MIDNASTER 2024/03/04(Mon)00:56 No. 1085369 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “This is where you come in, dear viewer… We need your help. Ladies, gentlemen, everyone around, and everyone in-between, welcome to Jury Summons!”

[APPLAUSE]

Hannah: “…The show where YOU decide whether the convict falls or flees! I am your host, Hannah Dummons, and I’m the only face you’ll be seeing twice today, because we will be ‘sealing’ the fate of some unlucky fellas. HAHAHA!”

MIDNASTER 2024/03/04(Mon)00:57 No. 1085370 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “This is The Box. As you can see, it has a hatch at the bottom, and a door at the back. Behind the door on the wall, there is a motorcycle and a briefcase of new government documentation, clean of all crimes. Under the hatch is the death pit of punishment, personalized to the convict’s crime.”

MIDNASTER 2024/03/04(Mon)00:58 No. 1085371 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “Without further ado, let’s take a moment to welcome Mortimer Corvus! Our first guest here used to pass drinks at the grub n’ pub in a small town a hundred miles east. A bird of few words. Stoic! Mysterious! Our little corvid friend here today is not your average killer. No, sir–ee.”

Hannah: “It was a quiet day at the bar. The regulars had all left early. One person remained, a visitor seeking lodging at the nearby motel in the midst of a longer trip, who had spent the day there, at the bar. Investigators are not sure how mortimer had acquired such a large dosage of cyanide, but after Mortimer served what would be the last drink of the night, that guest dropped from the barstool to the hardwood floor in seconds. Mortimer, would you mind telling our viewers why you poisoned your dear guest?”

Mortimer: “Felt like it.”

Hannah: “Wow! There you have it. You can’t make this up! HAHAHA!”

MIDNASTER 2024/03/04(Mon)00:58 No. 1085372 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “Anything else to say, sir?”

Mortimer: “...No.”

Hannah: “Anyways, his name is Mortimer Corvus and his death pit is a vat of euthanasia. Now’s your chance to ask him some questions before you decide his ultimate fate.”

Does this have to be a spectacle? Shouldn't this be a solemn proceeding where evidence is presented and charges laid out so that the jury can decide if evidence is sufficient to convict and punish? What if we just refuse to vote?

>>1085372
What did the guy even look like anyway? Something about him that seemed off to you? Made you tick?

Did you enjoy being responsible for someone's death?

>>1085372

Had you seen this visitor before?
Describe them.

Where did you get the cyanide?

Did the guest bother you in some way?

Oh right, big important question: do you regret it?

Are you being coerced into saying you committed a murder so you can be executed on a reality TV show?

>SFW. Death likely. Gore maybe.
What.

Something's wrong. This spectacle... it's too one-sided. It's like the game show just wants approval from a misinformed audience to give them permission to murder.

This... this isn't tied to a vigilante killing IRL, right? RIGHT?!

Have you been tortured at any point in the proceedings?

Are your friends and family being threatened?

When exactly did the state turn into a totalitarian dystopia?

>personalized to the convict’s crime.
So to be a convict you have to be, well, convicted. So what crime are you convicted of and by who? Jury, just a judge, or whatever else?

Also, how has the world gotten to a point where people are openly killing each other in the streets without, you know, a major revolution to end the current political, social, and economic status quo?

Also, members of intelligent social species don't get to the point where they're adults who randomly kill strangers they don't know just because they felt like it without being kids who show signs that they'll turn into adults who randomly kill strangers they don't know just because they felt like it. Did anyone in power at any point in your life ever notice you were 'off' in these ways and try to do something, anything to intervene?

Do you think the vat juices will taste like your cocktail?

What kind of drink did you put the poison in? How do you feel right now?

Mort, we all have those days where you just can't get a thought out of our head, I get it. But when I ask myself if I would let you out of there above ground level, the question I gotta know the answer to is, would you do it again?

[1/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/05(Tue)00:47 No. 1085462 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085391
>>1085383
>>1085413
Hannah: “How was your trip here? How’s your friends and family? Do you, yourself, believe that you are innocent?”

Mortimer: “People in my town have gotten away with worse. At the time, I was certain nothing much would come out of a body in the garbage.”

Hannah: “But you were wrong, weren’t you? It appears things went as foul as a 7-day corpse! HAHAHA!”

[LAUGH]

Mortimer: “As for the trip, it was okay. A little bumpy. I was told I was being transferred to a prison that would suit my death sentence.”

Mortimer: “I was an orphan. I do not need friends. I pleaded guilty at court. That is all you need to know.”

Hannah: “Oh. Why don’t you need friends?”

Mortimer: “That is all you need to know.”

[2/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/05(Tue)00:47 No. 1085463 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085375
>>1085378
Hannah: “Okay, then! Keep your secrets. How about that guest? Tell us about this guest. Anything specific about them that ticked you off?”

Mortimer: “I’m not sure. Let me ponder…”

Mortimer: “He walked into the bar in the early morning. A fox shorty, yellow coat, somewhat graying. I had never seen him before. I did not feel strongly towards him in any way.”

Hannah: “So tell us, Mortsy, what was he doing when you slipped him the ol’ almond cocktail?”

Mortimer: “Muttering, laughing, all by himself. Drunk, as one would be after a day at the bar long enough to see the sun pass.”

Hannah: “As one would! As one would. Are you sure you didn’t feel strongly towards him? Killing someone is a pretty big deal!”

Mortimer: “I am aware. Are you?”

Hannah: “HAHAHA! Nice one!”

[3/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/05(Tue)00:47 No. 1085464 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085424
>>1085427
>>1085378
Hannah: “What about the poison? These are potentially your last moments to spill the beans on that!”

Mortimer: “It was cyanide. Just another concoction. I had figured it out the day before. Nearly killed myself with it. The whole day it sat there, unused. Waiting. I decided to include it with the bitters in the manhattan cocktail.”

Hannah: “Mind telling me how to make some of that juice? I’d like to know.”

Mortimer: “I’m not telling you.”

Hannah: “Suit yourself! I was just wondering if you made it different than I did! HAHAHA!”

[4/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/05(Tue)00:47 No. 1085465 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085376
>>1085380
>>1085457
Hannah: “Now for the question that might REALLY tip the scales. Do you regret it?”

Mortimer: “Let me ponder. I will return to you about that.”

Hannah: “Oh, sir. HAHAHA! There IS no ‘return!’ Speak now or forever rest in peace, so they say. Do you regret killing that fox?”

Mortimer: “Perhaps.”

Hannah: “P-Perhaps!?! Care to elaborate?”

Mortimer: “How about, if I live, we will both find out if I regretted it.”

Hannah: “Wow! Wow! How backwards! ‘Do you regret it?’ ‘PERHAPS!!!!!’ Amazing! Just saying, I would tip ya! HAHAHA!”

