[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.kimnotes_entered_wo_kim"]]

[Assistant] These are fragments of the lieutenant's paperwork, left unfinished. Notes on this and other recent cases.

[User] "Look, Cuno, Lieutenant Kitsuragi's notes."

[Assistant] The boy picks up the notes and shuffles through some of the case names: "'The Child', 'Dom's Unfinished', 'Dom's Unfinished 2', 'The Man With the Hole in His Head'... Boring ass shit," he concludes.

[User] "Oh... 'Motorcycle Emptiness' -- that's a cool case. Cuno can solve that shit for the bino."

[Assistant] "Don't call him a *bino*."

[User] The boy hesitates for a moment, then nods. "No one tells Cuno what to call something, but the bino was alright in Cuno's book." He taps his chest solemnly. "Cuno's pig."

[Assistant] What has he written -- on *this* case?

[User] Very little. This is a daily write-up. He's just started copying notes from his notebook, preparing them for filing. The case appears to be named, however.

[Assistant] What is the name?

[User] HDB41-0803.1300 (THE HANGED MAN)

[Assistant] Twenty-eight kilometres to the northeast, in the infirmary of Precinct 57, Lieutenant Kim 'Pinball' Kitsuragi rests under a heart monitor. A triage sign coloured yellow hangs from his injury record -- safe, it means. He coughs, propped up against the pillow.


[User] "I'm more interested in *why* you're so fixated on this idea in the first place."

[Assistant] "I think I just need a break from our main case for a bit."

[User] "I certainly understand the impulse, but this is our job, detective. Our whole *raison d'être*. At some point, we'll need to return to it."

[Assistant] "This has *got* to be better than your DynaWave."

[User] "An Esterhaz is certainly nothing to sniff at." The lieutenant nods. "But if you compare the feature sets, I would say they're more-or-less equivalent."

[Assistant] "Fine, it appears we've reached a draw."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["inventory.suzerainty_trade_war_counter"] > 2]

[Assistant] "Yes, another draw. It appears we are quite equally matched."

[User] Put the transceiver away. (Conclude.)

[Assistant] The movie stars are still smiling from the walls. There's a radio transmitter in the front and a pull-out toolbox tucked under the driver's seat. Some tools lie scattered near the pedals.

[User] Remove the radio transceiver.

[Assistant] It takes a few moments, but eventually the transceiver slides from its greased socket mount with an eminently satisfying *chhhnk*.


[User] You hold in your hand the colourful primer. The title reads: "A Primer for Small Kids." There's a bear involved.

[Assistant] "Kim, I know the alphabet now."

[User] "Good. I also know the alphabet."

[Assistant] It is a very useful skill to have, he thinks. For all sorts of life-activities. Like reading, and...

[User] Exactly what I need!

[Assistant] Mhm. This book will show you the score; get you oriented with those basic concepts you appear to be hazy on. The anthropomorphic bear will give you the *low-down* of your life...

[User] On what?

[Assistant] The alphabet.

[User] Exactly what I need!

[Assistant] Mhm. This book will show you the score; get you oriented with those basic concepts you appear to be hazy on. The anthropomorphic bear will give you the *low-down* of your life...

[User] On what?

[Assistant] The alphabet.


[User] Kim also tries *not* to look at the pile of tape viscera on the carpet. Or the weird suitcase on the hat rack. Or the potted plant dying in the corner. But it's all just too morbid to ignore.

[Assistant] The man is finding it hard not to trip on the tape -- and not to send any of the bottles rolling across the floor...

[User] "This is where *the magic* happens."

[Assistant] "And by that you mean crimes against humanity?"

[User] "Well, crimes against myself anyway."

[Assistant] "I have no idea what that means." He looks toward the exit, longingly.


[User] Tremble. THE TIME IS NOW. τὰ ὅλα.

[Assistant] This is because of the insane world-ending I've been saying isn't it? (Proceed.)

[User] Yes. You spoke the words of the παλίντροπος, and the houses of Perikarnassis. Items, people, even WORDS will tumble, all will lose its meaning in the coming years. That is why you marked yourself.

[Assistant] Am I sure it's not just a joke, or some kind of coping mechanism?

[User] It's *totally* also a coping mechanism.

[Assistant] I *do* think the world might end soon. (Opt in.)


[User] The library card is folded into two and still slightly wet to the touch. The front side reads: "Central Jamrock Public Library Card. Issued to Billie Méjean, expires July '53."

[Assistant] Billie is a unisex name. Could be the deceased *or* his family member?

[User] Look at the backside.

[Assistant] "If lost, please return the card to the library. Dial 005-02-55-211 or visit us at Meroe Street 78, Jamrock. Business hours: 09.00 to 18.00."

[User] You should first decide what to do with the corpse, before taking any further actions. Talk to the lieutenant about it.

[Assistant] [Put it away.]


[User] Hey, money-mouth. Eendracht. The impeccable hustler-provider of the seventh generation. It's showtime with Savvy!

[Assistant] Do I know you?

[User] You will. I'm here to make your life better. They call me the Man-About-Town. Gilded Heart-Throb. Master of Money.

[Assistant] I know all about money.

[User] No, you don't! You just keep muttering about your 'economic self-interest' and not doing anything about it. Yeah, I heard you back there. What the hell was that?!

[Assistant] It is but a symptom of the rapacious catastrophe that will devour us all.

[User] Brilliant, catastrophes are *prime time* for money-makers. But you're not really reaping any benefits yet, are you? No shorting, no shameless speculation...

[Assistant] Just take my money and leave me alone!

[User] Listen, if you really want to make it in the big leagues, you need to *re-conceptualize* your entire portfolio. Collecting tare and moaning about taxes is not going to cut it.

[Assistant] You need to become a MILLIONAIRE. Now, how do you become a MILLIONAIRE?

[User] I could sell Kim's motorcar, like I sold his spinners?

[Assistant] And then what? Join the ranks of blue-collar criminals?

[User] Alright, I give up -- I have no idea how to make millions.

[Assistant] Of course you don't. You've never even been *close* to a sum with more than three zeros. Let's face it, you've been on a years-long losing streak...


[User] A phone book lies open on the table, covering a stack of utility bills. Right next to it, in plain sight, sits a small bottle of amphetamine, conveniently equipped with a straw.

[Assistant] Score! It's right there, baby. Today's your lucky day.

[User] Take the speed from the table.

[Assistant] You pocket the bottle as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

[User] Don't wait, celebrate! Blast that shit right here! Take inventory of it once this boring table shit is done!

[Assistant] Blast it before you face the beast, de Ruyter. You're going to need the encouragement.


[User] Yes, *of course*. Now we're on the right track...

[Assistant] Inhale.

[User] It smells like...

[Assistant] We're getting crates and pallets calling to mind vast stands of winter pines, a swirl of ancient odours absorbed by heavy carpet fibres, but also a pervasive, treacly *sweetness* that somehow reminds you of kola nuts...

[User] ... an office? Something officious? Is that a word? There's a bit of dust in the air that may be triggering your allergies.

[Assistant] Meanwhile, the man behind the desk clatters away on his typewriter, wilfully indifferent to your presence.


[User] "Of course, let us dispatch with the formalities, you call me Evrart, I call you Harry!"

[Assistant] "Fine by me."

[User] "So Harry, what can I help you with today?"

[Assistant] "I wanted to go over a couple of things about me."

[User] "Let's hear it, Harry." He sinks deeper into his chair.

[Assistant] "Let's talk of other matters for a moment."

[User] "Of course, Harry, of course! Let's not linger on personal details and amnesia. You wanted something from me?"

[Assistant] "Do you know there's a mega rich light-bending guy inside one of the containers outside?"

[User] "Mega rich light-bending guy? Oh my god! How did that get in there?"

[Assistant] "Slime like him? Must've oozed in through the cracks."

[User] "Damn it to hell, Harry!" He slams his fist on the table. "I specifically told my guys to check all the containers for mega rich light-bending guys."

[Assistant] "You know, some of him *may* have been a figment of my imagination."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["doomed.barbell_main_hub_reached"]]

[Assistant] The barbell waits patiently on the floor, like a dog for its master.

[User] Is this familiar because I'm a weightlifter?

[Assistant] No, it's not that... It's the stale smell of rubber, the squeaky sound of sneakers, your bruised knee against the mat. And a whistle... then the feeling is gone.

[User] It's just a memory.

[Assistant] A memory from another life -- when you were young and fit.


[User] "I thought we decided to leave it to Processing." The lieutenant shakes his head. "Let's not turn this into some kind of circus."

[Assistant] Damn it, this is turning into some sort of mega-puzzle.

[User] Okay, so you can *sneak* out of your room maybe, after he's gone asleep...

[Assistant] Try to remove the dead man's boots.

[User] Before you can grab hold of the boot, you hear a voice coming out of the dead man's mouth. It's the voice of Lieutenant Kim Kitsuragi, telling you to stop whatever you're doing.

[Assistant] You're sabotaging the crime scene, and yet you haven't even finished the field autopsy. Come back later when you're done with the investigation.


[User] You spend a moment contemplating the cover's slightly unnerving swirl of orange, yellow, and green.

[Assistant] Read the introduction on Ignus Nilsen.

[User] Known to his numerous admirers as the 'Evangelist of the Revolution' and to his even-more-numerous enemies as the 'Apocalyptic Shrike', Ignus Nilsen remains one of the most controversial and fascinating figures to emerge in the years of the Antecentennial Revolution, second only to Kras Mazov himself.

[Assistant] During his unparalleled life, he helped guide a revolution in one country and found a new state in another. Along the way, he committed some of the most notorious war crimes in an era famed for its atrocities.

[User] And yet, his most *fascinating* contribution to history may be the most overlooked: His theory of ideological plasm, from which his followers and successors developed the school of communism known as *infra-materialism*.

[Assistant] Start reading the first chapter.

[User] If you're like most people, you probably believe that your thoughts reside in your brain, right?

[Assistant] Yes, you have a little cabinet for organizing and storing them away.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.goracy_main_hub_reached"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: IsNight()]

[User] The man nods at you, checks his watch and sighs, "Ai-ai-ai..."

[Assistant] It's late. He's working.


[User] You should totally sing karaoke here, the first chance you get. Your emotions need to be expressed. People need to know of your vast, oceanic soul.

[Assistant] My soul is modest. It's normal sized.

[User] Exactly. It's measured, level-headed, and it needs to be heard.

[Assistant] Through a PA system.

[User] By other people.

[Assistant] Whether they like it or not. Ram it up their ears, says your adrenaline gland. Violently express yourself.

[User] This goes well with a theory I'm developing: that I'm a down-on-my-luck superstar person.

[Assistant] Who is mistakenly identified as a cop for his prominent jaw line? Yes, sounds likely. You should probably go on stage and pose for a moment when you're done with this thought. See if it works.


[User] You can hear animated voices coming from the other side of the grille.

