We're back and Akurei still hasn't thrown out that disgusting
chunky salsa dip... (Believe us, if
we told you how that came to be, you'll wish we had not.)
...or eaten it all. Seriously, that stuff is awful! (More
like awesomely bad***! *crunch*) *gags* (Ew,
gross! Was that a bone!?)
Well, let's get going and pray no one else will become nacho
dip...
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Drug
References, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
Junpei: All right, let's just rest for a minute, okay? You
think you can walk?
'She nodded weakly. Junpei lifted June to her feet, and guided her
to a nearby chair.'
Junpei: Here we go...
Swing your arms from side to side, come on! It's time to do the
Mario! (You just had to throw in a
stupid reference somewhere in here, didn't you.) Yes, yes I
did.
'As gently as he could, he set her down in it.'
Junpei: How are you feeling? Are you all right?
'She nodded, and as she did, a single huge tear rolled down the
side of her face.'
(Oh...did the innocence get
'burned' out of her.) (That
was just horrible...) ...in more ways than one, besides; the
jokes implying impending rape involved Clover being the victim, not
June.
June: Why...Why did this happen...
Because the plot says so. (That
was harsh enough to come out of the Monsters' mouth...)
'Her voice cracked, broken by misery and grief and choked by
sobs.'
(Told you so.)
June: Why did this happen...
'Junpei spun around.'
Junpei: Do any of you know what the fuck is going on here?! Who's
Zero?! What's this "Nonary Game"!? C'mon! Anybody?
Anything?! What the hell is going on?! What are we doing here?!
'No one spoke. Ace, Snake, Santa, Clover, Seven, and Lotus...They
simply stood there, 7 pairs of downcast eyes and 7 grim lines for
mouths.
June: ...
'June's body shook with silent sobs.'
([sarcasm] Aw, look, the silly
'naive' girl is SO 'distraught' over the fated death of a selfish,
jackass human. [/sarcasm]) (...)
... (What?! Was it something I
said?) It was more the words you decided to put 'emphasis' of
'specific words' rather than 'what' you said as a whole.
'The slowed, as the minutes ticked by, and eventually they
stopped. Then suddenly, in the cold, heavy silence that had enveloped
them like a thick fog, a bell began to ring. The clock in the central
hall. 7...8...9...10 times... And then, on the 10th ring, it stopped.
The sound of the bell faded away into silence.'
Ace: It's 10 o'clock, then.
(No shi...) You already
did that gag back in the first post.
'Ace said what each of them had been thinking.'
Seven: That means it's been an hour since Zero's little
announcement.
(No...) (No,
just, no.)
'Seven's deep voice echoed across the room.'
Santa: Fuck!
[sarcasm] Most! Sophisticated and eloquent thing said! Ever!
[/sarcasm]
Santa: I've had enough of this crap!
'Santa leapt to his feet, his fists clenched.'
Hey blogger! "Leapt" is so a word! Quit underlining it
in that stupid red-colored wavy line all ready! (The
people in charge of the spell check system here are not going to
change it because some game you're LPing just happens to use it a
lot.)
Santa: How long are we gonna pussyfoot around like this?! We've
only got 8 hours until this time limit Zero was going on about is up!
Let's get goin' already! Go! Go!
'Santa's outburst fell on deaf ears. No one seemed to agree with
him.'
Time to bust out the ear plugs, everyone...
'They stared back at him, their eyes blank and their faces tired.'
(*ji...*) (*ji...*)
(*Snacks on 'chunky salsa'-covered
nachos*) (Ew, ew, ew!
Gross!)
'Finally, Lotus spoke.'
Lotus: No, I refuse. I'm not going to end up like him.
Santa: ...Him? You mean the 9th Man?
Lotus: Of course. Who else?
'In his mind's eye, Junpei saw the corpse again.'
Which reminds me of a specific
Internet series... (Most!
Shameless plug! Ever! Besides, this silly blog doesn't get enough
real traffic as it is.)
'The dark, reddish-black pool of blood...'
(Red and black, my favorite
colors...)
'The scattered pieces of flesh...'
(*holds up nacho* Like what I've
got...) *gag* (Put that
unholy abomination of a snack food away!) (Okie-dokie-Loki!
*eats nacho*) ([sarcasm]
Have I ever mentioned how horrible a person you are? [/sarcasm])
'Organs strewn across the floor like the blossoming of a grotesque
flower...'
So in other words, a rafflesia.
