Somber's game Session VIII Log

[18:47:30] <%Somber> The friends had come to Shady Hollow hospital in search of a healing talisman. The hospital had a silent, solemn feel to it. Oddly, there was no looting anywhere. Just a layer of dust covering everything. The first floor had admin, cafeteria, and ER on the map. The second floor had OR and specalty doctors offices. Third floor had patients rooms.
[18:49:27] <%Somber> The friends had entered the lobby, the dusty halls lit with flickering lights. Muszak filtered in and out as the speakers struggled for power. Somewhere in the distance, someone was paging a doctor Acorn.
[18:49:39] Star_Chaser points at the others. "No drinking the water. No taking strange medication. No opening doors unless they're clearly labeled. Stick together." She frowns. "And be on the lookout for security. A place like this should have been looted a long time ago, if it's not, that means it has defenses."
[18:51:00] Aria nods. "Yeah, I have the bruises to verify that. At least the first pair of turrets were using rubber bullets, but I don't think we should assume all of them are using non-lethal defenses."
[18:53:07] Red_Line gives a tired sigh "This place may just be a death trap."
[18:53:25] Tiller grunts nervous affirmation. "O-kay. I'll try and scout out some more without being spotted."
[18:53:55] Tiller jerks his head at the map. "Whaddoyou guys think? ER first?"
[18:55:32] Aria rolls her sore shoulder. "I cleared the way and looted a lot of medicine from the OR. We can start there and then keep going."
[18:57:06] Tiller "O-kay. Sounds good to me." He makes for the stairs. He is trying not to be seen.
[18:57:32] Tiller is going for the ER. Yes. Okay.
[18:58:36] Tiller scouts ahead to the ER. Sneakily. That last bit is probably redundant due to Aria's Big Noise, but it can't hurt.
[18:58:53] Star_Chaser nods her head. "ER and Intensive Care are the places most likely to have a healing talisman." SHe moves along behind Tiller a fair ways, stealthy was not one of her descriptive words.
[18:59:23] <%Somber> Tiller sneaks his way up the stairs to the second floor. There's more signs on this floor. OR1. OR2. Radiology. Urology. Wingology. Hornology. Hoofology. Gynocology. Psychiatric services.
[18:59:27] Red_Line nods in affirmative to Aria and follows Tiller "Hope there aren't more turrets."
[19:02:45] <%Somber> As Aria, Star Chaser, and Tiller get to the second floor, they see a turret at the far side of both halls. What is odd is there's a small booth across from the stairs that reads 'check in'. Behind it desk, reading a magazine, is an earth pony nurse. She clearly hasn't spotted the three, humming to herself as she turns the page.
[19:03:41] Tiller decides it would be better to remain sneaking. Let somepony else greet the mystery nurse.
[19:04:19] Aria blinks. Shrugging, she walks up to the nurse. "Hi, I'm checking in. I, um, have to see a gynocologist...." she says, feigning embaressment and not wanting to give any more information.
[19:05:55] Red_Line stares at poster on th wall
[19:06:18] Tiller buttons his lip as several truly dirty quips leap onto the tip of his tongue.
[19:06:30] <%Somber> She looked up as Aria approaches and immediately smiles. "OH! I didn't hear you come in." She said brightly as she turned to the terminal. "Name?"
[19:06:53] Aria smiles nervously. "Aria Rose."
[19:07:40] <%Somber> She tapped the keys and then frowns. "I'm not seeing that name under gynological appointments. Do you have an appointment or a referral?" She asked with that helpful if slightly concerned smile.
[19:07:48] Star_Chaser looks up and down the hallways, this was a little worrying. Having actual ponies here, believing their medical professionals, was problematic. That meant other possibly worse things could be happening.
[19:08:10] <%Somber> The pink nurse didn't seem the least bit flustered by the sight of Star Chasers or the others.
[19:11:25] Skyshine [[email protected]] joined the channel.
[19:14:24] Aria looks down. "No. I don't have an appointment, but I was refered to come here by an aquaintence."
[19:15:31] <%Somber> "Well if you have a reference, it should be in the system." She typed some more. "Aria Rose... Aria Rose... Ah! Here it is." She blinked at the screen. "Um... according to this though your appointment is with psychological services."
[19:16:39] Aria furrows her brow. "That can't be right. Maybe there's a typo," she said before trying to wave the others through while she distracted the nurse pony.
[19:17:58] Star_Chaser moved on quietly, curious about the nature of what was going on, she paused nearby to stay and listen to what the nurse had to say.
[19:18:15] Red_Line trots past Aria and the nurse
[19:18:24] <%Somber> She typed some more. "No. I'm seeing a bunch of standing referrals for psych services, but nothing anywhere else. Looks like they were all put in by a Doctor Incognito?" She blinked at the screen. "Huh. That's a funny name."
[19:18:47] <%Somber> She leans over at Redline. "Excuse me! You need to check in and get a visitor's badge."
