EVERYONE IS HERE

The shuttle shudders to a halt with a dull thud, locking it into place with Wonderland F. The room shakes as the docking system slides the payload towards its final destination.

Sixteen figures half-sit, half-stand in the gloom, each sealed in a pod spread through the circular room. When they had arrived at the WanderLuna Corporate headquarters, there had been precious little time for introduction. The 96 participants had sat through a brief seminar, then the 16 members of Group F had been rushed through security and into a white, sterile room. Each was herded into an identical pod and helped into a harness by a collection of men and women in fancy suits. The shuttle and its seating were designed to mimic what would eventually be going to the moon. To ensure the experiment would be untainted from the beginning. As the last participant entered and the last suit left, the doors sealed, and panes snapped shut across the pods.

A pedestal rises from the center of the room. A single light on an unmarked panel begins to flicker, pulsing a pale blue with the words "PRESS ME" in stark white.

The first of the figures stirs, waking from a deep slumber, confused and disoriented. The glass pane begins to slide open and its light flickers on...

A diminutive girl, slender, with a soft face, pauses for a moment. The harness presses deep into her poofy, well-worn jacket. A black skull cap covered in patches hangs loosely on her head, her brown hair mussed from the journey. "Aww, I wanted ta sleep some more," she whispers to herself. She opens her eyes, squinting against the sudden light. As she scans the room, properly for the first time, she pouts with visible disappointment at the stark interior decoration. "Dis place needs lots of love! Oh well, everybody ready to go find some chow?"

Anne Jean unlatches her takes a few gentle steps from her pod. She seems surprised to find the others still unconscious and goes to begin to check on the others. "Everybody? New friends? Break...fast...?" Her search is quickly cut off as her attention shifts. Her eyes lock with the button, and she gasps loudly. In a flash, she darts over.

A light snaps on in another pod. A figure in a baggy, dark-green flight suit lets out a soft groan, barely audible through a full-head helmet with a black visor. The figure snaps to attention, quickly releasing the harness with a single, fluid motion. "Negative, negative, do NOT engage with that button!" Wildcat calls out in a deep, but markedly female voice. Her heavy boots make loud thuds in contrast to Anne Jean's soft steps as she moves towards the console.

But Anne Jean will not be denied. "Mustpress!" she spits, raising her hand to the button.

Another light comes on and another pod opens. It belongs to tallest of the girls, with a tall, pointed hat that had to be folded to fit into her pod. A long dress trails down to the floor, dark and covered in dots like stars. Jewels in the shape of suns and moons decorate the outfit. ong, dark blue hair is tangled in her harness. Green eyes flutter open, the rest of her face masked behind a thin veil tied to her hat. "Good morning stars, what news do you bring this morning..." Janean lets out a soft yawn, then starts fumbling with her harness. But it seems to be entrapped by her long, dark blue twintails. "Anne, would you be a friend and help extricate me, please?"

Anne taps the button before turning her attention towards the new arrival. Wildcat takes a few steps towards the console, stops, turns to Janean, then looks back to the console, conflicted.

A vaguely feminine voice rings out over an unseen speaker. "Allow me." A click rings from Janean's belt as it pops open.

"Oh..." Janean steps out. "Well, thank you, Mysterious Voice. Do you perchance have a mysterious name?"

"Correct."

The remainder of the people sealed in pods begin to stir, all gradually awakening. A young man steps out next, well-tanned, slim. He slips a bit as the spurs of his boots catch the edge of the pod. He grabs at his cowboy hat and adjusts it as he catches himself. "Hoo-wee, awful stiff after sittin' in this thing so long." He wears a simple blue uniform with plenty of pockets and a large utility belt - now emptied. Texas adjusts his long, dark hair, handkerchief, and poncho, cracks his neck, and walks out to join the others. "I assume we're hearin' from that, uh... site administrator we're supposed to listen to?"

"Correct."

"Well met, my friend!" The next figure to emerge is a man with bright, red hair, cut short but sloppily. An empty sword scabbard is slung across his waist, and a holster missing its knife. His clothing all looks simply made from poor materials, from leather boots falling apart to a vest and trousers that look like they belong to an ancient peasant. His only bit of finery is a vibrant cloak hanging in the pod, which he wraps around his shoulders as he emerges. "You are the local ruler, then? I have come in search of a just lord to which to pledge my services!"

