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 About the Game The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass is a visual novel developed by Trinitite Team, a three-person outfit, following a successful Kickstarter campaign. It's main influences are the Out of Infinity series by Kotaro Uchikoshi (better known as the director of Zero Escape and Somnium Files) and Umineko. After releasing on Steam in May of 2021, it gained a niche following among certain communities of dedicated mystery VN fans in the west. When I say niche following, I mean that according to the end-game stats screen, less than 800 people have actually finished the game. Which is a bit of a shame, since this game happens to be very good. About the Mystery The Sekimeyia is much more than an ordinary VN. It’s an intricate puzzle-box. It constantly challenges the player to try and figure out its many mysteries. There are various features intended to aid this, including in-game search, scene summaries, note-taking and a map with updating locations. Towards the end, the game openly quizzes and grades the player on what they’ve managed to figure out. In this aspect, the game is hardcore and uncompromising. There are many facets to the central mystery and many more side mysteries besides. The complexity and interconnectedness of the plot is insane. I have never encountered anything even remotely close to this anywhere else. As a result, peeling back the various layers at play here and untangling the threads feels incredibly satisfying. The experience of a community solving an immaculately constructed mystery together is something that I am immensely interested in replicating. This is the foremost purpose of this thread. I hope that you all can enjoy solving this together. About the LP Format This is going to be a standard screenshot LP, aided by music links. Regular text is in-game narration, quotes are dialogue, asterisks signify sound effects and italics are my own comments. I intend to show off all the content in the game by the end of the LP, including all side endings and post-game tips. If you played this game before and notice me miss something, please point it out, so I can go back and show it off. As mentioned above, at certain points nearer to the end, the game will quizz you on what you've managed to piece together and soft-grade you based on the number of correct answers. I will input each answer based on the consensus of the thread. Very curious to see how many you get correctly and how it compares to the global. About the Purpose of This Thread The main reason I am embarking on this journey is to provide you all with a fun synchronized reading experience of this VN. The point is for you to discuss and speculate about the events of the story, while trying to solve the various mysteries at its core, one update at a time. Therefore, there are a couple of simple rules I want to lay down: * No spoilers. Ever. Not in the open, not in tags and not in coy hints like “oh, I can’t wait till you get to this upcoming part  ”. I am begging you. Please.* If you read this VN before, or know story details through some other means, don’t participate in speculation or directly comment on other’s speculation. I want people to feel comfortable bouncing ideas around without having to double guess which parts of what post are driven by future knowledge. * Therefore, if you read this VN before/reading through it now, please state as much in your first post in this thread. Just so we know who’s on the same page here. That’s all. Good luck to you all in making your way through the glass labyrinth. AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Feb 3, 2023 |
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Feb 3, 2023 05:02
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Update 1: Let's stop with the teasing. Here's what you've come here to see. Scene: After Dark BGM: Why Did I Fade Away The music in this game consists mainly of pre-existing tracks licensed from incredibly talented indie composers. It gives this game a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. I heavily advise listening to these as you read the LP.  I'd been mindlessly staring at the wall in front of me for a few minutes. When that finally registered, I slowly spun around. I'd always thought I'd be quick at adapting to sudden changes, but I'd recently realized how mistaken I'd been. Still unable to process everything, my brain kept struggling to accept that the previous few days had really happened. ...I wasn't familiar with the walls around me, but I'd always known of the place. Next to me was Shiroya, less willing to acknowledge her surroundings. Keeping her gaze on the floor, she suddenly spoke for the first time since we'd entered.   “...I think it'll be time soon.”- “Yeah, probably less than twenty minutes.” Instead of the popular textbox-at-bottom style (sometimes called ADV), the VN’s text fills the entire screen, going over the background and sprites (this style is called NVL). To distinguish each character’s dialogue, the game uses unique symbols. For example, Shiroya gets a blue S. The protagonist simply gets a dash. Since his sprites aren’t shown, I’ve opted to use this symbol in place of a portrait throughout the LP. That was all I managed to muster. Even though I was still the same Atsuki as always, it felt like I'd been rewritten into an entirely different entity in only a few days. - “...” I didn't try to say anything else. During the previous two weeks, I'd grown accustomed to those brief interactions with Shiroya. After I spoke, the lost look in her eyes returned. We had both agreed to come together, but it seemed like neither of us knew what we were doing.  We kept awkwardly scanning the vast hall, moving forward tiny steps at a time and awaiting further instructions. Neither of us had any strength; I'd known Shiroya for more than fifteen years, and not once had she looked so empty. On top of everything, I hadn't been able to make her feel any better. Despite that, at almost 9:00, we were inside Ashiya Tower.  The biggest building of Yushibana—the town where we'd always lived. It was situated on the outskirts, and we had never entered it before. From the outside, the tower's contrast with its surroundings was immense. Beyond all the similar-looking houses, its size made it visible anywhere in the town. It was that contrast which had caused it to be called a "tower", but it was only as big as an urban building. The structure itself was more or less a cube, essentially as wide as it was tall, but it seemed towering to people who had spent their whole lives in a rural area. It was a place Shiroya and I had always avoided because of the stigma associated with it. A large portion of the citizens were against its existence due to the people who owned it and its unnatural size.  I wasn't very familiar with the topic. Apparently, decades in the past, when the building hadn't been anywhere near as large, it had been the Ashiya family's residence. It was known that they were a shady family, but they never suffered any consequences. At that time, they held a silent power over the town, and over the years, it gradually grew stronger. They became the image of Yushibana. Anyone visiting from the outside knew about that family before anything else in the town. Over the years, the old residence transformed into a focal point for business and tourism.  I had never immersed myself in the matter, but that was common information that I couldn't even recall where I'd heard first. The place was some sort of museum, and behind it extended a mountain range that encircled Yushibana. It was known for housing numerous caves that held valuable gemstones, so enthusiasts tended to visit often. The Ashiya family had taken advantage of it and utilized their building as a gallery for the different gemstones that could be found in the nearby mountains. And when that happened, the part of the town in favor of the tower strengthened due to the increase of people who specialized in those gemstones. That was what caused a split in the population; the younger residents generally didn't mind Ashiya, while the older maintained their private discontent. That was why we had never entered it, and on top of our more recent circumstances, I thought Shiroya might've been experiencing a feeling of betrayal for simply being there. While I couldn't say I shared that strong of an emotion toward it, I wasn't very fond of the whole thing either. ...The reason why we were inside wasn't one I could easily put into words.  There had been constant publicity about the day's event for two weeks. According to Ashiya, they were going to showcase a major discovery, one found in the very same mountains around the town. But that wasn't something that particularly interested me, and I wasn't sure what to expect. The reason we had come to the tower wasn't anything as simple as curiosity.  It was December 15th. Outside, the environment was cold and coated in snow, and while the temperature inside was regulated, we'd been outside for so long that we still felt unpleasant. I glanced at Shiroya, who didn't return my look. Feeling slightly agitated, I turned a little.  I could see a line of people who had come thanks to Ashiya's ambitious advertisements. Shiroya and I had been at the front of it for a long time. Next to us was a man I'd never seen before. He was tall and had dark hair, and like us, he seemed distant from everyone else. I hadn't seen him so much as look at me, so I hadn't given him a second thought. We were next to him because we would go see the gemstone in groups of three. Since we'd been the initial three to show up, we formed the first group.  The entrance fee had been expensive, but we'd paid it well in advance. From our perspective, it had been worth it. We remained by the door that would open at 9:00, simply waiting for that to happen. At our left was another door that would open at the same time, and according to what we'd been told, both led to the main floor of the tower. On that particular day, not many people seemed to care about that, as everyone who could be seen was part of our line. For a moment, I wondered what the big deal was. Yushibana wasn't a large town, so the amount of people waiting behind us was fairly impressive. All that for a gemstone didn't seem quite right to me. But perhaps it made sense, given that it was Ashiya's event. They cared about appearances, as anyone could attest. They were in many lines of business, but the most important one was looking good. Apart from the line, the only other people in the lobby were guards talking with a policeman, a woman behind the reception desk checking everyone's tickets, and a janitor who had been scrubbing the same part of the floor for a while.  It was all unsettling and alien. The event itself was an abstract thing to me, and my view on the people who ran it was far from positive. All I could do was look at things and wait for it all to start. We'd been asked to leave our phones outside for the duration of our stay, as nothing of the sort was permitted in the building. That meant that I had no way of looking at the time; there weren't any clocks on the walls. Adding the fact that the person I was with was clearly uncomfortable and trying to hide it, the long wait had been much more tedious than I'd hoped.  I continued looking at her, not knowing how to deal with the situation better. Finally, after minutes of looking down, she suddenly lifted her head as if she'd just remembered that she was in a public environment. Following behind, she looked at me and seemed to try to smile. But it was barely visible before vanishing again.  ...I kept falling back into negative thoughts. No matter how I tried, I couldn't help that. I needed to be stronger and help lift Shiroya out of the pit she was in, but that was tricky, seeing as I first had to get out of the same one. So I just struggled against my feelings, wishing all the while that I could go back to how things had been before.  Minutes later, a well-dressed man who'd been standing near the entrance told us that if we weren't waiting for the event, we could go through the left door. Shortly after, a tall, blonde woman wearing a suit entered through the one on the right. I'd seen her in a coat earlier, before she'd disappeared through one of the doors. She looked over everyone present and began to explain what the procedure would be.  “Sorry for the wait, everyone. We'll now begin the group entrances. My name is Naomi. I'll be chaperoning today's guided visit. As you likely already know, groups of three will move forward in turns. Each visit is estimated to take approximately fifteen minutes. Once inside, I will personally explain what we have prepared, and I will also be available to answer questions within the specified time.”Naomi's explanation was directed at everyone present, but it was hard to believe anyone farther back could've heard her. She continued in a monotone voice. “Keep in mind that phones and video cameras are strictly prohibited. I ask for all of you to please be patient and await your turn.”When her scripted message was over, she relaxed her posture and directed her look at us. “You three are the first group, correct?”… Seconds later, nobody had answered. The two people at my sides had barely paid attention to her, so I spoke before she would have to ask again. - “Yes.” “...All right, then. Please follow me to the event room to be the first to see the Sekimeiya.” I looked to my right to check on Shiroya. Her demeanor hadn't changed, but she was aware of the situation. By the time I turned back, the man on my left had nearly reached the door. It seemed he was taking the initiative despite his unenthused appearance. Rather, it was probably better to think of myself as lagging behind than him being proactive. I followed, motioning to Shiroya as I did. She approached me, still wearing her heavy-looking coat.  We found ourselves in a long hallway. We could see many doors lining each wall, some opened and connected by a decorative handrail. However, there were no traces of Naomi or the man. The floor seemed pointlessly wide. Up to the end of the hall, I could see a number of security cameras hanging from the ceiling. As we started walking, unclear about where to go, I found it appropriate to try to talk with Shiroya again.  - ”Are you feeling better?” “Oh... Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it.”...She continued walking, assuming that was the end of our exchange. I tried to press it a bit further. - “...Do you regret coming?” “...No, of course not. I'm seriously glad we're here. I mean it.”- “I know how you feel, okay? It's... the same for me. It doesn't help a lot to say it, but I don't want to see you sad.”  “I'm here because I want to be, Atsuki. I'm okay. This is where I need to be right now. Sorry, I must look terrible.”She wasn't being very convincing. - “...You know this isn't something you need to apologize for. Nothing about this is your fault.”  “I'm... not so sure. I wish I didn't have to be a drag for you now.”- “H-Hey, come on. If you want to leave, we still can. Don't feel like you have to push yourself for my sake.”  “It's all right. Thank you. Let's continue, though. I was the one who wanted to come.”- “Okay.”  We'd hoped coming to the exhibition would be for the better. Once it was settled that we wouldn't back out, I looked around shyly until a voice calling for us came from the middle of the hallway, through an open door. “You two, hurry up! The clock is ticking.”Her unprofessional shout broke the silence and drew us forward.  I saw her figure in a seemingly empty room. Through the other doors, there were cabinets covered by red cloths.  “Good, we're all finally here. Now we can start.” Once I went inside, I realized my initial impression had been wrong. The room would've been barren if it weren't for a single cabinet covered by a velvet curtain. The black-haired man was there, yet again looking entirely aloof and fixing his eyes on the plain opposite wall.  “All right. It would be helpful if you could tell me your names since you know mine.”While she said that, she closed the door we'd come through, and I took notice of the security camera in one of the corners, which was fitting for the place we were in. There was another closed door in the opposite wall, so we had fifteen minutes ahead of us where we would be shut inside. Naomi looked at me expectantly, probably because I'd been the one to speak earlier. - “Atsuki Hakutoki.” “Shiroya Mirana.”Without being cajoled, Shiroya spoke her name. To my relief, she was looking directly at Naomi, and her posture was significantly less stiff than before. The black-haired man didn't respond immediately when we eyed him. “And your name?” “...Akaro. Akaro Esata.” “Perfect. Happy to meet the three of you.”It was hard to read him. He looked passive, but he must've been interested in the exhibition.  Naomi moved aside and placed herself before the velvet curtain. Then, she took out a keyring from her pocket as she got ready to begin the introduction. “As you might already know, what's behind this curtain is not to be taken lightly, and being the first public viewers is a bigger privilege than you might think. What's being kept here is among the rarest pieces that we've ever seen, and it's only been two weeks since the discovery.” “We estimate that the value of this cabinet's contents is immense. A proper appraisal has already occurred, but more estimates will come forth as everyone realizes just what we have in our hands. Part of the experience is the touch, so I will open the glass and let you experience it yourselves. However, I must insist that you be gentle and keep your hands inside the cabinet at all times.” “We know, and don't need this introduction, so let's move along. You've been praising this find of yours in every advertisement. Let's see how your claims hold up.”Akaro's sudden input took us by surprise, but it made it clear that he did care about the event. “M-My apologies. Let's start, then.”Naomi put a small key into a lock on the left side of the cabinet and turned it.  Admittedly, all the build-up was making me slightly curious, but for all I knew, we were talking about a slightly shining rock, nothing that would ever interest me very much. “Let's stop with the teasing. Here's what you've come here to see, named ‘The Sekimeiya’.”With one hand, she grabbed the bottom of the curtain and began to raise it. *BGM Stops* But even though my focus should've been on the cabinet, something else took priority.  When I was least expecting it, smoke rose instead of the curtain, accompanied by a familiar, putrid smell that invaded the room. BGM: Stage Fright “Wha... What is this!?”Without bothering to ask myself questions, I tried to find Shiroya. At my right, I saw her face morphing into shock. “Atsuki... Wha…” Her last word faded out quietly, and it was then when I realized that my consciousness was getting cloudy. All of a sudden, all I could see was very dark smoke filling my field of vision. I couldn't believe it was happening again. Naomi's hand had immediately released the curtain, and she was trying to steady herself while covering her nose. I couldn't find Akaro until I looked down and saw that he had already fallen to the floor. The smoke filled up the entire room at once. In just a few seconds, my legs stopped responding, and all my efforts at getting my muscles to obey me were met with failure.  At last, my entire body gave up, and I plummeted down. Thanks to the view I had from the floor, I could see Shiroya's outcome had not been any different, and from the falling noise I heard, the same could be said for Naomi. Behind Shiroya was the door we'd come through. The smoke had covered the ceiling, so everything was dark. Amidst the confusion, I was able to notice the lack of light under the door, something which should've been easily noticeable from such a dark place.  When I ultimately accepted there was nothing I could do to salvage the situation, I had a few seconds where I could only think about what was going on. Our room and its surroundings were fully silent: I couldn't hear a thing despite what had happened, and I wasn't able to produce any noise. What the gently caress had just happened? I was able to recognize how strange it was. Both doors had been closed, so I had no idea where the smoke had come from. Knowing the smoke was blotting out our awareness, I realized it had been done deliberately, and there were many reasons I could come up with as to why, going off what we'd just been told. As my remaining consciousness faded away, I could only hope I would quickly wake up to see Shiroya again. I wanted to pretend that I knew nothing would happen, but the images came back to me. ...Seeing that hole in the floor. My heartbeat slowed and became inaudible. I knew that resisting was completely futile, so I closed my eyes, hoping to fast-forward to being awake again. The thought of dying there was pathetic, but without a choice in the matter, I resigned myself to what was happening. *Loud Alarm* Before all my senses faded, the silence was broken by a loud alarm, which had taken a while to be broadcast after the appearance of the smoke. Further in the background, I briefly perceived a much fainter and rougher sound that I couldn't identify. I lay on the floor of that smoky room with three other people, completely powerless and clueless.  Soon after the alarm played, the darkness became absolute, and all my thoughts vanished. 
AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Feb 4, 2023 |
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Feb 3, 2023 05:02
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As one of the definitely few people who's played this game, this is one of the most well-made, high presentation value, really stunning pieces of media I've ever hated. I think it's important to anyone who hasn't played this game and comes into this thread, if you're here looking for characters worth anything more than utility for a moving mystery box or a story that has much of anything to actually say, don't read this thread. Or, hell, don't come into it expecting even a specific sort of mystery. The strong character beats of something like a Zero Escape or a When They Cry simply don't exist. You must be an extreme turbo brainlord to properly enjoy this story. I hope at least one reader for whom this is the right kind of game reads this thread!
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Feb 3, 2023 05:20
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Finished the game over the course of about two to three days, though I had to set aside pretty much all speculation on where the plot was going or it would probably have taken about ten times that long. The central mystery is immaculately designed and well-plotted, probably one of the best I've ever read. Pretty much everything else in the game, from the characters to the actual events occurring, exist to facilitate that puzzle box. Still, if you love trying to figure out 'what the hell is actually happening', this is a pretty good game for that.
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Feb 3, 2023 05:37
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Kinu Nishimura posted:As one of the definitely few people who's played this game, this is one of the most well-made, high presentation value, really stunning pieces of media I've ever hated. I think it's important to anyone who hasn't played this game and comes into this thread, if you're here looking for characters worth anything more than utility for a moving mystery box or a story that has much of anything to actually say, don't read this thread. Or, hell, don't come into it expecting even a specific sort of mystery. The strong character beats of something like a Zero Escape or a When They Cry simply don't exist. You must be an extreme turbo brainlord to properly enjoy this story. I hope at least one reader for whom this is the right kind of game reads this thread! I knew all of that going in, which is why I managed to greatly enjoy it. As mentioned, this is a puzzle box with a lot of moving pieces. Almost everything here exists solely in service to that. I think solving puzzles is fun, but I can definitely see how you could get disappointed if you expected something different. But I do think there is some solid character work buried under that for a couple of them. It's just not the focus.
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Feb 3, 2023 05:38
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I honestly did try quite hard to solve the mysteries, but the entire rest of the game just did nothing for me at all, so it made it quite difficult to care. I really love mystery stories, I've written a few in my time, but the specific way solving this one works—the mechanics of what its mystery is—also just feel totally off to me, and there's at least one mechanic that's central to understanding what's going on that I just can't accept as actually being 'fair' to solve. It's the sort of thing I'm glad exists, and also that there's only one of, so someone out there can find their favorite game of all time. Because it's clearly going to be that for somebody.
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Feb 3, 2023 05:45
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After reading Kinu's comments about this game on Discord, I'm very curious to see if I'm the sort of extreme turbo brainlord who can enjoy it.
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Feb 3, 2023 10:55
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Update 2: I was getting carried away without realizing how far I was going. The game includes a feature where you can go into the menu and see concise summaries of every scene you’ve read so far. Naturally, this can be very helpful for keeping track of stuff when trying to solve mysteries. At the start of each update, I am going to include the summary of the previous one, to quickly bring you up to speed. Scene: Cave-in (Part 1) BGM: Stage Fright  … … … An indeterminate amount of time had passed. I was a complete mess, and a constant pain pounded against the interior of my skull.  Nothing had changed apart from the walls and ceiling, which had been tainted by the smoke. As I confirmed that I was still in the event room, I tried to battle the intense headache mercilessly hammering me from the inside, focusing my vision in an attempt to spot Shiroya.  There she was, still on the floor. She hadn't moved since I'd blacked out. I used all the energy I could muster to try to rise, and after a few attempts, I was able to sit up. While I crawled to Shiroya, I looked behind me. As expected, Akaro's body still lay on the floor, but he was far from my first priority. I reached Shiroya and turned her to face me. Her eyes were half-open, and she seemed conscious, which was exactly what I needed to see. - “Are y—*cough* *cough*” My sentence was cut off by dry coughing that took over my body. It seemed I had inhaled a bit of the smoke, but it might've meant that we hadn't been unconscious for a long time. “Yes... I think so. *cough*”Her eyes opened fully, and she tried to steady herself with an arm. “That smoke... W-Was it...?”- “Maybe. Liste—*cough* Listen. We'll find out what happened. Just stay there for a minute, okay? Do you feel okay?” “Y-Yes…”I could tell that she was barely keeping it together. She must've been afraid of the worst, just like I was, but that time we'd woken up safely.  I looked around me. It was a bizarre sight, and the disgusting smell was still present after the smoke had faded. The room had been painted black. The curtain's beautiful red, the walls, the ceiling... They'd all been corrupted by an ugly, dark color, almost purple. The floor, however, had not received the same treatment. It had become gray, but it was nowhere near the strong black that had consumed the ceiling. And there was something much more important that I quickly noticed. - “Naomi's gone... She's not here.” “...What? Y-You're right. Wh-Where could she have gone?”- “The door's open.” The door we'd not gone through was very slightly ajar. Naomi could've woken up and left through it, maybe to understand what had happened after seeing that we were still knocked out. Even reaching that small conclusion took a lot out of me, but the headache was beginning to fade almost as quickly as it had come on. I noticed our voices had woken Akaro, who still hadn't moved at all.  “...Ugh.” “What the... gently caress is this?”He felt his face with his hand as he grimaced. Then, he slowly stood up and attempted to balance himself while perplexedly looking around him. “Hey, what's all of this? You said Naomi's gone? What the gently caress just happened...? I think a lot of smoke suddenly appeared out of nowhere, right? Did it knock us out?”For the first time, he started a conversation with us. Before answering, I began to clean my face, as the smoke had created a sticky mask on it as well. - “I have no idea. But yes, th-that smoke must've had something in it that made us fall unconscious. And a few seconds before I fainted, a very loud alarm went off.” “An alarm? I must've fallen unconscious too fast. All I remember is getting very dizzy out of nowhere and falling over.” “...I don't think I heard it either. Did it say anything?”- “No, it was only a loud sound.” While I was still attempting to stand up, Akaro walked to the open door and looked through it. “Oh... What the hell happened here? It's very dark, but the hallway's condition is the same. The walls and ceiling are black, and I can't see anyone. The whole hallway's covered. How much smoke was there?”- “Everyone must've evacuated when they heard the alarm, even though it came a bit after the smoke appeared.” “...Did you see where the smoke came from? I didn't see anything, and there's nothing here.”- “N-No, but you're right. It surrounded us in an instant, and it probably appeared in this room and in the hallways at the same time. Both of these doors were closed, so the origin had to have been here. Something must've happened while we were unconscious.” “Why are we alone, though? There were police officers outside. Why haven't they come?” We couldn't answer. Still a bit disoriented, I forced my neck to turn. The only thing in the room was the covered cabinet. However, I doubted the Sekimeiya would still be there. The easiest conclusion to reach was that the smoke had been part of an attack designed to steal it. “The smoke wasn't released in the other rooms in the hallway.”Everything was giving me a surreal vibe. I had no idea what was going on, but at first glance, the danger seemed to have faded away. My headache was nearly gone, thankfully. That meant that I could start thinking things through. What had happened? Why had it happened? How was I going to find the person responsible? Maybe I was just trying to distract myself from reality by thinking things like that, but I had a personal stake in it. I couldn't forgive whoever was responsible. Shiroya probably felt the same way. We couldn't just ignore it, and someone was missing. The room was empty, and it had been empty before we'd fallen unconscious. Only the cabinet had been with us, but if the smoke had come out of it, it wouldn't have surrounded us so fast. We had been stained, but not as much on the lower parts of our bodies. The ceiling was very dark, whereas the floor not so much. The smoke's density must've been low. ...Did that mean that the origin of the smoke had been the very center of the room? How did that make any sense? Shiroya staggered slightly. I reached out to try and hold her shoulder, but as my body was still recovering, both of us fell back to the floor.  Without looking at us, Akaro walked to the door we'd entered through. “It happened here too.”- “...Yeah. When I fell to the floor, I noticed there was no light below that door. Given how dark the room had become, I thought the hallway must've been just as dark. ...The smoke was released at the same time, even though both places looked empty.” “...What the gently caress is this about? That woman disappeared, but she fell unconscious too, didn't she? And you're right. Why is no one else here?” Although those points were very strange, I was still relieved that none of us had been harmed. I lay on the floor for a bit, attempting to gather more strength. When thoughts came to me, it was calming to realize that they were different from what had recently filled my head. This room connects two parallel hallways, which were attacked alongside this room all at once. Was this done to isolate us? Someone attacked the building to steal the Sekimeiya, right? That must've been the intention. The smoke formed an easy path for whoever had planned it to make their way here, obtain the Sekimeiya, and leave. It sounds like a messy and risky plan, but it's the obvious thing that comes to mind. The open door seems to reinforce it, even though Naomi must have left through one anyway. Do I have to conclude that Naomi was part of this, and while we were out, she took the Sekimeiya and left? ...Pointing this much suspicion at herself? Being a staff member, she'd know many things about the security system, and we were the first group to come, meaning out of the four, she was the only one that wasn't part of the first visit coincidentally. Or, I could say that if I knew Akaro at all. I did think he looked distant from everything else. Maybe Akaro was aware of the fact the smoke would appear. He immediately faked his unconsciousness by throwing himself to the floor, knowing he would avoid breathing anything from the upper half of the room. The fact the floor is barely stained proves the smoke never came down. Once we're all out of it, he obtains the Sekimeiya. I should also consider that the smoke first arose shortly after Naomi unlocked the cabinet. This doesn't mean much, given she'd fall unconscious and leave the key available to be picked up, but if whoever did this didn't know much about the cabinet's mechanism, it makes sense they waited until it was unlocked. But, how did they know exactly when that was? Doesn't this mean that they must've been inside the room? Or, again, doesn't this mean that only Akaro could've done it? Assuming this precise timing actually happened... how did he trigger the smoke? It could simply be that he gave some sort of signal to someone else outside, but phones aren't allowed here. After we regained consciousness, he seemed to be perfectly fine physically. However, the mass difference between his body and our nineteen-year-old ones is very noticeable. It makes sense that the substance had a somewhat weaker effect on him. Is Akaro in possession of the Sekimeiya right now, or did he leave it somewhere? If so, why did he come back? Only to not look suspicious? But this doesn't explain Naomi's disappearance. And how did the smoke appear, or why did the alarm sound late? And what kind of risky plan is this? I grimaced. I was getting carried away without realizing how far I was going. In the first place, it was ridiculous to suspect anyone until I had information. But I knew. I could never let things remain as they were. Someone was responsible, and I wouldn't let them get away. I only had to bide my time. Before I could stand, I realized there was another avenue open to me. There was a security camera on the ceiling.  If someone was looking at the footage and the smoke came out of an automated system, this would make a lot more sense. However, it doesn't mean Akaro couldn't simply have been the one to wait for the automated smoke to then follow with whatever plan they had. This must've happened during the first visit for a reason. It means that whoever was looking at the direct footage would've been the one to activate the smoke system. ...I was doing it again, almost like a coping mechanism. I had to make sure Shiroya was really okay before anything else.  When I attempted to lift my head, my body thankfully obeyed. I stared at the curtain that concealed the so-called Sekimeiya. It was dark, and the substance the smoke was composed of had dried up on it.  “...Can you stand up?”- “I think so.” Supporting each other, Shiroya and I slowly steadied ourselves. Then, I realized Akaro had gone to the hallway.  ? “Finally! Thank goodness!” A shout came from the same area. It was a feminine voice, which at least indicated we weren't alone. We walked to it slowly as I wiped more of the solidified substance off of myself. I was curious to see if the Sekimeiya was still in the cabinet, but we would find that out very soon regardless.