Hannah flicks a quarter at the screen.

[5/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/05(Tue)00:47 No. 1085466 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085374
>>1085383
>>1085390
>>1085419
>This is fucked up. Why is everyone fucked up? What are you doing? Are you good? In any sense of the word?
Hannah: “You see… That’s what I- We…”

…

Mortimer: “Answer the-”

Hannah: “Ding ding ding! Well, friends, it appears time is up! Give our friend Mortimer Corvus a hand here because it’s time to decide which insanity wins! Life? Death?”

Life, there are far better ways to use a poisoner with experience then simply killing them.
Oh hey buddy, even if the overall vote is for your death, at least it should be painless, unless euthanasia means something different around here.

>>1085466
Death.
He did it on purpose, for little to no reason, and is expressing little enough remorse he won't even tell us. I only support the death sentence when there's a high risk of a repeat offender, and this guy is definitely high risk.

Life. There's something rotten in the state of Denmark.

While it's a tie, gotta say this. We had the biggest questions dodged. We know he plead guilty but with almost no context at all. With such little detail we don't have the ability to judge. So as previously stated I refuse to vote and I suggest you all do the same or at the very least maintain the tie. Let's see what happens if the people behind this don't get what they're looking to get out of this.

>>1085470

Alternatively, what happens if there is, consistently, no death in an entire show? Several shows in a row? A whole season? Two?

>>1085372
Do you want to die?

I vote to spare.

The more I think about it, the more I appreciate this guy's honesty. He's facing immediate death, and he's still not just giving the "right" answers. I'm gonna guess that this experience is gonna be harrowing enough that he'll be tempted away from any similar crime of curiosity and convenience. His principled nature has convinced me that he's not one to repeat an offense because he couldn't control himself.

>>1085466
Looks like we dont get much time.

Kinda sounds like theyre diverting prisoners in transit.

I abstain.
Lets hope they dont take the phrase hung jury literally.

>>1085466
Death. Guy had it coming, and it'd like to see how exactly the execution happens.

Yaaas! Kill!

>>1085466
Death
As fucked up as this system is the gact remains this guy commited murder on a simple whim, so given that our options are "remove him from life" or "return him to society" I say we make the world a safer place.

Death. This guy killed another guy for absolutely no reason except curiosity. No hatred nor regret. Just because. Reminds me of the L'Étranger novel by Albert Camus. I would not feel safe if he kept walking in the streets without a single ounce of redemption of the self. So let's get this over with. Also, this judiciary system is the most fucked up thing ever in the world. Imagine if our next victim-guest ends up confessing because he's live on tv. What the hell is going on with the government and public of the people who designed this thing? Is this legal? Even if we allowed the criminals to live, will they actually live or is the whole door at the back a scam, since the cameras don't go over there? Who built this? Who is responsbile for all of this? Is the penalty of death what the state assigned to Mortimer, or did something bogus messed up the process? How reliable are the informations that we are given? Who is Hannah Dummons? Why are there sapient animals with ruling the world? Where are the humans? Does justice exist or are we really just entertainment? And who are the jury? Are the jury a fabrication as well? Are we metaphysical disembodied entities summoned for this very purpose?
Are we reliable? Should we trust ourselves? Should we trust... Anything at all?
Tldr: Vote for death, but I question the sketchiness of everything about this.

If there is nothing more to this, it's simple insanity, he'd be no danger if we kept him away from people's drinks, and the underlying problems with him and his environment might be addressed. If there is something more to this, we are not aware, and cannot make the decision to kill this fellow.

Life, either way.

Life, what happens in the event of a tie?

>>1085497
Hung jury.
Like i said, hope they dont take it literally.

I'm going to abstain. I agree that this man is a threat, seeing as he willfully confessed to murdering another person because he felt like it... but there's too little context, and not enough evidence to conlcude the case. We cannot disprove that he had no ulterior motives, nor that this murder was purely of his own design. Killing him will not bring closure, it will only bury whatever truth is behind this case.

But if a decision has to be made, then make one.

>>1085466
Death.

Sorry bud, but acts on a whim are reserved for bad haircuts and bulk buying online only. Not actual murder.

life

[1/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)00:05 No. 1085559 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “Let’s taaaaally the votes! Life or death! Life or death!”

DEATH: 6
LIFE: 6

Hannah: “Wow! A tie! A hung jury! We got 6 votes for life and 6 votes for death! You know what that means!”

(Drumroll)

Hannah: “You know what that means!!!! That… means…!!!!!!!”

Hannah begins pacing around the stage and muttering to herself.

[3/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)00:05 No. 1085561 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “That’s it!”

[4/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)00:05 No. 1085562 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “A tiebreaker! Heads means ‘OFF WITH HIS HEAD!’ Tails means ‘HIGHTAIL IT OUTTA HERE!’”

Mortimer: “This seems arbitrary-”

Hannah: “HAHAHA! Flip!”

dice 1d2 MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)00:05 No. 1085563 ID: 4591f8
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[5/5]

1 = Heads
2 = Tails

rolled 2 = 2

---

[1/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)01:32 No. 1085565 ID: 4591f8
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2 = Tails = Freedom

[2/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)01:32 No. 1085566 ID: 4591f8
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Hannah: “Tails! Tails! Tails it is! You didn’t beg--maybe you prayed--but you get to see the light of day! Tell me Mortimer, how do you feel knowing you live to see tomorrow?”

Mortimer: “I’m going to leave now. And I’m not coming back to answer your question.”

Hannah: “That’s what I like to hear! The vote was far from unanimous but you are lucky you have some lucky luck on your side! You’ve got honesty. Hold that close to your heart! Dasvidaniya!”

[4/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)01:32 No. 1085568 ID: 4591f8
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Nearby…

You are Devan Jack Shayne, a fox, and, through your prison bars, you have been listening to the ramblings of your warden, who you believe to be the single craziest person you’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.

[5/5] MIDNASTER 2024/03/06(Wed)01:32 No. 1085569 ID: 4591f8
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A few statements of the crazy warden irk you.

“In a world of animals that would tear each other to shreds for a dime.”

‘No, that’s just you, Dummons,’ you think. The day before you got arrested a barista rounded a nickel up my order because you were short.

“Heads means ‘OFF WITH HIS HEAD!’ Tails means ‘HIGHTAIL IT OUTTA HERE!”

I don’t need to say anything about this.

Even with the morbid scenario, You feel a little dreadful that Mortimer got off scot-free. He killed a “fox with a yellow coat?” That could have been you!

Something is wrong with this whole facility. You haven’t seen any personnel other than Hannah and her “stagehands.” You ponder the possibility that it’s just wrong enough that you can make a break for it. There aren’t that many toys you can play with right now, though. All you can do is brainstorm. Even then, there’s not much you know past your cell.

