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<<set $GameOver to 0>>It begins with a boat.
You're no stranger to boats, having grown up near the ruins of the steel city all your life, paddling your little wooden craft around the remnants of towering skyscrapers, salvaging steel from the thin sliver of island at their heart. You know boats like you know your own name (Avi, thank you very much), have spent countless hours watching the tide, mooring your boat beneath the Green Woman's stately watch while the sun rises over the bay.
But this boat is new. It's not a boat you've ever seen before. Washed up against the metal shell of a building, with its hull cracked and sails torn, it looks like something out of a dream. Surely this boat came from the Past, the time long before you were born, the time people talk about only in hushed stories.
That's what you think as you steer your small craft closer to the ruins of the boat. You peer inside, expecting to find an old relic, maybe even the remnants of whoever once piloted this craft.
Instead you find a man. One who is still breathing.
When you pull him into your boat, he opens his eyes.
[[Continue.|TitleScreen]]<<timed 5s t8n>><<set $L_death to 0>><<set $M_death to 0>><<set $R_death to 0>><<set $J_death to 0>> <<set $A_death to 0>>
\<<goto "01-02">>
\<</timed>>
//''AD 2347''//
The man is so strange, different from anyone you've known before. It takes a while for him to recover, and you spend most of that time tending to him, talking to him and listening to his story. You become friends. He tells you that he came from a place far to the east. That surprises you. You didn't know that people lived east of here. As far as you know, east is just ocean.
But that's not the only surprising thing about this boy. He tells you that he wants to go to Cascadia.
You've heard stories about Cascadia. It's a place on the other side of the desert, a place where life is supposed to be easier than it is here. It's a place where there's enough food and water, where people don't have to shelter from the summer sun. Most people you know consider it to be a myth, but you've always wondered.
There's something about the way the sun sets that makes you wonder what might be there, beyond that horizon. What sort of life do people lead on the other side of that sky?
You want to know. You know it's unlucky to leave the village. The elders have told you that many times before. Your parents were unlucky. That's why they left and never came back.
But now you want to do the same.
The boy-Lucas-looks at you, already ready for his journey. He has a pack on the ground beside him, stocked with food and provisions. You have enough food for two people, if you make it last. If you hurry, you can slip away in the night.
Lucas looks at you and asks: "Are you going to come with me?" <<set $L_fre = 0>> <<set $L_rom = 0>>
[["Can I?"]]
[["I don't know if I should..."]]
[["Of course."]]<<set $L_fre += 1>>You're surprised that he asked. Were your intentions so easy to read?
"Can I?" you ask, uncertain.
"Of course," Lucas says, already busy with his packs. "I'd be happy to have the company."
It's an adventure unlike any you've ever known, and you feel the excitement building in your gut. You pick up your backpack and follow Lucas, slipping out into the night.
[[Continue.|01-03]]"I don't know if I should..."
Fear takes hold of you. You're not sure you want to leave this village, where it's comfortable and safe. Lucas looks at you sadly. He wants you to come with him. It's clear that he was tired of traveling alone, but he doesn't push you.
You watch as he leaves and go back to your life in the village, safe and unharmed.
You never see him again.
[[GAME OVER]]<<set $L_rom += 1>><<set $L_fre += 1>>"Of course."
The words sound so sure as they leave your mouth, and Lucas looks taken aback. It's no wonder he's surprised. Even you are starting to wonder where this newfound boldness came from. But when you look at the scenery ahead of you, you can't help but wonder what might be beyond there.
You've never left the village before, and you're afraid. But you're also excited.
You pick up your backpack and follow Lucas, slipping out into the night.
[[Continue.|01-03]]You've almost made it out of the village. You're far enough away that none of the sentries will see you, and the village, a collection of huts at the edge of the water, is barely visible behind you. Your pack feels heavy on your shoulders, but you're not a weak girl. You've spent most of your life fishing these waters, and you know from experience that you have a while yet until you start to feel exhausted.
You watch Lucas with some concern, worried that he hasn't fully recovered from his ordeal, but he picks his way along the path without much difficulty. You're just starting to relax in the rhythm of the road when someone steps out in front of you, holding a torch. A hand closes around your arm.
"What do you think you're doing?!" a shrill voice demands.
Lucas turns around, his eyes wide, his hand going to his knife. You only have a second to react. You... <<set $M_fre = 0>> <<set $M_rom = 0>>
[[...stop Lucas.]]
[[...lash out at the person holding you.]]<<set $M_fre += 1>>"Lucas!" you shout. "Stop!"
Lucas's hand falls away from his knife. You turn to the person who interrupted you, frowning at her. It's Mariella, one of your closest friends from the village. Her grip tightens around your arm as she spins you to face her, almost painfully.
"I knew you were up to something, but I didn't think it would be //this//!" she says. "What the hell are you thinking, Avi? Are you actually going to leave with him?"
She's angry. You don't know what you can say to calm her down. You say...
[["Lucas wouldn't hurt me."]]
[["I want to find Cascadia, Mari."]]<<set $M_fre -= 1>>Without thinking, you lash out at the person holding you. She whimpers and lets go of you, placing a hand to her face. You turn and realize with horror that that person was Mariella, one of your closest friends from the village.
"Oh, Mari, I'm so sorry!" you say, holding up your hands in apology. "I thought you were someone else!"
Mari holds a hand to her face, glaring up at you through a curtain of thick black hair.
"Of course it's me," she said. "Who else would be chasing after you in the middle of the night? What the hell is this, Avi? Where are you going with //him//?"
She's angry. You don't know what you can say to calm her down. You say...
[["Lucas wouldn't hurt me."]]
[["I want to find Cascadia, Mari."]]"Lucas wouldn't hurt me." <<set $L_fre+=1>>
"Oh, sure," Mari says, scowling at you. "Because you've known him for what? All of two months? You're going to get yourself killed, Avi. What is this really about?"
"I'm going with Lucas to Cascadia," you tell her. "That's where my parents went. If they survived, they'll be there."
"That's nothing more than a fairy tale!" says Mari, outraged. "You're not going to make it all the way there!"
You've already made up your mind. You shake your head.
"I'm going, Mari," you tell her. "You can't stop me."
Disbelief and indecision set in. You can see it on Mari's face. You see the exact moment when she decides what to do. She spreads her legs, settling her weight onto the ground.
"Then I'm coming with you."
[[Continue.|Decision01]]"I'm going with Lucas to Cascadia," you tell her. "That's where my parents went. If they survived, they'll be there."
"That's nothing more than a fairy tale!" says Mari, outraged. "You're not going to make it all the way there!"
You've already made up your mind. You shake your head.
"I'm going, Mari," you tell her. "You can't stop me."
Disbelief and indecision set in. You can see it on Mari's face. You see the exact moment when she decides what to do. She spreads her legs, settling her weight onto the ground.
"Then I'm coming with you."
[[Continue.|Decision01]]You exchange a glance with Lucas. You only have enough food for two people, and Mari, while strong in her own right, is a village weaver. She has never fished or hunted before, unlike the two of you. Still, from the look on Mari's face, it looks like she won't be happy until you take her with you, and has every intention of standing her ground until you do.
What do you decide?
[[Take Mari.|R0102-01]]
[[Leave Mari.|R0304-01]]You decide to take Mari with you.
[[Continue.|NoFood]]You decide to leave Mari behind.
[[Continue.|Jaya's Village]]It doesn't take long before you run out of food. You only prepared for two people, and even though Mari doesn't eat much, you run out quickly. Thankfully, the coastline is populated, and you stumble across another village.
The village is located near a set of ancient ruins, just like your own city. The three of you are cautious as you approach, but the villagers are surprisingly welcoming to travelers. They don't have much in the way of food or supplies, but they offer you a night's rest and a short meal. You stay at the house of a girl named Jaya. She seems to be an important figure in this village, although you aren't sure why. Still, she's kind and welcoming, and you start to think that you might be able to like her.
[[Continue.|Night01]]It's evening, and the three of you go your separate ways for a little while. Feeling restless, you get up and decide to walk around.
Where do you go?
[[Go to the ruins.|Lucas01]]
[[Explore the town.|Mari01]]
[[Go to sleep.|Night02]]The night is warm, and you decide to leave Jaya's house and go to the ruins. They're rusted metal, just like the buildings that poke up out of the water in your own city. There seems to be no end to them, and you don't know what the ancients could possibly have wanted with so much metal.
Someone is already there. You are about to turn around and leave when you realize it's Lucas. He is looking out at the ruins with a sad expression.
[[Talk to him.|Lucas02]]
<<if $Jaya is 1>>[[Head back to the house.|Night01-J]]
<<else>>[[Head back to the house.|Night01]]<</if>>The town is dark at this time of night. Quiet. Most people are already asleep, and the streets, such as they are, are empty. You didn't think you would run into anyone while walking, but surprisingly, you do. Mari is pacing the streets a few feet ahead, looking anxious. She hasn't noticed you yet. What do you do?
[[Talk to her.|Mari02]]
[[Head back to the house.|Night01]]You walk up to Lucas through the brambles that litter the ground, making as much noise as you can so that you don't startle him. Despite that, he doesn't turn around until you are behind him, as if he doesn't notice that you are there.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" he asks, when he finally acknowledges you.
It's definitely //something//, but you're not sure what. "What was it for?" you ask. "Do you know?"
"It was a power plant." Lucas said. "It produced energy by burning coal, a sort of black rock that comes out of the ground, a long time ago. People used to use it to make machines run."
You know about machines. You've heard about them, and have seen some examples of dead ones near your city. You also know about electricity. You've seen the lightning, in the great storms that sometimes blow in from the sea. It's amazing to you that man once harnessed that power.
[["What happened to them?"]]
[["How do you know that?"]]
[["I would have liked to see that..."]]
Eventually, you return to your room and go to sleep. You're so exhausted that you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, but in the middle of the night, you're awakened by someone shaking you.
You open your eyes to find Mari standing in front of you, a large bag slung over her shoulder. Her eyes are wide and round. She looks crazed.
"Avi," she whispers. "Avi, wake up, we need to leave."
From his sleeping roll not far from you, Lucas stirs, turning over to face Mari.
"What?" he asks. "What's happened?"
"I have the food," Mari says, shaking the bag in front of you.
A cold realization washes over you.
"You took their food?!" you demand. "Mari?!"
Mari sneers. "What?" she asks. "They have plenty, and we need it. They were holding out on us. Now come on, let's go!"
You feel like this decision might be important. On the one hand, these villagers have been so nice to you, but on the other hand, Mari's right. You can feel the hunger gnawing at you. You //need// food, or you aren't going to get much farther.
What do you do?
[[Insist that Mari return the food.]]
[[Sneak away.]]<<set $L_rom +=1>> "What happened to them?" you ask, looking out over the ruins.
Lucas sighs sadly. "They got greedy," he said. "They wanted too much from the world. Eventually, the world ran out."
You're not sure what he means, but looking at the ruins, you feel a strange sense of melancholy. The two of you share that moment together, looking out at the ruins, before you decide to head back to Jaya's house.
<<if $Jaya is 1>>[[Continue.|Night02-J]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Night02]]<</if>><<set $L_fre -=1>> "How do you know that?" you ask.
Lucas knows more about the past than anyone you've ever known, and as interesting as it is, it's also frightening. The look in his eye is frightening as well. When you ask the question, his expression hardens, darkens, becomes something you've never seen in him before.
He shakes his head. "I don't want to talk about it," he says. And that is apparently that.
<<if $Jaya is 1>>[[Continue.|Night02-J]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Night02]]<</if>><<set $L_fre +=1>> "I would have liked to see that..." you say, wistfully. You can almost imagine it, the cities lit up like stars on the earth.
Lucas sighs, shaking his head sadly. "Me too," he admits. "I would have liked to see that too..."
But the look in his eye isn't the same as yours, you think, studying him. It's not wistful. It's more sad. If you didn't know better, you'd almost say it was...nostalgic.
You stand there together for a while before heading back to Jaya's house.
<<if $Jaya is 1>>[[Continue.|Night02-J]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Night02]]<</if>>You walk up to Mari, holding your hand up so that she can see you before you startle her. She jumps anyway, whirling around to face you as if she has something to hide.
"Avi!" she says, startled. "What are you doing out this late?"
You frown. That's suspicious. You're not sure why Mari is pacing around the town, but she has been acting strange lately.
[["I could ask you the same question..."]]
[["I just can't sleep. What about you?"]]
[["The town's pretty, isn't it?"]]<<set $M_fre -=1>>"I could ask you the same question..." you say, frowning at your friend. "What are //you// doing here?"
Mari's eyes narrow as if she can sense your suspicion. And is it just your imagination, or does she look slightly guilty? She turns to face you. "Why do you care?" she asks.
"No reason," you say, though you're increasingly convinced you //have// a reason. "I'm just curious."
"If you must know, I'm looking around," Mari says. "It's a shabby little place, isn't it? Not like our village?"
Mari looks at you as if she expects you to agree, but you can't bring yourself to say anything. Instead, you give her a vague excuse and leave, heading back to Jaya's house.
[[Continue.|Night02]]<<set $M_fre +=1>>"I just can't sleep," you say. "What about you?"
Your words seem to put Mari at ease and she relaxes, although there's still something shifty about the set of her shoulders as she watches you.
"I couldn't sleep either," she says, "I thought I'd check out the town. It's not much, is it?"
You look around. It's certainly a small village, not like your own larger settlement, but larger settlements are only to be expected close to the coast and water. Out here, next to the shell of those old ruins, there's practically nothing to support them. Still, you don't think the village is that bad.
"It's not so bad," you say. "And the people are nice."
Mari waves her hand dismissively, changing the subject. Your conversation drifts to other things, and eventually, you decide to go back to Jaya's house and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Night02]]<<set $M_rom +=1>>"The town's pretty," you say, looking around, "isn't it?"
Something softens in Mari's expression, a warmth appearing behind her eyes that reminds you of the girl you once knew. But there's something else there, something deeper and darker. You're not quite sure that you like it.
She looks around, taking in the village, the cluster of houses under the moonlight.
"I guess," she says, although it's clear from the stiff way she says it that she doesn't really think so, "it's alright. Home is better."
//Home is better.//
It's a common refrain, something expressed by many travelers in this day and age. The old stories talk about people exploring, chasing horizons, uncovering the deepest secrets of the Earth. But the days of the wanderer are gone. The world is too harsh for any but the insane to want to travel it. This is the age of 'home is better'.
Somehow, the thought depresses you. You excuse yourself from the conversation and go back to Jaya's house to catch some sleep.
[[Continue.|Night02]]You can't bear the thought of betraying the villagers' trust like this. You shake your head.
"No," you say. "No, Mari, we can't do that. Return the food, please. We'll be alright."
Mari stares at you, as if she can't believe what you're saying. And then, to your surprise, she snaps. She goes utterly insane.
"What is wrong with you?!" she shouts, her voice loud enough to wake the dead. "Everything I've ever done, I've done for you, Avi! For you! And now you're going to lead us out into the wilderness to starve?! How can you do that to me? Don't you care about me at all? Do you care about these people more than you care about me?!"
You try to flinch away, but Mari is unrelenting. She grabs onto your arm hard enough to bruise, trying to pull you to face her.
"We're going to die because of you! Don't you understand, you stupid girl?! We're going to die?"
"Hey!" Lucas shouts, grabbing Mari's arm before she can strike you. You flinch away as Mari drops the bag of food, dried meats and fruits skittering across the ground. She turns to face Lucas, hitting and screaming, and Lucas struggles to hold off the assault.
The door to the room opens--the villagers have heard the struggle. In a flash, you see Jaya standing with her grandfather. Her grandfather has a crossbow in one hand, and you realize with horror what he's about to do.
"No!" you shout, but it's too late. The bolt goes flying, slamming into Mari's chest where she's struggling with Lucas. Her eyes widen with the shock.
Then she crumples to the ground and is gone forever.<<set $M_death to 1>>
[[Continue.|Night03]]<<set $Lfre -=1>><<set $Mfre +=1>>The decision comes on you in a split second and you get to your feet, helping Mari with the bag of supplies. Lucas gets up as well, confused. He grabs your arm, stopping you as you unload some of the supplies into your own pack.
"What are you doing?" he asks, his eyes wide and horrified. The look on his face makes you feel guilty--this whole thing makes you feel guilty--but you've already made your choice.
"We need food," you tell him, your voice a whisper. "We're going to die without it, and we need to go. Quickly."
"Avi--!" Lucas begins.
You shove his pack at him before he can finish, and although he looks disgusted with this, he places it on his shoulders. The three of you are about ready to leave when the door to your room opens.
It's Jaya. She stands there, blinking sleep out of her eyes. "What are you--?" Her eyes land on the food. They widen, and she opens her mouth to scream.
Mari is on her before she can, a hand covering her mouth. The two of them struggle, Jaya trying to push Mari off her as Mari tackles her to the ground. Mari gets a hand around her neck, trying to stop her from screaming.
Out of nowhere, Mari produces a knife. You don't know how it happened--whether it was Jaya's or whether Mari had it on her all along. But the knife strikes home once, and Jaya's scream is drowned out behind Mari's hand.
Blood stains the room's wooden floorboard. Mari steps back, looking pale and horrified, staring down at the knife in her hands. At what she's done. <<set $J_death to 1>>
You leave quickly.
