[User] "It's you from the bookstand..." She just looks at you for a moment without knowing what to do.

[Assistant] "I don't think I introduced myself properly -- I'm Billie. Would you like something to drink?" She looks around the kitchen. "Tea, lemonade? We're out of coffee..."

[User] "Thanks, but I'm alright."

[Assistant] "Is this about Victor, my husband? Is he in some kind of trouble again? I can come pick him up in the station if that's what..." She stops, her eyes trying to read answers from your face.


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

[Assistant] Where am I?

[User] Inside a secret room infested with rats, spiders, and woodlice.

[Assistant] Where am I?

[User] Inside a secret room infested with rats, spiders, and woodlice.

[Assistant] [Leave.]


[User] Well, now you've done it. Let's see if you can talk your way out of this one.

[Assistant] "Relax, I was practising the time-honoured technique known as the 'lie'."

[User] "I suppose that's a relief. Just be careful how often you avail yourself of this 'technique'. A lie may be useful in the short-term, but they have a way of catching up with you later."

[Assistant] We know a *lie*, sire. And it didn't feel like one to us. He chooses to believe though -- for now.

[User] "And one more thing -- as you've seen, these sorts of attitudes are quite common in Martinaise. So I expect this to happen again. And again..."

[Assistant] "I've had this conversation enough times in my life. From now on, I'm  going to stay out of it. How you choose to respond is your business." He concludes: "But be careful. Now, let's move on."


[User] Looks like someone tried to *reconceptualize* their business here.

[Assistant] I don't get it.

[User] Look: The skis and rotor blades both bear the same "Slipstream" logo. It seems likely that they started out making one, failed to turn a profit, and then pivoted to producing the other.

[Assistant] That's just speculation. We don't know anything for sure. [Finish thought.]


[User] "The fuck about it?"

[Assistant] "Do you know who he was?"

[User] "Cuno's fuck-gimp." He picks up a rock. "Cuno uses the fuck-gimp for target practice."

[Assistant] He's trying to hide the fact that he doesn't know.

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

[Assistant] "I meant who he *was*. Before he died?"

[User] "Cuno knows what you meant. Cuno's not a snitch, that's all." He shakes his head, clearly offended. "Tryin'a make Cuno sing into the popophone..."

[Assistant] "Do you know who he was?"

[User] "Cuno's fuck-gimp." He picks up a rock. "Cuno uses the fuck-gimp for target practice."

[Assistant] He's trying to hide the fact that he doesn't know.

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

[Assistant] He could've just said he doesn't know.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["jam.siileng_clothes_hub_reached"]) == false]

[Assistant] There are clothes inside. Cheap second-hand clothes, smelling of strangers' body odours.

[User] "Don't be shy, these are premium-class clothes! Good quality fabrics, best retro design! Save the economy with your style, officer!"

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["jam.siileng_asked_pay_net_worth"]]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["jam.siileng_rhetoric_why_eco_needs_saving"]) == false]

[Assistant] Save the economy? That sounds off.

[User] "I want to buy the windbreaker."

[Assistant] "Gotta prepare for springtime, right?" The street vendor seems pleased.

[User] Browse through the box.

[Assistant] You find your hands deep in tattered and faded garments made from weird polyester blends that make your body itch and sweat in all the wrong places.

[User] The box smells like cat piss -- or like an old person with no money.

[Assistant] "Economical, but also trendy!" the street vendor shouts. "Look first-hand, buy second-hand. Keep the economy moving!"


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["village.idiot_greeting_done"]]

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

[User] "Tequila Sunset." He nods in appreciation.

[Assistant] "So, uh -- can you tell me the Tequila Sunset story now?"

[User] "Didn't I already say, I don't wanna be the one who breaks it to you? You have to get acquainted with *the event* first! It'd be irresponsible..." The man shakes his head. His gray eyes look into yours.

[Assistant] ...and also scary to tell you.

[User] You need to face up to it. Go to the sea, inspect the machine.

[Assistant] "I got you some more booze, can you tell me the next story now?"

[User] "Of course -- drink first, story later." He holds out his palm.

[Assistant] "I've got this blue medicinal spirit, how about that?"


[User] "CONFINED QUARTERS, ASSAILANT COMING AT ME! SPLIT-SECOND DECISION, FIRE AT WILL!"

[Assistant] OH MY GOD!!!!

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

[Assistant] CONDITION BLACK, ALL SYSTEMS CRITICAL!

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

[Assistant] Oh... I see. Okay, the gun was empty. All is good. You're fine.

[User] "Wh... what is this?" The old woman looks at the treacherous weapon. "This isn't police issue. Police weapons have bullets. This isn't real!"

[Assistant] The gun lands on the wooden planks and tears run down her scratched cheeks. "Police guns always have bullets... What is this? Why did you sell me this?"

[User] She looks devastated.

[Assistant] Grab the gun! Right now! This might be your *ONLY* chance.

[User] (Pick up your gun.)

[Assistant] "No one ever cares anymore," her voice is growing fainter as she rocks back and forth, slowly. "Why would they cheat me like this..."

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

[Assistant] Great gears are grinding to a halt. The machine is powering down. She's all out of jolt.


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

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

[User] The man stares at you through the haze in his eyes.

[Assistant] "What's gonna happen to the Hardie boys now that Titus is dead?"

[User] "T... Ti... Tit..." The spit flying out of his mouth is accompanied by a painful grimace. "Tit... Titus's fuckin' dead..."

[Assistant] "What's gonna happen to the Hardie boys? Look around you, man. This shit is done. There are no more Hardie boys!"

[User] "Oh yeah... that makes sense. Never mind."

[Assistant] "Look, what do you want from us, man? Things are pretty tough right now."

[User] "Take care guys." [Leave.]

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


[User] "This... *reality*?" She pulls her hood closer around her neck.

[Assistant] Yes, reality is your side-case.

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

[Assistant] The aim is to gain a deeper understanding.

[User] "No time to explain -- just give me the low-down."

[Assistant] "No, but... please. A *little* context. We're not in such a hurry."

[User] We have time for you to tell me why you need a *reality lowdown*.

[Assistant] "By learning about the world I hope to learn more about myself."

[User] "A sort of... spiritual quest? Something of ancient Iilmaraan origin?" There's more than a trace of irony in her voice.

[Assistant] "Forget the past, my quest concerns the coming apocalypse."

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

[Assistant] "Well then. Reality *is* a strange place -- getting stranger by the day. Ask away, officer. I'll help however I can."


[User] Dolores Dei -- the innocence of humanism, internationalism, and the welfare state -- turns around to face you. She has an airship bag in her hand. She seems to be in a hurry.

[Assistant] Okay, don't say you need to 'talk' right away. Melt the ice first -- this way you're *already* talking.

[User] Off to advise the queen of Shest, most likely. This is the holy suzerain of Mundi and Insulinde -- *definitely* not your wife -- you need to talk to her! Think of the historical knowledge you could glean!

[Assistant] I don't know, man... what is the holy suzerain doing here? Something seems off...

[User] "What's in the bag?"

[Assistant] "Just my scepter, my *globe crucigère*, a spare silk gown. A toothbrush. Travel documents. The Crown of Immortality."

[User] "Crown of Immortality? Aren't you already wearing one?"

[Assistant] "Oh, this?" She corrects the wreath on her forehead.

[User] "This is just a wreath. The Crown of Immortality is made of rarefied light, manna, and raw palladium. It was passed on to me by the rulers of late antiquity..."

[Assistant] She looks at the suitcase, not knowing what more to say, then over her shoulder.


[User] The tare machine stands in the corner. A sign says: "ONE BOTTLE = TEN CENTS".

[Assistant] "Excuse me -- I have the tare bag but no tare. Can I still use the tare machine?"

[User] "No." She doesn't even bother looking up out of her magazine. "You need tare to use the tare machine."

[Assistant] Insert your bottles.

[User] Your bottles clunk into the machine and the money appears with a satisfying jingle. You're a richer man now!

[Assistant] D'you know what you should do with that money, kiddo? You should *buy more alcohol*! Enter the endless cycle of consumption!


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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["village.joyce_left_mid_village_greet"]) == false]

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

[Assistant] "I'll just keep the Cor-de-Leite in the channel, if that's okay. It's too shallow near the pier..." She winds the mooring line around a post.

[User] "Aye, ma'am... And it's a jetty, by the way."

[Assistant] "Of course. Jetty. I prefer a good jetty to a pier any day. Jet-jet-jetty..."

[User] Something about the way she says it makes you want to sing.

[Assistant] "J-j-j-jettady-jetty."

[User] "Oh jetty, oh jetty...." she responds mournfully...

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

[User] ...then secures the mooring line. "It's good to see you here, detectives. I only just arrived myself."

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


[User] A man lies on the boardwalk, his limbs bent and neck turned at an unnatural angle. Right next to him is an empty bottle of spirits. In his cramped hand: a chewing gum wrapper.

[Assistant] Study the surroundings.

[User] There's some dried blood on the metal bench, right where the corpse's head rests. The floorboards are rotten and slippery wet around the hole. An empty bottle lies nearby. A chewing gum wrapper is clutched in his fist.

[Assistant] Be very, very careful where you step here.

[User] Examine the bottle.

[Assistant] A 0.75 litre 'Touloula' vodka with its cap missing. There's hardly anything left inside.


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

[Assistant] "J-j-j-jettady-jetty."

[User] "Oh jetty, oh jetty...." she responds mournfully...

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

[User] ...then secures the mooring line. "It's good to see you here, detectives. I only just arrived myself."

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

[User] "What brings you here, madam?"

[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] "So how do you like it here?" (Look around.)

