DEAD 02

[thecomputer]

[Greetings, terminatees!]

[You regain consciousness in a waiting room of some sort. Something is clearly odd - your entire body is slightly transparent, and everything you were carrying with you aside from your clothes is gone. On the plus side, you seem to be impervious to all harm.]

[There is an end table with two stacks of papers. One is a large area to write in (there is a small assortment of pens next to this), and the other all bear the same message:]

Congratulations! You have died.

Please wait in this area until such time as the exercise is terminated. At that time, you will be transferred to your appropriate afterlife. If you were assigned a Communist role, rest easy knowing that any ultimatum given as part of your motivation was false.

If you have any questions, please shout them into the air, and a representative will get back to you within 5-100,000 business days. If you have any final messages for the living, please write them on form B and submit it into the slot in the south wall. Delivery is not guaranteed.

[Sure enough, there’s a slot. In addition, a hallway connects this room with a much larger room, not unlike a movie theatre. A large screen on the far wall shows various events back in the facility as they unfold in real time. A side alcove provides slightly transparent popcorn and a water cooler, although hunger, thirst and exhaustion don’t seem to exist here.]

Comments

[ossifragant]

That's right.

Two times. One was a long, long time ago. The second was right before we all got here.

They say "third time's a charm," so I think I'm all outta luck now, kiddo.

1/2

[dictator_ko]

If Moge-ko had a toy who kept coming back like that, she'd be happy.

2/2

[dictator_ko]

Moge-ko wishes she had your luck. I'm going to Prosciutto Paradise.

[ossifragant]

There's no paradise where I'm headed.

You don't want to go where I will, trust me. Unless Prosciutto Paradise is an ironic name.

[dictator_ko]

She meant coming back. She still has more playing left to do. ♪

[ossifragant]

Oh, I see.

[He smirks, folding his arms across his chest.]

You wouldn't want to come back the way I did. You wouldn't remember being Moge-ko. The second time it happened, I really shouldn't have been able to come back, so I think whoever's running this show had something to do with it.

Maybe you and I can break out of this room. I wouldn't mind haunting the others.

[dictator_ko]

Moge-ko no longer envies you.

I like that idea. I'm all for haunting.

[ossifragant]

Well, then. Let's see if we can find a way out.

[dictator_ko]

[One futile search later:]

I hate you, kidnapper!

[ossifragant]

[He really should have seen this coming.

But there are some things he doesn't see coming at all, and you know what, he doesn't know what to do with them.]

Say, Moge-ko, do you have anything you regret? Besides not being able to kill everyone who voted for you.

[dictator_ko]

[At least those happenings were interesting enough to watch.]

I'd have liked to eat more sweet things. ♪

Moge-ko said she wasn't a complicated person. Like all Mogekos, she's simple to understand.

[ossifragant]

A shame you had to go first in this game of "spot the traitor." You're the most honest of all of us.

There were better targets. Had I been able to know, I would have made more of an effort to stop it. But I do know those that survive this game won't be the ones to envy.

[dictator_ko]

The only good thing about being dead is not having to eat that stuff. ♪

[ossifragant]

That slop that passes for food? I never even bothered to eat it.

It looked disgusting.

[dictator_ko]

I was hungry. I imagined it was marshmallows really hard. Grass-flavored marshmallows. It didn't work.

Guess that's one regret Moge-ko does have. ♪

[ossifragant]

I'll tell you my regret, Moge-ko:

I had a friend there. He could have been one of the people to send me to my death and that wouldn't change. Even if he did something I find unforgivable before we came here.

My regret is getting close enough to him that he would mourn me.

[dictator_ko]

Moge-ko doesn't care but you're saying that for your own sake anyways. ♪

[ossifragant]

You're right. I am.

I'm a selfish man; what can I say? I'm not called Greed for nothing.

[dictator_ko]

You're both being honest and lying. Why do you care about him mourning you? ♪

[ossifragant]

Maybe I'd rather see him celebrating.

[dictator_ko]

You'd rather be hated? Moge-ko would rather be loved.

[ossifragant]

I'd rather be hated by him.

But you? I'm not surprised to hear you want love from all. You seem the type.

[It's said lightly, clearly meant to be a compliment.]

We'll find a way out of here yet. And then you'll get your wish.

[dictator_ko]

Moge-ko already have lots of Mogekos who love her. They're her toys. And if anyone doesn't love her, she plays with them until they break.

[ossifragant]

[.........]

It's a good thing we're both dead.

[dictator_ko]

Yes, it's a good thing for you. ♪