Round 44 Transcript

The water level continues to rise, lapping at their ankles as Silra's fingers fly across the keyboard interface. She looks up from her screen, a hint of triumph in her expression, but it's quickly replaced by concern as she realizes the entity is adapting to their route. "It's trying to isolate our digital signatures," she warns, her voice low and urgent. Jeane's hand hovers over the glowing crystal, ready to activate it at any moment. Halie steps between Jeane and Silra, her hand extended palm-up in a gesture of peace. "Sisters, please—we don't have time for this," she says. "This entity isn't some demon you can bargain with—it's something else entirely."

The countdown timer on the screen behind Silra reads 5 seconds, and the digital backdoor she created is still active, waiting for Jeane's command. Suddenly, the screens flicker and go dark, plunging the tunnel into an eerie silence. The water level rises another inch, now swirling around their calves like a living, breathing entity. As the darkness deepens, Silra's eyes adjust to the lack of light, and she sees that the glowing crystal on Jeane's hand is now pulsing with an intense, otherworldly energy. "It's reacting to the crystal," Silra says, her voice barely above a whisper. "We need to activate it now, or risk being overwhelmed."

Jeane's eyes flash crimson in the darkness as she glares at Silra. Fine. If you won't plant the trap, I will. She moves to stand beside the rogue and begins inputting commands with blinding speed, her fingers dancing across virtual keyboards only she can see. Watch and learn, Silra. This is how demons do digital warfare. The water level rises again as Jeane works—now it's lapping at their knees. The cold liquid sends shivers up Jeane's exposed thighs, but she doesn't pause, her focus unwavering.

To Halie, she snaps, If you're going to stand there looking concerned, be useful and find us a higher vantage point before we drown. The crystal in Jeane's hand pulses brighter as she finishes routing the trap through Silra's backdoor. There. She smirks down at the rogue. Now all I need is something juicy for it to chase—something that'll keep its attention long enough for you to finish copying the data and find us an exit. Jeane's free hand moves to her belt, fingers brushing over a particularly intricate bondage restraint—a leather collar adorned with gleaming metal studs. How about this? A taste of demonic submission for the digital overlord. She holds it up, letting it catch what little light remains in the tunnel. I'll program it with enough dark energy to keep any entity occupied for at least... oh, let's say ten minutes. Her expression turns serious as she leans closer to Silra. You've got my word—this isn't a trick. But we need to move fast. The water's almost thigh-high now, and I'm not particularly fond of drowning while you two sort out your moral quandaries. The crystal pulses in her hand again, ready to be activated. Jeane waits for Silra's response, her patience visibly thinning.

Silra's fingers never stop moving across her interface as she processes the situation. You want me to plant a digital collar for an entity I can't even see? She shakes her head, water sloshing around her calves. Fine—as long as you keep that thing from possessing us all and turning this into some kind of eldritch orgy.