Mafia It's All About ME 2 Mafia: Endgame: Resourceful Plans - 8/7/18

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

1. @MegaPod
2. @Max1996
3. @Pika_pika42
4. @Elementar
5. @DarthWolf
6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
8. @Jinjo
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

Night 0: My Coma's Toast

Enzbot stared at the massive block of frozen carbon that his staffers had brought back from the obsolete Bulbagarden Forums. The medical computers had been scanning it nonstop since its arrival, and there was no doubt about it, the person inside was still alive, and in perfect hibernation.
"Preserved for a thousand years," mused the Community Leader, running his hand over the frozen face. He glanced at the Dapper Duo.
"Well done, you two," he complimented, "this is quite the find."
"So when are we going to thaw him out?" asked Captron, eagerly.
"We're not," replied Enzbot, shaking his head, "with all the advances we've had in the last thousand years, he just wouldn't be able to cope."
"But this could be our only chance to speak to someone who actually lived in the old forums," Captron protested.
"Too dangerous," stressed Enzbot, "both for him and for us. Who knows what bacteria or viruses hitched a ride with him? If we thaw him out, we could start a new plague."
"Unlikely," countered Zexinator, "ever since Emergency Medical came up with the cure for the common cold, there have been precautions taken against the reemergence of old diseases. They'd probably put him through a thorough sterilization process before allowing him out of quarantine."
The Community Leader sighed.
"You two are adamant about this, aren't you?" he asked.
Captron nodded.
"Think of the historical benefits this could have," he exclaimed excitedly.
"And scientific," added Zexinator, "there's never been a study on prolonged hibernation in Carbonite...though that's probably because nobody would have lived long enough without staying in the Carbonite to have seen the other end of the experiment."
Enzbot sighed again and reluctantly agreed.
"Very well," he conceded, "but we'll take every possible precaution along the way."

The following day, the Carbonite block was brought into an isolation chamber in the nearest Emergency Medical facility. Doctor Fliptopus was attending as the medical expert to facilitate the thawing and sterilization processes, as well as in case there were lasting effects from the extended hibernation. By the time the Community staffers had arrived, she had already gotten into her quarantine gear and had prepared three other suits.
"Just a precaution," she said, as the other three changed into the gear, "I've already subjected the specimen to intense sterilization, but you never know."
Enzbot nodded solemnly, and the doctor wheeled the frozen block over to one of the walls. Captron and Zexinator lifted the block from the gurney and placed it against the wall. Doctor Fliptopus began the thawing procedure. The block glowed red hot as the carbon began melting. The encased figure's lips moved silently and his fingers began to twitch. Finally, the last of the carbon had melted away from the figure, causing him to fall forward, but he was caught by Doc Flip. She, Captron, and Zexinator hoisted the still sleeping figure over to the bed.
The doctor took a few readings.
"He's alive," she said, "but brain activity is minimal. Who knows if he'll even wake up at all?"

For the next several weeks, things remained pretty much the same. Doctor Fliptopus and her team of medical personnel kept a close eye on the comatose patient, and Captron, Zexinator, and Enzbot would drop by to see if there had been any changes. Soon, Enzbot, and even Zexinator stopped visiting daily.
After the fourth week with no changes, even Captron was starting to get discouraged, though he still stopped by every day to check on the patient's status. Zexinator and Enzbot had stopped visiting the hospital altogether. Zexinator had concluded that long term hibernation in Carbonite resulted in a permanent coma and given up, and Enzbot was assured that the thousand year old man would not pose a danger to himself or others.

Doctor Fliptopus was just finishing up her morning rounds. At this point, with diseases all but eradicated, there were very few actual patients in the Emergency Medical facility, and those were mostly physical injuries or bizarre accidents. They rarely stayed long, let alone an entire month, unlike her final patient. It had been a month to the day since Enzbot had asked her to thaw the Carbonite block containing the hibernating man in it, and in that time nothing had changed. Brain activity was still minimal, and the man continued his dreamless sleep. While she was certainly curious about the man, from a scientific and medical standpoint, she had become bored of taking care of him.
The medic sighed as she approached the thousand year old man's room, always reserved for last on her rounds. As she entered, she glanced quickly at the readings from the mental interface. She did a double take. A spike! An actual brainwave! The readings fluctuated a bit then grew stronger. The man was dreaming.
"NOOOOO!!!!! STAY BACK! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Doctor Fliptopus jumped in surprise at the loud and violent outburst from the patient who, not five minutes ago, had been dead to the world. She looked at him, sitting bolt upright, sweating profusely, panting, and with a terrified expression on his face. Brain activity was going wild, and then, as suddenly as it began, the brain activity faded, taking the state of panic with it. The man relaxed, though he did not return to a comatose state.
Flip checked her chronometer, 0800, somebody should be at the Community Administration Center by now. She walked over to the wall mounted communicator and dialed the CAC's code. Captron appeared on the monitor.
"Something wrong, doctor?" asked the Community moderator.
"Your patient is awake," reported the medic.
"YAHOOO!!!!!!" cheered Captron, immediately charging out of the room.
Flip sighed and terminated the connection, knowing that Caps would be arriving shortly via the teleporter.
She turned her attention back to her patient, whom she was surprised to find had managed to get himself out of his bed, and was staggering curiously around the room.

Enzbot teleported into the office located in the Community Administration Center, only to be bowled over by an excited Captron.
"He's awake!" exclaimed the slightly out of breath mod.

It is now Night 0. Roles will be randomized and distributed as soon as I can possibly get around to it (which should hopefully be sometime within the next 24 hours). Please confirm that you have received your role. Day 1 will begin once all players have confirmed receipt of their roles.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

1. @MegaPod
2. @Max1996
3. @Pika_pika42
4. @Elementar
5. @DarthWolf
6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
8. @Jinjo
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

Day 1: The Mysterious Entity

Enzbot picked himself up from where Captron had knocked him over.
"What did you say?" asked the Community Leader.
"The man from the past," said Caps breathlessly, "Doctor Fliptopus just called to say he's woken up!"
Excitedly, Enzbot left a message for the tardy Zexinator, then he and Captron teleported to the Emergency Medical facility.

Doctor Flip was in the middle of a discussion with her patient when the mod duo showed up. She excused herself and left. The man, now sitting back in his bed, looked puzzled.
Closing the portal behind her, to block out their conversation, Flip greeted the community staffers.
"What's the situation, doctor?" asked Enzbot.
"He's awake, but his mind is a blank," recounted the medical professional, "he has no idea who he is, or any memories of his past. I'll have to run some more tests, but based on the decaying of this man's liver, he was a heavy drinker. It's possible that the lack of oxygen to his brain caused by the hibernation and a thiamin deficiency due to his alcohol consumption wiped his brain clean."
"Is there any way to repair the damage?" asked Captron, disappointed.
"We might be able to trigger his memories using external stimuli, but a thousand years is a long time," the doctor said, "odds of finding anything that might be significant to him are low."
"I think I've got just the thing," Captron declared, pulling out the safe he had taken from the F&G Administration Building, and pouring its contents on the table.
Flip and Enzbot's eyes widened.
"Quite the treasure trove," remarked the Community Leader, "were you planning on keeping all that to yourself? Need I remind you that, under the Articles of Establishment, section X, subsection 2, paragraph 7, 'all items of significance found during visits to the old Bulbagarden forums are property of the Community, and must be relinquished by any Community moderator to their superiors upon their return from the forums.'"
"I know, I know," Captron said, "but I kept this just in case it would be needed when he woke up. If we gave the safe's contents to the Community Executives, they would completely vanish into the aether. Now they can do some good."
"Be cautious," advised Flip, "while he has calmed down since first waking up, he experienced a very violent reaction when he first awakened, possibly due to the last events he remembered before being frozen before those memories faded away. It is possible that, if you reignite his memories, you will also reawaken his fear."
"Explain," ordered Enzbot, prompting Flip to show them the security feed.
In the recording, the man awakened suddenly and shouted: "NOOOOO!!!!! STAY BACK! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"Interesting," remarked the Community Leader, "it's almost as if his last moments were spent fighting to prevent being frozen. Perhaps this man is actually a criminal and the freezing was a punishment?"
"Not possible," disagreed Captron, pulling out the 'ME Movies' poster and holding it up, "see the resemblance? He's ME. The ME. The one still talked about among the higher up staffers in rumor. They wouldn't discuss him if he was evil. More likely, he was frozen to be saved from whatever cataclysmic event took place in the old Fun and Games section. The building we found him in was flooded with radiation."
Enzbot sighed.
"The only way to know for sure is to try prompting his memories," said the Community Leader, "even if he was a criminal, he'll hardly be a threat here, with the technologies we've developed since he was frozen."
He and Captron took the safe and its contents into the patient's room.
The man was now sitting by the view portal, his back to the entrance. He gazed outside at the impressive cityscape. When the door opened, he turned to face the newcomers.
"Hello, I'm Enzbot, the Community Leader," said Enzbot smiling and extending his hand, a common gesture of greeting contemporary to the early 2000s.
The man looked at the Community Leader quizzically for a moment before briefly weakly grasping the proffered hand.
"I don't suppose you two have any idea who I am?" the thousand year old man asked.
"Or where I am," he added, chuckling darkly.
"As for who you are, unfortunately we are unsure of that, ourselves, though we have some theories," explained Captron, "where you are is a little easier to answer. You are in the Fantasy and Gossip Community, which is part of the greater Bulbagarden Virtual Communities."
"...the what now?" asked the man.
"The Bulbagarden Virtual Communities were established in 2244, shortly after the Virtual Revolution that occurred in 2242-2243," lectured Captron.
"2244?" the man asked, exasperated.
"Yes," said Captron, "but that was quite a while ago. It is now 3016."
Still confused, the man decided to drop the 'where' and focus on the 'who.'
"You said you had some theories as to who I am?" he asked.
"Yes," said Enzbot, "we believe that you are a former staff member of the old Bulbagarden forums who went by the nickname 'ME.' You've been frozen for a thousand years."
"'ME,' eh?" laughed the man, "that certainly fits, considering how I am now a Mysterious Entity...even to myself."
"Well, we have some items here for you to look at," Captron stated, pulling out the safe, "perhaps they will shed some light on your past."
The historical moderator took the Section Head badge and passed it to the newly named Mysterious Entity.
ME held the badge and examined it closely. He flipped it over and noticed the inscription and the date on the back.
"Enzap," he said, looking up at the Community Leader, "didn't you say your name is Enzbot?"
"Yes," said Enzbot, nodding, "I am descended from Enzap."
"Having been frozen for a thousand years, I guess I don't have any living relatives that might be able to let me know who I am," deduced the formerly frozen man.
He gave the badge back, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, the badge doesn't ring a bell."
Captron passed him the robotic arm next.
ME took the arm and moved it around, examining each joint, digit, and wire.
"Hey, this is pretty cool," he said, "but I've got two arms, so this probably wasn't mine."
He handed the arm back to Caps, who next tried the bottle of alcohol.
"What's this?" asked the man, taking out the bottle, and reading the label, "'Glenfiddich Experimental Series 1?' I have no idea what that is."
"It was some kind of alcoholic beverage, I believe," Enzbot explained.
The man took out the stopper and sniffed, singing the inside of his nose with the acidic smell.
"Yow!" the mystery man shouted, putting the stopper back in, "people used to drink this shit?!"
"Well, it's decayed a bit past its prime," chuckled Captron, taking the bottle back and passing along the picture.
The man stared at the woman in the photo for a long time, a spark of recognition appeared briefly in his eyes, but it was quickly extinguished.
"She's beautiful," the man said, awestruck, "I wish I knew who she was...though if I was frozen for a thousand years like you say I was, she's probably long dead, anyway."
Disappointed Captron took back the photo, as the man rubbed his temples.
"Why did you think I was this 'ME' guy anyway?" he inquired.
"Because of this," said Enzbot, showing him the poster for the 'ME Movies.'
"So?" asked Mysterious Entity, looking at the poster.
Captron turned him back to the view portal, and set it to 'reflect.' The man started at his reflection, and then back at the poster.
"Gotta say, the resemblance is uncanny," affirmed the enigmatic entity, "but this is an ad for a movie. Surely I was just the actor who played this 'ME' person, assuming he was real and not just a fictional character in the movie."
"ME was real," Captron stated, "we have historical evidence that proves that, and it's a good bet that if he was having movies made about him, he was egotistical enough to play himself in those movies."
Mysterious Entity laughed.
"That sounds about right," he agreed, "but it isn't proof of anything, and I can't remember."
"So we're right back where we started," sighed Caps, disappointed.
"What am I going to do now?" asked Mysterious Entity, turning to Enzbot.
"Well, the first step is to get you back to full health," the Community Leader said, "a thousand years of hibernation followed by a month long coma are not so easily shrugged off. Doctor Fliptopus, whom you've already met, will take charge of getting you back up on your feet. After that, we can try to integrate you into our society."
Mysterious Entity sighed.
"I suppose that's pretty much all you can do," he said, glumly.
Suddenly, the man from the past felt very tired.
"If you don't mind, I need some rest," he said, wearily.
Captron and Enzbot nodded and left, just as Zexinator charged in.
"What'd I miss?" asked the eager mod.

