second trial

[stagemanagers]

[As the investigation ends, you'll hear Hester's voice inviting you to the auditorium. As this happens, the twin doors on either side of the concession stand, across from the gym, will click open. You can enter on either side; both go to the same place.

When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name. Elisabeth and Connor have joined Mumble in having theirs draped in black crepe and with a framed monochrome photo of them on top.

When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. the Wizard is once again waiting for you. Beside it Hester is slowly lowers in on her bubble. Her dress this week is a purple monstrosity, more akin to a voluminous prom dress than the simple outfits she usually wears.

The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]

Welcome to your second trial, everyone. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Connor. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.

Comments

[voicerights]

Unlike a simple word processor, I can use reasoning.

[disharmonizes]

And I'm waiting patiently for the day when you will prove that, buuuuut in the meantime the adults are talking.

[voicerights]

[R U D E]

[sugarlumps]

[her level of dislike for Discord ticks downward a single notch]

[mayavericks]

One might have thought otherwise, chasing the useless threads you did last time.

[violentenvies]

[it's a bit callous to say out loud, so instead he'll just think about how much he would like a way to sit back and watch at least this part of the show]

[voicerights]

You act as though I actually considered her a suspect.

[mayavericks]

You "have yet to meet a human that cannot be manipulated." Was that not what you said? I believe you thought her the logical answer, considering the information.

Regardless, I wanted to speak to you of logic. It seems odd that you might shut down all attempts at investigation so quickly. Surely you, a "superior program" who believes that we might be manipulated, would acknowledge that this could be easily faked. In a place where we are being compelled to murder, "logic" would indicate that we are being called to investigate just that.

So. Where were you last evening?

[disharmonizes]

[man he should've brought popcorn]

[voicerights]

At the party. After, I returned to the dormitory.

[mayavericks]

And after that?

[voicerights]

Sleep. This body requires it.

[mayavericks]

[Her eyes narrow.]

At the motive, you looked at each and every one of us before leaving. You yourself told me that you would kill any one of us -- all of us even, if your "human," Jeremy, was threatened.

So. Answer me one more question.

What photo did you receive?

[voicerights]

[To that? It reaches in to a pocket once more, pulling out the envelope. It methodically removes the photograph from such, and places it neatly on the podium.

It appears to be a school.]

[mayavericks]

Jeremy's, I presume?

[I mean, why tf is the SQUIP going to care about a school otherwise?]

[voicerights]

Correct.

[mayavericks]

There was some concern that those located in these buildings might disappear along with them.

Seems a viable enough threat to me.

[voicerights]

While I will not dismiss that I had the same concern, I will point out I am not the only one who came to that conclusion.

If you are going to try and implicate me in this, I would suggest you refine your own data, and be very confident in such. Because if you are wrong, we will die.

[mayavericks]

You are not the only one who came to that conclusion, that is correct. But, you will notice that of all of those who did reach that end, no one was so confident as to insist that the trial was pointless, and that no other party could be involved.

In any case, what is refining data, if not asking questions? You'll notice I have made no such accusations yet. I have only done what you insisted on doing last week.