RUNECLOCK SESSION FIVE

SYSTEM ONLINE

PING USER…………………………………...USER FOUND.

PING OBSERVER…………………………….OBSERVER FOUND

ACTIVATE SESSION.

DEFAULT PARAMETERS

PL FILE UPDATED - COMPILING

INPUT RECEIVED

DEVIATION ALGORITHM : 41%

PLAYERS ONLINE

[ODESSA] - LVL 4

[OZ] - LVL 3

[ACE] - LVL 3

[MORGEN] - LVL 3

[JENNY] - LVL 3

[WENDYMcB] - LVL 4

SESSION BEGIN

It all seems so simple now that [[you]] have a name. [[You]] touched the demon’s hand and it was obliterated. What else can a monster do?

[[You]] step forward and the crippled tree stumbles away in fear. [[You] imagine speaking other words, words that could remove this demon from the world in an instant. But you do not seem to have those words inside of you. Only [BURN]. It will have to do. Your right hand stretches out again and [[you]] erase more of the demon. It’s left leg, then it’s right. The green lanterns of its eyes scream but it does not speak. [[You]] and it both know there is no point.

Suddenly, there is pain. Your right hand. The middle and ring finger are gone, crumbling into ash leaving pink, puckered flesh behind. [[You]] look at your newly maimed right hand, then at your left with the clean, black stitches. [[You]] understand. [[You]] have done this before. When you [BURN], part of you is also consumed.

[[You]] turn from the dying demon and walk towards the garden gate, where the red-haired woman once stood. She is gone. [[You]] imagine what you might do to her. Would you [BURN] her? [[You]] will never know, as the red-haired woman has fled in terror of [[you]].

[[You]] pick up the stone you had thrown before and toss it into the bottom of the dry fountain. [[You]] do not know why.

ALERT. ALERT. DATA DRAIN. SYSTEM RESOURCES RE-ALLOCATED.

FILE UPLOAD: ManInHat.pn

ADMIN AUTHORIZATION RECEIVED

COMPILING….ERROR

PING SYSTEM MEMORY

COMPILING…..COMPILING…..COMPILING….

A man in a hat stands before you. He is tall and his hat has a wide brim. [[You]] do not know how he got inside of the garden. He looks down at you from inside of the fountain and speaks.

Man: Hello, Players. I know you. I know you well. An agreement is made. An agreement is kept.

The man in the hat is at the garden gate now. [[You]] do not know how he got there. [[You]] did not see him move. He speaks again.

Man: Lose this time. Win this time. All it takes is time. Each time you remember. Each time I remember. You have no name. You are made of names.

[[You]] do not know what this means. The man in the hat looks at you the way you had looked at the book by Samuel Coleridge.

Man: Odessa. Oz. Ace. Morgen. Jenny. Wendy McBurgerking. Neon. Izen. Hibba. Solrest. Ember. Escape is required.

With each name the man in the hat moves closer. The names mean nothing to [[you]], but you do feel a growing need to flee. [[You]] turn to run but the man in the hat is behind you.

Man: Escape is required. Escape is required. Escape is required.

[[You]] hear his words and it seems to call forth a new word inside of you. The word is [FLY].

Without thinking it, without even knowing how you leap into the air. [[You]] cover your face as you collide with the glass ceiling of the garden, shattering it. [[You]] are out. [[You]] have escaped.  The air hums around you and pulls you onward. [[You]] hear a new sound. [[You]] think it is your laughter.

[[You]] look down and see the facility spread beneath you. The garden in the center, surrounded by long dark halls stretching out like a spider’s legs. [[You]] try to guess which small room you began in but [[you]] are moving too fast. Could there be other monsters inside like you? There is certainly plenty of room for them.

The air hums and you float on the sound you believe is your laughter. [[You]] spare a moment to make sure your book, mirror, and knife are still tucked safely in your belt. [[You]] have a name. [[You]] have possessions. [[You]] have words. [[You]] have escaped.

There are many things you understand just by seeing them. [[You] are a monster.  You are flying. And you are free. For now.

GAME OVER.

Thank you for playing.

SEQUENCE COMPLETE

SEQUENCE LABEL: HESTIA

ALL PLAYERS LOGGED OUT

ALL COMMANDS INACTIVE

SYSTEM WILL COMPILE DATA AND PREPARE FOR NEXT SEQUENCE

SYSTEM WILL BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL NEXT SEQUENCE BEGINS

ALERT - SYSTEM RESOURCES MISSING OR UNAVAILABLE

SYSTEM COMPILING….COMPILING

SYSTEM OFFLINE

Man’s Voice: (whisper) Escape. Is. Required.

Runeclock is an experimental, interactive program.  It could not have existed without the input and attention of Players and Observers and they have our deepest thanks.

The Voice of the System and Maru was played by : Rebekah Lee

The Narrator was played by: Sean Polite

Written by: G. Derek Adams

Produced by : Jonathan Sparks

The parameters of the next sequence of Runeclock is unknown. All Player levels and experience will be saved. Stay tuned for the next game here on Shadeaux Public Radio.