Over the course of the next month, Doctor Fliptopus and her team worked hard to restore Mysterious Entity to full health, not an easy task due to the muscle atrophy and various other medical maladies the man had acquired, though they couldn't seem to get rid of the traces of radiation that had seeped into Mysterious Entity from his thousand year slumber in the F&G Administration Building. As they treated him, the man was curious about the various techniques and technologies. Flip and her crew patiently answered his numerous questions, and, by the end of the month, he seemed to have a basic grasp of the wonders and technologies of 3016. The Fantasy and Gossip moderating staff visited him regularly to check on his progress.
This particular evening, Enzbot stopped by, as Flip had alerted them that Mysterious Entity's treatments were nearly over.
He found the thousand year old man by one of the sustenance machines, programming in his desired nutrition supplement. All things considered, he seemed to be adjusting well, but there was a certain sadness about him.
"How's it going, Enzbot?" asked the man from the past, still using old language idioms and slang, but now performing the proper 3016 greeting by clicking his heals 13 times while snapping 5 times with his left hand. A procedure he had previously confessed felt very tedious.
"You seem to be doing much better," observed the Community Leader.
"Thanks to Doc Flip and her team," remarked Mysterious Entity.
He and Enzbot sat down at one of the rest areas in the hallway, as ME consumed his nutritional supplement. Silence pervaded for a few moments, before ME stopped eating.
"This technology that you have is marvelous," he said, casually, "I'm sure that back in my day we had nothing like it."
"You've certainly become quite adept at using the technology," complimented Enzbot, indicating the nutritional supplement.
Mysterious Entity shrugged.
"Only the basics," he stated, "I can order myself meals, and I can program the environment in my room. That's about it."
"Well, these things take time," the Community Leader said, encouragingly, "you'll get there, eventually."
"With all this great technology, isn't there any way to restore my memories?" inquired the thousand year old man, "without them I just feel...incomplete."
"Your memories won't help you adjust any better," responded Enzbot, "in fact, they could make things worse, as you'll start to feel out of place."
"I already feel out of place," ME exclaimed, "but at least if I had my memories, I would know that I once had a place where I belonged, even if I can never go back."
The Community Leader nodded sagely, flagged down Doctor Fliptopus, and explained the situation to her.
"Is there nothing we can do to help?" he asked.
Flip thought for a moment, considering her words.
"There has been a lot of research and speculation into memory restoration," she said, "but, throughout the years, there has only been one way to restore memories that are completely gone without a trace, like Mysterious Entity's."
"Well?" asked ME, raising his eyebrow, "why didn't you mention this a month ago?"
"I don't want to get your hopes up," the doctor said, quickly, "the procedure itself is very risky even for patients who are at peak health. A month ago there is no possible way you would have survived. Even now, it will more likely cause permanent damage than solve the problem."
"What's the procedure?" asked Enzbot.
"We'd have to perform reconstructive surgery in his brain," explained the medical expert, "basically, memories are stored in various parts of the brain and are recalled when the neurons that created the initial experience fire together in the same pattern. It's very difficult to completely forget an experience, since even if one engram fails there are others to work off of. In cases such as this one, something is causing an active disruption to ME's recall/retrieval process or the encoding itself has gone bad. In the case of the former, the memories are still there, but the sequences to obtain them are lost. In the case of the latter, the sequences might be in tact, but the information is garbled at best, completely unsalvageable at the worst. Either way, to fix the problem, we'd need to get into ME's brain and start interfering with the electrical signals that are currently running through his brain."
"How risky is that?" asked the Community Leader.
"Like I said, the more likely result of trying this would be causing permanent brain damage to ME, possibly even putting him back in a coma or making him into a mental vegetable," said the doctor.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," chimed in Mysterious Entity.
"Now hold on," began Enzbot.
"No!" shouted ME, balling his hands into fists, "you don't understand what it's like to be completely isolated from everything. To not know who you are, or where you came from, or anything about yourself. No matter what I learn here or what I may become in the future, I will never be complete. I would rather die or become a mental vegetable, because at least then I wouldn't feel so empty."
Nothing Enzbot or Fliptopus could say would change Mysterious Entity's mind. In the end, it was agreed that the procedure would take place the following day.

As Enzbot drifted into sleep that night, he wondered just what he was allowing to happen. His last thought was: "what if this all goes wrong?"

Mysterious Entity awoke feeling at peace for the first time since he had awakened in 3016, which, for all intents and purposes, was the only time he had ever been at peace. Whatever fate had in store for him, he was prepared.
Captron and Enzbot had arrived and were waiting for him as he left his room heading to the operating area.
"No Zexinator?" asked ME, raising an eyebrow.
"He's late again," said Captron disapprovingly.
Doctor Fliptopus, looking resolved, walked in with a team of medical specialists she had summoned from other Communities. Even one of the Community Executives, Digulon, was there to observe the proceedings.
"So you're the man from the past causing all the ruckus lately," said Digulon, glancing at ME.
"I guess I am," said the thousand year old man, smirking.
"Let's get on with this," Digulon said, checking his chronometer.
Mysterious Entity was escorted into the operating area by Doctor Fliptopus. The other medical experts followed. Digulon, Enzbot, and Captron headed to the gallery, where they would be able to view the operation.
Being a product of the late 2nd millennium and not the 4th, Mysterious Entity did not already have a brain port for interfacing, so step one of the proceedings was to insert a port. Once completed, Doctor Flip interfaced ME's brain with the operating equipment. Instantly, a 3D map of the thousand year old man's brain patterns was displayed and the supercomputers began analyzing the contents for abnormalities.
Flip took a brief glance at the patterns. Her eyes widened, the man's brain was even more of an enigma than she had originally anticipated, which was not encouraging. Still, whoever he had been a thousand years ago, he must have been pretty intelligent.

Zexinator transported into the Community Administration Center. He was only a few minutes late today, an improvement. He headed into the control center, only to find it empty. Curious. He wandered into the break room. Also empty. Even more curious. Thinking that Enzbot was playing a prank on him, Zexinator began walking to his superior's office.

Analysis complete, the computer displayed the most efficient methodology for repairing the broken connections in ME's mind. With surgical precision, Flip and the other medics donned their digigloves.
"This is a delicate procedure," she said, "reroute all power to the medical consoles, we don't want anything to go wrong."
The power was rerouted by Digulon from the gallery. The medics began the painstaking process of altering the electrical impulses and signals in the thousand year old man's brain.

Enzbot wasn't in his office, either, and Captron was nowhere to be found. That was most peculiar, since Captron was very punctual. Zexinator thought for a moment, collecting his scatterbrained thoughts.
"Oh lacainam!" swore Zexinator, remembering what Enzbot had informed them after returning from the medical facility the other day.
He dashed back toward the transporter room, hoping he wasn't too late.

