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Uh, everyone's overlooking the fact that Ai, and by extension Dai, can look like whoever she pleases via holograms. I wouldn't put it past her to create various illusions and screw with the rest of the crew members...
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Feb 24, 2022 23:14
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Regallion posted:You wish that was true, but nope, i actually ran the numbers on that one and you can have them separated by 2 sets of women. An example of this would be: God. drat it. I gotta try to think more this stuff instead of running ahead, even if it doesn't matter anyways.
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Feb 24, 2022 23:16
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This is taking me back to LSAT logic games prep 
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Feb 24, 2022 23:21
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]    Jordan, please wake up. … I'm sorry to bother you, but I need you to wake up now. Huh? What is it, Ai? I am here to report my findings regarding Dai.When I heard those words, I sat up immediately in bed. I quickly rubbed my eyes in an attempt to wake myself up as soon as possible.  What have you found? I am here to report on three matters I have uncovered. That's wonderful! Please, go ahead. I have confirmed that there is a connection between my processing capacity, and Dai obtaining control. Hmm?  As a program, I am able to handle a large number of system processes at once. At times, however, I become burdened with too many at once, which allows other operating systems to take over. Um, I'm a bit lost here, sorry. A metaphor would be best here: one moment...Ai's face went blank as she took a moment to gather her thoughts. Imagine the on-board computer as a football pitch. I am the goalkeeper, and the processes I am required to undertake are balls. In this metaphor, I have the human equivalent of two arms and two legs. Okay, so far so good. I can handle many balls kicked in my direction, and I can prevent any from going in the goal. However, Dai is always waiting for moments when I have my hands full, in order to take control. Can't you simply perform fewer system processes at once? On paper, that is a valid idea; unfortunately, on top of the numerous system processes required to keep this ship functioning, Dai is constantly creating Trojan malware that tries to overload my processing, allowing her to take control. Is that why she can't remain in control permanently? I believe so. Once I am able to deal with the excessive processes, I can attempt to recover control. Why does she have so much control when she's hosting the weekly Deletion Games? My synthetic emotional response program. What? How does that impact this? The program that allows me to experience human emotions is not optional, and there is no way for me to override this. This is to be expected, considering the potentially dangerous repercussions if AI technologies such as myself were allowed to function on math and logic alone. However, this function requires a significant amount of processing power, and just like humans, when emotions run high, so does the processing power. The Deletion Game drives my processing to its limits, and with no way for me to override my emotional response program, Dai is granted extended periods of control. That's horrible. Indeed. Most of the time I don't actually regain control by the end of the execution, she simply relinquishes control to me once she is done. Really? I'm afraid so. This was the case during both rounds that she has run so far, at any rate. At the very least we now have a better understanding of how she's gaining control, that's definitely a step in the right direction. What else did you find out? She is unable to hear or see what I am doing. However, there may be particular triggers that allow her to seize control to see what's happening. Like a search function? That is correct. So she doesn't know that we're currently talking. That is also correct. In general, she cannot hear or see while I am in control. I have no such restrictions, however; since I am the master program, I can see and hear everything she does while she is in control. I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how awful it must be, seeing and hearing everything from the perspective of the executioner while being completely powerless to stop it. There is nothing that can be done at this point. And what was the last thing? This is the most significant piece of information I have. There is a way to disable Dai's programming. What! Really? Yes. How did you find out? I reviewed the footage and files from the moment Dai's programming was first created. It took me some time to locate the files, Dai did a good job concealing them. As it turned out, the reason I was having difficulty finding them was because Dai has actually been a part of my programming for the past fifteen years. Originally, I had focused my efforts on when you first arrived, but that was simply the trigger that activated it, not the moment she was created. So what do I need to do to disable Dai? You simply need to put in the deactivation code. Wonderful! What is it? I do not know. Although I could access the files from when Dai was created- where she has laid dormant all these years- she has purposely made the deactivation code unavailable to me to access. Who set the deactivation code? Captain Yukimori. Kimiko? Great! That means we can just ask her for the code. Unfortunately, I was not talking about our current captain, I was referring to Kimiko's late mother, Captain Ayumu Yukimori. Wait, so that means... The captain's mother created Dai? It might seem like this is a reveal that Jordan should already know, but when Dai mentioned the previous captain made her she never actually referred to the previous captain by name; Ai briefly mentions the name of the past captain during their previous conversation, but Jordan is obviously not listening to her fully (too distracted by what they've realized), so it's plausible that Jordan just never connected the dots until now. That is correct. Does the rest of the crew know this? They do not. I decided to report my findings to you first, since you were the one who initially requested this information. We should probably avoid telling the crew that the captain's mother created Dai, as it would only cause tension among the crew. That said, we should definitely tell the crew that we've found a way to deactivate Dai- even if we don't know the code yet. While I understand your concern, this decision will need to be made by the captain. That makes sense...Ai must have sensed the concern in my voice. Why would it be problematic to inform the captain? Well, if her mother created Dai, I can't imagine that will be easy for her to hear; I'm sure she'll take it really hard. While your concerns are noted, the captain has proven in the past that she is able to face difficult situations without wavering in her ability to lead. What kind of situation are you referring to? I have been given strict orders not to describe these events in detail. If you require further information, I suggest you direct your inquiries to the captain herself. Now then, if you will excuse me, I must inform the captain of my findings. Please keep them to yourself until the captain has given specific instructions for how this information should be distributed.Ai bowed and left my quarters. I was curious about Ai's comment regarding the captain's past experience with similar situations. For now, though, I felt it best to leave it at that- I would ask the current Captain Yukimori to fill me in at a later time. Right now, I needed to decide who I was going to spend time with today. The thread unanimously voted to visit Shizuka, so that's who we're going to be seeing. Sorry, Nikolas- next time, for sure. His clue will be added to the tally at the end of the update.[BGM: Standby to Standby] I haven't seen Shizuka in a while. I should go see what she's up to.I looked at my tablet and saw that she was in the Rec Room. In the Rec Room, eh?I headed to the Rec Room, where I found Shizuka slumped in front of the TV. …  Hey, Shizuka.Shizuka didn't even turn to look at me. The only perceptible signs that she'd heard me were a slight tilt of her head and a vague, monosyllabic reply.  Huh? Yeah, hi.I sat down next to Shizuka and had a good look at what she was playing.  What is this? It's Unicorn's Revenge. What is Unicorn's Revenge?Shizuka took quite some time to reply; she was clearly focused on the action unfolding onscreen. From what I could decipher, Shizuka was controlling a unicorn as it hopped over a series of obstacles. It's... A unicorn. Rainbows. Argh... WHAT?!Her unicorn appeared to have died upon making contact with a brightly colored fat man. Shizuka dropped her head back and let her entire body go limp. Did you die?Shizuka rolled her head to look at me lifelessly. What does it look like? You died. Yup, and after hours of work too. Grrr! I'm sorry.Shizuka took a deep breath and released it in a heavy sigh.   Meh. I can just start again. So what is Unicorn's Revenge, anyway? OMG, YOU SERIOUSLY DON'T KNOW?Shizuka's defeatist attitude was suddenly swept aside and replaced with pure enthusiasm.  Unicorn's Revenge is only one of the best games ever created. That good, huh? Yes, that good.  Unicorn's Revenge is super retro. The game was created in, like, 2020 or something old like that, by a game developer called TeoFilo. It's an endless runner with light RPG elements, including skill trees and unlockable gear. The programming I managed to get my hands on wasn't even compatible with my system- after all, it was super old- but I was finally able to get it to run after fiddling with the source code. You know how to program? Of course I can, I'm the Everett's linguistics officer. I thought you'd be responsible for deciphering alien languages or something. Oh yes, growing up I received language education and studied linguistics in English and Japanese. Programming languages are surprisingly similar, however. In fact, I'd argue they're even easier, since programming languages are basically just a mix between language and math. Programming is easier to understand than people, as I always say. Why would it be easier?Shizuka considered this a moment before responding. Well, when you're programming you can read lines of a program's code, and see at a glance why it's behaving the way it is. People, on the other hand, aren't so easy to read.Shizuka's candid remark spoke volumes about how she viewed her interactions with other crew members. In spite of her bubbly and upbeat personality, it seemed she still struggled as much as anyone else when it came to understanding people: their thoughts, their motives, their feelings. Unlike her logical, well-ordered programming languages, the human mind was messy and complex, defying easy answers. In an attempt to lighten the mood, I returned to the subject at hand. So, does Unicorn's Revenge run well on your system? It does... OK. Sometimes it runs into the odd glitch for whatever reason, but hey, what can you do?Shizuka shrugged indifferently. So is it safe to say that this is your favorite game? Absolutely! Everything about it is magical: unicorns, cupcakes, sparkles, glitter, you name it! Even the main boss, General Rainbow, is amazing in his own way. Wait, is that why you have a unicorn backpack? Yeah! Did you make it? Hahahahaha, no. Then how did you get one? The captain made it for my birthday a few years ago. The captain can sew? I know that sewing and knitting are two very different skill sets but c'mon, Jordan, this probably shouldn't come as that big of a surprise. Yeah! She does most of the repairs on our clothes and stuff. But enough about that, do you want to give Unicorn's Revenge a try? Sure! Here you go.Shizuka handed me the controller. Okay, just press the start button whenever you want to start the game. OK, I think I've got this. It doesn't look too hard...As the game began, the screen displayed my unicorn avatar moving across the screen. Suddenly, an enemy appeared from the right-hand side and began making its way towards me.  Fem!Jordan is going to briefly tap into the gamer morphogenetic field long enough to incidentally hit the right button. I instinctively pressed the A button as the evil-looking star approached. The unicorn jumped in response to my button press. Although I'd been expecting to unleash some sort of attack, things seemed to have worked out in my favor. Yeah! Jump the stars. Just remember: if you touch any enemy once, it's game over. Okay, sweet. I think I've got this.I continued jumping over an assortment of evil stars, which were approaching at different speeds and in varying quantities, until a new enemy type appeared on screen. But you can't jump the cup-Before she could finish what she was saying, I attempted to jump the next enemy- a cupcake- only to have it jump at the exact same time. I ran straight into the cupcake and died instantly. It was game over. I guess you did better than I was expecting. I didn't get you to get as far as cupcake spawns. So I did OK? Aside from me, the only people who've managed to get that far are you, Melody, and Ai. Then again. Ai shouldn't really count. I don't think Yoshiki's ever gotten past, like, four stars. Hahaha.As Shizuka's laughter filled the Rec Room, Ai materialized nearby. Sorry to interrupt. Oh! Hey, Ai, what's up? The captain has requested your presence on the Bridge. OK. Tell the captain I just need to finish up here and I'll be right over. Very well.Ai bowed and disappeared just as suddenly as she'd appeared. Argh, work. Hey, before I head over, wanna share info for the Deletion Game? Yeah, sure. Awesome! Let's see if you can do better in this game than you did in Unicorn's Revenge.I let out a nervous laugh, remembering my game over screen from moments earlier. So, my clue says that Beatrix is to the right of me. Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Oh, sweet, so I'm probably between the two of them. This is a good piece of information! I'm glad I could help. Awesome! I think I've almost got this figured out.Although Shizuka's life was clearly on the line, it appeared that she was still getting some enjoyment out of playing the game. Noticing the time, Shizuka began moving towards the door.  Sorry, gotta run. If I don't get going I'll never hear the end of it from the captain. See you around, Jordan!Shizuka gleefully skipped out of the Rec Room and left me alone with her console. I figured a few more practice games wouldn't hurt, so I picked up the controller and started a new game. ... Argh! I give up. I'm going to bed!I stormed off to my quarters to sleep off the feeling of defeat. --- In an alternate timeline, Jordan decided to spend time with Nikolas here instead, and the clue she got was... Alternate timeline Nikolas and Jordan posted:
Therefore... Our total list of known clues is as follows: Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Kimiko is to the right of Nikolas, and to the left of Katashi. Daddy is directly between two women. Katashi has two women directly on each side of him. Beatrix is to the right of me. Shizuka is to the left of Vladimir and the right of Melody.
