TILT - Log 3: The Croft Manor
Apr. 4th, 2024 11:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsClea and Paige awake in the world of Tomb Raider.
Consciousness came slow, but as it did, it was clear they were no longer in their chairs at the convention centre.
Clea opened her eyes slowly and as she did so, she began to sit up. "I am getting an odd sense of de ja vu." Saying to herself as she looked around, a splash from the near by water source drew her attention for a moment before looking down to see that Paige was next to her. "Hey, Paige. Are you alright?"
Paige opened her eyes, blinked a few times, then looked around. “Where are we?” The stone walls and floor looked a lot from what they had been told to expect from the VR.
Clea stood up and looked around, it was dark only lit from the torches on the wall, but what Clea could make out was pillars going up towards a door. "I think we are in a tomb of sorts." Her eyes went back to the water source, "Are those logs?"
Paige looked down and watched one of the “logs” dive below the water and resurface. “I don’t think so. What happened to the VR show? This wasn’t included in the list of programs.”
Paige looked back up, taking in more of the room. “Looks like that door over there is the only way out.”
"I agree. This isn't the rollercoaster experience that they mentioned. Fuck. No way this is happening twice." Clea first tried the emergency button that would be found on her earpiece and found it wasn't working. She then made quick gesture in with her hands, but no purple energy emerged. "I guess powers don't work in VR, and it seems my emergency exit button is busted."
Paige reached up to try her button as well. Nothing happened. She tried to focus on shifting, but managed nothing aside from scratching her arms. “Hmm. Same results here. I can’t change forms or activate the exit button.”
"Alright. Looks like the way out is to play the game then." Clea walked to the smaller of the pillars, "Looks like we will need to jump to each one. And try not to fall into the 'not logs' infested water below."
“Right.” Paige glanced down at the water again at what were pretty obviously crocodiles by now. Deep breath. “It’s only a video game,” she muttered to herself. Even if she did fall in, she’d probably just start the level over or exit the game. Nothing bad.
“Ok, let’s go.” Paige readied herself, took a few steps, and lept onto the pillar in front of her. There was a minute where she landed and had to spin her arms to keep her balance, but she managed to stay upright. Not so bad.
Clea waited before jumping; she thanked the goddess of her training in Kamar-Taj as she made it safely onto the pillar next to Paige. "Okay. I am guessing from this angle that the jumps are the same distances across. We'll just keep going until we reach that platform up there. Looks like a corridor." And then she thanked Kevin for her powers of observation.
***
"You know that Tomb Raider was originally going to be an Indiana Jones game? Core Design kept trying to get licensing or get LucasArts to license their engine for one. If you dig into the code, there's a whole dead section meant for whip mechanics." Arcade said from his chair, eyes darting from screen to screen. He was, in theory, talking to his aide Miss Coriander, but his guards learned quickly that the man was always talking and it was best to keep an ear out. "So - BOOM - slap a big set of tits on the model and you have a best-selling franchise. There's something so pure about that kind of understanding of your audience. Gamer jerk-off material and hundreds of hours spent searching for nude codes that don't exist. Let's see if these two girls get ragdolled like the game."
***
Paige launched herself into the next pillar, just making it. As she paused to regain her balance, she watched one of the what was now definitely crocodiles in the water swim closer to where she was. “Hey,” she called over to Clea. “How’re we doing?”
"Doing bloody fantastic," Clea said as she landed on the next pillar. "Those logs aren't helping. How about you, Paige?"
“Not bad,” she said, working up to jump to the next pillar. It was harder now that she couldn’t get a running start. Paige bent her knees and launched herself to the next one…and fell just short. Before she could fall into the water, she just managed to catch the edge of the column. “Might…have spoken…a little too soon…” Paige hauled herself up onto the platform.
Clea was ready to cast a spell that would catch her but then remembered that her powers didn't work here. "I am starting to hate alternate reality. I don't think I'll ever again volunteer for this kind of thing." Clea jumped to the next platform, "Okay, only a couple more jumps and back to safety."
Paige took a deep breath. “Yeah I think I’m good on video games after this.” She stood up and started preparing herself to jump again. “Let’s finish this.”
