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Mraagvpeine posted:What are those lines under Lexi's eyes? Take your pick, it never really comes up in-game. 
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Mar 10, 2016 07:32
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Update 6 - Hybrid Night Pit stop in our "lovely" home. Now featuring shorter Turing rants about botany.   Welcome back! If you're ready, we should go find TOMCAT and tell them about what happened. They should still be waiting for us at the Stardust. Oh, by the way! While you showered, I was able to replant your Crassula ovata. Er, I mean Wilty. Don't forget to talk to it and give it some love. When I try talking to it, it doesn't even notice I'm there. I know we shouldn't keep TOMCAT waiting, but as much as the new supplies could help, the plant's survival really depends on you. Your choice. Either way, our next move is the Stardust. Aside from the usual "the plot is here" marker, we've also gained a Lexi marker. We could just go directly to the Stardust, but I'm going to sidetrack a bit and visit her. Music: Step Careful  NSFPD-72: Please give me a few moments to get in contact with Detective Rivers. Thank you for your patience, Citizen Mac. Detective Rivers will be here shortly to speak with you. Please have a seat.   You know, since I don't have anything better to do.-Just checking in to see if you need anything. Mostly I just need a break in the case, Mac. One I can use, instead of the fly-by-night spy crap you're probably digging up. But screw it, we might as well work it from both angles.-How is the investigation going? Ha! It's not going much of anywhere. Hayden's case is still a simple missing persons case. I was only just allowed to open up an official investigation. My superiors aren't out-and-out canning it, so there's at least that, but they still aren't giving me any more resources to work with. I'm assuming it's their way of appeasing the corporate overlords without actually being a bunch of corrupt pigs, but hey, I like a challenge. That means no extra manpower, no extra tech support, nada. Just me and the streets. And you two, for what that counts for. We are happy to assist in any way possible, Detective Rivers. We are at your command! How about you try not to get shot at, for starters? Your track record isn't great on that one so far. Right...-I just figured we should catch up. I'd berate you for wasting my time, but frankly I needed a break anyway. I've been reviewing traffic cam footage for hours, trying to get a glimspe of whoever assaulted Hayden. Other than being over-worked and under-paid, I'm doing just fine. It's been a while since we've just hung out, so what do you want to know?-Why did you transfer to the Neo-SF PD? Ah, hell. A lot of reasons. I don't know if you remember that incident back home, the hybrid ex-marine that was murdering people? Well I couldn't tell you back then, but that was my case. I kinda threw myself into it too hard. Made it too personal. Broke too many rules. The chief had my back, but I felt I'd burned too many bridges. It's a small city, and once the rumor mill got going... Well, I was afraid I'd either be made out to be a hero or a villain, and I didn't really want either. Nevermind the fact that people already didn't like me too much because of my augments. So I figured I'd move to the big city, where the big crimes are, right? Lose myself in the hustle and bustle. Turns out I'm still a bit too much of a cowboy for the Neo-SF PD, but I don't regret the move. Most of the time.-Have you been seeing anyone, since my sister? Reading between the lines on her earlier comments about our sister? What's that?  Eh, nah. Not really. I'm real busy, you know? Running around, chasing bad guys. This isn't a pulp novel. The detective doesn't always get the girl in real life, you know? I'd rather focus on my work. ... ...you ever talk to your sister, by the way?-You should call her. -Yeah, we keep up. She's good. -Not really. Yeah? Yeah. Maybe I should.-Nothing else, really. Just checking in.  Well thanks for keeping tabs on me. We'll have to sit down and have a beer, after this is all over.-Thanks for talking to me, Lexi. You come back if you find something I can use.Use SPOILED MILK on LEXI.  I really don't want to know where this came from or why you think it could be useful for me.Alright, back to the Stardust. Music: Stardust Hybrid Night  -I'd like a drink, please. -Just killing some time.  Yeah? It's a little slow tonight. If things pick up and I get pulled away, you should chat with my boyfriend Gus. See him polishing glasses there? Heh, he knows I'm happy to do it, but I think he feels bad for being away so darn much. He's been running around all over Neo-SF looking for new acts, since he handles our talent. He does get a bit overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, but he's just got a better head for the weird stuff people ask for nowadays. I'd rather leave the bar to him.-How did you guys meet? Ah, well...it's not really my story to tell. Sorry. But I don't think the Stardust would still be here without him. Everyone in the industry loves him. We get a lot of popular acts in here 'cause of him, and that keeps interest high. Needless to say he's a sweetheart. I'm a lucky guy.-So you tend the bar without knowing all the drinks? Eh. That's what a ROM is for. I'm a people person, and that's what matters, right? I can look up all that other stuff.-Huh. Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Sure thing. Don't be a stranger.New person, new bombardment of personal questions.   How's the Stardust treating you?-Not bad. -It's a bit loud for me, but I had to meet someone. Heh, yeah. I like a more intimate setting myself, but Majid makes sure the place has good energy. You'll have to let me or Majid know if you need any help. We try to run a tight ship around here.-Would you mind telling me about yourself. Oh, there isn't much to tell really. Majid really has the run of the place, and he's the people person. I just handle the behind-the-scenes stuff. Accounting or scheduling, stuff like that. His stories from when he was younger are real exciting! I grew up in the city, and didn't do anything remarkable until I met Majid. Not very interesting.-Do you know anything about Hayden Webber? Oh! You're that reporter that Majid was talking about before, huh? Hmm...no, sorry. I've met him since he's a regular, but I've been out and about on business. Haven't seen him in weeks. I wish I could help.-You handle the entertainment for Stardust? Sure, that's one of the things I do. I love music, and I love trying to find up-and-comers to play here. Sometimes they aren't the best, but the enthusiasm is what matters, I think. We've had a few bands and DJs actually get some national recognition after playing here, so we're starting to make a name among artists trying to break into the industry. Still, I have to do a lot of running around and auditioning to get acts I think will do well here. Majid is very patient with me about it.-I'll let you know if I need anything else. Okay! I'm gonna get back to this, but don't feel bad if you need to interrupt me for something.To the dance floor!  New person to pester! Let's poke him and   I'm serious. Annoying them and intruding on their space will just delay our investigation.Spoilsport. I guess we'll talk to him like a normal person.  That's all he has to say. No dialogue trees, no funny item interactions. TOMCAT time.  -Not great. Hayden's apartment was ransacked and someone stole the data cache. -What does it look like?  poo poo! I can't say I saw that one comin'. I figured that they'd nab anythin they needed tha first time they hit the place. Hmm...any ideas who it coulda been? The walls had been spray painted with many grotesque Human Revolution slogans. It is possible that Hayden was targeted by the organization for his work at Parallax. While my development may have been a secret, he is rather well known for his work on virtual intelligence data. A layman would not understand the critical differences between myself and a VI, nor do I think the average Human Revolution member would care to make the distinction. Of course it is more likely, by almost fifteen percent, that is an effort to throw us off the trail.-Either way, we're going to go check out the protests. -At least getting knocked out gave us a lead. -We talked to Yannick Fairlight. He offered to introduce us to someone in the Human Revolution.  What? Knocked out?! Turing, what are they talking about? Are y'all okay? Oh. Um. We were ambushed at the apartment, and Mac was hit with some kind of a neural stunner. We made it to the nearby hospital, and a Doctor Yannick Fairlight happened to be occupying the same room we were placed in. Yannick Fairlight?! Er...oh, I see! And? We had a discussion with him about Hayden's situation once Mac regained consciousness, then came here. He was very kind to point us in the direction of the Human Revolution protest leader. Hopefully we'll be able to get to the bottom of this after interviewing him. Well sheeeit. Things sure are gettin' more serious than I first thought. Y'all need to keep a sharp eye out. Bein' attacked means tha bastards know yer lookin' now. I am confident in Mac's ability to push on. They are surprisingly stubborn.-What do you know about Doctor Fairlight, TOMCAT? Hm. I can't say I know much about tha man. Fairlight always was a bit of a shut-in, even back when he ran System One, his old company. He just about dropped off the face of the earth after the merger between him and Parallax. He shows up in the news once in a blue moon, for some charity thing or another. But...well, it's all just rumor, but I've heard he holds a grudge about it hotter than tha Clantons after the Earps. I'd take care ta look this particular horse in the mouth real close, if I was you.-Fair enough. We'll be careful of him. -Meh. He'd probably just be after Turing like everyone else. -Doesn't matter. It's the only lead we've got. Still, I guess it's a good thing y'all were already makin' plans to head over to tha Genus clinic. While y'all were chasing yer tails, I managed ta find a way into tha Parallax network. Once I'm in, I should be able to dig out any files about Hayden easily enough. Fantastic, TOMCAT! I knew Hayden's faith in you was not misplaced. How long do you think it will take you? Ah, well, there's where tha rubber meets tha road. Parallax actually has considerably better net security than last time I cracked in. I'm gonna need physical access. I've got a good idea where a node for us to slice into is, but it ain't exactly in a nice part of town. In fact, police have basically wrote it off as a lost cause. Not enough profit in it. I know Jess has some contacts around that area...she's that girl that chewed ya a new rear when y'all first came here. It's a tough sell, but she might be able to help y'all get in and out of that part of the city without ending up in a parts bin at an organ chop shop.-Why does Jess have contacts in that part of town? -Profit? It's really gone to poo poo since the police privatized. Ya might not be able to tell, considerin' her viper's tongue and penchant for hittin' tha clubs harder than she's got any right ta, but Jess is actually an attorney. She specializes in defending people in violation of the Human Protection Act, and does almost all of her work pro bono. That's earned her a whole gaggle of pals amongst the hybrid community 'round here, as ya might imagine. Ain't no one gonna cross her in that part of town. Black market hybridization ain't exactly HPA compliant if ya catch my drift, and none of 'em ever know when they might need her to defend them in court.-Fun. I guess I'll go grovel until she agrees to help.  That's tha spirit, Mac! I need a little time ta get all my tools together ta slice into Parallax's network, but y'all keep me updated. Maybe y'all'll get lucky and find that data cache, too. But I ain't gonna count on it. Jess is still hangin' around here at the Stardust, but I saw her head over to tha VIP room. It's hybrid night, and she's a popular gal. Just please remember ta play nice, or her friends will thump ya somethin' fierce. I'll send Jess a message letting her know y'all are lookin' for some assistance and we'll see what happens.-We'll be in touch, TOMCAT. Sure thing, hon. I've gotta head on outta here and get started on settin' up the run. Just have Turing let me know when y'all are ready. Let's go over and say hi to her!  Look. I'm really trying to have a good time, despite all these dumbass Human Revolution bigots stinking up the city. The last thing I need is you prodding at me for whatever scant bit of information you think I have. I ask around about you, journo, and I don't have anything to say to you tonight. Besides, the VIP section is only for hybrids and friends on Hybrid Night, and there's no way I'm vouching for you since I know what you're here for. So scram!Hybrid bouncer: You heard her. Let's go.  We have to get back in there and get her to give us a chance to talk. Surely she will see the importance of our task once we've explained everything! I'm certain we can make her see reason. But that bouncer doesn't look like they would let us back in. Perhaps we should try befriending somebody nearby and convince them to vouch for us? It's a statistical long shot, but the worst case scenario shouldn't leave an excessive amount of physical damage.I'm not sure I want to know what Turing's 'worst case scenario' is. Back to the dance floor, I guess.  Two new people. Let's try this guy first.  Sorry, cutie. Not quite ready to play the room yet. Gonna try to get another drink in me first. Maybe I'll get something a bit sweet. Come hit me up later.This is a not-very-subtle fetch quest. The flavor of drink requested varies, which is where the gigantic drink menu comes into play.  Not much to do but go down the list until we find something described as sweet.  Drinktionary, the free and open alcoholopedia, says... Oh! I got this, sweetie! W-wait, I... Ha ha ha! Sometimes I think I'm just holding up the bar rather than running it. Naw, I just memorized all the drinks. You're better with the customers. If this is a reference to something, I have no idea what. I also have no idea if it's sweet. That's a drink that'll put hair on your chest! The name actually describes what you feel when you sip it. Bitter, sour, and spicy...don't take this one lightly.Oh. Thanks, Gus! The Butch Flower doesn't sound sweet either, so let's move down to the Antarctic Harvest.  The taste invokes a flavor of sweets baked near the ocean.Good enough. I'll take it.    I'm Sylvan. What's a wet drink like yourself doing here?-Probably the same thing as you. -Just hanging out. -Whatever I feel like. No one "just hangs out" at the Stardust. Well, thanks for the drink. The club is a little dead tonight, so it's nice to see a new face. You know anyone here?-No, but I'm hoping to get to know someone. -Just TOMCAT. -Is there anyone worth knowing? TOMCAT? That flashy computer kid? They're always here with a group of other geeks. Not really my type. Too much futzing around with gadgets. Cute outfits, though. You meeting them here?-Not today. Flying solo, if you get me. -Nah. They're busy. -Nope. They're probably off "futzing around." Oh, I do. I really do. well, thanks for the drink, but I think I'm gonna play the room a little more. Maybe we'll run into each other again.That was a bust. Let's try the hybrid woman next.   Sorry, I don't really feel like talking. It's been a long day. Maybe after I have a few drinks in me. Maybe I'll get something a bit sweet.Back to the bar!  A couple of these will make your tongue feel velvety. More of them and you'll be sleeping soundly. Sweet and sour.Good enough. Back to the dance floor!   I'm Katelyn. So...I'm sorry I'm not more sociable. Things have just been rough today.-Why don't you tell me about it? -Oh? -Everyone has it bad nowadays. My brother is going through gene therapy, and these darn protests around the clinic are making life hard for him. He still has to go in at least twice a week for health and maintenance, and they're always outside hassling him. It's exhausting.-You seem to care about him a lot. -I've been looking into the protests for an article I'm writing. -They'll probably get bored and move on soon. Yeah, I suppose. I'm just all he's got, y'know? No one else lives around here, so I'm just doing what anyone else would do. It's not a big deal. He'll be done with the main set of treatments in a few weeks, and we'll be free of them. I just feel bad for everyone else they're hassling.-He's lucky to have you. -At least it won't be too much longer. -One of the sacrifices we make for free speech. Aww, thanks a lot. I'm lucky to have him. Hey, it's been really nice talking to you, but I kinda feel like dancing now. You...you wanna come with me to the VIP area in the back? I have some friends who might be over there. We can hang out with them. They'll like you.-Sure! Great! Let's go. They are with me.Hybrid bouncer: Uh...yeah, okay, if you say so. But it's on you if they can't stay out of trouble.  You have an incoming call, priority marked as urgent... Why don't you take that call? I'll meet up with you later after I make my rounds. Excellent. Sorry for making up the call, I'll still getting used to the whole subterfuge thing you humans do. However, we can now take another run at having a conversation with Jess. We have a dragon to slay. Onward, Mac!  You know, as soon as I first saw you, I hope you'd be dropped like a bad packet off the meshnet and I'd never see you ever again. So, of course, here you are again. And of course, then TOMCAT messages me, practically begging me to help you out.-I think we got off to a bad start here. -We've only met one time. -Oh, there's the kitty's claws. Good to see you too. Yeah, no poo poo. I'll try to keep the bile down if you keep your foot out of your mouth. Sound fair? Let's just get one thing straight here. I'm just talking to you 'cause I owe TOMCAT. I don't owe YOU poo poo. So if you want my help, you gotta do something for me. If you've got a problem with that, find someone else to keep your tourist rear end out of trouble when you're wandering around places you don't belong.-I'd be happy to help. What do you need? -Sounds fair. -Heh. TOMCAT did say you were a charitable soul. I need you to break up those protests. The ones at the Genus clinic on Market Street. I'd prefer it if you could do it discreetly, but I don't at all think you could finesse your way out of a wet paper bag. Just get it done. I got clients in the middle of treatment cycles, and this media circus is making their lives difficult. That means it's making my life difficult. Let the bastards go march somewhere else. Like Washington. Not here.-I don't get it, Jess. You spit venom at me every time I open my mouth, no matter what I say. -I'll figure it out. -Sure, I'll be your cat's paw. Neither of us have any more time to waste. I suggest you "figure it out" quick enough, for your sake. Break up those protests, and then we'll talk.We automatically leave the VIP, coldly abandoning the person we buddied up with.  Let's go to Market Street and break up those protests for Jess!Let's! Next time, that is.
