Well, hopefully Junpei, June, Lotus, and Santa'll meet up with the others who haven't died a gruesome death by now. ([sarcasm] That's a really cheery way to start a post. [/sarcasm])
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.
'They stepped out of the kitchen and into a hallway that looked rather familiar. A metal grate stretched from wall to wall. Beyond it were 2 elevators and the entrance to the kitchen. They had entered the kitchen from one door and come out the other. That meant their map of the ship's interior was accurate. They laid the map out in front of them, and began to discuss their next step.' (You know what time it is?) Not Adventure time, but Strategy Meeting Time instead! (Exact-a-mundo!) (You two are completely hopeless...)
'There were 4 possible routes. A, B, C and D... First, A and B... A and B both seemed to connect to an L-shaped room. However, the 2 doors that lead to the room... Were both locked, and could not be opened. Next was route C...'
Junpei: This goes all the way to the main staircase.
Santa: That means it's door [5]. One of the numbered doors...
June: Then do you think we would meet up with the other 4 after this hallway...?
Lotus: No, I don't think we will.
June: Why not?
Lotus: Look. There, by the stairs. See how the gate is opened? When we went into the kitchen, it was closed...But it's opened now... What do you think that means?
Junpei: They opened it...
Lotus: Most likely.
Santa: Then if we take route C, we're going backwards.
That's otherwise known as a "Door to before".
June: That would be pointless.
(Those can be pretty handy sometimes, like if you found a key that can...) (Okay! That's enough out of you!)
Santa: Then that means...
'All 4 looked at the map. They all looked at the staircase, its lazy curve leading down, deeper into the ship.'
Lotus: Route D, then.
Santa: D it is.
Took the words right out of my mouth.
June: Yep, route D. Then we're set.
'They jogged down the stairs, until they reached the [C Deck]. Just to be sure, they kept going, to chick the deck beneath...'
Junpei: Yeah, just like I thought. Deck D is totally underwater.
(What!? Do the owners owe more for the stupid boat than it's worth?) (Monster...) (It's a joke!)
June: Just like the bottom of the central staircase...
'The water gazed back at them, its smooth surface like a great mirror.'
(Besides, that water's still oddly...still...Seriously, water on a sinking ship does not work like that!)
'As ominous as it was, Junpei took at least some comfort from the fact that the level hadn't gone up much since the last time he'd seen it. They turned back to C Deck. It didn't take them long to find the 2 elevators in front of the stairs. They looked identical to the elevators on the top floor, with one exception...These elevators had a card reader on the wall between them. On the card reader was a strange mark...'
That would be Mercury... ("Crazy about a Mercury!") "I'm gonna find me a Mercury..." ("...and cruise it up and down the road!") (I'm not sure what's worse, this reference to a car advertisement or what I think is going to be a inappropriate joke about vaccines.) *Thinking about it*
Junpei: Hey, look, it's Lotus's symbol.
Lotus: Huh?
Junpei, you've got that wrong in so many ways...
Junpei: See, it's the woman symbol with a thorn on it. That seems like--
(Dude, you're cruisin' for a bruisin'...)
Junpei: Ouch! Ouch ouch ouch ouch!
'Lotus had taken hold of Junpei's hair.'
(Called it!)
'She began to shake him violently, and he thought he heard a low growl coming from her throat. Such violence...'
... (Is that starting to remind you of that time your mother...) (No, just, no.) Well...that was the result of me breaking a TV remote beyond repair as a stupid teenager.
'Junpei began to wonder if she was not the Devil itself... With an uncomfortable smile, June spoke up.'
June: This is a [Mercury symbol].
Not to be used in vaccines... (Otherwise crazed insane mothers will blame it for why their kids are on the Autism Spectrum.) (That's the sort of joke I was worried you two would try to pull off!) I wish Akurei was kidding about that...
June: The thorn symbolizes the wings on Hermes's staff.
Hermes, seen in the Tarot cards of both The Magician and Judgement... (Dun-dun-duuuun!)
Santa: Hermes, herpes, whatever.
Santa! That's... (*ji...*) Okay, Niyagi, take it away. (Blasphomy! Except that that's only towards a so-called "god" that's not the one and only Christian God. So whatever...)
Santa: If we can't get this thing to work, these elevators aren't going anywhere.
Lotus: In other words, we need a [key card] with the [Mercury symbol] on it.
Santa: Probably.
(What dark secret does the Mercury Elevators hide...?) Akurei... (What!? I seriously don't know.) Fair enough.
'They gave up on the elevator and returned to the stairs. A hallway stretched out to the left. A great many doors lined both sides of the hallway. They weren't sure how many, but certainly enough to be discouraging.'
Santa: Damnit. If we try and search all these, the sun's gonna go down before we've done half of 'em.
June: I think the sun already set...
Junpei: I have a feeling this ship is the only thing that's going to be going down any time soon.
Santa: That's even worse!
Lotus: Well, we can come back to this hallway later. Let's check the hallway on the other side, shall we?
'Frustration and fear building, they walked back to the stairs. To their right was a small hallway. Quickly, they headed into it...It was approximately the same size as the alcove in front of the stairs. The hallway led toward the stern, and at its end was a set of double doors.'
Lotus: Let's open it.
I'm not sure if that's going to be possible.
'Junpei nodded, and grabbed the one closest to him. He gave it a small tug and felt it move. It was unlocked. Thrilled to have found an unlocked door, he threw it open.' I stand corrected, there's got to be someway for our group to meet the others.
'Junpei didn't know what to make of what he saw. He simply stood, unable to speak. The others simply stared, open-mouthed. After a few long moments, Santa managed to speak.'
Santa: Wha...what the hell is this...
(It's a ship's hospital, you dumbass! I swear, you humans are a dumb as bricks.)
'A massive room stretched out in front of them--more a cavern than a room. Its vastness was oppressive, and it bore down on the 4 companions.'
(Bow down before the mighty hospital! MUHAHAHAHA!)
'It was not empty, however. The entire room was filled with lines upon lines of beds. They were simple things, little more than pipe and thin mattresses.'
June: Is...is this a hospital?
Ding-ding-ding! (Once again, June proves herself to actually have a brain! Quite a feat for a human.)
'He had at least been able to put a name to the harsh scent that pervaded the room...The room swam with the harsh, biting smell of antiseptic. In the center of the room were shelves stacked with medicine, and a number of medical devices the function of which Junpei did not know.'
(It's a motherfucking hospital, Junpei, a...motherfucking...hospital!)
'More importantly, however, on the back wall of the room were 4 doors. 3 of them were emblazoned with large single-digit numbers made with thick, red paint. The door on the left was labeled [3]. The second door from the left had no number, but the third had been given a [7]. ...And the right-most door had an [8]. There could be no doubt--they were [numbered doors]. It did strike Junpei as strange, however, that the door between [3] and [7] should be blank. What, he wondered, could it mean...'
Junpei: Let's take a look at the doors.
Lotus: Yes, that sounds like a good plan.
'Junpei headed toward the doors, weaving his way between the beds. He started with door [3], on the left, and moved to the right until he reached door [8].'
June: It's no use...
(You're all going to die...) (Yo-You complete and utter Monster...) Uh, I think Niyagi ran out of ways to describe how horrible you are.
Lotus: Well, of course. If it was that easy to open these doors, what would be the point of the Nonary Game? We have to activate the RED, or the numbered doors won't...Wait a minute...
Junpei: What's wrong?
Lotus: Look. The display on the RED... There's nothing on it...
Santa: Huh?
Lotus: Don't you remember? The RED at the central staircase? If no one was inside, it said [VACANT]...
Junpei: Oh yeah... You're right...
Lotus: But this one...
June: There's nothing on it.
Lotus: Right?
Santa: I wonder if it's broken?
Junpei: Only one way to find out.
'... ... ... ...It didn't respond. All 4 took turns placing their hands over the RED, but it refused to respond. They pulled at the lever, and still it did nothing. As the soon discovered, it wasn't only the RED for door [8] that was behaving strangely...The RED on door [7] also refused to respond... And door [3] was similarly silent... None of them would respond. What did it mean?'
(You're all fucking screwed...) Wait a minute, there's got to be a solution to this problem. (I know there is, but I just like proclaiming the doom of humans 'cause I can.)
Santa: Haha. I knew it. They're broken. Zero sure sucks at maintenance.
Lotus: No... That's impossible.
(Okay, so why is it impossible?)
Lotus: You really think Zero, who prepared all of this...Would make such a stupid, simple mistake?
Santa: Maybe, but that doesn't explain why this thing ain't workin'.
'It was at that moment that they heard a voice from behind them.'
Snake: I believe the bottom of the device has been removed.
'They spun around to see--'
Junpei: Snake!
'But it was more than just Snake. Ace, Clover, and Seven quickly filed into the room as well. Although they were glad to see one another, it wasn't terribly surprising that they had. If it had been the other party who'd opened the gate in front of the kitchen, it wasn't unreasonable that they'd bump into one another eventually. The rest of Snake's team, however, did look rather surprised.'
Clover: How...?
Seven: How did you guys...
Ace: How did you end up here?
(Did everyone in the other team take stupid pills while they were gone!?) No, it's most likely that they just didn't have a map to help them out. (I knew that...) (Anything for a joke, huh?)
'... ...After a moment of silence and surprise, everyone suddenly began to talk, desperate to exchange information. They talked about the rooms they'd been through, and how they'd ended up in the same place. Of course, none of it was very useful information, but that hardly mattered. They were happy to simply see one another again.' (Aw, how sweet.) (Actually, I took a peek at the...) Nope, you shut up about that! (But...) "But..." Nothing.
'Although the level of cheer varied greatly from person to person, each one of them was wearing some manner of smile. Almost as though they had already forgotten about the death of the 9th Man...' (I'll fix that soon! *munch* *crunch* *snap* Aw Satan below! Another bone fragment.) (Did you really have to remind everyone how you turned the 9th Man's remains into something like chunky salsa dip!?)
'No, thought Junpei, perhaps that wasn't it. Perhaps thoughts of his death were what drove them to smile at one another.' (Nope, you just did it for me, by the way, thank you for that.) Ouch, Niyagi, you've been trolled... (Don't even get started with that song again!)
'Not in a morbid or hateful way, no. The 9th Man had died... But they were still alive, and that was something to be happy about. A sort of simple, uncomplicated joy, Junpei thought, the joy of being alive.' And yet, I won't be too surprised if Niyagi finds some way to take offense at this. (Well, it still looks like they're celebrating that the 9th Man died. Just like that 'so called' autistic boy.) Now the fact that the statement of being offended is in of itself offensive, that surprised me; didn't think you'd stoop that low. (Our conformist, 'popularity' obsessed Pansy everyone who'd actually read this.)
'Still alive...'
("I'm not even angry. I'm being so sincere right now.") "Even though you broke my heart. And killed me." ("And tore me to pieces. And threw every piece into a fire.")
"As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you!" (A Portal reference!? Here of all places!) Well, the words "Still alive" showed up and so... (We'll have to do this same reference again in the future of this LP.) Don't tell the readers why.
'He felt sorry for the 9th Man, but more than anything Junpei was just happy to be alive.'
Ace: ...There you have it. Our half of the story.
'His part finished, Ace fell silent. For a moment, Junpei was silent, in thought. Then he spoke.'
Junpei: Okay, lemme see if I've got all this straight...When you guys got here, the bases for the REDs were already gone.
June: And you looked all over this room, but you couldn't find anything.
Santa: So you figured...That there might be something in the hallway with all the doors.
Lotus: So you went and had a look?
Seven: Yeah.
Junpei: And while you were looking around, you heard voices?
(Oh no! Did they hear us!?) No, we were to busy spying on Junpei, June, Lotus, and Santa to bother with the other group. (Unless...they were hearing our voices from a future playthough due to that "Morphogenetic Field" shit.)
Clover: Uh-huh.
June: So you followed the voices and came back here.
Snake: Indeed. And that was how we found you.
'Junpei examined the 3 REDs again, just in case. On the bottom of each was a long, thin gap. It looked like a slot for...something. Probably something electronic.'
([sarcasm] Like, oh, I don't know. Maybe...a battery? [/sarcasm])
June: Well...this isn't good...If the RED is inactive... We can't keep going...
([sarcasm] Well, thanks for the update...[/sarcasm]) We know already! (Wow, even Shimohi's telling you to knock it off.)
Junpei: Well, what about that hallway over there? Isn't there anywhere else we can go?
Ace: No, there isn't. There are plenty more hospital rooms, but nothing else.
Lotus: Hospital rooms? That's what's behind all those doors?
Ace: Yes. There are a number of individual rooms, in addition to this large one.
Clover: There was a door at the end of the hallway, but it was locked.
Snake: There was an astrological symbol engraved near the keyhole, however.
So, which planet is it this time?
Snake: I was able to get a good, ah, feel of it.
([sarcasm] Ha-ha. Very funny. [/sarcasm] Not! Your pun is bad and you should feel bad!) *Both Shimohi and Akurei are rolling on the floor laughing.* (What's so funny?) I'd rather not explain that one, you'd just have a blue-screen of death.
Snake: I believe it was the [symbol of Jupiter].
Santa: Not again... Those goddamn things are everywhere...
June: I wonder what they all mean?
'For a moment, everyone was silent, deep in thought.'
Junpei: While we're asking what things mean...What's the deal with this room? I mean... I thought this was a cruise ship, but I can't imagine a cruise ship would have a hospital like this...
(Well, a hospital makes more sense than a torture...) Silence! (I think what you meant was "spoiler alert".)
'Of all people it was Seven who answered, and with calm confidence.'
Seven: Well, I figure it's probably a hospital ship. Chances are, it's the [Gigantic].
Junpei: The Gigantic...?
[sarcasm] Great parrot exposition there, Junpei. [/sarcasm]
'Junpei looked confused. So did everyone else.'
Lotus: What is this "Gigantic"...?
'Seven knit his brows for a moment, then began to explain.'
Seven: The Gigantic...
'He explained that she had been a sister ship to the Titanic, built in the early 20th century. The Titanic had 2 sister ships, who were identical to one another in nearly every aspect. The Gigantic was said to be 1 of them. She was initially intended to be a passenger liner, like the Titanic, but soon after the ship was launched the First World War began, and she was pressed into duty by the British navy as a hospital ship. Some time later, the Gigantic was damaged by a German mine in the Aegean Sea. She managed to run aground after the incident, and consequently was not sunk. What, then, happened to the Gigantic after her fateful encounter in the Aegean Sea?'
'One thory ran that a man named [Lord Gordain] purchased her. Lord Gordain, it seemed, had been one of the few survivors of the Titanic tragedy, and that trauma had turned him into an obsessive collector of all things related to the Titanic. As his obsession deepened, he began to desire the Titanic itself. That, of course, was impossible--the Titanic lay at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The Gigantic, however, had not suffered such a dire fate, and as she was identical to her sister ship, she caught Lord Gordain's eye.'
(So, let me guess, this is going to be "Tin-foil Hat Time 3"...right?) (The rule of...) Trilogy Creep! (...) Nope, that's for a future post.
Junpei: So, you're saying this [Lord Gordain] bought this ship...?
Seven: Yeah. At least I think I am.
Santa: That's impossible! No way we're in some boat that's almost 100 years old!
Lotus: Pipe down. Just pay attention. ...What, that's it? Well, have you got any proof?
Seven: Proof?
Lotus: Proof that this ship is really the Gigantic.
Seven: Well, uh... This ship's got stuff that's like the Titanic and a hospital ship. So I just figured--
Lotus: Oh for goodness... Don't tell me that's your only reason?
Seven: N-No, I've got more...
Lotus: Like...?
Seven: Well, uh, I mean...
'Seven looked around desperately, doing anything to avoid meeting Lotus's piercing stare. He scratched his head for a moment, then gave up. Finally, he opened his mouth.'
Seven: I dunno...
'Lotus sighed and shook her head...'
Lotus: I guess your memory isn't back yet, is it?
Seven: Yeah... Sorry about that...
Junpei: Hey hey hey hey! Wait a minute! "Memory isn't back"!?
'Junpei was, he felt, legitimately shocked by what seemed to be new, and very important, information. Everyone else, however, seemed unimpressed. In fact, they all looked at Junpei as though he had said something very strange. He decided to revise his attitude for the next question.'
Junpei: Wait... Was I the only one...that didn't know?
'Everyone nodded.'
(I knew that.) That's because you're tapping into my memories from those two and one half playthoughs I did before this one.
Junpei: Why!?
Seven: Oh...yeah, I guess I didn't tell you, huh... I told the rest of 'em before we ran into you on the stairs. I told 'em I couldn't remember a damn thing from before I woke up.
Junpei: ...What?
'Then, almost as if to save Junpei from further embarrassment...A bell began to ring from far away. It sounded as though it was the clock at the main stairway. Junpei counted each chime, carefully. 10... 11... 12.'
June: It's midnight...
(Hey! In some parts of the world, that'll mean that The Rocky Horror Picture Show's starting!)
Clover: Then we've still got 6 hours left, right?
Seven: We don't have any time to screw around. Let's get going. We gotta find the missing parts for the REDs.
Lotus: What do you mean "find"? how on Earth do you propose we do that?
Seven: We've looked everywhere in this room. That only leaves one place to look.
Lotus: One...?
Seven: Well, I guess that's not really right...
Junpei: ?
Lotus: W-Wait! Don't tell me you mean we need to search all of the other rooms?!
Seven: Don't freak out. We already searched 4 of them.
Lotus: 4 rooms...
Seven: We just have to split up the rest between the 8 of us. If each person does 6 rooms, that'll be 48 rooms, right?
Lotus: So there are 48 rooms left?
'Her earlier experiences had apparently not encouraged Lotus to trust Seven. Seven scratched his head awkwardly.'
Seven: I dunno.
Lotus: ...
'After a little more discussion, they split up, and headed toward the rooms to begin searching them. Junpei was chosen to search the rooms on the starboard side, moving from fore to aft... They also determined when they would return to report their findings: The next time the clock sounded the time. When it did, they would meet back int the large central room full of beds. If, during their search, any one of them were to locate the missing components, they were to yell for the others. If this strategy failed, they'd return to discuss their options later. The details decided, they left to begin searching. Out into the hallway they went, each to the rooms they'd been assigned. However... ... ...'
'From far away, Junpei heard the bell ring.'
([sarcasm] Great job wasting everyone's time! [/sarcasm])
'It did so only once--it was 1 a.m. He jogged through the entrance of the large hospital room to find 6 of the others already there. Ace, Santa, Clover, June, Seven, and Lotus. They had gathered in front of door number [8]. Or perhaps, to be accurate, they had gathered in front of the RED next to the door number [8]. Had one of them found the missing piece?' (Wait a minute...where's Snake?) (I think I'm getting a refill!) Akurei, you know those nachos of yours gross people out.
Junpei: What happened, guys?!
'It was June who answered him.'
June: Jumpy, look!
'She was pointing at the RED. He pushed through the others until he stood in front of it. Immediately, he knew what she had meant. The display on the front of the RED read "VACANT". Junpei sighed.
Junpei: C'mon guys, who was it? I thought we're supposed to yell if we found it.
June: Well...
'Junpei wondered why she was hesitating. The others looked confused as June, but kept their mouths shut.'
Junpei: What the hell? What is up with you guys?
'They all knew something he didn't and Junpei wasn't about to leave things that way. Fonally, Lotus frowned and spoke.'
Lotus: Well, that's the thing... We don't know.
(*ji...*) (Why in the world are you stairing at Ace?) No reason what so ever.
Junpei: You don't know?
Lotus: When I got back, it was already like this. There was no one else here...
(You idiots! Ace removed the battery packs from the REDs to distract everyone while he can get Snake killed!) Well, there is going to be a post titled "Tin-foil Hat Time 3".
Lotus: That means I was the 1st one back, but... The missing parts were already back in the RED.
'Junpei looked at the bottom of the RED again, just to make sure. The slot that had been open on the bottom was now covered with metal. Clearly, whatever had been missing had been returned.'
Junpei: What about the other 2...?
Lotus: They're the same.
'Junpei quickly examined the other 2 boxes. Satisfied that they were also repaired, but still very confused, he returned to the others.'
Junpei: All right, I just wanna be sure here. Nobody has any idea what the hell happened here, right?
'Ace and June nodded silently.' (They're both lying.)
'Seven raised his hands as if to say "not me", and Santa just shrugged.' "Meh."
'Only Clover lowered her head and did nothing.'
Junpei: Huh? ...Wait a minute...
'That was when he noticed...' (Finally, humans can be so slow...)
Junpei: Where's Snake?
(That's what I pointed out earlier!) Remember, we're like ghosts to them. They can't see or hear us. (Earlier joke aside.)
Junpei swept his eyes across the room a second time, but Snake was nowhere to be seen.
"It's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead, Jim; it's worse than that, he's dead, Jim, dead, Jim, dead." (Once again singing stupid songs...) (Well, actually...) Don't say it.
Junpei: Does that mean that he found them...?
Ace: I've no idea. There's nothing to suggest it, but nothing to suggest he didn't either.
Lotus: I don't suppose we'll know until we can ask him in person.
Seven: Well, whatever he did or didn't do, he's pretty damn late. What the hell is he up to?
June: Maybe he's lost...
(Or maybe he's in a coffin somewhere...) (Don't throw crazy theories out there!) Well it is Tin-foil Hat Time...kind of.
Santa: Yeah, well, that seems likely. Dude can't see. I don't know how he gets around in the first place...
Dude, not cool!
'Clover raised her head.'
Clover: No, that's impossible!
'Suddenly, she was shouting.'
Clover: Yeah, my brother's blind, but he's got really great hearing! He can get around as well as anyone who can see!
Well, if we hear constant clicking noises or something we know what the cause is.
Clover: So he...he couldn't get lost... That's impossible...
'Clover had started to shake, and the knuckles of her hands had gone white. She spun around, but before she did Junpei noticed tears welling up in her eyes.'
Clover: I'm gonna go look for him!
([sarcasm] Good luck with that missy. [/sarcasm])
'The words were barely out of her mouth when she began to run.'
Junpei: Hey! Hold on, Clover! Wait!
'Junpei cried out to her, but he was too slow. She kept going, and before anyone else could react, she was gone.'
Junpei: Damnit... What should we do now?
Lotus: Well, the RED is working now...
June: No, we're not leaving 2 people behind!
(So leaving 1 person behind is a-okay then.) (Ugh...)
June: We should go look for them!
Seven: Aw man, this ain't good...
Santa: Oh, yes, what an excellent idea! We just wasted a bunch of time looking for some piece of electronic junk, now let's waste some more by looking for a couple of idiots!
(As far as I'm concerned, all of you humans are idiots.)
Ace: Then remain here, if you feel you must, but there's no time. We've only 5 hours left.
'Junpei and the others nodded to one another, and took off at a run. ... ...In front of the stairs that led to B Deck, they decided to split up. They quickly assigned search areas, and went their separate ways. Soon only 2 of them were left. Those 2 were Junpei and June, who had been a few steps behind the others.'
Junpei: All right, we should go too!
June: Yes! Let's go! But...where should we start?
Junpei: Let's see...
-The casino (B Deck)-
-The 1st class cabin (B Deck)-
-The hallway with all the rooms (C Deck)-
-Back to the large hospital room (C Deck)-
Why not go through these in order?
Junpei: How about the casino on B Deck?
June: Okay, sounds good.
'They took off up the stairs at a run. Before they knew it, they were there. So was Lotus. She was leaning against the wall, examining her nails.'
Junpei: Hey, what do you think you're doing?
'She glanced up at him, unimpressed.'
Lotus: Isn't it obvious? I'm looking for Snake.
Junpei: I'm just not seeing it...
And neither are we. (Same here.) (Same here.)
Lotus: Really? Maybe you need to look harder.
'Junpei didn't think that was the problem.'
Lotus: Oh, by the way...I've got a proposal for you 2... Care to hear it?
-Listen to what she has to say.-
-Refuse and leave.-
(Why not? In this game we, the players, can take our time.)
Junpei: What is it?
Lotus: Well, I don't like to beat around the bush, so I'll get right to it. Why don't we team up?
Junpei: Team up?
Lotus: Yeah. What, you need me to explain it to you? I'm saying, why don't we go through a numbered door?
(This is starting to sound a lot like that 'alliance' bullshit from Survivor.)
June: Even if we wanted to, that's impossible.
Oh really? Let's see here... *pulls out calculator* *looks down* Oh right. (Yeah...doesn't match any of the doors. You'd need a 2 (3), 2 and 4 (7), or 3 and 4 (8).) But we don't have Snake (2) here. (Ah, right.)
Lotus: Why?
June: Jumpy's bracelet number is 5, mine is 6, and yours is 8. Our digital root would be (1).
And I said just as much.
'5 + 6 + 8 = 19 [insert arrow here] 1 + 9 = 10 [insert arrow here] 1 + 0 = 1'
June: But there's no number [1] door in the large hospital room.
(That door will come latter, my dear.) (That sounded waaay too creepy.)
June: The only doors there are [3], [7], and [8]...
Lotus: Then we add another person.
June: Huh?
Junpei: Who?
Lotus: What, isn't that easy? Seven.
'She was right. If they added Seven...'
'5 + 6 + 8 + 7 = 26 [insert arrow here] 2 + 6 = 8'
'Then the 4 of them could go through the number [8] door. But...'
Junpei: Whoa, hold on a sec. What about the other 4?
Lotus: Why don't you add them up?
'That was simple enough...'
'1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 [insert arrow here] 1 + 0 = 1'
Junpei: The digital root for those 4 would be (1).
Lotus: That's right.
Junpei: And you...know the number 1 door isn't in the big hospital room, right?
Lotus: Of course I know that.
June: No! Are...are you saying you'd leave them behind?
Lotus: Of course not. What kind of woman do you think I am?
(A kick-ass woman who...get this...kicks reason to the curb and goes beyond the impossible?!)
Lotus: Once we get off the ship, we could come back and rescue them, couldn't we? The we wouldn't really be leaving them behind...
June: Don't try to lie to us. I don't think you'd do anything of the sort.
Lotus: Really? Why do you think that?
June: You remember, don't you? We have less than 5 hours left. Even if we managed to escape... There's no way we could come back to rescue them in less than 5 hours!
Lotus: Well, you never know until you try.
Junpei: No, no...You're not thinking this through. Even if we brought Seven with us, we wouldn't be able to get off the ship. The 4 of us couldn't open door [9].
Zero: It is hidden, but an exit can be found. Seek a way out... Seek a door that carries a [9].
June: Yeah... Yeah, that's right. The digital root for us 4 will be (8), so we'd have to add Ace to make (9)...
Junpei: Right.
Unless we bring Ace too, we'll be stuck.
In other words, we need to have as many numbers on hand as possible.
'Lotus scratched the back of her ear.'
Lotus: Oh. Hmmm... Well, that's unfortunate.
'She didn't sound particularly bothered by what Junpei said. ...Nor did she seem particularly surprised.'
(Just like the rest of us.)
'...'
June: Well, let's try and find another way, okay? A way to get out of here with all 8 of us.
Lotus: That's impossible. Are you being serious? You do know that only 5 people, at most, can go through 1 on the numbered doors, right? The number [9] isn't going to be an exception to that rule. Regardless, at least 3 people will get left behind.
June: ...
Junpei: You're right... That is true...
'The moment he said it, Junpei felt a chill run down his spine. It was true. How Lotus could remain cavalier about so terrifying a prospect was beyond him. When they found the number [9], they would have to choose which 3 of them would die. Lotus's forehead furrowed.'
Lotus: Do you think I could have a moment alone? There are some things I need to think about.
'... ...Junpei and June turned, and began walking away from Lotus. Talking to her had left them feeling ill. Junpei's heart felt heavy, and his steps sluggish.' (Are you sure he's not having a heart attack?) I think I pretty sure about that one. (You mean "You're sure that he's not having a heart attack"?) Precisely.
'But, he told himself, pessimism would get them nowhere. So he forced himself to smile, and turned to June.'
Junpei: Let's just focus on finding Snake for now, okay?
June: Yes...you're right. We can think about those other things later...
(Yeah, maybe you can 'axe' about it later.) (That's got to be one of the most horrible puns you've ever done, in more ways than one!)
'Junpei nodded.'
Junpei: All right, where should we go next?
-The 1st class cabin (B Deck)-
-The hallway with all the rooms (C Deck)-
-Back to the large hospital room (C Deck)-
(How very nice of this game to exclude the option we already took.) (Oh well, on with the next option on the list!)
Junpei: Let's go take a look at the 1st class cabin. It's really close...
'They turned around, and took off down the hallway to their left. Outside of the 1st class cabin, they found Clover.' (One missing idiot down, and the other one will never be found...MUHAHAHAHA!)
'She was standing in front of the wall. She was staring at a meaningless point on the wall, her eyes blank.'
<<What should Junpei do?>>
-Talk to her.-
-Leave her alone.-
(Talk to her or not if you want, either way you missed getting that stupid bookmark.)
Junpei: Are you all right?
(Of course you'd elect to talk to her. Shimohi, you're kind of a softie.)
'He did his best to sound friendly, but Clover didn't respond.'
Junpei: Look, I know you're really worried, but...um...
'He could think of no words to say that didn't sound hollow and fake.'
Sounds like Junpei just rolled a 1 on his diplomacy check.
'Junpei hesitated. Clover was so consumed by worry and fear that Junpei feared it would crush her. Her actions didn't surprise him--she had suddenly lost her brother, who she seemed to have been very close to.'
Clover: ...lone...
'Her voice was thin, and barely audible.'
Clover: ...lone...
(Yo! Token Mini Moe! Could you speak up!?) (I think if she heard you say that'll you'll get an axe in the back or something.) (Oh, I know it won't be me who'll be 'axe'ed to death.) I'm getting the idea that Niyagi's getting tired of the ask/axe puns. ([sarcasm] No! You think? [/sarcasm])
Junpei: ...?
Clover: ...lone...
June: ...?
Clover: I said leave me alone!
(Thank you for speaking up, enJOY your 'forEVER aLOne'!) (Now you're doing that "Laplace Voice".) Still, Akurei, that was too harsh. Sometimes people do need to be alone for a while. (I know, I just feelt like being an asshole.)
'Suddenly she was screaming.'
Clover: You're so annoying! Just go away and leave me alone!
Oh no! She is hearing us!
Clover: Just looking at you guys is pissing me off! Go away, okay?! Just go...somewhere else! Stop bothering me!
'Junpei was taken aback. Such anger and hate...June's eyes had gone wide with surprise as well.'
