Ascension Spoiler Thread

Are we doing only round one Tension spoilers? Or is this thread for both rounds?

Thank you. This needed to happen.

Ok the spoils are coming eventually when I get through the character count. I’m now going to just type *SPOILERS* over and over now ok? Ok. *SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS*SPOILERS**SPOILERS**SPOILERS*SPOILERS**SPOILERS**

Ok so I’m going to have round 2 stuff in here as well I suppose, but I’ll try not to be as detailed about the round 2 stuff as I am round 1. When it came to the decision from Overseer about where I stand, I was not given a choice to make at that second. It seems most returnees were asked to make the choice right there, however I was not. She told me I was a young man and a leader and that she wanted me, but did not want me to make this choice while being there so I wouldn’t feel pressured to side with her. Her words were something as follows: “This is usually the part of the night where I ask you to leave BOS and come with me. But I am not doing that tonight…”. But from everything I saw in there,I do not believe Addison is fully in charge of the Institute as everyone believes her to be. She told me that THEY put all this info in her head, THEY made her forget. So I must call bs on anyone who believes she is embracing the Overseer title, anyone that truly believes this is what she wants. I spoke with Overseer a good amount of time in there, but I also spoke to Addy at times. Her words at one point were, “You think I want this? I don’t want this, I don’t want to hurt anyone”. And yet within five minutes of me being there she had me kneel in front of my brother who was barely breathing covered in blood telling me how weak he was. That was not Addison. People say she’s fighting the memories back, no. It’s whatever happened to her that’s fighting them back. When I brought up the email tom sent me, she wanted to know everything about it, ADDY wanted to know about her father, not overseer. And when I asked quietly if it was OSDM, she whispered “yes”. There is more that I feel must be known but I’m waiting for more info before I jump to any conclusions. I am not sure where I stand in this at the moment, but I will when I hear some info in waiting on.

One more thing, While Addison born and I were outside after it ended, a man ran up to us. The man in black with the briefcase. “Rizzo! Addison! You guys haven’t even begun to scratch the surface… I’ll be seeing you two a lot more from here on out.” And with a smile he walked away.

SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER

SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER

SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER

Wait, I know Laura very well. She definitely wasn’t with us the first night we went. I think Trin was lying to you.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by  TheBuz.

*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*
*Spoiler*

It saddens me that so many here would question our Overseer. It seems many of you got a visit from OSDM where as I was embraced by The OOA and stood at the side of our Overseer, ready to do what she and Anoch asked of me. It truly was a touching moment for me.

I broke my soul for Addison, and I will continue to take whatever measures necessary to protect her and her connection to Anoch.

Of course @electrichippo ‘s sudden alliegance gave me pause, but The Overseer made it clear that she has big plans. I’m happy to participate in said plans.

*Ascension II spoiler included* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *HERE COMES THE SPOIL* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *HERE COMES THE SPOIL*

A couple things come to mind:

~My profile photo is a close up of my jumpsuit after my first visit inside The OOA. That’s the blood of Sentinel. I could have taken a picture of any part of my jumpsuit or even my hands. The blood was everywhere. I was one that witnessed him beaten to the point I thought he was dead, but it turns out he is not dead. Honestly, he might be better off dead. I don’t say this from a place of cruelty, but rather a place of compassion. I was reunited with him briefly at Ascension II. He is no longer the odd, determined, vibrant man I knew. I was asked what I thought of my fearless leader now. My answer will have to remain between me and @masterlock, at least for now.

~This may be a reckless thing to say, and so be it… The man with the briefcase possesses a phrase that can send our leader to her knees. They’ve all seen it happen. Ask around next time you’re inside.

Since people are putting their experiences on the table, here’s what happened for me in Round 2…

*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*
*SPOILERS*

As soon as I walked through the doors, I was greeted by a beautiful handler…one who I had engaged with during my first time (she gave me a rose pedal and expressed incredible worry for me). She asked me why I was back and gave me a big hug. That’s when the receptionist eagerly pulled me inside and dragged me into the bathroom for more questions and intense flirtation (I occasionally saw her throughout the night, somewhere in the compound smiling at me).

