely rude about it. She trusts that Astrid can manage at least.]

[undealt]

[Yeah, okay, he'll... pull himself up (str 14). Don't expect a whole lot of standing right now. Or well... He'll try. Because he has his dignity. And hey, he actually fucking manages it (dex 15). Give the cripple a cookie.]

We can't take her with us, Faye. There's nothing we can do for her now.

[pathology]

[yeah astrid is fiiiine. she gets up and pockets faye's gun bc she forgot it was faye's whoopsies.] I'd ask if you could turn her into something more portable, but I guess we shouldn't tempt fate after ... winning. If you can call this winning.

[reallywicked]

[With Astrid and Gold both safely pulled up, Faye looks at them both and gives a strange sort of smile, almost sad. Her attention turns to Gold before she says:]

You're going to find a way. You're going to get us out of here.

[Because this bitch is letting herself slliiiiide back along that tilted floor, back to where Emma's broken body has fallen. Maybe this will motivate them. Or maybe she'll get to practice killing more of GLaDOS weird turret babies. But she's not leaving Emma behind. And shes' stubborn as fuck and rolled a really high will save to dig in her heels on this one.]

[undealt]

[BUT HE JUST CLIMBED UP HERE. WHY ARE YOU MAKING HIS CRIPPLED ASS SLIDE BACK DOWN... Oh my God, child. He stays right where he is.]

Without a scroll, I don't have a spell that could manage anything to help her. I can't just turn her into something else when she's in that state.

[reallywicked]

So figure something else out. [You're the adult here, Gold. She's the stubborn teenager.] Get out. Get back up to the surface. And come back for us. But I'm not leaving her... them behind. [Mars too. Whoops.]

I'm hoping I'm important enough to you for you to come back for. [She says flatly, not bothering to sugar coat or hide her motivations here. She also does a damn good job about not looking nervous about it with a will save of 22).]

[goodbyecaroline]

Detritus left in the testing site after testing is complete will be properly disposed of. Please continue to the next testing chamber in the next thirty seconds.

[pathology]

Um, excuse you? What happened to "Abandoned test subjects will be relegated to storage, if seen as unfit for further testing, so as not to contaminate the testing chamber"? [wis 19 for direct quoting that shit yeahhhh] Is this a "oh, she's dead, so she's not a test subject anymore" thing? Because fuck that, we can bring her back. [probably. ... like, once they're back in england. shhh ASTRID IS TRYING TO MAKE A POINT OK.]

[goodbyecaroline]

Perhaps I was referring to her head.

[undealt]

You're wasting your time. It's only going to say whatever it thinks will provoke a reaction.

[He looks at Faye as if he's not entirely convinced she'll be safe, but he can't make her go, so... he sighs.] We'll be back. You can handle yourself until then, Faye. I know you can.

[He turns away, glowering at the ceiling.] As for you, dearie, we're finishing this once and for all.

[pathology]

[she frowns a little, but ... she's not gonna fight faye being stupid. bc she knows her argument will fall on dumb bitch ears. whatever. to gold:] So ... we're going, then?

[goodbyecaroline]

[ cave johnson (reconstructing science mix) - sfork

at that exact moment, the door on the far end

slams shut.

glados speaks again, but this time, there's a newly sinister edge to her voice, which drops into an almost sultry tone, if it weren't also... so terrifying. ]

I don't think you understand how this works.

All test participants must participate. It's right there in the job description. I suppose I don't know what I expected. It isn't as if you've been exceptional at following directions in any other aspect of our time together. But I'm only going to say this once more, so listen carefully: everyone will be moving on to the next chamber.

Everyone alive, that is. Or we're going to have a problem.

[reallywicked]

We already have a problem, you stupid bitch. [So helpful.]

[pathology]

[OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE.]

How about this? We'll only move on if you transfer Emma's body to storage until we're done testing.

[goodbyecaroline]

Now, now. There's no need to resort to name calling. [ the sinister tone doesn't change at all, but a panel opens up in the ceiling, and a very large robotic body descends, that appears to be hanging upside down from the ceiling, suspended from a cuboid-like structure above, which has a small sign on it that can be read with a spot 20+. visible are "model: GLaDOS," "code # 081-354-56," a red struck circle, and a red triangle.

she has one large yellow 'eye' and her whole 'body' swivels a bit as she surveys them, looming over them from above as she looks down at astrid. ]

From here, you don't appear to be in any position to negotiate. Although, if that's how you want to play, I suppose I can always warm up my Negotiation Facilitation Devices. They may look similar to our facility's Neurotoxin Emitters, but I assure you, that is nothing more than a coincidence.

[pathology]

[FUCK THIS SHIT ASTRID IS PULLING HER GUN BACK OUT. and not shooting yet ... but she wants to be fucking ready ok. also her spot check was 23; she knows ur name now glados.]

You can't just get mad and throw a hissy fit when an experiment doesn't go the way you want. That's like, the opposite of science. And that's my qualified opinion as a doctor. So ... there.

[reallywicked]

[Faye doesn't make that spot check, but she's sort of seeing red right now, so she's not at all concerned with the details. She clenches her jaw and glares at the newly emerged dev...ice? ro...bot? Whatever.

She realizes quickly that staying here is going to get her killed. And possibly also Astrid and Gold (int 20 total) and manages not to be stubborn for the sake of being stubborn on the matter... somehow (will 12).]

Calm down.... both of you. [She's just going to put her judgy mask back on since being a good person has gotten her exactly nowhere. With a hesitant glance at Emma's broken stone body, Faye gets up and... fails miserably at climbing back up the slanted floor (climb... 4).]

A little help?