The Gene Corp Advanced Technology building looms above you, the sun behind it casting a shadow over the cramped parking lot. You gaze up at it with a feeling of mounting uncertainty. Something is rubbing you the wrong way. You try to brush it off. There's still time to change your mind if you really want to.
"Jim? C'mon, our appointment's in fifteen minutes!"
You blink and tear your gaze from the structure. Rhon's already at the door, pamphlet in hand and tapping her foot.
"Sorry." You follow her to the entrance, where the automatic doors greet you by sliding soundlessly open. "Just... it's a lot bigger up close, you know?"
The interior has a brutal modern aesthetic, white and blue, sharp angles, and flat surfaces. Potted plants peppering the lobby only serve to enhance the deadness of the architecture. You can't tell whether they're fake or not. Under these fluorescents, everything looks plastic.
Rhon's made her way to the front desk to confirm your appointment with the advisor. You can't say you're looking forward to it. That forboding feeling still hasn't left you.
The echoing of Rhon's heels clack toward you as she finishes signing in. "The lady at the desk said we can go right in. We just need to go through the security checkpoint, then we head up to the third floor."
[[Go to the checkpoint.|GCAT Security Checkpoint]]
You and Rhon approach the security checkpoint. A line of at least thirty people is there to greet you. By the time you get to the front, your appointment is about to start.
"Is this really necessary?" asks Rhon, hefting her purse onto the conveyor.
The guard shrugs as he scans you and your wife with his beeping wand. "We've beefed up security since Atlanta. No one wants a repeat of that fiasco." He finishes up his search. "Next."
The ride up the elevator is quick, almost nonexistant. This place is a well oiled machine.
Despite the seemingly endless procession of doors lining either side of the hallway, you manage to find Mr. Avery's office without much hassle.
[[Enter.->Avery's Office 1]]
Gene Split
[[Start Game->Entering GCAT]]
[[Table of Contents]](set: $totalPoints to 6)(set: $int to 6)(set: $char to 6)(set: $str to 6)(set: $per to 6)(set: $dex to 6)
You open the door and find a clean little office, with a neatly ordered bookshelf on one wall, and the Gene Corp logo painted large on the other. Beneath the logo, their slogan, "Why leave it to chance?"
A young man with tidy brown hair and a lazy eye looks up from a pile of paperwork. He smiles. That smile seems to be the first genuine thing about this place. He stands up and walks over to greet you.
"Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael?"
"That's us," answers Rhon.
"Great, great. Please, take a seat." He gestures to a pair of comfortable looking chairs set in front of his desk. They'd be more at home in a living room than an office. Actually, the whole office has an authentic vibe to it. Like it belongs to a person, not an employee. The only exception is the logo plastered on the wall. It's almost invasive. Like graffiti.
The man pulls out a folder from the stack, flips it open, and starts to sift through its contents.
"So you two are here to discuss what type of ChildChoice package you want, correct?"
(set: $dadGetsIt = 1)
[["That's right."->ChildChoice Packages 1]]
[["ChildChoice?"]]
(if: $dadGetsIt is 3)[(if: $dumbDad is 2)[You shrug noncomittally.](if: $dumbDad is 1)["Yeah, I guess so."]
Avery shuffles his papers and clears his throat again, as if trying to relieve a bit of the tension in the room.
"Alright then...](if: $dadGetsIt is 2)[Avery nods. "Excellent.] (if: $dadGetsIt is 1)[You nod. "That's right."
"Excellent. ]So, there are three main packages, although we are allowed some discretion to tailor the package to the customer.
"The cheapest package is the Family Package. You're allowed to choose features based on a certain range. That range is given by your own DNA. So... Mrs. Carmichael, you have brown hair, Mr. Carmichael, you have black. With this package, you can choose from that range. Occasionally there are recessive traits that crop up, but usually they don't change the range too much."
"Your next option is the Pedigree Packages, 1 through 5. You're given a catalogue of hundreds of characteristics, and can choose from any of them. Each characteristic is marked by a certain number of points, and you're given a finite number of points to spend, depending on what Pedigree you've chosen. Once you've used up all the points, the features are restricted back to the Family Package.
"You with me so far?" (if: $dadGetsIt is 3)[Avery looks almost desperate for a yes.]
[["Yes"|ChildChoice Packages 2]]
(link: '"No."')[(set: $dadGetsIt to $dadGetsIt + 1)(goto: "Not with you")]
(set: $dadGetsIt to $dadGetsIt + 1)
"I'm sorry, but uh, what's ChildChoice?"
Rhon flashes you an annoyed look. "Didn't you read that pamphlet I gave you?"
You shrug. "I skimmed it."
Avery chuckles. "It's fine, it's fine. Essentially, ChildChoice is a program that allows you to pick and choose the features of your future child. You can decide anything from hair or eye color to foot size. Simple enough, right? Make sense?"
[["Okay, I got it."->ChildChoice Packages 1]]
[["I don't get it."]]
(if: $notWithYou is 1)[Avery nods(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[ with a barely audible sigh of relief].
]"Fantastic," says Avery. "So, the final choice we have is the Custom Package. This package is for those who desire unorthodox traits in their children, which we may not already have in our library. So instead of choosing, they may commission traits to be made for them. Obviously, this sort of thing is no small expense. Designing custom traits isn't cheap, and there are all sort of licensing agreements involved as well, which adds to the price.
"Now, as I've said before, we do allow for a bit of mixing and matching with our packages. For example, you could have the Family Package, and then pay an extra few hundred dollars if you had one trait outside of your family gene pool you particularly wanted."
"W-Wow," stammers Rhon. "That's... that's a lot to think about..."
Avery nods empathetically, his lazy eye bobbling in his head. "It is a lot to take in for first timers. But hey, thet's why I'm here. And you don't have to decide which package you want right away. Remember, I'm here to help decide what's best for you.
"Do you have any questions before I move on?"
(set: $disorders to 1)(set: $babyGrown to 1)(set: $mindChange to 1)
(if: $disorders is 1)[[["What about genetic disorders?"|Genetic Disorders]]]
(if: $babyGrown is 1)[[["Where is the baby grown?"|Baby Grown]]]
(if: $mindChange is 1)[[["What if we change our minds?"|Change Our Mind]]]
[["Let's move on."]]
(set: $dadGetsIt to $dadGetsIt + 1)(set: $dumbDad to 1)
You shake your head. "Sorry, I'm not getting it."
Both Avery and Rhon raise an eyebrow. Your face goes a light shade of pink.
Avery clears his throat awkwardly. "You get to, uh, choose what your child will look like, basically. Does that clear it up?"
(link: '"Yeah, I guess so."')[(set: $dumbDad to 1)(goto: "ChildChoice Packages 1")]
(link: "Shrug noncomittally.")[(set: $dumbDad to 2)(goto: "ChildChoice Packages 1")]
"No," you reply(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[ sheepishly].
(set: $notWithYou to 1)
(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[Avery looks a bit unnerved now, unsure of how quite to react. He squirms a little in his chair. ] "O(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[-O]kay. Well essentially, the first package is more limiting than the second. How about(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[, um,] if I move onto the the third package?"
Before you can answer, Rhon interjects. "That would be great, thanks."(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[ She flashes Avery a sympathetic look.]
[[MacCoby nods.|ChildChoice Packages 2]]
"How about we move on."
Avery nods and pulls out a questionaire from his folder, his bad eye still staring at you as he does. It should be disconcerting, it isn't. You just feel bad for him.
"Alright, so first off, we need to figure out your price range. What's your upper limit that you're willing to spend? You choices are:
[["$25,000,"|Too much]]
[["$100,000,"|Too much]]
[[""$500,000,"|Too much]]
[["or one million plus."|Too much]]
(set: $disorders to 2)"What about genetic disorders?" you ask.
(if: $dadGetsIt is 4)[Avery gives you a puzzled look, taken aback. ]"We guarantee that your baby will be free of any sort of birth defects, no matter which package you choose. If we somehow miss something, you get your money back.
"Any other questions?"(if: $disorders is 1)[
[["What about genetic disorders?"|Genetic Disorders]]](if: $babyGrown is 1)[
[["Where is the baby grown?"|Baby Grown]]](if: $mindChange is 1)[
[["What if we change our minds?"|Change Our Mind]]]
[["Let's move on."]]
(set: $babyGrown to 2)"Where is the baby grown?" you ask.
Rhon adjusts in her chair a bit and leans forward, her interest piqued.
"The answer to that is up to you. We can grow it here, in our lab, where the baby will be given specified amounts of nutrients and food based on it's weight, genetic make up, and other factors. Or, we can just create the zygote, then implant it in the mother for incubation. Sort of like artificial insemination."
Rhon seems to be considering the decision already. Avery chuckles. "No need to decide right this second. There's plenty of time to choose."
Rhon smiles self consciously and runs her fingers through her hair. "Y-Yeah, I guess so. It's just a big decision."
"Of course it is. And I'd be happy to advise you on it later. Are there any more questions?"(if: $disorders is 1)[
[["What about genetic disorders?"|Genetic Disorders]]](if: $babyGrown is 1)[
[["Where is the baby grown?"|Baby Grown]]](if: $mindChange is 1)[
[["What if we change our minds?"|Change Our Mind]]]
[["Let's move on."]]
(set: $mindChange to 2)"What if we change our mind? About having the baby, I mean?" you ask.
Your wife shoots you a disgusted look.
"Hey, I just think it's good to know!" you defend yourself.
"Let's cut him a bit of slack," Avery cuts in. "It's a good question, worth knowing the answer to.
"Basically, the same laws apply as with any abortion. You're allowed to abort the baby up to a certain point. Once the fetus has grown to a certain maturity, it's considered human, and we cannot ethically or lawfully abort it.
"It's also worth mentioning that Gene Corp does not give refunds should the couple decide to abort the baby.
"Any more questions?"(if: $disorders is 1)[
[["What about genetic disorders?"|Genetic Disorders]]](if: $babyGrown is 1)[
[["Where is the baby grown?"|Baby Grown]]](if: $mindChange is 1)[
[["What if we change our minds?"|Change Our Mind]]]
[["Let's move on."]]
You and Rhon share a startled look as MacCoby lists the price range. Maybe this isn't for you.
Avery notices the quiet exchange and laughs a little.
"I know some of those prices are intimidating, but you'd be surprised what you can afford. Gene Corp's payment plan is very flexible. Think of it like... buying a house. Or like paying for college. It's a long term investment, an expensive investment. But it's a worthwhile investment that will increase quality of life for your child in the long run."
Rhon looks at you uncertainly. "Jim, I think we should talk about this."
"Oh, you don't need to decide right now," Avery interjects. "Tell you what, let's move away from the questionaire for now. We can come back to it later."
He slips the questions back into the folder, out of sight and out of mind. He goes quiet for almost half a minute before speaking again.
"How much is your child's future worth to you?"
[["Priceless."]]
[["Their future is their responsibility."]]
[["What kind of question is that?"]]
"Priceless," you answer firmly. Your wife nods, approving of your response.
Avery smiles understandingly. "You want to give your child every advantage they can. What parent doesn't? Who can put a price on their child's success?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Of course," he agrees. "And with Gene Corp, our goal is your goal. Doing everything we can to ensure your child's future is secure. Now, how about we figure out the best way to do that?"
Rhon turns to you hesitantly. "Jim... I know money might be tight for a while, but... what do you think about taking out a loan? We can't gamble with our child's future! We need to give them the best we can, right?"
(link: "Of course!")[(set: $concede to 1)(goto: "Concede")]
"Their future is their responsibility," you respond.
Rhon looks over at you with a mildly distasteful expression.
"Of course it is," says Avery. "You can only hold onto your kids for so long before they have to make it on there own. But as a parent, isn't it your responsibility to give them the best you can? To give them the tools they need to make their way in the world?"
Before you can answer, Rhonda pipes up. "Jim, I can't believe you. You can't put a price on our child's future. We have to give them the best we can offer."
You look from Avery to your wife, and back again. Avery looks a little uncomfortable, but Rhon is outright glaring at you.
[["You're twisting my words."]]
(link: "You're right.")[(set: $concede to 2)(goto: "Concede")]
"What kind of question is that?" you demand heatedly.
Rhon almost flinches at your response. It's not often she sees you angry.
Avery takes your reaction in stride. "It's just meant to take money out of the equation for a bit. Money complicates things. Don't think about this from a budgetary perspective, think of it... from a parental one. How much does your child's future falls on your shoulders?"
Rhon glances at you nervously. A pang of guilt crosses your face. You didn't mean to upset her. You offer her a comforting smile.
She smiles back uncertainly. "Honey... I think we should go forward with this. I mean, our child... they should be given the best we can, right? Our credit is good, we could take out a loan to pay for this... We can make this work."
(link: "Okay.")[(set: $concede to 3)(goto: "Concede")]
"You're twisting my words," you say, not sure who to look at. "Of course I want what's best for them. All I'm trying to say is that we can only do so much for them. It's not all on us to make sure our kid has a good future. It's on them too."
"This isn't an argument," agrees Avery, "and no one's trying to twist your words. You just need to think about this."
Rhon shifts from angry to pleading. "Jim, listen. I know money could be tight for a while, but... I think we should get them the best we can afford. We can take out a loan if we need to. Like Mr. Avery said, their payment plan is flexible. We can make this work, honey. We have to try and make it work. For our kid. Please."
(link: "Okay.")[(set: $concede to 3)(goto: "Concede")]
(if: $concede is 1)["Of course!" you agree.](if: $concede is 2)["You're right," you concede. "I just meant that there's a certain point where it's out of our control, like Avery said. That doesn't mean we shouldn't give them the tools to succeed."](if: $concede is 3)["Okay," you concede. Rhon is already upset, and there's no need to make it any worse.]
Avery beams. "Okay then. Glad we worked that out. Now, how about we have another look at that budget and see what's in your range?"
[[>>>]]
//''One month later''//
"I'm finished!" calls Rhon from the other room. "It's your turn!"
You close up your tablet and get up from the table, stretching your legs. "Okay honey, coming!"
You make your over to the computer room and sit down at the console. The page is open to Gene Corp's website, and Rhon'sgot you signed into your account. Everything's been taken care of. You got a loan from the bank, decided on the Pedigree 3 plan, and submitted your gene samples. All that's left is to pick which attributes you want to give Joan. Rhon decided on a girl, and she already picked a name. After that French saint.
You also agreed to let Rhon pick Joan's physical characteristics. You don't care much about what your future daughter will look like. You're a bit more practical, so those sort of attributes have been left to you.
(set: $totalPoints to 6)(set: $int to 6)(set: $char to 6)(set: $str to 6)(set: $per to 6)(set: $dex to 6)
[[Pick attributes.]]
You have $totalPoints point(s) to spend on practical attributes. You must spend all points before moving forward.
(if: $totalPoints > 0)[Intelligence: (if: $int > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $int to $int - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1) (goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $int (if: $int < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $int to $int + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]](if: $int is 3)[
Setting Intelligence this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Sociability: (if: $char > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $char to $char - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $char (if: $char < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $char to $char + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]](if: $char is 3)[
Setting Sociability this low is is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Muscle Mass: (if: $str > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $str to $str - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $str (if: $str < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $str to $str + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]](if: $str is 3)[
Setting Muscle Mass this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Awareness: (if: $per > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $per to $per - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $per (if: $per < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $per to $per + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]](if: $per is 3)[
Setting Perception this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Coordination: (if: $dex > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $dex to $dex - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $dex (if: $dex < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $dex to $dex + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]](if: $dex is 3)[
Setting Coordination this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]](if: $totalPoints is 0)[Intelligence: (if: $int > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $int to $int - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1) (goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $int(if: $int is 3)[
Setting Intelligence this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Sociability: (if: $char > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $char to $char - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $char(if: $char is 3)[
Setting Sociability this low is is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Muscle Mass: (if: $str > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $str to $str - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $str(if: $str is 3)[
Setting Muscle Mass this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Awareness: (if: $per > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $per to $per - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $per(if: $per is 3)[
Setting Perception this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
Coordination: (if: $dex > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $dex to $dex - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Pick attributes.")]] $dex(if: $dex is 3)[
Setting Coordination this low is likely to cause damage to your child. Setting this attribute any lower is illegal.]
