CL nods and backs away from Martin 2, "Yup, he is all good. That odd sweaty smell of dirt must be coming from HIM!"</Green> CL points at Dan and leaps over to begin his hygiene test on the prisoner.

Dan glances at CL but seems to concentrate his attention on Joseph.

As CL begins the hygiene check, Dan says, just loud enough so the other Troubleshooters can hear, "I have a cache of weapons.  I think you'll want to help me escape so I can give them to you in exchange for saving me.  I have bioweapons, a neurowhip, tanglers, and even blue reflect armor."  His hand snaps down quickly and grasps CL by the forearm.  He is strong, and his grip is unyielding.  You're quite sure he could take down an entire resistance army by himself with his military attitude, his strength, and his steely eyes.

"You'll help me, right?" he says, looking into CL's eyes as he holds CL's forearm with just a slight perceptible edge of threat in his voice.  He lets go of CL and waits for a response.

"That would be treason!" CL leaps back and points at Dan, "You are suggesting Treason! Seth! Alert the others that a criminal has aggressively attacked one of the computer's very own trouble shooters!"

Dan glowers at CL.  "You really think someone condemned to die cares about treason at this point?  The guards here don't do anything unless there is physical danger.  This is probably the one true place where ideas can exist freely."  He pauses, with a wicked smile.  "...for the condemned, that is.  Thanks for putting on a show, but we all know how you truly feel."

Lynn emerges and says, "My, my.  Perhaps zumvun needs zum rest, no?"  She takes Dan by the arm and leads him back toward the cells.  "More smiling and drinking makes for a happy clone."

She gives a dark look to CL.  "Our duty iz to make zem calm before zare terminations.  Threats work not so well as happiness.  Everyvun must smile and have fun."  She laughs as she tries to lead Dan away.

Dan looks at CL while Lynn leads him off.  "You will have your up-and-comings," he says.  "Make no doubt about it."  He looks at his watch to check the time, and realizes he isn't wearing a watch.  Then he walks with chin held high next to Lynn.

The security guards don't seem to care.  No one seems to care much about protocol down here in the termination center.  That is, except for the termination process.


Tension level 10

12:00 p.m.
Prisoners Served: 120
Prisoners Not Served: 202
Prisoners Per Minute Served: 6


The janitor makes his way over while you go back to serving drinks and cleaning the restroom.  He is an extremely hygienic middle-aged man of medium height, blond hair and blue eyes, whose teeth sparkle in the termination center lighting.  He smiles and seems to like to chat.

"So finally getting around to that restroom, huh?" he says.  "Sure stinks around here, in more ways than one."  He smiles at his little joke.

The other prisoners are still coming for their drinks, but they are walking away as soon as they get them, leaving a wide berth around him.

He says to you, "Sometimes a prisoner doesn't react well to stomach blows, or a little leakage runs out of the termination booths.  That's when they call me in.  Clean up the little messes.  I keep 'em all company too, try to cheer them up before they go in the booth.  I been around here a long time, know everything 'bout this place."

He faces CL.  "Yep, it's hard to be a hygiene officer.  Used to be one myself.  We gots a lot in common.  But I'm rambling.  That's what I do.  You got any hygiene officer tricks you learn someplace?  I'm itching to learn things, if you got something to learn me."


This message was last edited by the GM at 23:09, Mon 11 May 2009.

Smiling he says, "Well the trick is to get rid of all the grim and guck first. Normally with a type of incendiary cleaner."
CL takes out a grenade and places it in a nook in the slag to blast it to bits. He takes some dental floss from his kit and wraps it around the pin, taking out line he makes clear of the blast area and the asks every to make clear before he pulls the dental floss to pull the pin.

Gunther says, "You mind if I ask why people don't want to come too near to you?"  Gunther appears a bit nervous to be so close to the janitor.