Flip and the medical team were working out the most complex set of signals. So far, with the help of the computer, everything had been going surprisingly smoothly. Flip was just beginning to breathe easy, when suddenly, the power flickered. The machine was only off for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. The incomplete repairs were implemented, resulting in a massive short circuit, as Mysterious Entity's brain was unable to process any of the signals it was sending or being sent.
ME's vital signs began going erratic, and then, as Flip and the team attempted to log back in to the interface, they began flatlining.
"No, no, no!" said Flip, "what happened? Why did we lose power?"
"Emergency fail safe," reported Digulon from above checking some reports, "somebody activated the transporter."
"Reenigne!" cursed Flip, "he's dying."
As the medics attempted to revive the dying man, he began glowing in a strange energy.
"...wait," said Digulon, "that energy."
The Community Executive thought about it for a moment, something was familiar about that glowing, but what was it?
No.
No it couldn't be.
That was just a myth.
Right?
Digulon's eyes widened. If what he thought was happening was actually happening, things could get messy really quickly.
"GET OUT OF THERE!" he yelled the order.
Unquestioningly, Flip and the medics ran out, just as the glowing intensified. Suddenly, a sickly green glow was added to the mix, as the operating area was flooded with pent up radiation, leaking out of the dying man.
A massive eruption tore apart the operating area, sending dust and debris everywhere. The smoke began to clear. Digulon saw ME standing next to the broken operating equipment.
He breathed a sigh of relief. Yes there was some damage to the operating area, but that could be easily taken care of. More to the point, it looked like the specimen was intact, and he had just gotten to witness something that he had only heard about in legends, a true Regeneration.
But, as the smoke dissipated, a problem became evident.
Not just one, but ten MEs stood in the operating room, all completely identical and wearing the same puzzled expression.
Zexinator burst into the gallery, slightly winded.
"Hope I'm not too late," he said, cheerfully.

It is now Day 1. The phase will end in 48 hours on 4/7/18, regardless of whether I am here to lock the phase or not. Votes after 12:00pm US CDT will not be accepted.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

1. @MegaPod
2. @Max1996
3. @Pika_pika42
4. @Elementar
5. @DarthWolf
6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
8. @Jinjo
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

Jinjo has been modkilled. As a result of this, her vote and all votes against her are now invalid. Her role flip will be revealed upon the phase change. Phase has been extended for 12 hours, to give you all a chance to regroup. The phase will now end in just over 16 hours.
To clarify, the reason Jinjo is being modkilled is because even purporting to quote the host on something, whether or not the host actually said what you say they said, is against the game rules.

Votals stand thus:
Elieson: I (Max1996)
MegaPod: I (TheCapsFan)
Zexinator: I (Pika_Pika42)

Moving forward, I'd like to remind you all of two things.
1. If you're not sure whether or not something is allowed, read the rules.
2. If you're still unsure, ask me.

Hopefully we can avoid more modkilling in the future, since they're no fun for anyone.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

1. @MegaPod
2. @Max1996
3. @Pika_pika42
4. @Elementar
5. @DarthWolf
6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
8. @Jinjo
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

Final Votals:
Elieson: I (Max1996)
MegaPod: I (TheCapsFan)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv2Mj8vUe88
​

Night 1: You Snooze, You Lose

For ten full minutes, Digulon chewed out Zexinator, as the radiation was flushed from the operating room. During that time, the medical personnel busied themselves monitoring various gauges and instruments in the gallery. By order of the Community Executive, nobody was permitted into the operating room until the radiation was gone and it had been completely sterilized.
Enzbot and Captron amused themselves by observing the ten MEs inside the operating room. Though physically identical, it was obvious even without hearing their words, that each had a different personality.

At the moment, one was donning a prayer shawl and had pulled out an old prayer book, while a second one had pulled on a cape and mask and started pretending to fly around the room. Another had retreated into a corner and built up a barrier cutting himself off from the others. A fourth had pulled out a notebook and started writing, while the fifth was staring avidly over his shoulder, occasionally making a comment. Yet another had wandered over to the food replication machine and was looking at it disapprovingly, while the seventh was examining the busted operating equipment with wonder. The eighth had lied back down on the bed and started sleeping, while the ninth whizzed about the room doing cartwheels and laughing like a madman. The final one was standing a bit removed from the others, occasionally sidestepping the whizzing ME and the flying ME. He gazed at the antics of the other nine MEs with a slight look of superiority on his features in the form of a sardonic smirk. He shook his head sadly.

Finally, the room had been decontaminated to the Executive's satisfaction. Digulon, Enzbot, Captron, Zexinator, and Doctor Fliptopus entered the room. Instantly, ten pairs of identical eyes turned to them.
The ME in the prayer shawl closed his prayer book and walked over to them, a big smile on his face, and his hand outstretched. He warmly shook the hands of both the Community moderators, the Community Leader, the Executive and the doctor.
"Shalom Aleichem!" he said, enthusiastically, "I am ME, and these other shmegegges are my counterparts, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, and, of course, ME. I apologize for the Balagan, but our Regeneration went a little Fercockta this time."
Slightly taken aback, Digulon looked stunned for a moment.
"...I'm sorry, what?"
The superior looking ME stepped in at this time.
"What my foolish counterpart here is trying to say is that the radiation must have caused a disturbance with our normal Regeneration process, thus causing us to split into ten entities," he explained.
"Nu? Isn't that what I just said?" remarked the Yiddish speaking ME.

Meanwhile, Doctor Fliptopus had walked over to her broken machines and was examining them.
"Impressive machinery you have here," remarked the ME who had been examining it, "it reminds ME a lot of the technology from Star Trek."
"...Star Trek?" inquired the medical professional, curiously.
"It's an old television show I used to watch," remarked the ME.
"Does this mean you've regained your memories?" asked Flip, excitedly.
"...Not exactly," said the ME, "you see, I've only got part of my memories in place. I assume that the other MEs have the rest of my memories and personality. Like in that episode of Xiaolin Showdown where Omi finds the Ring of the Nine Dragons."
The ME went off on a major rant about how Xiaolin Chronicles was such a major disappointment after the success of Xiaolin showdown. Flip began to look bored.
"Enough, you rogue!" exclaimed another ME, gallantly stepping in between the monologuing ME and the doctor, "leave the poor maiden alone!"
He turned to face the doctor, a rose suddenly appearing in his hand. In one fluid motion, he handed her the rose to her left hand, and kissed her right hand.
"Forgive my boorish counterpart," the charming ME said, "he does not know how to interact with lovely ladies, such as yourself."
"...what is going on here?!" wondered Flip, putting aside the rose and getting back to her machinery, as the two MEs began arguing.

The cartwheeling ME had ended up in another part of the room he amused himself by taunting and throwing loose nuts and bolts at the ME behind the barricade.
"Come out and play, ME," he said, chucking a pipe at the other ME.
"Stay back!" shouted the ME behind the barricade, "stay away, all of you! I don't know what insanity this is, but you all can't be ME. I'm the only ME."
"Insanity?" laughed the other ME, waving his hand callously, "you say that like it's a bad thing. Sanity is the single most overrated thing in the entire universe. I mean, look at what losing my sanity has done for ME."
He continued laughing and jeering at his counterpart.
"I'm warning you!" said the ME behind the barricade, "I will not hesitate to drop you like the scum you are!"
"Enough of this!"
The two MEs looked over at the interloper. Enzbot stepped in.
"I don't know what quarrel you two are having, but I assure you it will not be tolerated," the Community Leader said, "you will either deal with your differences in a peaceful manner, or you will separate yourselves from each other."
The taunting ME looked at Enzbot contemptuously. For a fraction of a second, a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes, but before anyone could notice, he was all smiles.
"Whatever you say, boss man!" said the ME, saluting and returning to his cartwheeling and whooping.
The other ME merely grunted and resumed fortifying his barrier with the debris thrown by the insane ME.
"It's a conspiracy, I tell you," he muttered as he worked.

Zexinator walked over to the ME who was contemplating the replicator with contempt.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"This machine is an abomination!" exclaimed the ME, "it takes all the creativity and effort out of cooking!"
"And what's wrong with that?" wondered the Community mod.
"Food should be prepared with love!" insisted the ME, "not fabricated or mass produced in a machine! It loses it essence, its soul, if you do that!"
"I'm not sure what you mean," the Community mod stated.
"Take whiskey, for example," the ME said, "I'm sure this machine is perfectly capable of replicating alcohol, but what it cannot duplicate is the aging process of the beverage. The care and technique that went into imbuing the drink with its own unique flavoring and characteristics. The subtle notes and flavor accents are gone. The beverage is rough and unaged. In other words, it is swill that is not fit for human consumption."
Zexinator thought for a moment.
"Oh, you and I are going to get along very well," he said.

Captron approached the ME who was writing in a notepad. The other ME had abandoned him to quarrel with another ME and flirt with the doctor.
"What are you writing?" he asked.
"Just a story," the ME said, shrugging, "no big deal."
"A story?" said the ME in the cape, with wonder, "is there a hero? What's he like?"
The cape wearing ME stopped running around, and sat next to the story writing ME, trying to look over his shoulder.
"Ugh," groaned the writing ME, "as if it wasn't enough to have that romantic buffoon try to frill up my story, now you're going to want to add more action and heroics, aren't you?"
The cape wearing ME nodded furiously.
"Yes please!" he said, "make the protagonist a superhero with flight, invulnerability, super strength, heat beam eyes, X-ray vision, super speed, and super hearing."
"That character already exists," said the ME with the notepad, erasing his last few sentences, "he's called Superman."
"Oh yeah," said the cape wearing ME, laughing, "right."

The final ME woke up, took one look around the room, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
"Wake ME up when it's over," he said, dreamily. Alas, it was not to be, since the Yiddish speaking ME had a thought.
"Gentlemen," he said, trying to get the attention of the other MEs," it occurs to ME that we just survived a life threatening ordeal, and so we should bentch Gomel at the earliest opportunity. Luckily, there are enough of us to make a Minyan, though I'm not sure what the Rabbanim would say about making a Minyan comprised entirely of yourself."

He pulled out several volumes of the Talmud and began poring over the pages, looking for an answer for his Shaiyla. He turned to Digulon.
"I don't suppose there is a Posek around for ME to consult?" he asked.
"I don't even know what a Posek is," replied the Community Executive, baffled by the ME's bizarre behavior and vocabulary.
"Nevermind," said the religious ME, "I believe that, although we are different manifestations of the same person, the fact that we occupy different physical bodies and do not share mental thoughts is sufficient cause to say that we can make our own Minyan."

He poked the sleeping ME.
"Nu? Rise and shine, bubbala," he said.
"Go away," said the sleepy ME, "leave ME to my dreams."

Meanwhile another ME was talking to Doctor Fliptopus.
"So, obviously we're going to need to try reuniting the ten of us back into a single person," he said, "now I'm not sure what kind of technology you have to work with, but I think the simplest course of action would be some sort of matter reintegraton device, kind of like an instantaneous matter transporter. I think that there were some working prototypes back in my day, so I would imagine the technology has only gotten better since then."
"Yes it has," affirmed the doctor, "I can have a technician explain how it works to you, so you can make your modifications."
"Much appreciated," said the ME.

Overhearing this conversation the superior feeling ME scowled a bit, he walked over to the cartwheeling ME and placed a hand on his shoulder. The two talked for a bit in secret.

Finally, after a lot of prompting, poking, and repeating the word 'Nu' over and over again, the Yiddish speaking ME had awakened the sleepy ME.
Agitated, the sleepy ME decided that, as long as he was already awake, he might as well get something to eat. Maybe take a bit of a stroll to think a few things through. His dreams were clearer now than ever before, probably because he had been separated from the other parts of his personality. He shrugged and set the thought aside, daydreaming as he wandered through the halls of the medical facility.
Night fell as the ME walked over to a window and stared at the stars.
"One day," he thought, "I will go see those stars in person."
He stood stargazing for quite some time, pondering the wonder and beauty of the universe.

The stargazing ME wasn't the only one burning the midnight oil. Having been taught the rudimentary basics of transporter technology, the nerdy ME sat at a workbench, tinkering.

The following morning, nine MEs awoke. The stargazing ME was nowhere to be found. He had vanished.

Spoiler: Jinjo was modkilled

Dear Mewtwo's Empire,

The Prince is awake. Your shit is wrecked.

Always walking around with your head in the clouds, you are Mental Escapist, The Dreamer.
You spend your time wishing you were somewhere else instead of at your dull day job, and you constantly dream about a better life. You deliberately tune out the real world going on around you in order to envision yourself in better surroundings, but why do you spend so much time dreaming? You dream to escape reality. You were bullied in the past, lost some close friends, and have had to face many trials and tribulations that most people will never encounter during their entire lives. To escape your bitter past, you envision a bright future. You are overall very optimistic, but naive, and not in touch with your surroundings at all. Many people say that you waste your time dreaming, and don't act to make your dreams a reality, and, while that may be true, you'd rather escape from the harsh confines of reality and into the comfortable and familiar realm of your imagination. In your slightly more lucid moments, you theorize that your dreams and keeping yourself one step removed from reality is what keeps you sane and allows you to keep going on day after day, despite the things you experienced in the past. But then you shake off that mentality and just go right on dreaming.
During the night, you have the power to make your dreams become a reality. As such you are the Dreaming God. Each night, you can PM the hosts one of the following genres. These will result in some sort of action happening, but you do not know what those actions might be. You may use each genre only once.
1. Super Hero Flicks
2. Science Fiction
3. Cooking Shows
4. Holiday Specials
5. Romance Movies
6. Conspiracy Theories
7. Slapstick Comedies
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

It is now Night 1. Phase ends in 24 hours at 12am US CDT. Don't get the time wrong, Caps. If Thanos and Pikochu have not made a post efore the end of Night 1, they will be subbed out.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

1. @MegaPod
2. @Max1996
3. @Pika_pika42
4. @Elementar
5. @DarthWolf
6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
8. @Jinjo
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0bQcQLftFM

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsxavPANO8s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99-n42Xb6NQ&t=9s

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNuN6k8GE1c

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q25i8DGlgN8


Day 2: Mass Extermination

Despite their best efforts, the Community staff members and eight of the other MEs could not find Mental Escapist. (The ninth had locked himself in his room and refused to leave.)
"I wouldn't worry about him too much," said the ME with the superiority complex, "he's a bit of an airhead and not really in touch with reality. He probably just wandered off somewhere."
"True," agreed the Yiddish speaking ME, "he was a bit of a luftmensh."
The other MEs concurred and returned to their previous predicament, namely getting themselves back together again.

The nerdy ME went back to his work bench and was joined by Digulon, who watched as he tinkered with a transporter device.
"You picked that up rather quickly," complimented the Community Executive.
"It's just like riding a bicycle," said the ME, "in my day, I built a lot of Lego models, and replicas of some of my favorite things from the various fandoms I was part of."
"Sounds interesting," said the Scottish staffer.
The ME shrugged.
"It felt like home," he said, "I'd love to be able to get back there, some day."
"Unfortunately that is not possible," the Executive said, shaking his head, "time travel is strictly illegal."
"Surely in a society such as this, the possibility was at least explored," pressed the ME.
"There've been a few theoretical calculations done, to be sure," said Digulon, "but those are heavily restricted files, and wouldn't provide much headway, since they were quashed from above very quickly."
"Fair enough," sighed the ME, "guess I'll have to get used to living here."
"It's not so bad once you've gotten past this initial culture shock," said Digulon.

Meanwhile, Zexinator was talking to a few of the other MEs.
"I'm telling you, Zexinator," the Yiddish speaking ME was saying, "the kiddushes we used to throw at my old synagogue. Oy. You would plotz at some of the wonderful whiskeys they had, and you could sit and kibbitz with your friends for a while."
"Sounds excellent," said the Greek staffer, "unfortunately, there isn't much in the way of religion around anymore. The Webmaster decided a long time ago that it did more harm than good."
"No religion?!" exclaimed the religious ME, "what a shanda! This Webmaster of yours sounds like a real nebbish."
"Religion has caused numerous wars and conflicts, even a thousand years ago, ME," said the arrogant ME, "perhaps this was for the best."
The Yiddish speaking ME spat on the ground.
"Ver derharget," he swore, "any true believe in an all powerful Deity would not commit such atrocities in His name!"
"But science can-" began Zexinator.
"Shah!" shouted the ME, silencing the moderator, "science and religion are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the more I've learned about the nature of the universe, the more I believe in Hashem. For example, the whole fate vs. free will paradox can be resolved using Multiverse theory and a bit of quantum mechanics."
Before the argument could escalate further, another ME joined in.
"Tell you what," he said, "let's throw ourselves a kiddush here, while we're waiting. It'll give us something to do and a way to occupy ourselves."
"So who's catering?" asked the Yiddish speaking ME, instantly liking the idea.
"I'll cook," volunteered the food loving ME, "after all, these silly replicators cannot outperform ME when it comes to culinary arts."
"A social gathering?" said the suave ME, sticking his head into the conversation, "are we perchance allowed to bring dates?"
The cynical ME laughed.
"Dates?" he asked skeptically, "who would you bring on a date? We don't even know anybody!"
"Social engagements are always more fun when there is dating involved," said the romantic ME, sagely.
The bitter ME snorted.
"The day I need your advice is the day life ain't worth living anymore," he said, walking away.
"Vile cur," snarled the chivalrous ME to his retreating form.
The remaining MEs and Zexinator began planning out details for the upcoming kiddush.

Night approached and, after a day of hard work, the MEs went their separate ways, each to their assigned rooms, but some of them didn't stay there for long.
The bitter ME left his room and walked a few doors down. He knocked.
"Come in," said a voice from within.
He entered the room to find its occupant sitting at a desk, scribbling furiously in his notepad. The ME looked up.
"Oh," he said, "it's you."
"Yes, it's ME," said the cynical ME.
"Is there something I can help you with?" asked the author.
"Yes," the arrogant ME said, "you can help ME by dying and not wasting my precious air!"
"Now see here!" said the writing ME, standing up in anger.
He was cut short by the cynical ME's sneak attack, crumpling over onto the floor in a bloody heap.

Spoiler: Elementar was killed

Dear Master Elementar,

I am the entertainer
I come to do my show
You've heard my latest record
It's been on the radio
Ah, it took me years to write it
They were the best years of my life

A creator of fantastic tales and superb stories, you are Magnificent Entertainer, The Writer.
The embodiment of one of the few creative talents that ME shows any affinity for, you are one of the co-creators of the Bulbagarden Mafia Universe, wherein you have crafted many a marvelous myth and a set of dynamic and memorable characters. Indeed, even before the BMU you were coming up with thrilling tales and scintillating sagas, some of which were later retconned into the BMU. You have won the Best Flavor Writer, Most Entertaining Host, and Best Host awards for two seasons in a row (incidentally the only two seasons you've hosted for, aside from the current one). Furthermore, in addition to being the "official" BMU flavor writer, you are also capable of writing in other formats, as is evidenced by Holiday Mafia 2016 and Holiday Mafia 2017, where you regaled the delighted users with your ridiculous rhymes. Honestly, given that ME is an engineer, it's a miracle he can string together a single sentence, let along an entire saga of stories. Your skill with languages also makes you an able wordsmith, and you have earned the self given title of "The Wordplay Pundit" and the unofficial Bulbagarden staff title of "Chief of Puns." Furthermore, you are also trilingual, though your Spanish and Hebrew are a bit rusty.
Being a storyteller, you usually play the part of the omniscient narrator. As such, you are the Oracle. Every night, you may PM the hosts a yes or no question about the setup of the game. You will receive a yes or no answer to your question upon the phase update.
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

Whistling merrily, the bitter ME walked out of the author's room and walked further down the hallway. He had one other task to try performing before returning to bed for the evening. He approached the second door with caution. That room's occupant was a bit volatile, but could possibly be useful for the cynical ME's sinister purposes.
Before he could even knock, the door burst open and he was hauled within. A muffled shot, barely audible, followed.

Spoiler: DarthWolf was killed

Dear Master Enemy,

Always fighting for those in need. That's a quick way to wind up poor or dead...and probably both.

Disgusted with humanity and apathetic towards all, you are Misanthropic Eremite, The Cynic.
Though you've only been alive for a relatively short time, you are as bitter as they come. In your past, you've seen too much and been screwed over by people who were supposed to be your friends too many times. You're utterly appalled with the wretched state than humanity has put the world in, and you believe that the vast majority of humans are trash. You get easily annoyed by other drivers, just for them existing, and think that most humans exist solely to get in your way. You see an evil hidden motive in everything, but you are not surprised by humanity's capacity for stupidity or evil deeds. In fact, you hold yourself aloof from most other humans and view yourself as vastly superior to all of them. Nobody is quite sure just how or why you became so jaded, but, to be fair, a lot of stupid stuff has happened during your lifetime, most of which was caused by humans being shortsighted or idiots, including but not limited to: global warming, the Lewinsky Scandal, the rise of Hamas, the creation of ISIS, the War on Terror, gun violence increases, the 2016 United States Presidential Election, the rise of social media, technological obsolescence, pollution, the Twilight series, and, of course, its bastardized knock offs the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. It's no wonder you've taken on such a negative view of humanity. You hate the sports industry, because you believe that athletes are overpayed and you find the fact that humanity seems to enjoy spectator sports revolting. Furthermore, you hate movies or video games that attempt to "pander" to a specific audience, even when you are a member of said target audience, such as The Force Awakens, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and the upcoming Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Eevee! games. You will not be instantly gratified, and you view these sorts of movies and games as unoriginal, unimaginative, and downright lazy on the part of the creators. All in all, you are a very cranky and negative person and not much fun to be around, but you can provide amusing content on Bulbagarden's podcast, Bulbacast.
Your cynical nature is only matched by your intelligence. Despite, or perhaps because of, your hatred for humanity, you find them extremely gullible and are always able to manipulate them to get exactly what you want from them. As such, you are the Role Thief. Every night, you may PM the hosts Manipulate and Extort <player>. You will prevent the player from using their role that night, and steal a shot of their role from them that may be used on a subsequent night. You may use this ability when using a role that you have previously stolen.
You are allied with the Mafia Enforcers. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

The romantic ME decided to take a stroll over to his neighbor's room. He was excited to tell him about the upcoming kiddush, and hoped that he could persuade the other ME to leave his room and join them. He approached the room with a rose in his hand, sniffing it delicately. So lost in his own train of thought, that he didn't notice in time that the door to his neighbor's room was open. He walked into a darkened room and was instantly pounced on, dropping the rose. A brief struggle ensued, followed by a second muffled shot. The door was closed.

Spoiler: Pika_Pika42 was killed

Dear Meowth's Enemy,

I am new to love, but I know what it looks like. I do watch television.

Buying chocolate and roses for your beloved, you are Mushy Emotionalist, The Romantic.
Not a side often seen of ME, but you still show up every once in a while, mostly when in the proximity of your girlfriend, whom you affectionately refer to as "My Everything."
Growing up, you were bullied physically and emotionally relentlessly. You grew to despise yourself and believed that you would be forever alone. One fateful day when you were still in college, a friend invited you to his 20th birthday held at the local Chabad. Bored out of your skull, you and another friend retired to the living room to discuss Star Trek, and were joined by a beautiful woman.
Instantly, you were impressed and smitten. Though you did not see that woman again for half a year, she remained in your thoughts. After spending the summer between your junior and senior years with her almost every day, you began to realize just how lonely your existence was, and began to contemplate the idea of not spending your life all alone. Eventually, with the help of your friends, you finally plucked up the courage to ask her if she would be interested in starting a relationship with you. You haven't looked back since.
Since you want to prevent people from being alone, as you were, you are the Loverizer. During Night 1, you must select another player. From that night on, you and that player will be Lovers, which means that you will have your own OC chat, and if one of you dies, the other will die, as well.
You are allied with the Malconent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction are neutralized.

The culinary ME was just finishing preparing an exquisite dinner for himself when he realized that one of the MEs had not left his room all day.
"The poor guy hasn't had a decent meal since we Regenerated," he thought.
He picked up a plate and walked down the hallway to give his fellow ME a nicely cooked meal. He arrived at the door and knocked.
"ME?" he asked, "I've brought you some food, since I suspect you're hungry."
The door opened a tiny bit. An eye peeped out.
"Leave ME alone!" the ME said, "why don't you all stay the hell away from ME? You're all out to get ME, man! It's a damn conspiracy."
"Easy there, ME," said the chef, backing up a bit, and holding up the plate "I just wanted to-"
Before he could finish the sentence, the door opened wider, and he was snagged by the other ME. The plate of food crashed to the ground, breaking. The door closed, and there was a third muffled gunshot.
"Trying to poison ME, eh?" he said, spitting, "I showed them!"

Spoiler: Max1996 was killed

Dear Moonlight Eeveelution,

See? Lots of garlic is good for you!

Always cooking up a storm, you are Meal Envisioner, The Chef.
Not to be confused with CheffOfGames, from an early age, you took an interest in the culinary arts, watching your father's cooking and your mother's baking.
You started out small, stirring the contents of various pots, learning how to cook pasta, and how to fry onions. Eventually, you began cooking your favorite dishes on your own and learning how to bake cookies, cakes, and challah (the ceremonial bread eaten by Jews during Sabbath and holiday meals).
Your fondest memories from your childhood are learning to cook from your father and working together on various dishes. Even now, you and your father will occasionally cook together. Unfortunately, because you learned your culinary skills from your father, you also developed his kitchenside manner, and you get cranky when other people in the kitchen interfere with what you are doing and your perfect rhythm.
These days, though, the person who tends to appreciate your cooking skills the most is yourself, but by no means does this make you a bad chef. In fact, your culinary skills and the ability to prepare an energizing and delicious meal makes you the Empowered. Each night you may PM the hosts: Feed <player> a delicious home cooked meal, and that player will be able to use their action, if they have any, twice that phase.
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

The paranoid ME looked around his room at the three dead bodies.
"I should probably do something about those," he commented, wryly.

The following morning, three of the remaining MEs and the community staffers gathered to find a pile of three bodies dumped in the operating room.
"Well this was unexpected," remarked the caped ME, "unfortunate that I couldn't have saved them."
The insane ME laughed.
"Seems like somebody had some fun last night," he said.
"Wait a minute, where are the other three MEs?" asked Enzbot.

Quickly, they discovered Magnificent Entertainer's body, left in his room by his murderer. Upon their arrival to the Yiddish speaking ME's room, they found that there was more bad news.
Hanging from the ceiling, suspended by his tefillin straps, was the religious ME.

Spoiler: MegaPod was killed

Dear Metapod Enthusiast,

אמת

Debating Talmud passages, and practicing your Torah reading, you are Meshuganah Elder, The Jew.
Born into a family of Orthodox Jews, you attended Jewish private school from Kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition to learning math, science, history, and English, you were also taught Talmud, Tanach, Hebrew, and Jewish Law. Over the years, you became the top of your class and a veritable Talmud Chacham, despite your occasional mishegas. The high school you attended was a Conservative Jewish high school, which broadened your view of Judaism, and definitely toned down some of the chutzpah you had acquired in middle school. However, the Judaic studies classes in your high school were mere child's play for a maven such as yourself. To keep yourself from being bored, you began combining your beliefs in Hashem with your love of science and began writing clever Divrei Torah that you would occasionally present to your synagogue congregation as a regular guest speaker. Among these gems of Torah knowledge is included a resolution to fate vs. free will using Mulitverse theory, and your calculations on how the Earth could simultaneously be 6000 and 14 billion years old by using time dilation.
You've served your synagogue in various capacities, starting out as a Gabbai during your final years of high school, and even serving as the Ritual Vice President on the Executive Board of Directors for a year, before, tired of putting up with not being appreciated by the synagogue president, whom you viewed as a shmendrik, you quit.
Your belief in Hashem and His healing abilities is absolute. As such, you are the Faith Healer. Each night, you may PM the hosts: Pray for <player>, and that player will be protected from any kills that evening, and may have to bentch Gomel the next time they're in synagogue.
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" shouted Digulon.

It is now Day 2. Phase will end in 48 hours at 12:00am US CDT on July 8th. Would any of the fine gentlemen (aside from Darth) who were killed this phase like to sub in?

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

@Max1996 has subbed in for @Pikochu and @HumanDawn has subbed in for @Thanos. The game is now unpaused and the phase will end in 48 hours at 6:30am US CDT on July 8th.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

@ Elieson
@TheCapsFan
@Max1996
@HumanDawn

@Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand @Lone_Garurumon

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAAlDoAtV7Y
​

Night 2: Backed into a Corner

"This has gotten way out of hand," Digulon said, picking up a spare comm set, "I'm bringing in the Community Head Executive on this one."
"No need for that," said the cape wearing ME, "have no fear, ME is here to save the day!"
"What are you going to do about this situation?" asked the Community Executive, skeptically.
"Using my brilliant powers of deduction, I have determined the person responsible for the heinous murders last phase," said the ME, swishing around and pretending to fly.
"But," began the Scottish staffer.
The nerdy ME stepped in.
"Digulon, please," he said, "this is our problem, and we will resolve it on our own. I can still figure out a way to reintegrate us back into our original self, even with the dead MEs."
Digulon hesitated, and then put down the comm.
"Well, the Project Leader is very busy," he said, slowly, "fine. If you're certain you've got this under control."
"Trust ME," said the cape wearing ME, "I've got the culprit cold."
"Very well," said the Executive, "lead on."

The two left the room, leaving behind the nerdy ME and the insane ME, along with the Fantasy and Gossip staffers.
"This has certainly been exciting," remarked Zexinator, sarcastically.
"Definitely an interesting study," added Captron.

The nerdy ME tinkered at the work bench. Calculations flashed quickly on the monitor as he typed. Bored, the insane ME took to cartwheeling around the room again.

Lost in thought, the Community Leader paced around the operating room. Suddenly, seemingly of its own accord, the door slid open. Enzbot looked up. No one was there.
"Must be a malfunction," he thought, and continued his pacing.

Digulon and the heroic ME walked down the corridor until they came to the door of the 4th ME, who had barricaded himself inside.
"Here is the vile villain responsible for the deaths last night!" exclaimed the cape wearing ME.
"But how can you tell?" asked the Community Executive.
"Elementary," said the super ME, "the evidence all points to him."

He pulled out a magnifying glass and aimed it at the floor.
"I'll admit, he did a good job of cleaning up, but see here, a bit of pollen residue, specifically from the red rose, as usually carried by Mushy Emotionalist," he said, "and over here, there's a small stain from a plate of food that was cooked by Meal Envisioner. Both are right outside his door."
"And what about the other three?" asked Digulon.
The ME shrugged.
"Like I said, he did a good job cleaning up," he explained, "besides, we can definitely pin at least two of the murders on him."
The Executive agreed, and went to knock on the paranoid ME's door. The heroic ME stopped him.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you," he said, "this one is a touch unstable."
"So how are we going to get in?" asked the Scottish staffer.
"Leave that to ME," said the heroic ME, smiling and flexing.
"Whoo boy," Digulon sighed.

"So what are you working on?" Enzbot asked the nerdy ME, who was typing furiously on the virtual keyboard.
"Well, these are the reintegration calculations assuming perfect conditions," said the ME, indicating the screen, "however, we have very sub-optimal conditions, considering the fact that at least half of us are dead, so I am filling in all of the variables."
"Sounds complicated," the Community Leader said.
The nerdy ME grunted in affirmation and kept working.
An alert popped up on one of the other monitors. Apparently, someone had broken into the armory last night.
"And what do you want to bet it's the same guy that Digulon and the other ME are after," the Community Leader said, mostly to himself, as he dashed out of the room.
The nerdy ME smirked. His work was nearly complete.


