Zero Divide: Episode #2 "Black Star"

[Vanifae]

Mira was not there, the voice in the elevator is another individual calling himself Talos.

 

[Vanifae]

"I was in here when I came out of the simulation. The others left, through the elevators."

Alan frowns.

"They left with someone who called herself 'Mira.' She was the one who claimed to be running the 'rehabilitation' simulation. Rehabilitating, not deceased," he corrects, a bit absentmindedly.

He lowers his weapon, “Mira? She must be the one covering their tracks.”

The second figure nods. “That could explain the security mask.”

“Either way you could be useful Doctor Tighe,” the first speaks, “You will be coming with us for the time being.”

"Supposedly rehabilitating. It could be a sophisticated interrogation program too, to keep everyone off balance. Some of the others don't even know their real names any longer."

He looks patiently at the gun barrels without any apparent fear.

"Vanessa was in the simulation too, if that's any help?"

“That could mean any number of things,” the first agent responds, “Most likely scenario this facility has been abandoned for sometime now, running most of the operations via remote; with a competent VI that would not be too difficult. It may be advisable to pursue the others,” he says to the other.

The second nods and then gestures for Alan to follow them.

 

[James Heard]

Alan follows, strangely unruffled and apparently somewhat bored.

"I'm glad that's all settled. I didn't want anyone to get hurt," Alan says with a neutral expression.

After all, it wouldn't have done anyone any good if you'd started firing those guns and suddenly found the barrels jammed with carbon and aluminum grit, he thought.

"There's others, I don't know if they were in the simulation at one point or not, in some of the other containers still. There should be ample DNA evidence in the room back there to identify everyone who's been properly referenced if you have the forensics for it, in fact," Alan suggests.

 

[Hammerhead]

The Elevator

Michael sighs, biting his lip. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's too late to go back, and he deserves what he's probably going to get anyway. I mean, Mira told us what the cleaners do. Maybe we shouldn't have been so quick to leave him behind...I don't know."

"So, how long will we be stuck on this thing? And Talos, what can we expect at the end of this ride?"

Ashana

"I woke up in this tube-thing; there were a few others with me, also waking up. Some other people were still in tubes, I didn't really pay much attention to them. There were five of us: myself, Reese, a big tall human male, and a Junian, like you. And this babbling idiot that we left behind. He was nuts."

"The idiot stayed behind, babbling nonsense. The big guy was muscular as hell, had some tattoos, but he spoke like a chemist of some sort. He said he was going to one of the access points to the ventilation system. Reese and the Junian didn't seem to get along at all, but they stuck together. The Junian hacked the computers. I was with them, until I saw this little girl. I tried to warn her, but she seemed afraid of me, and ran away. I followed, then bam, I ran into you."

"Happy now? I mean, come on, put the gun down. We have history."

Bluff, bluff, bluff the stupid Junian. Bluff +6/+10.

 

[Vanifae]

"There's others, I don't know if they were in the simulation at one point or not, in some of the other containers still. There should be ample DNA evidence in the room back there to identify everyone who's been properly referenced if you have the forensics for it, in fact," Alan suggests.

The first agent responds, “Take him I will gather samples.”

The second nods and gestures for Alan to follow brusquely.

Michael & Alan

Michael rolls a 28 Bluff check, I subtracted 2 given the circumstances of the Bluff, he got a 30 total without the penalties. Ashana rolls a 28 Sense Motive check. Hidden roll, Michael gets a Sense Motive check of 1.

Ashana cocks her head, “I nearly believed you, very convincing story Georgy; we found the babbling idiot, although he seems strangely coherent. Start walking,” she gestures back the way he came.

Behind him he sees Alan and an armored agent standing at the end of the hall. Ashana speaks, “You were always especially good at lying Georgy, at least I know your training did not go to waste.”

“Should we follow the others?” the agent speaks.

“No time, this site will be buried in the next ten minutes,” Ashana replies.

The second agent rushes up, “I have the samples.”

“Doctor Tighe, Georgy; it is time for us to leave,” she starts jogging, the two agents both shove Alan and Michael’s duplicate forward, “Move it.”

