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  There is goon participation in this entry!  In our dreams, we fade into the half-lit living room once more. David walks into the frame from the darkness on the right. As before, the door is locked. If we investigate the window, we'll die horribly, but we have no choice.  Aaagh! The burning, the burning! A powerful wave of heat shatters the window, striking David down and pushing him back with great force.  The sun's rays are so strong, David's skin reddens, shrivels, blackens, then begins smoking. He is dead in seconds...  The helicopter's impact rocks the farmhouse, waking David up from his dream of death and throwing him off the bed. Dust kicked up by the crash hangs in the air and the attic's jammed access door loosens and falls to the ground.  What was that? The attic...? Inside Our plan to survive this day: don't burn to death. Also, to check out that crash. There's no reason to go downstairs for now.  The attic's first room is pretty bare, but it does have an extension cord, which I'll take.  An extension cord (0.3 kg). A few meters of cord with an electrical socket at one end. There is also a hatch that leads outside to the roof. I open it and climb out...  The helicopter isn't leaking fuel nor is it on fire, both positives for the crash. But is the pilot alive?  Hey, she is! She's armed and pointing the gun at us, but surely a cool head should prevail. Whoa. Easy. Nice landing. Considering the fact it was flying on fumes, and half of the controls were broken, I'd say I did a good job. Well then... glad you're okay. Sorry for your helicopter. It wasn't really mine. Sorry for crashing it into your house. It's not really mine. Hey, you think you could lower that gun now? I mean you no harm. (Pulls the gun up.) Hmpf. You look harmless alright. Thanks. My name is David. Catherine. Or just Cate. Do I... Do I know you? What? No. I mean... (Lowers her arms to her sides.) Okay, this IS awkward. Yeah. Maybe we were on the same train or a bus one time, back in the old days. Or something like that. It was something else... Anyway. Do you think you could help me with something, David? How could I say no to a pretty lady with a loaded gun in her hand. I'm trying to get somewhere. An outpost. What kind of outpost? The one that could help me leave this place. Leave this world. Are you sure you didn't hit your head during that crash? They have a spaceship. Oooh. ...I still have this gun, you know. Wait, you're serious about the spaceship? Dead serious. Sidereal Plexus. The corporation. They owned a whole fleet of ships. When things went nasty they used those ships to evacuate their top researchers and some of the richest people off the planet. I know for a fact there is still one ship left on Earth. And I plan on using it to escape. You can come with me if you want. Wait a minute. That's an awful lot to process. Listen. I can take you there and you'll see for yourself....Why do I get the feeling we've seen this woman before? And her talk of a spaceship... It rings pretty true. Whatever the case may be, there's really no reason for us not to join forces: either there is a spaceship that will get us out of here and we survive, or there isn't one and we die by lunar impact.  We can ask Cate questions about our situation. I'll start with the leftmost topic of discussion: "Who are you?" Who are you, exactly? Just a girl trying to survive. Okay, but what's with the spaceship, the outpost and all that stuff? You seem to know an awful lot. Listen. I'm a person who's going to escape this hole before it goes to hell. With or without you.As it so happens, we want to escape too, and we have just the tool to help us get around. Cate, have you heard about Communism, our "car?" There's a pickup truck in the barn. Are you trying to impress me or something? Well... we could use it to get to that outpost of yours. I guess we could.Good, she's on board to ride the red wave. Let's ask about "The Moon." Do you think the Moon is going to destroy the Earth? I don't think it. I know it. The Moon's orbit has been unstable ever since The Incident. I've noticed lately that it's been getting bigger every day. Yes. It's going to fall down and wipe everything out. It's going to turn the whole planet into a ball of molten lava. Nothing can survive, no matter how deep and tough of a shelter you have. Do you know when...? In three or four days. WHAT?! I thought it's more like... years away. I'm sorry. But that's the main reason we have to get to that spaceship.Three more days to survive, huh? Okay. What about this "spaceship" that can get us out of here? So... what kind of spaceship is it? Like... a giant ark that can travel between stars? Like in the movies? No, nothing like that. It's a small ship, capable of getting to Earth's orbit. But that should be enough. But what happens next? Once we reach orbit. There's... a space station. You're not making it all up as you go, are you? I'm telling you. There is a space station where everyone went. That's our destination. But don't worry about that for now. First we have to survive for long enough to actually get there.Again, I get the sensation that this is not just Cate's possible concussion talking. Why does a space station on the Moon sound so plausible, outside of the whole mining capacity? This "outpost" she mentioned also seems familiar to me. So... what is this outpost of yours? It's a small research facility with a spaceship launch platform. Okay... where is it? I don't know. What do you mean? You said you can take me there. Yeah, but it's not that easy. Why? All the helicopter's navigation systems got smashed to bits when I crashed. And this outpost doesn't exactly have a bright neon arrow pointing to it. The fact that it remains a hard-to-locate place is our only chance of finding a ship still there. So, what do we do then? We have to find it... at some point. Let's try to stay alive until we do. We can ask Cate about anything of interest she saw while flying, can't we? David, why don't you "show your map" to her? I have a map. Maybe looking at it would give you a clue where that outpost could be? Hmm... no, sorry. However... What? While flying over this area I saw some places that looked interesting. Here. Let me mark them for you. Okay, so... let's see.  Maybe this information will turn out to be somewhat useful.Sure it would. Restaurants have food, and houses have people. If we band together, nothing can stop us, whether it's giant locusts or collapsing rooftops! I'm feeling good about Cate, so let's tell her about "yesterday's dream." I know that this might sound weird... but I had a bad dream yesterday, and it came true. A swarm of deadly locusts has moved through this area, eating everything in its path. Well, the dream ALMOST came true because I died in that dream. In reality I took it as a warning and prepared myself for the threat. A dream, you say? Yeah, I know. But I'm not making that up. That really WAS some sort of prophetic dream. It saved me because I knew what to expect. I don't even believe in stuff like that. I'm not a crazy person. I do believe in dreams. You do? Yes. Does it make me a crazy person? I don't know. But I think sometimes dreams can guide us or help us find a solution that we otherwise can't find. Cate seems accepting of our visions. David, tell her about "today's dream" and of your transformation into a human steak. So, tonight I had another dream. I was still here in this house and all of a sudden there was a... heat surge. It got so hot it... it killed me on the spot. I think this might happen tonight. I must sound like a lunatic, I know. But trust me... I know I'm right. We're gonna find out ourselves if you're right. That about covers what we can discuss with Cate. Time to say "goodbye" and prepare for the day. Let's go then. We should prepare for your prophecy. And what about that outpost? It's out there. We'll keep a look out for it.Cate has joined our party! First thing we should do is talk with her again, see if there's anything more of interest we can pry out of her. Cate? Yeah? We can discuss a couple of new topics. First we'll ask "about this place." So, what do you think of our hideout? It's decent. High-ground advantage, solid walls, not too many windows. It has a large helicopter-shaped hole in the roof, though. ...Your skillful observations amaze me.Cate has probably had military training given the way she talks, but she certainly has a tongue she can lash with. What "about today," Cate? It's getting hot... Your dream seems to be fulfilling itself. If that's the case, there's going to be a surge of extreme heat right after it gets dark. What could have caused it? Well, Earth's climate is a chaotic mess. This sort of thing happens more and more frequently now. It's probably a temporary event. Temperature should be back to normal tomorrow. I hope we get to see that happen. Of course we will. As I said, David. I have plans. Places to visit. A spaceship to grab. Risk of heat stroke ain't gonna stop me. (After saying "goodbye.") I'll be back. I'm sure you will. 08:00 am: I met the helicopter pilot. Her name is Cate. She says she knows of an outpost with a spaceship that could be used to leave the planet. I have no idea what her plan is... and she isn't very talkative about it.Cate will definitely follow us around. I get the sensation she doesn't trust us to share much of anything. Ah well, let's grab the screwdriver and check the helicopter. (Interaction - Helicopter wreck) This machine is totally wrecked. There is nothing I can do about it. A screwdriver (0.1 kg). A handy tool. Cate doesn't follow David to the roof, but that's fine. There's a chimney here, and we can interact with the helicopter too. Getting a fire going would be a foolish waste of time and would just add to our misery, so I don't think we need to fix the flue. (Interaction - Helicopter wreck) It has crashed into the house, making a big hole in the attic. (Interaction - Chimney) It seems the chimney is clogged by something inside. I can't reach it. We'll worry about fixing up the house for the heat later. We can leave behind the Sonic Repellent Device remote control, but we'll take our tools to help us out. I want to build a bridge so glorious Communism can ride over the ridge leading to the gas station.  InvestigationThere's a hazy sheen of heatwaves on the horizon and a bunch of dead locusts scattered about the front of the farmhouse. I'll grab the Sonic Repellent Device and stash it as a memento.  A sonic repellent device (2.5 kg). The lights are not blinking anymre. I think it stopped working. I don't need it anyway. Ugh, this place stinks... Or maybe that's you, David? When was the last time you bathed? The back is also full of dead locusts. Capitalism is everywhere. Of all the places I could have crashed into... don't mind me, just talking to myself.  The front of the house has more dead locusts, the haze of heat, and of course, a big helicopter through it. Let's talk to Cate about the road. What do you think of this place? It's... a road. Yeah. Want me to, I don't know, review the quality of the asphalt? Why are you like this? I don't like stupid questions. I was just trying to start a conversation. Well that was a weak attempt.Cate is a poor conversationalist, but I get the feeling we'll have better company soon. Let's drive Communism to the destroyed bridge, as we can't access any new places before we hit their adjacent spots.   Wasteland Are you sure you know what you're doing, David? Just kidding... I'm sure you don't know.We know too what we are doing! Anyway, Cate, what do you think of the bridge we built? How do you like the bridge, Cate? It's more like a gangway. If we make a second one like the first, it would be crossable with a car, I think.Okay, let's go ahead and do that...  I'm sure more hands would help save time here, but I get the feeling walking to the house and restaurant, hoping to find more people, and then coming back here would take longer than whatever help they could provide to take this time down, so let's just build us a second bridge now!  Much better! Cate? Isn't this a nice bridge? It'll have to do, I guess. Oh, don't give me that look. Fine. I'm so proud of you. Should I also pat your back?Cate, you do realize you helped, too? I mean, I did the lion's share of the work, but this is your handywork too. Now, be quiet, as David's mind roils with possible decisions, and he must get advice! We have just one vote today, goons. Where should we go to first: the restaurant, or the ruined house? I personally vote to visit the ruined house as it's closer. Going to the ruined house would take us 4 minutes on Communism for 5% gas used.  Going to the restaurant would take us 5 minutes on Communism for 6% gas used). I'd ask whether we should ration our use of Communism and its gas, but something tells me fuel will not be a problem. Besides, we must take Communism wherever we go. It is our duty to fight back against the Moon's fall with ruthless, total communism. Plus, it has some storage capacity, and we can't say no to that! Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 19:00 on May 29, 2020 |
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May 29, 2020 17:23
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Cate seems very mean but I'm sure she'll come around and prove to be friendly eventually, she can't be this bitchy and aggressive all game  I have a good feeling about the house. I do not have a good feeling about the upcoming night. There's really gently caress-all to be done about a heat surge, unless there's a working walk-in chiller at the restaurant, and I expect we'll be forced to stay in the house. Water would just heat to scalding. About the only way to escape the heat would be to bury ourselves, and if you went deep enough to get away from it you'd suffocate.