Special Skill–
“Lock, Stock And Barrel”: You’ve made guns out of the strangest materials. The possibilities of things you can slap together and have fire at least one accurate bullet are endless.

Hey Devan! Probably now's a good time for us to freely ask you some questions about yourself before that clown of a "warden" makes us during your trial.

What are you in for? How exactly were you transferred here? You have the briefest idea about the layout of the place? Anything little thing helps...

>>1085569
Like the other one says, time to answer questions while you can.
They dont give you long out there.

These stage hands.
We havent seen one yet.
Anything worth knowing about them?
What did you do to get arrested?
Any mitigating circumstances?

Its in your best interest to be completely honest.
As you've already pointed out, your hosts are nucking futs and theres no guarantee the freedom door leads to anything morevthan a bullet in the back of the head and a shallow grave.

Hey, given the level of professionalism we've seen so far... is the cell door locked?

How's your case? Think you'll be able to get the jury's sympathies?

No one said he got off scot free. The jury actually has no idea what it means to HIGHTAIL IT OUTTA HERE. As a matter of fact, who is the jury? Did you get a look at them?

Can you give us some context? I think I might have been drugged or have a traunatic head injury. Does civilization still exist? Is there a totalitarian dystopia of some sort out there? Does there being a reality tv public execution show actually make sense and pass the sniff test in your context? Or have you probably been kidnapped by a madwoman who has non functional tv cameras? Or if they are functional and broadcasting, you should expect to be rescued by some nation-states amphibious assault infantry if you live long enough?

Demand a last meal or something before your show trial.

No need to be rash, even though you're pressed for time. If your special talent is making guns, then you should take stock of the materials that are available to you. Did they leave anything on your person? Is there anything you could repurpose in the cell? Could you get any ammunition?

TBH, you don't need a gun.

You need a cannon. Or IEDs would work too, I suppose. How big and broadly destructive and violent can you get a single device to be, generally, if left alone in (say) a stocked commercial kitchen?

How sturdy are the jail cell bars?

>>1085955

Forget that, how resistant to picking or bumping is the lock? Or is it one of the newer type of electronically controlled remote locks? Is this a modern jail or is this on site at some sort of primitive historic jail?

The way the hostess was hyping up the tie-breaker sounded like she was stalling for an idea, implying this is the first time a tie has occurred, and she or the producers hadn't thought through what to do in that case. It also implies she has a lot of creative authority here, despite people's lives being on the line. This reeks of a negotiated compromise between her and some group she has power over, and I get the feeling this "program" only started recently between this being her first-ever tie and the jury's questioning of her premise.

The fact that you have the ability to make a gun from implausible materials, actually makes the corvid's story about making a cyanide concoction seem more plausible, especially given that almonds are a common bar-snack, maraschino cherries might've been produced in-house, and there might've been some amaro or amaretto to work with. Makes you think... is this specifically a death-row facility for folks with unusual abilities or inexplicable feats like the two of yours? Were you therefore deemed too much of a risk to consign to a "normal" death-row, and the hope for amnesty is a last-ditch effort to stop such exceptional individuals from making a last-minute escape attempt with those abilities?

But yeah, I say go for it. Make that gun. Try to fight. If you fail, you can just tell the jury this whole thing stinks of bullshit; they probably already started believing it before they ever saw you.

[1/3] MIDNASTER 2024/03/17(Sun)02:34 No. 1086585 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085578
>>1085955
>>1085989
> Are these bars as unstable as the show?

You gnaw on them but they don’t budge a bit. Zero give. The gate is locked by an electronic lock. You are not proficient in electronics. You’ve only seen the stagehands operate them. Hannah’s crazy but she’s not stupid. Actually, you can’t be sure of that either. Either way, these cells have been secure, forwards, backwards, and upside down.

Some other prisoners are locked a little up the hall from a transfer bus that arrived shortly after yours. You haven’t seen or heard from them that much, but you know they are there. You were transferred on the same bus as the crow, who wasn’t much for conversation.

[2/3] MIDNASTER 2024/03/17(Sun)02:34 No. 1086586 ID: 4591f8
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>>1085570
>>1085578
>>1085571
>>1085583
> Who are you? What are you in for? Also, stagehands?

You are in for shooting someone with a homemade shotgun. It was a single-use wooden shotgun made for one shot. It was a self-motivated assassination. Certainly more noble than “I felt like poisoning somebody.” You knew the risk was high of spending the rest of your life behind bars. The person you shot was a former war profiteer and still manufactured death machines. He deserved to die. It’s a shame the shot didn’t kill the company.

You would be lying if you said you didn’t regret your actions at least a little. Two weeks of crushing rocks to sand gave you enough time to meditate on the costs of your actions. You were supposed to serve life in prison, not death, which makes this situation all the more perplexing.

You hear beeps and the whirring of motors. You hear the drumbeat of rattling steel on concrete. That must be the stagehands. Cycloptic robots built for keeping civilians in line. Disgusting. Fucked. This is exactly why-

(Gruff Voice): “Erm… What are you in for?”

[3/3] MIDNASTER 2024/03/17(Sun)02:34 No. 1086587 ID: 4591f8
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(Gruff Voice): “Hello….?”

(Mellow Voice): “I don’t want to talk about it. You’ll hear it on the radio anyways, won’t you?”

You hear some neighbors up the hall. You can’t see them from your vantage point. You can’t poke your head too far out of your cell without risking getting it stuck–a lesson you’ve learned before–so you press your ear against the wall and listen. One neighbor has a gruff voice and another has a more mellow voice. The mellow one speaks bitterly while the gruff one sounds… almost nervous?

(Gruff Voice): “That’s okay… My name is Barbara. What’s your name?”

(Mellow Voice): “Leave me alone.”

Barbara: “Oh…”

There is a moment of silence. For a moment you feel like butting in.

Barbara: “Do you think they’ll let you out?”

(Mellow Voice): “I don’t know. I’ll understand if I don’t win.”

Barbara: “Why is everyone so… easy about this?”

(Mellow Voice): “We’re all death row inmates, aren’t we? Really, if we win it’s just a chance we don’t deserve.”

Barbara chuckles awkwardly and sighs.

Strange. Unless something changed without your knowledge, you were certainly NOT on death row.

>>1086587
Don't worry bud, we won't execute you. Unless you just lied about all that, I guess.

>>1086587
Barbara seems like she needs someone to talk to.
So do you.
They may have seen more than you.
May see something from their cell.
May even know something.

Youre right though buddy, theres something odd here.
I mean odder than weve seen so far and its pretty damn weird already.