[Assistant] "Hey, it's me again!" (Knock on the grille.)

[User] You hear the voices conferring once again.

[Assistant] "He came back?" There's a note of surprise in the voice. "Do you have the passphrase this time?"

[User] "It's 'Blessed are the sausage grinders'."

[Assistant] "Did he say something about sausages?" The voice appears completely confused by your response

[User] "It's 'We await the silent mole empire'."

[Assistant] "He said something about moles. Perhaps he's just a night-wandering lunatic."


[User] You see the lieutenant's familiar shape in the orange jacket. It turns double -- then triple -- from the pain.

[Assistant] It's nothing. You're alive, that's what matters.

[User] "Kim...."

[Assistant] "*Sunrise, parabellum*," the lieutenant says. He's in the middle of a freshly cleaned room, with the fan above his head like a halo. His face is covered in bruises.

[User] "What... happened?"

[Assistant] "What happened? You shot the major in the face. A firefight ensued."

[User] "Is he dead?"

[Assistant] "Yes."

[User] You're a real killer, Harry.

[Assistant] A bloodstained killer.

[User] "I warned them I am a killer of killers..."

[Assistant] "That you did." The lieutenant looks at you with a peculiar expression. He then continues...


[User] "Yes. Your lost gun." His face turns serious. "My best men are on it. They're turning every stone, searching every playground, asking kids, grandmas, everyone."

[Assistant] "Your gun *will* be found, Harry. Let me assure you of that." He winks at you. "It's just a matter of time and... *effort*."

[User] The only way to find it seems to be working with him. He might even be holding your gun hostage...

[Assistant] Hold on, could he really hold my gun hostage?

[User] Who knows? Only one thing is certain: If you work with him, you're going to get it back, and working with him might be the only way to do it.

[Assistant] "I will not be blackmailed with this gun business."

[User] "Harry, Harry -- I was only trying to be tactful. A lost gun is a dangerous thing. I can't have it around in my neighbourhood."

[Assistant] His tone is suddenly very serious. "Kids could be playing gun-roulette with it as we speak. Teenage gangs could be arming themselves. Get a hold of yourself, Harry!"

[User] (Lie.) "I opened the door to your weasel's den."

[Assistant] "Are you shitting me, Harry? Did you not really open the door and are now just telling me you did?" His lively eyes are mapping your face. "You're a wild one, Harry!"


[User] Wait, stop -- that man, bloated beyond all recognition, was 42?

[Assistant] It's what she said, yes.

[User] Below the damage, the weeks of decomposition, all the swollen indignity of mortality -- he was 42 years old?

[Assistant] Where is this going?

[User] How old are *you*? That's where this is going. Forty-five thousand litres of raw alcohol has left its disfigurements. What lies beneath, you wonder.

[Assistant] (Turn around.) "Miss, how old do you think I am?"

[User] "Huh?" She leans in closer. "How old do I think you are?"

[Assistant] She's buying time to formulate the best answer.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["canal.light_paid_shares"]]

[Assistant] It's the 700 reál modified street light you traded for shares.

[User] See you later, sunshine. [Leave.]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["canal.light_roy_asked_how_get_shares"]) == false]

[User] "Uh," comes a voice from behind the glass. "One quick question. How do I get hold of my shares?"

[Assistant] "I'll get my Personal Brand Strategist to sort the legal work out with you." (Mumble.) "Once I have one..."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["yard.sense_viscal_greeting_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["yard.viscal_greeting_pre_stage"]) == false]

[User] There are several footprints in the mud, left by work boots: anywhere from 6 to 12 pairs have walked here.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: IsKimHere()]


[User] There! Do you smell that?

[Assistant] I don't smell anything.

[User] Can you not detect that inimitable whiff of dissatisfaction and restlessness, that sense that the world is in need of dramatic, even violent re-ordering?

[Assistant] Are you saying there's a communist nearby?

[User] Without a doubt. Your politico-olfactory cortex doesn't deceive you. The smell is coming... from that balcony over there!

[Assistant] You mean from that scary-looking girl in the old lady coat?

[User] Certainement! A precocious communist youth, a symbol of a kinder, more hopeful future. Now's your chance to *establish contact* with your revolutionary brothers and sisters.

[Assistant] A chance to establish contact with the future! What a beautiful, *terrible* thought...


[User] The Headless FALN Rider -- he could appear at any minute!

[Assistant] "Please tell me we're not here to look for a headless man in a tracksuit riding a horse... because there's no such thing."

[User] Don't listen to the lieutenant! He doesn't know *anything*.

[Assistant] "We'll just wait and see."

[User] "There's nothing to wait for. We should get some rest, it's been a long day."

[Assistant] "You're right, what was I thinking? Let's go." [Leave.]


[User] Sorry, but you just don't have it in you right now.

[Assistant] "What were you even trying to do, man? I believe you can overcome your problems eventually, if you purge yourself of your wilfulness and seek the Mother's guidance. But *this*, right now, would be some suicidal shit."

[User] "Some ravers want to turn this place into a nightclub."

[Assistant] "The ones in the tent outside, right? I seen 'em. Think they're scared of me."

[User] "So, what do you think? About the nightclub, that is."

[Assistant] "Why not? They wouldn't bother me none. I'm usually way up there, imbibing. Ain't no music on Earth that can reach where I go."

[User] "Might even be nice to have some company..."

[Assistant] He said that in spite of himself. He's more attached to the human than he'd like to think.

[User] "Did you just climb down from the church tower?"

[Assistant] "Sure did, homes."


[User] Touch it with your finger, gently. (Proceed.)

[Assistant] A black trickle of liquid runs into his throat from the wound...

[User] Put your finger in.

[Assistant] Your index fits right in there. A tight tunnel of flesh opens up -- tissue damage -- wide enough for two fingers. As you push both in, you reach through his mouth, right into his brain stem.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["doomed.fridge_corpse_in_fridge"]]

[Assistant] Brain stem?

[User] Yes. That's what this part is called.

[Assistant] You've seen the drawings. You've studied them.

[User] Push deeper.

[Assistant] Your fingers slide into the remains of his limbic system. There is no resistance. It's gelatinous. The slug-like structures are damaged too, the tearing extends deep into both hemispheres.

[User] This is what he used to regulate his emotions with...

[Assistant] The ululations of the limbic system have ended. All is quiet.

[User] "There's a cavity... cut right between the hemispheres."

[Assistant] The lieutenant answers with the sound of his pen on paper.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["doomed.fridge_corpse_in_fridge"]) == false]

[Assistant] "Fuckin' *CAVITY* C..." Cuno's voice is hushed.


[User] Points are good. Have one, you old dog! Before we all die...

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.klaasje_kim_sports"]  and  Variable["whirling.klaasje_saw_sports_branch_in_race"] == false]

[User] Better not to mention it...

[Assistant] The young woman looks at you, then the lieutenant, then you.

[User] She's clearly sensing something. A spike in testosterone levels, perhaps.

[Assistant] "How old was he, miss?"

[User] "He was forty-two."

[Assistant] "Forty-two? Are you sure? I would have had him above fifty..."

[User] "He had many scars that made him appear older. But no." The memory makes her smile.

[Assistant] "We even celebrated his birthday, like, some weeks ago... It was a funny two days. He had little reason to lie to me."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["tc.exact_date"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["yard.hanged_age_fourty"]]


[User] The light vanishes inside the concrete slit. The structure goes deep under the earth.

[Assistant] What's in there?

[User] Maybe it's just a storm drain for the sewer?

[Assistant] What's in there?

[User] Maybe it's just a storm drain for the sewer?

[Assistant] What's in there?

[User] Maybe it's just a storm drain for the sewer?

[Assistant] [Finish thought.]


[User] "Look what the tide brought in," the man says in a measured tone. Suddenly, his expression changes and he tilts his head...

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: CheckEquipped("shirt_t500")  and  (CheckEquipped("shoes_t500")  or  CheckEquipped("gloves_t500")  or  CheckEquipped("hat_t500"))]

[User] "I wanna call you a teapot, but I'm honestly kind of impressed... no idea where you got all that gear -- but there's no doubt in my mind that some bad, bad people are looking for it..."

[Assistant] "Also, you look like a fucking idiot."

[User] Whatever this is, it is completely unimportant compared to what you've just *seen*.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.vicquemare_main_hub_reached"]) == false]

[User] "Forget about all this, there's a giant..."

[Assistant] "We're not forgetting about anything -- look at you!" He points at you with both hands.

[User] "Wait... you're the Man with Sunglasses."

[Assistant] "That's right, and you're some kind of a... urban scarecrow thing."


[User] "Titus, you have to see it. Things don't add up -- we need to talk to her." (Move on.)

[Assistant] Silence. He looks around the room.

[User] The old man in the corner nods.

[Assistant] A very small nod -- and a trickle of tobacco spit on his lip.

[User] This is the only opinion he cares for.

[Assistant] "Yeah -- I see it." He puts his beer down. "There's one more thing I've been *wondering* about. Ever since you asked me where she is. Add it to your list of suspicions, if you want."

[User] "I don't *know*." He smiles a peculiar smile. "I don't know where she went. She just up and left. Got real scared too. Wouldn't tell me where -- however *hard* I asked. Wanna know why?"

[Assistant] "Why?"

[User] "She was afraid I would tell you." He looks  you straight in the eye. "Maybe she was right. By now I probably would."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: IsKimHere()]

[User] "She knew there's evidence on her -- and she knew we'd find it. This is typical suspect behaviour. Why fleeing is always incriminatory."

[Assistant] "Perhaps." He looks out of the window again. "Ask her if you find her. It won't be easy though. She made sure of that."

[User] "Do you have any clues on where Ruby went?"

[Assistant] "She's not far. We know that much -- she didn't take her lorry. So she's on foot."

[User] "Good fucking luck, man... She knows this place like the back of her hand. You'll never find her."

[Assistant] "Yeah, Al." He gives a sharp look. "And we won't either."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["boardwalk.ruby_third_merc"] == true]

[Assistant] "Oh yeah, that's Ruud." The armoured woman smiles a vicious smile. "Ruud 'The Killer' Hoenkloewen -- he doesn't talk much."

[User] "... all of you fucking cunts inside out..."

[Assistant] "Okay. Let's just keep talking -- no one needs to die today." (Back off.)

[User] "This... talking-shit won't help you." The man shakes his head and staggers forward.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckItem("gun_villiers")  or  CheckItem("gun_ruby")  or  CheckItem("spirit_bomb")) == false]

[User] "... Fuck me, I forgot the bullets." (Just stand there.)

[Assistant] "What's that, loincloth? I can't hear you. Sounds like you got your mouth full of dick. Ruud..."

[User] Shit, this is it. Tell him anything, tell him you have more information!

[Assistant] "Go ahead then. Kill me then. I *want* to die."

[User] "Uh, what?" The lieutenant quickly glances at you.

[Assistant] "Let me help you then..." The man looks to his left. "Kill him."