Clea heard a sound behind her, almost like something large had cracked. Turning her head, she saw one of the pillars falling forward and slammed into the pillar in front of that. "Paige, we need to get to safety because there will be no going back."
“Oh, amazing,” Paige deadpanned, looking back. “Like this wasn’t hard enough already.” Turning forward, she looked at Clea and nodded before jumping to the next pillar. Not too much farther.
Clea jumped to the next one as she heard the pillar hit the one in front of it and another large crack sound, signifying that one would tip over as well. She made her jump and nearly lost her footing but could stabilize herself. She got ready as she was going to jump as soon as Paige did.
“Ready, set, go!” Paige kept for the next one and almost tripped over herself when she landed. The jumping was getting tiring fast, and she was ready to be done with this game.
Clea jumped and quickly reached the last one right behind Paige. Her hands came up to steady the both of them and she looked behind her. "Alright, take a breather and see what is next. Who would have thought we would be out of breath in a video game."
“Yeah. That is weird.” Maybe it was because it was VR and they were moving in the real world too? Who knew. Paige took a moment to breathe and take in this side of the room with the door. Finally, a bit of luck. There was a switch by the door.
Clea looked over at the door, "I hope it isn't a bloody trap." The redhead looked around at the door for anything that might be trap like, like tiny holes that posion darts might come out of, but it looked solided. "Alright, I don't see anything off. Besides this entire scenario."
"Let me just-" Paige went to pull the skin off her arms before remembering her powers didn't work in game. "Right...I'll just walk up and pull it, then." Standing as far from the switch as possible, Paige braced herself to run and pulled it down. Nothing happened. "Hmm...Maybe there's more of them?"
Clea could really use a light spell right now as her eyes scanned the walls this time. "I see it. It is a short distance away on that platform, right there." She pointed as she walked over to the ledge. "Okay, I can make it."
Paige nodded. “Great. If there’s two, we probably have to pull them at the same time. I’ll stay here and do this one.” Hopefully, the door would stay open, and there weren’t any more traps after this. She was ready to get out of the headset and gloves.
"Okay. Let's get out of here." She turned her attention back to the platform, took a deep breath, and then jumped. She landed, and her hand shot out to the lever to steady herself. This game... Her thoughts started to race through some colorful yet tasteful wording. "Okay, we can pull at the same time. Sounds good?"
“Yep, on three.” Paige put her hand back on the switch. “1, 2, 3!” She pulled down on her lever and looked over to make sure Clea had done the same. Sure enough, the door opened. “Great, now just come back over-“ As soon as the levers were released, the door started closing again, possibly too fast for Clea to make it.
"Well, shit." Clea pressed her lips together and looked over at Paige. She hated this, what kind of game was this? "Alright, new plan. Go through the door and see if there is a switch on the other side. Maybe that will end the game."
"You're sure? What if things start to collapse again?" The pillars falling behind them while they jumped hadn't filled Paige with confidence about the structure of the room. And with how strange this whole experience had been, who knew what would happen if they fell in the water or got hit with falling stones and structures.
Clea looked down at the water. "Well, I will be rooting for you to make it to the end." The redhead smiled up at Paige. "If I fall into the water, I think the collapsing of the pillars scattered the threat a bit, and I may be able to get back to the land. It is okay, Paige. You got this."
***
It hadn't taken much detective work to determine this place was some sort of command center. It was by far the busiest area on the property, and all the tech was so sleek, so expensive. Each workstation had no less than three monitors, each attended by an operator totally immersed in their work -- and now, in the case of one, a small purple cat.
At that very moment Sharon had just finished chewing through the power cord's insulating rubber and hit wire. The mild shock she received was offset by an especially satisfying string of profanity from the reedy young man who suddenly found his computer dead at the least opportune moment of his career. Sharon was gone before it even occurred to him to look under his desk, already moving to the next terminal.
No doubt the man would find a replacement cord quickly. Noticing the missing USB receiver she'd yanked off during her retreat, however, would probably take much longer.