Overseer appeared and hustled me past the lobby and into a back room where she gave me a speech on the importance of what she’s doing here and warned me: “Stay the fuck out of my way!”
She led me into the processing room alone where Simon greeted me with a cheery smile. He asked me what I was doing back. I told him to experience everything the OOA has to offer…and that I was curious why Kim and the BOS were suddenly sitting at Addison’s right hand. That’s when his expression changed. He went into an epic rant about the BOS and how he was powerless to do anything about it. To put it mildly, he is NOT happy about this turn of events.
“Did you meet Sentinel last time?” he asked me. I told him yes.
“What did you think of him,” he asked.
“I thought he was fucking crazy,” I said. And with that, he smiled.

I was instructed to strip in the middle of the room, and all the women at the desks formed a semi-circle around me as I took my clothes off. They began feeling me up as Simon gave a speech about the importance of paying attention and not getting distracted (what a helluva way to learn that!). I was then processed again, this time in my boxers and by the woman wearing the arm cast. A TON of sexual questions. Sean Decker, who was also there for his second time eventually came in and was given the same treatment. Eventually he was whisked into the side room and Simon screamed at the handler (the one who greeted me) to take me into the room. Decker sat at a desk and told me he had to complete my processing. I was asked a lot of other questions and instructed to face the handler and look into her eyes. She seemed desperate and in a lot of pain. I was asked if I was her type and when I said “yes,” had to tell her the sexual things I would do to her (God, that was EXTREMELY uncomfortable). Just when I couldn’t take anymore, the OSDM briefcase man (I think his name was Samson) came into the room. He forced everyone to leave but me. He pulled out a cellphone and told me to call my wife and tell her that I was going to be late tonight…and to my horror, I didn’t remember her number. I don’t remember any phone numbers anymore thanks to technology. He chewed me out on the spot (“What if there was an emergency?!?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!?!”) then pulled out a laptop and asked me to log into Facebook. That’s where I posted the “So upset…” status update that many of you have seen.

The OSDM guy led me out, through the compound (still in my boxers) and threw me into Professor Applebee’s classroom with Sean Decker (“This one couldn’t remember his wife’s phone number!”). We went through a few tests and then had to pass judgement on the two handlers for their “sins.” We failed and both handlers were punished (thinking back, I now know what the right answer was…still kicking myself over that one). We were given jumpsuits (thank God!) and sent to the clock room where that familiar scene was played out.

Afterwards, we were met outside by the two handlers who had just been punished. The one who spoke to me said, “I’m trying to figure out a way to forgive you.” I apologized profusely and she eventually gave me a consoling hug. Afterwards, we were led to the prayer room and just as the five senses were about the commence, Overseer’s voice calls out “Stop!” and she enters. Offered us the choice to proceed or come with her. We chose her and bags were place over our heads.

When the bag came off, I was standing in the red room…with damn near EVERY member of the OOA (fuuuuuuck was that terrifying). Overseer approached me and said “I understand there is a lot of concern in the community over Kim being my right hand,” she said, “I need everyone with me for what’s to come.” I won’t say what happened next, but when Overseer/Addison started telling me too much, something was used against her. I won’t divulge what is was, but I definitely have it committed to memory because it’s a very powerful thing. I was led outside to OSDM guy who said Overseer/Addison wasn’t “feeling herself lately.” After a minute of waiting, Overseer re-emerged from the room…and that’s when she gave me the behind-the-scenes tour of the Institute. I watched the various candidates go through the various rooms and trials we had previously. At one point, someone addressed Overseer/Addison differently…and she was NOT pleased (again, I won’t divulge what this was).

I wound up in Overseer’s office where we discussed her journal. I told her Tom had gotten in touch with me and wished to pass along that he misses her.
“Do you think you know Tom? Do you think you know me?” she retorted. “You wanna save me?”
She said she was well aware of the things that were done to her by the OOA…the helmet…the mind control… but that this was a cause she truly believed in.
I thanked her for saving our lives from Gatekeeper 4.
At one point she started speaking German and told me she didn’t remember how she learned the language.

When it came time to play “Inquisitor” and speak to the candidates, the question I decided to use was “Is it okay to take a human life?”
One guy responded with, “Yes, if they were trying to kill me.” One girl said “Yes, if they were a threat to others.” I chose the girl for Ascension and when Overseer asked why, I said “Because she would do it for the good of the community. She is selfless.” Overseer was VERY pleased by that response.