[[Continue.|Night04]]<<set $Lfre +=1>>After that, the villagers demand that you leave.
You and Lucas leave together, shell-shocked, and your mind is still filled with the memory of Mari's last moments, of the way she gasped as the bolt struck home. You want to spend more time grieving your friend, but you can't. The hunger is too real. The villagers didn't send you any food, and your situation is truly desperate now.
If you don't eat, you know that soon you'll follow Mari.
Lucas knows it too, and on your first day out of the village, he stops in the afternoon, finding a spot to make camp.
"Stay here," he says, stringing his own bow. "I'll find us some food."
You know that he's asking you to stay because you look tired, and in truth, you feel tired. You feel like you can't walk another step. But at the same time, you're not willing to let Lucas leave you alone. It feels like now that Mari's gone, he's the only familiar thing left.
If he leaves, you might not see him again. But if you go with him, you might slow him down or get him killed.
What do you do?
[[Go with Lucas.]]
[[Stay at camp.]]You move through the thin forest at the base of one of the nearest mountains. It's too warm for large game, but you're still hoping to find a rabbit or a squirrel or something that you can eat.
Lucas hands you a knife, but you know that it's more for your protection than anything. You can't imagine hunting anything with this knife.
For himself, Lucas has a bow. Although you're tired, you watch him as he sets up snares, and learn how to do the same. On the way back to your camp, there may be food in those snares. You move on.
You're about twenty minutes away from your camp when you find something amazing. A cache of supplies, hidden under some leaves and underbrush. There's enough here to keep you fed for a week, hopefully enough time to get over the mountains.
Do you take it? <<set $Raider = 0>>
[[Yes. I need everything I can get out here.]]
[[No. It probably belongs to someone.]]
[[Yes, but I'll leave some in the cache.]]You decide to stay at camp.
You sit down and wait for Lucas to return. First the sun sets, with no sign of him. You keep waiting. Eventually, it grows dark. You fall asleep. You keep waiting. You wake up again in the middle of the night. He is not there. You keep waiting.
Eventually, it's clear that Lucas is never coming back. You can't go back to the village, and you don't know the way back to your home.
You pack up your things and keep moving.
You are never heard from again. <<set $L_death to 1>><<set $A_death to 1>><<set $death to 'Lost forever'>>
[[GAME OVER]]Avi's journey has ended. <<set $GameOver +=1>>
Number of attempts: <<print $GameOver>>
<<if $A_death is 1>>Cause of Death: <<print $death>><</if>>
Character Graveyard:
<<if $A_death is 1>>Avi<<else>>ALIVE<</if>>
<<if $L_death is 1>>Lucas<<else>>ALIVE<</if>>
<<if $M_death is 1>>Mari<<else>>ALIVE<</if>>
<<if $J_death is 1>>Jaya<<else>>ALIVE<</if>>
<<if $R_death is 1>>Rafael<<else>>ALIVE<</if>>
[[Start again?|TitleScreen]]You've clearly failed to sway this man. And unfortunately, it seems your time is up.
The raider kills both you and Lucas. Neither of you are ever seen again. <<set $L_death to 1>><<set $A_death to 1>><<set $death to 'Killed by raiders'>>
[[GAME OVER]] A tense moment follows, after which the raider lowers his crossbow. You let out a breath you didn't even realize you were holding, and you look over at Lucas.
"Alright," the raider says. "Pack up your things. You're coming with me."
Confused, but unwilling to provoke the raider any further, you pack up your things and follow him.
<<if $NoMar is 1>>[[Continue.|RaiderEncamp]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Base]]<</if>>
<<set $Raider -=1>><<set $theft to 1>> You need anything you can get your hands on out here, so you and Lucas decide to take everything. You divide up the rations between you, and head back.
You've gotten back to your snares when you hear leaves crunching underfoot. You and Lucas look up, alarmed, and are met with a man standing in the woods behind you, a crossbow bolt leveled at your head.
[[Continue.|Raider1]]
<<set $Raider +=1>>You decide that it's not worth stealing someone's supplies. If you wouldn't let Mari do it in Jaya's village, you certainly aren't going to do it now. Still, it's too late to continue on so you and Lucas head back to camp, empty-handed and hoping that there's something for you in your snares.
You've gotten back to your snares when you hear leaves crunching underfoot. You and Lucas look up, alarmed, and are met with a man standing in the woods behind you, a crossbow bolt leveled at your head.
[[Continue.|Raider1]]
<<set $theft to 1>> You decide to take some of the supplies, enough to keep you going for a while, but leave some in case the original owner comes back. You and Lucas divide up what you took and head back to camp.
You've gotten back to your snares when you hear leaves crunching underfoot. You and Lucas look up, alarmed, and are met with a man standing in the woods behind you, a crossbow bolt leveled at your head.
[[Continue.|Raider1]]
You freeze. The man is a raider, you can tell that much. He has the look of someone who's been living in the wilds, utilitarian and practical. His face is marred by scars, although under that, you don't think he's much older than you.
Lucas steps forward, putting himself between you and that crossbow bolt. He glares at the raider, but you can see that he's afraid. His hands are shaking.
"Who are you?" Lucas asks. "What do you want?"
"The supplies," the raider asks, moving the bolt between the two of you. There is no mercy in his eyes. "Did you touch them?"
You and Lucas exchange a glance.
<<if $Raider is 1>>"N-No," you say. "We didn't. We saw them, but we didn't take anything at all."
"We'll see about that. Turn out your bags. Slowly."
You turn out your bags slowly, so as not to alarm the raider. He moves forward for a closer look.
[[Continue.|NoSteal]]<<else>> [[Lie.]]
[[Tell the truth.]]<</if>>The raider looks over the items in your packs, suspicious. At length, he nods, stepping back. You notice that he still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
"We didn't take your stuff," Lucas says, angry now. "Now let us go."
"Not so fast," the raider says. "This is still our territory. Tell me why you're here. You better do it quickly."
The crossbow in his hand is a frightening reminder of what could happen if you don't. What do you say?
[[Tell him about Cascadia.]]
[[Tell him about Mari.]]
[[Lie.|Lie2]]<<set $Raider -=1>>"N-No," you say. "We didn't. We saw them, but we didn't take anything at all."
"We'll see about that. Turn out your bags. Slowly."
You turn out your bags slowly, so as not to alarm the raider. He moves forward for a closer look.
The food is there, evidence of your crime. The raider's eyes harden. He looks at you.
"Explain."
The crossbow in his hand is a frightening reminder of what could happen if you say the wrong thing.
[[Tell him about Cascadia.]]
[[Tell him about Mari.]]
[[Lie.|Lie2]]"Y-Yes," you admit. "We took food. But we were hungry. Please don't hurt us. We'll give the food back. Please."
"We'll see about that. Turn out your bags. Slowly."
You turn out your bags slowly, so as not to alarm the raider. He moves forward for a closer look. The food is there, evidence of your crime. The raider's eyes harden. He looks at you.
"You better have a good reason why I shouldn't kill you both right now," he says.
You have a chance. The crossbow in his hand is a frightening reminder of what could happen if you say the wrong thing.
[[Tell him about Cascadia.]]
[[Tell him about Mari.]]
[[Lie.|Lie2]]<<set $Raider +=1>>Against your better judgment, you tell him that you're going to Cascadia. The raider frowns at you, but you can tell that he's interested.
"Cascadia?" he asks. "I always thought that was a myth."
"It's not," you say, even though what you think is that it might be. "We're going."
"Just the two of you?" the raider asks.
You nod. He frowns, considering. He still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
"How do I know you're not lying."
[[I'm telling the truth.]]
[[You don't.]]
<<set $Raider -=1>>You tell him about what happened at Jaya's village, about how you have no food and are desperate. You tell him that you're hunting, looking for something to eat, that you'll get out of his territory as soon as you can. You can tell he isn't impressed. Lucas's expression is growing increasingly panicked.
"How can I trust you?" he asks. "You've already all but admitted to stealing food."
"We're desperate," you say. "We're not going to cause any trouble."
"How do I know you're not lying?"
He still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
[[I'm telling the truth.]]
[[You don't.]]You know you can't tell him about <<if $NoMar is 0>>Mari or <</if>>Cascadia, so you lie. You tell him that you and Lucas have run away from home, that you're going to see relatives on the other side of the mountain because your village didn't want you to be together.
"Is that true?" he asks, looking at Lucas.
Lucas nods, playing along. The raider frowns, considering. He still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
"How do I know you're not lying."
[[I'm telling the truth.]]
[[You don't.]]<<set $Raider -=1>>"I'm telling the truth!" you say. "Honest."
The raider frowns, and you can tell he doesn't really believe you. He's looking down at the crossbow as if considering it.
<<if $Raider >0>> [[Continue.|Success]]
<<else>>[[Continue.|Failed]]<</if>><<set $Raider +=1>>"You don't know that," you say. "You're going to have to trust me."
"You're right," the raider says. "I don't know that." He looks down at the crossbow as if considering it.
<<if $Raider >0>> [[Continue.|Success]]
<<else>>[[Continue.|Failed]]<</if>>The raider, whose name you learn is Rafael, takes you to his camp, a small collection of hastily-erected structures assembled near the mouth of an abandoned coal mine. <<if $theft is 1>>You're nervous as you follow him, the weight of your stolen goods heavy on your back. His companions glare at you, and you feel as if they know what you've done.<<else>>You haven't stolen anything, but it doesn't feel like that with the way that his companions are glaring at you.<</if>> They're a tough bunch, but they have to be, to survive out here so far away from civilization.
Rafael takes you to the mouth of the mine shaft and there he stops, gesturing for you to stay where you are.
"I need to talk to the boss about you," he says. "Stay here."
You open your mouth to ask a question, but Lucas beats you to it. "What are you planning to do with us?" he asks.
"That'll be up to our boss to decide," Rafael says, but there's remorse in his eyes before he walks away. You aren't guarded, but you can tell from the tension around you that if you try to leave, things won't end well.
[[Talk to Lucas.]]
[[Sit down and wait.]]<<set $L_fre +=1>><<set $R_fre -=1>>You put your pack down and settle down with your back against the wall, tired, exhausted and still hungry. You look at Lucas and can tell that he isn't feeling much better.
"What do you think's going to happen to us?" you ask.
"I don't know," Lucas says, looking grim. One of the raiders shushes him, but Lucas ignores them, tilting his head up towards the blue sky. When he speaks next, it's so quiet that you almost can't hear it. "Avi..." he says, "...if things go bad, I'll distract them. Run."
"What are you saying?" you ask, terrified. "I can't leave you."
"I want you to," Lucas says. "This whole thing was my idea to begin with. Try and get back to Jaya's village. <<if $NoMar is 1>>It will be safe there, and they might be able to tell you how to get home.<<else>>Maybe they'll let you in. At least they'll tell you how to get home."<</if>>
[[Agree.]]
[[Disagree.]]
<<set $R_fre +=1>><<set $L_fre -=1>>You decide to wait quietly for Rafael to come back. You put your things down and sit with your back against the rock wall. You put your head in your hands and try not to think. After a while, Lucas follows suit.
[[Continue.|Result]]
It feels like forever, but eventually Rafael comes back. He stops to talk with the guard at the entrance before walking over to you. <<if $R_fre > 0>>"Looks like you were quiet," he says. "That's good. It'll be better for you that way."<<else>>"Heard you two were talking," he says, frowning. "I thought I told you to behave."<</if>>
Lucas scowls, dismissing the words. "What's going to happen to us?" he asks, fixing Rafael with a challenging stare.
"They're still debating," Rafael says. "Stay the night. They'll decide soon."
Stay the night. He says it like you have a choice.
He turns, about to leave. You hesitate, about to call out. You might be able to talk to him, persuade him to help you. Or you might end up making things worse. What do you do?
[[Ask Rafael for help.]]
[[Stay quiet.]]You don't want to admit it, but Lucas has a point. You nod.
"Okay..."
[[Continue.|Result]]<<set $L_rom +=1>>"No," you say. <<if $NoMar is 1>>You've left Jaya behind, you've left Mari behind, but you're not going to leave Lucas. You won't do it this time.<</if>> "I'm not going to do it. I won't leave you."
"Avi," Lucas begins.
"I don't care what you say. I'm not going to do it, Lucas."
Lucas sighs, but he can tell the conversation is over. He shakes his head and falls silent. After a while, you do too.
[[Continue.|Result]]"Rafael," you say. "Wait."
Rafael stops, looking over his shoulder at you. He doesn't say anything, but you can tell that he's listening.
[[Beg him for help.]]
[[Appeal to his sense of honor.]]You decide to stay quiet. You don't want to make things worse for yourself. You and Lucas lie down, resting your heads on your packs. Eventually, against all odds, you're so tired that you do fall asleep.
<<if $R_fre < 0>>[[Continue.|Death]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Saved]]<</if>>You don't know how long you've slept for, but you're woken up by a hand shaking your shoulder in the middle of the night. You open your eyes, startled, and find Rafael standing above you, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.
Before you can scream, he places a hand over your mouth.
"Be quiet," he says, his voice lowered to a whisper. You notice then what you hadn't noticed before. He's carrying a pack of supplies with him, two more resting on the ground beside him. And he's armed to the teeth.
Beside you, Lucas is already stirring. The other man is alert and wary, but he stays silent when Rafael holds a hand out towards him. Rafael, you notice, speaks only to you.
"Come with me," he says. "They're planning to kill you at dawn."
"And you're helping us why?" Lucas asks, skeptical.
"To be honest, I'm trying to figure that out myself," Rafael says. "But that doesn't matter. Come with me."
He holds out a hand, offering it to you.
[[Take his hand and go with him.]]
[[Stand on your own, but go with him.]]
[[Refuse]]You're awakened at dawn by a group of stone-faced raiders, crossbows in hand. They've been given orders to execute you for trespassing. You beg and plead, but they're immune to your cries. In the last moment before they fire, you look around the crowd to try and find Rafael, to ask him for help, but he isn't there. <<set $A_death to 1>><<set $L_death to 1>><<set $death to 'Executed by raiders'>>
[[GAME OVER]] <<set $R_fre +=1>><<set $R_rom +=1>>"Please," you say, not sure what else you can. "Please, just--try to help us. Please?"
Rafael turns away from you, but the look in his eye is wounded and pained. "I already have," he said. "You were found in our territory. You're only alive because I've been trying to help you. Now go to sleep."
He walks away, leaving you unsure whether or not you actually reached him.
You and Lucas lie down with your heads resting on your packs. You close your eyes. <<if $L_rom > 0>>After a moment, Lucas reaches for your hand. His hand feels warm. You thread your fingers through his.<</if>> Although it feels impossible, after a while, your exhaustion takes you and you fall asleep.
<<if $R_fre < 0>>[[Continue.|Death]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Saved]]<</if>><<set $R_fre -=1>>"You can't just leave us here!" you say. "You have to help us. We're not trying to hurt anyone!"
Rafael scowls at you, and you can tell that he's irritated. "If I wasn't trying to help you, you'd already be dead," he says. "You're only alive because I've been trying to help you. Now go to sleep."
He walks away, leaving you unsure whether or not you actually reached him.
You and Lucas lie down with your heads resting on your packs. You close your eyes. <<if $L_rom > 0>>After a moment, Lucas reaches for your hand. His hand feels warm. You thread your fingers through his.<</if>> Although it feels impossible, after a while, your exhaustion takes you and you fall asleep.
<<if $R_fre < 0>>[[Continue.|Death]]<<else>>[[Continue.|Saved]]<</if>><<set $R_fre +=1>>You know one thing for sure. Rafael is preferrable to whatever might be waiting for you behind. After a moment's hesitation, you take his hand, letting him pull you to your feet.
He's standing strangely close to you. <<if $L_rom > 0>>Lucas's eyes, you notice, darken a little at the gesture.<</if>><<set $L_rom -=1>><<set $R_rom +=1>> You quickly release his hand. Lucas gets to his feet, accepting one of the packs.
The three of you leave the raider's camp like thieves in the night, and strike off into the unknown.
[[Continue.|COURAGEOUS ROUTE]]You don't take his hand, but you do get to your feet. You don't know if you can trust him, but you know one thing for sure. Rafael is preferrable to whatever might be waiting for you behind.
Lucas stands up as well, accepting one of the packs.
The three of you leave the raider's camp like thieves in the night, and strike off into the unknown.
[[Continue.|COURAGEOUS ROUTE]]You can't trust Rafael. You're not sure what will happen with the raiders, but you know you can't trust him.
Rafael looks pained as you shake your head. "They'll kill you," he warns.
You don't say anything. Rafael mutters a curse, looking at Lucas. "What about you?" he asks. "Are you just going to roll over and die?"
"I'm not leaving Avi," Lucas says, and you feel a pang of guilt at that, but not enough to convince you that leaving with Rafael is a good idea. He shakes his head, muttering another curse under his breath, but leaves the bags with you anyway.
"I'm not going to watch it happen," he says, walking away. "Take the things and go if you want. Don't say you weren't warned."
He stalks off into the night. Eventually, you and Lucas put the packs on and attempt to do the same.