[User] "Hmh... How *do* I like it?" She casts her gaze toward the village -- slush melting on the cinder blocks, construction work left half-finished ten years ago...

[Assistant] Water drips down eaves of eternite. The jetty below her feet creaks to the tune.

[User] The smell of salt and dog shit in the background.

[Assistant] "It's pornographically poor. The street has no name, all the men are dead or missing... and is that the carcass of a motor carriage over there?" She squints her eyes...

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

[Assistant] "I'm surprised that woman hasn't put me to the sword yet. Maybe she will? You should ask your questions while you can."


[User] Hey, psst...

[Assistant] Who -- me?

[User] Yes, you. Word on the street is you're ready to start building *communism* again!

[Assistant] How come there's *word on the street*?

[User] You keep saying things like *down with the bourgeoisie*, *eat the rich*, *sodomize the land-owners*, *impale all people who have more than 25 reál in their pocket*, *literally murder all human beings regardless of their political beliefs* -- that kind of stuff.

[Assistant] I've said *some* mildly left wing things but none of those.

[User] Oh yes, the *mask of ambivalence*. Don't deny it. You're about to rip it off and reveal the monstrous seven-eyed lamb of global communism that will devour and masticate mankind.

[Assistant] Everyone can see that. So tell me, do you have any questions before we fire up the Big Communism Builder, or do we get *right down to it*?

[User] Wait, first -- what's this *communism* even about?

[Assistant] Failure. It's about failure.

[User] Failure?

[Assistant] Yes! Abject failure. Total, irreversible defeat on all fronts! Absolutely vanquished, beaten, curb-stomped and pissed on -- until *you* came along! *You* will reverse the fortune of the workers of the world.

[User] You alone, against every living thing, against every human alive: eight hundred trillion reál in the hands of an *impossibly* well organized ruling class; towering city blocks of bank-men who have the ears of prime ministers; million-headed armies of nations and the love of your own mother!

[Assistant] You -- against the atom, the charm and the spin. Where the whole world failed -- matter failed to bend to human will; human will failed to get out of bed and tie its laces -- you alone, single-handedly, will rebuild the dreams of the working class. You are The Last Communist.


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

[Assistant] Behind the dockworkers: a ceiling height window. The hawthorn branches scrape the glass like bony fingers.

[User] The men are talking, but you swear you hear those black limbs tap on the window as the wind blows outside.

[Assistant] You see two, maybe three bushes, grown into a single thicket -- over a period of circa 50 years. It takes time for a hedge like that to form.

[User] Look out the window.

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

[User] There's a yellow ribbon tied to one of the branches -- light yellow, faded with time. A tiny splash of colour in the blackness of the thicket. Hanging from it -- a bronze key.

[Assistant] Someone hid the key in the bush and attached a yellow ribbon to make it easier to find.

[User] It's close enough to the latch up there -- one can slide it open and just take it. Surely not a coincidence.

[Assistant] "Someone's hid a key in the bush." (Point at the window.)

[User] "Huh?" The big guy looks behind him.

[Assistant] "I need your guys to hand the key to me."

[User] "And *I* need the fatty to get his feet amputated 'cause the smell is killing me -- we can't always get what we want."

[Assistant] "Goddamnit, Dennis. You know I can't help it!" His whiny voice is in deep contrast with his stature.


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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["village.joyce_left_mid_village_greet"]]

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

[Assistant] The woman is tying a complicated nautical knot around the post, while occasionally exchanging a few words with the other woman.

[User] [Leave.]

[Assistant] You leave her fastening the mooring line around the post rotting in the water.


[User] A moustachioed and mutton-chopped man, amateurishly depicted, gazes at you with sad eyes. A plaque reads: "K. Mazov." There is a spider web in the lower left corner of the portrait.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["tc.mazov"]]

[User] "Who is K. Mazov?"

[Assistant] "Well, my amnesiac friend, Mazov is the father of scientific communism. His theories about economic history greatly influenced -- some would even say *sparked* -- the Antecentennial Revolution."

[User] "So... this must have been the hiding place of some naive leftists?"

[Assistant] "Yes, some radical -- or radicals -- were hiding out here but left a long time ago."

[User] "Could someone have stopped through here recently?" (Conclude.)

[Assistant] "You mean, like Ruby? No. I think we've stumbled on a piece of history." He looks at the dust.

[User] "Who is K. Mazov?"

[Assistant] "Well, my amnesiac friend, Mazov is the father of scientific communism. His theories about economic history greatly influenced -- some would even say *sparked* -- the Antecentennial Revolution."

[User] "So his ideas tend to stir up trouble?"

[Assistant] "Yes. And it looks like some latter-day radicals were hiding out here but left a long time ago."


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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.momsoffice_volition_wc_passed"]) == false]

[User] The file cabinet stands steady as ever and the unlocked drawer slides out to greet you.

[Assistant] Browse through the folders.

[User] Hundreds of documents containing logistical data. Two kinds of transactions stand out: materials coming into Revachol from the outside world -- from Mundi, Graad, and even Iilmaraa...

[Assistant] ...and the same materials being handed over to companies inside Revachol. Couron, Coal City, La Delta, and Jamrock are listed among the many districts where the imports are being sold.

[User] Anything interesting? (Browse them.)

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

[User] You already went through all of these.

[Assistant] Browse through the folders.

[User] Hundreds of documents containing logistical data. Two kinds of transactions stand out: materials coming into Revachol from the outside world -- from Mundi, Graad, and even Iilmaraa...

[Assistant] ...and the same materials being handed over to companies inside Revachol. Couron, Coal City, La Delta, and Jamrock are listed among the many districts where the imports are being sold.


[User] This industrial gas-powered stove has been used to prepare food for many hungry hostel guests. There are several pots and pans on hand.

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

[User] "What are you planning to do, throw a dinner party? Please refrain from culinary experiments until after we've finished the investigation."

[Assistant] Whatever you had planned, you have to do it when the lieutenant's gone.

[User] "Okay, okay." [Leave.]

[Assistant] The stove is unmoved by your comings and goings.


[User] "Yeah," he says slowly, meeting your gaze with sullen defiance. "Cuno took the bugs. So what?"

[Assistant] So it wasn't the phasmid... a wave of disappointment washes over you.

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

[Assistant] "You say you don't *give a fuck about bugs*, then you go and build a whole bug town."

[User] "It's not Bug Town, it's the *City of Locusts*," he says, enunciating every syllable. "Locusts aren't just bug-shit. They come out of the sky like a fucking shadow. Shit *descends*."

[Assistant] "Stoooooop!" she wails from behind the fence, then buries her face in her hands.

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

[Assistant] Locusts coming down like a shadow... This must be the *Night City* he mentioned when you asked him where he's been.

[User] (Point at the shack.) "So that, in there, is Night City?"

[Assistant] "Yeah. Locust City -- City of Rage, City of Lights..."

[User] There's a tug-of-war over the name of his fantastical city. It's almost too big for his imagination.

[Assistant] The girl forces herself to watch again, the corners of her eyes twitching from discomfort.

[User] The lameness is causing her physical pain. The damage may be permanent.

[Assistant] "City of Rage sounds like a cool place."


[User] An old door, worn by elements, guards the depot. The wind has blown a sand dune in front of it. The door hasn't been opened in a long while. You see a handle.

[Assistant] "Could this structure have been used to take the shot?"

[User] "From here to the Whirling? I can't see how..." He looks southeast and blows on his fingers: "The church is in the way."

[Assistant] What is this thing anyway?

[User] The concrete structure looks *military* in origin. Over half a century old at least, but sturdily built.

[Assistant] Open the door.


[User] You should totally use emotional blackmail. Because that *always* works on women.

[Assistant] "I helped you get your husband back. You *owe* me some sweet cryptid facts as a reward!"

[User] "I'm very grateful to you, sweetie. But -- now that I think about it -- you should talk to Morell about cryptids. He could tell you so much more!"

[Assistant] She turns to Morell. "Right, honey?"

[User] "Sure, why not?" He scowls.

[Assistant] "I'd really like to hear about more cryptids."

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.lena_cryptid_kim_1st"] == 0  and  IsKimHere()]

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


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["village.idiot_greeting_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["village.idiot_mid_greet_exit"]]

[User] "Hey, Tequila! Welcome to reality. How's it treating you?" A thirty-something Lickra(TM)-clad man takes a sip from his beer.

[Assistant] "Wait, Tequila?"

[User] "Yeah, Tequila Sunset!" He takes a sip, "How are the, uhm, high-concept, reality-based adventures proceeding?"

[Assistant] He says it like it's obviously your name. Like you call someone Billy Brunuel or 'Leader of the Fourth Street Gang'.

[User] Good, these people know your *true* name. Looks like it has preceded you, Mr. Sunset. More on that later.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.necktie_personified"]  and  CheckEquipped("neck_tie")]

[User] I like this guy. You should, too. He *respects* you by calling you your *true name*.

[Assistant] "Reality? It makes me aggressively sad."


[User] Like a fan of gills the chequered papers dry in your hand. The handwriting is extremely dense, if mostly illegible.

[Assistant] (Count the pages.) I have to open an official case. Is there room?

[User] There is -- for precisely *one* more. Fifteen pages near the end remain untouched by the damage. The chequered grid forms a structure of passages, breaking the case into sub-tasks to accomplish.

[Assistant] Once all the tasks are accomplished, the case is complete.

[User] COMMIT TO PAPER.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: CheckItem("kind_green_ape_pen")  or  CheckItem("blue_oblong_pen")]

[User] The tasks you've completed flow out of the pen in a brash freehand similar to the rest of the letters. The wording comes easily, it's almost robotically simple; a language developed for mental rigour and simplicity:

[Assistant] "Inspect victim's body."