The janitor says, "Sure.  Name's Humphrey, by the way.  Anyhoo, I think they might've heard wind of my accident.  It was a bioweapons accident.  It aged me prematurely.  That's why I'm probably the oldest looking feller around.  Some say it addled my brain some too, but I don't see that none.  Some of 'em, I think they may think it's contagious, but how'd they know?  They all go through the termination center so quick they couldn't show signs of nothing.  But the staff, yeah, they keep a good distance from me.  Course, they're 'bout the only ones who leave here breathing."  He pauses, considering.  "And you, I s'pose."

He says, "I was an IntSec top officer in this sector.  No lie there!  They put me in as janitor after the accident, prob'ly t'keep me around people I can't contage with, but I don't mind none.  I..."  And he begins rambling on, standing "right close" to CL and admiring his clean uniform.

CL smiles and pulls the dental floss, pulling the pin. "Good clean fun."

PM

GUnther takes a step back from the janitor and resumes cleaning the restroom area, stearing clear of the infectious guy.

Tension level 10

12:05 p.m.
Prisoners Served: 150
Prisoners Not Served: 172
Prisoners Per Minute Served: 6


Martin 2 gets a strange look on his face.  A guard reminds him that the bathroom is broken.

The janitor wanders off.  The guards seem to be not totally with it, even more than usual.

Lynn has walked off with Dan back to the cells.  You hear them mumbling something.

A moment later, Jessica-G emerges from the director's office.  "What's wrong with those guards?  Back on duty!"  She is not happy.  The guards seem completely at a loss and ignore everything.  They seem superbly happy and smile like goons.

Your service service is now complete and ready for inspection.  The restroom area is fairly well cleaned out.

Martin 2 leans over and whispers something to CL.

You continue with your service duty to make sure prisoners are being served, but then four well-armed GREEN level IntSec guards arrive from above.

"Come with me to the director's office," one says, listing off each of your names.  He says nothing about suspending your duty to serve beverages to the prisoners.  He probably doesn't have authority to override the computer on that one.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:42, Wed 20 May 2009.

Lynn approaches, separating herself apart from Dan.  "Has our team leader created a problem, sir?" she asks.  "Vee have been trying to be happy anyvay."

Apparently sensing no opposition, the GREEN goons lead you up to facility director George-B's office.  (Check map -- it is in the bottom right corner.)

Tension level Unknown

12:10 p.m.
Prisoners Served: 150
Prisoners Not Served: 172
Prisoners Per Minute Served: 6

No prisoners are currently being served


George-B's office is made of steel walls, apparently as protection in case of a riot or something.  Otherwise, it seems like a normal, everyday office.  George-B sits behind his desk.

"What can I do for you?" he asks.

One of the GREEN goons says, "These Troubleshooters' names have been added to the manifest of traitors to be terminated at this center."

George-B seems nonplussed.  "Is that so?"  He nods as if accepting that fact.

The GREEN goon adds, "And their names show up at the top of the manifest, meaning that they are to be terminated immediately."

George-B nods calmly as though this is a natural occurrence.  "Very well then."

Needless to say, this comes as a complete shock to you as plastic handcuffs are slapped on your hands and some sort of electric prod is held near your heads.  You notice with a sick sence of irony that the electroprods are newly refurbished with the rubber handles you just delivered.  You feel an electric sensation as the prods stun you.

(While stunned by the prods, you are still conscious and can speak weakly but can't do anything physical.)

Lynn says, "I, uh, I believe zare has been some mistake here.  Vee have not committed treason, sir."

Bruce taps a pen on his desk.  "I'm listening," he sasy with a smile that reveals nothing.

Joseph has a question mark look on his face (the what have we done to be treasonous look)

Seth is bewildered, but does his best to defuse the situation.  "Sir, I believe my team has been quite forthright and I am certainly am unaware of any grand treason that could encompass us all.  This certainly puts us all in a tough spot, but before we do anything drastic would you please check with the Computer to see whether our termination takes priority over our mission?  There are still approximately a hundred and seventy prisoners who are not in compliance with experimental happiness regulation PEC-V-9A-65992B... not to mention ourselves, if our names are now on the list."