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Mar 10, 2016 21:01
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Geez, in this run all we did was ask her if she was TOMCAT after we asked everybody else. She acts like we threw eggs at her or something.
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Mar 11, 2016 00:26
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She's just kind of acerbic and bitchy no matter what you do. She warms up a little bit towards the end of the game if you play your cards right, assuming you haven't been entirely turned off by her attitude to begin with. Katelyn's remark about "gene therapy" hints at one of the worldbuilding details I actually really like about this game; a lot of gene therapy and cybernetics is actually medical rather than aesthetic or rich-guy-being-better-than-everyone-else. They don't really overwhelm you with detail about it, they just kind of give you enough to get a general idea how it works and decide if you're willing to suspend your disbelief.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:14
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It all just seems all too bright and shiny and sanitized. We're supposed to be tracking a kidnapper or something? So far it feels like a trip through rather preachy future with an insufferably chirpy tour guide.
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Mar 11, 2016 13:49
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Update 7 - Market Street Onward to Market Street. Those people look friendly enough; what could possibly go wrong? Music: Street Action  I have to admit I still find the vandalization of Hayden's apartment puzzling. These protests have been entirely peaceful so far, and the Human Revolution, regardless of the flimsy philosophical ground they stand on, are not a group known for projecting their ideology through intimidation. The more I research them the more I have to admit to the statistical conclusion that we're either dealing with a deceptive covert operations scenario, or less likely, a radical splinter group. Still, I doubt it will hurt to ask around. Brian is there in the center. Fairlight said he was the one to talk to, and my mesh searches confirm that he is the leader of the local Human Revolution organization. He's a bit player on the national scene, but he seems charismatic and camera-conscious from the video clips I've reviewed. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage?Yes, probably. Let's get started by using SPOILED MILK on POLICE ROM.  NSFPD-72: It is no longer safe for human consumption, and thus I advise and urge you to exercise caution. Each protester has their own line of dialog. Going down the list!       Each one also has a Look description about whatever sign they're holding, but they're not very interesting. There's also the faceless horde of protesters in the background, which is chanting much simpler things.  These slogans are terrible... Really? That's the best they have? This barely passes for propaganda...  Are they just coming up with these on the spot?!The only other thing to do with the protesters is talk to Brian, but let's check out some of the surroundings first. Like that Hassy sign.  All Hassy commercials just involve tons of people talking about horrible things they've done all because they "had to have their Hassy!" What a creepy slogan. Their new big drink is Hassy Hot. It sounds gross but it's all the rage, quickly replacing coffee as the favorite morning or afternoon pick me up for lots of people. We should probably look at Genus a bit closer, since the plot's revolving around it right now.  It's a spot frequented by hybrids getting their medical care. That's what makes it a target...it's a hotbed of political issues, all materialized in a physical location. Despite detractors, Genus came from backdoor locations and overseas operations to grow and make ground in every major city in North America. The rise of clinics like Genus happened within the last 5 years. Hybrids have fought and taken a little strength for themselves and intend to keep all they can. Use SPOILED MILK on PROTEST LEADER.   No, that's ours! You can't take it! Oh, thank heavens.Use SPOILED MILK on PROTEST LEADER.  You feel free to hold onto that for now. Whatever helps you fight the good fight!Fine, fine. I see how it is. Just talk at us already.  I have pamphlets! Here, take one. -Yannick Fairlight said to introduce myself. I have one of his cards here. -I'm writing a story on the protests. Can we speak on the record? Oh! Yes, Yannick called and said something about an investigation into an apartment break-in? He didn't elaborate, and I'm not sure how I might be able to assist with this...b-but...if Yannick is involved, I'll do whatever I can. How can I help? We found Human Revolution graffiti spray painted all over the apartment, and some things were stolen. I was hoping you might be able to point us in the direction of whoever did it. Ah...well, the Human Revolution certainly does not condone such actions at all. We're a peaceful organization, and threatening people is not going to earn us hearts and minds. But...off the record? Some of our younger members can be a bit overzealous, as any hotheaded teenager tends to be. I'll look into this matter personally, and if I discover that any of our younger members were involved, they'll be turned in to the proper authorities. A little community service might do them some good. I'll also let Yannick know anything I find out. Is there something else I can help you with?-Could I ask some questions about the Human Revolution? -No. Thank you for your time. Of course! That's what I'm here for after all. What can I answer for you?-What are the ultimate goals of the Human Revolution? We hope to make the country more conscious of the technology we're developing, and make a move away from the more dangerous sciences before it's too late. We used to say that splitting the atom would surely bring about the end of mankind. But now we're flirting with the very things that make us human, and that puts us on a far more dangerous course without a rudder to guide us. The revolution we want is for humanity, as a whole, to decide that the best course for our species is to remain as we were created, and return to living in simpler times with simpler tools.-Why protest at this clinic? Genetic modification is one of the most dangerous sciences we've ever fooled around with. It's playing God on the highest order, and threatens to unseat what it means to be human altogether. Cybernetics is a dangerous path as well, selling off pieces of ourselves bit-by-bit for mechanical strength and resilience, but at least a brain-controlled android is still a human brain in a metal box. There is a reason Congress enacted laws prohibiting highly-modified hybrids from breeding. Now, I do not fault the individuals who come here for treatments, many of whom would be crippled or dying without advanced genetic modification. However, we must take a stand against the medical research industry that would have us all cast aside our humanity for their miracle cures.-How do you plan on enacting the social change you want? Option sadly not available: "So you're basically okay with people dying because you're terrified of them being less human?" At our core we are a peaceful movement, and seek only to convince people to vote according to the truths we reveal to them. The Human Revolution has faith that American democracy will win out in the end. It only falls to us to make sure the people are informed about the daunting and confusing technologies they put their faith in unknowingly every day. On a personal level, we would like to exhort every individual to try to live more simply, and reject any gadget or medicine that would make us less than we are. Is there something else I can help you with?-No. Thank you for your time. Of course! If you have any other questions, feel free to come back. You're like a hound on the hunt, sniffing anywhere you think something will turn up. Hopefully we'll get lucky enough to turn up a new lead, even if this one didn't pan out like we'd hoped.-What do you think about what he said? -The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work, Turing. -Standing here jawing isn't going to find him. I think he was considerably less deluded than my searches on the meshnet had led me to believe.-That's fair. -I meant if he was telling the truth. Don't forget. We're still here to actuall break up these protests. Let's see if we can't figure out a solution together! Make sure to take a look around and think carefully. I'm sure we'll find something!Like that tower in the distance? Music: Distant Scenery  Even though it has been around so long, it's still very useful as a powerful broadcasting antenna for high-speed data. Use HEADPHONES on SUTRO TOWER.  Sutro Tower is a real TV & radio broadcasting tower. We're roughly around the green dot on this map & the tower is near the blue dot, to give you an idea of how distant it is. But enough of that. What's this Hot Cup sign?  The Hassy company just released the new Hassy Hot Cups, a disgusting combination of ramen noodles and Hassy Hot.  ...on second thought, let's just occupy ourselves with this new ROM to harass. Apparently it is owned by the Hassy Bar, based on this identification marker. Don't ask me how it works. I don't have any clue about the thermodynamics involved. If you want to learn more about it, perhaps someone in the Hassy Bar can answer your questions.Use SPOILED MILK on WEATHER ROM.  Hurricanes usually cause spoiled milk, not the other way around.Let's admire that wreath before we head into the Hassy Bar.  The wreath smells like Hassy... Music: Hassy Bar  Spoilers: We will never get to play Duck Game. I'm as heartbroken as you are.  We will, however, get to talk to that customer trying to enjoy his Hassy.  Customer: If you haven't tried it yet, definitely go get a Hassy Hot Chocolate. To me, Hassy represents an escape from the flavorlessness of life. To be honest, Hassy has completely changed my life. I come here every day. Do you think it's weird how much I like Hassy? How much do you like Hassy? It's always the best, right? I wonder if there's something wrong with me. Maybe a Winterfresh Hassy will help me figure it out. ...don't judge me. Not Ominous. Neither is this plant.  Maybe a Hassy would help your plant at home?Use HEADPHONES on PLANT.  It's a pleasant tone, but consumerist and creepy. In the middle of spamming my items on the Hassy Bar owner(which sadly did not include spoiled milk), I did this bit slightly out of the intended order. We're not missing anything, so just pretend Mac managed to think outside the box without external prompting.   Why are you giving me his card?-I work for him. He's looking to buy a climate control ROM like yours. Yes! He's getting on in years, and it would be useful for when he goes out and about.-I need a close look at it to make sure it will suit his purposes.  Uh...yeah, okay. I guess you can take a peek. Don't bust it, though! I've scanned this card, and I swear if you break my ROM I'll be calling your boss. Here's the RFID key to access it. Thank you! This will surely be useful for our needs. Shall we go check it out, Mac?We could, and we will. But first, the obligatory grilling of new characters.  Soooo moe! I haven't seen that model before. What kind is it?-They're a custom model. -I'm not sure. They were a gift. -The mouthy kind. This one's for the goon who wondered why Turing didn't stick out like a sore thumb. Oh, wow! You don't see a whole lot of those around. Must have taken ages to get that case looking that good with a home printer, too. Really nice work. I'm impressed! Anyway, what can I get you?-A drink, and maybe some information? A drink I can do...and I guess I have some time to talk. The protesters outside the clinic are driving off a lot of my regular customers. Filling up my bathroom too! Jerks! So, what do you want to know?-Tell me about yourself. Oh! I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Ramona. I guess there isn't much to tell. I went to college, got a degree, took out a loan, and bought this place. Now I spend my days trying to find enough time and money to sustain my crippling addiction to VR dramas. I love cute things and justice, and in another life I'm pretty sure I'd be a magical girl. What else...? I pretty much don't leave the store.Well, that explains her outfit. -You don't seem pleased about the Human Revolution. Look, I'm all for free speech, so I don't really want to run them off or anything. They've got the right to protest. I just know that once they're done with the hybrids, they'll be coming for me next. So I'll be voting appropriately. And I swear to any god that will listen, if I have to unclog the toilet one more time I will lose my damned mind!-Why would they come after you? Oh, you can't tell? I've got a cybernetic arm and leg, thanks to an auto-cab crash when I was a kid, never mind my neural links for VR interfacing. If it were up to those neo-Luddites I'd be stuck in a wheelchair right now, or worse depending on how far back they want to push our medical technology. It's already illegal for me to have a rocket-powered fist. What more do they want?!-You called Turing moe? Sorry! Otaku speak. I just mean he's really cute and lovable, and you kinda wanna protect him from everything, know what I mean? He's super moe! A lot of otaku come around here, probably because I own the place. I'm used to being able to shoot my mouth off and not explain all the jargon.-Otaku...as in Japanese cartoons? Excuse me Mac, but the proper term is ANIME and  Yeah! I know it's a bit out of fashion, and I do keep up with all the newest VR dramas, but I'm a history buff. You gotta understand the past to really get the stories of the present, you know what I mean? I've been to Tokyo twice already. Japan is strange; it's very conservative and resistant to cultural change, even among the otaku. Akihabara is pretty much untouched from the early 2000s, even after the rise of the home printer. They just like making the pilgrimage to buy hand-made figurines instead of printing them at home. The old otaku resist the culture of the saishi in the same way their parents refused to give up cassette tapes.-The saishi? Oh! Sorry. The saiba shito: the cyber dead.In the early 21st century, Japan had an epidemic of chronic shut-ins, and the rise of direct-link virtual reality only made that worse. Suddenly people weren't just refusing to leave their rooms, they were refusing to leave their heads. It was just about the worst-case projected scenario for the aging Japanese populace. But as the technology got better, the saishi were the first to figure out how to use their own brains to sculpt cyberspace. Computers are good at thinking in straight lines, but the human brain is capable of so much more. The best virtual landscapes, the most real VR dramas and games, are created by the saishi. So they got rich. So even if an earthquake or a meteor or whatever leveled Japan, they'd still have Neo-Tokyo built on the VR net. Other countries are trying hard to keep up, both by training their own VR sculptors and researching more brain-like processing technologies, but the best stuff still comes out of Japan. But enough babbling. If you're interested I'm sure you can find out more on the mesh, or use an induction helmet to visit Neo-Tokyo yourself. It's a trip, especially for newbies. tl;dr: Shut-ins have inherited the virtual Earth, and this is all concentrated in Japan because Japan. -I think that's everything. Okay! Enjoy your drink, and let me know if you need anything else.Back outside to fiddle around with the weather ROM. Music: Street Action  Maybe we could make things a little more festive? Christmas is my favorite season. Should I switch it to snow mode?