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

[immortalia]

[ While the two of them are working on that, Sertoria materializes a hilt from inside of her.

Well, that little thing won't be useful for defending anything, will it? ]

Do you require a temporary storage space? I was designed with spatial technology, so I can carry the test tubes in me.

[fionnuisce]

I can carry enough of these, and I have my Mystic Code to help. [Waver examined the vial once he'd closed it, eyes narrowing.]

Well, now we know what the seventh color is-...what's that sound?

[The maid at his side shifted in response to the cautious tone in Waver's voice, case moved to one hand as she seemed to take on a defensive stance.]

...I think it might be time to leave.

[doc_brown]

[ Doc smiles as the liquid poured in the vial from the sealed-off valve. Much like waver, he is extremely careful when manipulating the vial, keeping the substance untainted by the air. ]

Violet here! I believe in an effort to gain time, we should each of us focus on one color to-- [He turns around as he hears the humming sound. Then nods to Sertoria, handing her the vial.] Yes, we need to to leave with the liquid as quickly as possible!

[warriorscribe]

Right, I don't like the sound of that.

*Again, looking to the angel at his side.* Lucifel, can you get us out of here?

[bashfulshifter]

[Yes, that humming is quite imposing. Rick thinks about moving out of the way, but...

...the retrieval unit...

...staring from the doorway...]

...C-Can we get p-past without, um...[He makes a poignant head nod towards the stalker.]

[animusnpcs]

[All containers used to contain collar fluid melt--they weren't real, after all, just film constructs. Exposed to the air, the collar fluid quickly turns clear.

The humming stops after that.]

[brbtalkingtogod]

[And that humming sound doesn't sound good at all. As soon as the tube is filled he shuts the valve.

So much for the extra tube he got, but that doesn't matter now.]

Can do- what the?!

[And there melts the container. and his hand is stuck with the green now turned clear fluid.]

[doc_brown]

Great Scott!

[ Welp, that's no good. Doc look at the melted vial with surprise and think of another solution. ]

We need to do something!

[warriorscribe]

.....The only safe containers are real ones.

*That humming meant they knew they were here. That's not a good sign. Should they still take them, or walk away content in this much new knowledge?*

[bashfulshifter]

[Things do not sound pleasant back there. Rick turns around.]

Is everything...?

[Ah. There go the containers. Which means...]

I, um...I really think it's t-t-time to go.

[doc_brown]

Not yet, we can't go! We must take the liquid first.

[ He then look at the others, having reached the conclusion too that they may be watched and that they were probably going to regret this if they took the real containers, but-- ]

There are personal risks in doing so, but there is too much at stake for us not to do it!

[immortalia]

[ Sertoria was about to put the vial inside of her before it melted all over her hand.

She soon slips out of her tunic and her entire back opens up, as well as some light showing through too. She crouches down, arms wrapping around her legs. ]

Here. I can support the weight. It will go inside of me and we can take it out when we are safe.

[animusnpcs]

[There is more humming--this time it sounds like an elevator arriving. They will have time to grab a few things, but if they linger much longer they will be seen.]

[fionnuisce]

Fucking hell. Volumen Hydragyrum, let's go.

[The girl took the clear liquid's container in one arm, Waver turning to snap at Enoch and Lucifel.]

You two, can you get us out of here or not?!

[bashfulshifter]

[THIS IS MAKING HIM REALLY STRESSED OUT]

B-B-B-But I really--this isn't--

[Words fail him, so he's flailing at the door desperately.]

[brbtalkingtogod]

I can do that, just hurry!

[Lucifel lifts his left hand, ready to get them all out as soon as possible.]

[doc_brown]

[ Doc take the Violet Container and place it on Sertoria-- He does it very quickly but carefully, especially as the elevator grows near. ]

I think we're all about done! We don't have time for more.

[immortalia]

[ Soon, the violet container disappears inside of the android and her back closes up. Soon, Sertoria stands up and redresses herself. ]

I am ready when you are.

[brbtalkingtogod]

Off we go then!

[With no really direction to go to Lucifel flicks with his fingers, getting them to the cafeteria.]

[animusnpcs]

[They leave with the clear and violet containers. If they attempt to go back to the infirmary later, they will find the door locked.]

[bashfulshifter]

[With a jolt, Rick realizes that they are somewhere completely different. It takes him a moment of staggering to get hold of his surroundings and discover where "here" is.]

[He decides that now isn't the best time to ask how that just happened. Maybe when he's not panicking so much.]

We...made it? [A brief moment of contemplation; then he quickly turns on his heels with an air of giddy excitement.] --D-D-Do we st-still have the, um...?

[fionnuisce]

I don't think I want to know how close of a call that was.

[Trying to keep his composure, Waver looked to his mercury familiar--she still carried both the case of vials and the infirmary's container.]

I've still got one.

[immortalia]

[ Sertoria only offers a smile and a holographic image of the container inside of her through the screen on her arm. ]

Affirmative. It is still inside of me as it is replacing the space I use for my gatling guns.

[doc_brown]

[ That was the second time in a week that Doc found himself messing with what he shouldn't be messing. Hence he wasn't very optimist considering what had happened last time. ]

It's the violet one! [Nodding to Sertoria before looking wary.] However, we must remain careful! Last time one of the administrator found us half a day after we were done with our work-- It may not be over yet!

[warriorscribe]

Then we should do what we can as quickly as we can, shouldn't we? Is there a place you can use to analyze these?