Rata Mall - Zombie Chat

[RubberDuck]

I'm stuck in the lab for the rest of this phase.

So it appears we are all in an alien simulation. That’s why none of us can remember before the mall or why we each have our goals for no apparent reason. I knew where to look in the mall for certain items, but when I asked how do I know where to look for that. Who put it there, why do I know its there. I got no response.

While I was in the cafe, I tried to look back out into the eatery to see if anyone remained behind, but all I could see was the void. The simulation has limited memory so only rooms with characters in them can be loaded.

Stand in cafe door and look out to the Eatery other stores to see if anyone remained behind.

You are unable to see anyone. It's as if the eatery was in a parallel dimension somewhere.

The aliens want the secrets to the portal/teleportation or time travel from Xavier. I’d guess that means Xavier and perhaps Leo are real people and trapped in here and perhaps Jia and Johannes are aliens trying to steal the secrets.

Johannes even said he was after the secrets of the mall.

Jia also had a magic piece of paper written in an alien language that always shows the current code to the freezer door is. Though the lab entrances have since been destroyed.

I suspect rest of us don’t exist and are just characters to fill the story.

[RubberDuck]

Or, If I'm right, that could also mean we are all inside or connected to AL, Jia's Hive computer. Jia said one of the effects was losing memory from being connected and none of us seem to have any memory from before the mall.

[Primate]

"Do you have any evidence that this is an alien simulation specifically or is that supposition. I know something off is going on, I'm curious as to why you believe that that specifically is going on."

"Is Xavier there with you?"

[Primate]

I posted this in the eatery chat after you left and this is my suspicion atm.

"We are all clones, or at least plants. I asked in the cinema as to whether there any of us have any genuinely concrete memories from what came before. I don't. I wonder if we were created, then the laser in the time machine is actually a memory ray that will give us a certain perspective. We were mindwiped and teleported here, to this moment, for this event. I don't know what this event is, but it's clearly important. I believe the Time Machine is the device the aliens were asking about, and ask yourself this. 'If Xavier did not use the time machine to come here, what is the purpose of such a device?'"

"The second theory that I *was* considering and no longer consider likely, is that we are all clones and that this is not the first time this has happened, that all of us have been here before."

"I still feel like I'm missing huge pieces of the puzzle, but that is why I whispered Xavier. He was little use and repeated the same stories he told others, claiming ignorance when questioned on specifics."

[RubberDuck]

Xavier is with me, but he is listening to what I am saying on the radio and if talk out of turn, he will use the lab systems to kill me. There's some kind of automated defenses in here.

However, when Xavier described that he thought Jia was an alien trying to steal secrets from him. It made me think of the alien paper that Jia Yvonne stole of Jia, you then mentioned to Carla about possible memory loss from the time machine and she radioed the theory to me. I recalled that Jia said the AL Hive caused memory loss and that the paper was written in an alien language.

Then I recalled the scene from the Cafe where I was unable see back into the eatery from the store as if it was somewhere else.

He's overly not interested in me and muttering to himself about needing to get home. There's evidence the creature also attacked the lab here, so I don't think if he created them that he can control them, the other clone Mark Knorp also expressed a desire to kill the creator.

The time machine has been completely blown up to the point where Ambic has removed it from the lab, all the clones are dead, the only working device in here appears to be the teleportor/portal. All the exits are destroyed.

[Primate]

See if you can get Xavier to agree to a hostage exchange. I think, regardless of whether the people here go for it, it'll be very interesting to see what their reaction is if they don't actually care about you and Xavier asks them to give up something actually important.

[RubberDuck]

Also, note that the time of day is slowly changing.

When I first turned off the lights and found the fake camera, I could still see everyone.

Later, when Jia turned of the lights to check for chips, I could only identify some by their silhouette.

Lastly, when Xavier turned off the lights, it was pitch black and I could not identify anyone.

If we said each phase theoretically was "1 hour" - for me that would be:
Eatery, HardWare, Eatery, Cafe, Eatery, Barbers, Eatery, PhoneStore, and the current Eatery phase.

I'd say we've been here for nine hours and it is now night time, perhaps 7pm if we started at 10am.

[RubberDuck]

Ambic said I can't leave the room during this phase, but it seems Xavier is far more interested in himself and his own goals, he said he isn't going to kill me as long as I don't try anything funny, he's mostly ignoring me.

Also, there's a chance my syringe can be combined with his creations, it's looking like I can add the virus to one during the creation process which makes it weaker than what FrankenMage was, but allows it to retain speed and intelligence and most importantly, answers to me.

[Primate]

"If you're correct about this being a simulation, what if the serum is literally a virus? A Computer Virus. Johannes is wearing a suit and tie because he's a matrix style 'agent'". That's why it doesn't work like a conventional virus, it's overwriting our personalities, not our genes. Those it affects are the programs, those it doesn't effect are the ones actually plugged into the machine with brains. I'm spitballing here, ofc."

[RubberDuck]

That's a reasonable assertation. I'm wondering if we can crash the simulation somehow.