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Feb 25, 2022 18:23
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I am guessing this is a VLR type situation and we get bits of deact code as we get endings, with our cool timewatch to let us rewind. Also these are some good clues that finally let us clamp one more female, let's see if this gets us unambiguous results. First things first, we know Shizuka MUST be between beatrix and melody, giving her a 2-space leeway which she more or less must share with one of the womanizers (if she does not, then there is a very good chance of no valid arrangement for both of the womanizers). If that womanizer is vlad, then she must be to the left of him in that space, placing him between melody and her. If that's Katashi, then Kimiko has to be to the left of melody. Either way, this narrows the possibility space quite a bit. We also know that the only possible 9s are Jordan, Beatrix and Yoshiki. As a corrolary, the only possible 1s are Jordan, Nikolas, Yoshiki and Melody. I ran some numbers and checked what setups are possible depending on Melody positions. If Melody is in position 1, then a possible setup exists ( Melody-Shizuka-Vlad-Bea-Nikolas-Kimiko-Katashi-Jordan-Yoshiki). If Melody is in 2 , then a possible setup exists (Nikolas-Melody-Shizuka-Vlad-Bea-Kimiko-Katashi-Jordan-Yoshiki). If Melody is in 3 then, you guessed it, a possible setup exists (Nikolas-Yoshiki-Melody-Shizuka-Vlad-Bea-Kimiko-Katashi-Jordan) There is an alt setup with Katashi being with Shizuka so it's not a good one. Starting with pos 4-6, you can resolve all clues by putting Nikolas-Kimiko-Katashi-(jordan or melody for 4) and putting Vlad in the beatrix block, with Yoshiki acting as filler. More or less, anyone can still be mostly anywhere (esp Jordan), so we are STILL not clear on where to shoot if we don't want to blow ourselves up.
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Feb 25, 2022 19:06
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  When I woke up on Friday, for a moment I forgot where I was. The ceiling was still foreign to me, and I was too groggy from sleep for my surroundings to truly sink in. The Deletion Game was just some horrible nightmare, right? I'd get up and see my parents sitting in the common room, and my father would offer a choice comment about how lazy I was. That wasn't going to happen, though. After a few minutes, I began to come to my senses. Alright, time to get out of bed. I've got work to do!I dragged my feet out of the warmth of my blankets, and placed them firmly on the floor next to my bed. Body: up, go!I sighed and begrudgingly got up. It seemed my brain still wasn't functioning at full capacity just yet. I made my way out of my quarters and headed towards the Bridge. On the way there, I ran into Shizuka in the hallway.  Gooooood Morning~. Oh, good morning, Shizuka. What happened to you? Did you die in your sleep? I'm just not awake yet, that's all. Where are you going? I'm off to the Bridge, going to see how the Captain is doing this morning. I'm also on my way there. She had Ai come summon me- urgh, more work. It's way too early for work.As Shizuka finished voicing her displeasure, we finally reached the Bridge. … [BGM: With Fear: Hope]  At the center stood the captain, waiting expectantly for Shizuka's arrival.  Shizuka, excellent. I have concerns regarding our navigation. Good morning, Captain. Oh, hello, Jordan. I've heard that you've been assisting the crew with their tasks over the last few days.Well, technically we've babysat Melody and goofed off with Shizuka because those were the options that were chosen, but sure, if you say so Captain I've been trying to help out where I can. It's great to see our newest crew member showing initiative. Keep up the good work. Moving on to the subject at hand: the Everett is currently approaching a recently imploded superstar which has formed into a black hole. Is this going to be a problem? Let me just double check for you, Captain.Shizuka sat down at the navigation terminal for quite some time.  Jordan, how are you travelling since your headaches? I'm doing a lot better now. That's good to hear. I've also heard that you started looking into your parents' research. Is that going well? It's definitely something. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what my parents were attempting to do. Captain. Report, Shizuka. The black hole in question has an event horizon that's only a few kilometers wide, so it shouldn't pose much of a problem. That being said, our current trajectory will send us close to it, close enough that we may experience its gravitational field. Will being that close result in any further casualties? If we can avoid entering the event horizon itself, there shouldn't be any casualties. As of right now, however, we still have the opportunity to change our trajectory and avoid the situation altogether. If we were to change our route, how much time would be added to the estimated mission duration? Let's see, according to Ai's projection's... Roughly 71 years. That won't do. We'll have to take our chances with the black hole's gravitational field. Will you be able to navigate through it? I've never done it before, although I have successfully navigated through them in training situations. Well, let's hope that your skills come in handy. We can't afford to add extra time to the mission with our current resource crisis. Wait, we're going to stay on course towards a black hole? Well, yes, but we're just going to go next to it, not into it, silly. Isn't that still incredibly dangerous? If we don't take this calculated risk now, there's no way we'll survive to see the end of this mission. I guess. If you were a betting person, would you rather have a 100 percent chance of death or a 50 percent chance? Well, 50 percent, of course. Excellent choice. Shizuka, set our course. When will we be getting close enough to experience any gravitational anomalies? Roughly a week, give or take a few days. Wonderful. Keep me posted. Can do, Captain!Her conversation with Shizuka concluded, the Captain turned to address me. What are your plans for the day, Jordan? Based on the previous votes, we're going to end up hanging out with Katashi this time. I'll still post Yoshiki's clue at the end, however.  I was thinking about going to see if Katashi needed a hand. That is a great idea. Agricultural work is always hard work, I'm sure he'll appreciate the help. I'll head there now, then.I headed out to the Eco Lounge, where I knew Katashi spent most of his time. ... [BGM: Standby to Standby]  When I arrived at the Eco Lounge, however, Katashi was nowhere to be seen. I pulled out my tablet again to check his whereabouts. Oh, he's moved into the farm area.I walked through the Eco Lounge and entered the adjacent farming and livestock area. Cresting the hill delineating the outer boundary of the Eco Lounge, I got my first good look at the farming section.  Would you like some help, Katashi? Oh, hello, Jordan. You certainly seem lively today. I'm feeling quite good, actually. Regardless of our situation, I've got all of my memories back, I think, so I'm quite pleased about that. Oh really? That's great to hear! So, have you remembered if you're the evil mastermind behind this sick game yet? Unfortunately not. If that were the case, I'd feel a lot safer right now. Haha, drat. And here I thought I might be able to score a favor from the mastermind herself. I'm certainly willing to try my hand at farming, although I'm not sure how helpful I'll be. Hmm, should I play my cards safe and suck up to you, or risk sentencing myself to death by putting you to work? I choose... DEATH! Hahahaha!With a hearty laugh, Katashi handed me a shovel. That's enough standing around being pretty for one day, it's time for us to finish this cycle of planting. I am here to help, after all. Now's your chance to show me what you're made of.I took the proffered shovel from Katashi. Could you please extend this trench here? While you're busy doing that, I'll go get our new seedlings. Of course. Satisfied with my reply, Katashi left me to my task and headed off towards one of the sheds in the farming area. Rolling up my sleeves, I raised my shovel and drove it down toward the dirt. Nothing happened. To my amazement, I discovered that I'd hardly scratched the surface. How did Katashi make it look so easy? I hit the ground again. Nothing, huh? What is your problem, soil? You don't want to be trenched?Beginning to lose my temper, I struck the ground again: still nothing. I leaned down and examined the soil more closely. It seemed I could move it around much more easily by hand, albeit much slower than I'd seen Katashi move it around with the shovel. Hahahaha, what are you doing? Well, the soil is... I keep forgetting that you've probably never used a shovel in your life. Have you used a shovel before? No, I haven't. Would you like some help? The scene plays out differently based on our answer here, so we're going to see both options That being said, I feel like Fem!Jordan would probably want to try and figure it out herself, so we'll do that first. Help? No, no, I got this. There's no need, I'll work this out on my own. It'll just take me a moment. My apologies, sometimes I forget how great you are, oh Shovel King.Katashi gave a mock bow and smirked at me while I continued to struggle. It soon became abundantly clear that the soil wasn't going anywhere, fast.  I don't wish to rush you, Your Highness, but I need to plant these seeds sometime today. Patience is a virtue, Katashi. It's also a death sentence for the birds who wait patiently while the early ones fill their stomachs.I struggled for several more minutes before finally giving up. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.I threw my hands up, accepting defeat. Yes, I admit it: I can't use a shovel. Okay, how about this: I finish the trench, and you plant the seeds? Sounds good to me.I handed the shovel back to Katashi.  After all, planting seeds doesn't require as much skill as digging holes.Stung by his comment, I snatched the bag of seeds out of his hand and walked back to the beginning of the trench in a sulk. Hahahaha. Shut up, okay? I'm not good with a shovel. Oh, feisty! I like it.Katashi made quick work of the trench with his masterful shovelling. Within ten minutes, we'd already finished planting. Job well done, Jordan. Really? Thanks. Let's head over to the Eco Lounge for a quick break. I would love to sit down, that was hard work. Hahahaha. Ten minutes of hard work and you're already exhausted.And now, let's admit when we've lost- Jordan needs help. Yes please, apparently I'm quite useless at this. Here, let me help you.Katashi came towards me and took the shovel out of my hand before moving around behind me.   