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

[Assistant] "Interview the cafeteria manager."

[User] It's not exactly poetry -- but poetry would be out of place.

[Assistant] Cross out the ones you've already finished.

[User] A satisfying slash sounds across the paper. *You're done* it seems to say. And *you!* -- and *you!*

[Assistant] AND A FUCK YOU TO YOU *TOO*! That last one cuts a slash right through the paper.


[User] A crinkled chewing gum wrapper. The worn label reads: 'Tutti Frutti.' It smells faintly of apricots, with a barely noticeable twinge of cinnamon.

[Assistant] You feel compelled to point out that there's nothing fruity about cinnamon -- It's a spice derived from tree bark.

[User] Why do I even care about this?

[Assistant] Good question, There is no answer or secret phrase written on the inside of the wrapper. Yet you're drawn to it.

[User] Drawn by regret. Stop, before you *hurt* yourself with the Tutti Frutti wrapper. Throw it away, please.

[Assistant] I'll hang on to it, just in case.


[User] "Whatever I can help you with. We need to contain the situation."

[Assistant] "What was that about a... *blood bath*?"

[User] "Yes. I'm afraid this strike may descend into a small scale civil war. With possible consequences for all of Revachol West."

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

[User] "This *colonel*, the one who was hanged -- did you know him?"

[Assistant] "If you mean did I see him alive -- yes. But I did not *know* him."

[User] You don't know how you know -- it's not written on her face, nor in her voice -- but she had sympathy for this man.

[Assistant] "You liked him."

[User] "*Liked* is a bit strong," she tosses her head. "He... he was the most charismatic among them. He handled all the talking. His departure left a major gap in the group's *communication skills*."

[Assistant] "His name was..."

[User] "Lely. His service name, a nom de guerre most likely. He wouldn't divulge his full name. Only one of them did -- a bad sign if there ever was one."

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

[User] [Action/Check: Script: SetVariableValue("pier.joyce_kim_not_present_at_lely_name", true) --[[ Variable[ ]]]

[Assistant] "This Lely -- anything else? Nationality? How old would you say he was?"


[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] "I think I got everything I need, thanks." [End call.]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.sylvie_exited_once"]]

[Assistant] You hear the call breaking up on the other end of the radio and then the already familiar voice:

[User] "Anything else I can help you with, officer?"

[Assistant] "I need you to connect me to a civilian -- a Sylvie. She may have reported a murder."

[User] "Of course. What is her number, officer?"

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


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

[Assistant] Carefully knock.

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

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

[User] You feel eyes on you, watching you from the windows overlooking the yard.

[Assistant] You're *pretty* sure the owner of the apartment isn't here. It's safe-ish.

[User] Use Mañana's key to unlock the door.

[Assistant] You try to be as silent as you can. It takes a bit of rattling of the handle to loosen the bolt.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["apt.master_investigator_doors_opened"] >=3) == false]

[Assistant] Finally, the door unlocks with a small clack. Thoughts race through your head...

[User] The sound of the key turning still echoes in the yard. Hopefully no one heard.

[Assistant] Well buddy, you opened it. No need to go inside. It would be *rude*.


[User] "Okay, let's do this." (Climb the monument.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["jam.warship_phys_inst_bar"]]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckEquippedGroup("gloves")) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["auto.is_raining"] == true  or  Variable["auto.is_snowing"] == true) == false]

[User] The cold metal chills your bare hands. Some part of your brain tells you something is missing...

[Assistant] Chalk powder. Absorbs moisture and keeps your grip firm.

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

[Assistant] ... and before you know it, you're safely perched atop the monument.

[User] Examine the connections.

[Assistant] The connection itself is nothing more than a little braid of exposed wire wrapped about the hoof of the horse, a copper fetter it cannot slip.

[User] The whole monument is covered in a thin but durable layer of oil and grime. It's obvious no one has cleaned it in years.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["jam.monument_perc_oils"]]


[User] A couple of indicator lights are missing from this control panel. Loose wires dangle from the now-vacant holes. In the middle is a lever -- beneath it, a small metal plaque.

[Assistant] Could this be why Morell hasn't returned to Lena?

[User] "So the coast is closed off. This may be why Lena's husband Morell the cryptozoologist hasn't returned."

[Assistant] "Looks like it, yes. We should probably go tell Lena. Take a load off her mind."

[User] She *was* quite worried...

[Assistant] "So the coast is closed off. This may be why Lena's husband Morell the cryptozoologist hasn't returned."


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

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

[User] The file cabinet stands steady as ever. Sliding out a drawer presents you the folders you already went through. On top of them is the handwritten note.

[Assistant] Force yourself to go through the folders.

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

[Assistant] Whatever's hidden here is hidden well. Concentration isn't enough, only a trained accountant, with a background in logistics, would be able to *really* make sense of it. However there *is* a little hand-written note, stuck on the side of the drawer.

[User] "Never mind the note." (Close the drawer.)

[Assistant] The drawer slides shut smoothly.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["auto.inside_shack"]]

[Assistant] The bed is comforting, if a bit run down. Still, you've earned a rest.

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

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

[User] The option to go to sleep becomes available every night after 21.00.

[Assistant] Go to sleep.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["auto.inside_shack"]]

[Assistant] Across the room, the heating system hums its soft lullaby. The mattress feels soft and sheets warm. It only takes you moments for the world to fall away...


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

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

[User] This window is pristine on the inside -- unlike the one next to it. Light from the desk lamp reflects off the glass in an untarnished golden halo.

[Assistant] Run your finger across the surface of the glass.

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

[Assistant] The glass is cold from the air flowing in.


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

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

[User] "It's always nice to see you here. You bring good energy."

[Assistant] Convince her to let you investigate the Doomed Commercial Area.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["doomed.plais_whitecheck_drama_convince"]; Script: SetVariableValue("doomed.plais_whitecheck_succeeded", true) --[[ Variable[ ]]]

[Assistant] Slither up to her, you silver-tongued fiend. Show her what world-class perfidy looks like!

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsTHCPresent("remote_viewer")) == false]

[Assistant] Wait, what if I don't want to lie...

[User] You're not *lying* -- you're giving her peace of mind. The meanssss are thus jusssstified.

[Assistant] "The presence is real in this building. I have felt it. It lurks. It hungers. But I can bring peace."

[User] "Are you sure?" She looks sceptical. "Don't think I haven't seen *charlatans* before..."

[Assistant] "I sensed the psychic emanations from afar. The Sleeper Beyond calls out."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.serial_number_2"]]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (TotalHourCount() >= Variable["plaza.kineema_serial_personal_aliiz_deadline"]) == false]

[User] "Not yet -- but I was able to convince the database people to share private sector information. They promised to get back to me by tomorrow morning. Did you have any other questions?"

[Assistant] "Have you heard back from the ICP about the serial number?"

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["plaza.serial_number_2"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.serial_number_1"]]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (TotalHourCount() >= Variable["plaza.alice_serial_next_meeting_time"]) == false]

[Assistant] "No, and I doubt they'll get back to me before tomorrow morning. Anything else?"


[User] Arson. Petty theft. Spousal abuse -- handwritten logs on investigations dating back to January, ´51 -- stamped CASE FILES, COMMIT TO PAPER. These are the last couple of months of your life.

[Assistant] "Kim, I have a name for this case."

[User] "Huh? Oh, yes. The name, good. What is it?"

[Assistant] "THE FURIES ARE AT HOME IN THE MIRROR."

[User] "Furies. Yes. Well." It's obvious he doesn't like it. "I don't know. I have to be honest -- I'm not experiencing the *internal strife* that refers to. And also..." He furrows his brow.

[Assistant] "Could we make it less *poetic* somehow? Just a normal case name, you know? Think -- what would that be? A good *normal* name?"

[User] Yes-yes, you know what that normal name is -- but it's so plain... *anything* else, please.

[Assistant] "Actually, I don't have one."

[User] "Oh... Well, then maybe I can suggest one?"

[Assistant] "No."

[User] "Okay then." He returns to his notes, abruptly. "The case doesn't need to have a name."

[Assistant] It actually. Does. You've offended him.


[User] The elevator stands open, inviting you to step inside.

[Assistant] This elevator must have been used to transport pinball machines to and from the upstairs workshop.

[User] "This elevator must have been needed to transport the pinball machines up and down."

[Assistant] "Seems so, although it's pretty... quaint for a freight elevator." He taps on the guttering light bulb -- it's golden in the dark.

[User] Look at the elevator controls.

[Assistant] There are large rectangular buttons: 'Monter', 'Descendre', and an international: 'Call for Emergency Assistance'. That third one appears to be broken.

[User] A small steel plaque reads 'Halter 800'. Halter is a Königsteiner lift company who went out of business a long, long time ago.

[Assistant] Go down.


[User] It's awfully silent again, as if someone turned off the entire world outside those walls. Water inside the bowls stands still.

[Assistant] Measurements have been marked down around the bowls, each chalk-drawn line representing a centimetre on the floor.

[User] Oh boy, this is going to be good.

[Assistant] Move the third bowl from the left two centimetres away.

[User] It moves like a ghost without creating a single trace of sound.

[Assistant] The lead programmer sends you an encouraging thumbs up from across the hall.

[User] Time to run back! Or maybe walk, this *is* a sacred place after all...

[Assistant] [Leave.]


[User] "I heard him and I'm on it. "

[Assistant] "10-4, affirmative. Officer is in pursuit of his firearm." There's static.

[User] "Oh god, I..." The man is fighting back tears.

