Chương 17: 17-The Grand Prison

[00: 26: 42. 87] [VIDEO FEED ADJUSTS TO A VAST, WHITE-LIT MC ESCHER-STYLED CYLINDRICAL SPIRAL OF TOWERS WITH MULTIPLE "DOORS". STAIRS APPEAR TO BE MADE OF A SOLID BLACK WITH MAGENTA VEINS. THE CENTER HAS A BLUE SPIRE OF LIGHT GOING UPWARDS FROM A SMALL POND] ELNA: {NOT DESCRIBING THE CEILING! Too many corruptive effects} JOHN: > ADJUSTS EYES AND TAKES IN VIEW {except for the ceiling} IN AWE whispering Wow… ELNA: > NUDGES JOHN whispering Don't look at the ceiling…

JOHN: > TURNS TO {me} ALARMED AND QUICKLY NODS ONARIUS: slowly This is the Grand Prison. A maze of stairs, hallways, and rooms that is very difficult to navigate; intentionally made to ensure that none of the prisoners get out. The spire you see is a Purification Spire, stemming from the Kernel Layer. Raw, unfettered data that can never be corrupted. JOHN: > ANALYZES EVERY CORNER OF THE PRISON FOR SEVERAL SECONDS How many prisoners are there here? ONARIUS: > STARES AT JOHN DISMISSIVELY Quite a few…

More than you can count in a lifetime. Many are from different worlds, like yours. JOHN: > STARES SUSPCIOUS AT ONARIUS How many? ELNA: > SNORTS jokingly A number which Onarius doesn't know himself… ONARIUS: > GLARES THEN SMIRKS Quite true… ELNA: > EYES WIDEN JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROWS ONARIUS: > DEEP SIGH AND BECKONS DUO TO FOLLOW This way, please… I'll explain everything as we go…

[VIDEO FEED SHOWS TRIO {travelling to the stairs} ONARIUS: The fountain in the center is a beam of purified code, which is needed to ensure that the inmates stay in… JOHN: >LOOKS AT SEVERAL CELLS {windows of purified code} [VIDEO FEED SHOWS VARIOUS BLACK CELLS WITH MAGENTA VEINS WITH A MULTITUDE OF PRISONERS. THE OUTSIDE OF THE CELLS DISPLAY NAMES AND A LIST OF CRIMES. NUMEROUS GLITCHED, STRESSED, AND/OR TWITCHING HUMANOID FIGURES {like Bmod machinimas… if some of the actors were an epilepsy warning in missing textures} SPOTTED. NO AUDIBLE SOUNDS DETECTED {though a lot appear to be screaming at the top of their lungs}] JOHN: > VISIBLY SHAKING ONARIUS: … They themselves are made of corrupted code, slowly fragmenting to which it can dissipate… JOHN: exasperated Did you do this to them? ONARIUS: > STARES BLANKLY AT ONE PRISONER THRASHING AGAINST THE CELL WINDOW They do that themselves… > DRAWS AXE WHICH MAKES ENTITY FLEE TO EDGE OF CELL All are here for a litany of heinous crimes, which themselves are so vile they warrant their complete removal from the human world. ELNA: > ROLLS EYES Which is normal… JOHN: > STARES AT {me} WITH AWKWARD CONCERNE Normal in what-? ELNA: > CLEARS THROAT NERVOUSLY He means that the cells themselves are self-reflective chambers that replay their very memories to show how bad their actions were- ONARIUS: -That lasts for a few months to their perception in the Physical Layer. > ANGRILY GLARES AT ELNA BEFORE TURNING TO JOHN {It's rude to interrupt someone, Elna} ELNA: > LOOKS AWAY, DISMISSIVELY {Sorry} ONARIUS: > SIGHS AND CALMS DOWN slowly … I do not like to torture any sentient being, yet I do not want these "demons" returning to the Physical Layer, your world. The lives they ruined is beyond redemption, and the plaques on their cells are for them to see as well as to see the weight of their sins… > BECKONS THE DUO TO FOLLOW AND CONTINUES WALKING JOHN: > SHAKES HEAD IN DISBELIEF So you leave these prisoners here to suffocate and then- > WITNESSES A PRISONER CELL INCARCERATED FOR CANNIBALISM > GAGS meekly -"fragment"? > EYES WIDEN