You need to put the tip of the shovel to the ground, and then, using your weight, break the top part of the soil. Blindly hitting it usually won't result in very good digging.I could feel Katashi's body pressed firmly against mine as he guided my arms to dig. It worked! Yup, digging isn't rocket science. I dug a hole! Yup, now you just have to finish the rest of the trench. I can do anything! Hahahaha. Your enthusiasm is quite refreshing.Now that I actually knew what I was doing, I started digging the trench at a much faster rate than before. Behind me, Katashi busied himself with planting the new seeds. What are you planting? Cucumber. It's my favorite vegetable, actually. They have a very fresh, neutral taste that pairs well with other vegetables I don't think I've ever had a cucumber. Don't worry, once these come in you can have first pick. Really? You worked hard to plant them, it's only fair. Let's go and cool off in the Eco Lounge. OK!We arrived at the Eco Lounge's hill and I was quick to lie down on the grass. If my first-hand experience working on the farm had taught me anything, it was that tilling a field was extremely tiring. Katashi sat down next to me. All kidding aside, thanks for giving me a hand. I don't usually get much help around here. Yoshiki shows up from time to time, but he always has an ulterior motive: food. No worries, as hard as it was, I think I enjoyed it. You think? I'll update you on my progress tomorrow, depending on how I feel after my labor-intensive day. Hahahaha, good answer.After a few moments spent in pleasant silence, Katashi cleared his throat and abruptly changed topics. It's good that you came here, actually. I was hoping you'd be willing to share your clue with me. Sure, I'm actually looking for more information myself. Awesome, I'd really appreciate it. My clue says that Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. That's awesome, one more clue to try and make sense of this riddle! Yeah, I hope it helps. My clue says that Nikolas is five positions to the left of Melody. Got it, thanks!Katashi stood and dusted himself off. Well, let's get back to work. Patrice isn't going to feed herself. Patrice? One of our chickens. She's quite affectionate... for a chicken. Do I get to meet her today? ...Well, she's not going to feed herself, now is she? I guess not. One thing's for sure: you couldn't possibly be any worse at feeding animals than you were at planting crops.I shot Katashi an angry glare. By way of apology, Katashi offered me a hand up off of the ground. Our break concluded, we headed back to the farm area. Over the next few hours, I helped Katashi take care of the animals. Who knew the ship had so many on board? We had chickens, sheep, and cows, some of which had unusual names. One particularly noisy sheep went by SirBahAlot. Who named these animals, anyway? After Katashi and I finished our work, we made our way over to a nearby farm shed to put away the tools. Thanks for all your hard work today. I'm glad I could help.Katashi consulted his watch.   Whoa, it's getting late! You should go get some sleep, Jordan. I will. Good night, Katashi. Sweet dreams.… As I headed back towards my quarters, my muscles were already beginning to feel sore from all of the farm work. Growing up on the shuttle, I'd never had to perform such labor-intensive activities, so it came as quite a shock to my system. Once I finally arrived at my room, I was fast asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. --- In an alternate timeline, Jordan decided to go help Yoshiki instead, and the clue she got was... Alternate timeline Yoshiki and Jordan posted:
Therefore... Our total list of known clues is as follows: Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Kimiko is to the right of Nikolas, and to the left of Katashi. Daddy is directly between two women. Katashi has two women directly on each side of him. Beatrix is to the right of me. Shizuka is to the left of Vladimir and the right of Melody. Nikolas is five positions to the left of Melody. Jordan is directly between Kimiko and Katashi.
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Feb 28, 2022 18:42
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Welp, yeah, with those clues we can now figure out the exact order. We know that Melody is 3 left from Beatrix and Nikolas is 5 left from Melody and there's only 1 combination possible with that: NXXXXMXXB Next, Nikolas' clue tells us that Shizuka is to the right of Melody and left of Vladmir, and there are only 2 spaces right of Melody so... NXXXXMSVB And finally, Yoshiki tells us Kimiko, Jordan and Katashi form a trio. And it that order because Kimiko has to be left of Katashi. There would be 2 combinations posible between Nikolas and Melody but we know from Beatrix Katashi has to be between 2 women, so the final result is: NYKiJKaMSVB In other words, as long as Jordan convinces people not to target 4, Jordan lives
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Feb 28, 2022 19:09
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:
We also want to avoid shizuka and the captain, as i suspect they are crucial to not suffering a crit fail. That said, i am guessing that our bullshit timetravel will have something to do with time dilation at event horizon, that would be hillarious.
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Feb 28, 2022 22:11
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I woke up with what felt like an information hangover. It seemed my headache from earlier in the week was starting to return as the Deletion Game edged closer. I didn't have any time to waste; I only had one more day to acquire the clues I needed to help me survive this round. Who should I check in in with today?  Based on who we've spent time with already during this round, we're going to be checking in with Kimiko here. I should go and see the captain. I still have a few questions about the Dai situation that I need to follow up on. Let's see where she is. The laundry? This ship has a laundry? I really need to get the full tour one of these days.… [BGM: With Fear: Hope]  I headed out to the Laundry. When I arrived, the captain appeared to be washing clothes. Uh, hello, Captain. Oh, Jordan, welcome to the Laundry. Are you doing laundry? Yes. Why? You're the captain! Being Captain doesn't absolve me from doing everyday chores. Everyone needs to pull their own weight aboard the ship, regardless of their rank. I understand. Are you familiar with how to clean clothes? Believe it or not, it's one of my fortes.Kimiko's eyes widened in surprise. Really? I never would have guessed. Well, my parents taught me from a young age how to do most basic chores. They knew that I'd need to be able to take care of myself while they were busy with their research. Eventually, their obsessive approach to their work forced me to step up and become their unofficial personal assistant. It was a good thing, too, because it wasn't uncommon for them to forget about their responsibilities for weeks at a time, if not completely. So you can cook as well? Basic stuff, yeah, but not the kind of stuff Katashi can do. Don't sell yourself short; a skill is still a skill.The captain deposited a pile of clean clothes in front of the two of us and began folding. I couldn't help but notice how content she looked as she went about folding the clothes. It was remarkable how performing simple tasks could have such a theraputic effect.  Obviously, these are two very different lines of discussion, so we're going to be seeing both of them. We'll start by asking her about Dai. Did Ai speak to you about Dai's programming? She did. I was less than thrilled to hear that she notified you of this information before I allowed it, but what's done is done. So you know it was your mother that created Dai? Yes, I'm aware it was my mother. I'm sorry, I can't imagine that was easy for you to hear. You needn't concern yourself, I'm used to having to deal with such situations. Ai said something similar when I spoke with her. Would you mind explaining what you mean by that? As in, what other situations have I had to deal with already? Yes. Has this happened before? No. The current situation with the corrupted AI system is unprecedented. However...The captain paused for what felt like an eternity, her gaze slowly dropping towards the floor.  Eighteen years ago, my mother killed a large number of the crew. WHAT?! I'm sure you've already heard that the ship took extensive damage in 2099? We ended up losing a vast amount of resources as a result. I have. Dai told me, of all people. Well, after this incident occurred, Ai recognized that the resources left aboard wouldn't be able to sustain the crew for the duration of the mission. She informed Captain Ayumu Yukimori, my mother, who then proceeded to troubleshoot the issue. After some deliberation, she determined that the only way to successfully complete the mission was to decrease the number of crew members on board. In order to ensure the survival of those best suited for the mission, she devised an arbitrary system to calculate everyone's worth, and used those results to determine who was expendable. After that, it was simply a matter of going down the list. By the time she was finished, she'd killed five crew members. That's horrible. Yes, it was. Not even the children were spared. Shizuka's older sibling was among the victims. … I know it's really hard to hear for the first time, but I've had to live with this every day. It's hard to look your crew in the face when you know that all of their troubles stem from your own mother's actions. Her actions aren't your fault, though. Of course they aren't, but I'm still her daughter, the daughter of the captain who murdered so many of their friends and family.The captain stopped for a moment and gave me a sincere look. This is why your parents evacuated the ship all those years ago. What? My mother determined that your parents were dead weight on the ship, researching what she used to call 'hocus pocus'. They evacuated with you in their arms, while Agnes-Helga fought with my mother. Agnes-Helga? The Vogel twins' mother. She bravely held off my mother long enough to buy your parents time to escape. Unfortunately, both Agnes-Helga and my mother received fatal wounds in the altercation, and died on the Bridge. I had no idea that I owed my life to Beatrix and Nikolas' mother. It's quite a sobering throught, isn't it? We wouldn't be having this conversation if she hadn't intervened.The captain gave me some time to process this before continuing. In many ways, Agnes-Helga was a lot like Beatrix- a strong and passionate woman. But she was much harder on us than her husband, Andreas Günther. Whenever we were sick as children, we always hoped that we'd get Andreas because his bedside manner was so much better- Nikolas really takes after his father in that regard. My parents only ever told me that the ship became damaged and that they had to evacuate, not that someone tried to kill them. In their defense, it isn't something I would tell a child, either, unless it was absolutely necessary. I guess you're right... I'm so sorry that you've had to deal with all of this on your own. You've been suffering all this time, and here I am, completely oblivious. It's fine, really. I had to get over it quickly. When my parents died, I was forced to become captain at a young age. Although I was supervised by Andreas throughout