I was led into the interview room, past the tubs (WTF?!?!?!) and while we were waiting for the interview to commence, the handler in the room started making strange conversation (“You know this a glorified haunted house, right?…Do you really think this is real?…Did you know the handlers sleep here at night?”). Afterwards was the Ascension ceremony, where Sean and I received a huge applause from the Institute for everything we’d done. But when the tools of salvation were given to the handler…the one who I had shared all those moments with…she turned around, looked me right in the eyes with a final desperate look, and drove the scalpel into her neck. She stared at me the entire time as she died…and that’s something that still really, truly haunts me. Needless to say, the ceremony was botched again and Overseer/Addy was so distressed as she escorted us out…

Honestly, the events of that night rattled me for days afterwards. Had trouble sleeping. It was a very, very intense evening. I came away armed with knowledge about Overseer/OSDM that I can use should things spiral out of control.

I really care for our Overseer…but I worry about what she’s capable of doing. I worry about the OSDM and what they’re doing to the OOA. I worry about the allegiances that seem to be made in haste and the conflict that is going on within our community and the OOA’s walls. And I worry about what lurks beneath this entire facade that we haven’t seen yet.

The first thing I did when I got home? Memorized my wife’s number.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by  Andrew Kasch.

Today I have a party. Tonight I reAscend. Tonight I go through with one of the best friends I could ever have dreamt of having. But right now all I want to get out is this.

(Ascension 1.0 Spoilers.) *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

I was high off of having found out I was along with all of you, the one. I was also extremely nervous having seen everyone gone through the first week and being completely silent about everything. I was extremely nervous when I stepped into that parking lot. I arrived with Tom, Susie, Michelle, and Joe. I was trying my hardest not to shake as I met the parking attendant, someone with whom I’m great friends with now. Mary was already there waiting for us as was a couple, a man, and wife, I had never met before. His name was Tom, hers was Heidi. The husband seemed to have heard about tension just the week before and dragged his wife alone who was not enthused at all. Another guy, Patrick came out of the woodwork to meet us all and we all laughed at the dumpster graffiti and flickering lights that set the mood. Maria then came thinking her time had switched to ours though that was not the case. Then a young woman trying hard to have an American accent strolled up the alley saying “This must be tension… that or you all like hanging in weird parking lots…” Her name was Brit.

Brit was from Norway and hadn’t been here long. She was very into immersive theater though and had been told this was like LAs version of Sleep No More which she had loved. After a bit of getting to know her a van pulled up and a bald man told us to line up calling our names. Brit. Derek. Susie. Brit was the first one called, and the last one counted and I was right next to her. We started chatting and filling out our forms before he ushered us to put bags on our heads and sit in the van. The van drove a few minutes and then stopped pulling someone (who I later found out was Brit) telling them to knock on the door and wait. We then heard the door slam and drove around the block. The door opens the bag was ripped from my head and I’m told to knock 3 times. I do. The secretary peeks out and smiles at me. That’s a fun sight and an even better smell. “Derek. I’ve heard so much about you, it’s great to finally meet you. We’re going to have so much fun today.” She tells me to sit and fill out the rest of my form. In fact, I believe it was something along the lines of “tsk-tsk-tsk, you didn’t finish your form… we can’t continue until that silly thing is done.” As I fill it out the professor is staring at me intently but doesn’t answer when I try to make small talk. Another participant which I can’t remember came in to do the same and sat on the other side of him.

After finishing the secretary smiled and said sweet things with a hug then showed me to the bathroom and finally to the file room. There a man took my picture, told me nothing was random and to be present. He walked toward the door and said: “You can always have an out, there is a safeword… coward.” As if that was what I was. I walked into the common room. There was a woman who didn’t seem too enthused doing a puzzle and two handlers. Immediately Brit came to me and said she had found a note asking if I thought there were more. In that moment my nervousness left me as I went into ARG mode. I told her to search for more, but put them back so others could see them as well if we point them out. I started at the snack table and made my way around the room trying to find everything. I found a note that said knock on every wall (something I wish I remembered and had done). Next, on the piano I found a note that said knock on the nearest wall to the note, they were hidden there and if they knocked back they would still be alive. I knocked. No answer. Shannon walked by, whispering in passing “don’t let them catch you knocking.”