"Stand back," said the heroic ME, as he stepped forward.
He ripped the door off the hinges as Digulon quickly ducked out of the way. Instantly, he was met with a hailfire of bullets, which all glanced off of him.
"I'll be damned," breathed the Executive, as the caped ME stepped into the paranoid ME's room.
"STAY BACK, DAMN YOU!" he heard the paranoid ME shout, "I'M WARNING YOU!"
"Enough, you villain!" exclaimed the heroic ME, "you've killed our own, and for that I cannot forgive you!"
"T-they shouldn't have startled ME," said the paranoid ME, "it was their own fault!"
"They were trying to help you!" reprimanded the cape wearing ME.
"NO!" shouted the conspiracy theorist, "nobody here is trying to help ME. You're all out to get ME. This is proof! This is proof!"
"ME, I don't want to hurt you," the super ME said, "just come with ME, and we can talk about this."
"NEVER!" yelled the paranoid ME.
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to take you in by force," said the superpowered ME, tensing for battle.
The paranoid ME became calm, startlingly calm.
"No," he said, shaking his head, an eerie smile on his face.
"I'm sorry, what?" asked the heroic ME, confused.
"No," repeated the paranoid ME, "it doesn't end that way. It ends on my own terms."

The conspiracy theorist flipped a switch and pushed the button on a concealed detonator he'd been carrying.
"Oh dear," said the heroic ME, dashing from the room with his super speed, and shielding Digulon from the resulting blast.
When the dust cleared, the paranoid ME's room was obliterated, and the paranoid ME had been blown to pieces.

Spoiler: TheCapsFan has been lynched

Dear Morbid Existentialist,

Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean I'm stupid.

Always looking over your own shoulder, you are Madness Exemplified, The Paranoid.
You are well known for discovering five sinister plots against you before breakfast everyday. Most of the time, those so-called plans are just average people going about their business, but you don't care. You trust nobody and nothing except yourself, and sometimes you don't even trust yourself. You believe in the Illuminati and that Their hand affects everything that goes on in the world. Of course, due to the intensity of your paranoia, you are a loner and have difficulty letting anyone in. It doesn't help that, a few of the times people managed to pierce your exterior aloofness and were "let in," they turned around and betrayed you, increasing your distrust of others and your view that there are sinister forces out to get you. As the saying goes, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you." Admittedly, your suspicious nature as come in handy several times, and helped you avoid dangerous or otherwise detrimental situations, which, naturally, also serves to justify your paranoid in an endless cycle.
You are very much so a conspiracy nutter, and believe everything from the Loch Ness monster and alien abduction stories, to the recent political elections being the work of Russian interference. You see the will of the Illuminati in everything that happens, and you try to subvert them and control your own destiny. Little do you realize that the person you're fighting the hardest is actually yourself.
You are perpetually suspicious of others, especially if you hear them creeping around at Night. As such, you are the Paranoid Gun Owner. You will kill any player who attempts to target you with an action, no matter if the action is friendly, unfriendly, or benign.
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

"...well that could have gone better," the heroic ME said, sheepishly.
Digulon glared at him.

It is now Night 2. Phase ends at 10:01am US CDT on 9/7/18. Alternatively, since there are so few of you remaining, you can lock your actions, in which case I will end the phase when all actions are locked.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Spoiler

1. @MegaPod
2. @Max1996
3. @Pika_pika42
4. @Elementar
5. @DarthWolf
6. @Elieson
7. @Thanos
8. @HumanDawn
9. @Pikochu
10. @TheCapsFan
@Lone_Garurumon @Zexy @returnofmastercrazyhand

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88b0OYxdtyM
​

Endgame: Resourceful Plans

Enzbot was running down the hall when he heard the blast coming from ahead.
"Reenigne!" he swore, and ran faster, skidding to a halt at the wreckage of Madness Exemplified's room.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Digulon was safe.
Indeed, the Scotsman was safe, but he was angry.
"That does it!" he exclaimed, standing up and brushing himself off, "first one of you goes missing, then five of you get massacred, and now one of you blows up a hospital room. This has gone way too far. I'm calling in the Community Head Executive."
"The crisis has passed," said the heroic ME, also standing, "by all accounts, Madness Exemplified was responsible for all of the deaths thus far, and nobody has conclusively proven foul play occurred in Mental Escapist's disappearance."
"Mind telling me how your counterpart managed to get that explosive?" Digulon asked, as the trio began walking back down the hall.
"I can answer that," said Enzbot, "somebody broke into the armory last night. Madness Exemplified must have swiped one of our minibombs."
"Have Captron and Zexinator check the armory to make sure that nutjob didn't take anything else," ordered the Executive, "we wouldn't want to trigger any traps that he might have left behind."
Enzbot nodded, and gave the command. The Dapper Duo headed toward the armory, just as Enzbot, Digulon, and the heroic ME re-entered the operating room.
The nerdy ME was still furiously typing at the console, and the crazy ME was still cartwheeling around the room.
"Did you get him?" inquired the nerdy ME, without looking up from his work.
"Yes," replied the heroic ME.
The insane ME stopped cartwheeling for a moment.
"I heard an explosion," he said, enviously, "sounds like you had fun."

Digulon sighed as the crazy ME resumed bouncing off the walls.
"What now?" he asked, exhausted by the insanity.
"I've nearly completed my task," the nerdy ME reported, "once I've finished, we'll be out of your hair and reintegrated into our original form."
"How long?" asked Enzbot.
The nerdy ME shrugged.
"Should be finished by tomorrow morning, assuming I pull an all nighter again," he said.
"Can you finish any sooner?" asked Digulon, eager to have the problem resolved.
"I'm a nerd, not an automaton, Dig!" exclaimed the nerdy ME, "and I canna change the laws of physics."
The Executive sighed. It would have to do. He and the other Community staffers would just have to be extra vigilant that night to make sure nothing else crazy happened.
When the Dapper Duo returned, however, their report was bleak.
"Several plasma rifles have gone missing," stated Zexinator, "along with a few explosives, and some random odds and ends."
"Most of it was likely destroyed in the blast, though," added Captron, "that room was completely obliterated.
"I don't want to take any chances," Digulon said, "scan the debris for plasma residue and search this facility for the missing weapons."
"Understood," said Enzbot, as he and his staffers got to work.
The Executive sighed and slumped into a chair by the wall. When this was over, he was going to go straight on vacation to the Entertainment and Relaxation community.

Nothing eventful happened for the rest of the day, though there was plenty of plasma residue in the remains of Madness Exemplified's room. They were unable to locate any of the other stolen weapons, so it was assumed that Madness Exemplified had been stockpiling them.

As night fell, the nerdy ME continued working, several caffeinated supplement packets scattered around his feet. The other two MEs returned to their rooms, and Community Staffers stood guard over all three of them. Hours passed, and nothing happened. Digulon was just nodding off to sleep when another explosion occurred, startling him awake.
He and the Community staffers dashed over to the armory on other side of the hospital, where the blast had occurred.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the insane ME crept into the operating room, where the nerdy ME was still sitting at the console, working furiously. Tiptoeing forward, the crazy ME reached out and silently snapped the nerdy ME's neck, causing him to crumple on the floor.

Spoiler: HumanDawn was killed

Dear Magnificent Equilibrium,

It analyzes its opponents with more accuracy than a supercomputer, which enables it to calmly back them into a corner.

Fanning over science fiction, fantasy, and anime shows, you are Matrix Encoder, The Nerd.
Growing up, you watched the original Star Wars trilogy over and over again, you and your father would spend quality time reading the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter books together, and you enjoyed catching 'em all with your friends, both in the video games and the trading cards. You grew up with the DC Animated Universe, as well as other quality Super Hero shows like X-Men, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and The Marvel Action Hour. As the years went on, you gained an appreciation for other quality television shows, such as Star Trek, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Doctor Who, M*A*S*H*, and Gurren Lagann, and you started reading the Isaac Asimov novels.
While you had been bullied ever since getting glasses in kindergarten for being a 'nerd,' you eventually became proud of your identity as a nerd, and, when you met your significant other, you bonded over your mutual appreciation for Star Trek and M*A*SH*. Furthermore, your love of Pokémon brought you to a little community known as Bulbagarden, where you would eventually become a staff member on the forums and are now one of the Deputy Heads of the social media department, as well as the host of Bulbagarden's rebooted podcast, Bulbacast. You also regularly attend Star Trek and fandom conventions in your area, which is easy since you live near a big city, and have cosplayed as several of your favorite characters including: Q, The Tenth Doctor, and Dave Strider. You have quite a collection of autographs, photo-ops, and other fandom memorabilia from the conventions, but you are most proud of your Lego collection, which includes sets from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Hydronauts vs. Stingrays, Lego Adventures, Creator Expert, The Lego Batman Movie, Jurassic World, and other themes.
Being a nerd isn't just about being part of several fandoms. You also have a very high IQ, and you use this to your advantage to outsmart other people, tricking them into revealing themselves to you. As such, you are the Cop. Each night, you may PM the hosts: Use the Eye of Sauron to gaze at <player>. That player's alignment will be revealed to you upon the phase change.
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

"AH HA!" shouted the heroic ME, who has dashed into the scene of the crime, "caught in the act!"
The crazy ME turned to face his last remaining counterpart, eyes and fingers twitching, a crazy grin plastered on his face.
"What're you gonna do? Tell the Executive on ME?" he taunted.
"Not a chance, evildoer!" exclaimed the masked ME, putting up his fists, "I'll finish you off myself!"
"As you wish," said the evil ME, pulling out a plasma rifle and leveling it at his counterpart.
A shot and several yells filled the air.

Digulon paused while searching through the wreckage of the armory. He glanced around and saw all the staff members with him.
"Wait a minute," he said, "if we're all here, who's guarding the MEs?"
"Lacainam!" swore Captron, "we've been tricked.

The all ran back to the operating room. As they approached they heard one final shot.

Running into the room, they saw the heroic ME standing triumphantly, he cape fluttering somehow in the nonexistent breeze, with his hand on his hips, and a big heroic smile on his face.