[User] To your right, the killer raises his rifle and takes aim at you. His moves are steady, but the long barrel of the rifle sways slowly...

[Assistant] An Ister AR-FA7, built for taking out light armoured vehicles. It will devastate you.


[User] Yes, *of course*. Now we're on the right track...

[Assistant] Where am I?

[User] An important place. One of the last bastions of the left in Martinaise. Perhaps here you'll find the man who'll help you get organised?

[Assistant] But you can't just come out and *ask* him. You should make your introduction first. Pay homage. This is a man of *stature*.


[User] He suddenly jerks to life: "You know who he was -- a Coalition trained murderer, armoured and armed. He wasn't human, the blunt end of a hammer, *dripping with blood*..."

[Assistant] "He was a killer. But he was still under the protection of the law."

[User] "...beating us to the ground. Moaning with joy..." He breathes in with strange animation: "You hounds get so thorough when a company-trained killer dies. I haven't seen you on this coast for *forty years*. You know... maybe I should have killed one sooner?"

[Assistant] "Got your attention..." He looks you dead in the eye, pupils shaking. "*Now* you stop beating druggies and prostitutes in your basement. *Now* you come to investigate. Not when they die by the hundreds..." He breathes through flared nostrils...

[User] This is it. Shot him, shot him, say shot him not killed him...

[Assistant] "So you shot him?"

[User] "Oh the inhumanity..." He closes his black eyes. "One paramilitary less in Revachol." You can almost see him squeeze a tear out of his eye. His fists begin to tremble from the anger.

[Assistant] Hold your breath.

[User] "I *had* them in my sights, both of them -- him and the whore. I was breathing with them, in phase, and I pulled the trigger and flew on the air until I landed in his mouth..." He begins to smile.

[Assistant] "I didn't think I had a shot like that in me anymore. I did. I saw him kneel there with his mouth full of death and that stupid look on his face." The smile quivers. "And his dick still in her..."

[User] There. A hot flash of rage almost carries the smile away. Some dark piece...

[Assistant] "Then what?"


[User] Awful lonely here. No ruckus. No old men playing their little ball game.

[Assistant] Yeah, where did the old guys go?

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: IsKimHere()]

[Assistant] "You mean the guys who were playing pétanque?"

[User] "Yeah, where did they go?"

[Assistant] "Have you noticed people sometimes appear and disappear in places? It's called *doing things*."

[User] "But what if I wanted to talk to them?"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] You'll get them next time. But let's be honest, they weren't even in the suspects list.

[Assistant] You would have wasted *so* much time talking to these two pensioners. Precious case-time.

[User] "But what if I wanted to talk to them?"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]


[User] There! On that balcony. Do you see it?

[Assistant] See *what*? (Squint your eyes.)

[User] The *artisto*. Now hold up, you can't go into a bullring without a prep talk. It's baby's first sales negotiation after all! Savvy's gotta give you the do-s and don't-s.

[Assistant] That's a pathetic-looking *bull*. Where are the sharpened horns ready to puncture your gristle? There's no real danger here.

[User] Rehearsal helps fine tune a performance. Learn your lines so they can flow out of you like Herc Zeitung's legendary soliloquy in 'Hoppla, jetzt komm ich!'!

[Assistant] Alright, I'm listening.

[User] Artistos are known to *repel* wealth. It bounces off their skin like rubber. The moment a reasonable business proposal enters their periphery, they go and get 'political'.

[Assistant] Nonsense, no one 'repels wealth', the businessmen just don't know how to entice them.

[User] What you need to do is lure them in with a strong one-liner -- get them on your side before you've even finished a sentence. Show us what you've got -- pretend you're facing the girl!

[Assistant] Excuse me, could I please take a look at your art?


[User] "Honestly, I didn't want to bring it up, Harry -- I heard you have become Measurehead's race pupil...?"

[Assistant] "It was a tactic, I needed to get in somehow. It's not like I'm a racist now."

[User] "Of course, Harry, of course! You're not some kind of a fantastic racist now. And rest assured, no one's gonna hear about it." He winks at you.

[Assistant] "No one's gonna know what you did with race there, Harry. Your race-bonanza is safe with me. Word of how *racy* it got will never leave Martinaise."

[User] You can see the map of Revachol in your head. Dozens of red arrows are pointing outwards from Martinaise. Moving all across the city.

[Assistant] "Anyway, I assure you, I am a very well-informed man. Information reaches me before I even get the chance to request it."


[User] Whoa! In your hand: *pyrholidon* -- the double rainbow of synthetic hallucinogens. Rare and gritty, a product of the age of atomic power.

[Assistant] Look at the little puck of liquid.

[User] What a funny little cap! Don't let the *scary* medical warnings throw you off. It's an inadequate antidote to radiation poisoning, but a *potent* antidote to *boredom*.

[Assistant] Hmm... open the cap.

[User] The container is warm to the touch -- or is that just the anticipation? You screw the lid open and look. A little slit on the side lets you just *slurp* it up, like an oyster! C'mon! Slurp it!

[Assistant] Slurp it, but only a little.

[User] You suck a minuscule drop of extremely chemical-smelling liquid into your mouth. There it seeps into your tongue. When you swallow it's already almost all gone.

[Assistant] Tastes like a kiss.

[User] It tastes like *many* things, all melting into one conflagration in the back of your throat. As you look around, the world slowly *exists*. As it did before. Only now gentle flames lick at its edges, as though it were a photo burning.

[Assistant] Oh god, on *fire*?


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["boardwalk.thepigs_took_rcm_cap"]  and  Variable["boardwalk.thepigs_took_narcotics"]  and  Variable["boardwalk.thepigs_altgreet_items_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["boardwalk.thepigs_greeting_done"]]

[User] The woman stands, slumped. She looks catatonic under her mountain of RCM paraphernalia.

[Assistant] Is one of those things a... police cap?

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["boardwalk.thepigs_blackc_perc_saw_drugs"]) == false]

[Assistant] Leave her be. [Leave.]


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["seafort.books_hub_reached"]) == false]

[Assistant] Books and magazines lie scattered on the floor and on a makeshift cupboard. They are not particularly well organized.

[User] Sift through them.

[Assistant] Most are softcovers: serialized *fantastique* and detective stories from the Twenties and Thirties. This disparate digest includes the classic 'Animal Adventures'.

[User] Popular depictions of man-versus-nature by amateur naturalists T. and T. Harpin (husband and wife). Widely read by people from all walks of life. Who doesn't like nature? Who doesn't want to *survive*?

[Assistant] Among what is mostly commercial fiction and serialized stories, you find a 'Magazine Cathodique' for electrical engineering. Then it's back to pulp: light erotica, an international thriller about circuit benders...

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: IsCunoInParty()]

[User] "Been readin' shit here," Cuno notes, thoughtfully. "Hooked on the book."

[Assistant] Does anything stand out as unusual?

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["seafort.books_concept_white_succeeded"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["seafort.deserter_prehub_reached"]) == false]


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.minot_whirling_mainhub_reached"]]

[Assistant] "Yes," she looks at you. "What is it?"

[User] "Look, something is really bugging me. Are we or are we not from the same police station?"

[Assistant] "Goddamnit, you leave her alone!" The man with sunglasses snaps at you. "Keep your weird bullshit to yourself and be professional for once, for fucks sake..."

[User] "Can I actually help you with something?" She looks at you apologetically.

[Assistant] Yes, of course -- preposterous. I mean, you would *remember* if they were, right? Who forgets their squadmates? That's not possible.

[User] "Did you just call me *Harry*?"

[Assistant] "Yes, I called you by your name, what about it?" She sounds slightly agitated and... sad.

[User] "Nothing, ma'am."

[Assistant] She doesn't reply, but her eyes are still sad.

[User] "I know this might sound weird, but are you... a firefighter?"

[Assistant] Her brown eyes linger on you for a moment.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["church.soona_pregreeting_hub_reached"]) == false]

[Assistant] "What is it?" The woman is still hunched over the keyboard, gently illuminated by the purring machine.

[User] "I didn't break anything, did I?"

[Assistant] "No, you just printed out my personal log and wasted some paper." It does not look like a big loss to her.

[User] "Sorry, but... who *are* you? What are you doing here?"

[Assistant] "I am Soona Luukanen-Kilde, the former lead programmer of Fortress Accident and RSA Radios. I have over 16 years of programming experience and I'm proficient in both Vox and Orbis languages..."

[User] "If you're not here to hire me, I don't really know how can I help you." She turns back to the terminal.

[Assistant] Did she say *over 16 years of experience*? She must have started programming when she was still a teenager.

[User] That still doesn't answer what she's doing in an abandoned church.

[Assistant] "What if you *didn't* have to leave? I talked to Andre, he wants to make it work."

[User] "I don't want to make anything work," she replies, her expression unchanged.

[Assistant] "Hold on, you don't want to make *anything* work?"


[User] Wow, you work *hard*.

[Assistant] (Discard thought.)

[User] I know you're in a hurry, sir -- off to work really hard, as always -- I just need *one* moment of your time to discuss how hard you hustle.

[Assistant] Oh, yes. You hustle. You're a provider. It's tough out there, but you keep it real and provide...

[User] What hard work do I do exactly?

[Assistant] Look at yourself, you're a human pedometer! You must have walked 200,000 steps down cracked asphalt, mosaic, sand, and linoleum after you re-emerged.

[User] That is the sign of a hustler who never gives up. The world is harsh and people are evil -- you didn't make it that way. And you won't let it break you. You *ride*.

[Assistant] I'm not sure I *ride*...

[User] Oh, you do. You *make* money. You got gills, baby, meaning those black papers with the faces of the innocences on them. You bring in the Franconegros and the Solas.

[Assistant] It ain't easy, but you *do* it. Day in and day out. You didn't make the rules but you won't lose! You're a cop and a sprinter and a money printer.

[User] Sure, and I got that giant novelty cheque from Evrart...

[Assistant] Wasn't *easy* getting that giant novelty cheque from Evrart. Took some ingenuity to get into the harbour, but you got in -- and you *took* that bribe as hard as any cop's taken it.

[User] Yeah, and Evrart gave me that fiver."

[Assistant] He did, yes he did. And you took it. Took it and put in in your pocket. Ka-ching, baby doll. Officer Hustle riding shotgun.


[User] The chain trails off into the ocean, connecting the island to the supply depot on the coast.

[Assistant] "Lock it from whom?"

[User] "From enemies." He looks up ahead. "Enemies of the Commune of Revachol. This seafort was a revolutionary fortification, I believe..."

[Assistant] "This means I *sorta* got into the depot door."

[User] "Technically -- no. It doesn't."

[Assistant] He's right.

[User] "Lock it from whom?"

[Assistant] "From enemies." He looks up ahead. "Enemies of the Commune of Revachol. This seafort was a revolutionary fortification, I believe..."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.inspect_traps_2_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.restock_trap_done"]]

[User] "Hello, dear. It's good to see a familiar face." The elderly woman smiles up at you hopefully.