> killed a war profiteer
> who manufactured death machines
> now you're to be killed
> by death machines

I don't think there's any perlexivity at all here! You definitely need to make sure you kill the company, as well as its top goon, or you'll be shocked to discover injustice prevails. I bet ten to one your jury will be composed entirely of company executives. You cannot go to that trial!

“I’m not.” “On death row, I mean. I could have sworn the judge sentenced me to prison for life for what I did - I’m the wooden shotgun assassin, by the way - which makes this all suspicious as hell even if we were to simply accept the government was capable of this bullshit. At best, this is all some compromise by the government to appease a madwoman who happens to have one hell of a bargaining chip. At worst, this group bribed and conned their way into a bunch of kidnappings, and both possible outcomes to our trials is just as illegal. I don’t care if you think you deserve death - what this bitch of a hostess is doing is wrong, no matter how you slice it. The only silver lining is that the audience is moral enough to give the real piece of work who arrived with me a hung jury. Honestly makes me curious what their story is.”

Although… There is something that could potentially create a pattern in this lady’s (potential) victims. What if the crow refused to explain how he made his poison because he simply couldn’t explain it in a way that makes sense to a sane person? The trial briefing suggests no evidence of him making cyanide with a mundane method turned up. What if he salivates cyanide, and wasn’t certain that dude would die if he spat into his drink? Or maybe his gizzard can alter the chemical properties of any liquid. It sounds downright supernatural, but is it really so bizarre compared to your own ability to make a functioning gun and single round out of literally anything, even with no access to gunpowder?

“So, what inexplicable feats was the prosecution unable to explain at your trials? The cops kept asking me where my actual gun I used to shoot that weapons magnate went, because according to their so-called gun experts, the one I used couldn’t have worked even once. Judging by what we just overheard, it also isn’t hard to assume whatever method that Corvid dude used to make his poison didn’t exactly involve him having a suspicious taste for almonds or cherries.”

Any sort of ally in this place is strength. If you can hear them, then they should be able to hear you--try saying something to get their attention. It will be worth communicating that this is more than a gimmicky potential out for convicts who are destined to die. This all seems impromptu and bizarre--but if the world is really going to hell anyway, then maybe it's not so unusual for something weird like this to turn up out of the blue?

How well do you think you can disassemble the bed and turn it into a bar breaking gun?

I think the purpose of this show was meant to find out how willing we are to kill someone in the name of justice. We started out with pure scum, we were meant to sentence him to death easily. I imagine we were going to be given progressively more sympathetic criminals, and you might be the very bottom of the list- someone who wasn't meant to die at all.

Unfortunately for Hannah, we rebelled immediately and rendered the dilemma moot, forcing her to choose instead of us. Maybe she has a new group in the decision process now?

[1/6] MIDNASTER 2024/03/25(Mon)02:36 No. 1087077 ID: 4591f8
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You clear your throat.

Devan: “I’m not.”

Devan: “I was NOT on death row.”

Barbara: “...Hello?”

Devan: “I’m Devan, just down the hall. In for killing someone with a wooden rifle. Judge said life in prison, not death in prison. You KNOW that this is fucked up right? It doesn’t matter who deserves to die–what that clown is doing is fucking wrong.”

Barbara: “Wait, maybe this is a misunderstanding?”

Devan: “Bullllllllshit. There’s something fishy going on here. Hannah must have some hell of a bargaining chip to pull a stunt like this. I’m in jail for killing a facilitator of death machines. What’s keeping us here? The stagehands. Those same death machines. There’s NO way that we are random pickings. Mortimer had a strange and powerful skill. I know I have a strange and powerful skill. No coincidence. I’m telling you, this whole thing reeks of bullshit.”

[2/6] MIDNASTER 2024/03/25(Mon)02:36 No. 1087078 ID: 4591f8
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(Mellow Voice): “So what are you going to do about it?”

You consider your surroundings. You could probably turn the metal on the bed into a gun, should you find a way to cut or melt it. If you managed to get your hands on a stagehand, you could 100% make a gun with one of those. A bazooka, maybe.

Devan: “I’ll figure something out. I’m sure of it. An ally right now is strength.”

Barbara: “That’s a nice sentiment. I will admit this does seem morbid. I’d ask what your plans are but I don’t know who might be listening.”

Devan: “Hmmm. For now, I think I want to get my hands on a–”

[3/6] MIDNASTER 2024/03/25(Mon)02:36 No. 1087079 ID: 4591f8
File 171135939829.png - (11.83KB , 480x482 , 2_3_3.png )

Hannah (Speakers): “Stagehands!!! Please escort cell oh-two to the Box. Thanks!”

Barbara: “Uh oh.”

Devan: “Shit.”

Devan: “I didn’t catch my cell number, is that mine?”

Barbara: “No, it’s… hers…”

Stagehands make their way down the hall. Metronomic marching grows louder.

In moments, Four stagehands enter the hall. Bipedal surveillance robots repurposed for the show. Each wields a specialized gun with measures such that only a robot can fire a gun or a bullet. If only you had the “Hacker” special ability.

Stagehand: “PLEASE EXIT THE CELL.”

…

Stagehand: “PLEASE EXIT THE CELL, OR WE WILL BE OBLIGATED TO FIRE.”

[6/6] MIDNASTER 2024/03/25(Mon)02:36 No. 1087082 ID: 4591f8
File 171135941193.png - (31.84KB , 480x482 , 2_3_5.png )

Barbara: “I guess that means it’s just us.”

*WHIRRRRR CRUNCH CRUMPLE CRUNCH CRUMPLE WHIRRRRRR*

Devan: “What is that noise?”

Let me guess. That prisoner just used an ability to destroy the stagehands. Ask if you can have some of the parts.

Hey, have you ever tried using your power to make sonic guns out of loud noises?

>>1087082
Either stage hand getting wrecked or they did not open fire but instead strangled them to death

>>1087082
Hope for her survival, plan for her absence.

You are right.
All of you have some talent.
Prison and aptitude are you commonalities.
Granted, not everyone may recognise their own talent.
For example, while you specialise bin guns, you also as a result know at least rudimentary explosive handling.

You need to find out barbaras story before its too late to make use of it.

Side note.
Remain ambivalent about Hannah.
Theres a chance shes as trapped in this as you are.
She had an air of desperation about her.

Admire your biceps. Take a look at those massive guns. Now you have two guns.

“Well, if the pattern holds, and the drones weren’t lying about guns being their intended method of execution, I’d say our mutual acquaintance also possesses a bizarre talent the prosecution had a hell of a time trying to prove to a jury.”

“Yo, pass some parts to me, assuming anything’s left of those things.”

But at the same time… there’s a non-zero chance you’re being recruited for something, and the jury is just there to decide if having you as an asset is worth giving you a pardon in the process. Some real black-ops shit. We need to make our choice; try to escape, or trust that the Not Guilty verdict doesn’t lead to a more secret execution (which seems less likely)? Because if they were willing to give Mortimer a hung jury, your odds might actually be pretty good if you just play along.

