Eyewear Cleaner 2077

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[img[images_ec/cover.png]] <big><big><div id="container">Eyewear Cleaner 2077</div></big></big> a game by Naomi Norbez, aka Bez (he/they) (Please open the sidebar and turn on the volume.) [[Click here to begin.|0]]

Greetings, and welcome to Eyewear Cleaner 2077. Have you played this game before? [[Yes.|yplayed]] [[No.|2]]

<<widget "currentdate">>\ <<print new Date().toDateString()>>\ <</widget>>

<div id="container"><<if $points is 1>>Rebellion Level: Novice<<elseif $points is 2>>Rebellion Level: Curious<<elseif $points is 3>>Rebellion Level: Inquiring<<elseif $points is 4>>Rebellion Level: Enthralled<<elseif $points is 5>>Rebellion Level: Captivated<<elseif $points is 6>>Rebellion Level: Convicted<<else>><<endif>> <<if visited("2")>>Digibucks Earned Today:<<else>><<endif>> <<print $Digibucks>></div>

Awesome! Would you like to skip to Day 3 and pick a path? [[Yes.|yskip]] [[No.|2]]

<<if visited() is 1>>Ok! Let’s start at the beginning then. . . <center><big><big>[[Day 1|2]]</big></big></center><<endif>><<if visited() is 2>>It is 2077. You are a white straight cis man, smoking in the rain. You are clothed with the best of neon fashions, and equipped with the best weapons the underground society has to offer. [[In short, you are awesome.|2]]<<set $day to 1>><<endif>><<if visited() is 3>>JUST KIDDING! You are a nonbinary fellow, currently sitting in your shitty apartment. It’s early in the morning, and you have work soon. [[You turn off your alarm and get out of bed.|2]]<<set $points to 1>><<audio "wifi" loop play>><<endif>><<if visited() is 4>><<set $Digibucks to 0>><<endif>><<if visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/apartmentd.png]] The steps of getting ready are easy. You brush your teeth at the tiny-ass bathroom, take a moment to shower (while avoiding getting water in your head ports), and get on your Digicore worker uniform (complete with a name tag). [[It’s actually getting the urge to want to work that’s the hard part.|2]] But it’s something you have to do.<<endif>><<if visited() is 5>>Your name is <<textbox "$Name" "Delvin">> and you are tired of this shit. [[Things haven’t been the same since Rodney left the store.|2]] But there’s not much you can do to change things.<<endif>><<if visited() is 6>> You take a deep breath and grab your bag. You look around the room, seeing what to put inside: Your ID: The tag that reads $Name Bliston. Can’t live in Neon City without one of these. It holds your Digibucks, gets you into every Digicore facility (which is pretty much every building in this city). Basically, your whole world is on here. Your Lunch: The sustenance that keeps you going. Today, it’s a Lean Dog With Cheese you grabbed from the vending machine last night. You could put both of them in your bag right now . . . or you could check your DigiFeed! You still have a few minutes before you have to leave, after all. [[Put everything in your bag.|baggo]] [[Look at your DigiFeed.|d1digifeed1]]<<endif>>

Please write your name: <<textbox "$Name" "Delvin">> <<set $points to 1>><<set $Digibucks to 0>> Choose a path to go on: [[The Cop (Rodney)|cop]] [[The Hacker (Rudy)|hacker]] [[The Game Developer (Samantha)|gamedev]] [[The Revolutionary (Tina)|revolutionary]] [[The Vigilante (Lowlife)|vigilantee]] [[The Lawbreaker (The Lawbreaker)|lawbreaker]] [[The Union (Carl)|union]] <<set $day to 3>>

<<cacheaudio "appstore" "music_ec/appstore.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Beatstoprocrastineto" "music_ec/Beatstoprocrastineto.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "bioluminescence-acousticdemobonustrack" "music_ec/bioluminescence-acousticdemobonustrack.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "BlanketFort" "music_ec/BlanketFort.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Bluelagoon" "music_ec/Bluelagoon.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Carputer" "music_ec/Carputer.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "charging" "music_ec/charging.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Cyan" "music_ec/Cyan.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "DriveItLikeYouDownloadedIt" "music_ec/DriveItLikeYouDownloadedIt.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Everythingfeelsgood" "music_ec/Everythingfeelsgood.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "genomnatteniendatorssken" "music_ec/genomnatteniendatorssken.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Guardians" "music_ec/Guardians.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "HuggingAPillow" "music_ec/HuggingAPillow.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" "music_ec/Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Inspiration" "music_ec/Inspiration.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Invasion" "music_ec/Invasion.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "LandofaFolkDivided" "music_ec/LandofaFolkDivided.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "MachinesVsWater" "music_ec/MachinesVsWater.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "mint" "music_ec/mint.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "NeonLights" "music_ec/NeonLights.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Polygons" "music_ec/Polygons.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "PracticingtoaMetronome" "music_ec/PracticingtoaMetronome.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "RemembertheWay" "music_ec/RemembertheWay.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "rhubarb" "music_ec/rhubarb.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "StolenLife" "music_ec/StolenLife.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "StreetsofSantIvo" "music_ec/StreetsofSantIvo.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "studies" "music_ec/studies.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "TaxipastTurningTorso" "music_ec/TaxipastTurningTorso.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Unfocused" "music_ec/Unfocused.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "WaitingforthetrainItscold" "music_ec/WaitingforthetrainItscold.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "WakingUponAnotherPlanet" "music_ec/WakingUponAnotherPlanet.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "Wateringplants" "music_ec/Wateringplants.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "wifi" "music_ec/wifi.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "ActionEpic" "music_ec/ActionEpic.mp3">>

<<timed 3s t8n>>"What they’re planning is nothing small, make no mistake about it. They’re planning for thirty thousand years ahead. Colossal things. Colossal crimes. They stop at nothing. They’re out to destroy everything."<</timed>> <<timed 6s t8n>>[[--Bertolt Brecht|1]]<</timed>>

Credits: Written and Programmed by [[Naomi Norbez|https://norbez.itch.io/]]. Contact the author on Twitter @NaomiNorbez or via email at mninorbez@gmail.com. Cover & Cityscape art by Jasmine "[[Katy133|https://twitter.com/JKaty133]]" Osler. Portraits by [[bobby|https://twitter.com/bobbytries/status/1314618074855813120?s=21]][[tries|https://twitter.com/bobbytries/status/1360690885537759235?s=21]] & [[Alex Stewart|https://twitter.com/Gundamu_Boy]] CGs by [[Aien *rusberrie* Mayores|https://twitter.com/artofrus]] Sensitivity Reader: [[Lydia Caradonna|https://twitter.com/LydiaCaradonna]] Music by [[Stevia Sphere|https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/]], [[Komiku|https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku/The_Binge_Watchers__Score_1/Komiku_-_The_Binge_Watchers_-_Score_1_-_11_Action_Epic]], [[Robert Abraham|https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Robert_Abraham/Top_10_Picks_From_2014/Robert_Abraham_-_09_-_Stolen_life]], and [[Evgeni Rogozin|https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Evgeni_Rogozin/_1693/01_Invasion]]. Tracks used under an [[Attribution license|https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]]. Changes were not made to the tracks. Beta Testers: Danielle Karthauser, Eliana, Eva Louise Christensen, Jack Martin, Chride Lassheikki, and SJ Faubert.

You stuff your lunch and ID into your bag. [[Then you head outside—better early to work than late, after all.|d1outside]] <<set $id to "have">><<set $lunch to "have">>

<<if visited() is 1>>[[You pull out your phone and look down at your DigiFeed.|d1digifeed1]] You don’t really follow friends on here (you don’t really have friends in general. . .), but you do follow a varied crowd of celebrities and normal citizens. The DigiFeed is exclusive to Neon City residents (you have to write in your ID number to log in), so you don’t get to see what’s going on outside.<<elseif visited() is 2>>You scroll through your feed: <div class="border">Scarlet Johnson, Singer. 1.1M Followers Seeing the sky when I wake up in the District 1 Highrise is the best feeling in the universe! <3 #morningmoments</div> [img[images_ec/sky.jpg]] <div class="border">VTube Central. 4.3M Followers Watch our stream of Tuski and Germain falling in love with Best Romance VN Ever! #gaming #vtuber</div> [img[images_ec/video2.jpg]] <div class="border">Johnny Gamerman. 50K Followers. Going on a weird Radiant quest in Sky’s Rim. Will live tweet about it!!! Hang onto your butts! 1/?</div> <div class="border">Ryan, Activist. 2K Followers. (This post has been removed by Digicore LLC for containing sensitive content.)</div> <<timed 15s>><<goto "d1lookup">><</timed>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Your apartment is on the 6th floor of a rather large complex, located in District 3 (which is affectionately known as The Monkey’s Paw district, thanks to the old store of the same name). Luckily, the elevator in your building was recently adjusted to be pretty high speed. You go inside it, and a moment later, you’re at the ground floor. [[You walk outside.|d1outside]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/cityscape.png]] Neon City’s glorious lights wash over you as you step out into the smog-covered dawn. On the street, people pass by, some with artificial limbs. You’ve even heard of androids unleashed into the world, though that’s nothing but a rumor at this point, science fiction bullshit. But knowing Digicore, they’ll be a reality before long. [[That’s who rules this city. Digicore|d1outside]] logos and advertisements brandish the streets, in between the wanted posters for Lowlife—well, everywhere but the last District, District 4, a place full of decrepit and rotting buildings. It’s between Digicore and a few smaller companies (Arrlingtons, Boar Corp), all fighting for rule over Neon City, but everyone knows Digicore will eventually win out.<<elseif visited() is 3>>Not that you care. You just try to keep your head down and earn the Digibucks it’ll take to survive. [[That’s all you got, and frankly, that’s enough on your plate.|d1outside]]<<audio "wifi" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 4>>It doesn’t take long for you to reach the checkpoint. Neon City’s “Digicore Force” crowd the area, checking every person passing by for their proper paperwork. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived here 15 minutes or 15 years[[—they always check you.|d1outside]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Let go of me!” A voice on your right forces you out of your thoughts, and you turn and see the cops have their hands on a young woman. “Sorry, little lady—I don’t see the right ID,” a cop says, a sneer on his face. “Looks like it’s down to the detention center with you.” “My ID’s right there, look!” she screams. But it’s futile—the enforcers drag her away anyway. [[Not an uncommon sight at the checkpoint—you see it at least once a week.|d1outside]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>[img[images_ec/tina.png]] “Ugh,” a lady next to you says. You notice she’s wearing a striking red dress. She turns to you. “You see the way they smirk when they take people away? I hear they get extra money for each arrest—I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true.” She shakes her head. “I hate cops. Fuck all of them.” “[[I hate them too.|hatecops]]” “[[They’re not all bad. . .|notallcops]]”<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>><<endif>>