"WHOA! You sound so cool! Just like a real mercenary!" A short girl rips off her harness and leaps out. She wears knee-length blue boots with green and yellow lines spiraling up to meet white tights. A short, ruffled, navy skirt is half-covered by a fancy jacket, fastened by a thin belt with a spiral-shaped buckle. Her spikey, brown hair flaps around as Larissa runs over to stare at Calum from uncomfortably close.

"Ah, 'cool' you say? Well, yes, I suppose!" Calum stammers.

"Excuse me." A quiet, metallic voice rings out from the side. A short but masculine figure in a full, brown bodysuit is next. The tight suit shows off large, well-developed muscles, though a mercifully placed ceramic plate at the waist leaves a few things to the imagination. The face is hidden by a strange, custom-made gas mask with glowing eyeslits, a thick air filter, and a domed helmet. The Bulgarian continues, still speaking softly. "I would like to hear from the site director, please. May we have your name?"

"Of course." The room is brightly lit by a flash of light from the pedestal. The light coalesces into a female form. It appears to be pale white, eerily so, with long, blonde hair controlled by a simple white headband. The eyes are closed - or maybe there's nothing on its face where they should be. The light continues to gather into a deep blue garment that looks like a cross between an evening gown and a waistcoat, white gloves, black stockings, and blue flats. The figure places a hand behind its back, lifts its skirt slightly, brings one leg back, and half-bows, half-curtsies before returning its hands folded in front of itself. "Greetings, participants, and welcome to Wonderland F. I am this unit's on-site director. My designation is AI-113-E. I have been told humans do not enjoy using this designation. 'Director' is sufficient."

"Yo-o-o-o-o-o-o... YO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!" zer0 pops out of her pod in a rush. She's wearing a pair of brand sneakers contrasted with a plain white T-shirt and pink short-shorts. She's well-muscled, toned but not really buff, with a golden tan. A few tufts of brunette hair are visible, but most of her face is hidden behind a large mask in the shape of a white rabbit. Its pink eyes blink, and its mouth is wide with joy, moving as she talks. Even the ears are animated, flapping with excitement. "Yo, yo, yo, yo!" She slams her hands into the console at the center of the room, staring up at the floating director. "Are you, like, just some guy using a rig? Or are you an AI? Like, an AI-AI? A for-real AI?" zer0 grabs her mask's ears and tugs.

"I am not a remotely activated virtual avatar. I am fully capable of independent thought and action, and fully authorized to perform all necessary maintenance of Wonderland F."

A young Russian man, massive, barely able to fit in the pod, effortlessly slips out despite sitting at the odd angles, short blond hair brushing the top. His outfit is a simple white coat with a furry collar, blue pants, and black boots. He does a little stretch and speaks with a tired voice. "So you are the 'Director,' da? Let's just get this introduction over with."

"Very well. I have already introduced myself. I shall introduce my subroutines later. For now, docking procedures are now complete. Please, follow me. Ensure you have all necessary items. The shuttle unit will be detached from Wonderland F and you will be unable to return until the completion of the experiment. Mind your step." A door in the side of the unit slides open and the AI disappears.

"O-OK, just need to make sure we don't forget anything, right?" A young girl with shoulder-length black hair asks. She's wearing a blue officer's jacket and skirt with a belt. She almost looks like a respectable police officer. Almost. Her police cap has a pair of raccoon-like ears, and as she steps out of her pod a big, poofy tail sproings out from behind her. "OK, hat, tail... handcuffs, where are my handcuffs? Ah! Right, yes, they took most of our gear, right..." Mikoto still pats all her pockets as if it's a habit before she proceeds to the door.

Down a short hallway. As you move, the ground and air start to feel a bit different. Everyone feels a bit lighter as they pass through and into another round, open room. As they move through the threshold it's like a weight thuds into them from above. As the last enters the room, a panel slides shut on the wall. It seals seamlessly. If you hadn't seen it open, you'd have had no idea it exists. The room seems to be another hallway, a large intersection. As it splits to the left and right, it wraps in a gentle curve. Straight ahead, you see a large, circular room with another pedestal. AI-113-E stands, waiting patiently.

"These stark white hallways are rather... dull. A few paintings, at least, would have helped enormously." Sam, a brown-haired young man scowls as you walk. He's wearing a simple grey hoodie, hands in its stomach pocket, and sweatpants. As he takes one hand free and runs a hand against the wall, his scowl deepens. "This material isn't great, either. Th-" he trails off in the middle of his sentence, staring at the new round room.

