Collar Checkup Boycott

[animusmods]

Characters: open to all
Setting: infirmary; around the Tower in general
Format: party-style all week; please note the date your post is taking place in the subject line
Summary: The results of the collar boycott slowly become clear...
Warnings: standard Tower warnings
Note: You may NPC your own retrieval units.

The results don't begin to become clear until Tuesday--Monday passes more or less without incident, except for the number of orange-collared residents who miss their checks. And on Tuesday, the retrieval units are out to search for them. It doesn't seem like they were meant to recover so many, though: a clever resident will be able to avoid their retrieval unit entirely. And so, some oranges continue to have escaped their collar checkup today.

It's worse on Wednesday. Retrieval units are out and about again, but this time to try and search for the yellow-collared residents who skipped the day before. No orange-collared residents are searched out at all, and even then there seems to be enough confusion in the programming of the retrieval units any boycotting yellows can run off and hide if they're careful about it.

By the time Thursday arrives, there's a general, obvious level of confusion in the retrieval units' retrieval programming. They were obviously not programmed to be searching for so many colors at once. Some residents may find themselves being dragged in for a second collar check this week, even if they went to theirs, and the infirmary seems to be working at double time. No one even bothers to search for the two wayward greens.

By Friday the retrieval units are out in a number that seems more fitting for a small militia than anything else. Still, they seem more intent on tracking down the greens--their programming still telling them to retrieve those who were missed the day before--but they don't seem to know which greens they're looking for. Anyone with a green collar may be dragged in for a collar check, possibly multiple times today.

Saturday is chaos in the infirmary. The retrieval units seem to have entirely lost sight of who they're actually searching for, and anyone brought into the checkup room will be able to see how messy and confused it looks, with no real time to clean it and orange through violet collar fluid all lined up at once where normally only the color of the day and of the day before would be out at all. Again people may be brought in for multiple checks while those intent on evading capture can remain elusive.

But Sunday--on Sunday the entire process breaks down. There's too much volume for the retrieval units to handle, and they scatter about in a strange catch and release program, dragging anyone they catch to random places around the Tower before letting them go. They don't seem to be entirely certain of what they're supposed to be doing.

Something else happens on Sunday, as well...

Comments

[doc_brown]

[ Following Riki's punishment, Doc assumed this was all yet another consequence of their hack. That's when he remembered he'd read about that boycott. The situation was quite chaotic and he got dragged quite a few times by the retrieval units around-- That's when he decided to stop by the infirmary to see the extent of the disaster, only to find it empty.

... Doc entered the collar checkup room, slowly, taking a look around to see what may have brought up the desertion of this place. Oh, and his dog followed him, as always. That's when eh saw Enoch as well. ]

Great Scott! Is this... The collar liquid?

[fionnuisce]

Sure as hell looks like it.

[Says the ponytailed teacher being followed by a 3d silhouetted maid of liquid mercury.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch looks at his retrieval stalker, then at the two newcomers.*

So it seems. The others had some merit when they pointed out it's likely how we're drugged, but going without isn't the way, I can say so from experience.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick is starting to get a little flustered with how many times he's been dragged to the infirmary so far, so he's decided to take the initiative this morning and just get it over with.]

[But--surprise, surprise--the place is apparently empty. That is, on the onset. After cautiously taking a few steps inside, he finds he's not the only curious soul in this tower.]

[Unable to say anything coherent, Rick catches whoever's eye he can keep and makes an inquiring expression with his brow, pointing to all the empty beds where patients should be sitting, and the strange fluids lying next to them. But he seems willing to stick around and see what happens.]

[animusnpcs]

[It's impossible to tell what color the fluids are here--they're all labeled, but the label is in an unknown language, and the containers are completely solid and sealed. They are all lined up in a row, however...]

[fionnuisce]

Hm. I don't suppose I need to say it might be a good idea to take one if not all of these and see if it can be determined what it is.

The question is, should we open them first and see what we're working with?

