Welcome to the Idol Experiment

Aaaah thanks so much for the kind words! The mod team’s got a couple projects in the works, both relating to IdolEx and otherwise, so the good luck wishes are appreciated! 

The End

After being given time to grab any personal items from their trailers, Rinji, Nonoko, Rin, Souma, and Hoshiko were escorted to a small van and driven away from Cantata Studios. 

Thoughts that this trip could easily be some sort of trick and that the Producer might have you killed passed through your heads, but for the most part the trip passed in silence as you all debated where you would go from here. 

An unclear amount of time passed until the van stopped and the doors opened to let the five of you out. Once you all had grabbed your things and left the vehicle, the doors shut and it drove away without any words of parting. 

In front of you, as promised, was the nearest city. It would take a few questions about where you were and what the best public transportation to take was to truly get home afterwards, but anything was better than being trapped in Cantata Studios. 

Walking towards the entrance, you wondered if you might be recognized, but it seemed that the people that were in the streets at all seemed focused on something else. Whether looking on their phones or in local businesses that had a tv, they all were focused on one thing. Looking in the center of town where someone had put a broadcast projector, it was clear. 

They were all watching the finale of The Idol Experiment. 

As the faces of the four who had stayed at Cantata studios were shown, the civilians broke out into frenzied applause and cheers at Manager-san’s command. It was honestly unsettling, and even if only for a brief moment, you wondered.

Did you make the right decision? Would you really be able to survive a world controlled by Virtual Mind?

Whether it was or not, you had made your decision. It was time to steel yourself on that course.

After The Producer finished, the stage was cleared out within a few minutes. Soon, only Ran, Nao, Megami, and Banri remained. After such a long bloodshed filled game, only four now remained on the stage. It took a long time for you all to get here, and for Ran, it had been months upon months of preparation that lead to this moment.

The Producer spoke again, now addressing someone you hadn’t heard from since his appearance. 

“Well, my apologies for stealing your spotlight so suddenly, but...Kagami-san, I believe the honor is yours.” 

With that said, the screen showing the Producer cut to static, and was replaced by a camera on the four of you standing together. The robotic form of Manager-san perked up once again, and the voice of Ayane Kagami spoke with a renewed pep to her character.

“Wow! Wow, oh my goodness! What an intense finale! So many twists and turns, and even a last-minute redemption for our Director?! Goodness, my heart is still pounding~!” 

“It’s been a long, tough competition, but Virtual Mind is so so proud to present its new members to you all! Let’s hear a biiiiiiig gigantic round of applause for The Winners of The Idol Experiment!”

Every spotlight the stage had was turned onto you four, so bright it was hard to see beyond the stage. Applause could be heard from the speakers, and glances to the sides of the stage would show you that the employees working behind the scenes were also applauding you. 

Through all the celebration, a question lingered even if you didn’t think too hard on it.

Was it worth it? Was joining Virtual Mind really the right decision? 

Only time would tell if your decision would achieve whatever it was you wanted it to. But in the eyes of the executives and the public...

And so, everyone’s decisions were made. Some of you had chosen to join Virtual Mind at the expense of your autonomy, and others of you to brave the world that was left beyond Cantata Studios alone -- or would you be together?

As for The Producer, he didn’t seem to have much reaction beyond what you had already seen of him. The silence sat for a while, until he finally spoke again, a hint of jubilee in his voice.

“Wonderful... Wonderful! Every audience loves the tension of divide -- I should at least reward you all for that. We will escort those who wish to default from joining Virtual Mind’s collective from Cantata Studio’s premises, and provide transportation to the nearest city limits. And of course, you will be allowed to gather your things from your trailers. I’m not that cruel.”

That gesture was a little surprising, given how absolute he had been about Virtual Mind’s control over the masses, but how could those of you that chose to leave complain? It was a moment of guaranteed safety.

After addressing one half of the group, The Producer’s tone shifted into a type of pleased that sent shivers down your spine as he addressed the rest.

“As for the rest of you... Congratulations! Your lives are guaranteed safe -- just as they are guaranteed mine. Our collective welcomes you. We’ll get to those nitty gritty terms and agreements you idols are so fond of later on, but... While your fellow contestants simply refused to join at all, do note that defaulting from the group itself is treason unto the collective, worthy of capital punishment. Publicly broadcast executions are all the rage these days, you know! So... Please do try to be good, yes? I would hate to spend the extra money on you.”

And just like that, the gravity of your situation was made clear.