[[Finish.|Post Choice]]]
You finish picking your future daughter's attributes and log out of your profile. You have a headache, and when you touch your forehead, you find it slick with nervous sweat. Emotionally drained, you climb out of your seat and wander into the kitchen for a beer.
Rhon is at the table watching the news on her tablet. When she notices you come in, she pulls out her headphones and pauses the video.
"How'd it go?" she asks, frowning with concern.
You sink into the seat next to her, taking a swig before answering. "Fine. Just fine."
She raises an eyebrow. "It's a bit early for a beer... you sure?"
"I said I'm fine," you reply, maybe too gruffly. You down half the bottle in apology, glancing over at what she's watching. Looks like another attack, like Atlanta. Not worth asking about it. You don't feel like getting bad news right now, and besides, you're bound to hear about it later.
You sigh softly, the air whistling out of your nose. You still feel crappy.
"I'm gonna go get some fresh air."
Rhon's already put her headphones back in. She nods absently.
You trudge to the kitchen window and open it, inhaling the cold harbor air. It's dirty, smells like the city, but it's familiar. On verge of being comforting.
You close your eyes and just breathe.
[[Open your eyes.]]
''27 Years Later.''
You groan and open your eyes, blinking away a half night's sleep. You stare blankly at the cracked ceiling, debating whether you should go back to sleep or not. You turn your head, trying to ignore the pounding just behind your eyes, and glance at the alarm clock.
9:46. But it's two hours slow. You never bothered to fix it.(if: $int < 5)[ So that's... whatever, it's late.](if: $int > 4)[ 11:46.]
[[Time to get up.]]
You lurch out of bed with a grunt, rubbing your head. You remember now. Last night. Drinks. Too many. Hangover. Wonderful.
Maybe you'll take some pills with breakfast.(if: $int < 5)[ Or is it lunch now?](if: $int > 4)[ No, lunch.] Either way, you're not sure if you're hungry yet. Better give yourself a few minutes.
You scratch your nest of bedhead, your nails clinking against your leftover bobby pins from yesterday. You're a mess.
You are thirsty mess, though. You head to the bathroom and get yourself some water from the sink, doing your best to ignore the chipped tiles and the mildew under the faucet. It's not hard. You've gotten pretty good at ignoring things over the years.
While chugging it down, you notice the shower. When was the last time you took one? Yesterday. Right.
(set: $grooming to 1)
[[Take a shower.]]
[[Get dressed.]]
int - intelligence
char - charisma
str - strength
per - perception
dex - dexterity
grooming -
1 = ungroomed (no shower or hair)
2 = slightly groomed (just shower)
3 = groomed (both shower and hair)
monod -
1 = Museum Chapter unfinished
2 = Museum Chapter finished
volhard -
1 = Advisor Chapter unfinished
2 = Advisor Chapter finished
haldane -
1 = Protest Chapter unfinished
2 = Protest Chapter finished
monVol -
2 = suspect monod/volhard connection
3 = know about monod/volhard connection
monodSecret -
1 = not discovered
1< = discovered
tableOfContents -
1 = full story/keep going
2 = return to table of contents
bruceTarget -
1 = doesn't know who bruce is yet
2 = knows who bruce is
monBruce -
1 = bruce monod connection not established
2 = bruce monod connection established
You feel gross. Better take a shower before you can regret it later.
(set: $grooming to $grooming + 1)
You strip out of your pajamas, an oversized t-shirt and a pair of panties, and turn on the water. It takes way too long for it to get warm, but once it does, you hop in and scrub yourself clean.
A few minutes later, you're wrapped in a towel and looking at yourself in the mirror. Hair's messy, but other than that, you're more or less presentable.
[[Fix hair.]]
[[Get dressed.]]
Fixing your hair is a chore, but you'll feel better knowing you don't look like you just rolled out of bed. You grab a nearby comb, pull the bobby pins out of your hair, and get rid of the knots, not bothering to look in the mirror as you work. Once that's done, you replace the pins, pulling your hair back into a hasty bun.
(set: $char to $char + 1 )(set: $grooming to $grooming + 1)
[[Get dressed.]]
(if: $grooming > 1)[Much more awake now, you head to your closet to change into a fresh set of clothes.](if: $grooming < 2)[You groggily stumble over to your closet to grab some fresh clothes.] Luck's on your side. There's one clean pair of jeans, a single t-shirt, and plenty of underwear left.(if: $char > 7)[You wish you had something a bit better, but this will have to do for today. At least you're not planning to go anywhere.]
Mental note: laundry tomorrow.
You slip into your clothes and head into the kitchenette for some lunch(if: $int < 5)[, probably]. You make yourself a quick sandwich, comprised of whatever's left in the fridge, and sit down for a bite.
You push away the empty bottles and unpaid bills that litter the table. They started sending letters as well as emails a year or two ago. You pull your laptop closer, refusing to acknowledge the problem sitting less than a foot away.
You eat your meal mechanically as you check the news. An explosion downtown. Fifteen dead. Riots in two major cities. The results of some ethics case. Everyday stuff. You skim through it. Probably won't remember in ten minutes. Whatever.
[[Check bills.]]
[[Inbox.]](set: $inbox to 1)(set: $urgent to 1)(set: $gcatMail to 1)
You glance at the ominous envelopes you pushed across the table. They stare back. Exhaling, you pull over the most recent one. The others can be ignored. They're old, and they all say the same thing. This one has the most recent interest added on.
You scowl at the Gene Corp logo stamped on it, and pull out its contents. You feel woozy as you quietly read off the numbers. (if: $int > 4)[You're not sure what you expected. ]It's higher than the last time. Of course it is.
You fight the urge to crawl back into bed. Better to just do something else. Don't think about it. You'll pay them when you're in a better state of mind.
[[Inbox.]]
(if: $inbox is 1)[You sign into your email and scan through your inbox. Most of the contents are junk, and you waste no time in sifting out the spam. When you finish, you're left with only two emails.](if: $inbox is 2)[(if: $urgent is 2)[(if: $gcatMail is 1)[You raise an eyebrow. What a bizarre email. It doesn't make any sense. But still... the only remaining email //is// from GCAT, just like the email said...]]] (if: $inbox is 2)[(if: $gcatMail is 2)[(if: $urgent is 1)[You can barely stop yourself from responding "Yes" on the spot.(if: $int > 6)[ Something this good has got to have strings attached. Not to mention they must be pretty desperate if they're revealing this much information before hiring you. There's also the bizarre detail that the message is being sent from a financial email account, rather than a contracting account. It's almost like they're not using the proper channels on purpose.](if: $int < 7)[ But you don't. At least, not yet.] Something about this rubs you wrong.]]](if: $urgent is 1)[
(link:"Subject: URGENT
From: [email protected]")[(goto:"URGENT")]](if: $gcatMail is 1)[
(link:"Subject: Regarding your debt (READ IMMEDIATELY)
From: jeremy.finch@gcat_finances.com")[(goto: "Proposition")]](set: $inbox to $inbox + 1)(if: $inbox > 3)[Well... today just got a lot more interesting. You consider your options. On one hand, getting rid of the debt that's been more or less weighing you down since mom and dad died would be amazing. No more annoying GCAT bills, no more excuses for not paying them.(if: $int > 5)[ And that's not evening considering how interesting the case is. If you don't take it, you know it'll be on your mind. How often do you get a case where you're working for both sides?] On the other hand... there's a reason that you didn't respond "Yes" to GCAT on the spot. This whole thing feels shady, no matter what side you look at it. Corporate espionage on one side, and hush money on the other. You doubt this will be a clean case.
(link: 'Reply "Yes" to GCAT.')[(goto: "Response")]
(link: "Don't Reply.")[(goto: "Boring Ending")]]
**Subject: URGENT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Dear Ms. Carmichael,
By now, you've recieved a message from GCAT about me. Take the job. I'll leave some breadcrumbs for you to follow. I hope that by the time this is through, you'll support me on this.
Do not reply to this email.
Sent 5 hours ago.**
[[Inbox.]](set: $urgent to $urgent + 1)
**Subject: Regarding your debt (READ IMMEDIATELY)
From: jeremy.finch@gcat_finances.com
To: [email protected]
Dear Ms. Carmichael,
As we are sure you are aware, you financial situation with us is anything but stable. Over the past twelve months, you have missed ten of your monthly payments. You have repeatedly put off answering our emails and bills, despite numerous efforts to reach you.
Needless to say, this is unacceptable.
Under normal circumstances, Gene Corp begins repossessing your assets after one year of consistently missing payments, a grace period we feel is very generous.
We are, however, willing to make a special case for you, considering your choice of occupation.
We would like to propose a deal.
Two weeks ago, one of our employees stole numerous documents from server. The identity of this employee is unknown, due to a security malfunction at the time of the theft.
Our proposal is simple. As we do not wish to utilize in house resources on this predicament, we would hire you as a contractor. Your job would be to recover the data that was stolen before it leaves the employee's hands. We would also like you to recover the employee, if possible. If you fulfill these conditions, we will wipe your debt clean, as well as provide a nominal bonus for staying discreet.
Further information will be provided to you on your acceptance of this deal.
Jeremy Finch
Gene Corp Finance Management
Sent 10 hours ago.**
[[Inbox.]](set: $gcatMail to $gcatMail + 1)
As useful as the money would be,(if: $int > 5)[ and as interesting as the case has the potential to be,] you just don't feel comfortable taking this case. You close your email and spend the rest of your day trying to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of your mind that you made the wrong choice. Trying to ignore the fact that GCAT will be by in a few weeks to repossess everything you own. Trying to ignore that your life is shambles, and you're too scared to do anything about it.
(link: "Restart.")[(goto: "Start Screen")]
You steel yourself and type out a quick, affirmative reply to GCAT. Ignoring this opportunity just isn't an option.
The response comes back almost immediately.(if: $per > 6)[ In fact, the response was so fast, that you wonder if someone was waiting for your reply.(if: $int > 5)[ Or maybe they set up a prewritten email to send when you responded. That means is that they're desperate for help, and fast.]]
**Subject: Regarding your debt (READ IMMEDIATELY)
From: jeremy.finch@gcat_finances.com
To: [email protected]
Dear Ms. Carmichael,
We thank you for your response. Below we have listed all available information on the target.
-The target is believed to be hiding in Baltimore.
-The target is highly likely to be associated with the GP movement. Some of his associates may be dangerous.
-The target is believed to have made contact with the following individuals within the last 72 hours.
-Terry Haldane, a prominent activist in the GP movement.
-Jean Monod, proprietor of the Genetic Art Museum in Baltimore.
-Vivian Volhard, a former GCAT employee now working as Congressional advisor.
-As the target could release the stolen documents at any moment, we advise that you work quickly.
Jeremy Finch
Gene Corp Finance Management
Sent 5 seconds ago.**
[[Close email.]]
You click your email tab shut. As far as you can tell, the best leads you have are the three people the target talked to in the last three days.(if: $per < 7)[ Unfortunately, you're only familiar with one of them.](if: $per >6)[ You're familiar with two of them.]
Terry Haldane's name jumps out from the rest. He's one of the leaders of the Gene-Pure movement. His face is a constant feature on news sites, spouting rhetoric about the evils of gene editing corporations and their detrimental effects on society.(if: $per < 6)[ You vaguely remember watching half a video about him before closing the tab. His voice was loud, and he was very vehement about his opinions.](if: $per >5)[ You watched a few videos about the movement a couple weeks ago. There was definitely some merit to the idea of putting stricter laws on gene companies. The thing was, GP tended to be so extreme, and their methods so intrusive, that most people wrote them all off as crazies.] According to Gene-Pure's Facebook page, they're staging a protest outside the GCAT gates later today.
(if: $per < 7)[You've never heard of Jean Monod or the "Genetic Art Museum."](if: $per > 6)[You're familiar with some of the work of Monod, but didn't know he had a museum in the city.] Probably because art revolving around gene editing is a pretty niche market. A quick web search gives you the street address. From the pictures and descriptions on the site, the museum is private, and it seems like a pretty exclusive venue.
Last on the list is Vivian Volhard. Her name doesn't ring any bells, but a quick search unveils that she heads a Congressional Committee in a building near city hall. On skimming through the website, you find that all of today's meetings are closed to the public, on grounds of national security. Interesting.
[[Choose which to investigate first.]]
Before picking a chapter, please distribute points into your character's attributes. If you wish to start the story from the beginning, please return to the start screen.(set: $tableOfContents to 2)
If this is your first time playing, you are advised to start this story from the beginning.
You have $totalPoints point(s) to spend on attributes. You must spend all points before moving forward.
(if: $totalPoints > 0)[Intelligence: (if: $int > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $int to $int - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1) (goto: "Table of Contents")]] $int (if: $int < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $int to $int + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]](if: $int is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Sociability: (if: $char > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $char to $char - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $char (if: $char < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $char to $char + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]](if: $char is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Muscle Mass: (if: $str > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $str to $str - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $str (if: $str < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $str to $str + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]](if: $str is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Awareness: (if: $per > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $per to $per - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $per (if: $per < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $per to $per + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]](if: $per is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Coordination: (if: $dex > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $dex to $dex - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $dex (if: $dex < 10)[(link: ">>")[(set: $dex to $dex + 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints - 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]](if: $dex is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]](if: $totalPoints is 0)[Intelligence: (if: $int > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $int to $int - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1) (goto: "Table of Contents")]] $int(if: $int is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Sociability: (if: $char > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $char to $char - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $char(if: $char is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Muscle Mass: (if: $str > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $str to $str - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $str(if: $str is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Awareness: (if: $per > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $per to $per - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $per(if: $per is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Coordination: (if: $dex > 3)[(link: "<<")[(set: $dex to $dex - 1)(set: $totalPoints to $totalPoints + 1)(goto: "Table of Contents")]] $dex(if: $dex is 3)[
This attribute cannot be set any lower.]
Pick from the following chapters:
[[Joan wakes up.|Open your eyes.]]
[[The GP Protest.|Protest Intro]]
[[The Genetic Art Museum.|Art Intro]]
[[City Hall.|Congress Intro]]
//''or''//]
[[Return to Start Screen|Start Screen]](set: $monVol to 1)(set: $monodSecret to 1)(set: $haldane to 1)(set: $monod to 1)(set: $volhard to 1)(set: $gun to 1)(set: $monDeath to 1)(set: $monod to 1)(set: $haldane to 1)(set: $volhard to 1)(set: $bruceTarget to 1)(set: $bruceJob to 1)(set: $monResources to 1)(set: $volDeath to 1)
All three of the leads seem like they could lead to interesting places.(set: $tableOfContents to 1)
The connection between the target and Haldane seems pretty straightforward. The target could be a whistle-blower, trying to use GP as a platform. If that's the case, he might have already passed on the information, which could leak at any second.
The target's relation to Monod seems a lot more... dubious. If the target is a whistle-blower, why talk to an artist? Monod is a wild card.
Visiting Volhard has a pretty obvious reason as well. He might be trying to sell the stolen information to the government. Or he might want to get protection.
Each one of the leads appears equally likely to lead somewhere useful. Picking which one to follow first could heavily effect the outcome of this job. You'll have to choose carefully.
[[Haldane.|The Gene-Pure Protest.]]
[[Monod.]]
