S1001B
A floor bristling with nails entered my vision. Every last one stood with its sharpened point aimed upward.
There was no doubt they would skewer me if I kept falling straight toward them.
I could do nothing but plummet helplessly, far more terrified of the pain and torture waiting below than of the impact of the fall itself.
But right that instant, I heard a voice.
... Make for the sea, then...
At the sound of that voice, the nail-strewn floor transformed into a vast sea, its blue surface rolling in gentle waves.
And when the waves of those fathomless waters finally surged up to meet me...
We extend our warmest welcome to the valued guests of Grand Magasin Sisyphe visiting today.
Grand Magasin Sisyphe is ever committed to cherishing every experience our customers procure within.
To keep abreast of the latest fashions, we actively encourage the wide variety of shops available at the department store to open and close according to trends. Please take care not to lose your way as you explore the establishment.
As always, restrooms on every floor are currently under repair. Please take note of this when planning your visit. We apologize for the inconvenience.
To prevent hygiene issues, entry to each floor will be limited to customers who have achieved the required Prestige Tier. Please visit our Customer Service Center on the sixth floor for any further queries.
Customers are welcome to make physical contact with all Mannequins on display. Conversely, Mannequins are also allowed to make physical contact with all customers. Should you wish to participate, please talk to the sales associate at the relevant shop, who will be delighted to assist you.
We ask everyone to do their best to ensure another day of worthwhile consumer experience for our customers. Thank you for choosing Grand Magasin Sisyphe, and enjoy your shopping.
What we experienced just now...
I just know it's something I never want to go through again... I mean, I've been killed in a variety of different ways on this team, but to be forced to face death when it wasn't even a combat situation... And on top of that, having to feel the sensation of doing it myself is just... a big no.
Can't believe residents in N Corp. pay money to purchase that nasty experience. You couldn't pay me to go through that twice.
.......
To package the very severing of life as amusement, then sell it as a product...
Though conquering boredom is, forsooth, no simple feat, this is... hmm...
It felt more real than I imagined.
I knew it was all taking place within a machine... Yet in that moment, I truly felt as though... I were witnessing the final moments of my life.
When the noose tightened, I thought my neck was gonna snap...
I'm with Ishy... People actually pay money to put themselves through this?
There are those who, with no real purpose in mind, tie themselves to a cord and leap from great heights, or surrender themselves to violent waves to see whether or not they will be swept under.
It is said that people come to feel the sensation of being alive more keenly via experiences that bring them infinitely close to death.
... So ya sayin' they do it on purpose?
Distasteful.
Silence prevailed as everyone reeled from the aftermath of the experience.
<Where are we anyway...?>
It was an unnecessary question, actually. The view that entered my sight told me in no uncertain terms what exactly this room's purpose was.
... It's a restroom.
Verily, 'tis a privy!
A place where one's innermost troubles may be emptied.
We went through all that shite in that bloody machine... just to get to a toilet?
It's true Nelly's lies have put us in danger before, but it didn't appear to me that she was trying to harm or deceive us this time around...
Fau. The machine we triggered... was it some kind of teleporter?
The verdict would differ depending on our interpretation of the experience, but it is certain that our bodies were not physically sent to this place. That shouldn't be an issue, however, as this is indeed the destination we were bound for, which we have reached successfully.
So... where the heck are we? Where do we go to find Meur?
Rodya asked, completely lost.
As indicated by the announcement, this place is...
The Grand Magasin Sisyphe. We will be able to locate Meursault here.
That's the factory that produces Canned Experiences, right...?
... That woman standing there might have more information about this place.
...!
She looks similar... to Demian...
Identify yourself. What do you know about this place?
... This place...
The woman, with a benevolent smile gracing her lips, is watching us serenely.
The sight of her smile alone is enough to set me at ease.
... It is where everything that is washed away comes to rest. The "Fount"...
... That's not what we asked.
Are you affiliated with this establishment? Can't deny there is something familiar about you.
... All things appear... as one believes them to be.
Well, at least she doesn't seem hostile to us...
Do you happen to know what we're... supposed to do here...? Could you tell us if you do?
... Demian, Rim, Sansón...
She gives off much the same impression as the three of them. Especially in how difficult it is to tell whether she is a friend or a foe.
Then again, those three did, in the end, prove helpful to us to some degree, despite their inscrutable intentions. Perhaps this one will be the same.
.......
Perhaps she had said all she meant to say, because she only gave a silent smile in return. The same benevolent smile she had given us earlier.
Would it still be safe if we just... left through that door over there?
.......
... She still said nothing, but I thought I saw her inclining her head in affirmation ever so slightly.
<... Doesn't look like we got any other choice. Let's just head outside and see what's there.>