The Elevator

Talos responds, “Well human male you should not worry if everything goes as planned, we should be out of here in fewer than eight of your Earth minutes. I would suggest that you relax, I will meet you at the door. Any longer and we risk having this facility submerged under countless tons of ice and debris. That would be an unfortunate fate for either of us, human.”

“Being buried alive is a fate worse then death, don’t you think Haven?” Dee adds with a snide remark.

 

[Victim]

Ashley comments, "I don't plan on there being any further delays. Status, Michael?" The status is that we're clones? Possibly of dead people - Mira lied about the current date, of course. The date she mentioned was contemporary to us when we were alive. She wanted to see what we remembered - or possibly jog our memories. We were 'shut down' mid conversation: she wasn't getting the results they wanted? Or she was pushing too hard; an unapproved test? Or the reset is mostly timed; she planned her arrival to not give us much time to act on her information? If we were grown fresh, deceiving us about the current time would be pretty useless. And more intensive conditioning might have been used.

She'll look for any access hatches or such in the ceiling of the elevator (not that a pre-existing hole is strictly necessary). Options...

 

[Hammerhead]

The Laboratories

"It's not training, Ashana, it's a gift," Michael says, walking as she commands. "Of course, since you know me so well, enough to spot my deception, you should also know that I've got to have some ace up my sleeve. I mean, I trained you; against me, how many times have you come out on top," he asks, sporting a victorious smile incongruous with his current predicament.

"So, Alan," he says, trying to keep his feet given all the shoving, "You still think that staying behind was the best idea? Or do you plan on trying to sell the others out?"

The Elevator

"The status is...not good. The site's going to be buried in the next ten minutes, so we're going to be okay. No time to waste, though. The cleaner team isn't following, but they've captured me and Alan. Damn it, I must have told one of the greatest lies of my life, and she didn't believe me," he says, the frustration evident on his face.

"And let's remember that we're all in this together, please?" he adds, glancing at Dee and Haven.

 

[James Heard]

The Laboratories

"So, Alan," he says, trying to keep his feet given all the shoving, "You still think that staying behind was the best idea? Or do you plan on trying to sell the others out?"

"You've got strange ideas yourself about loyalties if you're chatting this young woman here up like you're old friends, while one avatar or another is no doubt relaying every word that's being said to people that you only know because you fell out of the same vat a few minutes ago," Alan says cheerfully with a wave, utterly unaffected in his humor by the shoving.

"Real loyalty must involve the truth, or else it is only a house of shadows," he says with an amused grin, "Something that you're apparently not very good at."

Alan jogs to keep up with the rest of the team.

 

[Vanifae]

The Elevator

"The status is...not good. The site's going to be buried in the next ten minutes, so we're going to be okay. No time to waste, though. The cleaner team isn't following, but they've captured me and Alan. Damn it, I must have told one of the greatest lies of my life, and she didn't believe me," he says, the frustration evident on his face.

"And let's remember that we're all in this together, please?" he adds, glancing at Dee and Haven.

“The human male is correct, we are all in this together it would not be prudent, I believe that is the correct word, to turn on each other,” Talos responds.

The elevator reaches its destination and the doors open to reveal a thin but tall figure in a blue black jumpsuit of some indeterminable fabric. The exposed skin is blue and seems hairless with large black almost bulbous eyes on its head and a thin broad mouth, with holes that approximate a nose above the nearly nonexistent lips. It head is sloped back into a gentle rounded point, with small holes on each side of the head perhaps approximating ears.

The figure breaks into what you believe perhaps is a smile, revealing blue white teeth similar to your own. It speaks, “I am Talos humans; shall we exit this facility?” The voice is nasal, quick paced and reminiscent of a masculine tone, but obviously with another species you have no way of knowing.

Alan and Michael’s Duplicate

The group is ushered to a landing pad where presumably an aircraft awaits. The engines spin up, and a ramp leads to the interior. Ashana leads the group inside, where the modest accommodations of jump seats await. Overhead the road splits open as the craft rises.

A cloudy sky greets your view with snow and winds.

Ashana speaks, “Strap them in.” Her two associates assist you both with getting secured in your seats.

 

[Velmont]

"It seems humans have made the first contact." tells Ian to himself, seeing Talos. "Lead the way... hmmm... sir?"