Chapter Text
You are seated in a room. It is mostly empty, spare a computer monitor on the desk before you and the seat beneath you. Your hands rest idle on the keyboard and mouse.
The monitor is currently a black screen, but soon enough, red text appears:
ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE A LIFE FOR A LIFE?
YES NO
You make your selection. You receive a badge in the corner of your screen. If you chose “YES” you receive a heart with a knife through it as your badge. “NO” earns you a skull badge.
The black screen shifts. There is a white room. A man in a suit stands in the middle, smiling at you through the screen. He is charming. He is charismatic. He makes you feel comfortable. You recognize the Showfall Media theme playing in your ears. How many times have you heard it before?
“Hello,” the man begins to speak, “and welcome to Showfall Media! We are excited and honored that you are a pioneer in the trial run of our new live experience. Here at Showfall Media, we strive to create innovative entertainment for your consumption. Today, you will be our testers for our new, interactive live show. Throughout the show, you will be given certain prompts that require your direction. At the beginning of our session, you were given your first prompt. Let’s review your results.”
If you chose YES, this is what the spokesman says to you:
“Ah! I see you selected ‘yes’! I sincerely believe you will not be disappointed with the results. Keep your eyes open and mind ready. Anything can happen in the blink of an eye.”
If you chose NO, the spokesman hums in amusement:
“How interesting. Did you select ‘no’ because of your moral compass, or are you interested in seeing how fate plays out for our cast? I’m excited to see how you respond throughout the trial.”
The camera zooms closer to the spokesman, and a pop-up text box appears:
!error
“We are about to begin the show! We do have one last thing for you to remember. Throughout the experience, please take note of any technical difficulties or bugs that may appear throughout. To make note of this, please type this exact prompt in the chat box. This will immediately correct the error or alert a member of our staff to intervene if necessary.”
The pop-up disappears.
“Let’s test the command, shall we?”
The screen before you glitches. The screen displays a basement of sorts, almost like a cellar. This is a timeless space. There are no windows. Four wine barrels accompany a figure in the corner, who is now beginning to stir. However, your attention focuses on each barrel, as you hear the sound of someone banging on the inside of one of them, along with a faint gurgling sound. While the figure in the corner wakes, the sound continues, then… silence.
Slowly, the figure in the corner lifts her head. There’s a pair of goggles on her face, stuck in place with wires that seem to wrap around the back of her head. Her hands lift up to touch the goggles. She gives a panicked tug, but almost immediately stops, almost as if pained by the action.
“No, no…” She whispers to herself, then finds the camera and speaks louder. “Not this again, please! I can’t do this anymore, please!”
She continues to plead, while a pop-up appears on the screen. A small, empty bar, like a health bar in a video game. Your fingers quickly type in the !error command. The bar fills, as if responding not just to your command, but to others as well. Other volunteers?
When the bar completely fills, the goggles begin to glow. The young woman immediately falls silent and stiffens.
The screen glitches again. You see the white room again. The spokesman looks pleased.
“Great work! That is all you need to know! Keep an eye out for any more errors throughout this test. Thank you for your willing participation, and please, enjoy the show!”