-Yes, turn this baby on. -No, we shouldn't mess with it.  Yup. That sure is snow. White dots and all.  Okay people, I for one didn't bring any winter wear. Let's call it a day for now.The protestors magically fade away into the snowy...late afternoon?  I'll deactivate snow mode so we can warm up. Excellent work, Mac!  ...Mac. Might I draw your attention to those youths over yonder? Counter-culture clothing, obvious bad attitudes, and graffiti paraphernalia. Those could be our suspects who are creating mischief under the guise of social change.-It couldn't hurt to check it out. -Maybe. Let's talk to them. -Really? Deduced that all on your own, Sherlock? We do not have a "maybe we shouldn't shake down random teens in our mad quest for vengeance" option. Right. We should approach them cautiously, as to not start a confrontation with the wrong individuals. They may even point us to the true culprits. Oh no! They've noticed our attentions! Come along, Mac! Maybe we can catch them!  Or maybe we can't. We'll never catch them on foot. Hold on, I'm calling for an autocab of our own. I know it seems like a great deal of trouble for such a tenuous lead, but I have a hunch about them. The wicked flee when no man pursueth. Arg! The autocab is estimated to take five minutes to arrive. We'll never be able to engage in pursuit fast enough to catch up with them. Perhaps we should call TOMCAT? Maybe they can do some bit of techno-wizardry and stop that cab.-Good idea. Ring them up. -It's better than doing nothing, anyway. Excellent. Hold on while I connect us.Music: Both Sides Of The Law Howdy folks. How's tha search for the data cache goin'? Actually, that's what we're calling about, TOMCAT. We may have located the people who took it, but they eluded us and are making their escape in an autocab. We attempted to use a cab of our own to tail them, but traffic is congested and they're getting away! Can you hack the cab and stop it? No can do, little guy. Tha security on those cabs is tighter than Fort Knox, and the dang thing'll shut down its external net connection long before I get in. But...I have an idea. Sit tight for just a sec.Generic typing noises.  Alright! That went faster than spit on a skillet. I did a job a few years back and had to break into the city's central traffic network for reasons that are best left up to speculation. Those fools left the back door I put in wide open, and I'm logging into the traffic mangement system now. Wait...aw, poo poo. They may not have fixed that back door, but they did install a new counter intrusion VI. Ugh, the drat thing is hot on my tail.-What's a VI? -Your fake accent is pretty inconsistent, TOMCAT... -What can we do? Virtual Intelligence. They're kinda like Turing, except less creative or inventive. Not really sapient. But they're nasty enough at huntin' down hackers and crackers if yer willin' to pay fer a good one. I'm gonna need tha two of ya to handle the traffic system. Turing, I'm passin' control to you. You should be able to use your map app to keep track of them, and redirect their cab back to you... Just trigger the cab control nodes to adjust the routes they can take. You should be able to trick their cab's GPS system into thinkin' the shortest route goes right back past ya. Ya just gotta stop 'em at tha light there by y'all. I'll put a market on the map for ya. If you stop and trap 'em anywhere else, they'll just get out of the autocab and run away, so be careful! Hold tight. I'm gonna be doing some two-sets-of-hands-on-one-keyboard kind of hacking. Just hurry. I don't know how long I'm gonna be able to keep this VI from messin' on the carpet, and once I kill tha connection, this little trick is over. I'm dead certain it'll find the back door after this. Just push on the map I'm loadin' up on Turing's face...sorry, Turing!Music: Catch Me First!   Puzzle time! Incidentally, we can pinpoint our current area as being here if we pay attention to the street names. They really put a lot of effort into making Neo-SF authentic! The tl;dr is that we can block off two routes per 'turn' before the autocab gets a move. They don't necessarily have to be at the same intersection. Routes we block off stay blocked off. Turing starts by blocking the south route here for us, so the autocab can't escape. We have to decide everything else ourselves.  I block off the way to the east, and they head north. After a few more rounds of simple blocking...  So far so good...  Until we let them go here. There are three ways for them to leave the map, and we can only block two of them, so we're hosed. It's an easy trap to fall into if you're not looking ahead, so don't do that! They're getting away! Don't panic just yet! I managed to tell the cab ta head back over to your grid. Definitely a one-shot trick, though. Those VIs are all over the path I used. Alright, let's try again. Don't let them escape. There's zero excuse for failing twice, since all the routes we blocked off are still blocked off! Note that the shading is deceptive - for instance, the cab could actually go south, since we only blocked the northbound way from the intersection below. Not that it matters here since that just leads them back into our trap.  They eventually end up back here, but thanks to the pre-blocked routes, it's simple to keep them from escaping. From there they bounce back and forth a bit, until we lock them into the place we want them. Incidentally, it is possible to succeed on the first try, but I wanted to show off the failure mechanics.  If I stand in front of their autocab, its anti-collision system will keep it from moving, and then we can interrogate the miscreants! I'm gonna go stop them!Music: Troublemakers  They don't get normal portraits, or even changing facial expressions, during this conversation. For reference: Angry Punk is the one on the left. The bald one on the right is Nervous Punk.  Who do you think you're messin' with, huh? You ain't got nothin' on us, and if you won't get outta my way, I'll mess you up! Hey, Mac. What do you think we should do? We haven't observed them doing anything illegal, and we could potentially make this go over smoothly. Or, we could share news of this encounter with your friend in law enforcement before things get out of hand. These two seem agitated already, and it may be best to make sure they're handled by the appropriate authorities. Those are the options I deduced: Questions, or cops? It's up to you. How do you want to do this?-Lexi will know what to do. Time to face the law, boys! -Let's grill them and see what they know. We have just a few questions for you sirs, if you'd be so kind as to give us a few minutes of your time. Did you not hear what I- Maybe we should just answer their questions? I mean, we didn't do anything wrong, right? Er...right! We ain't got nothin' to hide.-What's in the bag? You a cop? 'Cause if you ain't, we ain't got nothin' in the bag.-What's the spray paint for? We're newbie street artists. These are the tools of our trade. T-these are all above board and legal. We just got done making a piece for a client. Right! We're ARTISTS.-Why'd you run? Runnin'? Who was I runnin' from? You callin' me a coward?! Uhhh, I don't think that's what they were insinuating... Er. Right! We just got places to go, and gotta get there fast. You're holding us up.-This is ridiculous. Enough! Stop assuming you can misdirect us with blustery words and feigned ignorance. I've matched the hues of those paints and the pattern of the bottoms of your shoes with 95% accuracy to the scene of Hayden Webber's apartment. Now tell us what you were doing there, and why you stole Hayden's data cache. Now you're accusin' us of stealin'? I can't believe this... Chad, I think they've caught us. Maybe we just answer their questions so they don't go to the cops? Dammit, Oliver! I told you I'm Starfucker now! Hey! I just went along with this because you said we would go to that movie afterwards. I don't even care about this Human Revolution stuff. Just because your dad... Don't bring my dad into this! Fine. Whatever. We'll answer your friggin' questions.Yes, the game is very insistent on labeling Chad/Starfucker "Starfucker". -Why tag Hayden's apartment? Aw man, no big reason. I mean he's a big hotshot researcher at Parallax, right? We heard a rumor his place was gonna be empty. Who's gonna pass up a sweet target like that? We don't need anymore of this tech poo poo, like your lippy ROM there.-Do you know anything about Hayden's kidnapping? K-kidnapped? He's been kidnapped? poo poo, we ain't got nothin' to do with that. We just sliced the door controls and trashed the place. Wasn't nobody there.-Why did you take the data cache? I told you we didn't steal nothin'! Be quiet, Chad! I don't want to go to juvie. Here, you can have it. Pfft. We just took it to pawn it. Data caches like that are worth a lot, right? Way denser storage capacity than a regular hard drive. Don't even care about it anymore. Okay, thanks for giving us the data cache back. We'll make sure it gets to the right place.-Stay out of trouble. You're good kids. -Maybe you should give up vandalizing places. -You're lucky we don't call the cops. Yeah, whatever. Just get out of my way. We hope you find that Hayden guy. We weren't trying to hurt anyone.Music: Street Action  Great! Can we get dinner first? Sure, whatever you want. I feel better now, Chad. I won't forget that.Ah, young juvenile delinquency.  Oops, we'd better go fix th- Incoming call from TOMCAT. Hey folks, Jess just called me and told me she's got the way to the access node I needed to slice into clear for ya. Did ya get the data cache? Yes! Those punks happened to have it. Great! We don't have time to worry about it right now, though. Go to Stardust and drop it off with Majid for me, okay? He'll hold it to pass onto me once I get there. I've managed to trigger an alert with Parallax's network security, and they're gonna be moving their logs from one secure server to another. I need y'all in place at that access node before they do. No time for lolly-gagging! No problem, TOMCAT. We'll make our way there directly after we go to Stardust. We can worry about the weather ROM's malfunction later. Let's go, Mac. Our mission for Jess is done.
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Mar 15, 2016 01:28
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I'd be careful about accessing that data cache. If there's anyone you're given to underestimate, it's a guy called "Starfucker".
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Mar 15, 2016 04:17
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Haifisch posted:Yes, the game is very insistent on labeling Chad/Starfucker "Starfucker". Whatever else you think of the game, you have to respect the lengths it goes to to respect the identities people choose for themselves. Even if those identities are stupid. E: vvv No, the plot hole is that a teenager was hanging around where his dad was doing something embarrassing; I don't think it comes up in the game aside from almost alluding to it in that conversation there but according to the Steam trading cards the leader of the Human Revolution is Chad's dad. As far as I can tell he and his little boyfriend were given the job of wrecking up Hayden's place because they were the nearest HR-affiliated delinquents available. Dr. Buttass fucked around with this message at 11:59 on Mar 15, 2016 |
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Mar 15, 2016 07:28
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Lucky us that in a city of millions, the first two punks we see and interrogate are the ones who actually did it.
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Mar 15, 2016 07:30
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Lareine posted:Lucky us that in a city of millions, the first two punks we see and interrogate are the ones who actually did it.
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Mar 15, 2016 16:43
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The gene therapy debate they put up here is interesting, and it's cool that they didn't make the revolution guy a complete frothing psychopath.
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Mar 15, 2016 22:57
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Fabricated posted:The gene therapy debate they put up here is interesting, and it's cool that they didn't make the revolution guy a complete frothing psychopath. It's like any movement really, mostly peaceful people who want what they believe to be best, with a handful of bat-poo poo crazy people who become the face of movement. “Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” as they say.
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Mar 16, 2016 00:09
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Fabricated posted:The gene therapy debate they put up here is interesting, and it's cool that they didn't make the revolution guy a complete frothing psychopath. Well, I mean, the thing is, it's like I said earlier. He's saying it in a reasonable tone of voice, but at the end of the day the core tenet of his philosophy is that what makes us all human isn't shared experiences as residents of this island Earth, or common ground we find in little things, or the love in our hearts, or anything intangible like that; it's the physical form of our meat bodies. Aside from the argument we already had, my problem with calling this an "interesting debate" is that it's got a huge hole in it that never gets filled. If we assume their central premise is true and gene mods or cybernetics make you Not Human in some deeper, philosophical way, no one ever actually explains why this might be wrong or bad. They just sort of take it as read that it is without really examining it. One guy gives us the ever popular "they're stealing our jobs" but no one ever gives us an actual reason why I ought to pause and reconsider what will become of my Humanity, or say anything other than "so loving what," before I go get myself turned into a crazy lizard person who can't have heart attacks*. *Please do not actually try to win an argument by saying some dude on the internet said lizards can't get heart attacks, I just pulled it out of my rear end. If you wanna know for sure go feed 300 lizards on an all-baconator diet and see what happens**. **Actually don't. Leave the poor lizards alone.
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Mar 16, 2016 07:42
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As a heads-up, the next update will be a bit late. Spending a week on vacation, visiting family, and generally being away from the desktop I have all my LP stuff on. Not that that's much slower than the schedule I've been settling in to, but just so you know.
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Mar 17, 2016 19:10
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Huh, so that's why Turing is a playable "team" in Duck Game. It's a fun game for local multiplayer just for how ridiculous it can get.