[[Continue.|Death2]]''ENDING 01: With Courage''
PARTY MEMBERS:
Avi
Lucas
Rafael
Please save the variable information below in order to continue your progress in Episode 2. We recommend taking a screenshot to ensure that each variable is inputted correctly. Count each blank space as a 0. <<set $Route to 1>>
A: <<print $Route>>
B: <<print $L_fre>>
C: <<print $L_rom>>
D: <<print $L_death>>
E: <<print $M_fre>>
F: <<print $M_rom>>
G: <<print $M_death>>
H: <<print $R_fre>>
I: <<print $R_rom>>
J: <<print $R_death>>
K: <<print $J_fre>>
L: <<print $J_rom>>
M: <<print $J_death>>
N: <<print $theft>>
O: <<print $GameOver>>
//See you next episode!//It doesn't work out quite that well for you. Without Rafael, you can't find your way out of the raiders' camp that easily, and they quickly catch up to you. With the supplies in your hands, your guilt is plain. They execute you where you stand. <<set $A_death to 1>><<set $L_death to 1>><<set $death to 'Executed by raiders'>>
[[GAME OVER]] Somehow, you manage to get away. The three of you are shell-shocked and exhausted after everything that's happened, and you don't speak to each other until the village is far behind you. When you do make camp, you sit down, exhausted, your pack a heavy weight of guilt on your back.
You haven't sat down for long before the shouting begins. Lucas drops his pack to the ground, rounding on to Mari.
"What was that?!" he asks, angrier than you've ever seen him. "You killed her! Why did you--how could you--?"
"I had to," Mari says. She shakes her head, her voice pleading, as if she's trying to convince herself that it's the truth. "I didn't have a choice. I had to--!"
"You //killed// her!" Lucas said. "She offered us hospitality and you--you both--" He turns away from Mari, looking at you, and you flinch back from the heat in his gaze. He looks back at Mari. "--you killed her--."
"They would have killed us!" Mari says, shouting now. "I did what I had to do so we could survive!"
"I don't want to //survive// if this is what we become!" Lucas said.
"Fine!" Mari says, and there are tears in her eyes. Actual tears. "Go then! Get lost. No one's asking you to stay with us!"
Lucas scowls, face contorted in a rictus of rage. He looks like he's considering it. After a moment, he snatches up his pack. "Fine!" he says, throwing it onto his shoulders. He storms away.
"Good riddance," Mari says as Lucas stomps a path through the underbrush. She turns to look at you. "Let's go home, Avi. Forget Cascadia. Let's just go home."
Home sounds pretty good to you. But you're torn. Your eyes keep moving from Mari to the path that Lucas took, heading into the woods.
[[Follow Lucas.]]
[[Go home with Mari.]]Before Mari can say anything more, you start running, following Lucas into the woods. He hasn't gone too far ahead of you, and his trail is easy to follow, even for you. It's clear that he's too angry to be careful about leaving traces of himself behind. You can still hear him trampling through the underbrush not too far ahead.
"Lucas!" you shout. "Lucas, wait!"
Lucas stops. You can tell he's angry from the set of his shoulders, but he turns around to face you. "What?" he asks, irritated.
You come to a stop, breathing hard from your run. You open your mouth, but the words won't come out. Your mouth closes and opens as you try again.
[[Please don't leave...]]
[[You can't just walk away like this.]]
[[I'm sorry about Mari.]]Mari's right. You can't do this anymore. If you keep going, more things like what happened with Jaya are only going to happen again. It's not worth it, and anyway, it's not like you were ever going to find your parents to begin with.
You nod at her.
"Yeah..." you say, defeated and resigned. "Let's go home."
The two of you turn and leave, making the long trek back to your village together. When you get home, tired and exhausted, you never leave it again.
[[GAME OVER]] <<set $L_rom +=1>><<set $L_fre +=1>><<set $challenge to 2>>"Please don't leave..."
The words come out broken, almost like you're pleading. Lucas stops, and you can see some of the anger leave his face. You lower your eyes to the ground, embarrassed. "Please don't leave me. I still want to go to Cascadia. With you. I know what happened in that village was bad, but if you leave now, I don't know what I'd do."
Lucas is silent for a while. You look up to find him looking at you in shock. He seems taken aback.
"Avi..." he begins. "I..."
He shakes his head and when he looks back at you, the strange expression is gone from his face. "Alright...I'll come back. But what happened in that village...that can't ever happen again, alright? Promise me that?"
You don't know if you can. Anything can happen out there.
[[Promise.]]
[[Don't promise.]]<<set $L_fre -=1>><<set $challenge to 0>>"You can't just walk away like this!" you say.
"Oh yeah?" Lucas asks, frowning at you. "Why can't I?"
"Because--because--." You're trying to find the words, but they won't come. "Because we've come so far already. You can't just leave me."
Something flashes into Lucas's eye. You flinch away from the anger in his gaze.
"I'm not going to stick around if we're going to keep killing people," Lucas says. "Promise me that's not going to happen again, Avi."
You don't know if you can. Anything can happen out there.
[[Promise.]]
[[Don't promise.]]<<set $L_fre +=1>><<set $M_fre -=1>><<set $challenge to 1>>"I'm sorry about Mari..." you say. "I don't know why she--how she thought to do that. But please don't leave."
//Don't leave me alone,// you want to say, but the words won't come out of your mouth. You won't be alone, you'll have Mari with you. But somehow, it doesn't feel the same. Especially now that you know what she's capable of.
Lucas's expression softens, and you feel like you've got to him. But he shakes his head. "I won't stay if that's going to happen again," he says. "Promise me it won't, Avi. Promise me we're not going to become killers."
You don't know if you can. Anything can happen out there.
[[Promise.]]
[[Don't promise.]]<<set $Promise to 1>>"I promise," you say, meaning it with all your heart. "That won't ever happen again."
Lucas nods, although the look on his face says she isn't sure he believes it. "Okay," he says. "Okay, I'll come back to camp."
He turns, retracing his path through the woods. Eventually, you follow him.
[[Continue.|Together]]<<set $Promise to 0>>You shake your head. It pains you to do it, but you have to be honest.
"I...can't promise that, Lucas," you say. "You know I can't. You don't know what could happen out there."
Lucas frowns at you, but he nods his head. He looks disappointed, but he seems to see where you're coming from. "Alright..." he says. "Fine. I'll go with you, for now...But if that does happen again, Avi, I can't promise I'll stay."
It isn't the best, but it's the best you've got. He turns, retracing his path through the woods. Eventually, you follow him.
[[Continue.|Together]]You return to camp with Lucas. Mari isn't happy to see him there, but she seems to have calmed down a bit in your absence. She doesn't talk to either of you as you turn in for the night.
The next day, you continue walking. Mari and Lucas still aren't talking to each other, despite your attempts to make conversation between them. Lucas stays ahead of you and Mari, scouting out the path, while Mari stays behind, her arms folded, occasionally glancing at you out of the side of her eye. <<if $challenge is 2 and $M_rom > 0>>Sometimes, she looks betrayed, and you wonder if she overheard your conversation with Lucas.<<elseif $challenge > 0>>Sometimes, she looks angry about something, and you wonder if she overheard your conversation with Lucas.<<else>>Sometimes, she glares at Lucas, and you hear her mutter something unsavory under her breath, but she's always friendly towards you.<</if>>
You walk on throughout the day, until you're all exhausted. As the sun sets, Mari breaks her silence to suggest that you make camp. Lucas, however, isn't pleased. He shakes his head.
"This is raider territory," he says. "We need to keep moving."
"We //can't// keep moving," Mari says. "We're exhausted. We're going to drop."
"Thanks to you, we're carrying too much food to stop in raider territory safely," Lucas snaps, annoyed. "We need to keep moving."
The both of them trun towards you, and you realize with a jolt that you're expected to make the final decision. Lucas's eyes are imploring, begging you to consider what he has to say, but at the same time, you //are// exhausted. You don't know how much longer you can keep going.
[[Camp for the night.]]
[[Keep moving.]]"I think we should stop for the night."
Mari lets out a sigh of relief at your words, shooting you a grateful smile. Lucas looks pained, but he doesn't argue, and the three of you set up camp. Lucas suggests that you stand watches, and you don't see any reason to deny him, so you sleep while Lucas gets the first watch.
You awaken to the sound of a muffled scream. You open your eyes just in time to see a horde of raiders standing above you, one of them placing a hand over your mouth while the other holds up a knife.
It's over before you know it. <<set $death to "Killed by raiders.">> <<set $A_death to 1>><<set $M_death to 1>> <<set $L_death to 1>>
[[GAME OVER]] Lucas is right, you can't stay here. As much as it pains you, you decide to keep moving. Mari scowls, but doesn't disagree with your decision. The three of you shoulder your packs onto your backs and keep walking.
By dawn, you're out of raider territory, but the night has taken its toll. You try to keep walking along with the others, but your vision starts to fade.
You take a step forward, and the world fades away. All you hear is an odd rushing in your ears. You think that Mari and Lucas turn to face you as you fall, think you hear <<if $M_fre > $L_fre>>Mari<<else>>Lucas<</if>> say your name, but your pack is too heavy on your back and you're facedown in the dirt and you can't respond.
Then, nothing...
[[Continue.|Confrontation]]You wake up resting on the ground, beneath the boughs of a thin, straggly tree. It's midday, and the sun has come up with a vengeance, the air warm with the fading heat of late September. Someone has tied a tarp over you to keep the sun off your face. Mari is by your side, and as soon as you start to stir, she hands you a canteen of tepid water.
You take a long sip, forcing yourself up so that you're resting your back against the tree. You look at Mari.
"What happened?"
"You collapsed, Avi," Mari says, frowning with worry. "You were pushing yourself too hard."
"Oh..." you say. You vaguely remember feeling that tired, that exhausted.
Mari takes the bottle from you, setting it aside.
"It's all that Lucas's fault," she says, and you're surprised by the vehemence in her voice. "He's had it out for us since what happened in that village--no, since the beginning. You should never have gone after him. He shouldn't have come back."
She looks at you like she expects you to agree with her. Her eyes are pleading. You take a deep breath.
[[You killed Jaya, Mari.]]
[[You're being too hard on Lucas...]]
[[He has been a little hard on you...]]<<set $M_fre -=1>>"You //killed// Jaya, Mari..." you say, unable to believe she's not getting this. "That isn't something you can take back."
Mari's eyes widen, and you see guilt in them for a moment before it's replaced by hurt, and anger.
"Oh, now you blame me too?!" she asks. "I did what I had to do for all of us!"
[[You shouldn't have killed her.]]
[[I know this must be hard...]]<<set $M_fre -=2>><<set $M_rom -=1>>"You're being too hard on Lucas..." you say. "He's doing his best."
"And I'm not?!" Mari asks, outraged. "I'm doing everything I can!"
[[You killed someone, Mari.]]
[[I know you're trying...]]<<set $M_rom +=1>>"He //has// been a little hard on you lately," you admit.
"See!" Mari says, looking up. Her eyes are wide and hopeful, like she hoped you would be on her side. "You get it, don't you? You get that I was just trying to keep us alive."
[[I get it...]]
[[I still think you were in the wrong.]]"You shouldn't have killed her," you say, firm. You're not going to let this go.
Mari's eyes widen, and she springs to her feet.
<<if $challenge is 2>>"So what?!" she asks. "You'd rather we all died back there? Or--no, you'd rather I died, wouldn't you?"
"Mari," you say, "of course that's not true."
But Mari isn't listening. She's in her own world now. She's pacing the spot in front of your tarp, and you realize with a flash of fear that she has a knife in her hand, that same knife that she used to kill Jaya.
"You'd rather I died so that you and Lucas could go off and have your little //romance//, wouldn't you? Don't think I don't know what's going on, Avi! I saw what happened between you! I saw you selling me out!"
You pale, your mind going back to your conversation with Lucas in the forest. You can't believe Mari saw that.
"It's not--," you begin. "That's not--."
But Mari is past the point of reason. You can see it in her eyes. She's gone and not coming back.
[[Continue.|Catch22]] <<elseif $challenge is 1 and $M_fre < 0>>"So what?!" she asks. "You'd rather we all died back there? Or--no, you'd rather I died, wouldn't you?"
"Mari," you say, "of course that's not true."
But Mari isn't listening. She's in her own world now. She's pacing the spot in front of your tarp, and you realize with a flash of fear that she has a knife in her hand, that same knife that she used to kill Jaya.
"You'd rather I died so that you could go off with Lucas and have your //adventure//! Don't think I don't know what's going on, Avi! I saw what happened between you! I saw you selling me out!"
You pale, your mind going back to your conversation with Lucas in the forest. You can't believe Mari saw that.
"It's not--," you begin. "That's not--."
But Mari is past the point of reason. You can see it in her eyes. She's gone and not coming back.
[[Continue.|Catch22]] <<elseif $challenge is 1>>"I did what I had to do so we could survive!" she says. "But you can't see that! You're too busy with Lucas! You're too busy selling me out behind my back, or do you think I didn't hear what you two were talking about in the woods?!"
Your eyes widen. You had no idea that Mari was there. You let out a slow, rattling breath.
"Mari..." you begin.
"I know!" Mari says, before you can talk. She's gotten to her feet and she's pacing furiously. "I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore! You think I'm a loose cannon--you think I'm a killer."
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true.
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]] <<else>>"I did what I had to do so we could survive," she says, tears in her eyes. "You know that, Avi, don't you? You still believe in me?"
Your vision is filled with the memory of Jaya's final moments. You don't know if you can.
"Mari..." you begin.
"I know!" Mari says, before you can talk. She's gotten to her feet and she's pacing furiously. "I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore! You think I'm a loose cannon--you think I'm a killer."
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true.
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]] <</if>>You try your best to look sympathetic. "I know this must be hard..." you begin.
"No you don't," Mari says. "No you freaking don't. I shouldn't have killed her. Don't you think I don't know that? You think I wanted to kill her?"
You don't say anything. Mari gets to her feet, pacing furiously.
"I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore! You think I'm a loose cannon--you think I'm a killer."
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true.
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]]"What's going on?" Lucas asks, making Mari break off mid-stride and turn to face him. He is walking up to you, arms full of firewood. When he sees the knife in Mari's hand, his jaw drops. The firewood clatters to the ground.
"Is that a knife?" he asks.
Before he can respond, Mari lets out a scream of rage, charging at him.
"No!" you shout, your voice echoing in the tranquil forest. "Mari! Mari, stop!"
She doesn't hear you. Her face is a tableau of rage and madness, lips pulled back in a snarl. Lucas has his hands around her wrist, struggling with her as she tries to stab him with the knife, but the heat of the moment has made Mari frighteningly strong. He's slipping.
[[Get between them.]]
[[Stay out of it.]]Mari looks so broken, sitting in front of you with her head in your hands. You know you should say something to her, but you don't know what.
[[Comfort her]]
[[Express your doubts]]
[[Take her hands]]"You killed someone, Mari," you say. "It doesn't matter what you were trying to do. She's still dead."
<<if $challenge is 2>>"Yes, I killed her!" Mari says. "So what? What would you have done? You'd rather we all died back there? Or--no, you'd rather I died, wouldn't you?"
"Mari," you say, "of course that's not true."
But Mari isn't listening. She's in her own world now. She's pacing the spot in front of your tarp, and you realize with a flash of fear that she has a knife in her hand, that same knife that she used to kill Jaya.
"You'd rather I died so that you and Lucas could go off and have your little //romance//, wouldn't you? Don't think I don't know what's going on, Avi! I saw what happened between you! I saw you selling me out!"
You pale, your mind going back to your conversation with Lucas in the forest. You can't believe Mari saw that.
"It's not--," you begin. "That's not--."
But Mari is past the point of reason. You can see it in her eyes. She's gone and not coming back.
[[Continue.|Catch22]] <<elseif $challenge is 1 and $M_fre < 0>>"Yes, I killed her!" Mari says. "So what? What would you have done? You'd rather we all died back there? Or--no, you'd rather I died, wouldn't you?"
"Mari," you say, "of course that's not true."
But Mari isn't listening. She's in her own world now. She's pacing the spot in front of your tarp, and you realize with a flash of fear that she has a knife in her hand, that same knife that she used to kill Jaya.
"You'd rather I died so that you could go off with Lucas and have your //adventure//! Don't think I don't know what's going on, Avi! I saw what happened between you! I saw you selling me out!"
You pale, your mind going back to your conversation with Lucas in the forest. You can't believe Mari saw that.
"It's not--," you begin. "That's not--."
But Mari is past the point of reason. You can see it in her eyes. She's gone and not coming back.
[[Continue.|Catch22]] <<elseif $challenge is 1>>"I did what I had to do so we could survive!" she says. "But you can't see that! You're too busy with Lucas! You're too busy selling me out behind my back, or do you think I didn't hear what you two were talking about in the woods?!"
Your eyes widen. You had no idea that Mari was there. You let out a slow, rattling breath.
"Mari..." you begin.
"I know!" Mari says, before you can talk. She's gotten to her feet and she's pacing furiously. "I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore! You think I'm a loose cannon--you think I'm a killer."
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true.
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]] <<else>>"I did what I had to do so we could survive," she says, tears in her eyes. "You know that, Avi, don't you? You still believe in me?"
Your vision is filled with the memory of Jaya's final moments. You don't know if you can.
"Mari..." you begin.
"I know!" Mari says, before you can talk. She's gotten to her feet and she's pacing furiously. "I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore! You think I'm a loose cannon--you think I'm a killer."
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true.
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]] <</if>>You try your best to look sympathetic. "I know you're trying..." you begin.