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

[User] "I'm happy to report that I have found my badge, Jules."

[Assistant] "10-4, sir, glad to hear that! I'll write down that there's no need to issue a new one to you then. Over."

[User] Feels good to get that off your chest, right? Celebration with beer?

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

[User] "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."

[Assistant] "Jules, I've heard that some people think of me as a La Puta Madre's peone... Do you think I'm corrupted?"

[User] "10-4, sir." There's a pause, as he seems to mull it over behind his enormous radio-microphone. "Well, there's been some talk, sir," he finally says reluctantly.

[Assistant] "Some *talk*? What does it even mean there's been some talk? Do they think I'm corrupt or not?!"


[User] "Am I going to ask? Hell, Harry -- you *spin-kicked* my strongest man in the face. I saw it from my window!"

[Assistant] "Would *you* ask a man like that how he got into *your* container yard?"

[User] "I don't even know how I was able to do that."

[Assistant] "Don't worry, Harry." He leans in closer. "Between you and me, I'm not a huge fan of his race thing, but the Union did not get where we are today by frowning on eccentricity."

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

[Assistant] Yes, but it's because his word usually sets things in motion.

[User] "Let's talk about something else."

[Assistant] "But of course, Harry."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsHourBetween(21, 2)) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["village.has_shack"]) == false]

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["village.ww_altgreet_singing_reaction"]]

[Assistant] "The policeman." She squints at you. "What can our village do for you?"

[User] "I changed my mind, I want you to sign the documents." (Give her the envelope.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckItem("white_envelope_lilienne_signed")) == false]

[User] "Your mind just flips back and forth, doesn't it... what are they about *exactly*?"

[Assistant] "Evrart wants to turn part of the village into a little youth centre."

[User] "Hah!" She lifts the paper very close to her face and studies it intently. "I might be half blind, but it looks like part of the village is gonna be a street. The best part. The part we need to get out of our houses."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["village.netpicker_got_her_signature"]) == false]


[User] "Right, pig, this is where Cuno plays with his little wooden choo-choo. Fuck do you want with it?"

[Assistant] "I might have questions later. For now, let's talk about something else."

[User] "Yeah, whatever. Cuno doesn't give a shit." He spits over his shoulder, then looks back up at you.

[Assistant] "I want to discuss the body with you again, Cuno."

[User] "The fuck about it?"

[Assistant] "Do you know how it got up there?"

[User] "Probably climbed? Cuno was busy *down the road* when that shit went down."

[Assistant] "So you didn't see it happening?"

[User] "You heard Cuno -- Cuno wasn't even in Martinaise. Cuno wasn't in Revachol." He puffs himself up. "Cuno wasn't *regional*."

[Assistant] The city's too large for him to have left. But he wasn't *here* either... So where was he?

[User] "You didn't really leave the city. Where were you?"

[Assistant] "Told you, pig bacon. Cuno doesn't do regional. Cuno's been to places you wouldn't dream of."


[User] A man in his late twenties with a thin, unimpressive beard notices you approaching. He drops the ledger he was holding and turns to the lieutenant.

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

[User] Could he be irritated with you? He avoids eye contact altogether. Like you're not even there.

[Assistant] "Mr... Garte, right?" The lieutenant glances into his little notebook. "You run this place?"

[User] "Yes," he responds tersely.

[Assistant] "I am Kim Kitsuragi from Precinct 57. This is an inter-district investigation, so joining me from Precinct 41..." He looks to you, realizing he still doesn't know your name.

[User] "The harbinger of ruin."

[Assistant] "What?"

[User] "Nothing. I just wanted to see what happens if I say that. Now I do."

[Assistant] "What is this, a joke to you? Is *this* what you get when you call the police now? *This* guy?" He turns to the lieutenant. "We've been waiting for a week here!"

[User] "Sir, I understand your concern, but we're here to do a job, and for us to do it, I need you to stay calm."

[Assistant] "Yes, of course." He takes a step back.

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

[Assistant] For a moment, the man fidgets under the lieutenant's gaze. Then he gives in.


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

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

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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.tribunal_did_nothing"]]

[User] Seeing you approach, the bruised man clenches his fists.

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

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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["plaza.tribunal_theory_hardie"]  or  Variable["plaza.tribunal_i_didnt_do_nothing_those_guys_did"]]

[User] "Oh, it's you... Didn't think we'd see you walking any time soon." He looks to the man behind him. "Alain, look, it's the rat cop."

[Assistant] "Uh... what?" He looks up, his eyes full of confusion, as if he'd just woken from a deep sleep.


[User] Next to stacks of bills, you see a note -- a few lines jotted down in large, uneven handwriting just as the writer was about to rush out the door.

[Assistant]
"I'm sorry I fucked everyone over.

PS. I didn't kill him.

PPS. Gift upstairs."

[User] What could this *gift* be?

[Assistant] "A trap, probably." He nods confidently. "But don't sweat it. You got the Cuno spotting you. Let's go in."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["jam.abandoned_cabin_accessed"]) == false]

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

[User] This green FALN A-Z 'Contemporain' is parked in the shadow of the ruins looming overhead. It's seen better days.

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

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["jam.jammystery_ladydriver_cabin_located_tommy"]) == false]

[Assistant] This is the one he pointed to. The green lorry...

[User] Unlock the door with the key Tommy gave you.

[Assistant] You push the key into the lock and turn. It makes a cracking sound -- then the door pops back a few centimetres. You can just...

[User] Open it.

[Assistant] The smell of cigarettes and perfume welcomes you. The cabin inside is plastered with old movie posters, actresses smile from the walls. There's a radio transmitter in the front and a toolbox tucked under the driver's seat. Some tools lie scattered near the pedals.


[User] The cover of this pocket-sized volume features a swirl of orange, yellow, and green. The title, "A Brief Look at Infra-Materialism," is set in an authoritative yet approachable serif font.

[Assistant] What an interesting colour palette. It's vibrant, yet somehow leaves you ever so slightly nauseated.

[User] On the inside jacket flap, you find a brief summary: "What is infra-materialism? A highly theoretical branch of Mazovian communism? A collection of mystical ramblings by a discredited revolutionary? Or possibly both?"

[Assistant] "This Brief Look(TM) introduces readers to one of this century's most fascinating and misunderstood theories in a concise, jargon-free manner."

[User] So far, so good.

[Assistant] You turn to the table of contents. The guide itself is divided into several sections with seemingly esoteric titles like 'Effects of Plasm on Root Vegetables' and 'Mental Projection and Transference'. There's also a brief introduction about the life of Ignus Nilsen.

[User] Read the introduction on Ignus Nilsen.

[Assistant] 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.

[User] 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.

[Assistant] He is your brother, a fellow *doom prophet*.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.hardies_inland_black_tree_taps"] == true]

[Assistant] Again you find yourself looking at that big old window...

[User] Look out the window.

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

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

[Assistant] Nothing. Just black tangles like the hair of an old woman. Motionless. The wind in the yard doesn't reach the hawthorn, nor does the light come in from this window.

[User] Look out the window.

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


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.mrlb_has_left"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.container_hub_reach"]) == false]

[User] Before you stands a cargo container. Just one of many in the yard.

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


[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] "You're a communist. I talked to the dead man, he *told* me communism killed him."

[User] "Stupid droite." He scoffs.

[Assistant] The lieutenant looks at you with worry in his eyes.

[User] Not this, he seems to say. Anything but this.

[Assistant] "It was intuition. Had he spoken, he would have said communism killed him."

[User] "*Intuition* is an aberrant psychologism." He chortles. "It reeks of cryptofascism. The parasite class use intuition to justify their rank in life. It's all just palmistry and magic *erl-creatures*."

[Assistant] "Your brain is *rotting* from the radio waves." He looks at the air, then turns to the lieutenant.


[User] "Gendarmerie! You found me." The young man on the balcony gives you a bright smile, before taking another drag from his cigarette.

[Assistant] Somewhere in the distance a baby cries over a blasting radio. There's a family argument reaching its crescendo in an upstairs apartment, while around the corner the air conditioners drone.

[User] It feels like a Friday. He seems to be in a good mood today.

[Assistant] And his shirt is still unbuttoned.

[User] "I found a key hidden under a stone. Was it yours?" (Show him the key.)

[Assistant] "It was mine. My friends use it from time to time to visit me." As he looks at you, something sparkles in his eyes.

[User] "So tell me, are you here to make things *right* again?"

[Assistant] "Honestly I'm just trying to not screw anything up."

[User] "Beautiful," he says again. A nearby street lamp casts shadows on his chin, drawing out the slender cheekbones.

[Assistant] "I have some good news for you. My Sunday friend is visiting me tonight. I told him about you and he'd like to say hello. Step in, he's already waiting." He nods towards door #28.


[User] A couple of indicator lights are missing from this control panel. Loose wires dangle from the now-vacant holes. In the middle is a lever -- beneath it, a small metal plaque.

[Assistant] Could this be why Morell hasn't returned to Lena?

[User] Wait... Could this be why Morell hasn't returned to Lena?

[Assistant] Pull the lever up.

[User] You grab the handle and pull the lever up. As soon as the metal connects against the contact pins you hear a loud *clunk*, then...

[Assistant] The water lock starts moving...


[User] A rusting control panel with loose wires dangling out from the hole where an indicator light used to be, and a mechanical lever sitting in the middle.

[Assistant] This panel usually closes the water lock, turning it into a bridge that lets you cross the canal -- but there's a crashed "Samaran butter" sign in the way. Pulling the lever *probably* won't do anything.

[User] So the coast is closed off. Is this why Lena's husband Morell the cryptozoologist hasn't returned?