WHILE FRANTICALLY LOOKING AROUND exasperated What does that even mean?! ONARIUS: > WALKS SLOWER AND TURNS TO JOHN You'll see further down… JOHN:"Down"? Don't you mean up? ELNA: > SMIRKS boisterous We're technically upside down… ONARIUS: > GLARES AT {me} ELNA: > SMILE FADES awkwardly Uh… Actually, don't think about the direction we're going; that can be potentially corruptive. ONARIUS: > SMILES AND WALKS OFF JOHN: > NODS FRANTICALLY whispering to self What a shithole… ELNA: {It's going to take a while, so I'll resume the transcript once we get to something more interesting. There isn't a whole lot of talking-except for me talking to myself... John was more curious about the prisoners' conditions… and the plaques. He almost tripped down the stairs a few times while observing things. He's so serious that-… … … Jeez, Onarius is a real killjoy. I just talked to him and he isn't appreciative of that joke I made. … And we had another conversation about my choice of words. Maybe I should shut up? … Never mind, he wants me to continue talking to you. Also, he wants me to stop doing this} [00: 31: 14. 22] [VIDEO FEED IS SOMEWHAT BRIGHTER] JOHN: > INTENSELY OBSERVES MULTIPLE CELLS WHILE WALKING mumbling And this is justice for someone like him… ELNA: > WORRIDLY STARES AT ONARIUS {Uhm… so uh, I have a few questions about, well, what's been going on for the past 58 years} ONARIUS: {Go ahead} ELNA: > CURIOUS {John told me you were more busy with the subjects of malevolent incidents, specifically a lot of disappearances. I think mainly those things on Warden Watch seem contradictory to what you do and-} ONARIUS: {Yes. I have been a lot busier since you last came here; he is correct} ELNA: > EYES WIDEN {Well, that deal with him in 2011, that made you proactive in handling malevolent targets. Though… he did say something about it becoming more common some time after 2020… What happened?} ONARIUS: > SADDENED EXPRESSION ELNA: > CURIOUS {Was it something I said?} ONARIUS: {No, but my authority has been expanded upon, with Ned's permission, along with those who know me…} ELNA: > SQUINTS {What do you mean?} ONARIUS: > LOOKS AWAY {Elna… John} ELNA: > EYES WIDEN AS JOHN ALMOST FALLS OVER THE EDGE OF THE CURRENT PATH WHILE LOOKING AT A DISTANT CELL > PULLS ROPE TIGHTLY JOHN: > YELPS WHILST SWEARING A LOT ELNA: > ANGRY WHILE STRUGGLING exasperated Really, man?! What part of non-Euclidean geometry makes you think the path won't just disappear in front of you?! You could have dragged us down! ONARIUS: > HELPS {me} PULL JOHN BACK ON HIS BUTT JOHN: > CALMS WHILE GLARING AT ONARIUS You should have put guardrails then. ONARIUS: You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. It is designed this way for a reason. JOHN: > ROLLS EYES BEFORE LOOKING AT SEVERAL CELLS Fair enough… > EMBARRASSED WHILE STANDING UP Sorry… I was looking at that cell. > POINTS TO AN ODDLY, MULTI-COLORED COLORED CELL Given how sparse the cells are, why do you allow rave parties? ONARIUS: > SHAKES HEAD muttering I don't. JOHN: > STARES AT CELL, CONCERNED ONARIUS: That would be an inmate about to fragment… > BECKONS {us} TO FOLLOW [VIDEO FEED SHOWS TRIO APPROACHING CELL] ONARIUS: … This man was imprisoned on November 14th; roughly a day after he was imprisoned in the real world for drug trafficking, domestic abuse, and assault. JOHN: > EYES WIDEN exasperated Wait a minute! Is that the ex of that woman I interviewed?! ONARIUS: > NODS AND CLEARS THROAT Yes, that would be him. > POINTS TO PLAQUE