Hopefully her power was something to protect her from being shot. Anything on the ground from what just happened they could pass you?

[1/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087761 ID: 4591f8
File 171204482848.png - (9.82KB , 327x367 , 3_1_1.png )

Sounds like the sounds of scrapping!

Devan: “Hey! If you’re scrapping some stagehands give me a piece!”

[2/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087762 ID: 4591f8
File 171204483374.png - (0B , 331x345 )

Whoops. Shit.

[3/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087763 ID: 4591f8
File 171204483825.png - (12.19KB , 470x466 , 3_1_3.png )

Nearby…

Hannah: “Welcome back! Our last star was a spur-of-the-moment convict corvid. This next contestant may not be a bird, but she sure can hatch a plan. HAHAHA!

[4/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087764 ID: 4591f8
File 171204484287.png - (11.23KB , 572x477 , 3_1_4.png )

Hannah: “Let’s welcome our new resident of The Box. Give a round of applause to Shiela Bella!”

[APPLAUSE]

Shiela Bella leans on the side of The Box, collected.

[5/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087765 ID: 4591f8
File 171204484593.png - (50.89KB , 483x506 , 3_1_5.png )

*WHIRRRRR CRUNCH CRUMPLE CRUNCH CRUMPLE WHIRRRRRR*

[6/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087766 ID: 4591f8
File 171204484965.png - (0B , 483x444 )

Hannah: “Hark! What’s that noise? Why that’s the shredder!”

Hannah: “You may be asking yourself, ‘now WHAT possible crime warrants a death shredder?’ Well, in this game, the way you earn a brutal execution is a brutal crime.”

[7/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087767 ID: 4591f8
File 171204485250.png - (26.82KB , 483x444 , 3_1_7.png )

Hannah: “Sheila Bella is a 41-year-old poodle widow that lived in the suburbs of the city northwest of here. She was a professional party planner. Hell of a party you planned on one fateful day, huh? On the day of the incident, the victims, 30-year-old Brennan and 29-year-old Penn, had no idea what fate would befall them later in the evening. The brutality of the murder was NO laughing matter.

Hannah: “Dear Sheila shot them in the legs and taped and roped them to the wall of their own living room. Then, with a pair of PLIERS, she tore poor Brennan apart, bit by bit, while the other watched until the victim bled out to death. The remaining victim was stabbed in the heart. She covered her tracks amazingly well. She wasn’t even in the first pool of suspects, despite having carried out the crime personally. It was as if she wanted to be there. If you ask me? Twisted!”

Hannah: “The justice for tearing someone apart piece by piece is to be torn apart. Piece. By Piece.”

[8/8] MIDNASTER 2024/04/02(Tue)01:00 No. 1087768 ID: 4591f8
File 171204485535.png - (24.95KB , 520x451 , 3_1_8.png )

Sheila: “That’s not the whole story.”

Hannah: “Oh? By all means, you’re welcome to elaborate!”

Hannah: “Now’s the Jury’s chance to ask some questions to dear Sheila.”

Who were Brennan and Penn? Did you know them? Did they do anything to you?

Also, what was the occasion the party you had that day? Was it related to what you did?

>>1087768
What did they do to deserve death?
How did you feel after killing them? How do you feel now?
How were you caught?

>>1087767
... Look, at this point, the only outcome where I vote to acquit you is if you were mind-controlled into doing this.
I don't care if the N's were serial killing child rapists who destroyed your family, you permanently traumatized everyone at that party and made it clear you had an ego about it. There were smarter ways to go about getting your revenge, ways that could help society while neutralizing bad people, and you took the stupid, brutish option that's going to cause even more misery in the long run.
So, one question for the defendant: Were you ordered to do this ^&*(?

>>1087768
Well, for starters... did you do it?

And what would you like us to know?

>>1087768
Did you do it?
Why them?
What inspired the methodology.
How did you evade capture for somlong?

Is Hannah exaggerating? Was it not as brutal as she says? Even if they deserved to die for something, what could justify such torture?

In order to do that sort of thing, you'd need backing, resources, planning, organization. Spill, give us some context, let us know who else was involved, and we'll be prone to leniency.

Well let's see. Seems Mortimer would have liked if Hannah responded to questions. However she'll likely evade as before. So let's see if indirect helps. "What is Hannah hiding from the jurors? Or if you can't tell us... what should we be asking?" Still advocating refusal to vote until we know what's going on with this. Only moral thing we can do as a jury... of... oh no. Jury of her peers. Peers as in killers? Jury has not changed since last one. Perhaps it's because killers are difficult to get or find?

Was he infected with space zombie parasites? The only way to kill them was to disable their command nodules with a pair of pliers piece by piece? Hate it when that happens.

>>1087834
Im still not sure how much hannah can answer, so other avenues to information would ve good.

There was desperation in her.
She could be trapped in this as much as the contestants.

I already have an idea of what I'm voting given the implication that you ultimately turned yourself in or left an intentional mistake in, but let's hear them; your reason for doing it (betting it's better than Mortimer's, though that's not a high bar to clear), some context surrounding the day of the crime (i.e. the "party" you planned), the plot that made such a messy (and presumably public (unless it was a party of three people)) crime surprisingly hard to solve, and the likely hard-to-explain ability that made it all possible.

... Judging by the crunching sounds I heard on the other side of that door, I assume it has something to do with dismantling things where that normally isn't feasible.

Well, what's the scoop then. Something you planned on your own volition? Some kind of weird hitmen request?

[1/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:11 No. 1088729 ID: 4591f8
File 171308231741.png - (21.61KB , 520x451 , 3_2_1.png )

Hannah: “So-“

Sheila: “First of all, wasn’t a party. No fucking idea where you got that from. No way in hell I’m letting a single undeserving soul see that shit.”

Hannah: “Figure of speech. Just having a bit of fun!”

Sheila: “Of course, you, the clown, only think ‘oooh! party! heehee! fun!’ I see why the other inmates think you’re full of SHIT. There was NOBODY in that house but two MURDERERS and one ANGRY motherfucker.”

Hannah: “So-“

Sheila: “Also, it’s nothing like planning a party. Planning a party is just a little number crunching, Boogle searches, and knowing the client. Plotting a revenge like that? I have to know every cog that ticks in a ten mile vicinity.”

Hannah: “That-“

Sheila: “When I kill a murderer I get fucking shredded. When YOU kill a murderer, what do you get? Money? Some sick kicks? What are you hiding?”

Hannah: “…”

Sheila: “Answer the fucking question.”

Hannah: “I ask the questions here.”

Sheila: “Foxface was right. Bullllllshit.”