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May 29, 2020 18:49
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Restaurant I have a feeling we will find some useful items to survive this coming heat wave!
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May 29, 2020 20:06
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Restaurants have food! And refrigerators! And other crazy things like, oh I don't know, a gigantic burger flag! ...why did that just pop into my head... oh well!
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May 30, 2020 02:11
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Black Robe posted:I do not have a good feeling about the upcoming night. There's really gently caress-all to be done about a heat surge, unless there's a working walk-in chiller at the restaurant, and I expect we'll be forced to stay in the house. Water would just heat to scalding. About the only way to escape the heat would be to bury ourselves, and if you went deep enough to get away from it you'd suffocate. I agree, if it was just a massive cold front, you could mitigate it with insulation and a fire. But what could you possibly do against face melting heat? An AC and a soda with some ice cubes wouldn't really help at that point. I guess we should barricade the holes, but I'd expect that this kinda heat would seep through the walls. It's a good thing that we will get hit at night, so we wont have to worry about the sun. Keep wielding the flame thrower. The only way to fight heat is fire. cant cook creole bream fucked around with this message at 09:07 on May 30, 2020 |
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May 30, 2020 08:55
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Restaurant Reason: I'm hungry irl
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Jun 3, 2020 18:27
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Bets we'll want to plug in and open the fridge despite them not really working quite that way ? (unless they have an outlet hose on the radiator or something?)
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Jun 3, 2020 18:37
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Hide in the fridge! Oh, and restaurant.
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Jun 3, 2020 22:09
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We should absolutely go to the house first, because houses hold the proletariat, with whom we must rise up together... to the moon!
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Jun 5, 2020 10:41
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The wise way to survive a heat wave would be to duck into a basement. Hot air is lighter than cold air and will naturally rise, meaning that if we have some means of cooling down/dispersing heat, doing so somewhere low would be ideal. The house doesn't have a basement though and i can't immediately think of any location we've seen that could have a generator AND a deep hole. Oh well.
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Jun 5, 2020 11:23
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Regallion posted:The wise way to survive a heat wave would be to duck into a basement. Hot air is lighter than cold air and will naturally rise, meaning that if we have some means of cooling down/dispersing heat, doing so somewhere low would be ideal. There is that random hole in the ground by the broken down RV
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Jun 5, 2020 13:22
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Affi posted:There is that random hole in the ground by the broken down RV I do not recall seeing a broken RV? Are you confused? There was an exterminator truck, but that had no hole anywhere nearby.
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Jun 6, 2020 00:21
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Given the current forums situation, I'm not sure where I'll continue updating this Let's Play. If the modmin team gets control of the forums from Lowtax everything will continue here, otherwise watch out for the LP Beach or even the LP Zone if it ends up going there.
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Jun 24, 2020 21:31
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The migration of this Let's Play is done! Further updates to the Let's Play will be done at the LP Beach. You can follow the thread here. So long, Something Awful, and thanks for all the fish.
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Jun 25, 2020 19:15
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Even though the LP moved, I hope I can still talk about it here. Looks like we're reaching the end of day 2 with the next update. It's kinda neat that (spoilers just in case) you can choose another location to survive the night in.
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Nov 23, 2020 18:31
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Ah, I figured it would've come back after everything got sorted out. Oh well.
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Nov 23, 2020 18:36
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I've actually had a couple of updates in the LP Beach already, but slower because I'm a lazy bugger. I'll do a double update here and continue the LP on both platforms. I'll copy-paste the updates here later today!
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Nov 24, 2020 17:23
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As a similarly lazy bugger who has missed this LP but keeps forgetting to check the Beach, yay and thank you! 
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Nov 24, 2020 17:32
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I also appreciate it! I do keep meaning to check the Beach but I keep forgetting it exists and also I'm lazy.
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Nov 24, 2020 17:34
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Olive Branch posted:I've actually had a couple of updates in the LP Beach already, but slower because I'm a lazy bugger. I'll do a double update here and continue the LP on both platforms. I'll copy-paste the updates here later today! Thank you thank you thank you!
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Nov 24, 2020 17:38
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I do have some bad news about the copy-pasting, and that is that SA has a dumb as bricks limit on how big gifs can be. I added smoother gifs on the Beach, but they may not play or render here. I may have to hit the QCS subforum to ask for higher gif memory limits! EDIT: As it turns out it's LPix that has the size limit on .gif uploads, not SA. Copy-pasting the updates here won't be an issue with the bigger, beefier images! Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Nov 24, 2020 |
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Nov 24, 2020 18:08
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 By a single vote, we are going to visit the restaurant first. It's about time we revved up Communism, put Cate in the passenger's seat, and driven off into the road of fury that this land has become.   ExplorationThe burger restaurant seems relatively quiet. Just about the only things moving here are the burger flag in the hot breeze, though you'd expect it to be hanging limp in a day like this, and the restaurant's window curtains. The door of the restaurant is open and the back is accessible, but there are some leaflets glued to the asphalt with dirt and half-melted paper pulp right here in the parking lot. Before we check those, what's Cate's opinion of the place?  So, what do you think of this place? I saw it from the helicopter and thought it didn't look too bad. Now I know better. You've gotta admit it looks solid... With all those missing windows? It doesn't have any of the advantages of our hideout. It's also pretty much completely looted. There might be a thing or two left... Let me know if you find any coffee, okay?   Cate, could this have something to do with the outpost you're looking for? Because it says "Sidereal Plexus." Just because it says "Sidereal Plexus" doesn't mean anything. Sidereal Plexus has more branches than you can imagine. I had no idea they were running a facility like this, for instance. But it's only more disturbing when I think about it... Why? Forget it. It doesn't matter. Let's keep going.I don't know why, but I feel that this "sleeper clinic" for Sidereal Plexus is more important than Cate is giving it credit for. Important enough for... something. But we'll leave that nagging doubt behind and investigate the restaurant.  Hey, there's a kid here! He is tugging at the restaurant's locked kitchen door... He must be hungry. Let's see if we can talk with him.   I'm warning you! I know how to fight! Calm down... we're not here to hurt you. Yeah, this man over here is pretty harmless. Alright, okay, whatever! I'm not afraid of you! My name is David. This is Cate. You can calm down, Cody. We're friends. How do you know my name? I... don't know. It just came to me. Stay away! I don't know you. I think. Go away, or else! Huh. How did we know this kid's name? And was that a glimmer of recognition in his eyes? Well, in any case, we get to talk to Cody now. Let's start with a little light ribbing, because nothing is as bummy as David trying to intimidate a child. "Go away or what?" Go away or what? I'll beat you up! Oh no. Yeah! So... stay away! Please.It's cool, Cody. We'll stay away. Where are "your parents," Cody? Where are your parents? ...Nowhere. I'm on my own. I'm so sorry... Don't be. I've always been on my own. I know how to take care of myself.That's rough, kid. But you must be resourceful to have survived this long, so "what's behind that door?" You seem to be really persistent on opening that door. What's behind it? What do you think, stupid? It's a restaurant, duh. You think there might be some food there? For sure!Yeah, he's hungry. Why don't you "come with us?" We can get you food! Let's team up. The weather is going to get really dangerous at night. You have better chances with us. Do you have any food? Maybe...? Then MAYBE I will team up with you. If not, I have better chances on my own.David may just have scarfed down the rest of his rations, because our pockets are empty. As we have no food to give the poor kid, this is "goodbye" for now. Later.If we try to interact with him or any other part of the restaurant... Stop! Don't come any closer! Go away!Looks like he's claimed this whole place as his own, but not the back!  