[Assistant] "That's all for now, ma'am." [Leave.]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.lena_refused_to_restock_trap"]  and  Variable["whirling.lena_refused_to_restock_trap_leave"] == false) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["coast.morell_before_lena_day_2"]  or  Variable["coast.morell_before_lena_day_2_wokim"])  and  Variable["whirling.lena_worried_special_goodbye_done"] == false]

[User] "Just a moment, officer..." She smiles up at you nervously. "If you run into my husband again... do tell him I'm worried, and to hurry back."

[Assistant] Do it. Who knows what cryptozoological mysteries will be uncovered?

[User] "I'm sorry, I don't want to get involved in your affairs." (Refuse the task)

[Assistant] "Of course, sweetie. Good luck with your investigation."


[User] Nope, not happening.

[Assistant] "Did you just climb down from the church tower?"

[User] "Sure did, homes."

[Assistant] "Okay, I have other questions."

[User] The sinewy figure lingers on the wooden beams, blending into the shadows.

[Assistant] "Okay then, thanks." [Leave.]

[User] "I think we're done here, ese." The figure crawls off into the darkness above.

[Assistant] "That was... an interesting conversation."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["coast.morell_refused_to_restock_trap"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["coast.morell_white_check_succeeded"]]

[Assistant] "Hello, officer! I think I almost have it! A new trap design, that is! I know you're sceptical, but I have a good feeling about this."

[User] "No but really -- I *did* check all the traps."

[Assistant] "Yes-yes -- *and*?"

[User] "And one of them was *empty*."

[Assistant] "*Completely* empty?" The cryptozoologist's eyes grow wide.

[User] Surprise -- tempered with fear and trepidation. He doesn't know what to think yet. Maybe you're joking?

[Assistant] "Yes, there was nothing in the trap. No locusts, no phasmid."

[User] "No locusts... but no phasmid either..."

[Assistant] "That's not *ideal*, but..." He rubs his chin.


[User] She's tying a complicated nautical knot around the post.

[Assistant] "Hello, ma'am."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] "Hello, detective." She fastens the end of the line around the post and straightens her back.

[User] "It's good to see you here. I only just arrived myself."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] "What brings you here?"

[Assistant] "Nothing, really... I've had my eye on this jetty for weeks now. So I decided to investigate it personally. This cluster of buildings isn't on any of the official maps, as far as I can tell."

[User] That -- and she's also keeping an eye on *you*.

[Assistant] "Have you been spying on me?"

[User] "'Spying' has such a negative connotation. I did track your progress along the coast, however, and decided I would be better able to assist you from here..."

[Assistant] "Then there's the matter of that little scamp in old-lady clothes. She threatened to paint the Cor-de-Leite red. Like blood, you see. Well, I like it the way it is -- white."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["pier.cindy_first_greeting_balcony_done"]]

[Assistant] What is this? Destruction of property? Hooliganism? Elder abuse?


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.smoker_main_hub_reached"]) == false]

[Assistant] "Hi, gendarme. Another rendezvous." There he is again -- the smoker on the balcony! Right here in the Whirling-in-Rags.

[User] "Hello." (Adjust your tie.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: CheckEquipped("hat_samaran")]

[User] "I see you've found yourself a little something from my wardrobe." He scans you. "Not bad, not bad at all. What brings you here?"

[Assistant] "I met your Sunday friend."

[User] "You did?" A small smile adorns his face. "And how did you like him?"

[Assistant] "You were right, he was magical. Magically bureaucratic."

[User] "I told you, he can be very useful. I guess that's the charm of powerful people."

[Assistant] "What are you, you two?"


[User] "Yeah? What?"

[Assistant] "If you didn't kill him... why hide?"

[User] "I saw *you* roll into town. I wasn't about to stick around for questioning by a goddamn La Puta Madre agent."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.titus_ruby_scared_thiscopthiscop"]]

[User] So this is what she was scared to tell Titus. *This cop, this cop...*

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.titus_half_light_thiscopthiscop"]]

[User] That strange distant fear is getting close now. It's a fear -- of *yourself.*

[Assistant] "What do you mean... La Puta Madre agent?"

[User] "Yes -- you." She looks at you quizzically. "Everyone says you're his peone. His 'Human Can Opener.'"

[Assistant] Through the sudden sharp pain in your head, you hear the lieutenant mumble something to himself.

[User] "Fucking hell" and "Why me?" you hear through the white noise.

[Assistant] It's especially bad suddenly. Felt like a vein exploded.

[User] "Who's 'everyone'? How do you know this?"

[Assistant] "Everyone in Jamrock. The cops, the criminals... Why do you think I'm holed up in here with a goddamn death ray, waiting for you?"


[User] This is not the cleanest bathtub in the world, but it's cleaner than you are right now.

[Assistant] Ah, that soap scum smell. It smells like life. At least compared to you.

[User] Run yourself a bath.

[Assistant] The bathtub slowly fills with water. The water beckons.

[User] Undress, close your eyes, and submerge.

[Assistant] The water doesn't feel particularly clean. A few beer cans are bobbing up and down along your flanks like sad duckies. You pause to think before letting your head go under.

[User] Hold it right there! Keep your head above water, or you'll lose all those pheromones Morell sprayed on you.

[Assistant] Keep your head above water, just in case.

[User] The lukewarm water is comforting, like amniotic fluid.

[Assistant] You feel nice and lonely. And so, so tired.

[User] Leave the beer cans in.

[Assistant] The cans continue to bob, as do your thoughts, aimlessly splashing up against the sides of the tub.


[User] "What exactly is your goal here?"

[Assistant] "We were promised work." He points to the gates. "We'd be in there -- WORKING -- if the bastards hadn't shut the gates."

[User] "And you are unable to breach the entrance?"

[Assistant] "Main gate's locked -- would take *heavy ordnance* to bust it open. Could try to get in through the secretary's office." He points up the stairs. "Door's locked. The guard's blocking the way to the access panel."

[User] "And I don't mean the scrawny Mesque punk either." He points at the dockworker idling on the staircase. "I mean Head-Measurer -- or whatever he is."

[Assistant] "Have you considered storming in? Like, all of you?"

[User] "Why don't *you* go arrest them instead? I'm sure they've done plenty of criminal shit, they have *that look*."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] "So what are you going to do now?"

[Assistant] "Wait. They might go home eventually. Or get drunk. Leave the access panel unguarded. Or the company sends someone to reason with them..."

[User] "Unexpected situation. But we hold the pressure on, until someone makes a mistake. Then it's our time, we strike." The man rubs his jaw -- a lightly bearded square wedge.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["tc.scab_leader_is_a_merc"]) == false]


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.get_the_weasel_key_from_manana"]) == false]

[Assistant] "Lieutenant, what is your opinion of this task we're undertaking?"

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["cargo.evrart_kim_expresses_understanding_worknig_with_evrart_is_necessarry"]]

[Assistant] "As I already said," the lieutenant replies, adjusting his glasses. "I understand this can't be avoided."

[User] "Got it!"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.get_the_weasel_key_from_manana"]]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.get_the_weasel_key_from_manana_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] "But we do need to get the key from this 'Mañana' Evrart mentioned." The lieutenant glances at the door. "Cause we are *not* gonna break the lock."

[User] Carefully knock.

[Assistant] You knock silently. The upholstery muffles the sound. No response comes from the apartment.


[User] Now that you've acquired some stimulants, it's time for a little pick-me-up. Time to *detect*.

[Assistant] What... but right *here*? Now?

[User] See, that's your problem -- a lack of confidence. Speed can help you with that. It can help you with EVERYTHING.

[Assistant] What... but right *here*? Now?

[User] See, that's your problem -- a lack of confidence. Speed can help you with that. It can help you with EVERYTHING.

[Assistant] What... but right *here*? Now?

[User] See, that's your problem -- a lack of confidence. Speed can help you with that. It can help you with EVERYTHING.

[Assistant] What... but right *here*? Now?


[User] "Okay, let's take a... step back." (Conclude.)

[Assistant] "Yeah? Where?"

[User] "Did you shoot Lely?"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["boardwalk.ruby_didnt_do_it_arguments"]]

[User] "I'm listening."

[Assistant] "Do you have an... alibi? For when Lely was shot?"

[User] "Man, I was with the boys the whole night. I hope they at least bothered to impress *that* upon you."

[Assistant] "They did say you left to take a... really long leak. Fifteen minutes."

[User] "Yeah, and I'm sure they also made some FUNNY remarks about it -- they always do. I've driven a lot of long haul and chugged a lot of beer, man."

[Assistant] She scoffs. "Can't do either without some power of mind over bladder. And, anyway, that wouldn't have been enough time."


[User] Now that you've acquired some stimulants, it's time for a little pick-me-up. Time to *detect*.

[Assistant] Okay, my body is ready. Let's do this. (Try some speed.)

[User] You raise the Preptide bottle, press one nostril closed, and inhale *furiously* with the other. The rush is almost immediate. It tastes bitter and caustic, and stings a bit inside your nose.

[Assistant] Mamma mia!

[User] Now the taste is slowly receding into your throat... The rush is growing in intensity, your little heart pounding like a bird in a cage. A sweat breaks out across your brow, your jaw clenches...

[Assistant] And, let's be honest, there's a little chest pain -- the *good* kind, of course. You may wanna blast a Nosaphed or something.

[User] Hmmm, you could work with this high... Like, literally *work*: Solve the case, file some papers. Maybe clean up your hostel room, then solve *another* case, then start a side investigation into the para-natural, then build a radiocomputer...

[Assistant] Whooh, this shit is strong. This shit is disco.

[User] Time for a little truth. Tell the lieutenant you did some, clear the air.

[Assistant] Cool, cool, let's boogie. [Finish thought and spring to action.]


[User] There! Do you smell that?

[Assistant] I don't smell anything.

[User] Can you not detect that inimitable *whiff* of dissatisfaction and restlessness, that sense that the world is in need of dramatic, even *violent* re-ordering?

[Assistant] Does that mean there's a communist nearby?

[User] Undoubtedly. And the scent is coming... from that railing over there!

[Assistant] You mean from Mañana?

[User] Yes. Now's your chance to *establish contact*.

[Assistant] But be easy about it. Communists have been known to charge when startled.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["cargo.momoffice_made_it_to_payphone_hub"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["cargo.payphone_wc_succ"]]

[User] The payphone hangs mutely on the wall. There isn't much more to do here.

[Assistant] Insert 10 cents.

[User] The machine swallows your coin and seems to be waiting for your next move.

[Assistant] [Leave.]


[User] You can hear animated voices coming from the other side of the grille.

[Assistant] Try to listen.

[User] You can make out at least two separate voices.

[Assistant] Two voices, both male. Approximately early 20s.

[User] The voices are male, you think. Beyond that, you can't tell...

