Zero Divide - Episode #1 - "Looking Glass"

[Hammerhead]

"Good morning," Michael remarks to the emptying kitchen, serving mostly to conceal his shock at the vision. Did I kill that guy? That couldn't have been me, could it? I'm a nice guy, not some cold-blooded corporate hitman. Is that why I'm here?

"You don't sound psycho at all, just a little reckless. Which I guess seems a little natural, since this place is a little boring." Should I mention VSC? It sounded like some kind of corporation. It sounded like I worked for them. No, I can't risk mentioning it; if that vision was real, I'm a killer.

Michael sat down, pouring himself a bowl of cereal to supplement the apple he had recently finished, reaching for the magazine off-handedly, then discarding it upon noticing the blank pages. "So where do you suppose the others left to in such a hurry," he asks Dee, not noticing the interesting cover to the blank magazine.

Bluff +4/+8 to remain composed during and after the vision. Go Attractive go!

 

[James Heard]

Fork Guy

Vanessa furrows her brow, “All I have done is observe, I haven’t actually done anything to anyone here… and I am not exactly sure what company you are referring to; maybe you are confusing your memories with reality?”

With his second question Vanessa responds, “Perception is an interesting word to use. Do you think that knowing where you are will improve your chances of regaining your memory?”

"Is anyone certain that their memories are reality? At least in the context of the illusion though, it helps to see. One hand clapping and all that, first you have to assume that you have a hand before you can imagine what it sounds like. I could assume that none of this is real, or some of it - but how do you wake from a dream except by dreaming?"

He stops his furious flipping through the book to turn to look at her.

"Call it an epiphany if you will. It is not the entirety of a thing to name it and place it in the world, but it's one thing. We've all had our eyes closed for some reason, and I think it's important that we open them up just as wide as we can possibly manage."

He frowns and then shrugs.

"Maybe it's just rationalizing. Maybe it doesn't matter even if it is rationalizing. I need to exist though, even I only exist as a fiction. I can be without knowing who I am being I suppose, but frankly that's a little deep... even for the rabbit hole."

"Have you observed anything unusual about any of us, beyond the obvious? Any nonstandard pathology? Are we infectious, have fragile immune systems or anything like that? Has anyone taken DNA samples to compare with criminal databases and the like? Something like this, and I've been assuming we all have something in common unless the rest of the world outside is all wandering around with no memories as well, if someone did this to us it's likely unethical as hell - even if we're serial killers and mass murderers."

He looked down at the book.

"Maybe I'd be better off with something more Taoist, except for the dogs. I need to know everything about the dogs...

He starts flipping through the book again, looking for the names of the dogs.

 

[Victim]

"Do I look freaked out?" Ashley smiles at Dee. You seem like a mirror of our? my? doubts about this place/life. I'm not sure I like that. Or trust it. If you had a group of people with memory loss, would it be so hard plant someone who's only pretending in them to monitor and influence them from the inside? Or several someones?

Michael sat down, pouring himself a bowl of cereal to supplement the apple he had recently finished, reaching for the magazine off-handedly, then discarding it upon noticing the blank pages. "So where do you suppose the others left to in such a hurry," he asks Dee, not noticing the interesting cover to the blank magazine.

"You must have scared them off," she jokes, pouring herself a glass of juice and sitting down. Why are all those pages blank? Is that a journal or sketchbook? The cover was what? She tries to catch the magazine as Michael slides it away from his place, and then sweeps it into her lap. "I think everyone has their own comfort zones. Umm, Ian? works on cars or something. I like to be outdoors." That admission should be trivial, but still honest. Ashley continues, "Since those sorts of feelings are all we really know about ourselves, it makes sense we split up to pursue those feelings, right?" She drains half her glass, then leans down to look at the magazine.

(OOC: Sense Motive +7. Shouldn't have passed on Sleight of Hand. )

 

[Vanifae]

Michael sat down, pouring himself a bowl of cereal to supplement the apple he had recently finished, reaching for the magazine off-handedly, then discarding it upon noticing the blank pages. "So where do you suppose the others left to in such a hurry," he asks Dee, not noticing the interesting cover to the blank magazine.