[Assistant] The Water Lock Control Panel doesn't make for much of a partner, but yeah -- why not.

[User] You should probably tell Lena. It'll take a load off her mind.

[Assistant] Pull the lever -- again.


[User] "Okay. Let's back off for a moment. Tell me this..."

[Assistant] "You're lost, droite. You're lost..." He shakes his head, tufts of grey-white hair on his skull and chin...

[User] "I want to ask again about the people you don't like."

[Assistant] His lip curls into a sneer at the memory.

[User] "Disco... whores?"

[Assistant] "Whores..." is all he says. Even that word has to be pushed through his teeth with great force. The rage seethes too hard.


[User] Convince Titus he is being manipulated.

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

[User] Convince *Titus?* he's being manipulated? You should know by now -- Titus Hardie will never falter.

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

[User] One of his boys will.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["XP.keep_your_eye_on_the_powerful_guy_minus1_rhet_wc_pressure_cooker"]) == false]

[User] Just remember it's about more than Klaasje. It's about these men and Martinaise: their district, their *responsibility*.

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

[User] Good. I like this. This guy is learning.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["XP.keep_your_eye_on_the_powerful_guy_minus1_rhet_wc_pressure_cooker"]]


[User] "I wanna talk about the hanging again."

[Assistant] "Again? Someone ask the guy for an autograph -- you cops are his biggest fans."

[User] A burst of laughter in the room; the little guy is the loudest. "Good one, Titus!" he fawns.

[Assistant] "When did this *hanging incident* occur?"

[User] "You don't have to answer any of his questions," the fixer turns to remind Titus.

[Assistant] "I know, Lizzy, relax." He takes a sip. "We killed him last Sunday night. Seemed like a good way to end the week."

[User] "Understood. Next question."

[Assistant] "Why not? Yap my ear off, I got nothing to hide."

[User] "*How* did you kill him?"

[Assistant] "We hanged him up by his neck until he got real still. Wasn't that obvious, copper?"

[User] "Didn't they teach you *anything* at the cop school, idiot?"

[Assistant] You're pretty sure you've had at least two years of *cop school* and many more of active service.

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

[Assistant] Certainly enough to not put up with this back-sass. Deliver a knock-down observation.


[User] "I wanna talk about the hanging again."

[Assistant] "Again? Someone ask the guy for an autograph -- you cops are his biggest fans."

[User] A burst of laughter in the room; the little guy is the loudest. "Good one, Titus!" he fawns.

[Assistant] "I'm going to ask you again, Titus. Why'd you kill him?"

[User] "Why?" he hisses through his teeth. "Because he was worthless mercenary scum -- *and* he stepped out of line. In *my* town."

[Assistant] "So he was a mercenary, that's it?"

[User] "*And* he stepped out of line," he repeats, jaw clamped shut like a vice.

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

[User] "What kind of mercenary?"

[Assistant] "The kind that shows up when you start a strike. The *experienced* kind, too. Had Co Hoi and Semenine written all over him -- ex-Oranjese Special Forces."

[User] "A live grenade." The man spreads his arms. "Right here in *our* bar!"

[Assistant] This one has a special gripe with him coming here.

[User] "I can't prove it, but I *know* he was sent by the Wild Pines. They hire merc-shit like that. Story of every strike from here to Samara."

[Assistant] "Okay, besides crimes against karaoke, what did he actually do wrong?"

[User] "Wrong?!" he roars. "He harassed women. Raped one. Harassed workers. Threatened to kill some as a *warning*..." He wipes spittle from his mouth.

[Assistant] From rape -- to harassment -- to threats of violence -- why the strange de-escalation?


[User] This passport, issued by the Sovereign Republic of Oranje -- is issued to a black haired woman called Katarzine Alasije.

[Assistant] Klaasje's hidden documents. That she said would be in a buoy on the coast.

[User] She said the false passport would be for *Annouk Meijer-Smit*...

[Assistant] "What's her *real* name then?"


[User] "Medicinal Purposes of the Pale." The cover of this heavy tome features a number of esoteric symbols.

[Assistant] I want to try concoct one of those hangover-cures again.

[User] Very well. First, choose a base ingredient.

[Assistant] Common meadow rue.

[User] Next, you'll need to combine the base ingredient with an appropriate vehicle.

[Assistant] Mix it with a dram of whiskey.

[User] Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to add?

[Assistant] Some wild ginseng root.


[User] Rise and shine, comrade. It's time to get to work.

[Assistant] What's going on?

[User] Despite all the thinking you've been doing, only 0.0001% of communism has been built. It's too great a task to undertake alone. You're going to have to *get organised*.

[Assistant] Have you engaged the shit compressor? This task won't permit any looseness on your part, mentally or physically...


[User] Like a fan of gills the chequered papers dry in your hand. The handwriting is extremely dense, if mostly illegible.

[Assistant] Inspect the handwriting in the files.

[User] It's *inornate*. Nearly illegible, yet marching in orderly lines.

[Assistant] *Pedagogical* somehow. Brash. It must be yours for you to be able to read it. These are the lines of someone who has written by hand *a lot* and has developed a style only they themselves -- or *you yourself* -- can decipher.

[User] Written in a rush. In pain. A race to beat your own heart's pulse to some dark finish line.

[Assistant] Your hand cramps up merely looking at the scribbles, drawn -- as by some magnet -- to the red chequered margins. Fast, but always *straight*...

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["inventory.ledger_empathy_handwriting"]]

[Assistant] Return to the case files.

[User] That's *it*?

[Assistant] The notebook is *annual*, it says '51 on what remains of its cover -- a molten strap of cardboard. Everything prior to this must have belonged to a previous volume. In short: there was more.

[User] Judging by the creases on your forehead and the lines on your cheeks -- too much more. Going back years, decades even....

[Assistant] Inspect the handwriting in the files.


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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["auto.near_cloak"]]

[User] Looks like someone left his tarpaulin cloak hanging on the railing here. There is a white rectangle clearly visible on its back.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.saw_cloak"]) == false]

[User] This is *your* cloak. You can feel it.

[Assistant] Grab the cloak. [Leave.]

[User] As your fingers touch the tarpaulin it almost feels like the cloak wants to deliver a message of comfort through your fingertips...

[Assistant] *I will shield you from the elements and give my life for yours* -- that's what the cloak is relaying.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (IsHourBetween(21, 2)) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["village.has_shack"]]

[User] "Our tenant, the policeman. I hope the waves don't keep you up at night. What can I help you with?"

[Assistant] "I got shot!"

[User] "Aye, even *I* can see that. I told you not to bring your trouble with you, policeman. We've got troubles of our own here..."

[Assistant] "Though I suppose you took the worst of it. Turns out you were your *own* ill omen." The woman chuckles to herself.

[User] "My partner got shot, too. He's still in the hospital."

[Assistant] "What do you expect? Police officers get put into dangerous situations all the time. Sometimes they get shot. It's a rough trade you're in."

[User] "Still, I'm sorry to hear about your partner. He seemed to be a decent enough sort."

[Assistant] "He was alright."

[User] "That the best you can say about your *partner*? Sounds like it wasn't working out."

[Assistant] "Tell me about yourself. Who exactly are you here?"


[User] All these mesmerizing machines, just waiting to be plugged back in and played.

[Assistant] Run your finger across the dust of the 'White Deora' machine.

[User] Feels like it might jump back to life any moment, the lights illuminating the white robed woman.

[Assistant] "Sounds like you don't enjoy pinball, Kim."

[User] "No, I love it -- I love pinball. Who doesn't love pinball? Let's move on."

[Assistant] He doesn't.

[User] "How about we fire one of these bad boys up and play some ball?"

[Assistant] "You can't *fire* them up, they're broken. Only that one machine in the main hall works. The Royalist Pinball." He looks away.

[User] What a dumb name -- Royalist Pinball. If they weren't broken, he would kick one of these machines about now.

[Assistant] Think: Kim Kitsuragi... Kim Kitsuragi...


[User] "I think you may be able to help me decipher some tattoos." (Take out the picture.)

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: CheckItem("instant_photo_tattoos")]

[User] "Don't think so," he grunts, barely glancing at it.

[Assistant] Suddenly this feels like a really, *really* bad idea.

[User] "Of course. Yes. Forget about it. Let's discuss something else." (Cancel task.)

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

[User] Another grunt. He's turned his attention to the gates and seems tense.

[Assistant] "I want to get into the harbour too."

[User] "Have fun." He snorts. "Union shits are on full strike. Don't think they're going to let you through the gates. You trying to meet their fat boss?"

[Assistant] "I'm interviewing people about a murder that took place here. Behind the hostel-cafeteria there."

[User] "I know nothing about a murder." His reply is snappy and terse.

[Assistant] The mention of a killing sends a barely noticeable shiver of tenseness through him. Interesting...

[User] "Why so tense?"

[Assistant] "What are you talking about? I'm not tense."


[User] All these mesmerizing machines, just waiting to be plugged back in and played.

[Assistant] Run your finger across the dust of the 'White Deora' machine.

[User] Feels like it might jump back to life any moment, the lights illuminating the white robed woman.

[Assistant] "What's 'White Deora'?"

[User] "Some kind of..." He looks around, thinking. "Inane pinball theme -- probably related to Messina during the Dolorian age. The *history themes* are the worst."

[Assistant] Deora was one of the three *Crown Cities* of the Dolorian era, on the Mundi isola -- the others being Rheasilvia and Advesperascit. This theme is all about early airships and beautiful, sad, pearl-laden women. It's quite nice actually.

[User] The lieutenant grimaces, looking at the machines.

