The Maze!

[muffinstud]

Detroit. Once a bustling mecca of motors, its rusted carcass now lays sprawled out over the Michigan landscape with neon maggots sucking the juice out of the power grid. Most of the city has given over to gangs like the Motorheads, punks that mod their new recruits with the latest in overly painful and dangerous cyborg enhancements. One section of the city, while it may not look it, is arguably safer than the rest.

Monolithic concrete walls run to the horizon in both directions, split by dazzling lights and hovering confetti cannons aimed at a gaudy and brilliant stage. There, an overly groomed announcer preens himself in a mirror that conveniently floats back into his coat pocket.

"Good evening, sentients! Tonight we have another exciting dash for freedom with some crazed and dangerous convicts! Tonight we have...The Maze!" The smarmy git postures as virtual audiences applaud over streamed secure connections fed to an array of monitors where the seats should be. "Which one of these contestants will make it out? Who will end up as the newest trophy wife? Let's meet our contestants and find out if they have what it takes to beat...The Maze!"

More virtual applause and preening follow. The announcer saunters over to each of three contestants and asks them each in turn: "What's your name? What's your crime? And how do you plan on beating the Maze?"

[AshK]

"My name is Alexander Allen Haynesworth. My Crime is failing to pay my overdue parking tickets. I plan on beating this maze with my best effort and athleticism. You can just call me Alex." Alexander said.

[Knight Errant]

Timothy is not having a fun time, no siree. His conviction was a joke... and his sentencing the poorly thought out punchline. But the system had put him here... so all he had to do was beat it at its own game.

The young adult raises an eyebrow as he has a microphone pushed into his face. After a moments thought, he speaks. "I'm Tim... I got shanghaied into this stupid game for selling burned software, and apparently some hacking they claim I did. As for beating the maze, I'm going to take it slow, pace myself, and use my head to get past whatever you idiots crammed into your funhouse here."

[muffinstud]

The announcer swoons while chatting with Alex. "Parking tickets? Such a hardened criminal. Well, I guess you would go to jail if you had enough overdue fines to choke the accountant-bots. And they don't even have throats! Hah-ha!" He wipes an imaginary tear and motions Alex to what appears to be a seat completely surrounded by metal roll bars. "Your chariot awaits! You might not have to worry about dropping the soap, but don't drop your guard."

Moving on to Timothy, the announcer shakes his head with a pout. "You still try to justify yourself? It's people like you that keep poor starving music programmers renting their solid gold jacuzzi instead of buying it outright." He shrugs his obviously padded shoulders. "But if you're innocent and careful, there are no worries. Hop on in and try your luck, code-cracker!" He motions Tim to another roll cage.

[AshK]

Alex nods to the announcer and enters the seat as he was told.

(OOC: I got the idea for the overdue parking tickets from watching Liar Liar. ha ha.)

[Knight Errant]

Tim does not deign the announcer a response, but goes and sits in the seat.

[Millinescence]

"My name is Mell Anderson. My Crime? I got drunk and went into one of those riots after losing my wife. I tried to get away but the [friggin'] pigs bit me hard, so here I am." he says, glaring at the announcer once the mic was shoved in his face. "To beat the maze, I plan to keep my wits about me and try my hardest to beat the system at it's own game. ...FOR FREEDOM!" he shouts the last part, throwing both hands into the gesture of metal-horns.

[Evra]

Erik looks at the announcer "my names erik ... my crime? framed for murder ... strategy? play it smart enough not to run into any obvious traps" is all he says looking away from the announcer

[muffinstud]

AshK
The roll cage locks down around Alex, and it rolls to the edge of a precipice! It hangs for a bit and then... SHOOM! The cage starts down a spiraling, loop-de-looping series of channels and tubes! It's like a roller coaster, only with no safety checks!

Knight
Tim also goes down the chute in silence! His is less twisty and twirly than Alex's, instead seeming to go straight down past a series of neon strobe lights.

Milli
The announcer rolls his eyes at Mell's display. "You're already free... to buy the new Mr. Fusion personal reactor! Tell our folks at home all about it, Chuck 2.3!" He pauses as a robotic voice touts the wonders of the latest model, now with 50% less fatal meltdowns. "Go ahead, get in your ride, kid."

Evra
Back from the commercial the announcer immediately perks up. "Well, everyone's innocent until proven breathing. You know the law. And if you don't, you'll be re-educated until you do. Won't you?" The announcer takes on a sinister tone and addresses the camera. "Won't you!" He adjusts his tie and grins motioning Erik to a roll cage. "Time to prove yourself, Erik!"

[Knight Errant]

Tim rides the cart down! Keeping his eyes open as the cart rolls rapidly down past lights!

[AshK]

Alex screams in enjoyment, but doesn't see what the point of this whole roller coaster thing is that will help him get out. Alex raises his hands as the roll cage goes down the tube.

[Evra]

Erik just rolls his eyes and gets into the roll cage closing his eyes and just meditating for the trials ahead

[muffinstud]

Knight
The lights stream past, almost forming pictures in Tim's mind. None of it means anything, or does it? The cage finally slides into a u-shaped bend, tossing him only a couple of feet into the air before landing on a concrete pad with a thud. There seem to be tracks similar to the one he came in on, going in three directions: left, right, and straight ahead. It seems there is concrete lining the ground in the tunnels they occupy, meaning he can go on foot or continue to use the roll cage.

AshK
The coaster ride spits Alex out onto a flat, slick surface. The cage skids quite a ways, and stops in the middle of what appears to be a huge ice rink. Off in the distance there is a single illuminated doorway.

Evra
Tim's ride takes him into a tube surrounded by water. It sways left and right, snaking around support pillars as it continues to speed down ever deeper in the blue, illuminated water. There are no fish, no plants. Nothing but crystal blue water. The tube closes around him and exits in a steel chamber full of valves and hoses and pipes. A porthole shows he's still deep under water, and there are two bolted doors on opposite ends of the chamber.

[AshK]

Alex notices this and heads toward the illuminated doorway thinking it's a way out. "I guess that's the way out." Alex says as he heads toward the doorway.

[Knight Errant]

Tim lands with a Oof! "Ugh! Stupid..." He gets to his feet, glaring at the cage. "You can go to hell." He says, looking at the branch ahead. "Allright..." He says, heading forwards to the righthand passage! Walking along carefully.