Check the stab wound on John, what sort of weapon does it look like?

You check the stab wound. It resembles... a knife wound. You aren't sure on the type of knife off the top of your head.

I'll check 'em out. Kitchen knife, box cutter, combat knife, scalpel, maybe a few of the longer blades, did we ever find any more katanas?

You compare the wound to a kitchen knife, box cutter, combat knives, and a scalpel. The Kitchen knife is the closest, but it's not exact - the knife seems smaller. It's definitely not a katana, and it's not fine enough to be a combat knife or scalpel.

Where are the pizza roll trails leading to?

You look around at the pizza roll trails. Most notably, you can see one leading from the Bathrooms to the Lab Passage, and there's several pizza rolls in and around the Stairway to Heaven as well.

Check the lighthouse and see if there's any bloody knives in there and if any of the rafts from there are missing. Also, are any of the rafts from the first iRaft episode still back near the boathouse? Check the boathouse in its entirety too

You check the Lighthouse. There's no bloody knives in here, or missing rafts. It looks like... the Deep Colossus is missing from containment though. Spooky.

Walking around the lakeside, it looks like all the iRaft rafts are still here, thank fuck. There's a raft missing from the Boathouse supply since the last check as well, and it appears there's also a lantern missing from here. You can't tell whether anything else is off without a more specific look though.

I present the crumpled up drawing in my pocket!

You present a drawing, pulling it out of your pocket. Through magical and totally not laziness-based means, the drawing also includes the entire surrounding environment you found it in too. Wow!

Spooks, can you show off the footage I asked you to take of the chapel?

This post was last modified: May 6, 2024 at 12:34 AM by Izumi Konata.

Noooooooo, not Walmart John… a fellow MMO player, lost…

Let’s do our best to bring him to justice! Hopefully my testimony will help!

I wake up normally, though I think I’m the last to wake up tonight, and go out of my room. I see Giffany and the doggo, though it seems Giffany doesn’t want doggo to follow her.



Luckily for both of us, he notices me, so I give him a pet cuz he’s a good boy. And he starts following me as I explore some of the places, though it seems like most of the stuff in Lab Zero is explored.

A blackout happens, but I got my trusty flashlight, though it seems doggo stops following me at this point, but it’s fine. I was gonna head to the service elevator and go down, and I didn’t wanna put him in danger. The light does come back when I reach the elevator, luckily, so I go down.



After a bit of looking around, I found my target… Mr. Aberration! After a good talk, he leaves, and I find this here document that I’ll show off when the case ends! I do also check on the water filtration room, but don’t see much of interest. As I’m getting back to the to the observation room, I see Riki enter the hallway.



This is when things get a bit hairy… I call down the elevator and I see… that horse mask guy in there, with a lit dynamite! He shouts stuff and throws the stick at me! What a butthole! And he closes the elevator door before I can do anything too! I just barely was able to throw the dynamite away, but I still got knocked out for a while!



Honestly, just like… fuck you, horse guy! Like what the heck! I’m gonna give you what for when I see you next time, I fucking swear! I do get up after a bit, but I have no idea how long I was out. When I got up the elevator, I also saw Lita knocked out in the receiving bay, with a real bad head wound. Hope you get better soon.



I also saw Dexter around this time, and he looked real sad… Lost lots of friends recently. I feel bad for him. We go together across the shuttle, and I go upstairs while he stays in the lounge.

And… then, I had to get to Astrid, and so I traversed the treacherous snow… It was hard, but I made it, and got to talk to her for a bit. She also told me an important lead buuuut



I won’t be saying it, cuz it’s a secret and wouldn’t be good to tell people about, but I did find another lore thing, so I’ll still show that. I did also see Riki as I was going there. Either way. After I was done, I just went to bed soon after and slept, getting another dream that I’m realizing is what probably happened to John…

XX/XX/2028

Shoulda known, more scary nightmares about how my friends will die or have died…

I’m outside in the Facility Grounds, blizzard raging, wearing normal clothes, nothing that I should be wearing in this weather, and I’m absolutely freezing. I’m thinking that I’ll be dying tonight, but I see a light in the distance, so I start running towards it…

And I trip and fall down, landing on some frictionless surface and start sliding and sliding and sliding. I try to grab onto something to stop me, and find purchase on a raft in the ice, and I pull myself up to it, and when I get onto the raft, it transforms into a giant knife and stabs me in the chest.

