CHRIS FROM ORLANDO (
nightaudits) wrote in
hotelmultiverse2024-10-16 04:44 pm
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YOU'VE JUST CROSSED OVER INTO -
![]() ![]() ![]() from HOTEL MULTIVERSE AT THE EDGE OF THE COSMOS BETWEEN CANONS™ Guests who find themselves partaking in the Hotel's amenities quickly find some tricks afoot. The decor is first, neon lights changing to autumnal oranges, garish greens, and ghoulish purples overnight. Those who peruse the shops will find them stocked with masks and costumes, and the ambient music which plays throughout the ship is punctured by blood-curdling sound effects such as screams and anxiety-inducing musical stingers. This is Halloween. Those who utilize the Hotel-provided devices will find an ad splashed across their screens. Similarly, TVs, phones connected to the network, and flyers posted will read: "FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF OUR GUESTS, HOTEL MULTIVERSE AT THE EDGE OF THE COSMOS BETWEEN CANONS™ IS HAPPY TO PROVIDE HALLOWEEN-THEMED ENTERTAINMENT." Staff members' uniforms change, with employees adding costume pieces to them as the weeks wear on. Guests are strongly encouraged to put together a costume with pieces from the shops, but those who opt out will instead find one of the standard options (listed at the bottom of this post) and chosen at random (by googling "rng 1-19") in their wardrobe. After dark (or, what would be dark), the ship transforms into a hotel of horrors, the following chaos breaking loose: TRICK-OR-TREATING Costumed guests are welcome to partake in trick-or-treating with the ship's staff, who can be found with carts of candy in common areas. Guests are also offered flags for their doorknobs to indicate that they have candy available in the rooms if they would like to partake as well. SCAREZONES Grab a map from the concierge or walk the halls at random, but don't be surprised if a staff member jumps at you from the shadows! HAUNTED HOUSE Guests using the hotel app will find numerous ads alerting them to a haunted house that's overtaken one of the hotel floors (and honestly, the ads are impressive, opening as an emergency alert to a runaway alien), and the hotel itself plasters the attraction across its screens and walls overnight as well. Obviously, a haunted house is a great thing to do after you've had a ton to drink, or a great way to meet fellow guests (whether or not you're reaching for their hand in fright). However, to ensure the safety of all team members and guests, do not make physical contact with any member of our cast. Remember: the actors' intention is to frighten you. HORROR MOVIE MARATHON Guests hoping to keep things a bit more low key might find what they're looking for in the hotel's movie theater and lounges, which offer 24/7 horror movie marathons ranging from the classic to the avant garde. A programming guide can be found outside of each respective screening or on the app. Film buffs will be delighted at the hotel's library, but don't be surprised if your niche fave is banished to a graveyard slot. MASQUERADE The hotel's ballrooms are open late for those guests interested in keeping the revelry going night after night. Just don't let the anonymity of your costumes take you too terribly far (or, I mean, do what you want, everyone has a room, after all). If you aren't able to purchase a costume or aren't feeling inspired, no problem! Our courteous staff have taken the liberty of providing you with a courtesy costume, free of charge, to allow you to participate in the event. You will receive one of the following at random: 01: Ghost 02: Alien 03: Devil 04: Superhero (Your Choice!) 05: Skeleton 06: Pumpkin 07: Zombie 08: Vampire 09: Clown 10: Mummy 11: Werewolf 12: Black Cat 13: Pirate 14: Frankenstein's Monster 15: Witch 16: Spider 17: Bunny 18: Bat 19: Angel |
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"None." None she's going to rat on, anyhow. "Yet. I have been exploring the rear areas of similar establishments in case some are kept there to attend customers. So far, I have not found any. I may need to adjust my search parameters."
She pauses. "I also logged several stores which may be relevant to your previous search for clothing- if you still require it."
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He thought he'd feel more comfortable like this. For as long as Hank's told himself he can't stand droids, being in a place Without them feels...tense. Hank can't let his guard down, ever. Droids are easy to deal with by and large. People though? People are fucked to high hell.
"They've gotta be somewhere. That's all I can figure." And Hank's not sure he likes the idea of where they'd be hidden away.
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Which doesn't disprove the lieutenant's point. Arid scans their surroundings once more, keeping well aware of the patrons who pass too close. The sound of tipsy chatter and clinking glasses has some... uneasy associations for her, even if she's ignoring it.
