« 004 ⇢ INTERLUDE004.EXE »

[reparator]

Who: These suckers and E R R O R
When: OOC: 5/29, IC: 7/15
Where: CERES Research Tower and Beyond
What: It seems an old friend has decided the situation is progressing too slowly.
Rating/Warning: PG-13: Violence, injuries and inevitable deaths.

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▶ ACTION.EXE | IC: 7/15

For those unlucky saps who disappear today, ranging from early in the morning towards the middle of the afternoon, well...they can't be reached by CereVice.

Any attempt to do so will bounce back the message User Currently Occupied.

It's an odd message, and one that's never been used by the CereVice. How strange. It's probably nothing though, right? No contact can be established between groups or from groups to outside people in Cerealia, whether by technology or magic. You're cut off from everyone but those in your groups, now.

Otherwise, all abilities will remain intact.

As for the people who do disappear, well... things get a little hairy really quickly.

---

▶ RUN.EXE | MOD NOTES

This is the event log for these sign-ups! Your groups have been sorted below; here are a few handy links for you:

Group 01 | OOC plotting
Group 02 | OOC plotting
Group 03 | OOC plotting
Group 04 | OOC plotting
Group 05 | OOC plotting
Group 06 | OOC plotting
Group 07 | OOC plotting
Group 08 | OOC plotting
Group 09 | OOC plotting
Group 10 | OOC plotting
Group 11 | OOC plotting
Group 12 | OOC plotting
Group 13 | OOC plotting
Group 14 | OOC plotting
There is no tagging order, so feel free to tag in whatever way works best for you as a group.

The characters should not ICly be gone longer than 5 hours -- if they survive, of course. There will be mod involvement in each of the threads.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask them here. Please try to avoid asking hypothetical questions (such as "What will happen if my character does [action]?") as that's part of the fun and risk of the interlude! You are welcome to plot with your groupmates in this post. Thank you!

Comments

[mombastic]

Thank you-- [ turning her head to offer Nakigitsune a smile. ]

If anyone can find anything that might have a list of numbers or letters, or a combination... [ She's going to take a look around the computers, although she doubts there'll be a handy-dandy list of passwords nearby. ]

[forceofnature]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Viridi crosses her legs and cracks her knuckles.]

Well, while you're doing that...

Group brainstorm! Everyone think of good guesses for passwords! Remember - as they get funnier and more unlikely, the probability that they'll work basically asymptotes at 100. That's how it always works in sitcoms.

Here, I'll start.

[In about thirty seconds, Viridi has the following suggestions written down on a giant leaf.]

>admin
>administrator
>password
>password1
>password1111
>opensesame
>openmacadamia
>opentreenutofunknownorigin
>swordfish
>allhailgreatleaderceres
>allhailgreatgoddessviridi
>savefifteenpercentormoreonlifeinsurancewhenyouswitchtoceres
>icantbelieveitsnotceres
>cerescanseewhyyouthslovecinnamontoastcrunch
>4AB!QYD95JML94P
>letsmakeacontract:3
>ioccidientallyforgotthepassword

I like #11.

[reparator]

[ Trowa's not going to have a lot of luck with that; the password box will keep popping up persistently over and over every time he tries to access a file, no matter what he does.

As for the others, the tablets aren't password-locked, though they don't appear to have anything useful on them. They have a note-taking software on them, and most of them are blank.

Aside from one, which says Bridge.

Unfortunately, there is definitely not a handy-dandy list of passwords around the computers. ]

[earthpulse]

[ Tablets are user-friendly enough. Edna can deal with these, and she pokes and prods around, somewhat eager to actually be useful. Being useless is...

...well. This isn't the time for that. ]

No messaging correspondence. There's some sort of note-taking...application.

[ That's what they're called, right? ]

Mostly blank, except for a single word: Bridge.

[ ... ]

It's worth a try. Or at least worth more of a try than those.

[ She says, pointing to the password list conjured by Viridi. If the system hasn't locked them out for too many tries yet, then what's one more? If that isn't the password, then at least they know that this room and these files are related to her. ]

[forceofnature]

Hey! I didn't see anyone else come up with any suggestions.

[Viridi huffs as she adds 'Bridge' to the leaf with an emoji rolling its eyes next to it.]

That one's so boring. And why would they use the name of some loopy god for their password?

[Sighing again, she'll just type Bridge into the computer when it prompts her.]

[reparator]

[ That one's going to get an error message! The computer beeps, and then displays the cheerful:

Password must not be the same as contents! :) Please come up with a stronger password. ]

[forceofnature]

Ummmmmm?

[Viridi stares at her screen for a few moments before yanking the nearest person closer to look at the screen.]

Guys, I think we're overthinking this. It kind of looks like it's prompting us to make a password.

[a very, very, very brief pause before she types in allhailgreatgoddessviridi at the speed of light]

Any sugges -- Oops. Too late, my fingers slipped.

[mombastic]

... You should probably have put a number in there, then.

[ SINCE COMPUTERS CAN BE FUSSY. Also why did you just drag her, Viridi, goodness-- ]

[yaayaa]

A number?

[A mystery. Naki moves closer to the pair, curious as to what exactly she typed.]

[cannonades]

Make a password?

[ Trowa shoves away from his computer with his heels, chair rolling over to where the rest have grouped around. ]

Can you open things now? [ He'd heard Viridi typing, so she likely made a password already. ]

[earthpulse]

[ At least Viridi's closer to her own height, so Edna doesn't feel as awkward making her way closer to see her screen. That's where all the action is, apparently. ]

[reparator]

[ The password works! Viridi now has access to all the contents on her computer and has also subsequently made it much harder for anyone to use this computer later on. Good job, Viridi.