[Assistant] "What about that other one -- the Franconigerian Ball. Wanna play that?"

[User] "No."

[Assistant] "Let's move on then." [Finish thought.]


[User] The compact tape player is still and silent. Seems it has completely broken down now.

[Assistant] The machine was made in Revachol by a company called Lemercier -- their logo depicts the triple-towered Delta skyline. It was supposedly built to last.

[User] There is no fixing this one.

[Assistant] What should I do now, Stereo 8 Player?


[User] It's just a racist mug, what's there to *read* here? Not much.

[Assistant] There's quite a lot to read into here, actually. Look at all that content.

[User] Oh, boy. Here we go. What are you going to say about a broken, tossed away mug that *you* dug out of the garbage?

[Assistant] This mug is an example of prejudice. I'm going to use it as an example of what *not* to do.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: IsTHCPresent("radical_feminist_agenda")]

[Assistant] 'Rapeable'? What an unfortunate choice of words. Does she really mean that some people are more...?

[User] It's all very organic -- her mannerisms, her movements. If she's acting, she's quite gifted.

[Assistant] By *they* she means the Hardie boys.

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

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

[User] "Are you saying that you were *asked* to tell us you were assaulted?"

[Assistant] "Not explicitly, but I understood what they meant. It wouldn't hurt to spice things up a bit -- some assault and battery, *sexual* assault maybe. It was clear the latter would be *spicier*."


[User] Establish authority in their eyes.

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

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

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

[User] This time it's going to work. You already ruled out the first, *bad* option that didn't.

[Assistant] "If Kim was here, he would know what to say."

[User] "So you wanna go get him or you wanna pester Old Titus here with more of your questions?"

[Assistant] "Guess what? I've connected you to the local drug trade."

[User] "Like hell you have." He leans back, unruffled. "There is no 'local drug trade'. This place is as clean as a rifle. Go back to Jamrock and ask the local junkies how clean *your* streets are in Precinct '41-Kilos'."

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


[User] There it is, a brave little army in your pocket. The First Smokes Platoon. Twenty brave souls standing in salute, ready to step into the fire for you, sir...

[Assistant] Pull one out of the pack.

[User] You picked the best one! This soldier is fat and succulent. What are you waiting for? Light up -- re-become yourself!

[Assistant] Oh yes, *bratan*! (The tie is shaking around your neck excitedly.) Please light up. You *need* a trooper between your lips right now! Calm your shit down. Go to Pleasureland. Become a *genius*!

[User] Put it back in the pack. [Ignore thought.]

[Assistant] Already you regret it -- looking at the pack... But don't worry. You can come back to this later. The army of smokes is honourable and faithful to you. You have your entire *life* to return to it.


[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"]) == false]

[User] "Put your hands where I can see them," the ageing woman under a mountain of police paraphernalia mumbles to herself, then notices you and reaches for the megaphone...

[Assistant] "Show me your hands. This is the Pigs. Show me your hands *RIGHT NOW*," she screams in the megaphone. "SHOW ME YOUR HANDS RIGHT NOW!"

[User] Scavenged battery-powered police lights protrude from her back. The flickering light-show reveals a gun in her shaking hand.

[Assistant] Her hand is trembling from some sort of neurodegenerative disease.

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

[Assistant] You shouldn't be here. Something's very wrong with her. She's completely out of control.

[User] "Ma'am... I got a gun."

[Assistant] "Failure to comply. Suspect is displaying aggression! OFFICER UNDER DURESS! OFFICER UNDER DURESS!"

[User] Her eyes bulge with terror. Veins protrude on her forehead.

[Assistant] "I *am* the police! Don't move! DON'T MOVE! Hands on your head! SUSPECT IS ARMED AND DANGEROUS!"

[User] "I'm not moving."

[Assistant] "SUSPECT IS ON THE LOOSE! SUSPECT AT LARGE! Officer administers street justice at her own peril!"


[User] An old door, worn by elements, guards the depot. The wind has blown a sand dune in front of it. The door hasn't been opened in a long while. You see a handle.

[Assistant] What is this thing anyway?

[User] "It's military -- a service depot of some sort."

[Assistant] "Used to service what?"

[User] "Probably something that is no longer there." The lieutenant looks at the hunching, concrete toad in front of him.

[Assistant] Open the door.

[User] You rattle the handle a bit, then push on the door with all your weight -- it does not budge. Not only is it locked, it's also *jammed* shut.

[Assistant] "Whatever, door." [Leave.]


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

[Assistant] "Again?! I can't believe this shit..." He shakes his head, looking like he really is having trouble believing this *shit*.

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.viquemare_logic_antipassive_he_is_famous"]  or  Variable["whirling.vicquemare_disguise_asked"] == true]

[Assistant] "Are you famous or something?"

[User] "Not as famous as you, superstar." He says without the slightest hint of irony.

[Assistant] Yeah... it's still irony.

[User] "Fine."

[Assistant] "No, not entirely." It's impossible to say what his eyes behind the shades are doing.

[User] "Got some questions for you. I'm a cop."

[Assistant] "About *what?* You don't look like a cop..." He inspects you. "You know what you look like?"

[User] "Like... Kras Mazov?"

[Assistant] "Yeaaah..." He's rubbing his chin as he drags out the *yeah*. "Sort of. Okay. I get the reference. Like after he got run over or something."


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

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

[User] "What do you see?" The lieutenant cleans his glasses, squinting at the shapes in the mud.

[Assistant] "How old do you think these tracks are?"

[User] "A week maybe? Seven days would fit the time frame provided to us by the caller, who reported the hanging."

[Assistant] It is not impossible.

[User] "How do you know?"

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

[User] "I pulled last week's forecast for coastal Revachol. Seven days below freezing. The day before -- the day of his hanging -- was the last warm day."

[Assistant] Correct again. Sub-zero temperatures would preserve the tracks in a good state. The commotion here *could* have taken place a week ago.

[User] (Point.) "An aberration. One sole is smoother than the other."

[Assistant] "Interesting -- let's name it the Odd-Sole."


[User] The super fancy topping pie is waiting for you to dig in.

[Assistant] You should eat it slowly, really savour the chef's concept.

[User] Eating this pie will almost certainly make you less of a man. What were you thinking, agreeing to take a wheat-free, meat-free pie from that sleazy bastard?

[Assistant] "Hey, Kim, share this topping pie with me?"

[User] The lieutenant looks at you wearily. "Please let's not go through this again."

[Assistant] I'm hungover and *famished*! Who cares what's on it? Devour that topping pie!


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

[User] Plaisance was right... There's an entity living in the chimney! You should ask her about the curse.

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

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

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

[User] Why hasn't her business failed...

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

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

[Assistant] You feel nothing. If anything, it's uncomfortably *warm* in here.


[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()) == false]

[Assistant] The pétanque players?

[User] Yeah, where did they go?

[Assistant] Home? To work? To get something from somewhere? Who knows what people are doing when we're not looking.

[User] "Wait, maybe they died during the mercenary tribunal?"

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

[User] It's very unlikely. Everyone scattered once the tribunal started. They're probably fine.

[Assistant] "Damn, I missed asking these guys about the dried May bells."

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

[Assistant] No need to beat yourself down over it. It probably wasn't the definitive piece of the puzzle. Still, somehow it feels like May bells matter somehow.


[User] A lorry stuck in the traffic jam. This big, heavy Graad-made machine is well kept for such an old machine.

[Assistant] Look in the window.

[User] The windows are clear, they've been recently washed. You can see a lorryman's cabin with personal belongings, stickers, insignia...

[Assistant] Fumes of heavy fuel oil waft over you, making your eyes sting. The odour mixes with cigarette residue.

[User] What about the back seat?

[Assistant] The back end of the cabin has a small perch to sleep. Large ashtrays. There are several suns and wheels sown into the curtains.

[User] A book with ragged edges catches your notice. The front cover features a large, muscular man. The title reads: 'Man from Hjelmdall in the Lost City of the Pygmies'.

[Assistant] "You think this lorry belongs to our tough guy?"

[User] "Likely, yes. This guy's proud of who he is. Drapes it all over his machine."

[Assistant] There he is, in front of Frittte, smoking nervously. Hoping it's over.


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

[Assistant] On the table you see a bowl of water, a rough soap, and next to it a small hand mirror. A straight razor soaks inside the wash basin.

[User] The lieutenant throws you an embarrassed glance as you consider the washbasin.

[Assistant] Please attend to personal hygiene on your own time.


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

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

[User] Continuously nothing. The sky slowly slides above you. The young woman exhales, the scent of menthol tobacco. Sounds like a sigh.

[Assistant] "I have more questions about the deceased, but I need my partner here before I ask..."

[User] "Sure." She smiles, smoke trailing from the cigarette between her fingers. "Do whatever you need to do."

[Assistant] "Can you tell me more about Lely, the hanged man? My partner needs to hear this."

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

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


[User] As you look at the floorboards in this corner of the shack, it's clear one of them isn't quite level with the others.

[Assistant] The edge of a floorboard next to it looks scratched.

[User] "See anything interesting?"

[Assistant] Move the board aside.

[User] The hollow space underneath the floorboards is dark and damp. You can barely make out the mixture of sand and sawdust below.

[Assistant] Oh, I don't want to stick my hand in there. [Leave.]


[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] "What's with the red bow tie?" (Show it to him.)

[Assistant] "It's just a piece of clothing you've picked up. You do that, officer -- you collect clothes sometimes."

[User] He sounds a little worried. It's an odd habit.

[Assistant] Don't be worried, lieutenant. Clothes are therapeutic.


[User] "Where did you get the mic from?"