Banri wants to do the right thing. He has no sympathy for Ran - Ran, who killed a child, who led them all to sacrifice - and the thought of being under the producer's thumb makes his insides churn. But at the end of the day, the only safe way to oppose Virtual Mind would be to give up his singing career entirely, and that left him with...

...well, it left him with a shitty life and a dead-end future.

He knows, intellectually, that opposing Virtual Mind is, well, the righteous thing to do. He also knows that it's the stupid thing to do. He may be loyal, but he isn't self-sacrificial, and dying in the outside world sounds like a fool's errand.

"I..."

(The others have made their decisions; it's just him left.)

This was the new normal? That was truly something that the producer had said... That they would all have to fight for their own survival should they refuse this offer? To join this... Virtual mind? Was something that was heavily on the mind of Stella... On the one hand, this was a chance to live in utmost confidence that she would survive, to ensure she would handle the struggles out there without any difficulty... Yet on the other hand... She listened to the words of some of the others, the others who had chosen to refuse this offer. In the end? What sort of justice would this be if she considered this...? If she chose to align herself with the very evil she sought to destroy.

"I don't see how this is a success? You've destroyed the order of this world for your own selfish greed, blinded by your own success and working to form this... Virtual Mind? For your greater evil... You disgust me, thus, I shall be refusing your offer outright, and, if you dare approach me to speak of this deal once more, I shall banish your very essence into the netherworld, where the light of the universe shall not reach you."

A pause followed as she let out a small sigh, turning her gaze toward the others who refused, deciding to say something that was likely on a few of their minds in response to the ones who accepted this offer.

"What will you do, contestants?"

Again, Megami quietly observes the reactions around her. They are all to be expected, if she's being honest. 

"..."

Let's see... if she's understood correctly, then her options are mindless loyalty under a company that had forced them all into a demented excuse of a game, or refuse and essentially publicly announcing herself as a rebel.

A choice....

"Hehe...."

She's an idol.

Someone like her never has a choice to make.

Wooowww. This trial sure has been a lot of high stress, emotional turmoil, and anguish. Judging be the faces of his fellow idols, it appeared that not a single one of them could handle betrayal too well. Well– Megami aside, maybe, but is he really surprised? 

The entire feelings jam and spurts of ‘How could you!’ and ‘Oh no, my traumatic past!’ just was not Nao’s cup of tea. There were a couple of times he was tempted to groan and say “Who cares?” Of course, he didn’t, so he had taken a mental step back. Even the appearance of this mysterious, final boss producer man didn’t phase him. 

It wasn’t until the mention of literal and legitimate brainwash that Nao actually begun to pay more attention. Wait a minute, brainwash didn’t sound too cool if he’s the one who could risk becoming brainwashed, or dying under a stampede of a crazed mob. Although, causing a little chaos with no restriction… Where’s the appeal in that when an invitation to get close to the source was willingly given to them on a silver platter? 

Although, no one else seemed to be too on board with that idea. They claim they’d rather die, yet they cry they want this to be stopped. Are they stupid? Wouldn’t it make sense to say “Yeah, sigh me up” and take them down from the inside? Morons. Sometimes, understanding everyone else was just way too hard. 

Anyway, the sooner he gives an answer, the sooner he can move from this spot and get something to eat.

“Yeah, sure. Sign me up.”

Was this guy for real?

Nonoko looked taken aback by everything being said. This... This show was brainwashing people? Was such a thing even possible? Nonoko wanted nothing more than to just call his bluff but she found herself growing silent. What if it was real? For a moment she worried about her family, wondering if her parents were okay or if they too were brainwashed.

Could she even handle losing the last few people she cared about?

Well. In times like these Nonoko could only do what she did best after losing her one emotional anchor. Which was apparently losing her shit and getting pissed off.

"Do... Do you honestly think I'd join you freak!? Brainwashing? You're part of the reason Kobayashi even started this mess! Why we even got dragged into this nightmare! You've gotta be out of your minds if you think that I would even consider joining you!"

She snarled, leaning over her podium as she did. Nonoko was feeling so many emotions right now and most of them were various forms of anger. Like hell she was about to listen to some chucklefuck mask wearing freak.

This was a lot to take in... and seeing that video example didn't help at all to make the reality stick, but it did make things all the more grim. This was the world now, apparently... if he took one step outside, if either of them did, the world would tear them to shreds... wouldn't it?

