[IC] Worlds of Fire

[Totem]

Originally Posted by Totem

But that brief challenge to it appears to have focused it somewhat; neither Leo or Codina is able to define what they are seeing properly, but it's like they've got something's attention somewhat.

Leo decides to push a bit harder: [Leo: IQ 13: 5+2+3 = 10 (success by 3)] whatever this is, he reckons that it is inside people's heads in order to make them do things, since they didn't pick it up in a generalised check. So, the best way to push would be to... Uh... [Leo: IQ 13: 1+6+6 = 13 (success, barely)] Let's see if they've noticed what they are all doing...

"Are you all working on the same job?" Leo asks one of the people doing the filing.

"Of course we are," the person replies (polite enough because of who you are, but, well, duh...).

"The others are filing things differently to you," Leo points out [Leo: Communicate 13: 5+5+6 = 16 (failed by 3)] trying to get his message across to them. It doesn't seem to work, and his words are dismissed.

[Ransom]

Since her efforts don't seem to be provoking any particularly exciting reactions, Codina decides to shift approaches. She begins following the person who is filing by date, and making repetitive, sing-song commentary.

"File the file in your filing style, then file down the aisles to the following file in the pile to be filed, and in a while in a hostile trial the files you filed in anger and bile will be worthwhile to stop- smile!"

[ooc] She's attempting the hypnotize the person. If successful she'll attempt a suggestion to get the person to adopt her own filing system. She's especially curious to see if the effect values discord, or is just haphazard about its operation.

Hypnosis-14 +- applicable modifiers, and Psychology-20 to analyze the outcome regardless of success. No idea if their already being influenced makes them more or less susceptible, but that in itself would be useful data to know.

[Totem]

Originally Posted by Ransom

Since her efforts don't seem to be provoking any particularly exciting reactions, Codina decides to shift approaches. She begins following the person who is filing by date, and making repetitive, sing-song commentary.

"File the file in your filing style, then file down the aisles to the following file in the pile to be filed, and in a while in a hostile trial the files you filed in anger and bile will be worthwhile to stop- smile!"

[ooc] She's attempting the hypnotize the person. If successful she'll attempt a suggestion to get the person to adopt her own filing system. She's especially curious to see if the effect values discord, or is just haphazard about its operation.

Hypnosis-14 +- applicable modifiers, and Psychology-20 to analyze the outcome regardless of success. No idea if their already being influenced makes them more or less susceptible, but that in itself would be useful data to know.

[OOC: Okay... Modifiers. Normally a -5 for an unwilling subject (they're being polite and cooperating, but that doesn't mean that they'll go along with you being too weird). You're going for a confusion-type induction which would blunt that somewhat, but the time taken increases because you can't be direct to begin with. Existing influence effects are based on an Obsession, and you're not actually cancelling that, you're just channelling it, so minimal modifiers there. Basically, if you are willing to take a couple of minutes over it then you can bypass the -5 entirely (I'll go with this principle), and otherwise the modifiers somewhat even out.]

[Codina: Hypnosis (covert/ confusion induction: time taken 2-3 minutes) 14: 2+1+4 = 7 (success by 7)]
[Codina: Hypnosis (suggestion) 14: 4+4+1 = 9 (success by 5)]
[Codina: Psychology 20 (I've got 12+7 for Talker and Empath talents at present): 5+4+1 = 10 (success by 10)]

Codina's efforts are not wasted, though they do take slightly longer than might otherwise be hoped. The upshot however is that the person doing the filing finds that they want to change tact and do it the way that Codina has suggested.

Now for some reason, that seems to flare things up a bit more. Where before everyone was happily filing stuff to their different schemes, now one of them isn't running to the same script... Basically as each of the others notices the new system of filing they react as you would have expected them to normally: getting upset by someone wasting their time and filing things to a different system (they're not allowed to argue with you, otherwise that might have worked the first time around). This seems to jar them all somewhat and they notice that everyone has been using a different system to them. [Codina: HPA] Whatever influence there is about them flares up as their Obsessions set them at loggerheads, then crumbles when the argument gets going. They still have a kind of momentum though, meaning that though the Obsession has gone, the argument remains... You definitely got something's attention though. Couple more like that maybe?

[the_matrix_walker]

"Let's go check out the meeting rooms and see what else might be going on off kilter around here."

[ericthered]

Michael follows his companions to the meeting rooms.

[Ransom]

Codina will also follow. If, as is my impression, going from the archives to the meeting rooms takes us back through the front again she will cheerily greet the receptionist as they pass through.

[Totem]

[OOC: Sorry for the delay. Approximately normal service should be resumed as of now.]

There are two meeting rooms on the ground floor, looking particularly impressive because presumably these are for when they have visitors in. The oddest thing in these is a pile of paperwork that has been left in one room. Otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything odd going on.

Spoiler:  

[Leo: Sense (Out of the ordinary) 13, -2 = 11: 5+6+1 = 12 (failed by 1)]
[Alec: Battlesuit (Sensors) 14 (variable modifiers taken into account): 2+1+2 = 5 (success by 9)]

Leo takes a look around both rooms, but can't determine if there is anything out of the ordinary. Codina's HPA and Alec's suit sensors don't immediately notice anything out of the ordinary. There isn't much for Michael to work with at this point.

You could keep looking just in case, or you can move up to the first floor (canteen and main office space).

[ericthered]

Michael picks through papers for a little bit before remarking "Is there any way to talk to the people who did this?"

[the_matrix_walker]

Alec has a look at the paperwork to see if it contains anything strange or is organized in any kind of a peculiar fashion.

"I might be able to pick something up and compare it to the people here... But do you think there is anything strange about forgotten paperwork?"

Alec does a scan for trace DNA, just in case they do need to know who handled this paperwork, but doubts the effort will bear fruit. Once he's looked over the documents, he starts moving for the door.

"Let's keep looking."

[Totem]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

Alec has a look at the paperwork to see if it contains anything strange or is organized in any kind of a peculiar fashion.

"I might be able to pick something up and compare it to the people here... But do you think there is anything strange about forgotten paperwork?"

Alec does a scan for trace DNA, just in case they do need to know who handled this paperwork, but doubts the effort will bear fruit. Once he's looked over the documents, he starts moving for the door.

"Let's keep looking."

Spoiler:  

[Alec: Battlesuit (Sensors) 14, -5 uncertain age of non-contained samples = 9: 4+3+3 = 10 (failed by 1)]

[OOC: Alec has taken scans but couldn't get anything definite from samples that had been so badly contaminated by multiple contacts and environmental conditions; maybe with a full lab he could have improved his odds, but not with just his suit.]

Leo looks over the paperwork, then dismisses it, possibly out of ennui. He hasn't picked up anything from the rest of the room and isn't impressed by the paperwork. He leads the way up the stairs, nearly getting too far ahead of Eight's theoretical zone of protection in the process, and then diverts into the canteen at the first chance.

The canteen appears to be in fairly normal, if basic, condition: there's a worksurface with a sink, kettle and microwave. There's a fridge and drinks machine. And there are a number of tables and chairs around.

What isn't so normal, is the people in there. There's perhaps more than you would expect for anything except a busy lunchtime, especially with the number of seats available. And though some of them are moving around, most appear to have just stopped. Not stopped unconscious and collapsed, but stopped in place, standing there like a room full of statues. Perhaps the oddest part about this is the way everyone is reacting to it: your presence is actually provoking more of a reaction from the people still moving around than the people who have stopped are, even when the 'statues' are physically in the way of people, exactly the same way that the archivists were ignoring each others contradictory efforts.