Ceasefire - The Way Out

[mockmods]

[And then you wake up.]

[The room is dimly lit and made of pitted, industrial metals. You sit up abruptly on- some sort of padded table or cart? There’s a caged structure of metal piping surrounding you like a low barrier, but it’s open on top. You might similarly have a moment of panic about the straps holding you down or the electrodes on your head, but they’re just velcro and lightly tacked on, respectively, and in no significant way prevent you from sitting bolt upright and getting onto your feet. A series of twenty one such tables ring the room at even intervals. All but one has an occupant.]

[However long it takes you to notice, there a twenty of you again. Patches, the Trusty, and Yaiba, the Legendary Bassist, are back among your number. Penny, unfortunately, seems to be missing. Whatever you were wearing to the trial, or at the time of your death, you are back in the clothing you wore when you initially arrived. If anyone checks, CAREFULLY PLEASE, they will find that any powers they may have been missing are back.]

[The room is lit well enough, and there are computer banks and monitors around all the walls, which look to have been monitoring your vitals until just this second. Wires and tubes lead from each table to the center of the room, where a low pool is filled with a thick, milky-looking liquid that looks incredibly disinviting to touch.]

[A door rests on each side of the room, a glowing hand-sized pad beside each.]

[Welcome back, Participants.]

[Now, what do you do?]

((One clarification - any active powers that require some kind of power source or connection from your home worlds will either be not active or severely weakened.))

Comments

[in4apounding]

Yes! It was all- bright and colorful. And that dress is amazing!

[Still. Clapping, just a little, and bouncing on her toes.]

...and how did you do that thing with your voice?

[windowsexplorer]

Oh! Well--thank you!

[Update: she can blush even more.]

My... voice? What do you mean?

[in4apounding]

When you said "Type: Blue"?

[It sounded extra cool somehow.]

[Though, speaking of blue... this is an awkward segue into saying that Meredith might notice something flashing green from her podium.]

[windowsexplorer]

Oh! That's just because I was introducing myself in this form for the first time. Don't worry about it.

[That's a complete and very thorough explanation obviously.

And yes she does notice that, and she has an idea of what it might be. Time to head that direction.] Hang on...

[in4apounding]

Oh! I see.

[Well, obviously.]

[And you remember that Plot Coupon Crystal from the greenhouse,Meredith? It's blinking from underneath all the pile of file-folders holding everyone's profile.]

LOW SIGNAL

[windowsexplorer]

[Of course! How could she forget her comrade in connectivity problems? She pushes the folders aside, picks it up, and puts her thumb against the indentation.]

[mockmods]

[It beeps cheerfully, the 'LOW SIGNAL' text briefly replaced with a circling icon that indicates it's probably searching for something. After a moment it pings sharply, and a voice, tinny and faint, comes through, along with heavy static.]

...Hello? Who's- how did y- get this frequency?

[As Meredith examines the crystal, Penny quietly picks through the profile folders.]

[windowsexplorer]

[...she's not sure what she expected, but it wasn't this.]

Hello? Is someone there? I just found this crystal and this happened!

[mockmods]

You FOUND-? ...Where are you, what's going on?

[windowsexplorer]

I don't know--we just woke up in this place that was being controlled by a computer, and none of us are even from this world...

[She puts her hand over the indentation for a moment like she's covering the receiver on a phone.]

I contacted someone! Does anyone know where we are?

[eudaimonikos]

Miller Labs, isn't it?

[mockmods]

FROM OT-ER WO-DS, WHAT-

[He sounds very distressed, whoever it is.]

Th- shoul-n't be POSSIBLE, hang on- -'m tracking-

[windowsexplorer]

We're at Miller Labs, does that help?

[man she's gonna regret this when the missiles hit them]

[mockmods]

...The old lab?

[Boy is that a pregnant pause.]

That shouldn't even be- HOLD ON, I'M-

[And the signal cuts out, sorry.]

[windowsexplorer]

Hello? Hello?

[Crap.

...well, as long as she's thinking about it, can she get a signal now by any chance?]

[mockmods]

[Depends, does it need to be actual wifi or can she acccess magical transmissions?]

[windowsexplorer]

[They don't actually have that in her world, so there's absolutely no reason she'd be designed to pick that up... but if it's not clear by now, the ArcheTypes run on narrative logic, not real science. A magical girl robot is exactly the sort of person who should be able to pick up magical transmissions, so yes, she can.]

[mockmods]

[Then boy can she feel a whole lot of magical signaling flying around, but nothing quite like the internet, sorry. Though somehow there's Magic Netflix? Probably best not to think too hard about it.]

[Meanwhile, Penny is looking over her profile, looking lost in thought.]

[windowsexplorer]

[Ooh, Magic Netflix! No, no, focus. More important things at hand. Let's just go... stand next to Penny some more.

Maybe browse the list of shows at the same time. She's good at that kind of multitasking.]

[in4apounding]

[She's looking with sad intensity at a grainy, black and white photo of a girl with a cape and scythe that's bigger than she is, running a finger lightly over the page.]

...I feel like I SHOULD know her, but I just- can't.

[windowsexplorer]

[She's getting hugged again.]

Maybe--maybe there's a way we can restore your memories. A backup, or something.

[in4apounding]

[Yeah, she's just gonna lean into that.]

...it's ALMOST THERE, I swear I can feel it. But when I try focusing-

[She shakes her head, still looking at the photo.]

[After a quiet minute, she looks back up at Meredith.]

....I have a last name.

[windowsexplorer]

It's a really cute one.

[LET'S FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE]