Ze
[Sighs]
Wakafante
Okay, Ze, we’ll be back later. We’re going on our three-week anniversary trip.
Ze
Three-week- Wait- Wait, what? Wait, are you guys actually together and- and stuff?
Wakafante
Ah, yes, m- me and Captain Dice have been together for three weeks.
Wakafante
It’s- It’s been great!
Captain Dantes Von Dirt
Yep, three weeks and eight days.
Ze
Oh, okay! Cool, I guess. Uh- Where are you guys going for your anniversary trip? Are you going anywhere cool?
Wakafante
Oh, just a little place called Carcosa.
Ze
Wh-?! Uh- Um...
Wakafante
Anyways, yeah, w- we’ll be back. See you guys!
Ze
O- Okay, yeah. Alright, bye.
Captain Dantes Von Dirt
FUCK YOU, ZE!
Ze
Uh- I guess? [Under breath] Carcosa, oh my god.
So, Regect... This Micha kid... Could you, uh- tell me more about him? I- I guess? I mean...
Regect
[Weary chuckle] Where do I start? Um... I guess the beginning is good.
Regect
Well, I was assigned this world. In this world, well, there was a kid. His name was Micha.
Regect (Flashback)
[Farwaway] AHHH!
[Regect falls from a mountain and hits the ground with a thud. Dogs bark and chase after him.]
Regect (Flashback)
[Farwaway] Are those dogs?! OH! AHH! AHH!!
Regect
Okay, I don’t remember the- the dogs, but-- [Clears throat] Anyways, I- After that I tried everything to scare him. I tried to make these books with cryptic messages...
Regect (Flashback)
C- Come on… Yes, yes, he sees it, he sees it! Come on... Read it--
Wh- Why are you jumping?! Why are you excited about this, dude?! I- Oh shit!
[Dogs bark and chase Regect. He screams and runs.]
Regect
And when I did finally corner him and I had a good chance to scare him I... I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.
Regect (Flashback)
[Whisper] I can’t even do this, man.
[To Micha, cautiously] Oh, uh- uh- Hey! W- Whoa, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! No!
Regect
And after that I kind of realized I couldn’t scare him so... Might as well make the most of it and help the kid.
[In the flashback, Regect mutters under his breath and drops diamonds one at a time.]
Ze
I- How long- How long does this go on for?
Regect
Oh, a while. I had- I had a lot. I- I misplaced a zero. Gave myself four hundred.
Ze
Okay, you could’ve dropped them all at once. You could’ve dropped a stack at a time.
Regect
Well, at the moment I--
Ze
Do you know how to shift click?
Regect
[Defensive] Yeah, I do, it’s just--
Ze
Y- Y- You spent way too long on this.
Regect
That’s not the point, okay?!
So after that, I did a last ditch effort and I tried to scare him one last time. By like, just- just- I was gonna give him a little teleport, a little scare, and that was it!
Ze
Oh, okay. Um... How did that go?
Regect
Um...
[In the flashback, Regect teleports into a tree.]
Regect (Flashback)
FUCK!
Ze
[Hysterical laughter]
Regect
Okay- Stop fucking LAUGHING--!
Ze
Alright, alright.
Regect
Anyways, after all that, after all the times I tried to scare him, he- still was kind to me. He helped me out.
I think that’s when I realized this kid is different. He’s not just some player, or anyone malicious, or anything like that... He wasn’t like them. He wanted a friend. He wanted to be my friend and... Something about that changed me. I wonder if it was for the better.
I built him this huge castle, this palace, and I was so excited to show him, but I guess... I guess fate had other plans.
He logged off, and I went outside to wait for him, and...
[Karen 3 by SmĂĄland begins to play.]
Ze
I- I knew it.
Regect
What?
Ze
That’s who that kid was in the video.
Regect
What- What are you talking about?
Ze
I knew it! I knew that was something.
Regect, what if he’s still down there?
Regect
Down- Down there?!
Ze
You could help your friend! Dude! Let’s go.
Ze
Come on. Me and you. We could all go! We could all stop it, right?
Regect
What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You’re not going down there.
Regect
N- Neither of you are going down there!
Ze
What? Why not?
Regect
Why not--?! Are you fucking stupid?! No, I’m not letting you guys go down there. That’s the last thing I’m doing!
Ze
Oh, so now all of a sudden you’re- you’re- you’re Mr. Safety? No! I’m making a plan.
Ze
I’m going up there and I’m gonna make a plan with or without you.
Regect
Ze, where are you going? Ze! That’s a DEATH WISH! What are you doing?!
[The scene switches to Moe’s perspective. Ze and Regect’s voices grow muffled as they run upstairs.]
Ze
We- We need to go down there. No, Regect! For once--
Regect
NO! We’re not making a plan! We’re not doing this!
Regect
You’re not going down there! None of you are! I’m not letting you guys do that!
Ze
Dude, so you just want to sit there and do nothing? That’s ridiculous! That’s cowardice! What are you so scared of?! Just tell me, dude! What- What is down there? You can tell- Just tell me! Stop keeping things from me!