I’ll prolly keep getting these nightmares, but hopefully they can help with the case…

Non-RP Testimony: Show

-Wake up, leave room
-See Giffany out in the hall, doggo with her
-She seems to not want him to follow her
-He notices me, and I pet him. He starts following me
-Go grab a coat from the Leisure Center
-Head into Lab Zero to investigate, it’s already picked clean
-c’mon it wasn’t 10 rooms that I submitted to check, right? It wasn’t that much? Sorry…
-Light goes out, I use flashlight
-Go to receiving bay so I can take service elevator
-Light is back on when I arrive
-Go down
-Find Mr. Aberration, talk to him
-Finish talk, go to water filtration room
-Cool place, investigate a bit
-Leave, head back to the observation room. See Riki as he’s entering the hallway
-Call the elevator down so I can leave
-HORSE IS IN THE ELEVATOR WITH A LIT DYNAMITE
-HE SHOUTS AND THROWS IT AT ME, CLOSING THE ELEVATOR DOOR
-Quickly throw it away so I don’t get fully blown up
-Still get knocked out by the explosion
-Wake up after a while, take elevator up
-See Lita passed out on the floor of the receiving bay, bad head wound
-Go the main elevator, see Dexter very unhappy in the museum hall, but I pass him
-Go to boiler room and grab something that doesn't react with lithium to submerge
-Leave, go back to the elevator. Dexter follows me down
-take the shuttle with him, he stays in the lounge as I go upstairs
-Go to the chem lab and get the lithium foil out of my flashlight batteries
-See that someone has messed with the chem lab a lot
-Go to 1650's containment room to throw away the battery casing. See weird unlit lantern
-Go take a shower in the decontamination lab
-Traverse the treacherous snow so I can get to Astrid
-Talk to her
-She tells me about a lead, I follow it (not gonna say what the lead is cuz it’s secret)
-Leave the room the lead was in
-Head back to bed and sleep
-Dream journal above

Hey, where did 23 go, anyway? Last I saw him, he was looking for something in Counter-Terrorism. Hope he found... whatever that was.

Right, well, my night starts off a bit odd. Somebody left a trail of pizza rolls or something leading into the Lab Passage. Waste of food, but worth documenting I think.
Speaking of food, Dodo must've moved the fridge from the Chapel before I got there. Pea asked for a drink, and without one, I really didn't want to walk into the Seal room. So I just left. And of course, I walked right past the victim, Walmart John. Guess we'll have to ask Tinkaton what he was doing in the Chapel...
Anyway, Spooks was out here, and we did a little walk and talk over to the Archive. Accordin' to Spooks, the seal was still intact at this point, another important note to document. Lita pulls Spooks aside in the Anomaly Hall and has her own chat with him, and I try to poke around the Archives for a bit. Power goes out at this point, and doesn't turn back on until conveniently when Astrid comes in.
Spooks goes off to do his duties while Astrid and I chat. And I get a proper look through the Archives while the lights are on this time. Riki came in at some point to talk with Astrid, but he was dressed up in a bunch of... chef outfits? Like, all on top of each other. Maybe it kept him warm?
After Riki went off, we took another one of our walks. Suppose it's hard to pretend we weren't down there in the "Residential District" when Ol' Indy saw us there. Real creepy place, and it was somehow raining underground. Wonder how that works?
Oh, and we ran into... "Mr. Abberation" as Miss Konata calls him. Didn't like us being down there, but that was probably for good reason. That diving suit in the lighthouse showed up and they got into a scuffle! We all, uh, ran like hell, to put it shortly. Don't know where he went specifically, but me and Astrid went into the Observation Room.
Once we caught our breath, we noticed Konata here, looking like one of them cartoon characters all covered in soot. And the humidifier that somebody must've filled with root beer, for whatever brief moment of levity that provided.