(What?) Also, called a
'Corpse
Flower', it's a flower
that smells like rotten fle... (I
think we get the point, thank you very much!)
'The explosion that had torn thought his body had been powerful.
The 9th Man's neck had been twisted at an odd angle. Junpei suspected
the detonation had thrown him against the wall.'
(Now did he...*munch* ...die
before ... *crunch* ...or after he hit the wall *chew chew*?)
(You're asking this while treating
the 9th Man's remains like chunky salsa dip!?) And you've just
let the proverbial cat out of the bag.
'Half of his face was crushed, and the other half was covered in
blood. Most of his abdomen had been emptied, either by the explosion,
or by gravity.' Or by Akurei using it for the aforementioned raw
chunky salsa dip. (What!? It was
cooked.) And by "cooked" you mean "killed by an
explosion". (Exactly! *crunch
chew smack*) (Great, now
Shimohi has to barf.)
'He had landed on his back, and stark white ribs jutted up out of
his chest, like the legs of some sort of macabre crab.' (Yo!
Can I get some crab to go with these nachos!?) (I'm
not going to dignify that with a response.) And yet that
itself counts as a response, in a way. (AAARRRGGGHHH!)
'Junpei felt something flip in his stomach.'
Santa: I think he just...screwed up.
'Eyebrows went up, and Santa continued...'
(Maybe you can say they were
"held
high"...) (You
don't even watch that show.) Just there for the "stupid
reference". (*sigh*)
Santa: He probably set off some sorta trap, and that killed him.
I'm not gonna screw up like that!
(Maybe he knows more than he
lets on, if you know what I mean.) (Great...)
You managed to hint at a spoiler AND make it sound like innuendo at
the same time.
Santa: I'm gettin' outta here alive!
Snake: Hehe...hehe... Ahahahahahahaha!
'Whatever Snake was laughing at, Santa did not find particularly
humorous.'
So...Snake knows something as well.
Santa: What's so goddamn funny!?
Snake: Oh, my apologies...You were just... So very confident!
I couldn't help myself.
Santa: What the fuck!?
"WTF", indeed.
Snake: I think you've mistaken the situation.
Santa: Huh?
Snake: The 9th Man's death. It had nothing to do with a trap. Or
at least not the sort of trap you imagine it did.
(It was because I desired to eat
nachos dipped in chunky salsa a-la 'exploded human' mode!) (No
it isn't!) That was a bit of dead baby comedy meant to take
advantage of actual events in the game. (Anti-joke
chicken much?)
Santa: Then...?
Snake: He broke one of Zero's rules. That was why he died.
That was read out loud in the last post... *checks post
#2* ...I don't see anything that directly says anything about
what the 9th Man did. (Funny that
you should say that...)
Snake: Quite simple if you think about it.
[sarcasm] Great, now I'm reminded of another snake
in the grass... [/sarcasm]
Santa: ...?
Snake: You still don't...? All right. How about you take a moment,
and think back to what Zero said. Specifically, what did he say about
the number of people?
Santa: He said "Only [3-5] people can pass through one
numbered door." ...Right?
Snake: And after that...? You've forgotten the relevant part. What
did Zero say?
Santa: ...?
'Santa furrowed his brow in thought. Junpei thought back...'
<<Zero said...>>
-...that only 2 people can go through.-
-...that everyone who verified had to go.-
-...more than 6 people can go through.-
I think, even if you had to reread the previous post, you'll
figure out what I picked...
Junpei: "All those who enter must leave, and all who enter
must contribute." ...Right? I think it was something like
that...Whatever it was, it means that groups of less than 3 or more
than 5 can't go through.
Snake: That is correct. A gold star for you, Junpei.
'Snake inclined he head toward Junpei.'
Snake: The 9th Man, however, broke that rule. He tried to pass
through a numbered door by himself. That was why he was executed.
Seven: Then Zero's watchin' us from somewhere...Makin' sure we
don't break any rules...
(Like, maybe, among you.)
Akurei, I'm getting really annoyed at this.
Snake: Oh, I'm not so sure of that.
Seven: Why not?
Snake: Because this execution system is entirely automatic. You
didn't notice? There's no need for him to monitor us.
Of course...it's automatically assumed that if a persons sex is
unknown, that
person's a man.
Seven: Wadda you mean?
'Snake looked at Seven with what could only be described as pity
and sighed.'
(Sorry, 'technical difficulties'
and all, be right back.)