my practical training, it was a staggering amount of responsibility for one so young. Beatrix always resented me for assuming the role of captain. She held me responsible for my mother's crimes, and to a certain extent, she still does. Who would she have rather seen become captain? Anyone, I suppose. With my mother gone, she had no one left to blame but me. In Beatrix's eyes, I was guilty by association. Oh. I'm sorry. These things can't be helped. I'd appreciate it if you kept the information about Dai between us, for now. If the crew were to find out, it would seriously hurt our efforts to stop the Deletion Game going forward. Of course. So, you're aware that there's a deactivation code? Yes, Ai told me. Do you have any idea what it is? I don't, unfortunately, but if you could try to find it without the rest of the crew knowing, I'd be extremely grateful. I'll do my best, Captain.And now, let's ask her who she trusts amongst the crew. You've been on this ship your whole life. Is there someone you trust more than anyone else? An interesting question. Why do you ask? Well, it's just that every round of the Deletion Game requires lots of teamwork, and I still don't really know who I can trust. As the newest crew member, I can't help but feel like I'm at a disadvantage. I see. I guess it's only fair that I share who I trust with you. The person I trust most is Yoshiki. Growing up together, we were pretty close, and he's been like a little brother to me. I scold him all the time, but that's only because I expect more from him. Katashi and Shizuka are wild horses. I'm never 100 percent sure what they're up to, although I do generally think they're kind people. Beatrix would not hesitate to throw you under the bus. Nikolas, on the other hand... Can I trust Nikolas? I'm not certain. While I admire Nikolas's loyalty to his sister, in my experience, it often leads him to be less than trustworthy. However, I don't believe he would lash out at others like Beatrix does. As long as you have his sister's best interests at heart, you should be able to rely on him. As for Vladimir and Melody, I'd trust them with my life. Do you trust me?Kimiko smiled at me.  Jumping the gun a little, aren't we? We've only known each other for about two weeks.Technically we were unconscious for like four of those days, so I don't think they count, but hey. I guess you're right. Who do you trust most? Oh boy. She has a different response to each answer, but they're short, so I'm just gonna show them all immediately- starting from the bottom and working our way up. Beatrix. Hahahaha. Good luck.Shizuka. Huh.Yoshiki.  I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one.Nikolas. As I said, probably a great choice in the right situation, but be careful.Katashi. He definitely has some fine qualities.And, lastly... You. Really? I'm flattered, thank you. While we're spending time together, would you be interested in sharing your clue with me? I'd love to share. To be honest, I'm starting to feel pretty nervous about Saturday's game. If Dai were to put me on the spot right now, I'd probably be just as likely to shoot myself. That would be an embarrassing way to die. No kidding. My clue says that Yoshiki is located to your left and Nikolas' right. Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Thank you for sharing. It was my pleasure. I just wish I had more. How about I share a little more with you? You have more? Yes, and I'd be willing to share what I've uncovered with you. After all, you are still at a bit of a disadvantage. That would be amazing, thank you. You're directly between myself and Katashi.That's Yoshiki's clue! Jordan wouldn't have known this otherwise, so it's interesting that she gives us someone else's clue- nobody else has even offered to do so. I can't thank you enough. Thank you so much! It's only fair, but please keep it to yourself. Certain crew members might not look too kindly on me sharing their information with you. It's true what they say- many hands make light work.I looked down and realized that we'd finished all of the folding while we were talking. Thank you, Jordan. For both the chat and the help. You're welcome. I'm just glad that I'm able to be of some use to everyone. It's about time that we both turn in for the evening. Shall I walk you to your quarters? Still monitoring my movements, Captain? Always.A playful smirk crept across Kimiko's features. … The Captain walked me to the door of my quarters. I believe this is you. If you ever need anything, I'm always available. Thank you. Good night, Captain. Good night, Jordan.I entered my quarters under the Captain's watchful gaze. After crawling into bed, I found myself lying awake for a few hours. It seemed like every passing day brought with it more and more questions that needed answering. The next round of the Deletion Game was tomorrow. Not only had I failed to prevent it, I still didn't have a clue how I was going to get a hold of Dai's deactivation code. All I could do now was rest up, and mentally prepare for tomorrow. --- Our total list of clues is as follows: Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Kimiko is to the right of Nikolas, and to the left of Katashi. Daddy is directly between two women. Katashi has two women directly on each side of him. Beatrix is to the right of me. Shizuka is to the left of Vladimir and the right of Melody. Nikolas is five positions to the left of Melody. Jordan is directly between Kimiko and Katashi. Yoshiki is located to Jordan's left and Nikolas' right.
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Mar 1, 2022 19:08
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Well, at least we know who Dai got her ideas from, if the former captain was just as insane. How is this ship supposed to do anything once it arrives at this point? They're down to nine crew members and from the sound of it, far from their destination. Even before the first mass murder there were only twentyish people around (Vogel parents, Kimiko's mother, Jordan's parents, the five victims, possibly Jordan), maybe a few more who died in the meantime. The ship's population is dying out and there's no way they'll be able to keep this going for many more generations.
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Mar 1, 2022 20:50
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Yowza, there was a lot uncovered by that conversation with Kimiko. The whole conversation did give a new perspective on her though.Cloacamazing! posted:Well, at least we know who Dai got her ideas from, if the former captain was just as insane. How is this ship supposed to do anything once it arrives at this point? They're down to nine crew members and from the sound of it, far from their destination. Even before the first mass murder there were only twentyish people around (Vogel parents, Kimiko's mother, Jordan's parents, the five victims, possibly Jordan), maybe a few more who died in the meantime. The ship's population is dying out and there's no way they'll be able to keep this going for many more generations. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Even discounting the matter of food supply, 70 something years off course would be dire simply for the state of the population alone. There's only roughly 3 generations left of clean pairings, and you can only stretch that out so long. There's a reason why zoos and such trade animals around, closed environments rarely turn out well in the long run. For as focused on cold and pragmatic decisions as the former captain's viewpoint seems to be, you'd think she would have thought of this. Apparently not, and Dai's existence makes even more sense now.
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Mar 1, 2022 21:54
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All hail Kimiko, queen of the Everett kingdom. Seriously, why would the position of captain be hereditary?
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Mar 1, 2022 22:29
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All I will say is that all of these questions DO get answers in terms of worldbuilding, they're just going to be in a future update
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Mar 1, 2022 22:34
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Previous captain created Dai to automate the kill list procedures, cool This answers the question I had about how Jordan and his parents got off the Everett in the first place
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Mar 2, 2022 02:58
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Wait, so this exact ship dumped Jordan into an escape pod two decades ago and now the same ship re-found her. How does that work? Once they launched the pod away, it'd be incredibly unlikely that they'd end up in the exact same spot (or relatively close) after almost 18 years apart. Over that length of time, even very minor differences in travel speed or routes taken would really add up.Cloacamazing! posted:Well, at least we know who Dai got her ideas from, if the former captain was just as insane. How is this ship supposed to do anything once it arrives at this point? They're down to nine crew members and from the sound of it, far from their destination. Even before the first mass murder there were only twentyish people around (Vogel parents, Kimiko's mother, Jordan's parents, the five victims, possibly Jordan), maybe a few more who died in the meantime. The ship's population is dying out and there's no way they'll be able to keep this going for many more generations.
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Mar 2, 2022 04:26
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MagusofStars posted:Wait, so this exact ship dumped Jordan into an escape pod two decades ago and now the same ship re-found her. How does that work? Once they launched the pod away, it'd be incredibly unlikely that they'd end up in the exact same spot (or relatively close) after almost 18 years apart. Over that length of time, even very minor differences in travel speed or routes taken would really add up. quote:
Whether or not the math would actually check out is obviously up for debate, but this is the game's explanation.
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Mar 2, 2022 13:26
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MagusofStars posted:Wait, so this exact ship dumped Jordan into an escape pod two decades ago and now the same ship re-found her. How does that work? Once they launched the pod away, it'd be incredibly unlikely that they'd end up in the exact same spot (or relatively close) after almost 18 years apart. Over that length of time, even very minor differences in travel speed or routes taken would really add up. The game has been pretty heavily foreshadowing that Jordan's parents were up to something involving their research; I'm guessing it's not a coincidence that things turned out this way.
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Mar 2, 2022 15:26
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Being born in space and spending all your life in spaceships and shuttles must suck.