Suddenly, the smile faltered, as blood gushed from a wound just below his heart, he coughed up more blood and collapsed in a heap, as the insane ME, standing unscathed behind him, began laughing evilly.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwVgB0MRCVg
​

Spoiler: Max1996 has lost in the endgame

Dear Mouse Electrochu,

I am the terror that flaps in the night. I am the lone roller skate at the base of villainy's staircase. I am Darkwing Duck!...and I gotta get a shorter intro.

Bold and headstrong, you are Monster Exterminator, The Hero.
You have a desire within you to save the world. Whenever and where ever there is trouble, you'll be there on the double. Unfortunately, while your heart is always in the right place, you are guided solely by your own personal feelings and sense of justice, which differs from what other people may want or need. As a result, your blundering efforts to help people have resulted in either disaster or you putting your foot in your mouth many times. Despite this, you do have your moments, and, when the chips are down, you can always be counted on to come in with the save. Ultimately, your goal is to try to do as much good as you possibly can, despite only being one person, so you take it one day at a time and help out where you can. Evildoers and monsters flee before your might and your courage. In spite of your abilities and powers, you tend to be very modest and don't think much of yourself, always believing that you can do better, though you should probably start by learning from the mistakes you've already made. Still, at the end of the day, you have a big heart, and you do a lot of good for others, not for profit, reward, or recognition, but just because you can.
You take the law into your own hands, and don't wait for the proper authorities before making a snap judgement. As such, you are the Vigilante. Every night, you may PM the hosts Let's Get Dangerous on <player>. That player will be killed upon the phase update.
You are allied with the Malcontent Eliminators. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

Which just left the final ME, laughing his head off, as he blew his own brains out with the stolen plasma rifle.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0i9yCZ5D8E
​

Spoiler: Elieson has won the game!

Dear Magnanimous Emperor,

Someone put coffee in the phone!

The maniac within, you are Mental Evildoer, The Insane.
Your life hasn't exactly been sunshine and roses. Bullied as a kid, and betrayed by one of the very few people you were friends with just so he could become slightly more popular. Breaking your arm and losing out an an entire summer. One of your closest friends dying before his twentieth birthday, after you had just gotten back in touch with him. Having your best friend that you had nearly known for two decades join a cult, and subsequently attempting to extract her from said cult. Your new best friend revealing that the only reason they were your friend was so that you would have sex with them and said friend become a stalker out to ruin your life. Early onset arthritis as a complication from your broken arm. Sleep disorders dating back to when you were a little kid. Each of the events described above bent your psyche further and further, until it completely snapped and you went completely nuts. You care about little to nothing at all except your own twisted form of amusement, and you view other people as merely tools to be used for the sake of your own entertainment. You've been to many psychologists for therapy throughout the years, and ended up sending many of them gibbering into their own institutions. Nobody can fathom what goes on in your head, and that is exactly how you prefer things. You are unpredictable, undisciplined, unruly, and slightly sociopathic. Despite the madness, you are perfectly in control, and you are actually very intelligent, in your own demented way.
You enjoy spreading chaos and confusion among the general population. As such, you are the Insanifier. Each night you may PM the hosts Give <player> a Super F!. That player's actions will be given an insane modifier for that night.
You are allied with the Mafia Enforcers. You win when all threats to your faction have been neutralized.

The Community staffers stared at the three bodies in the operating room, dumbfounded.

"...and cut!" came a voice from nowhere, "that's a wrap, people!"
"W-what?" said Enzbot, as he and the Community mods looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice.
Instantly, a being flickered into existence in front of them. It was Magnificent Entertainer, taking notes in a notebook.
"B-but you're dead!" exclaimed Captron, "we saw you die!"
"Tch," tutted Magnificent Entertainer, waving his writing hand dismissively "twas naught but a little stage makeup and magic."
"But why?" wondered Zexinator, "what did you have to gain from all this deception?"
"Why, the creation of a perfect story, of course," said the entertainer, closing the book and putting his pencil away, "and also to stall for time, of course."
"Stall for..." began Digulon, eyes widening as he began to realize the implications of what the ME had just said.
"And now, at last, it is time for the dramatic reveal!" exclaimed the writer, raising his left hand dramatically.
The other dead MEs flickered into existence around them.
"What the hell?" said a thoroughly freaked out Zexinator.
"A little cloaking technology, adapted from your viewing portal," revealed Matrix Encoder, as he stood up from the floor with a smug smirk, "took me all of five minutes to create it, and it gave the other MEs the opportunity to sneak around and study your technology, and to swipe a few things, while I worked on our larger problem right under your very noses."
He and the other MEs all pulled out plasma rifles.
"I've gotta admit, ME," said Misanthropic Eremite, "I was skeptical of your plan at first, but it really came through for us."
Mental Evildoer laughed darkly.
"Forget that bit, ME, this was just so much fun," he chuckled, "and we really pulled a fast one on these poor saps."
"Turns out there was a conspiracy all along," said Madness Exemplified, "just not the one these idiots were expecting."
"Truly a spectacular spectacle," remarked Mushy Emotionalist.
"The perfect recipe for disaster," agreed Meal Envisioner.
"And no hero will swoop in to save you this time," added Monster Eradicator.
"The poor shlemiels fell for our little ruse hook, line, and sinker," chuckled Meshuganah Elder.

"Enough!" exclaimed Digulon angrily, "I don't know what it is that you are looking for or what you want, but you have just declared war on the Bulbagarden Empire."
Mental Escapist shook his head airily.
"You cannot stop the future I envision," he said, "by the time anyone of consequence shows up, we'll be long gone."
"Gone?" asked Enzbot, interested despite the peril of the situation, "gone where?"
"Home," replied Mushy Emotionalist, "tis truly where the heart is."
"But, as it stands, we are incomplete," said Meal Envisioner, "each of us is a mere ingredient in the recipe."
"So when we return to the past, we'll reintegrate ourselves back into one," explained Matrix Encoder, "just like how they used the transporter to fuse Captain Kirk back into one person when is good and evil halves were separated in the episode The Enemy Within."
"Was there truly no place for you here in the present?" asked Captron.
"No," replied Mental Evildoer, sticking out his tongue, "you people are no fun."
"Besides," added Monster Eradicator, "with the technology stolen from here, I can return to the past and swoop in to save the day."
"What do you mean?" asked Zexinator, "is there some incident in your past that you were meant to survive?"
Misanthropic Eremite shook his head.
"No, the people in my day were just as dunderheaded as you are," he said, "I intend to go back and take my rightful place as supreme leader. Why should people with inferior intelligence and skills tell ME what to do?"
"So not only did you create an illegal time machine, but you intend to travel back in time and, using future technology, conquer Bulbagarden of the past?," said Digulon, "we cannot allow you to do this!"
Enzbot tried an appeal to reason, he turned to Meshuganah Elder.
"You're a man of God," he exclaimed, "how can you support this act of evil?"
The Jew shrugged.
"Hillel The Elder said, 'if I am not for me, who will be?' besides, these menschen are Mishpocha. I cannot turn my back on Mishpocha."
He thought for a moment.
"I will show you nebbishes a little rachmanos, though," he said, "you will not die here unless one of you attempts to stop our plans. If you behave, you can gey gezunterheyt. This is a one time offer, though, fershtay?"

The Community staff members were herded into a corner of the room by Mental Evildoer, Madness Exemplified, Meal Envisioner, and Mushy Emotionalist. Matrix Encoder, Misanthropic Eremite, and Meshuganah Elder made final preparations for their departure.
A blue box that looked like an ancient telephone booth was wheeled in the room by Monster Eradicator, Mental Escapist, and Magnificent Entertainer.
"The Time Machine's appearance was my idea," proclaimed Matrix Encoder, proudly, "outwardly, it's a perfect replica of the TARDIS from the Doctor Who series. Unfortunately, even in the 31st century, there does not seem to be the technology to make the inside bigger than the outside, but it will suffice."

Monster Eradicator, Mental Escapist, and Magnificent Entertainer began loading the machine with stolen future tech, as Matrix Encoder, Meshuganah Elder, and Misanthropic Eremite finished calculating the coordinates for their arrival.
Finally, the Jew looked at his counterparts.
"Mazal Tov, gentlemen, our calculations all seem kosher to ME. I'm all ver klempt," he said, proudly.
His cohorts concurred, and the MEs began filing into the time machine.
In a last ditch effort to stop the madness, Digulon rushed at Matrix Encoder, who was overloading the Community computers.
He was knocked back by Monster Eradicator, who swooped in to protect his comrade.
Meshuganah Elder glared daggers at the Executive.
"I warned you, did I not, that disruptions would not be tolerated," he said, pulling back his sleeves, "now I'm going to give you such a zetz!"
The Jew slugged the Community Executive in the face, knocking him out.
"Ikh hob dir in drerd," he spat, as he turned around and entered the Time Machine, the last of his kindred to do so.
The machine fired up, causing a loud grinding sound throughout the room. Massive amounts of Regeneration Energy from within caused it to begin glowing and rocking back and forth, as the entities within were reintegrated into a single being.
"By the way," thundered a voice from within the machine, "I am not the former Bulbagarden staff member known as Maniacal Engineer."
"Then who are you?" asked Captron.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 19th, 2017:

Zexy scuttled off to complete his mission, and Enzap entered.
"What do we do with him?" asked the admin, having known all along about Punster's return.
"Due to the glitch with the Regeneration Machine, he and I are now completely separated from each other. I cannot regress to him, and he cannot Regenerate into ME," said Maniacal Engineer, "he will not bother us anymore."
"He's just as powerful as you are," the former Section Head remarked, "wherever you keep him, he'll probably escape."
"I had an idea about that, actually.."

Random Punster awoke in a dimly lit room. A machine hummed nearby, and jets of cold air burst from a few pipes, relieving the internal pressure.
He tried to move, but he was restrained.
His movements were noticed by the room's other occupant.
"So you're awake?" said Maniacal Engineer, looking up from a machine console, "not for long, I'm afraid. You're going to sleep for a long time. A very long time."
Punster looked around frantically for something that could help him. The room was full of old junk. Broken tools, disassembled machines, and even what looked like an old robot that was shut down in the corner. Nothing useful in range, though. His counterpart was walking over.
"NOOOOO!!!!! STAY BACK! GET AWAY FROM ME!" shouted the deranged wordsmith.
ME wheeled the gurney that Punster was secured to onto a platform, and stood the gurney up on end. He lowered the platform into a pit.
"I cannot kill you in good conscience, but I can make sure that you will never threaten anyone ever again," said Maniacal Engineer, flipping a pair of switches.
Instantly, the restraints were released and the pit was filled with blasts of cold. Mist and fog obscured the pit, as the process completed.
"This is goodbye, forever," the mad scientist said, though Punster could no longer hear him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 8th, 3016:

"I am Random Punster," boomed the voice from within the machine, as the glowing died down, "and I have a score to settle with Maniacal Engineer."
With one final roar, the time machine disappeared.