[2/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:12 No. 1088730 ID: 4591f8
File 171308232209.png - (21.16KB , 520x451 , 3_2_2.png )

Hannah looks stern.

Hannah: “Ahem… so, you murdered some murderers, you say. Care to elaborate?”

Sheila: “Fuckers killed my wife. There were 3 of them. Cops only got one. Detective Oinks is full of shit so I had to take sleuthing into my own hands.”

Hannah: “Wife?”

[3/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:12 No. 1088731 ID: 4591f8
File 171308232796.png - (11.96KB , 520x451 , 3_2_3.png )

Sheila: “(Sigh) The love of my life. Nara. Mugged. Wrong place at the wrong time. She was always too much of a fighter. I knew the gang that did it already, and its leader got arrested. That was enough for the city, but I wanted more. I wanted blood.”

[4/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:12 No. 1088732 ID: 4591f8
File 171308233080.png - (12.00KB , 520x451 , 3_2_4.png )

Hannah: “How did you get away with it for so long?”

Sheila: “Burned all identifiable evidence. Took extra care not to let a single strand of my own hair escape me. Red herrings. Chummy with Oinks. Also helped that I lived in a different city.”

Hannah: “And how did you get caught? Did you get caught on purpose?”

Sheila: “They took a closer look at my wife’s murder, then they connected some dots, and they happened to point to me. After the real villains were already dead, of course. I plead guilty.”

[5/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:12 No. 1088733 ID: 4591f8
File 171308233579.png - (24.77KB , 520x451 , 3_2_5.png )

Hannah: “Were you lucid during the event?”

Sheila: “I was angry. God was I angry. That, but I did what I thought was right. Given the same circumstances I’d do it again.”

Hannah: “Couple-a goofies the last two, huh. No regrets. Do you see yourself committing a similar crime again in the future?”

Sheila: “See, I have no more wives to lose, do I?”

[6/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:12 No. 1088734 ID: 4591f8
File 171308233923.png - (46.41KB , 520x451 , 3_2_6.png )

Hannah: “Um… Why pliers? Why did you plan such a brutal murder?”

Sheila: “I didn’t, first. I was going to use the kitchen knives I knew they had. I felt a rush in the moment and I saw a pair of pliers and two people I wanted to gut.”

Hannah: “How brutal.”

[7/7] MIDNASTER 2024/04/14(Sun)01:12 No. 1088735 ID: 4591f8
File 171308234270.png - (9.33KB , 520x451 , 3_2_7.png )

Hannah takes a deep breath.

Hannah: “Let’s… give a round of applause for Sheila Bella! Now’s the moment! Flee or flay! Life or death!”

I will vote to spare her life.

It would be hypocritical to execute her as reaction to the crime of vengeance. If this were a real jury, in a real court, with real process, then I might be more inclined to restrict myself to assessing guilt for a murder—but this circus is cruel and unusual, as is the proposed method of execution. There's been no charge and no process. Different standards apply.

Life.
When you don't allow half-measures, better no punishment at all than a shredding for someone who took justice in ther own hands.

One last thing though, Sheila: Beware, since this place isn't appropriate to render fair judgement on you, you're on the track to end up severely underpunished. Perhaps your victims too had someone who loves them, and who might take justice in their own hands as well.

I think she needs to be kept far away from society. She rationalized her murders, she will rationalize the next one. But I'm going to abstain; her obsession with torture - something is wrong. I don't think she had full control of her anger and I don't think it was purely her personal biology. Ultimately, I am not 100% certain that she was not manipulated into doing this, but I am 100% certain that she is capable of further murders.

>>1088735
Life.
Let's not do a coin toss here, please? Sheila may be a murderous vigilante but justice was served. The only problem here is that it was done without the oversight of the legal system. I understand why she didn't, but I still wish she gave her evidence to the police so they could've gotten the culprits.

Also, Sheila... please get some therapy. You had your revenge but you're still so angry. You can get better. Maybe you can even find peace.

And yeah Hannah I know you're gonna call us hypocrites for (halfway) setting a murderer free and then empathizing with someone who killed murderers, but I sure didn't vote to let that guy go.

She doesn't regret what she did, but there were extenuating circumstances that, while not justifying the brutality, do at least let us understand and sympathize with her motives. And it's doubtful she'd do it again, unless she finds another love of her life that just happens to get murdered by people who aren't punished, again. This is certainly a case where I think both "life" and "death" would be a bullshit outcome for this trial, but... Life. She isn't a danger to society at this point, I don't think. Personally, I think she was only given death in court because they were scared of whatever ability she had.

>>1088737
I have to agree.

She certainly killed more than the ones she was caught for.
Certainly has the will and ability to do it again.
Very unlikely to be motivated to do so though.

But, im saying LIFE.

It should be life, or at least a good portion of it, in custody. Full psychiatric treatment.
But because we have a binary choice here and i cant condone the corpse grinder.
so despite it being clear she is deserving of punishment the only option available is a poor fit for her circumstances and as such were left with freedom.

Whatever happens now, whatever she goes on to do, is the responsibilty of hannahs bosses for choosing an absolutist system.

Life

Life, an understandable revenge. In a healthy society she would get psychiatric help, but then, in a healthy society she wouldn't have been pushed to murder in the first place.

>>1088735
Despite the fact that she killed brutally and had no remorse or clean behavior about it, I can't think of a single person who actually has a loved one that wouldn't try to enact vengeance if theirs was killed. Hell, we have countless 'revenge' movies on this subject where we're supposed to empathize with and cheer the person doing the revenge. A court (clearly) made for entertainment deserves a verdict made for entertainment.

Life it is. Just watch your back out there, miss.

Can we hire her? This place could use someone that skilled at tearing guilty people to pieces.

Life.

[1/6] MIDNASTER 2024/05/05(Sun)01:26 No. 1090348 ID: 4591f8
File 171489761654.png - (7.24KB , 434x443 , 3_3_1.png )

Hannah: “Survey says…”

DEATH: 0
LIFE: 8

Hannah: “Really? No votes shredder? Not even a little bit?”

[2/6] MIDNASTER 2024/05/05(Sun)01:27 No. 1090349 ID: 4591f8
File 171489762084.png - (10.17KB , 434x443 , 3_3_2.png )

Hannah: “Mercy it is, then. Our viewers are too kind!... Really. Oh well. Au revoir, I suppose.”

[3/6] MIDNASTER 2024/05/05(Sun)01:27 No. 1090350 ID: 4591f8
File 171489762255.png - (4.48KB , 523x445 , 3_3_3.png )

Sheila: “What’s on the other side?”

Hannah: “What? Don’t believe me, dear? A motorcycle, cash, and some docs. Just get on the bike and leave. Unless you want seconds! HAHAHA!”