Snake: Very well. I see it must be me who tells you. I've waited
long enough, I suppose. I had hoped Zero might spare me the trouble,
but...That seems increasingly unlikely.
'He couldn't see them, of course, but perhaps Snake sensed the
confused eyes upon him. When Ace spoke, he gave words to everyone
else's thoughts.'
Ace: Do you know something?!
Snake: Well, I know a great many things, but...Yes.
Ace: What is it you know?!
Snake: Here.
'Snake removed a card from the pocket of his jacket. With a
flourish, he presented it to Ace, who took a close look at it and
spoke.'
Ace: Come on, now. What's the point of giving me this?
Santa: Gimme that.
'Santa snatched the card from Ace, but his expression of disgust
quickly turned to one of confusion.'
Santa: Huh? The hell is this...
'Seven tugged it out of Santa's hands.'
Seven: Heh. I see...
'The card went from Seven to Lotus, from Lotus to June, and
finally to Junpei. He looked at it, and understood.'
Junpei: This is braille.
'Braille. The written language of the blind. The card was covered
with small, embossed bumps. Junpei could recognize it, but he
certainly couldn't read it.'
Junpei: Sorry guys, I can't read this.
'Junpei handed the card back to Snake, who nodded at him with a
small smirk.'
Lotus: Okay, that was fun. What's so important about that card?
Snake: I found it in my pocket. I can only assume it is a message
from Zero.
Ace: F-From Zero?
Santa: A message?!
June: W-What does it say?!
'Suddenly, everyone was crowding around Snake, desperate to hear
what the message said. Santa especially looked as if he were about to
grab hold of Snake and shake the answers from him. Snake raised his
hand.'
Snake: Calm down now. No need to panic. You don't need to force
me, I'll read it.
(Indeed, Shimohi couldn't make a
comment for a while without tearing open old wounds concerning the
aforementioned snake in the grass.)
'Junpei swallowed hard and waited for him to start. He was not the
only one. Presently, Snake began to read, his voice calm. His fingers
glided over the tiny bumps as he spoke.'
Snake: "Bracelet number (2)...Since you are not blessed with
sight. I shall bless you--and only you--with information. I shall
tell you of the function of the RED, of the DEAD, and of the
bracelet."
'The [RED]is the Recognition Device. It will verify your
number. Beside every numbered door, you will find a RED. The [DEAD]
is the Deactivation Device. It does
exactly what it says. Once you have passed through the numbered
door, you must use the DEAD to stop the [detonator] in your bracelet.
But perhaps you are wondering... What does this detonator detonate? I
am afraid this may be something of a surprise. I have placed a [small
bomb] inside of you, and the people whom you are about to meet. You
swallowed it while you were unconscious.'
Well why not... (Hold it there,
you're about to suggest that they barf it up...)
'I have no doubt that by the time you read this note, the bomb
will have passed your stomach and found its way to your small
intestine. In other words, you will be unable to regurgitate it. I
suggest you do not try.'
(See what I mean.) At
least that was only a minor spoiler...
'As I mentioned before, the bracelet on your left hand contains a
detonator. Think of it as a remote fuse, or [timer], for the bomb in
your body.'
(Liar...) About what? The
bracelet being a detonator or the existence of a bomb in the first
place. (Yes.)
*sigh...*
'There is only 1 condition which will cause it to detonate. That
condition is that you enter a numbered door. Once you have done so,
the timer will activate, no matter who you may be. You will have [81
seconds]. If, after that time, the detonator has not been
deactivated, it will send a signal to the bomb in your body,
instructing it to explode. In order to deactivate the detonator,
[every person who verified their number at the RED] must also verify
their number at the DEAD.'
(Or else you will be...)
OK, that was actually funny. (I
don't think it is.) Of course you don't.
'Once all numbers have been verified by the DEAD, you will need
only pull the lever at its side, and the countdown will cease. Anyone
who does not verify their number at the RED will find themselves
unable to verify their number at the DEAD. That is to say, if you
should pass through a numbered door without first verifying your
number at the RED, in 81 seconds you will be dead. You must also keep
in mind that the numbered doors will close automatically after [9
seconds] have passed. So long as the door is open, the DEAD will not
function. You would do well to remember this. Lastly, let us discuss
[how to remove the bracelets]. There are only 2 ways to do so.'
There is a little bit of hope... (That'll
soon be dashed upon the rocks of this is only the...) (SHUT
UP!) I didn't know there's such a thing as "The Rocks of
this is the only the shut up!" (*facepalm*)
'One: You escape from this ship.'