[19:19:04] Skyshine waits by Aria, ears twitching at the word 'referrals'
[19:19:43] Tiller really has no idea what the hell the nurse is talking about. Is glad to stick to his initial decision to stay hid.
[19:19:59] Aria smiles. "These are my friends. I... I didn't want them to know about my... condition..." Aria lies again, trying her best to see defeated. "If they could get badges, maybe they could help me get to my appointment. I'm really nervous."
[19:20:45] Red_Line stops at the nurse's remark "Visitor's badge? Ok how do I get one of thous?'
[19:21:21] <%Somber> "I'm sorry. We can only offer visitor passes to patents with appointments or referrals. They can wait in the lobby till you're done. If you like, though, I can get a nurse to escort you there."
[19:21:51] <%Somber> She smiled patiently at Redline. "Do you have an appointment or referral sir?"
[19:23:50] Aria puts her hoof on Skyshine's. "Can my fiancee at least come with me?"
[19:24:43] <Red_Line> "Well I was looking for my frind Sam Southland, he was on foor two I think?"
[19:24:54] Star_Chaser contemplates and tilts her head to one side. Something about this felt wrong. Well, more wrong. "I think our mystery watcher is meddling again."
[19:26:06] Skyshine turns bright, bright red, before smiling. "I just want to make sure that she'll be alright..."
[19:26:14] <%Somber> She picked a phone. "Merry? Hi. It's Lolly. I have a mare with a P app. Aria Rose. Right. Open referral. She has... some friends with her. Right... what about her VSP? Right! Right. Okay. Okay! I'll let her know!" She hung up the phone. "She says one guest pass is alright. Name?" She asked Skyshine and she typed on the terminal.
[19:27:32] Tiller is sneaky sneaky
[19:27:43] Skyshine smiles, and manages "Skyshine. Skyshine... well, right now it's Dancer, but I hope it'll be Rose soon..." She says, giving Aria a nuzzle.
[19:28:36] Aria is now blushing slightly and smiling as she's nuzzled. "Gotta make sure I'm ship shape before the wedding..."
[19:29:06] <%Somber> she entered it into the terminal, then blinked. "Oh! Um... this is odd. You have a standing psyche referral too, Miss Skyshine."
[19:30:43] Red_Line shrugs and slowly trots off down the hall
[19:30:44] Skyshine looks confused. "I do?" She looks at Aria.
[19:31:15] <%Somber> "Sir! Sir! You need a badge! Sir!" She calls after Redline in alarm.
[19:31:26] Star_Chaser taps her chin. "I think we all do, actually..."
[19:33:02] Aria looks shocked as well. "Let me guess, Dr. Incognito."
[19:33:07] Red_Line gives a flick of his tail "Looking for the restroom be back ok."
[19:33:38] <%Somber> "Rest rooms are down stairs, sir! If you leave this station without a badge security will target you."
[19:33:57] Skyshine shakes her head. "And here I was thinking Parson Brown set this up..."
[19:34:11] <%Somber> The mare says, standing and leaning out over the dusty desk, cob webs clinging to her crisp uniform.
[19:35:56] Red_Line stops and sighs "Ok, but can you hurry it up I don't got all day." as he goes back to the nusrse's station with a huff
[19:37:24] Star_Chaser frowns and flattens her ears. "I think we just have to check in today... Has anyone else checked in lately?"
[19:38:54] <%Somber> The nurse settles back down, letting out a breath. "Whew... hate that automated security system." She checked the off terminal. "I can't really say so ma'am. It's been a quiet day though." She typed some more and a badge popped out with a blue gem in front. It had Aria's name on it. "That will get you to any blue section on the second or third floors.
[19:39:34] <%Somber> Psyche is through those doors, down the hall, on your right. Room 222. Easy enough, right." She prints out a second badge for Skyshine.
[19:40:02] Aria nods, putting on the badge before turning to Skyshine. "Looks like I've gone crazy for you," she jokes.
[19:40:26] Skyshine facehooves and blushes, accepting the badge from Lolly
[19:41:46] <%Somber> She then looks at Red Line. "Name?"
[19:41:53] Star_Chaser looks up and down the halls again. She didn't like this at all.
[19:43:36] Red_Line nods "Roulette Wheel the name."
[19:44:39] <%Somber> "Mmmm... sorry. That name isn't in my system. I'm afraid I can't give you a pass, sir. You can take it up with admin down stairs."
[19:46:37] Red_Line huffs and mumbles "Why all the... always with the paper work and red tape. Thats why nothing gets done you see."
[19:47:31] Aria sighs. "Maybe it's under your nickname, Roulette."
[19:51:54] Red_Line lowers his head in failure "Ok look under Red_Line if you must."
[19:53:34] <%Somber> She typed it in, then smiled at the dead terminal screen. "There it is." A second later a card printed out with his name on it.