[Assistant] Try to listen.

[User] You can make out at least two separate voices.

[Assistant] Two voices, both male. Approximately early 20s.


[User] "No, I think I'm good. I think I'm good without my badge, thanks."

[Assistant] "I'm going to report that you are in pursuit of your missing items. Over."

[User] "In pursuit of his..." The man is fighting back tears.

[Assistant] "Officer, do you need further assistance? Over."

[User] "This might sound odd, but there's *personal details* I'd like to discuss."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (DayCount() > 2) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.report_badge_done"] == true) == false]

[Assistant] "10-4. Your badge should have most of your personal details? Look over that. Over."

[User] "Of course. My badge. I can look at my badge that I have." (Lie.)

[Assistant] "10-4. Anything else for you, sir? Over."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["plaza.kineema_firewalker_out"]  or  Variable["plaza.kineema_i_am_firewalker"]) == false]

[Assistant] "Just a moment, officer..."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["plaza.kineema_firewalker_out"]  or  Variable["plaza.kineema_i_am_firewalker"]) == false]

[Assistant] "10-4, come in, officer! Over."

[User] "Listen, I've actually lost my gun, too."

[Assistant] "10-4, I know, I already wrote it in a report, but..." He hesitates. "It will stay on my desk for a few days. Over."

[User] "That's all for now." (End call with the 41st.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["plaza.kineema_story_cancel"] == true) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: DayCount() > 2]

[Assistant] "Roger that. 10-10. Over and out." With those words the cabin becomes silent again, the radio-microphone resting on its hook.


[User] "How much pale is there compared to the world?"

[Assistant] "The pale outweighs reality two to one -- there is more pale than there is matter. And the ratio is slipping."

[User] "Slipping how? To our detriment or..."

[Assistant] "What do you think, detective?" She looks you in the eye.

[User] "It's growing. There is more and more of the pale."

[Assistant] "Precisely. One of the few measurable effects of the pale is that it is expanding at an unknown rate."

[User] "An intuitive conclusion of that development is that one day the pale will cover everything -- but this sort of talk is mostly left to extremists."

[Assistant] "Cover *everything*? That can't be. Where would we go..."

[User] "Most people -- and indeed most private and government sector organizations; entire civilizations and religions even -- find handy ways to ignore, or downplay that knowledge."

[Assistant] "I suggest you do the same."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["yard.hanged_talk_wild_pale_yonder"]]

[Assistant] *Off we go...* you see the hanged man's mouth open.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["pier.joyce_inalnd_yonder"]) == false]

[Assistant] Gulp.


[User] A cockatoo is a parrot with an erectile crest, found on the Semenine islands and in southern Face-à-la-Mer. Known for their intelligence and general precociousness, cockatoos are popular birds in aviculture; however, they often exhibit various behavioural issues.

[Assistant] Okay. What more?

[User] This book talks about the delicate nature of 'toos, as well as introducing some of the most popular species among the bird enthusiasts: the funeral cockatoo, the Major Majestic cockatoo, and the most common bang-bang cockatoo. It's colourfully illustrated.

[Assistant] Alright, what problems do these birds have?

[User] Where to even begin? All cockatoos are known for their needy natures, requiring attention for at least two full hours a day. They love to talk, and have been described as 'loveable clowns who just don't know how to wrap up'.

[Assistant] Who would ever want a chatty companion?! I want someone who knows how to *listen*.

[User] Pet owners also report moodiness, loudness and hostility as reoccurring issues. If left unsatisfied cockatoos may scream non-stop, pluck their feathers or become aggressive.

[Assistant] Right. That's pretty bad. Anything else?

[User] It is not recommended to get a cockatoo if you're not able to cook them food every day. And give them the full care that they need. These birds will never understand that you have a life of your own.

[Assistant] Read about the most common bang-bang cockatoo.

[User] Despite its *banging* name, the bang-bang cockatoo is actually the shyest of the species. Common in almost all Semenese forests, as well as zoos and homes all over the world, its plumage is mainly grey and white. The Semenese name *bang-bang* is thought to be of onomatopoeic origins.

[Assistant] The *bang* is for all the scary things in the world... that may happen at any time.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.titus_posttribunal_explained_your_betrayal_of_titus"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.titus_posttrib_bad_greet"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.titus_posttrib_gud_greet"]]

[Assistant] "Hey, it's you again!" He smiles, more than a bit drunk now. "I've been thinking about it and you know what... we're both cops. This city is big enough for two cops."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] "So long, fellows. Be good so I don't have to come back here again." [Leave.]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.titus_tribunal_exit_seen"]]

[Assistant] He gives you a quick two-finger salute.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.return_lenas_pin"]]

[Assistant] "I got 3.20 for it. Here's the money."

[User] "Oh, that's very thoughtful of you. Are you sure you don't need the money? Okay, then. Thank you."

[Assistant] She really would have rather had the pin back, but she doesn't want to make you feel bad.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.lena_pin_task_from_main"]) == false]

[Assistant] "You seem to be in a chair."

[User] "Yes, dear, I am a paraplegic."

[Assistant] A paraplegic is someone with limited or no ability to use the lower half of their body. Paraplegia is caused by spinal cord injuries -- like falling from a great height, or a grenade explosion!

[User] "Thanks for clearing that up for me. Let's move on." (Proceed.)

[Assistant] "No problem." She nods, smiling up at you from behind her glasses.

[User] There is no bitterness in her voice. She accepted the curiosity her condition inspires a long time ago.

[Assistant] "I've gotta get going now." [Leave.]


[User] "Looks like a gym to me."

[Assistant] "Yes, but no one's been here in ages." He draws a stripe on the dusty floor with his foot...

[User] "I doubt the electricity still works... We should find a flashlight if we want to go on. There should be one in my Kineema."

[Assistant] Some specks of dust shimmer in a ray of streetlight falling from the window. Other than that, the room is dark.

[User] An eerie feeling rises in your chest...

[Assistant] "Let's just keep going, I'm sure it's just a regular abandoned house, nothing mysterious here."


[User] "That's not why I've come here. I *really* need to turn back time now." (Continue.)

[Assistant] "CLEARLY IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SHED YOUR NEUROTIC OBSESSION. THIS WAILING FOR THE PAST IS A TASK UNFIT FOR MEN. IT IS BETTER LEFT FOR WIDOWS, MOURNING THEIR HUSBANDS -- AND FOR MENTALLY ILL COMMUNISTS MOURNING THEIR COMMUNE."

[User] "IF YOU WANT ADVICE ON BABES -- OR THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE -- OR EVEN ON REVACHOL -- LOOK FORWARD. TO ESCAPE YOUR DEFEATED STATE YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. ONTO FUTURE VICTORIES."

[Assistant] But isn't he a traditionalist?! Why does he keep talking about future...

[User] "I’m still convicned the babes were more *faithful* in the past. They stuck with their men."

[Assistant] "IT SEEMS TO ME YOU ARE IN NEED OF A WARNING. HERE IT IS: IT IS ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE TO RETURN TO THE PAST. YOU JUST NEED TO TAKE A TICKET TO SEREGLEE ISLAND, THE SOUTHERNMOST OF THE SEMENINE ARCHIPELAGO, ALSO KNOWN AS ILE DU FANTÔME. AND WALK INTO PALE."

[User] "LET IT DITHER AND ROT YOUR MIND. THEN YOU CAN MARINATE FOREVER IN YOUR IRREVERSABLE DEFEAT. WHILE RACE ENEMIES LAUGH AT YOUR MOTIONLESS, GAP-MOUTHED CORPSE."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["tc.pale"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.what_is_pale"]  and  Variable["TASK.ask_paledriver_how_to_turn_back_time_done"] == false) == false]

[Assistant] Pale? What is pale... it does *not* sound inviting.

[User] Where would you even get a ticket? You can't just pack your bags and leave.

[Assistant] Finally -- a chance to connect with the *divine*.

[User] It gets very cold in the office, like in a desert after the nightfall...

[Assistant] "Why do I have the feeling there's a catch..."

[User] "THERE IS NO CATCH. YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU WANT. THE GHOUL IS A CRUEL MASTER, BUT IT IS NOT PALE. PALE TAKES YOUR MIND AND REJECTS THE FLESH. IT IS CAPRICIOUS AND TERRIFYING, LIKE A VIRGIN. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR COURAGE BEFORE HER FACE."

[Assistant] "GO HAVE A LOOK," he gestures toward the intersection. "THE WHITE-HAIRED PROTEIN MASS AT THE INTERSECTION. A LORRY DRIVER. IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS HER IF YOU'RE EVEN A HALF-DECENT COP."


[User] A bundle of clothes heaped on the bed. A stained parka, some towels and a duvet. Some socks even.

[Assistant] In the dark it looks like a nest.

[User] Slowly reach out your hand.

[Assistant] Something underneath there is breathing.

[User] It doesn't give a shit that you're a cop! Stop your hand now or you're gonna die!

[Assistant] It's not too late, no one's going to blame you for backing out. You don't have to do this. Just get out.


[User] A brisk coastal wind still howls against the window of the shack. Occasionally the waves crawl in under the foundation, producing a low hum...

[Assistant] Listen.

[User] The room feels muffled, like you pulled your hat over your ears. Outside, it is cold and windy, but you're inside, and it feels safe and warm.

[Assistant] WHAT IS THIS PLACE TO YOU?

[User] Looks like this is my new home -- wonder where the old one went?

[Assistant] Westward, across the canal, towers the Whirling-in-Rags. Door #1 on the second floor is locked, behind it lies a trashed room. One floor below, behind a counter, stands an irritable man.

[User] In a small shack in the fishing village, a baroque heater hums quietly, emanating a sense of comforting warmth. A washbasin lies on the table, the water inside reflecting the sombre face of the world.

[Assistant] Far away, on the corner of Perdition and Main, a nondescript building, obscured in a haze. It's vacant and lost, just like its tenant.

[User] "This feels like a cozy hideout."

[Assistant] Who are you talking to? There is no one here. Not even cold.

[User] No, wait, I changed my mind, I want to choose again.

[Assistant] There is no going back.

[User] Outside, the howl of the wind has picked up. The waves crash against the stilts again. It's as if you think the thought, but in someone else's voice...

[Assistant] LOOK UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["canal.roy_intro_done"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.report_to_the_tribunal_done"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["canal.roy_pilehub_reached"]]

[Assistant] "Hello hello! Let me know if I can help you with anything."

[User] "I'd like to buy back the commemorative pin I sold."

[Assistant] "Yes! Fortunately, I still have it. 3.30 and it's yours."

[User] "Actually, no -- I don't have the money."

[Assistant] "Your choice, officer. I can't promise I can hold on to it for much longer, however."

[User] "I'm looking for something that plays a tape. For police business."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["canal.boombox_mainhub_reached"] == false  and  Variable["TASK.listen_to_merc_tape_done"] == false) == false]


[User] There is nothing. Only warm, primordial blackness. Your conscience ferments in it -- no larger than a single grain of malt. You don't have to do anything anymore.