IDENTIFYING INMATE AS [REDACTED] AND THEN THE ENTITY [VIDEO FEED SHOWS A SPORADICALLY GLITCHING {blob spike} WITH SOME DISTINCTIVE HUMANOID FEATURES] ONARIUS: > BLANKLY STARES AT THE ENTITY He has been in this world for 510 days… or 51 days in your world. JOHN: > ALARMED You left him here in this cell, alone, for that long? ONARIUS: > NODS ELNA: > CHIMES IN It's standard procedure to ensure proper fragmentation. JOHN: > GLARES AT {me} slowly You're okay with letting a man suffer? ELNA: > ROLLS EYES He had it coming… JOHN: > GLARES AT {me} muttering Suffering begets suffering, kiddo. ONARIUS: > PLACES SHIELD BETWEEN {us} > STARES AT {me} INTENSELY May I remind you that John is here as a guest? His questions, while seemingly aggressive, are warranted. ELNA: frantically But he-! ONARIUS: > GEMSTONE FLARES UP bellowing Mind your tongue, child! ELNA: > RETREATS JOHN: > OBSERVES ENTITY, CONFUSED Why is he glowing like that then? ONARIUS: It signals that his mind has finally given in. JOHN: > SQUINTS AT ONARIUS exasperated Because of his isolation for 510 days?! ONARIUS: > SHAKES HEAD No, he realizes the weight of his sins. JOHN: > SHAKING AND SWEATING PROFUSELY panicked You mean he's gone crazy?! ONARIUS: > HUSHES JOHN AND POINTS TO THE GLITCHING MASS [VIDEO FEED SHOWS ENTITY RAPIDLY GLOWING AND SPIKING, THEN SUDDENLY {blows up} INTO SEVERAL BITS ACROSS THE CELL. {The video feed also shows John screaming manically, with Onarius catching him}] JOHN: > HEAVY BREATHING WHILE LOOKING AT ONARIUS TERRIFIED panicked WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?! ONARIUS: > CALM gently Nothing… His mind fragmented as a result of realizing his very sin from a sheer onslaught of denial. As a result, his data was completely fragmented. The entity known as [REDACTED] fragmented as expected. JOHN: > BREATHING QUICKENS WHILE CLENCHING FISTS exasperated Is this what you and Ned do to people you don't like?! ONARIUS: No, this is a normal death in this realm. JOHN: exasperated Normal? How the hell is letting a human being suffer for 510 days normal?! ONARIUS: The laws of this reality are different from yours; you've already seen that. ELNA: > CHIMES IN Besides, he was a horrible person. JOHN: > GLARES AT {me} very slowly You are okay with people ending up like- > POINTS TO REMNANTS -this? ELNA: > NERVOUS Well, just bad people like this guy. ONARIUS: > GEMSTONE FLARES UP bellowing Mind your tongue when speaking to a man who just witnessed someone fragment! ELNA: > RETREATS JOHN: > TURNS TO {me}, SUSPICIOUS Uh-huh, and tell me, what does Onarius think is a bad person? Or, better yet, what does Ned think is a bad person? ELNA: > LOOKS AWAY, CONFUSED mumbling I never thought of something like that before… JOHN: slowy Mm-hmm. > GLARES AT ONARIUS I think you know what prisoners Ned had forced you to imprison, don't you? ONARIUS: > NODS DISMISSIVELY JOHN: Then, they ended up like him, huh? ONARIUS: > SIGHS DEEPLY What you saw was mercy compared to what happened to those you have suspected. JOHN: > OUTSTRETCHES ARMS IN FRUSTRATION slowly Mercy? You call isolating a man and leaving him to suffer for 510 days mercy? ONARIUS: > TURNS TO JOHN SLOWLY AND TAKES OUT SHIELD, LEANING ON IT The alternative is much worse. > CALMS AND POINTS TO FRAGMENTED DATA Now, those data fragments in question are the remains of [REDACTED], yes. Like many of the prisoners here, they end up like him. ELNA: > ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK ONARIUS: > GLARES AT ELNA {Be silent} ELNA: > DOES AS TOLD JOHN: > CONFUSED In what way is it a mercy from this "alternative"? ONARIUS: > SHAKES HEAD The cells themselves were designed as isolation chambers, yes. Originally, I planned for them to be a source of rehabilitation for the prisoners. It was to make them reflect and hopefully change for the better. This was for those who committed light offenses. > LOWERS HEAD Unfortunately, none of them ever changed, and the cells were converted to fragment the prisoners. JOHN: > POINTS TO [REDACTED]'S REMAINS Like him? ONARIUS: > STARES EMPTILY AT REMAINS OF [REDACTED] quietly The man in this cell… he was once a sweet, innocent child like you two were. Full of joy and laughter, mired by circumstances outside of their control… > DEEP SIGH quietly … And this man became the thing that made him a monster. > TURNS TO JOHN AND ELNA WITH A STERN LOOK A life like this once had a chance, but destroyed it. I do not want to do that to any innocent life. JOHN: > TENSE But you certainly have no problem abducting people. ONARIUS: > SADDENED I have no choice… Either it's them, or your world. JOHN: > EYES WIDEN: > CLEARS THROAT The data, like from that guy, what happens to it? ONARIUS: > PUTS AWAY SHIELD, STANDS, AND QUIETLY TURNS BACK TO CELL When something dies in the Eldrigital Void, at least in these cells, their fragmented data are purified enough to be recycled. JOHN: > ADJUSTS SUNGLASSES, CURIOUS To what…? For Ned's own delusions? ONARIUS: > POINTS TO MAGENTA VEINS APPEARING IN THE CELL [VIDEO FEED SHOWS THE MAGENTA VEINS EXITING THE CELL AND TRAVELLING {"down" (look, it's really hard to perceive which direction is which sometimes) TO THE PURIFICATION SPIRE}] ONARIUS: > TURNS TO JOHN BLANKLY Food, to sustain beings far more powerful than me. An exchange… > SNEERS … A regretful one. JOHN: > CONFUSED What are you feeding then? ONARIUS: Things that are not meant to be said, discussed, or even shown. Beings that are gatekeepers to a higher power greater than Ned-one he fears. JOHN: > VISIBLY TERRIFIED Did you see them then, El? Onarius? During this "blessing"? ELNA: > FRANTICALLY SHAKES HEAD No, only in brief tales Ned told… > CLEARS THROAT No one has seen much of the Kernel Layer, save for him. I was blinded during my "blessing" to prevent me from becoming corrupted. What I do know though is- ONARIUS: > STOPS {me} > DEEP SIGH WHILE STARING INTENSELY AT JOHN The things below are appeased by the data flowing from the cells. Those who gifted the spire use the data to shape reality. The "others" use it to stave off their hunger; and those things have long been eyeing your world. > STARES AT SPIRE CONTEMPLY And where they are, a place much like "Cestranna", they would endlessly torture them; never giving them rest or respite. But each time they are slain, they are resurrected, making the "others" stronger. Thus, this prison is a mercy compared to a hell I have only been shown once. And this place I made because of what I have seen in Cestranna… This place is finality, Cestranna is torture. JOHN:"The alternative" then? ONARIUS: >NODS SLOWLY JOHN: > WATCHES MAGENTA VEINS IN SILENCE AS THEY TRAVEL {downwards} So… better to be fragmented food than prey to some eldritch predator for all of eternity? ONARIUS: > NODS softly Yes… > DEEP SIGH The victims, a reassurance that a monster no longer exists with them. The perpetrator, a way to find their own sins to come to peace with themselves, even if it seems painful to them. JOHN: > WATCHES IN SILENCE Do the victims