The Human Game: A Shrine for a Fake God

>Camilla: Quick, while that thing is dazed, let's push past it!

>Thalia: "Joe... if you're already 'occupied'... what is it doing the occupying? What's its name?"

> Joe, are you maybe having second thoughts now? Considering getting away from the Null while you can?... Please?

Hey, uh, Null. Would you mind telling us if you belong to this nice man here?

Hey, uh, Null. Would you mind telling us if you belong to this nice man here?

(We can safely assume that yes, this is Joe's Null, it just can't do what it really desires (besides protecting its designated host body) because of.....................................circumstances, which may or may not include getting beaned in the head with a giant metal chest.)

It worked well the first time, so hit it again.

Welcome back!

> Okay, this looks like a good time to run like hell. What is there in the other side of the chasm? A door? A corridor? Another stupid puzzle?!

> Joe?: Won't this thing be able to "enter" who or whatever is occupying you? If you care about this...entity, you might want to consider the possibility.

The Null seems capable of nodding its mask. Just wanted to make sure we weren't being bamboozled, if Joe is already taken. His icon and everything we know about him seems to suggest a doll, not an owl, after all.

You talked about decisions before, Joe. Are you planning on coming with us when we leave?

>There's something life-affirming about smacking things with a heavy lump of metal instead of thinking of existential dread. Keep at it!

It's nice to have you back!

What just happened is Friday showing us the non-failure state. In some form. As if doppel was an NPC player-reader, if that makes sense.
>drag Joe away, then ask if whoever he's talking about looks like the Null
>Thalia, you know what these things are?

(did he ever tell anyone who believed him, and if so, did their actions to exploit the info assured it came to pass?)

...I think i know how to approach the game. It's basically the AI Box experiment, played by each character's Null as the ai trying to get out in. Every designated host acts as the gatekeeper. In-universe, the Human Game exists in the space between each character holding their long-standing opinions, attitudes and desires, and Cancel, who introduces an environment and circumstances to induce self-reflection and possibly change. Given that the Null seem to have full access to characters' memories and logic patterns, with enough time and arguments each should be able to win against their specific host, (optionally?) supressing them with pain. Except for one detail. Out-of-universe, players influence the characters, introducing ideas and impressions they wouldn't think of otherwise. In this space, there are opportunities to craft reasons not only to deny a Null, but also to curb reasons for characters to give up/in - for instance, what could possibly happen if Thalia learnt Jai Parik died? How to do damage control? Who would be able to stop a chain of logic suggesting to try to break through a wall?

It appears that at the heart of it lies a single question: What will prevent giving up one's agency, no matter the misfortune and pain that happens to them?
It's a trick question, given that the answer should end up different for each person.

Come to think of it, this may also be the reason why Cancel doesn't state how long the game is going to take: because implictly, the reason not to give in to a Null should hold indefinitely. It would also conviniently suggest what one player was disqualified for - offing others. Or why spend the time on this question, of all things? Why accomplish things yourself, instead handling the responsibility to something else?

The Null slumps, instantly.

The chest, having met its mark, lands, but not before the lid detaches and the contents of it are spread out on the floor. Oh. That’s right – the chest is supposed to open when the objectives of this stupid bridge puzzle are met. All three of you are on the other side now. You accomplished the task.

…And yet, you don’t feel that accomplished at all. Maybe it’s the fact that you almost had your head chomped off by a giant mask creature.

It’s interesting to see what was in the chest, though. You squint - you can’t see it well from where you’re standing, but it looks like the contents of that chest were…rings?

A chest that heavy just had some rings in it?

>Camilla: Quick, while that thing is dazed, let's push past it!

You don’t really have a moment to wonder the paradox of it all before Camilla moves, letting go of your shoulders to head briskly in the direction of the old man.

CAMILLA: We don’t have much time. Let’s move.

She’s absolutely right. Although it would be quite nice to think that Camilla’s mighty throw was able to kill that abomination in one hit, you don’t really think that’s the case. It doesn’t look like a creature that could go down that easily.

Camilla speaks up as she walks:

CAMILLA: Pick up the stuff from the chest and follow me.
CAMILLA: I’ll take care of Joe.
THALIA:  Got it.

With a short inhale, you follow her, trying to move fast to match her pace– you can still feel your heart still beating fast, like the frantic beating of a war drum announcing a battle to come. You can’t calm down, not now, not when there’s still so much here you don’t understand, and so much here that could potentially hurt you. Even after you all move to the next room, what’s next? What’s next for you? What’s next for Camilla?

…What’s next for Joe?

> Be Joe Verger.

You can’t be Joe Verger. You are unable to be Joe Verger. You see, somebody else is Joe Verger now.