[[Volhard.|The Congressional Committee Building.]](set: $monVol to 1)(set: $monodSecret to 1)(set: $haldane to 1)(set: $monod to 1)(set: $volhard to 1)(set: $gun to 1)(set: $monDeath to 1)(set: $bruceTarget to 1)(set: $volDeath to 1)(set: $monBruce to 1)(set: $bruceJob to 1)(set: $monResources to 1)
You head off for the museum, checking the bus schedule on your phone(if: $haldane is 2)[ again](elseif: $volhard is 2)[ again] as you make your way to the nearest stop. The weather is actually half decent for a spring day in Maryland(if: $monod is 1)[, so you all you really need to keep yourself warm is a light jacket](elseif: $haldane is 1)[, so you all you really need to keep yourself warm is a light jacket](elseif: $volhard is 1)[, so you all you really need to keep yourself warm is a light jacket].
The bus ride is uneventful. You try to anticipate what sort of problems could pop up in your investigation, but you quickly abandon the attempt. You'll play it by ear once you get there.
You're dropped off two blocks away from the museum.
[[Approach the museum.]]
Your name is Joan Carmichael. Before you were born, your parents decided to alter your gene code to their specifications, choosing everything from how you look, to your physical and mental characteristics. This decision left them heavily in debt to a company called Gene Corp Advanced Technology, or GCAT for short.
After your parents died, you inherited that debt. You've been paying off the bill by working as a Private Investigator. Over the past year, you've fallen behind on paying your bills.
Today, you received two emails. One from GCAT, offering to pay off your debt if you track down a former employee turned thief. The other email is supposedly from the thief themself, asking you to play along with GCAT for now.
GCAT provided you with several leads. You have chosen to follow one of these leads to a Genetic Art Museum, run by a man named Jean Monod. Monod may have information that could get you close to your target.
[[Continue.|Monod.]]
There's no need to double check the address before approaching the museum. Now that you see it, you can't believe that you didn't know it was here. It takes up a whole street corner lot, and is definitely one of the older buildings in the city. You'd think with a place like this, you'd want publicity so you could charge people to get in.
You walk up the front steps, but are stopped by a uniformed doorman before you can enter.
"Invitation please."
You look past the doorman and into the lobby. It looks like some sort of party is going on. Fantastic. This will only complicate things.
You look at the doorman carefully.(if: $per < 7)[ The doorman's face is passive, impossible read.](if: $per > 6)[ You catch a subtle downward movement of the doorman's eyes, toward your chest.]
Obviously, you don't have an invitation. How are you going to get in?
[[Talk your way in.]]
[[Knock out the doorman.]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot the doorman]]]
[[Find another entrance.]](set: $KOdoorman to 1)(set: $musBreak to 1)(set: $musPick to 1)
(if: $per > 6)[You quickly check the street to make sure no one is looking. The coast is clear. ]You punch the doorman in the face.(if: $str > 7)[ It's an instant KO. He crumples to the ground with a meaty thump. He's out for the count. You feel a pang of guilt, but it doesn't last long. You don't have time to feel guilty. You've got a job to do.
Just before stepping over the unconscious doorman, you notice a gleam at his hip. A quick inspection reveals it's a silenced pistol.
[[Enter museum.]]
[[Take pistol|Take pistol at museum]]](if: $str < 8)[ The doorman staggers, but doesn't fall.
"What the fuck was that for?" he demands, red in the face.
You quickly run away, back behind the building. Thankfully, he doesn't pursue.
"I'm calling the cops!" you hear him shout. You believe him. You'd better figure out a way to get in, and quick.
[[Find another entrance.]](set: $KOdoorman to 2)]
(if: $KOdoorman is 1)[You shrug. "Sorry, I didn't realize that this event was private. My mistake."
You go back down the front steps of the building and turn the corner to look around for another entrance. ]After scouting around for a few minutes, you discover a few options.
There's a service entrance around the back that looks like the doorknob might be shabby. You could try picking it, or breaking it.(if: $per > 7)[
There's also an open window that looks like it goes into a bathroom. If you get up there, you could definitely climb through.](if: $KOdoorman is 1)[
Of course, you could always fall back on knocking out the doorman as well.](if: $musPick is 1)[
[[Pick doorknob.]]](if: $musBreak is 1)[
[[Break doorknob.]]](if: $per > 7)[
[[Climb through the window.]]](if: $KOdoorman is 1)[
[[Knock out the doorman.]]]
(if: $int < 8)[(if: $char < 8)[You struggle to find your words for a second.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know that this was a ticketed event. I must've forgotten mine at home."
The doorman snorts. "Listen lady, no ticket, no entrance. Sorry, I don't make the rules."
Well... that was pitiful. You examine your remaining options.
[[Knock out the doorman.]]
[[Find another entrance.]]]](if: $int < 8)[(if: $char > 7)[You rummage through your pockets and exhale with a worried look.
"I'm sorry, it looks like I left my ticket at home. I'm always forgetting things like this... I'd lose my head if it weren't attached. Listen... I know it's probably against the rules, but... you just let me in, this once? I really was invited, I just... I've been looking forward to this for weeks."
As you speak, you manage to turn on the waterworks a bit. Tears begin to leak down your face.
The doorman considers your explanation with a quiet stare. After a moment, he sighs and rubs his forehead. He stands aside to let you in.
[[Enter museum.]]]](if: $int > 7)[(if: $char < 8)["Well... uhm, I-I'm here on behalf of Vivian Volhard," you stammer. You don't sound convincing, not even to yourself.
The doorman raises an eyebrow. "No you're not..." he growls. "How about you get out of here, before I call the police on you for trespassing."
[[Knock out the doorman.]]
[[Find another entrance.]]]](if: $int > 7)[(if: $char > 7)[You've got a quick wit and a confident tongue. You come up with an explanation on the spot. "I'm here on behalf of Vivian Volhard. She has a meeting today she couldn't miss." You rummage through your pockets. "Shit... you know what, she forgot to give me the ticket. I can text her real quick to send me a pic-"
"That won't be necessary," interrupts the doorman. "You can head on in."(if: $volhard is 1)[
Well... considering the doorman believed your story so easily, it looks like there could be a connection between Monod and Volhard. Good to keep in mind.(set: $monVol to 2)]
[[Enter museum.]]]]
Alright, you're in. You waste no time in taking stock of your surroundings.
The room is populated by dozens of artsy looking types, shuffling around and gossiping their way through the various exhibits. They're all dressed in wildly different fashions. One lady is only wearing nipple tassles and a thong. One person is wearing a full body space suit. Yet another seems to be wearing a nest full of taxidermy squirrels on his head.(if: $grooming < 3)[ Well, at least your messy hair doesn't stand out.]
You could probably look at these people for hours without getting bored. Unfortunately, you still have a job to do.
You take a moment to do an image search of Monod on your phone. To your dismay, every picture of him shows him in a different mask. He's even more eccentric than you thought. In order to find him, you're going to need to do a bit of investigating.(if: $monVol > 1)[
Of course, there's also the (if: $monvol is 2)[possible ]link between Volhard and Monod(if: $monvol is 3)[, and the mysterious art project that she mentioned]. That's piqued your curiosity.]
[[Explore the museum.]]
[[Ask questions.]]
[[Eavesdrop.]](set: $deathMan to 1)
(if: $grooming < 3)[You wrangle a bobby pin out of your tangle of hair and get to work on the lock.](if: $grooming is 3)[You pick a bobby pin neatly out of your hair and get to work on the lock.](if: $dex > 6)[ It only takes two minutes to finagle your way past the lock. You grin to yourself and quickly maneuver your way through the back hallways, finding your way into the main museum area.
[[Enter museum.]]](if: $dex < 7)[ You finagle with the lock for five minutes before reluctantly giving up. You'd better find another way inside.(if: $musBreak is 1)[
[[Break doorknob.]]](if: $per > 7)[
[[Climb through the window.]]](if: $KOdoorman is 1)[
[[Knock out the doorman.]]](set: $musPick to $musPick + 1)]
You pick up a nearby brick and smash it against the doorknob.(if: $str > 6)[ It only takes one downward swing to knock the rusty old thing out of its socket. You grin to yourself and quickly maneuver your way through the back hallways, quickly finding your way into the main museum area.
[[Enter museum.]]](if: $str < 7)[You bring down the brick as hard as you can, but the doorknob only wobbles in its place. You try a few more times... same result. Better find another way inside.(if: $musPick is 1)[
[[Pick doorknob.]]](if: $per >7)[
[[Climb through the window.]]](if: $KOdoorman is 1)[
[[Knock out the doorman.]]]](set: $musBreak to $musBreak + 1)
You carefully listen to make sure the bathroom isn't occupied. When it's clear that it isn't, you climb inside. It goes off without a hitch. You compose yourself in front of the mirror before exiting the restroom.
[[Enter museum.]]
(if: $deathMan is 1)[You decide that for now, you'd better just explore the museum. You're bound to pick up on something, and you're bound to run across Monod at some point, right?
You pick up a pamphlet at the front of the room. It features all the most recent additions to the museum. That's at least a place to start. You look through the new exhibits to see what catches your eye.](if: $deathMan is 2)[You hastily find a pamphlet of the exhibits featured at the museum. "Death of a Man is featured prominently, along with three other exhibits. You could quickly go to "Death of a Man," but it might also be worth exploring the rest of the museum. After all, who knows when you'll be back here, if ever?]
[["Silver Life."]](set: $silver to 1)
[["A Modern Mickey."]](set: $mickey to 1)
[["Death of Man."|Death of Man.]]
[["Chimera #28."]](set: $chimera to 1)
You decide that the best way to start investigating here is to just ask some questions. Someone here is bound to know something, or at least have an idea of how find Monod.
You search through the crowd, trying to find the most normal looking person you can (other than yourself). After a few minutes of searching, you identify the best candidate as an older looking man. Other than his hair being dyed a blinding shade of green, he looks pretty normal.(set: $musQuestion1 to 1)(set: $musQuestion2 to 1)
You tap his shoulder, and he turns to face you with a smile. "Hello, miss. How can I help you?"
[["Has anyone interesting come by the museum in the past few days?"]]
[["How is Monod dressed today?"]]
A quick, easy, and subtle way to collect information on who here is Monod, or at least where to find him. You look around for promising groups to listen in on.
[[A robot and a luchador.]](set: $robot to 1)
[[A tribal mask, a tiger, and a man with green hair.]]
[[A man in a gimp suit and a clown.]](set: $gimp to 1)
"Has anyone interesting come by the museum in the past few days?"(set: $musQuestion1 to 2)
The man thinks about your question. "Why do you want to know?"(if: $char > 7)[
You come up with an answer off the top of your head. "I'm a reporter for an artzine-"
The man cuts you off. "The Baltimore Brushstroke?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Well, you must be a pretty savvy reporter to get invited to a get together like this."
You smile. "I like to think so. So, back to my question. Has anyone interesting come by the museum in the past three days? Like, someone out of the ordinary?"](if: $char < 8)[
"I'm just curious. Trying to keep up with... you know, the art scene."
The man looks at you quizzically. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. You know, I'm just... trying to figure out if there's anyone new on the scene I should... be looking out for."]
The man considers the question(if: $char < 8)[, a slightly suspicious look on his face]. "Well... I did hear rumors about an older man coming through here. About my age, I guess. Not the artsy looking type. Dressed pretty normal. He wasn't stopped at the door, so Monod must have known him somehow. I guess they probably talked about something... but hell if I know what.
"Does that help at all?"(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
Target now suspected to be male, and middle aged.](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
That has to be Bruce.] "Yeah, that helps a lot, actually."
"Well, good. Is there anything else I can do for you?"(if: $musQuestion2 is 1)[
[["How is Monod dressed today?"]]](if: $musQuestion2 is 2)[
[["No." (Visit the "Death of Man" series.)|Death of Man.]]]
You're not exactly sure what you were expecting out of the "Death of Man" display, but it wasn't this. It's little wonder that you're the only person looking at it right now; the entire thing is grotesque, to say the least.
The exhibit consists of a series of hyper-realistic, identical bodies in death poses. One of the "men" is hanging on a cross. Another lays in a coffin. Another is hanged, the skin purple around the neck.
The plaque coinciding with the exhibit explains the technical aspects behind it. Apparently, all of the bodies are clones of the artist. However, these clones were created without a higher functioning brain. Rather, the brains were just smart enough to run the body's general functions, and not much else.
So these things were brought to life... then killed... then preserved... then posed. This very well might be the most fucked up thing you've ever seen.(if: $volhard is 2)[ You can see what Volhard meant about Monod being a monster.(if: $volDeath is 2)[You're not sure it was worth dying over, though.]]
"Joan Carmichael?"(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
You flinch, spinning to face the speaker. A man in a goat mask stares back.
It takes you a moment to find your words. "Y-Yes?"](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
That'll be Monod. Bruce probably told him about you. You spin to face him, and find yourself face to face with a man in a goat mask.]
A low chuckle emanates from the mask. "So old Bruce wasn't lying. How about that. I guess that means I'd better keep up my end of the deal."
[["Who are you?"|Monod's Response]]
[["What are you talking about?"|Monod's Response]]
[["What the hell is going on here?"|Monod's Response]]
[["How do you know my name?"|Monod's Response]]
"How is Monod dressed today?"(set: $musQuestion2 to 2)
The man looks at you for a moment, then bursts out laughing. "You never been to one of Monod's get togethers before, have you?"
You shake your head no.
He nods. "I figured. Well... Monod is a bit of an oddball. He labels himself as both an intro- and extrovert. So when he organizes these parties, he always encourages people to dress up for his events. He wants to be able to talk to people, but not be the center of attention."
"Huh..."
He laughs again. "Yeah, I know. He's eccentric. But what genius isn't, right?"
"Right... so, does that mean you don't know how to find him?"
"Well, I didn't say that... since you asked, I guess I can give you a little tidbit. Monod's very proud of his newest exhibit, featured in this museum. It's called 'Death of Man.' I've already had a look... don't care for it much myself, but you know, art is subjective and all that. Anyway, that's probably the best place to start looking for him."
"Thanks," you say. "That really helps a lot."(if: $monVol is 2)[ Maybe this is the art project Volhard is linked to. Definitely worth following up on.]
"No problem, young lady. Is there anything else I can help you with?"(if: $musQuestion1 is 1)[
[["Has anyone interesting come by the museum in the past few days?"]]]
[["No." (Find the "Death of Man" series.)|Explore the museum.]](set: $deathMan to 2)
(set: $silver to 2)You decide to check out the "Silver Life" exhibit. You check where it is on the map and wander over to it.
The exhibit is standing in the middle of a small, dark room. You raise an eyebrow at the sight of it. It's a large, glass tank, about the same dimensions as a refrigerator. A strange, custom lightbulb hangs above the tank, illuminating the contents, which seem to be little bundles of metal randomly placed around the tank.
(if: $per < 8)[It takes you a few moments to realize that these little bundles are actually genetically modified plants.](if: $per >7)[You quickly realize that the bundles are actually gene edited plants.](if: $int > 7)[ Whoever created this exhibit must've somehow modified what color the chloroplasts of these plants produce. And of course, they also had to obtain a special light in order for these modified chloroplasts to absorb light properly.] When you look closer, you realize that there are also silver insects skittering around the tank. This is all actually pretty cool. You're not usually for this artsy fartsy shit, but that's pretty impressive in your book.(if: $mickey is 1)[
[["A Modern Mickey."]]]
[["Death of Man."|Death of Man.]](if: $chimera is 1)[
[["Chimera #28."]]]
(set: $mickey to 2)The "Modern Mickey" exhibit sounds at least a bit interesting. You head over to the display, your curiosity piqued.