I go through more and more notes all while Sadie hovered near me looking on the verge of tears constantly. I found a book with a small picture in it of someone I thought I recognized. A short woman, a woman I thought had been at the mixer earlier this year. I call her the chipper lady. I look up and Addison was there. The name Carlos escapes my lips and she glared. she turned and made for the door. I followed and she slammed it in my face. When I turned around Sadie was there by the book I was playing with. I asked her who the woman was and she ran off crying.

Not long later Shannon came to me again and said: “Do you know Joe?” I racked my brain thinking of in game Joes and said I didn’t think so. She clarified he had come with me in the van today. I said “Oh that Joe! Yes, he’s my friend.” She said he was her friend as well and to not leave him alone that night. So I had a mission. Sadie came over and said, “You need to use the bathroom don’t you?” I said I did and followed her. It was occupied and she said “Shit! We can do this here, be quiet. That woman from the picture… that’s my mom. I’m an actress and since I’ve come here I haven’t been back home. She’s probably worried sick. I don’t know why they have her picture, maybe she’s come for me. If you can, if you find her, tell her I’m here.” I had another mission.

At some point, I saw Tom ushered out in a black hood. I thought this is how it would be, they’ll just bag me and take me, this was before anything really got going in the common room. More clues and notes later Leonard called us all to sit and toast with him. He poured us all punch as Joe walked in. I asked Joe to come sit with me and explained I was told to stick to him like glue. He didn’t know why but I got the feeling they thought he wasn’t going to make it through the entire night. We grabbed punch and toasted. I tipped back the styrofoam cup but didn’t let the liquid touch my lips. and set the cup down. Then we played two truths and a lie. Michelle went first. Then the married man. I guessed his right off the bat and Mildred decided to join in. She said, “I’ve never paid my taxes, I’ve never killed someone out of passion, and I’ve never killed an authority member.” Then she walked away. I said “so we don’t get to guess?” to which the puzzle-woman replied, “She has dementia, she doesn’t know where she is half the time.” And Leonard remarked that he wasn’t sure if any of those were a lie.

Sadie scooped up Mary, Michelle, and me. She bagged our heads and ushered us into the locker room and I asked if Joe could come with us. Maybe I had already failed. A British man’s voice asked us questions. Mary, to my left, was asked something I forget and seemed to have given a poor answer that made him sad. Michelle on my other side was asked to name three brands of shoes. She gave answers like D&G, Prada, etc. to which she was told she was posh and he changed the question to the last three secretaries of state. She couldn’t answer one and she called her useless. He ripped the bag off my head and asked me to prove I was better than the other two. I replied that I was just a person and was no better than anyone. He smiles and said, “Come on, I know you’re amazing.” This is when I realized this was Ellis Gordon. This was also the start of me noticing how possibly sexist the OOA is. We changed into jumpsuits and were ushered into the big white room shoeless with Simon.

Simon lined us up and tore them down, by which I mean he yelled at Mary and Michelle and barely paid attention to me. I was sent to the Black woman to be questioned. She seemed very displeased with me. I sat. She didn’t want that. She made me put my shoes on and glared at me in a huff as I made her wait. She asked me all sex questions. How many partners? How many partners at once? Submissive or Dominant? Am I ashamed of anything? All the time very displeased with me unless she was telling a story of the depraved things people had told her the week before. I kind of wanted to know who the “stubby little man” last week was and what “the things he said…” were that made her smile and blush blissfully. When she was done she sent me back to the bench where Simon was screaming “CUNT” at Brit. Someone had to sit on my lap. Mary asked “How are you? What’s your name” and Simon was taken back. He said, “I haven’t been asked that in a long time… not that it matters but my name is Simon, you can call me ‘cunt’ for all you want.” I couldn’t help but mention that was my favorite word and he said “good to know.” Joe came back in the room and sat with us.

We were then made to walk out and line up in front of a door when Addison walked past and said Glory Be. I whispered Carlos but I don’t think she heard. Simon yelled at us to answer back and in unison from the group “GLORY BE” …”Addison” Mary added. Simon remarked that she may know more than most and that the clues in here required a bit of that kind of thinking. We then entered the red room. On a lampshade I found a message saying there were keys hidden in here. It made it sound like in the sand so I started combing the floor. Brit began the thing. Lining on the rocks and answering things about ourselves which two people in black face and tribal markings began to act out. We noticed the time limit and worked as fast as possible. We made it out with not much more than a second to spare.