You look up. There’s still a few minutes left. Want to check it again? [[Check your DigiFeed again.|d1digifeed2]] [[Just get to work.|d1lunchno]]

You scroll through your DigiFeed once again. <div class="border">Tyger Tyger. 10 Followers. Hate my life tbh. Life in the city doesn’t get any better, it’s the worst. (This post is under review by Digicore for containing sensitive material)</div> <div class="border">Windows 98 4 Life. 450 Followers. Looking for a Commodore this week to add to my collection. Haven’t found any though—were they all destroyed in the past, or am I just having bad luck?</div> <div class="border">Ryan S. 4 Followers. Looking for a roommate who wants to live in District 2. 1500 Digibucks a month, utilities included. DM for more information.</div> <<timed 15s>><<goto "d1lookup2">><</timed>>

You shake your head—no point in getting too distracted. Absent-mindedly, you grab your ID, grab your bag, and then [[head outside to get to work.|d1outside]]<<set $id to "have">>

When you look up, you see the time—you have to get out of here! You stand up quickly from your chair, grab your bag, and [[run out the door.|d1outside]]

She gives you a smile. “[[Looks like you and I are on the same team then|d1outside2]],” she says. “Good.”<<set $points += 1>>

The lady frowns, but says nothing. “[[Rotten, every one of them|d1outside2]],” she mutters.

<<if visited() is 1>>The cop rustles through your bag, grumbling to himself. He takes out your ID and examines it for a long time[[—does he think it’s a fake?|d1haveID]]<<audio "Unfocused" loop play>> <<elseif visited() is 2>>Finally, Gerald closes your bag and hands it back to you. “You can go,” he snaps. Thank goodness. You start to walk away, trying to keep your head down, and are almost through the checkpoint when you hear a voice call out to you. “$Name? [[Is that you?!|d1haveID]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>The voice sounds familiar, but you can’t quite place it. You turn around, see their face, and it all [[clicks.|d1haveID]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Rodney!” you exclaim. “I haven’t seen you since you left the eyewear store! How’ve you. . .”<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>> Your voice drifts off when you see what he’s wearing. [[It’s a Digicore Force uniform.|d1haveID]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/rodney.png]] “Hey!” Rodney gives you a big grin, but he sees the hesitance on your face. “Yeah, after I left the eye place I was at a loss of what to do, but I eventually decided to join the police force.” He flexes. “I just finished training a few days ago. Now, I’m officially at the rank of officer. Cool, huh?” “[[Um . . . yeah. . .|umyeah]]” “[[Um, NO!|umno]]”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" loop play>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The cop rustles through your bag—and he comes back up with a smirk on his face. “[[I don’t see ID|d1noID]],” he says, smiling.<<audio "Unfocused" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Shit. You must have been distracted by the DigiFeed and forgot it at home! Your mind races for an excuse, but you come up empty. “Unfortunately, it looks like I have to detain you,” Gerald says, laughing. “You can explain your lack of ID to the—" “[[Gerald, let me handle them.|d1noID]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>A familiar voice interrupts the cop, and Gerald looks behind you, at another figure. “If you insist,” he grunts, tossing the bag to the other person. [[Where have you heard that voice before?|d1noID]] “Good luck, rookie.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>The person behind you pushes you forward, whisking you away from the crowd and to a quiet corner of the checkpoint. Crap, are you about to get assaulted? You’ve heard rumors of it happening to others, but never thought it would happen to you. “Relax,” the person says—where do you know that voice? “Turn around, $Name. [[It’s me!|d1noID]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>Wincing, you turn around to face the person. Face and voice come together, and it all clicks. “Rodney?!” you exclaim, smiling. “I haven’t seen you since you left the eyewear store! What are you. . .?”<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>> Your voice drifts off as you see what your old friend is wearing. [[It’s a Digicore Force uniform.|d1noID]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>[img[images_ec/rodney.png]] “Hey!” Rodney gives you a big grin, but he sees the hesitance on your face. “Yeah, after I left the eye place I was at a loss of what to do, but I eventually decided to join the police force.” He flexes. “I just finished training a few days ago. Now, I’m officially at the rank of officer. Cool, huh?” “[[Um . . . yeah. . .|umyeah]]” “[[Um, NO!|umno]]”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" loop play>> <<endif>>

“Next!” an officer with the nametag, “Gerald” calls you up, and you nervously walk forward. “Give me your bag,” Gerald snaps, and you quickly obey, <<if $id is "have">>[[praying he won’t find an excuse to delay you—or worse, arrest you.|d1haveID]]<<else>>[[praying he won’t find an excuse to delay you—or worse, arrest you.|d1noID]] <<endif>><<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Thanks! I’m glad you think so.” He looks happy. “I was a little worried about what you might think, but [[I’m glad you approve.|umyeah]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I heard about how corrupt the force is before I joined, see, but don’t worry.” He smiles. “I want to change things around there, you know? Gotta do it from the inside to do it right. I think I’m really getting somewhere!” [[Somehow, you highly doubt that.|d1outside3]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rodney frowns. “Well, that’s not very nice,” he mutters. “Look, you don’t have to worry. [[I’m different from other cops, see?|umno]]”<<set $points += 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“I heard about how corrupt the force is before I joined, see, but don’t worry.” He smiles. “I want to change things around there, you know? Gotta do it from the inside to do it right. I think I’m really getting somewhere!” [[Somehow, you highly doubt that.|d1outside3]]<<endif>>

“Well, it was good seeing you!” Rodney says, waving. “I’d love to hang out with you sometime. Hey—when you’re off work, I can take you on a ride-along! [[That could be fun, right?|d1outside4]]” “Sure,” you <<if visited("umyeah")>>say cheerfully<<elseif visited("umno")>>lie eloquently<<endif>>. “Sounds great.”

“Just call me if you want to join me.” He presses a button on his robotic arm, and a moment later, your phone buzzes in your bag. “I gave you my new number. I’ll see you later, $Name!<<if visited ("d1noID")>> And don’t forget your ID next time, ok?<<else>><<endif>>” [[He waves you through the checkpoint, and is gone.|d1work]]<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You turn and watch him blend into the crowd, unsure what to feel. But [[you don’t have time to feel anything.|d1work]] Get going, or you’ll be late for work!<<elseif visited() is 2>>You snap out of it and continue your commute, journeying forward through the Neon City streets. It doesn’t take you long to get to your destination: the Digicore Eyewear & Accessories Store. This is where you work. Right next door to the Neon City Police Station, the Digicore Eye Surgeon, and the Synthroid factory. [[You take a deep breath, and walk inside.|d1work]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/eyestore.png]]<<audio "appstore" loop play>> The role of “eyewear cleaner” wasn’t the one you imagined yourself being in. But here you are, scrubbing glasses and implants to ensure the place is sanitized, and fits Digicore’s vision nicely. The place has long since lost the cheery mood that Rodney used to bring in. Now, it’s quiet, [[almost darkly so|d1work]], until customers come in.<<elseif visited() is 4>>As you walk inside, Sam, who’s an older gentleman, looks up from the front desk. “Hello $Name,” he says, giving you a wave. “Good to see you.” You nod and wave back. “Good to see you too.” [[Sam’s the closest thing to a friend you have here—well, after Rodney left, that is.|d1work]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Further in, Devin, who’s about your age, is giving a customer the sales pitch for VR implants. [[As expected, he barely gives you a second look.|d1work]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>Carly, on the other hand, smiles when she sees you. “Hey there, $Name,” she says as she straightens the shelves. “Ready for another work day?” “[[Yep!|d1yep]]” “[[Hahahaha . . . no.|hahahano]]”<<endif>>

