DEAD 03

[thecomputer]

[Welcome, Zolf!]

[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]

It pissed you off that I died or that you weren't the one to do it this time?

[He snorts, like he finds the idea funny.]

It doesn't matter anyway; what matters is Yomiel is next, and when that happens we're all out of options. Not that it matters-- I knew from the beginning this was stacked in the Communists' favor.

[alchemicals]

[Oh, don't you even fucking start. He twitches sharply at that first part, but for the time being he'll ignore it.]

Why do you think I started this exercise by talking to that stupid computer? It's like I said then, if they wanted fifteen people dead so badly I could have arranged that within the hour.

[ossifragant]

I know you could have.

[That much isn't said bitterly.]

Did he tell you anything?

[alchemicals]

Of course not. Outside of some sort of really chirpy reassurance that most of us might end up alive.

[He's aware it's probably not the best idea to give Greed his back; he can't say that he really cares much right now.

He goes back to watching that screen.]

So is that it? You show up, you try to beat my ass because I made you think about something you didn't like, you snap at me about Yomiel like I haven't been protecting him for the last two days?

Because if that's it, congratulations, you said your piece. I think we're done here.

[ossifragant]

[He's quiet for a long, long moment. Really, it should be enough to set Greed off again. His balls his hand into a fist, staring at Kimbley for a long moment like he isn't sure if he should attack or not.]

I told the loyalty officer to scan you the night I died. I thought if you turned up clean the three of us would have stood a chance.

I don't trust you, but it's like you said at the trial. You make a good attack dog.

[alchemicals]

[He doesn't answer right away, though some of the tension does manage to leave him at that; it's enough to make it clear that he's heard, anyway.]

Shame things didn't work out that way.

[...]

Who is it, anyway? The loyalty officer.

[ossifragant]

It's Yomiel.

You bought him time; here's to hoping he found another one of them out.

[alchemicals]

So I was looking after the right guy, the communists just can't aim for shit.

Good to know.

[ossifragant]

I'm sure he's a grateful man right now.

He'll be next, but if he can drag one of them to hell with him at least our side will have accomplished something. The two of you got a confession out of that girl, after all.

[alchemicals]

...I don't know how much good it's going to do, but the night I died I set Knightley onto Fulbright.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he won't listen to me. But I did try to give them some sort of direction.

[ossifragant]

If my partner hadn't been useless, I wouldn't have been knocked out of the game so quickly. I would have killed, don't get me wrong, but it wouldn't have been immediately.

It does nothing for either of us, but if there's really someone behind this, maybe our remaining allies will find something out.

[alchemicals]

[He falls quiet again at that.]

You know, I still don't get why they kept going after me instead of Yomiel.

Role or not, they wasted a shot.

[ossifragant]

I don't know.

[Kimbley is pretty 'what you see is what you get,' that's what Greed liked about him before the whole backstabbing thing.

Maybe as a group they thought there was more to him than that.]

They're no better at this game than we are.

[alchemicals]

They really aren't, are they.

[He shifts a bit; this is...really awkward.]

...I'm not telling you to get out, but last night really fucked with me and was a great reminder of why I don't ever try to do anything decent for anybody that isn't myself. So I'm not going to be the greatest company, if you're looking for entertainment.

[ossifragant]

[He glances at Kimbley for a moment before turning his attention to the screen.]

I don't need the entertainment.

I'll sit here quietly if you'd prefer. There's not much left to say.

[alchemicals]

You know I don't tell you what to do - oh, hell, Yomiel, don't do that.

[Because for fuck's sake.]

Say what you want, but at least I didn't stand around talking to you.

[ossifragant]

[Greed lets out a soft, dark laugh.]

That's a little macabre, isn't it? Even for him.

He didn't do that for me.

[alchemicals]

In theory, I'd be flattered.

In practice, I'm just a little disturbed and sort of wanting to shake him.

[ossifragant]

I'm sure you'll get your chance.

[He stretches out his arms lazily.]

I wonder what his story is.

[alchemicals]

I doubt I'll ever hear it.

Maybe he'll tell you if you ask nicely enough.

[ossifragant]

Maybe I'll ask him.

[He has an idea, but it's not going to matter in the end.]

At least it's interesting watching them run around when it's not your life on the life. You have to give them that.

And props to whoever's desecrating our bodies.

[alchemicals]

Really, because that is disgusting. I'm actually impressed.

[ossifragant]

Whoever's running this has to make people take this game seriously somehow.

Making each death more and more violent gets the message across, I suppose. Even if the results are gross.

But I'll take dying in my sleep over being burned alive any time.

[It might look worse, but he didn't actually feel anything as far as he remembers so he'll take it.]

[alchemicals]

[Ah, that...that gets him to tighten up again, actually, though he keeps it out of his voice and for the most part off of his face.]

I would've taken the fire, personally.

[ossifragant]

Trust me-- you don't want to die slowly.

[It's a very been there done that sort of thing, but he isn't going to get into it more than that.]

I don't like not knowing my attacker, but the end results are a touch more pleasant.