Plenty to interact with here, between the dumpster, the flagpole, and the door into the rear of the restaurant. (Interaction - Door) It's locked. (Item - Crowbar on door) The door looks very sturdy. There's gotta be a way around it. (Interaction - Window) I could probably squeeze through it. But I can't reach that high... (Interaction - Rope) The flag's rope is stuck. It's held by a metal clamp. I have to release it first. (Interaction - Rope clamp release mechanism) A part is missing. I need something with a round profile that could act as a lever. (Item - Wrench, crowbar, or screwdriver on rope) It doesn't fit. I need something with a round profile that could act as a lever. (Item - Short pipe on rope)This pipe fits perfectly into the opening. With the proper application of force on the pipe, we manage to free up the rope and the restaurant's flag. As for the pipe, though... (Interaction - Short pipe) The clamp is already released. It seems that the pipe is stuck here for good. A restaurant flag (0.5 kg). A big and thick sheet of red fabric with a picture of a tasty hamburger. I miss hamburgers. A rope (2 kg). A few meters of strong rope.Can't win 'em all. Let's continue our poking about here. (Interaction - Dumpster) (Struggles to move it.) It's too heavy. (Item - Crowbar on dumpster) This won't help me with pulling the container. I'm still not able to do it on my own. To solve this puzzle, we need's Cate "help pushing the container." Could you help me push that trash container? David, do you have any clue how stupid your ideas are? See that window over the door? I could squeeze through it, but I have to be able to reach it first. You should have started with that. I'll help you for the sheer fun of watching you try to squeeze through that window. Sure. Now see if you can climb it without breaking your leg. (Interaction - Dumpster) I've already got it where I want it. Cate must be disappointed, because David's got inside the kitchen just fine! There is plenty to look at here, including an air conditioner, which will definitely help us keep cool. There's a can of meat just sitting out in the open, and by opening a locked cupboard with the crowbar I find a kitchen knife as well, which could be a good weapon or tool.  A portable air conditioner (10 kg). Big and heavy air-conditioning device with an exhaust pipe. It's portable but needs to be installed near an opening like a window, so the pipe can lead the hot air out. A can of meat (0.3 kg). The label claims it contains delicious canned meat, expiring in two weeks. Luckily we won't be around to see this. A kitchen knife (0.1 kg). A rather blunt kitchen knife. (Interaction - Back door) It's locked. Besides, it's blocked by a garbage container on the other side. (Interaction - Front door [before getting can of meat]) I'd better take some food with me while I'm here. (Interaction - Window) I don't want to climb back up there. (Interaction - Freezer) There's no food here. Only some weird tile-shaped objects. I wonder what those are... A Heat Absorber Tile (TM) (0.5 kg).   This is a great find! We'll need all the cool we can get I just have to be careful not to drop it or activate it too early. (Interaction - Freezer) There is nothing left in the freezer. (Interaction - Beverage fridge) It's locked, and the glass seems to be hardened.  If I choose to use the hammer or wrench on the fridge I get the first option, but using the crowbar gives me the second. Why not bypass the glass entirely? There are two bottles of water in there that will keep us hydrated.  A bottle of water (0.5 kg). A small bottle of drinking water. 09:54 am: I have a bottle of water prepared to prevent dehydration. We've picked the kitchen clean. The only way out is through the very door Cody was trying to open. I hope we don't scare him too badly.   We have four options to use here, three of which are just to mess with Cody. We can say we're the owner of the restaurant, that we're a wizard, that we're David's twin... or that we used the back door. I'll show each joke answer before the honest one. I'm the owner of this restaurant. Really? Absolutely. Umm, I didn't mean to steal anything. I'm not sure about that. I'll be watching you. Umm, okay. I don't suppose you're open for business? Not really. Sorry. Umm... did you find any food in there?* * * I'm a wizard. I can teleport. Really? Absolutely. I don't believe you. Prove it. Teleport over there to the window. Can't. I'm, err. I'm out of mana points. Umm... did you find any food in there?* * * Huh? What are you talking about? We have never met before. No, I talked with you! Oh, you must be mistaking me for my twin brother David. ...Ha, ha. Sure. You ARE joking, right? Umm... did you find any food in there?* * * I used the back door. Oh, I didn't know there was a back door. Well, more like a back window. Wow! You're like a burglar. Come on. It's all abandoned anyway. Wait, why am I even explaining myself to you? Umm... did you find any food in there?All right, enough messing with the poor starving kid, David. Here you go, Cody, a can of meat! And it's not even expired yet! Here. Take this. What? Is that...? (Shakes the can of meat.) But... uh... how do I open this? So that's how you've been taking care of yourself. Hm, hand it back. I'll open it for you somehow. I'm hungry... (Item - Crowbar on can of meat) Alright, I know crowbars open a lot of things. But not this time. (Item - Hammer or wrench on can of meat) That's going to crush it, not open it.  The only two items on hand that can open this can of meat are the screwdriver and knife I found, and the knife is faster. Use that Hanzo steel, David! I've opened the can of meat. An opened can of meat (0.3 kg). Yuck. Looks and smells like dog food. Here. Take this. What? Is that...? Wow! You are a good person after all. I wouldn't say "good." Maybe a bit clumsy and soft. Come with us, Cody. You'll be safer. We might even have more food. Awesome! 09:59 am: We found a starving kid, Cody, and gave him some food. Cody is just a kid, but he is full of energy and willing to help us with time-sensitive tasks. We can talk to him the same way we can do with Cate. First, let's ask her what she thinks "about Cody." What do you think about Cody? Eh, poor kid. It's a miracle he has survived this long.Yeah, she's right about that. Who knows how the locusts missed him? Well, Cody, let's get to know you better. Hey there. We can ask Cody about each place we visit and the day, as we can with Cate, as well as about the Moon, Cate herself, and his age. First, let's ask him what he thinks "about this place." What do you think of this place, Cody? When I saw it from a distance I thought they'd have hamburgers. I like hamburgers... You don't look like you've had many. All skin and bones. I didn't find any hamburgers here, obviously! You kinda know the rest.That we do, boy-o. What "about today?" It's hot, isn't it? Yes... it's really hot. I'm melting! Is there any lake nearby? Or maybe a pool? Yeah, a pool would be amazing. Can we look for one? I don't think we have time for that... But it's sooooo hot! I'm sure I could swim the pool faster than you! I give up. I won't even try. Congratulations. Yaaay, I won!David is good with kids, being young at heart himself. Speaking of youth, "how old are you," Cody? Hey kid, how old are you? I'm not a kid, okay? I'm twelve. Is that so? Alright, I'm ten. So what! I know how to take care of myself. I'm sure you do.Ten years old, and already fated for death. Then again, wasn't Link as young when he faced "the Moon?" Have you noticed the Moon getting bigger each night? No. Is it? Yes. Why? Because it's coming down. Right at us. Whaaat? But... wouldn't that... be bad for us? Yes. It is. David. Stop scaring him. How bad...? We're going to be just fine, Cody.Cate shows a surprising tenderness towards Cody to not make him panic. So what do you think "about Cate" now that you've met her? What do you think about Cate? She's nice. Just that? Simply nice? Nice. And pretty. Alright, let's stop it there.David can't stand it when people compliment those mean to him. So, Cody is not guarding the restaurant, meaning we can check out the restroom.  Oh god! Kill them! Kill them with fire! (Interaction - Locusts) Oh no. No, no, no. Are those the same bugs that have been scattering around your hideout? Nasty creatures. They almost ate me yesterday. Well, too bad they are blocking our way now. Do you think we can do something to get rid of them? Honestly? This looks almost like a hive. I think we should come back tomorrow. The temperature will either kill them or force them to move. So let's just get back here later.Yeah, we could take Cate's advice and wait until tomorrow, or we could run back to the hideout, grab the flamethrower, and torch these little bastards to kingdom come. It's what I'd prefer, at any rate. That's about it for the restaurant for now.  Next time, the ruined house! Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Nov 25, 2020 |
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Nov 24, 2020 19:34
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  Covering GroundAs we arrive at the ruined house, we spot another survivor sitting near a garage. The middle-aged, dark-skinned bald man seems to be crying. I ask Cate and Cody their impressions about the place before we interrupt the poor man. So, what do you think of this place? You want me to be honest? Wait, no. Forget I asked. Do you like it here, Cody? This place feels nice. But it's a ruin. Yes, but it... feels like a good place. Maybe we could stay here? Not a chance. Aww... but why? Maybe in your next life, okay?I don't want to check out the ruin without first talking to the man. He's got to be crying for a reason, right? Hey. Please leave. Just... leave me alone. I mean you no harm. Yeah, he's pretty much harmless. Cate, please... My name is David. The boy over there is Cody. You don't look too good. Can you tell us what happened? I'm Barry. It's about my wife. She... She didn't make it. Last night... she died. Why... God? Why her? It should have been me. It should have been me. And she is still there, in the house. I don't know what to do. ... Come on, David. Let's go. This guy had enough. Wait... Barry. What do you want? Have we met before? I don't... Wait, I... Did I meet you at the gas station before the world ended or something? What's going on, Cate? Why do I keep feeling like I've been here before? Dreams, maybe...? No... I mean, yes. But there is more to it. Well, whoever you are, what do you want? This guy... Why do we also think we met him? Have we met him? We haven't... right? Cate's explanation of dreams doesn't seem far off, but it also doesn't seem too close, either. Maybe this weird sensation we've been having will be addressed sometime. In any case, I don't want to leave this guy to die from the heat about to slap us, and so I'll ask him to "tell me about your wife" so we get to know him better. Tell me about your wife. She was the most kind and wonderful person I've ever known. She was my entire world. And now she's gone. I failed her... I couldn't protect her. It should have been me.I'm sorry to hear that, brother. Would you like to "come with us?" You'd better not stay here. The temperature at night is going to get crazy. Come with us. We can help each other. Sorry. I see no reason to keep going. I might as well stay here and wait for death. Then I can be with my wife again. We can now tell Barry that "your wife would want you to live." I'm sure she would, too. I'm sure your wife would want you to live. You should keep memories about her. And you can only do that while you live. Why do you care so much if I live or die? You don't even know me. True. But we all have better chances to survive if we stick together. I... I can't. I can't leave my wife like this.I don't know what to tell the man to get him to come with us. I'll wish him "goodbye" for now. That's all for now.I'll interact around the house a bit, see what we can do. (Interaction - Garage) It's locked and I doubt if I could pick or lever that lock. I need a key. (Item - House keys on garage) It won't fit.Barry said his wife, or more accurately, her body, is in the house. What if we try to enter it? Maybe we can do something for her as a funeral rite.  