You give her a smile as she speaks, knowing your words are being overheard, and that you’ll likely be in good favor for saying this. “Awesome!” Carly says. She returns to her tasks. You reach the back of the store, where the manager, Harrison, is just leaving the back room. “Morning, $Name,” he says. “[[Get your chip in.|d1work1]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>Carly’s smile fades as you speak. “Can you, um, excuse me for a moment?” she says. You watch awkwardly as she fast-walks up to your manager, likely [[reporting your actions|hahahano]] now.<<elseif visited() is 2>>A moment later, Harrison walks up to you. “Heard you aren’t the most enthusiastic about working today,” he says, frowning. “That true?” You open your mouth to respond, but before you can, he says, “I don’t want to hear it. Just keep your thoughts to yourself from now on, or I’ll be forced to deduct your pay today, understand? Now put your chip in, [[now|d1work1]].”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You nod and obey, walking in the Employees Only room. Inside, five chips are plugged in, one for each employee here, and yours is 100% charged. After hanging up your bag, you take the chip, and put it in your head port. [[A moment later, he appears.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Ah, good morning, $Name,” the boss says, his hologram settling at the corner of your vision. “My time is money, so let’s not waste it. Get to work stat.” You nod, already feeling the Boss Chip weighing heavily on top of your brain. At one point, Isaiah Warburton actually ran his own stores, but that was before he was bought out by Digicore—now, he can afford the holograms to run things for him, while he himself sits at home getting richer. [[Lucky.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Thinking about me, are we?” the boss asks. “I’m flattered, but anymore of that, and it will cost you.” Right. Even thinking things other than work can get you penalized, so you quickly regain your focus. [[It’s time to start.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You are stationed near the front of the store, at a tiny table. There’s plenty of eyewear leftover from yesterday to clean. So you better get to work. You pick up your paper towel and sanitizer. [[Scrub, Rinse.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You run the towel over the first piece of discarded eyewear, a VR chip implant. One down, many to go. [[Scrub, Rinse.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>There’s a certain rhythm to it, one that fits well with your brain. You actually enjoy your job, if you’re being honest—but it’s the fact that it’s making an insanely rich man richer that keeps you up at night. [[Scrub, Rinse. Scrub, Rinse.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>You soon find yourself getting into it—but you’ve learned not to let your mind drift. Don’t want to lose Digibucks, after all. [[Scrub, Rinse. Scrub Rinse.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>As you clean, customers come and go from the shop. VR implants are sold here, and they’ve been rising in popularity as of late. Digicore has plenty of sample implants . . . which you have to wash after customers try them. [[Scrub, Rinse. Scrub, Rinse.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 9>><<print either("Halfway through, a few teenagers come in. They see the Rebel line and decry authority in its name. Your boss hologram laughs and smile at them. They buy three rebellious wares from Digicore and are on their way. You have to wash the samples they tried on.", "At one point in the morning, a homeless person comes in the store to get warm from the cold. Harrison is quick to chase them out, however.", "At one point, someone with a Sky’s Rim shirt comes in, talking all about how they want the latest VR implant with, in his words, the best graphics. Devin has to explain that’s not quite how it works, but the guy insists he’s right. He walks away with a Y2X model, and seems happy with it.", "Someone tries on thirty pairs of eyewear, which you have to wash. Great. Oh well, them’s the breaks.", "A customer comes in demanding you install his eye implant. You tell him—in a tone of someone who has said this a million times and will say it a million more—that the store just handles implant sales, and if he wants them applied, he has to talk to the Digicore surgeon next door. He eventually gets the point and slinks off, but not before he’s yelled at you a bunch.")>> [[And the morning goes on. Scrub, Rinse. Scrub, Rinse.|d1work1]]<<elseif visited() is 10>>Harrison taps you on the shoulder. “Go have lunch,” he orders. “It’s time for your break.”<<audio "appstore" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You let out a sigh of relief and remove the Boss Chip from your brain. Isaiah Warburton’s hologram flickers for a moment, then disappears. [[Your thoughts are yours again.|d1lunchtime]]<<endif>>

<<if $lunch is "have">>You brought your Lean Dog, which is good. [[Now you can eat.|d1breakroom]]<<else>> Wait a minute. . . You didn’t bring your Lean Dog! [[Dang it.|d1nolunch]]<<endif>>

<<if $lunch is "have">>You dig your Lean Dog out of your bag, and head on over to the [[break room|d1breakroom1]].<<else>>You walk to the [[break room|d1breakroom1]], feeling sullen.<<endif>><<audio "MachinesVsWater" loop play>>

<<if $id is "have">>At least you have your ID—you can use it to buy something else. [[So you venture outside to the vending machines, stomach growling.|d1vendingmachines]]<<else>>And you don’t have your ID to buy something else from the vending machines[[. . . Guess you’re going hungry today.|d1breakroom]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/vendingmachines.png]] The vending machines are just around the corner from work. You walk up to them, and then, you hear a [[voice|d1vendingmachines]].<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/carl.png]] “Hey, you! I recognize you!” You turn around to see a man walking up to you, a smile on his face. He’s wearing a Digicore uniform too, though this one is for the mines, not the city work.<<audio "Wateringplants" loop play>> “I’ve seen you around the vending machines,” the man explains. “Name’s Carl. How about you?” “I’m $Name,” you say. “Nice to meet you,” Carl says. “I’ll get straight to the point. I know you work at the eyewear store. We’re trying to set up a union for Digicore workers to get better conditions. [[You interested in joining?|d1vendingmachines]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Well . . . that’s new. Not unheard of, but not something you ever thought you’d be involved in. You choose your next words carefully: “[[Go on. I’m listening.|d1ulistening]]” “[[Unions always crumble around here. What makes you different?|d1ucrumble]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Carl smiles. “I knew you were the receptive type,” he says. “Trust me, this union’s going to work[[—because we have a big advantage.|d1ulistening]]” “Oh yeah?” you ask, interested.<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I know it’s a long shot,” Carl says. “Our union just got a big boost—Arrlingtons is sponsoring our cause now. They stand behind us.” So one of the smaller companies is joining the fight. But the cynic in you is skeptical[[—surely Arrlingtons has a reason for doing this.|d1ulistening]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I can see you have questions,” Carl says. “Fire away.” You voice your foremost concern: “[[What does Arrlingtons want with workers? Why are they involved?|d1uawant]]” “[[Won’t Digicore hit harder once they learn a rival’s sponsoring this?|d1auhit]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Carl frowns. “Well, they don’t always,” he corrects you, “but you have a fair point. Digicore keeps cracking down on unions, breaks them down. But this one’s different[[—we got a big advantage.|d1ucrumble]]” “Oh yeah?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I know it’s a long shot,” Carl says. “Our union just got a big boost—Arrlingtons is sponsoring our cause now. They stand behind us.” So one of the smaller companies is joining the fight. But the cynic in you is skeptical[[—surely Arrlingtons has a reason for doing this.|d1ucrumble]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I can see you have questions,” Carl says. “Fire away.” You voice your foremost concern: “[[What does Arrlingtons want with workers? Why are they involved?|d1uawant]]” “[[Won’t Digicore hit harder once they learn a rival’s sponsoring this?|d1auhit]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Arrlingtons actually approached us with a representative, said they wanted to join the cause,” Carl explains. “They agreed to stand behind our union. I’m not totally sure why if I’m being honest, but [[I’m glad to have their support.|d1uawant]]” Hmm . . .<<elseif visited() is 2>>“So. You want to join?” You pause for a moment, and then speak: “[[I think I am interested, yeah.|uniony]]” “[[This sounds risky. No thanks.|unionn]]” “[[Don’t unions have a reputation of having Digicore spies in them?|unionspies]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I think it’s the opposite,” Carl says. “They’ll hesitate because one of the other companies stands behind us. [[Can’t hit us without harming Arrlingtons—and that’ll cost them.|d1auhit]]” Hmm. . .<<elseif visited() is 2>>“So. You want to join?” You pause for a moment, and then speak: “[[I think I am interested, yeah.|uniony]]” “[[This sounds risky. No thanks.|unionn]]” “[[Don’t unions have a reputation of having Digicore spies in them?|unionspies]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>A grin breaks out on Carl’s face. “I’m so happy you’ll be joining us—having one more person to our cause is always a good thing,” he says. “Thanks so much for trusting us—[[I promise, it won’t be in vain.|uniony]]” He takes out his phone and presses a few buttons. A moment later, your phone buzzes. “My contact information,” he says. “Call if you ever need anything.”<<set $carlpath to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 2>>“Come back tomorrow, and we can talk more—I have to get back to work,” Carl says, walking away. “[[See you around.|uniony]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You watch him go, then turn back to the vending machine. What do you want to get today? It’ll takes away from the money you’re earning today, but at least you can eat. [[Digicore’s Lean Dog with Mustard (3 Digibucks)|d1leandog]] [[Arrlingtons’ Chill Cheese Pack (5 Digibucks)|d1chilicheese]] [[Boar Corp’s Ham & Pepperoni Pie (4 Digibucks)|d1pepperonipie]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Carl sighs. “I thought you might say that,” he mutters, sounding defeated. But then he perks up. “But I’m going to try and convince you. [[Perhaps you’ll join our cause another time.|unionn]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Come back tomorrow, and we can talk more—I have to get back to work,” Carl says, walking away. “[[See you around.|unionn]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You watch him go, then turn back to the vending machine. What do you want to get today? It’ll takes away from the money you’re earning today, but at least you can eat. [[Digicore’s Lean Dog with Mustard (3 Digibucks)|d1leandog]] [[Arrlingtons’ Chill Cheese Pack (5 Digibucks)|d1chilicheese]] [[Boar Corp’s Ham & Pepperoni Pie (4 Digibucks)|d1pepperonipie]]<<endif>>

