California Trilogy: City of Angels - On Camera (Game Over)

[Mr. Grey]

Deadline:

Approximately 47 hours from this post.

Vote Count:

4 to decide.

Tequila: 3 (Dweezil Zappa, Mr. Green, Randy Jones)
Vodka: 0
Buttery Nipple: 0

Not Voting: 4 (DEATH, Glen Stewart Godwin, Kelly Garrett, Valentine Wiggin)

Current Condorcet Winner:

Tequila

To view the complete table of pairwise results, put the following information into this form.

1,Tequila
2,Vodka
3,Buttery Nipple

1:1=2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2>3
1:1=2=3

[Talilan]

Wow, I was wrong, wrong, wrong.
I really thought G&B was the AP.

Death needs a cup of tea and a lie down

[Talilan]

vote: tequila
Let's get out of here.

~Tal

Tags removed. Only votes at the end of the post are counted. - Mod

[Mighty Orbots]

Hallelujah.

Let's talk more on the way to the boat, Randy.

[Talilan]

vote:Tequila

[Mr. Grey]

Final Vote Count:

4 to decide.

Tequila: 4 (DEATH, Dweezil Zappa, Mr. Green, Randy Jones)

Vodka: 0
Buttery Nipple: 0

Not Voting: 3 (Glen Stewart Godwin, Kelly Garrett, Valentine Wiggin)

To view the complete table of pairwise results, put the following information into this form.

1,Tequila
2,Vodka
3,Buttery Nipple

1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2=3
1:1>2>3
1:1=2=3

[Mr. Grey]

Scene 5.5

Before Death can reach the magician and bunny, Dweezil Zappa catches up to him/her/it from behind and tugs on the anthropomorphic personification's robe.

DEATH:

WHAT?

Dweezil Zappa:

We still haven't decided on a drink. Did you have a preference?

Death glances down at the hourglass, gives a sigh like wet gravel sliding on carpet, and turns to look Dweezil eye to eye socket.

DEATH:

TEQUILA. IF WE'RE GOING TO GET WASTED, WE MAY AS WELL DO IT RIGHT. BUT HAVE THEM PUT A LITTLE UMBRELLA IN IT.

Dweezil Zappa:

In the shot glass?

DEATH:

I LIKE UMBRELLAS.

Dweezil makes his way back over to the rest of the group and lets them know Death's preference.

Glen Stewart Godwin:

Well, I guess that makes four. Weird that this was supposed to be Ladies' Night and neither of our ladies are actually voting.

Randy Jones:

Neither are you.

Glen Stewart Godwin:

Obviously, I am a gentleman.

Mr. Green:

Were are the girls, anyway?

Glen Stewart Godwin:

That's a good question.

[Mr. Grey]

Scene 5.6

The answer is that there are other "gentlemen" in the bar, and in the time it has taken the group to reach a decision on what shots to get, the girls have been offered seats, and are currently sitting at a small table with an elderly man and several bottles of beer (with blank labels) which are in various states of optimism, if not completely empty. They are currently being entertained by a story of the man's adventures in the Amazon. Kelly Garrett leans over to Valentine and whispers in her ear.

Kelly Garrett:

This guy is so much more interesting than those losers we came here with.

Valentine Wiggin:

I know, right? He's almost

too

interesting...

The man is finishing up his story, and as he does so he takes the nearest bottle and holds it up.

The Second Most Interesting Man In The World:

...and that's when I had my first refreshing bottle of this beer. Since then... I don't always drink beer... but when I do, it's...

His mouth keeps moving, but no sound comes out. The product placement division really needs to get their act together. The girls laugh, even though there is nothing especially funny about what he just said.

Mr. Green:

There you are. Here are the shots.

The Second Most Interesting Man In The World:

Let me tell you a story about the time I did body shots with three swimsuit models and the Pope in Kuala Lumpur...

[Mr. Grey]

Scene 5.7

Meanwhile, David Blaine has his Playboy Bunny in position for his most exciting magic trick yet.

David Blaine:

Now, then, you have inspect the bullet and the gun. You will verify that both are 100% real?

Playboy Bunny:

Yes...

David Blaine:

I will now load the gun... the safety is off, ladies and gentlemen, this is for real now...

He aims the gun directly at the Playboy Bunny's head.

Playboy Bunny:

Eeek!

She is too frightened to move out of the way, though, and stands shaking, eyes wide.

David Blaine:

Don't be alarmed. You are perfectly safe, so long as you remain still. Now then, obviously this is not your ordinary "Stop the Speeding Bullet" routine. For one thing, I am the one holding the gun. That's what makes this so special, ladies and gentlemen. Any moron can stop a speeding bullet with the right training, if it is being fired toward them. But how will I stop a bullet which is flying away from me?

Playboy Bunny:

Please... don't hurt me...

Death is standing next to the bunny, scythe waiting to drop, but for some reason her plea touches him. He lowers the scythe and shakes his head.

DEATH:

WHY DO I ALWAYS LET MYSELF GET INVOLVED?