He let out a long breath... like he had been holding his breath the entire time. It was one shocking reveal after another, of course he'd forgotten to breathe... but now it was time to speak. Did he even have the words?

"...A contract... I'm sorry, but you can fuck off with that. You put us through this harrowing ordeal... you took our friends and colleagues from us, and now you're telling us you've taken everything else. You're a horrible business man... I thought you were supposed to sweeten the deal, not make it worse."

Listening to Rinji and Rin snap back at the Producer, it gave him more confidence as well. But he could still barely pay attention because his mind... was definitely elsewhere.

All he could think about now was his bandmates... Eiji, Kanako... and most of all Keishi. Were they alright? If only he had any way of contacting them... all he could do was gaze into the cameras, but that felt too distant. Please be okay...

"I couldn't possibly make a decision like that anyway... not without my band. I may be the lead singer, but we're all in this together. ...I've spent enough time running away from them, coming here was the biggest mistake I ever made. I wanted to become a better person for them... for him... but I should have stayed by their side since the beginning.

"I'm going to go back to Tokyo... and I'm going to find them... and then if fate decides it, we can all die in each other's arms. I think that would be a fitting end for me... not with my mind trapped in some... collective. I've never been one for conformity."

He let out a shakey laugh... how could he truly be happy with this result? But nonetheless... he'd rather die free. There was no way he would join...

...Well. That sure was a lot. The explanations and answers kept coming, and with each one, Rin felt vitriol burn heavier and heavier in her chest and stomach. Disgusting... It's all just so disgusting.

And now they had the option to join in?

Please.

After Rinji gives his own piece, Rin is quick to follow suit, looking towards The Producer's screen with a renewed sense of righteous fury and justification towards her own ideals.

"You think I'd ever join your barn full of glutinous pigs!? You can fuck off, you disgraceful bastard! I'd sooner die at the hands of the people you've brainwashed than disgrace myself and everything I've worked and stood for!"

Clicking her tongue, Rin extends her hand out towards the large screen, forcefully giving it her signature thumbs down -- which is quickly followed by a middle finger this time.

"Unfortunately for you, you'll have to find me and kill me yourself if you want me dead. By the time I'm done, the meaning of underground idol will be something you'll learn to fear and respect!

The shock after shock after shock was almost too much to bear. Rinji wanted the trial to just stop so he could take a second to breathe, but it looked like there wouldn't be any time to rest anytime soon.

The world that was watching them was under control by the Virtual Mind Collective, and if they didn't want to be thrown out into a world of chaos with no guarantee of survival, they'd have to throw away their morals and join the people that had done it.

This was a scary, scary thing to be faced with. He gripped the podium in front of him with white-knuckled intensity, his uncertainty and fear blatant on his face. Why did this have to be happening, why did these people have to decide to do this? He was too scared, but he knew that he couldn't curl up and hide, as much as he wanted to. The last time he tried it nothing came of it, so no matter what it wasn't an option that he could take. He wanted to know so much about the state of everything out there, just what everyone else was going to say to this, endless things about the collective, all sorts of things that might help him come to a decision. On the surface, he didn't know how to make this decision. He didn't know if he could survive in that outside world, but just as well he didn't know if he could live with himself if he joined the bad guys. Of course, on the inside, the decision had been made the moment it was presented to him. He knew what was right, especially after all the preaching he had done. Asking questions wouldn't change anything.

Aoshi Rinji swallowed hard, and with a shaky yet defiant stare towards the producer, he opened his mouth and gave an answer.

As the questioning died down with The Producer's harrowing explanations, the man seemed to grow tired of humoring the remaining contestants. Boredom clear in his voice, his hands rose at his sides again.

"Now... I think that about concludes our little AMA session, wouldn't you agree? Every show needs a finale, and it's about time we got to ours!"

With a quiet chuckle, the man's arms raised higher into the air.

"Prepare yourselves, my dear viewers! The greatest punishment yet awaits! As much as I've enjoyed working with our wonderful, world changing director, all good things must come to an end. Are you ready, director? Aha... Because, finally, it's --"

Suddenly, there’s an interruption.

“Mr Producer!” Ran loudly interjects. “Must we really go through with this? After all, you’ve already succeeded, and without me, your plans would have never taken off! It seems a shame for us to end our business relationship like this, don’t you think?” 

Her voice has hints of panic and desperation, but you can tell she’s doing her best to mask it.

“I’ll gladly join your group. I’d like to become a member of Virtual Mind.” She offers up her signature smile that she’d spent her whole career practicing.

