DEADLAND

[petoskeymods]

[Some time after your character dies, they will wake up in their bunk in camp. But something is wrong here, so very wrong.

Venture outside, and you will see that you're still in camp, but it's trapped in a foggy twilight. Time doesn't seem to pass, and it's quiet. Too quiet. No animals, no breeze, nothing.

The only sign of anything living is in the trees, where dozens and dozens of ghostly figures roam. Sometimes they might come into camp, but you'll probably have to go out to meet them if you want to talk to them. They all seem to be watching camp, but are shy and might flicker away if they're approached.

Finally, in the chapel in the lodge, there is a shadowy figure. It looks like a preteen, perhaps? Maybe 11 or 12 or so. But that's about all you can get from it at a glance.

But you're here now, and there are things to do. Where will you start?]

Comments

[seekingsunrise]

Red! [Gasped, soft and useless. This is different than before, no hills to climb or landscapes to examine. Even so he tries to shift his attention from the obvious, Red and the 2-way mirror instead to anything that might be on the tables or walls inside the room Dan's standing in. Things that would be on his periphery but hopefully might give an indication of where they are.]

[summerghosts]

[Yeah sorry, these ones are a bit more focused because Sol wasn't actually there, he's just showing off Dan's memories.

BUT ANYWAY:]

“Please answer the question, so we can continue.”

[It is at about this time that Red starts to get anxious. She curls in on herself a bit more, her fingers digging into her forearms.]

You keep asking me those questions. ‘How are you doing’, ‘what do you remember’. Why do you keep asking?

“1R, we just want to do this interview-”

Why do you keep asking?!

[On the other side of the mirror, Dan just shakes his head.]

They should have used memory drugs on her, she’s clearly breaking from all these interrogations.

[Another person outside of the room, someone at a 2003-era computer, speaks up, and Dan turns to look at them..]

”If she breaks we can always throw her at 106.”

[Dan considers this for a moment, but ultimately shakes his head once more.]

No, that would be a waste. I think she might have some use for us.

”Are you going to speak for her, then?”

That’s not a bad idea, actually. Most of this batch has been useless, but this one shows some promise. Perhaps she’ll make a good agent after all.

[This is where the memory fades, and the group is kicked back out to where Sol is.]

[kitchen_witch]

[She stumbles for a moment as they returned]

How could they treat her like that!

[Now she feels even less sorry for poisoning Dan]

[seekingsunrise]

Speak for her...?

[Back out and stumbling to a pew to sit down hard.]

By the Six, no wonder she was so mad at him. If he's the reasons she even started working for them.

But what were they trying to get out of her?

[finalguard]

We've been forced to kill each other for weeks, I'm not sure why you're still asking.

[ They don't care about any of them, they never have and never will. ]

This confirms again that Red was brought here as a test subject with a number, like us...

[summerghosts]

I was trying to tell you guys that all this time. She's not mean because she likes being mean.

[Sol sounds a little sad as they say that.]

That group is really, really bad. They lie all the time and they hurt people. And then they lie about hurting people.

...oh! I know! I can show you what they do. Is that okay?

[warmyyarny]

Go ahead. We gotta see more!

[Although that description already is hinting it won't be a pleasant thing to see, they must see it. Only way to keep going forward]

[summerghosts]

Okay! That last one was really easy too, I think I can get all of you in the next one.

[And after a couple minutes of focusing, Sol makes another dark cloud and look, it's memory time!]

[This memory appears to be from not too long after the first one. It is once again from Dan’s point of view, that much is clear from the start as his reflection can be seen in the pieces of a broken mirror nearby. Instead of the suit from before, Dan is now wearing tactical gear, with a certain symbol on his shoulder. Dan isn’t focused on the mirror pieces, though. No, he is focused on a corroded door with the number ‘106’ written above it. The door is wide open, and a pool of blood is present in front of it.]

Damn!

[He reaches up to touch an earpiece.]

Containment has been breached.

[A staticy voice buzzes in his ear.]

Begin recapture procedures.

Sir?

You’re the closest team. Begin recapture procedures. Set the lure.

Sir, my entire team is above the clearance level for-

Just do it.

...very well.

[Dan pulls his finger away from his ear, and he looks back to his team of five. Red is among the group, also dressed in the same gear. Another face is there that might be recognizable to someone in the group. The other three are not familiar to anyone.

Dan scans the group, and ultimately he settles his gaze on the man with the white hair.]

Shirogane. You’re up.

[The man, Shirogane, looks surprised.]

Me?

Yeah. Go in the cell and wait there.

[particlebarrier]

[It's obvious even before a name is even given in the memory that one of the people watching this does, in fact, recognize the person Dan is speaking because Lance blurts out a name.]

...Shiro???

[His face goes pale as the memory continues, suddenly way too tense, and rigid in his shock. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. No, no he doesn't want to watch this, but he has to watch this -- he has to know.]

[warmyyarny]

You know that guy? Is he working for Pastor Dan? Or...tactical guy Dan, I guess?

[What a mysterious development, this one]

[seekingsunrise]

[The name definitely gets Tal's attention, all of it on Lance. This is his friend, his leader, the one he'd have given so much for.

So... he's just putting a hand on Lance's shoulder. Not saying anything, not discouraging. But there, supporting, just in case this is as bad as he thinks it'll be.]

[love_seriously]

Lance...?

[ HEY THIS...LOOKS BAD...she's gonna just take his hand grimly if he'll let her. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this a bad scene, which is good because Floe is basically the opposite of a genius. ]

[yunolikebugs]

[Gonta's so confused right now... He knows about Shirou... From the zombievision... But what?

What is even going on...?]