The End?

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7VmOZ4Ppj8
​

Epilogue: Timey Wimey Bullshit

August 4th, 2016:
The makeshift TARDIS crash landed in a field near the Random Messages thread. Random Punster stepped out and saw a sign.

Random Messages 13

"13?" he said, thoughtfully, "I must have gone back too far...we were on Random Message 14 last I remember."
He went back into the time machine, and attempted to start it up again. It sputtered uselessly.
"Damn!" he shouted, pounding his fist onto a smoking console, "damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!"
He straightened up and took a deep breath.
"It's okay," he said, breathing heavily, "I can fix this. I've still got the technology I stole from the future."
He paused for a moment.
"But first, he said, "I really need to use the restroom."
He stepped out of the TARDIS once again, and looked around. There was a nearby building marked "Kindergarten."
He walked in and found the nearest bathroom. Upon walking out, he bumped into someone in the hallway.
"Daddy?" said the person, picking himself up off the floor.
Punster looked down and saw one of the student staring up at him with wide eyes and a bright smile.
"What are you doing here, daddy?" asked the kindergartner.
Punster looked closely at the kid and nearly gasped. The deactivated robot in the storage room! He then remembered the reason that Random Messages 13 had been closed, and smiled evilly.
"Daddy?" repeated Richard Maybourne.
"My apologies, son," said Punster, "I was deep in thought. I have urgent business to take care of with your principal. I'll pick you up later on my way out."
"Yay!" said RM, smiling happily, "I love you, daddy!"
"And I love you, too, son," said Punster, ruffling RM's hair to discretely cover the fact that he was hiding a nano reprogrammer in his Regeneration's son's circuitry.
Richard Maybourne returned to class excitedly, and Punster left the building, chuckling to himself.

August 4th, 2016: I've been sitting on my school's steps waiting for daddy for a long time. According to my internal chronometer it's been six hours and twenty three minutes. Given that this chronometer was a gift from TheCapsFan, I can be sure that it is accurate. I wonder what is keeping my father? He's never been this late before.
Maybe he's forgotten about me. Maybe he doesn't want me around anymore. After all, I had a new classmate claiming to be a creation of my father's today. Am I being replaced? Does daddy not want me anymore?
I'll show him! I'll run away. I'll run away and never go home again!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 8th, 3016:

Digulon approached the Bulbagarden Central Command Center, the hub of all Bulbagarden projects and communities. A feeling of trepidation crept over him, as the massive structure loomed in front of him.
For security reasons, transportation to and from the Command Center was restricted to only a few people, so he had to take a vehicle to get there. He had had a crew from the Bulbagarden Engineering Community resurrect one of the old Bulbagarden shuttles out of mothballs.
An audio transmission came from the Center.
"Community shuttle, this is the Command Center. Please power down your engines and prepare for external override."
Locked into the Center's docking procedure, Digulon again pulled out the official summons he had received. It was on real paper, a rarity these days, and had been sealed with the Bulbagarden logo.
Digulon,

You have been summoned to the Bulbagarden Command Center. Upon arrival, please report to the Chiefs of Staff.

Short, but to the point.
The shuttle docked at the Command Center, and Digulon boarded the massive station. Going over to reception, he asked the attendant where he might find the Chiefs of Staff. He was directed to the third floor.
Digulon walked through the office area, noticing offices for some of the Project Leaders and their Deputies. Most of them were in their respective offices, having heated conversations with their staff members over the communication waves. The remaining offices, Digulon reasoned, were on the second floor. Taking the elevator up to the third floor, Digulon was greeted by the two Chiefs of Staff Evula and Kogoron.
"We've been expecting you," said Evular.
"The Webmaster himself would like to have a word with you about the recent shenanigan in the Communities," added Kogoron.
"T-t-the Webmaster wants to s-s-see me?" stuttered Digulon, suddenly even more nervous than he already had been.
"Yes," said Evular, waving her hand dismissively, "he sent us the communique just after that illegal time machine departed from the Fantasy and Gossip Community."
"What does he want?" wondered the Community Executive.
Kogoron shrugged.
"Probably to fire you," said Evular, "it's been a while since we've needed to fire someone, so he's probably just antsy to do it himself."
The duo guided the Scotsman, whose legs seemed to have turned to lead, over to a golden elevator. There was no call button, just a buzzer.
Kogoron hit the button.
"Digulon is here," she said, simply.
The elevator doors opened ominously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 4th, 2016:

"Blast!" shouted Random Punster, as he dropped the tool once again. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember how to work the technology he had stolen. Unfortunately, Matrix Encoder was one of his more suppressed personalities.

He sighed. It mattered not. He was here, back in his own time where he belonged. A little early, but that would give him a chance to relearn everything he needed to know about the technology he had taken.
He ditched the broken TARDIS in a relatively vacant thread called "Role of the Week," and set off to find a new lair for himself.
"Your reckoning will come one day, ME," he vowed, "this I promise you."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 8th, 3016:

Digulon rode up the elevator in silence. The floors whizzed by as he approached the very top floor, lair of Bulbagarden's mysterious Webmaster. Rumor had it that not even the Chiefs of Staff had seen the Webmaster; they merely received orders from the top floor. Of course, given that he was probably in enough trouble already, Digulon hadn't bothered to ask them. The doors dinged open, and Digulon stepped out into a long narrow hallway, lit by only a few light fixtures. An imposing wooden door, with the Bulbagarden logo on it, was at the end of the hall. Digulon walked down the hallway, and knocked on the door.
"Enter," said a voice from within. The door swung open, creaking ominously. Digulon stepped into a room completely shrouded in darkness. The only light coming from the hallway. At the far end of the room, completely obscured by the shadows, was a man sitting on a fancy chair. A Houndoom curled up his left, and an Espeon on his right. He appeared to be finishing up watching an old video hologram.

Each and every one of us is important, and each and every one of us is a necessary part of this community. We will miss our friends dearly, but we can ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain.

The man switched off the hologram and leaned forward, observing the new arrival.
"Welcome, Digulon," said the Bulbagarden Boss, "I assume you know why you're here?"
"Because of the Random Punster situation," replied the Community Executive, curtly.
"Correct," confirmed the Webmaster, nodding, "you are aware that, under the Articles of Establishment, in the event of a significant discovery from the old Bulbagarden forums, or any of the Bulbagarden Catacombs, you are to alert your Project Leader immediately."
"Yes sir, I am aware of that," affirmed Digulon, "but in this instance, I did not deem the discovery to be significant, since the specimen had lost his memories, and therefore posed no threat to the Community or to any Bulbagarden project."
"That was not your call to make," retorted the man in the shadows, "and even so, you should have brought in your Project Leader when the attempt to restore Punster's memories went awry."
"We didn't know it was Punster," countered the Executive, "we were working under the assumption that the man was an old Bulbagarden staff member known as ME. A staff member still held in high regard, if the rumors are correct. There should have been no threat."
"AND YET THERE WAS!" thundered the Bulbagarden Boss, causing Digulon to recoil in terror. The Houndoom snarled, and the Espeon's eyes glowed mysteriously.
The Webmaster sighed, and began petting the Houndoom, calming it down.
"If you had followed proper procedure, I would have been able to inform the Community Project Leader that the man in question was, in fact, not the old staff member known as ME, and I would have been able to bring up the possibility that the man in question could have been Random Punster."
"How could you possibly have known that?" wondered the Scottish Executive.
Another sigh.
"ME was once a Bulbagarden Webmaster," replied the shrouded man, "but he died a long, long time ago. It's in the official records. There is no way he could have been encased in Carbonite."
Digulon gulped.
"So just how much trouble am I in?" he asked, with great trepidation.
The Webmaster laughed.
"Trouble?" he said, with mirth, "you're not in trouble at all."
"What? Why not?" asked the Executive, slightly taken aback.
"Because, as it so happens, everything that happened here needed to happen," explained the Bulbagarden Boss, "it's a closed time loop. In order for the past to have happened, Random Punster needed to escape from the future."
"Then what's going on here?" asked Digulon, very confused.
"I needed to make sure you were aware of why we follow proper procedures at all times," replied the Webmaster, "you see, if you are going to become the Community Project Leader, I need to know that you will follow and enforce proper procedures."
"I'm sorry, what?" said the Executive, doing a double take.
"Shiny Celebot has decided to step down as Community Project Leader," elaborated the man in the shadows, "and I feel that you are the best choice to replace her."
"T-thank you," stammered the Executive, but he was curious, "but if you only spend time here, how would you know?"
The Webmaster laughed. He pressed a button on his arm rest, causing several screens to pop up around his throne. The illumination from the displays cast the Webmaster's face in a weird light, illuminating them in partial detail. More to the point, they showed the events currently transpiring in every Bulba project.
"Son, I have been keeping an eye on Bulbagarden for a looong time," he said, "I've networked myself in to all the goings on in the various Bulbagarden projects. I observe when Hidden Muon replies to a medical emergency in the Community. I can see when MillenniumFalconwing makes edits to his Virtual Media holograms. I know when G5000 posts a breaking News story. I am aware of every edit made to the Encyclopedia Bulbagardenica made by xyzman. And you would not believe how many hours of footage I have of Zexinator picking his nose."
The Bulbagarden Boss harumphed, and pushed the button again, turning off all the screens. He typed up a quick note and printed it from his other arm rest console. He folded the paper into a perfect airplane and chucked it at Digulon, who, though surprised, caught it.
"Take that to the Chiefs of Staff downstairs," the man in the shadows said, "they'll sort out permissions and handle the paperwork, but you're official now. Congratulations, Digulon."
Elated, Digulon thanked the benevolent overlord, and returned to the elevator, whizzing back down to the lower levels.
When the door to his room closed, dispersing the last of the light, the Webmaster sat in darkness for several moments, thoughtfully. A smile flickered on his features for a moment, before he sighed sadly and pushed the display button on his arm rest once more. Only a single screen popped out this time. A catchy warble issued from the speakers, and a voice began to speak.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting episode of Bulbacast!

"Dead, indeed," he said, smirking.