“We’ll be spy free,” Carl says. “With Arrlingtons on our side, we can’t possibly lose. So. You in?” “[[I think I am interested, yeah.|uniony]]” “[[This sounds risky. No thanks.|unionn]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>You punch in the number for your chosen food and soon, it slides out of the hole at the front of the machine. [[You grab your meal and walk back to work.|d1leandog]]<<set $Digibucks -= 3>><<elseif visited() is 2>>By the time you get there, you’ve finished eating, Devin and Sam are gone from the break room, and have returned to work. You sit down, [[alone|d1ucheck]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You punch in the number for your chosen food and soon, it slides out of the hole at the front of the machine. [[You grab your meal and walk back to work.|d1chilicheese]]<<set $Digibucks -= 5>><<elseif visited() is 2>>By the time you get there, you’ve finished eating, Devin and Sam are gone from the break room, and have returned to work. You sit down, [[alone|d1ucheck]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You punch in the number for your chosen food and soon, it slides out of the hole at the front of the machine. [[You grab your meal and walk back to work.|d1pepperonipie]]<<set $Digibucks -= 4>><<elseif visited() is 2>>By the time you get there, you’ve finished eating, Devin and Sam are gone from the break room, and have returned to work. You sit down, [[alone|d1ucheck]]. <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Time passes quickly. Soon, Harrison taps you on the shoulder. “Go take your break,” he orders. “[[You have ten minutes.|d1afternoon]]”<<audio "appstore" loop play>> <<elseif visited() is 2>>You give him a nod, and remove the Boss Chip, putting it into your pocket. Then you walk to the back of the store, to the restrooms. The bathrooms are supposed to be gender neutral spaces—Digicore made an announcement months ago, and it got them a great amount of good press. But then, management labeled them male and female anyway, to “[[avoid confusion|d1afternoon]]”.<<elseif visited() is 3>>Which bathroom will you go in? [[The gender-neutral women’s room.|gnwr]] [[The gender-neutral men’s room.|gnmr]]<<endif>><<audio "appstore" loop play>>

Inside, Devin and Sam are chatting. “You heard about the new bot that Digicore is building?” Devin asks. “They make a lot of bots,” Sam retorts. “You’ll have to be more specific.” “The one that they’re building to clean the stores,” Devin says, and your heart sinks. “I heard one can clean the eyewear around here in just a few seconds each! That’s amazing!” Then he seems to notice you for the first time and says, “. . . Um, no offense, $Name.” “[[None taken.|d1nonetaken]]” “[[Fuck you.|d1fu]]”

“None taken,” you mutter sullenly. Devin and Sam look [[relieved|d1breakroom2]].

Devin’s eyes widen upon hearing that. “Well that’s not very nice,” he mutters, turning away. “Gonna report that to Harrison, $Name. You know strong language isn’t allowed around here.” You almost forgot about that. [[Shit, that’ll probably result in a loss of Digibucks for the day.|d1breakroom2]] <<set $Digibucks -= 35>>

Devin, being a real dick, continues to talk. “I hear they’re making it so that no matter what store it’s in, it can clean the things there. Eye store, food court, it doesn’t matter. It’s like a multi-use machine, man!” “Neat,” Sam says. At least he has the dignity to give you a sad look. You always knew this job wouldn’t last forever (they never do) [[. . . but being replaced hurts.|d1breakroom3]]

<<if $lunch is "have">>You finish up your Lean Dog, and soon, your break is over<<else>>You sit at the table for a while, and soon, the break is over<<endif>>. [[You get up from the table, put the Boss Chip back in, and get back to work.|d1afternoon]]<<audio "MachinesVsWater" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You walk inside the women’s bathroom. The place has a few cushioned chairs at the front, and the stalls in the back are neat and clean. You duck inside one, do your business quickly, and [[leave|d1afternoon1]].

You walk inside the men’s bathroom. The place is dingy and dark, with urinals at the front and a single stall at the back. You duck inside the stall, do your business quickly, and [[leave|d1afternoon1]].

<<if visited() is 1>>The store is usually busier in the afternoons. People come in and out for neat glasses and cool eyewear. One of those people is a regular customer. His name is Rudy, and he comes in here every week. Each time, he looks at the VR implants, studying them carefully as he stares at each one. And each time, [[he talks to you|d1afternoon1]].<<audio "appstore" volume 0.75 fadeout>> <<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/rudy.png]] “Which do you recommend?” he asks, pointing at three of the VR implant samples on display. “Is there a particular one I should buy?” “[[Probably the HDY Device. It’s got great specs.|HDY]]” “[[Maybe the Y2X? I hear it’s super fast.|Y2X]]” “[[Honestly, I couldn’t care less about those things.|IDC]]”<<audio "Polygons" loop play>> <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The man nods. “I’ve heard that too. [[I’m seriously considering it, honestly. . .|HDY]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Then, to your surprise, Rudy picks up a HDY Model and brings it up to the counter. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he says to you. “Been saving up for months. [[I’m going to use it to change some things.|HDY]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Rudy finishes his purchase, and is about to leave, but then, he approaches you. “Hey, I got a question, $Name,” he says. You almost forgot you were wearing a nametag for a second. “Do you think it’s possible for one person to change the world? Even a little bit?” You think for a moment. “[[Sure, why not?|d1changey]]” “[[Realistically? No, not really.|d1changen]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The man grins. “Super fast is [[something I’m looking for|Y2X]] in a VR device. . .”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Then, to your surprise, Rudy picks up a Y2X Model and brings it up to the counter. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he says to you. “Been saving up for months. [[I’m going to use it to change some things.|Y2X]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Rudy finishes his purchase, and is about to leave, but then, he approaches you. “Hey, I got a question, $Name,” he says. You almost forgot you were wearing a nametag for a second. “Do you think it’s possible for one person to change the world? Even a little bit?” You think for a moment. “[[Sure, why not?|d1changey]]” “[[Realistically? No, not really.|d1changen]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy laughs upon hearing that. “You’re honest. I like that.” “And I don’t,” Isaiah Warburton says, frowning. “My employees should be enthusiastic about the products they’re selling. [[Consider your wages deduced.|IDC]]” Well, shit. <<set $Digibucks -= 35>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Then, to your surprise, Rudy picks up a O2E Model and brings it up to the counter. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he says to you. “Been saving up for months. [[I’m going to use it to change some things.|IDC]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Rudy finishes his purchase, and is about to leave, but then, he approaches you. “Hey, I got a question, $Name,” he says. You almost forgot you were wearing a nametag for a second. “Do you think it’s possible for one person to change the world? Even a little bit?” You think for a moment. “[[Sure, why not?|d1changey]]” “[[Realistically? No, not really.|d1changen]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy smiles. “I knew I saw a common soul in you,” he says. He takes out his phone, and a moment later, you feel your phone buzz. “I’ve sent you my cell phone number,” he says. “Let me know if you want to change the world with me.” And with that, he’s gone. You watch him go, [[his question still echoing in your mind.|d1changey]]<<set $points += 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“Oh dear, I’m afraid you’ll be getting another deduction of Digibucks then,” Warburton says. “Get your mind focused back on work, and I’ll make sure it’s not too much of a loss.” Right. [[You quickly refocus on cleaning the eyewear.|d1changey]]<<set $Digibucks -= 35>><<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>The rest of the day goes by uneventfully. You continue to scrub the eyewear until it’s late into the night, and the store has to close. There’s still some things to clean, but legally Digicore can’t (yet) keep you after closing hours, so you put them away for tomorrow. You say goodnight to your coworkers, grab your bag, and step outside. [[As you do, your pay for the day is transferred over.|d1afterwork]] <<set $Digibucks += 120>><<elseif visited() is 4>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy shrugs. “That’s ok,” he says, smiling. “Maybe I can make you change your mind.” He takes out his phone, and a moment later, you feel your phone buzz. “I’ve sent you my cell phone number,” he says. “[[Let me know if you change your mind about changing the world.|d1changen]]” <<elseif visited() is 2>>And with that, he’s gone. You refocus back on your work, [[scrubbing the eyewear with a regained focus.|d1changen]]<<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>The rest of the day goes by uneventfully. You continue to scrub the eyewear until it’s late into the night, and the store has to close. There’s still some things to clean, but legally Digicore can’t (yet) keep you after closing hours, so you put them away for tomorrow. You say goodnight to your coworkers, grab your bag, and step outside. [[As you do, your pay for the day is transferred over.|d1afterwork]] <<set $Digibucks += 120>><<endif>>

Back in the neon streets. The wanted posters for Lowlife have taken over all of the advertisements—you’ve heard it’s because they’re more active at night. You pick up dinner from one of the vending machines, eat, and then ponder. What do you want to do now? <<if $Digibucks < 20>>==Head to the bar== You lost too many Digibucks today to go drinking. . .<<else>>[[Head to the bar.|d1bar]]<<endif>> [[Walk around the city.|d1walk]] [[Go back home to rest.|d1home]]

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/bar.png]] You make your way to District 2, where your favorite bar is. You have to pass through the checkpoint, but thankfully it’s closed at this hour. District 2 is dingier than District 3, not that District 3 is much better. Nevertheless, District 2 is known for its active night life, but the area you’re going to is a quiet little corner, not populated by many people. So your walk goes by uninterrupted. You reach the bar in about ten minutes. The familiar sight of Harry’s Home [[comforts|d1bar]] you, and you walk inside.<<audio "BlanketFort" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 2>>A few regulars are already there, drinking the night away. You sit down at a bar stool, and wait to be served. A moment later, Terry, the genderqueer bartender, walks up to you. “Hey, $Name,” ze says. “[[What’ll you have tonight?|d1bar1]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You decide to walk around the city a bit, enjoy the smoggy air. . . Ok, you’re not walking out here for the air; you’re doing it because [[you love the city at night|d1walk]]. Neon City can be really nice when it wants to be, which isn’t too often.<<audio "NeonLights" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You roam the streets without a real goal in mind. Eventually you leave District 3 and find yourself in District 2. District 2 is dingier than District 3, not that District 3 is much better. Nevertheless, District 2 is known for its active night life, with sex workers roaming the streets. You’ve learned to ignore all of them and just keep going. Then you turn the corner, and find a [[surprising|d1walk]] sight.<<elseif visited() is 3>>A person wearing dirty clothing is walking the streets, and upon seeing you, their eyes light up. “Spare some change?” they ask. [[It’s surprising to see a homeless person in Neon City.|d1change]] Panhandling is prosecuted severely here, and anyone who even tries it is be immediately arrested. That’s what happened to you in the past—but you got “lucky” (read: your white “male” privilege kicked in) and were let off with a warning; your new job came through not long after that.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/apartmentn.png]] You sigh and hang up your bag. It certainly was a day. And you’re going back tomorrow to do it all again.<<audio "wifi" loop play>> At least you have [[two days off after that|d1home]]. So you can rest soon. Finally.<<elseif visited() is 2>>You look around for your own VR port (it’s not as high-end as the eyewear or eye implants, but it does the job), and plug it in. Immediately your user interface surrounds your body. There are a few things you can do before bed. [[What to do first?|d1home1]]<<endif>>

