alicethered

[alicethered]

[alicethered]

Ask the man to test that panel, maybe he can turn off the bars for you.

That panel seems a lot more promising than just ‘walking through’ these heated bars to you.  You ask Mr. Klaus if he can check it for you.

“Yes?” says Klaus.  “I suppose I could.”  Though something about your request seems to puzzle him.

He opens the metal box to reveal… one big, cartoonish looking switch.  It’s marked, rather clearly, with ‘ON’ and, more strangely, “OFF” in big, bright red letters.

…So, that seems simple enough.

[[Enter Command]]

[alicethered]

Running out of time? That sounds ominous. Okay, so how are you supposed to get out then?

You ask Mr. Klaus what to do to get out. You definitely don’t like the sound of ‘running out of time.’

The man in red’s expression pinches, and he glances off to his left before turning his eyes back on you. “Out?” he says, “why, walk through, lad.”

Walk through!?

You frown skeptically at the blue bars. They pop and hiss in the dim light, giving off a wobbling, unfriendly heat when you let your hand linger close.

“Benjamin?” asks Klaus.

You look up at him again, and notice, off to his side, a shabby, metal panel.

>>Enter Command?

[alicethered]

So, it’s come to our attention that the ask box was closed.

It’s open now.

...Oops.

[alicethered]

--Do the obvious and ask the man who he is and where you are.  Because, well, you REALLY want to know the answer to these questions.

You don’t know what you were expecting, but this wasn’t it.  You ask the man who he is-- no, wait.  First, where are you?

The man chuckles.  “Where, indeed,” he says.  “I’d say ‘a pickle’, but outside of that, I’m not really certain.”  He pauses, “As for who I am, my name is Sanderson Klaus, but I think proper introductions can wait until you’re safely out of there, don’t you?  We’re running out of time.”

[[Enter Command.]]

[alicethered]

-- Just accept that you are a klutz, wrap that hand with a bit of shirt, and start investigating those bars again.  Maybe you can reach a panel on the outside or something?

In retrospect, they really don’t make shirts like they used to, do they?  With almost no resistance the sleeve of your oxford rips free, letting you bandage the woulds.  I mean, should it be that easy?

Regardless, that matter now settled you look to the hall, eyes peeled for some sort of switch or panel that might free you, and find--

A man?

“There’s a lad.” He says, “Up you get.  Time is not eternal, and you’ve little left to spare.”

[[Enter Command.]]

[alicethered]

--Consider the antiseptic properties of soy sauce.

Ow.  OW.  Still scowling at the offending cube you pull your fingers free.  The cut looks nasty, bleeding sluggishly in the half light.  You briefly contemplate using mini lamp to get a better look at it, but maybe it’s best you don’t know.  You are prone to panic.

Still, it hurts.  And who knows what as on those scissors?  maybe you should clean it out.  But with what?

You do have that soy sauce...

No.  No.  Ben, have you lost your mind?  That stuff is made almost entirely out of SALT.  You think it hurts NOW?

[[Enter Command.]]

[alicethered]

-- Try prying the cube apart with those scissors you have in your pocket.

That blue glow looks familiar.  Attempting to get a closer look you employ the scissors you’ve just found, jabbing them between the little blocks and pulling.

In nearly the same instant as it occurs to you that this is very stupid, and your hand will likely slip, lo and behold.

With a cry you drop both cube and potential implement of its destruction, shoving the injured fingers into your mouth.

Glowering at it though, you notice the light vanishes when the cube snaps shut, despite light showing through the cracks when open.

[[Enter Command.]]

[alicethered]

--Get distracted by trying to finish solving the Rubrik’s [sic] cube and forget about the bars for a moment.

Putting all of the strangeness aside for a second you decide to give the cube a closer look.  These sorts of puzzles appeal to you.  Unfortunately, it seems as if the last owner of the puzzle has pulled up and switched at least two of the squares, rendering it unsolvable.

Or it did.

Clicking the cube apart reveals that the squares are not stickers, but solidly part of the object- immovable.

Further, moving the puzzle causes the previously hidden parts of the cube to light up suddenly.

[[Enter Command.]]

[alicethered]

--Check your pockets.  Maybe someone left something in them.  Crazy stuff like that happens in sci-movies with glowy bars right?

Thwarted by your environment you shove your hands in your pockets, hoping to find a suitable poking object.  Success!  Or- wait.  What?

The contents of you pockets appears to be a bottle of soy sauce, a pair of paper-cutting scissors, a mostly-completed Rubik’s cube and... a tiny desk lamp?

[[Enter Command.]]

[alicethered]

--Try to find an object to poke the bars with

You look around for something- anything- that might make a better test subject than a finger for the light-bars.  Unfortunately, it looks like no dice.  The room’s as devoid of other objects as you are the explanations.

[[Check your pockets.  Maybe someone left something in them.  Crazy stuff like that happens in sci-movies with glowy bars, right?]]

[alicethered]

--Open your eyes.

Opening your eyes doesn’t help much making things clearer.  The room is 4 gray walls- and not much else.  Well, not much but the bright, ungodly blue bars across the only visible exit.

You try to think.  What were you doing last?  How did you get here?  What kind of prison uses bars of light?

[[Enter Command]]

[alicethered]

--No, Benjamin is not you.  Benjamin is the lazy bum who told you to meet him to get that money he owed you.  You think he spiked your drink.  You’re [sic] name is Kyle, you’re hungover, and you’re pissed.  So wake up, punch the guy whose [sic] talking and “ask” where Benjamin is, that snake.

You frown in your sleep.  That bastard Benjamin has dicked you around for the last time.  Drugging you?  That’ll be the last stupid thing he EVER does.  You make to get to your feet and grab his buddy for some answers.

But...

Wait.  No.  That isn’t right.

Dreaming?  Were you... dreaming again?

[[Open your eyes.]]

[alicethered]

“Benjamin.  ....Benjamin.  Get up, my boy.”

The voice is insistant, but it feels a bit like you’re stuck in jello, and your ears are ringing.

Benjamin?  Is that you?

[[Enter Command]]

[alicethered]

About

Alice the Red is an interactive comic idea loosely inspired by things like MS Paint adventures, SH: Promise and endlessly recurring, half lucid dreams.

It follows the story of Benjamin Gimmley, who was, as far as he could tell, perfectly normal yesterday.  Any observers are encouraged to interact with Benny as he navigates his new landscape(s), either by offering action suggestions, or simply asking whatever’s on their mind.  Between the artist and the outside observers, the hope is to tell a story together.

>>How much of this is already planned out?

The situation, a large part of the world, and at least a handful of characters are already developed and ready to go.  What Ben does, how his relationships develop, and how the end turns out will rely on the interaction of the players to influence.

>>Is the ending already planned?

As of now, there are several possible resolutions.  Things may change, of course, but a basic skeleton has been established, yes.

>>Why is it called Alice the Red?

“ 'So I wasn't dreaming, after all,' she said to herself, 'unless—unless we're all part of the same dream. Only I do hope it's my dream, and not the Red King's! I don't like belonging to another person's dream,' she went on in a rather complaining tone: 'I've a great mind to go and wake him, and see what happens!'”

Through the Looking Glass, ch. 8