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Feb 3, 2023 17:09
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Update 3: You're saying that we're trapped here? Scene: Cave-in (Part 2) BGM: Stage Fright  The hallway was almost as dark as the room. The smoke had coated every light bulb, but since there were many of them, some light could make it past the barrier. The smoke had created a thorough cover on the walls and ceilings, which must've been an intended result. It had set up a dark environment, but that couldn't be the sole purpose: something had been added to the smoke to create the same effect on every surface it touched. Close to the start of the hallway, near the door Naomi had first appeared through, I saw human figures. Our approaching footsteps were noticed by one, and it rose from its knees.  We got closer and saw two more people kneeling down. Akaro was with them, and after finally arriving where they were, I noticed a small body on the floor.  “Isla's finally waking up. Thank God.” That woman was the person we'd heard. She had the little girl on her lap and was looking at her closed eyes with concern.   “I see. So, you three were also not able to evacuate.”The person who had stood up was a well-dressed old man. As he said that, the two kneeling people turned their heads to face us. But the words "not able to evacuate" had sounded darker than I'd expected, especially due to his rough voice.  “Is she okay?” “I... I think so. She's finally breathing fine.”Shiroya sat next to the others and worriedly looked at the girl who'd been called Isla. Next to them was a guy my age, who was staring at the girl in silence.  “Smoke appeared out of nowhere and knocked us out. Do you know what happened?” “...I'm afraid I don't. You were in the event room, right? Shouldn't another woman be with you?” “Naomi, yes. She was gone when we woke up.”Despite the dim light, I was able to discern his frown. - “I'm pretty sure she passed out too, but the door to the other hallway was open when we woke up.” “...She left while you were still unconscious? That's strange. I inspected this floor a bit and didn't find her.” “Is that strange? Maybe she exited the building entirely.” “...”When his look lowered again, I realized there was something very important that we were missing. Why was nobody else there? Why had the unconscious child not been taken outside, at the very least? “She couldn't have left. If she fell unconscious like the rest of you, she still has to be here.” “What?”The man didn't answer immediately, so I took that time to look him over. Due to the lighting, I'd just gotten the impression that he was a simple well-dressed old man, but those weren't casual clothes. “Did all of you hear the alarm that played throughout the building? After I heard it, I saw all the smoke.”Those words made me consider an important detail. His shirt was white and a lot less stained than ours, indicating that it hadn't been hit by the smoke during its release. In contrast, the woman and the other guy had the same smoke pattern we did, being more stained on their top halves. The stature of the child had made her face the main target. “I am responsible for this building's security system. When the smoke appeared, I was in the security room, found in the other hallway. Since today was a special day, most of the visitors were in the lobby awaiting their turn for the event, so they had no problem leaving safely when they saw the smoke. You might know that this tower has many floors, but only this one is open to the public, and no one was on the higher levels.” “It was a big shock to see all that smoke, so I panicked and spent a while in the security room trying to figure out what had happened. When I realized I couldn't get anywhere, I exited and began searching through this floor. It seems you all were the first two groups of three for today's event.” “Yes. We were told to wait here after the first group moved forward.” “Oh, that's right. I remember seeing her earlier, now that I look at her closer.”I also recalled seeing the three of them behind us in the lobby. I was still trying to understand the man's words, though, as he had said the security room was in the other hallway. At the same time, we kept cleaning the smoke off our bodies until only a few traces remained.  - “You said you saw the smoke, but your clothes are much cleaner than ours. Did it not hit you?” “That's right. I didn't leave the room while it was in the hallway. When I said I saw the smoke, I was talking about the security cameras.”- “Oh, I see.” ...So, he was the person I'd just accused in my head. “I wasn't able to figure anything out through the cameras, unfortunately. When I left a few minutes later, I saw all the walls were black.”- “...” I knew he was slowly giving me information, so I didn't want to interrupt him. However, more questions were coming to my mind, such as why he hadn't come across our group first. - “Wait, you saw what the hallway looked like after you left the security room? Don't you have enough security cameras to see it from there?” “No. The thing is, they became useless after the smoke appeared. It instantly covered the lens of every camera that was hit by it.”- “...That makes sense. It must be why the smoke created this film on every surface it touched. It worked to disable the cameras.” “Yes. While I was there, I had no way to know what was happening in the hallways or in the event room. I took my time to look at the footage of all the other rooms, but I didn't see anything suspicious at all. No people, either.” “...But I should get into what's most important. The alarm that played wasn't your usual emergency alarm. It was one that hadn't played before. I said that I stayed in the security room out of panic, but that's not all. Even if I'd left, it would've been pointless. One of the special functions of the alarm is to shut down all methods of escape. This means that we have no way to leave this building, and that people outside can't enter.”...Although I'd been kind of anticipating those words, it was still a heavy blow. Shiroya and I looked at each other. It seemed everything insisted on getting worse.  “Hang on, hang on. What the gently caress? You're saying that we're trapped here? How long does it close the exit for? Why!? And is there no way to undo it or contact the outside!?” “...It closes all the exit routes for twelve hours. The reason as to why is a bit complicated, and for our purposes, confidential. I'm sorry, but I can't get into that. As for a way to contact the outside, there should be one. We can try it.”Shiroya wasn't faring well, and Akaro seemed to be in complete disbelief at what he was hearing.  - “...Hey.” “...”- “...It's going to be fine. Okay?” “Yeah. Yeah, okay.” I turned back to the others. Barring Akaro, none of them seemed very surprised about the situation. - “Is this not a shock for you?” “I already told them. Getting Isla out of here would normally have been the first thing any of us would have done.”It didn't seem like the type of building to have medical equipment stored in it, so the woman must have immediately tried to extract who I could only assume was her daughter. There was no reason to think that some secret entrance existed, so I more or less had to assume that we really were trapped for half a day. The existence of such an alarm seemed absurd, but at first glance, it also might've succeeded at trapping whoever'd been responsible for the smoke. - “S-So, you're right, Naomi still has to be here. And is that it? I get that most people were in the lobby, but if someone else had entered the hallways, they couldn't have evacuated either.” “Is it possible the smoke in the hallway wasn't as dense, which gave people time to run from it before the alarm went off?” “No, that can't be.”The guy who'd remained quiet finally spoke. “We were right here when the smoke appeared. The moment we inhaled a bit of it, we were out like a light. We pretty much collapsed instantly.” “I see. Then I couldn't tell you.” ...From what I could see from there, the other rooms in the hallway were clean. If someone had been in one, they had to have been trapped too. I could recall that the alarm had played approximately twenty seconds after the smoke's appearance, but it was unlikely that had been enough time for it to entirely dissipate. “I-I can't believe what you're telling us. What the gently caress does this mean? Why are we trapped here!?” “I sincerely apologize. I'm confused as well, but there's nothing I can tell you. We'll have to be here all day, but I'll try to figure out what happened. My name is Katei Kuiji.”… It was ridiculous, but we couldn't fight it. After a period of silence where nobody knew how to react, the woman spoke.  “She's Isla, my daughter. She's been unconscious since the smoke appeared, but her breathing's steadier now. I'm Erina.” “...I'm Shiroya.”- “And my name's Atsuki. We came here together. ...How old is she?” “She'll be ten in a bit more than a week. Her birthday is two days before Christmas.”Realizing the rest of his group had introduced themselves, the guy followed. “I'm Sai.”We looked back at the man separated from us. “Akaro.”…  Immediately, the silence returned. What the hell had happened? I thought back on the wordless alarm that had locked us in. It had lacked a message, seemingly only designed to tell us that we'd been trapped. It made sense if the culprit was one of us, but not even the staff member who was still there had any idea who it could have been, which made things difficult. And the target of the attack... It had to be the Sekimeiya. There was no way it wasn't related. The very first showing of a newly-discovered gemstone being interrupted meant only one thing. We hadn't checked whether the Sekimeiya was still in the room, but it was confirmed that it was still in the building with us, even if it had been taken out of its cabinet. The attack had been deliberate. That was the most important point. Whoever was responsible, I wanted to find them out and expose them. It was deeply personal. *BGM Stops*  “*cough*... *cough*”BGM: Kenopsia  We all glanced at Isla's pained face. After the second cough, she proceeded to slightly open her eyes. “Isla! Finally! Are you okay? How do you feel?”Erina's sudden outburst seemed to confuse her daughter. She raised her head and blinked blearily at all of us. Looking back at her mother, she coughed weakly again and spoke. “Wh-Where are we...? What are we... d-doing here?”Her disorientation definitely wasn't helped by the fact that all the walls were stained black. Shiroya seemed like she wanted to say something, but she held back and let Erina speak. “We're still inside Ashiya Tower. Do you remember all that smoke? It knocked us out, and you're the last one to wake up.”Erina stroked Isla's hair gently, which seemed to soothe her. “Weren't we going to see the Sekimeiya? I'm trying to remember what happened after that, but I can't. Did we ever do that?” “No, sweetie. We were waiting for that in this very hallway when the smoke came out. Do you not remember?” “Oh... smoke? I'm not sure... Is this that hallway? Why is everything black?” “That's also the smoke's doing. It stained everything it touched.”Shiroya finally spoke up. Isla seemed to realize that everyone else had faint black stains on their clothes, so she looked down at her own to find them almost completely clean. At her height, her head had been primarily affected, but Erina had evidently wiped off the remnants already. “Do you feel okay? You've been out for a long time. I was really worried…” “Sorry... I think I feel okay, but my head hurts. But why are we here? Why is there no light, and why are we alone?”We all looked at each other, and for a few seconds, nobody knew how to answer. Katei quickly decided it was his job to do so. “We're not aware of what caused the smoke, but it must've triggered a special alarm that shut down all entrance and exit methods. That means that we will have to stay here for the next twelve hours, and it's possible there's only eight of us who didn't evacuate in time.”We all slightly lowered our heads, unsure whether his abrupt explanation had been a good idea to direct at a kid who had just woken up. Isla processed that information in silence for a minute. I didn't expect she'd take it well. But against my own prediction, she passively tossed out some words in response. “Oh... I see... So we're going to be here for twelve hours? What will we do until then?”I was relieved that she hadn't reacted badly. Telling a kid to stay put somewhere for many hours was something that could've gone much worse.  “...Sadly, there's not much to do here. This first floor is filled with exhibition rooms, and it's officially called the "crystal floor" in reference to all the gems. The upper floors are nothing but offices, and I'm afraid they're as uninteresting as they sound.” “They're offices? Does that mean we could use them to communicate with the outside? Is that what you meant earlier when you said that could be possible?” “Oh, no. Usually, that would be the case, but the local internet connection is also something that the alarm shuts down, precisely to block all communication methods.” “The internet connection was cut? Will it come back when the exit opens?” “Yes. We can't access it until then. There's no phone either, and I don't have mine here.”- “What did you mean, then? How do we have any way to speak to anyone outside?” “The room where I work, the security room, has a function that lets us enable communication with the outside. That one should not be out of commission.”That was slightly relieving. If we could talk with people and understand the situation better, that'd make the wait much more bearable. However, it seemed strange to me that a communication method wouldn't be disabled. Entirely blocking off the exit and shutting down the internet connection had seemed to indicate the goal was to fully isolate the interior. Ignoring one method sounded a bit strange, which must've meant it wasn't one anyone would know how to access. Isla stood up and brushed herself off. She seemed ready to say something else, but a nearby sound startled us. We turned to face it and were met with a door opening. It was the one that led to the lobby.  Had someone else gotten trapped? I thought that until I saw Sai next to the door. Then, I realized he hadn't said anything since he'd told us his name. His left hand was gripping the knob. “Where are you going?”It looked like we were all a little confused that he'd been about to leave without warning. “I'm going to check the lobby. I'm not doubting what Katei has said, but I haven't personally seen the exit closed, so I'm curious if it could be forced open, for example.”Nobody said anything. Instead, everyone but Shiroya, who was still sitting down, began to slowly walk to the door. I took the opportunity to pull her aside and check on her.  - “...This was a deliberate attack, and I want to find out who did it if I can. Are you okay with that?” “Why are you asking me that?”- “If you want to just hole up in a room for twelve hours, I'll respect it. But I don't want the person or people responsible getting away, and I think you feel the same way.” “...Yeah. I'm... I just don't want you to get caught up in something dangerous, Atsuki.”- “It's not like I'm some detective... I know that. But if you notice someone lying, or find out something I don't, I want to know. I just figure if we really are trapped here, we should keep track of what happens. The culprit must've gotten trapped, so we can't trust anyone here.” “I know. Usually, the police would handle this, but... if the cameras are all covered, there might be no records.” “And if they got away... If they got away, I'd…”I knew perfectly well what she meant without her finishing the sentence. - “I'm hoping that whoever did this was stupid enough to get caught on camera before that happened, but we'll see. I know you're right. We're not the police. I just don't know who we can trust.” “S-Sorry, I'm just trying to... process everything. I didn't mean to be so quiet until now. I feel the same way you do.” “Maybe I feel worse, actually. I... hate this. I want this to be over.”- “Yeah... Yeah. Me too. Let's get going.” I helped Shiroya to her feet, and we headed to where everyone else had gone.  As if we'd stepped into another world, the lobby looked almost as it had when we'd last been there. The lights weren't blackened, but some had been turned off, most likely automatically. Only a bit of the smoke had sneaked through the gaps of the doors, forming a dark outline around them.  That would've been all if it weren't for the metal shutter blocking the door we'd entered through. Aside from the reception desk, the only things of note in the room were the couch and cleaning bucket. Everyone seemed to have lapsed into silence except for Katei, who simply appeared as if he didn't know what to tell us.  “...Oh. Guess there's no way we're opening that.” “Isn't it... a bit too much? Why would they trap us like this?” “I agree that this looks over the top, but I'm afraid the same has occurred with every window of the tower, and all the blockades are designed to not let sound pass. We won't be leaving earlier than intended. I apologize that this has happened.” “Can't you at least tell us why? Why is there a metal shutter here? This doesn't look normal at all.” “My apologies, but as I said earlier, I'm not allowed to supply that information. But don't misinterpret me. Even though I could give you some details, I'm mostly kept in the dark when it comes to knowing the reasons. I'm only charged with making sure the system is functional, so I wouldn't be able to tell you much about what you want to know.” “What are the details you know, then? Look at it from our perspective. We can't stay in the dark forever.” “I understand, I promise. However, I can't say anything.”We all felt the need to sigh. Knowing information was being kept from us wasn't a pleasant thought, and it disrupted any cooperation we might've wished for. However, it would've been unreasonable to press the issue further. “Twelve hours it is, then.”After saying that, he walked up to the shutter and tried to move it aside to confirm that it was as sturdy as it looked. Of course, it didn't budge at all. Shrugging a little, Sai turned back.  “This door wasn't closed, by the way. It was slightly open.”- “Yeah, I saw that.” “And look, very little smoke passed through it.”- “So it was opened after the smoke was released.” “Yes. It was closed when we were knocked out.” “I was the one who opened it.” “...I see.” I looked at the other door. Although it was closed, it appeared that more smoke had gone through it.  ...There was something else piquing my curiosity. - “Katei, you said all methods of escape were sealed. What are those? Or rather, how many of them are on this floor?” “On this floor, only this one. It doesn't have windows, so this is all that's locked. The other floors do have windows, though, and they were fully sealed too as soon as the alarm went off.”- “I see. I had assumed the smoke's goal was to isolate the event room to have an easy path to it, obtain the gem, and then leave with it. But that's strange.”  “Strange? I think that's the most likely scenario too.”- “I say that because the lobby has been left alone. If the goal was to bring the Sekimeiya outside, why wouldn't they also release the smoke here? After all, two full hallways were attacked, so why not the lobby too?” “Yeah. If the goal was to bring the Sekimeiya out during all the confusion, it doesn't make sense that they didn't do it here. I don't know what released the smoke. I didn't see anything in the hallways, but this is a much bigger room. It could be that whatever method they used simply wouldn't have worked here.” Maybe. If you wanted to block off the security cameras only to then be spotted in this hall, your plan obviously wasn't very well thought out. Could it be that leaving with the Sekimeiya wasn't the goal of the plan? Or maybe, that they intend to do it later? ...Is it realistic to think anyone could alert everyone with smoke, leave with this incredibly rare item, and not be caught immediately? Even if the cameras were blocked, once outside, you're still one of the last people to exit and wouldn't be allowed to leave freely and unexamined. There is something that comes to mind, and it's why I only asked about this floor's escape routes. The lobby was never used to escape. Now, Katei says the windows on the upper floors are sealed, meaning if they are not, they provide a feasible way out. Keeping in mind that the alarm came late and that we never actually saw the Sekimeiya, could it be that by the time we stepped into the room, it already wasn't there? The culprit could've gone up a floor to escape through the windows. Katei hasn't spoken about the footage of this timeframe, so he might not have been looking at the cameras. Then again, even if the cameras spotted the culprit, they'd be able to leave through a prepared window route and flee immediately once outside. Then... use an automated mechanism to create the smoke and lock the tower right before the Sekimeiya is ever shown to the public. For the people outside, this would make it look as if it's still in the building and entirely obscure the time in which it was stolen. We started our session a bit later than expected because Shiroya and I were slightly delayed, but even if we'd gone faster and seen the missing Sekimeiya, it wouldn't have meant anything to the person who'd successfully stolen it since we'd soon be locked inside. If I assume some cameras recorded the culprit leaving through the window, it doesn't make sense that the smoke would then be deployed. However, if they also had a way around those cameras using another method, it'd give off the illusion that someone who got trapped must've been the one to steal the Sekimeiya, and only after the smoke showed up. After all, the lobby was left untouched, and no one would've left through it after the smoke appeared. Since the alarm came later, whatever else the culprit did one floor above must've triggered it. Maybe the culprit triggered it purposely, which is why it didn't match the smoke's timing. That would be a great plan that ended in success. I might be deluding myself a bit too much. I'm also assuming they were able to get the Sekimeiya out of the cabinet without being noticed, which is probably too hard to believe. Not to mention Naomi unlocked the cabinet with her key, meaning it was locked by that time, so why would the culprit lock it after getting the Sekimeiya out, let alone have a way to do it...?  “I believe it's far simpler than that, Sai.”Katei took a while to answer. While I'd been thinking, he also had. “After all, the lobby doesn't have security cameras.” “Wh-What...?”