When someone dies mysteriously during a Psych experiment, Rhiannon becomes enmeshed in a conspiracy that includes both the survivors and the killer.
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Short on cash, Rhiannon...
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LAW OF EFFECT
( — the principle that behaviors are selected by their consequences; behavior having good consequences tends to be repeated whereas behavior that leads to bad consequences is not repeated. )
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FRIDAYS NOW ONLY MEAN ONE THING TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF PROJECT OXYGEN. Back in the day, for those who actually had an active social life (which clearly wasn't Rhiannon's case), Fridays meant going out to cool one's head after a stressful week of assignments, tests and lectures, for those who could relate; now that the experiment is a thing, it has turned into the only day they're all forced to be at the house.
Though most of them try to make small-talk with each other, as there really isn't anything better to do, especially with all those cameras watching them, Rhiannon can't help but feel like they've joined a reality show instead of a Social Psychology experiment. After all, they're being paid for being watched as they roam around a house Rhiannon wishes she had nothing to do with, with the small difference of there being no eliminations.
She hopes they won't start dropping like flies. Even if they chose to quit the experiment, they'd quickly be replaced because this isn't an isolated system and energy and matter are free to enter and exit this place.
Nevertheless, she's not pleased. Being here means escaping her routine, which is something she definitely doesn't enjoy, and the house is too full, even if she's used to being around even more people back at her dorm. This is obviously different, as she was the one who chose to be here instead of bolting out like the coward she is, and, if there's one thing Rhiannon will always be thankful for, it's her freedom of choice.
At the end of the first week, no one has made much progress. The only existent relationships are the ones that already existed prior to the signing of the forms, so, needless to say, Beatrice and Frances are already getting frustrated. On Wednesday, Rhiannon's second day at the house, they stopped by to let them all know they needed to make an effort to connect with each other; if they kept pulling such moves, the experiment would drag for way longer than it's supposed to and be a hassle for all those involved.
Rhiannon wants to get this over with as quickly as possible. Really, she does. The only thing holding her back, besides her inability to figure out whether all these people can be trusted or not, is her lack of knowledge regarding how to be a team player. If she was one (or if she, at least, knew how to be one), she'd be helping the experimenters and doing something regarding the investigation of Taylor's disappearance.
They have one thing the police don't and her name is Brooklyn Bach. No one really knows how to approach her, much like how they don't know how to begin a conversation with Dimitri because they all see him as Taylor's boyfriend, but there's no doubt in the world she'd know if people only tried to talk to her because she survived the urban legends.