"Falsely accusing a Troubleshooting team of treason is interfering with their mission." reminded Gunther.

"That would make it a treasonous act.  Therefore, Friend Computer requires that we be informed of the name of the person who entered us into the manifest, and the details of the treason which they fabricated, so that we can write up the facts for Friend Computer in our report."

George-B listens patiently to your problem.  "I believe you," he says, nodding with concern.  "You are truly great Troubleshooters trying to do the will of the Computer.  IntSec has actually had problems with data security recently."  Under his breath, he reiterates, "Just one more reason to privatize these centers, I say."  He looks down at the manifests and studies them, eyes furled.  "Nevertheless, he says, the bureaucracy required to fix these manifests--and the approvals needed--"  He shudders demurely.  "Well, I think it's best that we just submit you for termination and sort it all out with your next clone."

He smiles.  "Yes, that is by far the wisest decision.  It obeys the Computer and allows your clones to get justice.  And maybe your clones will even help me privatize this center so nothing like this happens again."

The electroprods have made you weak, and the goons drag you by the ear -- yes, the ear! -- and take you to the termination room.



(You are now in the area marked "termination booths.")

You are now next in line at the termination booths, standing weakly waiting for your own terminations.  You can hardly move, except to talk, and unsure if the stun prods will wear off quickly.  The goons yawn as they turn you over to the euthanasia experts and leave.

And you begin to wonder if trying to escape would then make you a traitor since it would directly disobey the Computer's order in the manifest, unless there really was some mistake, but then...

...but before you can ponder that further, the termination booths open.

The janitor comes nearby, ready to clean up any sloppy mess in case you are not cleanly terminated.

Someone good at technical things might just be able to disable the termination booth, if only you weren't weakened by the stun prods.

You see that the primary areas of escape are probably:  (1) if you could just dismantle the termination booths, you might be able to go down the flushing system to wherever that takes you; (2) if you could make it back to the toilets that exploded, you might be able to descend into the bowels (yes, I'm sure you saw that pun coming) of waste removal system, giving your hygiene officer a headache; or (3) perhaps you could go back the way you came, fighting off the guards; or (4) perhaps there is some other way, like a secret door in George-B's office or something like that.  Who knows?  Doesn't really matter, seeing that you are about to be terminated.

If those pathetic slobs we were serving beverages to offered to cut us such good deals to save them, I wonder what these guys must have heard... could be a good chance to root out treason!

Seth addresses one of the euthanasia experts weakly, "You should know, we aren't your normal run-of-the-mill customers, we're troubleshooters!  I can only imagine the depraved ramblings and treasonous pleadings you must have been subjected to in your line of work... would you mind if we debriefed you while you're getting everything ready for us?  It would be a great service to the Computer and terribly helpful for our mission report."


OOC: What clearance level are the euthanasia experts?  Is the tension level known?

Lynn says, "Computer Phreaks did this us.  I bet anything.  Still, vee must smile until our duties are done."

She calls down the hall, "Hello.  If you don't help us, vee can't help you, no?"  She hopes the newfound friends will help.

"Oh look, it's the janitor.  Didn't he say something about how contagious he was earlier?  I was thinking I was feeling pretty sick after talking to him earlier.  I guess it's a good thing this clone is going to be executed.  I'm not sure I could live my life happily knowing I was contagious with a bioweapon."

Gunther's face twisted as he said...  "Ah... ah... ah..."  unfortunetly with the handcuffs on, he was unable to cover his mouth and sneezed violently right into the face of one of the GREEN guards.

"Excuse me Mr. Guard." he said politely.  "Very sorry about that.  I guess I'm just getting sicker by the second."

Bruce salutes patriotically an declares, "Our friend, The Computer, has done this out of its incalculable wisdom.  It would not ask us to do this if it were not for the betterment of the Alpha Complex!" He marches into the termination booth assigned to him, smiling stoicly.  He turns around as the door closes behind him, and the smile tweaks to a smirk as he cracks his neck proudly.