"But you still think I'm scary!" Mari finishes, scowling at you. "You still think I can't be trusted! You still think I'm a killer!"
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true. Mari gets to her feet, pacing furiously.
"I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore!"
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]]<<set $M_fre +=1>>"I get it..." you say. "But Mari, I still think you shouldn't have killed her..."
"Don't you think I don't know that?" Mari asks. She shakes her head. "I know I shouldn't have killed her, Avi. I //know// that. But it was the only thing I could do. I--."
She takes a deep breath from where she's seated beside you, lowering her head to her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi.
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]]<<set $M_fre -=1>>"I still think you were in the wrong," you say. "I still think you shouldn't have killed her."
"Don't you think I don't know that?" Mari asks. "You think I wanted to kill her?"
You don't say anything. Mari gets to her feet, pacing furiously.
"I //know// I'm a basket case, Avi! Who the hell wouldn't be? We're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and you don't even trust me anymore! You think I'm a loose cannon--you think I'm a killer."
You stay silent, mostly because you can't say anything. Mostly because it's sort of true.
Mari breathes deep and collapses to the ground again, sitting down next to you. She places her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do anymore, Avi..."
[[Continue.|Good End Possible]]"No!" you say, getting to your feet. "Mari, please, stop!"
Mari doesn't listen. You do the only thing you can think of. You run forward, grabbing onto Mari's hand. You push her away from Lucas as hard as you can and get between them, stretching your hands out to either side to protect him.
"Mari, no!" you shout.
Mari stumbles back and surges forward again. She doesn't see you.
It happens so fast you don't even know it's happening. The knife sinks into your chest. You stare down at in shock as Mari freezes, her eyes wide as they find your own. You can see the recognition in them, can see something breaking.
"Avi!" Mari screams as the world goes dark and you fall to the ground. "Avi, no..."
Her hands are on her shoulders. She's shaking you. You think she's crying.
"Avi, no, please..." Mari's voice is growing fainter. "Avi, no. No. I'm sorry. Avi, please. I'm sorry..."
//"I'm sorry..."//<<set $A_death to 1>><<set $death to "Accidentally killed by party member.">>
[[GAME OVER]] "No!" you say, tears streaming down your face. "No, Mari please. Please don't do this..."
But Mari doesn't hear you. She lets out a shout of rage, and surges forward, the knife plunging into Lucas's chest over and over again. You can see his eyes widen with the surprise as she stabs him, can see his blood, red and brilliant as he falls to the ground. Tears blur your eyes, and you can hardly see anything at all.
Then it's over. Mari stares down at the knife in her hands in shock, her eyes fixed on the blood that covers her. She turns to look at you, despair all over her features.
Horror grips your heart. You do the only thing you can think of; you leap to your feet and run, leaving Mari behind.
Unfortunately, you've neglected to take any supplies with you, and you're still in unfamiliar territory. Neither you nor Mari are ever seen again. <<set $L_death to 1>><<set $A_death to 1>><<set $M_death to 1>><<set $death to "Lost forever">>
[[GAME OVER]] <<set $M_fre +=1>>This is Mari. This is your best friend. This is the girl who grew up beside you. You can't abandon her now.
You sit up, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It will be okay," you tell her. "We'll get through this together."
Mari looks at you, tears in her eyes, and you're not sure she believes you. But you think that with everything you've been through, you //can// do this. You can get through it together. You, Mari, and Lucas. The three of you will find Cascadia.
You can almost believe it.
You reach forward, holding out your hand. After a while, Mari reaches forward and grasps it.
[[Continue.|CHAOTIC ROUTE]]<<set $M_fre -=1>>You want to tell her that things will be okay, that you can work this through together, but you don't know how. And honestly, you're scared. You wonder if that makes you a bad person, but you can't deny it. You see Jaya dead when you close your eyes; you //know// what Mari is capable of.
But she's still your friend. Somewhere inside of her is the friend that you once knew.
"I'm sorry, Mari..." you say. "It's going to take me some time. I...what you did back there..."
"You can't trust me," Mari mumbles brokenly. "I know."
You want to tell her that's not true, but you fall silent because it is.
"I'm sorry," you say.
"I get it," Mari says. "I really do. I...don't trust me anymore, Avi. I don't know what's wrong with me."
You can't do much more than pat Mari on the shoulder. You don't know what's happening to her, but whatever it is, you hope you can get through it together.
[[Continue.|CHAOTIC ROUTE]]<<set $M_rom +=1>>You take Mari's hands, gently pulling them away from her face. She blinks at you, eyes wide and filled with tears. You can't remember ever seeing Mari this vulnerable. When you were girls, she was always so strong, so capable. It //aches// to see her reduced to this.
Her hands in yours are warm. You hold them tight and Mari sucks in a breath.
<<if $challenge is 2>>A look of pain crosses Mari's expression, and she looks away.
"What are you doing, Avi?" she mutters under her breath.
"Holding your hands," you say, since that seems so obvious.
Mari presses her lips tightly together and tears spill down her cheeks. "Don't do this to me," she says. "Avi...you can't do this to me."
Confused, you release her hands.<<elseif $L_rom > 0>>Mari looks confused. Her eyes are gleaming with tears. You can see them beading on her eyelashes, and you wonder why you've never looked at Mari this closely before.
"What are you doing, Avi?" she asks, voice soft.
"Holding your hands," you say, since that seems so obvious.
"But what about--?" Mari begins.
"Yes?" you ask.
She shakes her head, pulling her hands out of your grip.
"Never mind."<<else>>Mari stares at you and her eyes are bright with tears. There's a thoughtful look in them, considering. Something in her gaze makes your heart leap and your stomach turn over. Mari has always been your friend, but you can't remember ever being this close before.
"What are you doing, Avi?" she asks, voice soft.
"Holding your hands," you say, since that seems so obvious.
Mari draws in a deep breath. Her fingers interlace with yours, and she squeezes your hands tightly before she pulls her hands away.<</if>>
Mari brings her hands to rest on her knees. You watch her as she sits in silence, thinking. Mari's done a lot of things, some things that you know she won't be able to take back. And yet, at the same time, she's still your friend. She's still the girl you grew up with.
You know you can get through this together.
[[Continue.|CHAOTIC ROUTE]]''ENDING 02: Chaotic Loyalties''
PARTY MEMBERS:
Avi
Lucas
Mari
Please save the variable information below in order to continue your progress in Episode 2. We recommend taking a screenshot to ensure that each variable is inputted correctly.<<set $Route to 2>>
A: <<print $Route>>
B: <<print $L_fre>>
C: <<print $L_rom>>
D: <<print $L_death>>
E: <<print $M_fre>>
F: <<print $M_rom>>
G: <<print $M_death>>
H: <<print $R_fre>>
I: <<print $R_rom>>
J: <<print $R_death>>
K: <<print $J_fre>>
L: <<print $J_rom>>
M: <<print $J_death>>
N: <<print $Promise>>
O: <<print $GameOver>>
//See you next episode!//Without Mari, you have plenty of food. Still, you can't help but feel a little guilty for leaving her behind as you and Lucas head inland, moving away from the coastline. You think that the image of her betrayed face in your mind is going to stay with you for a long time to come, but it's for the best.
A few days later, you stumble upon a village. The village is located near a set of ancient ruins, just like your own city. The three of you are cautious as you approach, but the villagers are surprisingly welcoming to travelers. They don't have much in the way of food or supplies, but they offer you a night's rest and a short meal. You stay at the house of a girl named Jaya. She seems to be an important figure in this village, although you aren't sure why. Still, she's kind and welcoming, and you start to think that you might be able to like her.<<set $Jaya to 1>>
[[Continue.|Night01-J]]It's evening, so you and Lucas decide to go your separate ways. Lucas wanders off somewhere and you sit in the room that Jaya lent to the two of you, thinking. Eventually, feeling restless, you get up and decide to go on an adventure of your own.
Where do you go?
[[Go to the ruins.|Lucas01]]
[[Explore the town.|Jaya01]]
[[Go to sleep.|Night02-J]]The town is dark at this time of night. Quiet. Most people are already asleep, and the streets, such as they are, are empty. You didn't think you would run into anyone while walking, but to your surprise, you find someone. Jaya is roaming the town's streets, looking anxious. You know that she left the house shortly after dinner. You wonder if she was visiting someone. Whatever it is, she looks troubled.
[[Talk to her.|Jaya02]]
[[Head back to the house.|Night01-J]]A hand on your shoulder rouses you from sleep and you open your eyes, looking around blearily. It's the middle of the night, and Jaya is crouching in front of you. It takes you a second to fully understand the scene, but then you realize that Jaya is dressed in traveling clothes, a sack of supplies slung over her back.
You sit up.
"Jaya?" you ask, confused.
Jaya is watching you with wide eyes, her fingers clenching and unclenching around the sack she's carrying, as if even she can't believe her nerve.
"I want you to take me with you," she says.
"What?" you ask, still trying to process this. Jaya draws in a deep breath and her eyes snap onto yours.
"I want to come with you to Cascadia," she says. "Take me with you. We need to leave now, before anyone finds out."
"Why do we need to sneak away?" The voice is Lucas's. You look over to see him sitting up, watching you and Jaya warily. Jaya goes tense.
"I can't--I can't explain right now," she says. "They won't want me to leave. But I have to get out of here. Please take me with you. //Please.//
You exchange a glance with Lucas. He shrugs, although he looks reluctant. You don't want to get involved in any village politics, and you're not sure you have enough food for the three of you, even with the supplies that Jaya's bringing on. Plus, the more people you have with you, the riskier crossing the country will be.
But at the same time, Jaya seems desperate to leave. What do you do?
[[Take Jaya with you.]]
[[Refuse.]]<<set $J_talk to 1>>You walk up to Jaya cautiously, not wanting to startle her. Despite the fact that you're deliberately making noise, she is so deep in her thoughts that she doesn't notice you until you are almost right on top of her. When she does notice you, she jumps, her eyes widening.
"A-Avi," she says. "I thought you went to bed. Aren't you tired?"
"I couldn't sleep," you say. "I decided to go for a walk."
"Ah, well, um...don't let me stop you."
Jaya looks away awkwardly, and while she doesn't leave, she doesn't say anything more. It's clear that if you want to continue this conversation, it will have to be up to you.
[["What are you doing out so late?"]]
[["I like your village. It's peaceful."]]
[["Is everything okay?"]]
[["I'm going back to bed."]]<<set $Jfre -=1>>"What are you doing out so late?" you ask. "It's dangerous. You could get hurt."
Jaya's eyes narrow and you can tell just from looking at her that it was the wrong thing to say, although you're not sure why. It //is// rather late to be out. If you weren't used to traveling by this point, you wouldn't be out either.
"I'm fine," Jaya says, somewhat frostily. "But thank you for your concern."
"Uh, you're welcome," you say. "Listen, Jaya, I didn't mean--."
"--I'm just going to walk around a little bit more," Jaya says, interrupting you. "Will you be okay getting home by yourself?"
"Yeah," you say. "I'll be fine." After all, you know the way.
Jaya gives you a curt nod and walks off. After a moment of standing there, wondering where you went wrong, you turn around, heading back to the house.
[[Continue.|Night02-J]]<<set $Jfre +=1>>"I like your village," you tell her. "It's peaceful."
Jaya frowns, looking as though she's considering something very strongly. She looks out over the village, at this collection of huts and houses, and you find yourself wondering what she sees when she looks at it, how this might look through her eyes. But she shakes her head as if she's trying to shake her thoughts away, and looks back at you.
"I like it too," she says. "It's home."
There's something odd in the way she says it, something weighty. But before you can ask about it, Jaya changes the subject. "Tell me about your village," she says. "About all the places you've been. It must be so exciting, traveling like this."
Well, you really haven't been anywhere. In fact, this village is the first you've seen. But you //can// talk about your village and so you do. You and Jaya walk around and talk together, and eventually, you head back to her house to sleep.
[[Continue.|Night02-J]]<<set $Jfre +=1>><<set $Jrom +=1>>"Is everything okay?" you ask her. "You look like something's on your mind."
Jaya presses her lips tightly together, as if she's trying to keep the words in. She draws in a deep breath, you can see it ripple through her shoulders as they rise and fall with the motion.
When she turns towards her, she's smiling, but the smile on her face looks false, manufactured. You've seen her smile, you think. She smiled when you arrived, when she welcomed you into her home.
This is not Jaya's real smile. And it makes you immensely sad, for a reason you can't name, that she feels the need to force a smile for you.
"Yes," she says. "Everything's fine. Why don't you tell me about your travels, Avi. I'd love to hear about your village."
It's a blatant lie, because something definitely isn't fine. But it's a lie that Jaya wants to tell, and you don't know her well enough to call her on it.
So you walk around the village with her and tell her about your home, and you pretend not to notice how distracted she is until eventually, you return to her house.
[[Continue.|Night02-J]]You don't really want to get into an awkward conversation.
"I'm going back to bed," you say. "Take care of yourself."
Jaya looks up and you get the sense that she may have wanted to say more. She nods quickly.
"Okay," she says. "Good night."
"Night."
[[Continue.|Night02-J]]"Okay," you say, nodding.
Jaya's eyes widen. "Really?" she asks.
"Yes." You look back at Lucas. He looks like he disapproves, but he doesn't contradict you. You aren't going to stop Jaya from coming along when you are the one who invited yourself on this journey in the first place. It would be hypocritical of you.
Jaya stares at you as if she was never expecting to get this far. "Alright," she says. "Then let's go. Let's leave quickly."
She hands you your things and you and Lucas get up, following her out the door. The village is being watched by sentries, but Jaya knows them all. Although it's tense, you manage to escape, slipping out under the cover of darkness.
[[Continue.|Night03-J]]"I'm sorry," you say, "We can't."
It's not that you have anything against Jaya. But you can't take her with you, for the same reason that you couldn't take Mari with you. You don't have enough food for everyone, and this is too dangerous to be bringing random people in. You don't know why Jaya wants to leave so badly, but you're sure that it can't be as dangerous as what's waiting out there.
A part of you recognizes the hypocrisy in this. After all, you're the one who decided to leave your home to be here. But you aren't going to be swayed, even if Jaya looks at you like that. You shake your head.
"We really can't," you say.
Jaya looks crestfallen.
"I understand," she says, looking away. "I'll leave you two alone. Sorry for the trouble."
She leaves the room, leaving you alone with Lucas. After that, the night is awkward. It's hard to sleep from the guilt you feel about leaving Jaya behind. In the morning, when you get ready to go, you look for her to apologize, but you don't see her. You and Lucas leave the village alone.
[[Continue.|Woods]]You spend most of the night walking, trying to get as far away from the village as possible. When dawn comes, you rest for a little bit before walking again. Jaya has never walked this far before and you can tell that she's exhausted, but she walks on without complaint. Finally, close to dusk, you stop to rest again.
Food is an issue. Although Jaya brought supplies with her, it's clear that she had no idea how much food to bring or what sort of food you needed. It helps, but it's not enough.
Lucas knows it too. As soon as the two of you are settled, he decides to go hunting.
"Stay here," he says, stringing his own bow. "I'll find us some food."
You know that he's asking you to stay because you look tired, and in truth, you feel tired. You feel like you can't walk another step. But you're worried. For this whole journey, you and Lucas have never been apart. Something could happen to him while he leaves, and if he does, you might not see him again.
What do you do?
[[Go with Lucas.|Hunt01]]
[[Stay at camp.|Girl01]]You decide to follow Lucas. Jaya, not wanting to be left alone in camp, goes with you. You move through the thin forest at the base of one of the nearest mountains. It's too warm for large game, but you're still hoping to find a rabbit or a squirrel or something that you can eat.
Lucas hands you a knife, but you know that it's more for your protection than anything. You can't imagine hunting anything with this knife. You notice that he hasn't handed anything to Jaya, but she surprises you. She has a knife of her own, one that looks more at home in a kitchen than on a hunt, but still a knife she looks prepared to use.
For himself, Lucas has a bow. Although you're tired, you watch him as he sets up snares, and learn how to do the same. On the way back to your camp, there may be food in those snares. You move on.
You're about twenty minutes away from your camp when you find something amazing. A cache of supplies, hidden under some leaves and underbrush. There's enough here to keep you fed for a week, hopefully enough time to get over the mountains.
What do you do?
[[Suggest taking the supplies.]]
[[Leave the supplies alone.]]
[[Let the others decide.]]
You decide to stay at camp. You and Jaya settle in for the night and wait. The sun sinks beneath the mountains to the west, and still you wait. The sky darkens and the stars come out, and still you wait. Eventually, you get tired of waiting and go to sleep. When you wake, the two of you are still alone. You and Jaya don't say anything to each other, but there's a sick feeling in your stomach. You get the sense that Lucas has run into some sort of trouble, that he's not coming back. <<set $L_death to 1>>
[[Try to find him.]]
[[Move on.]]<<set $J_fre -=1>><<set $Decision to 1>>You need these supplies. You have enough food for now, but who knows how long that will last. You look over your shoulder and notice that both Jaya and Lucas are with you, watching you intently.
"We should take these," you say.
Lucas nods in agreement, looking solemn as he comes to stand next to you. Jaya looks horrified.
"Wait, what are you doing?" she asks. "We can't just take someone else's supplies!"
