62 | trial #2

trial #2

DAY 4 (afternoon)
Complex Population: 32

At noon, the same tone from the morning rings out, and Judy's voice filters out over the intercom.

"Good afternoon, residents. As per Safety Protocol 6227-A, it is time to conduct a trial to bring justice for the victim. Please proceed to the courtroom on the first level."

Just as at night, if you don't go to the courtroom, you'll be treated to an electric shock of increasing strength until you go to the courtroom or are unconscious. Though considering the ominous penalty for not participating in a trial, you should likely just go rather than risk not voting because you've been knocked out by your own stubbornness... Once you're in the courtroom, you'll find that bottled water and light snacks are provided, but otherwise you'll have to bring anything else you may need.

As you come to your conclusions about who to vote for, you can step into the judgement theater to cast your vote at the terminal. You may change your vote as many times as you'd like, but at 7PM, your vote (or lack thereof) is locked in.

You have until 7PM to discuss and vote for who you think the murderer is.

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Voting will close at 9PM EST on 10/15.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Just like last time, there isn't anything pointing to someone.

We're going to have to find another way to do this. Instead of trying to come up with who did it, we need to find out who is most likely to be a staff member.

Maybe not at the crime scene but unless our staff are perfect little angels, they need to slip up somewhere. If someone noticed an odd behavior during the day, it may be telling.

[ Elizabeth had a few odd things to note, but she holds off. Especially after the sensationalism of last trial got an innocent person killed. ]

Well, that becomes a million dollar question when we don't know anything about these bozos.

Odd behavior isn't evidence. ... But at this point, it's the only thing we can rely on.

People who seem maybe too familiar with this place or too willing to let things continue as they are. The staff doesn't want us to figure them out so they're going to be distracting us.

I know it's not. [ DIVA... clutches chest. ] I don't like it but it starts a conversation going...

[ Elizabeth isn't keen on it.. not at all. ]

Distracting us how? I haven't noticed anything abnormal that's commanded our attention. [ There's a huff of air past her lips as she lowers her head, trying not to get too aggravated. ] We're all keeping our walls up and trying to not get stabbed in the back, it's hard to tell.

We did get off-topic at times last trial... But I can chalk that up to being confused about everything.

Guess all we can do is observe people now.

Keep your eyes peeled? If anyone seems suspicious, have to bring it to the attention of the room.

[ People will definitely try to blend in. ]

Agreed. Your logic does you credit. [She's tapping the base of her whip against her palm, thinking.] We likely won't know how to distinguish the staff until we locate one we can analyze.

But to choose incautiously only tips the scales in the favor of the staff at this point.

I guess that's why we have a few hours for this. But we can't waste time on things other than figuring out another solution.

So... characteristics that staff members might have? Things that have seemed strange? What do you think?

If we can narrow down the staff's motivation, things will be much easier. Are they killing because they can? Are they doing it for a purpose? Is this all just a scientific experiment for them?

One's motivation can greatly change one's attitude on certain things, so, for example, it's unfair to say "look for people who like being violent for fun" when the staff might be doing this out of some strange desperate necessity.

Edited 2016-10-15 16:27 (UTC)

No, I don't think we can look for certain personality traits to narrow down motivation. After all, most of us have never met each other. People could easily be faking.

... Especially the staff, since they're already apparently good actors. Why is a good question, but what will it lead us to?

At this moment, it's nothing but conjecture. We can't reason out why the staff is doing this with little to nothing to go on.

All we really can do is see who might know more than they should, and who might be trying to push things a certain way in their favor.

Ah, that's interesting. Someone who tries to push things in their favor. Now what do we imagine their favor might be?

Pointing out a different person to be executed instead of one of their number. Feeding false information to get us to think certain things about information we've collected. Those are the two major points I can think of.

We're at a very vulnerable state at the moment. It would be easy for them to take advantage of it.

(no subject)

karmas - 2016-10-15 16:50 (UTC) - Expand

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selfdenying - 2016-10-15 16:52 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

karmas - 2016-10-15 17:00 (UTC) - Expand

If it was a science experiment, what gain would they have?