<center><<if visited ("d1news")>><<else>>[[Check the news.|d1news]]<<endif>> [[Play some games|d1games]] [[Go to bed.|d1end]]</center>

LOWLIFE STILL AT LARGE The so-called “vigilante” Lowlife, who embraced the name after being deemed so by Neon City Police, is still at large. Police encourage those who know anything about this criminal’s identity to step forward, as where he’ll strike next is still unknown. PROGRAMMER FIRED IN FIREY DISPLAY Programmer for VR World, Alice Carlile, was laid off from her job yesterday following mass protests by VR World fans, who claim the female programmer “ruined the game” because of the recent microtransactions. Before joining VR World, Carlile was an independent creator making games in her spare time. It is unknown whether she will return to that work. EUPHORIA DEATHS LEAVE POLICE BAFFLED The NCPD is currently investigating a string of deaths related to the illegal drug “Euphoria”, all of which appear to be overdoses. The victims of this drug have also been found to have a history of depression and improper social behavior, so some suspect a suicide epidemic has hit Neon City. DINER OPENING IN DISTRICT 2 A new eatery is opening in the second district of Neon City. Founded by Gregory Tiber, The Open Mouth promises to be a fun casual dining experience. Tiber stated that he was able to open his establishment thanks to funding from Arrlingtons. [[(back)|d1home1]]

You look through your game collection. You don't get to play games as often as you'd like, so you mainly focus on Sky's Rim. But there's also another game you could try. . . [[Sky’s Rim Version 110|d1skysrim]] [[The Social Game|d1tsg]] [[(back)|d1home1]]

You<<if visited ("skysrim1")>> put the game away,<<elseif visited ("sg1")>> put the game away,<<else>><<endif>> unplug the VR port, go into your Sleepsack, and lie down. [[Soon, you’re fast asleep.|d2]]<<masteraudio stop>>

You have a few regular drinks that you’ve settled on. Tonight you choose . . . <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==Boar Corp’s Cherry Cocktail==<<else>>[[Boar Corp’s Cherry Cocktail (10 Digibucks)|cocktail]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 6>>==Arrlingtons’ Hard Lemonade==<<else>>[[Arrlingtons’ Hard Lemonade (6 Digibucks)|hardlemonade]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 4>>==Digicore’s Light Beer ==<<else>>[[Digicore’s Light Beer (4 Digibucks)|beer]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That sounds good,” ze says. “I’ll get it when I finish these glasses, one sec.” Ze continues to scrub dishes. [[There is a short silence.|cocktail]]<<set $Digibucks -= 10>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“So, how many times did customers misgender you today?” Terry finally asks. “[[None, for a change. Thank Christ,|cocktail]]” you reply.<<elseif visited() is 3>>“That’s good,” Terry says cheerfully, scrubbing a glass. “I’ve had a few misgender me today. And since Harry doesn’t care, I have to correct them myself.” “[[Good. Kick their sorry asses.|d1kickass]]” “[[Correcting people is scary though. . .|d1scary]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That sounds good,” ze says. “I’ll get it when I finish these glasses, one sec.” Ze continues to scrub dishes. [[There is a short silence.|hardlemonade]]<<set $Digibucks -= 6>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“So, how many times did customers misgender you today?” Terry finally asks. “[[None, for a change. Thank Christ,|hardlemonade]]” you reply.<<elseif visited() is 3>>“That’s good,” Terry says cheerfully, scrubbing a glass. “I’ve had a few misgender me today. And since Harry doesn’t care, I have to correct them myself.” “[[Good. Kick their sorry asses.|d1kickass]]” “[[Correcting people is scary though. . .|d1scary]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That sounds good,” ze says. “I’ll get it when I finish these glasses, one sec.” Ze continues to scrub dishes. [[There is a short silence.|beer]]<<set $Digibucks -= 4>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“So, how many times did customers misgender you today?” Terry finally asks. “[[None, for a change. Thank Christ,|beer]]” you reply.<<elseif visited() is 3>>“That’s good,” Terry says cheerfully, scrubbing a glass. “I’ve had a few misgender me today. And since Harry doesn’t care, I have to correct them myself.” “[[Good. Kick their sorry asses.|d1kickass]]” “[[Correcting people is scary though. . .|d1scary]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Thanks,” Terry says, giving you a grin. “And it’s good to know I have at least [[one|d1kickass]] customer who’ll never misgender me.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Terry walks away for a moment, and comes back with your drink. “Here you are,” ze says, giving you a smile. “Enjoy.” “[[Thanks.|d1kickass]]” “You’re welcome.” Ze walks away to tend to other customers.<<elseif visited() is 3>>You take a sip, and feel your drink soothe your soul. That’s the stuff. Feels good. . . You’re tempted to order another one after this, but you’re a real lightweight—don’t want to get too drunk tonight. You enjoy your drink and get up, feeling buzzed. That was great. [[Now it’s time to go.|d1bartip]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I know, but you gotta be consistent,” Terry insists. “Otherwise you get misgendered all day and that hurts like hell. Have to stand up for yourself, $Name. [[Sometimes you’re the only person who can do that.|d1scary]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Terry walks away for a moment, and comes back with your drink. “Here you are,” ze says, giving you a smile. “Enjoy.” “[[Thanks.|d1scary]]” “You’re welcome.” Ze walks away to tend to other customers.<<elseif visited() is 3>>You take a sip, and feel your drink soothe your soul. That’s the stuff. Feels good. . . You’re tempted to order another one after this, but you’re a real lightweight—don’t want to get too drunk tonight. You enjoy your drink and get up, feeling buzzed. That was great. [[Now it’s time to go.|d1bartip]]<<endif>>

You want to leave Terry a tip; you usually try to. How much to give though. . .? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|d1tip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|d1tip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|d1tip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|d1tipno]]

You transfer the money to Terry’s tip jar account (the QR code is on the coasters) and walk out of the bar. It’s time to go home.<<set $Digibucks -= 1>> Keeping your head down, you walk through the streets and make you way back to the apartment complex. One elevator trip later, <<if visited("d2")>>[[you’re at your home.|d2home]]<<else>>[[you’re at your room.|d1home]]<<endif>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You transfer the money to Terry’s tip jar account (the QR code is on the coasters) and walk out of the bar. It’s time to go home.<<set $Digibucks -= 5>> Keeping your head down, you walk through the streets and make you way back to the apartment complex. One elevator trip later, <<if visited("d2")>>[[you’re at your home.|d2home]]<<else>>[[you’re at your room.|d1home]]<<endif>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You transfer the money to Terry’s tip jar account (the QR code is on the coasters) and walk out of the bar. It’s time to go home.<<set $Digibucks -= 10>> Keeping your head down, you walk through the streets and make you way back to the apartment complex. One elevator trip later, <<if visited("d2")>>[[you’re at your home.|d2home]]<<else>>[[you’re at your room.|d1home]]<<endif>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You walk out of the bar. [[It’s time to go home.|d1tip1]]<<set $tipd1 to "no">> Keeping your head down, you walk through the streets and make you way back to the apartment complex. One elevator trip later, <<if visited("d2")>>[[you’re at your home.|d2home]]<<else>>[[you’re at your room.|d1home]]<<endif>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

They look up at you with expectant eyes, and hold out a QR code. “Spare some change?” they repeat. <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==Yes, I can spare some change.==<<else>>“[[Yes, I can spare some change.|d1yeschange]]”<<endif>> “[[No, I can’t. Sorry.|d1nochange]]” “[[Are you new around here?|d1changenew]]”

You pull out your phone and scan the QR code. It goes to a DigiPay page, and you decide to give them . . . [[1 Digibuck|d1change1]] <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|d1change5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|d1change10]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 20>>==20 Digibucks==<<else>>[[20 Digibucks|d1change20]]<<endif>>

They look disappointed, but not in understanding. “Alright,” they say, and [[walk away|d1changeend]].

