thefoundation | Round 4 intro post

The last checks have been made. The support staff is pulling back to site 4 proper. Everyone not staying on-site at the containment area is saying their goodbyes and their 'see you soon's. It's all supposed to be business as usual, after all. Nothing really bad ever happens during this containment procedure, so everything should be alright. But despite that knowledge, there is a sense of anxiety in the air. Nobody expects anything bad to happen, but after the last year of chaos even a safe SCP like this has become 'I'll breathe more easily when it's over.'

Gabe is there too, giving his final instructions to everyone staying at the house. He looks almost bored with the proceedings, and he keeps looking back to his clipboard to make sure he has covered everything. One last run-through of how the 'game' will work, one last reminder of where to meet the retrieval team once someone has been eliminated from the game, one last warning to stay on-site until you have been eliminated. "We can't contact any of you directly during the game," he says at the end, "But we'll be watching. It should be smooth sailing, barring a bit of personal drama here and there, but all of us back at the main site will be watching carefully. If something goes wrong, we'll extract you guys."

At the very least, those familiar with Gabe will be able to tell he means what he says. So maybe his words can be reassuring?

Once everyone has left and the 24 contestants are left to their own devices, they will find a note in the living room:

Welcome!

Meet me in the studio at 2 pm. Until then, say your hellos and get to know each other.

- The Host

It looks like everyone has some time to get acquainted with each other. Some finger foods (fruit and veggie trays, sandwiches, cans of soda) have been left in the kitchen for people to have for lunch.

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((Welcome to SCP Round 4: Friend or Foe? This first part is for mingling. Part 2 will go up at 2 pm EST.

If you haven't done so already, go here and do the mass-adding for private conversation posts.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Because of the way the file is written.

Oh?

[Do enlighten her, please.]

"There have not been any unexpected casualities--" etcetera, etcetera.

...So you think that there were casualties, just that they were expected.

[Not saying that's an incorrect interpretation, because in the Foundation? Wording like that is important to pay attention to.]

That is exactly what I'm saying.

[Yeah, it would be like that, wouldn't it. D-class are just cannon fodder (ugh, cannons, really?) And C-class are hardly much better.]

...If that's the case, we'll just have have to keep casualties to a minimum.

Yeah. I probably can't help much in that regard, but I'd really like to not die.

I'm a C-class. It's my job to help lead, so I'll do what I can.

I'd appreciate it, thank you.

[ She bows politely. ]

I've worked with some of the other C-class as well. It can't always be helped, but I know of at least two others who do what they can to minimize D-class deaths.

[She frowns a little, because she wishes it could be helped, but that's just not the reality of the situation at all.]