That's about it, for our underground adventures, I think. Once the adrenaline wore off Astrid and I parted ways and I crawled back into bed.

This post was last modified: May 5, 2024 at 10:46 AM by Riki.

"Riki not want to go deep deep under! Tell them, Melly! Bureau make Riki go down, so many cries, mad voices... bad place!"

"Amélie. I understand you're its handler and that we've assigned its management to you, but if you could allow us to properly sedate ▮▮▮▮ for the purposes of ▯▯-▯▯▯▯ -"

"...Melly? Riki... Riki scared. No one else like Riki here. Riki not have friends?
Where... things like Riki?"

---

"..."





"Riki back, Melly! Hom Homs say Riki do really good job today! Did fun mask, big sniff sniff test. Riki sniff sniff everything!"

"Oh my, that was fast. Did they have you working outside tonight?"

"Yep! Riki go biff boom around facility, find lots and lots! Teach Riki smell red goop, lead to scary face...
but Riki also find yum yum pollen in woods! No Nopon there like Melly think, though. Riki look harder next time!"

"Now, Riki, I -"

"Nope! If Melly know more, Melly not tell Riki about other Nopon. More fun not knowing.
When Riki pay all debts to Bureau, Riki will go on adventure with sniff sniff mask.
Melly says Nopon out there, so Riki look forever! Become Heropon, and have big big family!"

"...you're right, Riki. Sorry. I've been a bit lost in my own head recently."

"Riki gets it. Need patience to be Heropon!
Melly sad because always wearing mask now? Riki use to see Melly face. Why?
Always want to see Bird People like Melly smile from ear to ear! Can't see with mask!"

"Oh, this mask? It's just... a fashion statement. Do you know about that sort of thing, Riki?
(If I tell him the Bureau is mandating this thing, then he'll...)"

"Meh... Riki never try. Riki super cool as is!
If Riki wear any stuff, then Riki forced into by bad Hom Homs! Except when masks fun. Then Riki okay!
But... Riki might make exception for Melly mask, or Melly tiny wings. Riki want to fly, too!"

"...the wing- oh. Haha... ah, Riki.
You can't take mine, unfortunately. But who knows, you might fly some day... even if it's different to how you'd expect.
Until then... well, actually, it's about time that -"

"Melly and Riki get to go to big big tree in woods? See pretty moon and stars?"

"Of course. Come here, and I'll carry you with."

"Yaaay!"

---

...

SHED YOUR LAYERS OF COWARDICE AND MEANDERING.
SHARPEN YOUR FOCUS. YOU ARE READY NOW.

Riki... not sure about that.
Riki make right choice to get here? Riki deserve life over others? Deserve confidence...?
But... Riki still here. Can change things... carry torch...
...

Rejoice.

I apologise for any unethical practices leading up to this moment - it was all for the greater good.

I know some of you will not be happy with this. That is okay, and I forgive you. My professional advice would be to stop fearing what I am capable of - and start understanding exactly how much you will all benefit from this.

---

In the meantime, I have a new proposal to share with the group on the subject of 'heteromorph liberation'. My hope is that you will understand we share the same values on this front, and I see no real reason for this to be anything other than good news.

This is my newest associate. I found him in a cage last night - abused, beaten, and neglected. His previous handlers kept him contained because they feared what he was capable of, and refused him the right to freedom. By my hand, he is healed and revitalised, and will soon be ready to join the outside world. I will teach him the way of the Hustler, bring him under my wing and turn him into an irreplaceable stock broker - if that is his desire. I have yet to ascertain his true career ambitions, but I'm working on it!

So, please. Be kind, be understanding, and be gentle. He is still learning to trust others, so patience will be a virtue. He is now one of us.