[19:56:33] Aria mumbles to Skyshine. "I don't like this. Be sure to stay close."
[19:56:34] Red_Line take the pass "So is there any place to get a bit to eat?" he asks the very odd nurse
[19:57:17] <%Somber> "Cafeteria down on the first floor, sir and there's a coffee shop on the third."
[19:58:15] <Red_Line> "Humm... coffee shop, third floor you say."
[19:58:36] Skyshine nods. "Sure thing, place gives me the creeps. Definitely not a heartmender's office. So whatever you say... sweetie." She whispers
[19:59:13] Tiller decides to slip back down to the first floor.
[20:00:18] Aria smiles awkwardly while trying to apologize telepathically, which she suddenly wished she knew how to do.
[20:00:32] <%Somber> The nurse then settled back once Red Line got his card, then smiled. "So... is there anything else I can help you with?"
[20:00:53] Tiller scans the wall map. Admin, Admin, how to get to Admin...?
[20:01:05] <%Somber> It's on the first floor.
[20:01:11] <%Somber> Right off the lobvy.
[20:01:21] Tiller sets out for admin. Sneakily.
[20:01:32] <%Somber> With a great big "ADMINISTRATION" over it.
[20:02:28] <%Somber> Tiller goes into Admin and the stallion behind the secretary's desk looks up from his terminal. "Can I help you, sir?"
[20:03:08] Tiller flusters. "Ah, yeah. I want to see the head of security?"
[20:03:52] <%Somber> The stallion frowns. "Is there a problem, sir?" he asked with a concerned look.
[20:05:18] Tiller nods. "Yeah. One of the security turrets is busted, and I need to grab its black box file before I can replace it."
[20:05:36] <%Somber> "Uh... who are you?" he asked skeptically.
[20:06:19] Tiller gives the secretary a severe look. "I'm the repair tech. Sheesh. You think an average pony would just walk around saying shit like this if he wasn't who he said he was?"
[20:07:16] Skyshine follows after Aria. "It's ok, I'm just teasing you..."
[20:07:26] <%Somber> "I'm sorry sir but this is a secure facility. If you can't give me a name, please take a seat and I'll contact our head of security." He gestured at the seats across from him.
[20:08:03] Tiller tosses his head and whinnies. "Fine. M'name's Tiller, and don't check the file 'cause I'm not in it. I'm a ringer."
[20:08:18] Tiller is bored and exasperated. "Now can you let me through, please?"
[20:09:01] <%Somber> "Riiiigh... take a seat please. I'll contact our security head to meet with you." He picked up the phone and started talking into it in low voices, keeping an eye on Tiller.
[20:14:47] <%Somber> "Do I look like I want to lose my job? A ringer? Really?" He sighed and gestured to the left. "Go down that hall, down stairs, and take it up with security directly, okay?" He said as he returned to his terminal. "A ringer..."
[20:16:07] Tiller nods jerkily. "Thanks buddy. You won't regret it." He ambles casually down the indicated hall to Security.
[20:16:40] Red_Line gives Star_Chaser a look then trots down the hallway "Ok now lets see what I can find." her says more to himself
[20:17:09] <%Somber> As he reaches the stairs, he finds an emaciated pony curled up in the stairwell. "Not real... it's not real... it's not real..." he said as he thumps his head into the cinderblock wall behind him. A haze of purple mist is in the air around him.
[20:17:46] Tiller starts and stumbles backwards, away from the mist. "Woah! Woah. Are you okay?"
[20:18:06] <%Somber> "Not real... not real... not real..." he whimpered.
[20:18:14] Star_Chaser frowns a little. She moves up t give her name, slightly worried about what all was going on. "How long as it been since anyone came to visit? This place could really use a janitor..."
[20:18:57] Tiller groans. "O-okay. Um. Shit. Can you get up?"
[20:19:05] <%Somber> "If there's a spill somewhere, let me know and I'll contact janitorial services." She said as she printed out a card too, for Star_Chaser also had a standing referral...
[20:20:07] <%Somber> "Not real... not real... not real..." he whimpered, glancing at Tiller and then closing his eyes and slamming is head harder against the wall behind him. "I'm going to wake up. I'm going to wake up now. Not real... not real!"
[20:22:49] Star_Chaser reaches out to take the badge, examining it a few moments. "Well, I mean... Nevermind." She sighed quietly and looked around again. Pondering something briefly then shaking her head.
[20:23:36] Tiller is not stepping into that purple shit without protection. A whispered, "Sorry, I'll be back as soon as I can" falls from his lips. He turns back up the stairwell to the secretary. "Hey, I'm suuper sorry to bother you again, but do you have a breath mask around here? It smells like a gas leak down there."
[20:25:25] <%Somber> He looks at Tiller, furrows his brows, and levitates up the phone and makes a call.
[20:25:36] Aria cocks an eyebrow. "Gas leak?"
[20:25:55] Tiller mutters, "Purple shit down there. And a pony that needs rescuing."
