Investigation Report on the Enigmatic 'Dahlia' in VRChat [Part 2:The Scarlet Realms] 【Life On Mars?/Hotline Miami Sunset】
The following day, after spending time with my fellow seniors in VRC, I recalled the incident at "Cat Tail" and guided them to the scene, hoping they might have some information.
"I've found this mysterious world, you know," I introduced casually, but at that moment, one of the seniors revealed a shocking fact to me.
"I've seen this door design somewhere else," they said.
What could that possibly mean? Drawing unique symbols, seals, and stencils on electric poles and vending machines along the national highway. Could it be that the tradition of impromptu Banksy-like art also thrived in this VR world?
As I pondered these thoughts, we arrived at that world.
It was a place I had heard about before.
A high-quality replica world mimicking Mars, leaving a strong impression on me.
Amidst the otherworldly red wind and ambient sounds, I surveyed the surroundings. There was no suspicious atmosphere, but the exceptional quality of the world's creation hinted at the involvement of some academic institution.
"Follow me," the senior said.
We left the spawn point's base camp and advanced straight ahead across the reddish-brown earth, much like a survey beagle. After a while, a gigantic cube emerged from the hazy horizon right before us.
"That's quite massive," I couldn't help but exclaim.
Its size became increasingly apparent as we approached, but even when we covered more than 60% of our field of view, there was still no end in sight. As I noticed something shimmering at the cube's base, I thought, "A person?" The eerie sound, a mix of the wind's murmur and a sob-like questioning, reached us from afar.
It was neither Japanese nor English-like pronunciation but more like the clamor of a city heard through a telephone underwater – unstable, eerie, and unsettling.
When that sound ceased, we had reached the base of the cube. The shimmering object turned out to be a portal to the outside world, labeled "Hidden Dahlia."
At that time, I was using a Quest device, so I couldn't enter the PC portal.
Clinging to the cube's belly, I climbed up to its massive symbol in the center, but nothing happened. Even when I went around to the back, there was no sign of any fruitful discovery.
I wasn't disappointed; instead, the absence of anything seemed eerily realistic. Normally, if someone went through the trouble of creating such hidden elements, they would leave some clue behind, but here, there was nothing. This only amplified the uncanny atmosphere.
There was nothing in this space but the vast red plains where the red wind howled, and the colossal structure, like a judge, towered over us.
"Let's move on," said the senior.
We suddenly found ourselves in an urban area along the riverbank, a complete contrast to the dry land we were just on. If there was something similar, it would be the overall redness, perhaps symbolizing dusk.
What could possibly be here? As I looked at the buildings lining the other side of the river, I felt the Florida breeze, a sensation I had never experienced before.
Beside the river ran a road for cars, and among the parked vehicles without drivers, my eyes were drawn to a row of public telephones that I had only seen in movies and games.
The senior gestured for me to make a call.
Hesitantly, I interacted with the receiver, and the cacophony of insects surrounding us subsided, as the world lost its color. The ominous sound, similar to that unsettling voice I had heard on Mars, stuck in my ears.
Was it sobbing, screaming, cursing, or pleading?
I had encountered many horror worlds in VRC, but this was different. A warm yet chilling sweat trickled down my back.
As I turned around, the avatar with an inexpressible solemn face, the senior, was opening the last portal.
Inside the bus.
The fact that the riverbank scenery we had been in just moments ago was now passing outside the bus window confirmed that we were riding a bus on the road where the public telephones were.
As the red evening sun bathed the interior of the bus, I noticed the flower design on the side of the scrolling digital display.
Simultaneously, my eyes caught the words scrolling across the display. Although I wasn't fluent in English, I could tell that the scattered words formed something unsettling.
"Do You Like Hurting Other People?"
It felt oddly mismatched for a common symbol of everyday life, like a school bus, to display such an eerie destination. As I got closer, a chill ran down my spine once again.
Someone was in the driver's seat.
I knew. I knew. An NPC, a human-shaped object resembling an avatar. I knew, but encountering such a being in this unsettling environment was unnerving beyond words.
Wearing glasses, she was a girl.
Her vacant eyes gazed ahead, but I couldn't enter the driver's seat due to the collision detection.
Who could she be? ...Yet, I felt like I had seen her somewhere before. Back when I started exploring the world of VR, even before I encountered VRChat itself.
"We'll end things here today," the senior said, and we each logged out at our own pace. But I was the only one still captivated by the worlds imprisoned in red, continuously tracing the scenery passing by and the sterile words scrolling on the digital display.
"Do You Like Hurting Other People?"
- The investigation will continue. -
◇The Silent Wanderer's Scribbles
・LIFE ON MARS？
・Hotline Miami
■Returning to the Investigation's Chronicle
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