David Blaine's finger squeezes the trigger, but Death is faster. As the gun fires, it is nudged slightly to the left. The camera follows the bullet in slow motion as it narrowly misses the bunny and rips straight through the head of the elderly gentleman finishing up his story. Kelly Garrett and Valentine Wiggin both scream. Pretty much everyone else in the bar ignores the gunshot, whether because they are too drunk to notice or because it is the fourth time a gun has been fired nearby today.

David Blaine:

Hey, what happened?

Before he can figure out what went wrong, though, the elderly gentleman claws at the table and pulls himself to his feet. His face is intact, which is unexpected. The girls scream again. The camera zooms in and moves around his head to reveal that while the skin has been blown away from the back of his head, underneath is not liquefied brains as might be expected, but instead hard metal.

The second most interesting android in the world raises his arms, which become metallic spikes that shoot out directly into the brains of David Blaine and the Playboy Bunny. They both go stiff, and when the android returns his "arms" to their proper place, the bodies collapse on the floor.

Kelly Garrett and Valentine Wiggin look at each other and immediately reach for the tequila and down their shots.

---

Mr. Green:

What a wild night. A robot? Everyone else saw that, right?

DEATH:

I DON'T KNOW. IT SEEMED PRETTY AVERAGE TO ME. WHY WASN'T THERE ANY DANCING?

[Mr. Grey]

Scene 6.1

The group meets at the dock. They are twelve, but one of those twelve is the robot, Alice. Mr. Green is missing, along with Angel and Clarence Odbody.

The group fears the worst. The scene flashes back briefly to the group leaving the bar, where a pile of dust greets them on the sidewalk. Back in the present, it is clear from the amazing acting that all of them are thinking the same thing: More of their number have been killed.

Anyway, there is no time to wait for them; the ship is about to leave, and they know they must be on board. They look around one last time, and then turn to board the ship.

---

In a small cabin, Huey Lewis, John Locke, Randy Jones, and Valentine Wiggin sit cramped on a bed and play Spades. The camera holds on them for a full minute, as they silently play cards in turn and reach to take their tricks as they come.

---

In contrast, the others are having a bit more excitement.

It is dark, and many of the passengers on the ship are eating dinner, but the group walks on the deck looking out at the moonlight reflecting off of the waves. It is serene and peaceful... at least until Death clears his throat and points.

The others, as well as the camera, follow his finger bone to catch a glimpse of moonlight reflecting off of something else.

DEATH:

I BELIEVE THE APPROPRIATE PHRASE FOR THIS SITUATION IS: "GET DOWN!"

They do so, except for Death, who is unaffected by the spray of bullets which fills the air in the seconds to follow. The others crawl for cover, and Death joins them. Death points again, this time to a door that they may make it through before their attackers can pick them off. They hurry through the door and sprint through the ship...

[Mr. Grey]

Scene 6.2

Later...

A large room on the cruise ship. There are tables and chairs scattered about, and at the focal point of the room there is a large, round cage full of white balls, along with a big LED board showing numbers, from 1 to 75.

This is the evening bingo session, and many of the passengers are dressed in their best suits and tuxedos, having just come from a fabulous dinner. The bingo MC is turning the cage and selecting numbers out, calling them out, though the sound is muted and we can only hear the music playing over it, an appropriate yet ridiculous choice: "...B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name-O...".

Unfortunately, due to a technical problem, the LED display is frozen, so we also can't see what numbers have been called so far.

The MC reaches into the cage and holds up a ball, but before he can call out this latest number, the group of seven (eight counting Alice) being chased run in through one of the restricted access doors and, not looking where they are going, run into the MC and ball cage and send all of the balls rolling around on the floor.

The MC crashes to the floor and hits his head on the corner of the stage, killing him instantly. Meanwhile, the group of assassins burst into the room, but on seeing that the room is too crowded, they hide their guns behind their backs and whistle, waiting to resume the chase in a less noticeable way. The bingo players, however, are less concerned about these events and more concerned about the ball he was about to call out.

Concerned Bingo Player:

Did any of you see the ball?

Dweezil Zappa:

Are you crazy? A man just died, and we are fleeing for our lives, and you want to know about a stupid game?

Concerned Bingo Player:

Stupid game? That stupid game could change my life around! If you didn't see the number, perhaps I'll kill you all myself!

Tabris:

Now, let's hold on for a minute...

Carrie Fisher:

Alice, did you see the ball?

ALICE:

Sorry I can't see anything right now. My eye is off.

Kelly Garrett:

I'm sure one of us had a clear view... here, give us a little time and we'll talk about it and see if we can piece together what we remember.

Concerned Bingo Player:

Well... I suppose that will have to do. But no funny business. You have one hour.

Count de Morcerf:

One hour? To figure out whether any of us saw anything or not? Don't you think that's... ow!

