livestage | CIRRUS NETWORK

CIRRUS NETWORK

You find yourselves in a surprisingly sterile room. It's entirely white, almost blindingly so. There are a few beanbag chairs to sit on, though perhaps not enough for your entire family. On one of the walls, there's a laminated poster of a wheel. At the center of the room is a table with a glass case on top. If you lift the case, you'll find a single red button. Behind a glass panel on the wall is a monitor that is currently off.

Curiously, it does not seem as though you can actually destroy anything in this room (save for a simple note by the button), regardless of how much you may try. The glass will never shatter. The poster cannot be torn into pieces. Furthermore, your blessings and powers are off and none of your personal belongings are actually on your person.

A simple note lays by the button on the table, a reminder of your directive: Will you push the button?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think that much goes without saying for me, but it's worth stating for those who have just gotten on board.

But it's hard to make any assumptions about what choice we're actually making this way.

The choice is quite simple. Do we hand another Family the punishment we control, or just take it ourselves?

Frankly, I don't think it's worth offloading it.

The odds are decent that we'll be punished no matter what... It's difficult to argue with you. But what if we then incur double the punishment? How are you planning on selling that to people who are reluctant to be hurt?

If we say 'yes, we will offload punishment whenever possible to the other Families,' then we open ourselves far more to the same, in future performances where every Family might choose to inflict punishment on us. I think taking one now is a cheap price to pay for potentially avoiding seven later.

[nods]

... But is there any proof that they'll know it was us this time?

There's no way to ensure they don't find out. I don't think we can trust this woman to keep secrets out of goodwill and harmony, no?

No, of course not. But we don't have to take it as a given that we will be cast as villains, either.

It's a fifty-fifty shot. Maybe sixty-forty or seventy-thirty in favor of her revealing it, if you consider her proclivities in previous performances. I don't like those odds.

People won't think of us as evil for protecting ourselves.

It's not a question of good or evil. It's a question of making ourselves permanently acceptable targets.

You don't think we're already that due to our strong moral character as an organization? This isn't going to change anyone's minds from where they were.

CNet and the Atmosphere's reputation on the ship really doesn't matter as much as the actions of the small group of us who actually do the dirty, no?

Consider this my personal speculation, but the most serious crimes done by this small group will be done outside of this place and time.

Oh, yes. That's true enough.

Still, it's all about public image, in some ways.

The public image is determined by our messaging after the decision. And if our decisions are split like this, the messaging might be the same either way.

At least one Family, I am fairly sure, will remember the pain a lot more clearly than any direct or indirect messaging after.

If that Family has a lot of friends, it's going to be a exponential problem.

Has this happened thus far?

Not to speak for the rest of the group, but I did get cornered after my first bad performance and accused of being a heartless murderer, despite quite a bit of reasoning proving the contrary. Hence, wishing to exercise caution.

When... When was this? Ridiculous. I won't discount your experience, but what a ridiculous thing to say.

My first day here. After that tasteless rendition of fuck-marry-kill, where we would all play on the others no matter what.

Right, where everyone came back in quite a state...

Do you think whoever said this still holds this opinion?

Likely not, but I think he expressed some of it to his Family in the process, and I've no idea if he cleared it up with them afterwards.

[shrugs]

Well—the point is made about the kinds of conclusions one might draw.

Mm.

Ultimately it's the simplest dilemma of all. Hurt others, hurt ourselves. There's not much compromise to be had over it.

No, there's not.

Re: DISCUSSION

endsjustified - 2025-05-31 02:16 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only