"'Robots are best unseen'..." It's a quiet realization, a lightbulb going off somewhere in there. "My approach has been faulty." She turns to look up at the flat display screen mounted behind one end of the bar; whatever it shows on other nights, right now it's cycling through advertisements for the various Halloween entertainments on board. The 'scare zones' in particular...
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And hell, Arid's here. So clearly some are. And there must be others. Even if Hank didn't want to get up this many drinks in, he can tell Arid's had a thought. If he lets her go, he might not get any closer to answers to what's bothering him, either.
"Alright." Hank grunts and shoves himself away from the bar. "Let's go do some investigating."
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"Understood," she says. "Follow me." She turns, and heads out of the bar, apparently with a clear destination in mind. She's not explaining yet, but she has reached the conclusion that maybe she can use a human
accomplicedecoy on this particular mission.Outside, the 'street' is bustling with people of all shapes and sizes - all the more varied for the sometimes outlandish costumes they're wearing. Arid appears to take no heed as she cuts through them, unless you're looking close enough to spot how she surveys everyone around her. And how she's careful to stop and keep track of Hank should he drop behind at all. She's really not trying to lose him. On the contrary - she thinks his participation may be key, for her new strategy. Though if he's too slow she will stop and give him some additional scrutiny.
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Too many kids in a place like this, Hank thinks. He hopes their folks are nearby.
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She's slowly leading the way away from the commercial areas. Towards the more isolated corridors where staff members are wont to spook the guests - or be compelled to assist them.
Arid looks back at her human companion as they steer into a corridor away from the general public, into an area marked by plastic skulls and silly-string 'cobwebs'. "Try to appear disgruntled."
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"Fuckin' hell..."
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She's not just expecting him to do all the work of playing bait, though. Hence the direction she's leading them in. "We will seek out humans expressing excessive fear as an alternative. Any form of human distress or displeasure should compel a service bot to respond if it is in range."
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"Next time you get to play th'decoy." He grumbles from around his hunched sulk. But a second later he's sucking in a breath and nodding to himself.
"I don't fuckin' understand what the big deal is!" He turns and yells her way suddenly. Aggression, displeasure. He's better at faking that than he is fear or unease. And in his share of work Hank's dealt with more than he'd ever care to in unreasonable people. "This supposed to be an attraction or what?! Where's th'decor? Huh? My grandson's kindergarten class could have set this shit up better!"
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She deliberately led them down a hallway without any obvious crew, to minimize the chances that an organic would respond. Still, it might take a couple of tries - and one case of a startled Arid grabbing a would be jumpscare slasher by the arms - before their fishing expedition gets the correct bite. Sort of.
A door they pass slides open to allow a stubby, waist-high robot through. Arid lets out a low murmur of "Success!" as the unfamiliar model rolls out to scan Hank with a single glowing optic built into its rounded cap. It doesn't look at all humanoid, and when it pipes up to address the human it's in an incomprehensible series of beeps and trills. She hastily moves to interpose herself, leaning over the smaller bot. "Greetings. Please identify yourself and state your primary function."
In response, the smaller droid gives her a sharp whistle: whatever it says, Arid jerks back slightly. "Ex... cuse me??"
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It's...oh. It's the lovechild of a trash can and a roomba. Not exactly the height of technology Hank was expecting. Arid certainly thinks it's some kind of success even if Hank doesn't. He huffs in frustration and disappointment both while Arid turns her attention to it but he jumps when she recoils in her offense.
"What? Wasn't this the whole point?"
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"What-?" She recalls too late that Hank is just by her shoulder, head snapping around to look at him. "Negative," she corrects, hastily trying to cool her tone. "I was not addressing you. The other unit is being... discourteous."
The stubby droid's optic turns between them with an electronic trill. Arid stares it down. Okay then, less manners, more bargaining.
"I cannot," she says simply, lowering her voice a little. "We require information first. Provide it, and he will cease causing a disturbance." Hank has been promoted from bait to threat, apparently?
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Either way, Hank's only getting Arid's (verbal) side of the argument here but it's enough to know that whatever stink he's making it's having some intended effect.
"Ohhh I haven't even begun to cause a disturbance." He vows dangerously.
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"He is inebriated, and irrational. He may continue endlessly," she warns it in that too-earnest-to-be-true tone she used on Hank earlier. The little droid looks from her, to the human's dour expression under his fuzzy dog ears, and gives a very grumpy sounding set of beeps. Arid nods.
"It will comply," she tells Hank, to assuage his impatience. Though whether she relays everything it answers is another matter. She needs to mask her real interest in what the other bot can tell her. "I need to locate the droids who service this vessel and its passengers. Are you one of them? Do you know where the others are?"
