15corpses | A Reckoning...

A Reckoning...

[You are dead.

Where you awaken is not of your cabin on the train but rather firm earth, the skies above you being nothing but an inky blackness as for as you can see. And yet throughout the darkness, you are surrounded by soft lighting and peculiar music playing all around you. When your senses become less muddled, you will notice that the music playing is upbeat and joyful almost. But let's face it, you are probably thinking this is some sort of creepy hell that you got yourself into after biting the bullet.

It all depends if you find circuses to be such a place because that is where you find yourself. The setting feels more antique than what you may assume a circus to look like, more Victorian themed than what one can be called. First the sound picks up and then you can smell something delectable in the air, catching popped corn and fried sweets and maybe something to drink? It's more than likely here.

Going down the main way, you can see some classic carnival games such as skee ball, ring toss, balloon popping if you are inclined to try and take your mind of the fact that you didn't have a choice in coming here. But despite the joyous air of the circus, there are not many people here that can help you out...or are there?

Lost souls just like yourself who met with the same horrible fate...perhaps an accord can be struck. After all, it looks like you will be here for awhile.]

((OOC: Map for reference.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's fine.

[He jumps back as the drawer is slammed, going and searching to see if there are any books around. He's been really bored, and if he can get something to read, that would be a lot better than skipping rocks all day.]

Is there something you're trying to find in particular?

[Any books in this part of the lab will most likely be scientific journals. Actual literature would be found in the more home-like portion of the building, a little further in.]

A particular computer chip. I've been missing it ever since I woke up on the train, and without it, my buster can't fire.

[The next drawer Proto opens does contain a likely candidate... but when he tries inserting it, all he gets is an error message flashing across his visuals. No dice. He bites back a frustrated groan and shuts the drawer with more force than necessary again.]

[ Still a little concerned about Jun, she almost pressed it but let it go. Mostly due to her jumping a little when the drawer was slammed shut without warning... and again shortly after. ]

Right! Let's see if we can find it, then!

[ With that, she goes to start looking through things as carefully as she can in hopes maybe they can find this thing and help him out. ]

Doubt they'd just have it lying around, though. It'd be WAY too easy.

[Still gonna grab one and flip through, almost missing what the others are talking about.]

Does it look like the one you just grabbed?

Yeah. This one should have worked, but something won't let my systems read it properly.

...Is anyone else noticing something off here? Like there's a beat we're all keeping time with?

[ After a moment of checking through some various drawers with no success, she stopped briefly to look at the two of them with a small huff. ]

I wonder if it's just in here that it's doing that.

[ She looks back towards the door. ]

You guys mind if I go check outside for a bit? If you find something, you can always come and get me.

Yeah. Just be careful. Come get us if something goes wrong.

[He nods at Proto's question.]

I'm not musical, but even I can tell. I'm guessing that's not normal here?

[Proto nods in agreement with Jun's cautionary words to Akko.]

If there's anything dangerous, it won't have come from here. Keep an eye out, though.

[He has to resist the urge to tap his fingers to the beat. He's always had a love for music, but this just feels... wrong, somehow.]

No, it isn't. I've been trying to throw it off, but everything I do just stays in rhythm. Has anything like this happened to you before around here?

No. This is the only place I've experienced this.

[Carefully he runs his fingers along some of the smoother metal bits.]

I'm not like... scared of robots, for the record. I just don't want to be in one again.

This is... [Proto makes a small sound of frustration.] Music has always been a theme around names here, but it's never been like this before.

Maybe we'll find the source of it further inside.

[He appreciates Jun's honesty, at least. Not all humans where he came from were this forthright about their issues with robots.]

Unless things have gone really off the rails from what I remember, there shouldn't be any robots like that around here. It would kind of defeat the purpose of our advanced AI if we needed a human pilot, after all.

... None of them are war machines... right? I mean, unmanned weapons and drones are banned in my version of Earth, but...

[Proto looks vaguely uncomfortable at Jun's question. This is going to be awkward, but no sense in trying to lie about it in a misguided attempt at assuaging his concerns.]

Our original purpose is to help humanity in various ways, like working in industrial zones or by doing ecological research in areas what would be too hazardous for humans alone.

Unfortunately, there is a man who would rather use us as soldiers in his personal war, whether through forcibly reprogramming normally peaceful Robot Masters or through... other means. He's been defeated every time so far, if it helps.

[He has to credit his "little brother" for that much, at the very least.]

... Good. People are stupid... they fight too much. It's too easy to kill when you don't see your enemy's face. Hesitation in a fight can mess you up, like it did for me... but it's important to know you're killing an actual person.

So robots don't belong in a battle... large-scale war is a human invention. Let the humans mess it up for themselves.

I won't argue with you on that.

[Even though hiding his face behind a full helmet had apparently done nothing to hide his identity from Doctor Light, it had had an opposite effect for himself. Covering up had let him deny his former identity and made attacking his "family" easier... for a little while, at least.]

And yet we still managed to inherit many of humanity's flaws anyway.

[He shakes his head.]

Come on, it doesn't look like we'll find any answers in here. Let's check the rest of the house. The door should lead into the kitchen from here.

[He nods and gestures for Proto Man to lead on.]

You're way smaller than the robots I've seen anyway, so I'm not too worried.

[Okay, so Proto just won't mention Gamma. That mess was probably doomed from the start, to be honest.]

Right this way.

[A short flight of stairs up to the main level of the building later, and Proto and Jun are in the kitchen. Much like the lab itself, the room is as clean as a whistle, with every surface almost literally clean enough to eat off of. (Though if Roll were here, she'd probably smack you with her broom if you tried to test that. That is what dishes are for, thank you very much.)

From here, the family room is visible through an open doorway to the side. There's also a hall that leads to the entryway. The utilities room and pantry can also be accessed from the kitchen.

Is there any sign that someone (or something) else is here or has been here recently?]

[Something does feel off about the area. Mainly a small paper trail leading into the family room haphazardly on the floor.

Well, the area is mostly clean but hey, no food crumbs at least.]

... Is someone there?

[He heads into the drawers to see if he can find a knife to defend himself with. It'd be better than nothing...]

[Good thinking, Jun. In the meantime, Proto will pick up the nearest paper and look it over to see what, if anything, is written on it.]

Roll? ...Rock?

...Doctor Light?

[Nothing is written on the papers. They're all blank.

But they will hear a faint rustling noise from inside the room.]

[He has a knife. He inches behind Proto, using him for cover. He doesn't speak, not wanting to alert whatever's there.]

[Proto is having worrisome flashbacks to that creature he and the others had to shoot during their journey to Victoria's Chasm. At least this paper isn't covered in gold ink-slash-blood, so there's that?

He'll grab a heavy frying pan as an extremely makeshift weapon, since it's the closest thing he's got to his shield right now. Even though Proto and Jun are both already dead, he's not putting it past this place to try to screw them over even further.

Time to carefully enter the family room and see what else is in here with them.]

[Going into the family room, there is nothing but silence at first. Not even breathing in that same beat that's been happening. Proto will be the first to see something within the corner: a hunched figure with its back turned to them.

But there's something about that white coat Proto may recognize.]

[He's quiet, but nudges Proto forward. He has no idea who that might be, but he's guessing Proto will.]

[...No. No no nononono N--

Thankfully, Jun's nudge is enough to shake Proto Man from his horror before it gets too out of hand. The odd rhythm that they can't escape, the blank papers... this whole building has felt off somehow. Why should this be any different?

(Please, please don't be different...)]

Turn around and show yourself. Slowly.

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