Hannah (Quietly): “Word of caution, after you leave that door, you have 60 seconds before you are considered Not Welcome Here.”

[4/6] MIDNASTER 2024/05/05(Sun)01:27 No. 1090351 ID: 4591f8
File 171489762599.png - (4.72KB , 523x445 , 3_3_4.png )

Sheila: “And if I return?”

Hannah: “Then it’s my turn to decide your justice.”

Sheila leaves. The motorcycle can be heard through the walls.

[5/6] MIDNASTER 2024/05/05(Sun)01:27 No. 1090352 ID: 4591f8
File 171489762815.png - (12.05KB , 523x445 , 3_4_5.png )

Hannah: “Oh shit! You know what? I should have said ‘dip in’ or ‘dip out’ with Mortimer, that would have been perfect.”

[6/6] MIDNASTER 2024/05/05(Sun)01:27 No. 1090353 ID: 4591f8
File 171489763069.png - (6.60KB , 523x445 , 3_4_6.png )

Once again, you are Devan. You are not comfortable. Sigh. Shit’s fucked.

Barbara is in the cell one over.

Barbara: “Are you okay?”

>>1090353
Dude, embarrassing... Well, you managed to push your head through, you can pull it back. Try pulling your skin/fur back so it doesn't bunch up and block you.

Hmm, for many animals, if they can fit their head somewhere then they can fit the rest of their body too. You sure you can't squeeze through the bars?

>>1090353
Time to unfuck this shit then!

Tell her you're ok, then ask her what her story is.
The noise of conversation may help cover your embarrassment and noise as you struggle

As your dad would say; if you got yourself in There you can get yourself out.
Ask her if she has any metal bits she can slide to you.

Can you make a gun out of your complete failure?

We're not okay, but we now have a bit of a better vantage point than before. Can we see around any corners? Can we see into any other cells better than when our eyes were behind bars?

Does Barbara have any butter, oil, or other grease? Out of pure curiosity.

Just focus on getting unstuck. From the sounds of it, the jury's actually pretty lenient if they let your actual-serial-killer-in-the-making of a roommate go free. But you can't enjoy their possible mercy if you're executed for being too stuck to comply with guard-bot's instructions.

Don't suppose you could use yourself as ammo and blast through the bars?

[1/2] MIDNASTER 2024/06/01(Sat)03:36 No. 1092247 ID: d0d6fb
File 171723818450.png - (40.49KB , 387x346 , 4_0_0.png )

>>1090354
>>1090359
>>1090375
> Try working backwards. If that doesn’t work, go all the way through. Make some conversation in the meanwhile. If you can, make a gun.

You start trying to worm your way backwards. You don’t have any means of modifying or molding these bars; you don’t have any tools. However, the card reader mechanism could likely be used as a component for a trigger mechanism, should you find a way to disassemble it. You keep this in mind.

[2/2] MIDNASTER 2024/06/01(Sat)03:36 No. 1092248 ID: d0d6fb
File 171723818813.png - (21.25KB , 606x450 , 4_0_1.png )

From this new vantage point you can see the two empty cells across from you. The one straight across is labeled “01” and the one to its right is labeled “02”. To your right, is a dead end. To your left, the hall makes a sharp right turn. This facility isn’t built to give you all the details at a distant glance. You do know that there is one security checkpoint between the cells and the entrance.

Devan: “Hey, Barbara. It’s not heaven over here. Got my big ass head stuck in these bars. That said, if you have any, like, loose bits of anything you can slide over here from your cell, that would be just swell.”

Barbara: “Oh… I don’t have anything. Not even a mattress.”

Not sure what you expected from a prison like this.

Devan: “What about you? How have you been?”

Barbara: “Honestly, I’m confused. I’m not sure how to feel. When I signed the papers, I thought that maybe–”

Her voice starts wavering.

Barbara: “I thought that maybe they discovered that I’ve done nothing wrong, because I’ve done nothing wrong! I thought maybe I could get a second chance.”

Devan: “No, no, no! You’re all good. I didn’t even know there were papers. I didn’t sign anything.”

Barbara: “Oh…”

In the meanwhile, you hear the muffled rumbling and crackling of a truck parking into a driveway somewhere not too distant.

Squeezing through crosses your mind at this point but there is no doubt some cameras and surveillance, so you’ll need a plan for what to do afterwards before you commit to that decision.

>>1092248
Ask her details about the papers.
Signatories, identified parties.
Anything she can remember.

It'll help you distract you from anybuilding frustration at being stuck.
Best to work your head back in till youre committed to escaping that way.

>need a plan
Its either make a break for it with no plan, or wait for your turn on trial. You're not going to gain any information in this cell. Better to just go for it.

>>1092268
Yeah, gotta agree. Not much else you can do here but wait your turn to go on trial, if you even get one. Bust out now while you have a chance.

1. get tools
2. make a gun out of your pants
3. go on trial
4. blow hannah away with a well placed pelvic thrust

Something's weird about this. Why even have you here when there's little to no chance of you getting the death sentence? Maybe they're not even going to send you to trial. Hannah demonstrated the shredder before the last sentencing, so... I'm guessing they're going to kill you by "demonstrating" the execution device on the next trial.

Don't prep yourself to kill anyone though. We know very little about what Hannah's role in this is. She could just be a patsy. So could everyone here. Justice is elusive, don't assume that blowing away anyone in your way will be just.

>>1092281
No no I meant she'll be blown away by what he's packing. I mean she'll be thunderstruck by his impressive magnum. I mean she'll be penetrated by his pocket rocket. I mean

People are likely looking at the set and production cameras, rather than security. If you can hold off just until the next trial starts, that will probably provide maximum cover from prying eyes. The show must go on; they'll try their hardest to keep whatever you're doing in the back from showing up on stage.

There's a truck you could steal, now, if you have any powers of theft without a completed firearm. Can you drive it? Could Barbara drive it? If possible, it might be nice to bust her out, too. What's she in for, anyway? She's the first one that's mentioned any sort of voluntary inclusion in the project. What's she in for, and how'd she get here?

[1/5] MIDNASTER 2024/07/10(Wed)02:55 No. 1094054 ID: 4591f8
File 172060531901.png - (48.47KB , 772x622 , 4_1_0.png )

> We still don’t know enough about Hannah to warrant violence.

That’s right. Don’t want to resort to violence first. To be honest, that’s an idea you could use a bit more of from time to time.

> If you didn’t sign anything you may actually be a demonstration rather than a ‘contestant’

Hmmm… That’s a harrowing thought. You just pray that this game of life and death is a little more fair than that.

Dying as a prop is a scary idea you don’t want to spend too much time thinking about right now. Being walled in for so long is starting to leave a dent in your sanity. Nothing’s happened lately but being stuck and waiting to get out.