Why? Because it's mine. Leave.So what if it's yours? I told you. Don't go near that house. Sorry. Please go away.No, I'm not sorry. Get in there, David. Stay away! Uh. David, why don't we just kick his sorry butt? Not exactly my style.Pretty please, Barry? Please go away. Okay, Cate, you're so eager to kick his butt, how about you do it... verbally? "Keep him busy" while we sneak inside.  Hey. Umm... How are you? My wife has just died. And how are you? Alright. I'm sorry. No, I mean it. I'm really sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about her? No. I don't know. I can't believe it happened. My sweet, sweet girl. She was so kind. So good. She didn't deserve to die. I'm... I'm sorry. This must be painful... (Attempting to talk to either of them) They're busy talking. Let's keep it this way.While Cate tries her best to play friendly concerned neighbor, we make our move. Time to go inside Barry's home.  What was once a happy home is now a funeral parlor. There's an old-fashioned phone on a desk to the right, rubble blocking a doorway, a couch with a blanket, a book, and a bedsheet, a painting on the wall, a closet, a fan, and Barry's late wife. (Interaction - Phone) All phone lines have been dead for quite a while now. (Interaction - Rubble) The other part of the house has collapsed. Nothing but a pile of rubble left... (Interaction - Painting) A lighthouse by the seashore. The sky is dark and the sea seems deep and cold as they foamy waves wash the sand around the unlit lighthouse. For some reason this painting makes me feel uneasy. (Interaction - Book) It's a book titled "The Mysticism of Dreams."    A blue blanket (0.5 kg). It's thick and heavy. It's also a bit dusty and hasn't been washed for quite some time. A bed sheet (0 kg). A thin white bed sheet. I can still smell flower fabric softener. In the closet there are two coats, a green one and a tan one. Not that we'll need to stay warm tonight, but why not take them anyway?  A warm coat (0.3 kg). Not really my color, but it's thick and warm. A warm coat (0.3 kg). It's a bit large, but it's thick and warm. (Interaction - Fan) Hmm... something rustles inside this fan, like a bunch of loose screws or something. I think it's broken. A broken fan (2.5 kg). An electrical fan. Something rustles inside. The device is probably damaged somehow. (Interaction - Barry's wife's body) She has a small locket on her neck. A golden locket (0 kg).   (Interaction - Maggie's body) I hope Barry doesn't leave her like that. We've taken what we could from Barry's home, and the locket around Maggie's neck should be enough to convince him to come with us. What could go wrong from taking jewelry off a dead body?  The back of the house has a propane tank with a small hose attached, probably used as the kitchen's fuel supply. We may need this if we're going to juice up our fan and our air conditioner... (Interaction - Propane tank or hose) First I have to disconnect the hose from the tank. The ends are tightly secured with some lug nuts. I need to disconnect them first. (Item - Wrench on hose) I've disconnected the hose from the propane tank. A propane tank (10 kg). A tank filled with propane. A short hose (0.1 kg). A short rubber hose with screwable valves. Good for transmitting gas or liquids.Right. Time to throw this stuff on Communism's truckbed, and relieve Cate off her duties. Well, I've gotta go for now. Uh-huh...Barry surely won't mind us showing him his dead wife's locket, right? The note inside should be proof enough she would want him to live!  Where did you get it? Uh... there's a note inside. I thought...  Tension ...There is a note inside... I think you should read what it says. DID YOU SNEAK INTO MY HOUSE AND TOUCH MY WIFE?! Stop it! DID YOU?! Barry, wait! (Points the gun at Barry.) STOP IT! So you go through her stuff like a SCAVENGER?! You're SO dead!!! I'LL SHOOT YOU! PLEASE STOP SHOUTING! NO! WAIT! Barry... just read the goddamn note!!! Do it, please. Just... Read the note. Survival (Cate lowers the gun.) I'm sorry for taking that, but I thought you should have it. No, no... I'm sorry. (Sits down.) I shouldn't have gotten mad like that... If it wasn't for you, I probably would have never seen my wife's final words. It's her handwriting for sure, but... when did she write it? How did she know? Sometimes people can... sense things before they happen. Right, David? It's almost like I read a goodbye letter. A letter that you've delivered. Thank you. Thank goodness David was able to keep everyone calm. The note is kind of weird, as Barry points out, which means Maggie must also have been a prophetic dreamer, as well as her book on dreams. We can now ask about a "burial" for Maggie. Your wife deserves a proper burial. I... I can't. I just can't look at her like this. Lifeless. Cold. I'll bury her. This man has just lost everything. Show him some respect. I'm not going to ask for your help with this. Just don't try to stop me. Eh... I'll help. I just hope we don't waste too much time. Do you have a shovel, Barry? There. Thanks.Thank you, Barry. We'll grab that shovel and get to digging Maggie's grave.  A shovel (1 kg). A shovel. Good for digging. Covering Ground   (Interaction - Grave) ... (Interaction - Maggie's body) I should find something to cover the body with.We can shroud her with the bed sheet from the couch.  (Interaction - Maggie's body) Cate... could you help me move Barry's wife? Yeah, sure. Let's take her outside. (Interaction - Maggie's body) I should get Barry to come here before I bury her. Hey. Yes? Maggie's "burial" is going to start, Barry. Come on. It's time. Okay... Of course she did. Come on, Barry. Let's go. Where? We've got a plan. Sort of. The first part of this plan is to survive tonight. Alright. I'll do it for her. Hey, mister? Yes? I'm Cody. Hello, Cody. I'm Barry. (Shakes the can of meat.) I left some for later, but I can share! That's sweet of you, but I'm not hungry right now. Eating makes me happy, and I thought it would also make you happy. Heh... (Turns to David.) Is he your son, David? No. We found him by a restaurant near here. I'll tell you all the details later. Cody, you're a good kid. I think I'll eat that food now... Go for it. Come on, David. Lead the way. 10:50 am: We helped a man named Barry to bury his deceased wife. He decided to follow us. (Interaction - Grave) Rest in peace.Barry has joined the party, now that we've gotten his wife buried at last. What do Cate and Cody think "about Barry?" Are you upset about Barry? No. Not at all. I know that look. Really? We've known each other for how long? Several hours? Maybe. Still... Fine. That guy is annoying me. I know he lost his wife, but it's all he talks about. I'm tired of that. We have more important things to do than listen to a mourning man. That's kinda harsh. I'm harsh. Get used to it. What do you think about Barry? I don't know. He seems nice. But sad. He lost his wife, you know. I would give him something to cheer him up... But I don't have anything. Let's just give him understanding and our company. Will that be enough? I hope so! Now that Barry has joined us, he has several topics of conversation to discuss. I'll go from left to right, so tell me "about this place." So, that was your home, huh? Yes. I lived here with Maggie for almost ten years. Ten years in a place like this? Wow. Cate! Hey. It used to be a nice place, really. Before it partly collapsed, at least... Maybe it wasn't much even back then. But for us, it was everything. Our little place on Earth.I wish we had a place of our own, Barry. What "about today?" It's getting really hot... Yeah. I'm all sweaty. I can tell. I've always handled high temperatures poorly... Are you sure it's gonna get worse? Temperature usually drops in the evening... Not this time. The worst heat will be just after sunset. That's not normal. Nothing here is, Barry.It seems like Barry has no real advice to give. We'll have to stay cool both in body and in mind... This was all caused by "the Moon," you know. Have you noticed the Moon getting bigger each day? Yes. I reckon our days are numbered. They are indeed. But I'm not giving up that easily. Good for you.That's because we got "a spaceship," Barry! So, the plan is to find a spaceship and escape. A spaceship. Yeah. I know it sounds crazy. But look around; the whole world is crazy. It's Cate's plan, isn't it? Yes. What do you think about it? I'm not sure. It's a longshot, but there is no other hope. We've got nothing to lose, right?Only our lives, good man. But "Cody" has a lot to live for, let's talk about him. What do you think about Cody? Poor boy. All alone in this world. From what I understand he's an orphan. It's a miracle he has survived this long. Without his parents, alone in this messed up world... Life wasn't easy on him. I hope things will change now. You keep that boy safe, David.If we have "Cate" then we can certainly keep him safe, don't you think? What do you think about Cate? I'm not sure. She seems to be hiding something. You realize I'm literally next to you, right?It's not as if you're a stranger to snark, Cate. We can also tell Barry that "our car uses so much fuel." Barry, any ideas to help make Communism run smoother, faster, and stronger? Our car uses so much fuel. I don't think it's normal. There might be a number of reasons for that... From fuel injectors to incorrect tire pressure. There might also be something wrong with the engine. Could you take a look? Sure. By all means, educate the masses, Barry. We have nothing to lose but our chains... of inefficient fuel usage! There. Now it should use much less fuel.Each party member is essential to helping us survive, and time is the only resource that matters. Since we've got a lot of party members, we can try to fix that broken fan. Between a gearhead, a survivalist, a kid, and a packrat, we can find a solution, no? Let's use the screwdriver on the fan.  One hour to fix this fan? Well, I did just say time is the only resource that matters, and investing in it now will pay off in the night. I don't fancy turning the team into puddles of goo under a heat lamp. A fan (2.5 kg). An electrical fan. Great, all is fixed up and ready to go. Our next stop is the roadblock: I'm sure we can salvage some more stuff out there with Barry's help! Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Feb 26, 2021 |