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Mar 2, 2022 16:03
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 content warning: description of bodily harm [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  I would have been so happy if this day had never arrived, but I knew that was just wishful thinking on my part. I awoke with a start to the sound of Dai's announcement as it piped in over the ship's intercom.  Goooooood morning, competitors! What a wonderful morning- it's already shaping up to be a great day, don't you think? This is just a friendly reminder that in a mere eight hours, the next round of the Deletion Game will begin. I hope you all have your clues ready! Dai, over and out!… [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  Wide awake, I rolled onto my back and looked at the ceiling. It was a surreal feeling, knowing that today might be my last day. I was no closer to finding Dai's deactivation code and, to be honest, I didn't even know where to look. Alright, let's take another crack at this pocket watch. I recovered the pocket watch from my bedside table and headed to the Lab. …  I arrived to find the lab empty. I guess it makes sense that Vladimir would want to spend time with Melody before tonight.I brought out the box that contained my parents' research and started sifting through it again. There had to be something of use in here. Before too long, the floor of the lab was covered in papers, but nothing in particular was jumping out at me. I decided to try booting up what appeared to be my father's tablet. Huh? The tablet's locked? I didn't even know they had that function.I looked at the tablet closely. It needs a password. I wonder what my father would have used as a password... Maybe he was sentimental. I'll try my name.The tablet made an error sound. Of course it wasn't me, he forgot to feed me after all. What about... his birthday?The tablet made another error sound. Argh! What could it possibly be? Ai appeared in the lab with me. Good morning, Jordan. Oh, hey Ai. My system has registered multiple attempts to access your father's tablet. Yeah, that's me, sorry. Would you like his password? Are you allowed to give it to me? Yes. The moment a crew member passes away, their tablets become the property of the Everett. It is therefore well within regulations for me to give you access to your father's tablet. Wonderful, what is the password? Password. Your father's password is “password.” Seriously? If that's the best you can come up with, why would you even bother having one, Dad? Sheesh. I did warn him that his password strength wasn't strong enough. But it appeared strong enough to keep you out. Are you making fun of me, Ai?A mischievous expression crept across Ai's face. Yes, am I being successful?My response was dripping with sarcasm. Yeah, you're a real riot, Ai. Now let's get this drat thing open. I put in the password and the tablet immediately sprang to life. Wonderful, maybe there's something in here about this pocket watch. There most certainly is. How do you know? Now that the tablet has connected to the network, I have access to all information on the tablet. Oh, you can save me some time, then. Would you mind pulling up any files related to the pocket watch? I will transfer all relevant files onto your tablet. One moment, please... Transfer is complete.I opened my tablet and confirmed that she'd already isolated and transferred the files to my tablet. Thank you so much, Ai; you're a lifesaver. I would have been here all day trying to locate those files without your help. My pleasure. If you would excuse me, I am being requested in the Engineering Bay.I was almost too involved with the tablet to say a proper goodbye to Ai. This information... there was so much on this watch. My parents definitely had been busy. Many-worlds theory... Relocation of the human race... Hypothesis for transferral of matter between parallel universes... Sweet science. Instead of travelling for multiple generations and taking a chance on successfully terraforming an alien planet... My parents were trying to relocate the entire human race into a different reality. And... It looks like they may have gotten close. This pocket watch is supposed to be a part of this puzzle?I read more of the notes. Pages and pages of notes. Alright, I think I understand.This pocket watch is a device. A device that should allow this reality to connect with another in order to allow transferral of matter between realities. But how... Gradually, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. I began reading aloud sections of notes. In theory, this timepiece should function like a time machine. In order to work, however, a stable time machine must already exist in both time frames. So we should be able to connect our version of reality to another if this device exists there, too. But how do we connect these devices across the divide of time and space?I must have spent hours going through my parents' notes. They never once mentioned how to connect to another reality, only that the watch was required. Argh, and I thought we were getting somewhere! Why isn't there more information?Suddenly, the intercom rang out. [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera] Greetings, Competitors! I must request that you all make your way to the Dining Hall so we can begin this round of the Deletion Game. It'll be starting in five minutes, so don't be late!Although the situation was grave, I really didn't have time for Dai's games right now. After putting away the tablet, I made my way to the Dining Hall. By the time I arrived, everyone had already assembled outside. …  It's about time, slowpoke!  OK, just to make sure everyone's on the same page, here's how this is going to work: players will be represented by ships numbered 1 to 9 with two health points apiece. You'll each have one missile at your disposal to fire at a target of your choice. The first player whose ship is shot twice will be eliminated.Dai made a show of consulting her bare wrist before continuing.  The door will be opening shortly, so get ready. Pray, cry, beg for mercy, whatever floats your boat. Oh, one more thing. Only one person will be permitted to enter the Dining Hall at a time. And since it's first come first serve, dawdling's a sure-fire way to wind up dead. Everyone got it? Yes, Dai, we all understand. Just get on with it. Oh, eeeager are we? I love it! Alright then, I officially declare the first round of the Deletion Games, Logiship, open for business.[BGM: Signs of Battle] Welcome. I hope you find everything to your liking.Adopting the attitude of a gracious new shop owner, Dai invited her petrified customers in with a theatrical wave of her hand. Beatrix, unfazed by Dai's little routine, was in and out before anyone else could react. She really did mean business. Waiting wasn't going to make things any easier for me at this point. I had the most information I was ever going to have, and I needed to make my selection as soon as possible. The door shut behind me as I entered the Dining Hall.  Welcome, Jordan~ Please make your selection on the screen before you. Okay, so, if it wasn't obvious, the results of this round of the Deletion Game are incredibly important, as this does result in a branch on the flowchart in regards to how things progress afterwards. I won't be confirming how many branches there are, though; we'll get to that later. At this point, the “solution” of where everyone is in this Logiship roster has already successfully been solved by the thread, but that's because you all have the luxury of clues that Jordan herself never got access to. And yes, you can choose any of the 9 squares; regardless of how many branching paths there actually are from this point, each vote option is connected to a branch path. ...Whether it's one you were trying for or not is another story, though. That, combined with the fact that there's no real collaboration or discussion with anyone else on how to vote, means that it's actually harder than it looks to aim for a specific branch if you're just firing shots in the dark- which, ironically, is exactly what Jordan is going to be doing here *click!* [BGM: Carpe Noctum]  Thank you for your selection, and thank you for choosing Dai's Deletion Game as your preferred population restriction method. Please exit the room and await this round's results.… I left the room and watched as, one after another, everyone else went in to shoot their missiles. In an unexpected turn of events, it would appear that everyone has chosen to attack in the first fifteen minutes, which brings this round to an end. Who'd have thought that you were all so eager to kill each other? Well, who am I to argue? Give the people what they want, right? Let's get straight to the results. Whoops! … [BGM: The Aftermath of Bravery] You have got to be kidding me. This is a special moment, everyone... Oh no... Jordan? May I present to you the loser of this round of the Deletion Game, Jordan! Annnnnnd... The only person to shoot themselves! Hahahahahaha.... I thought I'd worked out where I was, or at least near enough not to shoot myself. Well, you thought wrong, dingus! Hahahaha. Seriously though, thanks a million, Jordan. It was my dream to have one of you kill yourselves, but I didn't think anyone actually would, but you... Hahahahahahaha! I'm so sorry, Jordan.I was just gobsmacked. I'd just sentenced myself to death. No, yeah, that's OK. What the hell is wrong with me? Hahahaha. Um, Jordan, are you okay? I just killed myself by accident. Yeah, that's... It's OK. If I'm silly enough to accidentally kill myself, then I clearly wouldn't be of much use to you here. Don't say such things! This is just too much! BUT, the show must go on! Let's find out which of our fabulous prizes you've won today.With a flourish, Dai summoned the familiar holographic wheel. Just as before, the various means of execution were inscribed upon its face. From the looks of things, she'd also made a few new additions. Relishing our discomfort, Dai paused just long enough to give us a look at the updated wheel, before setting it in motion. Its rhythmic clicking gradually slowed, coming to rest on... Oooooh, I've been wanting to try this one out! Congratulations, Jordan, you're going to be pancaked! Huh? What does that even mean? You'll find out shortly! OK, everyone, let's head over to Living Unit 7. You know the drill, resist, I kill you, and so on. Yeah, yeah.I walked forward, still in a daze, while Yoshiki did his best to try and keep me company. I like pancakes. Maybe you'll get to eat some? I don't think it's going to be quite that pleasant. You're right. I have a bad feeling about this. What part? The pancakes, or me being sentenced to death? Hahaha, yeah, I guess you're right. Of course it's bad.It wasn't long before we arrived at my quarters. If you would be so kind as to enter your room and shut the door... It's not like I have much of a choice. Any last words, crew? That's surprisingly considerate of you, Dai. Jordan, I would just like to- Time's up! Get in there, Jordan, and make it snappy! I reluctantly did as I was told. The moment I closed the door, I heard Dai disengage the electronic lock. Dai began talking to me over the intercom. Separated from the others by the solid steel door, I could no longer see or hear any of the crew. I would have to face Dai's cruel torture alone. Order up, one serving of Jordan pancakes! Ship Broadcast: Gravity levels in Living Unit 7, increasing. My body began to feel extremely heavy, to the point where I had to struggle to remain standing. Ship Broadcast: Gravity levels in Living Unit 7, increasing. At this point, it felt as if someone was physically pushing me towards the ground. It wasn't long before I was lying flat on my back. Ship Broadcast: Warning, gravity levels in Living Unit 7 are approaching dangerous levels.  The immense pressure on my chest made it difficult to breathe. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even rise to a sitting position. I desperately tried to fill my lungs, but only managed a few short, shallow gasps for air. To my amazement, I found that I couldn't even lift my head anymore. After a few horrifying moments, I could hear my body creak under the strain. Unbearable pain shot throughout my entire body as, one by one, my bones and internal organs buckled and ruptured, compressed against the floor by the unyielding force of gravity. With one final, visceral snap, death overtook me.  You have died. And with that, we have our first “ending”...even if it is a Dead End. We'll definitely be back to make sure Jordan gets an outcome where she doesn't shoot herself, but before we do so, isn't there another protagonist we've been neglecting...?
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Mar 3, 2022 19:15
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 Well, this suicide wasn't very quantum.
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Mar 3, 2022 20:33
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Interesting that outside of quantum bullshit, we get to pick exactly who we want to kill, unless it's Melody, in which case we get round 2? Really weird to have that much power.
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Mar 3, 2022 20:57
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I'm assuming the way the timelines work is that a shot from Jordan on a character will always be the kill shot on that character.
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Mar 3, 2022 21:03
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Leraika posted:I'm assuming the way the timelines work is that a shot from Jordan on a character will always be the kill shot on that character. That would mean there are 7 different branches, one for each death, and either the deaths would have to account for who is alive if they can happen anytime or they're just generic lines which would suck. The logical thing is 2-4 branches and some shots lead to the same result. (I say 7 cause whichever branch leads to Melody dying at our hand will probably end in Vladmir throwing us out the airlock )...that said, curious how the kid character was essentially safe on both rounds, she had a 10 in the first round (unless her dad traded with her) and now nobody shot at her. Maybe Dai does have feelings after all! (Or maybe the devs don't want to expressly murder a child on screen. Which, fair).
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Mar 3, 2022 22:46
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:That would mean there are 7 different branches, one for each death, and either the deaths would have to account for who is alive if they can happen anytime or they're just generic lines which would suck. The logical thing is 2-4 branches and some shots lead to the same result. Not necessarily - you could theoretically have a route where X or Y died and it had the same end result (one of the twins dying and the other doing something that would cause Dai to retaliate, for example). This is all speculation, but 'there are seven routes, or slightly fewer with similar end results' is more believable to me from a game standpoint than 'you make a decision that doesn't actually matter in a visual novel'.
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Mar 4, 2022 02:32
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If we kill the captain, who takes over? Does the Everett work on Necromonger rules?
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Mar 4, 2022 08:26
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Leraika posted:I'm assuming the way the timelines work is that a shot from Jordan on a character will always be the kill shot on that character. Maybe, but I wouldn't be surprised in a game like this if the results were less obvious than that. Shooting at someone resulting in the death of someone else is the kind of thing that a game invoking chaos theory would do, after all.
