Zenith : In Character → Threads, Logs, Events

Who: Eddi and Val.
Where: Theater.
When: Early afternoon.

( this is all very unexpected brain shutting down )

Who: Rhett.
Where: Bedroom.
When: Late afternoon.

( lies in bed covered in blankets and crumbs )

Who: Owen, Marco, & Lennon
When: About 2 PM
Where: First floor, around Owen's room

( What was Owen's deal? )

Who: Kai, open! Multiples okay!
When: 3:30pm on
Where: Second floor patio

( Everyone should do this at least once in their life. )

Who: Owen and Noah
Where The gym
When: Morning

( work it off. )

Who: Marco and Cecilia
When: About 1:30pmish
Where: Marco's room

( Cecilia was feeling restless. )

Who: Pam & Jean-Leoon
Where: Somewhere in town
When: 2:00PMish

( Was she staring? )

Who: Jack and Juno
Where: Kitchen
When: Noonish!

( There's always time for comfort food )

Who: Kiley and Chase
Where: Morning (A little after 11am)
When: Town

( a clue or something )

Who: Marco
What: Marco stages a break-in, part 2
When: Early afternoon
Where: Chase's room

( That should be above and beyond, right? )

Who: Noah
When: Around 3 AM
Where: His room and right outside it

( not unfamiliar )

Who: Rhett.
Where: In his room.
When: Early morning.

( watch it all fall down around you now )

Who: Marco
What: Marco stages a break-in, part 1
When: About 3 AM
Where: His room, then Noah's doorway

( Thin ice?! )

Day 7.

Weather: Despite a few more sprinkles in the night, the rain finally seems to have come to a stop by sunrise. By noons the clouds have cleared up and it’s a nice, crisp fall day. Temperatures top out at 72° Fahrenheit.

Events: Shortly after 3 AM, Marco’s computer will start beeping, and the message light will start blinking. It’s not quite at ‘alarm clock’ levels of loud, and it might not even be loud enough to wake him up. It’s just loud enough to not be ignored if he is awake. Yes, it appears the mad scientists have a message for him.

You are on thin ice. Technically you have not broken our agreement, but we are not pleased with your conduct.

To make up for your mistakes, you must fulfill a task for us.

Cecilia, Chase, Noah, and Lana all regularly lock their doors at night while they are sleeping. We require that you attempt to gain entry into one of their rooms. There are two ways -- and only two ways -- that you can complete this task to our satisfaction.

The first is to do so in the late hours of the night, between 2 and 4 AM. Should you choose this method, we require that you are NOT caught. Simply try the doorknob, struggle with the door for a while, do what you like -- but once you hear movement, you must leave the scene immediately.

The second option would be to attempt this during the day when they are not in their room. Cecilia received the key to her room as a reward, but everyone else’s doors would remain unlocked while they are gone. Should you choose this method, we require that you make it obvious that someone was there. Make a mess of the place, move things, take whatever you like.

In either case, you must not be caught. We require you to complete this task in 24 hours, in addition to our previous agreements, or we will not continue providing you with your drug.

Whenever Rhett wakes up, he’ll find his message light on his computer blinking. He also has a special message waiting from the mad scientists!

The witch hunt has started.

We know what you did. What is it worth to you to keep that information secret?

Once Rhett hits the button to close the message and continue on, a video will pop up and play automatically. First, it shows screencaps of a fictional private network conversation between several of the rewarded individuals from yesterday. ( ”Log, )

At which point, a new message will pop up on his computer.

They may turn against you, but we could keep you safe. Or we could reveal your sordid history.

Do you want us as an ally, or as an enemy? You could be quite comfortable here. You would only need perform a few favors for us from time to time. We would not ask much. Certainly not as much as your last employer did. The decision is yours.

We’ll be watching. Speak your choice when you have made it.

Do not speak to anyone of what we have shown you. If you do, you will be severely punished.

Don’t wait too long to make a decision.

Mindfucks all around today, it seems. But wait, there’s more!

Everyone is going to notice something different when they go into their bathrooms today. Everyone has all of their normal toiletries -- shampoos, conditioners, soaps, bodywash, lotions, deodorant, skin care, aftershaves… hell, even bubble bath, all in the brands (and even scents) that each individual normally uses. Everything shy of cosmetics is there, anything a person used in their regular daily life.

An optimistic person might view this as their captors taking the hint and deciding to reward everybody. Or maybe they responded well to some hidden test somewhere!

The cynics of the group might see this as something darker. Perhaps an indication of just how intensely they were all being watched before being abducted.

Unfortunately, something happens at 9 AM that should only solidify that ominous feeling in the pit of everyone’s stomachs.

At 9 AM, everyone receives a message on their computers. It reads:

It appears some of you are unhappy with our system. How unfortunate.

We have an offer for you. We invite each one of you to ask for one material object. The one thing you want most, beyond communication with the outside world or your freedom. One bit of comfort, one desire fulfilled. What would you ask for?

Think on it. In twelve hours, you will have an opportunity to ask for it.

If you follow the rules and ask for something we will actually give you, then tomorrow morning we will give you a task. A quest, if you will. If you complete this quest, we will give you the object.

However, if you fail? You will be punished.

Think carefully. Participation is optional. You only get one wish.

Oh. Good. Because that can’t end badly for anybody, right? Sure enough, at 9 PM, a window pops up on each computer with a single text input box for submitting requests. For anyone brave enough to make a deal with the devil, this just might be the chance you’ve been waiting for.