***
Paige braced herself and prepared to bolt as soon as the door opened again. “Ok, on three again. 1, 2, 3.” She pulled down on her switch.
Clea nodded and pulled down her switch again, and held onto it. "Okay Paige, go."
Paige dashed through the quickly closing doors, finding herself in a rather bare room. Well. Maybe there was a hidden button to push. Putting herself to work, Paige began feeling around the door to see if she could feel anything that might open it again.
Clea let out a sigh of relief before she jumped back to the column. "Paige, can you hear me?" Clea shouted through the door. "Do you see anything, like a way out?" Staring at the door, as a faint humming sound could be heard.
The door was thick, so while Paige could hear Clea’s voice, she couldn’t make out what she was saying. “Hold on! I’m trying to find a button or something.” The door was making a noise now. That had to be a good sign, right? It meant the door was doing something and hopefully something was opening permanently.
On Clea's side, the door, she had to blink because it looked like she was starting to see the different pixels, almost like they were becoming translucent on her side. Slowly Clea put her hand to the wall and it started to phase through, she kept going until her entire arm was through the door. "I think the game is glitching." She yelled.
As soon as Paige saw Clea’s arm, she grabbed on and started pulling her through the door. “That would explain why we can’t leave.” She hoped that the glitching meant they’d get kicked out and they’d finally be done with this game.
"I think something happened. I am starting to see the little pixels which shouldn't happen in life-like games." Clea said once she was on the other side. She got a good look around, "Okay, from what I remember of video games, there should be a gather volume that, once we are in it, should end the game. With the game glitching, it might be easier to spot."
“What’s a gather volume?” Paige asked, looking around the room for anything that stood out.
"It is a location that was programmed to end the game. Every game should have one." Clea blinked as the pixels were starting to become more apparent. "I wonder what happened to make the graphics all wonky like this."
“Maybe someone tripped on a wire or something.” Paige started to shift away from the door and the encroaching pixels. “So we should just walk around until we’re sucked out of the game? That should be easy enough.”
Consciousness came slow, but as it did, it was clear they were no longer in their chairs at the convention centre.
Clea opened her eyes slowly and as she did so, she began to sit up. "I am getting an odd sense of de ja vu." Saying to herself as she looked around, a splash from the near by water source drew her attention for a moment before looking down to see that Paige was next to her. "Hey, Paige. Are you alright?"
Paige opened her eyes, blinked a few times, then looked around. “Where are we?” The stone walls and floor looked a lot from what they had been told to expect from the VR.
Clea stood up and looked around, it was dark only lit from the torches on the wall, but what Clea could make out was pillars going up towards a door. "I think we are in a tomb of sorts." Her eyes went back to the water source, "Are those logs?"
Paige looked down and watched one of the “logs” dive below the water and resurface. “I don’t think so. What happened to the VR show? This wasn’t included in the list of programs.”
Paige looked back up, taking in more of the room. “Looks like that door over there is the only way out.”
"I agree. This isn't the rollercoaster experience that they mentioned. Fuck. No way this is happening twice." Clea first tried the emergency button that would be found on her earpiece and found it wasn't working. She then made quick gesture in with her hands, but no purple energy emerged. "I guess powers don't work in VR, and it seems my emergency exit button is busted."
Paige reached up to try her button as well. Nothing happened. She tried to focus on shifting, but managed nothing aside from scratching her arms. “Hmm. Same results here. I can’t change forms or activate the exit button.”
"Alright. Looks like the way out is to play the game then." Clea walked to the smaller of the pillars, "Looks like we will need to jump to each one. And try not to fall into the 'not logs' infested water below."
“Right.” Paige glanced down at the water again at what were pretty obviously crocodiles by now. Deep breath. “It’s only a video game,” she muttered to herself. Even if she did fall in, she’d probably just start the level over or exit the game. Nothing bad.
“Ok, let’s go.” Paige readied herself, took a few steps, and lept onto the pillar in front of her. There was a minute where she landed and had to spin her arms to keep her balance, but she managed to stay upright. Not so bad.