"We don't have enough food," you say, but Jaya scowls at you, looking stubborn.
"Then we'll hunt," she says. "But we're not taking someone else's supplies. The world's bad enough without us making trouble for someone else."
You're a little annoyed--can't Jaya see that your situation is desperate--but at the same time, ashamed of yourself. A glance at Lucas tells him that he feels the same way. With a sigh, you leave the cache alone, heading back to check your snares.
[[Continue.|Enter Rafael]]<<set $J_fre +=1>>You don't say anything for a while, looking at the supplies, considering. From beside you, Lucas moves forward.
"We should take these," he says, inclining his head towards the supplies.
"We can't!" Jaya says, before you can. "They belong to someone else."
Lucas looks up, but he isn't looking at Jaya. He's looking at you. Slowly, you shake your head.
"Jaya's right, we can't," you say. "They aren't ours."
You might need the food, but someone clearly went through great lengths to store it, and your situation isn't desperate enough that you feel like you need to start stealing.
Jaya looks at you with something like approval in her eyes. Lucas looks resigned, but he doesn't argue. He nods and the three of you leave the cache alone, heading back to check your snares.
[[Continue.|Enter Rafael]]You can't make a decision. You need the food, but you also don't want to become a thief. Instead, you decide to wait and see what the others will do. After a moment of hesitation, Lucas steps forward.
"We should take this," he said. "We'll need it later."
"No!" Jaya says, stopping him. "We can't!"
"We have to," Lucas says, looking back at her. "We won't be able to get over the mountains without supplies." Although he doesn't say it, the accusation is there. They would have plenty of supplies without Jaya with them.
"It doesn't matter," Jaya says. "It's the principle of the thing. The world's bad enough without us making trouble for someone else."
Lucas doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he turns to look at you.
"Avi," he says, "What do you think?"
[[Side with Lucas]]
[[Side with Jaya]]
You've just gotten back to your snares when you hear leaves crunching underfoot. The three of you look up, alarmed, and are met with a man standing in the woods behind you, a crossbow bolt leveled at your head. Jaya lets out a little scream, and the man's eyes flicker to her for a second before looking back to you.
You freeze. The man is a raider, you can tell that much. He has the look of someone who's been living in the wilds, utilitarian and practical. His face is marred by scars, although under that, you don't think he's much older than you.
Lucas steps forward, putting himself between you and that crossbow bolt. He glares at the raider, but you can see that he's afraid. His hands are shaking.
"Who are you?" Lucas asks. "What do you want?"
"The supplies," the raider asks, moving the bolt between the two of you. There is no mercy in his eyes. "Did you touch them?"
You and Lucas exchange a glance.
"Of course we didn't," Jaya says, before you can. "We saw them, but we didn't touch them. We promise."
The raider looks at Jaya again, but the crossbow stays trained on you.
"We'll see about that. Turn out your bags. Slowly."
[[Continue.|Jaya and Rafael]]<<set $L_fre +=1>><<set $J_fre -=1>><<set $Decision to 1>>You decide to side with Lucas. You need these supplies, after all.
"I think we should take them," you say.
Lucas nods, appreciating the support. Jaya, however, looks furious. She shakes her head.
"We are not taking these supplies," she says. She steps in front of them, squaring her stance, and although she's not very intimidating, the message is clear. If you want to take these, you're going to have to go through her.
You aren't willing to do that much. You and Lucas give up, resigned. You're a little annoyed--can't Jaya see that your situation is desperate--but at the same time, ashamed of yourself. A glance at Lucas tells him that he feels the same way. With a sigh, you leave the cache alone, heading back to check your snares.
[[Continue.|Enter Rafael]]<<set $L_fre -=1>><<set $J_fre +=1>>You decide to side with Jaya. You might need the food, but someone clearly went through great lengths to store it, and your situation isn't desperate enough that you feel like you need to start stealing.
"I think we should leave them," you say. "I think Jaya's right."
Jaya looks at you with something like approval in her eyes. Lucas looks at you with some hurt in his eyes, and you get the sense that he might have agreed with you if you hadn't let this turn into an argument. However, he doesn't argue. He nods and the three of you leave the cache alone, heading back to check your snares.
[[Continue.|Enter Rafael]]You turn out your bags slowly, so as not to alarm the raider. He moves forward for a closer look. The raider looks over the items in your packs, suspicious. At length, he nods, stepping back. You notice that he still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
"We didn't take your stuff," Lucas says, angry now. "Now let us go."
"Not so fast," the raider says. "This is still our territory. Tell me why you're here. You better do it quickly."
"We're just passing through," Jaya says, again before you can say anything. "We're heading to Cascadia."
//"Jaya!"// you say, trying to stop her from saying anything more. The raider, however, gives you a warning look and looks back at Jaya.
"Cascadia?" he asks. "I always thought that was a myth."
"It's not," you say, resigned to having to talk about this, "We're going."
"Just the three of you?" the raider asks.
You nod. He frowns, considering. He still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
"How do I know you're not lying."
[[I'm telling the truth.|J01]]
[[You don't.|J02]]<<set $R_fre -=1>>"I'm telling the truth!" you say. "Honest."
The raider frowns, and you can tell he doesn't really believe you. He's looking down at the crossbow as if considering it.
At length, he sighs, lowering the bow. It's clear that something you said convinced him, or maybe it was Jaya, because it's her he decides to speak to when he does speak.
"It isn't safe here," he says. "There are people roaming the woods, people we don't know. If you're really not involved with any of them, you should come with me."
"And where would you be taking us?" you ask, annoyed at being left out of the conversation. The raider looks back at you, irritated at being interrupted, but he answers anyway.
"Our base," he says. "Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety."
You hesitate, and you and Lucas exchange a suspicious glance. Jaya, you notice, looks scared out of her mind, and halfway to agreeing to go with the raider before you can. You shoot her a warning glance and she presses her lips tightly together while you think.
Going to a raider base sounds like a good way to get yourselves killed or worse. You definitely don't trust this man.
But what if there is something to what he's saying? At the moment, he doesn't look like he wants you dead.
[[Go with the raider.]]
[[Decide to stay.]]<<set $R_fre +=1>>"You don't know that," you say. "You're going to have to trust me."
"You're right," the raider says. "I don't know that." He looks down at the crossbow as if considering it.
At length, he sighs, lowering the bow. It's clear that something you or Jaya said convinced him, and when he does decide to speak again, he speaks to you.
"It isn't safe here," he says. "There are people roaming the woods, people we don't know. If you're really not involved with any of them, you should come with me."
"And where would you be taking us?" you ask, wary. After all, this man did just threaten to kill you, justified or not.
"Our base," he says. "Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety."
You hesitate, and you and Lucas exchange a suspicious glance. Jaya, you notice, looks scared out of her mind, and halfway to agreeing to go with the raider before you can. You shoot her a warning glance and she presses her lips tightly together while you think.
Going to a raider base sounds like a good way to get yourselves killed or worse. You definitely don't trust this man.
But what if there is something to what he's saying? At the moment, he doesn't look like he wants you dead.
[[Go with the raider.]]
[[Decide to stay.]]The raider, whose name you learn is Rafael, takes you to his camp, a small collection of hastily-erected structures assembled near the mouth of an abandoned coal mine. You haven't stolen anything, but it doesn't feel like that with the way that his companions are glaring at you. They're a tough bunch, but they have to be, to survive out here so far away from civilization.
One of them, a woman, walks up to you, a scowl on her face and a weapon in her hand.
"What is this, Raf?" she asks.
"I found them wandering the woods," Rafael says, inclining his head back towards the three of you. "They're not with the group that's been harrassing us. I'm letting them stay the night."
"Letting them stay the night?" the woman asks, livid. "We're not running a charity here!"
"Is there a rule that says I can't?" Rafael asks.
The other raider scowls. "No," she says, grudgingly. "But you watch them. Or it's your head the boss will be having."
She stalks off. Rafael watches her go, then turns to look back at you.
"Follow me," he says.
He leads you to a shack near the edge of the camp, pressed up against the mountain. It's dusty and cramped, but it looks structurally sound.
"This is mine," Rafael says, motioning to a pile of blankets on the ground. A bedroll is tucked into the corner, but you assume it's Rafael's. "You can rest here. You can leave in the morning when it's safe. There's water out back. I'll come back with food. Don't wander around the camp."
Those are all the instructions he gives you before he walks off.
[[Continue.|Bored]]You don't think you can trust this raider, no matter what he says.
"Thanks," you say, "But no thanks. We'll take our chances."
Jaya gives you an alarmed stare. You half-expect the raider to put up a fight and demand you come with him. Instead, he shrugs. "Suit yourself," he says, "I won't offer again."
He walks away, looking vaguely regretful. That, if anything, makes you feel like you made the wrong choice, that you should have gone with him. But it's too late now. You head back to camp.
[[Continue.|Villagers]]The raider's warning sticks in your head, and the three of you keep walking until it's past dark, but eventually you need to stop and sleep. You decide to take watches, and are awakened by a muffled scream.
Jaya.
You sit up and find yourself in the center of a ring of angry villagers, one of which is holding Jaya captive. It seems like they think you kidnapped her. Before you can explain yourself, a scuffle breaks out. Lucas has decided to fight his way out. Two villagers grab him around the shoulders.
You scream and Jaya yells at them to stop, but it's too late. The villagers kill Lucas in the struggle.
Jaya's crying, but you only see red. You grab the knife that Lucas lent you and get to your feet. Unfortunately, you're severely outnumbered, and you don't know the first thing about fighting.
The villagers kill you too. <<set $L_death to 1>><<set $A_death to 1>><<set $death to "Killed by an angry mob">>
[[GAME OVER]]<<set $Promise to 0>>You put your pack down and settle on the ground, your back to the wall. Lucas and Jaya do the same, the both of them looking exhausted. You lean your head against the wall, feeling the tiredness in your bones. There's a buzzing in the back of your mind that speaks of danger, but you have a feeling that has something to do with being in the middle of a raider camp.
Now that the adrenaline has settled down, though, you start to feel a little bored. Restless. It feels like it's been ages since the last time you could sit down and just //rest//.
What do you do?
[[Go outside and get water.]]
[[Talk to Lucas.|Lucas03]]
[[Talk to Jaya.]]
[[Sleep.]]You get up and head outside, announcing that you want to find some water. There's a water barrel propped up against the back of the shack, wedged in between the shack and the mountainside. You pry it open to find that it's full, and while the water is tepid from the day's heat, it's still refreshing. There's a ladle next to the barrel, so you take a drink and then treat yourself to another scoop of water, which you use to wash the dust and dirt from your face and hands.
"Enjoying yourself?" a voice asks.
You jump. Rafael is standing behind you. You didn't hear him come up, even across the gravelly ground, but you suppose people like Rafael are used to moving quietly. He has his arms folded, and he's watching you.
[[Apologize for using too much water.]]
[[Thank him for letting you stay.]]
[[Question his motives for letting you stay.]]Jaya is curled up on her side when you look over, her back to you. You scoot closer to her, and that's when you see that she isn't really asleep. Instead, she's staring at the far wall, her expression contemplative. You look over at Lucas, but he's busy tending to his bow, and barely seems to notice you. Jaya doesn't seem to notice you either.
[[Ask her what she's thinking about.]]
[[Ask her why she had to leave her village.]]
[[Ask her if everything's okay.]]You curl up on your side and decide to go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]]Lucas is awake when you look over, tending to his bow. You're surprised that Rafael let him keep the weapon. It seems like the sort of thing that should have been confiscated, but you're not about to question good fortune. You glance at Jaya, but she's curled up on her side, her back to you, like she's on the verge of falling asleep.
You get up and scoot closer to Lucas. He looks up at you and moves to the side, giving you space beside him. After a moment of hesitation, you take it.
[[Talk about your situation.]]
[[Talk about Jaya.]]
[[Ask him how he is.]]In the middle of the night, the three of you are woken up by the sound of shouting and battle. Lucas quickly reaches for his bow. You sit up and peer out of the window of the shack to see a nightmare. A band of villagers have attacked the raider camp, and are currently doing battle with the raiders with whatever weapons they can find.
The raiders are better equipped and better trained. The attackers are dying left and right, but here and there, one of them manages to overpower a raider.
And there's something familiar about these villagers. You think you might...recognize some of them.
"Stay here!" Rafael says, springing up to his feet from his bedroll and picking up his crossbow. "Don't leave this shack, no matter what happens!"
He runs out to join the fighting.
"No," Jaya whispers, coming to the window to stand next to you. Her eyes are wide and frightened. "Oh no. No..."
"Jaya?" Lucas asks, glancing at her. "Are those your people?"
Jaya shakes her head, but you're not convinced that's a no. In the dim light, her dark skin looks unnaturally pale. Her fists are clenched tightly at her side.
"We need to leave," Lucas says, urgently. "We need to leave now, in the confusion."
You look back at him, surprised. "Why?" you ask.
"Do you really think those raiders are going to let us live after we've brought this trouble to them?" Lucas asks, inclining his head towards the window.
"We don't have anything to do with them," you say. "If we go out there now, we'll get killed in the crossfire. Or they might think we're working with them."
"What about Rafael?" Jaya says. "He said to stay."
"He's not going to help us over his clan," Lucas says. He throws the window a dark look. "That's assuming he survives. We need to leave."
But as always, he looks at you to make the final call. Your heart is pounding, and you don't think you can do it. All you can hear is the sound of fighting, of screams. If you go out into that, you could die. But if you stay put, you could also die.
You can't stay still forever. You have to decide.
What do you do?
[[Wait for Rafael.]]
[[Leave now.]]<<set $R_fre +=1>>"Sorry," you say quickly, putting the ladle down. "I didn't want to waste water. I just--."
Rafael puts up a hand, cutting you off. He looks almost amused, but it's hard to tell. Other than his eyes, his face is as stoic as ever. "It's not that," he says. "There's a stream near here. Use as much as you like."
He looks over you, and for the first time, you wonder what you must look like after days on the road. Not a great sight. It almost makes you want to find this stream so you can take a proper bath.
"Um--thanks," you say.
He shrugs, handing a bag to you. You look down into it. It's bread and dried meat, the sort of food that keeps for a long time. There's enough for three of you.
"You shouldn't stay out here too long if you're finished," he says. "It'll be dark soon. We'll start our patrols. You don't want to be caught out in the middle of it."
You nod, but before you can thank him for the food, he's already turning, walking away. You head back inside to share the food with Lucas and Jaya, and after you eat, you curl up on a blanket and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]] <<set $R_rom +=1>><<set $R_fre +=1>>"Um--yes," you say, hastily putting the ladle down. You turn towards him. "Thank you, by the way, for letting us stay. It means a lot." You had your suspicions, but so far, Rafael has been nothing but a gracious host.
Rafael stares at you, his expression stoic. You get the sense that he might be touched, but aside from his eyes, his expression hasn't changed.
"Don't mention it," he says. You wonder what could have prompted this sudden burst of generosity, but you get the sense that now might not be the best time to ask.
He hands a bag to you. You look down into it. It's bread and dried meat, the sort of food that keeps for a long time. There's enough for three of you.
"You shouldn't stay out here too long if you're finished," he says. "It'll be dark soon. We'll start our patrols. You don't want to be caught out in the middle of it."
You nod, but before you can thank him for the food, he's already turning, walking away. You head back inside to share the food with Lucas and Jaya, and after you eat, you curl up on a blanket and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]] "Um--yes," you say, hastily putting the ladle down. You turn towards him, and before your better judgment can come into play, you blurt out what's been on your mind since you first arrived at this camp. "Can I ask you a question? Why are you being so nice to us? You can't possibly do this with every traveler that comes through here."
Rafael shrugs, his expression darkening. You worry if you might have offended him, but before you can apologize, he answers. "No reason, really," he says. "The girl with you reminds me of someone I knew. Maybe I got sentimental."
It's more answer than you expected, and you don't want to push your luck. Whatever it is, you're grateful for it. You nod, not saying anything more.
He hands a bag to you. You look down into it. It's bread and dried meat, the sort of food that keeps for a long time. There's enough for three of you.
"You shouldn't stay out here too long if you're finished," he says. "It'll be dark soon. We'll start our patrols. You don't want to be caught out in the middle of it."
You nod, but before you can thank him for the food, he's already turning, walking away. You head back inside to share the food with Lucas and Jaya, and after you eat, you curl up on a blanket and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]] <<set $L_fre -=1>>You settle against the wall with a sigh, while Lucas goes back to tending his bow. The silence is quiet and comfortable.
"Well, we've gotten in a mess," you say.
"Yeah," Lucas says, his voice surprisingly curt. "What about it?"
You look at him in surprise. His eyes are narrowed, his hand tightening around his bow. He looks troubled, and you're surprised you hadn't noticed it before.
"What's wrong?" you ask.
"What's wrong?" he repeats, looking back at you. "Besides everything? How about how I nearly got us killed trying to steal food from raiders."
You look at him, surprised. <<if $Decision is 1>>"You can't blame yourself for that," you say. "I wanted to take it too."
"There wasn't any reason to," Lucas says, shaking his head. "We //have// enough food. I just...I was just afraid. What does that say about me, that the first thing I want to do when I see trouble is steal? What else am I going to do?"
It's more than you expected him to say, and it surprises you. You weren't expecting this coming from him.<<else>>"You can't blame yourself for that," you say. "You were just looking out for us."