[romancekiller]

[clarke just watches the memory for this one and she recognizes the name form her conversation with lance so hearing his response, it confirms for her that the person in the memory is one in the same, she just reaches over to give hold his hand to offer some sort of comfort]

/replies to everyone

[particlebarrier]

[And perhaps in what is a very un-reassuring move, Lance is brushing off everyone's attempts to do something comforting. He doesn't usually ignore people like this and it's probably not a good time to start doing that, but he moves closer to Sol with a determined look on his face.]

Sol. Show me the rest of it.

[summerghosts]

[Well...here's some more at least.]

[Shirogane looks suspicious of Dan, and only holds onto his silence for a second or two before speaking.]

You want be to go into a dark room full of blood with corrosion everywhere and just wait there. For something we’re supposed to contain.

If you don’t want to do it I can pick one of the others.

[Panic flashes across everyone’s faces, and Shirogane is quick to hold up his hands.]

No, no, I’ll do it!

[He looks back to the others warily, and he and Red exchange a look. Then he turns to face the door. Dan follows him over, though he stops at the doorway while Shirogane steps in. As soon as that happens, Dan pulls out a handgun and shoots Shirogane in the leg, who screams out and crumples to the ground.

Red’s scream can be heard from behind Dan, though it is quickly cut off. Probably one of the others covering her mouth.

Dan quickly retreats after that, leaving an injured Shirogane in the room. He ushers the rest of the team, including a shocked Red, around a corner and out of sight.]

[There's still more to the memory, but it 'fast-forwards' a bit here, skipping over unimportant parts. So everyone gets a bit of time to react to that last bit.]

[kitchen_witch]

Should've used something worse than Hemlock on him.

[She hisses sharply, her nails digging into the palms of her hands]

[finalguard]

[ Empathetic nodding in agreement. ]

[yunolikebugs]

AAAAAAHHH!

[Sorry for that loud scream, but Gonta is now terrified. He's gonna cling to the nearest person like there's no tomorrow.]

[kitchen_witch]

[Yikes! tiny girl is not expecting the giant of a boy and nearly topples]

[yunolikebugs]

[Sorry. He's shaking in fear.

But he won't let her fall over, don't worry.]

[particlebarrier]

[Lance watches this closely, holding his breath, fists clenched tight at his sides and teeth grit. He knew something like this would happen -- why wouldn't it? Red had warned him -- Shiro died horribly. Suffering imensely. None of this is a surprise -- at least in theory.

Even when Pastor Dan shoots him and Red screams, it all feels far away. He feels like he should be screaming too, but instead he just feels himself crumbling looking at the agonized confusion on Shiro's face. He can't -- if he moves, if he reacts at all, he doesn't know how the rest of it is going to unravel.

He speaks bitterly, voice hoarse.]

... how much more is there to this.

[seekingsunrise]

[Okay, Lance doesn't want comfort. Fine. That's fine. It's not like this place and these people scream Niflheim Empire or anything. It's so obvious what they're doing though. Something violent broke out of containment and now they've left wounded prey to bait the trap.

He's on edge and afraid and he knows it's just a memory but he can't stop himself from reaching for a knife that's not there, teeth on edge.]

I don't think you want to watch this.

[Then to Lil and the others.]

Any of you.

[finalguard]

No, we need to see this.

[ Well, Boa feels he has to at least. After all the cruelties that they have witnessed or experienced in camp, how could he back away from this now? It's a memory that might still give them some kind of answer, no matter how brutal it might be. ]

[summerghosts]

[Last chance to close your eyes, everyone.]

[Some time passes. It’s hard to tell just how long, because it feels like the memory is on fast forward for a bit. But by the time it slows down to ‘normal’ speed, it’s clear that something’s still wrong. Yelling and hisses of pain can be heard coming from the cell, as well as...the broadcast system? It’s coming through the speakers in the hallway.

Dan glances over to Red, who is sitting against a wall with her knees drawn up close. She has a haunted look on her face, and only moves when she notices Dan looking at her.]

How long until we can rescue him?

[Dan does not answer.

Instead, a haunting moan and wet footsteps can be heard. Dan quickly moves to shush the group, keeping them well around the corner and out of sight of the door. Shirogane’s words become more insistent and panicked all of a sudden.]

Okay, it’s in here, come get me out now!

[Dan rounds the corner and starts running down the hall to the door.

For a brief moment, the sight of a horrible rotting body can be seen slowly shambling into the cell. Each step it makes leaves behind a black mucus. Shirogane is visible as well, backed up against the far wall of the cell. He looks past the monster and sees Dan running at him, and a relieved look spreads across his face.]

Dan-

[And then Dan grabs the cell door and swings it shut, locking Shirogane in there with the monster.

That is when the screaming starts for real.

Dan looks back and sees the remainder of his team standing there, having seemingly watched his actions. The other three look like they’re about to be sick, probably because the sounds of the screams and moaning from the cell are very much audible. Nobody’s shut off the loudspeaker yet. But Red looks downright mortified, and she just sinks to the ground as she covers her mouth with her hands.

Dan finally reaches up to his earpiece.]

Containment successful. You can turn off the speakers now.

[The speakers go quiet, but Dan can still hear the muffled screams due to his proximity to the cell.

He walks over to Red, and places a hand on the top of her head in what looks almost like a comforting gesture.]

Remember: Secure. Contain. Protect. That’s our job here.

[Red’s whole body is shaking, but somehow she manages to nod. Then Dan turns his attention to the others.]

We need to go to decontamination now. Don’t touch any black puddles you see along the way.

[As the memory fades and everyone returns to the camp once more, the sound of Red quietly repeating ‘secure, contain, protect’ to herself over and over again can be heard.]