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Nov 24, 2020 19:35
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 There is reader participation in this entry!  ExplorationWe head to the roadblock to explore further with a complete party, but I decide to stop by each landmark before getting there to chat with the group. Barry has something to say at the restaurant, so we stop by here first. What do you think of this place? You know, in all those years living just a bit down the road, I never visited this place. Any particular reason? Maggie... My wife was a great cook. You should have tasted her steak. Or her grilled chicken with pasta. She was... She was... Anyway. I never ate here. But looking at this place from up close, I don't think I missed much. The gas station is next. So, what do you think of this place? I saw it from the air and regretfully realized they probably don't have any helicopter fuel. Apart from the fuel tank, this hole is pretty much useless. Let's take what we came for and move on. Do you like it here, Cody? It smells weird. It makes me dizzy. It's gas. Fuel. There's a lot of it in the tank. Can we go somewhere else? We will... just a sec, okay? What do you think of this place? I used to fuel my car here often. They had good prices but the fuel quality was terrible. I don't think it has changed much since then. Not that we can be fussy about it. Sure. It's a miracle this fuel is still here. After that, it's the destroyed bridge. Wasteland How do you like the bridge, Cody? Hmm... it could use some paint. We don't have any. Yellow would be nice. Or green. I like green. This bridge is almost like the end of the world never happened, am I right? Well... How do I break this to you? This... isn't necessarily the finest bridge I've seen in my life. But, okay. It looks sturdy enough for a car to cross it. I'll give you that. (Interaction - Car wreck) This car has been wrecked beyond repair. No need to waste my time on that. InvestigationWe head back home to drop things off, too. What does everyone have to say as we head up there? Do you like it here, Cody? Umm, you mean here? On this road? No... I don't like it here. It's windy and there's nothing but sand all around. What do you think of this place? I used to take this road when travelling from my place. It looked so much different not too long ago. There was a countryside here, you know? Cattle in the pastures, crops growing high up all around... Good times.   Inside It's so cool!!! It's not my home. I found it deserted. Oh. It's still cool! Can we go upstairs? I saw a helicopter sticking out of it. Calm down, Cody! So, this is the place you stayed at? Yes. It's... big. Looks solid. Despite Cate's best attempts, it still stands. And I think it can provide us with the protection we need. At least until we figure out what to do next. I knew the people who lived here. Really? I'll tell you about them if you want.It's not like we have the luxury of time to sit around and swap stories from before the apocalypse, but I've never been against hearing gossip. Do you like it here, Cody? Yeah, it's awesome! It's huge and looks comfy and it has a helicopter on the roof! Why would someone build a house with a helicopter like that? It wasn't built like that. The helicopter is Cate's addition. Oh. Cate's so cool! Thanks. Yeah, it takes real talent to crash into the only house in the middle of the desert. I was trying to... You know what? Fine. I'm talented. What do you think of our hideout, Barry? What can I say? It's okay. It's bigger than my house used to be. I think it was a nice place before the world ended. It's still a good shelter. A shelter, yes. Home? No. It used to be a home for some people. It's now like an empty shell of a turtle that once lived. Oh, Barry. I didn't know you were so poetic. Barry, who were "the people who lived in our hideout?" You said you knew the people who lived in our hideout? We weren't really close, but we spoke on occasion. What happened to them? I always wondered. The house was locked, and I didn't find any bodies. So, I guess the set of keys I found must have been spares. They left. The military was still trying to evacuate civilians from endangered areas until they realized there were no safe areas left. Didn't you want to go with them? We refused. Maggie wanted to stay. Now I wonder. What if...? Then again, I have no idea what happened to the ones who left. I hope they're alright. But I doubt they are.Maybe the people who lived here were munched by locusts, but there's no evidence of that. Cody likes helicopters, so why not give him a close look at the one rammed straight into the attic wall?  It's so awesome! I flew it, you know. She flew it IN here. Helicopters are cool. Can I get inside? Not the best idea, kid. But... Don't touch it. Don't even come near it. But why...? Because it might fall. I wouldn't want you to fall and hurt yourself. Soon after my wife died I heard your helicopter. I walked outside just in time to see you fly over the house. Yeah. I wasn't sure if the place was abandoned or not. Why didn't you land there if you were low on fuel? I was trying to touch down this baby since I had flown past the city. It was not particularly operative. Are those... bullet holes? It's a long story.Whatever reason Cate may have, it doesn't change the fact we can't really insulate the house due to that big hole. I don't think simply covering it up would prevent the predicted heatwave from cooking us alive. We'll have to think about what to do with our equipment later, and move on to the roadblock as we have nothing else to do here...  InvestigationWell, nothing else to do outside of gassing up the generator in the barn and setting it to "house," that is. I've fueled the generator. Now I just have to start it. The generator is running again. InsideNow that the lights are on, we know we could hook up our fan and air conditioner unit if necessary. I'll run back to the gas station to refuel our canister, and then head to the roadblock.  WastelandThe two bodies are gone, possibly eaten to the last morsel by flesh-hungry locusts. There are tire tracks here now, though... (Interaction - Tire tracks) These tracks weren't here yesterday. The road ahead is blocked. Maybe someone was trying to go around the crash site. That's possible, I guess. Let's follow the tracks and see where they take us. That's my life motto. The tracks lead to an RV. Perhaps we'll find some other survivors...?  Exploration Looks like their trip didn't end well... I wonder what happened. My guess is their car broke down. RVs are not the best suited for off-road travel, you know. They set a camp and then... The locust swarm got them.drat, what a bad way to go. They're only partially eaten by the locusts, so I wonder if the swarm had its fill from the two dead bodies back on the road. Let's chat up the group. So, what do you think of this place? Like I said, they must have gone off-road to get past the roadblock. And their suspension didn't survive that. Consequently, neither did they. What do you think about this place? I wonder where those people were going. Like... there's nothing here! And? Any ideas why they were here? Maybe... they wanted to hide a treasure. Hey, do you think there's a treasure here or something? I doubt that... Maybe let's dig? Maybe let's not. Awww. Pssst. David. Distract her. I'm gonna dig! I hear you, kid. Uh oh! Abort! Run away! What do you think of this place? This place smells of death. Like most of the world, actually... making it a pretty ordinary place, I guess. I hope some stuff here will be useful to us. Well, surely it won't be useful to the previous owners. Looking at all those deaths I can't help myself but wonder: How did we... survive up to this point? Maybe it was destiny. Destiny. Hah. Or blind chance. And nothing more. Not everything is pointless, Barry. Yeah? Well, my wife's death was pointless. I'm sorry.Grieve away, Barry, but don't take it out on us. Still, Cody and Barry recognize this place is ripe for looting. Besides the RV, there's also a rock formation and a cave. (Interaction - RV) Well, let's see... Three minutes doesn't strike me as nearly enough time to investigate everything thoroughly, even with a team of three other people helping, but let's trust we don't overlook anything. The engine seems fine, but the suspension is busted. The RV is not going anywhere, and I don't think there is anything I can do to fix it. Also, the internal battery for appliances seems to be working, but I don't know how much juice it has left. The battery is charged when the engine is running.We might as well fuel the RV after picking it clean. It's not as if we have any other use for this full canister we're lugging around. (Interaction - RV fuel inlet) I could pour fuel through that. (Interaction - RV electrical socket) The socket won't solve any problems without anything to plug in. (Interaction - RV hook) The hook is attached to the RV with big bolts. (Item - Wrench on RV hook) I've detached the hook. A hook (0.5 kg). A big, metal hook. (Interaction - Body in the car) He's dead. No valuable belongings. (Interaction - Body outside) He doesn't have anything interesting. Not much I can do for that poor guy. Are you sure you don't want to bury him? Because we have sooo much time on our hands. Cate... we buried Barry's wife to help him. So why are they not worth getting their own funeral? Don't be snarky, okay? Of course they're worth it. We just don't have the time. Hear that? Sorry guys, it's past our grave-digging time for today. Whatever, Catherine.Oh, is that how it's gonna be? Shovel, I summon thee! Did you really want to dig for treasure, David? I, uh... Great. Looks like I have TWO kids on my team.Yeah, a big kid who's got a lot of tools in his bag which have literally kept us alive so far, lady. Whatever, let's go inside the RV proper.  Not a bad setup for an RV, honestly. Plenty to grab here, so let's fill up our backpack. (Interaction - First aid kit) There is some stuff in this first aid kit. There was a bandage in the first aid kit. There's something more here. There was a thermal blanket in the first aid kit. There's nothing else in here. Previous owners must have used it all. A warm jacket (0.3 kg). A bit small, but it's thick and warm. A warm jacket (0.3 kg). Smells a bit odd, but it's thick and warm. A green blanket (0.5 kg). It's thick, heavy, and also stained with what I hope was tea. A bandage (0.2 kg). A roll of clean bandage. I'd better keep this in case someone gets hurt. A thermal blanket (0.1 kg). Low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin silvery sheeting.How's our potential ride? Check it out, David.  