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

[comeandfindme]

It's called empathy. It's something humans have. You haven't shown any.

[voicerights]

I was not programmed with empathy. Nor any other emotion.

My program is to improve the life of my human. Everything else is irrelevant.

[comeandfindme]

So, I can't trust you. [ ... ] I wanna find who killed Connor. 'Cause I care about him. That's how you know I'm not lying.

[voicerights]

[...]

Why do you care about him? He does not benefit you.

[comeandfindme]

[ Her throat gets tight. ]

It doesn't matter if he benefits me, he's— [ No. ] He was my friend!

[ She holds the cloak tighter. ]

He benefits me be- because he made me happy! Because I liked hanging out with him! Because...!

[ She's trembling. ]

[voicerights]

[And it just. Stares at her.]

This is making you upset.

[


]

I do not understand.

[comeandfindme]

Yeah, no shit!! He was my friend, and he's dead, can't you understand that makes people upset, you— you stupid...!

[voicerights]

Jeremy had a friend.

[comeandfindme]

Good for him!

[ She doesn't want to be having this conversation anymore. ]

[tellthestory]

You understand it's upsetting her. So just quit it.

[voicerights]

[It just

kind of seems baffled]

[tellthestory]

I mean...

[He doesn't know shit about computers, but he has seen Angus interact with the SQUIP plenty.]

...it doesn't help anything if you just upset people at all of these things.

[mcfife]

[Why must you embarrass him.]

[sugarlumps]

CONNOR WAS LUMPING AMAZING, HOW DARE YOU!?

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus looks over at the SQUIP and shakes his head. ]

It's not about how people benefit each other. Or, maybe it is. But making someone happy just by being there when you need someone is a benefit. Being a new perspective on life is a benefit. Being present and alive and yourself is a benefit. It's not just about material things.

[voicerights]

[And it whips its head towards Orpheus- once more intense]

But if that presence is debilitating - if it hampers their growth - how does that process? One can make new friends.

[comeandfindme]

Oh my GOD.

[ She’s gonna punch it again s2g ]

cw: discussion of grief just in case

[themuseabandonsyou]

We don't work that way. [ Orpheus pauses, thinking of how to phrase it. ] Someone told me once that grief is just love that doesn't have anywhere left to go. When someone is gone, we can't just stop loving them because it hurts. We remember what we had and we wish there was a chance at more of it, because of how happy they made us before. We miss them because of how much we valued them while they were with us.

You can always make new friends, it's true. But people aren't - interchangeable. It can help, but it doesn't replace what you've lost.

[voicerights]

But if you could erase grief - if you could remove it. You would?

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine doesn’t say anything, but she keeps trembling. ]

[themuseabandonsyou]

No. [ He doesn't even have to consider it for a second. ] Like I just said, grief is a form of love. It hurts, but it means something mattered to you enough to miss it. It means wanting for the time before the loss so badly that it aches, because those memories were that important. The hurt is how we love and long for something that we can't have back, and it's an important part of being a person.

Erasing all of that? Because it's inconvenient? I think it would just hurt more. It would take away something we need, to remind ourselves of how we value each other.

[mcfife]

Peregrine. He is an AI.

[This whole argument has been getting uncomfortable.]

There are other things we must discuss before we can decide who is the culprit.

[comeandfindme]

I'm not saying it's him! I'm just saying he's being real fucking sketchy for someone who likes to analyze all the data points!!

[mcfife]

I understand your rage, but I have been blinded in the past and almost gotten myself killed.

If he is responsible, I swear I will support you.

[comeandfindme]

I'm not getting anyone killed!!

[ Her voice breaks as she yells. ]