Clea waited before jumping; she thanked the goddess of her training in Kamar-Taj as she made it safely onto the pillar next to Paige. "Okay. I am guessing from this angle that the jumps are the same distances across. We'll just keep going until we reach that platform up there. Looks like a corridor." And then she thanked Kevin for her powers of observation.
***
"You know that Tomb Raider was originally going to be an Indiana Jones game? Core Design kept trying to get licensing or get LucasArts to license their engine for one. If you dig into the code, there's a whole dead section meant for whip mechanics." Arcade said from his chair, eyes darting from screen to screen. He was, in theory, talking to his aide Miss Coriander, but his guards learned quickly that the man was always talking and it was best to keep an ear out. "So - BOOM - slap a big set of tits on the model and you have a best-selling franchise. There's something so pure about that kind of understanding of your audience. Gamer jerk-off material and hundreds of hours spent searching for nude codes that don't exist. Let's see if these two girls get ragdolled like the game."
***
Paige launched herself into the next pillar, just making it. As she paused to regain her balance, she watched one of the what was now definitely crocodiles in the water swim closer to where she was. “Hey,” she called over to Clea. “How’re we doing?”
"Doing bloody fantastic," Clea said as she landed on the next pillar. "Those logs aren't helping. How about you, Paige?"
“Not bad,” she said, working up to jump to the next pillar. It was harder now that she couldn’t get a running start. Paige bent her knees and launched herself to the next one…and fell just short. Before she could fall into the water, she just managed to catch the edge of the column. “Might…have spoken…a little too soon…” Paige hauled herself up onto the platform.
Clea was ready to cast a spell that would catch her but then remembered that her powers didn't work here. "I am starting to hate alternate reality. I don't think I'll ever again volunteer for this kind of thing." Clea jumped to the next platform, "Okay, only a couple more jumps and back to safety."
Paige took a deep breath. “Yeah I think I’m good on video games after this.” She stood up and started preparing herself to jump again. “Let’s finish this.”
Clea heard a sound behind her, almost like something large had cracked. Turning her head, she saw one of the pillars falling forward and slammed into the pillar in front of that. "Paige, we need to get to safety because there will be no going back."
“Oh, amazing,” Paige deadpanned, looking back. “Like this wasn’t hard enough already.” Turning forward, she looked at Clea and nodded before jumping to the next pillar. Not too much farther.
Clea jumped to the next one as she heard the pillar hit the one in front of it and another large crack sound, signifying that one would tip over as well. She made her jump and nearly lost her footing but could stabilize herself. She got ready as she was going to jump as soon as Paige did.
“Ready, set, go!” Paige kept for the next one and almost tripped over herself when she landed. The jumping was getting tiring fast, and she was ready to be done with this game.
Clea jumped and quickly reached the last one right behind Paige. Her hands came up to steady the both of them and she looked behind her. "Alright, take a breather and see what is next. Who would have thought we would be out of breath in a video game."
“Yeah. That is weird.” Maybe it was because it was VR and they were moving in the real world too? Who knew. Paige took a moment to breathe and take in this side of the room with the door. Finally, a bit of luck. There was a switch by the door.
Clea looked over at the door, "I hope it isn't a bloody trap." The redhead looked around at the door for anything that might be trap like, like tiny holes that posion darts might come out of, but it looked solided. "Alright, I don't see anything off. Besides this entire scenario."
"Let me just-" Paige went to pull the skin off her arms before remembering her powers didn't work in game. "Right...I'll just walk up and pull it, then." Standing as far from the switch as possible, Paige braced herself to run and pulled it down. Nothing happened. "Hmm...Maybe there's more of them?"
Clea could really use a light spell right now as her eyes scanned the walls this time. "I see it. It is a short distance away on that platform, right there." She pointed as she walked over to the ledge. "Okay, I can make it."
Paige nodded. “Great. If there’s two, we probably have to pull them at the same time. I’ll stay here and do this one.” Hopefully, the door would stay open, and there weren’t any more traps after this. She was ready to get out of the headset and gloves.
"Okay. Let's get out of here." She turned her attention back to the platform, took a deep breath, and then jumped. She landed, and her hand shot out to the lever to steady herself. This game... Her thoughts started to race through some colorful yet tasteful wording. "Okay, we can pull at the same time. Sounds good?"