… I realized immediately I'd already gone too far and got slightly embarrassed. Making up complicated theories was a habit of mine, but making a leap without even considering the facts was the last kind of mistake I needed to be making given the circumstances. Regardless, that seemed pretty ridiculous. It was a big lobby, so even though I couldn't spot any cameras, I had figured they were well-hidden. All of us frowned, doubting that decision. “I know it might sound strange. Next to the main door are guards who inspect everyone who enters, making sure they don't possess any kind of suspicious item. For this very reason, the fact that a big quantity of smoke was somehow released from the inside is already very strange.” “There's nothing of value in this lobby. The only way to access any valuable item is by entering the actual exhibition section through one of the two hallways. There is no other way to reach the gemstones aside from these two doors.” “Since there are cameras in the hallways, the entrance to the valuables is monitored. Having them here is simply not necessary.” “What the hell...? You guys are not very good at this security thing, are you?” “We have our reasons, but nobody could steal anything and leave without being recorded.”But it meant, with the smoked hallways, it was actually possible someone could've stolen something and left without being seen by the cameras, although it was incredibly hard to believe that, once outside, they could've managed to leave with the stolen object, even more so after seeing how harsh the security measures were. Without a doubt, everyone who'd evacuated must've been searched to make sure they hadn't been in possession of anything suspicious. “You said there's no way to make it to the actual rooms containing the gemstones. Then what about that door?” She was pointing at a smaller door situated behind the reception desk. “Oh, that leads to a room right under us. Past the door, a staircase goes to the room that stores the main boiler for the building, the electricity meter, the circuit breakers, and some pieces of furniture that we don't use anymore. Naturally, there are no cameras there either.” “It's right under us...?” “Yes. The staircase is a semicircle, so that room, which we call the mechanical room, is below the lobby.” “What about that computer? Can we use it for anything?” "No. As I said earlier, the internet connection has been cut. That's not all, though. The alarm also disabled this computer so that the people trapped inside couldn't look through its files." "Is the door locked?" “It's not. Since it's right behind the reception counter, visitors can't enter it. I doubt the room could've been used for anything regarding this incident. Even if someone managed to make it inside, they would've needed a key to access the breakers, but it's not like the lights went out.” “Would Naomi have had that key?” “Naomi? No, that's not part of her job. I do have it, but I don't think I've ever used it.”- “As a thought, could we power off the system in charge of the alarm to open up the exit?” “No, of course not. It'd be a big oversight if a thief could go there, force open the lid, and then break free. Not every circuit can be handled from that room—only the basic ones that power on the lights and such. Essential operations like the security system and maintenance functions can't be turned off.”- “...I see.”  With another escape method eliminated, our spirits sank. Meanwhile, Isla seemed captivated by our talk and stared at us intensely.  “What is that?”She seemed to be looking at Shiroya's neck.  “...Hm, this? It's a pendant.” “I believe it's tanzanite, right?”- “Yeah.”  “Oh, it's really pretty! I want one like it!” “You said it's tanzanite? I really doubt that. This seems to be an imitation; they're very common.” “...Is that so? I don't know.”Shiroya gave him a terse reply, obviously displeased. “If it's not, then that gem must be worth an immense sum.” “Ah. ...It doesn't matter, though. I really like it.”… “Isla, you wanted to say something else before, right? What was it?” “Yeah...! We came here for the Sekimeiya, right? I just wanted to go see it…”… She glanced down, expecting to get scolded, but nobody reacted that way. “There's no way it's still there, right? What even was it?”Sai began looking at me and ended his sentence at Akaro. We hadn't mentioned that we hadn't yet seen the Sekimeiya, so since I had freely spoken about it having been stolen, it was only natural he had assumed we'd seen it missing. - “Actually, we don't know... We never saw it. We were gonna check it when we woke up, but Erina's shout interrupted us.”  “Are you serious...?” Shiroya and Akaro nodded as well, and everyone else had the same look as Sai. It seemed they'd all assumed the Sekimeiya had been stolen. Once again, without warning, Sai made his way out of the lobby. Isla was the first to follow him. No one objected, as we were all curious about what the Sekimeiya actually was and whether it would even be there. AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 11:28 on Feb 5, 2023 |
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Feb 4, 2023 10:11
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Oh, finally they're going to check if the Sekimeiya has actually been stolen, this was driving me nuts. Yes, it seems obvious that is was the target, but at this point it could have been stolen before the smoke, during the smoke or after the smoke, or it could still peacefully sit in its cabinet and go missing right before the shutters open, and eliminating the fourth possibility sounds like a reasonable option. For now we don't know the exact number of people in the building. Naomi is missing, and there might be other people. Checking the security footage from before and after the incident seems like a good idea, although presumably the cameras are still damaged from the smoke. It's probably a safe assumption at this point that as an employee Naomi was also aware of the security measures, although getting confirmation on that would be useful. She was the only person to protect herself from the smoke at least a bit, but stated to have passed out before our main character did as well. From a non-detective point of view, asking about washrooms sounds like a good idea. Twelve hours without food is only going to be uncomfortable, but water would be useful. "Unfortunately as part of our extensive security measures, the washrooms have been closed off as well, as we were worried about someone flushing our expensive jewelry down the toilet in order to have their accomplices collect it through the waste water system."Well, crap. I see what people meant about the characters being more like information givers, although there is some characterization going on outside of that at least.
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Feb 4, 2023 10:57
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AFancyQuestionMark posted:That was why we had never entered it, and on top of our more recent circumstances, I thought Shiroya might've been experiencing a feeling of betrayal for simply being there. While I couldn't say I shared that strong of an emotion toward it, I wasn't very fond of the whole thing either. Is this repetition part of the original script, or a typo?
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Feb 4, 2023 13:35
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Zyxyz posted:Is this repetition part of the original script, or a typo? No, that's definitely my fault. Fixed.
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Feb 4, 2023 15:15
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AFancyQuestionMark posted:
Is something missing here? It sounds like he's answering a question about the door or what's behind it.
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Feb 5, 2023 01:18
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Polsy posted:Is something missing here? It sounds like he's answering a question about the door or what's behind it. You're right there were two lines missing, fixed now. Thanks for pointing it out.
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Feb 5, 2023 11:30
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Update 4: What do you guys think? Is it still here? Scene: Cave-in (Part 3) BGM: Duo   Shiroya and I made our way back to the room where we'd fallen unconscious. Once Katei entered, our seven pairs of eyes focused on the dark-colored curtain that blocked the view to the cabinet's interior. “So, you're saying that none of you saw behind this curtain before or after the smoke, right?”- “Yes. Naomi was about to raise it, but then the smoke appeared.” People went quiet at the mention of Naomi. Given the alarm had played when she'd been there, her disappearance was very strange. “Let's see, then. What do you guys think? Is it still here?”...It was very hard to think it still would be, and going off their expressions, everyone else agreed with me. “I say it is. That would make things more interesting, wouldn't it? And I'm curious about how it looks.” After those questionable words, Sai proceeded to slowly raise the curtain, exaggerating his own action. As the curtain was being raised, dust that had gotten stuck on it shook loose and formed a little pile on the floor. The major part of what the curtain was covering was clean wood that contrasted the stained room. Finally, a transparent pane of glass sheltering a cushion came into view. The curtain had been fully raised. Because of the darkness of the room, it took us a bit to see what was behind that glass. “Let me see, is it there?”Sai, being next to the cabinet, was staring inside. We all got closer as well. Inside was a red cushion, a color that would've definitely looked beautiful if not for the lack of proper illumination.  And on that cushion, occupying a small space of it, was a white-colored sphere. Looking closer, it wasn't actually a sphere, but an egg-shaped stone. It shined very faintly.  It was big and could easily be mistaken for an actual egg. However, we all knew it wasn't. Naomi had told us that it was an incredibly rare gem, and putting aside how simple it was, it looked very pretty and elegant. “It's this, right? It wasn't taken.” “Are you saying this was Ashiya's big find? How can we be sure it's the real thing?” “It is. I have seen it before. I happen to spend hours in front of the security cameras.”Isla looked dumbfounded and couldn't help but stare.  “How disappointing. I guess it'd still please all those other people, but I came here purely out of curiosity, and despite not having any kind of expectations, I'm embarrassed to admit I'm a bit let down. This can be as rare as you want to call it, but it's just an egg.”- “An incredibly valuable one, apparently.” “And it's still here? What was all the smoke for, then?” “I know I said I hoped for this to be the case, but I'm not too sure anymore. This probably means that the culprit's plan wasn't really all that elaborate. They might just plan to spend twelve hours with us, and when it's time to leave, have an easy way out with this thing.” “...And how exactly will they pull that off?” “I don't know, but it's practically impossible what's happening doesn't have to do with this, right? The end goal must be to steal it, so this just means that the plan isn't over yet.” “I'm not so sure. Hey, Katei, do you know if Naomi was aware of the existence of that alarm?” “Naomi? She should not have been, but I couldn't tell you for sure. Why?” “Imagine this for a second. Naomi's job is perfectly positioned for this. She acted confused when the attack happened but was prepared for the smoke. However, the alarm that locked her inside didn't factor into her plan because she wasn't aware of it.” “Atsuki, you said you heard the alarm a few seconds after the smoke was released. Do you know how many, approximately?”- “...Twenty, maybe?” “So twenty seconds later, pretty much everyone is unconscious and Naomi hears this alarm. By this point, she doesn't know that it's trapping her in the tower. If she had, she would've pretended to be unconscious until we all woke up. But she didn't. Instead, she obtained the Sekimeiya thanks to her key and left with it to proceed with her plan.” “I'm not sure how it continues now or how she intended to escape, but she realized that the exit had been blocked off. Katei said this was a very specific alarm that hadn't gone off before, so it'd make sense if she didn't recognize its sound.” “ ...Well, as she finished searching for an exit or a way to continue with her plan, she thought her only choice was to come back and play the confused card. But, as she was coming back, she probably heard me opening this door and backed out. It's clear she's the most suspicious person in the building. It's possible she was listening to us and heard that we didn't look behind the curtain. By leaving before doing so, we gave her a chance to look innocent. When we were in the hallway, she simply entered the room again and placed the Sekimeiya back in the cabinet. Now it's possible we'll find her playing dumb or pretending to be knocked out somewhere, claiming she was disoriented and trying to assess the situation. It's impossible she's not trapped in here with us.” “I see. That would make sense. It could very well be that this top-secret alarm only played whenever someone tried to get the Sekimeiya out of here, and that she hadn't been informed of it.”Sai shot Katei a glance, clearly displeased that he had to make that assumption based on limited information.  “Come on. We haven't found her yet, so shouldn't you wait to draw conclusions until we do? For all we know, she's looking for a way out to help us.”- “...You're right. We can't assume that Naomi is responsible, and we need to establish something that clears her name a little bit. Even though you guys just tried to explain things with the delayed alarm, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.” - “Naomi's job was to explain everything about the Sekimeiya and make sure the exhibition happened smoothly. An alarm that's triggered when the Sekimeiya is removed is something she would know about, so thinking that she was unaware of it is pretty ridiculous. And, while her position is convenient to orchestrate this, it also makes her a very strong suspect from the get-go.” - “I can't be sure of this, but before the time I heard the alarm, I did hear the sound of a body falling, and given all three of us were already down on the floor, it must've been Naomi's. On top of that, the glass hadn't been opened, so if she opened it while I was on the floor and triggered the alarm, I think I would've heard it. Not to mention how risky this is. Surely she would've waited until all of us were definitely unconscious to get the Sekimeiya out.”  - “This also implies the alarm was unstable. Even if she triggered it by opening the cabinet, she had previously unlocked it. The alarm would've gone off when someone forced it open, not when someone opened it after unlocking it.” - “However, there's one thing that's totally impossible, and that is that the Sekimeiya was first stolen and then brought back.” Akaro seemed intrigued to know why his idea was incorrect. - “Remember the curtain back then?”  “Oh... I think I see what you mean.”- “The black substance had already dried on the curtain. Just now, as Sai raised it, a bunch of those particles fell on the floor, and almost none of them stayed on the curtain.”  “So it didn't move after you left.” “And it's not possible to touch the glass without moving the curtain. ...The Sekimeiya must've also been here when we woke up.”It could be that Naomi brought back the Sekimeiya while we were still sleeping. That wouldn't contradict anything since the substance might not have fully dried on the curtain by that point. That doesn't make sense either, though. She would've only done that if she hadn't accounted for the alarm, so if she gave up on her plan and placed the Sekimeiya back before we woke up, she would've also closed her eyes and laid on the floor as if nothing had happened.  Regardless of what the exact events had been, the Sekimeiya was inside its cabinet. What had the point of the smoke been? What had triggered the alarm, and what would happen next...? It still felt surreal, everything that had suddenly happened.  “Can I touch it?” “...What!? No, don't.”Isla had been staring at the Sekimeiya with an astonished face. Maybe because it seemed to be the core of everything, touching it must have sounded almost dangerous. “Why not? Naomi was going to let us do it.” “Is this even open? It looks like the glass is shut.” “It shouldn't be. According to what Naomi said earlier, the key she had must've unlocked it.” “If it's open, you should be able to move the glass.” “Let me see.” “It's open, yes. I can scroll the glass down.” The glass had a little opening to put your fingers in and push it down. If the lock was open, we'd be able to move it. From the looks of it, it was not a very sturdy or wide piece of glass, so breaking it with force seemed possible too. Sai scrolled it all the way down, and we fixed our eyes on the Sekimeiya, no longer protected by any layer of security. Isla extended her arm slowly. Nobody except Erina looked concerned about her doing it, but I could tell that Shiroya was still agitated by the fact that none of them wanted to drop everything and find the missing person. Before Isla got to touch the Sekimeiya, she spoke. “It's cold.” “You're right, actually. The air inside the cabinet is cold.” “Oh, right, I was told about this. Apparently, the Sekimeiya must remain in a cold place. This was a very basic thing everyone was told, and it sounded very important.” “Why would that be needed?” “I'm afraid I'm clueless. This is why the temperature inside the cabinet is very low, though.”That sounded interesting. For whatever reason, the Sekimeiya had to always stay in a cold place, or at least that was what the Ashiya family had instructed. Maybe that was the reason why it had been left in the cabinet even after the attack. “Do we check what happens if we get it out?” “What!? Of course not! The Sekimeiya must remain inside this cabinet. We were very specifically told not to remove it or subject it to any kind of heat.” I suppose it's still Katei's duty to act according to the rules. If something happened to the Sekimeiya, there would probably not be a positive outcome for him given that he was basically supervising us. Assuming the blame didn't get shifted to Naomi for some reason, at least. If the Sekimeiya was actually left here due to the cold temperature, it follows whoever put the attack together must've somehow learned of that requirement…  “...”Isla, who'd paused her movement due to Katei's serious voice, continued moving her arm toward the Sekimeiya. In just a second, she was in reach, and her small hand was placed on top of it. Silently, she felt it for a few moments before letting out an amazed gasp. “Oh...! It's very smooth. I love it!”She started feeling it conspicuously with a smile on her face. “Is it? Naomi did say that touching it was part of the experience.”Shiroya joined her, evidently trying to make Isla feel better. “You're right, this feels very pleasant to the touch, and also really cold.” “Worth all the advertisements and expectations?” “Yes!” “...N-No, not really, but touching it is pretty relaxing. It feels almost silky.” “Given our situation and the fact Naomi is missing, we should let this be. I know we'll most likely be here for twelve hours, but this piece is very important, and we should not be careless.” Sai and I were going to be the next ones to touch it, but we had to respect that. Without responding verbally, Isla and Shiroya removed their hands from the cabinet. Katei's request was a reasonable one, and we still had more important things to think about. Even though six of us had come to see the Sekimeiya, only Isla seemed to have a legitimately strong interest in it. I looked at the left side of the cabinet, expecting to find something. There was the keyhole Naomi had used to unlock the glass. - “It says it here: ‘unlocked’. This is how Naomi unlocked the cabinet. Katei, do you know how many keys can open it? “I don't know for sure, but certainly not many. I'm only aware of the one Naomi had.” “So the only person who can open this is Naomi, who just happened to disappear and might be hiding somewhere.” “...Stop assuming her intentions are bad just because we haven't seen her yet. We have to find her as soon as we can.” “Yes, but before that, we have to contact the outside from the security room. I would like to know what our situation actually looks like, and if Naomi went upstairs all by herself and chose to leave us unconscious, I won't be prioritizing her now.” “...I guess so. Splitting up is probably a bad idea, but if she isn't back when we finish, we really need to go looking.” There wasn't any other opposition. If Naomi intended to show herself to us, she would come back eventually. We worked under the assumption that she still had the cabinet key. However, if she'd ever fallen unconscious, someone could've easily grabbed it, maybe failing to recognize that the cabinet was already unlocked. If she'd woken up as that happened, the culprit might've panicked and been responsible for her disappearance. ...But that was a worst-case scenario, and not something we could easily jump to. It was true that contacting the outside was much more important. “Let's go to the security room. That is where I work. We're very close to it, actually. It is beneficial to have it on the lowest floor, next to the entrance.”Katei closed the glass and gave us a look that once again indicated how precious of an item the Sekimeiya was. Subsequently, he opened the opposite door of the room. Past it was a very similar hallway.  Like in the other one, the ceiling and walls were stained by an ugly, dark color. It had been a while since the smoke's release, so the substance had dried up fully, letting more light pass through.  Once everyone was with us, I peeked into one of the rooms in front of us. As Akaro had said, it looked clean, creating the same contrast as the lobby. The light worked perfectly, and there was almost no trace of the smoke apart from the small amount that had passed through the gaps of the door. It seemed the function of the room was only to showcase different kinds of gemstones placed inside cabinets. I couldn't be sure, though, as all of them were covered by curtains.  “It's that door.”Without moving, Katei said those words, indicating the single door that stood out.  While all the others were normal wooden doors, that one was gray and looked much more sturdy. Once Katei approached it, we walked behind. On it was a nameplate with the words "security room". *Rattling Door Lock* Katei grabbed the doorknob, and upon turning it, he tried to push the door forward. However, it didn't budge.  “Oh, right. I locked it earlier. Let me see.” “You locked it?” “Yes, I have the key right here.”Taking a couple of keys out of his pocket, Katei inserted one of them in the keyhole. “This is an important room. When I left, I wasn't exactly aware of the situation, given I couldn't see through some of the cameras. I found it appropriate to lock the only room that allows communication with the outside until I knew more about what had happened.” “That was probably a good idea.”With a simple turn, the door was audibly unlocked. Before entering, I inquired about something I found next to it. - “Oh, is this a map? I almost didn't notice it since the entire wall looks the same.” “Yes. It's a map of this first floor. The rooms labeled with a letter and a number are what we call the ‘crystal rooms’. They're the exhibition rooms, where all the gemstones are displayed.”I brushed off the dry dust and looked at it.  As Katei had said, the map only showed the first floor's contents, and it seemed stairs and an elevator would lead us to the others. It was the only floor that was usually open to the public, so there were a large number of rooms to visit. We found ourselves in hallway A, next to the security room, and had much left of the whole floor to look through. As a notable point, the event room was the only room that connected both hallways apart from the lobby and the perpendicular hallway C. As expected, there were bathrooms too, so we wouldn't have to worry on that front. “There's light coming from the end of the hallways. That means the horizontal one wasn't hit by the smoke, right?” “Yes, only these sections were.” Katei, who'd claimed to have slightly inspected the floor, showed us exactly where the smoke had been released. “Hm... So, if one of the goals of the smoke was to disable the security cameras, they didn't use hallway C for anything.” “Yes. I looked at the live footage of it while I was in this room, and no one showed up. They still would've had two available ways to cross the hallways, though.”Everyone looked pensive, including Isla, but they voiced none of their thoughts. The layout was pretty simple. Remembering it wouldn't be a problem, but we could always look at the map again.  Katei waited until everyone was done examining it to open the door.