[20:26:35] Star_Chaser looks back towards Tiller. "I don't think a mask will be enough..." She heads towards the way downstairs. "But I'll help as best I can..."
[20:27:36] Aria looks worried. "Is he a normal sized pony? I should be able to levitate him out if he's not too big."
[20:28:21] Tiller spread his hooves wide. "C'mon man, there's a frigging pony dying down there! You telling me you don't have rescue equipment in every room of this place? We're in a hospital for crying out loud!"
[20:29:12] Aria moves to head downstairs with Tiller. "I should be able to get him out."
[20:29:46] Tiller shrugs. "Fine, go for it. Whatever we do, we've got a security response coming down on our heads anyways."
[20:30:22] <%Somber> "All right. That's it." the stallion says as more people came down. "I don't know who all of you are but there is no gas leak. We have alarms for things like that!"
[20:30:47] Star_Chaser looks up and down the blue striped halls. She was curious what was in them, but for the moment proceeded towards psych. Though she did take some time to look down the other directions.
[20:31:55] Tiller tries the direct appeal. "Then what do you call a lingering purple haze that causes hallucinations and pulmonary harm!? 'Cause that sounds like a gas to me, and there's a cloud of it /and a dying pony/ at the bottom of that stairwell!"
[20:32:52] Red_Line pokes his head into various rooms not expecting to find anything helpful
[20:32:55] <%Somber> The stallion rises up and trots down the hall to the stair well. "What gas? What pony? What are you talking about?" He asked as he walked right to the bottom on the stairs.
[20:33:08] Skyshine waits patiently in the waiting room for Aria, occasionally smiling to the nurse.
[20:33:30] Aria looks in the doorway to the stairs.
[20:33:32] Star_Chaser took a little time to check other rooms, not enough to force into any that were closed or had voices behind them, but enough to be curious as to the state of the place.
[20:34:41] <%Somber> In psych services, another nurse arrived after she walked in and checked her badge, saying the doctor would be available soon.
[20:34:55] <%Somber> The other offices were all locked without the right card.
[20:35:44] <%Somber> He stood right besides the thumping pony, not looking down at him at his hooves.
[20:36:31] Aria returns, shrugging. "Alright, let's... check in." She then gives Skyshine a reassuring nuzzle, both for her pegasus "fiancee" and her own benefit.
[20:36:34] Tiller attempts to shake the secretary. "Are you nuts!?" He points at the writhing pony. "He's right there!"
[20:38:15] Skyshine puts a wing over Aria, and shuffles her hooves anxiously. "This is why I don't like psychopharmaceuticals."
[20:38:30] <%Somber> "Who's right there?" He asked, kicking his hooves at his feet. They passed right through the cowering pony.
[20:38:43] <%Somber> "Not real," he whispered. "Not real."
[20:38:51] Star_Chaser frowns and continues down the halls. Something about all this felt worrysome.
[20:39:36] Aria leans into the wing slightly. "Let's go. Star_Chaser's probably going to need backup. At least they don't seem to notice our equipment."
[20:41:35] <%Somber> "Not real... not real... not real... I'm not real..." the wretched pony whispers.
[20:41:51] Tiller shakes his head. "No, you clearly aren't.
[20:42:34] <%Somber> "So can we go back up now? There's no gas leak. No emergency. And I'm going to get into trouble if I'm away from my desk too long.
[20:43:45] Tiller sighs. Pokes at the writhing pony with a forehoof. "Sure. Sorry for the alarm."
[20:44:40] Tiller 's eyes widen in surprise. He grabs at the writhing pony and tries to drag him up the stairs. Really throws his weight into it.
[20:45:20] <%Somber> The wretch screams as he hauled up the stairs, too weak to really fight back. The secretary watches him in utter bafflement.
[20:45:44] <%Somber> "I think I really need to contact my supervisor... now."
[20:46:00] Tiller nods "Yeah, you should do that. There's something really weird going on."
[20:47:19] <%Somber> When they get up to the top, there are more secretaries and office workers looking on in bafflement. Then a well dressed stallion trots out. "What's going on here? What's the commotion?"
[20:47:46] Red_Line continues to slowly trots through the halls and haveing no real place to go
[20:48:18] <%Somber> Indeed, they loop around. There are doors with yellow strips though for the OR and radiology.
[20:49:15] Skyshine looks about. "I wonder..."
[20:49:25] Tiller "So, uh. You all happen to know this pony?" He points at the poor wretch he just dragged up. "Or am I pointing at thin air? It's very possible I have brain damage. Keep this in mind."
[20:50:08] <%Somber> "I think you should sit down while we contact psych services, sir. What is your name?" The supervisor asks.
[20:50:42] Tiller "I bet you already know my name. Tell me."
[20:50:45] Star_Chaser looks up and down the side halls, contemplating what was going on. Something about this felt wrong.