“Yeah, I came in from Burnsville not too long ago,” they reply. “Had a string of bad luck, and now I’m homeless. Why?” “[[The police crack down on homeless folks. You should be careful.|policecrackdown]]” “[[No reason.|d1noreason]]

You transfer the money their DigiPay account. “Thank you so much!” they exclaim, tears in their eyes. “Any little bit helps, so I appreciate it.”<<set $homelesschange to "yes">><<set $Digibucks -= 1>> <<if visited("policecrackdown")>>[[They turn to walk away.|d1changeend]]<<else>>They turn to walk away. [[(Let them go.)|d1changeend]] “[[Wait. The police crack down on homeless people. You should be careful.|policecrackdown]]”<<endif>>

You transfer the money their DigiPay account. “Thank you so much!” they exclaim, tears in their eyes. “Any little bit helps, so I appreciate it.”<<set $homelesschange to "yes">><<set $Digibucks -= 5>> <<if visited("policecrackdown")>>[[They turn to walk away.|d1changeend]]<<else>>They turn to walk away. [[(Let them go.)|d1changeend]] “[[Wait. The police crack down on homeless people. You should be careful.|policecrackdown]]”<<endif>>

You transfer the money their DigiPay account. “Thank you so much!” they exclaim, tears in their eyes. “Any little bit helps, so I appreciate it.”<<set $homelesschange to "yes">><<set $Digibucks -= 10>> <<if visited("policecrackdown")>>[[They turn to walk away.|d1changeend]]<<else>>They turn to walk away. [[(Let them go.)|d1changeend]] “[[Wait. The police crack down on homeless people. You should be careful.|policecrackdown]]”<<endif>>

You transfer the money their DigiPay account. “Thank you so much!” they exclaim, tears in their eyes. “Any little bit helps, so I appreciate it.”<<set $homelesschange to "yes">><<set $Digibucks -= 20>> <<if visited("policecrackdown")>>[[They turn to walk away.|d1changeend]]<<else>>They turn to walk away. [[(Let them go.)|d1changeend]] “[[Wait. The police crack down on homeless people. You should be careful.|policecrackdown]]”<<endif>>

You watch them go, then walk away yourself. It’s late, and you should be getting home anyway. You reach your apartment complex ten minutes later, and go inside. <<if visited("d2")>>[[Soon, you’re back in your home.|d2home]]<<else>>[[Soon, you’re back in your home.|d1home]]<<endif>><<audio "NeonLights" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

There eyes widen. “That makes sense,” they mutter. “Thanks for the tip; I appreciate it. I’ll be more careful. “Do you know if there’s a place I can go instead of here? Somewhere the police won’t ‘crack down’ on me?” You think for a moment. “[[District 2 is a good place for outcasts. I’d stay around here if I were you.|d1changed2]]” “[[District 4 is a place where the police rarely go, because of the abandoned buildings. You might want to go there.|d1changed4]]”

They shrug. “Ok.” There’s an awkward pause. “So, can you spare some change for me?” <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==Yes, I can spare some change.==<<else>>“[[Yes, I can spare some change.|d1changey]]”<<endif>> “[[No, I can’t. Sorry.|d1changen]]”

“I see, I see,” they reply. “I haven’t been here long, but it’s good to know that it’s a safer place. I’ll stick around.”<<set $homelessperson to "helped">> <<if $homelesschange is "yes">>[[They nod in thanks, and walks away.|d1changeend]]<<else>>There’s an awkward pause. “[[So, can you spare some change for me?|d1change3]]<<endif>>”

“I see, I see,” they reply. “I’ve seen District 4 from a distance, but I’ve never been there. I’ll make my way over.”<<set $homelessperson to "helped">> <<if $homelesschange is "yes">>[[They nod in thanks, and walks away.|d1changeend]]<<else>>There’s an awkward pause. “[[So, can you spare some change for me?|d1change3]]<<endif>>”

This game has been around for eons. It’s a traditional fantasy game with role-playing elements. In it, the sky is beautiful and clear, unlike in the real world—and that feels nice. You’ve long since grown powerful enough to best any foe in the game. It helps you lose yourself, especially on on bad days. Boot it up? [[Yes.|skysrimloading]] [[No.|d1games]]

The game that comes with every VR device in the city—well, every one sold by Digicore, anyway (which is most of them, if not all of them). It teaches you how to correctly act in the city, and how to spot possible criminals in your day-to-day lives. You’ve never bothered to play it before. Boot it up? [[Yes.|sg]] [[No.|d1games]]

<<if $Skysrimplaying is 1>>[[Loading. . .|skysrim2]]<<elseif $Skysrimplaying is 2>>[[Loading. . .|skysrim3]]<<elseif $Skysrimplaying is 3>>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4]]<<else>>[[Loading. . .|skysrim1]]<<endif>><<audio "wifi" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if $Skysrim is "quest">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "woods">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim2woods]]<<endif>> <<set $Skysrimplaying to 2>>

<<if $Skysrim is "wander">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim3wander]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "escort">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "root">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim3root]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "cockatrice">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "quest">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim3quest]]<<endif>><<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>> <<set $Skysrimplaying to 3>><<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>>

