WEEK 2: DECOMMISSION

[dropoffs]

WEEK 2 EXECUTION

WITNESSES REQUIRED.

 

ALL CREW PLEASE REPORT TO SIMULATION ROOM 001 AT 1300 HOURS. REPEAT, ALL CREW PLEASE REPORT TO SIM ROOM 001 AT 1300 HOURS.

ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.

CALLSIGNS FEATHERY AND TRUSTFALL ARE TO BE EXECUTED FOR THE ACT OF MURDER AGAINST FELLOW CREW. SENTENCE ░̴░̵░̴░̵░̴EN ̵P̴E̷R̸ ̵A̵░̶░̴░̵C̸L̴E̴ ̸8̴8̴░̶░̴.̵2̵░̸ ̴O̷░̴░̷░̶░̴ ̵I̷N̷░̵░̷░̴G̸A̸░̴░̴░̷░̷░̷░̶░̸ ̶░̷░̴░̷ ̴░̴░̷░̵░̸T̵ ̴T̸H̴░̴░̷░̶░̴ ̶C̷H̷A̷░̵░̸░̷░̶ ̶A̵░̷░̷░̸S̷░̷ ̸░̸░̸░̸I̶N̷░̸░̴ ̵A̵░̷S̸░̶S̶.

THOSE CONVICTED: PLEASE STEP FORWARD.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND COOPERATION.

As the clock begins to wind towards 1:00 PM, things on the ship are... quiet. The tension is thick in the air, trepidation abundant. You pulled off the impossible - but was it worth it? Some of you are with the convicted in the brig, waiting, waiting, and the Senior Crew among you are just as tense. A few sit in the brig alongside you, while others wait outside. Hope against hope, right? That maybe something can be done.

(If nothing else, Sheba and Shouxue aren't alone in all of this. You've made sure of that.)

But, much like at trial, there is a shift to the silence. A pair of pneumonic hisses resound in the brig, and the convicted are simply - gone. The tubes that are used to take them away to the brig from the conference hall are now used to transport them elsewhere. No one is expelled from the brig. No one is locked out. They're simply taken away. And then the Eudora's AI calls out across the ship, informing you of where to go. Even if you don't make your way there willingly, your feet will carry you there.

None of you have ever seen the Sim & Grav rooms deactivated in full, before, but you do now - the eerie, orange glow of the blank space, filled with a faint, pink haze when you first arrive, doesn't make a particularly inviting scene when you arrive. But you're brought to the main, largest room, used for large group simulations and zero gravity runs, where a sweet scent lingers as the pink haze fades. And once you've gathered together to one side, that's where you'll be staying - a shimmery barrier falls down to separate you all from what the Eudora has decreed will be an execution.

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LOCATIONS STATUSES PROFILES AUDIENCES REPORTING PRIVATE CONVOS MURDER SUPPLY SHOP COMMS DOSSIER

Comments

[naeddre]

[she doesn't flinch this time! waow!

she glances over at rosamund with a very wry look.]

... A little. Took some doing. [sometimes you drink until you pass out ig]

[rosebleed]

[haha progress hooray.]

Okay, well, after this —

[Then Sheba attempts to take the multitool to her own throat and Rosamund gasps, white-knuckling the other girl's shoulder.]

[naeddre]

[YEAH MOOD JESUS CHRIST OKAY

she brings a hand up to rest on rosamund's hand, holding her breath.]

[rosebleed]

[They hold hands....]

Do they expect them to fight each other?

[BUT THEY'RE ROOMMATES?]

[naeddre]

[BUT THEY'RE ROOMMATES.........]

... It seems that way. [a pause.] I can't say I'm surprised. They failed the job they were given. This is the...

[a beat. she just stops talking.]

[rosebleed]

Not by choice! And they shouldn't be made to die, not for anything! No one should!

[Past, present. Immediate future.]

[naeddre]

I know.

[she agrees, really, just...]

... This is what happens, though. It isn't fair or just, but this is what happens when you fail to get away with an assassination.

[rosebleed]

Whoever makes these rules should try following them sometime.

[And it looks like Shouxue is taking the bait. Rosamund leans forward.]

Just stop! Both of you! You don't have to obey the rules!

[naeddre]

[man. she just watches rosamund with something that seems like - maybe respect, maybe something fond, even if that's inappropriate.]

Rosamund, you know it isn't going to be that easy. [but it's not mean or chastising. she understands.]

[rosebleed]

I know, I know, but they should have a choice.

[She flinches as Shouxue goes down. As Sheba screams. She looks to Throné helplessly.]

They barely got to live.

[naeddre]

[she opens her mouth - kind of hesitates, and then closes it. she's got a charisma of nine but she knows when she's about to say something awful and she doesn't want to do that to rosamund, so.

instead, she just squeezes her hand.]

[rosebleed]

[She squeezes hers back. Her eyes well up reading the messages as they come, watching Sheba's hands close around her friend's neck.

She turns, biting her fist, trying not to make a sound.]

[naeddre]

... Come here.

[don't watch if it's going to upset you!! she shifts a little, like she's trying to show rosamund it's alright if she wants to hide, or hug.]

[rosebleed]

[She might just do that, head turned over the other girl's shoulder, blinking at the back wall. She doesn't go for the hug. She just keeps white-knuckling her hand, half-turned into her. All the easy to avoid the view.]

They're such good friends. Nobody should be watching this. It's not right.

[naeddre]

[that's fine, she doesn't seem to mind either way, adjusting to make it easier for rosamund to keep her face turned. she's also not watching - just holding her hand and letting her squeeze as tightly as she wants.]

It isn't. [she agrees, soft.] Nothing like an audience for misery. It's almost absurd.

[rosebleed]

It's always about the audience.

[She doesn't like this story at all.

The colours shift in light. Something's changed in the simulation. In spite of herself she turns back to look, just in time to catch the dragon. To see Sheba doing her best.]

We have to find who's making this up.

[inquired]

[ since temenos is right here, he says, words quiet but tone steel: ]

We will.

[rosebleed]

[And she flinches away again. The fall, and the beheading, she hears them both and knows what they are for the sound alone.

Horror stirs into rage. Grief grips them both, swallows them whole.]

We have to... [She agrees. What choice do they have now?]