[Assistant] Ever.

[User] Never ever.

[Assistant] Never ever ever?

[User] Never ever ever ever, baby!

[Assistant] (Simply keep on non-existing.)

[User] An inordinate amount of time passes.  It is utterly void of struggle. No ex-wives are contained within it.

[Assistant] This is great!

[User] Yes. It. Is.

[Assistant] What was that about the *ex-* something?

[User] An awareness creeps up on you. A mass lies hidden in your dead angle, soaking in some lurid, acidic sauce. It's bloated and shameful, a ball of meat surrounding you... This is a terrible line of questioning, and it will only lead to more awareness of the meat-thing.

[Assistant] No, I wanted to know about the ex-something.

[User] Ex-love, ex-tenderness. It is foolish of you to resurface to the loss. Not after all the damage you suffered to get here, some of it irreversible... Stay, sail with me through the Abyssopelagic Zone!

[Assistant] Allons-y! Never let me go!

[User] All right. Nothingtown to Fuck-All-Borough!

[Assistant] Let's visit the ancient Zero-Holm!


[User] "I'm coming." (Climb down.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["church.soona_archer_working_soona"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] "About time. You grab that amp. Forget the cables. Need to leave some evidence of our antenna to inspire future generations..."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["jam.warship_turned_down_archer"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Script: SetVariableValue("character.committee_of_la_responsabilite", true) --[[ Variable[ ]]]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.make_the_music_harder_core_done"]]

[Assistant] "Well, cop-man, we've re-paid the favour. Guess this cements the cop-hardcore alliance."

[User] "YEEEAGH. WE ARE COPS NOW."

[Assistant] "Easy, Egg. We're still hardcore music venue organisers, first and foremost. But maybe this *does* make us pillars of the local community..."

[User] "I've got my own case to worry about, but if I have time, I'll be back."

[Assistant] "Sure, I've heard that before..."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.doomed_investigation"]  and   Variable["TASK.doomed_investigation_done"] == false) == false]

[Assistant] "We're inside the chimney of an old central furnace. It's strange, I know." She looks at the ruddy bricks that make up the walls -- even though they've been repainted there are still signs of coal-black soot here and there.

[User] "But when I arrived here, all the other rooms were taken, so I had to build myself a makeshift home. Besides, I don't really have to pay any rent here, so that's a plus."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.find_the_witch"]) == false]

[User] Does it mean she's *unlawfully* occupying a part of the house? Shameful!

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] When she arrived here, there was no room anywhere else... She must've known the other businesses.

[Assistant] "How did you become a dicemaker?"

[User] "How did I *become* one? It was a business decision. I was a regular jeweller at first, but that's an unfocused field -- with too much competition."

[Assistant] She doesn't let it show, but there's anger in there -- she doesn't like jewellers. Thinks they're a mob.

[User] "Some of my friends were role-players. They asked me to make some polyhedral dice out of cobalt. That was my first order. I grew it from there."

[Assistant] "Do you like role-playing games yourself?"

[User] "Not especially. I like working with rare materials and a steady pay. And role-players as customers -- they're nice people."

[Assistant] Some of those nice people have big bucks to spend on novelty items.


[User] A sturdy metal door guards the southwest entrance to the apartment building. It's locked.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsTaskActive("TASK.find_a_way_inside_apt_building")--[[ Variable[ ]]) == false]

[User] "Ma'am, we're looking for Billie Méjean's apartment. We have important news to deliver."

[Assistant] No reply. You can hear faint sweeping inside; a gust of wind blows through your clothes.

[User] Knock again.

[Assistant] The door rattles again, but this time you hear an elderly woman's voice calling out from inside...

[User] "Stop banging on the door! I'm not letting any more strangers inside."

[Assistant] "This is the police -- open the door."

[User] "The police?! Everyone knows the police don't come around *here*.“ The hallways echoes with her cackle.

[Assistant] "But I'm not joking."

[User] "No, I already told you, I won't be responsible for any more strangers getting into the building..."

[Assistant] "Go check the backyard door, maybe someone there will..." She trails off, leaving the sentence unfinished.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["canal.hjelmdall_mainhub_reached"]]

[Assistant] What a shirt. All other shirts pale in comparison to the muscular man with antlers and immense zweihänders.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["tc.hjelmdall"]]

[Assistant] "What's the deal with the man on this t-shirt?"

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: IsKimHere()]

[Assistant] "It's the Man from Hjelmdall."

[User] "Walking away from his burning village, yes."

[Assistant] Their matter-of-fact tone belies their surprise at the fact that you didn't recognize the figure in the print.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["canal.hjelmdall_empathy_surprise"]]

[Assistant] Lie, sire. For no reason.

[User] "He's a music-based superstar, right?"

[Assistant] "Hmm, I think you might be thinking about someone else I... dislike music," he frowns. "So I couldn't tell you who."


[User] "And now if you'll just connect that here..."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] "Got it. Are we ready?"

[Assistant] "We're ready to try, at least. Please, put those on. I've configured the channels so that only your microphone is set to broadcast. We'll both be able to listen, but anyone we reach will only hear *your* voice."

[User] "You will need to transmit your connection request while I attempt to locate the warship's public frequency. You will likely encounter some interference, but it's important to keep transmitting your request until you're acknowledged. Ready?"

[Assistant] "Not yet."

[User] "Too late. I've begun transmitting..."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["auto.is_snowing"]) == false]

[Assistant] A soft rustling. Between your ears, a winterscape with fast falling snow...

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["jam.warship_shivers_snow"]]

[Assistant] Where's the sound coming from?

[User] Every lightswitch, every motor carriage, every doorbell, tea kettle, and radio in Martinaise, all mingled with electrical interference caused by scattered thunderstorms over Ozonne.

[Assistant] "Officer? Are you in order? We're waiting for you to start..."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["yard.hanged_inland_corpse_answered"]]

[Assistant] I'm gone.

[User] I can't get the damn compartment in my ledger open.

[Assistant] The blue heart? Oh, that's good shit, you'll love it. Just press down and *fuck* it open like you always do.

[User] Fuck it hard, Copopo the Clown.

[Assistant] He means force. It'll work.

[User] I can see you're gone, but *who* are you?

[Assistant] I'm a joke. Look at me.

[User] You are now, but who were you when you were alive?

[Assistant] A killer. A motherfucker and a killer.

[User] Takes one to know one.

[Assistant] I have another question for you.


[User] "What are you talkin' about, madman? There's no eighth Hardie boy. There's seven of us and we're all here." He sizes you up.

[Assistant] "Or what -- *you* want to be the eighth Hardie boy? We ain't hiring!" He shakes his head.

[User] "Actually, boss, we've been talking and we think she could maybe..."

[Assistant] This person Glen wants to hire -- he really respects her.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["XP.gardner_confirmed_shes_not_eight_hardie"]) == false]

[Assistant] *She*? So there is an eighth Hardie and it's a Hardie girl? Who might it be, Elizabeth the gardener?

[User] "Shut the *fuck* up, Glen!" he roars. "I do the talking here! Now what the fuck do you want, cop?"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] It has to be good if he won't let you pursue it.

[Assistant] "Sorry, boss..." you hear the blond man almost whimper.

[User] "Titus, let's go over the night of the murder again."

[Assistant] He frowns, but then gives you a quick nod. "Alright."


[User] A few bricks have fallen off, revealing a compartment behind the wall. It's too dark to see in.

[Assistant] "What does this mean -- a rifle here?"

[User] "It means there are firearms -- albeit inoperable -- still lying around in Martinaise. It's an interesting coincidence, I would say. Might come in useful in the future."

[Assistant] He likes this find.

[User] "Look, there's a hole in the wall." (Point at the hidden compartment.)

[Assistant] "There is, yes. And there also appears to be something *inside* the hole... Interesting. Do you want to take a look?"

[User] "Okay, I do..." (Look inside.)

[Assistant] Your hand reaches deep into darkness and spider webs, rummaging around. You find rusty rifles, hidden away...

[User] Inspect the rifles.

[Assistant] Most of them are rusty and inoperable like the rest, but one catches your eye -- a bolt action model with a fine wood stock. In better cosmetic order than the others.


[User] "Yes... So what?"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["character.habit_alcohol"]]

[User] Yeah. So what. You should be drunk too. Or, like, *drunker*. You don't want to die sober do you?

[Assistant] I don't need a drink right now, for god's sake, the gardener just got shot!

[User] Fucking horrible... A girl got shot?! Because of you?! Only warm alcohol will help soothe the guilt!

[Assistant] Shut up! Let him think, too much is on the line, he's *not* gonna fuck it up because of you. I won't let you.

[User] "Your judgement is impaired. You'll regret this."

[Assistant] "Nah..." He wipes the sweat from his brow. "I'm clear as day. Fucking government ordained super-soldier..."

[User] He must be tweaked off too. With something other than alcohol. They always are...

[Assistant] "Enough already! What is this?!" The woman's voice is furious. "We didn't come here to fucking chat!"

[User] "Interrupt me again and I will execute you on the spot, lance-corporal." The outburst is accompanied by yellowish saliva around his mouth.

[Assistant] Now! You got them both off-piste! He's foaming mad at her...


[User] Pick up the gun lying in the sand.

[Assistant] His gaze follows your motions. The rifle feels surprisingly light in your hand, frame stocked and patched in places with tape and wire.

[User] Still warm from his parched hands. Not the metal. The metal is ice cold. This weapon has been modified several times.

[Assistant] "The rifle has been patched and modified several times."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsCunoInParty()) == false]

[User] "Things keep falling apart if you don't tend to them."

[Assistant] Stow the gun. (Conclude.)

[User] The old man keeps following your motions with his gaze. His right arm twitches suddenly...

[Assistant] Some kind of involuntary response? Something is slightly off with his motorics...


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.goracy_main_hub_reached"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: IsNight()]

[User] The man nods at you, checks his watch and sighs, "Ai-ai-ai..."

[Assistant] It's late. He's working.

[User] "Do you know what's behind that door?" (Point to the blue door.)

[Assistant] He looks up at you, then looks away quickly, shrugging and muttering something to himself.

[User] Shrugging is an international sign for: 'No, I don't know what's behind that door'.

[Assistant] "Leo said you're friends with Mañana. Is that true?"

[User] The mention of 'Mañana' gets his attention. He smiles and delivers a whole slew of unfamiliar words and lively gestures. Then he falls silent again.

[Assistant] They're friends.


[User] Is there something here that would indicate a sniper used this place as a nest for taking the shot? Just some urban detritus, a bottle and a dilapidated old comms tower.

[Assistant] The wind picks up. Fine sea foam lashes your face. It feels like needles. You can take it -- just raise your collar, detective.

[User] In the distance you can hear the breakers roar.