The first thing you notice about the exhibit is the miniture set. It's a perfectly scale modelled little stage, with a miniature microphone, (if: $int > 7)[microstitched](if: $int < 8)[tiny] curtains, and even a bunch of rodent sized seats for an invisible, shrunken audience.
The next thing you notice is what's on the stage. It's a mouse, all black except for its white face. It's dressed up in red overalls, yellow shoes, and white gloves.
The last thing you notice is the way the mouse is speaking into the microphone. Your eyes widen. The voice coming out of it is a perfect imitation of Mickey Mouse. It's reciting a routine from one of the old cartoons.
(if: $int > 6)[Somehow, they managed to genetically squeeze human vocal chords into that mouse, and give it a large enough brain to memorize a script. ]That... is fucking insane. You're still trying to cope with what you're seeing right now.
You leave before the mouse's routine is finished.(if: $silver is 1)[
[["Silver Life."]]]
[["Death of Man."|Death of Man.]](if: $chimera is 1)[
[["Chimera #28."]]]
(set: $chimera to 2)You settle on the chimera exhibit.(if: $int > 6)[ If memory serves, a chimera is a cross between two or more animals. That ought to be interesting.]
This exhibit features a video installation, with a live feed to what looks like a zoo installation. Unfortunately, whatever(if: $int > 6)[ sort of hybrid animal] lives there is off camera at the moment. Just based on the fact that the animal can't be brought into the building, you can at least discern that it's probably big.(if: $mickey is 2)[
On second thought, maybe this is for the best. After that freaky talking mouse, seeing another modified animal makes you more than a little timid. The mouse was unnerving. Who knows how bad this creature could be?](if: $silver is 1)[
[["Silver Life."]]](if: $mickey is 1)[
[["A Modern Mickey."]]]
[["Death of Man."|Death of Man.]]
You subtly move closer to a man in a shoddy looking robot costume and a female luchador having a conversation by an exhibit of a bizarre skeleton.(set: $robot to 2)
The room is loud, but you manage to pick up bits and pieces of their conversation.
//"...hear it's pretty risque for a..."(if: $per > 7)[
"Yeah. Like, it might not even be technically lega..."]
"...onder who okayed him to use the equipm..."
"...ity hall. Some woman..."(if: $per > 7)[
"...corrupt?"]
"I don't know. Maybe..."
"...mean, could he have his own..."
"...sible. I've heard the specs on those..."
"...ot even true..."//
Hmm. You're not sure how much you got out of listening that exchange. Might have to try another group.
[[A tribal mask, a tiger, and a man with green hair.]](if: $gimp is 1)[
[[A man in a gimp suit and a clown.]]]
A man in a tribal mask, a woman in tiger face paint, and an older guy who actually looks pretty normal (except for his violently neon hair) share a conversation by a display of an independent human circulatory system.
You listen closely.
//"...do you think is is?"(if: $per > 7)[
"... guy in the goat head mask..."]
"...I doubt it. Way I see it..."
"...mostly likely chara..."
"...ow can you know tha..."(if: $per > 7)[
"...een to a lot of these events..."]
"...seemed pretty excited abou..."
"...sure?"
"...not one hundred percent..."
"...nod probably by the 'Death of M..."//
You blink with surprise. That last bit actually kind of made sense. "...nod" is probably referring to Monod, and "Death of Man" is one of the new exhibits being displayed.
Finally, something to go on.
[[Find the "Death of Man" exhibit.|Explore the museum.]](set: $deathMan to 2)
You hone in on a pair of people conversing by a stylized turtle shell exhibit. It's a clown woman and a fat guy in a gimp suit. You manage to scrounge a couple broken segments of their argument.(set: $gimp to 2)
//"...disagree. They're being..."
"...can you even say that?"(if: $per > 7)[
"Because those bozos..."]
"...one to talk..."
"...thods are too extreme..."
"...treme enough..."
"...no one thinks that the..."
"...counterproductive..."(if: $per > 7)[
"...isn't a problem..."]
"...effect us. I mean, we lead th..."//
You're not convinced that this conversation is moving anywhere useful. Probably a good idea to move on.(if: $robot is 1)[
[[A robot and a luchador.]]]
[[A tribal mask, a tiger, and a man with green hair.]]
Before you can even finish your question, the goat-man shushes you.
"Come with me. I'll explain everything once we're out of all this... chatter." The man talks very strangely, with a tinge of a French accent in there somewhere.
You're too dazed by what's going on to really argue with the goat-man at this point. He leads you to a door at the far end of the museum, removes a key from his pocket, and unlocks the door. It leads into a stairwell.(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[(if: $int > 7)[
Suddenly, it clicks. "Death of Man" was so disturbing that it you didn't even notice what was in front of your face. As the door locks shut behind you, you exclaim, "You're Jean Monod."
He nods, his expression impossible to read behind his mask as he starts climbing the stairs.](if: $int < 8)[
As you follow the man up the stairs, he begins to explain himself. "In case you haven't guessed yet, I'm Jean Monod.
You nearly slap your forehead. You can't believe you didn't figure it out. Maybe seeing that fucked up exhibit threw you out of whack or something.]]
"I saw that you were fascinated with my 'Death of Man' exhibit. Just like Bruce said you would be," he says.(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["Who's Bruce?"]]]
[["I'm not sure 'fascinated' is the right word..."]]
"Who's Bruce?"
Monod snorts. "You don't know Bruce? Well, he knows you. He assured me you had great taste, and he didn't lie."
You reach the top the stairwell, and Monod pulls out another key from his pocket to unlock another door.
"Now, I'm sure you're absolutely dying to see the rest of my work. If you liked 'Death of Man'... well, get a load of this!"
Monod throws open the door.
[[Enter Monod's private studio.]]
"I'm not sure 'fascinated' is the right word..." you venture.
Monod waves it off. "Semantics. It captivated you. It enthralled you. It captured your imagination. Same difference."
You reach the top the stairwell, and Monod pulls out another key from his pocket to unlock another door.
"Now, I'm sure you're absolutely dying to see the rest of my work. If you liked 'Death of Man'... well, get a load of this!"
Monod throws open the door.
[[Enter Monod's private studio.]]
You step into the studio, body already tense. You're not sure what you're about to see, other than that it's probably similar to "Death of Man."
Your eyes widen at the sight of the studio. Just like you thought, it's similar to "Death of Man." Only it's worse, a hundred times worse. Just like before, human bodies are posed in various positions.
The difference is, this time it's clear that they're all still alive. Their skin has somehow been made see through, and all of the organs are working, pumping. They're posed in positions simulating real life.
One "sculpture" features a full grown man positioned like a fetus, in a paper mache womb, a tube attached at his belly button like an umbilical cord. You can see fluids flowing in and out of the tube.
Another is carrying a cross, probably a reference back to the crucified man in the main exhibit. His face curled in agony, and he wears a crown of thorns. There are already holes in his hands and feet, as if he prepared himself early for the nails.
Another is pushing a lawnmower. Another is working in an office. Another is preparing a stool beneath a noose. There are dozens of others, more than you can stand to look at.
You suddenly gasp for breath. It takes you a moment to realize that you stopped breathing. You turn to Monod. You can feel him grinning at your reaction through his goat mask.(set: $monResources to 1)(set: $whyMon to 1)(set: $howMon to 1)(set: $monMethods to 1)(set: $thinkArt to 0)(set: $whenMon to 1)
"Well, what do you think? I call it, 'Life of Man.'"(if: $monVol is 3)[
So this is why Volhard was acting so strange about Monod. She knew about this. She had a hand in it. Anger flares up inside of you.(if: $volDeath is 1)[ You almost wish you'd put her out of her misery.](if: $volDeath is 2)[ You weren't quite sure how to feel about shooting Volhard, but now, you know you made the right choice.]](set: $monodSecret to 2)(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]]
[["Why would you do this?"]]
[["How did you do this?"]](set: $monodInfo to 1)
You pull out your silenced pistol from the back of your pants, holding it close to yourself so that only you and the doorman can see it. His eyes widen, but before he can react any further, you've already flicked off the safety and pulled the trigger. A red stain blooms from his shirt, and falls to the ground, eyes glazed and empty. He didn't even have time to scream.(set: $doormanKilled to 2)
You look up and down the street. It's empty. No one's noticed you. You flick the safety back on and stuff the gunback in your jeans.
[[Enter museum.]]
You fish the pistol out of the doorman's pocket and examine it. Not a high caliber, but it is silenced. And the silencer is even removable! Definitely useful to have, just in case things get hairy. You flick the safety on and stuff it in the back of your jeans.(set: $gun to 2)
[[Enter museum.]]
(if: $whenMon is 1)[You can barely think through your rage. This is disgusting.](if: $whenMon is 2)[You've gotten all the information you need. Now you can do what you've wanted to do the whole time.] This is inhuman. Fuck this.(if: $monodInfo is 1)[(if: $haldane is 1)[(if: $volhard is 1)[ You can learn what you need to about the target from the others suspects.]](if: $haldane is 2)[(if: $volhard is 1)[You already have info from Haldane.]](if: $haldane is 1)[(if: $volhard is 2)[You already have info from Volhard]](if: $haldane is 2)[(if: $volhard is 2)[You already have the info you need from Haldane and Volhard.]]]
You pull out your silenced pistol, flick off the safety, and fire two shots. Monod doesn't even have time to react. Well, maybe his expression changed. You wouldn't know. His face is still hidden behind that animal mask.
Good.(set:$monDeath to 2)
Blood spurts from his neck and chest as his body topples to the floor. He clutches at his neck, spasming for a few moments before running out of energy. The last thing he sees is you, still pointing the gun at him.
You reholster your weapon with a sigh. Hopefully, this is disconnected enough from GCAT that it will count as discreet.
[[Destroy "Life of Man."]]
[[Leave the museum.]]
(set: $whyMon to 2)"Why would you do this?" you choke out.
Monod doesn't seem to notice your discomfort.(if: $int > 7)[ Maybe he has some sort of psychological disorder. Is he a sociopath? It wouldn't surprise you. Either way, it pisses you off.](if: $int < 8)[ It pisses you off.]
"Well... that's a very good question. I suppose my goal here was to dehumanize humanity. To devalue life. Show that beneath the skin, people are just flesh, meat.
"When you combine this with its sister exhibit, 'Death of Man,' there's an interesting contrast, I think. Next to 'Life,' 'Death' is even less human. Corpses are just empty sacks of flesh that used to move. The fact that I made the skin transparent in 'Life,' but not in 'Death,' emphasizes this.
"Of course, the individual pieces in each exhibit each say something of their own. For example, 'Pre-Fab Jesus' over there is meant to show how religion and its symbolism is all-"
"Stop," you interject. You can't listen to any more of his pedantic, pseudo-artistic bullshit. He's playing with lives here, and acting like it means nothing, beyond some pretentious artsy message.
"Hmm... well, alright. Did you have any other questions?"(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $howMon is 2)[(if: $monResources is 1)[
(link: '"Where did you get your resources?"')[(set: $monodInfo to 2)(goto: '"Where did you get your resources?"')]](if: $monMethods is 1)[
[["What methods did you use?"]]]](if: $howMon is 1)[
[["How did you do this?"]]](if: $thinkArt is 1)[
[["Can the pieces think?"|"Can they think?"]]](if: $monodInfo is 2)[(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["Who is Bruce?"]]]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
[["When did you last see Bruce?"]]](if: $whenMon is 2)[
[[Leave the museum.]]]
You push past your disgust as best you can. There's still a job to do. You exhale shakily.
"H-How did you do this, Monod?"(set: $howMon to 2)
"Interested in methods, eh? Well, normally I don't like to reveal too much. Takes away from the magic to reveal what's behind the curtain. But... Bruce did vouch for you. So by all means, ask away. What do you want to know?"(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $whyMon is 1)[
[["Why would you do this?"]]]
(link: '"Where did you get your resources?"')[(set: $monodInfo to 2)(goto: '"Where did you get your resources?"')]
[["What methods did you use?"]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
[["When did you last see Bruce?"]]]
(set: $monod to 2)(if: $monDeath is 1)[You have the information you need. It's time to get out of here.
By this point, Monod seems to have reintroduced himself to the confined little world of his studio. You make a remark about leaving, and Monod happily, thoughtlessly, unlocks the door for you. He's still wearing that mask.](if: $monDeath is 2)[You rummage Monod's key off of his lifeless body and use it to unlock the door.]
You breathe a sigh of relief once you're back on the street. You're never going in there again. At least you learned a bit more about your target.(if: $tableOfContents is 1)[
[[Decide where to go next.]]](if: $tableOfContents is 2)[
[[Return to Main Menu|Start Screen]]]
(set: $monResources to 2)(if: $int is > 7)[Monod can't have done all this on his own. Gene editing equipment isn't cheap. He must've used someone else's. ]"Where did you get your resources?"
"An(if: $monMethods is 2)[other] excellent question!" he replies. "As you can probably tell, this sort of project is a bit out of my normal price range. Animal and plant DNA mods are cheap, and easy to get sponsored for, as an artist. Humans, not so much. Makes some people a bit squeamish to hear that so much human DNA is going to be used in an art project."
You barely suppress a manic laugh.(set: $monBruce to 2)
"So... I had to use a few connections I've built up over the years to get this project up and running. I was able to pull a couple of strings at GCAT to get access to better equipment. They sent Bruce as a middleman. (if: $bruceTarget is 2)["
So that's the connection.(if: $bruceJob is 1)[ Maybe he felt guilty, and that's why he's trying to leak the documents?](if: $bruceJob is 2)[ Looks like Volhard was right about Bruce did.]
"]The materials themselves aren't too expensive, just some base elements, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium. Mostly it's a matter of getting to the equipment. Since the equipment was free for me, it was easy to experiment until I got things just right.
"Of course, as a genetic artist, my work has to be approved by government officials. I had to spend a bit more to grease the right palms, but beyond that, it was all pretty simple. Bruce was pretty helpful there too. Had connections in the right places."(if: $monVol is 2)[
Volhard's palms? That might be the connection.](if: $monVol is 3)[
"Volhard?" you ask, quietly seething.
"Yes, that's right," he answers absentmindedly.
That bitch.](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $whyMon is 1)[
[["Why would you do this?"]]](if: $monMethods is 1)[
[["What methods did you use?"]]](if: $thinkArt is 1)[
[["Can the pieces think?"|"Can they think?"]]](if: $monodInfo is 2)[(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["Who is Bruce?"]]]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
[["When did you last see Bruce?"]]]
(set: $monMethods to 2)"What methods did you use?"
"Well, now, that is an(if: $monResources is 2)[other] interesting question. Of course, the obvious answer is that I used gene editing, as did all the exhibits in this museum. But there's a bit more to it than that.
"You see, these men, all posed around here, are actually clones of myself, just like 'Death of Man.' But let me tell you, compared to 'Death of Man,' 'Life' was a bastard to put together. For 'Death,' I just had to shut off all brain functionality. No big deal, really, doesn't affect the body very much once it's dead.
"For 'Life,' I had to shut off only certain parts of the brain. After all, it wouldn't truly be 'Life' unless the exhibit was fully alive. I had to shut off all brain connection to the voluntary muscle movement, but keep connection to involuntary movement, like heartbeat and breathing. I also had to lock those voluntary muscles into position, to make sure they stayed in place properly.(set: $thinkArt to 1)
"There was also the matter of getting them all fed properly. Each of them has a hidden entrance to put a feeding tube into at night, as well as one to remove excrement. Except for 'Fetal Man,' of course," he says, waving an arm toward the fetus exhibit. "For that one, it's pretty clear how it's all happening.
"Once I'd figured out this base method for creating the main piece, it was pretty simple to modify them to each piece I wanted to make. Making the skin transparent was a simple matter. I found that some samples of glass frog DNA more than did the trick.