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Feb 5, 2023 11:51
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So this Sekimeiya is a smooth white object that must be kept cold? What are the odds it's really just a fancy chunk of ice 
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Feb 5, 2023 13:17
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Ha the Sekiemeya being an "egg-shaped gem" that has to be kept cold is a little on the nose isn't it? Also I'm amused that they did answer the bathroom question already, after Cloacamazing brought it up.
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Feb 5, 2023 16:57
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It's either that or the egg is going to hatch and bring certain doom upon the world. Okay, so the Sekimeiya is still there, and we have clear proof that it hasn't been moved. Leaving it in the room seems like kind of a bad idea, but unless the security office has a minifridge, the whole "needs to be kept cold at all times" means there's no other option. I suppose the best plan would be to clean the camera in the event room and keep an eye on it from the security room, which I'm assuming is more comfortable than the event room at least. That or the lobby seems like the best places to wait out the situation. The most likely explanation would actually be that this was a test of the security measures. Checking if it's possible to sneak in during the exhibit, obscure the cameras and make off with presumably the Sekimeiya. If Katei was actually the only person currently in the building who was aware of the security measures, that checks out. Still leaves open the question of where Naomi went. You'd think she'd either make for the security room or keep an eye on the jewel.
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Feb 5, 2023 18:58
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What kind of bizarro art museum are we trapped in?
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Feb 6, 2023 07:57
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Definitely interested to see if I'm the right kind of turbonerd for this. Right now it's a lotta setup words, but hopefully it'll kick into gear soon. eta: since speculation is the lifeblood of these threads, here's my disconnected, tinhat theorising: -our MC and friend were involved in an Incident involving the Sekimeiya before its official discovery -I suspect the existence of a Tragic Dead Friend who may or may not really be alive -that there is an egg!! mycelia fucked around with this message at 20:11 on Feb 6, 2023 |
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Feb 6, 2023 16:37
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Update 5: We'd also appreciate having information. Scene: Window Net (Part 1) BGM: Duo  Like the lobby and the room I'd just looked into, the place was completely clean, and no traces of smoke could be found, not even any that had slipped through the door. However, the contrast wasn't as noticeable given the room's darker colors and faint light. Paying no mind to everyone's silence, Katei made his way to the chair and sat down. When he moved the mouse, the computer exited its suspended state and reactivated the three monitors above it, showing us what the last person to use it had been doing.  Above those three screens were many more monitors that displayed the real-time footage of the cameras. While there was no way every room of every floor was shown there, at first glance, there was no trace of Naomi or another person. “All these security cameras... Does this mean we'll be able to look at the recorded footage?” “...We should be able to. I don't believe you'd be authorized to, but given the situation, we might be able to look at it after we talk with the outside.”That was an interesting proposition. Looking at the recorded footage might have revealed the source of the smoke, if someone else hadn't been able to evacuate, and information on Naomi's whereabouts.  We all got closer to Katei and looked at the screens. It seemed the computer was using a standard operating system. “Is this the current time?” “Oh, yes. This means it's now 9:41.”As Katei said, next to the numbers that displayed the date, the current time showed 9:41. That meant the exit would unlock at approximately 21:05, in eleven hours and twenty minutes. “We started a bit late, so I think the smoke appeared five minutes after we left the lobby. I'd say we've been awake for more than twenty minutes already, so this would mean we were unconscious for about fifteen minutes.” “Yes, this matches with the amount of time I stayed here after I saw the smoke.” “Shortly after that, the alarm went off, so I knew I was already trapped. During that time until I exited, I stayed looking at the cameras. I also tried to use the computer to look up information about what had happened, but the alarm even shut down my internet connection.” “Wait, what? Why would it do that? You said you still have a way to communicate with the outside, so why didn't you use it?” “Oh, I did not find it appropriate. My top priority was to find out what was happening here, so I focused on looking at all the cameras that remained functional.” “Don't you think a very good way to find out what was happening would've been to ask the outside?” “You might be right. That could've been the smarter choice, but I did not think it through well enough.” “So, even though the internet connection is cut off, you have a communication method?” “Yes. This computer is connected to all the computers on the upper floors. Even though there's no connection, a way exists to connect with the Ashiya family, and only the security staff knows about it. It does not use the normal internet connection, and it was designed in case of emergencies.”- “So, if you weren't here, we would have to spend twelve hours locked up not knowing what's actually happening and without a way to communicate with the outside world.”  “Yes... It sounds rough, but this alarm doesn't get triggered lightly. We should just be content with the fact that I stayed inside. I wouldn't have been doing my job if I'd evacuated.”… Nobody had anything else to add, so Katei proceeded. Deep within many folders, he started up a program that contained a very simple interface. After inputting a username and an encrypted password we couldn't read, he pressed the enter key. The small window shifted into a much larger and empty one. The first thing we noticed was that a loud, unintelligible audio feed was being played. Seconds later, a video appeared in the center of the window. *BGM Stops* “Is this a car?” “Yeah, it looks like a car seat.”Everyone looked at Katei, but he shrugged and kept watching.  The video was probably live, and the echo was obnoxiously loud. We could hear many people talking in the background, but it was impossible to make out any words. We continued staring at the screen, unsure what we were actually looking at.  “Is anything going to change?”Nobody answered a question they couldn't answer. After more than fifteen seconds, nothing had changed, and the audio continued playing. “This is for communication, right? Can they hear us right now?” “They actually should be able to. ...Hello? Can anyone hear us?”… Amidst the messy noise, we noticed one of the voices was strengthening.  BGM: Mifune “I'm from Ashiya, talking from inside the tower. Is anyone there?”? “...Oh, yes, it's coming from inside. There's finally an incoming connection.” ? “My apologies. He-Hello? Is this working? Do you see me?” The camera was manually moved by the person who sat in front of it. Still inside a car, a police officer was uncertainly fixing his eyes on the lens. “Y-Yes. By the looks of it, you're aware of the situation.”Katei said that because Ashiya Tower could be seen through the car's windows. A great deal of police officers were in front of it, and I could see that the metal shutter looked just as ridiculous from the other side. It was a bizarre thought knowing that we were inside. We definitely hadn't been on a streak of good luck, but getting trapped inside a building the first time we'd stepped into it let us know that life wouldn't feel like redeeming itself any time soon. I had been trying to act composed and stave off all my negative thoughts, but the prospect of having to spend another eleven hours trapped in a building was daunting, and Shiroya surely felt similarly. P “We know what occurred, yes. The Ashiya family was in contact with us, and we were informed of this communication method. Since a member of the security staff was assumed to still be in the tower, we kept this device with us expecting it to be activated at any moment. I'm a police officer. My name is Suripo.” Suripo doesn't have any sprites and his dialogue is distinguished by the green letter P, presumably standing for police. “So, can you see us?”P “Ah... No. I can only receive audio feed.” The man sounded a bit thrown off after hearing the voice of a little girl. It was only natural, given the vast majority of the people who'd formed the line had been adults.  P “What happened in there? How many of you are inside?” “There should be eight of us, even though only seven are present. However, we can't be certain someone else didn't get trapped either. We have not inspected the entire building yet.”P “You're in the security room, right? If there were more people, couldn't you see them through the security cameras?” “Let me see. We just got here, so we haven't looked extensively. Some cameras have been disabled by the smoke, and some places are without cameras, but I can try looking through the ones that remain functional.” Since the number of monitors wasn't enough to display all the live cameras at once, Katei started to move through them with a program that seemed to manage the entire system. Presumably, only the first floor was being monitored continuously, being the one with unfettered public access. He was able to change all the cameras being displayed at once, making the process simple and brief. As he'd said, the only thing to be seen through a handful of them was a black screen created by the smoke. Even after the substance had solidified, there was no chance we could see well through it. Strangely enough, the last cameras that Katei displayed showcased a much different environment. The first floor had contained all the exhibition rooms, and from there, it had only been dull offices. But some of the cameras were displaying a bedroom. “This must look odd to you all, correct? Do you know the story behind this place? This was the Ashiya family's residence until a decade ago. Then, its purpose changed, and work floors began to be added. This is why it's called a tower. The townspeople saw that floors kept being constructed, and they started to call it a tower sarcastically, as if it would never stop increasing in height. I don't know if Ashiya liked the name or if they officialized it to counter its negative connotations. You might've also heard it called the "Ashiya skyscraper".” “What you're seeing is the very top floor. When the structure was expanded, for a while, the living area was kept as the highest floor, and now it's referred to as the Ashiya floor or the attic. It's not possible to enter it without a very special key; one I most certainly don't possess. In fact, I have never set foot inside it despite monitoring these cameras daily.” “What you're seeing is the very top floor. When the structure was expanded, for a while, the living area was kept as the highest floor, and now it's referred to as the Ashiya floor or the attic. It's not possible to enter it without a very special key; one I most certainly don't possess. In fact, I have never set foot inside it despite monitoring these cameras daily.” “Of course, the cameras were installed after the place stopped being their residence, and they were only placed in some of the rooms before continuing was deemed unnecessary. The initial reason was to make sure it was preserved well, given that it was of great importance to the Ashiya family. They were installed with the thought of someone breaking in and expecting to find unguarded, hidden information. However, the installation process was never completed.” “While I don't know many of the details, I can say that not one time have I seen anything of importance happening inside.”...That sounded interesting, but it didn't mean much to us. Those cameras still showed an entirely desolate space.  “Every room with a camera is empty at the moment. This doesn't account for places like bathrooms, areas where the cameras are blocked by smoke, the lobby, other staff-only rooms, and the section of the attic that's not monitored.” “I'm just curious, but this room doesn't have a camera either, does it? I didn't see it on the monitors.” “No, it doesn't. For now, the number of us in the building is no lower than eight. We haven't been able to find the eighth person yet, but she must be here. I'm talking about Naomi Cabca, another staff member.”P “I understand. Give me the name of everyone present. I will add Miss Cabca to the list.” “I am Katei Kuiji. I'm the main person in charge of the tower's security system. Everyone else I have with me is a visitor.”P “Understood. What are your names?” “I'm Erina Majutsu. My daughter, Isla Majutsu, is who spoke earlier.”P “I'm noting it down.” “Akaro Esata.”- “Atsuki Hakutoki.” “Shiroya Mirana.” “Sai.”P “Sai what?”  “Sai Yomiya.”P “All right, thank you. So, adding in Miss Cabca, these are the eight people we know for sure are currently inside. This will be helpful.” “Yes. Right now, she has to be in a place we can't see from here. The chances someone else is too are slim.” “So, how's our situation looking? We'd also appreciate having information.”P “We don't have much to work with, only the testimony from people who were inside at the time. Given all the visitors were in the lobby, we don't have a comprehensive rundown to give you. Unidentified smoke appeared on the first floor, and shortly after, an alarm went off. An effect of this alarm was to seal all the exit routes.” “We already know this. Why was the alarm triggered, and how can we leave?”P “There's one thing that triggers the alarm. According to what we've been told, it's forcing open the Sekimeiya cabinet.” - “What do you mean? We were there just now, and the cabinet looked fine. Not only that, but when the alarm went off, I was in the room with that very cabinet, and I didn't hear anything happening to it.” P “That... sounds strange. This is reliable information that's been provided to us, so I don't know if it's possible something else triggered it. Maybe the system broke.” “What's for sure is that we just observed the Sekimeiya. Everything there is intact.”P “I'm sure the Ashiya family will be glad to hear that. I'll tell them immediately. However, that is as expected, seeing as all that was stolen were a few gemstones of little value.” Everyone had a hard time processing that last sentence. Meanwhile, Suripo looked to be sending a text message, most likely to Ashiya, assuring the well-being of the Sekimeiya. “...What do you mean? What was stolen?”P “Well, naturally, after the alarm went off, it took a while to confine everyone who had evacuated. A young individual carrying a black suitcase dashed off, so they were pulled aside. Inside it, we found various gemstones that belonged to Ashiya. That individual has refused to say anything. However, it's been assumed that some part of their actions triggered the alarm. If you say the Sekimeiya cabinet hasn't been damaged, though, that puts some doubt on that conclusion.”  “If their plan triggered the alarm, how did they manage to avoid getting trapped?”P “We don't know, but since nothing is wrong with the Sekimeiya, this seems to confirm the goal was to divert everyone's expectations and steal a bunch of regular gems while everyone in charge thought that they knew the next target.” - “What do you mean the next target? ...And how long will we need to stay here as a result of this stunt?” P “Both of your questions are related, actually. I assume this means you haven't heard of the past incidents?” - “Past incidents? What does that mean?” “I read about it not too long ago, in Yushinews. About how Ashiya Tower had suffered another robbery yet again by a group called Xyn, I believe.”Yushinews was a monthly newspaper that released a compilation of all the recent news. Given our town wasn't very big, it was a popular way to keep oneself updated, but it wasn't something I often looked at. P “Exactly. The Ashiya family and Xyn have a history together. Even though Ashiya are perceived as the major force around, when they attracted people interested in their business, they inevitably drew in competition and enemies too.” P “That part was majorly taken by Xyn, a long-running group that specializes in robberies of valuable objects, alongside similar criminal activities. When the Ashiya family became an established and wealthy entity, they also became a great target for Xyn. The fact they had developed in such a calm environment meant their security measures were far from prepared.”  