Don't worry...heh-heh...we'll just...continue stalking Junpei like we've always been doing.
Clover: Why are you still here!? Didn't you hear me?!
Junpei: ...
June: ...
Clover: Fine! Forget it. If you aren't gonna leave, then I'll just--
Junpei: All right. Let's go, June.
June: Y-Yeah...
'They turned, and left Clover.'
Hopefully Clover possibly seeing and hearing us won't have any bad repercussions. (You have no idea.) Ready normal people! (No! No! No! I will not allow you to sing about what you think the Internet is for.) (Porn, of course.) (*sigh*)
'As they did, Junpei glanced back over his shoulder to see Clover wiping tears from her face. Clover had driven home the misery of their situation, but Junpei told himself that getting depressed would get him nowhere but depressed. For Clover's sake, they had to find Snake, and fast.' (Not gonna happen, dude.)
'He did his best to push away the misery and depression, and forced a smile.'
Junpei: So, where do you think we should go next?
-The casino (B Deck)-
-The hallway with all the rooms (C Deck)-
-Back to the large hospital room (C Deck)-
(Oh, so it just excludes the place we just came back from...) Well, there's one place left to go to aside from the large hospital room...
Junpei: Hey, why don't we go back to C Deck? We can take a look at that hallway with all the rooms.
June: Okay. Let's get going, then.
'Together, they ran down the stairs.' Weeee! (*sigh* You really are such a...) (I can't believe I'm going to say this but, no! Don't! Do you really want to sound like that jerk.) A-hem. Another example of how Niyagi can be as offensive as Akurei, heck, here even Akurei has standards.
'Ahead of them, farther down the hallway, they spotted Ace.'
Ace: Hey! Snake! Where are you?! Answer me if you're there!
'Junpei paused.'
<<What did he want to do?>>
-Run to Ace.-
-Let Ace handle it.-
(Well, I highly doubt we'll get to a puzzle in this post, so why not waste some more time.) Are you trying to scare away the readers?
'With June in tow, Junpei jogged up to Ace. Hearing their footsteps, he turned to greet them.'
Ace: Ah, hello there. Snake is... Well, that's obvious, isn't it? I assume you haven't found him yet either?
'Junpei nodded.'
June: I really wonder where he could have gone.
Ace: Well, wherever he's disappeared to, we must find him as quickly as we can, for Clover's sake.
June: Right.
'June's face looked kinda enraptured.'
Junpei: By the way... Do you think Clover and Snake are really siblings?
Ace: Ah... Why would you say that?
'"Why would you say that?" The question seemed somehow...odd to Junpei.'
Junpei: Why? Well, it's obvious, isn't it? They don't look alike at all.
'Ace looked at him for a moment, and then spoke.'
Ace: Yes, you know, now that you mention it, they don't.
'"Now that you mention it"...?'
Ace: Still, there are a great many siblings who do not look like one another. It certainly isn't rare.
'Junpei wasn't sure why, or even if he was seeing what the thought he was, but he could have sworn that Ace's face tightened as he spoke.'
Ace: At any rate, we really must find Snake as soon as possible. The clock is ticking. We really can't afford to waste any time.
Junpei: ...
Ace: Very well, let's get back tot he search, shall we? You can leave this area to me.
June: All right. Let's go, Jumpy.
'At June's urging, they left. They found themselves back at the stairs, but Junpei's mind was in turmoil. There was so much to think about, but...No, it would have to be put aside for now. As Ace had said, finding Snake was their top priority. Junpei did his best to clear his mind. All right... Where should we go next...'
-The casino (B Deck)-
-The 1st class cabin (B Deck)-
-Back to the large hospital room (C Deck)-
Well, we've exhausted all our other options so, the only one left is...
Junpei: Why don't we go back to the big hospital room?
June: Okay. Let's go then.
'They turned, and headed back toward the large hospital room. On their way to the large hospital room Junpei and June noticed Santa, standing next to the number [3] door. Junpei paused.'
<<What should Junpei do?>>
-Talk to him.-
-Walk away without saying anything.-
(I think you guys know the drill by now.)
'Junpei and June walked up to Santa.'
Junpei: What are you doing?
Santa: What, you can't tell? I'm checking out the RED.
June: Why, is there something bothering you?
Santa: What, it's not bothering you?
June: ...Huh?
Santa: This... The guts of this RED. Why wouldn't you wonder who the hell put it back in here?
June: Y-Yeah, that's true. Well, I'm curious too, but...
Santa: Who do you think did it?
'Santa's eyes narrowed as he looked at June. She shook her head.'
June: I don't know.
Santa: Well, what about you, Junpei? Who do you think fixed this thing for us?
(Don't worry guys, I've got this!)
-Snake-
-Lotus-
-Zero-
-Someone other than the 8 of them.-
(And...none of those options were who I was thinking of.) Well, how about let's go with...
Junpei: I think it was probably Zero.
Santa: Why?
Junpei: Isn't that obvious? He's the guy who set this whole thing up.
Santa: You don't think that should mean the opposite? Seems to me like that means he didn't do it. I mean, who do you think took that stuff out in the 1st place?
Junpei: Probably Zero.
Santa: Yeah, exactly. Then why the hell would he put them back in, after he'd taken them out himself? It just doesn't make sense. Why do all that work?
Junpei: ...
Santa: ...
Junpei: Yeah... I guess that makes sense.
Santa: So what happened then? Who put that stuff back in the REDs?
'Junpei furrowed his brow.'
Junpei: So, in other words... One of us is the person who fixed the RED.
'Santa grinned.'
Santa: Bingo. We have a winner.
(Shimohi just made a random pick because the true answer wasn't there.)
June: But if that's true, then the person who did it doesn't want the rest of us to know they fixed the RED.
Santa: Yeah.
Junpei: But...why?
Santa: No idea. Maybe if they come clean on that, it means we'd find out something else, something bad.
(Like maybe "who broke the REDs in the first place"?)
Junpei: Something bad?
Santa: Dunno. But whatever it is, it's gotta be worth hiding.
Junpei: Hm...
Santa: Of course...I could have something to do with Snake's disappearance.
(Well, that works too.)
Junpei: You think maybe they did something to Snake?
Santa: It's not out of the question.