Devan: “So, what exactly did you do? I don’t remember if you’ve told me.”

Barbara: “Nothing.”

Devan: “Nothing? Prison for nothing? I’d think there’s more to it.”

Barbara (mumbling): “You would think, huh?”

Devan: “So why are you here if not anything?”

Barbara: “Oh, just… three people I didn’t murder.”
Devan: “What? Like you were in some twisted dilemma or something? Framed?”

Barbara: “...Yeah. Framed.”

You sigh.

[2/5] MIDNASTER 2024/07/10(Wed)02:55 No. 1094055 ID: 4591f8
File 172060532206.png - (31.06KB , 665x562 , 4_1_1.png )

Devan: “Well, you were looking for a second chance and this shitshow is supposedly your second chance. We’re just waiting to leave, at this rate. And those papers… That’s something. Was anyone mentioned in the contract? What was it about? After you signed it, how did you get here?”

Barbara: “There were some questions on it. On one, I said that I can’t regret something I didn’t do, which, in hindsight, was probably not the brightest thing to jot down. So, there’s one regret, I suppose… A few weeks later I’m told to get on this prison bus. Sheila was there with me and it was a… very quiet ride.”

Devan: “That’s interesting. I still wish there was something I could work with.”

Harsh feedback rings through the prison P.A.

[3/5] MIDNASTER 2024/07/10(Wed)02:55 No. 1094056 ID: 4591f8
File 172060532754.png - (18.71KB , 650x560 , 4_1_2.png )

Hannah (Speakers): “Stagehands, please escort our new stars to oh-one and oh-two! These guests are special! Handle them carefully! They’re unique and very talented.”

[4/5] MIDNASTER 2024/07/10(Wed)02:55 No. 1094057 ID: 4591f8
File 172060533255.png - (44.43KB , 695x587 , 4_1_3.png )

It’s almost like the setup to a joke; 3 people, a lizard, a cat, and a hamster are escorted to their respective cells by stagehands wielding sharp spears. Unlike how you and Barbara came in, they are all bound and gagged.

The lizard sounds to be humming a tune, taking in the environment. The cat is bopping his head to that song, walking in a dance-like gait. The hamster looks tired of either of them.

Hannah (Speakers): “Oh! HAHAHA! It appears I’ve miscounted! But, uhhh… We don’t have enough cells for this… You know what? Put the hamster and the cat in the same cell.”

[5/5] MIDNASTER 2024/07/10(Wed)02:55 No. 1094058 ID: 4591f8
File 172060533541.png - (23.17KB , 660x532 , 4_1_4.png )

As the trio passes, a long splinter comes off of the backend of one of the spears. It lands just past your nose.

>>1094058
Use your tongue to grab it. I assume you can't make a gun out of a single splinter, but it's a start.

Suck in a breath real hard to pull it to you

Wait, you can just grab it with your hands can't you. Just try not to get spotted doing so.

You know you can just kinda... turn your head sideways, to pull it back through the bars, right?

[1/2] MIDNASTER 2024/07/11(Thu)02:18 No. 1094114 ID: 4591f8
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Yoink!

[2/2] MIDNASTER 2024/07/11(Thu)02:18 No. 1094115 ID: 4591f8
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You’ve got it, now. You might need to find a place to hide it sometime soon, you keep it under your paw like some kind of magician until you think of something.

Metal–you can’t do anything with that without proper tools, but a small amount of wood like this is brittle enough to manipulate with your hands. With a splinter this large and some luck you could probably make a single-use toothpick launcher that could do some damage, but that would hardly mean anything in a serious conflict.

Did it seem suspicious to you that the splinter came off right in front of you? I wonder if someone else's power is responsible, or if this is some kind of trap. They can sure execute you if you kill someone with your toothpick launcher without probable cause.

>>1094115
For the love of all that is holy, do not hide it in your prison wallet.

Youve got fur. And hair.
Tuck it in to that temporarily while you appraise the new situation.

Have a sneaky look around your cell too.
Theres a possibility that they have cameras on you.
Look for spots one could hide a camera.
Small holes in corners .
Elevated and with coverage of the cells inside and out.

>>1094116
Why would they execute you now when they could do it live for the ratings or whatever? They don't need an excuse, its not like the audience is going to know if they're lying.

I guess just keep the pick under you until you free your head.

Derringer stock? Lockpick? This feels like the sort of thing we shouldn't convert into something else immediately. The potential is worth more than a toothpick launcher at the moment.

The new guys could be useful. If they're really that talented, then if we can spring them, they might be a big enough distraction to cover whatever we're doing. The downside is that they might be loose enough canons that we get caught in the crossfire. Communication is gonna be limited, but scoping out exactly what their talents are and how dangerous they would be to us should be a high priority.

>>1094056
What's that in the lower-left corner? It looks kind of irregular, not intended, especially with the discoloration. Does it go somewhere, is it a pipe, or just a random, unintended hole from a stray gunshot or something? Did someone punch it and leave blood around the jagged edges?

That toothpick is going to turn into your life line here. Might even be able to use it as a lockpick.

If you made a low-grade gun with the Concealment trait, something prone to failure and nigh-incapable of firing but with a supernatural chance of evading discovery, you could put the splinter in its hole.

No matter what, continue to make getting unstuck your primary focus. The chances of you getting killed for "resisting" shoot way up if you're still stuck in place when your turn at trial comes around. And if you do actually decide to resist, this is an extremely disadvantaged position from which to do so.

In the meantime...

"So, Barbara; I know one half of why you're here - you were found guilty of something death penalty-worthy regardless of whether you actually did it. But if this trend of 'special talents' continues... what special ability have you supposedly got that made the authorities extra scared of you?"

Come to think of it... this whole production seems wildly unprofessional for the purpose it's supposedly serving. There's duct tape holding down the intercom button. The way the 'contestants' have arrived is inconsistent in several ways. There are robot guards, but they're wielding wooden spears - and they aren't even in particularly good shape.

Actually... try asking everyone where they're from, come to think of it; specifically, where they were arrested and sentenced. Compare stories in full (assuming the new guys can take their tape off now that they aren't being watched), making no assumptions about details like that. I'm still of the theory that this whole show isn't legitimate, at least beyond a certain point. A front for some criminal group underbid for the right to handle the "disposal" of death-row inmates from various places - that only some inmates had to sign paperwork could suggest they're from different places with different laws and procedures pertaining to prisoners' rights. The goal, of course, is to recruit different criminals with supernatural abilities and help them 'disappear' off the living record to become everymen with no history and thus theoretically no connection to their assigned targets or their employers. Hannah's show is just one final vibe-check-by-jury to see if not even Hannah's clients can stomach these criminals - their (our) metric being less about guilt and more about whether they'll get into more trouble on their own than the amount that's assigned to them.