The door opened into fog. We chose to walk to the right. There was a woman that looked dead in a hospital gown. I checked her pulse. The professor started to speak about time amongst the clocks on the wall and after a few minutes Addison checked in on us. I told Michelle to say Carlos but she said it too softly. I nearly shouted it then and her hand gripped tightly as she glared then said “THAT is in the past. DEREK.” I shut up now not knowing what else to try. They paired us up. Joe and I at the end. The make us stare deeply into each other’s eyes, make us focus on the lips, attempt to see their soul. Joe was starting to tear up and I was trying to make sure he was ok. I made it worse. He said the fog may have just been affecting his asthma. The push our heads in for a kiss andJoe pulled away. After they ushered most everyone out of the room and Joe looked at me like “Are we supposed to split?”

The professor had Mary, Heidi, and I and told us we could go forward on our own path. It may end there back in the parking lot or it may go on. OR. We could go back to the group. I told him Joe said he was fine. Fuck him. I’m going forward. All three of us did. We were taken past walls with graffiti into a classroom. We watched a movie and were told we would be tested. It was still images of Mount Rushmore and human body diagrams with subliminal messages hidden. Afterward, he made us all take a bite of an apple. I spit mine out when he wasn’t looking.

We came to an altar room with a priest and a woman with no eyes. They told us we were having our senses take. At this point, I wanted to Ascend. I wanted to be the one, I wanted to know God. I was willing to do whatever was asked of me. He squirted a burning liquid into my right eye, but not both. Why am I always half! I tilted my head trying to get it in both. The covered our eyes and Heidi asked if it could not go over her nose. She seemed fine until now, but seemed to be an issue. Mary got defensive and said “LEAVE HER ALONE SHE’S A DIABETIC” The attendant said it was no problem and accommodated. We went into the next room and were told to sit down. A man put his hand on my shoulder and said “Not you but..” so I stood up. He laughed and said “no you can sit but this next part is only for the girls.” he made them put their hands in some kind of altar before giving us a liquid to take our sense of taste away. We ate human flesh then were covered in another layer of blindfolding. Heidi complained again this time she received an “I DON’T GIVE A SHIT LADY. DO IT OR THIS IS OVER FOR YOU”

I was brought into another room bound and had my hands dipped in wax with no warning. Headphone then went over my ears. Others said they had music, tv static, or moans and screams in their ears. I had nothing. I heard people arguing behind me. “He’s supposed to go to the mirror room” “Why would I take him there that makes absolutely no sense” “can he hear us? I think he can. Look at his posture” I’m sad I didn’t react to this. I thought I’d get in trouble. I thought I wouldn’t ascend if I could hear. I was pushed in multiple directions and in what seemed like patterns. A circle. A square. A triangle. After what felt like forever I was pushed into a chair. The bag ripped off and it was too bright to see. When I formally could see Joe was standing over me with a confused expression and I knew I failed. I wouldn’t ascend because I left him alone. He unbound my wrists and I was told to take the wax off and put gloves on. We were made to put tools on a tray. He kept describing how beautiful each was and I agreed. I asked what they were used for and he slammed his fist on the table. I was told by Joe later it wasn’t my question but Shannon screaming in the next room that made him do so.

He gave us the option of who would have the responsibility to carry the tray. I didn’t care either way. Joe Told me to take it because he’s shaky and didn’t have his glasses. The Doctor said, “Remember This is the time you COULD have taken the tray.” And someone grabbed Joe and ushered him out. I was taken to an altar room to have my tray blessed by the oracle. The room had only one entrance and was pitch black. The doctor was chanting and suddenly a face appeared, a black tribal face with an ornate headdress. I thought it was different than those in the red room. As soon as it had come it had dissappeared then I stood up with the tray and turned around to see Addison. She led me to the sermon hall and instructed me on what to do. I brought the tools when asked and bowed. Brit was on stage with Tom Hite. I sat next to his wife Susie. She was making me laugh, he had ripped his pants and his boxers were showing. Addison on the microphone stopped her speech with a “RIGHT DEREK”. I’m not sure I pissed her off with the Carlos’ or if I was disrupting everything with Susie.