“Yep, on three.” Paige put her hand back on the switch. “1, 2, 3!” She pulled down on her lever and looked over to make sure Clea had done the same. Sure enough, the door opened. “Great, now just come back over-“ As soon as the levers were released, the door started closing again, possibly too fast for Clea to make it.
"Well, shit." Clea pressed her lips together and looked over at Paige. She hated this, what kind of game was this? "Alright, new plan. Go through the door and see if there is a switch on the other side. Maybe that will end the game."
"You're sure? What if things start to collapse again?" The pillars falling behind them while they jumped hadn't filled Paige with confidence about the structure of the room. And with how strange this whole experience had been, who knew what would happen if they fell in the water or got hit with falling stones and structures.
Clea looked down at the water. "Well, I will be rooting for you to make it to the end." The redhead smiled up at Paige. "If I fall into the water, I think the collapsing of the pillars scattered the threat a bit, and I may be able to get back to the land. It is okay, Paige. You got this."
***
It hadn't taken much detective work to determine this place was some sort of command center. It was by far the busiest area on the property, and all the tech was so sleek, so expensive. Each workstation had no less than three monitors, each attended by an operator totally immersed in their work -- and now, in the case of one, a small purple cat.
At that very moment Sharon had just finished chewing through the power cord's insulating rubber and hit wire. The mild shock she received was offset by an especially satisfying string of profanity from the reedy young man who suddenly found his computer dead at the least opportune moment of his career. Sharon was gone before it even occurred to him to look under his desk, already moving to the next terminal.
No doubt the man would find a replacement cord quickly. Noticing the missing USB receiver she'd yanked off during her retreat, however, would probably take much longer.
***
Paige braced herself and prepared to bolt as soon as the door opened again. “Ok, on three again. 1, 2, 3.” She pulled down on her switch.
Clea nodded and pulled down her switch again, and held onto it. "Okay Paige, go."
Paige dashed through the quickly closing doors, finding herself in a rather bare room. Well. Maybe there was a hidden button to push. Putting herself to work, Paige began feeling around the door to see if she could feel anything that might open it again.
Clea let out a sigh of relief before she jumped back to the column. "Paige, can you hear me?" Clea shouted through the door. "Do you see anything, like a way out?" Staring at the door, as a faint humming sound could be heard.
The door was thick, so while Paige could hear Clea’s voice, she couldn’t make out what she was saying. “Hold on! I’m trying to find a button or something.” The door was making a noise now. That had to be a good sign, right? It meant the door was doing something and hopefully something was opening permanently.
On Clea's side, the door, she had to blink because it looked like she was starting to see the different pixels, almost like they were becoming translucent on her side. Slowly Clea put her hand to the wall and it started to phase through, she kept going until her entire arm was through the door. "I think the game is glitching." She yelled.
As soon as Paige saw Clea’s arm, she grabbed on and started pulling her through the door. “That would explain why we can’t leave.” She hoped that the glitching meant they’d get kicked out and they’d finally be done with this game.
"I think something happened. I am starting to see the little pixels which shouldn't happen in life-like games." Clea said once she was on the other side. She got a good look around, "Okay, from what I remember of video games, there should be a gather volume that, once we are in it, should end the game. With the game glitching, it might be easier to spot."
“What’s a gather volume?” Paige asked, looking around the room for anything that stood out.
"It is a location that was programmed to end the game. Every game should have one." Clea blinked as the pixels were starting to become more apparent. "I wonder what happened to make the graphics all wonky like this."
“Maybe someone tripped on a wire or something.” Paige started to shift away from the door and the encroaching pixels. “So we should just walk around until we’re sucked out of the game? That should be easy enough.”
no subject
Date: 2024-04-07 01:03 am (UTC)“Oh, amazing. Like this wasn’t hard enough already.”
I just love the energy here. From Clea, "I can't believe this is happening to me again," and from Paige, "I'm in the middle of trying to complete my doctorate and I extremely do not have time for this."
(And Rei, the insider QA tester knowledge was unexpected but weirdly interesting.)