"Did you have any other questions?"(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $whyMon is 1)[
[["Why would you do this?"]]](if: $monResources is 1)[
(link: '"Where did you get your resources?"')[(set: $monodInfo to 2)(goto: '"Where did you get your resources?"')]]
[["Can the pieces think?"|"Can they think?"]](if: $monodInfo is 2)[(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["Who is Bruce?"]]]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
[["When did you last see Bruce?"]]](if: $whenMon is 2)[
[[Leave the museum.]]]
(set: $thinkArt to 2)"Can... can they think? The... the 'pieces, I mean?" It makes you cringe to call them that.
Monod snorts, as if the answer should be obvious. "Of course they can think. If they couldn't think, I wouldn't be staying true to life. My art would be a sham. As I've said, I have cut off certain connections to muscle. But besides that, their brains are fully functional."
You resist the urge to puke.(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $whyMon is 1)[
[["Why would you do this?"]]](if: $monResources is 1)[
(link: '"Where did you get your resources?"')[(set: $monodInfo to 2)(goto: '"Where did you get your resources?"')]](if: $monodInfo is 2)[(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["Who is Bruce?"]]]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
[["When did you last see Bruce?"]]](if: $whenMon is 2)[
[[Leave the museum.]]]
There's that name again. Bruce. Now you know, he's someone from GCAT who had interaction with Monod. The target is a former GCAT employee. Could they be the same person?(set: $bruceTarget to 2)
"Who is Bruce?" you ask.
"Like I just said, Bruce is the guy that GCAT sent to work with me on this project. I think his whole thing was setting up contracts and stuff. Well... now that I think about it, my contract was pretty unusual. Maybe he set up under the table contracts?"(if: $int > 7)[
That would actually make perfect sense. If the target did under the table stuff for GCAT, and some of it was horrific like this, it wouldn't be a stretch to think his morals might get in the way, and he might try to leak the information. So now, you know that this Bruce is almost certainly your target.](if: $int< 8)[
Well... so far, this 'Bruce' seems to be your best lead. For now, you'll consider him the target.]
You try to shove the fact that you're working for the people that enabled this to happen out of your mind.
"Yeah, maybe he did," you answer. "Did you get Bruce's last name?"(set: $bruceTarget to 2)
"Nope, never did. They were very secretive about that sort of thing."(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $whyMon is 1)[
[["Why would you do this?"]]](if: $thinkArt is 1)[
[["Can the pieces think?"|"Can they think?"]]]
[["When did you last see Bruce?"]]
"When did you last see Bruce?"(set: $whenMon to 2)
"Last time I saw Bruce...? Funny you should ask. I did, about a week ago. Just to check in. Didn't say much, other than that I should keep an eye out for you. He even had a picture. Kinda wierd, in hindsight, but he was kinda a wierd guy, you know?"
A shiver runs down your spine. Okay, whoever this Bruce is is definitely the target. That's too specific. Not to mention creepy.
You wonder how he knew a week in advance that GCAT would send you after him. Hopefully you'll learn soon enough.(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Monod.]]](if: $whyMon is 1)[
[["Why would you do this?"]]](if: $monMethods is 1)[
[["What methods did you use?"]]](if: $thinkArt is 1)[
[["Can the pieces think?"|"Can they think?"]]]
[[Leave the museum.]]
You look over at Monod's "art project." These things... they didn't ask to exist. And in their current state, they must be experiencing torture, in one way or another. The short story //I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream// comes to mind.
You steel yourself, and take out your pistol again. You stride over to each of the "pieces" and put them out of their misery. You know you're doing it for their own good, but you can't help but feel a weight drop onto your shoulders with every shot.
You finish, wipe you eyes, and let out a breath you've been holding for the past five minutes.
[[Leave the museum.]]
(if: $monod is 1)[Where should you head next?](elseif: $haldane is 1)[Where should you head next?](elseif: $volhard is 1)[Where should you head next?](if: $haldane is 1)[
[[The Gene-Pure Protest.]]](if: $monod is 1)[
[[The Genetic Art Museum|Monod.]]](if: $volhard is 1)[
[[The Congressional Committee Building.]]](if: $monod is 2)[(if: $haldane is 2)[(if: $volhard is 2)[You wrack your brain. You've uncovered a good chunk of information, but you still have no idea where where Bruce could be. For all you've discovered, it seems like you haven't gotten any closer to finding him.
Before you can think about the situation any further, your phone buzzes in your pocket.
You hastily check your messages. There's one new text.
**Hey Joan. It's Bruce. I guess by now, you know me, at least a bit. Meet me at Redman's Diner in 30 minutes, alone. I want to talk.**
Looks like you have one last lead after all.
[[Go to Redman's Diner]]]]]
You(if: $monod is 1)[ slip on a jacket,](elseif: $haldane is 1)[ slip on a jacket,](elseif: $volhard is 1)[ slip on a jacket,] check the bus schedule(if: $monod is 2)[ again](elseif: $volhard is 2)[ again] and walk over to the nearest stop. Soon enough, you're on your way to the gates of the Gene Corp complex, where the protest is being held.(if: $per > 5)[
As you wait to arrive at your destination, you can't help but notice that almost everyone else on the bus is carrying a protest sign.]
Unfortunately, before you can get very close to the complex, the bus slows to a halt. You glance out the window, and your eyes widen. You're at least a block or two away, and there are already protestors blocking the streets.
The driver backs out slowly, apologizing profusely all the way, and makes an off-route detour to another stop.
[[Approach the protest.]]
You(if: $monod is 1)[ slip on a jacket](elseif: $haldane is 1)[ slip on a jacket](elseif: $volhard is 1)[ slip on a jacket] and check the bus schedule(if: $haldane is 2)[ again](elseif: $monod is 2)[ again] before making your way to a bus stop. You wait for the one going to city hall to arrive, and get on.
You try to remember what you can about Volhard. She used to work for GCAT, and is now a Congressional advisor on gene editing law. Your best guess about her involvement in all this is that (if: $bruceTarget is 1)[the whistleblower](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[Bruce] went to her to give her the documents (if: $bruceTarget is 1)[they](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[he] stole.(if: $monResources is 2)[
On the other hand, there's the very real possibility that she could have colluded with Monod, considering that he greased a few palms in order to keep "Life of Man" off the government's radar. Could Volhard be one of those greased hands? You'll have to keep it in mind.]
The bus drops you off just outside city hall.
[[Enter city hall.]]
You look up Redman's Diner on your way to the nearest bus stop. The website boasts that it was established in the year 2000. The place is old.
You hop on the bus and stare blankly ahead, trying to make sense of everything you've learned today. After a minute or two, you give up. Information overload. You can't wait for this day to just be over.(set: $avery to 1)(set: $questions to 1)
You're dropped off right in front of the diner. You look inside. It looks like there's only one customer inside, facing away from you.
[[Enter Redman's Diner.]]
You step off the bus and head for the protest(if: $per > 7)[, along with pretty much everyone else on the bus].
It isn't long before you're surrounded by protesters, several of them bobbing signs high in the air. Signs complaining about how GCAT ruined the economy. How claiming they widened the gap between the haves and the have nots. Signs about their unethical practices.(if: $monResources is 2)[ After seeing what Monod was able to do through GCAT, you can attest to that last one.]
Being in the middle of an angry crowd is bad enough, but it's also unbearably loud. Everyone seems to be screaming, and their doesn't seem to be any sort of organization to it. You're not really sure whether this protest is worth having or not. What you do know is that by inconveniencing people this badly, and they're not getting as many people on their side.
After a few more minutes of wading your way through the crowd, you realize that you aren't making a whole lot of progress. Everyone is so clumped together that you can barely move. Besides that, you don't even know where Haldane is, other than near the GCAT building entrance! You need to decide on a new course of action.
[[Ask protesters for help getting to Haldane.]]
[[Try to find a cop to ask for help.]]
[[Start shoving your way through.]]
(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]](set: $directions to 1)(set: $cop to 1)(set: $shove to 1)(set: $copSteal to 1)(set: $disperse to 1)
Your name is Joan Carmichael. Before you were born, your parents decided to alter your gene code to their specifications, choosing everything from how you look, to your physical and mental characteristics. This decision left them heavily in debt to a company called Gene Corp Advanced Technology, or GCAT for short.
After your parents died, you inherited that debt. You've been paying off the bill by working as a Private Investigator. Over the past year, you've fallen behind on paying your bills.
Today, you received two emails. One from GCAT, offering to pay off your debt if you track down a former employee turned thief. The other email is supposedly from the thief themself, asking you to play along with GCAT for now.
GCAT provided you with several leads. You have chosen to follow one of these leads to a protest against GCAT, led by Terry Haldane. Haldane is a possible lead to your target.
[[Continue|The Gene-Pure Protest.]]
Your name is Joan Carmichael. Before you were born, your parents decided to alter your gene code to their specifications, choosing everything from how you look, to your physical and mental characteristics. This decision left them heavily in debt to a company called Gene Corp Advanced Technology, or GCAT for short.
After your parents died, you inherited that debt. You've been paying off the bill by working as a Private Investigator. Over the past year, you've fallen behind on paying your bills.
Today, you received two emails. One from GCAT, offering to pay off your debt if you track down a former employee turned thief. The other email is supposedly from the thief themself, asking you to play along with GCAT for now.
GCAT provided you with several leads. You have chosen to follow one of these leads to a Congressional Committee Building, where a former GCAT employee, Vivian Volhard, works as an advisor. She may have information on your target.
[[Continue|The Congressional Committee Building.]]
(set: $directions to 2)You shout into the crowd, trying to get someone's, anyone's attention.(if: $int < 8)[(if: $char < 8)[ Unfortunately, no one seems particularly eager to help you.
"Hey! Hey, I need to get to the front of the crowd! Can anyone help me out? I need to find Terry Haldane!" No one even glances in your direction. Looks like you'd better find another way to get to the GCAT building.(if: $shove is 1)[
[[Start shoving your way through.]]](if: $cop is 1)[
[[Try to find a cop to ask for help.]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]]]](if: $int > 7)[ Unfortunately, no one seems particularly eager to help you.
"Hey! Hey, I need to get to the front of the crowd! Can anyone help me out? I need to find Terry Haldane!" No one even glances in your direction. Maybe you need to change tactics.
"Hey, everyone! Have an important message to get to Terry Haldane! I can't reach him by phone, I need to talk to him in person! I'm his secretary, I need to get to the front of the crowd."
The effect is entirely different. You hear shouts among the crowd, telling each other to make room. After a bit of pushing and shoving, there's a bit of a path for you to take, leading toward the GCAT gates. You press your way through the crowd much more quickly than before, making sure to continue yelling your message as you go.
[[Move to the GCAT Building gates.]]](if: $int < 8)[(if: $char > 7)[
"Hey, everyone I need to get to the front of the crowd. It's really important! Please, you have to believe me!"
The crowd almost immediately starts moving to make room for you. Maybe it's something about the way you said it.(if: $grooming is 3)[ Maybe it's something about the way you did you hair today.] Either way, you now have a much easier time getting to the front.
[[Move to the GCAT Building gates.]]]]
(set: $cop to 2)(if: $per > 6)[You look around for a cop, and quickly find one a couple yards away, trying to corral the crowd a bit and keep things civil.
The protestors are not making things easy for him. They're screaming in his face, calling him names, throwing bits of garbage at him. He looks stressed, but to his credit, he's keeping mostly calm.
You slowly but surely make your way over to him. Soon, you're close enough to ask him a question.(if: $gun is 1)[ Before you do, however, you catch sight of something at his hip. A sidearm. A silenced pistol.(if: $int > 6)[ Wait... why would a cop's pistol be silent? Unless... this isn't a cop. A GCAT employee? Maybe. Probably. Whatever, you'll keep calling him a cop.]](if: $directions is 1)[
[[Ask protesters for help getting to Haldane.]]](if: $shove is 1)[
[[Start shoving your way through.]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]]
[[Ask cop for help.]](if: $gun is 1)[
[[Take his gun.]]]]
(if: $per < 7)[You look around desperately, but are unable to find any cops nearby. You would think there would be more of them around here, given how big the protest is.(if: $directions is 1)[
[[Ask protesters for help getting to Haldane.]]](if: $shove is 1)[
[[Start shoving your way through.]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]]]
(set: $shove to 2)(if: $str > 7)[You start shoving your way through the crowd in the general direction of the GCAT building, throwing your entire body into it. People yell at you at first and try (ineffectually) to shove back, but are quick to figure out that they should probably just stay out of your way. After a minute or two of shoving, there's much less resistance, and people just automatically get out of your way when they see you coming.
[[Move to the GCAT Building gates.]]](if: $str < 8)[You ineffectually attempt to shove your way through the crowd. Every time you manage to squeeze between two people, they just end up pushing you back, screaming at you to stop shoving. After five or so minutes of this, you give up. There's got to be a better way to get through this crowd.(if: $directions is 1)[
[[Ask protesters for help getting to Haldane.]]](if: $cop is 1)[
[[Try to find a cop to ask for help.]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]]]
(if: $copSteal is 2)[You make sure to get a safe distance away from the cop before enacting(if: $int > 7)[ your admittedly ridiculous] plan.] You pull the gun out of your pants and quickly slip it under your jacket to unscrew the silencer. This isn't going to work if no one can hear the gunshots. You take a moment to mentally prepare yourself before yanking out the weapon and unloading three rounds up into the air, making sure to keep the weapon close so that no one notices you holding it. The shots are like thunderclaps, even over the din of the crowd. As quickly as the shots are off, the gun is back under your jacket, and you're screwing the silencer back on.(set: $disperse to 2)
The effect on the crowd is instantaneous. Everyone starts screaming, and within a minute, people are dispersing out of the crowd. You stow the gun back in your pants and begin move forward. Although the crowd it still thick, it's much easier now.
[[Move to the GCAT Building gates.]]
"Excuse me?"(if: $char < 8)[ It takes a few tries to get his attention.]
"Yes?" he asks. "How can I help you?"(if: $char > 7)[
You're kind of surprised he moved to help you so quickly. Maybe it's because you weren't verbally harassing him.
You raise your voice a little so he can hear you. "Hey, I'm just trying to get to the front of the protest. I'm meeting a friend. Do you think you could help me?"](if: $char < 8)[
You yell to make yourself heard. "Hey, would you help me get closer to the GCAT building? I've gotta do something over there!"]
The cop looks over you(if: $char < 8)[ with a frown] and thinks it over.(if: $char < 8)[After a moment, the cop shakes his head.
"Sorry ma'am, I'm too busy. I can point you in the right direction, though. It's two blocks north of here!"
Oh well, it was worth a shot.(if: $copSteal is 2)[ At least you got a gun out of it.]](if: $directions is 1)[
[[Ask protesters for help getting to Haldane.]]](if: $shove is 1)[
[[Start shoving your way through.]]](if: $gun is 1)[(if: $copSteal is 1)[
[[Take his gun.]]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]](if: $char > 7)[After a moment, the cop nods.
"Sure, I think things can handle themselves for a little while. Here, come a bit closer and I can escort you there. It'll go a lot faster."
[[Follow the cop.]]]
(set: $gun to 2)(if: $dex > 6)[The density of the crowd makes it easy to quickly shoot out your hand to grab the weapon. He doesn't even notice you take it. You give the piece a quick once over. Looks like the silencer is removable. That could definitely be useful.(set: $copSteal to 2)
You hastily flick the safety on and shove it in the back of your pants before anyone can see.](if: $dex< 7)[You try to grab the gun, but the cop's gaze goes over you before you can wrap your fingers around it. Thankfully, he seems to think you were just someone else trying to get his attention.(if: $directions is 1)[
[[Ask protesters for help getting to Haldane.]]](if: $shove is 1)[
[[Start shoving your way through.]]]]