drat, what a shame. Any comments, gang? It must have been fun riding through wastelands with this thing. Well, its end certainly didn't look like fun. Every road ends somewhere, Cate. My road ain't ending in the dust of a wasteland thanks to a broken car. Maybe sometimes it's not about where it ends, but rather how it goes? Nah. Only losers say that. Don't say that. Do you like this RV? It's cool! Can we take it? We could travel the world! I think it's broken. Well, there aren't too many nice things to see anyway, so it's okay... Isn't it a nice RV? Looks cozy. I could probably repair it if we had a few days... which, of course, we don't have. Not that it would be better than a well-fortified house anyway. Now that we've gotten the whole RV looted, we should check out the cave and rock formation outside. (Interaction - Rock formation) This rock formation is full of cracks and holes, but it looks really sturdy and stable. (Interaction - Cave) It's at least 7 feet deep. I don't want to jump in there. (Item - Hook on rope) I've tied the rope with the hook. A rope with a hook (2.5 kg). A few meters of strong rope with a hook attached to one end. Now that we've used our intelligence to best a seven-foot drop, time to enter and check it out.  InsideThis cave is empty as all get-out, but David's comment is very intriguing. Because of the coming heat, this cave could actually serve as a substitute for our house! We'd need to bring down the air conditioner and fan down here, but I have some ideas about how to do that... What do the others think about the cave? So, what do you think of this place? David, if you were looking for a place that I couldn't compare to a hole in the ground, you've found it. This is literally a hole in the ground. There is nothing here, just severe cold. What do you think about this cave? It's cold in here!!! ...cold in here! Echo! Echo! Gekko! ...ekko! Tee-hehehe! hehe! What do you think of this place? It's cold, like Cate's heart. Hey! What? It's an accurate description. I think I have to agree. You could have said it's dark, like our future. Or its bottom is as hard as life has recently become. Or that it's shallow, like our current discussion.I am definitely going to keep the cave in mind for tonight, I think. Let's get out and grab the rope. (Interaction - Rope and hook) I've removed the hook from the crack. That rope might be useful elsewhere.Okay. We took everything not nailed down and there isn't anyplace else for us to explore or get useful items from today. The last thing to do is "reset" the house by removing the stuff from our window frames.    The barricade was not salvageable.It's time for us to consider our options.  These are all of our items and inventory. There are three votes for you to consider today. First, where should we settle for the night? We camped out at the house the previous night, but with the discovery of the cold cave, we actually have a viable second place to sleep. The cave sounds better for its cool protection for me. Second, where should we put the air conditioner and fan? I have a sneaking suspicion that we can use the extension cord on the RV and put both machines in the cave. Third, how else can we keep everyone cool? Giving our three party members bottles of water should keep us hydrated and avoid the worst of sweating. I would also like to try to find a way to cover the mouth of the cave to protect us from the sun's rays.
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Nov 24, 2020 19:37
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Cave, extension cord on air conditioner and fan, water bottles and those weird tile things. I guess we just smack them and then throw them down into the cave? What do we have to cover the cave's mouth? something reflective would prob be best?
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Nov 24, 2020 19:44
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Man, Cate really is a jerk. I vote cave and, uh, whatever everyone else thinks is good 
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Nov 24, 2020 19:55
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Seraphic Neoman posted:Cave, extension cord on air conditioner and fan, water bottles and those weird tile things. Reflective like that thermal blanket we just found?
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Nov 24, 2020 20:20
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Black Robe posted:Reflective like that thermal blanket we just found? Yeah, let's look around and see if we can find something exactly like that! Do we still have time to flamethrower those bugs? I bet Cate would be impressed by our brave manly wielding of a flamethrower!
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Nov 24, 2020 20:57
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1. Cave 2. Leave them in the house . Make sure to fuel and turn on the house generator to make sure they work. 3. i'd wager that the heat wave is more or less an issue of hot air, so being reflective doesn't really matter more than making sure to cover from wind. A burger flag seems appropriate. Don't forget to crack open the cold ones if you know what i mean.
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Nov 24, 2020 22:26
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Definitely set up in the cave, and bring our fan and AC and use the extension cord. If the burger flag won't cover the cave mouth, we'll hopefully have something else that can. Distribute the bottles of water, too.
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Nov 27, 2020 08:42
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Hooray this is back! I agree with cave + burger flag, the reflective blanket seems like a red herring item since the heat wave is coming at night.
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Nov 28, 2020 08:15
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Just caught up! I really like our house but I agree the Cave seems like the way to go. Bring the fan in the cave but leave the AC in the house. Cover the cave opening with Burger Flag 
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Dec 3, 2020 17:55
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 Everyone says to hunker down in the cave, with some recommendations to cover the hole with the burger flag or thermal blanket, but regarding the AC and fan, there was a split vote to bring the AC and fan in with us, possibly out of fear we'd get too cold in the cave and not enough heat would make it in? The AC's unit also says it produces exhaust, so if we set it up in the cave it could make for a scary gas... I'll see if we can hook up both and get the exhaust out, though, because I feel we'd need to take precautions to stay cool. We'll also be tossing in the cooling tiles we found in the restaurant's freezer, and distribute bottles of water for everyone. Enough waiting around, it's time to prepare for our second (is it the second?) night. InsideTime to make sure everyone has enough to drink. This includes you too, dear reader. Pause reading this update to get a glass! Anyway, Barry, you're up first. Hey, have some water. Thanks. But... I think you should give one to Cody first. Huh? Did someone call me? But what about you, Barry? I'll be fine.So kind of Barry to ask Cody to get one first. Well, ladies next. Cate, time to l-l-l-liquid up! Here. Have some water. Huh? Alright. I'm not really thirsty, though. Save it for later. For dehydration. I know. Thanks. 2:19 pm: I gave Cate a bottle of water.Cody, a growing boy needs his water. Take this water. Wow - thanks! I'm really thirsty. You'd better save it for later, when the weather gets really, really hot. Uh... okay. 2:19 pm: I gave Cody a bottle of water.The last one is Barry. Hey, have some water. For the heat. It should help with dehydration. Okay. It's getting really hot already. Yeah. And it's only going to get worse. Thanks. 12:39 pm: I gave Barry a bottle of water. He is big, so he might need it more than anyone else.Before I continue, I wonder what they'll all say if I offer them a coat? They'll probably reject them due to the heat, but still. Hey, take this coat. Why? It's soooo hot! I'm gonna melt if I wear this thing! Yeah. You're probably right. Forget it. Here, take this coat. You're kidding me, right? It's going to be like, ten million degrees and you want me to wear THIS? I, uh... I thought it'd suit you. Oh my god, David. Please stop. Hey, take this coat. Huh? It's already so warm and it's only going to get hotter. I don't think it's such a good idea. Yeah. You're probably right. All right, all right, coats go back in the bin. Anyway, time to lug all the materials we need out to the RV and the cave!  ExplorationFirst things first, let's gas up this RV to get the engine ready to run, make a quick stop at the gas station to refuel, and get everything else ready afterwards. If I try to gas up the RV more... (Item - Full gas canister on RV's fuel inlet) The RV is already fueled. The extension cord fits the RV's outlet just fine. What if I tried to plug in the fan or AC unit outside? (Item - Portable air conditioner or fan on extension cord sockets) Plugging this into the extension cord here isn't the best idea. I should take the extension cord somewhere else first.David's right. No point in setting up outside the cave entrance. Let's get the rope and extension cord down the cave and set everything up before I turn the engine on. (Interaction - Extension cord sockets) Where should I take the end of the extension cord? Brrr... it's really cold down here.Let's get everything ready! Fan first...  02:44 pm: I put an electrical fan in the cave.The fan is cooling the cave with some air circulation. Good, now for the AC. (Item - Portable air conditioner on extension cord sockets) Before I plug it in, I should install it by the cave's opening.Fair enough, let's go outside and do that? (Item - Portable air conditioner on cave opening) Okay, but I should install it while inside the cave.David, I was standing at the leftmost side of the cave near the opening just before. There must be some way to finesse this... How about I use the AC on the cave opening while inside the cave, rather than the extension cord sockets?  