P “It's rumored that Xyn is a small group of people who work together and put a great deal of effort into their plans. Not a single time have they been caught, which, evidently, gave them a very strong reputation that most people came to know.” P “While for Yushibana residents, the Ashiya family might look like an almighty entity, in a slightly bigger picture, they're not one at all. This led to them focusing on expanding themselves before even foreseeing or trying to prevent these attacks, which have only been getting bolder.” P “The first one happened two years ago. The security at the time was nothing special, so it looked like a small job, not anything of particular note…” P “However, since then, the attacks increased in both scale and frequency. I couldn't tell you how big this group calling itself Xyn really is, but they haven't stopped tormenting Ashiya. Stopping them has been pretty problematic, and now they're attacking in broad daylight with mass panic like this. At least, we assume they're involved here.” ...Had such a battle actually been happening in the town I'd always lived in? I had purposely avoided that entire side of it, but I hadn't heard of Xyn even once. I could vaguely recall having heard that Ashiya Tower had been robbed, but I'd never imagined the events were of such a large scale. No one I frequently talked to had an interest in the topic, so if it was common knowledge, I'd never been told. Ashiya had always felt like a taboo, and I'd never personally researched them.  “I think the last time this happened wasn't too long ago, right? I was scared to bring Isla here, but she was really excited.” “Yes. On the 24th of November, 21 days ago, Xyn last attacked. Ignoring the latest security upgrades, they made their way in during the night and stole a lot of valuable gems. It was one of the strongest attacks Ashiya had suffered to date.”P “Correct. Nothing actually indicates Xyn were the ones involved, and in fact, nothing ever does. However, the way everything goes smoothly and all of Ashiya's efforts are proven futile screams ‘Xyn’ to everyone.” “So this time, Ashiya took it a step further, right?”Perhaps we'd all been thinking that. It looked like we had simply been caught in the middle of a rivalry, and Ashiya's latest move had imprisoned us.  P “...Yes. It's possible that Xyn aren't actually involved, given the stolen gems were found. Nonetheless, the way they were taken out is still unknown. They were in one of the deepest rooms of the floor you're on.” P “What closed the exit was the alarm, which had never gone off in the past. While Ashiya are denying it, malfunctions are a possibility. The alarm was supposed to only go off whenever the Sekimeiya cabinet was forced open. If stealing the gems we found was what triggered it, it doesn't make sense that they were brought outside. And on top of that, you're saying the Sekimeiya and the cabinet are intact…” It all sounded very strange, and I was admittedly intrigued. P “I've been given authority to tell you about Ashiya's latest move against Xyn, which led to this incident.” “I see. This is what I felt I couldn't say earlier.”P “Keep in mind that what I'm about to tell you is a confidential matter that you're only allowed to hear because of your circumstances. One constant that has always followed with Xyn's attacks is that they attack during the night, presumably to minimize risks. Since no matter what Ashiya tried, Xyn bypassed it without an issue, they recently put their full effort into a way to eliminate the threat.” P “The Sekimeiya exhibition... was no more than bait they put out to lure in Xyn. That, and the alarm they secretly designed, were the main two factors of their plan. The tower is equipped with cameras and security. However, Ashiya hoped Xyn wouldn't anticipate such an abrupt jump in their measures.” P “There was so much advertising done for this particular showing that everyone in town bought into it. That was the goal. But, on the side, Ashiya secretly designed the alarm. It was going to be activated whenever the cabinet was forced open. Only one true key of the cabinet was made, and the lock was very carefully designed to only allow the correct one. The cabinet itself, however, was one they already had and could easily be broken with force.”  “What the hell is this about? That shutter could've injured people as they were escaping!”P “No. The mechanism is equipped with a sensor. If anyone had been in front of the shutter before it closed, it would've stopped moving until they stepped away.” “...”We all kept silent at the realization that our situation was far more unusual than we'd thought. P “The final element of the plan was the room you're currently in: the security room. The alarm, along with blocking off all methods of escape, has other smaller functions such as disabling the elevator, some lights, and communication methods. The maximum time the exit was going to be shut was twelve hours.” “...Maximum time? Does that mean it can be less than that?”P “Yes, but please don't get your hopes up.” P “After the alarm, the Xyn members that got trapped inside would have no way to leave. You might've noticed the security room's door is sturdier than the others. The last function of the alarm was to lock it. Like the cabinet's lock, once the security room's door is locked, it can only be opened with the actual key, which is possessed by the security staff. Every staff member worked to put this mechanism and plan into effect, and they knew very well what they had to do. Today, only Katei Kuiji was present.” P “A security member would be inside the room constantly, monitoring the cameras. Of course, this is always done. Xyn have shown multiple ways to overcome the cameras, but this time, this was of little importance.” P “During the time anyone from Xyn was trapped, the security member in the security room would have one job: to relay information between the inside and the outside. This is why the security room is the only place where communication methods aren't cut off.” P “Once it was all over, the security staff would be able to unlock the exit before the twelve hours. To ultimately ensure nothing funny occurred, that request would have to be approved by the Ashiya family themselves. Only then would the exit be opened before the maximum time.”  “So, you're saying they won't accept it?”P “No. They can't. They don't know why, but they are unable to even access the command that would let them give their approval to open the exit. They aren't sure, but most likely something went wrong. Given the cause of the alarm is unknown, the most reasonable explanation is a malfunction.” “Hey, Katei, you knew about this function, right? Why did you say that we'd be here for twelve hours without mentioning that you had the chance to open the shutter earlier?” “Oh... Back then, I didn't think I was allowed to explain the mechanism and reason behind the alarm, but I was certain we wouldn't be leaving before the twelve hours were up. When I was still in this room, I noticed the same thing the Ashiya family noticed. I didn't have permission to access that command. That meant that we would have to spend the full time here.” “In case something went wrong, this failsafe was designed: the exit would always open twelve hours after it locked. Obviously, that much time ensured that if a Xyn member had gotten trapped, they couldn't escape when the time ran out.” “How is it possible that you don't have access to it? Can't you fix it?” “I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to start. I have no clue what caused it, but if the Ashiya family is encountering the same error, it doesn't look like something I could solve.” “Then... isn't there a way to take down the shutters from the outside?”P “No. ...The attack was assumed to come during the night, but it happened this morning instead. I don't know a lot of details about this, but evidently Ashiya were going to trap at least one Xyn member inside and try to squeeze them for information over the security room microphone.” P “No one really knows how big Xyn is, but the shutters were designed in such a way that, in case members came to rescue their trapped comrades, they couldn't do anything from the outside. This is why, in much the same way, we can't do anything to break them down without a method that would also collapse the entire building. They might look flimsy, but I guarantee you they're not.” “I'm confused. Katei, if you knew about this, why did you ever leave the security room? Why didn't you use the microphone to talk to the trapped culprit, as you'd all agreed?” “To tell you the truth, I did. All of you were unconscious, though, so you didn't hear me. I didn't receive any reply, and since the most important cameras had been disabled, I wanted to see for myself what had happened.” “So, all of this means that there's no way out right now. At all.”P “Yes. Ashiya informed us of this plan days ago. They were certain Xyn would attack, so the police had to be caught up.” P “Since today was the last possible day, we were all anticipating Xyn to come during the night. Long before 9:00, I myself was in the tower, aware that the chances of a theft were incredibly likely. I kept talking to Ashiya staff about what the procedure would be if something were to happen.” Sure enough, after thinking about it, I recalled having seen him next to the entrance door while we'd been waiting. P “I left before the hallway doors opened. We were told something could still happen, and one of us had also been pretty insistent in saying there'd be an attack. That's why we stayed outside and were able to restrain everyone who evacuated very quickly.” P “I believe this is the scenario Ashiya will be going with: this was an attack by Xyn intended to subvert their expectations and target a lot of regular gems instead of the Sekimeiya. Maybe it would've been a success if it hadn't been for the new alarm. The suitcase was noticed right away, and all the gems were retrieved.” P “It's possible the alarm went off due to a malfunction, which is also preventing them from opening the exit before the maximum time. Right now, all they can do is wait and tell you guys to do the same. They don't believe anything else has happened and will most likely be calling this their victory. It's very likely they intend to compensate the people who got innocently trapped once the time runs out.” P “I'm sorry I can't be of more help. While some details are still unclear, it all more or less makes sense.”   “All right. Is there anything else you should tell us?”P “...I don't believe so. There's nothing you should worry about besides having to be in there for a while. I personally apologize for all the inconvenience, and I'm sure all of you will be indemnified.” Nobody wanted to mention that someone among us might not have been "innocently" trapped, and instead we stayed silent, thinking about the hours that awaited us. Was that really everything, though? Was it all just a malfunction? Was Xyn actually involved? I knew many things didn't quite add up. What the hell had happened to Naomi, on top of it all? Recently, there had been... a similar attack in Yushibana, where smoke had also been released. Assuming that Xyn were involved in the attack on the tower, it was a pretty easy leap to assume that they had been behind the other. …   “...So, what are we gonna do? Twelve hours is a lot of time. Can we go to the Sekimeiya again?”P “I think you should first reunite with Miss Cabca. After that, make sure not to do anything Ashiya might not be happy with, or they could find a way to avoid compensating you.” Suripo forced a smile and was about to put an end to the conversation. *BGM Stops*  Suddenly, out of the three computer monitors, the leftmost one went black.
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Feb 7, 2023 20:52
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This is getting dangerously convoluted. Also they need to find Naomi, remaining incommunicado for 40 minutes after being wounded by smoke inhalation is worrying. (Also Isla was hit worse despite having her head far lower below the smoke and being in a different room, which is slightly weird, I'm not sure children are actually more vulnerable to that, although no one is having a good time in that sort of situation.)
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Feb 7, 2023 21:29
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Why...would any of them need to be indemnified.
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Feb 7, 2023 23:10
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quote:Naomi Cabca Regallion posted:Why...would any of them need to be indemnified. Well this company just locked them in a building for twelve hours. That sounds kind of illegal. Bribing them to make sure they don't sue the place is probably a good idea.
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Feb 7, 2023 23:19
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Never played or seen anything from the Sekimeiya, so this'll be fun being able to join in on the speculation for one of these kinda LPs. Is Suripo's name meant to be literally police, just phoneticly backwards? Po-ri-su would explain the green P identifier, at any rate.
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Feb 7, 2023 23:21
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Yeah, I see what people were saying about this game. There are no characters, and people are not behaving "properly" for the situation. From the perspective of it being a mystery and setting up a mystery, it's fine, but they really should have just dropped the idea of trying to even bother to characterize the participants. Make the main character a detective or an inspector or something and just lay out the raw facts and present the mysteries. In "reality," the security room should have been talking to the outside world more or less immediately, and there's no way in hell that the security guard would have been so open with the guests. Their job would be to get in contact with the authorities as swiftly as possible and to keep the people inside as safe as possible. Holing them up in the second floor offices in a break room, or moving them to the lobby and ensuring that they have access to water, food, and a bathroom would likewise be a priority. Likewise, the police wouldn't be giving the loving backstory of the criminals to random visitors to the building. Now, it could be that the security guard is an impostor and is intentionally bad at his job. If that's supposed to be the case, it's going to be very frustrating because nobody is really behaving in a way that you would expect and everyone is weirdly on board with solving the mystery instead of prioritizing their own safety or the safety of their young child. And that doesn't even mention fire safety or fire codes. Emergency services absolutely needs a way to get people out of that building in the event of a problem. There are at least eight people, one of whom is a child, that were exposed to an unknown chemical agent (the police are aware that the smoke happened because some people evacuated after witnessing it, and they are aware of who is unaccounted for due to both eyewitness accounts from other visitors and whatever logging from the company). It's really hard to justify the idea of emergency services not breaking into the building to rescue the trapped people. But like I said, if we just consider it as a mystery where the door serves to cut off all communication and ingress/egress between the inside and outside of the building (the door has magical sound dampening properties), that's fine. The story is poorly served right now by its extremely thing veneer of "reality."
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Feb 7, 2023 23:23
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Yeah, basically we can consider the entire floor a locked room from a mystery point of view. Only the characters are here, Naomi Abcde is an unknown factor and at some point the Sekimeiya is going to disappear from this locked room and that will be the mystery. The actual logistics like fire codes and the legality behind imprisoning people for twelve hours are secondary.
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Feb 8, 2023 10:40
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For the record, haven't played this VN or even heard of it before seeing this thread. The fact that the security shutter stops moving if it detects someone directly in front of it when trying to close seems like it will be significant.
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Feb 9, 2023 05:54
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Katei's really coming off like an imposter trying to bluff his way through this. He claims he locked the security room behind him, but he didn't seem ready for it and we were told it locks automatically. Him claiming "he can't tell us" various aspects could easily be a cover for not actually knowing how everything works. And the one person who could verify his identity is missing.
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Feb 9, 2023 17:18
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So what you are saying is that Katei is sus and we need to eject him? Also, on an unrelated note, not a single amongus emote on the forum? i am incredibly surprised.
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Feb 9, 2023 18:33
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Goign by this forum's mafia games terminology, we need to lunch Katei, which, combined with the group being locked in for 12 hours, gives me an unpleasant feeling...
