HIGHWAY TO HELL [Motive 1 Update #6]
Even standing near the door is uncomfortable. The heat permeating from underneath the frame in itself burns to the touch. Itâs like a nuclear warhead was dropped just a few miles away; the rooms in Bates Motel, your bunker. With the granted immunities to the Top 5, it was relatively easy to escape the deadly heat; isolating everyone inside the cooled rooms. The access to food and water was still limited, but with quick runs to the cafeteria, it seemed that the Motive was under control.
And alas, it seemed your captor wasnât too pleased with that.
A day after the heat was cranked up another ten degrees, Sekai requested, in crescent order of the Applause Board, one person leave their air-conditioned rooms into the fallout outside, for a random number of minutes, Top 5 and Star aside. The effects of the heatstroke was noticeable, but everyone came back. That was when she requested two people go out at once; then four and, ultimately, eight. The impatience in her voice as she kept on popping on the screen inside the room was easy to pick up on; slightly worrying, but everyone stood their ground.
Until, of course⊠She couldnât take it anymore.
With a quick flash, the screen turned on once again. The face, while recognizable, held an expression so stern and wicked, it immediately sent shivers down your spine. The celebrityâs eyes, filled with silent rage. For a good ten seconds, she just stared everyone down. A dismal silence creeping over the entire facility.
âSoâŠIt seems my efforts werenât enough, huh?â Finally, the woman spoke up. Her voice, dissonant to her roguish expression. âAnd so youâve conquered the hardships Iâve sent your way masterfully. Outplaying every step of my evil plan. Iâm impressed! Honestly, Iâm out of ideas on what to do next. Youâve got me! My most honest congratulations.â
You could almost feel the barrage of sideways glances being exchanged amongst the silence. This didnât feel a tiny bit right.
âIâve come here primarily to congratulate you all. Your work has been truly, truly outstanding, my children. I mean â it is the first and least harsh motive⊠But still!â She leaned down, clasping her hands together. âAnd secondly, and most importantly⊠For how superb your work has been, Iâve decided to reward you all⊠And what best gift than knowledge, huh? Iâve taken an executive decision and decided to share with you all the identity of your true captor.â
Your could feel your heart skipping a beat. She was acting quite weirdly, even to the likes of her. This wasnât her. Where are the sarcastic, witty comebacks? The threats? The gunshots? Whatâs her real plan? What does she mean with âreal captorâ?
âThey should be hearing me right now, actually. Arenât you excited? Finally, youâll get the recognition you deserve!â She stared deeply into the camera, leaning in even more. A small smirk curls up on her lips. âSo â without further ado⊠Say your warmest thanks to your true captorâŠb̧ÍzÍÍZÍÌ·ÍÌŽÒZÌąÌ”ÍTÍâ
A high-pitched buzz, followed by cracks and a clap of thunder; the electronics around you engulfed in sparks, and then, it was all dark. Gasps echoed from nearby. A blackout. The screen flickers, turning on, a beacon of light amongst the darkness - although you canât see Sekai in the black mirror anymore, a⊠Much more familiar sight is now cast on the monitor in front of you: Pictures, flashing on the screen for about four to five seconds each; profiles. Familiar faces - Ae-Jung, Robin, Yoriko, Dai, Arabella, Yamato, Umay⊠So on, until at the very last one, the screen flickered back to Kuro Sekai, smiling. She chuckled menacingly.
âOh, please⊠Donât act so confused. Honestly, I couldnât make it clearer if I tried! Although⊠Obliviousness does seem to be a common trait amongst you allâŠâ
She paused, exhaling a heavy sigh.
âWhat a disappointment. I really had faith in you. All of you.â The electronics in the room flicker, darkness still wrapped around you, her deep crimson eyes staring you down. âDid you really not wonder why no help came? Or why there are cameras everywhere?â She sighs, her mien twisted with disappointment. âIf only you had more time. If only I was more pacient. Bummer.â
The celebrity runs her index finger on the monitor, a doleful look in her eyes.
âWe did have a good run. You were certainly better than the last ones.â She waved âGoodbye, my children.â
The monitor powers down once again, the screen now cracked. And as the door slowly opened due to the power outage, the heat wave immediately hits you. The lack of air circulation was intensifying the heatstroke substantially. Even amongst the chaos, you knew you had to go outside. Bates Motel quickly turning into hell; Unfortunately, outside, the heat was just as intense; but surprisingly, there was actually a light breeze passing through. It didnât help much, but it caught you off-guard.
Even amongst the night sky, just short of an hour outside was enough for you to start wondering if this was it. The barely visible landscape, lit by the faint moonlight, twisted by the heat. The hallucinations starting to creep in. You slowly feel your faculties stripped away by the intense atmosphere. And to one-up it all, there wasnât a single drop of water available in the facility that you could find. The inside of your mouth was dry. Your heart was racing. Even under no Sun, you could feel the radiation in your skin. Itâs a terrifying sensation. To not know if your heart will beat the next beat. Youâre weak. After ninety minutes, you can barely move. This⊠This is it, isnât it? It has to be. Sekai hasnât said another word. The heat hasnât dropped. The breeze stopped. Your vision began to fade.
Thatâs when you heard a noise.
Amongst the darkness around you, you hear a small, faint thump. And then another. And another. And many others. Drops. You light your surroundings with the ElectroID⊠Itâs⊠Raining. Itâs raining! You can barely believe it, but as the raindrops intensify, you feel the heat beginning to drop; not much, but enough. Never was the sound of a million water droplets hitting the ground so blissful.
The screens on the facility turned on once again. Sekai appears, glancing around the inside of the monitor.
âOh. How fortunate for you, isnât it? I guess fate decided to give you all one last chance⊠How thrillingâŠâ She puts her hand out,as if trying to feel the water droplets. âBy our weather reports, this storm should last until dawn.â She stares down the screen one more time, an impish spark in her eyes. âAnd so, tonight: Itâs death to one, or death to all.â Youâve never heard such an ominous tone from her before. âNow â will you rest in the shade, awaiting your inevitable death and of all others around you, or will you do something about it? Will you shine amongst this darkness or forever be lost in it? Your choice is all but mine.â
âYou have twelve hours. Good luck, my children.â
The monitor powers down. The speakers, apparently the only piece of tech still functioning in the facility, begins to play a deafeningly loud cheery tune. You can barely hear the others around you. Amongst this chaos⊠What will you do?
1. Itâs dark, you can only see through the light of your ElectroID.
2. All areas previously explored are still accessible, with the exception of the dormitories, which appear to now be locked. Every other door in the facility that could be locked can no longer be.
3. The song blasting through the speakers is incredibly loud and you canât escape it. In order to talk to someone, you need to be at least ten feet from them. Further than that, and the rain plus the song muffle them out almost completely.