[[Ask cop for help.]](if: $dex > 6)[
[[Fire your gun into the air to disperse the crowd.]]]
"Thank you!" You scoot in closer to the officer, and he starts leading you toward the GCAT building. The crowd parts to make room for the cop, and by extension, you. Apparently, they have at least that much respect for the badge.
"So, who's this friend you're meeting?" he asks.
You think of an answer quickly. "She's one of the protest organizers. I never found out where exactly they were meeting, though. I think she mentioned working under Terry Haldane?"
The cop offers a slightly annoyed huff. "Fuckin' protesters... not your fault though, I guess. Not even their, fault, sorta. I can understand 'em bein' angry.
"Anyway, us on the force were provided with some intel on where the protest leaders are. I can take you there, no problem."
After about fifteen more minutes of swimming through the crowd, you and the cop finally arrive at a small group of tents a few yards to the right side of the gate. "This is where they oughtta be. Hope this helped."
You nod. "It really, really did. Thank you."
"No problem ma'am. Have a good one. I'm sure it'll be better than the rest of my day." He heads back into the crowd. Within seconds, he's disappeared.
[[Enter the camp.]]
After fifteen minutes, you've gotten within a few feet of the building gates.(if: $disperse is 2)[ Unfortunately, the commotion you caused doesn't seem to have done much this deep into the crowd. Maybe they just haven't heard about the gunshots yet?(if: $int > 7)[ Weird, you'd think it would be all over social media.]]
Altough you're definitely closer to Haldane physically, you still haven't pinpointed his exact location.(if: $per > 6)[ The only obvious lead you can see is a nearby group of tents.] He's around here somewhere. How to find him?(set: $listen to 1)
[[Ask where he is.]]
[[Try to listen for information.]](if: $per > 6)[
[[Investigate the nearby group of tents.|Enter the camp.]]]
Walk into the camp(if: $char > 6)[, taking car to act like you have every right to be there. Apparently for no reason, because n](if: $char < 7)[. N]o one seems bothered by your presence.(if: $listen is 1)[ You begin checking the tents for any sign of Haldane. His voice is pretty recognizable, so you think you can find him pretty easily, especially in a camp so small.
You start checking all the tents.(if: $int > 6)[ They're the kind you might rent for a county fair, so they're fairly big, big enough for a person to stand in,](if: $int < 7)[ They're big enough for people to stand inside,] so thankfully no one needs to crouch to get in.
After a minute or two of searching, you catch ear of him. You only have to listen for a few seconds to realize that he's in the middle of an interview. As much as you want to talk to him, you know you need to wait. GCAT wants you to stay discreet. Barging into the middle of an interview is not staying discreet. Better to just talk to him once the interview is over.](if: $listen is 2)[ You decide to start by looking for the pair of people who were being led here.
They aren't hard to find. You catch sight of them disappearing into one of the nearby tents. You run to follow them, but by the time you reach the tent's entrance, you can hear that they've already started talking to Haldane. From the sound of it, it's an interview. As much as you want to talk to him, you know you need to wait. GCAT wants you to stay discreet. Barging into the middle of an interview is not staying discreet. Better to just talk to him once the interview is over.]
[[Listen to the interview.]]
"Excuse me? Excuse me, I'm looking for Terry Haldane.(if: $int > 7)[ I'm his secretary!] I need to find him."(if: $directions is 2)[(if: $int < 8)[(if: $char < 8)[ Unlike before, your questions actually work. Maybe it's because you're closer to Haldane, and some of these people have seen him.]](if: $int > 7)[ Just like last time, the secretary line works like a charm.]]
A series of voices speak up to point you in the right direction.
"He's over in that clump of tents!"
"Over there, on the right side of the gate!"
"In those tents!"
(if: $per > 6)[Those same tents you saw earlier. ]You waste no time in making your way in the direction they've pointed you toward.
[[Enter the camp.]]
You try to listen to the crowd around you for possible clues on how to find Haldane.
//"...authoritarian pigs, working with GCAT..."
"...nod and all his artsy friends, they're part of..."
"...you know what I heard? Some fucked up shit, that's what. I heard they..."
"...put my family, and thousands, millions of others, in debt for..."
"HEY HEY, HO HO, GCAT HAS GOT TO GO..."
"...they put in hidden genes, right? To screw you over later, then you need to pay them to fix you! To fix the genes they screwed up in the first..."//
(if: $per > 5)[//"...please, follow me, Mr. Haldane will..."//
There it is. You zero in on the owner of the voice. He seems to be leading two people away somewhere. You try to follow, but lose track quickly. That's okay, though. You saw their general direction.(set: $listen to 2)
You keep heading that direction, after a minute or two, you're faced with a small group of tents.(if: $per > 6)[ The same one you saw earlier.]
Jackpot.
[[Enter the camp.]]](if: $per < 6)[No luck. Better fall back on your other option.
[[Ask where he is.]]]
You listen to the interview going on inside. If you're lucky, maybe you'll hear something useful. You're not holding your breathe, though.
"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Mr. Haldane."
"Oh, I'm happy to, I'm happy to."
"Glad to hear it. So, what exactly are you, and Gene-Pure as a whole, here to protest today?"
"Well, it's not just me protesting here today, Clare. (if: $int > 5)[" Clare must be the interviewer. "]As you can see outside, thousands have gathered here today to protest against GCAT, any company like it, and the corrupt politicians who support them. Each and every man and woman out there has a good reason for protesting."
"And what are they?"
"What are they? Well, let's see. First up, there's the fact that they ruined the economy. You might be a bit young to remember it, Clare, but back in the early 2000s, there was the housing bubble pop. Banks gave too many loans to people who couldn't afford it, and the whole system ended up collapsing. Same thing with GCAT, just two decades later. Except this time, it was gene editing people were getting loans for, not homes.
"So that ended up putting millions of families into debt, a debt that ended up being pushed onto the next generation. To put it lightly, they are pissed off.
"Then there's the government collusion, giving GCAT and other companies special treatment. GCAT oiled the hands of politicians, then those politician oiled the hands of the people inspecting the gene editing facilities. Who knows what sort of ethical and health codes are being broken in there? Probably a lot. Hands don't get oiled for no reason. They're hiding something.(if: $volhard is 2)["
Damn right they're hiding something. Your chat with Volhard was more than enough to convince you of that.]
"And then there's the-"
"Alright, I think we get the picture. Economic collapse, corruption. Understandable concerns. So, what is Gene-Pure specifically hoping accomplish by staging this protest?"
"Well, again, there are a couple of things. For one, we want to get peoples' attention."
Clare laughs. "I think you can check that one off your list."
(if: $per > 6)[You can practically hear the smile in Haldane's voice. ]"You're right about that. So, what else? Well, we have a list of demands we're going to be reading during the speech in a couple hours. The demands have all been signed on an online petition. We expect the govenment to address these demands."
"Can you tell us a couple of those demands?"
"Well, I don't want to get into anything too specific. That's what the speech is for. But generally, we want to have several high ranking government officials we want to be investigated for collusion. We want certain gene editing restrictions to at least be discussed in the House and the Senate. We want investigations made into GCAT and similar corporations."(if: $volhard is 2)[
You wonder if Volhard is on that list.]
"There have been several confirmed reports of violence at your protests. Some of the protesters taken in even claimed that they were following orders from protest organizers. Is this true?"
"Absolutely not. Gene-Pure does not condone violence against anyone."
"So you're denying any involvement?"
"Yes. And I can personally vouch for anyone else at the forefront of the Gene-Pure movement."(if: $per > 6)[
You don't buy a word of that. The answer sounds too rehearsed, like he was expecting the question, and wanted to be ready to dodge it in advance.]
"Alright, thank you," Clare cuts in. "We're almost out of time, Mr. Haldane. Is there anything you want to leave us with?"
"Yes. (if: $per > 6)[Again, you can hear the grin in his voice. "]We have an inside source who has been very eager to share information with us. It should be sent to us by the time the speech is set to begin. He claims to have real documentation. If this is true... well, it's going to be an interesting next few days."(if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
Bruce. That has to be Bruce. Shit.](if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
The target. That has to be the target. Shit.] Your intuition about (if: $bruceTarget is 1)[the whistleblower](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[Bruce] leaking the documents to Haldane was true! If he's planning on releasing the information later today, you have to hurry!
[[Enter the tent.]]
The second the reporter and cameraman exit the tent, you rush inside. Before you can reach Haldane, you're suddenly stopped by a human shaped brick wall. It glares down at you and makes an ugly expression. You can't tell if it's a smile or a frown.(if: $str > 8)[
You can tell what's about to go down, and you waste no time in throwing the first punch. Your fist connects with it's jaw. It blinks in surprise, as if that were the last thing it expected, and then falls to the ground like a tree.
The only two left in the room are you and Haldane. He seems more annoyed than scared. You wonder if it's an act. Hard to tell.](if: $str < 9)[
Before you can properly react, the wall grows arms and grabs you, holding you firmly in place. You struggle and squirm, but it gets you nowhere. Wonderful.
The wall turns around, taking you with it, and faces Haldane. He looks over you with mild annoyance.]
He speaks first. "Why did you antagonize my bodyguard?"(if: $str > 8)[
You raise an eyebrow and glance up at the behemoth. "Seriously"?](if: $str < 9)[
You look down at the fallen behemoth. "I didn't want to get hit first.]
He shrugs. "Fair enough." He sits down in a fold out chair.(if: $str < 9)[ "Sydney, put her down."
The thing obeys without a word, but continues standing behind you menacingly. You do your best to ignore it.
"Uh, thanks."
"Don't mention it."]
The two of you look at each other awkwardly.
The silence in the tent only seems annoy Haldane further. "Well, spit it out! Why are you here?"(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["I'm here about the GCAT whistleblower.|"I'm here about Bruce."]]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
[["I'm here about Bruce."]]]
[["I overheard the interview."]]
[["I just wanted to talk to you.]]
(if: $bruceTarget is 1)["I'm here about the whistleblower."
Haldane's expression changes from annoyed to interested almost immediately. "Oh... you're here about Bruce. I suppose that would make you... Joan? Right?"
Your eyes widen in shock. The whistleblower told your leads about you?
He smiles wider at your reaction. "You are Joan. Nice to meet you. Bruce said you would come. Now that I look at you, you do look a lot like the picture he showed me."
The whistleblower's name is Bruce. You file that away. Also, he apparently has been showing people pictures of you. That's... unnerving, to say the least.(set: $bruceTarget to 2)](if: $bruceTarget is 2)["I'm here about Bruce."
Haldane's expression changes from annoyed to interested almost immediately. "Oh... I suppose that would make you... Joan? Right?"
You nod.
He smiles. "Now that I know it's you, you do look a lot like that picture he showed me.
You try not to let the fact that Bruce has been showing your picture around bother you.]
"Did Bruce tell you his first name?" you ask.
He shakes his head. "Nope. He's crazy, but he's not stupid."
You shrug. "Worth a shot."
"I suppose so.(if: $str < 9)[" Haldane glances up at his giant. "Sydney, leave us please. I'll be fine." The giant nods slowly and trudges out of the tent. Haldane watches to make sure they've gone before speaking again.]
"Well Joan, you'll be happy to know that Bruce put in a very good word for you. Once we've opened up a couple of those rats in Congress to investigation, we'd be happy to have you on our staff."
"Okay..." That's new. But you'll have time to think about it later. Better to just focus on the task at hand. "...great. But we can talk about that later. Right now, I just need to find Bruce. Like, get in contact with him in person. It's really important."
Haldane frowns. "I'm afraid not. Last time I saw Bruce was about a week and a half ago. That's when he told me about his leaks. He wanted to save it for some reason, though. Never told me why, but I didn't really see it as a problem... Why do you need to see him so urgently?"
"It's about the leak. GCAT is trying to hush the whole thing up." Not technically a lie.
This seems to physically shake Haldane. "That is... very urgent. Well... I would help you if I could, believe me. But I have no idea where Bruce has gone. He didn't tell me, I'm afraid."
[[Leave the camp.]]
"I overheard the ineterview from outside the tent."
He raises an eyebrow. "Eavesdropper, huh? Well, obviously you have some sort of question about it! Spit it out!"
You frown. "Okay, okay. Calm down, I'm sorry, alright! I just wanted to ask about the whistleblower you mentioned."
Haldane makes a face that you can't quite interpret. It's something between fear and anger.(set: $BruceTarget to 2)
"You know about Bruce?"(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
You have no idea who Bruce is, but you nod anyway. "Yeah, it's about Bruce."
"Mhmm... that would make you Joan..."
You barely suppress a flinch. The whistleblower... Bruce... told others about you? Told your leads about you? Showed them pictures of you? That's... unnerving, to say the least.](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
You nod. "Yeah, it's about Bruce."
"Mhmm... that would make you Joan..."]
"Yeah, I'm Joan."
"Hmm... well, I'm afraid that until we have an actual response from Congress about our proposed investigations, we won't have much need for you. We will contact you when the time comes. Until then, there's not much I can do for you. Good day."
You blink. That was abrupt. You're not quite sure what's going on here, but you have to at least try one more time to get a bit of information out of him.
"You don't know where Bruce is? I need to find him."
"I'm sorry, but Bruce has not been very forthcoming about his location. I would tell you if I knew. Now, if you have nothing else to bother me with, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
[[Leave the camp.]]
"I just wanted to talk to you."
"Did you now? Well, you went to a lot of trouble to find me. I've seen the crowd out there. So... spit it out. What did you want to talk to me about?" To say he was in a bad mood would be an understatement.
You frown. "Okay, okay. Calm down, I'm sorry, alright! I just wanted to ask about this whistleblower rumor I've been hearing about. I wanted to hear it straight from the horse's mouth whether it was true or not."
Haldane makes a face that you can't quite interpret. It's something between fear and anger.(set: $BruceTarget to 2)
"That... that was a very, very well kept secret, until that interview just now. If you didn't overhear it from there... you know about Bruce?"(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
You have no idea who Bruce is, but you nod anyway. "Yeah, it's about Bruce."
"Mhmm... that would make you Joan... The girl from the picture..."
You barely suppress a flinch. The whistleblower... Bruce... told others about you? Told your leads about you? Showed them pictures of you. That's... unnerving, to say the least.](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
You nod. "Yeah, it's about Bruce."
"Mhmm... that would make you Joan..."]
"Yeah, I'm Joan."
"Hmm... yes, then it makes sense that you would know him. Not sure why you were being so cautious about it with me.
"Now, I'm afraid that until we have an actual response from Congress about our proposed investigations, we won't have much need for you. We will contact you when the time comes. Until then, there's not much I can do for you. Good day."
You blink. That was abrupt. You're not quite sure what's going on here, but you have to at least try one more time to get a bit of information out of him.
"You don't know where Bruce is? I need to find him."
"I'm sorry, but Bruce has not been very forthcoming about his location. I would tell you if I knew. Now, if you have nothing else to bother me with, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
[[Leave the camp.]]
You offer Haldane a melancholy thank you for his time before exiting the camp and making your way slowly back out of the protest.(set: $haldane to 2)
Well, that's one(if: $volhard is 2)[ more](elseif: $monod is 2)[ more] lead gone. You didn't end up getting much out of this one. The main thing you learned is that(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[ the whistleblower](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[ Bruce] plans on leaking the documents to Gene-Pure(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[, and that the target's name is Bruce.] Sort of helpful, but you're not sure what you can do with this new information. There's not much you can do here but keep checking your other leads.(if: $tableOfContents is 1)[
[[Decide where to go next.]]](if: $tableOfContents is 2)[
[[Return to Main Menu|Start Screen]]]
(if: $per > 6)[There are a couple cop cars surrounding the building. They don't pay you any mind. They're probably here more as a precaution than anything else. After all, city hall is public property, and you have every right to be there.