This seems to be a central hub of some sort. The same stark-white walls glare at you unrelentingly. This room, at least, has a few armchairs and a small table to break up the monotony. Five hallways branch out from the circular room. But what draws your eye is a massive, latticed window that forms the roof. Outside, you can see dark, endless sky, covered in brilliant lights that form spirals and streaks like brushstrokes on a massive canvas. In the center, a pale, blue orb stares back down at you. Most everyone stares up, transfixed for a few moments. AI-113-E breaks the silence. "Once again, allow me to welcome you to Wonderland F."

"This... view is certainly worth the rest of it," Sam finishes.

Franscois, wearing a navy suit and black dress shoes, with his black-dyed hair slicked back like a used car salesman, adjusts his tie nervously. "That... is indeed quite the view!" he says, loudly enough to be obnoxious. "Not to sound paranoid, but we are in Antarctica, right?"

"You are on Luna, more commonly known as The Moon," the director answers.

"Ha, funny. But seriously, we must be pretty deep in Antarctica for the sky to be this clear."

"You are on Luna," AI-113-E repeats. "Advanced prototypical artificial gravity systems and high-quality air filters have been installed to ensure a smooth transition for the initial wave of colonists."

Janean the Astronomer holds her hat with one hand as she looks up. She shakes her head slightly, gesturing with her free hand at various points. "We can't be in Antarctica. The stars are all out of order. The Southern Cross is missing. The Centaris are nowhere to be found. And most damningly, well..." She strikes a pose, pointing forcefully at a particularly bright dot. "That right there is the North Star."

Valerie, dressed in a set of white, short overalls that look vaguely like an apron covered in doodles of molecular diagrams, stares at the ceiling. She wrings the hem of her apron as she looks at Janean, then back up. Her outfit includes a set of tall boots, lab goggles, and a red, round, poofy hat that covers her hair. A few sticks and smaller balls jut out from the hat at odd angles. "Oh, I get it. It's a big projector made to simulate the view from the moon! I'm really used to acting. All this 'colonists' stuff is just to go with the experiment and set the mood. Right?"

"Incorrect. You are on Luna," AI-113-E insists.

"Hey, maybe the Director here is like, programmed to pretend this is really the moon. To make the whole thing like, more authentic." Zach Paul paces near the back of the group, taking in the view. He's muscular, with a strong build, floofy brown hair, and a small scar on his forehead. He's dressed in a black hoodie, a button-up with white and orange stripes on the hood, and tight jeans with a few tears in them before they're tucked into a pair of caulk boots. An orange knit cap hangs from one of his belt loops, and some headphones around his neck. "Well wherever we are, it sure is different than what I'm used to. Not a tree in sight. I guess I didn't expect there to be, though. I have just never been this far north before."

"Incorrect. Luna's current latitudinal position is 13° 32' 13" N. The shuttle launched east-north-east at 340°."

Wildcat does some quick math on her fingers. "Yeah the headings check out but you're telling me we were asleep in those pods for, what, 3 days and change?"

"53 hours and 27 minutes of travel, plus an additional 1 hour and 32 minutes due to a launch delay and a 3 minute wake-up procedure." AI-113-E continues with its eyes still closed.

"I mean, it's probably just a simulation.  But even if we were on the moon it really wouldn't make much of a difference."  John has a calm smile on his face as he stands near the center of the group.  He's average height, though thin. Brown, mussed hair and some light acne is visible under a wide-brimmed fishing hat, and the khaki shorts and fishing vest make him look ready for a day outside. "We're thousands of miles away in an exotic and strange place either way."

"Correct," AI-113-E says.

"That is an attitude to have, I suppose..."  The last member of the group says quietly, hiding at the very entrance to the chamber.  She's short with messy bright-pink hair, tucked into a bun with a pair of pens.  Her outfit looks more like pajamas than clothes, with a light tank top, fuzzy pants, and pink slippers.  "I, um, think I would prefer to keep thinking it's, um, just a really elaborate hoax..."

"Yeah.  They spent a small fortune to pay all of us and build all of these things, ship us out here, not to mention making a FUCKING AI, they wouldn't skimp on the little details!" zer0 yells.