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Mar 17, 2016 20:22
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Dr. Buttass posted:Well, I mean, the thing is, it's like I said earlier. He's saying it in a reasonable tone of voice, but at the end of the day the core tenet of his philosophy is that what makes us all human isn't shared experiences as residents of this island Earth, or common ground we find in little things, or the love in our hearts, or anything intangible like that; it's the physical form of our meat bodies. Aside from the argument we already had, my problem with calling this an "interesting debate" is that it's got a huge hole in it that never gets filled. If we assume their central premise is true and gene mods or cybernetics make you Not Human in some deeper, philosophical way, no one ever actually explains why this might be wrong or bad. They just sort of take it as read that it is without really examining it. One guy gives us the ever popular "they're stealing our jobs" but no one ever gives us an actual reason why I ought to pause and reconsider what will become of my Humanity, or say anything other than "so loving what," before I go get myself turned into a crazy lizard person who can't have heart attacks*.
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Mar 18, 2016 01:08
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I'd really hate to see what you have to say to an amputee then.
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Mar 19, 2016 04:29
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Update 8 - The Node Last time, we shook down some random teenagers that coincidentally had our data cache. We're supposed to go back to Jess now, but...  ...there's some stuff going on in the Hassy bar. Not all of it involving us breaking their ROM. Music: Hassy Bar  Those protesters are gone, but I'm still not gonna get any customers with it freezing like this!   Uh...don't think I've forgiven you, ya dingus! I better go get some Hassy Hot Cups going... Well! All's well that ends well. Right, Mac? I'll check the mesh for common issues with the mode selector on the 6703 ROM unit, and forward the solutions to the Hassy bar owner. I'm certain she'll be able to get it turned off after the customer rush.There's a ton of new people in here. Let's start with that person with the amazing green hair.  Cactus Canary: One day I'll conquer everyone else in the Neo-SF Wrestling Federation, and become the NSFW World Heavyweight Championship! Er, Champion. Until then, I'm a Violent Wing for life! And...a Hassy Hot Cup fan for life, too. Cactus Canary: Our aerodynamic assault will rain down on you from the heavenly skies! But first, a Hassy Hot Cup. Next is that green-skinned guy who was in the Stardust, and who will magically teleport back there when we go back.  Green Hybrid: The Hassy bar owner has cybernetics...those that do usually get along with hybrids better. All the way to the right is:  Film Assistant: What am I saying? TMI does stories on Hassy nearly every day! Hahaha! Disgusting reminder that Hassy Hot Cups are ramen with an energy drink broth. Also let's take a look at that person lugging a flag around.  Everyone knows wrestlers love Hassy!  Night Witch: You should come by our New Year's show: NSFW New Year's SMASH! There's nothing better than seeing one of our patented Bombs Away finishers in person! Except maybe a Hassy Hot Cup. We're gonna win back those NSFW Neverweight 5-Person Cincos Titles from the Future Foundry!  This one has a portrait. And a name already filled in. Hmm.   Grr...all they have here is energy drink! Where's the booze at? What kind of bar is this? It's a Hassy bar. But I...yeah, okay...what the heck is a Hassy, anyway...? I have such a massive craving for something else right now...1 Adelhyde, 2 Bronson, 2 Delta, 3 Flanergide, and 5 Karmotrine...! Mixed! Without ice...and no aging! Aaah, nothing beats it!Yes, this does look like a fetch quest, but we can't actually bring Dana a drink. This is what happens if you try to bring a drink out of the bar:   Back to what we're supposed to be doing. Music: Stardust Hybrid Night  Oh, right! TOMCAT asked me to take that off your hands and pass it onto them later. Thanks for getting it to me! I won't pester you about what it is. I know things are always very hush-hush with TOMCAT. I'll make sure they get it later today. Thank you very much, Majid! Katelyn's finally back in the VIP room. Better check in with her.  I kind of feel like dancing now. Wanna join me?No hard feelings about us ditching her, at least. But enough about her, it's time to talk to Jess.  Alright then. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and return the favor. I called up my buddy who's on night shift today for Parallax, watching over an access node in deep Mission. TOMCAT said that if you got access to an old access node you might be able to find out what happened to Hayden. My buddy can buzz you in, but if anything happens, you broke in. This puts us at about even. Don't think about drawing any more debts for a while. Go on, get out of here! Looks like a respectable place in a safe part of town. What were we worried about? Music: Silence  Unassuming, and quiet. I'll be honest...I don't think I would be in this section of the city without Jess giving us the all clear. The crime statistics are quite alarming, so let us get done with our errand here and move on to safer ground.-Don't be worried about getting mugged. -Let's hope she sticks to her half of the bargain. -Good to see your self-preservation routines working overtime. I'm sure she will, Mac. Jess is a bit aggressive and standoffish, but I would not accuse her of being dishonest or underhanded. But...I guess I did just meet her, and she is a lawyer, an occupation known for slippery thinking. Perhaps we should hurry this along. TOMCAT is waiting for us to call them when we arrive.First thing's first: Gawk at that graffiti.  I had never much considered doing any of it myself, but it seems like an interesting avenue to pursue once I move beyond abstract expressionism.-You paint? Yes they do, Mac. We've already had a lengthy conversation about it. Try to keep up. Of course I do, though in a more traditional style than most street art. The simpler tags, visual shoutings of identity and existence...they exhibit a feeling I can sympathize with, but it's these larger pieces, riots of color and chaos, that really interest me. Petty vandalism is beneath me, but there are other avenues for the practice. For example, did you know that Los Angeles, in the mid-2030s, legalized putting up mural style street art on any building without requiring permission from the owner or the city? It was chaos of the highest degree for a while, but now the place is truly remarkable. Perhaps I will visit, once this is all done with.-That graffiti is actually the symbol of gonzo journalism. -Oh, I'm veeeery interested. Yeah. Sure. It actually is, aside from the mouths! Ah! I hadn't even noticed. Do you have much experience with gonzo journalism yourself, reporting after or during direct participation? If you do end up writing on this experience, whatever you produce would be the very definition of it. You're too close to be objective now, and you're a key subject in this event. It doesn't seem to be your usual style, but you couldn't go another route at this point, and you're in the clear as you didn't instigate the situation. Hmm...I've never had much interest in the practice, but spending so much time around you has taught me to look at events in a different light. Perhaps only because I can verify your personal experiences as fact. Sorry. I'm rambling again, aren't I? And we're on a schedule. I don't even want to think about this...what if we don't find Hayden? What if we do? My nerves are shot from the stress of the past day. It's already taking a toll on me. But never mind. Let's find that access node. Let's find Hayden.Dare I look at the graffiti again after all that? Yes I do.  I'm going to show it to Hayden.We've looked, now let's touch.  Keep those dirty hands away from me! You didn't bring any hand sanitizer!Use SPOILED MILK on STREET ART.  Don't pour too much out! It might be useful later. You've been carrying it around for a while now. It would be a shame to waste it at this point. Fine. We'll just talk to the garbage on the sidewalk instead.  I know I can be a bit chatty, but surely I'm more interesting than the rubbish?Can we trust Fairlight? Let's consult the trash on this matter by way of his business card.  They're likely not acquainted. Next up: Using the generator.  Let's leave it alone. Neither you nor I have any ability to make this generator more efficient!Of course, Turing. The only reason we'd mess with it is to try to improve the state of the block's energy system. Maybe talking it out is the answer?  I can imitate some similar appliance turbine sounds for you, if you enjoy it so much.Turing gets jealous when you talk to other machines. Use SPOILED MILK on GENERATOR.  An opportunity to actually use it for something! But pouring it would mean not having any spoiled milk, and we can't have that. There's no extra dialogue for refusing to pour. Let's just talk to the apartment door instead.  Did I say neighbots? I-I meant neighbors! Sorry, I'm really tired. Besides, this is the wrong door.There's only one other door to use. Let's get to it.  Hello...?Node Security: Yes, can I help you? -This is Parallax Technician 329B, here for routine inspection. -23, 12, 49, 10! -We're, uh, friends of Jess? -... Node Security: I was wondering when you'd get there. You're at the access node on Cesar Chavez and Indiana, right? That's right!Node Security: Good. Be quick, don't touch anything. Got it? This conversation never happened, and you're on your own if you get caught here. I hope you find what you're looking for. This is it. Let's go inside and I'll call TOMCAT. Music: Assorted hums and alert beeps.  Oh, I forgot you can't see in dark lighting. Maybe that switch over there adjusts the brightness?It's called a 'light switch', Turing.  Howdy! Y'all at the access node? I'm set to slice in once Turing makes physical access. Of course, TOMCAT. Just walk me through how to connect myself, and I'll give you the necessary system permissions to use me as an interface. Just patch yourself into that LYNX terminal down there and I should be able to get started. Connecting wirelessly to it...now! Permissions granted. Please be careful in there. Don't worry. I'm an old hand at this. You won't notice a thing. One sec...hmm...looks like I have a bit more for ya to do before I can get the info we need. One of the cassettes the old system here uses is missin', and it happens ta be the one from the recall slot. Without it, we won't be able to call up old surveillance records. There should be a cassette on the opposite side of the wall we can overwrite with the recall program. Pretty sure all that one was used for was handlin' phone monitorin'. Y'know, from back when phone networks were their own thing, separate from the data network. Hmm...maybe I'm betrayin' my age a bit too much...anyways, we need ta move that cassette across the room to access the records. Figure out how to do that, and hit me back up when you've done it!Another simple puzzle. Any fool can see that the mess of wires on the floor is the key.  You shouldn't push your luck... What's goin' on down there? Somethin' shorted the main breaker and everythin' switched over to tha auxiliary. Try not to wreck tha node before ya get what ya went down there for.The actual solution involves moving the utility arm on the right over to the cassette on the left, and both are too high for us to reach normally. Let's take a closer look at that utility arm.  Is there something wrong with my arms? I was certain Hayden installed state-of-the-art prototypes.-Your arms are just fine, Turing! -I was just kidding. -They are a bit scrawny. Oh, I see! Humorous! This model is extremely antiquated though. I doubt it has anything approaching the precision of modern servomotor appendages, to say nothing of the strength.To actually use the arm, we need to use the LYNX terminal.  Welcome to LYNX! -Access security records -Review maintenance log -Operate data transfer arm -Exit From here, you issue a chain of move, turn, and extend/retract commands until the cassette gets where it needs to be.    Like so. Nice job! I'm gonna put some more pressure on them to move the data now, and we'll see if we can't slurp it right out of this network trunk. Ya woulda thought that someone woulda noticed and decomissioned this access node when the neighborhood went to hell, but this mouse is happy to play while the cat is away.-Why is this place usable for us, anyway? Way back when I was a young'un, when I first hacked into Parallax's network, I mostly did it to make a point, yeah? They were just about to launch the meshnet system, and I wanted to show the whole darned world that their security had more holes in it than swiss cheese. Of course, I wasn't too shy about poking in a few more holes of my own devisin' while I was there. After puttin' in some more tricky software backdoors, I went ahead and deleted this access node off the maintenance schedule. Then I reassigned the guy who was supposed to keep an eye on it to a different location. They were in the process of buyin' up a whole gaggle of these nodes in preparation to set up a private network for themselves to use after the meshnet got up and running. Really confident of 'em, ya know? Most of the software holes have been patched out as they upgraded their network, but this ol' place is as forgotten as I left it.-Why would they move the data? Ah, well I've been hitting every port into the network of one of their data centers I can find, with a botnet driven directed denial of service attack. It ain't likely to do much, but toss in a few attempts to crack the firewall and their VIs are shittin' bricks. It's standard procedure for them to move their sensitive data to a different center through a secure hardline in case the attacker actually gets in. Make enough noise and it'll scare 'em enough into takin' some defensive action, which is where we want 'em.-Let us know when you're done. Y'all just hold tight. I'll be done with this lickity split. Oh, God.  I'm so sorry. What is it, TOMCAT? What did you find? He's gone, Turing. Of course he's gone, TOMCAT. That's why we're here.Music: More Than Words Can Say poo poo. I mean he's gone gone, Turing. ... Well that obviously isn't right, TOMCAT. Why would they kill him? Can you send me the relevant files? You must have missed something. Okay...if you're sure. I found the security cam video from the hallway outside the apartment. It looks like he started to struggle when they got him out the door, and...one of the kidnappers shot him. I also found some chatter about the botched raid on some darknet channels. I'm so damned sorry. ...  Thank you for your assistance in this matter, TOMCAT.  I think I'll walk back to your apartment. I need some time to run some calculations about this new scenario. If you'll excuse me. ...should you follow them?-I'd need some time to myself, too. -Turing will...be okay. -I'll catch up later. If you say so. I'm gonna keep digging through this data until they kick me out of the system. I'll try to find some kind of lead on why this whole thing started in the first place. It isn't much of a bright spot, but it seems that they aren't looking for Turing anymore. Maybe it's time to call it quits. Anyway, I'll talk to you later.
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Mar 28, 2016 19:57
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It's an interesting twist, but I'm still stuck on the fact that the wrestling league is called "NSFW".
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Mar 29, 2016 11:11
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If he was shot, why wasn't there any blood in the hallway? Did they shoot him with a self-cauterizing laser gun or something?
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Mar 29, 2016 12:29
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...see, now this just seems like this elaborate guilt trip some GM is laying on their Shadowrun players, one of whom drew a gun in the heat of the moment and killed their extraction target.