…

Why does he look so surprised, though? Shouldn’t he be happy about being saved? The threat is gone, for a moment. The death he anticipated hasn’t happened.

And yet…and yet…

His body has been handed over. Sold. Signed away. All in the heat of the moment, all because deep down, very deep down, Joe Verger is a coward who runs, and run he did, except if he knew that the solution was as simple as this, that he didn’t need to run at all, that he didn’t need to trust in visions at night, that he didn’t think that literally anyone could live his life in a better way than he could…

His body would still be his, wouldn’t it…?

…

You can’t be Joe Verger anymore.

Sorry.

He’s taken.

CAMILLA: Come on, Joe.

The man gasps as Camilla takes and yanks him roughly by the hoodie of his coat as she walks by him – he doesn’t even look back at her.

CAMILLA: I won’t let you die here.
CAMILLA: I don’t care what you say.
JOE: …

She drags him along behind her - he doesn’t resist, only stumbling a little as he moves backwards, his eyes unfocused.

CAMILLA: Let’s move quickly.
CAMILLA: Before that thing wakes up…

>What is there in the other side of the chasm? A door? A corridor? Another stupid puzzle?!

No puzzles, thank goodness.

Just a pair of doors. One of them is already open – was it like that, or did it open because the puzzle was finished? You don’t know – the whole mess with the Null barely made you notice what was behind it when it popped up.

It is worrying, though – there just seems to be a corridor behind it as far as you can see. This only makes it harder to imagine options you have if the Null eventually wakes up.

Just run, you suppose. Or keep the doors shut somehow. You can’t tell if they’re like the ones from the library or not.

As Camilla asked, you bend to scoop up the rings. There are three of them, rather simple silver metal bands – they have a small circular inlay of some kind of green stone. Odd. They don’t seem to be heavier than you’d expect a few metal rings to be.

A hard nudge with your foot against the chest confirms its weight to you once again– it doesn’t even budge. You picked it up before with Camilla’s help, Camilla struggled with picking it up on her own, and if it didn’t change its weight somehow when you crossed the bridge…how did she throw it so high, so effortlessly? Some kind of “super strength in a crisis” situation?

Odd.

The Null doesn’t move. It’s eerie, looking at the thing up close – you move quickly to follow the others, the rings held tight in your hand.

>drag Joe away, then ask if whoever he's talking about looks like the Null

You can hear Camilla trying to talk over her shoulder to Joe as she moves.

CAMILLA: …Hey, is that thing still in your head?
JOE: …
CAMILLA: Joe. Listen to me. Who’s ”him”?
CAMILLA:The person who you said you could hear.
CAMILLA: Is it the Null?
CAMILLA: Is the Null still speaking to you?
JOE: …No. It’s not.

His voice is weak, hoarse, like the creaking of an old willow branch ready to break.

CAMILLA: Who is it, then?
JOE: Jo…
CAMILLA: Huh?
JOE: Joph…
CAMILLA: Joe?

His lower lip trembles – there’s an edge to his tone, plaintive. It's like at any second, he’s about to burst into tears.

JOE: My dear…my one and only…
JOE: We’ll never be…apart…
JOE: A true…angel…
CAMILLA: …?

You don’t understand. He’s still making no sense. If the Null was affecting him before, shouldn’t it have stopped? The Null isn’t active right now - unless it has some kind of incredibly potent ability to mess with minds, you don’t think it’s the culprit of this man’s babblings.

He even said so himself. So what he's talking about, then? Has he just lost it for good? Has the Human Game made him crack? You can already imagine Cancel's reaction - he'd probably laugh. A man going mad from the twisted game he made him play...

Something whips by your face. Your breath seizes in your throat.

You catch sight of it easily, because it's moving so fast - its a long, black, sharp-looking mess of a tendril, moving through the air like a vicious arrow aiming to pierce its target.

It’s…

It’s the Null. But how, HOW, its supposed to be unconscious-!

THALIA:  CAMILLA! JOE! LOOK OUT!!
CAMILLA: …!!

But even before Camilla can twist around, the tendril wraps around the poet’s neck, as tight as a noose. Joe’s body lurches forward in its snare, like he’s a doll grabbed by the hand of an incredibly inpatient child who wants what it deserves...

JOE: Let me…
JOE: Let me…go...

Author's Note:

SpoilerShow

joe verger has henceforth been removed from the human game character selection screen because JOE VERGER gave SOMEONE ELSE THE SECOND CONTROLLER, THE ABSOLUTE FOOL

Oh damn. I wish there's something more we could have done (like punching Joe more in the mouth). I guess we focused too much on the Null who wasn't the real threat here.

Joe Verger has become... FOE VERGER.

But also yeah, we should probably do something about the creepy owl monster trying to strangulate him.

