Watching the danger unfold (D4 MA observation area)

[Frozen Shadow]

The girl raised a long sleeved arm to point at the guy trapped in a house, drowning then coming back over and over.

"That is torture."

[Dapper Dog]

The girl raised a long sleeved arm to point at the guy trapped in a house, drowning then coming back over and over.

"That is torture."

“He is an Elite, responding to a disaster scenario. It is important he, and we, understand the depth of his abilities and just how far he can be pushed. In a real time scenario, knowing this may be helpful in saving lives or delaying his rescue to save those unable to resuscitate themselves. It may seem cruel, but these are the parameters of the scenario,” The AI responded.

[Frozen Shadow]

The girl turned to look at the ai thing. She took a few long calming breaths, before finally speaking. Although there was still an edge in her voice.

"That...is still torture for a silly show. How much is enough? Nobody deserves that."

[Dapper Dog]

"I do not work for the show, only the Institute," the machine intelligence corrected.

[Frozen Shadow]

"How. Much. Is. enough" the girl repeated with the same edge.

"These other missions? Testing. Suffering. Being pushed to the limits. But that" she pointed at the guy drowning again "that is not testing anymore. That is...That is torture! If you want to help someone overcome it, then...I don't know, test it in a controlled way. He can't get out! you can see that! Help him! I know what that kinda thing does to people!"

[Dapper Dog]

Ruby interjected, "We can pull him out, if you feel so strongly. I think he can manage it, but..."

[Thousand Miles]

As the medics revived Thousand Miles from unconsciousness, he groggily said, "I need to go back! I need to help!"

Miles attempted to teleport back to the disaster area, but ... he was out of the simulation now, and only ended up teleporting the few meters to stand right next to the monitor displaying Bee Haw and Lil Disaster still struggling against the dangers of Room #1.

He reached out to touch the monitor. "It ... it felt so real," he said at last.

[Dapper Dog]

He reached out to touch the monitor. "It ... it felt so real," he said at last.

“Realism and fidelity were of prime importance. How do you feel, Thousand Miles. You should have no lasting injuries,” the AI said.

[Frozen Shadow]

She was about to respond when first one guy turned out from one of the missions, and then one of the clowns made it to the guy. The girl took a calming breath and lowered her arms.

"Thank god he's out" she said under her breath, the situation having effected her personally it seems.

[Thousand Miles]

“Realism and fidelity were of prime importance. How do you feel, Thousand Miles. You should have no lasting injuries,” the AI said.

"I feel like I got hit by an exploding volcano," Miles said ruefully, looking at his hands as he clenched and unclenched them. Why wasn't he horribly burned and bruised? "The medics told me that I'm not actually hurt, but it sure felt like it hurt. I ... I guess it was all in my head, though."

[Dapper Dog]

"I feel like I got hit by an exploding volcano," Miles said ruefully, looking at his hands as he clenched and unclenched them. Why wasn't he horribly burned and bruised? "The medics told me that I'm not actually hurt, but it sure felt like it hurt. I ... I guess it was all in my head, though."

“Yes, the system interfaces mentally, the design was jointly built by Dr. Patel, myself, and Kim Jun-Min,” the AI responded.

[Bee Haw]

Bea appeared.

She looked very shaken. Mind reeling. What could they have done? What else should they have done?

[Thousand Miles]

She looked very shaken. Mind reeling. What could they have done? What else should they have done?

"Bee Haw! You did great!" Miles said excitedly as he saw his teammate arrive. "After I got kicked out of the simulation I was able to see you and Lil D finish the scenario. Wow, that was a rough one!"

[Bee Haw]

She looked at him, in a bit of a daze.

"I'm so glad you are okay, Miles. I ... was so worried. You got me to the hotel in time to save the people there. We saved the people in the school and in the hotel. Everything we thought to do. LD gave it his all. But ... there were still a bunch of other people who died."

Definitely crushed.

"I thought we'd done all we could. But we must have missed a lot."

"It ... it will be good to get advice from the judges. To de-brief. I want to learn. So I can help more people next time."

[Frozen Shadow]

The girl in the hoodie turned back to the screens to see how the other missions were doing, but overheard what was being said behind her.

"You never can help enough" she said quietly, mostly to herself.

[Dapper Dog]

Ruby turned to Bee Haw and said, “You did great we will go over the simulations in follow up classes. They are designed to be, not impossible, but very challenging and push you to your limits. Failure is a success.”

[Bee Haw]

She nodded at Ruby's kind words.

"It is humbling. But I couldn't have asked for better teammates. They gave it their all." She smiled at Miles. Truly glad for him and LD.

"Still, I am glad it was only a simulation. I am devastated so many died. Had they been real people..."

She shivered, imagining.

"But it's part of the job to figure out how to keep going."

Deep breath.

"If you stay in your bed crying, you very definitely won't save anyone from anything that day."

She recited that almost like a mantra. A slight thickening of her accent. Mama's words. Words she'd had to say to herself before.

[Thousand Miles]

"Still, I am glad it was only a simulation. I am devastated so many died. Had they been real people..."

"It all happened so fast after the volcano started erupting," Miles said. "With the falling rocks, the toxic gas, the fires and the lava ... it was just too much at once. I don't think it was possible to save everyone." He shook his head. "We gave it a good try, though, and saved a lot of people who might not have made it otherwise."

[Frozen Shadow]

Noticing another screen active, the girl turned to that and there was a frown under the hood.

"Did that say alien invasion?"

[Dapper Dog]

"Yeah, I am not even sure where that came from," Ruby said looking at the AI.