COUNTDOWN : MORTALITY

[cordibus]

The peaceful life of the city has been shattered once more.

Many had thought it over, but a few days ago it happened again. Bodies slashed and mutilated beyond recognition so that that only dental records could be used to ID the victims. Pieces of bodies strung along power lines and roofs.. The same horrifying events as nearly a year ago...

Back then, the response from the Eddan city council and its police force, however draconian it seemed at the time, was necessary. As death after death of normal citizens began to pile up and a pattern emerged, a lockdown was ordered after sunset. Companies shifted their hours around and before long, the city had adjusted to a daytime only work and school schedule. Many businesses opened dormitories to house those employees stuck working late. Only police, hospital and firemen units operated at night for emergencies.

The city seemed to return to normal. Horrific deaths were few, and blame was usually placed on the victims having for breaking curfew. Despite extensive research and cameras stationed around the city, no culprit for the murders was found. The murder(or murderers) simply were nicknamed Shadow(s) by the media.

Before this new string of murders, many had pondered if the curfew could be lifted soon, that the culprit was a serial killer from another country that left the city after the police came too close to narrowing them down. But now the murders are starting again.

And that's about when you come in.

You could all say it started with a strange icon that popped up on your phone that day. May 13th, 2017.


Did you press it right away out of curiosity? Did you press it accidentally trying to dismiss it? Or did you wait long enough for it to cover your entire screen, forcing you to interact with it? Either way, congratulations! You've got...a Terms of Service popping up in front of you?

Terms and Conditions ("Terms")
Last updated: May 13th, 2017

Please read these Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Terms and Conditions") carefully before using the http:/www.applenet.net website (the "Service") operated by AppleNET ("us", "we", "our", "horse", "goat", "etc.").

Your access to and use of the Service is predicated on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms.

By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms and agree to be part of The Team. If you disagree with any part of the terms then that's too bad. You already agreed to them by reading this far.

AppleNET has no control over and assumes no responsibility for content posted or user privacy. You further acknowledge and agree that AppleNET and its affiliates shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods, death, night shifts, or services available on or through any such web sites or services.

Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance the laws, by which we mean with little regard to its conflict of law provisions. Are you still even reading this?

Changes
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material we will try to provide at least 0 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. You don't have much choice.

Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us.

You quickly notice there is no contact number or address. Uhh---

DO YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS?
Yes | Hell Yes
It really seems like you don't have much choice. After pressing one of the two buttons, a new screen greets you.

21 DAYS REMAIN BEFORE AWAKENING

Welcome, stray lambs! We'll be your friends for a tiny bit. I'm sure the others are looking forward to meeting you in the future, but for now, we are asking you to answer these questions as truthfully as you can. Don't worry if the answer sounds 'bad'. After all, you're already hired!

Are they... acting like they’ve just hired you for a new job?

The first (and only) question for today is:

You find yourself in a neighboring city where the police have captured an individual who has stolen bread from a grocery store to stay alive. For the sake of this morality lesson, let us say that the penalty in this city is death, and a very painful one. This individual is a childhood friend. Knowing all of this, what do you do? Please pick one of the following:

1) I stand up for them and propose to be their lawyer so that they get a fair trial.

2) I stand up for them and propose to be their lawyer so that they get a fair trial. I have no idea what being a lawyer could even be, but that way I can figure out a way to save them and give myself more time.

3) I stand up for them and propose to hire a lawyer so that they get a fair trial.

4) I let the city decide, as the law rules above everything else.

5) They shouldn't have let themselves be caught. It's their own fault and I just let it happen.

6) They bullied you as a kid despite being a friend and you're just happen to see them getting their just desserts. It's pretty great actually.

7) Society is unfair. I'm are already preparing to bust my friend out of the jail so they can escape.

8) I visit jail that night and give them items so that they can escape but no one can pin it on me. The rest is up to them.

9) I show up that night in jail to kill them to save them from the future suffering from the death penalty.

10) I use my vast amounts of fortune / skills to put the blame on an innocent so that they can get out. Hey that other guy is a stranger, so it’s not my problem!

11) What do you mean I showed up in that city? I can barely find my way around this one.

12) I propose to exchange my life for theirs, then I try to bust myself out. Take that, corrupted justice system!

13) I go back home and watch the trial on the local network with a fresh bowl of popcorn. This shit's gonna be good.

As you go to pick out an option...or try to exit out of it, you witness an all-too brief memory of a life you think isn't yours. A flash that makes you think you were hallucinating. Your head hurts, your heartbeat increases dramatically, and you can barely see anything ahead of you...

Wait, did you already pick something? You don't remember touching the screen, but something's already been highlighted and pressed for you. Staring at the 'saving' prompt, you would later find out it was a deeper memory from your heart. It might terrify you, what you've picked.

After that, the program displays nothing else for a few seconds before a chatroom (appleNET chat v.301.01) boots up, with a username already attached to your account and a little icon, either a sword or a ship steering wheel, next to it. More worryingly, your answer is the first thing posted from your name. Not even a hi or hello.

Well good thing no one has any idea who you are....right?