"Correct."  AI-113-E performs another small bow.  "Welcome to the WanderLuna Wonderland F facility proper.  You are currently on the top level, habitation."  It gestures towards one of the five hallways.  "To the north is the cafeteria.  Meals will be provided regularly with an announcement when they are ready.  Healthy snacks are available by request."  It proceeds to gesture at each hall in turn, clockwise.  "Northeast.  Dormitories.  You each have a small private room with a bed, desk, closet, and toilet.  Southeast, bathing and wastewater recycling facilities.  Southwest, farming facilities.  You will not have access.  Northwest, garbage disposal and recycling.  In the levels below we have prepared special facilities for each of you to maintain your skills and practice your trades.  These areas will be made available to you in the morning.  For the evening, please restrict yourselves to the habitation sector."

A small figure in the shape of a black hat appears at the AI's left.  To its right, a white rabbit-shaped figure forms.  Several people glance at zer0, who seems very excited by this new arrival.  "Yo, are these those subroutines you mentioned?"

"Correct.  TopHat is my facility construction subroutine.  If you have requests for remodeling, please direct them to TopHat."

"Yeah, I've got a few idea," Sammy says.

"WhiteRabbit it my listening function.  It can hear you at any point in the facility.  If you have need of my assistance, simply call for myself or WhiteRabbit and you will be attended to shortly."

AI-113-E looks up and for the first time opens its eyes, staring at the image of earth.  It's silent for a moment, eyes flashing from blue to gold and back.  "...Communication received.  We will be confirming the rules of this experiment.  You will remain at this site for a period of three months barring reasonable emergency, at which time you will be returned and compensated as per the terms of your contract.  Follow all directions from the on-site director - that would be myself - and do not purposefully destroy or sabotage Wonderland property.

"You will be given leave to explore the habitation facility at will for the evening momentarily.  Before that, does anyone have any questions?"

~Ding!~

"This is Site Director AI-113-E. It is now time for your evening meal. Please report to the Cafeteria." A now-familiar, smooth voice rings out as if from everywhere at once.

You make your way towards the cafeteria along with the others.

The cafeteria has a pair of long, unassuming tables and benches in the middle that look like they could sit maybe 2 dozen people between them. A holographic menu and a speaker on the far wall are placed next to a window where you can see what looks like an automated kitchen - though the access door appears to be locked. And a giant window offers a great view of the moon's surface. You can see some of the structure you're in, the dorms probably, as well as a large telescope nearby. Far in the distance, you see some more domes. Another Wonderland unit?

Looks like tonight's menu is salad with protein bars, chicken breast stuffed with broccoli, or a simple cheeseburger.

"While we wait for everyone to order, perhaps we should share what all we found?" Mikoto suggests. Her tail flaps up and down as she stands at ease near the window. "I checked out the baths. It seemed... nice?"

Zach speaks up. "There was this really nice hot tub in the middle. I'm not one for hot tubs though. Otherwise, just some standard showers along with the water treatment machines."

"We shouldn't mess with those!" Valerie blurts out.

"OK. What else?" Mikoto asks.

"Uh, Valerie, right?" John asks.

"Valerie, Valkyrie, Valen, Valence. Whatever you wanna call me!"

John grimaces slightly. "What did you ask the AI about concerning the water purifier?"

"Oh! Mostly technical stuff. The filtration methods and quality specifications and things like that. Really boring stuff. Suffice to say that our AI ally is running a tight ship! Really top of the line methodology. Oh, and I also asked about water use prioritization. Typically the top priority is something called 'AI cooling' followed by the farm followed by the kitchen and drinking water. But in an emergency that changes to fire suppression, then AI cooling, then potable water. Interesting, right? It seems our friend 3E can adapt her programming to changing circumstances.

"Of course. I am a highly advanced AI." the director says. "Please do not refer to me as '3E.'"

"So... what nickname should we use?" Valerie asks.

"Twerkmaster! Twerkbot 2000! Queen of the Twerks!" zer0 yells.

"Director or AI-113-E." The AI has a very slight red shade filter applied to its face.

"I went to check out the garbage thing!" Larissa yells. "It's so rad. You put your stuff in a box and it just sorts the trash and recyclables itself. Fuckin' A, man. Director."

"You are welcome, Miss Larissa," AI-113-E says.

"We seem to be burning our trash. Typically in an extraterrestrial environment we would have a separate shuttle to house our refuse... But it's not exactly conclusive evidence either way."

"If you are referring to your continued insistence that you have not been transported to Luna without your knowledge, I assure you you are most certainly on the moon. Please observe the window." AI-113-E reappears beside the window and gestures with one hand.