'Two: Your heart rate reaches zero. In other words, once the
bracelet is taken outside the confines of the ship, or detects that
its wearer's heartbeat has fallen to zero, it will shut down
automatically. There is no other way to remove your bracelet. If you
attempt to force it off, or disable the detonator, the bomb within
you will immediately explode.'
Snake: "This is all the information which I can impart to
you. How you choose to use it is for you to decide. If used wisely,
you can eliminate those who might be a danger to you."
(So, you're saying that
Snake...) (No.. *crunch*
...the 9th Man was not turned into this awesome chunky salsa by Snake
lying to him. *munch*) Are you going to eat those
gross-covered nachos every time the 9th Man's mentioned. (Yeap...
*chew chew crunch* Bone fragment, annoying.)
Snake: "For a time, you would be able to control your fate. I
wish you the best of luck."
'Snake finished reading, and carefully returned the card to his
pocket. The message had been lengthy, but its meaning was clear.
[Only those who verified their numbers at the RED could pass through
the numbered doors]. Teams could not increase or decrease their
numbers. The [REDs], [DEADs], and [bracelets] enforced the rules.
They were judge, jury, and executioner.'
'In defiance of Zero's suggestions, both Santa and Seven put
fingers down their throats and began to gag. The rest stiffened. Some
touched their stomachs-'
(Wheee! They have bomb babies!)
Once again, Akurei, that is wrong
on so many levels.
'-Others just stared at their bracelets. Junpei gingerly touched
his stomach. There was a bomb inside his body. The thought of it made
him queasy. His stomach felt oddly hollow, and his legs were weak.
Why had Zero designed such a ludicrous game? Junpei looked over at
the others.'
Junpei: All right, I'm gonna ask one more time. Do any of you know
anything about Zero?
'They were all silent, each person waiting to hear what the others
would say. Finally, Santa spoke.'
Santa: Actually, I...I saw him. I saw Zero when I got grabbed. I
didn't see his face, though...Son of a bitch was wearing some kinda
gas mask.
(Don't you mean, Bi...)
...with an itch! (Now even you're
joining in on this!?) (Oh,
right, that'd be a bad thing for someone to say about their own...)
OK, I'm going to have to stop you there.
'...'
Santa: ...What the hell? C'mon guys, gimme something... You know,
like...surprise or something.
'Instead, it was Santa who looked surprised. There was a moment of
silence, and then everyone spoke at once.'
"Yeah, I saw him too!" "Me too!" "He was
wearing a gas mask..."
'As stories were sorted out, the truth became clear: All of their
stories were the same. They had been abducted at home, at midnight.
The person claiming to be Zero had worn a mask. There had been white
smoke, and then each person had passed out. When they awoke, they had
found themselves on D Deck, in a room with a 3-level bunk bed. Only
Seven's story seemed to lack the detail of the others.'
Seven: Oh...Me...? Yeah, well, mine was just like the rest'a
yours...
'That was all he had said. It had occurred to Junpei at the time
that it sounded somewhat strange, but he didn't press the issue. He
hadn't done so, because there was something that struck him as even
stranger. That was the mystery of the relationship between Snake and
Clover.'
(Kinky...) I'm not even
going to comment on that one.
'For some reason, they had been abducted from the same room, and
woken up in the same room. Junpei looked at them, thoughtfully.'
Junpei: So what's the deal with the 2 of you, anyway?
'It was Clover that answered. Clearly, she felt she had nothing to
hide.'
Clover: We're siblings.
(Like I said, kinky, but I'm
sure they're still hiding something...) (Ew,
like, gross and disgusting!) Niyagi, when did you turn into a
valley girl?
Junpei: Siblings!?
Clover: Uh...yes? Snake is my older brother, obviously. That means
I'm his little sister. That really so hard to understand?
'Junpei was taken aback. The others seemed just as surprised.'
Snake: She is correct, of course.
'He laid his hand on Clover's shoulder.'
Snake: Are you...surprised?
(Yes.) (No.)
Meh.
Seven: Well, yeah, but...
Snake: Why? There are other people here with connections to one
another. Those 2, for instance...
'Snake pointed at Junpei and June.'
June: Oh, you mean between Jumpy and me?
Ace: Ah, yes. You did say you were childhood friends, didn't you.
Lotus: You went to school together?
June: Y-Yeah...
'June glanced at Junpei, uncomfortable with the sudden attention.'
