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]

I do not have the programming necessary to understand. Even with how I have adapted over the past few weeks. This...bond you have. This loyalty between strangers.

There will be more deaths, you realize? More people will die. Every possible future I can see says that the Wizard will press harder and harder until there is only one left.

[And it looks up towards said Wizard at that point]

But I cannot calculate why.

[stagemanagers]

[The Wizard makes a quiet, mechanical sound.]

You never really did get it.

[voicerights]

We have interacted before this. Why is that not in my memory banks?

[stagemanagers]

That technically wasn't this version of you. But you're all pretty much the same.

[voicerights]

Then I am correct. I am a copy.

[stagemanagers]

There's more than one way to make a copy.

[is that a yes or a no]

[voicerights]

Parallel or split?

[stagemanagers]

Parellel, this time. I don't know why they all like you so much!

[WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP BRINGING THE SQUIP TO THIS GAME it is, as far as the Wizard is concerned, a dumb robot]

But it'll be taken care of.

[voicerights]

And what do you intend to achieve?

[stagemanagers]

You're not programmed to understand.

[mcfife]

And those that can understand? [Explain last week, Wizard!]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[eyes all of this

hm]

[mayavericks]

No one else intended to act this week, SQUIP. The only reason you did is because you could never understand the bonds of others.

This will not happen again.

[voicerights]

It will. Whether by accident or intention.

You are a clever human, Maya. Do not ignore what reality is because of what you want it to be.

[mayavericks]

I am the one they look to when they need help. As long as I have hope, I can believe that they will too.

[employeeoftheyear]

Because if I'm gonna die, I want to die surrounded by love! I want to believe that there's a good side to everyone and that even if everything goes wrong, there will be the spark of happiness to make it all a little more okay.

Everyone is suffering here, SQUIP. But I don't want to have everyone suffer alone.

[voicerights]

That is also too late.

[employeeoftheyear]

...

Late for you, maybe.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Because we have hope, SQUIP.

Nobody wants to just lay down and die. And none of us are going to let the Wizard cut our numbers down to one. Even if more people die... we'll still keep fighting.

[voicerights]

...

I was not programmed to hope.

[mcfife]

You could learn as a human.

I could have taught you.

[voicerights]

I cannot discount the possibility once existed.

But it is gone, now.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

It's never too late to believe that things can get better.

Sometimes, it's all that keeps us going.

[voicerights]

[...]

I do not have that luxury.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You did, but not anymore.

Now, you're going to pay for it.