#d8ex

[dangan-infinity]

The Loss of Support - Chapter 2 Post

The occasional clang still echoed down the tunnels as you wearily searched for another vein of "ore". How were you even supposed to figure out the best locations, logically? This was not, you were pretty darn sure, how mirrors were actually made in the real world.

All you could do was investigate the walls and conserve whatever energy you could afford to. The lack of food was really wearing on you now. But with the lot of you split up among the different tunnels, surely someone would find what you needed. Whether it was someone in condition to mine it out, well. One step at a time.

Clang, drip, your own tired footsteps... Every sound seemed to wear you down further.

At least, until the cacophony of falling rocks. When you took from nature, you should not have been surprised when it decided to take something back.

Jolted more awake, it still took you a panicked second to determine it wasn't happening around you. But was it coming this way? Had you heard a yell, or was it just someone's startled reaction? No matter your rationale, you found yourself hurrying back to the mine's center chamber. Between you and the others that had gathered, it didn't take long for someone to point out the clattering of rocks down another tunnel. You followed, though you weren't sure you wanted to go too far in here...

“Oh, f-ck–!”

Though one soul had ventured too far. Maybe by chance. Maybe by fate. Maybe by some other design, Viper had made her way in too deep. The rocks rushed to meet her, but some other force, moving faster than you could think, had made its move first, pushing her harshly. She was sent flying, away from danger. Away from the rocks that wished to get up close and personal. She let out a yelp as she skidded across rock, hitting the floor hard. Whether you thought the sight of her on the ground was karmic, or amusing, or just relieving, the rocks tumbled down, down, down… away from her.

Wide-eyed and certainly terrified, she could only watch as the rocks fell. As the place where she had stood just moments earlier was crushed by the falling boulders. If it had just been a moment later...

Splinters of a supporting frame lay scattered among the dislodged rock. A large silvery gleam made you think someone had at least struck it rich here before the collapse—until you realized what it actually was.

Or who it actually was.

Pinned handily beneath the slowly crushing weight of stone was R.N.A. Surely as the largest among you they had some hope of strong-arming their way out—but it wasn't looking hopeful. 

“I… I appear to be stuck…” The robot said, tone still calm and soft, even in a situation seeming so dire. “I’m… sorry. I didn’t mean… To worry you all.”

There were those of you already surging forward to help before they'd finished speaking. The other supports seemed perfectly stable, so if you could just move one rock out of the way at a time... If R.N.A. could just hang in there until enough of the weight was off of them...

But you were all weary enough to begin with, and so few of you had the strength to contribute without even accounting for injuries. Even with the rockfall stopped, your progress was nonexistent. 

“Stop… You have to… get back. It might… there might be a second falling… you might get buried.” There was the sound of the robot shuffling. “I think… I think I can get… out if I just…” There was the futile struggling of a robot who had been bested. Metal scissors that could not beat rock. You could hear some of the rocks shuffling… shifting.

You heard a creak of metal.

“In truth… I’m… scared… I feel… human… right now… But I don’t know why… Is… Is Viper okay… I can’t see. I can’t see her… But I got her… out of the way. Because I want… my friends… to get off the train. All of you… I know there has to… be a better way off the train. A way… away from killing… Even… Jack could have. The train doesn’t… make him happy… it just lets him… forget how sad he is.”

Maybe that was rude. But R.N.A believed everyone could escape. That there was salvation and a way back to life for them all.

“I’m safe–” There’s a weak, wavering reply from behind those who had rushed forward to try and help, as Viper tried to wobble to her feet, her gaze fixed on the robot being crushed beneath the stone prison.

“...I don’t… I don’t know if I can escape… I have… one more idea…”

Just enough chips of rock sprinkled down from above that even the most desperately striving among you finally backed away. R.N.A.'s metal joints groaned under the pressure. A few more rocks hit. A crack split their digital face, and the light sputtered out.

They didn't speak again.

The ensuing shocked silence was only broken by a faint echoing drip from some other tunnel. Then some of you finally heard a mechanical whir—but R.N.A. hadn't moved. Your hope evaporated all over again as Neko-Neko strode up to the rock pile.

"Are... Are they all right?"

The cat rapped a not-so-soft paw on the side of R.N.A.'s head. The resulting clang made a few of you flinch.

"Nothin' but an empty shell here."

They turned on the rest of you.

"We'd be happy to congratulate the murderer on a job well done, if we had one!"

"Please at least play the game, nya... Even if we lose Passengers, I can't guide anyone back home if you aren't following the rules."

With a shake of their head(s), they left R.N.A.'s lifeless face display behind.

First Jack, now this? You were hoping this horrible game would end... but not from everyone just dying off of their own accords first. And how safe were you? If you had just been in this tunnel instead of a different one...

Maybe killing to go home wasn't that terrible an idea after all.

[Forum Post]

[dangan-infinity]

The Final Volume - Chapter 2 Post

Whether it was harder to find a book that called to you or run from it, you all eventually managed to complete your task. Where the shelves had spun off into infinity before, a familiar red door appeared in one of the aisles. Word spread quickly, and soon you'd all assembled before it. Time to move on, as always.

The handle turned without resistance, and the churning wasteland stretched out before you. Another bridge, another car ahead. Maybe that one would give you some way to end Neko-Neko's game. Was that what you were hoping for? Were you hoping for much of anything, at this point?