know? ONARIUS: Yes… I sent a message to the one you interviewed regarding [REDACTED]'s demise. She can be at peace now. JOHN: > CONTEMPLATING AND TURNS TO ONARIUS It doesn't excuse the suffering you have inflicted upon these prisoners. Bad or not, no one deserves to end up like that. ONARIUS: > DEFEATED SIGH I know… But what lies beneath will not take kindly to a lack of food. JOHN: > DEEP SIGH What about the other prisoners? The really bad ones? ONARIUS: > SADDENED They go to the bottom… to where the False are imprisoned… ELNA: > BREATHING INCREASES But that's near the Kernel Layer. Why would you take humans down there? That's insane! ONARIUS: > EYES FILL WITH DISGUST An error that I have failed to subdue for a long time… ELNA: Error? JOHN: > STANDS IN FRONT OF ELNA, DEFENSIVELY exasperated And you mean for us to go down there with a kid?! ONARIUS: > MAKES AN ODD LOOK TO JOHN {apparently motioning to me for some reason} JOHN: > RELAXES ONARIUS: softly There is a certain prisoner down there I want to remedy, but up until now, it wasn't possible. ELNA: > TUGS JOHN whispering Ask him who the prisoner is, dude! JOHN: > SHAKES HEAD AND {looks away?} ELNA: > BECOMES SUSPICIOUS WHILE HEAD POKES OUT FROM JOHN'S BACK Onarius… Who is this prisoner? ONARIUS: > TURNS AWAY TO SPIRE You will see… > DRAWS AXE AND TAPS THREE TIMES ON THE GROUND [VIDEO FEED SHOWS AN ELEVATOR {a black 10' X 10' rectangle} APPEARING] ONARIUS: softly Normally, I would have Elna descend using the stairs for security reasons. However, considering a guest is not "blessed", this is the only way to safely descend. Plus, we are on short notice. > BECKONS DUO TO ENTER JOHN: And just when I was getting used to walking around… > DOUBTFUL AS HE INSPECTS THE ELEVATOR INTERIOR FOR SEVERAL SECONDS ELNA: whispering Remember how I said this place is bigger on the inside than the outside? JOHN: > TURNS TO ELNA whispering I know. > HEADS TO THE ELEVATOR WITH {me} ELNA: {John is still cautious} ONARIUS: > TENSELY {… He has every right to be} ELNA: > STARES AT ONARIUS, CONFUSED {What do you mean?} ONARIUS: {You will see…} [INTERIOR OF THE ELEVATOR SHOWS COMPLETE DARKNESS, OTHER THAN {blue veins this time; thank God}] [VIDEO FEED SHOWS THE TRIO ENTERING THE ELEVATOR, FOLLOWED BY IT CLOSING. BLUE VEINS, ONARIUS, AND ELNA ARE THE ONLY OBJECTS VISIBLE. CAMERA SHAKE INDICATES THE ELEVATOR IS CURRENTLY MOVING] JOHN: > EYES ONARIUS WITH SUSPICION How long will this take? ONARIUS: An hour. JOHN: > SIGHS AND SITS I think I'm going to take a little rest; just viewing this place has made my head spin… ONARIUS: > SMILES You are free to do so. I personally recommend it myself to Elna. ELNA: > PAUSES AND FLUSTERS exasperated I DO NOT FALL ASLEEP THAT EASILY! JOHN: > SMIRKS WITH ONARIUS > DOZES OFF AND FALLS ASLEEP ELNA: > STARES AT JOHN, CONFUSED {Just like that?} ONARIUS: {He had a headache from all of that. The sunglasses can only filter out so much. You also fell asleep many times} ELNA: > EYES WIDEN {REALLY?!} ONARIUS: > SMIRKS {Yes} > WATCHES OVER JOHN INTENSELY BEFORE TURNING TO ELNA {Since he is asleep, we have a lot to discuss…} ELNA: > NERVOUSLY {About what?! I don't recall anything to discuss about-!} ONARIUS: > ROLLS EYES {Your behavior, specifically your manners} > STARES AT {me} INTENSELY {As for who you are transmitting all of this to, this is a private discussion. You can wait until we get to the bottom, which may be a vastly different time than our perception} ELNA: {Sorry bud…} {SKIPPING FOOTAGE… DONE}