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weatherwax
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:42 pm |
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Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2825
WLM: [email protected]
Location: Wishing I was not in Kansas anymore
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The day dawns clear. G-men around town yawn, blink bleary eyes, grumble to themselves. When morning interactions are complete, they direct the Marked to the diner.
When they get there, Lee, Williams and Anderson are cooking up a feast: scrambled and fried eggs, flapjacks, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns. The set the food out on the counter with plates and napkins.
"Can't let good food go to waste," Williams grumbles. "Eat up. You have time before noon."
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CCC
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 11:43 pm |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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Cecil picks at his food, eating slowly. Despite his poor appetite, he forces himself to eat a good meal.
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AlternateTorg
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Post Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 1:47 am |
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Member of the Fraternal Order of the Emergency Pants |
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2994
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Jethro shows up looking bleary-eyed and uncharacteristically quiet. Instead of cheerfully bellying up to the counter as was usual for him at the diner, he takes some food quietly and heads to a booth. He doesn't sit down, but instead just stands there, staring at the food sitting on the table. Then without a word he heads behind the counter and into the kitchen. Ignoring the G-men at the griddles, he moves to the back, where an employee bulletin board hangs. Among other things pinned to it are the photos of the diner's (former) employees, with their names underneath. He plants a finger down on one and reads the name: Annabelle Featherstone. It was the one that served him two days ago.
"I coulda asked," he says slowly, addressing the photo. "You had a name just like anybody else. I coulda asked ya yer name, treated ya like a person, but I didn't bother. Didn't care. Just called ya 'darlin'' or 'sweetie.'" He drops the finger and slowly turns away. "Rest in peace, Annabelle," he mumbles. "Thanks fer bein' nice to me." Jethro slouches back to his booth and drops into the seat. He eats in silence, looking thoughtful.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 3:25 pm |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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After clearing his plate, Cecil clears his throat. "I really think," he says, "that we should head back into that fallout shelter. And stay there, until this is resolved."
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AlternateTorg
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:28 pm |
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Member of the Fraternal Order of the Emergency Pants |
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2994
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Jethro nods in agreement with Cecil and pushes his plate away. "Let's get this over with," he grunts, his face sour as he pushes himself out of the booth. He heads for the door without waiting to see if anyone follows.
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Stan Cold
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:24 pm |
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Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 10:13 am Posts: 2604
AOL: [email protected]
Location: Somewhere doing something.
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Richard looks disheartened as he shovels pancakes and bacon into his mouth.
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balthazar
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Post Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2011 7:42 pm |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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Jason comes trotting up to the diner, Agnes following behind in the car.
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CCC
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:13 am |
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On reaching the shelter, Cecil looks around at the other survivors.
"Well." he says. "If all we heard yesterday was true, then we might be facing two Controlled people today. Jason. Yesterday you said you were a 'protector', you could save people who had been Controlled. Did you manage to do this?"
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balthazar
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 2:46 am |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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"There's no way I would know. I can only guess at who will be attacked, or has been attacked, and act accordingly. We might be facing two controlled, we might be facing only one. I hope like hell that this thing isn't exponential, because if things go bad, by this time tomorrow, everyone could be controlled. Then again, if we're lucky, there might still only be one, and even if we all just play russian roulette, that's still a one in five chance of getting it right. Lets see if we can narrow those odds down some more, shall we?"
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CCC
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:38 am |
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"We have Richard," says Cecil, "Jethro, Jason, Dottie and myself. Jason. Can I ask - who did you try to help? Or protect?"
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balthazar
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:47 am |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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"Before I tell you, do you remember what I said about being a protector, how it worked?"
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CCC
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:23 am |
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"You said that you could protect one individual, or remove the programming from one individual, per day." says Cecil. "Wait - were those exclusive? Do you just choose an individual, or must you also select whether to protect or deprogram him?"
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balthazar
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:20 am |
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Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:57 pm Posts: 4102
Location: Currently on expedition.
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"They're not exclusive. If I choose someone who's not Controlled, they're protected, if I choose a controlled, they get de-programed. But the question is; who was the biggest threat to the Controlled yesterday? Who did they need to get rid of as soon as possible? Who do they still need to get rid of?
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CCC
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Post Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:48 am |
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Joined: Wed May 15, 2002 12:00 am Posts: 11381
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"...you protected yourself, then." guesses Cecil, after a moment's thought. "I see. Very well. However, as long as you maintain that stance, you are no threat; they will simply Control everyone else, bit by bit, until you are alone."
He thinks about this a bit longer. "If there is no Protector, we have no hope; one more person being Controlled every night, no more than one being removed. If there is a Protector, which is the only option that allows our survival and therefore which I will assume, then either it is Jason or it is not. If it is not,then the real Protector knows that Jason is lying, and is therefore the original Controlled. If that is the case, then could the real Protector please lay your claim to that title?"
"If there is a Protector, and it is Jason, then, having protected himself, I think that we can remove him from the list of suspects. This leaves me, Jethro, Richard and Dottie. The only person who we can be completely sure was not controlled, was John. He is now dead. Yesterday, John voted for Richard. Also yesterday, Richard was the first person to vote for John. Richard appeared to choose randomly. A Controlled person on the first day would benefit most from a random choice, especially as this creates a target for other people to vote for or against; however, an innocent person may also have chosen randomly. Nonetheless, Richard did seem rather eager to place his vote. I don't think that's enough evidence to vote for him, but it does leave me a little more suspicious of Richard than of anyone else."
Finger of suspicion: Richard
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AlternateTorg
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Post Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:42 pm |
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Member of the Fraternal Order of the Emergency Pants |
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Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:00 am Posts: 2994
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Jethro exhales deeply. "I think I'm gonna vote for Dottie. We're in a tight spot, and she ain't exactly been makin' much effort be helpful." He runs his fingers through his hair, and meets Dottie's eyes. "Lord help me if I'm wrong, Dottie."
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