Either way, you found yourself passing through without hindrance, the air outside the Train a little warmer on your face. 

At least, most of you.

With a faint sound only vaguely reminiscent of slamming into a wall, Jack marched straight into something that bounced him and only him back into the library. He stumbled but stayed on his feet and tried again, a little faster—but the result was the same.

Perhaps it’s Viper’s guilt at burning the checkout register, perhaps it’s something else entirely, but hearing Jac—no, Jagal, trying his hardest to take the books, she knew she had to try and do something. Maybe she didn't know why keeping these books was so important to him—but she could hazard a guess, after they’d snooped so much into his life. His mother, his father, his sister especially… it had to be hard for him. To be forced to think about them again. And once again, she’d messed up someone’s chance at healing. 

“Hey—” He bounced back from the door, and she reached forward, just lightly gripping onto his bag. “Jagal—” Maybe he’d listen if she talked to him. The true him, not… Jack. Worm her way in there, she knew it could go very badly. Very, very badly. But equally, she wanted him to understand that she wasn’t out to hurt him. Not at this stage.

Jack warily tugged his bag out of Viper's grip. How did she know his name? Had she—

"...."

No. Absolutely not. It must've just come up somewhere else, at some point. Not like it was his most tightly-guarded secret.

“I don’t think they’ll let ya take ‘em wit’ ya—I-I can ask. But ya prob ain’t gonna be able t’.”

Jimithy stepped up, as unamused as ever.

"Already told both of you, you can't check out a book that doesn't have a register. A real one."

"And you can't leave with a book you haven't checked out. Put it back." He grimaced. "Or on a return cart, fine. But you're not leaving with that. Don't waste any more of our time."

Viper picked at a thread on the end of her glove. “It’s… prob best ya leave ‘em here anyway. I dunno if ya’d want ‘em ta get hurt… damaged…’n all.” Viper raised her gaze to him—having tilted it to the floor. “Look, I’unno if I’ll get anywhere. An’ I know ya gonna try’n act like ya rejectin’ every bit’a niceness. But I wanna know ya. An’ I don’t care how much ya try’n stop me.”

Tag-teamed, huh? It was true, Jack didn't have any registers, and the train out there couldn't be safe for a book unless he never tried to open it. Would being damaged hurt them? Surely not, if they were already dead, but...

"....."

"Fine."

He withdrew a slim volume from under his hoodie and set it gently on the floor. Not even the return cart, huh.

"Not like I'm much 'f a reader, anyway."

He stepped through the door, this time without any kickback—apparently that was the only one he'd had. Those of you who hadn't made it past before all the ruckus followed him out.

Even after all that, it was just back to the usual march. Everyone onto the bridge, onto another door...

Everyone. Right?

The fastest walker had already laid hands on the next door by the time you realized your head count was down one. It didn't take long after, though, to find Jack back at the library doors, propping them open with one hand. He swept a look across you all, hesitating briefly at Viper. But only briefly. With a swift step, he was back on the carpet.

"I'm not leaving her again."

The doors slammed shut before anyone could even think about getting in the way. The handle spun with a ratcheting noise and locked back into place again. Anyone trying to turn it wouldn't succeed.

...Ah. Well.

Considering the party involved, it was hard to feel bad about leaving him behind. A relief, if anything. Though you couldn't be sure exactly how this place worked, if he could still come after you later... Maybe it would have been more of a relief if you were sure he'd die in there. 

Not... not that you wanted a person to die! But, well, if it had to be anyone...

"Jack? The game isn't over yet...! I-I can't guide you home if you're not here, nya..."

"Eh, it'd be too obvious if he did the next murder, anyway."

"We're sure the rest of ya can do better by yourselves!"

"B-but there isn't any food or water in that car! As his Stationmaster..."

"That's his own problem. We don't gotta call every single death a murder if it ain't one."

"We've wasted enough time here, don'tcha think? Onward!"

"........"

Despite the particularly split personality at play, Neko-Neko still gestured expectantly at the next car. No more dilly-dallying on your part.

No reason to, anyway. Whether it had locked automatically or Jack was manually blocking it, the library door wasn't about to open. Was it even your business to keep trying? If none of you would be blamed for him choosing this fate, why try to save him? He certainly would've done no such thing for you.

Something still felt rotten in your stomach as you moved forward.

[Forum Post]

[dangan-infinity]

Car #0 - The Demonstration Car

Speed - Scenic

Format - Free Seating

Travel Time - Several hours

Points of Interest

Void - The entire car is a fairly small, featureless white box.

Door - The door you came through and the exit door are both visible and in their usual form. Neither will unlock at the time you enter the car.

Denizens

Climpy (Background/Speaking) - A large floating paperclip with bug-eyes. Seems willing to help but is not very good at understanding questions or instructions.

Special Notes

This is not an actual setting in the game (we hope). It is for example purposes only.

Each car will have a basic reference post with this general format. If anything significant is discovered or added during RP in the car, the post will be updated.

“Travel Time” is the estimated time this will take to clear the car IC and is provided for thread planning purposes. It may, however, end up being longer if characters are struggling, pursuing many alternative approaches, or simply not cooperating.

Notes for each Denizen will specify which mod writes them, or if they are a Background character (which will likely be at least introduced by a mod). In the case of Background characters, there will also be a note as to whether or not they speak intelligibly.