I've been wondering about it ever since I wasn't able to say why I knew the serum was in the barbers or how it got there and I seem to be the only only to have encountered a glitch in the room dimensions.

I may be about to die, FrankenCasey just arrived.

[Primate]

"I just took photos of the car park and hardware store, I was able to see into them from the eatery."

"It's interesting what you say though, maybe certain rooms can be taken out of phase for some purpose."

[RubberDuck]

You can see into the other rooms

from

the eatery, but not the other way around.

[RubberDuck]

I think it's also plausible to see between rooms that are linked together by looking through doors etc.

It was possible to traverse from Cafe - Lab - Fashion Store in one room phase, but not back to the Eatery.

[Primate]

I'm not sure how much you saw but we dynamited frankenterry, blowing up the lower half of his body, then stabbed him to shit as he crawled towards Carla. He

might

still be alive but he's not in a good way if he is.

[Primate]

It's also worth noting that we could definitely see into the eatery from the bank when casey drove his truck through the window from the car park.

And oh god, I missed you said frankencasey, not frankenterry. Splendid.

I'm going to the spaceship next turn, so absolutely do not mention to xavier that that place exists. Remember that we want everyone to die, Xavier having a little bit of sucess is actually good for us.

[RubberDuck]

Xavier already knows about the ship, there's a hole in the basement that drops down from the ship. Johannes is carrying a mummified alien arm from the basement that was wearing an alien ring containing the Trident symbol that dropped down into the basement. We think it might be a type of Signet/Key to the UFO.

I'm not sure the anti-rad meds will work on you being a zombie, but you also might be immune to radiation because you are already dead? I smashed the camera in the barbers, so Xavier wouldn't be able to see you in that room. I was wondering if you'd be willing to fetch the monitor from the Barbers so we can connect it to the pc in the office later?

I took a handful of candy in the cinema - I was planning to take a potassium iodide (Anti-rad) pill myself and secretly give everyone else a piece of candy instead and then walk right into the irradiated zone with them.

[RubberDuck]

Possibility: You could see the eatery because someone else was in the room actively doing something that also affected your area, so I'd argue that room needed to be rendered or loaded. When I looked, there was no one in eatery and it was as if the room didn't exist, because there was nothing that could happen in there.

I think the theory is worth investigating. I will note: I could still see the seer, pinball and pacman machines, but beyond that was non-existent. Ambic described it as if the eatery was in another dimension, so I'm guessing it's conditional loading or something.

[RubberDuck]

Ultimately it's up to you as to which room you visit, you are still useful to me in a fight if I need support, so you can decide where you'd prefer to go.

[Primate]

I don't think I'm actually dead. It's described as I died and then came back to life again, so I imagine radiation would effect me the same way. It's worth noting by the way, I am not accessing the ship via the radiation tunnel, I am getting there via the highway, so I'm on top of the ship. The signet ring thing is a good shout that that's a key. I'm not going to try and do anything risky, although me being an idiot is a possibility.

[RubberDuck]

Harry suddenly stands up, no longer wanting money. No longer breathing.

Harry looks at himself, and realises something is odd

Lacey explains. Harry has contracted a virus that makes him a zombie. It killed him, but behold, you live again as undead. You and him work together now.

Primate, your previous win condition is now changed. Your new win condition is as an undead zombie working with Rubber Duck to infect, or kill everyone in the mall.

A PM will explain more later

My virus killed you and is currently animating your body, so by definition you are Undead. You don't breathe, so presumably you don't eat or drink either. Frankenterry was unaffected by drinking rat poison, it's likely that drug effects won't work on you either.

Yes, Johannes said something about having keycard access for the Carpark to reach the highway. The tunnel indicated going under the Barbers, which Johannes says is the wrong direction for the UFO, so might be two ways to reach the same location, or something else entirely.

[RubberDuck]

FFS.. Johannes keeps asking me to tamper with the lab and for descriptions of everything in here. Frankencasey is right next to me and does whatever Xavier tells him to do. Xavier is armed and listening to my replies I say on radio and the room has some kind of defense system.. If I reply wrong even once I'm dead.

I need Johannes to stop asking me to do things on the radio - he is going to get me killed. Xavier said if I try to do anything or put one foot wrong in here, I'm as good as dead.

I've unbelievably convinced Xavier that I'm willing to work with him and Johannes is going to screw it all up because he won't shut up on the damn radio. Xavier has agree'd to let me go at the room change as long as I don't try to do anything. I just need to survive another 18 hours in here.

I'm can't touch a damn thing in here and I can't respond to Johannes interrogation questions.

Johannes isn't taking no for an answer.

[Primate]

Just turn the radio off.

[RubberDuck]

I'd have to do it without Xavier noticing. He's letting me hang on to the radio to convince the rest of you he isn't here. He'll notice if I suddenly turn it off.

[Primate]

You don't need to respond. We only have 24hrs to wait, then this is over.

You could also just say you're doing these things when you aren't. Just lie to Johannes, and justify it later by saying you were under pressure.

You could ask Johannes where they're going on the radio, be useful information for Xavier.

[RubberDuck]

Good idea.