<<if $Skysrim is "wander">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4wander]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "escort">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4escort]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "root">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4root]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "legendary">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4legendary]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "qattack">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif $Skysrim is "qjoin">>[[Loading. . .|skysrim4qjoin]]<<endif>><<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>> <<set $Skysrimplaying to 4>><<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You boot up Sky’s Rim, and are instantly transported to [[a field near a village—where you last left off|skysrim1]]. You play as a high orc, so green skin covers your regular body, which is itself covered by legendary demonic armor.<<set $Skysrimplaying to 1>><<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“Oh great warrior!” A villager approaches you with a pleading expression. “My village is under attack by the Radiant’s demonic army of hounds! We need help!” Two dialogue options appear: “[[Sure, I’ll help you.|skysrimquest]]” “[[Nah, I got better things to do.|skysrimwander]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You load up the game. A moment later, you’re a high orc, [[ready to fight whatever the universe has to throw at you.|skysrim2quest]]<<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 2>>So the last thing that happened before you shut off the game was the amulet talking to you. Do you want to go see what that’s all about? [[Absolutely!|skysrim2quest]] [[Nah. . .|skysrim2wander]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You decide to take on the quest, and follow the marker through the village and out into the woods. There’s a lot of open grasslands, and in between slaying the occasional Bat-Bear and Weretiger, you have a lot of time to [[think|skysrim2quest]].<<elseif visited() is 4>>What could this demon (they’re probably a demon, if you had to guess) want? Was the demon hounds sent out as a message to you specifically? Of course not, it’s a thing every player of this game will experience if they get this quest. [[But it’s fun to pretend, isn’t it?|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Finally, you reach Carrion Rock, a vulture-shaped mountain with a cave at the very bottom. The quest marker is telling you to go inside, so you [[do . . .|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>. . . and are immediately ambushed by more demonic hounds! Let’s do this. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>You charge forward, determined to kick some ass. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>A dog tries to get the jump on you, but you don’t let it. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>Half of the group is slain. Almost there! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 10>>A hound bites you pretty hard, so you take a healing potion. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 11>>Only two left. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 12>>Last doggo. Let’s do this. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2quest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2quest]]<<elseif visited() is 13>>It’s done. You gather the loot—50 gold, a silver ring, and quite a bit of Dog Meat [[(again)|skysrim2quest]].<<elseif visited() is 14>>You stand triumphant. The amulet speaks again. “Very impressive,” the demonic voice says. “I await you at the end of the hallway, hero. Let’s have a [[chat|skysrim2end]], just the two of us.”<<set $Skysrim to "quest">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You’re wandering in the woods. What do you want to do next?<<set $Skysrim to "wander">><<audio "ActionEpic" loop play>> [[Check your active quest list.|skysrim2woods]] [[Just wander and see where the game takes you.|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You look at your active quest list. Aside from the demon dog thing (which you don’t feel like doing), there’s a woman who needs ten Bitter Root herbs (which you already have in your inventory), and there’s a king who needs a cockatrice slain. Both are all the way on the other side of the map. Which quest will you take on? [[The Bitter Root quest|skysrim2woods]] [[The Cockatrice quest|skysrim2woods]] [[Neither, I’d rather wander.|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You mark the quest on your map—now you have to actually get there. That’s the hard part. You start the journey, [[but then. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You find yourself in the woods, a familiar (and somewhat repetitive) location in this game. Picking herbs and slaying every Wolf-Fox that dares to step in your path is a fun distraction, at least for a while. Then you look up, and realize that one of the Radiant’s forces is nearby! It’s one you haven’t seen before—a beautiful wyvern full of bright spikes—and it hasn’t noticed you yet. How to attack it. . .? [[Sneak up to it.|skysrim3wander]] [[Just CHAAAAARGE!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You get low on the ground and crawl up to the wyvern. Closer. . . Closer. . . Closer. . . And. . .! You jump out from behind the beast and slash your knife across its face. The wyvern roars and turns to face you. It’s time to kick some ass. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You charge at the dragon, and it roars again. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]] <<elseif visited() is 4>>A direct hit! The creature screams in pain. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]] <<elseif visited() is 5>>You tear your weapon through the wyvern’s left wing. It tries to fly away, but falls to the ground. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>You tear the right wing next. Now it definitely can’t get away. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>You slash at the creature’s scaled belly. It’s nearly dead. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>The wyvern lowers its head as you deliver the final blow. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wander]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>It’s done. You gather the loot—550 gold and ten Wyvern Teeth—and [[move on.|skysrim3wander1]] One-Handed Weapons has leveled up!<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The game loads in, and the carriage driver is standing there. That’s right, you agreed to escort him to Farandell, one of the six major cities in the game. You check the map, and see that Farandell isn’t too far of a journey—it’s just keeping this guy alive that’ll be the issue. You start walking, and the carriage driver follows you without a word. [[Hopefully this won’t be too much of a problem. . .|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You start to make your way to Farandell, traversing slowly across the map, with your eyes pealed for any signs of danger. As you travel, you slay a few Bat-Bears that dare to cross your path, but those aren’t much of a challenge, thankfully. The carriage driver escapes those encounters unscathed. You’re halfway to Farandell when [[it happens. Out of the bushes, a Giant Boar comes charging directly at you!|skysrim3escort]] This’ll take a while to beat. . .<<elseif visited() is 3>>You step in front of the carriage driver and prepare for battle. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You swing at the Boar, and it lets out a grunt. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>The creature paws the ground, ready to charge at you. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>It charges, but you manage to dodge at the last second—and you get some damage in, too! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>As the boar is turning around, you get a few more hits in, and even chop off its tail. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>The creature squeals and tries to run away, but you won’t let it. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>It’s almost dead! Just one more hit. . .! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3escort]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3escort]]<<elseif visited() is 10>>It’s done. You gather the loot—75 gold, Boar Meat, and a Boar Tusk—and [[move on|skysrim3escort]]. One-Handed Weapons has leveled up!<<elseif visited() is 11>>You breathe a sigh of relief. The carriage driver is unscathed, thankfully. [[Time to continue the journey. . .|skysrim2end]]<<set $Skysrim to "escort">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Right, you were doing the Bitter Root quest. [[Better start walking.|skysrim3root]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way across the map, slaying weretigers and picking plants as you go. It’s a calming time, and you wonder where this quest is going to go. You didn’t get the quest in a straightforward way—you’re a member of the House Of Barrons, a gang of thieves, and one member, Harris, heard a rumor of a witch who grants wishes for Bitter Root, a rare herb in the game. And so, [[here you are.|skysrim3root]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You look up and realize you’re here. The quest marker is pointing just a few yards away, to a cottage built next to a mountain. You walk up, and a prompt shows up: “Knock On The Door?” [[You knock.|skysrim3root]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>Then, a feminine voice comes from the inside. “Who is it?! What do you want?!” Dialogue options pop up on screen: “[[I am Reginald the High Orc.|skysrim3root]]” “[[I come bearing Bitter Root. I heard it is what you seek.|skysrim3root1]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“And why are you here?” the voice asks. “[[I come bearing Bitter Root. I heard it is what you seek.|skysrim3root1]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You walk across the map, following the quest marker. It isn’t too far of a journey, and soon, you reach a new location: [[Signa’s Waterfall|skysrim3cockatrice]]. The quest marker stops here.<<elseif visited() is 2>>Reacting to your presence, a giant beast comes out from behind the waterfall—the cockatrice! It lets out a draconic roar and charges at you! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You dodge the cockatrice and hit its wing. It lets out a squawk of pain and defiance. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>The beast struggles to turn around, and during that time, you get a few hits in. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>It finally turns to face you, and you dodge its mighty peck, while hitting its neck. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>The cockatrice is slowing down—you’ve got it pretty good. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>The beast tries to counterattack, but you’re too strong. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>The HP bar flashes. Just a few more hits! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3cockatrice]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>It’s done. You gather the loot—330 gold, seven Cockatrice Feathers, Chicken Meat, and two Phoenix Plumes—and [[move on|skysrim3cockatrice]]. One-Handed Weapons has leveled up!<<elseif visited() is 10>>The cockatrice’s body falls and then poofs out of existence—and a message pops on screen. “1/2 Legendary Mythicals Killed,” it says. A quest marker pops up, likely leading to the next Legendary Mythical. Well, this is interesting. . .<<set $cockatrice to "dead">> [[Go after the next Legendary Mythical.|skysrim3cockatrice]] [[Continue wandering.|skysrim3cockwander]]<<elseif visited() is 11>>You smirk. You’re going to go after these mythical beasts. [[This is going to be fun.|skysrim2end]]<<set $Skysrim to "legendary">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You load in, and see you’re still in the cave. Right, you were going to have a “chat” with a demon. [[Bring it on.|skysrim3quest]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk down the hallway of the cave, and are surprised that you’re not attacked by any further forces. Instead, you are able to make your way peacefully to the end, where a bright figure stands. “Greetings,” the Radiant demon says when you get close. “My name is Regus. My gender is beyond male or female, and is something greater.” Great. [[The only nonbinary representation in this game, and it’s a demonic overlord.|skysrim3quest]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I apologize for the hounds,” they continue. “They can be a bit . . . overenthusiastic, shall we say. I wanted to slay you, but now that you’re here, perhaps we can talk things out instead. What do you say?” Dialogue options appear on screen. Which one will you choose? “[[Sure, let’s talk.|skysrim3quest]]” “[[No, you’re going down.|skysrim3qfight]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>> “Excellent.” Regus smiles. “I’ve been wanting a peaceful solution to our conflict. Because you see, the Radiant is a force for good, trying to cleanse the land of its sinful people. I don’t understand why you stand against it.” “[[But when does it end?|skysrim3quest]]” “[[You’re the sinful one.|skysrim3qsinful]]” “[[Enough talk. I’m going to kill you.|skysrim3qfight]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>> “When the whole world is full of [[purity|skysrim3quest]] and light—when only good people are in this land,” says the demon. “I will fight for that day with my life.”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“The Radiant’s goals are to create a new era,” Regus says. “A new world, with the slate wiped clean. You could be part of that. Or you can continue to stand against it. “What do you choose?” “[[I stand against the Radiant. You’re going down.|skysrim3qfight]]” “[[Very well. I’ll join you, and be part of your new world.|skysrim3qjoin]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The game loads in. Oh yeah—you were wandering, weren’t you? Well, [[no time like the present to go nowhere in particular.|skysrim4wander]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk through the forests, picking flowers and killing animals who dare attack you, not doing much other than that. You let your mind wander as you go about your business, all [[without a care in the world.|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Right. [[Halfway to Farandell. Let’s keep going.|skysrim4escort]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk forward, and the carriage driver follows behind you. The journey to Farandell is [[actually rather peaceful|skysrim4escort]]—no more Giant Boars, that’s for sure. You even manage to pick a few herbs along the way.<<elseif visited() is 3>>Finally, you reach the port city, stopping just before you go aboard its floating buildings. The carriage driver turns to you with a smile. “Thank you so much for escorting me! I greatly appreciate it,” he says. “Here, let me reward you.” He hands over 200 gold, some Akalite Berries, and [[. . . a Radiant axe?!|skysrim4escort]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You look up at him, and he gives you a wink. “From when I defected, centuries ago,” he says. “I’ve been looking for a [[kind soul|skysrim4escort]] to give it too. You seem like the one.”<<elseif visited() is 5>>The axe does triple the damage compared to your current one (a special weapon called the “Tundra Ripper”). You quickly equip the weapon, grinning to yourself. When you close your inventory screen, you realize that the carriage driver is gone—he’s disappeared. [[You want to search for him. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You load in at the witch’s house. You follow her down the hall, and enter a large room. This one, too, is loaded with bottles, but at the center of it lies a cauldron, filled with water. The witch grabs a few bottles and pours their contents into the pot. Then she takes the Bitter Root, and adds it to the concoction. After waving her hands over the pot, she looks satisfied. The witch smiles. “With these herbs, [[I can craft a potion that will bring you a new life|skysrim4root]],” she says, stirring the pot. “But you must abandon your old one, if you want it.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Dialogue options appear: “[[So, like reincarnation?|skysrim4root]]” “[[Will my current skills and levels be saved?|skysrim4rsaed]]” “[[How is that possible?|skysrim4rpossible]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Exactly,” the witch says. “This is more than a mere drink—it’s an antidote to [[cross time and space|skysrim4root1]]. I may have used it myself in a past life—I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling in my bones."<<endif>>

<<if $wyvern is "dead">>You load in. Going after the next Legendary Mythical[[—this should be fun.|skysrim4lcock]] You walk across the map.<<else>>You load in. Going after the next Legendary Mythical[[—this should be fun.|skysrim4lcwywern]] You walk across the map.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You load in. What were you doing again? Oh yeah, attacking a demonic overlord. You charge at Regus with your weapons, dodging flames thrown from the rose staff. Let’s do this. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>“We could work so well together,” says Regus. You ignore them and continue the attack. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>They cast an ice spell, which weakens your attacks. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You take a resist ice potion and continue the assault. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Regus lets out a cry of agony. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Fool!” they cry. “We could have been so much more than enemies!” [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>“I submit to you. End my life.” [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qattack]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qattack]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>It's done. Their HP bar is at [[0|skysrim4qattack]].<<elseif visited() is 9>>A live cutscene plays. Regus falls on one knee, clinging to his staff, and looks up at you. “It’s a shame we had to fight,” they say, giving you a smile. “We could have cleansed the world together. . .” And with that, they [[perish|skysrim4qattack]], melting away in a flash of white.<<elseif visited() is 10>>When it’s over, their remains are a pile of ashes on the ground. You select it, and find the loot: 1000 gold, and a Blooming Staff, capable of all the spells in the game! That’s quite a find. [[You want to use it some more. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You load up the game. What were you doing again? Oh yeah, you were [[joining a demonic overlord.|skysrim4qjoin]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I have a job for you now,” says Regus, who gives you a smile. “There is a town not too far from here that needs to be cleansed. They need to be removed by the light of the Radiant. Will you cleanse them for me, [[brother|skysrim4qjoin]]?”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You cringe at the misgendering—fuck the binary gender options in this game. Dialogue options appear on screen: “[[I will cleanse them.|skysrim4qjoin1]]” “[[Why do they need to be cleansed?|skysrim4qjoin]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Because they have turned away from the Radiant One, time and time again,” replies the demon. “We have given them many chances, but they have refused us. Now they must die.” “[[Very well. I will cleanse them.|skysrim4qjoin]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Oh, thank you!” the villager says. He points in front of you (west, your compass says). “[[Come, they’re this way!|skysrimquest]]” <<elseif visited() is 2>>He leads you down to the village, where giant canines are laying waste to the village. “Slay them, hero!” the villager exclaims. “Please!” No time like the present. [[Better get to it.|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You charge forward, swinging your weapons wildly and letting out a battle cry. The dogs look up upon hearing your approach, but you’re too close for them to counterattack. The slaughter has begun. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You let out a war cry and charge forward. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Blood spurts everywhere. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>A limb flies off and a dog howls. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>A dog falls back and poofs into loot. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>The hounds try to recover, but you’re giving them trouble. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>Last doggo. Let’s do this. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimquest]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimquest]]<<elseif visited() is 10>> It’s done. You gather the loot—160 gold, lots of Dog Meat, and a [[mysterious gold amulet|skysrimquest]]—and the quest is finished. One-handed Weapons has leveled up!<<elseif visited() is 11>>You look down at the amulet, and suddenly hear a voice: “You have slain my minions, hero,” it says. “You want to stop the ambushes? Come see me at Carrion Rock, and let’s duel.” Another quest pops up on your map, and you grin. [[Let’s do this—|day1bedtime]]<<set $Skysrim to "quest">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You shake your head and turn away. You don’t feel like doing this quest right now. [[It’ll still be there later.|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk away into the woods—and are immediately surrounded by a goblin horde! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You let out a war cry and charge forward. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>Blood spurts everywhere. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>A limb flies off and a goblin screams. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>A goblin falls back and poofs into loot. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>The goblins try to recover, but you’re giving them trouble. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>Last goblin. Let’s do this. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrimwander]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrimwander]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>It’s done. You gather the loot—40 gold and a lot of clubs—and [[move on. You walk into the woods—|day1bedtime]] One-handed Weapons has leveled up!<<set $Skysrim to "woods">><<endif>>