Joe Verger has become... FOE VERGER.

But also yeah, we should probably do something about the creepy owl monster trying to strangulate him.

Oh yea, the situation at hand.

>Smack the tendril with the heavy box, then tear Joe away.

> Camilla: The thing you did before, with your hands... Can you use that to sedate the Null via its tendrils long enough to escape?

>Camilla: How are you with removing crazy shadow tendril nooses?

>Be Joe Verger/Jophiel.
>Joe/Jophiel: You're not dead yet. Are you going to waste it? You know what can happen. Are you going to let it happen to these people? Do you want that to be your legacy?

...i mean, the Null couldn't get in because Joe was 'occupied', and at the time we couldn't get in either. So now that the Null is making an attempt....

alternatively:
>Thalia: pocket the rings and try to pry the Null away. You wear gloves, it's safer for you than for Camilla.

Joe’s words of protest do nothing. He gets pulled forward, a fish on a hook, and his feet scrabble on the ground as he leans back to try to stop it. His hands pull helplessly at the wrapping of tendrils around his neck around his neck. But the monster is stronger.

He’s not.

JOE: A-ah! Please…!

The monster is quick – it’s only been a few seconds but its already slid over the edge and into the darkness, with no “bridge” in the way to stop it now. It doesn’t seem to care about you or Camilla. And the more it moves, the more Joe moves closer to the edge, inch by inch.

CAMILLA: It’s trying to drag him down along with it-!

And without even a second more, Camilla leaps forward, seizing the bundle of tendrils in her left hand – her other hand moves to Joe’s back for further support, and Joe gasps, eyes wide as his progress towards the edge is stopped. But its only for a single, victorious moment, and the tendrils grow taut again as a further tug from the monster sends both Joe and Camilla forward.

The girl might be strong, but it seems like even her strength isn’t enough for this.

CAMILLA: Ergh…
THALIA: Hold on!

You shift the rings to your other hand, and shift around Joe so you can take the other side. The tendrils feel strange underneath your gloved hand, like holding a bouquet of snakes that squirm and struggle under your grip. Even if you tighten your fingers as hard as you can, they shift so much that its hard to keep your hand where it is. Now you can understand why Camilla is having trouble with it. Still, you put your own strength into it, trying to spread your feet to keep yourself steady on the floor, but another lurch of the tendrils, and you feel yourself being pulled forward along with the other two.

THALIA: It’s still moving!
CAMILLA: I know!
THALIA: Can we cut it?
CAMILLA: Does it look like we have anything to do that?

There isn’t anything to use for that. There isn’t anything at all.

THALIA: What do we do?!
CAMILLA: Just! Keep pulling!

And yet, the monster progresses. You are all only about a foot from the edge, now.

> Camilla: The thing you did before, with your hands... Can you use that to sedate the Null via its tendrils long enough to escape?

Your name is CAMILLA LLOYD, and you have a decision to make.

You don’t have much time. Even with you and Thalia pulling, the monster is intent on getting its prey, and there’s nothing around that you could use to sever their connection. It’s not a battle you can win. Even if you somehow find a way to stun the thing again with the chest or something else, there’s no guarantee that its body will simply pull Joe along with it just from the weight.

But there is an option. One that could work. Your hand is on the beast, technically, and all you’d need to do is use what you have. “Calm it down”. Make it slacken its grip and let the man go. But this is different from what you did to some of the others before, like Daniel and Joe. 

This time, it would come with a price. Doing something to this Null is not like calming down a person who’s sad or anxious or too burdened with emotions.

Already, you feel the sting of regret prickling deep in your chest. You can’t simply let Joe to his fate of being swallowed up by a monster in the darkness, you can’t, but…

It hurts, to know what will come after.

You hope you can be forgiven.

You close your eyes, and breathe out an apology that you know won’t be heard.

CAMILLA: …
CAMILLA: I’m so sorry.

And you do it.

With the others, it didn’t feel like much. This time, it’s a feeling that courses through you, up your spine, feeling your head with something that’s almost like a thundercloud that bristles with energy that sings through your bones. Your hand tightens around the tendrils as you grit your teeth.

It doesn’t hurt. It never does. And yet the pressure builds up behind your eyes, like its threatening to make its escape, fly, be free, and all you have to do is focus that, shift it completely into the masked thing, and let the pieces fall as they may.

CAMILLA: LET-!
CAMILLA: GO!!!!

WARNING. WARNING. WARNING.

EXCESSIVE CHANGE IN WAVE AMPLITUDE NOTED IN GROUP (B). BRIDGE OF SIGHS. WAVELENGTH SHIFTED. WARNING. WARNING. WARNING.

…

REWIND. REWIND. REWIND.