]You mount the front steps and enter through the double doors. Seems like a pretty slow day today, which sort of takes you off guard. There's a pretty big protest going on today. You'd think there would be more going on in response to that.
You check your phone again to try and find out where Volhard is. A quick scroll through the city hall website tells you that right now, she's in a meeting. Unfortunately, is no information about what room the meeting is, or what it's about,other than that it's closed to the public. Perfect.
[[Look for the meeting yourself.]]
[[Get help at the front desk.]](set: $late to 1)(set: $floorNumber to 1)(set: $floor1 to 1)(set: $floor2 to 1)(set: $know328 to 1)
(if: $late is 3)[You doubt you're going to get any more information out of the girl at the desk. You came off as pretty sketchy. ]It's probably best to just look for the meeting yourself(if: $late is 3)[ at this point].
[[Check first floor.]]
[[Check second floor.]]
[[Check third floor.]]
You approach the front desk. Sitting in a roller chair in front of a desktop computer, a college aged chick stares down at her phone, texting. You can't really blame her. Nothing's going on here today.
"Excuse me?"
She glances up, offering you a tired and slightly annoyed look. "Can I help you?"
[["Where is Ms. Volhard's meeting today?"]](set: $meetingWhere to 1)
[["What is Ms. Volhard's meeting about?"]](set: $meetingAbout to 1)
[["I'm late for a for Ms. Volhard's meeting." (Lie.)]]
(set: $meetingWhere to 2)(if: $meetingAbout is 1)[Yes, please. I came by to ask about where Ms. Volhard's meeting is today."](if: $meetingAbout is 2)["Yes, actually. I'd also like to know where the meeting is."]
The girl moves her gaze to the desk computer. She taps in a couple commands on the keyboard. "Looks like she in room...328.(if: $meetingAbout is 1)[ You are aware that the meeting today is closed, right?"
"Yeah, I know."(set: $know328 to 2)
"Okay, great. ](if: $meetingAbout is 2)[
"]Is there anything else I can do for you?"(if: $meetingAbout is 1)[
[["What is Ms. Volhard's meeting about?"]]]
[["No." (Head to room 238.)|Go to room 328.]]
(set: $meetingAbout to 2)(if: $meetingWhere is 1)[Yes, please. I came by to ask what Ms. Volhard's meeting is about."](if: $meetingWhere is 2)["Yes, actually. I'd also like to know what the meeting is about."]
"Sure. Well,(if: $meetingWhere is 2)[ as I said,] the meeting is closed. But I can tell you a bit more about it. It concerns the renewal of some licenses. I think Ms. Volhard's work has to do with gene editing, so the licenses probably have to do with that too.(if: $int > 7)["
That's a pretty strange topic to close a meeting for.]
"Is there anything else I can do for you?"(if: $meetingWhere is 1)[
[["Where is Ms. Volhard's meeting today?"]]](if: $meetingWhere is 2)[
[["No." (Head to room 238.)|Go to room 328.]]]
(if: $char > 7)["Listen, I'm really in a bind here. I'm Ms. Volhard's new intern, and I'm supposed to be doing the minutes on her meetings. The thing is, I never got the email saying where the meeting was supposed to be, or when. I only figured out that there was a meeting today at all by checking the website. Can you please tell me where that meeting is? I'm already late."
The girl nods sympathetically. "Hey, I get it, trust me. Took me a while to get into the swing of things around here too." She turns to the computer and taps in a few commands. "Third floor, room 328. I'll send a call up to the security staff to let them know to let you in."(set: $late to 2)
You give her a genuine smile. That went a lot better than expected. "Thank you so, so much."
"No problem." She's already back to texting. Oh well.
[[Go to room 328.|Enter room 328.]]](if: $char < 8)["Uhm, yeah, you can help me. You see, uh, I'm Ms. Volhard's new intern. I'm supposed to be at her meeting right now, taking notes, but never got anything about it. I don't even know what room it's in. Could you... point me in the right direction?"
The girl frowns. "That's a closed meeting, and I've never seen you before... could you show me your ID?"(set: $late to 3)
Fuck. You pretend to check you pockets. "I left it at home..."
The girl shrugs. already looking back down at her phone. "Sorry, I can't help you."
Well, that could've gone better.
[[Look for the meeting yourself.]]]
(if: $late is 2)[You find the stairs and run up to the third floor. After about a minute of looking for the room, you find the door, flanked on one side by a security guard sitting in a chair.
When the guard catches sight of you, he gets up from his chair to open the door. "Don't worry, Mary filled me in. Head on in.
]You walk through the door. For moment, the meeting at the front of the room goes on uninterrupted, but when the door clicks shut, everyone around the table turns to face you.
The man at the head of the table frowns. "Excuse me young lady, but this meeting is closed to the pub-"
"It's fine, Carl. I know her," a woman interrupts. That must be Volhard. She gets up from the table and stides out toward to you.(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
Wait, what? How the hell does Volhard know you?](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
Looks like Bruce told her about you too.]
"But, Viv, the meeting-"
"Sorry Carl, I have to skip this one, okay?"
Carl exhales with restrained frustration. "Alright Viv. I'll fill you in later."
"Thanks." She turns her attention back to you. "Come on. We can talk in my office."
[[Follow Volhard.]]
(if: $floorNumber is 1)[You decide to check the first floor first. You're already on it, after all.](if: $floorNumber is 2)[You go to the first floor next.] You look around for some hint of where Volhard's meeting might be.
A walk around the first floor doesn't offer too much. Everyone seems too busy to talk to you.(if: $per > 6)[ The only thing of possible interest is a bulletin board mounted on the wall of the lobby.
[[Check bulletin board.]]](if: $floor2 is 1)[
[[Check second floor.]]]
[[Check third floor.]](set: $floorNumber to $floorNumber + 1)(set: $floor1 to 2)
(if: $floorNumber is 1)[You decide to check the second floor first.](if: $floorNumber is 2)[You go to the second floor next.] You look around for some hint of where Volhard's meeting might be.
After searching the floor, all you find is a guy sitting in chair next to an office, typing away on his laptop.
[[Ask man about Volhard.]]
(if: $floor1 is 2)[
[[Check first floor.]]]
[[Check third floor.]](set: $floorNumber to $floorNumber + 1)(set: $floor2 to 2)
(set: $floorNumber to $floorNumber + 1)(if: $floorNumber is 1)[You decide to check the third floor first.](if: $floorNumber is 2)[You go to the third floor next.](if: $floorNumber is 3)[Looks like third floor is last.] You look around for some hint of where Volhard's meeting might be.
After a quick walk around the floor reveals that it's empty, except for a security guard sitting in a chair beside a door.
[[Investigate the door.|Go to room 328.]]
(if: $know328 is 1)[You approach the guarded door uncertainly. Next to the door, the number 328 is written on a small sign. The guard gives you a stern look.
"Excuse me, but I was just looking for Vivian Volhard. I think she's in a closed meeting. Do you know where that is?"
The guard nods toward the door. "She's right in here. When the meeting's over, you're more than welcome to talk to her."](if: $know328 is 2)[You head straight for room 328, where you find a security guard sitting in a chair beside it.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes please. I need to see Vivian Volhard. She's in the meeting," you say, indicating the door.
"Sorry hun, but this meeting's closed. You can talk to her when the meeting's over.]
Shit. Now what?(set: $punchGuard to 1)
[[Punch the guard.]]
[[Run past the guard.]]
[[Cause a distraction.]]
You look over the bulletin board for any useful information. It doesn't take you long to find what you're looking for.
//Today's Meetings:
Open:
Room 117 - Jahns, Walker, Kubo, Lincoln
Room 224 - Rivers, Coleson, Kaplowitz, Schlanski
Room 301- Stuckmann, Parker, Larsen, Montgomery
Closed:
Room 328 - Carmine, Volhard, Richards, McDermott//
Room 328. That's where your lead is.(set: $know328 to 2)
[[Go to room 328.]]
You size up the guard.(if: $str > 6)[ You think you can take him.(set: $punchGuard to 2)
You throw a punch right into the guard's unsuspecting face. He lets out a muffled grunt, then slouches over in his chair, out cold. You take a moment to position him so that he looks like he's just sleeping.(if: $gun is 1)[
Before moving into the meeting room, you notice that the guard has a sidearm on his hip.
[[Take gun.]]]
[[Enter room 328.]]](if: $str < 7)[ After considering it for a moment, you decide not to risk it. You might be able to take him, but there's also a good chance you won't be able to. And if you aren't able to, then you've lost an important lead.
Better to figure out another way in.
[[Cause a distraction.]]
[[Run past the guard.]]]
You tap the man's shoulder to get his attention. He looks up from his work with a start. "Y-Yes?" he stammers.
"Hey. I'm here looking for someone named Vivian Volhard? Do you know where she might be?"(set: $know328 to 2)
The man nods, a bit unprepared for the sudden question. "Yeah. Uhm, I think she works in the gene editing department. They're supposed to have a meeting today on the third floor... room 328, I think?"
"328? Is that a closed meeting?"
"Uhm, I think so..."
"That sounds about right. Thanks for the help."
You head off for the room.
[[Go to room 328.]]
You make a break for the door.(if: $dex > 7)[ You're fast, and manage to get past the guard and through the door without him getting a hold of you.
Unfortunately, the guard doesn't just stop once you're through the door. Before you can get any further, he grabs you roughly.](if: $dex < 8)[ Unfortunately for you, the guard is quick, and before you can even get through the door, he's caught you by the arm.
You struggle against him, and manage to pull him through the door with you.] Shouts come from the front of the room as the two of you interrupt the meeting. You try to squirm out of his grip, but before you can, one voice s yells above the others.
"Let her go!"
It takes the guard a moment to realize that he's been given an order. Once he does, he quickly releases you.
You turn to face the front of the room, where you see a middle aged woman standing up from a meeting chair.
"Viv, what are yo-?"
"It's fine, Carl. I know her." That must be Volhard. She strides out from the table and over to you.(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
Wait, what? How the hell does Volhard know you?](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
Looks like Bruce told her about you too.]
"But, Viv, the meeting-"
"Sorry Carl, I have to skip this one, okay?"
Carl exhales with restrained frustration. "Alright Viv. I'll fill you in later."
"Thanks." She turns her attention back to you. "Come on. We can talk in my office."
[[Follow Volhard.]]
The third floor is set up like a giant loop. If you can cause a loud noise on the opposite side of the loop from the guard, you should be able to sneak in while he's investigating the sound. You leave the guard to his duty while you search for something to cause the distraction.(if: $gun is 2)[
You briefly consider taking the silencer off of your gun and firing a shot, but quickly decide against it. Too risky. If there's a gunshot inside the building, they'll probably just end up evacuating the place.]
The best thing you can find is a heavy looking curtain rod set overtop a window. You stretch on your tip toes and begin to loosen the bolts fastening the rod the wall. After about five minutes, the rod finally crunches out of the wall, slipping through your fingers and crashing to the floor with a loud bang.
You take a moment to listen which direction the guard is coming from before taking off in the other direction, making your way to room 328.
[[Enter room 328.]]
You pull the guard's gun from it's holster. It's a pistol with a silencer. Excellent. This could definitely come in handy if things get hairy.
You stuff the piece into the back of your pants, taking care that the safety is switched on.(set: $gun to 2)
[[Enter room 328.]]
(if: $punchGuard is 1)[The guard gives you and Volhard a strange look as you pass him and move toward her office.](if: $punchGuard is 2)[You do you best to ignore the unconscious guard still slouching in the chair as you follow Volhard to her office.](if: $per > 6)[ You take a moment to examine her face. Her skin is pallid, and her expression is one of extreme worry."] When the two of you enter her office, she locks the door behind her.
"Any particular reason for locking the door?" you ask.
"Privacy. Don't want any interruptions."
An awkward silence fills the room for a moment.(set: $bruceVol to 1)(set: $after to 1)
"So, you're Joan Carmichael," Volhard finally says.(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
An uneasy feeling passes over you. So she really does know you.
"Did the whistleblower tell you about me?" you ask.](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
You're not surprised. "Bruce told you?" you ask.]
"Yes, Bruce told me... I think we have a lot to talk about."(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
[["Who's Bruce?"|Volhard who's Bruce]]](if: $bruceTarget is 2)[
"Yeah, I think we do," you respond.
"Well... you're here to find Bruce, right? By all means, ask away. I'm an open book." She smiles strangely.(if: $per > 5)[ Her eyes look wet.] You try not to let yourself be too put off by it.
[["Why did Bruce come to you?"]]
[["What did Bruce do at GCAT?"]]]
"Who's Bruce?" you ask.
Volhard offers you strange smile. "He didn't tell you his name?"
You shake you head.
"I can understand why he would wait. He likes to be careful, I suppose.(set: $bruceTarget to 2)
"Bruce... Bruce is the man that knows all my dirty secrets."
You listen intently.
"We both used to work at GCAT. Funnily enough, we didn't actually meet until after I'd quit."
"Did you ever learn his last name?"
"No, never."
Another silence.
"Well... you're here to find Bruce, right? By all means, ask away. I'm an open book." She continues to smile.(if: $per > 5)[ Her eyes look wet.] You try not to let yourself be too put off by it.
[["Why did Bruce come to you?"]]
[["What did Bruce do at GCAT?"]]
(set: $bruceVol to 2)"Why did Bruce come to you(if: $bruceJob is 2)[ later, then]?" you ask.(if: $bruceJob is 1)[
"Do you mean before or after he stole from GCAT?"
[["Before."|"What did Bruce do at GCAT?"]]
[["After."]]](if: $bruceJob is 2)"Once Bruce had stolen from GCAT, he came to me to let me know what was coming. That he was going to be releasing GCAT's dirtiest secrets, and that I might get caught in the crossfire. He wanted to warn me...
"He... he also told me you would be coming. He showed me a picture of you, told me your name, and said that I should expect you in the next few weeks."(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
Well... that's creepy.](if: $monod is 2)[
[["You knew about Monod!?"]]](if: $monod is 1)[
[["Was that artist named Monod?"|"You knew about Monod!?"]]]
(set: $bruceJob to 2)(if: $bruceVol is 2)[(if: $afer is 1)["Before."](if: $after is 2)["And before?"]
"Well..." she responds, "that comes down to what Bruce did at GCAT.](if: $bruceVol is 1)["What did Bruce do at GCAT?"]
"Bruce's job, at least when I knew him, was to set up underground contracts. To make deals with the right people, to help the company avoid any problems. On multiple occasions, he came to have me pay off government inspectors. Last time I saw that he was still working for GCAT, he came in on behalf of this artist who was cozy with the company..."(if: $monResources is 1)[
That has to be Monod. One of your other leads.](if: $monod is 2)[
She //knew// about Monod? She //knew// what he was doing?](if: $monResources is 2)[
//She// was the one who's hands Monod greased!? She was complicit in... in //that//? You can barely suppress your rage.](if: $bruceVol is 2)[(if: $after is 1)[
[["And After?"|"After."]]]](if: $bruceVol is 1)[
[["Why did Bruce come to you later, then?"|"Why did Bruce come to you?"]]](if: $monod is 2)[
[["You knew about Monod!?"]]](if: $monod is 1)[
[["Was that artist named Monod?"|"You knew about Monod!?"]]]
(set: $after to 2)(if: $bruceVol is 2)[(if: $bruceJob is 2)["And after?]](if: $bruceJob is 1)["After."]
"Once Bruce had stolen from GCAT, he came to me to let me know what was coming. That he was going to be releasing GCAT's dirtiest secrets, and that I might get caught in the crossfire. He wanted to warn me...