[ She really...really doesn't want to think it's because they're just mindlessly killing. ]

In 1920, there was a science experiment by John Watson focusing on behaviorism. It spoke mainly about testing the idea of fear in conditioned responses. Trust me, it was nothing like this but there's been distinct attempts of trying to understand how the body and mind works.

[ Trust her...? She's been an experiment herself...???? ]

Myself and Lara both looked for two-way mirrors and cameras, however. It turned up a poor attempt.

Hm. It's true, this doesn't really smack of a well-organized experiment at all. The clean and strangely sterile environment points to it being one, but so far, the murders have been slightly different, and I can't see what reaction besides fear, anger, and paranoia they are trying to elicit.

[nothing makes any seeennnnnnnnseeeee]

However, about the cameras and two-way mirrors...Judy stated that she knows everything that goes on in this facility. She may be monitoring us in a way we don't know of.

[ WE 👏 ARE 👏 FUCKED. ]

You bring up some interesting points and the fact our staff...

[ Is it time for their CR to level up? Oh. It is indeed. Elizabeth stammers a bit, looking away. ]

...There has to be a reason why the staff members are among us. Staff members or people conducting research need to be able to monitor data. About the mirrors and cameras, if they have Judy - why are they among us? I've been watched before, you know, and over the course of many years... they never once interacted with the test subjects.

[ Elizabeth says bitterly. ]

If they were doing some research, there would be areas locked to them - that much we have. However... what you say about Judy... would they really risk themselves being in here and being voted (unless the system is rigged, of course)?

...

[He listens to her carefully, his mouth twisted down in a slight frown. She's been watched before? That's...well, he can certainly understand why she would feel like she feels now. The paranoia must be stifling.]

I see, Elizabeth. [He sighs.] It's all quite convoluted, in my opinion. You bring up a good point - if they really were doing this to get results, why do it on their own? Why be part of the group? Unless they feel they need to manipulate things on a personal level...

[He shrugs, his gaze turned to the floor, his look pensive.]

Well, consider this. Judy seems perfectly fine with letting these staff members die - I'd almost hazard to say that's her purpose on it. However, can we trust what she says? We don't know. And why are the staff members going along with this, if, as you say, it's a risk for them? Is this a game they intend to win? The last person standing is staff?

[A pause.] Whatever is going on, it's all completely a mess. It seems there are too many sides of the Rubik's cube we cannot see, in this dreadfully morbid puzzle.

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tearable - 2016-10-15 18:06 (UTC) - Expand

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selfdenying - 2016-10-15 18:51 (UTC) - Expand

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tearable - 2016-10-15 19:58 (UTC) - Expand

Oookay, well, first of all. They're probably dicks if they're child killers.

[ wait he too, is a dick ]

I mean -- you have to be pretty ruthless for that! So, uhm. Ruthless people? Ruthless dicks. Very... forceful... aggressive dicks.

[ Jack is definitely snickering at this point because he has the sense of humor of an immature five year old and I hate him ]

[ that was NOT SUPPOSED TO BE INNUENDO ]

[ He sure seems a lot more stupid when Adam isn't focusing on the robot. ]

I think that'd be the first type of person we'd look for. Isn't that why everyone was so keen on executing Diva? Because she admitted to killing before?

If they were smart, they'd try to hide their sadistic behavior.

[ look, he has his moments but generally, this is what you get, adam. ]

You think a person can hide sadism? Seems kind of, uh, contrary.

Well, if they can't... [ A glance to the girls who are advocating for torture?? ]

But I'd like to think they're smarter than that. Wouldn't they take on a kinder persona to throw us off?

[ rubbing his face a little ]

So, we're looking for a bunch of secret sadists with one nice person hidden among them? Who's even that nice here? I mean, you're kind of nice but then that means this whole conversation is way more fucked up.

There are a lot of nice people here. [ Adam doesn't think he's one of them. He just frowns at Rhys' implication. ]

All I'm saying is that personality traits probably aren't going to help us out when anyone could be acting. But, you know, the people who are murderers and otherwise advocate for torture shouldn't be let off the hook either.