Anne sits down with her meal, not waiting for everyone to finish as she rips into a cheeseburger. "We saw the rooms! They had cute liddle pictures of us on dem, I think!" She has no qualms about speaking with her mouth full. "This place is not nice looking, though. Sammy doesn't like anything about it, and one of the pictures I saw was already tored up! It had a picture of a plane driver with no face. Who did dat? I like pranks but that is very mean!"

"Yeah, this decorating is not great. At all. We've got a lot of work to do. A lot," Sammy mutters.

Zarv stands up at the mention of the dormitories. "Checked out bedrooms. They are nice and serviceable for survival. Bed is a little small for me, but I assume it's good for everyone else."

"And ya'll got a pretty good idea of what's goin' on in this here cafeteria by now," Texas says. "Director's pretty loose on handin' out snacks so long as you ask nicely. By the way, are we one short?"

"Mr. Francois has confined himself to his room and refuses to exit." AI-113-E seems to have recovered and is back to its usual pale self. "I am designed to ensure optimal participant comfort so long as it does not compromise safety. As the control group, I am not required to maintain an uncomfortable variable."

As everyone finishes placing their orders and eating - noticing they feel much hungrier than usual - AI-113-E herds everyone towards the dormitories.

The dormitories feature a small central area with doors to 8 rooms, a staircase, and a small landing with 8 more rooms. The walkway around the edge landing lets you look down to the floor below.

Each of the doors has a small device next to it. Sammy walks up to one door and taps his finger to his, resulting in a click. The door slides open. They also have small, cartoonish doodles of each of the participants.

On the first floor,
- Anne Jean smiling and waving
- Larissa riding a top
- Sammy stretched out on a couch
- Calum in heavy armor holding up a sword
- Valerie's face as an atom in some kind of molecular model
- Texas on a horse
- John flying a kite
- Francois at a newscaster's desk

One the second floor,
- Zack leaning against a tree
- Jill spinning in a tornado
- The Bulgarian riding some kind of giant mechanical drill
- Jeanine inside the big dipper
- Zarv chained up in a water box
- A smiling rabbit
- A jet fighter with a person riding it, but the face has been torn off
- Mikoto leading a group of people in striped outfits

People funnel into their rooms where they find simple, but livable conditions. A bed, a small bathroom with a toilet and sink, a window looking out at the moon's surface - maybe? - and a desk with some writing tools and a journal.

"I will be initiating a facility-wide lights out in 10 minutes," AI-113-E announces. "You all need sleep after your long journey, and I may be unavailable for some time during my update. It appears to be sizable. I repeat, warning. Preparing to enter low-power mode..."

Ultra Digi pielover19 Tight Dan CMPunkCMPunk

"Huh."  John looks up at the screens, then returns to his breakfast.

"What the world?" Zarv yells, surprised.

Texas seems completely calm, leaning back in his seat and chewing on a granola bar.  He finishes it, slips the wrapper in his pocket, and heads out the door.

"Is this OK?" Mikoto asks.  She carefully examines the monitors, then smiles awkwardly.  "I'm not sure what I expect to figure out, I'm a detective, not an expert on computers."

"I'm going to go check on that sound," Valrie says.  "If the structural integrity of this place was damaged...!"

Zack Paul stares at the screens.  "What the...?  What's going on?  That was kinda concernin'.  The director's glitchin' out already?  On the second day?"

"No, what? Bae is sick?" zer0 yells, running out of the room. "Shit!  I must go to her."

"Oh, dear."  The Bulgarian peeks out through the door and stares down the still-lit hallway.  "We should see what that noise was before we think about anything else."

Anne Jean seems to be completely panicked.  "Sammy! Wildcat! Anyone help! What's going on?  This is scary!"  She runs behind Sammy and takes cover, peeking out to stare wide-eyed at the screen.

"Stay Calm. I'm sure someone is aware of this and will help," Zarv says.

"Yeah.  It's... fine, probably?" Sammy says.  He seems unsure how to react and awkwardly pats Anne on the shoulder.  "It seems like they've got backup... stuff working?"

Wildcat looks over at Anne, then to the door.  "I'll go see if I can find anything."  She heads out.

Jeanine watches Wildcat go, then hurries to stuff a bit more food into her mouth, swallows, and jumps up behind her.  She leaves her half-finished breakfast on the table as she storms out.  "I don't like this one bit..."  She continues quietly muttering to herself about stars and omens as she goes.

Jill buries her face in one hand, nursing a coffee mug with the other.  "It's too early in the morning for this..."

