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[As the two cultists continue to argue, and while CHANCE stands and watches smugly, the lights on the set start to flicker.]
[DEILE]: Hey, wait. Cali. Did you see that?
[CALI]: See what?! You better not just using that as an excuse to stop-
[DEILE]: No, it’s not- ugh. The LIGHTS.
[He points up at the stage lights. They all begin to flicker- before, one by one, they pop. Glass rains down on the three of them, as they all take cover behind the table.]
[CALI]: You didn’t do anything to this simulation, right, Chance? It’s not like, overloading the computer or whatever the scientist said.
[CHANCE]: No way, this has got to be something else… I haven’t seen anything like this before…
[He pauses.]
[CHANCE]: Wait. No, no I have. But…?
[DEILE]: What is it, dude?? Things are exploding, there is no reason to be ominous and secretive right now!!
[Before he has a moment to speak, the last light is popped, leaving them in complete darkness. In this darkness, a loud thunk is heard, and then the turning of knobs and buttons. Finally, a small amount of light starts to illuminate the trio- the static screen of the television in front of them.]
[CALI]: W-we should. Probably leave before that blows up in our faces too…
[But before they could, the TV starts to rattle and shake. The front glass of the screen begins to stretch cartoonishly, as if it was some sort of bubble. Suddenly, a dark and shadowy arm burst through the static, followed by another, followed by a head full of shaggy hair, and two white horns.]
[The figure pulls itself out of the TV, flying above it in one quick motion. It shakes its head and stretches its arms.]
???: OOOOAH. Man, last time I was surfing for that long, I was on my Hawaiian vacation! Heh, just kidding. Being me is a full time job. Anyway, whadda we have here?
[CALI and DEILE are stunned into silence. Who is this… creature? Why did they have to appear so ominously? CHANCE, on the other hand…]
[CHANCE]: VINIUM??
[VINIUM]: Is? Is that Chance?
[He floats down to see CHANCE, a faint afterimage of chromatic aberration following him.]
[VINIUM]: Man, I haven’t seen you in millenia!
[CHANCE]: Wh-what? No way it’s been that long…
[VINIUM]: Just pulling your leg, heh. Still been pretty long though. How’s the Aerobics thing been working out for ya? Eh? Eh? See what I did there?
[CHANCE laughs a bit.]
[CHANCE]: Yeah, yeah. It’s been good. How about you, hm? Still condemning humans to a life of sin?
[VINIUM]: You know it! You would not believe how many people are watching TV these days… they’re gonna need you more than ever!
[The two fist bump, while the cultists are still cowering behind the table.]
[DEILE]: You two- know each other?
[VINIUM]: Uh, yeah beetle bailey. We’re practically besties?
[CHANCE]: I wouldn’t really say that.
[VINIUM]: Point is, we’re close.
[VINIUM]: Wait a second. Other people in your tape…? What’s going on here?
[CHANCE]: Oh, this isn’t my tape, or my set, or anything like that. It’s actually a gnarly story, if you wanna-
[VINIUM]: Yeah, one sec bud. I think something just caught my eye.
[VINIUM zips around the three of them, before appearing directly in front of CALI and DEILE.]
[VINIUM]: Now who’s this computer doll you got here?
[DEILE]: This is-
[CALI]: DEILE. Do not just give my name up to some creepy monster person…
[VINIUM]: Monster? Psh. Nah. I’m no monster.
[VINIUM]: I’ma demon. Demon of Sloth, if you wanna be techy. That’s short for technical.
[VINIUM]: Speaking of technical, you wanna know somethin’ about us Demons of Sloth?
[CALI]: Not particularly…
[She sneers at the demon, as he floats up, peering down at CALI and DEILE.]
[VINIUM]: Well, we don’t really got a physical form. We can’t have one. We live through the wires, tunneling through technology as our only means of movin’ and interacting with the world… do you know how constraining that can feel?
[VINIUM]: If you’ve ever gotten bored from channel surfing on your TV, imagine how someone would feel if that’s the only thing they had to live. If their only connection to the outside world- the one they need to influence to stay alive- is through tiny little screens.