[Assistant] Look over the water -- to the Whirling-in-Rags.

[User] There, 1.2 kilometres over the wave-crossed bay, through heavy, dark grey curtains of rain you see the smallest rectangle, barely visible.

[Assistant] The light is off on the third floor of the Whirling-in-Rags. The young woman is gone who knows where. Safe, closed off. Her form no longer moves behind the glass there...


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["yard.hanged_inland_corpse_answered"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["yard.hanged_inland_failed_twice"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["yard.hanged_inland_failed_once"]]

[Assistant] The fish-lips stay silent in response. You must be losing your mind, asking him that over and over...

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["yard.hanged_questions_accessed_in_autopsy"]) == false]

[User] I have something I need to know, corpse-man.

[Assistant] Of course! You have questions, don't you? The power of your *imagination* is at your service.

[User] Enough.

[Assistant] You can come back and look into this face any time you want. Ask me your little questions, freshen your memory. Create associations, remind yourself of your *mortality*, Coppolopo.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.vicquemare_main_hub_reached"]) == false]

[Assistant] "You look like shit." Your ruffled face reflects in the man's sunglasses.

[User] "And I don't mean that as a metaphor."

[Assistant] You can't leave it like that -- spin it on its head. ENGAGE CAPS LOCK.

[User] No, you don't -- you look like a young god.

[Assistant] "I'm never going to get this case solved."

[User] "You're not. I really don't believe you are."

[Assistant] "C'mon, Jean..." The woman next to him sighs. "It looks like it's been a rough week on him."

[User] "It's not just this week." He scans you from head to toe. "What do you want?"

[Assistant] There's something about this guy that *matches* with a face in your head. A similar, but different face.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.viquemare_viscal_familiar"]) == false]

[Assistant] Okay, so this guy is cool -- he stands there like a statue. An *angry* statue. And he does *not* like you.

[User] Don't even try to win him over. You won't.

[Assistant] "Okay then. See you around!" [Leave.]


[User] Nothing comes up. You see the lieutenant watch you try to stimulate thought processes by hitting yourself.

[Assistant] He does not look worried -- yet. He has that *do what you have to do* expression, with a pinch of *don't hit yourself again*.

[User] You need to punch yourself again!

[Assistant] "I don't need your cooperation. I've got this." (Show him the Triangong 4-46.)

[User] "Heh..."

[Assistant] You know peacetime laws in Moralintern-affiliated nations forbid it -- it's a rarity.

[User] "Looks to me like it could be used for a long range shot."

[Assistant] "It's a real gun, not like the little musketeer pistols you RCM fasces have."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["tc.wards_plais"]) == false]

[Assistant] A heavy door with a missing handle stands before you, covered in dozens (if not hundreds) of little oddly-shaped trinkets and charms. It appears to be locked.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckItem("key_bookstore_backdoor")) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["doomed.bookstore_backdoor_greeting_done"]]

[User] Break down the door.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["doomed.bookstore_backdoor_redcheck_smash"]) == false]

[User] Ow, shoot! Whose moronic idea was it to just *run through the door*? Don't you know that things like that *hurt*?!

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsTHCPresent("coach_physical_instrument")) == false]

[User] "Is that... Is that *blood* I'm seeing?" (Rub your forehead.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]


[User] You see the lieutenant's familiar shape in the orange jacket. It turns double -- then triple -- from the pain.

[Assistant] It's nothing. You're alive, that's what matters.

[User] "Kim...."

[Assistant] "*Sunrise, parabellum*," the lieutenant says. He's in the middle of a freshly cleaned room, with the fan above his head like a halo. His face is covered in bruises.

[User] "Ouch."

[Assistant] "It's not *ouch* time yet. You just got a *drouamine* pill an hour ago. Wait until it wears off."

[User] Drouamine. Then it's not *that* bad. Neither surgical, nor organ-damage bad. But still under-the-counter bad.

[Assistant] "How bad am I hurt?"

[User] "Reasonably bad. You were shot in the left quadriceps -- that's your thigh. The outer side thankfully, no major arteries were nicked. The bullet was removed and a bacterial infection treated with mercurochrome."

[Assistant] "Can I... walk?"


[User] This old fireplace is covered in lines drawn in blue and red marker, the mesh spreading over the stone like blood vessels on alabaster skin. It looks ghostly and strangely ancient.

[Assistant] A diagram for summoning some time-forgotten being? The symbols seem very esoteric.

[User] The whole thing resembles Kedran mosaic tiles. Very Pisantic.

[Assistant] Hold on, how do I know what Kedran mosaic tiles are supposed to look like?

[User] History classes. Students with their textbooks open, studying the roots of our civilization. Those aquarelle-blue tiles looked beautiful in the sun.

[Assistant] What am I looking at?

[User] Radio frequencies, it seems. UKV123.6, UKV123.7, UKV123.9... some written notes too. Sparse and cryptic.

[Assistant] Radio frequencies for what?

[User] Unclear. It looks like a cardiovascular system, split into veins and capillaries. Very advanced.

[Assistant] So we're dealing with something medical here?

[User] You think so? The web is comprised of radio stations. All lead back to one red heart, titled: The Game Master Frequency. A note says: 'This one can listen in on any station it wants?!'

[Assistant] Looks like a surveillance programme...

[User] They must have had *massive* airwidth. These things don't come cheap.

[Assistant] Wait, who's the Game Master?

[User] Someone very important.

[Assistant] The leader of a massive on-air game built by these people.


[User] Weather has not been kind to Lily's little sandcastle. The once mighty towers are quickly eroding away. You can see something shining back to you from what must have been a vast underground catacomb network.

[Assistant] "Broken..."

[User] A gush of wind disintegrates another piece of the cellar ceiling, exposing more of the mysterious glimmer underneath. The shithole's about to collapse.

[Assistant] The building's coming down on you, you need to get out of here!

[User] Smooth reflective surface... are these the gloves you're looking for?

[Assistant] Leave the sandcastle alone. [Leave.]


[User] "Are you serious?" The lieutenant's face changes immediately, taking on a more sombre expression.

[Assistant] "How long has he been dead? Did you *identify* him, search through his pockets? Is he still there?"

[User] "I found a library card from his pockets, issued to someone named Billie Méjean by the Jamrock Public Library. The body is still there."

[Assistant] "Great, we should call the library -- maybe it can provide us with a lead. That is, if we decide to take the case."

[User] "Taking the case would mean that we need to identify the man and take care of the corpse. I can take the body to the morgue on my own or we could ask for the help of the Hardie boys."

[Assistant] "But if all of this seems too much of a hassle, then there's also the option of reporting back to the station and leaving the case for our colleagues to solve."

[User] "I want us to solve the case completely on our own."

[Assistant] "Alright. We're still going to have to call the station to let them know we're taking on an additional case, and so they can take away the body."

[User] "Let's make sure we didn't miss anything -- especially any identifying information -- before we go."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.kimintro_done"]]


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["tc.wards_plais"]]

[Assistant] A heavy door with a missing handle stands before you, covered in dozens (if not hundreds) of Semenese trinkets and charms. It appears to be locked.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckItem("key_bookstore_backdoor")) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["doomed.bookstore_backdoor_greeting_done"]) == false]

[User] What if... you just break it down?

[Assistant] Maybe I *should* break it down? But not before I strategize...

[User] That's right, take in your surroundings. You need to have a solid ground and a proper posture if you want to succeed.

[Assistant] Check your surroundings.

[User] The room is dimly lit and littered with old barber shop rubbish, but the path to the door is clear.

[Assistant] And what about the door?


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["church.soona_archer_working_soona"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[User] "About time. You grab that amp. Forget the cables. Need to leave some evidence of our antenna to inspire future generations..."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["jam.warship_turned_down_archer"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.make_the_music_harder_core_done"]]

[Assistant] "Well, cop-man, we've re-paid the favour. Guess this cements the cop-hardcore alliance."

[User] "YEEEAGH. WE ARE COPS NOW."

[Assistant] "Easy, Egg. We're still hardcore music venue organisers, first and foremost. But maybe this *does* make us pillars of the local community..."

[User] "It's been good working with you... gentlemen."

[Assistant] "No need to fake it, we know you're still a cop at heart..."


[User] It's only a red chair. Just a red chair in an empty shack -- with what looked like a dusty bow tie on the shelf. Nothing to see here, right?

[Assistant] "Hey Kim, where are we?"

[User] "In someone's abandoned shack. On the coast. In Martinaise..." He looks at you. "In Revachol."

[Assistant] He's afraid you've forgotten suddenly.

[User] "Could our suspect be staying here?"

[Assistant] "Here?" He looks around. "I don't see signs of recent habitation. This place is abandoned."

[User] See? He doesn't like the *vibration* from the red chair either.

[Assistant] "All right. Let's move." [Finish thought.]


[User] Toy soldiers stand guard over bowls filled with bracelets, rings, and used cigarette lighters.

[Assistant] Win 'her' back?

[User] Yes! Buy something nice! A figurine.

[Assistant] This sounds... off. You shouldn't trust this guy.

[User] Inspect the knights on horseback.

[Assistant] Big men on big horses clad in lamellar armour and carrying flintlocks. The kind that would mow down a line of enemy soldiers in the blink of an eye.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: IsKimHere()]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["tc.franconigerian_cavalry"]]

[User] (Point at the knights on horseback.) "These are Franconigerian cavalry, right?"

[Assistant] "Mhm. I used to be very serious about my Franconigerian knights..." He looks at the dusty figurines in the dim light.

[User] ...a long, long time ago.

[Assistant] Purchase the Headless FALN Rider and his cap.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.kineema_sylvie_greeting_done"]]

[Assistant] "Hey, Sylvie, it's the police again."

[User] "Oh, great." She doesn't sound thrilled. "What else do you need, detective?"

[Assistant] "Have you seen my gun?"

[User] "Please, no. Not this again -- everyone saw your 'cool gun', detective..." She sounds beyond exacerbated.

[Assistant] "I showed you my gun? When did it happen?"

[User] "You were trying to *impress* some people with it. Everyone was eating and..." She stops hesitantly, not sure if she should continue.

[Assistant] Sounds like it's going to be bad. Do you really want to know?

[User] "And what? What did I do?"

[Assistant] "You were waving it around in everyone's face, begging them to describe it. You said it 'calms you'. And then you started making suicide jokes. It got pretty *graphic*."

[User] Oh, those again? I have been trying to wean you off them.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.kineema_sylvie_drama_suicidejokes"]]

[User] Off of what?

[Assistant] You know, when you put your gun, your *actual* gun, on your temple and pretend to shoot your brains out? Off of that. People don't like that.


[User] All around you, the hisses and chirps of locusts fill the musky air. The earthen floor of the shack has been shaped into mounds of mud dotted with little holes for windows.

[Assistant] Like skyscrapers, spires of dirt and sand rising. Accommodations for their insectoid inhabitants?

[User] Sounds like you found the locusts, detective.