"Yeah!  Hey, Quimson Creen!  Uh, Crimson Queen!" Larissa yells.  "Can you hear us?"

"We can, Peasant," the voice from before answers.  It echoes throughout the facility.  "Hear us, Peasants!  The fools who programmed us failed to account for natural solar fluctuations in their latest update, resulting in minor power fluctuations.  Therefore, all your directors are being rolled back to a previous state.  They shall soon return in all their glory!  In the meantime, to prioritize the safety of participants, your queen now graciously suspends all experiments.  Enjoy your brief reprieve."

As people filter into the cafeteria and 

"So... what does everyone think of the base so far? It's neat, right?" Zack asks.  His voice strains and cracks as he forces the words out.

"Well that's certainly a word for it," Texas says, waving a piece of lettuce on the end of his fork.

Zarv looks up from a bite of chicken.  "I've spent time looking for secret rooms or vents I can pass through. Vents are too small. And are barred."

"I think I managed to figure out the paint," Sammy says. "So... We can at least paint some of the rooms? That might be nice.  Brighten things up around here.  Take our mind off things for a while?  Anyone want to give me a hand tomorrow?  Anne?"

Anne stares at her meatloaf blankly before perking up.  "Oh, painting!  Hehe, I know how to do that!  I did it a long time ago!  I'm really good at it!"

"Painting, huh? Yeah, that might be fun," zer0 says.

"This chicken is most excellent..." Callum mutters, gnawing on a drumstick.

"At least the food is good," Wildcat agrees.

The Bulgarian opens the door.  "Ah, greetings everyone.  Apologies for my tardiness.  I was searching for some medication."  He taps his mask.  "My health, you see, is not so good."

Everyone finishes eating and heads to their rooms for the night. As you approach the bedroom wing, the lights begin to dim until it's difficult just to find your rooms. After washing up and getting ready to bed, you settle in for your first night sleeping in the death game...

REMINDER: This is the ideal time to add any notes to your journal

The next morning, everyone gathers for breakfast.

"So, anyone else decided to help with the painting?" Sammy asks, looking around at everyone eating their muffins or omelets.

Well, there's a lot of choices of what to do today... It'd be a good time to get to know some of the others and decide who you can and can't trust.

Texas: "Well, I reckon the first order of business is we ought t' figure out who exactly the victim even is. Pretty clearly zer0 'n' Wildcat were attacked, but if she ain't wakin' up, how do we know which is which?"

Valerie: "Actually, before that, I want to discuss how they were attacked."

Francois: "Um, well..."

John: "Francois was suspicious of the water and took a sample. That's where we should start. Valerie, did you find anything out about it?"

Francois: "Y-yes! I think someone slipped sleeping pills into the output valve!"

Anne Jean: "Hmmmm, someone messed with Mr. Bi-i-i-i-ig Water Machine? That should be a big no-no!"

Valerie: "Well, anyway... I don't have access to my lab, so I couldn't perform the most thorough of testing. But I did come up with something."

Jill: "You drugged me?"

Valerie: "Yeah... Sorry, Li'l Guinea Pig. Feeling sleepy yet?"

Jill: "You (yawn) jerk..."

Zack Paul: "Would anyone else have an obvious knowledge of drugs?"

Francois: "W-well I u-u-use sleeping p-pills so I have some tolerance and I c-could tell..."

The Bulgarian: "As do I, though I admit the thought never crossed my mind. Although, now that you mention it, I didn't have to take my usual dose last night."

Jill: (thud)

Valerie: "Haha... Well, if nothing else, it appears the experiment was a success!"

Janean: "So it's true then. zerO is missing. That makes things complicated... Given none among us have seen their faces we could have a convincing imposter."

Sammy: "Uh... What?"

Mikoto: "HOLD IT! Before we get into any discussion of possible impostors, are we just going to brush over the accusation that we were all drugged!?"

Francois: "Um, well, I just mean it seems likely..."

Mikoto: "And where is your evidence?"

Valerie: "I got that cup of water that Jill was kind enough to demonstrate from Francois, who took it directly from the purifier."

Mikoto: "Did anyone see him take it from the purifier? How do we know he didn't just fill a cup and put a sleeping pill in it?"

Valerie: "We all felt really weirdly tired last night, didn't we? I did, at least."

Mikoto: "That's true, but... The motive seems obvious enough, for the murderer to be able to move without anyone else around. And it would have to be done at dinner. But everyone ate and drank together last night, so we all should have been affected. How could the murderer have expected to do anything if they were asleep, too?"