RECHECK FOOTAGE AND DATA COLLECTION OF GROUP (A). SHRINE OF LIES. CHARTING WAVE AMPLITUDE. CHARTING WAVELENGTH. CORRELATING DATA……

COMMENCING REVIEW OF FOOTAGE OF GROUP (A) FIFTEEN MINUTES PRIOR TO WAVE AMPLITUDE CHANGE……

Your name is KATE GREENWOOD, and your head hurts.

Abigail already went ahead as truthbearer. The other three, Thalia, Camilla, and Joe, had gone ahead to their Bridge. And you’re here, walking along this corridor. Connor, walking steadily in front of you, and Daniel, walking so quietly behind you that you have to glance behind you sometimes to make sure he’s there.

You’re so frustrated. Now, you’re separated, and you’re pretty sure this is what Cancel wanted. Strength is in numbers, right? What’s going to happen if something happens to you or the other two? Like, if Connor was in trouble, do you really think you and Daniel are going to be able to do anything about it?

You don’t want to feel helpless. You don’t.

But what can you do…?

You twist your head slightly to look back at Daniel, who just blinks in your direction. For the last several minutes, you’ve noticed that Daniel keeps looking over at you nervously. He kind of reminds you of your little sister when she wants something like a whole plate of cookies for lunch but is too afraid to ask.

Seriously, what is it?? What does he want? Maybe you should just ignore him.

Author's Note:

SpoilerShow

wakes up from my coffin, coughing up dust. how are y'all

ANYWAYS here is the deal: this is a lesson to me that doing BIG HUGE SCENES that can't be updated quickly is NO GO. NOT GOOD. So from here on out, I'm going to limit myself to small 2-3 panels per update unless it REALLY calls for it. That way, more frequent updates! NO SPENDING MONTHS IN A SINGLE ROOM. That's the plan!! It's good to be back, anyways, I missed these kids.

Also, the "rewind" thing is not actual time travel or reversing the events of what happened, its just footage of the event being rewinded of both groups so that we can see what the other group was doing at the exact same time (which is important, since the events that happened here definitely had an effect on the other group which we will see SO!! hope I could make that clear).

> Say, isn't it a good time to ask him about the marble thingy? There's less people around, and you're not running for your life at the moment...

>Kate: Ask him what he wants already!! He's not gonna quit creeping otherwise!

AHHHH I WANT JOE TO BE SAFE BUT I ALSO WANT CAMILLA TO BE SAFE

> Daniel: Really, REALLY think about whether you should say this or not.

>Kate: Ask him what he wants already!! He's not gonna quit creeping otherwise!

The more you walk along, the more you feel your annoyance grow. He’s hanging on the edge of your personal bubble like some unbelievably lame shadow, and finally, you’ve had enough. That’s it. If he won’t speak up, then you’ll just have to do it for him.

You stop in place, whipping around so you can look at him face to face.

KATE:  What do you WANT, Daniel?

Daniel immediately startles – wincing like he just got slapped in the face - and you must have interrupted whatever preparation for whatever he was about to say, since it all suddenly pours out of his mouth in a rushed, nervous mess of words that you can barely understand.

DANIEL: IJUSTWANTEDTOGIVEYOUSOMETHINGI’MSOSORRYDON’TBEMAD!!!!!!!!!

He instantly shuts his mouth, glancing to the side like a part of him is looking for a place to hide and never be found again.

KATE:  …Huh?
DANIEL: …
KATE: No, seriously, what did you say?

God, is he blushing? He’s blushing. He’s so awkward…

He finally takes a quick breath of air, regaining some of his composure.

DANIEL: I-I’m sorry, I just…
DANIEL: I had been planning to give you back in the library but you had been…talking with Joe and Connor…

He rifles into his jeans pocket and pulls out something.

DANIEL: Hold out your hand, Kate.

You give him a curious look, but you do it like he says. In your hand, he deposits something…wooden? No, it has metal in it too. You glance down at it, and you realize what it is.

It’s a folded knife, isn’t it…? And as if to answer your question, Daniel speaks up.

DANIEL: It’s Seth’s knife.
DANIEL: He dropped it back before he…
DANIEL: …
DANIEL: Well, you know.
DANIEL: I just wanted you to have it, Kate.

Author's Note:

SpoilerShow

Connor in the front of this group: TEENAGERS I SWEAR TO GOD

anyways hey, remember Seth's knife! it makes a reappearance!! impress a girl by giving her the thing a random guy in sunglasses used to almost stab you, it works wonders

>Kate: Accept knife. Can't hurt to have a knife!

> Kate: "Wait why do you want me to have a knife."

> Kate: Stare blankly. :I

>Kate: err... thanks for the trust. That aside, about that marble....