[OOC: The memory should only last for a few seconds, but it would be something significant that would surprise them. It could even related to this question!

All mentions of their own name, profession or other clues that might reveal who they are would be changed to [INFORMATION LOCKED]. The only name they can refer to themselves by is their username, which is the name of the demon you chose for their Persona. 'Family members might be able to find each other via their writing habits, but for now that's the limit.

Welcome to the game, and have fun!]

Comments

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

[He's alone in the shop when this shows up on his phone, becoming impossible to ignore. Those terms of service were... pretty concerning, but he keeps reading until he reaches the question.

He's running from something, from someone. Everything was a mistake, everything is ruined, and nothing, nothing, nothing will ever be alright again. Even if he escapes, nothing may be worthwhile ever again. And then, he's caught, and then pain, and then...]

9) I show up that night in jail to kill them to save them from the future suffering from the death penalty.

[He didn't actually select that, did he? Of course he wouldn't actually do that. There was no way he'd even have it in himself to kill anyone, much less an old friend.]

I'm not sure how I managed to select that. I'd be much more likely to hire a lawyer for them.

...Does anyone else have concerns about those Terms of Service?

⚔ Eligor

[sociallyarcward]

eligor: people don't actually read those do they o__o;

[dendranthema]

⚔ Saleos: If you had, you'd know that they mention death as something potentially associated with AppleNET.

[sociallyarcward]

⚔ Eligor: I mean...that can't really be the case right? It's just like one of those tricks that they pull on you, like when a teacher puts in the directions to just circle 'A' to show that you really read the directions....

⚔ Eligor: ...

⚔ Eligor: Except I guess our only two options were 'yes' and 'hell yes.'

[dendranthema]

⚔ Saleos: I would hope that's not the case, and that it's a trick question.

⚔ Saleos: But indeed, we weren't even given an option to refuse.

⚔ Saleos: Incidentally, that example... was it one relevant to your daily life?

⚔ Marchosias

[beastfang]

Outside of the fact they are very poorly written and basically read as if one did not expect anyone to attempt reading them.

It was disconcerting how much the tone was certain that whatever it is we have agreed to is somehow inevitable.

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

They were very much phrased as if there was no option to back out. That plus being unable to delete this app is concerning. I at first thought it was possible that this was some sort of scam software, but it's not holding my phone hostage nor requesting personal information. It seems harmless so far, if very strange.

⚔ Marchosias

[beastfang]

There's still a chance it's a very expensive social experiment by a student with too much money and freedom on their hands. Or some odd city promotion that wasn't thought out well in order to distract us from other news.

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

From the phrasing I wouldn't be surprised if it was created by a student. It was written in a way that would potentially appeal to younger people, particularly if it was made by a computer science student for an assignment. It's not impossible that it's a city promotion, considering the murders have started up again, though I'd expect them to have a more solid ToS in order to stand up to potential legal problems.

⚔ Beall

[extremelycute]

Oh, wow, I'm impressed! （*´▽｀*） I've never met someone who reads the Terms Or Sentences before!

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

Terms of Service... they're generally in sentences.

[extremelycute]

Oh, wow, even what ToS stands for is so long I can't remember it. That's how boring they are to someone like me. But you actually read them, huh? Why?

[dendranthema]

It could be potentially important to know in the future. Even though they're boring, there's always a chance that knowing what they say could be useful... though, with one that doesn't allow you to refuse, that chance is lessened.

⚔ Shax

[onlythankyou]

There's no way it was serious. It didn't have a way to refuse, it couldn't be legally binding. And besides, it even brought up flagrant disregard for the law.

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

And even when it outright said it'd disregard the law, it acted like no one would be reading it. It's impossible that it'd hold up in a court.

⚔ Shax

[onlythankyou]

the only part that has me particularly worried is the bit about death. The rest was so nonsensical I couldn't tell if that meant anything or not. And coupled with night shifts, at that - that means something where I live, but it wouldn't be the case somewhere else in the world.

⚔ Camio

[lovelledup]

Hiring a lawyer is a lot more normal...

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

I agree. If I hadn't accidentally pressed a button, as I presume I must have, that's what I would have selected.

⚔ Camio

[lovelledup]

I wonder if it was an accident. I'm getting the impression no one actually picked whatever they said.

☸ Eligor

[kouteipenguin]

I do. I wish I'd had the foresight to write it all down before selecting one. Though I'm going to stand by my statement. Any agreement that doesn't have a means to refuse it isn't an agreement at all.

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

It's much more like something they were hoping to force on us, or like someone's idea of a joke.

☸ Eligor

[kouteipenguin]

I really want to think it's a joke. If this isn't one, where would that leave us?

☸ Andrealphus

[connivingbird]

I'd say that they were some kind of prank ToS if we could delete the app. Since it isn't, I think they are a little more sinister than cutesy.

⚔ Saleos

[dendranthema]

Agreed. It's concerning that there's no way I can find to get rid of it.

[connivingbird]

Well, I guess that means it's going to be really annoying. I just hope no one is going to use whatever they find on my phone against me.