What the fuck?

Filled with a great grief
Dodo and Hunter linked fates
A leader's aims met?

Da Boss went unseen
The Magical Cat's scolding
Totino's Foul Curse

A nightly report
Heteromorphs on new paths
Thirty words times ten

The Hunter was met
In basement halls did we cross
At a time of shame

Into the Lobby
Facility, not above
A. Wake did ascend

Lab's Passage was next
A Fairy retcons the morgue
Doctor Lyra sought

A doctor's old tale
Ambition to break beyond
Travelers, we were

Heavenly Stairway
The plant starved of sustenance
To be fed pizza

Plant left to itself
A survey of career goals
Program acceptance

Leave to Museum
Walmart does leave the Chapel
A Knight in Lobby?

A Lobby Feline
Scolds the mess left behind us
We, the most sorry

The Boss and a Bird
Not da boss with steel hammer
Rise in the Lobby

Receiving Bay depths
In a box we are hidden
Awaiting victims

Blade cracks on Lita
Painted killer due return
Debt is settled now

A sharp holy bird
Returns to nest with The Boss
We must rest now too

Holy of holy!
We returned to our dorm bed!
A rare victory!

Check every dead player's room in the Research Dorm for a horse mask, and the doggy's room as well. Just in case.

What's going on in the Director's Office, anyway?

Compare a rigging knife from the lighthouse to the stab wound.

Hustler appears to have consented, so I will check their person, and compare their weapons to the wounds on the body. And since they so generously offered, I may as well search their room real quick. Oh, and they were bragging about it but I'd like to see their eyes for confirmation.

And compare a rigging knife or whatever is in the Lighthouse to the wound.

investigate John's head wound

On the subject of the head wound, compare it to nearby blunt objects. Oar paddles, a lantern or something, anything that might be in the boat house. Also a few more mundane things, like a wrench or a hammer.

Any sharp implements in the arboretum or botany lab that match the stab wound? A...particularly sharp trowel? Is the bruise on his head big enough to match a shovel?

Just to check a thought, the wounds on Walmart John don't match a tea knife, do they? You know, like a pu'erh knife.

This post was last modified: May 5, 2024 at 3:17 PM by DxHustler3000.

Let's also check Mining Equipment and the Drafting Office for anything that resembles or could be used to create the stab wound.

Check the Decontamination logs, too.

Spooks, can you show off the footage I asked you to take of the chapel?

Certainly, [AGENT DESIGNATION - LITA]! It appears as though the fire has damaged the CCTV camera, however I can provide the footage that is currently salvageable. One moment...

Spooks' screen shifts, now displaying a video feed showing the Chapel...

When the feed kicks in, you see Dodo, moving the fridge and TV. He notices something in the doorway to the Seal Chamber and hurls a combat knife towards it. He then puts on a strange RAPTOR MASK, sprouting wicked claws and beginning to run towards the doorway.

Gunshots fire from the chamber door, but he leaps onto the wall, somehow digging deep claws into the wooden panels and using it as leverage to continue running along the walls like a video game character, leaping wall to way to avoid the bullets. Pulling a riot shield from his back and using it to block the immediate spray of gunfire, he hurls himself towards the door, vanishing inside.

He emerges a while later, and simply continues moving the furniture out.

Next, Walmart John enters. He tosses a beer into the Seal Chamber, then just... hangs out. Loitering around until the power cuts out.

When the power comes back on, he's still in here, and is joined by someone in a HAWK MASK and fancy coat, who stands by the wall, leaning against it and looking cool as hell. Walmart John leaves, and HAWK MASK turns their attention to the Seal Door.

Then... a bomb flies through the Chapel door towards HAWK MASK, and a knight rolls inside like a Dark Souls character. HAWK MASK in turn manages to roll out of the way of the blast before hopping over a pew and coming at the knight with a knife. The knife clangs ineffectually against their armor, and the knight wallops them over the head with an iron fist. They stagger backwards, before pulling out a fucking shotgun. The knight hide behind a pew, which catches the blast. The knight then lobs another bomb, but this one catches one of the lamps on the wall, knocking it over and igniting the oil.

