trial #2 - execution

[judgejudy]

DAY 4 (evening) Complex Population: 32 At 7PM, a tone rings out, but it's not Judy's voice that filters out over the intercom. "TALLYING VOTES. . ." The voice is mechanical and robotic, and a pause lingers in the air. It seems that the voting system is run by some kind of AI. "CONSENSUS REACHED. MAJORITY VOTE. TIE. RESULT 1. LARA CROFT. STATUS: INNOCENT. LARA, PROCEED TO THE JUDGEMENT THEATER. CHARGING..." There's the sound of clicking, and Lara will receive a very sharp shock to their ankle monitor. If they don't step into the judgement room, the shock will increase in strength every ten seconds until they're unconscious. Regardless, the voice continues to drone on. "RESULT 2. LUKE CASTELLAN, EMPLOYEE ID VTSCI62271053. STATUS: INNOCENT. LUKE, PROCEED TO THE JUDGEMENT THEATER. CHARGING..." Luke receives the same treatment, and finally, the last player is decided in the same way: "DESIGNATING EXECUTIONER. . . ELIZABETH. ELIZABETH, PROCEED TO THE JUDGEMENT THEATER. CHARGING..." — ic rulebook character statuses character profiles votes

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execution

[judgejudy]

[ Rather than the executioner program, it's Judy's distorted voice that speaks up. ]

Ve-- Very ggggoood, residents. Y- You have found a mem- memberrr of the staff. Th- Thouuugh it is is a shame that it is nn- not one who has ki -illed. I hhhope you have as much lu- luck with finding the other fou- four.

[ As promised, she gives a number, though she adds: ]

Th- Though for staf- Staff, I am jus- just as obliged to tell you of the other six people working agains- t you.

[ Finally, the execution program takes over once more: ]

TERMS: EXECUTIONER, PLEASE SELECT TOOL FROM TERMINAL. GUILTY PARTIES, PLEASE AWAIT EXECUTION. IN CASE OF NON-COMPLIANCE OF EXECUTIONER, GUILTY PARTY MAY SELECT TOOL. THIS ROOM WILL OPEN WHEN AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE HAVE PERISHED. BIO-SENSORS PRIMED.

[ Luckily for the executioner, the guilty parties here will be treated to those same nasty shocks if they try and attack their executioner or fight back. Of course, if the executioner checks out the terminal, it might not be what they expect. When they boot it up, it's no longer a list of names, but a list of something.

> VIDALIA
> GOOD INTENTIONS
> DO-GOODER

Choose your weapon, executioner. ]

[tearable]

[ On wobbly knees, Elizabeth is pretty much covered in Luke's blood. She checked on Lara for a few minutes, trying to pick up a pulse but when the doors unlock - she knows that's not the case. Regretfully. Elizabeth leads herself out, her lips trembling and her eyes visibly distraught. She's able to stand straight, but not as confident as she wanted to. This wasn't like Rapture. This wasn't like Columbia.

Once upon a time she thought by killing those trying to kill or capture her would lead her to freedom but this? She's back to a cage and that fucks her up. The scalpel is left behind with the weapons and Elizabeth is looking towards the crowd of people not knowing what to expect. ]

[karmas]

[Franziska watches the execution from a distance, arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed. She would seem cold, but she's never been all that good at hiding her emotions, and it's too obvious by the way she grips her own arms tightly, jaw set hard, that this is difficult to watch. She's entertaining some doubts, obviously, thinking through, trying to decide where she went wrong and whether she was at fault.

But than Lara yells at her, and her expression goes hard. She doesn't feel, perhaps, that this, that capturing Luke Castellan, was a victory exactly. It rings more hollow than she would expect a victory to ring. But she cannot be accused of not upholding the honor of her name. If this wasn't the sort of perfect result she might want for herself, it was acceptable. Luke Castellan was staff, she identified either he or Lara Croft as staff, and did her best to guide the trial to this conclusion. An additional unnecessary death is not ideal, but irrelevant. Luke's words, though, anger her. He manages to hit on that nagging doubt about her victory here, that she hadn't even voted correctly, that she didn't have the courage of her convictions, but she won't hear it. Not from scum like him. She responds to both of them by turning up her chin in a haughty glare, literally looking down at them. But her gloved hands dig tightly into her arms while she watches them die.]

Next time, keeping votes secret to avoid being yelled at will not be tolerated. And to the remaining staff, I hope I've made my intentions clear.

[injectors]

post-execution:

[Well. This has been sufficiently horrifying. Lara had been nice to her, however brief their interactions had been, and Luke... She had called him her friend. He had gone along with her suggestions, speaking to her like she was a person and not just a little girl — and now they all know he was a member of the staff. Was anything he said to her genuine, or was it part of a well crafted act? She would rather not think too much about it.

So she doesn't.

Once the execution is over and Elizabeth has been tended to, she turns to the Judgement Theater, more or less hugging herself as she examines the scene. The corpses are still there, of course. They surely aren't going to dispose of themselves, as much as she wishes they would. It's still jarring to see death happen right in front of her as opposed as watching it happen through a machine, but. She must work with this, just as she promised during the trial. Squaring her shoulders and dropping her arms to her side, she turns to the person closest to her, demanding more authority than a 5'5" tall girl should have.]

You— I need your help moving the bodies to the technological lab. [And though she sounds slightly distressed by all of this, she presses on.] We must retrieve their ankle monitors before their bodies are disposed of.

[selfdenying]

post-execution

[Alfendi Layton stands and watches the whole thing out with barely a twitch of his expression.]

[He looks a bit pale, but this time, he seems more restrained, more stalwart, not even turning his eyes away from the terrible scene. When the fight reaches its end, he turns to the person next to him, his voice low.]

I voted for Luke, you know. [He says, after Luke's body slumps to the side - he lets out a breath that borders on being a relieved sigh. Honestly, he's glad Elizabeth made it through. If Luke had succeeded...he doesn't want to think about that.]

So, really, I'm quite glad we finally found a staff member.

[A pause. There's a smile on his face that doesn't quite reach his eyes.]

Maybe it'll finally make them realize what they're up against.

20 minutes post execution

[Alfendi can be found in a place he honestly doesn't go to that often - the bar. His lanky figure leans over the countertop, his bony hands cupped around a glass of what looks like whiskey. He looks deep in thought, his eyes narrowed as he glances over at whoever is joining him.]

[It takes a moment, but after a sip of his drink, he finally speaks up, his tone oddly light for what is a rather dark question:]

What would you do, if you found out you were completely out of your mind?