[Assistant] "Same place I got the recorder from. The Paliseum."

[User] "What's The Paliseum?"

[Assistant] "Oh man, you haven't been to The Paliseum?" She forgets herself for a moment. "It's *the* coolest place in this whole drug-addled shithole."

[User] "It's a music club and a synthesizer workshop. On Boogie Street, in Jamrock. Musicians live there, like... real musicians. I once saw Arno van Eyck!"

[Assistant] Thinking about it really cheers her up. It's a long way from here, though.

[User] "Sounds like a place for congregating homo-sexuals."

[Assistant] "Yeah, there might be some. I don't think they look down on the homo-sexual underground there. The Paliseum's not that kind of place. It's cool."

[User] "Don't get me wrong. I'm all for it. This *Paliseum* just sounded like their kind of place."

[Assistant] "Okay then. That's cool."

[User] "Now about that *Arno* guy you mentioned."

[Assistant] "Oh yeah..." She looks you over, assessing your age. "Guess you wouldn't know van Eyck. Or really be a Paliseum-going kind of person... "


[User] Well, hello. Someone seems to have found himself a bottle of *alcohol*. Here's where the *magic* happens.

[Assistant] Look at the bottle.

[User] Pale-aged vodka? This is rare game indeed. The gods have been generous. Better pop it open before they change their minds...

[Assistant] Wow, the gods of mass production have made this alcohol container *laughably* easy to open. A child could have done it.

[User] I don't know about this...

[Assistant] Should I though? I may have a teeny-weeny heart attack problem.


[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, but I haven't examined it yet. 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] "Let's leave this case for the station, I don't want to spend any time on it."

[Assistant] "Alright. The station is going to want details, however. Let's make sure we didn't miss anything before we head back to my Kineema to make the call."

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

[Assistant] "So, the death notification..." the lieutenant says as soon as you've left the apartment.


[User] She's black.

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

[User] "My partner told me you may have ammonia -- can I have some?"

[Assistant] "Sure -- I'm done with it." She takes a small capsule out of her breast pocket and hands it to you.

[User] "Go easy on that stuff. It gave me a terrible headache."

[Assistant] "I have to run." [Leave.]

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

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

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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["XP.got_gloves"]]


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

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

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

[Assistant] "What have you found?" She seems anxious. "And also, do buy the books. There may be *teachings* in them."

[User] "You *have to* let me to the cellar. There's something I desperately need from there."

[Assistant] "Who, what? I don't understand what you're talking about. I can't, in good conscience, risk releasing the *bane of doom* upon all because you need something from the cellar."

[User] "It's not just *something from the cellar*, I'm doing it for your previous neighbour -- Soona Luukanen-Kilde."

[Assistant] "Oh, you mean that girl with those *bizarre* machines? Hmpf! I recall her now... her energetic presence was off, *very* off. She kept rambling something about her memory being lost..."

[User] Her *filament* memory.

[Assistant] "In fact," she pauses to think, "It's odd how many of these troubles started with her departure. How do I know she's not behind the curse?! We definitely have to contain it now."


[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[ ]]]

[User] This could be a way into the apartment building the smoking man vanished into.

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

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

[Assistant] "Kim, tell her we're real policemen!"

[User] "Madam, I assure you we're real police officers," the lieutenant repeats dutifully.

[Assistant] There is no reply. Just faint sweeping sounds inside.

[User] "Kim, tell her we're real policemen!"

[Assistant] "Madam, I assure you we're real police officers," the lieutenant repeats dutifully.


[User] You see a heavy steel door with a prominent dimple lock. It's painted blue.

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

[User] You immediately feel *drawn* to the colour. Blue is for mystery.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.barreddoor_kick_down_success"] == true]

[User] Try the 'Workshop Spare' key on the door.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["apt.master_investigator_doors_opened"] >=3]

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

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.enter_the_mysterious_door_done"] == true]

[User] The key fits the dimple lock. It takes a bit of effort to turn it after all these years, but then -- the lock clicks.

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["auto.visited_pinball_room"]  or  Variable["auto.visited_pinball_workshop"]]


[User] "I've used it for killing people."

[Assistant] Here we go! A trail of blood.

[User] You can smell it.

[Assistant] "Killing people?"

[User] "It's a gun. That's what they're for. You want a moralist euphemism -- defending your family and your property? I haven't done that."

[Assistant] "I've used it to kill people."

[User] "You mean like... lately? *After* the War?

[Assistant] "There is no *after* the war." He shakes his head and smiles, his teeth rotten black: "Class war is never over."


[User] "Oh, so you met her? Good, good."

[Assistant] He's not as glad as he would like you to think. There's concern in his voice.

[User] "I asked Noid to install a measure against more drifters wandering in. A padlock. It's a temporary fix. Just something to contain the situation."

[Assistant] "I had to do it in a hurry. Not my best work... But it should hold for a while."

[User] "What about the key?"

[Assistant] "Of course. Noid, give the officer the key."

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

[Assistant] "Only if he promises to look into the spookers in the church." He looks at you gravely.

[User] "Officer, I apologize... Noid doesn't always understand the joy of giving for the sake of giving. I think it may have something to do with his childhood."

[Assistant] A pincer manoeuvre.

[User] Dammit, take it, don't you just want to see what's *in* there?

[Assistant] "You can't coerce me into taking this on. I don't need the key." (Not now.)

[User] "Well, if you ever decide to change your mind, then we're here." He taps the wooden crate he's sitting on. "Just ask me about the door again."

[Assistant] "Right. Other questions." (Conclude.)


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["whirling.kim_took_away_body_day_2"]) == false]

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

[User] "Looks like we can get to work at once. The Union muscle turned up." He points to the mess hall doors. "They look rowdy. We should talk to them."

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: CheckEquipped("shoes_t500") and  Variable["whirling.kim_stolen_boots_greet_done"] == false]

[User] He won't even *acknowledge* the stolen boots you're wearing. For him, they don't exist. You'll have to bring it up yourself, later -- *if* you dare.

[Assistant] "Let's roll." [Leave.]

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

[Assistant] "One more thing before we do..." He glances at the booth again. "We don't have to talk to them immediately. We can walk right past them, continue with our business."

[User] Good. A power move. *Purposefully* concentrate on something else first.

[Assistant] Yeah -- streetwise. Zoom right past, do it on your own terms.

[User] But... aren't you *curious* to know what they have to say about the murder?

[Assistant] "They're in no hurry to leave -- they think they own the place... Anyway, I leave that choice to you. Whatever you decide is fine by me."


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

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

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["cargo.evrart_find_your_gun_done"]  and  Variable["TASK.find_out_whats_happening_with_the_special_brew_strikers_are_eating_done"]]

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

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (CheckEquipped("jacket_carabineer")) == false]

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

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

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


[User] "I did and I'm sorry." She doesn't appear surprised. "For what it's worth... which isn't much."

[Assistant] "You don't get to choose your posse, they choose you. Mine are idiots, but they're mine. I tried to talk Andre out of it, I even tried not to lie to you..."

[User] Indeed. She merely tried to omit the truth instead.

[Assistant] "Should've tried harder. Misleading a cop is no joke."

[User] "I know. I should have been able to control them. And I will in the future. I promise."

[Assistant] She seems incredibly controlled all of a sudden. Her fists are clenched and she looks straight ahead. She's keeping herself together with all her might, rippling on the inside.

[User] "May I ask, what did you tell them?"

[Assistant] "That I'm going to decide after I've looked into the church situation."


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (DayCount() == 1) == false]

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

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

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

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["whirling.lena_tell_water_lock"]  or  Variable["whirling.lena_said_met_morell"]]

[User] "Oh, hello, dear. There you are again." She sounds glad to see you.

[Assistant] "I've changed my mind. I'll help you find your husband after all."


[User] "I didn't rape her."

[Assistant] "What you're saying is..." he says in a low, calm voice. "*You* raped her?"

[User] Ice is forming on the inside of your chest cavity, cold sweat trickles down your neck...

[Assistant] "No."

[User] "Then don't *ever* say that again." There's a pause.

[Assistant] "What else?"

[User] "I met her. In the hallway, after I woke up."

[Assistant] "Understood -- you were not in good shape on Monday."

[User] "She knows I didn't remember being a cop."

[Assistant] "Okay," he nods. "That's manageable."

[User] "She knows I didn't remember being a cop."

[Assistant] "Okay," he nods. "That's manageable."


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

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

[User] Technically -- no. Sorry.

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

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

[Assistant] He's right.

[User] "What do you think it was used for?"

[Assistant] "For bringing munitions to the island, maybe? And supplies. You could also *lock* the bay, when you raise the chain."


[User] This phrase is meant to be looked at from above.

[Assistant] "Hey Kim, who is this rooftop message for?"

[User] The lieutenant cranes his head and mutters: "GO HOME." He pauses. "It's an *aerograffito*. It's meant for the Coalition aerostatics that keep a lookout on the city from the low troposphere."

[Assistant] "What is an aerostatic?"

[User] "An aerostatic is an airship. A hybrid airship, semi-rigid." He points up to a small dot in the cloudline. "*That* is an aerostatic."

[Assistant] "There are airships around? Where can I get one?!"

[User] "Look," the lieutenant says impatiently. "It's not something that can be explained on the go in couple of sentences. We have more important things to focus on right now, so let's get back to them, alright?"

[Assistant] Silently nod.


[User] A cardboard sign hangs from the arm pointing out to sea. Written in shaky marker pen are the words: 'PALE SWALLOWS ALL'. What was once a gesture of great power has been hijacked to signal the ceaseless march of annihilation.