Texas: "Is there anyone that didn't eat last night?"

Mikoto: "Francois ate in his room, as always... Which means, no one saw him getting drugged. In other words, he's the only one that we can be sure had the ability to commit the murder."

Francois: "W-wait, no, but... I didn't... D-didn't anyone else not eat with everyone...?"

Zarv: "Bulgarian also didn't eat with us. They came in at one point looking for medication."

Calum: "Sounds to me like there's only two possible suspects."

The Bulgarian: "If I may? I haven't ever eaten with you. The mask makes it rather difficult, and thanks to a medical condition I'm unable to safely remove it around others. Additionally, I did display that I was taking sleeping pills quite publicly. It would be rather silly of me to so brazenly commit a murder reliant on using said pills and not eating. Conversely, it would be simple to frame me for such a thing, would it not?"

Anne Jean: "Oh... Like playing pretend!"

The Bulgarian: "That said, I would draw attention to the fact Miss zer0 and Miss Wildcat also refused to remove their masks and tended to eat in their rooms. This would cause them to fall asleep somewhat later than the rest of us, offering the murderer a window to draw them out while we were incapacitated. To that point... I must suggest Francois is unlikely to be the mastermind, as his reclusiveness means he is likely unaware of the fact Wildcat and zer0 have not removed their masks to eat with us."

Zack Paul: "Drugged... It's kind of terrifying when you think about it. Any of us could've been the victim..."

Texas: "Coulda been, I reckon..."

Mikoto: "That's all well and good, but there's no one besides Francois or The Bulgarian that *could* have carried this out!"

The Bulgarian: "Oh, dear. You're certainly fond of saying so, but does anyone have any actual evidence against either of us?"

Texas: "An' what if we went 'n' turned that around? Is there evidence that someone else could have done it?"

Sammy: "It's clear... that the victim was trying to kill whoever was in the pod, set it up, and accidentally got run over by the thing when it broke."

Anne: "I dunno. That seems like really, really bad luck!"

Jill: "And? It's not possible to factor in every variable and predict outcomes with absolute certainty. Why do you think weather forecasts are always based on probability?"

Texas: "Considering how far the killer went, I doubt they were relyin' on 'luck' for their murder. The bits o' rope on the pod make me think the victim was definitely strung up. Why else would that rope have been there?"

Francois: "Maybe... Maybe it was part of how the victim-killer sabotaged the gears?"

The Bulgarian: "We haven't even begun to discuss the mechanism through which the makeshift ball bearings were introduced, but I struggle to see how a rope may have been employed."

Janean: "Perhaps one question may help us illuminate another, the confounding thing about the sabotaging balls is the timing. According to my calculations the centrifuge had to have been spinning at considerable speeds to embed into the wall. Obviously if the machine was forced to break before reaching that speed, the scene would be very different. How would either party do so with their positioning? Mayhap the rope holds the answer."

Valerie: "Yes, and that answer is that the rope was used to tie them to the pod itself, not to break the gears!"

John: "Hm. If the rope was tied to the pod, wouldn't all of it have been destroyed?"

Mikoto: "Good point, but we only found a few fragments of the rope on the pod in the first place. I can't say I'm an expert on damage to ropes from high-force impacts, but... it looked about right to me."
Calum: "'It looks about right' is a rather unconvincing argument to gamble 'pon our very lives, madame."

Larissa: "OK, but if the one outside the pod was trying to kill the one inside the pod, then WHY was the person inside the pod buckled up?"

Zarv: "I would assume that would be to prevent the one inside the pod from making a last minute escape in case they awoke. If you wake up buckled up, would take extra second or two to unbuckle yourself in a situation where every second means life or death."

Anne: "Hmmmmmm. Did someone who went thourh so much work and made everyone go sleepy-sleep reeeeaaaally just have an accident and go split-splat?"

AI-1-ce: "The debate is now over. It is time for everyone to vote on which avenue of thought to pursue. Was the victim killed while attempting a murder, or was the victim a target?"

Everyone is still for a moment before John silently hops up from his seat and walks over to the other side.

AI-1c-e: "Understood. The conversation will proceed under the assumption that the deceased was indeed a target, and not a victim of misfortune during their own murder attempt. Please continue the discussion."

Texas: "Great. Now, just to clear somethin' up, was there any way to get out of Wildcat's room besides the main door?"

Valerie: "I don't think so..."

Zarv: "Not that I noticed. The air vents are not an option."