'Junpei stared at Santa. There was something about him that made Junpei wary... At first, he'd assumed the other man wasn't terribly clever, but Junpei was beginning to think he would need to re-evaluate that assessment. When Santa spoke again, his voice was quiet.'
Santa: Look, if you trust anybody in this game, you're gonna lose. You've gotta be careful. The person you trust the most could turn out to be the who stabs you in the back.
(With an axe, or an knife; I don't care which, pick your poison.)
'With that depressing suggestion, he turned and quietly walked away. Junpei and June looked at one another and smiled awkwardly. ... ...'
<<Where would they go next?>>
-The casino (B Deck)-
-The 1st class cabin (B Deck)-
-The hallway with all the rooms (C Deck)-
-Finish searching.-
(So we had to go through all the options anyway.) (Choo-choo!)
'They looked everywhere they could think of, but Snake was nowhere to bee found. ... ...Lotus looked around at 6 frustrated faces and spoke.'
Lotus: We can't keep looking for Snake. Wherever he is, it's not here. We need to get moving.
'Junpei couldn't disagree with what she was saying. Snake seemed to have completely disappeared. There was no point to wasting any more time. The others seemed to be having similar thoughts, but they stayed silent. Finally, Seven spoke.'
Seven: We don't got a choice... Lotus is right. We're not gonna find Snake.
(Told ya.)
Seven: There's a problem, though. We've gotta figure out who's gonna go through which door.
Lotus: Yes. I have a proposal.
'She walked back and forth across the floor, her heels clicking against the wood. Finally, she stopped.'
Lotus: Why don't we decide on 1 person to sacrifice?
Santa: Sacrifice?!
Lotus: Well, perhaps that's a bit of a harsh word, but yes. You've all figured it out by now, haven't you? We can't all make it though those doors. If we split into 2 teams, of 4 and 3 people respectively, then 3 people will be left behind. If we split into 2 teams of 5 and 2 people respectively, then 2 people will be left behind. But, if we split into 2 groups of 3, and leave 1 person out, then only 1 person will be left behind.
<<Leaving behind 3 people with 2 teams of 4 and 3...>>
-Not sure.-
-She was right.-
(Let's trust her math skills.)
'It wasn't pleasant, but she was right. There wasn't any way the the numbers worked out...If one group was 4, the other group would always have a digital root that didn't match a door. When Seven spoke, his voice was strained.'
Seven: Then...You're saying we gotta decide who's gonna stay behind?
Lotus: Yes, we do. Given our circumstances, it's logically and morally the best solution. If the other 6 are to survive, then 1 person has to sacrifice themselves.
June: No! That's too cruel!
Lotus: What's so cruel about it?!
June: To...to just sacrifice someone like that...
Lotus: Then what's your plan?! Maybe we should sacrifice 2 people, instead of just 1!
June: That's not what I meant! We shouldn't sacrifice anyone!
Lotus: I told you, that's impossible! Wake up!
Santa: Whoa, whoa, calm down you 2.
'Santa stepped between Lotus and June.'
Santa: Look, what Lotus is trying to say is that you should aim to bring the greatest amount of happiness to the greatest amount of people, right?
Lotus: Exactly. That's how democracy works. And for that reason, I think the only fair way to decide who'll be sacrificed is through a vote. What do you think?
June: No, that's terrible.
Lotus: I'm not asking you! Shut up! What about you, Santa?
Santa: Me? Well...I agree, I guess.
Lotus: All right, that's 1 vote for. Counting mine, that's 2. Seven?
Seven: I can't say I agree with you, but... We don't exactly have a choice. If we don't do somethin', we're all gonna die.
Lotus: Glad to see you get it. If I can get 1 more vote, then it's decided.
(I say "aye"!) (None of us are actually included, even considering the possibility that Clover can hear us.) (Oh, "Everything will work out.") (Quoting another manga series this time.)
Lotus: What about you, Clover?
'Clover had moved away from the group, and was sitting on one of the beds. Her whole body drooped. Junpei didn't know if she'd even heard Lotus's proposal. Lotus walked over to Clover, and gently laid a hand on her shoulder.'
Lotus: Your brother has to be behind 1 of the numbered doors. We searched everywhere, but we didn't find him. Doesn't that mean he as to have gone through 1 of them somehow?
'Clover slowly lifted her face.'
Lotus: Let's go look for him together, okay? If we sacrifice 1 person, then we can go look for him. You...agree with me, right?
'Clover nodded once.'
Lotus: *Giggle* The motion carries.
'Lotus spun around, and walked toward Junpei.'
Lotus: Now, let's start a vote to--
(So this is like "Survivor".)
Ace: That won't be necessary.
'Ace had barely spoken for Lotus's entire speech, and everyone jumped a little. 6 pairs of eyes turned to look at him. He didn't seem to notice, or even care.'
([sarcasm] Look at all the fucks he gives! [/sarcasm])
Ace: I will stay. That should solve our problem, yes?
Santa: !
Clover: !
Seven: !
Junpei: !
June: A-Ace! What are you saying?! No, you can't do that! That won't solve anything!
'June's voice shook, and she looked around desperately for someone to agree with her. Ace simply looked at her.'
Ace: June, I'm afraid you may have misunderstood me. I said I would stay, but I never said I would sacrifice myself.
June: ...Huh?
Ace: I trust you, each and every one of you. I believe you'll come back for me.
Seven: Whoa whoa whoa, there's optimistic and then there's just nuts. Those doors only go 1 way--you go in, you don't come out. If we go through 'em--
Ace: You won't be able to return, correct?
Seven: Yeah.
Ace: True, but that will not be the case once you've escaped from the ship.
Seven: What...?
Ace: Please, I beg you, once you've escaped, come back and rescue me. Ideally within the time limit Zero has given us...
Junpei: No, that's ridiculous! There's no way we could get back in time!
'Finally, Junpei could hold his tongue no longer.'
Junpei: We've only got 5 hours left. We don't even know where the hell we are. How on Earth are we gonna find someone to come and rescue you?!
Ace: Then perhaps you would prefer to stay, instead of me? Perhaps you would be willing to leave June behind?
(Nope, Junpei and June should live while you die in a fire.) (Who should "die in a fire.") (Ace, of course.)
'Ace's voice was dignified, and without a hint of cruelty or malice. Junpei had no rebuttal.' (Did Junpei run out of ammo?)
