Hostile Action Trial

[mockmods]

[As you all finish investigating, an electric chime rings out across the PA system.]

I believe that should be sufficient time for you all to prepare. Assistant, please escort everyone to the trial room.

[Penny emerges from the Security office again, head down, and slowly collects everyone; she leads you all to the east side of the common room, to the short hallway between dorms B1 and A2, that’s dead ended through your entire time here. As your group approaches, the wall seamlessly slides up to reveal a hidden doorway. Passing through leads to another short hallway and a small, round room, just big enough to hold all of you. Penny passes her ID over a small pad near the doorway, and it blinks green before the room lurches slightly beneath you; an elevator going down.]

[A short trip down leads you to a larger chamber, with a series of twenty-two podiums set up in a ring; in the center is a column of computer stations with large monitors, behind a set of thick metal beams with occasional faint flashes of energy arcing between them and a constant, low hum.]

Welcome to your first trial, Participants. You will use this time to determine which among your number killed the Legendary Bassist, and send them to justice. Failure to choose the correct culprit will have dire consequences for you all.

[Trial: commence.]

Comments

[mockmods]

[As soon as the silver 'M' ID passes near the keypad, it blinks from red to green, and the electricity arcing between the posts surrounding the central column drops.]

[scratchitti]

On it!

[Neku runs for it. He might not have his ability to glide while alive, but he's quick. As soon as he gets to the screens he tries to get it to Continue]

[mockmods]

[Thankfully it's a basic QWERTY setup, and maneuvering the blinking cursor to 'CONTINUE' and hitting enter is a pretty simple task.]

[Another pained scream of static rips through the facility as the progress bar begins ticking upwards again.]

[scratchitti]

[And yeah, he's gonna stay here and keep it going, just in case Hodgepode tries that shit again.]

[windowsexplorer]

[HOW ARE WE DOING ON THOSE FLAMETHROWERS]

[halt_and_catch_fire]

NO! THIS IS CHEATING THIS IS CHEATINGTHISISCHEATINGTHISISCHEATINGTHISISCHEATINGTHISISCHEATINGTHISISCHEATINGTHISISCHEATING CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT-

[The overhead flamethrowers sputter and let out a few tiny, desperate bursts, the screen attempting to stop and abort a few more times. But each time, Neku is already there, slamming at the 'CONTINUE' prompt and keeping the process running.]

CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT CHEAT CTCATACACACATGTGTGTGTAGGTACTCATGACTAGACACTGATGTCATACTGCTGGTAGCTCATCACTAGATCGTGACTCACGTGAGGTCGTAGTCTTGTGTACTCAGTGTATCATGCAGCTCGAGTCGTGACTGACTGACTGT01001001 01000100 01001111 01001110 01010100 01010111 01000001 01001110 01010100 01010100 01001111 01000111 01001111NO NO NO NO-

[The wall screens are flickering wildly, losing constitution and form.]

I DON'T- I DON'T- I DON'T- HELPMEHELPMEHELPMEEEEEEEEONE POTATO TWO POtato
t̶̛͟h̀͟͡r̡̡̧͘͝e̴̛͢è̡̛ ͟w̴͝i̷̢͘͟ĺ̢̛͝͠l̴͜ ͘̕͟͢I̶͏̶͜͢ ̶̧̨̀͘d͢͠͏r̢͜ȩ͜a̧̡͝͠m҉̴͘͜͜

[And finally, the screens go dark. There's a loud, echoing clunk of metal somewhere deep in the walls, and the lights go out entirely for a moment, before coming back up in dim emergency red.]

[The podiums, column, and screens are all nonresponsive.]

[Hodgepodge Miller, Your Learning Pal, is dead.]

[scratchitti]

[Neku keeps pounding at the keys for a moment even after the power goes off, eyes screwed shut and breathing coming fast and hard.

But once it sinks in that they're safe he just... slides to the floor, hiding his face in his hands]

[in4apounding]

[Uh. Hug? This seems like the time for a hug.]

[Penny gonna hug.]

[scratchitti]

[Neku allows it, and it's clear he's crying a little. Mostly out of exhaustion and adrenaline ]

[in4apounding]

[Good, cause hug train has no stops.]

Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You were so brave.

[scratchitti]

[For all his attitude, Neku is an emotional guy. ANd while he doesn't cry long, he does mutter something, so soft only Penny can hear:]

...I've never killed someone before...

[Because as much as he'd like to say Hodgepode was just an AI, well... all that at the end was more than proof enough he was a person. An evil twisted person that they were all perfectly in their rights to vote for. But a person regardless]

[in4apounding]

[Oh. Yeah. Definitely hugging.]

I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to.

[windowsexplorer]

[...hm.

Not that Meredith isn't glad murderputer is dead, but, uh.

She's a little concerned now about how they get out of this room?]

[mockmods]

[Well, if you're looking. There actually is one lightsource left in here that isn't threatening emergency red.]

[Something stuck between two of the keyboard stations on the central column is gently blinking.]

[windowsexplorer]

[Something she can poke, perhaps?]

[mockmods]

[It is! It's behind a small, glass case with one of those electronic locks underneath it, but, well, you've got the solution to that already, don't you?]

[But beneath that is a large, glowing white button, above which the words 'EMERGENCY EXIT' are displayed in bright light.]

[windowsexplorer]

[Putting the emergency exit button behind an electronic lock seems like a bad design to Meredith but whatever. She unlocks it and gives the button a nice hard press.]

[mockmods]

[Well...]