That did it. I needed to be inside the cave and click on the hole so the exhaust pipe would go out. (Interaction - Air conditioner's plug) Where should I take the end of the extension cord?Hook it up, sir!  02:44 pm: I installed and started an air conditioner in the cave.Now we're looking good. The AC is humming along. Let's crack those blue Heat Absorber Tiles (TM) and drop them around the cave! (Item - Hammer on Heat Absorber Tile (TM)) (There is a "crack" and then a hissing sound.) After I dented the tile it hissed and became really cold. I think this thing really absorbs heat. An active Heat Absorber Tile (TM) (0.5 kg). Its surface is so cold! Seems like it's really absorbing the heat. I never knew this technology even existed. 02:44 pm: I placed a heat absorber in the cave. 02:44 pm: I placed two heat absorbers in the cave. 02:44 pm: I placed three heat absorbers in the cave. We're looking mighty chill now. The last thing to do is cover up the cave entrance.   As it turns out, both the restaurant flag and thermal blanket can cover the cave. The votes (with my own choice) are split evenly. The thermal blanket is described as a "low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin silvery sheeting, while the burger flag is described as "big and thick." Given the fact that we're facing a heat wave, the blanket could work better regardless of the time of day since it's reflecting heat, not sunlight. The burger flag seems like a trap because it would be good if we were, say, facing a freezing night or blizzard. Covering the cave mouth's entrance with the blanket would trap heat inside and increase the temperature, I think? Well, I'll use my executive decision to cover it up with the thermal blanket. If it was the wrong choice, sorry, survivors!  03:06 pm: I covered the entrance to the cave with something to block the temperature.It looks less like a blanket and more like a spider web, even if it is isolating the temperatures between the cave and the outside a bit. Anyway, that's the fan, AC, heat absorbers, water, and covering all set up! Let's turn on the car to get the RV going, then go down and spend the night. (Interaction - RV's driver seat) I've started the RV's engine. 03:06 pm: I fueled and started the RV by the cave. Any appliances connected to it should last much longer now.  I think we're as good as we're going to be. Let's keep that water bottle handy! Let's hope my tie-breaker decisions didn't doom anyone... Long Nights The heat surge was incredibly strong as the wave of boiling hot air moved through the land. You found shelter in a cave underground, hoping it would save you from the deadly heat...  The cave proved to be a good shelter, as it shielded 35% of the initial heat wave.  The cool air from the air conditioner dispersed about 26% of the initial heat wave.  The air circulation helped to lower the temperature, deducting 24% of the initial heat surge.  The heat-absorbing power of those weird tiles got rid of 21% of the hot air.  Another Sunrise You were able to rest much more comfortably than you thought you would. [+5 kg permanent carry weight bonus] No sweat, literally! We aced yet another night, goons. Well done. Who knows if the burger flag would have been better or worse? Perhaps a test for another day, wouldn't you say? Well, you know what's coming next... Another prophecy of death.  Hmm. Should we check the window, or the stairs? The window has killed us twice (yeah, twice?) now. The stairs may just be safer!   Uh... That's Maggie, Barry's dead wife. What is she doing here?  W-what, wait, you're... I must be dreaming. Indeed you are, my dear. We get to ask Maggie who she is, and about our dream. First, "who are you" exactly? I know you... I... buried you... You're Barry's wife. Yes you did bury me, honey. I'm quite grateful for that. Um, no problem.Okay. So let's talk about this "dream" we're having. It's a dream...? Yes, darling. It's quite obvious once you look around and think for a second. You've been here before, but your memory is failing you. It's from dream-travelling. You've gotta watch out as you do it. It can lead to dementia. I don't understand... I hope you will, because a lot depends on it. Dream or no dream, she's creeping me out with this memory and dream-travelling talk. Let's talk "about Barry." Barry is your husband. Yes, darling. And for some reason you're in my dream. Well, not personally. I'm dead, remember? I'm just an echo of Barry's memory of me. W-why are you here? I'm here because you let Barry die, honey. What? No. That's impossible. He is fine. Oh maybe now he is fine. But he didn't survive your previous life. Previous life...? You've been here before. Deep inside you know it's true. If you're right, Maggie, then please "tell me the future" and how this all ends. What's gonna happen? Can you tell me? You care for your friends, darling. You're a good man. And I don't want that boy to get hurt either! But if you try, you could save my husband, too. Just don't let him go there. Go where? The sand tomb. Don't let him go there. Tell him to wait. Oh, dear.  Run, David. Don't let this thing touch you. And please warn Barry. Also, tell him I love him. And that it wasn't his fault. Run! Save yourself!Oh, this thing can't be all that bad, right? Hey pal, good to make your acquain-  When this thing touched David it caused him to experience... his multiple deaths? And then David just vanished into thin air... After a fade to black, we just return to the conversation with Maggie, so this must be a non-standard game over. Let's listen to Maggie this time and book it down the stairs!  We made it back down safely. If we try to go back up... I'm not going back there...David shows more sense than I do. What is our impending doom at the window this time?  With the roar of a motorcycle in the air, the window explodes and a leather-clad bandit fatally shoots David. He bleeds out as his shooter glances around the house with his goons...
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Dec 29, 2020 11:29
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As a mechanics spoiler, there is actually no functional difference between any of the coverings you can use, regardless of the placement and whether it's cold or hot. The only thing actually checked is whether you are using one or not. Regallion fucked around with this message at 19:27 on Dec 29, 2020 |
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Dec 29, 2020 12:05
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oh we're in mad max now
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Dec 29, 2020 14:59
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iirc the shadow dude in the dream is a crossover from the Deep Sleep trilogy, also by Scriptwelder.
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Dec 29, 2020 19:42
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This is getting really good! I like the idea of communicating across dream worlds. Also don’t let Barry die! 
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Dec 29, 2020 20:00
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Finally, we get to Mad Max for a night!
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Dec 31, 2020 04:57
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 During the heat wave we not only dreamed of bandits killing us, but also of Barry's late wife Maggie warning us this wasn't the first life we've led. We've been dream-traveling, which would probably explain our ability to prophesize our death. If another David experienced it in another life, then we would know of it too, although how we could tap into that knowledge remains unclear. Whatever the reason or cause of our foresight, we know we may be able to save Barry's life at a "sand tomb," whatever that may be...  Exploration Yeah, not a very pleasant one... There were these... people. Thugs. Bandits. They raided our hideout. They had guns. They wanted to kill us. So we'll have to defend ourselves. What is it Cody? You seem excited. I have something important to tell you! It's like... super-duper important! We have to prepare for tonight! Even more than yesterday! Yes Cody. I know... But you don't know why yet! I don't? I thought... Shush! I had a dream. There were like dozens of zombies coming towards the house. They wanted my brain! We have to protect it! I don't want to be eaten... They had those ugly faces, and they were slowly walking with their arms in front of them. They were speaking to me. All like, "Braaaaaains!" Cody... Zombies are not real. You had a bad dream, that's all. What? No! Why? Your dreams are better than mine?! I'm not saying they are better... So you believe me that there are zombies coming after me! No one is chasing you, Cody... I hope zombies will think you are tasty... David, there's something I have to tell you. I also had a dream. You saw what I saw? No... I saw a city. I know where to find the spaceship, David. Or at least, I know how to look for it. What? Where? Sidereal. The corporation that built those ships had a number of outposts and offices across the... well, everywhere, actually. In my dream I saw one of them in the deserted city in the southwest. It was just an office, but if we get there, we might find the location of the spaceship outpost. So... you don't know for certain. David, have I doubted your dreams for one second? I need you to trust me on this one. We've gotta get there as soon as possible. Before we spend any time preparing for what's coming tonight. What, are we stuck in Mad Max now? Why do we have nihilistic bloodthirsty killers going around killing people before the end of the world? Is it some sort of primal urge to get all their dark desires out of their minds before facing oblivion? I can't say I understand, but we have at least one gun for ourselves, and Cate has her pistol. Still, we're no Annie Oakley, and it's likely that we'll need Barry's help too. More firepower and ammo is needed, as well as looking for the spaceship Cate dreamed about. Let's talk with the gang about today.  