[immortalia]

[ Sertoria's not too thrilled over being followed everywhere by a retrieval unit, but it's something she can deal with. What also didn't help was being dragged multiple times after her checkup, which she went to. During the third time, she had asked the units if they were operational enough to remember her face.

She peeks her head in to where Waver, Doc, Enoch and Rick are, looking at the unguarded fluids for a brief moment. ]

...You would think these would be better guarded, concerning their value.

[brbtalkingtogod]

[A flick of fingers is audible and Lucifel appears in the infirmary, looking around curiously.]

My, isn't it crowded today.

[And then his eyes are drawn to the containers.]

... Is this what I think it is?

[doc_brown]

We need to take samples indeed. I suspect they may be ordered following the visible spectrum-- From Orange to Violet.

[ Doc approaches the containers, looking very serious for once as he observes them. ]

With enough quantity of the liquid, we could analyze it.

[fionnuisce]

...Isn't there one extra, or am I counting colors incorrectly?

[bashfulshifter]

[A sheepish voice, from the back of the growing crowd:]

Wait...sh-should we be t-taking these?

[He casts a nervous eye at Enoch's trailing retrieval stalker.]

[warriorscribe]

You're right, we only use six. Either the workers refill their own at the end or the week, or...well, we should take what we can, the more we have to work with, the better, isn't it?

*Automatically, he seems to drift towards where Lucifel appeared.*

We can get out of here immediately, if we must.

[immortalia]

No, you are right, Waver.

[...]

Doc, I can grab the test tubes from your laboratory in fifteen seconds. Do you want me to do so?

[fionnuisce]

I've got some in my own room as well. Volumen Hydragyrum can take care of that.

[Waver raised a hand, prompting the mercury maid to melt into small silver tendrils and dart straight out the door.]

[doc_brown]

We must not hesitate! Such an ocasion probably won't happen again. We do not know anything about the liquid's nature, this is an ocasion we cannot miss!

[ He then turns to Sertoria and nods. ]

Yes please! I believe we should conduct the analysis as soon as we can before Jason or Riki send units to take the liquid from us.

[immortalia]

[ Sertoria nods and in a challenging way, grins at the retrieval unit behind her. ]

Do try to keep up. Activate speed enhancement at 95%.

Approved.

[ And zoom goes the android out of the door, leaving a gust of wind in her wake. ]

[animusnpcs]

[It's silent in the room aside from those who speak and move about in it. There are valves on each container, with a button attached.]

[warriorscribe]

Ah...do we need things to contain it?

*Enoch is beside Lucifel at this point. He looks over at the angel.*

Can you conjure something?

[brbtalkingtogod]

Honestly...

[He flicks with his fingers and look.

There is an empty test tube now.]

Let's just refill it and leave.

[bashfulshifter]

[Eeep! Rick flinches and immediately melts back into his place behind everyone else. But Things Are Happening, and he'd feel awkward not being of some assistance. He decides that keeping a careful watch on the door is the best option.]

[fionnuisce]

Pardon me if we can't all defy the laws of conservation of mass.

[The mercury filtered back in through the door and past Rick, reforming into its form as a maid--now carrying a small black case.]

[immortalia]

[ Just like that, Sertoria returns with a rack of test tubes as well as a few beakers, gloves - science equipment, that stuff. ]

I have returned. Hopefully this is enough for what we need.

[doc_brown]

[ Doc rose an eyebrow at the empty test tube appearing, but nodded to Sertoria when she returned. ]

Perfect! Now we need to proceed cautiously.

[ Doc took an empty vial meant to contain chemicals, and then moved to a container, the far left one. He would then turn the valve slowly, the vial just below, ready to take in the liquid. ]

[animusnpcs]

[Violet liquid fills the container.]

[fionnuisce]

[Opening the case and removing a vial of his own, Waver opted to move to the far right container, repeating the same motion and being cautious not to contaminate the substance with open air.]