"If you weren't there to stop me, I would have taken it, no matter what Jaya said," Lucas says. "There wasn't any reason to. We //have// enough food. I just...I was just afraid. What does that say about me, that the first thing I want to do when I see trouble is steal? What else am I going to do?"
It's more than you expected him to say, and it surprises you. You weren't expecting this coming from him.<</if>>
He goes back to tending his bow. He has that faraway look in his eye that reminds you that you don't know anything about Lucas's past.
But you know a thing or two about him.
"You're not a monster, Lucas," you say. "And you're not going to become one."
Lucas doesn't look at you, but he sighs, his shoulders rippling with the motion.
"I really hope that's true..." you hear him say.
[[Continue.|L_WrapUp]] <<set $L_fre +=1>>You settle against the wall with a sigh, while Lucas goes back to tending his bow. The silence is quiet and comfortable. You look over at the corner of the room, where Jaya is sleeping.
"She's tired out," you say, keeping your voice down. You know that Jaya hasn't traveled very far, and even in her own village, her responsibilities weren't as physical as yours. She's surprisingly brave though, for someone who's never been out this far. It's something to admire, at least.
Lucas grunts in response, still tending his bow. You wait for him to speak, your mind going back to finding the cache in the woods, to Jaya's reaction.
<<if $Decision is 1>>"She was brave enough to stand up to us," you say. "I can't believe we nearly stole from the raiders."
"Yeah," Lucas says. "Because that would have ended well."
It sounds like he's trying to make a joke, but there's tension there. You glance over at him. "Everything...alright?" you ask.
Lucas shakes his head. "Just thinking about back then," he says. "I really wanted to take that food. Even though we have enough. I'm...wondering what that says about me, I suppose."<<else>>"She was brave enough to stand up to you," you say. "I can't believe we nearly stole from the raiders."
"Yeah," Lucas says. "Because that would have ended well."
It sounds like he's trying to make a joke, but there's tension there. You glance over at him. "Everything...alright?" you ask.
Lucas shakes his head. "Just thinking about back then," he says. "I really wanted to take that food. Even though we have enough. I'm...wondering what that says about me, I suppose."<</if>>
He trails off, going back to tending his bow. He has that faraway look in his eye that reminds you that you don't know anything about Lucas's past.
But you know a thing or two about him.
"You're not a monster, Lucas," you say. "And you're not going to become one."
Lucas doesn't look at you, but he sighs, his shoulders rippling with the motion.
"I really hope that's true..." you hear him say.
[[Continue.|L_WrapUp]] <<set $L_fre +=1>><<set $L_rom +=1>>You settle against the wall with a sigh, while Lucas goes back to tending his bow. The silence is quiet and comfortable.
"How are you doing?" you ask, after a few moments. "With...everything?"
Lucas looks up, surprised, like he hadn't expected you to ask. His mouth opens, you can hear him start to say 'fine' automatically, before it closes again.
"I'm--thinking," he says, instead.
"About what?" you ask.
Lucas inclines his head towards Jaya and lowers his voice. You think he doesn't have to. It doesn't look like Jaya is listening.
"Back then, with the food," he says. "I wanted to take it."
<<if $Decision is 1>>"Yeah," you say. "So what? So did I?"
Lucas frowns, shaking his head. You can tell that this is really bothering him, although you can't quite understand why. "Jaya was right." he says, finally. "We //have// enough food. But I wanted more. I was scared."
"That isn't something to be ashamed of," you say. "I was scared too."
"It's not that I was afraid," Lucas said. "It's what I was willing to do...to stop being afraid. And now I'm scared of what else I'll do."<<else>>"What about it?" you ask.
Lucas frowns, shaking his head. You can tell that this is really bothering him, although you can't quite understand why. "You were right," he says, finally. "We //have// enough food. But I wanted more. I was scared."
"That isn't something to be ashamed of," you say. "I was scared too."
"It's not that I was afraid," Lucas said. "It's what I was willing to do...to stop being afraid. And now I'm scared of what else I'll do. If you weren't there to stop me..."<</if>>
He trails off, going back to tending his bow. He has that faraway look in his eye that reminds you that you don't know anything about Lucas's past.
But you know a thing or two about him.
After a moment's hesitation, you reach for his hand. He lets you hold it.
"You're not a monster, Lucas," you say. "And you're not going to become one."
Lucas doesn't look at you, but his hand tightens around yours.
"I really hope that's true..." you hear him say.
[[Continue.|L_WrapUp]] <<set $J_fre +=1>>"What are you thinking about?" you ask.
Jaya jumps, looking over at you. It seems like you were right. She hasn't noticed that you were there. Still, it surprises you how scared Jaya looks for a moment, before her usual smile appears on her face.
"Oh, Avi," she says. "Sorry. You scared me."
You shake your head. "Don't worry about it," you say. "Is everything alright."
"Everything's..." Jaya hesitates for a moment, looking back at Lucas before turning towards you. "No," she says decisively. "It's not--it's not alright. Avi, can I ask you for a favor?"
"More favors than you've already asked of me?" you ask. You mean it jokingly. It was after all, Jaya who asked you to take her with you, but Jaya flinches from the words as if they were a blow. You wince.
"Sorry," you say, "Go ahead."
"If it...if it comes to the point where I decide to go back to my village," she says, "Or if someone comes to take me back, I want you to promise that you won't let me."
"Why?" you ask.
"Just trust me," Jaya says. "And, just promise me, please."
[[Promise.|JProm1]]
[[Don't promise.|JProm0]]
<<set $J_fre -=1>>"Jaya," you say, "Can I ask you a question?"
Jaya jumps, looking over at you. It seems like you were right. She hasn't noticed that you were there. Still, it surprises you how scared Jaya looks for a moment, before her usual smile appears on her face.
"Oh, Avi," she says. "Sorry. You scared me."
You shake your head. "Don't worry about it," you say.
"You had a question?" Jaya asks.
"Yeah," you say. "If you don't mind, why did you have to leave your village?"
Jaya's expression darkens, and you get the sense that that might have been the wrong question to ask. She presses her lips tightly together, looking away and wrapping her arms tight around herself.
"It's...private," she says.
"Sorry," you say. "I didn't mean to pry."
"No," says Jaya. "No, you had the right to ask. And, actually, Avi." She looks back at you. "I've been meaning to ask something of you too."
Another time, you might make a joke about how many favors Jaya's been asking of you. But she seems hurt, serious, so you hold your tongue. "Yes?" you ask instead.
"If it...if it comes to the point where I decide to go back to my village," she says, "Or if someone comes to take me back, I want you to promise that you won't let me."
"Why?" you ask.
"Just trust me," Jaya says. "And, just promise me, please."
[[Promise.|JProm1]]
[[Don't promise.|JProm0]]<<set $J_rom +=1>><<set $J_fre +=1>>"Jaya...?" you ask, your voice soft, tentative. "Are you okay?"
Jaya jumps, looking over at you. It seems like you were right. She hasn't noticed that you were there. Still, it surprises you how scared Jaya looks for a moment, before her usual smile appears on her face.
"Oh, Avi," she says. "Sorry. You scared me."
You shake your head. "Don't worry about it," you say. "Are you okay?"
Jaya bites her lip. "I'm...I'm tired," she says. "And I'm..." She hesitates, her eyes flicking away from yours before meeting yours again. "I'm not...sure I'm okay, Avi. Can I ask you for a favor?"
She looks so scared, so hesitant, that you don't have the heart to deny her or try to crack a joke. "Sure," you say, giving her what you hope is a reassuring smile. "Anything."
Jaya doesn't speak for a while. When she does, what she says wasn't what you were expecting.
"If it...if it comes to the point where I decide to go back to my village," she says, "Or if someone comes to take me back, I want you to promise that you won't let me."
"Why?" you ask.
"Just trust me," Jaya says. "And, just promise me, please."
[[Promise.|JProm1]]
[[Don't promise.|JProm0]]<<set $Promise to 1>>"I promise," you say. You don't know why Jaya wants you to promise this, but you trust Jaya, and if she doesn't want to go back, you won't let her. "You have my word, Jaya. You can count on me."
Jaya nods, relieved. "Thank you, Avi," she says.
She doesn't say anything for a while. Eventually, Rafael comes back with food. It's bread and dried meat, the sort of food that keeps for a long time. There's enough for three of you.
You share the food with Lucas and Jaya, and after you eat, you curl up on a blanket and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]] "I can't promise that," you say. It hurts you to say that, because you can see that it's killing her inside, but you have to be honest. "You don't know how things will change in the future, Jaya. And I still don't know anything about you."
Jaya exhales, and you can see the pain in her eyes but she nods, the motion controlled and slow. "I...see," she says. "Well, thank you, at least, for being honest with me. I appreciate it, Avi."
She doesn't say anything for a while. Eventually, Rafael comes back with food. It's bread and dried meat, the sort of food that keeps for a long time. There's enough for three of you.
You share the food with Lucas and Jaya, and after you eat, you curl up on a blanket and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]] Going out there might mean your death, staying in here might mean the same. But Rafael asked you to stay, and this is his territory. He knows more about it than you do, and so far, he hasn't steered you wrong. You decide to wait for him. Lucas isn't happy with your decision, but it's your decision. He keeps his bow at the ready and his pack slung over his shoulder, and you can tell that he's tempted to run off on his own.
Fine. You can't stop Lucas from running away. You don't have any hold over him, as much as you don't want him to go. You and Jaya watch the tide of the battle, growing increasingly frightened, the air in the shack getting tenser and tenser.
Eventually, the tide of battle turns in the raiders' favor. That was only to be expected though. They're so much better equipped than you are. You watch as the villagers break and run, as the raiders turn and chase them into the woods, roaring with fury. It leaves the camp deserted aside from the wounded and the dying.
Lucas looks back at you from the door, a question in his eyes. If there was ever a time to run, it would be now. Your mouth is dry, but you're an inch from nodding when the door opens anyway. The both of you jump, turning towards it, but it's only Rafael.
He looks harried from a long battle, blood flecked across his face and clothes. Sweat and mud cling to him, but he doesn't look hurt. He looks wild, though, feral, and in that instant you're afraid of him all over again.
"Come on!" he says. "Grab your things."
"What--?" you begin, but Lucas is already moving. He grabs your pack, shoving it into your hands before picking up Jaya's.
"We don't have time," Rafael says. "Once they get back, they'll be looking for you. If you stay, it will be ugly. Come with me."
You're still not sure you can trust Rafael, but you know something now. You can trust him more than the other raiders.
You sling your pack over your shoulder with numb hands. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Jaya doing the same. Rafael has weapons and food, taken from the raiders' storehouses, and he distributes the supplies among you as quickly and efficiently as he is able.
The four of you slip out into the woods, unnoticed, unseen.
[[Continue.|SQUARE ROUTE]]''ENDING 03: Four's a Crowd''
PARTY MEMBERS:
Avi
Lucas
Jaya
Rafael
Please save the variable information below in order to continue your progress in Episode 2. We recommend taking a screenshot to ensure that each variable is inputted correctly.<<set $Route to 3>>
A: <<print $Route>>
B: <<print $L_fre>>
C: <<print $L_rom>>
D: <<print $L_death>>
E: <<print $M_fre>>
F: <<print $M_rom>>
G: <<print $M_death>>
H: <<print $R_fre>>
I: <<print $R_rom>>
J: <<print $R_death>>
K: <<print $J_fre>>
L: <<print $J_rom>>
M: <<print $J_death>>
N: <<print $Promise>>
O: <<print $GameOver>>
//See you next episode!//''ENDING 04: Us Against the World''
PARTY MEMBERS:
Avi
Jaya
Please save the variable information below in order to continue your progress in Episode 2. We recommend taking a screenshot to ensure that each variable is inputted correctly.<<set $Route to 4>>
A: <<print $Route>>
B: <<print $L_fre>>
C: <<print $L_rom>>
D: <<print $L_death>>
E: <<print $M_fre>>
F: <<print $M_rom>>
G: <<print $M_death>>
H: <<print $R_fre>>
I: <<print $R_rom>>
J: <<print $R_death>>
K: <<print $J_fre>>
L: <<print $J_rom>>
M: <<print $J_death>>
N: <<print $Promise>>
O: <<print $GameOver>>
//See you next episode!//Eventually, Rafael comes back with food. It's bread and dried meat, the sort of food that keeps for a long time. There's enough for three of you.
You share the food with Lucas and Jaya, and after you eat, you curl up on a blanket and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|Rude Awakening]] Lucas is right, you need to leave. The three of you gather up your things and exit the shack, trying to escape the conflict. You don't get very far before someone spots you and shouts. Although the three of you run, you're quickly dragged down. You don't see what happens to the others. You think Jaya might have gotten away. But you don't make it out of this alive. <<set $A_death to 1>><<set $L_death to 1>><<set $death to "Killed in a crossfire.">>
[[GAME OVER]] "Stay here," you tell Jaya, getting to your feet. "I'm going to try and find him."
Jaya stares at you, eyes wide. Your hands are shaking as you bend down to your pack, as you search for anything that might be useful. You realize that Lucas didn't leave you with any weapons.
"No, Avi," Jaya says. "It's too dangerous."
You shake your head. You're not leaving Lucas alone out there.
"I'll be right back, you promise, but not even you know if that's true."
You walk off into the woods. Unfortunately, you never find Lucas, nor do you find your way back to camp. You are never seen again. <<set $L_death to 1>><<set $A_death to 1>><<set $death to "Lost forever.">>
[[GAME OVER]] Lucas is gone. As much as it pains you to think it, you can't stay here and wait for him. You have to keep moving. Besides, a part of you can't let go of the hope that you might run into Lucas along the way.
"Come on," you tell Jaya, holding her pack out to her. "Let's go."
Jaya looks at you, stunned, but accepts the pack, and the two of you set off down the trail.
You wander through the woods like a woman in a daze, looking around for any sign of Lucas, but there's no sign of him. As you're walking, you come across a clearing that looks like it's borne witness to a struggle. There are broken branches and blood on the grass. You feel a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, but you force yourself to ignore it. It's nothing, you tell yourself, nothing. Just an animal. An animal was killed here, a hunter killed it.
Your imagination, however, refuses to leave you alone.
[[Continue.|IntoTheWoods]]You and Jaya keep walking. You walk until your feet are numb, your mind spinning with fear and with worry. Belatedly, you realize that you have no idea where you are going. You know that Cascadia is westward somewhere, but you don't know where. It was always Lucas who was leading the way.
You don't notice the group of people in the woods with you until they are almost upon you, until Jaya is gasping in fear and pulling you back into the trees.
"What--?" you start to ask, but Jaya shakes her head, her face pale. You look back out in the woods and a group of three people moving through the trees. You go tense until you realize you know these people, and you almost laugh with relief.
It's the people from Jaya's village. They must be looking for you. You open your mouth to call out to them, but Jaya's hand squeezes tightly around your arm. When you look at her, her eyes are wide with pleading. She shakes her head.
It's clear that Jaya doesn't want to go back. But it's also clear that the two of you are lost, and you're not sure how long you'll survive out here. Jaya was treated well in that village. She had a clean house, plenty of food, and work that didn't seem that hard. Surely whatever's waiting for her at home can't be worse than what's waiting for her out here.
[[Call out to them.]]
[[Stay silent.]]You decide to chance it. Ignoring Jaya, you cup your free hand around your mouth and shout to get the villagers' attention.
"Hey!" you say. "Over here!"
Heads turn, and Jaya lets out a squeak of surprise. Before too long, the villagers have found you and Jaya, and you quickly explain yourself. The villagers are overjoyed to have Jaya back--according to them, they thought she was kidnapped by raiders, and have been looking everywhere for her. They offer to take you and Jaya back to their village and send you on your way.
You go with them, thinking you'll continue on to Cascadia, but you never do. It's too far, and you don't know the way. You stay for as long as you can, just in case Lucas comes back, but he never does. To make matters worse, Jaya refuses to speak to you, and you get the sense that you betrayed her somehow. There's nothing for you in this village, and nothing for you in the wilderness.
Feeling like a failure, you thank them for their hospitality and start off on the long trek back home.
Your adventure is finished.
[[GAME OVER]] You don't know what's going on, but Jaya seems scared enough to make you want to trust her. From beside you, she's practically shivering. You stay quiet and stay hidden, holding your breath as the villagers march past, talking in low voices to each other and sweeping the woods. When they've past, you feel like you get your chance. You nod to Jaya, and the two of you keep walking, slipping past them and continuing down the trail.
You don't know where you're going, but you know Cascadia is west of here, and that you were going to cross the mountains. So you follow the sun, and don't stop until you're both breathing hard, and until there are no trace of your pursuers. Only then do you come to a stop, collapsing into a heap on the nearest patch of soft earth.
Jaya follows, catching her breath. You stare up at the sun for a good long while, thinking. Finally, when it feels like you can speak, you look back at her.
[[Continue.|Ask]]
"What was that about?" you say. "What did they want?"
Jaya sighs like she was expecting the question. She draws her knees up close to her chest, resting her chin on them. She doesn't speak for a minute, and when she does speak, her voice sounds very far away.
"When I was younger, I came to that village with my parents. My parents were traveling. I think they were heading west, just like we are. The villagers...thought I was the answer to--to some kind of //prophecy//. They'd been on hard times, and when I came, it rained. So they kept me. They offered my parents supplies and money, and my parents let them. They haven't let me leave since."
