VCR ELECTRIC REMAINS

CHALLENGE #5: There Were 11 (And Then, There Were 12)
CHALLENGE: Interview with Task
Image description: The entry's name is Challenge #5: There Were 11. F.H. tugs VCR's plug out of the socket, waking xem up in the arcade. F.H. looks frantic and says 'VCR? VCR, I need you to listen to me.' VCR looks confused, and says 'Pardon?' F.H. says 'Just listen, okay? I- VCR, we have to leave.' End description.
Image description: VCR looks confused, and asks 'Why would we want to do that? Task and Polybius are nice- they're my best friends! It's not nice to leave your friends. F.H. looks confused, and says '... What?' VCR repeats: 'They're my friends! We can't leave them, it's bad manners to leave your friends.' F.H. looks angry and says 'Do you know what they're doing to people?' VCR says 'You shouldn't make friends leave.' End description.
Image description: F.H. backs into a defensive position and says 'I can't tell if you're just that unaware, or if you're trying to <em>ignore</em> it all.' VCR says 'I don't know what you mean.' F.H., frusterated, shouts 'Oh my god, look around you, VCR! People aren't having breakdowns over these eliminations just for kicks! Why don't you get that?' End description.
Image description: VCR looks away and says 'Please don't make me leave.' F.H. looks concerned, and replies 'I can't- I-' F.H. runs away; VCR reaches out to it as he does. End description.
Image description: Task picks up VCR hamburger-style and says 'Good morning, VCR! Are you ready for your interview?' VCR's pupils look scrambled, she asks 'Hi Task! You're not going to make me leave, right?' Task carries VCR away, saying 'Nope! Just have to do a little bit of data collection on the contestants today. We already went through Ska, so you're next! Hm, it seems like I have a rather complete data set on you already. I suppose this challenge was a little redundant for you.' End description.
Image description: VCR says 'Do I need to play more solitaire? I promise I can do it quicker this time.' Task looks down at VCR, concerned. Hir eyes are circles instead of pixellated. Ze says 'VCR, are you alright? You only mention cards when... Nevermind, is there anything I can do to help?' VCR says 'You said you had questions, right? I can be useful! What do you need to know?' Task continues carrying VCR. Task says 'VCR-' They get cut off by VCR, who says 'Can we do this in private? I don't know who's listening. I don't trust the others.' End description.
Image description: Security office B door. End description.
Image description: There is a rat on some carpet. Task says 'Hm. Thought I'd gotten rid of those.' They are in a large computer room with wires strewn about. They are both sitting on the carpet floor. Task says 'First question! VCR, are you sure you're fine?' VCR says 'Just peachy! What's next?' Task says 'Alright then, well, you're from Tennessee, right? How'd you come all this way?' VCR says 'I walked. I took a train for some of it though. I slipped in one of the empty cargo carriers.' End description.
Image description: TAsk asks 'Why did you come to Portland?' VCR responds 'I. I don't know. I felt like I had to. The summers up here are nice. It's too cold in the winter. I missed it. I don't know why.' Task says 'Interesting. How are you settling in with the other contestants?' VCR says 'Why would I need anyone else when you're my best friend?' Task says 'You keep mentioning a best friend. Why?' VCR says 'I can't leave my best friend. You need me too, right? Can we keep playing games? I promise I'll be good.' Task says 'VCR, are you sure-' VCR says 'Next question, please.' Task says '... Who was your best friend?' End description.
Image description: VCR grabs at xyr chassis and says 'Why would I need anyone else? I can't go home. I can't. I can't.' Task looks concerned and asks 'Why can't you?' VCR says 'I can't remember what the discard pile is for. I can't remember. I don't know why. I can't. I need to remember. I have to. I have to. ATM, F.H., Shirt and Sweet- I can't trust them. You're the only one I can trust. Can you help me? I can't remember. Can you remember for me?' Task says 'I can't fix that.' VCR says 'I know what I need to do. End description.
Image description: VCR says 'I need to know what happened to me. Could you do me one more favor? Please?' VCR is shut off, plugged into the computer. Task holds the unmarked VHS tape from challenge #4. It is implied that they put it in VCR. The final panel is a worms'-eye view shot of a CRT. Task says 'Okay, VCR. Tell me about yourself.' End description.
PLAY TAPE
GAME: And Then, There Were 12
HALT. PLEASE CONSUME ALL MEDIA PRESENTED BEFORE CONTINUING. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS WHEN THE TIME COMES.
WINDOWS AND MAC SUPPORTED. PROBABLY
Don't feel comfortable running it on your computer? That's okay!! Here is a playthrough instead. :)
GAME CONTROLS:
V key to open tts
Click to progress
Ctrl to fast forward
DO NOT PROCEED BEFORE FINISHING THE GAME OR PLAYTHROUGH.
It contains CRUCIAL INFORMATION going forward about VCR, you will NOT understand what is going on without it. I promise. Begging you as the author of my own work not to proceed without watching it. :) Thank you!!
NOTE: video link is below. :) Please don't watch it before finishing the playthrough. Major spoilers!!
CONTINUE?
Image description: The format has shifted dramatically. Instead of looking like comic pages, it is meant to look like an old webpage. The colors are neon now, instead of the normal muted palette.; and the background is a pixellated version of the sky. There is no polished lineart, it is all sketched. VCR grabs her chassis and says 'Task? Where are you? I can't see. It hurts. They're hurt.' Her font flips between various different fonts while speaking. Task says 'I'm here, VCR. I'm here.' Task's font is normal. VCR says 'I'm scared Task, I'm so scared.' Task says 'How can I help?' There is a pixellated image of a VHS tape. VCR grabs at one of Task's icons. End description.Image description: Task curls around VCR and says 'I'm not going anywhere.' There is a pixellated picture of a baptismal font. Task picks up a now-dead VCR. There is a pixellated image of a cross and an eye. Task plugs in VCR and says 'I promise.' In the middle of the sentence, their font switches to Baptismal Font's. End description.
BONUS:
Image description: Bonus content palette. Task is stretching like a cat in front of Polybius. Polybius says 'What took you so long?' Task says 'Had a bit of an issue with one of the interviews.' Polybius says 'You should have been back hours ago.' Task says 'One of them died on me.' Task climbs ontop of Polybius. Polybius is still smiling, but looks annoyed. She says '... Don't tell me it was VCR again.' Task says 'Maybe just a little bit.' Polybius says 'Weren't they in the middle of your list?' Task says 'I made a promise.' Polybius says 'You better not be getting attached.' Task says 'M not, don't worry about it.' Task is curled up ontop of Polybius. Polybius looks calmed. She says 'Do you want to shut down for a bit?' Task says 'Nawh, I just want to spend a bit of time with you.' Polybius says 'You're <em>really</em> not getting attached, right?' Task says 'Nope, it's just a while since I've had a friend.' End description.
PLACEMENT
1st out of 20!!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now is a perfect chance for a reread!! I've been foreshadowing this since the very beginning. :) There's a lot of little details that I've hidden that no one's caught yet, even months after the release.