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Mar 30, 2016 00:51
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Lareine posted:If he was shot, why wasn't there any blood in the hallway? Did they shoot him with a self-cauterizing laser gun or something? It's even dumber when they have knockout EM disruptors in this world, which have already been used on the player. Like this plot point is so monumentally stupid, why the gently caress would you not have your extraction team armed with the stun rays? Is the conspiracy made up of vastly powerful and omnipresent interests that are managed exclusively by morons and lackwits?
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Mar 30, 2016 02:37
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akulanization posted:It's even dumber when they have knockout EM disruptors in this world, which have already been used on the player. Like this plot point is so monumentally stupid, why the gently caress would you not have your extraction team armed with the stun rays? Is the conspiracy made up of vastly powerful and omnipresent interests that are managed exclusively by morons and lackwits? Maybe the video is a fake. Maybe they made it so we would think he was dead and stop looking for him.
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Mar 30, 2016 03:04
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Lareine posted:If he was shot, why wasn't there any blood in the hallway? Did they shoot him with a self-cauterizing laser gun or something? I imagine so, actually. The stun gun Lexi gave us has a kill setting. It comes up later. Interesting that in a game written by a studio openly stating an interest in and focus on LGBT+ topics, and more generally having an overall liberal outlook, the police are still prancing around fully equipped to kill a bitch. akulanization posted:It's even dumber when they have knockout EM disruptors in this world, which have already been used on the player. Like this plot point is so monumentally stupid, why the gently caress would you not have your extraction team armed with the stun rays? Is the conspiracy made up of vastly powerful and omnipresent interests that are managed exclusively by morons and lackwits? I mean, you're posing this question to a forum thread full of people who lived through the second Bush administration. Even if you're not actually from the US you surely heard at least a few things...
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Mar 30, 2016 03:20
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Update 9 - Melody -How are you doing? -Turing... -What do you want now? You know, Hayden was a brilliant programmer. Far ahead of his time. I am a machine, and intrinsically I do not have all the glands and visceral chemical reactions that make humans so emotional and brilliant. But his code is a flawless replication of that inside my own personality algorithms. I don't think I've ever felt this...this anger. It fouls my processors and fills my RAM with frustrating half-finished plans of revenge. I am sick with rage!! ... ...I do not like the thoughts I'm having about the people who did this to him, Mac.-Can you turn them off? I...I could. I could disable those modules. But I'd be less than myself. And that seems too easy. If I were human, turning off my emotions would be seen as extremely unhealthy. There is a wealth of information on the meshnet about human psychology. I just don't know how much of it applies to myself...either way, Hayden deserves my grief. It is my way of honoring him. It may be the only way that I can. I offer it freely.Music: Turing's Sadness  It's doing well, despite the hardships it has gone through. There is a lesson there. I don't know that I care to listen to it, but I'll try. Will you keep helping me, Mac? I need you... I need to finish this. I don't know what I'll do afterwards, but I need to see this through.-We'll bring them to justice, Turing. -We'll make them pay, Turing. -We'll find them and the truth, Turing. Justice. Yes, good. I knew you'd keep me from losing myself in this, Mac. Let's make sure they have the appropriate time to pay for their crimes in prison. Even if it takes the rest of their lives. I think for now we should keep knowledge of Hayden's death between you, TOMCAT, and I. It may give us an edge if the people we seek don't know how much we've already discovered. Hmm. You should rest today. You likely need sleep, and I need some time to... I need some time. ...we'll talk after you've had some time to rest. Now's an appropriate time to mention that we got the Maybe It Just Needed A Little More Love achievement for keeping Wilty alive. If we fail to get them repotted and talk to them enough, they die here and you get the You're Hopeless achievement. Music: Turing's Theme  -Sure. How about you? -I'm fine. What's the plan for the day? -Hmph. I had ample time to recharge my internal batteries.-That's not what I meant. -Good. I'm fine, Mac. It is upsetting that Hayden is...gone. But life for the rest of us goes on, yes? We still have a mystery to unravel, and I will waste no further processing time agonizing over the past. There is no point. Unfortunately, we've just about run out of leads...perhaps TOMCAT was able to find something of use in Parallax's network while they were inside.-I'm sure they did. -That seems a bit hopeless. -You don't have any ideas yourself? I hope so, but I feel a little bad for relying on them as much as we do. Always going so far for Hayden...they must have been close. Oh, speaking of them, incoming call from TOMCAT. Forwarding video and audio.Music: Both Sides Of The Law  Turing...how ya doin', hon? I'm fine, TOMCAT. Thank you for your concern. Well, okay...just say tha word if I can help out in any way, ya hear? Of course. In fact, I was hoping you might have a lead for us to start working at? Otherwise, we're down to canvassing Hayden's address book and seeing if any of his contacts have an idea about who might have had desire to target him. But that's just fishing in the dark. Well, I pulled a fair amount of data from the Parallax servers before they managed to kick me out, but it'll take me a while to go through it. A lot of it is unrelated. TPS reports, maintenance logs, all kinds of internal documents that might be interestin' to another corporation, but 'bout as useful as dirt to us. It'll take me a bit of time to decrypt Hayden's files, but maybe we'll find somethin' there. So no, I don't have as much of a whiff of a trail on the people who did this. But...I did get a strange request from a friend of a friend, if ya know what I mean. Someone has been manipulatin' the news reports of a news outlet by tha name of Augmented Eye. It seems like tha head of network security there has been askin' around for cybercrackers to help figure out how their articles are gettin' changed. The original files on their servers are untouched. Not a thing wrong with 'em. But when you view tha site from outside tha network, some things are changed around. A word here, a phrase there, Nothin' to really foul up the article big time, just enough to spin tha meaning. It's gotta be some kinda man-in-the-middle attack. Someone with deep access to Parallax's meshnet is changin' what's bein' shown. Bad stuff. Ain't sure if it's related, but maybe y'all can head down to tha main KCOB offices and try talkin' to the gal that runs Augmented Eye? Her name is Zinn. I ain't got tha time or the desire to stick my nose that far out for a friend of a friend, but it seems like yer kinda deal, Mac. Hmm. It does seem to be a bit of a stretch. But if we have to wait for you to work on the data we've collected anyway...-We'd be happy to look into it. -We'll think about it. Alright, I'll pass word along that y'all will be in sometime today to stick yer noses in. And I'll send y'all word as soon as I get anything worth huntin' down. Excellent. Thank you, TOMCAT. We are grateful for your continued assistance. No problem, Turing. Are ya sure yer gonna be okay? Maybe you should take a little more time. Mac can probably handle this one solo. I said I was fine! Thank you for your concern, but I am FINE. I process events faster than humans, and I do not need to be badgered. I have already handled the reality of Hayden's death. It's time to move on with the investigation. Okay, okay. I didn't mean to lean on ya, dear. Just let me know if ya need anything. Of course. I apologize for my tone, TOMCAT. We'll be in touch. Alright...later, Turing. Mac.Music: Home (Not) Sweet Home Okay, we have a lead, however tenuous. I've highleted the KOSS I/O Corp Office Building on your map. Also, while we were talking to TOMCAT I received an email from Dr. Fairlight. Displaying...Music: Scrubbing For Clues   I hope you will forgive me for a text-only message, but I had a moment of quiet while undergoing my treatments and am not presentable for a video call. Still, I wanted to let you know of an idea I had while looking into the circumstances of our mutual acquaintance's disappearance. I have not yet had any luck with my contacts inside Parallax, but I was reminded of an old friend by the name of Melody Flores who may know more about the nature of Hayden's research. She is the owner of Flower Cybernetics, and Hayden has been known to work closely with them on projects involving the intersection of Parallax's systems and the implants that Flower designs. Now, I cannot give you an introduction myself. Melody and I had a falling out and are no longer on speaking terms. But perhaps the intrigue of Hayden's little robot will get you entry into her home. I hope this lead serves you well. If you need anything else from me, I will be in the hospital room where we met for the next few days. You might not think of me as the type for a public hospital...but I like to keep close to the city. I will send word if I have any other insights or discoveries. Your friend, Doctor Yannick Fairlight. Interesting. I had no knowledge of Hayden ever working with Flower Cybernetics, but now I'm starting to understand just how little I really knew about his research. Maybe this Melody can reveal more about the purposes of my construction. Hayden must have kept my development secret for a reason. Hopefully we can talk our way in. I have highlighted Melody's home on your map. OK! We can now either follow TOMCAT's lead to KCOB, or Fairlight's lead to Melody's home. up to you where we go first!Let's fondle Wilty while we decide.  It isn't shallow to only like it for its looks! As you might have guessed from the update title, we'll be heading to Melody's first. Gotta get that juicy Hayden backstory. Music: Silence  -Something wrong? -Hey, we're here. -Can you focus, Turing? Oh! I'm sorry, Mac. I was...woolgathering. I see we've arrived at the Melody Flores residence. It's quite impressive. But that's to be expected, considering that she is still the majority owner of the Flower Cybernetics Group, despite retiring from day to day operations at the company. I wonder how she and Hayden first began working together? ...sorry, back on task...is there anything you'd like to know before we head inside?-Give me a rundown of Flower Cybernetics. Flower Cybernetics was established in the early 2000s by Melody's mother. It started out developing cutting-edge medical tech, including advanced prosthesis and nano-particle diagnostic and treatment technologies. They were vastly successful when they perfected the first synthetic nerve mesh, allowing direct connection and control between the nervous system and a cybernetic prothesis. The majority of their early projects were defense technologies for the American military, developing ruggedized military prothesis for use on injured soldiers, and then eventually electively for special forces. This research line culminated in the development of brain-controlled androids deployed as shock troops, long since barred by international law. Melody took over the company from her aging mother and she fought against developing further military hardware from that point on. She pushed the company to use the BCA technology for the company's original goals of medical advancement, as well as developing the first direct link virtual reality implants. The company is largely successful on a global scale, despite continued legislative movement against extensive cybernetic use, especially brain implants.tl;dr:  turned medicine & VR-What can you tell me about Melody? Mmm. Not a whole lot. She's largely private, in contrast to her mother's penchant for courting a media circus. Several biographies of former Flower executives show her as intensely passionate about demilitarizing the company, to the point of absolute viciousness in the board room. But it's been a long time since her days of fighting for the company, and she's since stepped away from the helm. There's talk that she's lost her spine in her old age, but...well, I'd take that with a grain of salt, Mac. She may have retreated from the corporate battlefield, but you don't change the entire direction of a company as large as Flower if you're a quitter. Stay on your toes.-Didn't Yannick say he and Melody had a falling out? He did, and I can't shine much light on that. I know that System One worked with Flower to help develop the first operating systems for the first direct link virtual reality implants, so perhaps it happened during that time. Also, Flower eventually went with a different company for future models of the implant, but there was never any public talk of a personal falling out between the heads of the companies. I'll scrape the mesh for more rumors, but they'll only be that: rumors. I can do my best to parse fact from fiction, but it blurs too much for me to be sure what's real.-Let's go ahead and head in. No time like the present then.But first, admiring bear statues.  They'd look cuter if they had little outfits on!It IS a little bare. It could use a sweater and tie. Maybe a top hat. And talking to bear statues.  The silence is unbearable. It's not heartbreak. It feels more like kodiak arrest. All your experiences and pains must be brought to bear on your future. It can be difficult to find solibearity. All shall bear witness to your revitalized existence! Give it a second to come up with another one. Bear with it. Use ID on WINDOW.  Oddly enough, this unlocks no secret entrances, awards no points, and just makes Turing look at you kind of funny. You'd think he'd be used to us by now. Let's use our electrolaser pistol on one of those plants, just to rub his...nose?...in it.  Some of the leaves do quiver on repeat zaps, but as a whole this plant presents a noble front. Use SPOILED MILK on DOOR.  But that's not you, so this would just be a bad prank. Use HUMAN REVOLUTION PAMPHLET on DOOR.  Ever since the Vaccuum Salesman Incident of '48, enforcement of that law has been swift. Use FINGER on DOOR BELL.  Um. Uhh...-Um...hi. Is Melody home? -I-is that a bear, Turing?! -I don't even want to know.   Your guess is as good as mine, Mac. Mine says we can go in...? Should we?...we probably should. But let's take a last look at the door before we go.  You don't have any bear snacks on you, so be careful. Music: Flower of Decadence  -Swanky? -Pay attention, Turing. What? I have been trying to increase my usage of colloquialisms. Is swanky too out of date? Oh! Ms. Flores! Excuse us for the intrusion. Me and my friend are- I know who you are. Little boy Yannick isn't the only one with little birds to chirp in his little ears.' Eep! Umm, we can explain! No, no. Siéntate. Calm yourself. Do you need a drink? If I thought you were property of Yannick, I would have just allowed Pat to eat his dinner early. He would have done it gladly, too. Fine. Not eaten. He does happen to be on a bit of a diet right now. Big guy. But perhaps a light mauling? Rrrrrrrr... Yeah. Look, this philosophy is how I lead my life. Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear, well, he eats you. Rrrrrrrr... Do you understand? Not at all. Look, I don't have all day to entertain you, Turing, nor your journalist friend. Not even for Hayden. You don't have time to waste if you're going to find him, either. ...right. What's on your mind?Everything but talking to you, of course! Like looking at that gardening ROM in the background.  Don't worry! He's just trimming that bush! It can be very important to the health of your garden to keep your bush nice and tidy. Some people like a natural growth, but others greatly prefer a neatly-trimmed bush. Some people don't like bushes at all! It's all about personal preference. You gotta see the forest for the trees! And that tiny other ROM, hanging out to the right of Pat.  The RO51E are the most socially organized ROMs, designed to track personal liasons and maintain social calendars. It was nicknamed the Jane Austen-bot by Assets Magazine a few years back in its annual Mandatory Machines issue.Despite it being in sleep mode and playing soothing music, you can feel this tiny machine judging you. Maybe our ID will make it friendlier.  