[20:50:49] <%Somber> None of them seems to see the wretch.
[20:51:16] Tiller "I got a referral from a Doctor Incognito?"
[20:52:17] <%Somber> "I don't know your name or this Doctor." he said with a scowl. "IF you like, I can call the MoM authorities and let them sort this out. In fact, that's what I should be doing."
[20:52:50] Tiller rolls his eyes. "I told the secretary already. If you all are really what I think you are, you should know already."
[20:53:03] Red_Line gives up aimlessly troting around and looks for the OR
[20:54:00] Skyshine frowns after looking around. "Well... there goes that theory..." She says after glancing about the walls. "What in the world are we seeing then?"
[20:56:23] <%Somber> The supervisor sniffed disdainfully and turned to the secretary. "Call the pinks. Let them deal with this." The Secretary said, "Um, sir. He's got a referral to psych. His name is Tiller?" The supervisor grimaced. "Great! Another one! Why the MoP keeps sending them to us I'll never know!" He turned and glowered at Tiller. "Are you here for
[20:56:30] <%Somber> treatment? Yes or no?"
[20:58:07] Tiller puffs. "Fine. Sure. Whatever. Send me on my way, illusions. You feel tangible enough, but you can't exist. So either you're in my mind or you're not really there at all, and I guess in this mystery happyland where THE WORLD DIDN'T END all roads lead to Psych."
[20:59:06] Aria looks around too. "I have no idea either. If it's magic, then the caster would have to be really powerful for illusions this real. Advanced stuff if this is a trick."
[21:00:14] <%Somber> The supervisor calls an orderly. "Please escort him to the second floor, and look for any others roaming around the halls and with psych referrals." Thus, in short order, everyone was upstairs in the dusty waiting room.
[21:02:07] <%Somber> The wastelander seemed to be having problems breathing.
[21:02:49] Tiller sighs as he looks at the wastelander. "I'm sorry dude. I really am. But I don't think I can fix selective intangibility. But I have doctor friends, maybe they can help.
[21:03:31] <%Somber> "Not real... not real... nothing's real. You're not real... they're not real... I'm not real..."
[21:03:49] Skyshine looks concered as she sees Tiller's new friend. "Uh oh. Star, you wanna help me here?"
[21:04:24] Tiller "This poor guy feels solid to me, and so did the secretary pony whose hoof went right through him like he wasn't there.
[21:05:03] Aria looks worried. "We can see him too, Tiller. I'm really thinking these ponies are illusions, but I can't figure out who or how it's being cast."
[21:06:14] Tiller shrugs. "I can't see any technological cause of these ponies. They're pretty fucking solid, all told. So either we're collectively hallucinating them, or they're hallucinating us. And that's not a thought I want to explore further, 'cause this poor bastard already went down that route."
[21:06:18] <%Somber> Skyshine presses her hooves to his throat to check for pulse, and he screams as his body rips like tissue paper. The wastelander convulses as the rip spreads further and further and his organs spill out, each one bursting with its own pressure as they watch. It wasn't just skin and flesh though. The bones were crumbling away. Blood seemed to be
[21:06:46] <%Somber> evaporating before their eyes. The nurse behind the counter asked with a smile, "Can I get you all something to drink? Milk? Sparkle Cola?"
[21:07:05] Star_Chaser moved up to check on the wastelander, only to spot him suddenly, violently self-decay. "That was unnecessarily gorey." She scowled.
[21:07:31] Tiller stares down at the sublimating wastelander. "Well. That was thirty-one flavors of fucked up."
[21:08:04] Skyshine leaps back as the pony disintegrates before her. "Holy Luna have mercy... Did... did I do that? Oh Sisters I've killed somepony!" She says, wiping her hooves on her jumpsuit and starting to cry.
[21:08:10] <%Somber> Soon, all that was left was a pile of dusty bones, gauzy skin, and dry rags.
[21:08:51] <%Somber> "Oh dear. Please don't cry. The doctor will be here soon."
[21:08:57] Aria swallows hard, taking Skyshine into her hooves and holding her tight, trying not to hyperventilate as she stares at the formerly gorey scene.
[21:09:26] Tiller shakes his head. "The only thing you did was try to help him. Like I did. Either he never existed or he was beyond our powers to help him when I found him. He was banging his head against the wall in a cloud of purple haze."
[21:10:18] <%Somber> Then the door opened and a blue mare with a white mane and doctor's coat stepped out. "Hello. I'm Dr. Screwloose. Who's first?"
[21:10:48] Tiller steps forward. "Fuckit. I'll go."
[21:10:51] Star_Chaser frowns and looks down at the remains, furrowing her brow. "No... I don't think it's that simple." She looks back towards the doctor.
[21:11:31] Tiller walks towards the door. "If I don't come back, I suggest shooting your way out and never returning."
[21:11:55] Red_Line shrugs with the memory of the little filly still fresh in his mind "Now we all saw that right. Fucked up land this is."