A fire begins to rage, and the feed cuts out.



...May I suggest abstaining from significant property damage for one (1) night?

Check every dead player's room in the Research Dorm for a horse mask, and the doggy's room as well. Just in case.

You check every dead player's room in the Research Dorms... You don't find a horse mask, though Jack of Spades' room is filled with weapons and other shit from the Armory for... some reason. The dog's room is empty, save for the dog himself.



*woof*

What's going on in the Director's Office, anyway?

You check the Director's Office...

Several chairs have been placed in a circle around the main desk, linked with flowers and stacked with books to form a strange monument. As far as you can tell, there's not really anything else of note in here, but... it IS a bit creepy.

Compare a rigging knife from the lighthouse to the stab wound.

You compare a rigging knife from the Lighthouse to the stab wound. It... seems to be about as close to a match as you can get. Either this sort of blade, or a very similar one made the wound, from what you can deduce.

Hustler appears to have consented, so I will check their person, and compare their weapons to the wounds on the body. And since they so generously offered, I may as well search their room real quick. Oh, and they were bragging about it but I'd like to see their eyes for confirmation.

You approach DXHustler, searching them up and down. Their only real weapon are two kitchen knives, strapped to their arms and attached with a length of wire. The knives definitely aren't what caused the wound, as you've already compared kitchen knives to the damage.

You then head to their room. Inside... the feathered, corpselike abomination from Lab Zero is just... standing there. Unlike before, it doesn't seem terribly aggressive, just standing around and intensely staring at you. This... unnerves you as you search, but thankfully it's not a terribly long search. Hustler's room doesn't seem to have much of anything immediately apparent inside beyond the default bedroom fixings.

You turn to leave, only to run into Hustler in the doorway, holy light streaming from their eyes. They ask if you found everything you were looking for, and you respond affirmatively, returning their gaze. Yep. You sure did.

investigate John's head wound

You check Walmart John's head wound. It looks to be a very big bump right on the back of his head. It's not bloody or anything, definitely blunt force.

On the subject of the head wound, compare it to nearby blunt objects. Oar paddles, a lantern or something, anything that might be in the boat house. Also a few more mundane things, like a wrench or a hammer.

Columbo takes over, searching the Boathouse for objects to compare. Curiously, he finds that the lantern in the boathouse is completely missing - though it definitely couldn't have caused a wound like this. An oar, upon matching, could have probably caused the wound, though anything sufficiently large and blunt could have done it.

A wrench and hammer though, probably not.

spooks, can you ask fun with despair what he thought of velma season 2?

Any sharp implements in the arboretum or botany lab that match the stab wound? A...particularly sharp trowel? Is the bruise on his head big enough to match a shovel?

You check the Arboretum and Botany Lab. You... don't think there's anything in here that would match the wound. Even the sharpest of trowels is the wrong shape and size. You do think that a shovel could have caused the wound, but the same goes for anything large and blunt.

Just to check a thought, the wounds on Walmart John don't match a tea knife, do they? You know, like a pu'erh knife.

The wound definitely does not appear to match a tea knife, but to be honest you don't even know where you'd get one here.

Let's also check Mining Equipment and the Drafting Office for anything that resembles or could be used to create the stab wound.

Check the Decontamination logs, too.

You climb aboard the Mine Elevator and descend into the depths, approaching the Mining Equipment room. There are several sharp implements in here, some picks and general utility knives, but you think only the latter could come close to the wound. The utility knives are near identical to the rigging knives, just with a less nautical flair. Inside the Drafting Office though... well, you suppose you could fabricate one with the CNC machine, but... why?

You take the elevator back up and cross the yard to the Waiting Room, entering Decontamination. Upon checking the logs, you can see that there's one use logged for the night.