final investigation

[afflictionmods]

FINAL INVESTIGATION

WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY 1 / FRIDAY 2

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[exofractured]

[Oh? Phantom gives his favorite AI a little smile like they're sharing a very nice secret.]

Well done, Florence.

[ignihidden]

While it's technically the better path, I kind of want to see M'lord Static break down a door...

[let's handwave the motherfuckin' elevator, y'all, let's go, we got trouble to cause]

[afflictionmods]

Well... That would be incredibly difficult, but there may be interior doors he could break down...

[Maybe?

Anyways.

Up to Floor 9! No weight limit screeching today!

Floor 9 doesn't open up into a mysterious hallway - it opens onto a row of computers, all in front of a large sheet of black glass. The glass is impossible to see through at this moment, but it looks kind of like a large window to the beyond.

There are doors to the right and left of the computer bay, and things do seem to be powered at the moment.]

[mirrite]

... does this mean I need to be committing more property damage here?

[Because he absolutely will, but.]

[exofractured]

Don't get too excited now.

[At least Marcus has strengths?? Anyway, Phantom takes a look at the group splitting up before determinedly heading to the right. There are other people more equipped to deal with the computers.]

[mirrite]

Do I sound excited to you?

[Don't call him out like this!!! So maybe he's got a little anger he would like to work out, so what?

Don't judge him, noodle boy.]

[afflictionmods]

[The right door is also locked, same as the left. Same lack of signage, also.

So, you know. RIP to the door.]

[mirrite]

[Let's do a scientific experiment here: which has more structural integrity, a gunblade or a door?

Jeopardy theme plays.]

[afflictionmods]

[A door, apparently.

Is he going to try again...]

[exofractured]

[...Wow. Phantom is giving this the most judging look.]

Did you need me to try, perhaps?

[mirrite]

Like hell I do!

[NO ONE SAW THAT, ESPECIALLY NOT PHANTOM.

He's gonna try this again!]

[partymagician]

Wow, lots of electronics! Computers, right?

[ Anyway.

Fai is grabbing onto Hien's wrist and dragging him to the door on the left. ]

[afflictionmods]

[To the left it is! There's nothing all that notable about the left door, except for the fact it is currently locked. It's a plain door, like you would typically see at an office, and there's no signage posted around it.

Hien, it's time to show off your impressive physical abilities and get in your one shining moment of being cool before it all goes downhill...!!]

[selfconcept]

[ Finally rolled a 16 where Hien can actually be cool for once, so when it's locked, he first looks around if there's any other way of unlocking it.

...

He sighs when there isn't, so he looks over at Fai. ]

I didn't bring my sweater today.

[ A warning. Hien puts his left foot firmly on the ground and kicks the door right next to the lock, slamming his heel, with all he got in an attempt to break the door down. He doesn't care about whether the hinges stay intact. ]

[partymagician]

[ Fai takes a step back, whistling when Hien kicks the door. ]

Nice work!

[ If (and when) it falls down, he immediately moves to take a peek inside. ]

Let's see what we have in here...

[afflictionmods]

[The door does not take the hit very well, but it at least doesn't fly off the hinges.

Behind the door is a room with a bench as well as some hooks and shelving where what looks like protective gear is stored. The opposite wall is glass and metal, with small room behind it that seems to be a few notches brighter - it looks like a decontamination room, if either would be familiar with those.]

[selfconcept]

Maybe we should take these.

[ The protective gear, he means... and then walks over to the door of the small room. ]

... Why would they need a decontamination room?

[partymagician]

[ Fai sure isn't familiar with the concept of a decontamination room, so he's glad Hien is! At least he can sort of guess what it's for. ]

They must be doing something pretty bad if they need it, right...?

[ He does his best to peek inside the decontamination room. Is it completely empty? ]

[ignihidden]

Computers and a blank window, huh... [... surveillance? Data collection? Or just privacy?]

Well, I'll stay here and be mission control! Good luck, hunters!

[Time to start checking on the computers for 1) active programs, 2) security clearances, 3) access to any devices like cameras on the same floor!]

[festiverogue]

I'll stay with Idia. What if the computer goes rogue?

[Madara is likewise going to be looking for things like programs, especially things similar to the surveillance programs he saw on the computer at the jeweler's.]

Wonder if any of this'll be familiar...

[afflictionmods]

[Meanwhile, the rogue AI standing in the room with them is just vibing and staring at the window.

There doesn't seem to be any surveillance like what was following Lorelei, but there is a status page for... something. It's unclear as to what, exactly, is being monitored, but it's currently offline.

There does seem to be access to cameras, though - with seven views in total.

There are no other active programs, but that does not mean that's not all the programs that are on the computer.]

[ignihidden]

[Well, he can pull up the cameras for a start. Who knows maybe this will end up being the floor where they store all those extra small bear traps from two weeks ago. Seeing what the other pairs are going through might help.]

[As fun as it would be to just try and tinker whatever was offline and bring it on, he wants to look a little deeper first:]

[Are there any clues in the code, file names, etc, for what is being monitored?]

[festiverogue]

[Madara will start snooping for programs, then, checking the usual places, but he will get into the registry if he needs to.

Whatever is linked to that status page would be nice to find, but he's also looking for anything that controls something, like a screen or other devices. Is the giant black window a giant screen? Is it???

He's primarily looking at exe names and program types, by the way! He won't open anything yet unless it is just. Blatant.]

[afflictionmods]

[It seems they're monitoring some sort of device that requires a lot of power. With a bit of digging Idia and Madara can find more than one reference to reactors, which are also currently offline. So whatever is powering this building is unrelated - they need extra power for this Mysterious Device.

There are also mentions of "links" that have a connection to what this device is, as well as notes on each of these links.

One of the cameras shows Fai and Hien breaking in through the view of the decontamination room, and there's an identical room on another camera. One of the cameras is recording the computer bay, and the rest are currently monitoring a room with some sort of... odd structure in the middle of it. There's four different angles to it, though, so it must be important.]

[ignihidden]

[... a power source, a decontamination room, linking...]

... so, we definitely shouldn't activate it while they're in there...

[He's not expecting Madara to do that but also, it's kind of like, when a big red button is sitting there. The desire to push it is only human.]