"He... he also told me you would be coming. He showed me a picture of you, told me your name, and said that I should expect you in the next few weeks."(if: $bruceTarget is 1)[
Well... that's creepy.](if: $bruceJob is 1)[
[["And before?"|"What did Bruce do at GCAT?"]]](if: $bruceJob is 2)[(if: $monod is 2)[
[["You knew about Monod!?"]]](if: $monod is 1)[
[["Was that artist named Monod?"|"You knew about Monod!?"]]]]
(set: $monVol to 3)(if: $monod is 1)["Was the artist named Monod?"](if: $monod is 2)["You //knew// about Monod!?" you yell. You're practically foaming.]
Volhard visibly flinches, on the verge of tears.(if: $monod is 1)[ "Y-You know about Monod?" she stammers.
You nod, frowning a little with concern. "Yeah... he's one of my leads in finding Bruce."
"Then... then I guess you're going to find out..."
"Find out what?"
"Find out that I helped a monster."
"A monster? Really? Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration."](if: $monod is 2)[ "S-So you've met Monod?" she stammers.
You nod viciously. "Yes I did. Earlier today. He showed me his art project."
She flinches again. She can't look you in the eyes. "I-I... I never saw it in person. B-But I know what it was. I can't... I can't imagine-"
"No," you growl. "No, you can't imagine.]
"I-I... I..." she breaks down into tears. "I-I helped. It's my fault. I should've said no. I-I should've said no. I... I just want to die... I deserve whatever I get when Bruce goes public."
[[Where's Bruce now?"]](if: $monod is 1)[
[[Comfort her.]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Volhard.]]]
(if: $monod is 1)["Listen... I know you're sad. But I need to know where Bruce is now. Do you know where he is?"](if: $monod is 2)["Shut up. Yeah, you fucked up. I still have questions. Where's Bruce now?]
She sniffles pathetically. "I-I don't know. I don't know where he went..." She devolves back into crying. "I-I just wanna die... I-It's what I deserve..."(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Volhard.]]]
[[Leave city hall.]]
You put what you hope is a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. After five minutes, it's clear that she's too distraught to talk to you anymore. Whatever she was complicit in, it's been eating her up for a long time. What you're seeing has clearly been building up. Like dam, once it breaks, there's not much hope of salvaging anything. At least not for a while.
[[Leave city hall.]]
(set: $volDeath to 2)(if: $monod is 1)[It's hard to look at her. You're not sure exactly what she did, but based on her reaction... maybe she really does want to die. You swallow nervously, pull out your gun, setting it down audibly on Volhard's desk. She glances up at you, eyes red with tears.
"I... I could... well, if you really want to die..."](if: $monod is 2)[You look down at her with steely eyes. You've seen her mistake first hand. You can't blame her too much. You pull out your gun, and press the cool metal of the silenced muzzle to Volhard's forehead. You see her flinch. She looks up at you, wide eyed.]
She sniffles. "Y-You... you would..."
You nod. The first genuine smile you've seen on her all day appears on her face. This must have been eating at her for a long time.
"P-Please..." she begs. You turn off the safety(if: $monod is 1)[, press the gun to her forehead, close your eyes, and] pull the trigger.
She crumples over her desk.
[[Leave city hall.]]
(set: $volhard to 2)(if: $volDeath is 1)[Yeah, you're not getting anything else out of her any time soon. ](if: $volDeath is 2)[You flick the safety back on and stick your gun in the back of your pants with a soft sigh. You need to get out of here. ]You unlock the office door and make your way (if: $volDeath is 2)[quickly ]out of the building.(if: $tableOfContents is 1)[
[[Decide where to go next.]]](if: $tableOfContents is 2)[
[[Return to Main Menu|Start Screen]]]
You walk into the diner, bells jingling above you as the door swings closed. The restaurant's only patron shifts in his seat a couple booths down the aisle, but doesn't turn to look at you.
You exhale and walk down the aisle. The red leather on the booth seats is cracked and peeling, but they still have a certain appeal to them. The appeal of something you know won't be around forever, something that served its purpose well, but might need to be replaced any day.
You take a seat across from Bruce. His face is old, wrinkled, worn. The only thing that seems at all fresh about him are his eyes staring down at the table with an uncomfortable focus. It takes him a full minute to look you in the face.
"Hello Joan."
[["Hello Bruce."]]
"Hello Bruce," you reply.
He forces a grin on his face. "So... what do you think?"
You blink. "What... what do I think? What do I think of what?"
"Of what I've shown you today. Gene-Pure. The museum. The poor woman at city hall? What did you think? What stuck out to you most?"
[["Gene-Pure was full of shit."]]
[[Gene-Pure had the right idea."]]
[["Monod's 'art' was disgusting."]]
[["The exhibits at the museum."]]
[["I felt bad for Volhard."]]
[["Volhard disgusted me."]]
[["Who cares? I'm here to take you in.]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"Gene-Pure was full of shit," you reply.
Bruce looks at you with an expression of mild surprise. "Well... that's not the answer I expected. I thought they did good work."
You shake your head. "All they did was inconvenience people. And they didn't change anything."
Bruce is quiet for moment. "Do you think what they were campaigning for was good?"
[["Yes."|GP Good]]
[["No."|GP Bad]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"Well, Gene-Pure had the right idea," you reply.
Bruce smiles. "So you would be willing to work them?"
You nod. "Probably. From what I understood, it seemed like you had connections there."
He nods. "Yes. I put in a good word for you with Haldane.
"Yeah, he told me might need me for a job later. He was kind of weird about it."
Bruce laughs. "Yeah, we get along. So... what do you say? You've seen the harm GCAT can do. What they're willing to do keep their secrets stay secret. Will you help us expose GCAT?"
[["I'll join you."]]
[["No. But I won't get in your way."|Let Bruce go]]
[["I'm here to take you in."|Take in 2]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"Monod's 'art' was disgusting," you reply.
Bruce grimaces, as if remembering Monod's grotesque artworks for himself. "I couldn't agree with you more. The man is insane."(if: $monDeath is 2)[
"Was," you reply.
Bruce's eyes widen a tad. "I see."]
"You're right. He was insane," you say.
He nods gravely. "And GCAT helped the bastard do it."(if: $monResources is 2)[
"You did too," you point out.
He nods again sadly. "I did. And it was the last contract I ever wrote for GCAT. After that, I'd had enough.]
It's your turn to nod.
"That's just one of many disgusting contracts I made up for GCAT. I've seen that company do so, so much wrong. I want to make it right... and I want you to help me do it.(if: $per > 7)["
You can't help but wonder if he rehearsed tell you this.]
"What do you say?"
[["I'll join you."]]
[["No. But I will let you go."|Let Bruce go]]
[["I'm here to take you in."|Take in 2]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"The museum was interesting," you reply.
"Interesting, huh?" He scratches his chin.
You nod. "There was some stuff I really liked there. Not Monod's stuff, obviously, but a lot of the other stuff struck me as pretty legitimate art."
"Gene editing can bring great things into this world," he concedes, looking at you closely. "But it can also bring monstrosities...
"That's why I want to expose GCAT. Monod is just one of many disgusting contracts I made up for that company. I've seen them do so, so much wrong. I want to make it right... and I want you to help me do it.(if: $per > 7)["
You can't help but wonder if he rehearsed tell you this.]
"What do you say?"
[["I'll join you."]]
[["No, but I will let you go."|Let Bruce go]]
[["I'm here to take you in."|Take in 2]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"I felt bad for Volhard," you reply.(if: $volDeath is 2)[ Even if you put her out of her misery, you still felt sorry for her.]
"Me too," he says with a sigh. "Unfortunately, I suspect that she'll never be able to forgive herself for the role she had with Monod's... 'artworks.'"(if: $volDeath is 2)[
You know Monod's suspicion to be a certainty.]
You nod.
"GCAT has harmed so many people... they're a company that doesn't play by anyone's rules. I've seen it first hand. That's why they need to be exposed. And you... you've seen it too. You could help me do it. So... what do you say?
"Will you join me?"
[["I'll join you."]]
[["I won't join you, but I will let you go."|Let Bruce go]]
[["I'm here to take you in."|Take in 2]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"Volhard disgusted me," you reply.(if: $volDeath is 2)[ She deserved what she got.]
Bruce exhales in a sad sigh. "I'm sorry to hear you say that. Unfortunately, I think she thought about herself in much the same way. I suspect that she will never be able to truly forgive herself.(if: $volDeath is 2)[
This is a statement you know to be true. ]You nod.
"GCAT has put so many people in precarious positions... they're a company that doesn't play by anyone's rules. I've seen it first hand. That's why they need to be exposed. And you... you've seen it too. You could help me do it. So... what do you say?
"Will you join me?"
[["I'll join you."]]
[["I won't join you, but I will let you go."|Let Bruce go]]
[["I'm here to take you in."|Take in 2]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
What a stupid old man. After playing cat and mouse all day, he decided to just lead you right to himself.
"Who cares? I'm here to take you in."
Bruce looks at you mournfully, then lets out a shaky sigh. "Well... that's not what I was hoping to hear. But... but this was a gamble, after all. I'm not going to stop you."
You send an email to GCAT, informing them that the whistleblower is in your custody. In the five minutes it takes for GCAT truck to show up, Bruce remains completely silent. He goes with them quietly.
Jeremy Finch, the man from Gene Corp finances who sent you the email, tells you that your debt has been wiped clean.(if: $doormanKilled > 2)[(if: $volDeath is 1)[(if: $monDeath is 1)[ In addition, you will recieve a signifant bonus for staying discreet in your investigation.]]]
[[The End.|Start Screen]]
You subtly reach your hand behind your back and wrap your fingers around the silenced pistol. You flick off the safety(if: $doormanKilled is 2)[ for the last time](elseif: $monDeath is 2)[ for the last time](elseif: $volDeath is 2)[ for the last time]. You draw, pointing the pistol directly at (if: $avery is 1)[Bruce's ](if: $avery is 2)[Avery's ]chest and fire.
The old man has an expression of stupid surprise on his face for as his head falls back against the old seat. Red meets red as blood seeps into the leather.(if: $per > 7)[ Even as his life ends, his eyes never seem to lose their focus. They seem to be staring intently at something far away.](if: $questions is 2)[
You lured him into a false sense of security, got him to answer your questions, then took him out. Whan an idiot.]
You send an email to GCAT, informing them that the whistleblower is in your custody. In the five minutes it takes for GCAT truck to show up, you remain silent.
Jeremy Finch, the man from Gene Corp finances who sent you the email, tells you that your debt has been wiped clean.(if: $doormanKilled > 2)[(if: $volDeath is 1)[(if: $monDeath is 1)[ In addition, you will recieve a signifant bonus for staying mostly discreet in your investigation.]]]
[[The End.|Start Screen]]
You reluctantly nod. "I think that they had good ideas. They just went about them the wrong way."
"I agree. Even if their tactics weren't the best, they had the right general idea. Less corruption. Closer inspection of GCAT, and every company like it. I should know. I worked for them. I saw what they did... For a long time, I tried not to focus on it. But eventually, I just couldn't ignore it anymore. I had to do something. That's why I stole those documents.
"And that's why I brought you here. I... I hoped that you could help me, and Gene-Pure, actually make a difference. You're a damned good investigator. With my leaks, and you working to inspect gene editing companies... well, I think we could make a real difference.
"What do you say?"
[["I'll join you."]]
[["I'm here to take you in."|Take in 2]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"No, I didn't agree with them," you say. "They should just let the gene editing companies do what they need to. Sure, maybe it's unethical, but who am I to judge? Who is anyone, really? The status quo is just fine."
The surprise on Bruce's face fades into sadness. "I... I see. Very well. Have you made you decision, then?"
[["Yes. I'm taking you in."|Take in 2]]
[["Yes. I'm letting you go."|Let Bruce go]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
"I'll join you," you say, a rare smile on your face.
Bruce beams. "That's... that's good to hear." He sounds relieved. "What do you say we get out of here? I have documents to leak, after all."
[["I have questions first."]]
[[Leave.]]
"I'm here to take you in. I need the money."
Bruce looks at you mournfully, then lets out a shaky sigh. "Well... that's not what I was hoping to hear. But... but this was a gamble, after all. I'm not going to stop you."
You send an email to GCAT, informing them that the whistleblower is in your custody. In the five minutes it takes for GCAT truck to show up, Bruce remains completely silent. He goes with them quietly.
Jeremy Finch, the man from Gene Corp finances who sent you the email, tells you that your debt has been wiped clean.(if: $doormanKilled > 2)[(if: $volDeath is 1)[(if: $monDeath is 1)[ In addition, you will recieve a signifant bonus for staying discreet in your investigation.]]]
[[The End.|Start Screen]]
"I'm letting you go," you say.
Bruce stares at you long and hard. "You won't join me?" he asks.
You shake your head.
"But you're not going to turn me in?"
You nod.
"Alright." He stands up from the table.(if: $per > 6)[ It looks like the motion pains him.]
"You're sure I can't convince you?"
You nod.
Bruce offers you one final, mournful look as he leaves the diner.
You sit quietly in thought for a long time. You're not sure whether you made the right decision or not. You're not sure what's going to happen next.
Maybe you'll find a way to pay your bills. Maybe you won't. Maybe Bruce will expose GCAT, and it won't even matter. You heave a tired sigh and get up to catch the bus home.
[[The End.|Start Screen]]
(set: $questions to 2)"I have a few questions first," you say.
Bruce nods. "That's fair enough. By all means, ask away."
[["How did you know GCAT would pick me to investigate?"]]
[[What's your last name?"]](set: $lastName to 1)(set: $pickMe to 1)(set: $pickme2 to 1)
(if: $questions is 2)[You've heard everything you need to. Thankfully, Bruce's explanations helped make things a lot clearer.
]"Alright, let's leave."
The two of you get up from your seats and head out the door, on your way to change the world.
[[The End.|Start Screen]]
(set: $pickMe to 2)"How did you know GCAT was going to pick me to investigate you?" you ask. "I mean, all of people I talked to told me that you'd mentioned my name the last time you talked to them, and that was like a week in advance. How'd you do that?"
"Well, as you probably know, I was in charge of under the table contracts for GCAT. You were on their list of investigative contractors. I made sure your name was put at the top of that list."
[["Why pick me then?"]](if: $lastName is 1)[
[[What's your last name?"]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
[[Leave.]]
"What's your last name?" you ask. "I've been asking all day, but no one has known."(set: $avery to 2)(set: $lastName to 2)
"My full name is Bruce Avery," says Bruce. "Sorry for all the smokes and mirrors. Had to make sure you wouldn't figure out who I was before I could convince you to join me.(if: $pickMe is 1)[
[["How did you know GCAT would pick me to investigate?"]]](if: $pickMe2 is 1)[
[["Why pick me to investigate, then?"|"Why pick me then?"]]]
(if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
[[Leave.]]
(set: $pickMe2 to 2)"Well... why choose to put me at the top of the list then?"
"Well... this one requires a bit more of an explanation. You see, at my starting position at GCAT, I helped write up contracts for people wanting to have gene edited children. I was only in this position for a year or two before I was moved to something else.
"It may seem sappy, but I decided that I wanted to keep track of the kids I had a hand in making happen. Every once in a while,I would check the records for those kids.
"You were one of those kids, Joan. Your parents came to see me about having you 27 years ago."
Your eyes widen. This... was not what you were expecting to hear.
"When I came up with my plan to oust GCAT, I knew they would send someone after me before long. And... I remembered you, and that you were a private investigator. I decided that I would try to make it so that the person they sent was someone I knew... in a sense. Someone I would have some hope of convincing not to turn me in."(if: $lastName is 1)[
[[What's your last name?"]]](if: $gun is 2)[
[[Shoot Bruce.]]]
[[Leave.]]