Regect
I get it that you’re trying to help, but- No, Ze! I can’t lose you guys too! It’s stupid of you! Don’t even think about that stuff anymore, okay?
[Moe walks outside and Ze and Regect’s voices fully fade out.]
Moe’s Friend
[Distorted voice] You still won’t take responsibility. Still won’t make up for your crimes.
[Moe turns to see her friend, burnt and charred. The screen glitches and there is a low hum in the background.]
Moe’s Friend
Moe. How disgusting. How are you able to live with yourself after what. You. Did?
[Menacing laughter] Moe, Moe, Moe. What would they think- [Neck crack] -if they knew you weren’t this perfect little ray of sunshine? What happens when your facade finally breaks and your absolute flaws manifest- [Neck crack] -for all of your friends to see. Are you gonna tell them, Moe? If not, well... [Menacing laughter]
What now, Moe? Gonna come clean?! Are you gonna tell them? How much longer, Moe? Tick tock!
[With a glitch, the house is ablaze. “Tick tock” repeats, growing more and more glitched.]
[Moe runs forward. Over a black screen, metal clangs and gory impacts ring out. A heart beats.]
Regect
Ze, stop!
Ze
Why are you being so protective about this?!
Regect
Because it’s- it’s death down there! There’s nothing! It’s forever!
Ze
Okay, well, at least let me try! We can try, right?! I don’t want to sit here and die because- because you’re scared!
Regect
You’re being irrational--
Moe
[Muted honks]
Ze
Why does your horn sound like that? Did you- Did you break it?
Ze
It did what--?! What are you talking--
Moe
[Muted honks]
Ze
Dear god, see- Look what it’s doing to her, Regect! It’s gonna do that to us too!
Regect
It’s no- Moe! I- You don’t under--
Moe
[Muted honks]
Ze
I’m not listening to any more excuses. I’m done!
Regect
Wh- Where are you going?! No, no, no, no, what are you doing?!
Ze
I’m getting answers with or without you! You can come if you want.
Regect
Ze, get back here! You’re being- That- That’s suicide! You can’t--
[The perspective switches to Prime Simulacrum(?). They teleport around, observing Regect and Moe chase Ze. The only audio is a glitchy hum.]
[Prime Sim. teleports into a bedrock hallway.]
The Eyes (Daemon)
[Speaking through flashes of static with on-screen text.]
Scatter them.
Weaker when apart.
Do not fail me again.
[Prime Sim. teleports into a hole, and jumpily ascends. They teleport to watch Ze running alone.]
[Prime Sim. teleports into Wakafante’s house. They watch unseen from upstairs.]
Regect
I- I know, Moe. You just- You need to stay here, okay? Just in case he comes back. I’m going to go find him, okay?
Moe
[Muted honks]
Regect
It- It’ll be fine. Just- Just stay here, okay?
Moe
[Muted honks]
Regect
I just need to go find him, alright? He’s doing something stupid. Ze! Ze!
[Regect leaves the house and Prime Sim. makes a contemplative noise. They teleport down and rush towards Moe, as the words “CAN YOU FIND ME?” flash on-screen.]
[Ze stands in front of a hole. Something howls louder and louder, cutting off as Regect speaks.]
Regect
Ze!
Ze
Huh- Oh, there you are! See? Are you- Do you finally agree with me? Are we gonna go down--
Regect
No, you’re not going down there! I- I’m telling you--
Ze
Wh- I- I- Look, I’ve been down there before, okay? And I- I- It was scary, but I survived, alright? I could do it again.
Regect
What the hell?! Do you hear yourself, dude? That was traumatic! What are you- Are you trying to prove yourself--?
Ze
[Harsh scream] YES!! Okay?! I- I know it’s selfish! Fuck! But I- I can’t- I need to prove myself! I- I can take care of this thing! Okay?! If no one else can then I will!
And if you don’t want to help me, then you can stay up here while I go down there and- and probably die!
Regect
[Soft] But, Ze--
Ze
I don’t care anymore! I have nothing to lose!
Regect
What about us?
Ze
What do you mean?
Regect
I don’t think it’s cause you have nothing to lose. Do you maybe think it’s cause... you do have something to lose?
Ze, if you really want to go down there, I’m telling you... It’s- It’s death, okay? That’s all I can say. That place is just death. Every aspect. I get you want to help people, but--
Ze
Then I need you to understand why I’m doing this.
Regect
What are you talking--
[Ze shoves Regect back and makes a run for the hole.]
Regect
No! Ze! NO!
[Ze jumps down, his scream glitching as he falls.]
[Ze reappears in a bedrock room.]
Ze
OW! Wh- Shit. Ah, fuck, I didn’t bring anything. There’s no-
[Ze turns around to see twisting bedrock halls.]
Ze
What the hell? What is this? Alright. Round two.
[The video stops and turns monochrome. The Eyes are barely visible in a shadow and beeps play that encode a spectrogram that says “PRIME SIMULACRUM DEPLOYED”.]