Adventure Gamers - Forums

Luhr28 - 28 March 2021 09:20 PM

>quibble

(I would have left Brock behind btw. I think we can do better)

Heh. The game won’t let me. I don’t care much for Brock either and he’s not a big help.

>quibble
“We prefer to think of it as ensuring that important technology does not remain the sole property of a restrictive hegemony,” we say.

“Okay, around here we still call that theft,” Father says. We stare at each other, breathing hard. “You’ve left enough traces that people will know someone came in here today.”

>topics
We can think of no valid conversation topics at the moment.

>exits
We can go north, south through the cute security door (closed) to Bureau Basement Middle, southwest, and west to the Sensitive Equipment Testing Room from here.

“Here’s what we’re going to do, Alex. You’re going in there—” (he points at a door to the southwest) “—and I’m going to call for backup to arrest the first person that comes out. That could be Alex, it could be whoever-else-you-are, it could be both of you in this same body.

“If it is Alex who comes back out, I can’t possibly save your university career, but we might be able to make a case for clemency.” What he means by that— oh. Yes. I understand now.

He gives us a hard shove. We’re half inside the room when we hear his last remark:

“Alex… don’t try to escape back through the Rotunda. If you really can’t come home, then head north. I’ve never seen it, but supposedly there’s an emergency exit up there.”

Then he’s gone.

Cold Storage
Shelves on both sides of the room are full of objects on stands: objects that used to be men and women, and in a few cases even children. The stand labels preserve their original names.

A duty roster is posted prominently.

If this goes wrong, we could wind up living in here permanently. So we’d better figure whom to send out, and do it fast.

>x roster
The roster records duty shifts once every two weeks, assigned to various people in the department, all of them very high-ranking.

“Be conscientious,” admonishes the roster. “Read each name clearly while looking at the item through a monocle. If you suspect an object of losing its original identity, contact the Curator. We have disposed of seventeen objects this year!!”

The monocle pings happily as we sight the duty roster with the crosshairs.

>x labels
We pick out a name on one of them: Lucy 2, born 1991, inanim 2009 on charge of smuggling French materials.

The monocle pings happily as we sight the stand labels with the crosshairs.

>wave p-remover at pearl
The pearl gives way to the now-familiar earl.

The earl looks at us in confusion. “OUT,” you say, pointing at the door.

I keep thinking: my father is going to look like a fool when it’s found he’s arrested a fake person; he’ll be disgraced.

I want to stop you, but you’ve got the upper hand now.

The earl backs out the door.

There’s a noise like the firing of a restoration gel rifle and the sound of the earl collapsing into a pearl. “Nice try,” shouts a voice from outside. “Next?”

Luhr28 - 27 March 2021 10:11 PM

I think he’s rearranging the furniture in his (tiny) apartment. 

Karlok - 28 March 2021 09:45 AM

>x rock
Heavy, dark, and roughly hexagonal, like a slice of basalt column.

There is a dismissive blatt from the monocle, and transposed over the rock is a faint, greenish image of Brock.

LOL!

That certainly explains why the rock was deemed “essential”.

And I’ve *finally* caught up…

Pegbiter - 29 March 2021 03:11 AM

I suspect sending Brock out might be the only viable option, so I would suggest sending a few random stored persons out first to see what happens.

Not so sure about that, we might still need Brock to get off the island…

I’m curious to see what happens with this Lucy 2, or perhaps to someone else in the room…

Alright, so they want a real person. Your turn Brock. Sorry, but it was never going to last. (and we were just using you anyway)

and

I suspect sending Brock out might be the only viable option, so I would suggest sending a few random stored persons out first to see what happens

and

After we try with Brock, let’s take advantage of the fact that we’re in a room full of formerly animated people.

WHAT!?! You people want to sacrifice Brock, our team member? Our goal was to find him and take him to Slango’s yacht, remember? It’s been plain sailing sor far and at the first sign of trouble you’re willing to throw him under the bus, our wonderful lover who painted floozy on our belly!

And how do you propose we go about it? Just tell him OUT!, like we did with the earl, and he’ll meekly go to the slaughter like an obedient little lamb, and when they shoot him his last words will be Andra, my love… HA! That’s not the Brock I’ve come to know and dislike. What’s stopping him from gelling us and throwing us to the wolves?

Do we use innocent people or do you choose Brock? Make up your mind.

Karlok - 29 March 2021 05:50 AM

And how do you propose we go about it? Just tell him OUT!, like we did with the earl, and he’ll meekly go to the slaughter like an obedient little lamb, and when they shoot him his last words will be Andra, my love… HA! That’s not the Brock I’ve come to know and dislike. What’s stopping him from gelling us and throwing us to the wolves?[/color]

Still worth a try, just to see what happens (but not the path to continue on, obviously). After all, he was a rock when we met Alex’ father, so he isn’t aware of the hallway trap…


Edit: how about the altruistic option? Gelling ourselves and walking out ourself?
Or even gelling ourselves and making Alex walk out?

Just curious to see what would happen.

Okay, it’s on YOUR head.

>rub gel on rock
We dip out a pea-sized quantity of gel and rub it gently onto the rock. With an audible SPLORT, the rock becomes Brock.

“Hi there,” Brock says.

You’re silent. I’m not letting you act again. You’re not stopping me.

“We’re still inside the Bureau basement,” I say. “We just need to head out, separately.”

He looks puzzled. “Aren’t we safer together?”

“No,” I say.

>
“But—”

“Look, just trust me, this once,” we say.

Brock backs out the door. Loud sounds of an arrest ensue. I hear my father’s voice, and two other people. Then finally the sounds die away.

A faint spell comes over me and I feel dizzy.

There. Happy now?
Just trust me, this once.
TRAITOR!