Brit didn’t make it. I liked her. I indirectly killed her. Tom was passed out as Sadie told us to run. This was our chance and what did I do? I said, “But there’s a second one. we have a second chance right there!” pointing at Tom. Men walked toward his passed out body then we were all made to run. So I did. Sadie was grabbed up and I ran and grabbed her. A man picked me up and tossed me one way with a “You go that way.” And it was done. Pictures and handshakes.

I went last weekend and came away feeling underwhelmed.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

The van ride might have been cool had I not been the last person to get out. Riding around in circles feeling the same bumps again and again after standing in a parking lot for 30 minutes isn’t an exciting way to start the night. I almost dosed off in the darkness and light classical music. Good things came after that though. The receptionist and the welcoming party scenes were excellent. The two way interactions here were the highlight of the night. Everyone’s improve skills were on point. That it seemed was the last of the mutual interactions. After that everything was done at me and not with me. I didn’t understand the escape room with the naked woman in reverse black face. The woman didn’t seem to have a purpose. The rest of the night was the sensory deprivation stuff which seemed like something you would find at a elementary school’s haunted house, making kids to put their hand in a bowl of grapes and telling them it’s eyeballs.

Overall I felt comfortable or bored much of the time. Given that most people have a much more intense sounding experience I wonder if I did something wrong? Or maybe there was something I didn’t do. Should I have resisted them more in order to rile them up? I am almost considering going back just to see if it wasn’t a fluke. If I go back what should I do to have a more intense experience?

This isn’t exactly a spoiler, but it’s something I’ve been mulling over since going through Ascension for a second time so I’ll label it as one just to be safe.

*Ascension II spoiler included* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *HERE COMES THE SPOIL* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

I came out of ReAscension feeling like I had somehow made a terrible mistake. Part of that was my own lack of commitment, but a larger part was the inevitable path we all seem to be sent down the second time through. I kept wondering if anything I could have said or done would have changed the outcome and after thinking about it all night, I decided probably not.

Are any of you familiar with the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead? I’m not sure if this has been discussed before and I apologize if I’m just rehashing old conversations, but at this point I’m mostly trying to make sense of things by getting them out of my head. I think that we are all Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. We are bit players in a much larger story, interacting with the main characters and only seeing bits and pieces of the bigger picture. We have been given a vague path to follow, one of helping our friend, Hamlet/Addison, but we don’t know how to help because we are not fully aware of the problem. So we blunder around, trying to make sense of the events unfolding around us, watching actors in a play within a play dying again and again until death becomes meaningless. Then at the very end, when facing our own demise, we are left wondering if there was a moment, somewhere along this journey, that we could have just said no.

I’m sorry if that wasn’t fully coherent. It’s just a thought that I can’t seem to shake. I’ve been hearing a lot of talk, both in the forums and in Ascension, about actors and masks. Playing our parts and questioning whether someone is an actor or real. Except, that’s a false dichotomy. An actor can also be real. Of course, as Simon pointed out, how can we be sure anything is real. I can’t say I entirely agree with David Hume, but there is a part of me inclined toward epistemological skepticism.

11/6 — 3rd Visit — Desperation sets in. The walls are crumbling.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

My 3rd visit was consistent with what others have reported with two exceptions.

1) They dragged out “Thomas Barrow” who desperately tried to convince Addison that he was her father. That was not working and Samson and OSDM Guy were REALLY UNHAPPY.

Simon threw me into the hallway outside the Red Room. Sadie — an Asian handler is a black cloak and hood — had me follow her through the complex. I passed The Butcher, who I have never encountered, and she took me into the parking lot and told me to wait.

2) Meanwhile, the 9PM group had been released and was dressing and talking and they noticed me standing there, and went DEAD QUIET and started watching. Sadie returned and stood in front of me. We had a 10-15 minute whispered conversation, during which time the van was loaded up.

Sadie told me The Suit is Samson’s boss.
She asked who “the man” was in the White Room (Thomas).
I tried to explain that I didn’t think this was her real father — Sabrina’s father — and this seemed to really upset her.
This led to me to a difficult decision….
Sabrina/Addison is starting to remember who she was.
The others will have to remember to, at some point.

