For Thine Is; Zo

[animusmods]

Characters: any characters who are still within the Tower
Setting: the hidden floor
Format: any
Summary: Zo needs help. What will you do?
Warnings: psychological horror

Aria and the other retrieval units stand guard in the room and regard each person who enters with a little bit of caution. The reason quickly becomes clear: Zo lies unconscious on a bed that appears to have been stolen from a hospital recovery room. With the glamour down, he looks spectral: it's possible to look through his body and to the bed beneath. He's not quite a ghost, though, as he can be interacted with.

If Zo is attacked, the retrieval units will be quick to retaliate. They can't help Zo on their own, though--so maybe there's something you can do...

Comments

[fionnuisce]

Spectacular. Is there any easier way into the administrative levels than jumping down a fucking elevator shaft as I keep hearing people are doing?

[animusnpcs]

We can get you downstairs, but you'll have to get to Riki's area on your own. It's better than jumping down the elevator shaft, I think.

[fionnuisce]

I'm hoping you can provide some semblance of directions so we're not running about too blindly. And while I'm on the matter of locations, where is Riki usually on months where he's in control?

[animusnpcs]

Yes, though some of you have broken in enough that you guys might have an idea on your own. Riki's usually in his control room, so assuming he's there, you should be able to reach the machine without alerting him.

[fionnuisce]

...hm. Though that leaves the problem of what to do with the machine if we get to it. I'd assume stealing it isn't practical, but we won't be likely to have many chances to get to it at all.

[animusnpcs]

It's much too large to move--and if you take it apart who knows if you can put it back together again--but if you can figure out what it does down there, it would help.

[fionnuisce]

We'd be operating on limited time, since I would assume Riki's bound to come out of the control room eventually. Even so, that's better than nothing at all.

Do you or any of the other units know how it operates?

[animusnpcs]

We know from Zo what he does with it, but not its other functions. I can write up a report to give to whoever decides to go downstairs next month.

[fionnuisce]

I would be incredibly grateful if you could. I don't know who I'll manage to get together, but some of us must still be mad enough to infiltrate.

[animusnpcs]

I'm sure there are--especially since it's been a while since the last time one has happened. [She seems to be under the impression infiltrating is a thing the residents require, much like regular food and water.]

[fionnuisce]

[being little shits is in their nature]

Can you get me that report as soon as possible? If it's not an unreasonable request, even a vague floor plan might be useful to find this machine--if not, we'll manage.

Once this is all sorted out...if it is, I want to gather whoever I can without wasting any time. We don't have nearly enough of it to be screwing around.

[animusnpcs]

Yes, as soon as we can. It'll still take a week or so to gather and compile the information, but we should be able to get down there with Zo when he gets hooked up to it next month.

[fionnuisce]

I appreciate the effort, thank you. But...Aria, if Ruana or even Riki finds out you've been assisting us, what's going to happen to you?

[animusnpcs]

Oh, they'd kill me if they caught me. [She smiles.] But they'd have to catch me first.

[fionnuisce]

Difficult to argue with that logic. Just try to keep yourself out of more trouble than needed--I think most of us have gotten tired of unnecessary bloodshed.

[animusnpcs]

I'll do my best. I'd like to see the end of this--even if I'm not sure what I'll do with myself at that point.

[fionnuisce]

Can retrieval units survive outside of the Tower? If all goes as well as we're hoping, I wouldn't doubt someone would let you return with them.

[animusnpcs]

The equipment we use to maintain ourselves is here and powered here. I imagine it could be built elsewhere, with a power source.

[fionnuisce]

Sounds simple enough, so long as the power source itself isn't some unheard of element. If we don't all die horribly, I'll do what I can to make sure you're not left out. You deserve at least that much for the help you've been.