[21:13:10] Aria just strokes Skyshine's mane and tries not to cry herself as she comforts the pegasus.
[21:13:28] <%Somber> The doctor frowned and gestured to all of them. "Wait... you're not all the referrals by Dr. Incognito, are you?"
[21:13:33] Skyshine shakes in Aria's hooves. "I just... I just wanted to help..."
[21:13:46] <Red_Line> "You know what, I say lets blow crazy town and just get that damn talisman."
[21:13:52] Tiller grins. Sardonically, "Right the first time, doc."
[21:14:04] Aria just hugs Skyshine and shushes her softly. "It's not your fault. You were trying to help."
[21:14:18] Star_Chaser frowns, moving up to wraps a wing around Skyshine. "I don't think he was ever here. I think we were just seeing someone who was already dead..."
[21:15:11] <%Somber> "Ah... maybe you should all come in. It might make things easier," she said as she stepped back to the office.
[21:15:32] Skyshine wipes away her tears. "Sorry... I just... I just wanted to help. Maybe we should go before our crazy friends decide to shoot us or something..."
[21:15:53] Tiller grins. "You heard the impossible doctor! Let's all go have our collective screws tightened at once, shall we?"
[21:16:10] Red_Line gets up and follows Dr. Screwloose
[21:17:32] Aria kisses Skyshine softly on the forehead. "Just stick by me and we'll get out of this crazy place and help a lot of ponies."
[21:17:48] Red_Line wispers to Aria "Have that sheild ready if we need to bolt."
[21:17:56] <%Somber> This office was just as dusty and decrepit as all the others. She took a seat behind the desk and gestured to the seats and couches. "I really expected you to have an MoP escort. Or at least an MoM representative." She said as she folded her hooves on the table before her. "I never thought you'd just wander in on your own. What an embarassment."
[21:17:57] Aria nods.
[21:18:05] Skyshine nods, smiling at the forehead kiss before standing and taking a breath. "Let's go."
[21:18:33] Star_Chaser tilts her head to one side, watching the pony behind the desk quietly. She got the feeling that whatever explanation they got here wouldn't make much sense...
[21:18:42] Tiller peers at the floor. Is the good doctor leaving prints in the dust?
[21:18:51] <%Somber> Indeed she was.
[21:19:21] Tiller "Are you aware that the MoP no longer exists?"
[21:21:13] <%Somber> She reached into her desk and pulled out an old cardboard box. She gave Tiller an indulgent smile, "Well then I hope they mailed me my last paycheck. But you might want to look at this first." And then she passed it to tiller. It looked like it was some kind of game. "WASTELANDER!" On it was a gray and brown unicorn, a brown pegasus, and a black unicorn
[21:21:41] Tiller "Just a sec, doc. What year is it?"
[21:21:47] <%Somber> facing off against a horde of slavering raiders, alicorns, and power armored enemies. It was by 'Morpheus games'.
[21:22:09] <%Somber> "It's the tenth year of Princess Luna's rule. Why?"
[21:22:11] Red_Line gives the office a glance and keeps by hte door
[21:24:55] <Red_Line> the*
[21:25:01] Aria stares at the doctor. "You can't be serious. If it's the tenth year of Princess Luna's reign, how do I have a Pipbuck?" she asked, lifting up her hoof. "At that point in time they were extremely expensive prototypes."
[21:26:25] <%Somber> The doctor smiles. "You're not wearing a Pipbuck, my dear. Please. Have a seat. I'm afraid you've all been victims of a terrible crime."
[21:26:46] Tiller nods. "The crime of having to wait in a waiting room so long, oh yes."
[21:28:21] Star_Chaser frowns and furrows her brow.
[21:28:23] <%Somber> "No. You see, you're all victims of this mind orb game called 'wastelander'. There's some investigation as to if this was due to their own negligence or intentional malfesance, but many users of this game have had extreme cognitive breaks with reality."
[21:30:52] Aria looks at her Pipbuck for a moment, doubting herself, before thinking of something and turning on her EFS.
[21:32:51] Aria leans over and whispers, "She's not showing up on EFS. None of them are." to Skyshine and Star_Chaser.
[21:33:57] <%Somber> "You should be thankful. Many users of this game have had to be institutionalized. I received a message from a Doctor Incognito that some of you would be arriving whom we may be able to help."
[21:34:41] Tiller "Hey, that's something we can use, maybe. Doctor? If we're imaging this pipbuck, how come you don't show up on it at all? If we imagined you an enemy, you'd show up as a red tic. If we imagined you a friend, you'd be a green one."
[21:34:42] Star_Chaser tilted her head to one side. "Ofcourse not. There's two possibilities, as I see it. Either she's right, in which case, not being part of the game, she wouldn't appear on anything associated with the game. Or she's wrong, and she and the others we've seen here are hallucinations on our part which would explain the rapidly decaying pony outside, which might have been a
[21:34:42] Star_Chaser long-dead pony whom we only perceived as alive." She tapped her chin. "The question, then, is how do you determine what's real and what's not when your own senses can't be trusted?"