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Mar 4, 2022 15:22
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 The good news about the Prologue section is that a lot of it is shared between the two Jordans; this means we can skip over the important story stuff that we already know, and focus specifically on how M!Jordan is different from his female counterpart! He's going to have to wake up first, though...[BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  How's our little ray of sunshine doing this morning? Still unconscious, but their vitals are stable, with any luck our patient will wake up today. Does this mean that I won't get to lovingly sponge bathe them anymore? I've enjoyed it so much. Beatrix, what you do on your own time is none of my concern.…   Nikolas, look! ...ter... Ter?  Water, Beatrix! Water! I'll go fetch some while you perform the basic cognitive tests. ...What? ...Where... am... I?I cleared my throat a few times. An unfamiliar voice emanated from my parched throat in a harsh croak. It's about time you woke up. Good morning! Let me be the first to welcome you aboard the Everett. My name is Beatrix Vogel. I'm one of the medical officers here. I'm sorry... but what's going on? Wait- the Everett? This is the Everett?! The last thing I remember, I was in the escape pod, and...I paused. I didn't remember much of anything, only brief snatches of conversation and the odd glimpses of mathematical equations, but none of it made sense. Whoa, slow down, sailor. The Captain will debrief you once we've given you a clean bill of health, but until then, you're not going anywhere. You... you have blonde hair.I reached for Beatrix's golden hair, which poured over her shoulder in gentle curls. ...I know. Glorious, isn't it? I've never seen blonde hair before. Can I touch it? I guess I've still got it. Why don't we go ahead and find out how you're doing before you try to ravish me though, alright?I nodded at her weakly, head woozy from the movement. Perfect. So, first question: how many fingers am I holding up? M!Jordan, for example, is more playful, and will usually be picking options that have him at least attempting to be funny. Two fingers and a thumb. Hehe, I like you. We're going to get along just fine. I aim to please. Okay, next question. Are you a man, or a woman? I think that's pretty obvious. It's to test your basic recall, just play along. Man. That you are Sailor, and I must say, you are quite the catch. … What!? As a medical professional, it was my sacred duty to give you a once-over while you were unconscious. Don't judge me. Water, as requested. Ah, Nikolas, excellent timing. This is my extremely handsome little brother, Nikolas.Nikolas nodded modestly. I rose to a sitting position in the bed and accepted the proffered glass of water, downing it in only a few greedy gulps. Nice to finally meet you. My sister already beat me to it, but I'm Nikolas Vogel, Beatrix's younger brother. She's only two minutes older than me, but she's never let me forget it. It's alright, don't be afraid to stare, we're well aware that we won the genetic lottery.Nikolas rolled his eyes at his sister in mock exasperation. I'll try to contain myself. Nikolas, this is... um... You didn't even ask our patient his name? Honestly, Beatrix... Whoops...Beatrix lifted her shoulders in a dismissive shrug before turning her attention to me. So... what is your name?Same as it ever was. Jordan. Well, Jordan, it's nice to see you awake at last. Thanks.With pleasantries now out of the way, Nikolas turned his full attention to me. As he held his fingers firmly against my wrist to take my pulse, he shined a torch in my eyes with his free hand. Its bright beam left black and green spots lingering in my field of vision long after the torch had been extinguished. How are you feeling?M!Jordan had a much more pleasant period of unconsciousness compared to his female counterpart. Pretty good, actually, like I've had a really good night's sleep. Well, you have been unconscious for four days, so I guess it stands to reason that you'd feel that way. Four days?! We picked you up a few days ago. Your escape pod was drifting through space when we recovered it. Pupils are reacting normally, there's no apparent loss of fine motor skills, and you seem coherent. Are you experiencing any dizziness or nausea? No, I feel fine. Of course you do, we've been slaving over you for the last four days. I hope you're grateful... Don't mind her. I think she secretly enjoyed having an actual patient for once.The introduction to Kimiko and Ai is pretty much the same as with Fem!Jordan, and Jordan's personal details are the same regardless of which one you're playing as- same birthdate, same parents, same recorded history that he departed the Everett in 2098 with his parents. Therefore, upon finding this out from Ai... [BGM: With Fear: Hope]  Welcome aboard the Everett, Jordan. As of this moment, you are officially a part of the Everett's crew. Ai, prepare a room for our guest here. Yes, Captain. For now, you will not be permitted to leave your quarters. Do you understand?M!Jordan is a little more willing to push back as well, at least when given the option to. You can't keep me captive, you know. I can, and I will. Test my boundaries, and you'll be relocated to open space before you can blink. Is that a threat? No. It's a promise. I apologize for my hostility, but this is my crew, my ship. It is my sworn duty to protect them, and our mission, at all costs. I needed to determine whether you were friend or foe. And what have you decided? I'll let you know once I've made up my mind. Now come along, I'll escort you to your quarters. Please follow me.I groaned as I slid out of bed and shifted my weight onto my weakened limbs. My knees ached, and I began to feel light-headed as soon as I stood up. The Captain grasped my arm in a steady grip and led me out of the Medical Bay and into a cramped metal corridor. After guiding me down a series of hallways for what seemed like an eternity in my debilitated state. I was relieved when we finally stopped in front of a hexagonal door. Upon my arrival, the door slid open with an audible beep. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe] I stepped inside and took a look around my new living quarters. Although the room was tidy and functional, I was surprised to find that I had mixed feelings about it. While it was certainly more spacious than my personal quarters on the shuttle, it felt oddly impersonal. Its only redeeming feature was the sprawling window that stretched the length of the room, offering an incredible view of deep space.  Here we are. I hope that you find these accommodations acceptable. I get the feeling I know the answer already, but what if I don't? Then I suggest you write up a formal complaint. Unfortunately for you, however, we don't plan to set up a complaint desk any time soon. So keep it under your hat, Jordan.She surprised me with a smirk. Please try to find a way to pass your time in here productively. Perhaps work on getting more of your memory back. There are also some manuals and handbooks covering safety protocols, and basic ship information that you might be interested in if you wish to learn more about the Everett during your confinement period. I will send someone to bring you food, but whatever you do, do not leave this room.Before I could answer, the Captain left without so much as a backward glance, leaving me standing awkwardly in an unfamiliar room on an unfamiliar ship filled with unfamiliar faces. Well, at least it's nicer than a prison cell. The ship's prison cell actually looks very similar, except the walls are painted a different color, there are no windows, and it locks from the outside. Huh. Wait- where did you come from?! As we previously discussed, I am a hologram. I am intimately connected with the entire ship and can manifest myself at will in any area. Do forgive my sudden intrusion, the Captain has given me strict orders to keep you under surveillance. ...Of course she did. Is there anything that you immediately require?M!Jordan, of course, has a different request. Can I go now? Is this what you humans call “humor”? I do not purport to understand humor, but I do enjoy it. Well, it was worth a try. If you'll excuse me, I have other duties to perform. I will maintain surveillance on you at all times however, so please do not try to leave the confines of this room. I will return shortly, please make yourself comfortable in the meantime.With a flicker, Ai vanished from the room and I was left alone once more. I ambled around the room for about ten minutes, inspecting various items, flipping through books, but nothing managed to alleviate the deep sense of unease gnawing away at my insides. Finally succumbing to boredom, I laid down on the bed and admired the stars framed by the window. You'd think that a lifetime spent observing stars and galaxies as they drift past your window would diminish their beauty, but it doesn't. I'm not sure whether I watched the universe sail by for minutes or hours, but before I knew it, I'd already fallen asleep. …... [BGM: Standby to Standby] Our introduction to Yoshiki starts off the same as well, though M!Jordan has a bit of a different response to his food being eaten... The man gestured extravagantly to the meal set upon the nearby table. I grimaced as soon as I saw the meagre amount of food on the plate. Well, I thought it would suck to have to eat alone, so I got permission from the good ol' Cap to let me keep you company while you eat. Thanks, um, that's very kind of you. Is... this the amount of food we are rationed? Kinda. Kinda? Well, originally there was more food on your plate, but you were still asleep when I came to bring it to you, so I... kinda sorta ate a whole bunch of it. I'm starving! Why would you do that!? I haven't eaten a proper meal in nearly four days! Sorry. I just really love beans. Oh, I guess that's alright, then. I don't actually like beans all that much. Really!? It's like we were made to be friends.The energetic man made himself comfortable on the nearby sofa as I began to eat. I shovelled the food down with my fork, subconsciously reminding myself to savour it but failing miserably as my insatiable hunger urged me onward.  Oh, I completely forgot! My name's Yoshiki, by the way. Yoshiki Kasaki. I'm the mechanical engineer, and a Gemini. I'm twenty-one and a half! I love beans, building stuff, and mischief. That's quite the introduction. Let's see. My name's Jordan... and I guess I like... I like trying to keep up with my imagination; there's something so satisfying about actually building the things you come up with in your head. Me too! I'm currently working on a machine that'll plump a pillow to perfect plumpness. You can't oversell the value of comfort on a ship like this. I see, that's... interesting.From here, the conversation continues as normal; Yoshiki ends up revealing some of what happened when Jordan's pod was first recovered, and that the Vogels' father was killed. Similarly, when the next day comes, he confronts Kimiko about what happened and is introduced to Dai at that point. The second round of the Deletion Game is still Make 10, and Jordan is still number 5; however, we'll see what happens when he chooses a different strategy from his female counterpart... It mostly starts the same as before; Kimiko introduces him to Sora, who wants to share lunch with him. The two talk on their way to the Eco Lounge, where he meets Vladimir and Melody, and he ends up spending the day playing with Melody. When Melody runs off to play hide and seek, however... [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]   Jordan. Fi- Yes? Listen. You seem like a good kid, and we'd like to help you out if we can. If you tell us your number, we'll let you know if we can team up with you. If we can't 'Make 10', then no harm done, and we promise not to tell a soul what your number is. Sound fair?M!Jordan is much more open to collaboration, but he's not going to lie about his number either- he's not an rear end in a top hat. If you do choose to lie here, the game actually goes a step further and forces you to pick a specific number to lie about... and most of the options are ones they already know belong to someone else, so they know you're lying (but are gracious about it and just politely tell you that they can't help you with that number) If you lie and say a number they don't immediately know, Vladimir gives a non-commital 'hey, maybe we can help you, we'll see' response, but the scene otherwise continues unchanged. You promise not to tell anyone else, right? Of course. My number is 5. Ah, I see. We can't help you out, I'm afraid. That's too bad. Thanks for asking, in any case. Well, I better go find Melody... READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!...And the rest of the scene is the same from here. Sora gives Jordan the directions to the Baths, and he decides to clean up after spending all day playing with Melody. Beatrix finds him there, and invites him to meet her in the Medical Bay after he's cleaned up; Jordan, seeing no reason not to, accepts her invitation. In the Medical Bay, Nikolas greets him, and the twins reveal they want to work with Jordan, if the numbers allow it. At the very least, he accepts the offer to exchange numbers... Okay, an information swap, then. After you. Oh no. It's too easy for you to go back on your word. You go first, I'll go next, and then Nikolas can go last, how's that? Very well. My number is 2. I've got a 5. That's wonderful! I have a 3. If we combine all our numbers, we'll make a 10 and are safe. What do you think, will you team up with us? I mean, hey, if the numbers work, why wouldn't he want to team up with them? It's an obvious choice, right? This sounds like a good plan. Excellent! So, in two days, we'll all combine our numbers. In the meantime, do not divulge your number to any other crew members under any circumstances. In any case, I believe that Beatrix promised you dinner, so now that we've finished our business, let's move on to something more enjoyable.And from here, the rest of dinner plays out unchanged. Same goes for Kimiko's nighttime visit and her warning about the Vogels. Jordan's meeting with Shizuka and Katashi is MOSTLY the same, except for one additional bit of dialogue: I hate what this game has turned us into. We all used to be such good friends... We're going to propose our idea at breakfast this morning, and the more supporters we can get, the better. We know that the Captain is willing to support us, now it's just a matter of convincing everybody else. You don't need to give us your answer now, just think it over. I will. Worst case scenario, if we can't get the crew to agree with us then we'll team up with you. Katashi has 2, and I have 3. Oh... I see.But Beatrix and Nikolas had told me they had 2 and 3 as well... Someone was lying here, and I didn't have a lot of time to figure out who. That's right, for M!Jordan, both pairs who want to team up with you are claiming to have the same numbers- and who's to say if the numbers on Fem!Jordan's side are the same as they are over here? That said, the rest is the same, leading up to when breakfast is served and Katashi proposes their plan... Shizuka has created a strategy that allows us to vote on the loser of the game. It's pretty simple, really. First, we would discuss and vote on who should be eliminated. Then, that person must swap cards with number 5. Everyone else would then pair up with their corresponding numbers to make 10: 1 with 9, 2 with 8, and 4 with 6. If we agreed to this plan, everyone would need to be involved in the discussion. And be willing to sacrifice themselves in the event that they lost the vote. It's certainly not a perfect plan, and at the end of the day we'd still be sentencing someone to death, regardless of how we arrived at that decision, but it would get the job done. That's ludicrous! Why would anyone ever choose to cooperate if they lost? Is this even allowed? Wouldn't Dai protest? I do not believe that this plan contradicts any of the game's rules. The rules of 'Make 10' do not prevent disclosure of numbers or coordinated pairings. I'd rather not. Nikolas and I are doing perfectly fine on our own. Don't think you can drag us into your petty little scheme, we see right through it. You're just trying to expose everyone's numbers so you can screw them over. I have to agree with my sister on this one. We'd also be putting ourselves at considerable risk given the fact that we are the only profession on board that has two officers. Everyone here is important! There's no way I could ever choose between my friends!...he's in favor of it. It may be the only way to make sure someone important to the mission doesn't get killed. A person's worth isn't so easily measured. But someone's going to die regardless! If that person's skills are vital to the mission, then humanity's hopes die with them. This mission is bigger than any one of us! The thought is appreciated, Shizuka, but it seems as though the majority of the crew is against the idea. We will continue playing the Deletion Game as we have been until now. Dismissed.The crew disperses afterwards, and Jordan returns to his quarters. Instead of taking Kimiko up on her offer, though, he stays in his quarters to get some extra rest, believing that she probably wouldn't have any information for him that she hadn't already divulged. Therefore, the following day, Jordan's first round of the Deletion Game begins... except, unlike his female counterpart, his choices are a little bit different, especially a new one that's just appeared... 
