Name:Ross
Crime against the Asperican People's Party:Digital piracy.
Background:Ex-Prisoner.
Inventory:Knife.
Accepted!
And so our jolly band of 8 have been formed. Without further ado, let the tourney begin!
Very Important Rule: Spoiler your action. Don't look in other people's spoilers. That's mean and also bad....
You're standing in a small and empty room. Empty, that is, except for a giant screen centered in front of you. There is no visible exit. You look around for a while, until you hear a click and a humming noise.
The giant screen flares to life. This giant screen, along with thousands of others across Asperica and all of its territories, will chronicle a government controlled story to every man, woman, and child within Asperican borders. That story is your story.
The screen shows a few images - a lush wheat field, a marching and orderly army, happy children in military uniforms. When the images fade away and the APP Anthem sounds one last echoing note, the screen goes black. You hear a deep and commanding voice.
"Every year, 8 evil and treasonous criminals are sent to compete in a tournament of the highest caliber! The APP welcomes you to view our 19th annual Blood, Sweat, and Tears gladiatorial battle, as a reminder of what happens to subversives. They will bleed so you may not have to. These 8 are enemies of the people, enemies of each and every one of you, and enemies of the APP. This is their punishment, a punishment that is meant to entertain you."
Clearly this was not made explicitly for you. You absentmindedly wonder how many people are watching this. Certainly the number is in the tens of millions at minimum.
I wonder if anyone I know is watching this. I doubt they even know I'm about to be a part of it."The criminals are given one last chance at redemption. If it pleases the people, the last one living shall be set free after rehabilitation."
Rehabilitation? Everyone who isn't a mindless drone of the government knows that means torture until one confesses to all crimes, real or imaginary, while recorded. They're probably shot in a ditch and left to rot after that."Each of these criminals have done something to harm our dear APP. Some are petty criminals, others are terrorists of the highest threat."
The voice proceeds to ramble off a list of crimes, with the faces of the perpetrators shown on the screen to accompany each crime. When the list is done, the faces are all shown on the screen. You barely recognize yours - it was from before you were thrown in prison, before you were gaunt with malnutrition and covered with scars.
"They will fight until only one remains - a spectacle for all of you. As time goes on, some rooms will be filled with chlorine, to force them towards each other. In addendum, the rooms will change in color, orientation, and even things such as number of doors when this occurs! After all, only the people are truly omnipotent! For the glory of the APP!"
The voice fades away, and the screen abruptly shuts off.
You hear a noise behind you. You turn around just in time to witness something dark cover your entire face. You are knocked unconscious.
Once again, please don't read other people's spoilers. Thank you, and hail the APP.When you rouse from your chloroform induced sleep, you find yourself in a small room, you estimate 4 meters by 4 meters. The walls are a dull red, almost like rust. They're made of something similar to corrugated metal, although a bit more expensive looking. There are two doors in the room -
from your vantage point, one on the right wall and one directly in front of you.
On the ground, at your feet, is a knife. Besides this, the room appears to be empty. You pick up the knife and look at the two doors, both of which beckon to you. You grin as you realise that the government is letting you murder indiscriminately as punishment for murder.
You stand up after waking from your artificial slumber, dusting off your prisoner's clothing. As you do so, a bullet clinks to the floor at your feet. You can only surmise that the event has started, and millions of eyes are watching your every step. You pocket the bullet, knowing that you may find a use for it later on. The room you're in is rather large, with grey concrete for walls and a floor. A bleary light secured in steel grating beams down upon you, and a few crates made of mildewed wood sit in the corner. A single large door lies to your left.
You're now trapped in a facility with 7 other criminals intent on murdering you, most of them ex-cons and spies. You're not much more than a bureaucrat.
You wake from your slumber, no doubt caused by a chloroform rag. Immediately, you jump to your feet, ready to confront any threats that may be waiting for you. To your discomfort, you're alone in the room. At least, for now. You shudder to think that you're being turned against other revolutionaries as well as simple petty criminals.
But now is not the time for thought. It is the time for action. You look around the room. It's rather bare and small, about 4 meters by 4 meters. The walls are a dull red, almost like rust. They're made of something akin to sheet metal, albeit thicker and stronger. The room has two - no, three doors, although one is cleverly concealed as a panel of the wall. One lies in front of you, another to your left, and the third, which is disguised as part of the wall, behind you.
You quickly notice a glint of metal at your feet. Upon closer examination, you realize that you've been given a throwing knife. You haven't trained with these extensively, but you know your way around one. Sooner or later you'll have to use it.
You rouse. The fascists must have drugged you to put you to sleep. You sigh. You've always hated the concept of the Blood, Sweat,
and Tears battle - it's nothing but a spectacle used by the APP to keep the lower classes firmly in their place - subservient to the government. Now you're in it.
Without wasting another second, you look around. You're in a spacious room, circular in shape and with grey brick walls.. It's perhaps 9 meters x 9 meters, with a high ceiling. Four doors sit to your cardinal directions - one red, one blue, one white and one black.
Your eyes slowly open, giving you a view of a bleary light covered securely in steel grating.
You stand up and survey your surroundings. You're in a spacious dome shaped room with light green walls. A pair of doors, one red and one blue, sit in front of you.
As you take a step back, you feel something under your boot. You look down and see a glint of metal - a knife. You pick up the weapon, although you dread the moment you may have to use it - you're a spy, not a murderer. You take a deep breath and slip the weapon into your pocket, where it rests securely.
Your eyes flit back to the doors. You have a choice to make, it seems.
You rouse from your chloroform-induced slumber, eyes twitching and fists clenched. Unfortunately,
there's not much nearby to take your rage out on. You look at your surroundings. The room you currently occupy is yellow in coloration, with a small light covered in steel grating mounted on the ceiling. The room has three doors - one in the shape of a circle, one rectangular, and one ovoid. You notice something reflective sitting in front of the rectangular door.
Upon closer inspection, you realize you've stumbled upon a knife - not an ordinary knife, as you can tell from its aerodynamic shape, its strange waisted blade, and its modified grip - no, this is a throwing knife.
You pocket the knife, and your attention returns to the doors.
You scramble to your feet after awakening from your slumber, no doubt caused by a heavy dose of chloroform. You're alone, and that sends a shiver down your spine. The room you're in is rather bare, save for a small package on the ground. You pick it up and open it. It's full of medical supplies, rather alien to you. No matter - this is a better find than any weapon. You stow it away in a pocket and return to your careful observation of the room. There are three doors in the room - one to your right, one in front of you, and one behind.
You surreptitiously open one eye when you return to consciousness. You're alone. You rise to your feet,
realizing that the Blood, Sweat, and Tears battle has already begun. You look at your surroundings. You find yourself in a moderately sized room, you estimate 6 meters by 4 meters. The walls are a greenish-blue, like seawater. They're made of a plasticine-like material. There are two doors in the room, one on the right wall and one behind you.
On the ground, at your feet, is a knife. You twirl it once and put it in your pocket.
Author
Topic: Blood, Sweat and Tears: a Minimalist RTD (8/8, waitlist open) (Read 5335 times)