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Feb 9, 2023 18:58
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Update 6: I guarantee you that everything he's said has been a lie. Scene: Window Net (Part 2) BGM: Heal  “Wh-What? What just happened to this screen?”Sai, who was the one in front of it, was first to react. “Let me see... It's possible the computer stopped recognizing the screen. One second…”Sai's overreaction threw everyone off, including Suripo. That was because we had only been looking at the middle screen, and the computer was still working. The leftmost screen had been displaying nothing but an empty part of the desktop. Regardless, Sai quickly grabbed the mouse Katei had used earlier and navigated to the screen configuration settings. “At least you aren't using some custom operating system. I know what I'm looking for.” “I see... How strange. The left monitor isn't being detected at all…” P “Does it matter? The computer didn't actually shut down, did it?” “Oh, no, obviously not. We can still hear and see you. Sorry, I was just confused. I don't know what caused it, though. It just stopped detecting it out of the blue.”P “You'll have time to figure it out. For now, there are better thi—”  Suripo never finished that sentence. Before he could, the other two screens also went black. “What... happened now?” “It wasn't only the screens this time. The computer seems to have shut down too.” “How...? What the hell?”Shiroya, Erina, and Isla were looking upward. It seemed the three computer screens weren't the only ones to have turned off.  “All the security cameras too...? Oh no…” “The light works, so it can't be a power outage.” “Did a cable get disconnected?”Katei crouched under the desk and looked behind the computer. “There's nothing that looks wrong.”He pressed the power button multiple times, but the computer refused to start up. “What the hell just happened?” “Was it Naomi?” “Naomi...?” “We were almost done with Suripo, and it was time to look at the recorded footage. If it implicated her, she might be responsible for the computer shutting off.” “Is... Is she listening to us?” Katei sprinted out of the room and looked at both sides of the hallway. He even peeked at the lobby. While he was out and everyone's focus had diverted to the door, I noticed something behind me.  Sai had just taken his arm away from the leftmost monitor. When he noticed I was looking at him, our eyes met, and he smirked. Before I could think, noise filled the room again.  Katei came back, panting. It seemed the possibility of being spied on in his workroom had really gotten to him. “...”We didn't have to ask to know he'd found nothing. - “If this was achieved from outside the room, do you know how it could've been done?” “No... That should be impossible.” “As I said earlier, underneath the lobby is the panel that handles the tower's electricity. While it isn't incredibly well protected, it should be impossible to power off the main computer from there.” “That sounds very strange... Are you sure it wouldn't be possible?” “I have worked here for many years, so yes.”- “Maybe we should go check anyway.” “I agree. Let me go with you, esteemed visitor.”Without waiting for a reply, Sai grabbed me by my shirt and lightly ushered me out of the room.  “Hey, wait.”He didn't wait. - “I-It's fine. I'll be right back.”  That must have been enough for Shiroya, because she didn't follow us. I did actually want to see the panel, so I let Sai do what he wanted. It was better not to put up a fight if it gave me the same result either way.  We'd talked about the room before, so we knew how to access it even though it wasn't marked on the map.  Sai started walking without uttering a word, and I followed behind. I wanted to ask what exactly was up with him, but the words didn't leave my mouth.   We went past the reception desk. Being behind it was a strange feeling, but I didn't have time to look around.  As Katei had said, the door to the mechanical room was unlocked. Past it was a very narrow and dark staircase that made a sharp turn to the right. “How scary. You go first.”His nonchalant way of speaking made it clear he wasn't being serious. If it was supposed to be a joke, it didn't seem very appropriate. Nonetheless, I entered the stairwell first. The ceiling became a bit lower, which required me to crouch to advance. Shortly, both of us stepped into the mechanical room after opening a smaller second door.  The temperature didn't change, but the light was very dim, much worse in quality than the other ones used throughout the tower. The illumination was worse than the smoke-filled hallways'. High up on the wall was the panel Katei described. I had to move aside a low table to walk up to it, but reaching it didn't present a problem: I could easily touch the ceiling with my hand. I looked around me. Past all the cobwebs, I could see the boiler Katei had mentioned emitting a constant buzzing sound. There were also small, worn-out pieces of furniture littered around, presumably because nothing bigger could fit through the staircase.  “It seems he was right. All the switches are on.”- “...Yeah. This probably hasn't been used lately. It's covered in dust.” “I agree.”The panel was protected by a plastic cover with a key lock, and every switch had a label on top of it. They were hard to read, but the one labeled "security room", just like all the others, was on. “Can I ask something?”- “Hm?” “Do you believe a word of what Katei's been saying?”- “Wh-What...? What do you mean?” That took me by surprise. Maybe not so much the fact that he'd been suspecting Katei, but that he'd asked me so suddenly. “I mean what I said. Everything that Katei has said... There's no way you believe it, right?” “From the beginning, when he found us. When he claimed to have searched the entire floor without finding your group. About having monitored the cameras and having tried to open the exit.” “Remember what he said? That he hadn't found it appropriate to try to talk to the outside and instead kept looking at the available cameras? You can't seriously tell me you believe that.”- “I... I don't know.” - “It's true that I've thought that some of his claims sounded a bit off, but this might be bringing it a bit too far. I can't definitely doubt what he said—that he panicked and prioritized figuring out what was happening before trying to contact anyone. It's strange that he didn't find us, yeah, but he said he hadn't thoroughly examined the floor…” - “He has been helpful to us and let us know how to contact the police. I don't think he's as suspicious as you think.”  “Hm... Then I'll put it bluntly.” “I guarantee you that everything he's said has been a lie. Don't trust any of his words.” - “...How can you be sure...?” “You're free to not believe me. I told you this because I thought you'd realized it earlier.”He smiled the same way as earlier and left the room with a shrug. From his face, all I could make out was that he was trying to have fun, but I couldn't tell if he was just messing with me.  I went upstairs. Through the door, I saw Sai in hallway B. I wanted to shout at him, but I caught up to him instead.  “There's hallway C ahead, the one that's clean. Do you feel like investigating the upper floors?”- “...What? Let's go back.” He ignored me and kept walking forward. Instead of repeating myself, I felt like being the one to ask something. - “What do you think happened to Naomi?” I couldn't quite grasp Sai's behavior, but he was also trying to piece things together and might've agreed that more than met the eye was going on. He didn't seem unintelligent, and since his approach appeared different from mine, his input might've been useful. “I couldn't tell you for sure. Katei seemed fine looking through the monitors, but it was also not his priority. This probably means that either he doesn't think much of Naomi's disappearance, or that he knew we wouldn't spot her even if we looked through all the available cameras.” “Are you sure she really passed out?”- “I'm almost certain, yes.” “Then it's hard to believe she regained consciousness before a person as big as Akaro did. If she really inhaled the smoke and wasn't there by the time the three of you woke up, the easy explanation is that she was moved.”- “Who would do that though, and why?” “How about the only person out of all of us who was conscious at the time?”- “But why?” “Don't ask me. It certainly makes him look obviously suspicious, so if he still did it, he must've had a good reason.”… “Let's check the Sekimeiya. I entered this hallway so that they wouldn't see us from the security room.”- “Why?” He turned to the left and opened the event room door. Why else, though? He wanted to see if it was still there.  “If it's not here, Naomi took it. It's as simple as that, so I'm only curious.”- “Sure, go ahead.” “It'd be pretty interesting if it wasn't here. We would know we hadn't taken it, but the other five wouldn't. Not only has this room's camera been blocked off, but now they can't access any.” “Imagine we tell them the cabinet was empty. They would have three suspects. If we look throughout the entire tower and can't find Naomi, do you think they'd suspect us?” “They would insist it could have only been us—that Naomi was never trapped to begin with, and we would be the only ones to know the truth. How would you suggest we'd defend ourselves?”- “...I don't know. I'm sure Shiroya would believe me. I honestly doubt they would actually suspect us.” “Hm, you might be right. What if I claim you took off running and came here? ...That's why we took so long.”- “...Why the hell are you acting like this?” “Don't worry, I wouldn't do that. Let's see. In case it's not here, should we tell them?”- “Of course.” “Why? We would be certain only Naomi or a mysterious ninth person could've taken it, but from their point of view, we would be possible suspects too.” “If we didn't tell them, we could then force ourselves to split up. Someone would find out that the Sekimeiya was stolen, which would lead to many more possible suspects, and their focus on us would decrease. They'd have no way to know we had already seen the empty cabinet.” “It might be unfair for them since we're giving them a bunch of fake suspects, but I'd say it's pretty fair for us since we know we didn't do it, right?”- “...” I wasn't sure how to respond to his basic but presumptuous words. I didn't disagree with him, but it was hard for me to humor his attitude. Although I couldn't easily imagine being suspected, the thought of him falsely accusing me was a bit unnerving. Sai didn't make a lot of sense to me unless I assumed that he was just messing around for the sake of messing around. - “Whatever, let's look first.” I walked forward and raised the curtain. Unlike before, very few dust particles fell off, leaving the pile on the floor practically unchanged.  - “Here it is.” I wanted to say something along the lines of "see, you're just being paranoid", but he beat me to it. “Of course it is. After all, if it weren't, it could only have been Naomi, and that'd be too simple.”- “...Are you sure you wouldn't want to think about the other five conspiring together and taking it while we were in the mechanical room? Then they could suspect us while they rub their hands.” - ”What exactly is your deal? What were you even doing behind the monitor earlier?” “That's what I was talking about. You should think about what I told you.”I could only sigh. I lowered the curtain and left the room. AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 17:00 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 16:40
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AFancyQuestionMark posted:
I think you must've gotten the lines switched around here, because it doesn't match the screenshot.
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Feb 10, 2023 16:54
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whitehelm posted:I think you must've gotten the lines switched around here, because it doesn't match the screenshot. How does this keep happening  Fixed.
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Feb 10, 2023 16:58
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Ah, a white-haired guy who speaks in an unnecessarily oblique manner, acts overly suspicious, and has taken a liking to our protagonist! Now we're getting somewhere. I trust him 100%  He's right that Katei is sus, but then the question becomes: why? Is this the real Katei or a fake? If he's a fake, he's very bad at pretending otherwise. Maybe he's being blackmailed into playing along?
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Feb 10, 2023 17:41
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Well Sai has immediately shot up in my estimation; it seems like he caused the monitors to go out on purpose to have an excuse to break off and poke around. Also worth noting: If Katei isn't who he claims, then no one trustworthy can verify that the Sekimeiya they've seen is the real article; it may well be a fake, the real one having already been taken.
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Feb 10, 2023 18:33
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Update 7: He pulled it off shamelessly, in front of everybody. Scene: Window Net (Part 3) BGM: Heal  When we returned to the security room, everyone but Katei was next to the monitors. He was on the ground, and from the looks of it, he hadn't fixed a thing. “You were gone for a while.” “Yeah, we took the time to go to the bathroom.”- “...” I had no reason not to call him out, but that might've pointlessly complicated things or ended up being exactly what he wanted. ...His approach to our situation was an enigma. Shiroya was looking right at me, so I decided to ignore Sai's lie and moved on. - “How are things going?” “Katei has been trying to power the computer back on. It doesn't seem like he's achieving much, though.”He appeared to be messing with some cables under the table. After a few seconds, he got out and stood up.  “Let's try again…”He pressed the power button, but nothing happened. “drat it... I don't know what the problem is. Oh, I assume all the power switches were on, correct?”- “Yes.” He sighed and kneeled down once again. I didn't know what he was trying, but so far, it hadn't given him any results. Sai's claim played in my mind. ‘I guarantee you that everything he's said has been a lie. Don't trust any of his words.’  Why had Sai sounded so sure? And how was Katei trying to fix the issue? If Katei was part of that group, Xyn, and had been shamelessly working under the pretense of security, their massive success rate could begin to be explained. Under the table, he kept sighing methodically while making noise with the cables. “I can't figure out what the problem is. It could be that electricity stopped coming from an outlet. I've been trying many different things, but under the table is just an incomprehensible mess of cables, and I'm not sure the problem is here.”Some seconds after nobody had answered, he repeated the cycle of trying to power on the computer, kneeling down again, messing further with the cables, and standing back up. “I apologize, but I don't seem able to fix this. I don't know what the cause was nor what's remaining a problem. All I could do here has proven useless.” “We understand. The way it happened was very strange.” “Do you not have any idea what could've gone wrong? Everything just turned off instantly, and this is the office where you work.” “I just said it... I can't begin to think of anything. However, it wasn't all instant, was it? This monitor was the first one to stop functioning.”He was talking, of course, about the leftmost computer monitor. He approached it and examined it carefully. “Everything looks fine... It pains me to say it, but I'm completely lost.”Had Sai created the situation? The smirk he'd given me alongside what he'd said seemed to indicate that he'd at least had something to do with it. “Hey, Katei, are you done with the cables? Since you last were down there you haven't tried to power on the computer. Why not?” “Oh, you're right. I did this a few times when you two were gone, but nothing worked. This last time I didn't actually change anything important, so it hardly mattered.”While he said that, he approached the computer. With a single finger, he pressed the power button.  In the blink of an eye, the middle screen lit up and a sound that indicated the computer had begun to run echoed throughout the narrow room. Sai met Katei's eyes quietly, and Isla was the first to break the silence. “It's finally working, right? Great!” “Y-Yes... It seems so.” “...Do you think you were the one to fix it?” “There's no way. This is as strange as it powering off... I really don't even think I ended up changing anything since the last time I tried it.” “How bizarre.” “Yes... It very much is.” “Do you think this was also done from outside the room?” “I can't tell. It's possible the delivery of electricity was the problem and that it just fixed itself.” “Wouldn't the system have powered on automatically if that had happened?” “Possibly…”Katei sat back on his chair and grabbed the mouse once the computer had finished booting up. After bringing the keyboard closer to him, he logged onto his user account. “What happened to the cameras, though?” “This computer is connected to the entire tower. That includes the computers upstairs and the security system. I must first initiate the program that will display the footage up there in real time.”Upon saying that, he double-clicked on a security camera logo, and a program with a messy interface covered the entire screen. “This was running earlier as well, but it was minimized. The cameras won't be shown without it open.”After looking at the taskbar icon, I did recognize it from earlier, and it was the same one he'd used to change the cameras being displayed. Katei introduced gibberish as the username and a password that was shown encrypted for us. After he pressed the enter key, access was granted. “All right, this button will start up the system.”Below the text ‘Logged in as Katei Kuiji’ was a button that read ‘Initialize Camera Monitoring’, which Katei quickly clicked on. However, upon doing so, an error window showed up. The text ‘Couldn't detect video footage’ was written on it. “Wh-What...? What the hell does this mean? I-I've never seen this error message.” “Is it not letting you display the footage?” “Yes. Usually, after pressing this button, the screens would turn on and automatically display the live feed the cameras are recording.” “What if you check the saved footage?” “Yes, that's what I was going to try…” The cursor, controlled by Katei, hovered over and clicked on the ‘archived footage’ button. Once again, though, an error window followed by an obnoxious sound appeared, containing the text: ‘No archived footage detected. No camera system detected’. “Okay, what the hell is this!? This has never happened before!” “It's outright saying the camera system isn't being detected…”Sai made his way out of the room and returned before anyone had time to be confused. “I looked at one of the hallway's security cameras. It's showing a tiny green light. That means it's currently functioning and recording, right?” “Yes. If the green light is there, it means the camera is recording.” “So, the problem here is that we can't currently access the live footage or look at the recordings. The cameras still work.” “Yes, I think so. For some reason, the computer won't connect to the system.” “Heh. Looking at the recorded footage so easily sounded too good to be true anyway.”I'd been doubting we would find anything in the recordings since the relevant cameras had been disabled by the smoke, but it was true that it could've given us crucial information, especially regarding Naomi. “Well, let's talk to the police again. They might know what caused this.” “You're right, we should still be able to do that.” “Give me a second.”Katei did everything he'd done the last time. When the small window appeared, he inputted a password and pressed the enter key. ‘Access Denied’ appeared in red letters below the login information.  “Wh-What...!?” “Access denied? What the gently caress does it mean by that!?” “That's what I was about to say! I know I'm repeating myself here, but this has never happened before!” “I'll try again…”He reentered the login information four times, but that same message kept appearing. “Is that saying that your authority has been revoked?” “I-It must... But why? Why would that happen now!?” “It's not like we can contact the outside to ask. I know you said earlier that the alarm cut off access to the internet, but everything's out of order anyway, so there's no harm in checking.” “Yes, you're right. It might not be disabled.”Katei double-clicked on the browser icon, and we were met with a white screen containing the text: ‘There is no internet connection’. To further make sure, he typed a common URL, but the same screen appeared. “I guess we won't be that lucky…” “I'm sorry... I don't think I can do anything about this.” “It's okay, it's not your fault. If we can't access the security cameras or connect to the outside, our priority should be to investigate this whole building. Naomi's still a mystery.”- “That's true... We should try to find her and gather any useful information we can.” “B-But, how could this have happened? I don't understand it. The timing was too coincidental. Did Ashiya remotely power off the computer to revoke my access? All I could do with it was talk to them. Maybe the problem with the security system is a side effect of whatever happened... I will stay here for a bit, while you go. I have a couple more things to do.” “Such as?” “Well, I'd like to investigate more about what caused the shutdown. The security system not being detected is very strange, and in addition, it seems my authority might've been revoked. You must understand how odd of a situation this is for me. I'd like to see if I can figure something out.” “However, there are a few things I'll work on for sure. This computer is still connected to the rest of the tower, so I can undo a few smaller effects of the alarm. I can try to give back power to the elevator and some lights; those don't really require any kind of login. I'll catch up with you all once I'm done.” “I see. That sounds fair to me. We'll go, then.” “Should we really be splitting up? It'd be better if we moved in groups, at least.” “There's no real point to any of you staying here. I am the only person here who knows how to access these parts of the system, and it would be better to have the elevator available than not. Go on ahead.” “...All right. Good luck. It's weird to think that Naomi is out there and hasn't tried to reach us, so I'm a bit worried.” “You're right. Let's go with them, Isla.”*BGM Stops*  Everybody started to look a bit more tense in the hallway, maybe because we hadn't yet seen anything beyond the first floor, or maybe because the reality of being trapped was creeping in. I looked at the cameras and noticed that the tiny, green recording light could only be noticed on some of them, as the dried smoke fully covered a good number. We walked together a few steps until we all stopped silently. Our task was to investigate a huge building we had never entered before only to track down someone who could've been hiding with malicious intent. Isla started talking casually to Erina about their daily life. I didn't disturb them, figuring it was better if Isla remained as calm as possible.  I leaned against a wall, next to Shiroya. I didn't think she wanted to talk, so I kept quiet. The handrail made the position uncomfortable, but I tried not to mind it. Instead, I focused on thinking... What exactly had happened in the security room? What had Sai done?  I looked at him. He wore a silent, carefree expression, appearing almost on a different plane from the rest of us. BGM: Looming  Earlier, when I looked at him after Katei rushed out of the room, he took his hand out from behind the leftmost monitor. What exactly did I see? Let me take a different approach. Assuming the monitor powering off was his doing, what could the reason be? What did he do right after the monitor stopped working? He tried to see what had happened... But if he'd been the one to cause it, that couldn't have been his goal… After considering a couple of possibilities, an idea came to me. If I was right, what he'd told me later made sense. ‘I guarantee you that everything he's said has been a lie. Don't trust any of his words.’ He was right: a lot of things Katei has been saying have been questionable at best, but now that I think about it, there was one major thing that I overlooked.  ‘Katei grabbed the doorknob, and upon turning it, he tried to push the door forward. However, it didn't budge.’ "Oh, right. I locked it earlier. Let me see."I bet Sai noticed this. Katei didn't think the door would be locked. He was quick to make up a lie. He said that since it's an important room, he thought it appropriate to lock it before going outside to inspect things. He even claimed to have done it because the room contained the single way to communicate with the outside, when later, he showed us that you could only enable it with a password that only the security staff knew.  It's probably not that he thought the door would be open, but that he didn't realize it wouldn't be. After all, we know what actually locked it: the alarm. Suripo explained to us the entire function and mechanism behind the alarm. The person inside the security room would relay information between the people that got trapped and the outside. The door of the security room would close alongside the exit, and it would be impossible to open it with anything but the right key. Meaning that if I'm right, from the time I heard the alarm to the time we entered the security room... no one was inside it. In other words, Katei had never been inside the security room. This must've been a huge lie, and most likely, something Sai assumed after noticing Katei's actions before he opened the door, or when the alarm's functions were explained. A lot of things Katei said involved him being inside the security room during the time the smoke was released. Seeing the smoke appearing out of nowhere through the cameras, looking at the available ones and not seeing anyone, not having tried to contact the outside, not being allowed to input his command to open up the exit… All those claims are impossible if I assume he was never in the security room during that period of time. Even seeing the smoke through the cameras and then exiting the room before the alarm went off would be far from believable. This would have both stained his clothes and knocked him out. I should question something important if he truly was never in the room. Katei's clothes weren't stained; however, he knew about the smoke. Did Erina's group tell him and he acted as if he'd seen it through the cameras? Did he see it from far away? Or did he have another way to know about it without having personally seen it? To maintain his claim of having seen the smoke appearing through the cameras, it's possible he knew it would appear and quickly left the security room with a mask and spare clothes right before the alarm sounded. Like this, he would've been able to lie about having been in the security room the whole time. After all, it would have been too risky for him to leave before the smoke was released. If this is what he did, he must've used the time we were unconscious to do something. What's for certain is that aside from having seen the smoke through the cameras, if he wasn't in the room by the time the alarm went off, all his other claims become impossible. ...But he also might not have been on this floor during the attack. If he showed up later, that could explain why he found Erina's group before ours. They told him what had happened, and he made up a lie accordingly. This would mean that everything he's told us has been a fabrication.  Once I assume Katei was never in the room, the exact reason for that lie is not too important. What it means is that he's untrustworthy and that he has an ulterior motive. And... it is very possible his authority as a security member has been revoked. The timing was too precise to have been a coincidence. It could be that Ashiya and the police figured something out about him and removed his privilege as a security member. However, they'd know that doing so would also prevent us from contacting them again, so they must've had a very good reason. Then, what Sai did to confirm his theory… He pulled it off shamelessly, in front of everybody. I'm sure he could've done it later alone, but it's possible he feared Katei would've prevented it with a new lie. Right before Sai started, he asked Suripo: "Is there anything else you should tell us?" He wanted to check something as soon as possible, before Katei could interfere again. Once Suripo said he'd told us everything we needed to know, Sai unplugged the cord behind the leftmost monitor—the one he was next to. This was only done to have a justification for checking the screen settings. He quickly grabbed the mouse and opened them from the desktop.  "I see... How strange. The left monitor isn't being detected at all..."However, that's not what Sai was actually looking at. When we all entered the security room, Katei quickly went to use the computer.  ‘Paying no mind to everyone's silence, Katei made his way to the chair and sat down. When he moved the mouse, the computer exited its suspended state and reactivated the three monitors above it, showing us what the last person to use it had been doing.’ I bet Sai's goal was actually to look at how long it'd take for the computer to enter the suspended state, which is information found on the same settings screen. That's because Katei said he'd used it while he'd been in the room. "Shortly after that, the alarm went off, so I knew I was already trapped. During that time until I exited, I stayed looking at the cameras. I also tried to use the computer to look up information about what had happened, but the alarm even shut down my internet connection." He'd also said that he tried to input the command to unlock the exit. We know the alarm went off at approximately 9:05. Thanks to the time the computer displayed and that it had been suspended when we entered the room, if, for example, the screen settings showed that an hour of inactivity had been needed to enter that state, Sai could've confirmed that Katei had not been there at all. And, apparently, it did confirm it. That's why he was sure that Katei had been lying. This also explains his subsequent action. When I saw Sai taking his arm out from behind the leftmost monitor, he'd just plugged the cord back in. Despite sounding risky, he'd had nothing to lose, and if he'd waited longer, Katei could've prevented it. And Sai's timing had been great: right after that, all the machines had stopped working. That had probably not been his doing, even though Katei had implied otherwise.  "However, it wasn't all instant, was it? This monitor was the first one to stop functioning."He said it as if both things had been connected, but I don't think that was right. Sai unplugged the first monitor, but the rest must've had a different cause. One thing is for sure: Sai has confirmed his theory and is now certain Katei has fed us lie after lie. And I should probably think the same. Is this it, then...? Do I have to admit that Katei is a blatant liar with an ulterior motive? I thought about everything that had happened up until then and shortly noticed another inconsistency Katei had presented very early on. That one had later been contradicted by himself.  "Did all of you hear the alarm that played throughout the building? After I heard it, I saw all the smoke."He claimed to have heard the alarm, then seen the smoke. However, just after that, he said the smoke had disabled the cameras instantly. Given the alarm went off some seconds after the smoke was released, he could only have seen smoke after hearing the alarm if he had been outside the security room. It's a bit strange that he said that but still was correct in saying that the smoke had disabled the cameras. If he planned his phrasing well enough to make it sound as if he'd been inside the room, to the point of realizing that the cameras would've become useless, it follows he wouldn't have mentioned the huge inconsistency of having seen the smoke after hearing the alarm. If there's a reason for this, it must be that without looking at the monitors, he knew the smoke would've left them useless. However, he must not have thought about it too hard, or else he would've never contradicted himself so blatantly. There is one simple way this could've happened: if he designed the plan. He would've known the effects of the smoke but would not have thought of what they would've entailed if he'd truly been in the security room.  I didn't want to believe that. Not because I trusted a stranger by default, but because I wasn't sure if I was only deluding myself by believing it. I went back to my previous thought. Could Katei have still been inside the security room until he'd left it before the alarm had played? That would've made him a bit more trustworthy, even if it wasn't much. The problem was, once again, his unstained clothes. Even if he'd changed clothes, his face and hair would've been noticeably stained. Technically, there was a way to get around that. I knew hallway B had been hit by the smoke by the point I'd noticed the lack of light under the door. However, I couldn't be sure the same thing could be said of hallway A, the third and last section that had been inundated. We'd only seen it filled with smoke after waking up. Even though, realistically, if he left because he saw the smoke through the cameras, he would've mentioned that hallway A hadn't yet been stained by that point… The only confirmed fact is that he wasn't in the room from the time the alarm went off to the point we entered it. It could be that he saw the smoke disabling the cameras, left the room, and then the alarm locked it. If this happened, the smoke in hallway A must've been released afterward. Finally, if I'm only pointlessly trying to reduce the number of lies Katei has been spitting, it could be that he was in the room but never touched the computer. Then, the suspended timer wouldn't mean anything, but lying about having used it seems pointless.  Is there a way to go against Sai's confirmed theory? … I suppose, only one. If the computer's current time is incorrect, the time shown in the screen settings could be refuted. Considering that when we talked to Suripo, at no point was the actual time mentioned... if, when we checked the time, it wasn't actually 9:41, it could all hold up. If the computer was an hour behind and the real time was 10:45, we would've been unconscious for longer than we thought, and everything could fit. Katei could have been in the security room, and enough time for the suspended state to be reached could've passed. However, this single last possibility was denied by the only person who didn't fall unconscious... Katei himself.  "Yes, this matches with the amount of time I stayed here after I saw the smoke." It seemed it was unquestionable. For one reason or another, Katei had lied about what he'd been doing during the incident. He hadn't been where he should've been, and he had continuously claimed to do things that would've been impossible. Before we'd all entered the security room, he hadn't been fast enough to think that the alarm would have locked the door. He had simply tried to open it manually, as he hadn't locked it himself. What is Katei after...? Why did he lie so much? After all, he was the one who told us about the way to communicate with the outside. All of his actions have been strange. Hang on... I haven't considered this, but what if he isn't who he claimed to be? Could it be he isn't actually part of the security staff? He refused to explain anything because it would've been "confidential", but then Suripo didn't have an issue doing so. What if he simply didn't know anything? The only thing he said was that we'd be locked inside the building for twelve hours and that he knew of the way to communicate with the outside. His clothes weren't stained, but he knew about the smoke. He had a safe place he should've stayed in, but he wasn't in it. He had the security room key, but he didn't think the door would be locked. He had investigated this floor, but he hadn't looked in the event room…  If this was all his plan... it could be that he borrowed the name of Katei, an actual security staff member. Not only his name, but also his clothes and room. Then, the clothes the Katei we know had been wearing, stained by the smoke, would've been disposed of. Suripo admitted that a security staff member hadn't evacuated the tower, and he was familiar with the name ‘Katei Kuiji’, but this could simply mean that the real Katei Kuiji is still trapped with us. Maybe his body was hidden in a spot out of the cameras' reach. Suripo talked to Katei, but he was a simple police officer and had no way to confirm that the voice belonged to the actual staff member. On top of that, he never actually saw us.  … ...Since I couldn't arrive at a conclusion, I lowered my head after having been lost in thought for a while.  Shiroya was standing near me, looking almost as detached as I was sure I did. - “Shiroya?” “H-Hm?”- “Are you okay?” “Yeah... I am.”I rubbed at my face with one hand and pulled her aside, speaking in a hushed tone. - “Shiroya. It's fine. We're fine. Naomi is fine too. You can't let this stuff get to you.” “I-I'm not…”- “Don't get sucked into some depressive loop, okay? I'm here. We're going to find her.” “...”- “I mean it.” “All right. I'm sorry. It was just... the camera footage is…”- “The police will recover it.” “...You're right.”Somewhat satisfied, I patted her shoulder and stepped back into the middle of the hallway. The previous two weeks had been difficult for Shiroya and me. I knew the cheerful Shiroya I was fond of would take a longer time to come back, but all things considered, both of us were handling the situation pretty well. I was just concerned about pushing her too far.  Close by, Isla, who had finished her talk with her mother, was walking to the event room. We were supposed to investigate the building, but we had all silently agreed to wait a bit out of either anxiety or hesitation. “Where are you going?” “I wanna see it again!”Without further explanation, she quickly made her way into the room. “*sigh*”Erina followed behind her. The rest of us did the same since staying by ourselves didn't seem very useful.  Isla was in front of the cabinet. I entered the room just as she was about to uncover the curtain, and Akaro and Sai came silently after me.  “Look at how pretty it is! Now that the light has gotten a bit better, I like it even more.” “I agree, it's got a very elegant look.”Akaro and Sai walked in farther. However, once Akaro stopped, Sai did not. He placed himself in front of the cabinet and stared at the Sekimeiya. In the same way, everybody else just stared at him while he thought to himself. Then, with the same neutral expression, he scrolled the glass down.  “What are you doing...?”Instead of responding, he reached to touch the Sekimeiya. Or that's what I first thought. Instead, he grabbed it and took it out of the cabinet.
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Feb 11, 2023 11:43
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Man that's quite the analysis dump there, whew! This is an interesting game.
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Feb 11, 2023 15:05
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The system revoking access makes sense if someone on the outside figured out Katei isn't who he claims; you don't want the imposter to have access to your security systems (even if it has the side effect of the other trapped people having no line to the outside either). I wonder if Sai also figured the Sekimeiya they saw is a fake? He seems too clever to just try and steal it in front of everyone. Very curious what are main pair are here for; they definitely seem to have more at stake here then they wanted to see the pretty egg.
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Feb 13, 2023 16:27
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