towerofanimus | Something Unexpected

Entry tags:

Something Unexpected

Characters: characters selected to go into the elevator
Setting: the admin levels
Format: any
Summary: The admin elevator has been left open, its destination preprogrammed. Where is it going to take you?
Warnings: general horror warnings for now

The elevator doesn't announce itself when its doors slide open. There's no alarm, no message to be found about it. It sits open and waits for anyone curious enough to enter. There's a barrier on it that locks out anyone without a collar, and it isn't going to stay long, but aside from that there appears to be no security. There's nothing stopping someone--or multiple someones--from climbing into the elevator and going down.

Where's it going? Who knows.

Hub Area
A lounge area with sofas and chairs. It's large enough to hold the entire group, constructed similarly to the dorm rooms, and is connected to five doors.

Door One
???

Door Two
???

Door Three
???

Door Four
???

Door Five
???

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She glances back to the rest of her group, uncertainty coloring her expression.]

He is... a friend.

[Only, no, he's so much more to her than that, but she doesn't have time to explain. Why is he here? Why isn't he responding to her? What is going on?

She gives the group an apologetic look, but then she's walking towards the man, stopping just out of arms length. Trying a weak and forced smile, she keeps her voice light, though that does not filter the fear and worry from her tone.]

Arthur... What are you doing down here? You are going to worry that boy of yours, you know.

[And her.]

[England continues not to respond. His eyes look glassy; not like those of the dead, but of someone entirely lost in thought or daydream. He continues shelving books.

There is shuffling from behind another shelf--a more standard worker unit appears. Its collar appears chipped and scratched; all other worker units have always had perfectly maintained collars. It speaks.] Do you require assistance?

[For a moment that stretches on far too long, Zelda waits silently for a response, but when none comes, her worried smile turns into a frown. Closing the distance, she reaches out, gently grabbing Arthur's wrist, trying to force him to pay attention to her.

That's when the strange worker unit appears, and she glances between it and her mentor's glassy eyes.]

What is he doing down here? Why does he not respond to me?

Arthur Kirkland. ...An acquaintance of mine, too.

[If he could even call him that, now... since he was his first victim, in a sense. He's silent for a while, not really responding at first to the worker unit. ...What was going on, anyway? ...May as well listen to their discussion for a brief moment, because something about this, and his eyes...

'Something isn't right. It's definitely Kirkland-san, but...'

Why won't he respond? Zelda already asked it before he could, though. Thus he stays silent ~~like the silent protagonist he is~~ for the time being.]

Ahh, gotcha. [He'd ask what Arthur's doing down here but it's pretty obvious that neither Zelda nor Yu knows. And given that glazed look in the man's eyes, John can only assume something isn't quite right.]

[He hangs back, sticking close to Saber and Yu for now, hesitant to get too close to Arthur or the worker unit. Somehow, those scratches seem ominous. His ghosts hover behind him, both of them keeping an eye the door behind them. Someone has to cover the humans' backsides, after all.]

[Arturia takes in the scene, glancing around the library with interest and notes what they're saying about Arthur. The name amuses her a little and she finds herself wondering if he's British like she is.

While they're talking, she silently moves closer to the shelves, curious as to what some of the titles might be. Then the worker unit appears and she tightens her grip on her sword, but beyond that doesn't make any sort of hostile move.]

[The worker unit's gaze shifts to England, who is still acting as if no one is in the room at all.]

He has been heavily drugged.

Can you please tell us why?

[Why would one of their number need to be drugged? And why is one of their number working down here?]

[Zelda's grip on Arthur tightens noticeably, something dark and angry and unfortunately familiar settling into her heart. She's shaking - oh, how she's shaking with barely contained rage, but she doesn't lash out. Not yet. Arturia has asked the question that's most immediately blaring in her mind, and she would like to know the answer.

So she remains quiet, but oh, if looks could kill, that worker unit would have had a nuclear bomb dropped on it ten seconds ago.]

He has been assigned to librarian task. [The worker unit speaks calmly, as if this were in no way unusual.] Those residents who have been assigned to tasks are at times called to complete them in the administrative levels, as opposed to the residential levels.