Ace: You see? There's no other choice. Then I see we've come to our conclusion. Go on. Don't worry yourselves about me. Go, quickly!
'Junpei stood frozen by indecision, unable to move. June bit her lip so hard that Junpei feared she would break the skin.' Oh no! Is June going to turn into a titan!? (Just shut up with those stupid references already!)
'Santa stood against a wall, calm and aloof. Seven tore his beanie from his head, and turned it over anxiously in his hands. Only Clover stared at Ace, with an expression Junpei was unable to decipher. Lotus's attitude, however, was different from the others.'
Lotus: Good. Let's accept his kind offer, then.
'She smiled, he eyes bright. Ace answered with a smile of his own.'
Ace: Good. I think this is the best for me. Perhaps I'll be able to take a nap. Perhaps it's my age, but I get tired so easily these days.
(Perhaps you use the word "perhaps" a lot, that seems strange...)
'As he spoke, Ace lowered himself down to the floor next to one of the beds. From somewhere deep in the ship, Junpei suddenly heard the screeching of metal on metal. It was almost as if the ship were screaming. Would it really hold until their time limit was up? Already, D Deck was flooded...In the sudden silence, the only sound was the sad metal wail of the ship. Unsurprisingly, it was Lotus who spoke first.'
Lotus: Well, what are you waiting for? We're wasting time. Why don't we hurry it up?
'As if a spell had been broken, the others all began to talk at once.'
Seven: You're right. We should get goin'. That's all we can do right now.
June: Seven...
Santa: Seriously. Honestly, I was getting kinda sick of listening to you guys talk.
(Took the words right out of my mouth, Santa-dude!)
June: You too, Santa...?
Clover: I...I have to find my brother...
June: W-Wait! All of you!
(What now!?)
June: Let's just calm down and think about this! There has to be a way to get everyone out! There has to be! R-Right, Jumpy?! Say something!
Junpei: Y-Yeah, let's think... There's...gotta be another way...
Oh no... ("This is the post that never ends...") "It goes on and on my friends" ("We started typing it, not knowing what it was...") "...so we'll keep typing it forever because..." ("This is the post that never ends...") (No, stop it! No singing!) (Thanks for the c-c-c-combo breaker!)
'His words sounded hollow and fake...'
(That sounded familiar...)
June: Fine! Forget about it! I'll figure it out on my own!
'She spun around, and ran toward Ace. He had slumped down next to the bed when June grabbed his arm and pulled.'
June: C'mon, Ace, please stand up! You can't give up yet! We just have to sit down together and think about this! We'll figure out a way that we can all get out of here!
'Then it happened. Ace fell forward. He slumped over onto the wooden floor, his body folded in half like a boxer out cold.'
June: Ace!
'June cried out and dropped to her knees beside him. She put her arm around his neck and did her best to lift him up.'
June: What happened, Ace?! Say something!
("Something!") (Ace! Not you! And did you just quote Odd?)
'She shook him, frantically. His eyes fluttered open.'
Ace: I'm all right...
'His voice was weak, and slightly slurred.'
June: How are you...fine?
Ace: This...
'He held out his left arm, and slowly opened his hand...In it was a syringe, and a small vial. The vial was empty. It had only recently been emptied--a few drops clung to the sides. There was a label taped to the side of the container...It read [Soporil-Beta]. "Soporil...Beta"...? Junpei had no idea what it meant, or what kind of medicine it might be.' And Wikipedia doesn't know what it is either, so I'd say it's safe to assume that it's made-up.
June: Did...did you use this?!
Ace: Yes... It's just...anesthetic... I'll be...fine...
June: Anesthetic?
(You know! The meds the doctors give a patient before an operation so that they won't notice or feel a thing...) Which frequently puts them to sleep...not permanently of course.
Ace: I found it...earlier... While we were searching the...hospital rooms... I thought it might be useful...later... Ha... I didn't think I'd be...using it on...myself...
June: Why did you do this...?
Ace: Didn't I...tell you? I'd like to take a...nap...I really am...very tired...
'Junpei knew that wasn't why he'd done it. Ace had injected himself with anesthetic to forestall Junpei and June's attempts to bring him along. If he couldn't move, there was nothing they could do. He'd injected himself so that they would be forced to leave him behind.'
June: Ace...
Ace: Hm...? Is there something you want to...say? I'd just like to sleep...a little... Could you...keep it down...?
June: No! Don't, Ace! Don't fall asleep!
Ace: Ah...you feel...warm...So...comfortable...I think I'll have...a nice...dream...
(Excuse me, Shimohi's brain needs to not only be recovered from the nearest gutter but cleaned with some brain bleach.)
'Ace's eyelids drooped further and further... Almost as though he were...dying...'
(Dun...) Dun... (Duuuun!) (Haven't you already done enough with that!?)
June: Ace! Ace!
'She shook his shoulder, again and again... But this time, he didn't respond. Only the gentle rising and falling of his chest told them he was alive.' ("I'm alive!") "I'm alive! Baby..." ("I'm alive!") (I'm never going to get this two to stop breaking out into a tangent relating to song numbers, am I...)
'Junpei was relieved to see he was, in fact, still breathing. He lifted Ace up off the floor, and laid him on the bed he'd been leaning against. When Junpei turned around, Lotus gave him a look of pity.'
Lotus: Well, we really don't have a choice now. We can't let his sacrifice go to waste. ...Right?
'She wasn't feeling any remorse, Junpei was sure of that. Still, he held no grounds upon which to oppose her. It felt wrong, but he had to agree. Then suddenly, Santa spoke.'
Santa: Yeah, but we're not done choosing yet, are we?
Lotus: Huh? What do you mean?
Santa: Well, we haven't decided who's going in what door.
Lotus: Ah, yes. Yes, that's true.
Santa: Well, enough of this scrwin' around. Let's decide.
(About time! Then we can end this post already!)
-----------------------------------------------------
No puzzle room this time, but next time we will get to it. Which door will we choose? (It's a sacred prime number and the 'digital root' of the name "Amanda".) Will we find Snake again? (Snake? Snake? SNAAAAAAAAKE!!!) Just how many post will this first playthough eat up? (...Sorry, I don't have an answer for that one.) See you next time!
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