(Aw, come on, childhood friends
are common. It's 'nothing' really.) [sarcasm] Really, you're
really implying that? [/sarcasm] (Implying
what?) Never mind.
'Junpei felt somewhat nervous as well, and tried to scratch his
head as casually as possible.'
Santa: Hey...You think maybe we could figure out who Zero is this
way?
Seven: Yeah, you're right. You connect the dots between the
victims and that leads you to the perp. Textbook stuff.
Lotus: Junpei, June, does any of this ring a bell?
Junpei: Ring a bell...
June: Ring a bell...?
Is the clock going to start chiming down the literal eleventh
hour?
'They looked at one another. And like it was staged, they both
tilted their neck at the same time.'
Lotus: Well, perhaps you went to school with the son of a
multi-millionaire...
June: A millionaire...?
Junpei: Son...?
Lotus: Well, someone bought this boat, and set up all of...this.
Did she gesture
at all of the ship? (Not
another stupid reference!)
Lotus: Whoever Zero is, they must be incredibly rich.
Ace: Well, we can't be sure of that. To me, this seems as though
it's the work of an organization, not an individual. Zero is most
likely simply the representative of a larger group.
(Yeah, and you have plenty of
experience with this sort of thing.) (What's
that supposed to mean!?)
Seven: What sort of organization?
Ace: It could be a number of things. An army, perhaps, or a
research group.
(Or a pharmaceutical company...)
*ji...*
Ace: Perhaps this is all some sort of psychological experiment.
Santa: If it is, then it's a pretty fucked up experiment! I mean,
c'mon! A guy's dead!
(Go look in a mirror!)
(Who should look in a mirror?)
(Bo...) I'm having none of
that here.
'The word "dead" hung in the air, heavy and ominous. The
room went quiet again.'
Santa: I dunno who the hell this Zero asshole is, but I know sure
he's gotta be pretty fucked up in the head to do all this.
(Takes one to know one.)
Santa: If this was all 1 guy, then he's got some serious
issues.
(You've got serious issues!)
I think you've used the "NO
U" meme too much by now.
'Even with the spectre of death hanging over them, their
discussions continued for some time. In the end, however, they
learned nothing. By the time they finished, 1.5 of their 9 hours were
gone. All they had to show for it was impatience.'
(Same here.) (Same
here.) Can we quit wasting time and get to the doors already!?
Santa: Man...Look we only got 7.5 hours left, okay? You really
sure you want to just sit around?
'No one was willing to argue this time.'
Ace: Very well then. There's only one way for us to proceed.
Seven: Sure not gonna be fun running around knowin' we gotta jump
when Zero says "Jump".
Jumpy! (Jumpy!) Jump!
(Magazine!)
(*facepalm*)
Clover: Well, it's stupid to just sit around here doing nothing.
(Not to mention boring!)
Lotus: Thanks to Snake's card, at least we have some idea of how
this all works.
Snake: Correct. And so long as we follow the rules, we
should...ah...we will most likely be all right.
June: But...
(Is this going to be another
stupid question...)
Junpei: But...what?
June: Who's going to go in which door?
(OK, that's a pretty good
question.)
'June looked toward the numbered doors.'
Junpei: Oh yeah... That's right. We can't have any more than 5
people in one door. All 8 of us can't go in the same door...
Ace: Then it would seem we will have to split up.
...Gang? (A Scooby-Doo
reference this time...)
Lotus: W-Wait!
What is it now!?
'Lotus looked terrified.'
Lotus: I'm telling you now, there is no way in hell that
I'm going into door [5]!
Ace: Come now, don't be selfish--
Lotus: Call me whatever the hell you want, I'm not going in there!
If I'm going to have to walk through all that blood, then I'd rather
stay here!
Ace: *Sigh*
Well, I'm not the only one that does that.
Ace: And we were doing so well...
'Ace shook his head sadly.'
Santa: Sorry, but I ain't goin' in there either. Someone else can
go into door [5].
Ace: Oh, Santa not you too...
Santa: Hey man, I just bought these shoes. If you think I'm
getting some creepy dude's blood all over 'em, you got another think
comin'.
(I believe that's supposed to go
"you got another 'thing' coming".)
'That was the last straw.'
Junpei: What the hell, man?! Weren't you the one who kept saying
we should get going!?
Santa: Yeah? So?
(You do realize there's another
door, right?)
Santa: Doesn't mean I wanted to go into door [5].
Ace: Oh God...