[VINIUM]: Wouldn’t that just eat you up? Seeing and hearing about a whole world- but never being able to join it yourself?
[There's a pause- the cultists have felt a similar thing themselves while working with The Gate. But... this demon wasn't just talking about a better world for himself, was he. He had to take someone out to live it.]
[VINIUM]: Oh, what I would give to find some sort of… technology, with a screen, perhaps. That had arms, and legs to control… the ability to live in the real world… and maybe a fun sweater too…
[VINIUM zips directly in front of CALI.]
[VINIUM]: Get the picture?
[He then rears back his arm, his three claws poised to strike, before attempting to stab directly into CALI’s screen- thankfully, she was able to duck and dive away.]
[CALI]: WHAT THE HELL?!
[VINIUM]: Ugh- c’mon. Maybe I shouldn’t have said the one liner first…
[DEILE]: More like, you shouldn’t be trying to stab and possess someone in the first place.
[DEILE begins running out into the inky blackness, quickly being able to spot CALI and join her.]
[CALI]: Where’s the- the door’s gotta be somewhere, right?
[DEILE]: Somewhere…
[Meanwhile, CHANCE is catching up to VINIUM as he starts to chase the duo down.]
[CHANCE]: What are you doing, Vinium?!
[VINIUM]: Do you not remember how much we talked about wanting to get past that screen, get out there, live a little? If you help me possess that computer, I can probably connect it to some sort of VHS player and let you hop in and control it for a bit. It'll be like what we were dreaming of...
[CALI]: I am NOT an “IT”! I AM A PERSON!!!
[VINIUM]: Okay but you’re also a computer, and that’s taking priority for me right about now.
[He drives his arms into the ground and pulls up, causing a line of spikes to shoot out of the ground. CALI nearly gets hit by one of the last ones, but DEILE grabs her and picks her up before she could get harmed.]
[DEILE]: Look, I’m no fan of demons, but I could have SWORN they had better manners than this. Didn’t they need, like, a deal to make a possession? Or like, some sort of name thing going on?
[There’s a crackle in the air, and VINIUM appears directly in front of DEILE.]
[VINIUM]: Psh. Those ones are all a bunch of posers. A REAL demon doesn’t play by any rules.
[DEILE builds confidence as Vinium floats in front of him. His dark eyes meet the demon’s lightly glowing ones.]
[DEILE]: Well, here’s a rule for you to start with. Leaving my friend ALONE.
[He reels back and punches VINIUM with his larger arms. However, the punch simply goes through his body, and any damage it looks like it did quickly reforms.]
[VINIUM]: Yeah okay. You know all my stuff is like a two way street, right? I can’t deal with the physical world outside of technology, you people can’t touch me at all. If you’re just gonna tire yourself out trying, save us both some trouble and just let me possess your friend, okay? We can split halvsies- I take control on the weekdays, and she can have the weekends.
[CALI]: That is not halvsies. And NO??
[VINIUM]: Well, you wanted a deal. Now it’s time to-
[Right before VINIUM was about to take another strike, a boxing glove comes out from the darkness, punching Vinium and knocking him back in the direction of his TV. It then comes back, winding its way until it reattaches to its owner- CHANCE.]
[CALI]: Oh my god, thank goodness. For a second there, I thought you were going to be fighting on his side.
[CHANCE]: With him? No way. He’s a creep. I don’t even know what I saw in him before…
[DEILE]: Look, you can reminisce on past mistakes in a bit, we need to get him out of here. Permanently. You seemed to know him- do you have any ideas?
[CHANCE]: Hm..
[CALI]: Wait… he came out of that TV, right? Maybe we can try pushing him back in?
[CHANCE]: …and then smashing it, so he doesn’t get a chance to return!
[DEILE]: Sure, that makes some sense. Better than nothing.
[The trio approached the light of the TV, all posed to strike. The instant he showed his ugly head, CHANCE would punch him straight back into the TV, and CALI & DEILE would smash the screen. Now, it was just a simple waiting game…]