And, well, it releases a retrovirus into the OOA. A virus called The Truth.

I decided on breaking the bad news, in the most compassionate and kind way that I could.

That this whole thing is an illusion — that we are all pawns of OSDM.
That Addison is Sabrina. That “Sadie” isn’t her real name — she’s an actress with a different name. That we are all inside a box constructed by Samson.
There’s a world outside, and that we, The One, will take of her and the others when the walls come down.
Because they are coming down.

That did not go over spectacularly well.
I kinda sorta gave her a nervous breakdown….

Security Guy said firmly, “Time’s up. Get in”.
I gave Sadie a hug, and reassured her that The One would take care of her and the others.

Got into the van. Door slammed. Silence.
Then, in perhaps the best beat of comic timing ever, a gal asks, “Soooooo….what was that?”

I made sure not to give away anything…

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by  Lawrence.

Had a question about the jumpsuits for anyone that’s been through a second time. Minor spoilers for Ascension 2, but I’ll mark it just in case.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

Went back for a second time on Saturday night and there was one other guy in the group on his second time too. Neither of us were given jumpsuits at any point after we stripped down to our boxers. We went all the way through processing, the Red Room, the clock room, waiting around for the altar room to open up, and the altar room like that. When Addison pulled us out before the ritual, she gave us our clothes back and had us get dressed. Has anyone else gone through and not received a jumpsuit?

Also, a tip for anyone going through their second time. Wear some fun (modest) underwear! The pair of boxers I had on elicited some reactions from the handlers and processing ladies when they surrounded me while Simon was talking to me in the White Room.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

I was paraded around in my bra & underwear on my second visit – through the white room, into the side room with another guy who was there for his second time, through my conversation with Samson. Simon even commented on my underwear – I pretty much always wear a thong, so that’s what I was wearing. The interview ladies all crowded around me (just like @kasch mentioned above) and were checking out my tattoos, snapping my bra strap, etc. I was finally given a jumpsuit in the classroom with Professor Applebee.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by  skathic.

Well, it looks like that time has come, eh? Time to bare it all and just share our entire experiences? I’ll try to stay on topic, and I guess we might want to still honor the “spoiler” tradition for those sorting among the ashes, trying to concoct some sense of linearity of it all, and who do not wish to receive their information out of order (sic). Of course, the amount of time (space, rather) that it took to write that is almost certainly equivalent to having written “*SPOILER*” a bunch of times, so I guess I can just continue in the next block-paragraph…

I’ve been trying to figure it all out, how my experience in Ascension and Re-Ascension differed from others, and the degree to which my perspective is unique, and contribute what is necessary. As such, I will only point out here the bizarre and harrowing experience during my Re-Ascension, one of which may have been noticed and just not mentioned by others (or mentioned in a manner that escaped my awareness), and the other of which I have not yet heard mentioned by anyone else, and which I genuinely fear to even mention… but I believe I was told to bear witness.

First, the issue of time: Do you all remember the recruitment video playing in the corner (I’d say which, but I can barely even reckon my cardinal directions outside buildings, much less *that* one) of the Processing Room? It looks old, right? Like maybe a reel-to-reel you might be shown in 7th-grade Science class, if you happened to be raised in a town run by an occult organization (I mean, like more than every town is…)? Well, I didn’t get a chance to see it the first time, because they were pushing me through processing pretty hard before having me interview my own wife of 15 years and asking her to touch herself in front of me, telling her to pretend I was her father (they *do* know us, don’t they?), and then having me ask her to tell me what she’d say to me if I was laying dead on the table (protip: I don’t *actually* think she’d kill herself after my death, but it’s still hard to hear), and then having Samson blast through the door as she was about to duct-tape my scraggly face-hair all sorts of askance and separating us until the clock room, when they did a fantastic job of having us face our inevitable mortality. But I digress… that video *did* have a date, and being one of those obsessives who reads everything, I noticed it read © MCMLXXIII (I think – the numbers after the decade may be off by one or two, but that first part is definitely it). This would be the 1970s (1973, to be exact, if my memory serves). This seemed about fitting for the style, and the fact that the logo had that weird double-coffin-looking thing around the slightly different symbol, which was the one introduced during the early days when GK V was running the show… until I saw Addison. She was speaking to the camera, explaining some aspect of the Order, and wearing a creme-colored dress, and she looked basically exactly like the Addison/Sabrina/Overseer that we’ve known throughout our recent time. I suppose I should say I don’t really know that it *was* her – I mean, she didn’t say “Hi, I’m Addison – so you’ve decided to join the OOA?” or anything, but it was so obviously her likeness that I had to pause, sit up, and whisper to my benchmates “This is from 1973… did they clone her?!” I legitimately don’t know what to make of this, and the fact that it appears to have gone unnoticed up to this point gives me pause.