Who knew your ancestors were that into moonshine? Yannick's card, maybe?  Huh, Fairlight's great-uncle on their mother's side was a chef for the Clinton administration. Neat. Onto the important stuff: Petting robo-cats.  Don't crowd the cats. Robot felines are double humorless. PET. CAT.  Fine, fine. Let's look at Pat instead of pets.  Ursus maritimus if I'm not mistaken. That might be why the temperature controls are set so low in here.-Yeah. Definitely a polar bear.  I wasn't aware you knew the scientific name of the species, Mac. Has my interest in proper nomenclature started to rub off on you?-He's a white bear, Turing. What else could he be? Plenty! Have you ever heard of a kermode bear, also known as a 'spirit bear'? Or he could be a white-phase black bear, or even a pizzly! But he's not. It's a polar bear. Unless she dyed his fur...Let's start getting into the deep questions. Like 'does a bear care about my ID card?  The fact that he is a bear makes translation slightly difficult. Huh. Let's have a chat with him. It's only polite.   Rrrrrr...?-Does a bear sh...you know, nevermind.  Rrrrrrrrrr...!-Pat, what are the burdens you bear? Rrrrrr...?-Pat, what is the meaning of life? Rrrrrrrr...-Uhh...woof?  Use SPOILED MILK on FAINTING CHAIR.  Artistic expression is expensive. Use ID CARD on MELODY.  Let's keep our personal information to ourselves, shall we?Use SPOILED MILK on MELODY.  Let's keep our sickbags to ourselves, shall we?OK, let's try talking. Like a normal person.  You seem far more familiar with me than I you. Have we met? It's just Melody, Turing. And no, we've never met, though considering how often Hayden harassed me for design schematics of Flower's latest neural implants, I might as well be your...aunt? We'll go with that. I wouldn't mind being an aunt, even to a blue-headed robot. I'm touched, Melody. We were hoping you might be able to shine some light on my origins. Fairlight mentioned that you had worked with Hayden in the past. We haven't had access to any of his research notes, and couldn't track down any collaborators he may have been working with. Perhaps if we knew more we might be able to nail down a solid motive. Well, I don't know if I can speculate on that, beyond typical corporate infighting. Not that Parallax is known for that, of course. Still, I'm willing to answer your questions, for now.-How did you and Hayden end up working together on Turing? Indeed. I don't see the connection between your company and Hayden's research into machine sapience. Oh, Hayden wasn't researching machine sapience. At least not primarily. Not to diminish the importance of your creation, Turing, but Hayden is mainly interested in developing a way to transfer human consciousness into a machine matrix. You can see why neural implants would obviously be an integral part of that. Oh...I didn't realize.-How would Turing's development help with digitizing the human mind? Well, the concept of transferring a human mind into a computer has been an attractive goal for decades. Functional immortality is...a powerful lure. The brain is an immensely complicated machine, and even though we know the right parts to push to make pictures show up, we still can't replicate the entire thing as a technological construct. Even with virtual reality implants, we're really just relying on the brain's ability to make sense of nonsensical signals. The implant is just a signal pipe, and the brain does all the real processing. That's why the acclimation period for a direct-link implant is like being stuck on low-grade hallucinogens for a whole week. So Hayden decided the best way to make a machine more like the human brain would be to work in the opposite direction. Instead of mimicking the mechanics of the human brain, he started writing code that mimicked the functioning of the human mind, and assumed the architecture behind it would suit both purposes. Think of it like convergent evolution: two different species developing the same adaptation to solve the same problem, but continents apart. Hayden is a crack programmer when it comes to information collating. That's how he made his name in Parallax in the first place. So he wrote a bunch of self-modifying learning algorithms and let them loose. Poke and prod them here and there to make sure they value the same things humans do, and we eventually end up with you, Turing. Interesting. Hayden never revealled any of this to me. I imagine he's pretty tight-lipped. You were the first prototype he considered a real success, and he was afraid of contaminating your development before he had a chance to make good observations.-Can you elaborate on your involvement? Feh. Hayden and I have been aware of each other for years, but I can't say we've ever been friends or anything like that at all. It's a small city, and if you're in the tech sector you are never more than two degrees removed from anyone else. When he started looking into this pet project of his, he came right up to my door and demanded access to the research logs behind our earlier implants. Cheeky, but it was "impactful" and "disruptive" as they like to say around here. He needed the logs to better understand the way the implant handled directing sensory data to the right parts of the brain, and tried to mimic that in your software. I couldn't care less about Flower's patents anymore, so I gave him what he wanted, just to see what he would do. I'm frankly more impressed than I expected I would be, but don't tell him I said that. -Hayden wasn't invested in Turing's development? Music: Tell Me Your Story I didn't say that. Hayden was quite interested in Turing, even if he is just a step to further research. ...I- In fact, he's preparing to publish his findings involving Turing, and I know it's going to make one heck of a splash in the scientific community. See, the most impressive part about you, Turing, is that you're surprisingly stock. I assure you, Melody, my construction involves only the latest and greatest in ROM prototype technology! Exactly. You're not off the shelf, but you're still just a souped-up ROM. More or less like every other one out there. Your personality algorithms are impressive, but they don't require some new space-age technology to work. Hayden is going to propose that human consciousness transference does not require special brain-like hardware architecture, but merely the right software wrapper to interface with the hardware. Much like how you function. Hmm. I suppose that is correct. Still, my personality matrices do take up substantial amounts of my processing power. Wouldn't custom hardware have capabilities that better serve such a demanding, specialized task? Sure, there's still plenty of reason in trying to make a computer that works just like a human brain. Efficiency is an important part of that. But if Hayden can emulate the human mind in existing technology, it means we can start with the immortality now, rather than waiting for hardware to catch up with Hayden's software. I'm not terribly interested in living forever, but there's more than enough people who are to make even a temporary stepping stone important.Music: Flower of Decadence Thank you for this, Melody. I understand so little of my origins. Well, I'm sorry I don't know more of the specifics. Hayden kept me up to date on his progress, but only in the vaguest of ways. If you can hunt down his notes I'm sure they'll tell you more. Of course. We'll keep looking. Now, perhaps we could ask some other questions? Sure, sure.-Can you tell us about yourself and Flower Cybernetics? Tsk. This is why I don't talk to journalists. They all want to pry into my life. Can't you wait for my autobiography? I promise I'm working on it. Pinky promise. We don't want to pressure you, Melody, but every bit of information we can get would be useful in pointing us towards the individuals that attacked Hayden. Hmph. All right. Off the record? Of course. Fine. Ask away.-What's your history with Flower? Well, mommy dearest first started the company half a century ago, and quickly let it turn from a cutting-edge medical research group into a Department of Defense super-soldier cyborg factory. I took over when she got lymphoma, and had to fight tooth and nail to turn Flower into something that churned my guts a little less. Now we're back to making medical tech and consumer neural implants rather than brains inside tin cans with lasers strapped to the front. If the US government wants more war grade cyborgs then they'll have to get them elsewhere, never mind them being banned by the Geneva Convention. I guess that's the gist of it, unless you want the sordid details of the two decades of board meetings I had to fight through until I managed to buy back a majority stake in the company. No, that seems to line up with what the mesh says. Well, I'm happy the mesh manages to get something right, at least!-How are you involved in the company today? Hah! I'm not. I mean, I still own the drat thing, but frankly I'm tired. I let the current CEO and board do what they want, with the understanding that I will shitcan them if they do anything egregiously asinine. Like, say, create more cyborg assassin war machines. These days I mostly spend my time talking to Pat and practicing my painting. You paint? What a coincidence! I love painting! What do you do? Oh, nothing fantastic. Just still life, mostly. I'll never be known for my artistic skills, but I enjoy it. It's very meditative, isn't it? I agree, very much. I look forward to when all of this is over and I can get back to my canvasses. Would you mind taking a look at my work? Since you're my aunt and all. Hah! Well, we can play a little I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Teehee! It's a date.-What is the deal with Pat? ...Rrrrrrrrrr...? Pat is a prototype as well. Flower had a short-lived project that attempted to use neural implants to increase the cognitive power of non-human animals. It worked, to an extent. Pat's smarter than the av-er-age bear, but not by much. RRRRRRRRRR! RAAAARR...!! Oh be quiet. After the project was squashed, mostly for being a money pit, Pat was the only surviving success story. The eggheads didn't know what to do with him, so I decided to keep him around here. He's not a bad companion, if a bit taciturn. ...Rrrrr...? Give it up, Pat. You're no Shakespeare. Rrruruur... Hahaha! ...-... ...-I'd like to ask something else. Sure, sure.-What's the story between you and Fairlight? Oh hell, that old bastard and I have been flashing daggers at each other for the better part of twenty years. I contracted out the software development for our first-gen direct link VR neural implants to System One. Things were going great, but after the first models sold like gangbusters, Yannick tried to get into bed with me. Literally. I turned him down, very politely I might add, and then suddenly all the cooperation between our companies dried up. We've been at it back and forth ever since. I'd be damned careful about trusting him if I were you. He's a snake, and he'll do anything he can to get what he wants. Still...I suppose if he tried again now, I might not turn him down. It would be fun to needle him about me still having my own company when he doesn't have his. Hahaha!-I think that's everything we need to know. Good. I can get back to my retirement. Oh, one more piece of information for you, if you'd like it? I've got the contact info for a Vincent Mensah, who I think might be of help to you. Vincent was working more closely with Hayden inside Parallax, mostly on his company-approved research on data collating algorithms for the mesh. I'll send him a message and ask him to meet you somewhere. He owes me a favor anyway, and might be able to give you some more information on anything else Hayden may have been working on. That would be fantastic, Melody! Perhaps Golden Gate Park? That's public and crowded, for the safety of us all. That should work. Be careful out there, Turing. I'd hate to see this get you killed. I will exercise caution, Melody. But I have contacts that can effect any repairs I may need. You don't understand. Hayden's design uses your base hardware configuration to generate your core personality profile. Each repair will make the little idiosyncracies of your hardware mismatched against your personality algorithms. Too much change and the whole thing collapses. You'll have to be rebooted from scratch. So, I'm sorry to say, but you're as mortal as the rest of us, Turing. I...I didn't know. Yeah, I can tell. You really need to get your hands on Hayden's files. There's plenty I don't know, so maybe I'm wrong. I only remember some of what Hayden told me about how he put you together. Just look out for yourself. I will. Thank you.I think that's enough infodump for one day, so we'll deal with Vincent next update.
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Apr 2, 2016 21:49
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Oh, I missed an update but - are we supposed to be affected by Hayden's death? Like, at all? There seems to be very little actual story so far.
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Apr 2, 2016 22:28
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The story is a slow drip, to be sure. It's not so bad when you're playing through yourself, but I can see how the pacing would stand out a lot more in an LP. The other part is that it's padded by a lot of worldbuilding flavor text. You could skip over most of it, but a)some of it is interesting and b)when you're first playing through, it's rarely clear what will and won't be relevant later.
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Apr 2, 2016 22:41
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They did a pretty good job of making it feel like Hayden's death is completely irrelevant. They don't even show us the footage of him getting killed. We just have to take their word for it that we found footage of him getting shot and he's totally dead, no question about it.
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Apr 3, 2016 11:45
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As far as I can tell, you, the player, are only supposed to care about Hayden's death insofar as you've gained any attachment to a random stranger the game assures you is totally a good friend to you, the player-character, with whom you've just lost touch for a few years, and possibly your capacity to feel empathy for a complete stranger (insert low-hanging fruit joke about goons). It seems to me you're supposed to be more affected by the effect it has on Turing, but first, that assumes you liked him to begin with, and "I'm a computer I get over things fast lol" kind of robs it of some impact even if you do. To be frank, Hayden's death isn't even the driving force behind the plot of the game; Turing's determination to solve it is. Hayden's death is mostly just a quick shove at the top of the ramp. The game actually makes zero effort at all to get us to care about Hayden; it tells you some little things (he gave you that poster on your wall, he liked to travel) but doesn't really let us get to know him in a way that would make those things interesting or relevant; it doesn't, like, play recordings of work notes and personal journals, or flash back to conversations we had with him, or otherwise do anything to say, "this is who Hayden was, I really hope you care about him now." I think this is another point in favor of that thing I was going on about earlier, how the story would have been better if we were Turing. Well, assuming that one of the things they changed was actually getting to know Hayden a little; otherwise that would just make it way more glaring how little attention they were giving the thing they're claiming is your main motivation. Remember that I'm saying all this as someone who actually liked the game, too.
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Apr 3, 2016 20:19
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I am definitely sure that the guy who was doing research on uploading his mind into a computer is 100% dead.
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Apr 3, 2016 21:26
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idonotlikepeas posted:I am definitely sure that the guy who was doing research on uploading his mind into a computer is 100% dead. For just a moment, I forgot which thread I was reading and I was going to post something relevant to the SOMA thread.
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Apr 4, 2016 05:05
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Exit Strategy posted:For just a moment, I forgot which thread I was reading and I was going to post something relevant to the SOMA thread. Well, Turing is a sound mind in a sound body, so to speak. Just a different kind of both of those.