Glen Stewart Godwin jabs the Count sharply in the ribs. He whispers:

Glen Stewart Godwin:

It will give us time to agree on a number to call. We don't even know which numbers have been called already, unless any of you saw anything. The bingo players don't know what it was any more than we do. And the time will settle them down. And maybe we'll find a way out of our predicament with the assassins, too.

DEATH:

ASSASSINS, CHASING DEATH... WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?

[Mr. Grey]

Scene 6.3

Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, three men wearing masks stand over a fourth, who is very dead.

Mr. Green is mangled almost beyond recognition, his green suit turned brown with blood stains. The men speak English, but with outrageous Italian accents.

Man wearing Mask of Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini:

We are close. I can taste it.

Man wearing Mask of Nero Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus:

Grey has no one left to hide behind, now.

The third, wearing the mask of Marcus Junius Brutus, nods. His hand reaches up and under the neck of the mask, pulling it off his... oh.

Mr. Grey's Assistant:

Perform the ritual.

---

It is Scene 6. With 7 Roles On Camera, it will take 4 votes to reach a majority before deadline, which is two weeks from this post. Remember to stay in character as much as possible when acting out your decision making process.

[Mr. Grey]

Scene Information:

The alternatives for Scene 6's decision are the numbers 1-75. There are five possible outcomes (Very Bad, Bad, Neutral, Good, Very Good), and 15 numbers for each outcome.

Each Role may ask one question by PM about the nature of the alternatives. This question must be in the following form:

"Does [Set of at least 5 but no more than 70 numbers] have the property that [Property]?"

The property must only be related to the outcomes of the given set; it cannot reference another set.

If you are unsure whether a possible question is valid, ask by PM for clarification.

[VP Baltar]

Go Go Math Nerds! Explain to the dullards (ie, me) what the plan is.

[GoofballsAndBaloons]

I have to talk to my husband first. He's a mathematician that keeps complaining that the medical researchers he works with do crappy research. This is his chance to use his brain for something really significant, something that will improve mankind measurably and permanently, by helping us win this key battle against evil informed minorities.

[hewitt]

I did pretty well in Math so I think I might be able to somewhat well on this.

[ShadowLurker]

Someone ask the question "Does the set 1,2,3,4,5 contain a Very Good?"

32% chance of no (60C5/75C5) => does the set {1,2,3,4,5,6}, {1,2,3,4,5,24}, {1,2,3,4,5,81} etc. contain a Very Good?

78% chance of finding one over 6 tries (1-55C6/70C6)
---
If yes, does the set {2,3,4,5,6}, {1,3,4,5,6}, {1,2,4,5,6}, etc. contain a very good?

If 6 is Very Good, every answer will be a Yes, and we will have found one. If 6 isn't, we will find the one that is in 5 questions, and will have a 6th question to double check.

Overall, 93.00% chance of finding a Very Good one.

---

Now I don't think we should choose 1,2,3,4,5 but rather 5 random numbers.

[Thok]

SL, your plan fails if {1,2,3,4,5} contains multiple very goods and 6 isn't very good.

[Thok]

Incidentally, I do agree with the idea that we should use random numbers when picking our sets.

Also, if {1,2,3,4,5} doesn't contain a very good, we know that the 64 element set {6, 7, ..., 69} contains at least one very good (in fact any 64 element set contains at least 4 very goods, no matter what). We can use the remaining 6 questions to chop that set in half repeatedly (basically ask does {1,2,3,4,5}+half of the remaining numbers contain a very good, if yes keep that set, if no take the other half), and that gives us a very good in 7 questions assuming a no on the first step. Of course, that variation is very prone to scum lies.

[Talilan]

I like randomly ordering the 75 numbers.
I like the chopping in half each time idea.

But why not start with a bigger set... e.g. half of the numbers? Q1: Ask for at least 8 very goods. Then we'll use the half that has more very goods. From that point we could start asking for at least 1 very good to be present.

Q1 would take us down to 38 numbers remaining
Q2 would take us down to 19 remaining
Q3 is 10 remaining numbers
Q4 is 5 remaining numbers
Q5 is 3 remaining numbers
Q6 is 2 remaining numbers
Q7 is 1 remaining number

This is assuming the worst case that we have to go with the larger "half" each time. I think we possibly wouldn't need the 7th question.
Am i missing anything?

~Tal

[Mighty Orbots]

I'm with Carrie. I don't know math, it hurts my head.

I think the only problem with your thing there Death is that we have to give at least 5 numbers, we can't ask just one.

[Talilan]

Ohh, my Qs 5-7 would not be legal. You are right.

[Thok]

That's why I pointed out my version if the first question gives us no very goods: if we know that {1,2,3,4,5} don't have a very good, then then we can ask questions like "Does {1,2,3,4,5,18,19} contain a very good?" and it's the same as asking if {18,19} contains a very good, but with a set of the right size.

[Talilan]

Got it. Does that guarantee a very good in 7 steps if we have no liars?

[Thok]

No, because we still have to deal with the case of {1,2,3,4,5} having a very good (SL's version doesn't work for the reason I gave.)

Plus the "if there's no liars" is a fairly big if.