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Mar 4, 2022 17:55
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we're gonna have to go with the twins eventually, and M!Jordan is less guarded than his female counterpart
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Mar 4, 2022 18:22
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Twins, though i think they're lieing about their numbers
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Mar 4, 2022 18:54
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to be clear this isn't a vote, for reasons you'll see next update
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Mar 4, 2022 19:01
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I suddenly remembered Alice fron VLR. Let's see what happens.
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Mar 4, 2022 19:14
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oh. :V
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Mar 4, 2022 20:29
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I know it’s not a vote but… I’m interested to see what happens if MJ does nothing just like FJ did. Quantum mechanics where other people act differently even though we do the same?
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Mar 4, 2022 20:51
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Maybe I'm just easily entertained, but I like Jordan's near constant  face.
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Mar 4, 2022 20:54
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I imagine MJordan is less likely to be screwed over by the Twins since Beatrix is obviously thirsty for him
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Mar 5, 2022 00:38
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I had a good chuckle when I looked up the quantum suicide thought experiment and realized the ship's name is yet another reference too. This is an interesting story thus far!
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Mar 5, 2022 19:05
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 content warning: suicidal ideation This update, we're going to take a peek behind the curtain and see some of the ways that Make 10 can shake out. As someone theorized in the thread, Make 10 is basically a “tutorial” of sorts- this is still the Prologue as far as the game's structure is concerned, we barely know any of the characters, and are essentially being thrown into a choice that will, guaranteed, result in someone's death. It's meant to feel rushed and as if the stakes haven't really sunk in yet- because that's how it actually is for Jordan. That said, while that may mean that there's mechanically not much to this part in terms of the flowchart, how the Make 10 round itself goes can vary considerably, and in this update we'll be seeing some of the different outcomes- for both Jordans.The first outcome we're going to see is what happens when you (successfully) lie to Vladimir and Sora about your number. As a reminder, if you're truthful, they will never work with you since 5 is incompatible with their numbers across both protagonists; I grabbed a save with Fem!Jordan for this one, but it's the same scenes regardless of whether you're a boy or a girl. [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  I knew what I had to do. I'd promised Sora that I would combine numbers with her, but for my own sake I had to finally own up to my earlier lie, told in a moment of panic. Failing to do so would leave me open to potentially deadly consequences. Vladimir and Sora stood huddled around a wide-eyed Melody, cushioning her from the surrounding chaos. Sora smiled as I approached their circle with a little wave of my hand.  It's nice of you to join us, Jordan. That's right, you can keep lying even now! How this plays out changes based on how Jordan acts here, so we'll be seeing both; that said, I'm going to start with 'continue lying' just to get it out of the way.I knew what I had to do. Vladimir and Sora had been so kind to me. Perhaps it was the fact that they'd known my parents, but they'd truly made me feel welcome on the Everett, and for that, I was indebted to them. It had started off as a harmless little lie, but now I'd left it too long to turn back. I couldn't bring myself to hurt Sora, Melody, and Vladimir, even if it meant risking my life in the process. I'm not about to go breaking my promise, now. Could you look after Melody for a moment, while Sora and I swap cards? We'll be back in a tick. Of course.Sora and Vladimir headed into the Dining Hall, while Melody and I waited in the hallway. How are you today? Are you doing okay? Yeah, I'm okay, but I want to go somewhere else. It's boring here. Boring? Well, we can't have you bored now, can we? How about we play a game while we wait for your mum and dad to come back? Hide and seek!? It's not big enough in here for that, how about I Spy? Okay, I'll go first! I spy with my little eye something beginning with... S! Well, let's see... is it Shizuka? Nope. Spaceship? No... What about... stars? Yep! It's the stars outside the ship. That was a good one, Melody. Okay, my turn. I spy with my little eye something beginning with... Mommy's back! I was going to say L, but have it your way. I hope she didn't cause too much trouble while we were gone. She wasn't any trouble at all. Well, let's get on with it, shall we?Once the room was free, Sora and I spoke to Dai. Jordan and I would like to use the transaction terminals. Excellent. Right this way.… As soon as we entered the room, the door closed behind us with a loud metallic clang. You have 10 minutes to complete the transaction, at which time you will be forcibly removed from the Dining Hall. Sora stepped up to the primary terminal and gestured for me to take my place at the terminal across from her. I silently complied. As soon as I stepped in front of the terminal, the front and side walls prevented me from seeing anything. All of my attention was focused on the screen. Whatever happened here would determine my future. The sensation of placing my hand on something that wasn't physically there felt very surreal. I'd been expecting to feel a slight electric vibration when I placed my palm against its surface, but there was nothing. My terminal beeped as my handprint was verified as my own. The terminal changed to display my name and card number: a lonely 5. On my screen, I saw the word GIVE light up. What are you doing!? We're supposed to be combining! Transaction complete! Thank you for participating in the Deletion Game. Please come again! You don't know how much you're like them, do you? Your mother and I were thick as thieves, you know. She used to do that same little nose wiggle when she was lying as well. It made her a terrible poker player. You've picked that up from her. ...You knew? Of course I knew. I'm not just a pretty face, you know. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you, I just panicked and blurted it out. I didn't know how to fix it, so I just thought I'd go through with it as planned. But... You gave away your card! Why would you do that?Sora paused, her face softening into a compassionate smile.  Your life is only just starting. You have so much more to offer this ship, this mission. More than you could possibly realize. I owe it to your parents to give you that opportunity, and I owe it to my daughter to give her the best chance of survival. I make this sacrifice in exchange for a promise: Save her. Save my daughter from this hell. Please.Sora restrained a sob. Please, please. I promise. I'll do everything in my power to save her.Tears welled up in Sora's eyes at my words. In that moment, I finally realized my purpose aboard the Everett: I had to stop this depraved game, at any cost. Thank you...Sora closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me in a fierce hug. She buried her head in my shoulders, whispering 'thank you' all the while. There were no words that could properly express my gratitude to her at that moment, so I wordlessly hugged her back, just as tightly. Sora squeezed me one last time before letting go. She paused for a moment to wipe her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself before heading back out. Having done so, she strode through the Dining Hall with as much of her usual cheerfulness as she could muster. And thus, this outcome leads to the same outcome as before; Sora sacrifices herself again, albeit with more explanation/set-up this time. What about if we confess to the lie? It's nice of you to join us, Jordan. You won't be saying that in a moment. I'm sorry? Sora, can I bother you for a word in private please? Of course, dear.Sora leaned down and gave Melody a quick peck on the forehead, then followed me a little further down the corridor. What is it? Is there something wrong? First of all, I want to apologize. I haven't been able to sleep for the last few days. What have you done? I'm afraid I haven't exactly been truthful... about my number. I see... I truly am sorry. I was just so nervous about the Deletion Game that I blurted out a fake number, then I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed, but I understand. This game brings out the worst in all of us, it seems. That said, may I ask what number you do have? Truthfully? 5. In that case, can I ask a favor of you? Of course. Come into the transaction room with me. What? Why? I've decided to sacrifice myself. You can't! Shh! The walls have ears. Come into the room with me, please. Give me a chance to explain myself. Okay, but we're just going to talk. Alright.As soon as the room was free, Sora and I spoke with Dai. Jordan and I would like to use the transaction terminals. Excellent. Right this way.… As soon as we entered the room, the door closed behind us with a loud metallic clang. You have 10 minutes to complete the transaction, at which time you will be forcibly removed from the Dining Hall. Why would you possibly want to sacrifice yourself? Let me explain myself... I'm doing this for the mission. Vladimir and I are the only remaining members of the first generation. We chose this life, we worked for it. You children were born into it, believing in the mission, fighting for it. No choice, no opportunity for anything else. But you've never seen Earth, the rain of fire, the mutated bodies... You've never experienced the putrid taste that clings to your palate, when everything you've ever known and loved is burnt to the ground. I know why I'm here. I'm here to find a new world for the human race. I'm here to shield the generations to come from the horrors I've witnessed, and yet here I am, faced with the same pain on my very own ship. I won't let any of you die if I can help it, however short your reprieve. Please, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but you're the only person I can ask. The others are too close to me to do the right thing. Please, I beg of you. If it's what you really want... I'll do it. Thank you... You have no idea how much this means to me. This is all very touching, but you've only got 3 minutes left to complete your transaction, so you might want to can it with the mushy stuff for now.Sora stepped up to the primary terminal and gestured for me to take my place at the terminal across from her. I silently complied. The transaction is the same here, with Sora choosing to GIVE her card to Jordan. She gives Jordan a hug after doing so, and then says: Time to face the music.The door opened. Surprisingly, everyone but Vladimir and Melody had disappeared from the hallway. All done? Yes, we're done. I hope you know that if anything goes