[21:34:58] Skyshine whispers to Aria. "I've never heard of this game... It sounds terrible."
[21:36:23] <%Somber> "It is. The MoM is investigating the developer," the doctor said with a sigh. "There's some indication these games were developed by zebra sympathizers. They trap the user in a post apocalyptic wasteland in which they must fight to survive. Many harm others or themselves until they are subdued."
[21:36:50] Aria casts a spell to detect magic to see if the pony is a magical construct.
[21:41:55] Aria gasps and her eyes go wide before placing her hoof on her own leg and pushing down.
[21:43:06] Aria then reaches out and touches the desk.
[21:43:46] Skyshine looks at Aria, confused. "Aria? Sweetie, are you ok?"
[21:44:37] Tiller experimentally tries the universal dreaming cure. He nips himself in the fetlock.
[21:45:06] Aria looks up, eyes wide, before trying one last thing. Swallowing hard, Aria lifts her hoof steps forward, and tries to blind the pony with her Pipbuck's Light spell.
[21:45:19] Tiller "Ow."
[21:45:38] <%Somber> The light shines on her but seems to have no effect.
[21:46:23] Star_Chaser frowns and furrows her brow, watching Aria do her thing.
[21:47:15] Tiller "...Well? Aria?"
[21:47:19] Skyshine watches Aria as well, glancing between the mare and the doctor
[21:48:01] <%Somber> The doctor just smiles patiently, hooves folded on the desk before her.
[21:48:46] Aria closes her eyes, praying that she wasn't crazy, before looking out the window behind the doctor.
[21:49:25] <%Somber> When Aria walks to the room, she looks out at the foggy desolation, but she can see other ponies walking around like they're shopping or... just... living.
[21:50:07] Aria turns back, taking her 9-Iron off her back, before asking. "I got this 9-Iron in the Wasteland. Does it exist?"
[21:50:58] Tiller shakes his head. "Whatever is holding us, it won't let go of us just yet. Let's dive down the rabbit hole some more, okay? Alright Doctor Screwball, what does the simulation want us to do now?"
[21:51:02] Star_Chaser furrows her brows. "Putting all of those affected in such a way in one place sounds like a terribly bad idea. Delusions feed delusions, after all." She tapped her chin.
[21:52:10] <%Somber> "You have a driver, yes. I don't know where you got it from."
[21:52:49] <%Somber> Most of the victims are in long term care of the MoP. This Doctor Incognito thinks you might be able to recover with our help."
[21:54:20] Aria stops, smiling. "Wouldn't a psyche ward search and remove all weapons from their patients, especially supposedly dangerous ones like us?" Aria looks to her guntoting friends. "Show her that we are from the Wasteland and we are armed which does not fit into her little story. This is an illusion."
[21:54:21] Tiller "Sure, we'll play along. What the hell."
[21:55:28] Star_Chaser points a hoof out the window. "Then all the ones we met out there were normal? What about the gymnasium? Or the bridge being out? Or the ones in the food place across the street..." She pauses and contemplates, furrowing her brow.
[21:55:30] Tiller pulls out his silenced weapon. Reloads. "Hey doc, is this gun real? These bullets?"
[21:57:31] <%Somber> "Where did you get that?" She said in alarm as she rises to her hooves.
[21:58:04] Star_Chaser moves to the window, looking down at the town below, contemplating that. "Then why would we not have seen signs of it elsewhere? Certainly there were a few ponies who were acting more normal. But most were fixated, unflinchingly, on what they were doing. The bridge being out, the damage before we arrived." She looked back to the pony at the desk. "Am I armed?" She didn't
[21:58:04] Star_Chaser call specific attention to her weapons, it was a simple question.
[21:58:14] Tiller "My wife gave it to me. To protect my home, and my daughter. I was never very good with it. Still aren't. I preferred hiding."
[21:58:53] Red_Line moves over to the window and looks out "You would think that they get this hole memory orb thing some better thought. Becuse the last time I checked only uincorn could use thim."
[21:59:00] Skyshine shrugs. "I think I have a pistol... I don't remember where I got it. I have the vaguest memory of a strange pony who liked explosions..."
[21:59:30] Tiller "Hey, yeah! That's another thing! Earth ponies like me can't use memory orbs!"
[21:59:54] Aria smiles. "Again, we're completely armed. No hospital would allow us near it like this," Aria says before bringing her 9-Iron down on the doctor's head.
[22:00:13] Tiller starts crying. "How dare you! How dare you tell me my beloved wife and daughter aren't real!"
