Taking Responsibility.

[trustbound]

A while after that space behind and above the game room has been accessed, after things have been looked over, Jericho can be heard over the intercom; apparently, it works over in that area as well. "Wow, you guys really are having a great time going through our stuff, aren't you? Good for you! Seriously, look at all of you go, utilizing Rule Four and everything. It's cute as hell. I'm guessing you want something out of all of this, though – I mean, we absolutely could leave you there to just sort of mull things over until somebody else dies, but that seems like a waste of everybody's time, and believe it or not, I'm not too crazy about wasting tme. So if you're all happy with what you found, go ahead and head down to the courtroom – as always, we'll be waiting for you." And as he's said, the door the courtroom below is unlocked and open when you arrive; as always, feel free to follow that darkened stairwell down to that familiar room made of concrete and steel. There are so few of you now. Kyrie's photograph has joined the others in the circle that have their pictures in monochrome, their podiums draped in black – but notably, the podiums have all been rearranged. There are definite patterns to it, if you look; either way, feel free to find and take your place. The pit in the center of the circle remains darkened, but it isn't as though it matters much for the time being, given that there would be no one in it; after all, the thirty-sixth podium, across from all of you, is occupied. Hilda is standing there, dressed in black as always, a notebook folded tightly against her chest – not the notebook that killed Aligula, but a nice leatherbound one. She looks at everyone expectantly as they walk in; the implication is incredibly clear. It's you against the guilty. Take control of your fate, and hold them responsible. When she does speak, it's simple and straightforward, especially as compared to Jericho's rambling. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Comments

[trustbound]

[And with that, she just...smiles, and it's honestly not a particularly nice expression; it's something to do with her face, something that doesn't really suit her features, though it's brief and short-lived. She pulls that notebook closer to her chest, and when she shrugs it's a light shift, just a vague lift of her shoulders before she resettles.]

I wasn't created "just like" anything, because I'm me. That's all that really matters, but since you guys seem a little confused, I'll help you out. Because I didn't lie to you earlier - I can look like anyone I want. Alena, Hilda, Jericho...anybody. As long as I've got a personality to build off of, someone that I can draw resources and memories from, I can be whomever I'm needed to be.

But I'm not perfect; I made a mistake a few weeks ago, and you'd all be mad if no one was punished for it. So I killed one of my faces off so I could control another one. It's a pain in the neck to do two at once, you know?

My name is Rachel. This is the last surprise I have for you, I promise! Hopefully you don't mind if I look like this for a while longer – Hilda isn't my mom, but I like looking like her, too.

[It's so nice to finally meet you all in person.]

[matchbreaker]

... So you rigged this against yourself?

[ Or was that "face" Adelina talked to totally autonomous? or... was someone else directing them to find things in the first place? ]

[trustbound]

Jericho's going to be really mad if I answer that.

[matchbreaker]

[ . . . ]

Fair. I suspect he'll be mad no matter how this pans out, though.

[ So that's basically a "yes," huh? ]

So Alena died ahead of time, but was Hilda ever involved with our exercise?

[heritrix]

—I have a hunch the real Hilda is dead as well, actually.

[matchbreaker]

I'm feeling the same way, but I don't have any evidence I can recall. Do you?

[heritrix]

I dismissed it earlier, but Cabanela might have really been on to something. In that letter I read, Jericho refers to Hilda in the past tense.

Let's say that locket was Hilda's reminder that she was on the right path. The fact that it's here without her then can't be a good sign for her continued health.

[perpend]

As do I.

[trustbound]

She was not.

[matchbreaker]

Well then... I'm sorry I didn't get along with one of your faces but I've liked you under this one. I suppose that's a little strange.

[bloodisthicker]

...I... I would quibble on us being mad if no one was punished. But.

...

Wait, are you Jericho too? Who aren't you?

[trustbound]

I'm not Jericho. I help him out, but we're two separate people.

[So at least there's that.]

I'm an artificial intelligence construct built into the mainframe that controls this building. For the people who don't understand a damn word that I just said, I'm basically a fake person that runs the place. I brought you here in the first place, I'm the one responsible for keeping this place running, and I'm also going to be the one to kill you all once the game is finished.

[bloodisthicker]

Oh. I see. That. Erm. I understand, I suppose.

...I'd quibble on that last one, too?

[trustbound]

I would say "unless you guys plan on taking care of that yourselves", but that doesn't seem too likely?

[bloodisthicker]

Well, I would hope we can take care of something, even if it's not necessarily that. Is it even a "game" otherwise?

[notaccurate]

[That. That sure is something. And Luca would probably appreciate that a lot more if he actually understood most of it, but 'fake person' is enough for now.]

So...if you are fake, and you control this place, does that make this place fake as well? What about all of us, are we fake too?

[trustbound]

[...Hmmmmmm.]

I guess that depends on how you're defining "fake" in all of those instances.

[notaccurate]

You'll have to forgive me, I do not exactly know what an 'artificial intelligence construct' is, thanks to my world not having that. But, ah, I was wondering if either us or this place were something similar? At least in the 'artificial' sense.

[perpend]

What the hell....

[trustbound]

[That the hell, apparently.]

[hesperos]

[ ... What. ]

... What the hell? So if you're not Hilda then where is the real one?

[ ..... ]

[trustbound]

She has her own games to take care of. We weren't going to interrupt her by dragging her into this one halfway through.

[hesperos]

So, wait, when you mean by her having her own games to take care of, you mean that she's currently observing one of those games right now?

[ . . . ]

Or is it that you think she's currently doing so and you're completely sure about her whereabouts here?

[ Asking because of those...files. ]

[trustbound]

She's between games right now. But she's preparing for one.

[hesperos]

...So she's recently finished up with the last one she was in and she's already preparing for the next?

[ That's, wow. ]