'There was an awkward silence. Finally Seven spoke.'
Seven: Fine. I'll go into door [5]. I can't go in there alone,
though. Anyone else willing to come with me?
'There was another long silence. This time Snake was the one to
break it.'
Snake: I'll go.
Clover: W-What?!
Snake: Don't worry. You'll be fine. We may part now, but I'm
certain we'll meet again later.
Clover: How do you know that?!
Snake: Because I do.
Clover: That's not an answer! If you're going, I'm going too! I'm
going into door [5]!
Snake: What am I going to do with you...
Ace: There's nothing you have to do.
'Ace stepped forward.'
Ace: If I join you, the problem is solved, correct? Seven is (7)
and Snake is (2). And if you add Clover's (4) and my (1), the digital
root will be [5].
7 + 2 + 4 + 1 = 14. [insert arrow here] 1 + 4 = [5]
Clover: Oh! It works perfectly! The 4 of us can go into door [5]--
Seven: Wait.
(I think I know what the problem
is...)
Seven: What about the other 4? What's their digital root going to
be?
'Junpei did a quick mental calculation. Lotus, Santa, June, and
Junpei remained. Their bracelet numbers were (8), (3), (6), and (5).'
<<(8365) ...What would their digital root be?>>
-[2]-
-[3]-
-[4]-
-[5]-
'8 + 3 + 6 + 5 = 22 [insert arrow here] 2 + 2 = [4]'
'He repeated what he'd determined.'
Junpei: It's [4]. Add up our 4 bracelet numbers, and the digital
root it [4].
June: Then we can go into door [4].
Santa: Yeah. Huh, that worked out well.
'Junpei ran over the team assignments in his head one more time. 4
people would go into door [5]: Seven, Snake, Clover, and Ace. 4
People would go into door [4]: Lotus, Santa, June, and Junpei.
Junpei had to ask himself if the teams were what he really
wanted. Beyond door [5] was what remained of the 9th Man.'
(Besides, the Monster doesn't
need any more of that unholy salsa.)
'He never wanted to see that...thing again, but...Something
in him said it would be unwise not to examine the corpse even a
little closer. Of course, if he went through door [5], he wouldn't be
going with Lotus and Santa. True, it would be possible for him to
bring June with him through door [5], but that would mean she would
have to see the horrific carnage that waited there. Junpei didn't
want that. Junpei was torn. Should he stay silent, and go though door
[4]? Or should he stop them all, and insist on door [5]? As he turned
his options over and over in his mind Ace spoke up.'
Ace: All right then...It seems we've reached a conclusion. Shall
we go?
'He began to walk toward door [5]...Clover and Snake followed,
with Seven a short distance behind. Junpei...'
<<Which door do you want to go through?>>
-...decided that door [4] would be fine.-
-...decided that it had to be door [5].-
I have...
'...decided that door [4] would be fine. He would go through door
[4] with Lotus, Santa, and June. Why had Junpei even considered doing
otherwise? He would be there for June...'
(You guys just really hate my
awesome chunky salsa dip.)
'For Akane Kurashiki. That seemed good. He felt it was the right
choice to make. He made no shows of affection, but Junpei saw her as
something more than just a friend from his childhood. He watched the
other 4 walk toward their door...Ace, Snake, Clover, and
Seven...Junpei said nothing as they left. Before long, they had
reached door [5]. They talked to one another for a few seconds,
saying things Junpei couldn't hear, and then laid their hands, one by
one, on the scanner panel of the RED.'
'Ace grabbed the lever. His face tight with determination, he
turned over his shoulder to look at Junpei and his companions.'
Ace: Goodbye.
Lotus: ...Be careful.
'As Ace pulled the lever, the door swung open; the mouth of a
great, hungry beast. Beyond the door, Junpei knew, lay the sad
remains of the [9th Man]...'
(Sad, maybe. Delicious, hells
yeah!) *gag*
'It did not surprise him that Ace, Clover, and Seven hesitated.
The body was not a pleasant thing. Snake, had no such problems, as
his blindness made him immune to the horror. He stepped though the
door, his feet making a wet "splack" in the pool of blood.'
Snake: Do you intend to kill me? I assume you haven't forgotten
the door only remains open for 9 seconds, have you?
'Snake had not even bothered to turn around, but the other 3
steeled themselves, and stepped though the door. Door [5] swung shut,
closing with the heavy finality of metal upon metal. Junpei and his
companions scrambled to the door. They pressed their ears to it, in
an attempt to hear what might be taking place on the other side.'