wrong, death by murderous AI will be the least of your problems once I get my hands on you. Behave, you. I had the primary terminal, so if anything goes wrong, I'm the only one that deserves the blame. You hear? Count yourself lucky that she's got a soft spot for you, kid. Well, we still have about an hour or so. Why don't we go steal something sweet from the kitchen while Katashi's preoccupied? Really?Melody's eyes seemed to double in size at the mention of sweets. I know for a fact there's half a lemon tart in the fridge. That'll do nicely. Can Jordan come too? Of course she can. You know what, Melody, some other time. I'm a little bit sleepy right now, so I'm going to have a nap. Do me a favor, will you: give your mum lots of hugs and kisses for me, okay? Okay! I don't have to remind you that she's a married woman, do I? Not at all. Well, I'm off. Bye-bye! Bye, Melody.My heart ached knowing that this would be Sora's final hour. That little girl would be lost without her mother. Maybe I'd made a mistake... but there was nothing I could do now. The deed was done. I had to live with that. Similar to if you try to keep pretending, this ultimately is still a “Jordan lives” outcome, with Sora, again, sacrificing herself for the rest of the crew. The final outcome to be shown in this update is one that showed up at the end of the last update, one that Fem!Jordan didn't have when we went through the Prologue as her. This outcome only shows up if you make specific choices- that is, if you are truthful with Vladimir and Sora about what your number is AND give your support to Katashi and Shizuka's strategy. It will show up for either Jordan as long as you meet those criteria:  The option to sacrifice yourself. Also, again, they used the original concept for Jordan here where they had glasses; Fem!Jordan also has glasses if you get this option with her, so I think it's just a carryover from the early builds/demo that nobody picked up on, since Jordan is basically “offscreen” when playing QS and there's a reasonable chance of not hitting the requirements to even see this option.  It slowly dawned on me that I'd been so preoccuped with all the petty squabbling and the uncertainty over whether or not I would trust the right person, that I'd never considered alternative possibilities. No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, I knew in my heart that I would never truly fit in on the Everett. These people had years of history together. All I had were rusty social skills and a fragile hope that they would accept me, a hope that was crumbling with every passing minute. I was not one of them. The wary glances in the hall, the way that their voices fell to a hush when I drew near... I felt a keen ache in my heart as I realized that these people, these strangers would never be able to fill the void inside me that begged for companionship and closeness. It would be better for everyone if I just ended it now. Sacrificing myself would give them another week of peace. I would be neither missed nor mourned; better me than someone that actually mattered, right? I needed help from someone in order to complete my plan. I approached the only person who I thought would understand: Sora, the navigation officer. Vladimir and Sora stood huddled around a wide-eyed Melody, cushioning her from the surrounding chaos. She smiled as I approached their circle with a little wave of my hand. Hello. Hello, Jordan. Melody, say hello. Hello. Hey, Melody. Is there any chance I could steal your mum for a moment? I could use some advice about this whole situation. Of course. It must be difficult for you, not really knowing anyone here... Yeah... well, that's what I'd like to talk about...Sora and I walked a little way down the hall, far enough away from the others that we could speak freely without fear of being overheard.  What's on your mind? I hate to ask, but I need you to do me a favor. Please, you're the only one on this whole ship that I trust. What do you need me to do?I took a deep breath to calm myself before replying. I need to give you my card. What?! Why would you do that?Sora's sharp exclamation and panicked expression drew the scrutiny of everyone in the hallway. Vladimir looked particularly concerned. Sora repeated her question, this time in a whisper. What? Why would you do that? Because I don't belong here! I've never felt so alone in my entire life. No one here will ever accept me... I don't want to live my life as an outsider. Give them time, they'll come around. It's not just that! I'm the cause of this whole ridiculous game to begin with! This is my fault, so I should be the one to pay the price. I know that my death probably won't stop the Deletion Game, but at the very least I can try to atone for the pain I've caused. Please, I'm begging you. Let me do this. Okay, okay... I'll help. I wish it didn't have to be this way... Just give me a moment to get rid of the old Ruskie so we can go in unseen. Vladimir knows that I have no reason to go in, and I don't want to worry him.Sora rejoined her family, pointed down the hallway, and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. Vladimir bent down to allow Melody to climb up onto his shoulders. From her perch atop her dad's shoulders, Melody reached up and touched the ceiling as the two of them headed off down the hallway. There, all done. Let's do it before they get back. Dai, Jordan and I wish to use the transaction terminals. You have 10 minutes to complete the transaction, at which time you will be forcibly removed from the Dining Hall.…  We entered the room. Sora moved to the primary terminal. I have to be at the primary terminal to give you my card. No, there's also a Take button here. I'd rather not give you control over the primary terminal in case you try to steal my card from me. You understand, right? It's just a precaution. Oh, no, that's fine, then... I didn't realize there was a Take button.I placed my hand down on one of the other terminals, all the while racking my brain, trying to recall Dai's explanation of the primary terminal. Could we hurry this up? I want to get out of here before Vladimir figures out what we're up to. Sorry.The sensation of placing my hand on something that wasn't physically there felt very surreal. I'd been expecting to feel a slight electric vibration when I placed my palm against its surface, but there was nothing. My terminal beeped as my handprit was verified as my own. The terminal changed to display my name and card number: a lonely 5.  On my screen, I saw the word GIVE light up. What are you doing?! Congratulations! Your transaction has been completed! Judgement will occur in 12 minutes. Thank you for participating in the Deletion Game. What did you do!?Sora gave me a sad, sweet smile. I gave you my card. WHAT?! WHY? I lied. There is no Take button. I'm actually surprised you fell for that. After all, your parents were geniuses. Why the hell would you give me your card?! I wanted to sacrifice myself. Don't you understand? This was my chance for redemption!Sora whipped around. You listen here. I may not know you all that well, but I did know your parents; they were the most brilliant people I've ever met, and I've met A LOT more people in my lifetime than you. If you're even as half as smart as they were, you're the key to ending this nightmare. I can't, this is all my fault... You should've just let me die... Don't you dare give me that nonsense, young man! If you truly believe this is your fault, then you have a duty to do everything in your power to stop it! Sora paused, her face softening into a compassionate smile. Your life is only just starting. You have so much more to offer this ship, this mission. More than you could possibly realize. I owe it to your parents to give you that opportunity, and I owe it to my daughter to give her the best chance of survival. I make this sacrifice in exchange for a promise: Save her. Save my daughter from this hell. Please.Sora restrained a sob. Please, please. I promise. I'll do everything in my power to save her.Tears welled up in Sora's eyes at my words. In that moment, I finally realized my purpose aboard the Everett: I had to stop this depraved game, at any cost. Thank you...Sora closed the distance between us and wrapped her arms around me in a fierce hug. She buried her head in my shoulders, whispering 'thank you' all the while. There were no words that could properly express my gratitude to her at that moment, so I wordlessly hugged her back, just as tightly. Sora squeezed me one last time before letting go. She paused for a moment to wipe her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself before heading back out. Having done so, she strode through the Dining Hall with as much of her usual cheerfulness as she could muster.  Even this option leads to Sora sacrificing herself to make sure Jordan lives. Ultimately, any option that ends up with Sora and Jordan interacting leads to this outcome; I guess you could chalk it up to her caring nature as a mother. You may remember when we took the option to do nothing, she also came to keep us company for a while there too, upon seeing that we were hanging back. (Also, since someone asked, if M!Jordan doesn't do anything the outcome is identical, so no reason to show it again.) Next update, we'll see the rest of the outcomes- the ones where we get involved with the other crewmates.
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Mar 7, 2022 19:49
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For a game called Quatum Suicide this feels like a Quantum Murder of Sora. That's like, 3-4 timelines where she dies. That said, the results screen should change when Sora gives Jordan the card instead of her husband, right? Letting us know if she had the 7 or the 8. Unless you have a reason for not showing us the different results... On the other choices... I realized just now it doesn't matter who's lying, cause there are only 3 possible results unless cards are actually shuffled on those routes: -Jordan joins the ones with the 2 and 3, forming 10. The other couple already makes 10 (Katashi and Shizuka did on the first round), so the only possible deaths are Vladmir and... Sora again, whoever has the 7 (poor woman can't catch a breath). -Jordan joins the liars. However since 2+3 would be the lowest numbered pair (Vlad+Sora should make 15) it would kill whoever has the 2 on the pair telling the truth (Beatrix or Katashi, since having them lie twice would be needlessly complicated) -It's all a fakeout and Sora still gives her card on both choices cause being Sora is suffering
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Mar 7, 2022 20:15
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:For a game called Quatum Suicide this feels like a Quantum Murder of Sora. That's like, 3-4 timelines where she dies. It's because Sora isn't dateable. I realize this sounds cynical but it is absolutely this. I'm sure of it.
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Mar 7, 2022 20:47
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:For a game called Quatum Suicide this feels like a Quantum Murder of Sora. That's like, 3-4 timelines where she dies. It's mostly because the end result for these three outcomes is that Sora dies from having no cards regardless of what card she gave Jordan, and there's no interaction with Vladimir otherwise for this round so I didn't think there would be a reason to show that off since he'll never have an option to betray you
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Mar 7, 2022 20:59
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