[That alarms Arturia, who draws closer to the group. She herself had been assigned to 'work' on the floor featuring a circus, though she normally had to do nothing more strenuous than walk across a rope. She'd also heard of others being assigned tasks like that and if this Arthur is down here, then:]

Why not simply ask them to come down here to work? Why drug them at all?

Because then they would remember.

[The Princess' voice is low, bitter, laced with months of enduring the torments of the tower. To think that the administrators use them as their own personal assistants...]

Wake him up.

[She demands, not asks.]

Which is precisely what I'm asking: What is wrong with us remembering?

[She takes another step closer to Zelda, sword at her side. She knows that tone, not on Zelda, but herself. The righteous anger, the demanding tone of someone who will be listened to: things Arturia herself had once used to get her way.

Arturia agrees with Zelda completely--This man should be woken up--but she does not trust the worker drone and she is fully prepared to defend the members of their party if her demand is taken the wrong way.]

I have neither the permission nor the ability to wake him up. It has always been such; anyone assigned to a task in the the residential levels has also, on occasion, been tasked with work in the administrative levels.

[England moves to shelve books on the next shelf over.]

[...Well. This is escalating quickly, and if it continues, it could get ugly. Especially if something or someone else comes up to join the red-collared one they're already dealing with. The fact that the women of the group are getting angered isn't going to help matters any.]

... Calm down. [Not that he wasn't angry and, were he honest, sickened by the idea, but-] Taking it out on someone who can't do anything about this isn't going to help.

[It will make matters worse. Which would be counterproductive to the investigation of the administrator floors. Thank you, more analytical point of view.]

[Her grip on Arthur remains firm - as he tries to move on to the next shelf, she digs her heels in, keeping him from going far unless whatever he's been drugged with gives him super strength. She's not letting him out of her sight. Not like this.

When Yu speaks up, her glare shifts to him momentarily, silently asking what gives you the right to tell me to calm down here. But the quietly rational part of her mind cannot deny that he's right, that this "mission" of theirs is too important to lose to rage.

She breathes deeply, almost like a bull that's about to charge, but while she's still fuming, there's evidence that she's taking Yu's advice in her words.]

What else is here, then? Where else have they "tasked" us with work?

[England attempts to continue his task, at least; he pulls at Zelda's grip, though with no sense of urgency.]

Residents are assigned to general maintenance and cleaning tasks.

Where would we find out who and how often we've been given tasks down here?

[More importantly in Arturia's mind is trying to deflect Zelda's anger until they calm down. Perhaps a slight change of subject is in order?]

And are you yourself all right?

[This is the first time she's seen one of the workers this, well, aware. Most she's run into seem almost like robots and never this helpful. Could the cracks in this one's collar be related?]

You would have to speak to one of the administrators. [It nods.] I am functioning properly.

[She does appear to be calming down somewhat, though in reality, she is just saving her anger for the ones who are responsible. Goddesses, to think that she had asked how they could help--]

Your collar is damaged. Are they not meant to be in perfect condition at all times?

[Her observation is forcibly nonchalant, but it is something worth looking into...]

I have received modifications that permit me to assist you.

[Well, if there was any doubt that the administrators didn't know they would take the bait of the open elevator...]

Assist us in what way?

[... He knew it. The admins planned for this, hadn't they. They left the elevator to their floors open for the purpose of them wandering in out of curiosity of what is normally restricted from them in search of answers. The only question, other than in what manner, is--]

And why would they? What's down here that thought we'd need assistance?

[After all, the visitors were after something... Could their mission and this incident be related?]

I have simply been instructed to provide assistance when I can. Dax has assigned me to this task.

[Sigh. Leave it to a droid to be almost as vague as the admins, even when modified. Still, that was a little more information than they had ten minutes ago.]

...Right.

[Somehow, he had a bad feeling. Especially since England was still drugged and he was practically feeling the silent anger (still).]

What kind of assistance? [Whee roundabout way of asking what the hell they got themselves into.]

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