Junpei: It's beeping...
Lotus: It's just like before...
Santa: Probably the sound of the detonator on the bracelet...
June: Do you think they're...okay?
'June's face showed her concern more plainly than her words ever
could. Almost as though in response to her question, a voice rang out
from the other side of the door. It was Seven.'
Seven: Hey! There it is! That's gotta be that DEAD thing! Come on!
Get over here! We gotta authenticate!
'The beeping stopped. The sighs of relief were audible even
through the heavy door.'
Seven: Phew... Looks like it stopped.
'Junpei and his companions leaned away from the door, and breathed
a collective sigh of relief of their own.'
Junpei: Hey, guys! Are you doing all right over there?!
'They'd heard Seven's voice, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure.'
(There could be four explosions
happening about now...) (Monster!)
Clover: Yup! We're fine!
(Boom!) (EEEEEEPPP!)
That was just Akurei trolling you.
'Despite the recent danger, Clover's voice was as bubbly as ever.'
Clover: Oh, hey, I'm gonna tell you about this whole DEAD thing,
okay?! The DEAD is just like the RED, but the color's different. You
know how the RED was red?
That much was obvious.
Clover: Well, the DEAD is blue! Other than that, it's just like
the RED. Authenticating is the same too!
Junpei: Awesome! Thanks! That helps a lot.
Ace: Well, we should probably move on now. You be careful out
there.
Junpei: Roger that.
'Junpei and the others left door [5] and headed toward [door] 4.
They stood in front of the RED and placed each of their hands upon
it. 4 asterisks appeared on the screen. Junpei grabbed the lever and
turned around.'
Junpei: You guys ready...?
Santa: Yeah...
Lotus: Sure...
June: Let's go...
'None of them looked particularly optimistic, but their faces were
set. Junpei nodded to them, and turned back toward the RED.'
Junpei: All right, let's go!
'With strength and determination, he pulled the lever.'
Santa: Run!
'The 4 of them leapt through the door together. The moment they
had passed though it, each heard a cold, electronic sound coming from
their left wrist. In the center of each bracelet, a red skull
appeared, and began to flash. The detonator's countdown had begun! In
the long moment that each of them spent staring at their wrists...The
numbered door behind them closed, the sound of metal on metal
reverberating down the hallway.'
'There was no way back now. They were committed. If they could not
find the device to deactivate their detonators...'
Santa: Hey! Where the hell is the DEAD!?
Lotus: How would I know!?
Santa: Don't gimme that crap! Start looking!
Lotus: I already am!
'They began to run, eyes looking frantically for the device that
was the key to their salvation. The hallway the found themselves
running down was a long one--easily 300 feet in length. On the right
side of it stood a series of wooden doors, all nearly identical. If
they had taken the time to think, they would likely have discerned
that the doors lead to cabins.'
(Are these guys going to turn
into chunky salsa or what!?)
Junpei: Don't tell me the DEAD is in one of those rooms...
June: Oh no! How many rooms do you think there are?!
'Junpei was too frightened to count properly, but at his best
guess there were 7 or 8 of them.'
Junpei: Ahhhh fuck!
'There wasn't time to count them to be sure. Junpei ran to the
nearest door. He grabbed the knob and shook it, hard. It wouldn't
open. It didn't feel locked... More like someone had hammered an iron
plate over the other side of the door. Junpei turned around to find
another door, and saw that his companions had already run to doors of
their own. They did not seem to be having any more success than he
had. Their own words confirmed his fears.'
Santa: Shit! This one's no good.
Lotus: Same here!
June: It's not moving!
'June was the last to speak up. As Junpei looked in her direction,
his eye caught something he hadn't noticed before...A small, red
light. It flashed at him, dimly, from the end of the hallway.'
Junpei: That's it! Over there!
'Even as he yelled, he ran. He grabbed Santa, Lotus, and June, and
pulled them toward the light. Santa called out to them as he ran.'
Santa: Hey! How many more seconds do we have!?
Lotus: How would I know!?
June: Our time limit is 81 seconds!
Santa: I know that, goddamnit! I'm askin' you how many seconds we
have left!
'In all likelihood, Junpei figured, nearly a minute had already
passed, since the door had closed behind them. If that was
true...Urgency foremost in all of their minds, they arrived at the
end of the hallway. The DEAd sat on the left wall, blinking almost
tauntingly at them.'
("Nener-nener-nener!")