Bluff +4/+8 to remain composed during and after the vision. Go Attractive go!

Michael rolls a 16 total on his Bluff check, Dee seems oblivious to anything being amiss.

Dee shrugs, “Maybe they just don’t like us.” She takes a piece of bacon, “Anything interesting?” she says referring to the blank magazine.

Victim I am not sure what the Sense Motive roll is for.

Ian

Arjuna barks her approval and follows him back to the garage. It is quiet just like before with the same faded posters. But Arjuna seems ill at ease, she paces back and forth her ears alert, before settling on growling at the backdoor which is slightly ajar.

Haven and Façade

The foyer seems normal nothing is out of place, or at least looks so obvious that it would be out of place. The living room is adjacent to the foyer and is large and spacious with a fire place off to one side and a large coffee table at its center, with large sofas surrounding it.

A deck of cards sits on the table unopened. A portrait sits over the fireplace of Vanessa and her two dogs.

Fork Guy

“Arjuna and Krishna? I got the names from that book my father loved that book, and I sort of named them in his honor; they are my companions and I love them very much,” she responds as if on cue Krishna pads up from around the corner.

“Krishna here is the more stoic of the two, he isn’t as excitable as Arjuna,” she smiles petting her dog.

She allows herself a moment to think before responding to his words, “I wouldn’t say that your abilities, creating items from nothingness, creating full body clones, and even limited invulnerability is expected and the fact that each of you display these abilities is curious which says to me that in some way either you are all linked in some way; but your abilities are not my focus only your memories.”

Vanessa gestures to the book, “You are right without your memories without knowing who you are, you are just fiction; but as far as being criminals, or your DNA yes tests were done and for the moment I don’t have the results but I expect them back soon. The tests were done before you came here.”

[sblock]”Did you-” you hear your voice.

A woman’s strained voice, “Alan stop… badgering… them. You…” she grits her teeth even in pain her British accent is charming. Her hand grips yours tightly.

It hurts, if only the shock of the sudden squeeze. You feel your heart beating, it feels like it is in your throat. Despite your years of practice and education, it still does not prepare you for the reality that you are moments away from…

“I see the head… push…” the man that is not a man says.

Your wife, you assume she is screams as she does what the doctor says… It is over, all the hours of worry, stress, and anticipation end. The blank aces are unnerving, perhaps the memory is incomplete, as it blurs but one thing is clear, like seeing the world for the first time through a clear lens.

At some point you are holding your daughter, your wife looks up at you with a tired smile. She raises a hand, “Good morning Vanessa.”[/sblock]
“Rationalizing is perfectly fine in your situation, I am sure as these memories come back to you more confusion and doubts will follow. Of course you could just tumble down the rabbit hole forever,” she smiles.

 

[James Heard]

Fork Guy

“Arjuna and Krishna? I got the names from that book my father loved that book, and I sort of named them in his honor; they are my companions and I love them very much,” she responds as if on cue Krishna pads up from around the corner.

“Krishna here is the more stoic of the two, he isn’t as excitable as Arjuna,” she smiles petting her dog.

He nods.

"That's understandable."

She allows herself a moment to think before responding to his words, “I wouldn’t say that your abilities, creating items from nothingness, creating full body clones, and even limited invulnerability is expected and the fact that each of you display these abilities is curious which says to me that in some way either you are all linked in some way; but your abilities are not my focus only your memories.”

Vanessa gestures to the book, “You are right without your memories without knowing who you are, you are just fiction; but as far as being criminals, or your DNA yes tests were done and for the moment I don’t have the results but I expect them back soon. The tests were done before you came here.”

“Rationalizing is perfectly fine in your situation, I am sure as these memories come back to you more confusion and doubts will follow. Of course you could just tumble down the rabbit hole forever,” she smiles.