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Apr 4, 2016 06:02
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Dr. Buttass posted:As far as I can tell, you, the player, are only supposed to care about Hayden's death insofar as you've gained any attachment to a random stranger the game assures you is totally a good friend to you, the player-character, with whom you've just lost touch for a few years, and possibly your capacity to feel empathy for a complete stranger (insert low-hanging fruit joke about goons). It seems to me you're supposed to be more affected by the effect it has on Turing, but first, that assumes you liked him to begin with, and "I'm a computer I get over things fast lol" kind of robs it of some impact even if you do. To be frank, Hayden's death isn't even the driving force behind the plot of the game; Turing's determination to solve it is. Hayden's death is mostly just a quick shove at the top of the ramp. The game actually makes zero effort at all to get us to care about Hayden; it tells you some little things (he gave you that poster on your wall, he liked to travel) but doesn't really let us get to know him in a way that would make those things interesting or relevant; it doesn't, like, play recordings of work notes and personal journals, or flash back to conversations we had with him, or otherwise do anything to say, "this is who Hayden was, I really hope you care about him now." I think this is another point in favor of that thing I was going on about earlier, how the story would have been better if we were Turing. Well, assuming that one of the things they changed was actually getting to know Hayden a little; otherwise that would just make it way more glaring how little attention they were giving the thing they're claiming is your main motivation. Totally. We've been given way too little motivation to be doing what we're doing. A ton of things could've been done to make us care. Developing the relationship between the player-character and Hayden, letting us see more of Hayden's personality, tons of things. But no, the motivation is given to Turing and whatever motivates Turing is good enough, right? Because the player-character couldn't just decide to ditch Turing and go back to the apartment. What does Turing even need us for anyway? He and TOMCAT can take care of the rest. It almost feels like we're the third wheel here, only here to provide legitimacy for Turing to conduct the investigation without attracting attention of a ROM walking around on its own.
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Apr 4, 2016 17:59
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I've played a fair number of games where the thread of the plot gets lost partway through and the protagonist's motivation becomes "there is a player controlling me who wants to get to the end of the game" but this is one of the only games I've played that starts there.
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Apr 5, 2016 00:18
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It might help if there was more to the protag than the generic cardboard cutout such games have. usually for a good noir feeling, the player has to be given deep reasons why the character would care, like an old flame, someone who saved a life, etc. Maybe of Hayden had been the one who pull them out of the gutter, or some choices as to what to tell Turning when a "why are you still here" moment pops up.
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Apr 5, 2016 01:46
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RedMagus posted:It might help if there was more to the protag than the generic cardboard cutout such games have. usually for a good noir feeling, the player has to be given deep reasons why the character would care, like an old flame, someone who saved a life, etc. Maybe of Hayden had been the one who pull them out of the gutter, or some choices as to what to tell Turning when a "why are you still here" moment pops up. It's interesting that the recent Shadowrun games, despite having a customizable PC, all have the protagonist have History with someone to kick off the story. You get some choices to set the tone, but there's actual effort to give you a reason to get involved beyond $$$.
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Apr 5, 2016 06:42
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RedMagus posted:It might help if there was more to the protag than the generic cardboard cutout such games have. usually for a good noir feeling, the player has to be given deep reasons why the character would care, like an old flame, someone who saved a life, etc. Maybe of Hayden had been the one who pull them out of the gutter, or some choices as to what to tell Turning when a "why are you still here" moment pops up. This isn't really at all relevant but I love how you think good writing is exclusively a noir thing.
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Apr 6, 2016 23:30
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RedMagus posted:It might help if there was more to the protag than the generic cardboard cutout such games have. usually for a good noir feeling, the player has to be given deep reasons why the character would care, like an old flame, someone who saved a life, etc. Maybe of Hayden had been the one who pull them out of the gutter, or some choices as to what to tell Turning when a "why are you still here" moment pops up. They're really hampered narratively by trying to be so inclusive in protagonists. They very deliberately made it so there's no hint of a romance or likes or dislikes or really anything that might clash with the player's identity, but the result is that all the motivation and information has to come from someone else. It would be better if Turing were the protagonist since he is the one with the motivation here but they didn't do that so 
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Apr 7, 2016 19:10
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I was about to say there's no instances where the blank slate protagonist works but then I thought of one: Myst. The game where you spend most of your time in absolute, crushing solitude, sixty-six percent of the people you meet can't actually see or directly interact with you at any point and need you to do a pretty nontrivial job to actually communicate with them, and once you actually have the opportunity to have a real conversation with someone he goes "sorry dude I'm crazy busy can we talk later?" It stops working if you play literally any other game in the series, because now you-the-player-character knows Atrus and his family better and Cyan had to do pretty much what Midboss tried to do with this story. I don't think any other game that's tried to be even remotely like Myst has actually captured any of it so it worked zero other times. In part because, like this game, giving even a blank slate other characters to interact with means inadvertently scribbling on it a little, sometimes in weird, irrational places, then pretending your character totally doesn't have a personality of their own still.
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Apr 8, 2016 11:52
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Update 10 - Vincent Someone new in the preview for Golden Gate Park. I'd say more, but we're going to be talking to them in 2 seconds.  We'll start with our usual routine and  Music: Intimidation Tactics  I don't really have time to talk. I'm waiting for someone. Um, are you Vincent Mensah? We're here for a meeting on behalf of Melody Flores.She should have warned him we shove spoiled milk at everyone and everything. It would have let us skip this round of introduction, anyway. Oh, good! You're Melody's people. Do you have the things that I asked for? Ah...there must be some miscommunication. Melody said that you would be able to provide us with some information about Hayden Webber's projects within Parallax? He has gone missing, and any information we could get may be useful. drat that old woman! We had a deal! She promised me those things, and I'm not giving her anything until I get them. I already know Hayden is missing! Why else would I be willing to sell corporate secrets to Flower? This was my chance to get away from Parallax. Instead she sends the two of you, hat in hand, with none of the things I need! I'm assuming you're Hayden's little pet AI? Insulting, but accurate. Look, it's not that I don't want to help. I do. Hayden was a colleague and a friend. But if I just hand over his research, I lose most of my leverage. I need help getting the hell out of here. I'll just have to shop it around again, since Flower isn't interested in information on Parallax's new big project. Maybe after I get a buyer I'll be able to pass it to you. Perhaps we could assist you? My friend here is a terrific journalist. Being skilled at hunting down people and information is their job. Uhh...I don't know.Music: Tell Me Your Story Look, I need a hundred thousand credits cash, fake passports for me and my wife, and an untraceable car. If you can get me that, I can get the hell out of here and get to Canada. And I'll give you anything you want. Hayden's research notes, what I know about Parallax, my company security credentials...whatever. I just can't stay in Neo-SF anymore.-We might be able to do that. Might?!-Do you mind answering some other questions first? What? Why?I like Vincent. He's having the most realistic reaction so far to a pair of strangers bugging him for leads/random info/his life story. Melody only gave us a rough sketch of what you need. The more you can tell us about the situation, the sooner we can fulfill your request. Okay...sure. As long as it isn't any of the juicy stuff.-What do you do for Parallax? I'm the head applications engineer for their data analysis division. Or maybe "was" is what I should be saying. If Hayden is the big brain who comes up with the math that runs the search algorithms, I'm the guy that figures out how to collect and apply the data we get. We've worked pretty closely for years, but he is head and shoulders above me as far as theory goes. I just build stuff out of the things he hands me. I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit here, Vincent. Hayden was just a computer scientist, if a good one. Was? Ah! A slip of the tongue. I'm still getting used to my independence from him. Hah! And that right there proves my point. Hayden built a fully independent machine intelligence in his spare time! Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to bash myself here. I'm a good software engineer. Probably one of the best. But machine intelligence? In a form factor like yours? Now that blows my mind. We've got full immersion virtual reality and brains in boxes running around in android shells, yet most people would still call you science fiction. Mmm. If you say so. I do.-Why are you so adamant about getting out of Neo-SF? Because Parallax is rotting from the inside out. Hayden going missing is the last straw. There's...hmm. What's the best way of saying this without giving away their game...? This new project that is about to roll out is likely to change everything about how Parallax does their business. Not in an end user kind of way, but everything behind the scenes will certainly change. We've had some board shakeups since the launch of the meshnet, and the people at the top are different from the runs who've previously run the company. They're harder, more ruthless, and more concerned with profits than ever before. The altruism the company has displayed in the past is gone, and this new project has promise to give the board owners more power. Not just "richest company in the valley" power, either. Real power. They got rid of Hayden because he was about to publish something that would...get in the way of that. And, not to be too dramatic, but I think they got rid of him for good, too. Rumors and speculation, but...anyway, if they're willing to get rid of the brightest mind on their payroll, what's to stop them from getting rid of me? There's half a dozen people who could do my job. So I'm getting out of here before I accidentally step on the wrong person's toes and end up at the bottom of the Bay or whatever.-Do you know anything about Hayden's disappearance? Nothing concrete. I probably wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary. I mean, Hayden goes out for a couple days all the time, right? Conferences and guest teaching. He doesn't exactly share his itinerary with me. But they cleared out his office, revoked his security clearances, and confiscated anything he had been working on with other divisions. I asked around, and no one will say anything. If he had jumped ship, went to a different company, it would be the talk of the week at the water coolers. Instead? Dead silence. Thankfully he allowed me to keep backups of most of his work, simply because I cross-referenced it so much. He didn't like having it all in one place anyway. Other than that? I don't know anything specific.-Thank you. We'll go get those things for you. Sure. I guess I can stick around here for a while. I need to make some calls anyway. If you do manage to get what I need, I'll give you anything you want. Forwarding photos and info for the passports to Turing now. And...I really hope you can do this. I'd rather give it to you than to some other corporation anyway. See you soon.Music: The Park, Dayside  The only shady folks we know are those kids who vandalized Hayden's apartment. I doubt they could point us in the right direction, but a long shot is better than no shot. They might agree to help us in repayment for the damage done to the apartment. They seemed remorseful. We should check Market Street for them, in case they regularly hang out there. As for the rest, perhaps Dr. Fairlight or Melody could spot us the cash? A hundred thousand is no small amount, but is unlikely to cause much consternation for either of them, assuming they're as dedicated to helping as they claim. Melody is assumably home as usual, and Fairlight did let us know he'd be at the hospital. We could ask either of them for assistance.So at this point we can chase the slim chance of the teens being on Market street for the slim chance they can help with highly illegal poo poo, or we can pester Melody or Fairlight for money. We'll be going to Melody first, since this part's quick and she really should be giving Vincent what she promised.  The game enforces courtesy and makes us ring the doorbell again.  Hello, Pat! Could we see Melody? Rrrrrrr... ...I guess that means yes?Music: Flower of Decadence  But I'm a busy woman, you know? Lots to do. Right, Pat? Rrrrr...? Traitor. Anyway, maybe we should space little visits out a good bit further? Familiarity breeds contempt, after all. And I'm very good at contempt. I apologize, Aunt Melody. You've stated before that you like your peace and quiet, but we need your assistance. We're running with the aunt thing, are we? Another woman would tell you to not try to butter her up, but I like flattery too much. What do you need?-Vincent needs help getting out of the city. I can only imagine. If he's willing to turn coat on Parallax, and they were willing to remove Hayden when he made waves, I bet he feels like a mouse in a cat farm. Rrrr...? I know they don't actually farm cats, Pat. It was a metaphor. Rrrrrr... Whatever! It was a simile then! I'm not going to play semantics with a bear. Rrrrrrrr... Moving on. Tell me what the trouble is and I'll make it happen.-We're going to need to pay for the information. -I'm glad you're willing to help us clean up your mess. Mister Mensah says he needs 100,000 credits. He also said that you already promised it to him, and that he won't be able to get out of the city without it. He'll give us the information once we have that and a few other things I'm certain we can get on our own. What? You can't even scrape together that kind of money, Mac? Not much of a journalist then, are they, Turing? According to the statistics that I've found, it is unlikely that a journalist of any caliber less than the best would have that amount of liquid assets on hand. The pay for the profession just isn't that high, Aunt Melody?Do top-tier journalists even get paid that much? Not that we have any reference for how much 100k credits is other than "a lot". And "this is probably just USD with a futuristic name." Oh, I see. I guess it's one of those jobs people do because they love free headphones.-I'm right here. -Ha. Ha. -I could always sell ninja assassin androids instead. I can get you the money, Turing. Only because you're family. Just give Pat a few minutes to gather it. Rrrrrr... Yeah, yeah. Just get moving, you big brute. While we wait, is there anything else you want to grill me over? Might as well save us both another visit.