[Assistant] Your eyes glide over the horse, over its patina green coat. Something about the mount's sad animal-eyes makes you pause...

[User] Go away, stupid thoughts.

[Assistant] Your mind is silent, just like the roundabout under the brilliant sun.

[User] Somewhere in a hospital bed the lieutenant turns onto his side, feverish and exhausted...

[Assistant] It's fucking lonely at the top.

[User] The doom crier above seems to agree.

[Assistant] A figure in a day dress, cuddled up in an armchair... she looks up and smiles at you across the living room.


[User] "I noticed your room is close to mine. I have a personal question."

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

[User] "Yes, you're just one room away." She pours herself more coffee. "Very personal."

[Assistant] Good. Yes. This means she could have heard something. Like what you were doing before you blacked out.

[User] "Were you in Sunday night? I need to know what I did before I lost my memory."

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

[User] "You do *not* need to know that." The lieutenant taps on his notebook. "What you need is to ask normal police questions -- like..." He waits for you to finish the sentence.

[Assistant] Get a grip, he thinks. At least do your *personal* stuff when I'm not here.

[User] Quick! Say something professional.

[Assistant] "Let's return to this later, miss." [Leave.]

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

[Assistant] "Why not? I'll be here until 23.00, drinking coffee most likely..."


[User] "Whatever I can help you with. We need to contain the situation."

[Assistant] "Does this mean I don't have to look into that drug stuff?"

[User] "That is exactly what it means. What I am about to tell you is more pressing, I assure you."

[Assistant] "What can you tell me about Krenel?"

[User] "Not much. Their public resume is relatively good -- as far as private military contractors go. I believe they were once called... Downwell."

[Assistant] Down a deep, black well.

[User] "They boast a long list of clients: Saint-Batiste, Welchman-Lorentz, Eendracht... A warning sign, however -- the operations concerned all take place in third- or fourth-world countries. Guarding facilities, escort missions, and such."

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

[User] "Sounds like maybe the colonel went a little *native* during the course of his duties."

[Assistant] "I wouldn't go as far as to use that term detective."

[User] It's the *expression* she objects to?

[Assistant] "Okay. Anything else you can tell me?"

[User] "Sadly -- no. Before this happened I had little interest in them. Now that I do -- I don't have the resources." She thinks.

[Assistant] "If you still have access to the ICP's database, you could run a better background check than I ever could. It may take some time, though..." She thinks.


[User] You *clearly* see footprints in the downy carpet of dust covering the workshop floor.

[Assistant] Someone's been back here -- *recently*.

[User] "Three weeks maximum -- from the dust coverage. It could easily have been *one* week too. You know, officer..." He looks at you.

[Assistant] This is so good it makes him forget the whole *Kimball* memory.

[User] "It was a *stereo-investigation* after all. It has now converged with our main investigation. Adding a new fact to *consider*."

[Assistant] Someone's been back here -- *recently*.


[User] "Is that a cryptid on this pen you gave me?" (Take out the pen she gave you.)

[Assistant] The lieutenant leans in. "Hey, you promised you'd only ask about one cryptid."

[User] "But, Kim... Don't *you* want to hear about another cryptid too?"

[Assistant] The lieutenant pauses thoughtfully.

[User] Something in him breaks.

[Assistant] "Ah, fuck it. Let's have more cryptids."

[User] She smiles. "Well, the cryptid on your pen is the kind green ape. Half war story, half undiscovered species in the genus homo."

[Assistant] "War story?"

[User] "Yes. It was reported by soldiers in South Safre during the war. The kind green ape would visit bunkers during the night, healing wounded soldiers with its saliva."

[Assistant] "And there was something about an undiscovered sub-species of man?"

[User] "Indeed there is! It's our closest relative among the cryptids. Same taxonomic family, different genus."

[Assistant] "Which is to say, the kind green ape is a species with which we share a common ancestor and that evolved parallel to our own -- just like your partner's!"


[User] That isn't *just* a five-pointed star -- it's an inverted white pentagram cradled in a wreath of antlers. The iconography of communism, in other words.

[Assistant] Inspect the symbol closer.

[User] The star-and-antlers was developed in the sixth decade of the last century and quickly adopted by Mazov and the communards during the Revolution...

[Assistant] Even today, half a century after, the star-and-antlers retains the ability to evoke hope, disappointment, and fear in equal measure.

[User] What's the deal with the antlers?

[Assistant] The wreath of antlers represents a natural crown. It was about building a society that could exist in accord with the natural world -- and at the same time above it.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.cabinet_main_hub_reached"]) == false]

[Assistant] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.moms_drawer_left"]) == false]

[User] On second glance, someone has forgotten to properly close one of the drawers.

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


[User] "What happened... Sunday night? Tell me your version."

[Assistant] She eyes you warily, as though gauging your sincerity.

[User] She's refusing to adopt the demeanour of a cornered animal. A leader with no one to lead -- she still wants to retain some control of the situation.

[Assistant] "It's okay... We just want to... hnghhhhh..." He struggles to finish the sentence.

[User] "Alright, don't kill yourself over it. I was shooting the shit with Hardie and the boys over a few beers, like always. Then Klaasje comes in, all pale and shuddering..."

[Assistant] "She sits down with a drink, trying to steady her nerves. So I grab a seat next to her."

[User] "Klaasje... said you knew something was wrong immediately."

[Assistant] "No, I really didn't. She's not that easy to read. I just assumed she'd done too much blow. It wouldn't be a first for her. But -- no such luck. She was in some *deep* shit."

[User] "She asked me to come upstairs -- the merc she'd been going with was lying on the bedroom floor, dead. I knew she couldn't get the authorities involved. So, yeah..."

[Assistant] "...you made it look... like he'd been hanged..."

[User] "Klaasje found it... weird you came up with a plan so quickly."

[Assistant] "What? No. Faking a lynching was her idea."

[User] She looks shaken. She wasn't surprised to be ratted out -- but *framed*?

[Assistant] "Her idea?"

[User] "Yeah. In cold blood. It really surprised me -- how quickly she was able to get a hold of herself once we got up there. It was like she was another person. The *party girl* was gone."

[Assistant] You can see it: her lips, though still white, don't seem to tremble as much anymore. She moves with focus and deliberation.

[User] "She asked me to help her drag him into the shower so she could wind the shower head around his neck. To fake lividity. Then she dressed him while I went to get the Hardie boys."

[Assistant] Klaasje knew exactly what she was doing. You can't remain calm under pressure otherwise.


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

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

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

[Assistant] He's right.


[User] [Action/Check: Condition: (Variable["cargo.mrlb_greet_done"]) == false]

[Assistant] The man stands at the far end of the shipping container. It's hard to say anything more about him. You cannot make out any of his details, but you do feel the overwhelming presence of... capital.

[User] The feeling causes all the hairs on your body to stand at attention like soldiers preparing for review.

[Assistant] Cover your eyes...

[User] Something's amiss. The light beams bend around his face and scatter in a thousand directions. It seems the laws of physics do not apply here. They are suspended, distorted, an echo.

[Assistant] Trying to visualize the physics at play is liable to give you an aneurysm. Don't think about it too hard!

[User] In the general stillness, only your tongue moves, flickering as you utter...

[Assistant] "Hello!"

[User] "Welcome! Come in, make yourself at home. Sorry I'm not better able to receive you -- I wasn't expecting visitors today."

[Assistant] You can't *hear* him, exactly, yet you're able to understand every word he says. It is very strange. An overwhelming hum covers everything -- voice doesn't escape from him.

[User] "Now." He claps his hands together. "What can I do for you, good sir?" What you can see of his body appears composed. In a sharp summer suit. And yacht shoes.

[Assistant] "I've been thinking about those shares you offered me."

[User] "They could set you up for a *long time*. Mauer-Koshlai Mercury is just getting started. Mark my words."

[Assistant] "What is Mauer-Koshlai Mercury Group?"


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

[Assistant] Who... what... Dear god, you've been lied to! She could have killed her lover and lied to everyone! She's not *candid* at all, she's smoke and mirrors and will-o-wisps!

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["TASK.who_was_caller_done"]  and  Variable["tc.klaasje_amandou"]]

[Assistant] She probably didn't give you her real name either -- why would she? Arrest her immediately, before she further entangles you in her *web of lies*!

[User] [Action/Check: Condition: Variable["XP.detect_compromized_skillset"]]

[Assistant] Take it easy. Don't overcompensate with this *course correction*. Ask questions first...

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

[Assistant] Yes. Start at the top, choose at the bottom, it's how we've always done it. No rush...

[User] See?!

[Assistant] "Let's talk about you and Ruby again."


[User] In the cabin you see a set of steering levers, a radio on a hook, a pull-out toolbox and the soft glow of the fuel pre-heater gauge.

[Assistant] "Kim, what are we looking at? What is this machine?"

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

[Assistant] "Yes, it's my patrol vehicle. You can use the toolbox and the radio if you'd like." He nods at the cabin.

[User] Motor carriage, motor carriage... Something bad with a motor carriage.... A dark lump rises in your throat.

[Assistant] "This must be what woke me up when you arrived in Martinaise. The infernal noise."

[User] "Yes, sorry about that... the Coupris Kineema does have a rather... distinctive engine sound."

[Assistant] He says it with very badly concealed pride.

[User] What is this sinking feeling I have with the words *motor carriage*?

[Assistant] Nothing. Nothing. It's probably nothing, forget I brought it up. Please proceed with the carefree lollygagging.

[User] (Squint your eyes) "Okay, but what *is* a motor carriage?"

[Assistant] "A motorized vehicle, officer. I'm sure you are familiar with the concept. We've had these for nearly a century."