Which file will be pulled up first? ]

[forceofnature]

[Viridi is far too busy cackling gleefuly to herself to make executive decisions at this point.]

It worked! Ahahahahahaha!

[Someone else should probably take over as a large vine curls around the terminal, this time spelling out ALLHAILGREATGODDESSVIRIDI in elegant cursive.]

This is my terminal now! Suck it, CERES losers! All your data are belong to me!

[mombastic]

... All right, now. That was very impressive, but let's try to learn what we can quickly, shall we?

[ So very gently taking over, if just to click on the Contract file. ]

[cannonades]

Keep it down. We don't know if there could still be someone else close by.

[ As always, he prefers to rely on caution. Thankfully, it seems like Otome is already heading that off and taking over the terminal to see if they can find any information. He'd rather not stick around here too much longer; lingering is bad luck. ]

[yaayaa]

That's true...this is unfamiliar territory, we shouldn't let our guards down.

[Because seriously, that laughter is really loud? Naki moves to check the doors again, just in case. The others seem to have the computer stuff under control, anyway.]

[reparator]

[ Unsurprisingly, when Otome opens the file, it's a contract. The contract is thick in Legalese, but even so after skimming it for a bit, it should be clear that it's a contract between CERES and a being called the Bridge. The terms appear to be parts of Tellus in exchange for some sort of energy.

Naki's instinct is a good one; he goes to check the doors, and there is, in fact, reason to be alarmed!

This reason, mostly.

It's hard to say if they were alerted by the laugh, by the file access, or by something else entirely, but either way there are a good handful of them stepping right through the hallway towards that door.

And then one points at Naki. Uh oh. ]

[earthpulse]

[ Edna hears more footsteps than accounted for as soon as Naki opens that door, and she dashes over to see the group of robots. They don't look very friendly (the point says as much), so her first instinct is to use her earth artes, summoning solid stone from the ground to block the robots' advance (and hopefully, also crushing them against the ceiling). If they need to get out through this hallway, she can break the stone, but someone should examine the other doors. ]

We've got company.

[ They have basically two choices: stay while some of them try to buy some time to retrieve more information, or get the hell out of dodge now. ]

[forceofnature]

Hm?

[Viridi glances over at the earth seraph as she finally stops cackling.]

Oh, we're not going anywhere. Not when we're finally getting some answers. You guys keep searching. We can take care of these bozos.

[She flits towards the other doors to check their escape route as the vines snaking across the floor rapidly begin to proliferate.]

[yaayaa]

[Naki unsheathes his vessel as well, taking up a defensive position at the door. He doesn't have long-range skills like the other two, but he's ready if any of those robots get past their spells.]

We'll hold them off as well as we can!

[mombastic]

[ Otome doesn't exactly know what... Edna apparently just crushed/blocked/did something to, but she's pretty positive she doesn't want to know. So she's just going to hurriedly read what she can of the contract, committing it to memory, before she selects Meeting Minutes. And then she's going to reach into her pocket and pull out... a cellphone? Yes. ]

We need to secure an exit, just in case. No one's lives are worth risking for computer files.

[reparator]

[ What a brave line of sacrificial lambs.

The rock will last for a moment, and then it crumbles, shattered by a robot fist -- and then the robots keep on coming. A few of those vines will trip some of them up, but there are always more, and they seem emotionless; they have no problems climbing over their fallen brethren to keep heading towards the intruders.

And then the robots are there, grasping for Viridi, Naki and Edna with hands that can shatter rock and steel.

The first victim is Edna; a panel in the floor will slide away revealing another reaching robot hand. It latches to her ankle, holding so tightly it will break her ankle -- the other strange side effect is that as soon as the robot grabs her, all of her spirituality and seraphim traits are suppressed. She won't be able to use her artes, she won't be able to become less than solid. Something about the robots seems to dampen those traits.

And then the robot yanks her down through the floor panel.

She'll have a brief moment to see glowing red eyes in the blackness, and then everything goes dark.

Edna will wake up 2 IC days later, and will require another IC day before she regains her ability to use her artes. She will not have any of the death consequences, as she did not die. ]

[forceofnature]

((Just clarifying! So Viridi is at the other set of doors - are there robots there, too?))

Hm.

[Viridi watches the rapid disappearance of the seraph from across the room with a slightly surprised expression.]

I guess I can upgrade from 'bozo' to 'semi-competent'. OK, new plan!

[Robots aren't the only things that can rise from the floor. Hopefully, Naki has had the sense to back away from the door as the earth underneath him ruptures heavily, giving way to several bizarre somethings exploding out from it.]

Boom Stomper! Destroy them!

[The rock monsters begin to smash at the robots with all their strength.]

And you! If you've got a phone, just take pictures of the files! ...Have smart phones been invented yet?

[cannonades]

[ The situation progresses steeply from bad to worse.

Should've known the quiet was too much to believe they could just waltz in here without any trouble. Viridi, Naki, and Edna go for the robots– vines tripping some up, rocks smashing into the others. It doesn't seem to faze them any; why would it? They're just robots. No nerve endings to speak of, only a cold determination.

Trowa is just pulling out his from his coat pocket when a panel slides away. Likely underneath the disembodied voice he's been hearing, since there's a clear snap right before. Backing up, he sidles close to Otome, who is trying to collect information where she can. ]

Otome, leave it. [ Draws up his sidearm, aims, and shoots whichever robot seems to be harassing the other two more. ] We need to get out of here.

[mombastic]

I know! [ welp, she will snap a picture of what she just pulled up (not only is it smart enough to have a camera, this phone also summons demons pls), fighting back a surge of horror at what just happened to Edna as she turns to face the robots and holds her phone out.

With that comes a ridiculously strong blast of wind, aiming to help Naki and Viridi knock more of the robots away. ]

But like this, we'll be overwhelmed before we can get out!