You stare at Jaya, your mind working quickly. Her story sounds absurd, but in your own village, people didn't believe in things like prophecies. Life was life, as hard as it was. You haven't been traveling long, but it's been just long enough to give you a feel for the fact that life wasn't like that everywhere.
But Jaya is very serious. She looks up at you, eyes wide and afraid.
"I can't go back to them, Avi. I can't. We need to keep moving. We need to get away."
[["How far are they going to chase us?"]]
[["Are they dangerous?"]]
[["Are they going to hurt you?"]]<<set $J_fre +=1>><<set $J_rom +=1>>"Are they going to hurt you?" you ask.
Jaya's eyes widen in surprise, as if she wasn't expecting you to even care about her in the first place. She shakes her head. "N-No," she says. "No, I don't think they'd hurt me. I'm too important to them. If they found me, they'd probably just take me back."
She doesn't finish the thought, though. The same can't be said for you.
"Don't let me go back to them, Avi," Jaya says, before you can fully process that. "Please. No matter what happens, please don't let me go back."
Jaya looks at you, as if expecting you to promise her something. But you don't know if you can promise it. You're still reeling from the loss of Lucas, and you know you have no weapons, no clue where you're heading. The day might come when you //need// to backtrack, when it's a choice between heading back or dying.
But Jaya is still waiting for a response. What harm can there be in promising her this? It'll make her feel better for now.
[[Promise.|Route4Promise]]
[[Don't promise.|Route4Don'tPromise]]<<set $J_fre +=1>>"How far are they going to chase us?" you ask.
Jaya looks up in surprise, and it takes you a while to realize why. You said '//us//' as if it was the most natural thing, as if you're sure you're going to continue traveling, and you're going to do it together. You're still not sure--you don't know what you're going to do with Lucas gone--but you can't take the words back. You've already said them.
Jaya looks away. "I don't know," she says. "Maybe over the mountains. I don't think they'd go very far. They haven't traveled much either." And it's dryer on the other side of the mountains, flatter. You've never seen it, but even you have heard of the desert that stretches across the continent, the wasteland that the two of you will have to cross if you want to go west.
It seems like an insurmountable ordeal. But Jaya is looking back at you, desperate.
"Don't let me go back to them, Avi," Jaya says. "Please. No matter what happens, please don't let me go back."
Jaya looks at you, as if expecting you to promise her something. But you don't know if you can promise it. You're still reeling from the loss of Lucas, and you know you have no weapons, no clue where you're heading. The day might come when you //need// to backtrack, when it's a choice between heading back or dying.
But Jaya is still waiting for a response. What harm can there be in promising her this? It'll make her feel better for now.
[[Promise.|Route4Promise]]
[[Don't promise.|Route4Don'tPromise]]<<set $J_fre -=1>>"Are they dangerous?" you ask.
It's an obvious enough question. You don't have any weapons, and the two of you are alone. You need to understand if there's a threat out there, if there's something that might hurt you and Jaya. There are a lot of things out there that might hurt you and Jaya, but this, at least, was the obvious one.
The way Jaya reacts, though, you almost regret asking the question. Almost. She buries her face into her knees, looking tense, ashamed.
"I don't think they'd be dangerous to you," she says. "I don't think they'd hurt you. Even if they do think you kidnapped me..."
She breaks off in a groan. You stare at her, not sure if you want to back away or to comfort her, but she looks up at you, and she looks embarrassed and ashamed, but also desperate.
"I know I can't ask this of you," she says, "But don't let me go back to them, Avi. Please. No matter what happens, please don't let me go back."
Jaya looks at you, as if expecting you to promise her something. But you don't know if you can promise it. You're still reeling from the loss of Lucas, and you know you have no weapons, no clue where you're heading. The day might come when you //need// to backtrack, when it's a choice between heading back or dying.
But Jaya is still waiting for a response. What harm can there be in promising her this? It'll make her feel better for now.
[[Promise.|Route4Promise]]
[[Don't promise.|Route4Don'tPromise]]<<set $Promise to 1>>"I promise," you say. If Jaya doesn't want to go back, you won't force her. You can give her that much choice. "I won't let them take you."
Jaya lets out a sigh of relief, and all of the tension seems to go out of her at once. She hugs her knees close to herself and buries her face in them. You watch her, but you have mixed feelings about this. It's all well and good to say that you'll protect Jaya, but you're not sure you have the resources to do so.
And that does beg a very particular question. What now?
[[Continue.|WhatNow?]]"I can't promise that," you say. You don't know what's going to happen in the future, and you definitely don't want to make promises you can't keep. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to give you up to them now, but I can't make that promise."
Jaya breathes out, nodding slowly. She turns her face away from you, wrapping her arms tight around her knees. She looks almost pathetic like that, and you feel a touch of guilt. But you don't regret your decision. Saying you would protect Jaya would have been all well and good, but you're not sure you have the resources to do so.
And that does beg a very particular question. What now?
[[Continue.|WhatNow?]]You sit in silence for a few moments, watching the world around you grow darker. You can feel the question hovering in the air around you, a weight on your skin and on your heart. When the last of the light sinks behind the horizon and you're left with nothing more than the bluish purple echoes of twilight, you finally say it.
"Lucas isn't coming back."
Jaya nods, still not looking at you.
"We don't have any weapons..." you begin.
"We have weapons," Jaya says. You look up at her, and she produces a knife from her pack, seemingly out of nowhere. You stare at in in surprise. A part of you wants to ask Jaya where she got that, but there will be plenty of time for that later.
"Alright," you amend. "We have //one// weapon. But neither of us can hunt, and we don't have that much food."
Jaya nods. One knife doesn't change the reality of your situation. You look west, out towards where Cascadia might be. Where you //know// it is.
"The way I see it," you say, choosing your words carefully, "We have two choices. We can go on and try our luck, or we can...go home."
Jaya looks at you with wide eyes at the mention of home, and you shake your head. "I don't mean your village," you say. "I think we can go around it and head back to where I'm from. If we wait long enough, the pursuit might die down enough for us to get through."
It's a solution. It's not your favorite solution, because it would mean giving up. Giving up this adventure, giving up everything. But it's a solution that exists. Going forward will be difficult, and you don't know if you'll survive.
If only you could do it again.
Jaya looks at you and you feel the weight of decision resting on you, one last time.
"What do you want to do, Avi?" she asks.
[[Go home.|ToHome]]
[[Continue.|ToGirl]]You can't do it. As much as you want to, the odds are too much, too insurmountable. You have to turn back. But even as you say the words, you think, maybe, that you hate yourself just a little. Why can't decisions ever be easy.
"We have to go back," you say.
Jaya nods.
"You can come back with me to my village," you promise her. "You won't have to go back to yours."
"Alright," Jaya says, and her voice is soft, small. The two of you go to sleep, and you think that you've just committed to bringing a wanted girl into your childhood home.
Mari is going to love this.
[[Continue.|SemiEnd]]You haven't come this far to give up now. And you've never been the type to return home with your tail between your legs. Imagine what Mari would say if you came home like this.
You nod, feeling like you're making the worst decision of your life, but excited still. You wonder what's wrong with you, that you can feel a thrill at a moment like this.
"We're continuing on," you say. "Get some rest. We'll head west tomorrow."
Jaya nods, and eventually the two of you lie down and go to sleep.
[[Continue.|GIRL ROUTE]] It takes some time, but eventually you and Jaya make it home. You never leave again. There, your journey ends.
[[GAME OVER]] The two of you leave the village well-rested, and with a comfortable amount of food, so despite your guilt, you feel like you made the right decision. Eventually, the guilt leaves you. When you can no longer see the village behind you, it feels like it no longer exists. You wonder if that's what you're doing, walking away from everything, erasing yourself and your history with each step.
It should feel scary, but it doesn't. It feels //exciting//, like moving on into the future.
<<if $J_talk is 1>>[[Continue.|PowerPlant1]]<<else>>[[Continue.|PowerPlant2]]<</if>>"Where did you go last night?" you ask Lucas as the two of you walk.
"Hmm?" Lucas asks, looking back at you.
"Last night," you say. "I went to look for you, but you were gone. Where did you go?"
"Oh..." Lucas frowns in thought, looking back over the shoulder where the village was. "I went to the ruins."
"Those ruins?" you ask, thinking of the structures near the town. "What about them?"
"I was just curious," Lucas says. "Did you know they were once something called a 'power plant'? Once, the people of the past had them built everywhere."
You frown in thought. You've heard about these things before, about 'power plants' and 'electricity'. Apparently the ones who came before you harnessed the power of the elements, of lightning itself, to create the grand structures like the ruins so close to your own village. But it seems so fantastical, so long ago.
[["What happened to them?"|Happened01]]
[["I didn't know that..."]]
[["What were you doing there?"]]You think back to the ruins you and Lucas saw last night. You don't know why that's what's on your mind, and you wonder if it has anything to do with the state you're in, with leaving things behind. You wonder if there are things that Lucas left behind, if that was why he was drawn to those ruins.
You look at him now and wonder if this is the time to ask him. After all, the two of you are in this together. It's only fair that you know more about him.
"Those ruins last night..." you begin.
"What about them?" Lucas asks, looking back at you.
[["Do they have ruins like that where you're from?"]]
[["How much do you know about them?"]]
[["Nothing, never mind."]]
<<set $L_fre +=1>>"I didn't know that," you said.
You've always been curious about the ruins outside your home, but you've never stopped to ask about them. You didn't know anyone in your home village who knew where they came from. You were starting to wonder if anyone knew.
Lucas knows a lot, you think, glancing at him. More than most people know about the past. You wonder where he learned all of that, but now doesn't seem the right time to ask. You don't want to ruin the feeling of camaraderie between the two of you.
"It's interesting, isn't it?" you ask instead. "Thinking about what happened, what those people must have been like?"
"It's interesting," Lucas says, nodding his head in agreement. "And sad."
The thought makes you feel strangely heavy. You nod your head. "And sad..." you agree.
The two of you continue walking, sharing the companionable silence until you reach a good spot to set up camp.
[[Continue.|Camp]]<<set $L_fre -=1>>"What were you doing there?" you ask.
Lucas frowns at your question, and you wonder if you might have touched on something sensitive. But you can't help but be curious. Who //is// Lucas, really? When it comes down to it, you feel like you're friends, but you know nothing about him. <<if $L_rom > 1>>You feel a warmth in your heart when you think about him, but you know nothing about him.<</if>>
"I was thinking," Lucas says.
"About what?" you ask.
"About the past. And the people of the past." Lucas's brow creases in thought, and when he looks at you, something in his expression closes off. "I don't really want to talk about it."
That's fair enough. The two of you continue on in silence until you reach a place where you can camp.
[[Continue.|Camp]]<<set $L_fre +=1>><<set$L_rom +=1>>"What happened to them?" you ask, thinking about the people who built those ruins. It's hard to believe that a civilization like that could simply //disappear//.
"They wanted too much from the world," Lucas says, his expression grim. "Eventually, the world ran out of things to give them."
You're not sure what he means, but it makes your heart heavy to think about it.
"It's sad, isn't it?" you say.
"Yes," Lucas says, his voice soft. "It's very sad."
The two of you continue walking, sharing the companionable silence until you reach a good spot to set up camp.
[[Continue.|Camp]]<<set $L_fre +=1>>"Do they have ruins like that where you're from?" you ask.
"Sort of," Lucas says.
You laugh, nudging him lightly in the side. "Oh come on," you say, "What kind of answer is //sort of//?"
"The only answer you're getting right now," Lucas says.
You look up at him, shocked, and Lucas gives you a look of forced severity before it fades and breaks into a teasing grin. You can't help it. You start laughing. It's such a silly moment, and you're not even sure why you're laughing, but before you know it, Lucas is laughing along with you.
It feels good to laugh, you think. There hasn't really been that much laughter lately.
But when the laughter fades, Lucas's expression grows serious. He hitches his pack further up on his shoulders, looking to the road ahead.
"I don't really want to talk about the ruins," he says. "But yes, there were some where I was from. That's all I'm going to tell you right now. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," you say. "I understand."
You're still curious, but you're willing to wait. The two of you have a long journey ahead of you, after all. The two of you continue on in silence until you reach a place where you can camp.
[[Continue.|Camp]]<<set $L_fre -=1>>"How much do you know about those ruins?" you ask.
"Enough," Lucas says, his expression grim.
You frown at him. "What kind of answer is //'enough'//?"
"The only answer I'm willing to give," Lucas says. The way he says it makes you feel like you must have crossed a line somewhere. You feel a little guilty at having pushed, but at the same time, you feel annoyed. It's a small question. Does Lucas not trust you?
<<if $L_fre < 0>>For the first time, you start to wonder if this was a good idea, if maybe Mari was right, and you shouldn't be traveling with Lucas.<<elseif $L_rom > 0>>You thought there was something here, a warmth you felt when Lucas looked at you, but for the first time, you wonder if you might have been imagining things. If you really know anything about Lucas at all.<<else>>You thought that the two of you were friends, thought that you could trust each other, but for the first time, you wonder if you might not have been imagining things. If you really know anything about Lucas at all.<</if>>
Lucas hitches his pack further up on his shoulders, looking to the road ahead.
"I don't really want to talk about the ruins," he says. "I'm sorry."
You take a deep breath. "It's okay," you say. "I understand."
You don't, not really, but you can put your curiosity aside for now. The two of you have a long journey ahead of you, after all. The two of you continue on in silence until you reach a place where you can camp.
[[Continue.|Camp]]"Nothing," you say. "Never mind."
Lucas frowns, looking at you like he's waiting for you to say something more, but you don't, hitching your pack higher up on your shoulders and continuing to walk. (if:$L_rom >0)[Your face flushes red with the way he's looking at you, but that's another problem entirely.] The two of you continue walking, making sparse conversation but never touching on anything serious until it's time to set up camp.
[[Continue.|Camp]]The sun is still out when the two of you set up camp, and from the looks of it, you have at least an hour of daylight left. It's dusk, the time when game will be out feeding, but from the look of the forest around you, you're not sure how much hunting there is to be had. Lucas thinks the same thing, but it's clear that he's going to try, because as soon as you settle down, he strings his bow.
<<if $L_fre > 1>>"I'm going hunting," Lucas says, picking up his quiver. He reaches into his pack, pulling out a knife. To your surprise, he holds the knife to you. "Do you want to come, or would you rather stay here?"
<<if $L_rom >0>>There's a look of trust in his eye as he hands you the knife, trust and something else. You find your heart beating faster as you take it from him, your fingertips brushing.<<else>>There's a look of trust in his eye as he hands you the knife. You understand that he //wants// you to come with him. That in his own way, he's showing you that he trusts you enough to watch his back. You take the knife from him.<</if>>
You've never used a knife before, and you've never been hunting before, but Lucas is //inviting// you. A part of you is worried that you'll get in the way, but the rest of you is a little excited. Still, if you //are// going to get in the way, wouldn't it be better to stay behind?<<else>>"I'm going hunting," Lucas says, picking up his quiver. "Stay here. I'll be right back.
You wonder why he's asking you to stay, if it's because he thinks you're tired (and you aren't, not really, it's been a relatively good day), or if it's because he thinks you'll get in the way. The thought almost makes you want to stay behind, but you're not convinced you want to. On the one hand, you don't feel like you want to be somewhere where you're not wanted, but on the other hand, would it be a good idea for the two of you to separate now? Shouldn't you stay together?<</if>>
What do you do?
[[Go with Lucas.|GoNoMari]]
[[Stay at camp.|StayNoMari]]<<set $NoMar to 1>>The raider, whose name you learn is Rafael, takes you to his camp, a small collection of hastily-erected structures assembled near the mouth of an abandoned coal mine. You haven't done anything wrong, but it doesn't feel like that with the way that his companions are glaring at you. They're a tough bunch, but they have to be, to survive out here so far away from civilization.
Rafael takes you to the mouth of the mine shaft and there he stops, gesturing for you to stay where you are.
"I need to talk to the boss about you," he says. "Stay here."
You open your mouth to ask a question, but Lucas beats you to it. "What are you planning to do with us?" he asks.
"That'll be up to our boss to decide," Rafael says, but there's remorse in his eyes before he walks away. You aren't guarded, but you can tell from the tension around you that if you try to leave, things won't end well.
[[Talk to Lucas.]]
[[Sit down and wait.]]The two of you go hunting. Lucas teaches you how to set snares and you learn well, so that by the time you've reached the end of your path, you're setting up the snares on your own. The two of you double back to check the traps that you've already set, Lucas carrying his crossbow and you carrying your knife.
You've looked through the first few sets of snares when you feel a presence watching you, a prickle at the back of your spine.
You straighten up. You look behind you.
A man is standing in the woods behind you, a crossbow bolt leveled at your head.
[[Continue.|Rafael]]
You decide to stay at camp.
You sit down and wait for Lucas to return. First the sun sets, with no sign of him. You keep waiting. Eventually, it grows dark. You fall asleep. You keep waiting. You wake up again in the middle of the night. He is not there. You keep waiting.
Eventually, it's clear that Lucas is never coming back. You can't go back to the village, and you don't know the way back to your home.
You pack up your things and keep moving.
