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

[windowsexplorer]

Your lab?

[She points a... telescope at him?

Also she's grown blue glowing lines running along her limbs that also go up onto her clothes and the telescope, because she can't be normal I guess.]

[nerd_lord]

My FAMILY'S lab, yes, it USED to be.

[...and wow you actually look sort of dangerous.]

[windowsexplorer]

[She is! Though she does have a voice in the back of her mind shouting DO NOT HARM THE HUMAN so she probably won't actually, uh, fire? the telescope?]

So is all this your--

[but oh now more is happening]

[nerd_lord]

[Yeah, just. Ducking back down inside Upsy with a really undignified shriek.]

I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THIS TIME, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON!

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

[And a tiny, bespectacled figure pops out next to the taller one, worming his way free and jumping down the to ground.]

Hello sirs and ma'ams! You're the people from another world, right?

[windowsexplorer]

[--AAAH YOU'RE SMALL]

Yes!

[Glancing between the two.]

Are you the ones I was talking to earlier?

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

Yes! All the extra-planar activity was picked up weeks ago, we've been trying to pinpoint its origins for weeks. When you contacted Mister Miller, it was a really lucky break!

[And. Striding over and extending a tiny academic hand. You seem trustworthy.]

Angus McDonald, boy detective.

[windowsexplorer]

[Meredith's telescope disappears, and she accepts this tiny hand.]

Meredith Seaver. It was buried in the garden, so it was pretty lucky for us, too.

[nerd_lord]

[Cautiously waving from inside Upsy's cockpit.]

That was hidden there for emergencies! You didn't get near the silverpoint, did you?!

[windowsexplorer]

I was careful!

[Although she's still not sure whether it actually would have affected her. She'll probably never know--]

--I never got to look at all the computers and equipment...

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

Mister Lucas' new lab has much more advanced equipment, if you'd like to see it, ma'am!

[scratchitti]

...what the...

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

Hello, sir!

[scratchitti]

I don't think I'm old enough to be a Sir yet. Are... are you the one here to save us?

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

A detective is always there to help if it's needed!

[He read that in his Caleb Cleveland novels.]

Looks like you all did a pretty good job saving yourselves, though.

[scratchitti]

[this kid is adorable holy shit]

Just barely. Oh! The other AI, erm... MOS? It said it had other captives in another location-!

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

MOS...?

[He looks serious now, pulling out a notebook and pencil.]

Can you tell me exactly what happened, as much as possible?

[scratchitti]

[Ooooh boy. Neku looks around for a large rock or something to sit on and just... starts talking.

It's a very very long story, sorry little dude]

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

[Angus asks questions at pertinent moments, getting extra details and helping keep Neku's thoughts flowing. Interviewing is an important detective skill.]

[As the story wraps up he taps at his notebook with his pencil.]

Gosh, this sounds pretty dire. But there's some good news!

[scratchitti]

Yeah? We could really use some.

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

You were all brought here through the same means as the missing people, correct? That kind of planar travel leaves a sort of mark on people, we should be able to find its signature on you all, and use that to find this alternate location!

[scratchitti]

Wait, seriously?

[Lookit that hopeful expression]

[heynow_itsachalkstar]

It'll take some time and a lot of work, but I believe the theory is sound, sir!

[scratchitti]

But I'm guessing we're stuck here until then.

[nerd_lord]

That's unfortunately the case, yes.

[PLEASE NO HIT, HE IS NOODLE SCIENCE BOY]

Traveling between planar systems like this shouldn't even be possible anymore.