[Assistant] What is this?

[User] Heaps of leaves are rotting among the mud-cake towers. Dozens of little locusts feed on them, buzzing away with vicious joy. Cuno has really outdone himself here.

[Assistant] It's an ode to self expression.

[User] It's the work of a self-taught visionary.

[Assistant] I should go and ask him to stop then. [Finish thought.]


[User] "What happened to you?" the lieutenant asks as he leans in, eyes mapping your frozen face.

[Assistant] "This is what I am now, Kim. What I was always meant to be."

[User] "And what is that? A walking mask?"

[Assistant] "The last kingsman."

[User] "The last kingsman..." he repeats pensively, inspecting your face. "That's fitting, I suppose. Almost as if you *did* manage to turn back time. If only for yourself."

[Assistant] "Alright, detective," he reaches out and pats you on the arm. It feels strangely encouraging. "Let's get going, we've got a killer to catch."


[User] You look down at the white ceramic sabatons hugging your arches and calves, surprised at how well they fit.

[Assistant] Your movements cause tiny little clicks, like dice rolling somewhere far away, as the plates reorient to your motions.

[User] It is good to be an unstoppable ceramic man.

[Assistant] Remember, this is a highly specialized kinetic re-distributor meant to stop bullets. Wear it, observe its properties. See if there's a *weakness* in the design.


[User] "The pale can damage the mind?"

[Assistant] "Extensively."

[User] "How?"

[Assistant] "Some say the damage stems from extreme sensory deprivation. Others argue that pale somehow *consists* of past information, that's degrading. That it's rarefied past, not rarefied matter."

[User] "They call it *the blend-over of the self*. The pale does not only suspend the laws of physics, but also the laws of psychology, maybe History, even... The human mind becomes over-radiated by past."

[Assistant] Who says and who argues?

[User] "Who says and who argues?"

[Assistant] "The logical positivists say -- the dialectical materialists argue."

[User] "What does this over-radiation feel like?"

[Assistant] "It feels terrible. Absolutely terrible. International standards strictly limit civilian travellers to six days of pale exposure per year..."

[User] It's more for her -- way more.

[Assistant] "*You're* not a civilian passenger?"

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["pier.joyce_harrier"]) == false]

[Assistant] "No, nameless detective of the Citizens Militia. I am a member of the *Entroponetic Business Class*. I'm cleared and trained for 22 days of pale transit annually."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["pier.joyce_revolutionary_melancholy"]]

[Assistant] Perhaps that explains her strange pining after the Revolution? Some degraded early memories...


[User] As you turn, a bright light catches your eye, making you squint.

[Assistant] [Discard thought.]

[User] You sure? The light is *important*. The light is life. And destiny.

[Assistant] Where's it coming from?

[User] From a distant sunset? A stage light? Flash photography? Nowhere in particular? It's just what *superstar law-officers* do -- they squint at lights. And they solve shit.

[Assistant] Actually, now that I hear *superstar* and *law official* in a sentence they sound weird together.

[User] What are you, deaf? They're perfect! Like 'rockstar politician' and 'drug-addict teacher'. Embrace the superstardom you've worked so hard to establish.

[Assistant] You've got the wrong impression. I'm no superstar. I'm trash.

[User] Yeah, a cool *trash* superstar. Big dick cop down on his luck. Salaam Rocky Bhai. Bad-ass, on the edge disco cop. Time to recede into a ludicrous fantasy world, HERE WE GO! Camera, lights...

[Assistant] No. Fuck you! [Finish thought]


[User] Do you feel that?

[Assistant] Feel what?

[User] That tingle on the back of your neck... like you're being *watched*.

[Assistant] What, where? (Look around.)

[User] The lieutenant is waiting patiently, tapping his foot lightly to a tune only he can hear.

[Assistant] There, *the lieutenant*. Isn't it suspicious how he's always there, *watching* you, *listening* to you?

[User] Assume for the sake of argument that there's something to this inane conspiracy... If Seol is keeping tabs on everyone, maybe they can fill in some of your memory holes...

[Assistant] Isn't that what you've always wanted, to be listened to?


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.replaced_viscal_success_read"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.replaced_viscal_read_before_tribunal"]  and  Variable["TASK.report_to_the_tribunal_done"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckItem("map_of_martinaise")) == false]

[Assistant] The same two neon lit shapes -- a man and a woman. A ray of backward motion explodes from the man's mouth, through the window, to the roof outside, widening into a radius -- A prime.

[User] Have a look at point A' -- the roof.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["boardwalk.ruby_ruled_out_roof_shot_for_viscal"]) == false]

[User] The ray cast from the man's mouth unravels into a fan of possible directions, all on the roof at first. The shot could have come from any of them. This is composite location A prime -- most likely of the origin points.

[Assistant] So I'm what... 80% sure the roof is where the shot was made from?

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.ballistics_analysis_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] 72%. With a weapon that's good for medium range, like a rifle or sports pistol. This is a good short distance, but not too short. The perpetrator aimed with their back against the railing, or possibly kneeling for precision. This would explain why it only took them one shot.


[User] The Delta Logistics Company truck stands here waiting, reflecting white light from the courtyard behind it.

[Assistant] Are there people in there?

[User] Yes, people hard at work at their desks. They can barely tell if it's day or night anymore because the lights in the building are so uniform and bright. Who knows when they'll come out?

[Assistant] What keeps them motivated?

[User] Irony. They're yuppies masquerading as Mazovians... Or was it Mazovians masquerading as yuppies? Even they get confused sometimes, out here in poverty-stricken Martinaise.

[Assistant] Can't I get into the courtyard somehow?

[User] "Whatever's going on there could hardly be of any consequence to our ongoing investigation." The lieutenant adjusts his glasses.

[Assistant] "You can come back to it on your own when we're done with this case."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["XP.help_annette"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["doomed.annette_altgreet_passives_shown"]) == false]

[User] "I'm sorry, sir, I can't talk right now. I'm very busy with my homework... I have so much homework now."

[Assistant] You just can't win.

[User] Out of the rain and into the gutter.

[Assistant] "What are you doing now?"

[User] "Math..." She looks into her notebook with trepidation. "It's really difficult. Like -- really. They say you need it to get rich. Better than standing outside in the cold, I guess."

[Assistant] "Oh, oh...!" Suddenly, she smiles and perks up. "I found something while you were away."

[User] "What is it?"

[Assistant] "I thought this would fit you... Like thanks for helping out! Not me -- the city I mean. Like a detective does." She gives you a hat -- almost exactly like the one Dick Mullen wears on the covers.

[User] "A detective hat?"

[Assistant] "Yes! Just like the one Dick Mullen wears all the time..." She grins. "You'll look way more serious with that."


[User] What's this? We're getting reports of *normal*, *reasonable*, *temperate* political opinions somewhere in Martinaise...

[Assistant] You must be mistaken: I'm a real radical.

[User] Of course, a *radical centrist*. In these bright and loud times where a thousand frequencies drown one another out, sober thinking is a radical act...

[Assistant] It's time... to become a citizen of the *Kingdom of Conscience*.

[User] No more talk -- Sign me up for a passport! (Opt in.)

[Assistant] I knew we could trust you. Remember -- *real democracy* is just around the corner for Revachol. When that real democracy kicks in we are all going to be so much happier.


[User] "Looks like a gym to me."

[Assistant] "Yes, but no one's been here in ages." He draws a stripe on the dusty floor with his foot...

[User] "I doubt the electricity still works... Good thing we have a flashlight on us."

[Assistant] Some specks of dust shimmer in a faint beam of daylight falling from the window. Other than that, the room is dark.

[User] An eerie feeling rises in your chest...

[Assistant] "Let's just keep going, I'm sure it's just a regular abandoned house, nothing mysterious here."


[User] "That's just it! This isn't like him at all. He always plans his expeditions so carefully..."

[Assistant] A cold breeze hisses through dense thickets of reeds.... Something sweet in it, somnolent. A damp chill goes down your spine. When you look around, you're still in the Whirling-in-Rags.

[User] “But you have more important things to worry about.” She glances out the window toward the bay.

[Assistant] More important than a missing *expedition?* I don't know... expeditions often lead to something interesting.

[User] "The water lock on the canal is broken, so your husband is probably just stuck on the other side of the coast."

[Assistant] "Oh, my! What happened to the water lock?"

[User] "I really don't know."

[Assistant] "Well, whatever the cause, I'm thankful. You've spared me another sleepless night."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.get_morell_back_to_lena"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Script: FinishTask("TASK.tell_lena_about_water_lock_done")--[[ Variable[ ]]]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsKimHere()) == false]

[Assistant] "Listen, sweetie. I hate to ask, but if your investigation happens to take you to the other side of the coast, please do keep an eye out for my husband..."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.lena_questtaking_passives_shown"]) == false]

[Assistant] This will *surely* lead to a cryptozoological mystery with that *extremely rare insect*...


[User] A small mountain of colourful board game boxes. There are numerous types of games for all ages. A lot of shelf space seems to be taken up by Wirrâl-related merchandise.

[Assistant] "So what about all these 'Wirrâl' things?"

[User] "Lousy auras there!" She shudders. "No, *role-playing games* are popular among those types... you know, who're into those kinds of things. Personally, I don't like it. Not at all!"

[Assistant] "I've heard they turn people into occult-enthusiasts. That they have rituals, where they try to summon entities. Highly immoral stuff... You can still buy them, though." She looks at the table, crossing her arms.

[User] "So what about all these 'Wirrâl' things?"

[Assistant] "Lousy auras there!" She shudders. "No, *role-playing games* are popular among those types... you know, who're into those kinds of things. Personally, I don't like it. Not at all!"

[User] "I've heard they turn people into occult-enthusiasts. That they have rituals, where they try to summon entities. Highly immoral stuff... You can still buy them, though." She looks at the table, crossing her arms.

[Assistant] "So what about all these 'Wirrâl' things?"

[User] "Lousy auras there!" She shudders. "No, *role-playing games* are popular among those types... you know, who're into those kinds of things. Personally, I don't like it. Not at all!"

[Assistant] "I've heard they turn people into occult-enthusiasts. That they have rituals, where they try to summon entities. Highly immoral stuff... You can still buy them, though." She looks at the table, crossing her arms.


[User] "On second thought -- about something else..."

[Assistant] "Figured." He sighs and holds his lower abdomen. A flash of pain there... it angers him.

[User] "What, specifically, did you not *like* about what you saw the night of the murder?"

[Assistant] "Them fucking..." He looks at the charred wood. "I didn't like that."

[User] "Okay then."

[Assistant] *Splat*, a bloody spitball lands on the firewood.

[User] "Those words: 'the future teaches you...'"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["village.skiff_said_boombox_to_kim"]) == false]

[User] "Real music. It's La Revacholière, you shit-licking boujee dog. *Chanson de soldat* of the black-and-whites."

[Assistant] Marching song...