The character limit would be two per person, since only having one character could get boring for some people, and having more than two would be - in my opinion - hard to keep track of. xD
I wasn't on the computer most of the day -- my internet connection died and my dad was trying to fix it -- but I have the "how it works" section basically done. I feel like I could have explained some things better, though, and I may have left one or two things out... lol. Could somebody read it and point out places where I should clarify things?
>>how it works.
The [Nonary Project] has its focus upon one main event: the [Nonary Game]. As stated before, it takes place in two different settings, thousands of miles apart: [Building Q], in the Nevada desert, and the [Gigantic], a ship sailing somewhere in the ocean. Each setting has a group of [nine] people, with each person within the group having a sibling in the other setting (ie a brother and a sister are kidnapped for the [Nonary Game]. The brother is in [Building Q] and the sister is in the [Gigantic]). During the initial test, each sibling pair was tested for the presence of a [transmitter] and a [receiver]; after the children were kidnapped, Cradle Pharmaceutical separated the siblings and put the [transmitters] into [Building Q], while the [receivers] were placed in the [Gigantic].
Both the ship and the building have the exact same layout, meaning the means to escaping is the same for both groups. While the logical person's first impulse is to jump out of a window on the lowest floor of the building (or deck of the ship), doing so is utterly impossible: each of the windows leading outside are heavily blocked with thick steel, screwed tight to the walls so that virtually nothing will budge them. Going through every door you can see is also an unfounded idea - most of the doors have been locked, and the group must wander through their area of imprisonment in order to find [keys] that will unlock their corresponding doors. Important doors that require [keys] or [key cards] to unlock are always marked with a specific [symbol], as are the [keys]. Gaining access to whatever is behind the marked doors will most likely help the group in progression through the [Nonary Game], in opening up new areas of the ship or building to explore or making a pathway to a previously explored area, where another door might be opened.
Locked doors aside, the most important part of the game is the presence of the [numbered doors]. These doors are made completely of cold metal, are scattered around the area, and - probably the most important point - open in a very specific way. Each of the [numbered doors] are marked, in red paint, with a number between 1 and 9, meaning there are a total of [nine] numbered doors throughout the area. No matter how much you jostle, pull, push, slam against, or use any type of force against them, they won't open: the only way to pry them open is to authenticate [3 to 5] people whose numbered bracelets - when taking the [digital root] of them - equals to the value on the numbered door.
Confused? Here's an explanation: after being kidnapped, each one of the game's participants received a numbered bracelet on their left wrist. It looks something like a red pocket watch, except the strap is much stronger, heavier, and secured onto the wearer's wrist by a cord of strong material, so that it is impossible to remove it by force. On the watch face is an LED display, which displays in red a number between [1 and 9]. Each participant has a different number, though what the bracelets do are one and the same: they are used for authentication outside and inside the [numbered doors], and - if the player wearing the bracelet doesn't abide by the [Nonary Game's] rules - as a detonator that will set off the bomb implanted inside its wearer (oh... didn't we tell you? We also forced you to swallow a bomb while you were anesthetized. Don't bother trying to vomit it out - it's surely in your large intestine by now).
Now, onto authentication. Imbedded in the wall next to each of the [numbered doors] are scanner panels, called REDs. The RED has a big, circular scanner in its center for each person to scan their bracelets upon. Above the scanner, a thin LED display screen sits; the purpose for this is to show how many people have scanned their bracelets over the scanner so far, as well as to denote the room behind the [numbered door] as vacant or occupied. When a room is vacant, the RED displays the word "VACANT" in large, green letters to the right side of the screen, and authentication can occur; when a room is occupied, "ENGAGED" will appear in red, and no other people will be able to scan their bracelets until the group inside exits the room. With every person who authenticates, a red asterisk (*) appears to replace the "VACANT" sign; once all the people wanting to authenticate have done so, the only thing that needs to be done afterwards is to pull the heavy metal lever off to the right side of the RED, and wait for it to either open to door or deny entry.
There is a set of conditions that must be met in order for the RED to accept authentication and open the [numbered door]:
- The room inside the [numbered door] must be vacant before authentication.
- Only 3 to 5 people may authenticate at one time.
- The [digital root] of all the scanned numbers must equal the number displayed on the [numbered door].
(information about [digital roots] is in the "About Digital Roots" section.)
Once all the conditions have been met, the RED will initialize and open its corresponding [numbered door] for a total of [9 seconds]. During this time period, all who have authenticated must enter (though it is an option for no one at all to enter), and for a very good reason: once a person passes through a [numbered door], his or her bracelet starts beeping, and displays a red skull on the LED display behind the number. This occurs because entering through a [numbered door] activates the detonator installed inside. Once it activates, the person has exactly [81 seconds] to search the room for the DEAD - a nearly identical version of the RED, except where the RED is red, the DEAD is blue - and authenticate his or her bracelet, along with the rest of the group that originally authenticated on the RED. This is because, much like the RED, the DEAD will only authenticate if all of the group who authenticated on the RED scan their bracelets in: no more, no less. If a person is unable to authenticate inside the room before [81 seconds] has passed, the bomb inside of him or her will explode, killing him or her instantly - and very possibly wounding others within the vicinity.
Inside the room (or rooms) within the [numbered door] are large-scale puzzles that must be solved in order to be able to depart from the room(s). They involve thoroughly searching the room and, using the hints that the Cradle Pharmaceutical executives sprinkle throughout the area, open safes, spread dust across a wall, dampen the flames of a fireplace, or do one of a million other things to find [keys] and [passcodes] that will be used to escape the room(s) and, if multiple [keys] are found, open hitherto locked doors. The aim of Cradle Pharmaceutical is to have the children in [Building Q] solve the puzzles, then transmit the answers and solutions to the children in the [Gigantic]; however, there's nothing to prevent those in the [Gigantic] to solve the puzzles on their own.
But, let's rewind a bit: where do the children start out initially, when they first come to? Well, each of them are locked in separate rooms on the lowest deck of the ship or building, each one alone and very much unaware of the other eight's presence. Upon closer inspection, it's apparent that the door leading out is locked (and is vandalized by some red paint, scrawling out the number on their bracelet against the door's face), and the child must search the room for clues on how to escape. There's... a bit of a problem, though. Just moments after waking up, a window on one of the walls of the room crack, and saltwater starts pouring in, threatening to drown the child before he or she can escape. Better make your escape quickly. (more information will be provided later.)
The aim of the [Nonary Game] is to escape the building or ship. In order to do this, the two groups of children are told to search for a door with the number [9] on it while looking for pathways, [numbered doors], and [keys], for behind that door is the only exit in the entire area. The children are given a time limit of [9 hours] to find this door and escape, for after [9 hours], the [Gigantic] will sink to the bottom of the ocean, dragging the group imprisoned inside of it along with it. Those in [Building Q] are in no such danger, but if they dally too much and expend their available time, their siblings in the [Gigantic] could very well die because of them.
So, are you up to it?
No?
Too bad.
Edit: OWAIT I forgot to add in the information about where the participants are when they wake up in the building/ship! I'll go type that up like. Right now. xD
Edit 2: Whoo, added it~