[22:00:51] <%Somber> "I don't think that pipes strapped to your sides are firearms." Then she looked closer at Tiller's gun and relaxed. "Oh... it's not real. Thank goodness." She opened the- box, just in time to get wacked by the 9 iron
[22:02:22] Star_Chaser blinks in surprise. "Aria!" She groaned. "Great, now whether this is real or not, we're in a lot of trouble."
[22:04:21] Tiller aims at the doctor. "Oh, goo'. 'en you on't min' 'hen I 'hoot 'ou 'ith it!"
[22:05:28] <%Somber> With one strike, the doctor screams. With the second, she falls over the desk, her brain oozing out her ears.
[22:05:37] Red_Line moves to the door and looks down the hallway
[22:06:27] Tiller wastes no time. He moves up to the post-doc and immediately rifles through her desk.
[22:07:19] Aria looks down, then at Tiller. "If that's fake, then you can't shoot her." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Somepony finish her..."
[22:07:19] <Red_Line> "Lets hope no one or thing heard that?"
[22:08:15] <%Somber> The nurse walks down the hall towards the doctor's office.
[22:08:17] Skyshine raises a hoof and points at Red Line. "I'll second that hope."
[22:08:39] Skyshine lays her ears back. "And look, hope. There it goes... right out the window..."
[22:08:42] Red_Line looks back "Shhhh... some ones coming."
[22:09:44] <Red_Line> someone's*
[22:10:00] <%Somber> The desk was full of all kinds of decrepit papers. There were photographs on the desk of the doctor and her family.
[22:10:05] Star_Chaser eyetwitches. "Aria. What in tartarus are you doing!?" She twitches one eye. "You just murdered someone! Or potentially did! You were carrying a nine iron. A golf club. They probably didn't even think it was a weapon if what she said was true!" She glared at Aria a few moments. Then moved towards the window to see if it could be opened.
[22:10:21] <%Somber> It could.
[22:11:32] Aria rolls her eyes. "I'm carrying a 9-Iron, I'm supposed to be delusional and dangerous. No one with any sense would allow me to carry a potential weapon."
[22:11:54] Tiller holsters his weapon. "If this is a simulation, I would have expected the simulation to reset by now. But it hasn't. Which either means we're murderers, or something really weird is going on. This desk is worthless, and I bet the doctor is too."
[22:12:04] Tiller turns out the doctor's pockets anyways.
[22:12:32] Red_Line closes the door and braces it shut
[22:13:26] <%Somber> The nurse knocks on the door. "Doctor Screwloose?"
[22:13:28] Skyshine frowns. "I'm thinkin that we aren't crazy. I mean, I could be wrong, of course, but I've actively been questioning my sanity the entire time that I've been here. From what I hear, ponies who stop doing that are the ones who usually have issues."
[22:14:18] Red_Line smerks "Weapons, fuck I got a zebra sword, and they did not flinch. So this is just one big fucking mind fuck."
[22:14:54] Tiller "I really can't explain what's going on here. Someone tell the nurse that the doctor stepped out to play eighteen holes."
[22:15:19] Star_Chaser looks to Red_Line. "Or your 'zebra sword' is something benign. Like her claims of my guns being just tubes." She groans a few moments and rubs her face. "We need to get out of here as fast as we can in either case. There's definitely danger here, whether or not there was before."
[22:16:05] Skyshine steps up to the door. "Uh, Nurse? The doctor stepped out to get some files from records. He said for us to wait here." She calls through the door.
[22:16:08] Aria looks to Tiller. "If you silenced gun is fake, shoot her. If it kill her, then it's real and she was lying. If not, well."
[22:16:21] Red_Line facehoofs "Lets just get the damn talisman, ok."
[22:16:23] Tiller "I don't get it. I saw that secretary pass right through the wastelander pony. I saw him be completely unaffected by purple gas. Everything out here is dusty like it hasn't been touched in a hundred years, but the graduate here left hoofprints in the dust. It's like these ponies all just came into being five minutes ago."
[22:17:27] <%Somber> The Pinkie Pie begins to sing over the intercom "All I want to do is make you smile smile smile... yes I do. So sit tight all this while... you'll be through.... Cause good ponies get to smile smile smile... my happy friends of mine!" over and over again.
[22:17:53] Star_Chaser eyetwitches. "Or it's like all the dust and insanity is in our heads. And ofcourse they left hoofprints in the dust, because were there to -see it happen-. The illusion is self-consistent, meaning that if we see someone walking through dust, we may just ascribe the idea that they are doing so and thus see the hoofprints too." She rubs her face. "And yes, the 'shoot her
[22:17:53] Star_Chaser with the possibly-fake gun' option would have worked fine, except you already bludgeoned her to death with a very real 9-iron!"
[22:18:53] Red_Line moves to the window and opens it then grabs the doctor and shoves her out
[22:21:57] Red_Line then looks back to the others "That will explain blunt head trauma."
[22:23:18] Skyshine grins. "Smart thinking!"
[22:25:11] Tiller frowns. "I don't know if it's smart of nuts, but we're committed to it now."