Zenith : In Character → Threads, Logs, Events

Who: Lennon and Tobias
Where: the study
When: early evening

( trying to stay positive )

Who: Jack and Jerome (and later Kate)
Where: The obstacle course
When: Right after this!

( Here we go again )

Who: Dylan, Edwin and Oliver
Where: The Obstacle Course
When: Just after this

( Well, this was going to be fun )

Who: Anyone & Everyone (FREE FOR ALL TAGGING! ANARCHY!)
When: 6:30am
Where: The main platform of today's course


( Oh hi ceiling! )

Day 27.

Weather: It's not snowing, but it's still cold, and there's still a whole lotta snow on the ground.

Events: Did everyone like waking up in their beds again? Cool. That's not where everyone wakes up today.

It doesn't matter where or when anyone went to sleep, or even who they were with. Everyone starts waking up at 6:30am today. Oh, and they're all together, on the floor, basically in a pile. Luckily the floor is padded, even squishy, so most people won't have to worry too much about being stiff from sleeping on the ground. We wouldn't want anyone stiff on an active morning like this one.

It's hard to say what people will notice first once they wake up. It might be that no one is wearing what they fell asleep in. Most people will recognize the usual Zenith gym clothes, but just in case: The men will find themselves in running shoes, gym socks, white boxers, black sweatpants, a white tank top, and a black sweatshirt. The women will find themselves in running shoes, gym socks, black cotton panties, a black sports bra, black running pants, a white tank top, and a black sweatshirt. It’s worth mentioning that each subject’s pair of shoes are tailored to their tastes, including colors and even brand (if any captive would have such a preference). All items are fitted to them perfectly, and brand new. Yup, even the people who have been here before get new gym clothes. Today's new clothing elements are helmets and harnesses. The helmets are also tailored to their tastes, the colors or patterns matching the shoes, with the subject's surname printed in large letters on it somewhere. The helmets are removable, though it's not recommended that you remove them. The harnesses are not. There's some sort of device that's keeping them safely attached to your body that's pretty tamper-proof. No one can detach themselves from the rope that's connected to themselves, which runs up to tracks that are hidden in the ceiling.

That might be the other thing someone might notice first. See, this room isn't a new one. Almost everyone has been in it already. They were wearing the same clothes last time they were in here, too. It's the arena that's under the town. The thing is, that arena's about fifty feet high, but the ceiling now? It's maybe ten feet up, tops. Wait, don't these challenges usually start in little locker rooms? Well those are a few stories below now, as is the Olympic-sized running track. The floor that everyone woke up on? It's just a platform. And it's about four stories up in the air. And there's no direct staircase or ladder down. There are, however, four obstacles suspended along the edge of this platform...

Well, it was only a matter of time before the ropes course fad made it's way to Mount Zenith.

Before anyone can throw themselves at an obstacle, or over the side to see if the harness will allow them to freefall, a recording starts playing. It's that slightly robotic female voice that's usually doing the recorded speeches in this place. She says:

Before you lies an obstacle course. We require that you each complete six obstacles before you are able to leave the arena. Your harnesses are equipped with a sensor that will register your completed obstacles. Upon returning to the ground level after the completion of six obstacles, the device locking you in your harness will deactivate, allowing you to safely remove your harness if desired. The elevator allowing you to return to town will not be accessible until everybody has completed their obstacles and scanned their ID bracelet. To return to the starting platform from ground level, stand in one of the designated circles marked near the base of the platform. Obstacles must be done in A-B-C order, or they will not be counted.

The recording repeats three times before going silent, but if anyone wants to start after the first time, that's fine. Okay, so, wait. What's happening?

Well, let's ( have a look... )

Once all six obstacles have been completed, subjects need to scan their ID bracelet by the elevator. Again, the elevator WILL NOT WORK until EVERY PERSON has completed the course. While people wait, those locker rooms on the ground floor are open, if anyone needs to use a bathroom or wants to take a nap on the uncomfortable cots back there. There's also the table of water bottles and small snacks, and that running track that loops the room if you're really bored. Along the wall that the elevator is on, there's a line of winter coats hung up, so everyone can be warm and cozy on their trek back up to the house.

Oh, and if anyone wants to stay in the arena and try the obstacles that they didn't get to, or if they want to take the elevator back down later in the day, that's fine too! The harnesses will still be hanging within reach on their ropes, so anyone can just throw one of those back on and head back up to the fourth level. Like during the challenge, the harness will lock until the subject is back on the ground floor. We wouldn't want anyone to end their part in this experiment prematurely. At least not on the ropes course.