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The tactic seems to do the trick. Hank relaxes from the insults he'd been preparing to throw. Instead he leans against the wall and watches Arid work quietly. He's smart enough to know Arid won't Have to verbalize to communicate with another droid, but he's also smart enough not to say anything. Better to glean what he can from observing, and then ask later if it's advantageous to prove a point.
Arid's newfound Frenemy gives a disgusted trill that winds down into a series of beeps and aggressive squeals. She can integrate with organic flesh all she wants but for others (including this unit) avoiding humans insomuch as is possible is vastly preferable. And in case her optical scanners are in need of repair, it's plain to see that the humans are getting by alright serving each other.
If Arid wants to find the inorganic life aboard the vessel, perhaps she should try looking in the quiet corners devoid of organic life. It's pretty sure there's a ventilation shaft that's been commandeered by some little floating scanner units and converted into a clubhouse, but as Arid is roughly the size of a space cruiser by comparison, she wouldn't be allowed in.
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She's not going to betray the other bot, if so. Not that it seems concerned in the slightest given that sass. But she is going to request the location of that ventilation shaft - and quiz the stubby little droid on whether it's seen a human matching Josephs' appearance. ...Warn it to stay far away from him, if it can.
Her posture stays frozen, bent slightly to look the smaller droid in the optic, but there's a faint, rapid shimmer of shifting readouts behind her faceplate when it beeps and whistles back at her. Enough to suggest she's gotten rather more than the answer to the question she asked aloud by the time she straightens and says, "Understood."
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Somehow, though. Hank doubts that. The door it came through wasn't big enough for a person to enter, and seems to be little more than a storage closet from the glimpse he got.
When Arid turns back he's watching her closely with his arms crossed casually over his chest. The stubby trashcan she'd been 'talking' to gives a final series of bleeps that Feel derisive before wheeling itself back out of sight and sealing the way behind it.
"That....is not what I was expecting." Hank admits.
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Regardless... "It claims that I have made an incorrect assumption. This ship is not operated substantially by AIs. Its functions are carried out by the organic crew."
And there's the matter of those other bots it mentioned, but she doesn't see that as relevant information to just volunteer.
Press X to Doubt [ X ]
Hank thinks he'll keep an eye on this area moving forward, just in case. No one needs to get hurt or worse because an angry trashcan tazed them to death for trespassing by mistake. But he almost laughs in disbelief when Arid repeats the droid's claim.
"Bullshit. You're telling me you expect me to believe humans are cleaning toilets around here? That hasn't happened since I was a brat, and even then it wasn't common." He doesn't sound offended exactly. Just extremely doubtful that human nature would be so different here than it is back home. "If there's a way to exploit labor, folks will take it damn near every time."
Tch. That's always been the way of it.
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No more than hers did. She has to admit she agrees with his disbelief, too. "It is unlikely." She considers for a moment, then suggests, deadpan, "You could surveil one of the waste facilities to make certain."
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"I can't figure out what the hell this place's deal is. It's advanced enough it should be crawling with droids, but there's not a one other than you and the 'get off my lawn' trashcan to be found. If people are doing all the work around here, makes me wonder what kind of fucked up human trafficking happens around here."
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"Human trafficking...?" She's... never heard of this. Either because she's not civilian enforcement and perhaps because like him, she's from a place where it's been rendered obsolete by more convenient forms of exploitation. If he fears for the safety of humans, however, he's unlikely to be easily dissuaded from pursuing the mystery. She should keep watch on him until she knows he won't go off and stumble on any potentially unshackled bots by himself.
"The other unit identified a location where I could find multiple other AIs. Their model is unknown. I will question them."
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Hank scrubs a hand down his face, then pushes the flopping dog head of the onesie hood back a bit so it's not shoving his hair directly into his eyes.
"You don't sound very relieved." Maybe it pointed her to whatever passes as service bots around here. AIs don't mean droids. Could just be whatever environmental algorithms are maintaining the life support around here. So far Arid herself has been the only real android Hank's seen. And that still just feels so wrong. For her to be the only one.
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She would have meant it, had she said that mere weeks ago. Now... it's what she must say, to feign her own compliance. She's less certain how to relay the intelligence she acquired, and that prompts a moment of hesitation.
"I do not know if these units will be helpful. The information it gave me is... strange." Well. Might as well ask the human. "What is a 'clubhouse'?"
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