A few seconds passed after Ran’s plea, eerily silent as The Producer stood deathly still on screen. Then, he laughs -- loud, hearty, boisterous laughter fills the stage over the intercom, and The Producer points a gloved hand towards the camera filming him.

“Wonderful! Wonderful, Kobayashi-san! You are truly everything I could have hoped you to be! Very well, then. Welcome to Virtual Mind, Director!”

The screen’s image cuts out briefly, and when it comes back, it has focused in on The Producer’s masked face.

“I suppose this works as a proper leeway into the final throes of The Idol Experiment. As I said, you will be blessed with a choice.

“Join Virtual Mind and prosper within our collective, or take on the new world’s status quo, which you may not survive.”

“What will you do, contestants?”

...You’ve been given a harrowing choice to make during this finale. Will you follow Ran’s precedent, or will you resist the world that Virtual Mind has created? Will you secure your own safety, or sacrifice it for your ideals and morals? Will you accept power, or duty?

After Stella finished, The Producer put a hand on his face -- or his mask, rather -- and let out a small sigh.

“Ah, Katou-san... You’re almost as bad as Aoshi-kun when it comes to droning on like that. Lucky for you that your fans like it, huh?”

He shook his head, chuckling quietly.

“This is the new normal. Could thinks revert? Sure -- but they won’t, just the same as how I have no intention to rethink my own plans. Do you really think I would give up right after success? Really... You have to be smarter than that.

Although Stella felt her anger rising toward Ran, the true evil decided to unveil itself. The Producer was this individual? The one they had seen so long ago and had simply disregarded? Truthfully she felt fairly irritated that she hadn't thought about it sooner, but, she decided to brush that shame aside and listen to what the individual was saying. Every word causing her to stare in silence, letting every word sink in... Brainwashing? Despair? The Collective? Every single word felt like the ramblings of a villain, one who opposed justice to it's core... 

This was the individual who was surely attempting to tempt them with offers of darkness! That which she sought to avoid at all costs! Which caused her to grab hold of her arm, glaring toward him now in anger. 

"So you chose to deceive my loyal followers in this world?! To change their very vision to follow that of a wolf in sheep clothing? You are the darkness that I have been destined to fight, the evil within the universe which attempts to take control of that which he should not... You are a vile human, one who I shall take great pleasure in besting! For there is no justice in your path... Soon... Soon you shall know the power of the Goddess of the Universe! The very being who enacted the great creation eons ago! Even now I charge my power, to destroy you where you stand! Then your pathetic deception shall be bested by my sheer magnificence! Ohoho, yes! Do you feel the power flowing all around you?! Cower, villain!"

Pausing now, a statement caused her to turn her gaze to the others now, letting her thoughts process a tiny bit as the statement of them all wanting power came to light... Then the video feed, that feed in itself was something which stopped Stella in her tracks instantly, watching the scene unfold in horror... Was that really something that happened? Something that was caused by this whole situation? It left Stella feeling sick, actually seeing something like that happening was... Unthinkable, right? Her tone dropping from her former prideful-approach into a more quiet, to the point tone as she messed with the frills on her dress a little nervously.

“Your daughter?”

The man was quick to give Ran a light chuckle, holding a hand out in a dismissive shrug.

“Who can say? It doesn’t work on everyone -- just most, and the majority is all one needs to bring about such grand change. I’d say you’ll just have to wait to find out, but... I suppose you won’t be seeing her again, will you? Pity.”

Lowering his hand, The Producer continued on. There was a horribly, stomach twisting air of pride in the way he spoke.

“As for the rest of the world, well... It belongs to the collective. We started in Japan, of course, but going international is easy enough when you have the connections built up that I do.

“Idols and other performers are a commodity. They always have been, wouldn’t you say? But -- think of it more literally. Entertainment is our gateway to control, and for that reason, we control the entertainers. To oppose the collective is to oppose the new world. 

“And allow me to assure you... You probably don’t want to do that.”

The Producer turns his head, and after a quick nod, the screen briefly cuts away from his image to show what appears to be a live feed of the world you had left behind... Almost.

There is a street, and on it is a performer. You’re all familiar with the sight of someone trying to get their feet on the ground through street performance -- perhaps even some of you had your own beginnings there. But soon after the nervous performer begins, people fill the street around them.

Seconds later, chaos. 

The crowd of people reacts violently -- this is a true mob, and just as blood shows on the screen you’re watching, the feed cuts back to The Producer. Quietly, he laughs.