Now, for the absurd part: After Overseer had us select our candidate for Ascension, and we were led to the “Farewell Room,” where they are to record their final message to their loved ones, we spoke with the actor who was playing he who dies that evening, who was called by three distinct names that evening: He introduced himself in the parking lot as Taylor, but then someone called him Tylor, and then he called himself Nick. Either way, it was not by his name that I knew he was “the plant…” it was because he asked me if I remembered him. He explained that he was the one from the changing room during my first Ascension. I suddenly recalled his eyes, and his dour expression as he had me repeat the following phrase: “Ego is the distraction.” Nothing is random, indeed. Here I was, now reminding him of the same, as he explained that he could not further stomach the abuses of the secret activities behind the scenes, and he was “just done… out.” Apparently, this seemed to be an exit strategy for him, but before I could press him for details, the door opened, and a massive shadow wearing a white mask with the OOA logo burst into the room, waving his hands and intoning “Spooky, spooky, spooky, boo-boo-boo!” before ripping off the mask and chuckling kindly. “Have you figured it out yet? Do you know what’s going on here?” His teeth flashed from a gentle fourth-wall reassurance to a slanted threat in an instant. “You come back because you want to know how it works, huh? Well, there are some things you have to accept.” He reached slowly up toward his left eye. “A lot of people get confused in this experience. You see, you might have a skewed perspective…” He continued nonchalantly digging with his index finger and pulling open his ocular cavity. “…There are things you’re not really supposed to know…” He plucked out the eyeball and set it on the blank paper he was holding, and his mouth became a wild grimace of raw energy: “And maybe you need to BACK THE FUCK OFF!” I cannot convey the impact of this yell. I felt myself jump, and my mouth go agape, and he regained his composure before putting his eye back in. It was indistinguishable as fake. “So, you should just stop asking questions, and, you know… see things right.” He left the room and shut the door. Before any of us could identify him or even begin to make sense of it outside of the dread that built up from this interaction, Miles led in the candidate and Nick took his place in the corner of the room.

Should I even be saying this, though? Was this a warning I was meant to share with others? I remember being told to “bear witness,” but I don’t remember by exactly whom, or when. Hell, for that matter I have trouble trying to place a lot of what happened into linear order, and I’ve been talking to others who have the same trouble… I remember Samson saying something to me, but I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what he said…

I do remember, though, as Nick/Tyler/Taylor was led into his throne of Ascension (which I can only hope was a successful escape for him), he pointed at us – directly – and mouthed the words “They’re using you…” several times until they threw the cloak over his head.

So, here I am, yet again ready to enter into the arms of uncertainty that represent this experience, and I suppose my only comfort is in knowing that the words live on in the eyes of you who read this, whatever may happen…

Glory

Be

I went during the very final time last night (11/12 at 11:00pm) and it sounds like our finale room was much different from the ones I’ve read. Just wondering if it’s because it was the last night and possibly their leading into something? *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT* in the finale room, during the “sacrifice” the very scared looking girl, I believe someone said her name was Susan?, was told to perform the act of removing the senses but got too scared and couldn’t do it, another attendant killed her. Then after it was performed Addison said that we had ascended and much rejoicing occurred! Then, suddenly Addison broke down screaming at us all to stop and to shut up and she began crying and asked everyone what they were doing and seemed to slip back into her old self and was very concerned. A woman with dark hair wearing I believe a white tank top with a black cardigan and dark jeans told the attendants to take her away and so they did while Addison was screaming and crying. And then they told us to run and leave. I’m not sure if anyone else witnessed that in their finale, but I thought it was interesting that I hadn’t read anyone else saying that ending.

What are we supposed to do now?