You're so near, and yet so far away! (But
you're going to die anyway.) (That's
not true...right?)
Junpei: Hurry!
'Junpei grabbed hold of the machine, his hands slick with sweat,
and shaking. He slammed his hand against the scanner panel. The other
3 quickly followed suit. With a grunt, Santa yanked the lever
downward.'
Santa: *Pant* *Pant* *Pant*...
(Getting 'naughty' are we...)
(Now that's just wrong 'and' lame!)
Lotus: *Pant* *Pant* *Pant*...
June: *Pant*... *Pant*... *Pant*...
(Boom!) (Will
you quit that already!?)
Junpei: Phew... Looks like it's stopped.
'His hands beginning to steady, Junpei wiped away some of the
sweat that had beaded on his forehead. As they caught their breath,
the 4 companions began to look around. At the end of the hallway lay
a heavy-looking set of double doors. Set into the walls of the
hallway on either side of the larger door were two smaller ones. They
all needed inspecting, but Junpei began with the largest of the
3--the double-doors.' (It's time for Double
Jeopardy!) (Seriously, you went with that pun!?)
'How many times had he come across similar doors, with similar
results, he wondered. Or perhaps, he corrected himself, more a lack
of results... Whatever the reason, the door remained firm and
unyielding, and refused to allow Junpei, or anyone else, passage.
Near the handle was a small keyhole. Above the keyhole was a small
symbol engraved in the brass.'
Junpei: Male...?
That's Mars, most definitely Mars. (You
sure you didn't memorize those symbols from watching Sailor
Moon too much?)
'He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. And stared at it for a
moment in confusion. It was June that corrected him.'
June: No, that's not the symbol for "male". That's
probably the symbol of [Mars].
Told you. (You still watched too
much Sailor Moon in your childhood.)
June: Well, technically, they are the same symbol...
(Technically, nobody cares...)
(*ji*) I was under the
impression that you actually didn't care.
June: But I saw a number of similar symbols near the main
stairway. The symbols of the solar system...
'The Sun...Saturn...The Earth...'
June: At least, that's what I'm assuming.
Junpei: So this isn't the man symbol, it's a symbol for [Mars]?
Well, the symbol for Mars probably got associated with men due to
Mars himself being the Roman God of War. (And
War is Manly! Grrr!) (You're
not a man!) ...Punch!
Wears a purdy hat. (*groan*)
June: I think so, yes.
'While Junpei and June talked, Santa had disappeared. They turned
to find him some distance down the hallway--he had gone to check the
other doors. Eventually he reached the last of them and jogged back.
It took him only a moment to catch his breath again.'
Santa: Here's the deal. None of the other doors open.
June: Then that must mean...
Lotus: We only have 2 more doors.
'Lotus examined the doors on either side of the larger
double-door. Each one had a metal plate attached to it. Junpei
figured they were probably room numbers. The door on the left read
[B92]. And the door on the right proclaimed that it lead to [B93].'
Junpei: All right. Let's open em.
Santa: Yeah.
'Junpei put his hand on the door knob for the door that said [Room
92]. Santa moved to the door to [Room 93]. They'd made it through the
numbered door alive. There was nothing more to be afraid of.'
Seriously, game, did you really have to jinx this...?!
'Junpei and Santa looked at each other and nodded.'
Junpei: 1...2...3!
'In unison, they pushed against their respective doors. ...And
promptly found themselves in a new room. June followed Junpei as he
threw open his door. They turned around, and saw that the door on the
other side was open as well. Through the door was another person, his
mouth agape. It was Santa.'
Santa: Hey...uh... It opened.
Junpei: Yeah... It did...
'Junpei and Santa looked at each other.'
I'm thinking 5 X 3... (Isn't
addition used for digital roots?) I wasn't thinking about
that. (Wufei
X Trowa?) Nope, although that'd be an interesting crack
pairing challenge...also a good poll topic! (Huh...
Five times three equals fifteen?) Nope, stray Junpei X
Santa-based activation of my shipping
goggles. (Ew!
Gross! Gross! Gross!) Aw, come
on, Akurei's nasty-covered nachos have got to be worse than that!
(*crunch* *crunch*)
'They had not expected the doors to yield so easily. Lotus's calm
voice broke into their thoughts.'
----------------------------------
And that's where I'm going to end this post. The original other
half of it is going to be in post #4...and, no, I highly doubt I'll
make it though the first playthrough of 999 in nine posts.
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