You are never heard from again. <<set $L_death to 1>><<set $A_death to 1>><<set $death to 'Lost forever'>>
[[GAME OVER]]You freeze. The man is a raider, you can tell that much. He has the look of someone who's been living in the wilds, utilitarian and practical. His face is marred by scars, although under that, you don't think he's much older than you.
There's a sound, a crunching of leaves, and then Lucas is stepping into view, an arrow notched to his bow and pointed at the raider's face.
"Don't try it, hero," the raider warns threateningly, putting you at eye level with the crossbow bolt. You glance at Lucas, and notice that his hands are shaking. He slowly lowers his bow, releasing the tension on the bowstring.
"Weapons on the ground," the raider says. "Now."
Lucas scowls, but slowly lowers the bow and arrow to the ground, stepping away from it and raising his hands. At the raider's pointed glare, you do the same with your knife.
"Who are you?" Lucas asks. "What do you want?"
"The supplies," the raider asks, moving the bolt between the two of you. There is no mercy in his eyes. "Did you touch them?"
"What supplies?" you ask. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"We'll see about that. Turn out your bags. Slowly."
You turn out your bags slowly, so as not to alarm the raider. He moves forward for a closer look.
[[Continue.|NoMariNoSteal]]<<set $Raider +=1>>The raider looks over the items in your packs, suspicious. At length, he nods, stepping back. You notice that he still hasn't lowered the crossbow.
"We didn't take your stuff," Lucas says, angry now. "Now let us go."
"Not so fast," the raider says. "This is still our territory. Tell me why you're here. You better do it quickly."
The crossbow in his hand is a frightening reminder of what could happen if you don't. What do you say?
[[Tell him about Cascadia.]]
[[Lie.|Lie2]]
<<set $return to previous()>>''APPENDIX''
Welcome to the Appendix. This section of the game includes development notes, along with the papers and scientific resources used to create the Cascadia setting. To return to the game at any time, click on the 'Return to game' link below.
''Table of Contents''
[[Climate Change Information]]
[[In-Game Locations]] - SPOILER WARNING
[[Bibliography]]
[[Resources]]
[[Writer's Notes]]
[[Return to game.|$return]][[Appendix|APPENDIX]] Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. When these greenhouse gases (mostly carbon dioxide) enter the atmosphere, they form a layer around the earth that traps heat from the sun, raising earth's temperature. This is sort of like wearing a blanket--heat can get in, but it can't get out. The reality of climate change is well-documented ([[Bibliography]]), and so I won't be getting into that in this appendix.
The world of Cascadia is based on what we call 'business-as-usual' climate predictions for the 2300s (the red line in the graph below). 'Business-as-usual' predictions assume that people continue to burn fossil fuels at the rate that they are burning them now, without change. Most predictions go out only as far as 2100 because, as seen in the graph below, past 2100 the //uncertainty// grows. It becomes harder to predict what is going to happen hundreds of years out into the future. Because the uncertainty was so large for 2300, the century the story is set in, I had to take some artistic liberties. I chose 7.5 degrees Celsius of warming, or the middle line in the graph.
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/MOxTmwE.png" height="300" alt="Climate predictions">
The relationship between climate and weather is difficult to predict, particularly so far out, but for the locations explored in the game, I looked up real world mean temperatures for the months that the story is set in, and added 7.5 degrees to those to approximate the temperatures that the characters feel. This might not have been the best way to do that, as climate does not equal weather, but for the purposes of this story, it works fine.
Rainfall predictions are equally difficult to find so far out in time, but for //Cascadia//, I used predictions that suggest that the central regions of North America will become drier, whereas the coasts will become wetter. This is not as obvious to the player in Chapter 1, but will become more obvious in future chapters as Avi and her party enter the interior of what was formerly the United States.
A note: I did not use the worst-case climate predictions for this scenario. A casual glance at the graph above shows that 2300 predictions can go out as far as 9.5 degrees Celsius of warming, with the potential to rise to as high as 10 degrees later on. My reason for doing this is that there are studies (Sherwood and Huber, PNAS, 2010 and the linked discussion paper, see [[Bibliography]]), that suggest that at around 10 degrees of warming, temperatures at certain areas may become too hot for human survival.
The reason for this is because at these locations, the wet-bulb temperature (the temperature measured by covering a thermometer bulb with a wet cloth and letting it vent) would exceed 35 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, mammals, including humans, would not be able to regulate their own temperature, resulting in hyperthermia after extended periods of time, and death. At the moment, the wet-bulb temperature never exceeds 31 degrees anywhere in the world today. At the warming levels seen in the story, this upper limit would already be affecting the tropics and equatorial regions of the world, but would not //yet// affect Avi's section of North America.
[[Back to index.|APPENDIXMIRROR]]
[[Return to game.|$return]]
This section contains information about various in-game locations encountered throughout the game, and the reasoning behind each setting. Note that each tab assumes that the player has played through all passages of the relevant location. Here there be spoilers; you have been warned.
[[In-Game Locations: Neyyor]]
[[In-Game Locations: Jaya's Village]]
[[In-Game Locations: The Power Plant]]
[[In-Game Locations: The Raider Base]]
[[Back to index.|APPENDIXMIRROR]]
[[Return to game.|$return]]**Further Reading:**
Clark, P. U., Shakun, J. D., Marcott, S. A., Mix, A. C., Eby, M., Kulp, S., … Plattner, G. K. (2016). Consequences of twenty-first-century policy for multi-millennial climate and sea-level change. Nature Climate Change, 6(4), 360–369. http://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2923
Dreesen, D. R., Gladney, E. S., Owens, J. W., Perkins, B. L., Wienke, C. L., & Wangen, L. E. (1977). Comparison of Levels of Trace Elements Extracted from Fly Ash and Levels Found in Effluent Waters from a Coal-Fired Power Plant. Environmental Science and Technology, 11(10), 1017–1019. http://doi.org/10.1021/es60133a001
Horton, B. P., Rahmstorf, S., Engelhart, S. E., & Kemp, A. C. (2014). Expert assessment of sea-level rise by AD 2100 and AD 2300. Quaternary Science Reviews, 84, 1–6. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.11.002
Levy, J. I., Baxter, L. K., & Schwartz, J. (2009). Uncertainty and variability in health-related damages from coal-fired power plants in the United States. Risk Analysis, 29(7), 1000–1014. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2009.01227.x
McMichael, A. J., & Dear, K. B. G. (2010). Climate change: heat, health, and longer horizons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(21), 9483–9484. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1004894107
Sherwood, S. C., & Huber, M. (2010). An adaptability limit to climate change due to heat stress. Pnas, 107(21), 9552–9555. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0913352107/-/DCSupplemental.www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0913352107
Tokarska, K. B., Gillett, N. P., Weaver, A. J., Arora, V. K., & Eby, M. (2016). The climate response to five trillion tonnes of carbon. Nature Climate Change, 6(9), 851–855. http://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3036
Wang, S. X., Zhang, L., Li, G. H., Wu, Y., Hao, J. M., Pirrone, N., … Ancora, M. P. (2010). Mercury emission and speciation of coal-fired power plants in China. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10(3), 1183–1192. http://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-1183-2010
Yokoyama, T., Asakura, K., Matsuda, H., Ito, S., & Noda, N. (2000). Mercury emissions from a coal-fired power plant in Japan. The Science of the Total Environment, 259, 97–103. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00552-0
Zickfeld, K., Eby, M., Weaver, A. J., Alexander, K., Crespin, E., Edwards, N. R., … Zhao, F. (2013). Long-Term climate change commitment and reversibility: An EMIC intercomparison. Journal of Climate, 26(16), 5782–5809. http://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00584.1
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[[Return to game.|$return]]//''List of Resources''//
''News and Information''
//The following links offer information about climate change, news related to climate change, and educator materials for talking about climate change. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it is a start.//
[[NASA Global Climate Change Blog|http://climate.nasa.gov/blog]]
[[Inside Climate News|http://insideclimatenews.org/]] - A Pulitzer Prize winning climate news source.
[[UW PCC Materials for Educators|http://www.uwpcc.washington.edu/outreach/tertiary.jsp?entity=INSTRC&action=GetEntity&title=Materials%20for%20Educators]] - A resource of talking about climate change.
''What you can do''
//Climate change seems like an overwhelming problem, but it's not all hopeless. There are some things that we can do to help. Not all lifestyle changes are feasible for every person at every time, which is understandable, but if you look through the lists, you may find things that you personally can do.//
[[Seattle Climate Resource Page| http://www.seattle.gov/environment/climate-change/what-you-can-do]] - Tips to help stop climate change
[[10 Solutions for Climate Change| https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solutions-for-climate-change/]] - Scientific American
[[5 Ways to Fix Climate Change|https://www.nationalgeographic.com/climate-change/how-to-fix-it/]] - National Geographic
''Climate charities''
//The following links are charities, non-profits, and religious groups that have expressed a commitment to help stop climate change. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Caveat emptor: always research charities closely before donating.//
[[350.org|https://350.org/]]
[[National Research Defense Council|https://www.nrdc.org/issues/climate-change]]
[[The Climate Reality Project|https://www.climaterealityproject.org/]]
[[Catholic Climate Movement|https://catholicclimatemovement.global/]]
[[Union of Concerned Scientists|http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming#.WigZJlWnGM8]]
[[Sierra Club Foundation|https://www.sierraclubfoundation.org/what-we-fund/beyond-coal]]
[[Ocean Conservancy|https://oceanconservancy.org/climate/]]
//Cascadia// is a game presented by [[EarthGames UW|https://earthgames.org/]].
[[Back to index.|APPENDIXMIRROR]]
[[Return to game.|$return]]Neyyor, Avi and Mari's hometown, is based off of New York City. (Technically, Avi and Mari's hometown is in New Jersey, but we'll get to that). I originally wrote that Neyyor was completely submerged, but further research into the subject showed me that I was wrong about that, and I edited the initial portions of the story accordingly.
I started the story in New York for two reasons: first, because I wanted a point on the East Coast in order to make Avi's journey cross over the entire country, and second, to illustrate one of the major effects of climate change: sea level rise. Because sea level rise is difficult to predict that far into the future, the paper that I found to base my projections off of is a paper that uses 'expert elicitation'. That is, the researchers asked climate experts to fill out a questionnaire about future sea level rise. [[(Horton et al., 2014)|Bibliography]]
Their results suggest that under the worst case scenario, sea levels would rise somewhere between 2-4m in 2300, although note that some people predict sea level rise as high as 7m. These uncertainties are mostly because of the Greenland and Antartic ice sheets--we aren't honestly sure at this point how these ice sheets will react to rising temperatures, and sea level rise will depend largely on how much of that ice breaks off and melts.
To see how sea level rise of up to 10m would affect the New York area, use the following interactive map: [[click me|https://ss2.climatecentral.org/#12/40.7298/-74.0070?show=satellite&projections=0-RCP85-SLR&level=10&unit=feet&pois=hide]]. As you can see, the entire island of Manhattan isn't underwater yet, although some villages are. Ellis Island, however, totally is, allowing me to keep my half-submerged Statue of Liberty.
[[Back to location list|In-Game Locations]]
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[[Return to game.|$return]]There isn't really a deeper meaning to Jaya's village, somewhere in the Appalachian region. I just imagined that with humanity so fractured and insular, and with little contact between villages, there would likely be some //strange// places. And no post-apocalypse story is complete without a cult.
That said, considering the nearby power plant, it isn't hard to imagine that Jaya's village was prosperous pre-collapse, although after so many centuries, it's likely that the people have forgotten that prosperity. And on the subject of the power plant, coal-fired power plants have been known to release heavy metals into the environment, such as arsenic [[(Dreesen et al., 1977, Kapičkaa et al., 1999)|Bibliography]], lead [[(Kapičkaa et al., 1999)|Bibliography]], and mercury [[(Yokoyama et al., 2000, Wang et al., 2010)|Bibliography]], all of which have been known to have adverse metal effects. So it's possible that living in this area for so long could have developed cult-like tendencies in Jaya's villagers.
While that's important to note, that was certainly not my intention while writing this. Sometimes, sheer isolation is enough to make people go a little crazy.
[[Back to location list|In-Game Locations]]
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[[Return to game.|$return]]The ruins that Lucas and Avi visit in Jaya's village are the ruins of an old coal-fired power plant. According to the [[Department of Energy|https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3]], coal power made up 30.4% of all power generated in the United States in 2016, topped only by natural gas (another fossil fuel) at 33.8%. Nuclear and renewable energy contributed 34.6% of power total.
Aside from putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and accelerating climate change, coal-fired power plants are accompanied by a host of health risks, including particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions [[(Levy et al., 2009|Bibliography]], arsenic pollution [[(Dreesen et al., 1977, Kapičkaa et al., 1999)|Bibliography]], lead pollution [[(Kapičkaa et al., 1999)|Bibliography]], and mercury pollution [[(Yokoyama et al., 2000, Wang et al., 2010)|Bibliography]].
In Avi's world, I imagined that once coal ran out (or once society collapsed and the production of coal and coal-based power no longer seemed feasible), the power plant was shut down. In the year 2300, it now serves as mysterious ruins which remind nearby residents of their past, and the consequences should they ever return to that sort of future.
[[Back to location list|In-Game Locations]]
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[[Return to game.|$return]]Rafael's raider base is built in the ruins of an old coal mine. The Appalachian region is famous for its coal mining industry, but in a world where society has collapsed and fossil fuels are no longer in use, the overall purpose of the mine has likely been forgotten. It does serve as a good hiding place for raiders, though. The old mineshafts are no doubt treacherous, dark places, and only the truly insane would go in after them.
In a world where the climate is seven degrees C warmer, having an underground location to retreat to probably helps during warm days, but even in an abandoned mine, fires are still a danger. In the real world, one needs to look no further than [[Centralia, Pennsylvania|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire]] for an example of what happens when coal fires go unchecked. That probably explains why most of the raiders live in shacks at the edge of the mine, and don't go very far into the structure. Without electricity, their only form of lighting would be torches or oil lanterns, and they might have learned for themselves not to bring fire too deep into the mine.
Coal represents just one type of fossil fuel, the other common ones being oil and natural gas. There are an estimated five //trillion// tons of carbon still left in fossil fuel reserves on Earth. The Guardian has an interesting article [[here|https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/23/world-could-warm-by-massive-10c-if-all-fossil-fuels-are-burned]] that summarizes what would happen if all five trillion tons of that carbon were burned. The source for that article, Tokarska et al., (2016), can be found in the [[Bibliography]].
[[Back to location list|In-Game Locations]]
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[[Return to game.|$return]]Hi all,
First of all, I wanted to thank you for getting this far, and for playing your way through our game. I started writing Cascadia as part of my climate capstone project for the UW Program on Climate Change, but it quickly evolved into something way larger than that. What you're currently playing is the first chapter of a three chapter project that, yes, actually takes you all the way to Cascadia. The other two chapters have been drafted, but haven't been fully cleaned up and finished. (One could argue that Chapter 1 isn't fully finished, although at some point, I have to actually turn in the thing).
My goal for Cascadia was to write a human story about climate change. I didn't want to bombard you with data and facts--if you've been following the climate debate, you've seen them all already, and if you haven't, I highly recommend that you look up those resources and read through them yourselves. I wanted to create a story about people living through these climate issues, though, not just the issues themselves. I figured, we have apocalypse stories about zombies, plague, aliens, nuclear war, and just about everything you can think of. Why not climate change?
The world of Cascadia is set in one of several worst case scenarios (not //the// worst-case scenario, but still a pretty bad case). It is my hope that we never get this far. If I look at how far humanity has come in the past century, I am optimistic that we can find a way to solve this problem before it affects us to the degree experienced in this world. Overcoming adversity is what we do as people, and I believe that if we could simply stop arguing and turn all of this energy into action, we could solve this problem, or at least mitigate it enough that the worst-case scenarios never come to pass.
But we can't do it alone. It might seem that this problem is so big that there's nothing an ordinary human could do to solve it, but if we all take steps towards solving climate change, we could make a big difference. Read. Educate yourselves on the issues. Support climate education, make whatever [[lifestyle changes|How To Help]] make sense for you and your current place in life. But above all, don't lose hope. Even in the world of Cascadia (although //not// necessarily in this chapter), there is still hope. As a species, we are naturally innovators and problem solvers. And we can solve this problem, together.
For playing this game, you have my thanks. As a writer, the best feeling in the world is knowing that someone read your stories. There are pieces of me embedded in each line of Cascadia, and though I will continue to grow as a writer over the years, those pieces of me will remain here, preserved, not forgotten as long as this work is read. As a scientist, I hope that this piece sparks interest in the scientific facts that inspired it. As a gamer, I hope that you're interested enough to come back for Chapters 2 and 3, coming soon. And as a student, it's been a privilege and an honor to get the chance to do this.
I hope to see you again, and whatever you choose to do with your time here on out, I hope it all goes well for you.
Best regards,
Elisa A. Bonnin
[[Back to index.|APPENDIXMIRROR]]
[[Return to game.|$return]]''APPENDIX''
Welcome to the Appendix. This section of the game includes development notes, along with the papers and scientific resources used to create the Cascadia setting. To return to the game at any time, click on the 'Return to game' link below.
''Table of Contents''
[[Climate Change Information]]
[[In-Game Locations]] - SPOILER WARNING
[[Bibliography]]
[[Resources]]
[[Writer's Notes]]
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