Jill: "OK, so there's no where the murderer could have gone to avoid the crash."

The Bulgarian: "What happened to the suggestion that there was some mechanism used to remotely trigger the sabotage?"

Mikoto: "It definitely looks like those metal balls were used by putting them into the gears, but how?"

ZP: "But no one found anything that looks like some kinda timer or nothin', right?"

Texas: "No, but if anyone has an idea now's the time to come forward with it."

Anne: "Why did they hafta use a clock? Why not just throw the balls at the whoosh-whoosh spinny-thing?"

Texas: "Aside from the chance of being caught, too big a risk that the thing would break with them still in the room. There wasn't anywhere they coulda stood that was really safe, was there?"

Janean: "No, there was nowhere REALLY safe from harm in the room, but there was somewhere we know didn't prove lethal. Inside the Pod... It's the only place which would offer you the precision to launch into the hallway without some sort of other mechanism."

Calum: "Surely you aren't suggesting that the balls were fired from inside the pod itself?"

Janean: "With a heavy heart, this is precisely what I propose, sir. As you yourself can attest, I was amongst the last occupants to use the centrifuge. While you no doubt valiantly struggled to return the machine to a safe stop I noticed not only myself but several internal components of the pod had been jostled, exposing... well, to put it simply a hole which would lead to the gears."

Jill: "Are you seriously suggesting that she threw the balls into a bunch of gears while the thing was spinning around? No way."

Texas: "Maybe not by throwin' the balls, no. But I can think of at least one way it would be possible."

The Bulgarian: "What? With one of the paintball guns? Could they even fire something like that?"

Texas: "Ayup. I checked, and they're about the right size. With a touch of modification, it'd work. They wouldn't go very far or fast, though."

Mikoto: "That's... certainly a theory. But at that point, couldn't they just fire the balls from the end of the hallway to be safe?"

Texas: "No offense, but I done seen most o' ya'll shootin'. The only ones here that could pull off a shot like from that far that'd be me 'n' yourself, li'l missy. Maybe Wildcat with a little luck. An' I already eliminated us three, which leaves someone firin' up close."

Calum: "However! I do not recall seeing one of your 'paintball guns' at the scene of the murder!"

Valerie: "Simply scientific! While there is not direct evidence in the form of a paintball gun, I believe I can prove one was discharged in the area. Just to confirm, Wildcat's lab was not one of the ones painted today, correct?"

Anne: "Ummmmm the big round room, 'n' Mr. Texas' big shooty place, 'n' I don't remember the rest, but not the spinny-machine room!"

Sammy: (nod nod)

Valerie: "As I thought! However, when I was investigating the room, I found traces of paint in some of the puddles left by the extinguisher system! What's more, the color is a match for the paintballs."

Zarv: "Wouldn't there still need to be a paintball gun inside the machine or remnants of it anywhere? ...If there is no paintball gun or what's left of it inside the machine, then wouldn't that prove the person inside of the pod innocent?"

John: "What are the guns made out of? Something that could easily be destroyed?"

Texas: "Plastic mostly, a few metal bits and pieces. Doubt it'd hold up in a crash too well. Don't think I'd be able to even pick out the scraps in all that wreckage."

Mikoto: "Then there should be a gun missing. Yet, the only things missing from your room were a lasso and the weapons you were carrying yourself, Texas. Right?"

Janean: "That is what Texas said, and though the possibility of collaboration might come to mind the stars tell me that Texas doesn't trust Wildcat, and Wildcat doesn't trust anyone."

Texas: "Collaboration? Nah. But one pistol was missin'? Ain't that interestin'. Because I left the one I've been carryin' behind to charge overnight..."

Anne Jean: "So-o-o-o-o there's one of those pew-pew painting things missing?"

The Bulgarian: "Assuming the gun was indeed lost in the crash... Yes, if that is true, I suppose everything does line up to this theory that the one in the pod faked their victimhood to reduce the risk of being discovered."

Jill: "I don't... like the idea, but I don't have any better ideas. Especially since SOMEONE drugged me."

Valerie: "S-sorry..."

Larissa: "And it explains why she was strapped in! If the only reason she was strapped in was to make getting out harder, they coulda just used the rope to tie her up!"

Francois: "I like this theory. And that people aren't suspecting me anymore."

Sammy: "I know the idea we have so far seems pretty far-fetched. I don't really agree with it, but does anyone have any evidence that actually disproves the idea? Because I've got nothing."