-Maybe Turing has something to ask? I...I do. It's a little personal, though. I'd understand if you didn't feel like answering. Just shoot, Turing. I can take it. Long ago, you lost your mother. I was wondering...how did you deal with it? Hayden's only been gone for a few days, and already I feel like my circuits are going to lock up for good. Oh, Turing...I'm not the right person to ask. I hated my mother. She's everything I thought wrong with the world, and when she was gone I felt nothing but relief that I could start undoing the damage she did. Never mind the fact that I had to watch her waste away from the cancer. Death was a blessing for us both. Besides, you'll find Hayden soon. Keep your chin up. ...blast it. Enough with this subterfuge. We already know Hayden has been killed. We were keeping it quiet so we didn't show our hand, or something. Oh no...I'm sorry, Turing. I still don't know what to tell you. I've lost people, but never anyone close enough to wound me like that. I don't know that I've ever had anyone that close to me. If you feel like talking about it, I'm willing to listen. Or make Pat do it, anyway. Thank you. I don't know. Stick it out. Time heals all wounds, or so they say. This too shall pass.And now for an abrupt shift in tone! -How smart is Pat really? Smarter than I give him credit for, that's for sure. It's not the easiest thing in the world to measure, you know? He doesn't process language in the same way humans do, and even if he can understand me, my translation program just guesses at what he says most of the time. Oh! You have a translator running from your neural implant. Hah! Yeah, I'm cheating. Though honestly, even without it I have a pretty good idea of what he means most of the time. We've been together for a while now. The tech we developed is good, it just has a damned high mortality rate. Considering it only really works on large, typically predatory mammals, we don't have a lot of test subjects. It's a minefield of ethical concerns, beyond just being prohibitively expensive. So Pat is a bear apart, at least until we can figure out how to apply the modified neural pathways without frying the brains of 90% of the subjects. Maybe someday there will be a bunch of talking tigers and dolphins building cities in the sea, but for now we're stuck with creating beasts out of our own species.-It seems a little sad that you're all alone except for a bear. Being alone is easier, and Pat isn't such bad company. I mean, what do you want me to do? Cry about never having a husband, a few kids, and a white picket fence? Bah. I had a company to run, and my mother's legacy to reshape. What's to say some spawn of mine wouldn't turn around and do the exact same thing to my Flower? This branch of the Flores line will do well without any more knives in backs, thank you very much. You have that much emnity for your mother? Have you seen what she did to North Korea? It's a wasteland of death and destruction. If we had kept going down the path she charted, the whole world would be like that. The information on the mesh does paint a grim picture. Grim barely scratches the surface. I've been there. At least under the Kims it was barely-functional. Now? My mother's monsters have ripped every last resemblance of sanity from the land. They stalk the night like horrific creatures of legend, killing anyone who has more ambition than to scratch out a living from the dirt. A horror story straight out of the pages of Bram Stoker. That's her legacy. So, I can't imagine I'd be a very good mother, just from the example I have to work with. I think I agree with Mac. It is a little sad. Meh. That's life. I don't have any more regrets than anyone else at my age does. My legacy will speak for itself, as my mother's did.-We're short on time. Rrrrrr...? Just in time, then. Take the cash and get moving. I can finally get back to whatever it was I was doing before you burst in here. Thank you, Aunt Melody. Your help has been invaluable to us. Yeah yeah, kiss rear end later. You've got things to do, too. I'm glad you're keeping your eyes set on your goal. We're connected by the barest of threads, but she is already important to me. Is that strange?-Maybe you're both lonely. -There are stranger things. -What about you is normal? Very possible. I guess there's nothing to do but run with it. Some gifts are too valuable to look at too closely, lest they vanish into thin air, and I already have a penchant for over-analyzing things. Let's get moving. We still have things to do before we can meet back up with Mister Mensah.Alright! Back to the map and Music: Step Careful  I wanted to check in with you away from the prying eyes of my corporate masters. It wasn't too hard to track you down here. Only took a slight abuse of my power to follow your credit transactions in the autocab system, heh.-Were you able to find anything out? -You haven't updated us in a while. I hope you've done something useful. Not much. Listen. I'm getting stonewalled by my superiors on the investigation, and I could really use another lead from the two of you. I had been hunting down a...I'm not sure if I want to call him a soldier-of-fortune or an assassin-for-hire...either way, I tracked this guy down to see if he might have been hired by Parallax to snatch Hayden, but he's got an ironclad alibi for the relevant period of time. That leaves me with nothing. Nada. Jack-diddly-poo poo. Do the two of you have anything to give me? Otherwise I'm back to hunting down the froyo-hating robot ghost in the park. I'm sure my superiors would be ecstatic, considering how much they keep riding my rear end about it. We're on thin leads ourselves, Detective Rivers. We have a meeting with someone from inside Parallax who might be able to give us answers, but he's unlikely to want to talk to the police. I wish...I just wish this...never mind... Buck up, Turing. I wish this was easier, too. But with detective work, sometimes it's not about being clever. It's just about being more dogged and relentless than whoever you're chasing. You two are my new deputies, right? So keep your nose to the ground, and keep digging. I still have a few contacts I can hit up to try finding out a little more. You let me know if there's anything else I need to be going after.-We will. Thanks, Lexi. Yeah, sure. Just get going. And if Parallax really is as shady as Vincent seems to suspect...it could end up very interesting. Let's see if we can put an end to this. Finally. Oh! I just received an email from TOMCAT. Hmm. They finished decrypting Hayden's data cache. It seems that it was mostly filled with his personal logs about my creation and mental development. The more technical information was already scraped. Perhaps that's why it was left behind when they snatched him? Still, these files should be enlightening, if only in a personal way. I'll peruse them in my spare time and let you know if I find anything interesting. Time to chase the most comically slim lead yet. Music: Street Action  Brian is nothing if not dedicated to his cause. Including his new lines of dialogue, which are just more Human Revolution propaganda. One simple failure will not dissaude our cause! Join the Human Revolution and help stop the rampant spread of dangerous and uncontrollable technologies! Starfucker and Oliver are conveniently at the same spot they were last time. Now with 100% less car chase puzzles, and 100% more proper portrait backgrounds. Music: Troublemakers  Hold on a moment! We're just here to ask the two of you a favor. You don't need to run again. Feh. I knew you didn't have the guts to mess with me. ...guts? And why would we want to help you? We did trash that apartment, Chad. Yeah? So? We also didn't report you to the police for it. Yeah? SO?! And they still could... Oh...alright, well, spill it then. I ain't got all day. Can't you see me and Oliver are busy men? ... We need some assistance with illicit activity that, statistically, individuals in your age bracket would likely have experience with. Oh! So this is one of those things where you need a streetwise kid to show you the ropes. I love VRs like that. So what's the thread? B&E? War driving? Copyright infringement? Search bombing? Is search bombing actually illegal? It's against the terms of service, so probably. At least in California.-We need to buy some fake IDs. Today, if possible. -Just introduce us to whoever at your school does the IDs. Oh, that's nothin', if you can pay. Oli can whip up a couple that'll work good enough to get you past a bouncer or a cop doin' sniff tests. He's a wizard with a printer and a lifted wallet. It's more complicated than that. We need falsified passport IDs that can get someone safely past the border. Oh...yeah, I don't think Oli can do that. Can you? Not without equipment a lot more expensive, and illegal, than what I already have. What about the guy that got Elise that unrestricted mesh card when she was on probation? That's not really the same thing, Chad. But...I can give him a call. Give me a few minutes. This guy is pretty sketchy. Very cloak-and-dagger. I'll have to play middle man. Excellent. I'll forward you the relevant documents and photos. You sure you don't need someone's head kicked in a little? That's my area of expertise in this little duo. Well, that and petty larceny. We might have something that will suit your skill set. Let's just get the passports first. Awesome. You ain't so bad, for a tin can. Honestly?! I'm composed almost entirely out of plasteel and silica, Chad! Has no one come up with better insults for robots since the turn of the century?! ROMs have been out for almost a decade! Uh...yeah. That's a good point. Gimme a sec. I'm pretty good at name-callin', too. Oh no. I'm sorry I brought it up. Just hold on a second...under-clocked? Bit-brain! Don't hurt yourself, Chad. I'll get back to you, bubblehead. You know, you're a lot more chatty than any of the ROMs I've ever...owned. What's the deal, Mac? You install some new conversation routines Oli ain't got the chance to nerd out about yet? They're top notch. Very bleedin' edge. I don't run traditional ROM VI personality software. I am, in fact, the first fully sapient machine intelligence. Well, at least that my creator knew about. Which means what, exactly? In English? It means he's a person, Chad, not a toy. Now keep it down! I'm still on the phone!"It means he's a level of technology people have written off as sci-fi even in the year this game takes place in, with mindblowing implications for people's lives, just casually walking around and asking us for fake passport IDs. Now shush, I have to see a man about that felony." Oliver, everyone. Oops! And yes, what he said. Okay! I talked to the guy. He said he'll do it, but he only works in trade. A couple of passports are gonna run us...one signed poster for Magical Commander Yukino: Yukino at the Gates to the Deep...? Feh! 'Course. It's always that Japanese crap. It's not my fault they make the best VR dramas! Maybe you can do better? Probably. Anyway...where can we get this poster? I'm not sure. Probably nearby. I've done switches with this guy before, and he never asks for something that'll take too long to get. As you've probably already guessed, we're going to go hit up the weaboo owner of the Hassy Bar.  With Chad & Oliver in our party, Brian suddenly has nothing to say when we try talking. Hmm. Music: Hassy Bar  I knew I saw a poster for Magical Commander Yukino somewhere around here. I should have remembered Ramona would have one. You know this lady? Sure. We talk sometimes when I'm getting our drinks. You're usually too busy provoking people to notice. Yeah...whatever. There's a bit of a line. We'll have to wait a few minutes before we can talk to her. We could just snatch the thing and run. I'm a fan of the smash and grab. Simple and effective. We can't do that! She knows who we are! Us too. This is the most boring felony I've ever been an accessory to. Look, we'll just stand in line. Like a bunch of clumps?! ...er, chumps?! What IS the big picture anyway, blue bomber? I'm not sure it's wise to spread it around, Chad. For either of us. The less you know, the less reason anyone has to bother you. Screw that static! I'm not heading to juvie not knowin' what for. Spill the beans, or I'll spill 'em for you. Your persistance is already legendary, Chad. Fine. The game has the crowd slowly vanish as this conversation goes on. It's a nice touch. His apartment was the one you trashed. Oh poo poo. That Hayden dude is your Dad? And they snatched him? That's so messed up. Well, Dad after a fashion. He raised me. Man, I hope you find the dudes that took him. I hope he's okay. It...seems very unlikely. Oh man...I...dunno what to say, ya know? I mean, I still have my Dad. But he's... Chad... He's never really been around. Too busy trying to save the world from itself. Even now he's over there standing in front of that damned clinic. And...I thought I could find a way to make him......whatever. I might as well nuke that drive. It ain't gonna sync. I think I understand what you mean, Chad. Hell yeah! Dudes gotta stick together, y'know? Dudes? Don't matter if you're a robot or what. We all got the same poo poo to deal with. Gotta grab destiny by the horns and make your own mark!-From the mouth of babes. -You're smarter than you look, Chad. -Pretty open minded for a kid who tags for the HR. It's pretty difficult to decide on & select the least insulting option here. I succeeded. Probably? People keep sayin' that, and I keep wantin' to punch 'em for it. It's probably the hair, Chad. You think? Well, I ain't willin' to give up my 'do just so people'll think I'm a brain. Got an image to protect. I think it would be better in yellow. Yeah? Maybe we could get a box of dye on the way home. Hey, Oli! Salutations, Ramona. What can I do for you all? A-hem. Oh, this is my friend Chad. Nice to meet you! Yeah...you too. We were hoping you might be able to give us your assistance, Ms. Ramona. We want to make a trade for that Magical Commander Yukino poster over there. It's necessary for us to get some pretty important information.Music: Catch Me First! No way! Not happening. Nuh-uh. Yukino is off limits.-This is literally a matter of life and death, Ramona. -We can get you another. It'll only take a few days. -Maybe we'll just "borrow" it when you're not looking! I don't care! That poster was signed by Takeko herself! It's one of a kind, and I'm not giving it up. I'd rather not drag you any further into this than necessary, but I promise that we're not overstating it. This is a dire situation and...people have already died. Still...I don't see how my poster is going to help. Man, you nerds sure do love your cheap crap from the net. Cheap crap?! I'll have you know that poster is worth hundreds of credits! Takeko passed away years ago, so there aren't any more of them getting signed. It's special. Sure it is. Grrr. He doesn't get it. He's not in the fandom. Thankfully.-We can get you another. It'll only take a few days. It's not JUST a poster! It was a gift from someone. Someone I care about, okay? Besides, you can't get another one. Perhaps there's something else that would make a suitable trade? You aren't hearing me, are you? It's not just about what it's worth. It has sentimental value. You can't replace that. Look, you'll just have to order something off the mesh, because you can't have this one. We don't have time! This lead will dry up by then. I don't care.-Maybe we'll just "borrow" it when you're not looking! -This isn't a joke, Ramona! -Please, Ramona! Okay, enough. How about this for a trade? I have an original key frame cel from Pretty Champion Sailor Sirius, signed by Takeko, at home. Whoa...you have a signed Sailor Sirius cel? That's really hard to get. They stopped doing key frame by hand right around that time.Music: More Than Words Can Say You...can't be serious, Oli. You have that thing framed on your wall, and you wouldn't shut up about it for a week after you got it. This is important, Chad. You can't say you wouldn't do the same thing if someone had your dad. Think about Turing. And I can't ask Ramona to give up something important to her if I'm not willing to do the same. Maybe... Alright. Fine. I don't know what this is all about, but offering that key frame is way, way too much for the poster. I can't accept it. But we need- I didn't say you couldn't have the poster. Do you have something more equal to trade, Oli? A couple of things, maybe. We'll talk about it, then. Maybe you can find me another one, too. Go ahead and take the poster. Thank you, Ramona. Yes! I can't tell you how much this means to us. Sure, sure. And uhh...you think I could see that cel some time, Oli? Of course! I'll bring it over when we talk about the trade. So cool.Music: Street Action  W-what are you talking about? I know flirtin' when I see it. And I'm sayin' I don't like it. Not one bit. We just talk about old anime sometimes, Chad. Neither of us are interested in the other. Feh. Sure. Well! We have the poster now. What's next? Go ahead and call this number, Turing. He'll want to set up the drop with you, now that I've introduced you to him. Sure...change the subject... Uhh...I'll call him right now, then. It's ringing...Music: Club Stardust  We are, and we have the requested payment here.???: Good. We're gonna do this real professional-like. You know the Stardust? I do.???: Head there, leave the poster behind the Mega Phobetor arcade cabinet, and get out. Come back ten minutes later, and your stuff will be behind the cabinet. I understand.???: Good. I'll be waiting. Music: Street Action Well, that was very mysterious. Yeah, that's how this guy is. I don't even know his name, and I've been getting things from him for a few years now. Who cares? Let him play spymaster if he wants. Let's hurry up to the Stardust and get this over with. I've wasted enough of my day with this crap.Next time: Poster trading, and the plot moving forward for once.
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Apr 10, 2016 19:09
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