"I actually wasn't talking about the Wonderland abilities, just that there might be more uncommon traumas that simple amnesia. Where were we found and who did the initial medicals on us? If we could get copies of those records..."

He shakes his head.

"As for the rabbit hole, that's not really an option, is it? If Alice simply disappeared down the rabbit hole it would be less than a fiction, a simple note leading to oblivion. Instead, understanding the nature of rabbit holes Alice eventually climbed out and into the place she was before. The same, but different. Curiouser and curiouser, until it all starts making sense I suppose. Even the illogical follows patterns, even chaos has a name and definition. We impose our own limitations, that's the nature of free will."

"I'll want to double check anyone's tests against the ones taken before we came here, in case they've changed. Do you have the facilities for me to do that, or know where I can use someone else's?"

 

[Velmont]

As Ian takes a look at the radio, he hears Arjuna barking. He stops and look at her. She seems to act strangely. He garbs his gloves and put them, making sure he wouldn't have to touch anyone. He takes the piece of bacon he had brought and a wrench and walks next to Arjuna. He kneels next to her. "Good girl" he whispers to the mastiff, giving her the bacon. He then walk quietly to the backdoor and open it cautiously.

Move Silently: +1

 

[Vanifae]

As Ian takes a look at the radio, he hears Arjuna barking. He stops and look at her. She seems to act strangely. He garbs his gloves and put them, making sure he wouldn't have to touch anyone. He takes the piece of bacon he had brought and a wrench and walks next to Arjuna. He kneels next to her. "Good girl" he whispers to the mastiff, giving her the bacon. He then walk quietly to the backdoor and open it cautiously.

Move Silently: +1

Ian rolls a 20 on his Move Silently check.

Ian moves silently to the door, opening it cautiously. He sees nothing and then turns his head another way and comes face to face with a young woman, she shrieks and falls back on her rump… one headphone dislodged from her ears, loud music of some type pouring out. She has dark hair in twin pony tails and bathing suit top with shorts on and flip-flops.

“Oh my god, you scared the crap out of me,” she says sitting on her butt looking up.

Fork Guy

“Maybe, you tell me why you think you are suddenly qualified to have access to that kind of equipment and I can see what I can do. Do you at least remember a name?” Vanessa asks.

 

[James Heard]

Fork Guy

“Maybe, you tell me why you think you are suddenly qualified to have access to that kind of equipment and I can see what I can do. Do you at least remember a name?” Vanessa asks.

"I'll never know how qualified I am to properly utilize the equipment until I have access to it, will I? You want to sit me down and test me for certification? I could do that. What was your father's name?"

 

[Velmont]

"Sorry. Arjuna was nervous and I wanted to know why." Ian offers his hand. "I don't remember your name. Have we met yet? My name is Ian." Ian tries to identify the music she is listening.

Notice +3

 

[Vanifae]

"I'll never know how qualified I am to properly utilize the equipment until I have access to it, will I? You want to sit me down and test me for certification? I could do that. What was your father's name?"

Vanessa furrows her brow in confusion, “Your train of thought can be difficult to follow… curious. But to answer your inquiries about the lab, I do have access to a lab obviously on site, it doubles as a medical facility as well; I converted the basement for my purposes. And yes it is secured, I have the only access to it, last thing I want is one of you down there making a mess of things. I promised the rest of them a trip into town later, afterwards we can work in the lab, and will that suffice?”

She throws in the last part, “My father’s name… my father was Alan, Doctor Alan Tighe; he was the inspiration for me to pursue a career as a doctor. But he died when I was very young.”

Ian

Ian rolls a 7 Notice, he can’t make much sense of what she listening to.

The pig-tailed young woman takes his hand and stands, dusting off her bright yellow shorts, which match her sandals. She gestures to the door, “So do you live here? I always thought this place was like abandoned or something? And have we met, umm I don’t think so… I thought there was a pool here? Is this your dog? Oh,” she pops some gum, “my name is Mira, nice to meet you Ian.”

“So do you live here by yourself, you must be rich?” she marvels peaking inside the garage.