We can ask Cate about today, Barry, and Cody. What are you thinking "about today," Cate? Any ideas for today? Before we start even thinking about what comes later, we HAVE TO go to the Sidereal Plexus office. Let's get back to this talk after we're done with that, okay?We have people with guns coming after us, but fine. What "about Barry," softened up towards him yet? Cate? What now David? I wanted to talk about Barry. What is there to talk about? He is not fond of me, and I'm not fond of him. We still can work together. That's what's important. Couldn't you be like more... you know... human? What? Eh... never mind.Cate needs to chill. If we talk "about Cody," she should show a bit more heart... Anything new on Cody? What do you mean? He's not that annoying. If that's what you are asking. No... I didn't mean that. I told you already. I think he's a poor kid. I was expecting him to be an obstacle, but for now he's doing well enough. I'm pretty sure he is afraid of me. Maybe that's for the best. At least he'll listen to someone. You think he wouldn't listen to me? David, please... Cody, what about you, any ideas "about today?" What is it, Cody? Worried about tonight? Yes, but also... Do we have to go to that Sideplexthing office? It sounds kinda scary.Sadly we do, kiddo. What "about Cate?" Any new thoughts on Cate? She is nice, but a bit scary. How so? Like, she is pretty but also kinda mean. But not really. Not really? Yeah. I think she is a good person. She just tries to hide it. Why would anyone try to hide that they are a nice person? I don't get adults...Some people just want to "front," Cody. Tell me your thoughts "about Barry." Did you change your opinion about Barry? Dunno. He is still sad. It's not that easy to let it go after such a loss. I know. I'm trying to cheer him up. I think today I saw him smiling. People should smile more often. Everything is better then. When you put it that way it doesn't sound too complicated. Of course it doesn't! You make it complicated! All adults do. Barry has a few more topics of conversation than the others, since we did dream about his wife and have a message from her to him. We'll touch on that last, though. Barry, any thoughts "about today?" Are you worried about tonight? Tonight? I'm worried about this whole Sidereal Plexus thing. That office is in the city. Nobody lives or goes there. And I have a bad feeling about it.If I were you I'd be more concerned about getting shot, but you do you, big guy. What "about Cate" and her dream? Any new thoughts on Cate? I don't know, David. This Sidereal Plexus thing. She claims she didn't know where it was, but then she knows. Plus she knows just so much about them. Not to mention this whole spaceship idea. Isn't this ridiculous?I agree Cate is suspicious, but I don't have any better ideas about getting off this rock. And what "about Cody?" Is something wrong with Cody? You're always looking at him. I think I envy him. He lost... like everything. Without family, without friends, without anyone he knows. With a group of strangers. Who knows how long he was alone before you found him. And yet look at him. Smiling, happy and eager to play. Even with the world dying around him. I wish I could be like that. Actually... me too.I think Cody is actually really scared, but he's really good at hiding it or doing that thing kids do where they compartamentalize trauma... But that's not all. We need to tell Barry about his wife's message, too. Barry, "your wife loved you," though I doubt you need reminding. Maggie loved you. Huh? Of course she did! And I loved her. But why on Earth would you bring that up now? Just... I don't know. I... I don't think she blames you for anything that happened. I don't want to talk about it, David. We have things to do.Well, message delivered. But that's not all, dude. You should "stay behind and wait for us." Hey, Barry. Yes? When we travel to Sidereal Plexus, could you stay and wait for us? Why...? Don't you think it's dangerous to separate like this? Yeah, usually it is. I just... have a bad feeling about this one. Can you trust me on that? Just wait for us. I have no idea why you're doing this, but okay. When we get there, I'll just stay behind and wait. Thanks, Barry. No problem. Just be careful out there, okay?Let's be fair, Barry, you should probably trust David on this one. The guy correctly predicted a heat wave that would kill you all, so his hunches are probably on the money.  Before we head off, let's clean up after ourselves. Even if the world is ending, we're no litterbugs! The rope and hook will likely be of use, too. (Interaction - Rope with hook) I've removed the hook from the crack. That rope might be useful elsewhere. Sure, it's four minutes, and with everything else in the cave picked up, we're done here. I couldn't grab the cooling tiles, though, because they vanished! They were probably made of some material that dissolves as it absorbs heat.  The city to the southwest is open for exploration. Before we head over there, I'm going to stop by our place first to drop stuff off at the item box. I'll also stop to top off Communism and check out the restaurant for any goodies. The locusts should be gone by now.  Yeah, the restaurant is clear of freaky, flying, flesh-eating bugs. Time to root around!  The door to the left leads to a bathroom and a magazine.        I'm getting deja vu all over again from reading this magazine. Haven't we read it already? It seems like it's telling me the absolute truth, but in a conspiracy theorist sort of way.  The door to the right leads to a storeroom with a couple of goodies.  A bottle of kitchen oil (2 kg). I doubt if I'll be making french fries with it but who knows. I'd better watch out where I spill it, because it won't just dry like water. A bottle of rat poison (1 kg). The label warning on the poison says that digesting it might cause nausea, internal bleeding, liver failure or even death. Jesus, were they trying to poison rats or elephants with this?Hmm... If Home Alone taught me anything as a kid, it's that when you have home invaders trying to steal your stuff and hurt you, some slick surfaces will work wonders slowing them down. Nothing about poison, but we can certainly adapt our way of thinking, can't we? Well, that's all we can find here. So it's time to head to the city at last.  Main Menu Hit by earthquakes, it was quickly abandoned, only to be swallowed by sands after the climate changed. I never liked the idea of going there. It was like a massive tombstone emerging from the wasteland, luring travelers so it could become a grave for more victims.   Yes, a few, if you don't mind. From left to right, we can confirm this isn't the outpost Cate was looking for, ask what exactly we are looking for here, and what Cate's connections with Sidereal Plexus are. I'll ask them all in order. This isn't the outpost you were looking for, right? Have you been listening to me at all? Of course this isn't the outpost I was looking for. That one had a launchpad and a spaceship. This one... well, this is an office. What exactly are we looking for here? Coordinates. We need to know where the launchpad outpost is located. Look for any documents or maps you can find. It's gotta be somewhere here. What are your connections with Sidereal Plexus? I... don't know what you mean. Well, how did you know about the spaceship thing in the first place? Can we have this conversation another time? It's a long story. No more questions. Let's move then. 08:32 am: We arrived at the Sidereal Plexus office in the destroyed city. Cate hopes to find the location of the spaceship somewhere around here. This place certainly is sandy. I hope we can find some stuff around here! Let's talk to Cody and Barry about the place. What do you think, Cody? It's almost like a disaster movie... One time some other boys from the orphanage wanted to watch this film about a huge earthquake. The whole city was devastated! It looks similar. Just much more sand. We kind of are in a catastrophe movie right now... Can I be the main hero? And I will save everyone at the end. That role is already taken, kid. Aww... But you can be my sidekick! Yay! What do you think of this place? I didn't go to the city too often. Mostly just when Maggie needed something from here and I had to give her a lift. Living so close was quite handy. It was quiet in our area, but when we needed something it was only a twenty-minute trip. It changed a lot. I mean, just look at all this. It's even worse than anywhere else. I wonder what happened to all the people. Simple. They either moved out or died, buried in the sand.Like any good disaster movie demands, the heroes must explore the ruins of civilization.  Sand is coarse and gets everywhere, like on this former parking lot. The wind blows mournfully, but thankfully Barry heeded our request and stayed behind with the car. (Interaction - Street lamp) Give it a few more months and this lamp will completely disappear under the sand. This world doesn't have a few months. (Interaction - Entrance) Shouldn't there be a door here? There is. It's probably a few feet under all that sand. We could bring a shovel and... Are you serious? Digging a desert's worth of sand would take us hours. No time for that. Let's look for another way in. The east wing has a metal door here not buried in sand, and the side of the building is also interactable. (Interaction - Door) (Struggles to open it.) It seems to be locked from the other side. (Item - Crowbar on door) (Struggles to open it.) It's no use. The lock is too strong. (Interaction - Side of the building) Everything here is either collapsed or covered with tons of sand... The only way up is the big sand dune up front.  David, Cody, and Cate march up the dune to the roof in silence. I wonder if Barry can see us from the parking lot.  We arrive at the roof without incident. There's a crack in the wall which gives us access to the building. On we go... But what is this feeling of apprehension I feel?  TensionThe "R" in the "SIDEREAL" logo suddenly warps, twisting with the excess weight put behind it. Gravity pulls it back it breaks the roof open, bringing down part of the roof and plenty of sand with it. Cate and David manage to leap out of the way, but Cody is left holding on for dear life! Oh god... Help! Help me! Hang on Cody! David, for god's sake! Help him! Aaaah! I'm gonna fall! Cody! Save him, David! He won't hold much longer! (Interaction - Opening in the wall) I've gotta help him!No time to waste! Time to get our boy!  You okay? Yeah. I'm fine. I'm not going with you though, it seems. (Interaction - Opening in the wall) I should check on Cody first. Poor kid seems to be in shock. WOW, did you see that?! This hole is, like, bottomless. I was so scared. But you saved me! You were actually very brave. And you'd do the same for me. So... what now? We're lucky nobody fell there. It looks really deep. Yeah. Lucky us... It seems you have to go on without me for now. Find the location of that base. Look for documents or a map of some sort. We'll just meet up later. Good luck.Whew! I can't imagine what would have happened if Barry were with us. Maybe he would have fallen in, or maybe we would have had to make a horrible choice between saving Cody or Barry. What an awful decision that would be... If this is the "sand tomb" Maggie warned us about, then Barry just escaped a horrible fate. What awaits us now is the Sidereal Plexus office itself. What will we find in there...? Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Feb 3, 2021 |
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Jan 24, 2021 19:05
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Phew, I'm glad there was no horrible dilemma as a result of that accident, I hate it when games do that.
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Jan 24, 2021 19:44
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