—And that’s when a message pops up: a stylized post-it note that reads, “Don’t forget to go to bed! It’s getting late.” You wrote that for yourself for when you stay up too much playing games. You should probably go to bed. <<if $day is 1>>[[At least you had a fun Sky’s Rim session.|d1end]]<<elseif $day is 2>>[[At least you had a fun Sky’s Rim session.|d2end]]<<elseif $day is 3>>[[At least you had a fun Sky’s Rim session.|d3end]]<<elseif $day is 4>>[[At least you had a fun Sky’s Rim session.|d4end]]<<endif>><<audio "ActionEpic" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if $sg is 1>>[[Loading. . .|sg2]]<<elseif $sg is 2>>[[Loading. . .|sg3]]<<elseif $sg is 3>>[[Loading. . .|sg4]]<<else>>[[Loading. . .|sg1]]<<endif>> <<audio "wifi" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/socialgame.png]] Welcome back to The Social Game! We hope you have been enjoying your experience with this project. For returning to the game, you get 50 points! [[Congratulations!|sg2]]<<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" loop play>><<set $sgpoints += 50>><<set $sg to 2>><<elseif visited() is 2>>[[Let's get right to it!|sg2]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> Your friend wants to go explore District 4. What do you tell them? “[[That sounds like a great idea!|sg2-1w]]” “[[Actually, we shouldn’t do that.|sg2-1r]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>><<set $sg to 3>><<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" loop play>>[img[images_ec/socialgame.png]] You boot up the game. This time, the eye blinks when you load it up. Welcome back to The Social Game! For returning, you get 100 points! << set $sgpoints += 100>> Now, let’s play!<<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" loop play>> <<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You hear the plans of someone who wants to rob District 1’s residents to “take from the rich and give to the poor”. What do you do? [[Report this to the NCPD.|sg3-1r]] [[Ignore it—it’s not your business.|sg3-1w]]<<endif>> <<endif>>

[img[images_ec/socialgame.png]]<<set $sg to 4>> You boot up the game. The unblinking eye stares at you, then fades away. Welcome back to The Social Game! We’re happy to see you again! For returning again, we’d like to give you 200 points!<< set $sgpoints += 200>><<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" loop play>> <<if $sgpoints is > 0>>[[Now, let’s play!|sg4traitor]]<<else>>[[Now, let’s play!|sg4-1]]<<endif>>

[img[images_ec/socialgame.png]] You boot up the game, and an unblinking eye is suddenly in front of you. Then, it fades away, and is replaced by a [[message:|sg1-1]] <<set $sg to 1>> <<set $sgpoints to 0>><<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" loop play>>

Welcome to The Social Game! This is a guide to teach you proper etiquette in Neon City, and how you can protect yourselves and others. [[We hope you find it fun!|sg1-2]]

Let's get right to it then! You are standing outside when you see somebody drop a package on the street. What do you do? [[Ignore it.|sg1-2w]] [[Tell the nearest NCPD officer about this incident.|sg1-2r]]

Incorrect! In these incidents, it’s best to tell a NCPD officer about this mysterious package. It could be illegal contraband.<<set $sgpoints -= 50>> [[Next question!|sg1-3]]

Correct! In these situations, telling an NCPD is the best thing to do, in case of illegal contraband. [[Next question!|sg1-3]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>>

Points: <<= $sgpoints>> Your friend suddenly changes your dinner plans. What do you do? [[Ignore it.|sg1-3w]] [[Report this suspicious behavior to the NCPD.|sg1-3r]]

Incorrect! When someone does things suddenly like this, report it to the NCPD.<<set $sgpoints -= 50>> [[Next question!|sg1-4]]

Correct! Sudden changes of plans can be a sign of suspicious activity.<<set $sgpoints += 50>> [[Next question!|sg1-4]]

Points: <<= $sgpoints>> Someone won’t maintain eye contact with you at dinner! What do you do? [[Ignore it.|sg1-4w]] [[Tell the nearest NCPD officer about their suspicious activity.|sg1-4r]]

Incorrect! Tell an NCPD officer about this activity. Not maintaining eye contact is a sign of mistrust.<<set $sgpoints -= 50>> [[Next question!|sg1bed]]

Correct! Telling an NCPD officer is the best solution, because not maintaining eye contact is a sign of mistrust.<<set $sgpoints += 50>> [[Next question!|sg1bed]]

Then a message pops up: a stylized post-it note that reads, “Don’t forget to go to bed! It’s getting late.” You wrote that for yourself for when you stay up too much playing games. You should probably go to bed. Perhaps you can do more questions tomorrow? <<if $day is 1>>[[They’re kind of unsettling, though.|d1end]]<<elseif $day is 2>>[[They’re kind of unsettling, though.|d2end]]<<elseif $day is 3>>[[They’re kind of unsettling, though.|d3end]]<<elseif $day is 4>>[[They’re kind of unsettling, though.|d4end]]<<endif>><<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[[. . .|d2]]<<elseif visited() is 2>> <center><big><big>[[Day 2|d2]]</big></big></center><<set $Digibucks to 0>><<set $day to 2>><<set $id to "donthave">><<set $lunch to "donthave">><<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/apartmentd.png]] Your alarm buzzes through your dreams and wakes you up instantly. You open your eyes and slowly get out of bed, turning off the alarm. Then you do the usual: brush teeth, take shower, get dressed. You’re all ready to go. You look down at your phone. Do you want to check your DigiFeed? [[Put everything in your bag.|d2haveeverything]] [[Look at your DigiFeed.|d2digifeed1]]<<audio "wifi" volume 0.5 play>> <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You put your lunch and ID into your bag, and head outside. [[It’s time to go.|d2haveeverything]]<<set $id to "have">><<set $lunch to "have">><<elseif visited() is 2>>As you head to the checkpoint, you let your mind wander. You wonder how many people will look at glasses today at work, and think about what you were doing last in Sky’s Rim. [[And—|d2haveeverything]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>A weird thump sound comes from behind you. You turn—and immediately [[freeze.|d2haveeverything]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>A figure is standing in the shadows, wearing all black, including a mask that covers their face and nearly hides their eyes from you. You recognize who it is from all the wanted posters: the vigilante Lowlife. They look up at you and hold a finger up to where their lips are, signaling you to stay quiet. How do you react? [[Call for the police.|callpoliceL]] [[Let Lowlife get away.|letLgetaway]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>><div class="border">Ozzy Oz, Rare Thing Finder. 6K Followers Yoooo I found a physical book today! My elderly neighbor was selling her shit and she had a physical copy of ‘Fahrenheit 451’, whatever that is. Regardless, it’s mine now!</div> [img[images_ec/book.jpg]] <div class="border">Tabitha, NSFW Artist. Sex Work Is Work. 571 Followers (This post has been removed by Digicore LLC for containing sensitive content)</div> <div class="border">Timothy Smith, Photographer. 400K Followers I’m trying to take photos of the moon, but the smog is so thick! I might need a better lens before I share these pictures with you all. </div> <div class="border">Yolanda, Food Server. 12 Followers. It’s a good idea to have a pet to protect you if you live in District 2 lol. . . Anyway, my Barney’s a good doggo.</div> <<timed 15s>><<goto "d2digifeed1">><</timed>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You look up. There’s still a few minutes left. Want to check it again? [[Check your DigiFeed again.|d2digifeed1]] [[Just get to work.|d1idhave]]<<elseif visited() is 3>><div class="border">Gregory Owens. 42 Followers. Went to District 4 for work today . . . all those rotting buildings are creepy as hell! #dontgotoDistrict4folks</div> <div class="border">Will Of Man, Your Food Delivery Guy. 174 Followers. I had to go to District 1 to deliver food today. . . Those upper-class asshats live well lol. Can’t believe the stuff I saw when I glimpsed inside of the apartment. (This post is under review by Digicore for containing sensitive material)</div> <div class="border">Promoted Post: Digicore VR Eye Implants. Buying one is easy, and the surgery is even easier. Get a eye implant today at your local Digicore Eyewear store!</div> <div class="border">Eliana, Musician. 200 Followers. Doing my music set live on DigiStream! Check it ooooooout! <3</div> [img[images_ec/video2.jpg]]<<timed 15s>><<goto "d2digifeed1">><</timed>><<elseif visited() is 4>>When you look back up, you see there’s just a minute left. You scramble to leave the apartment, [[grabbing your bag|d2digifeed1]] and running out the door.<<elseif visited() is 5>>As you head to the checkpoint, you let your mind wander. You wonder how many people will look at glasses today at work, and think about what you were doing last in Sky’s Rim. [[And—|d2digifeed1]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>A weird thump sound comes from behind you. You turn—and immediately [[freeze.|d2digifeed1]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>A figure is standing in the shadows, wearing all black, including a mask that covers their face and nearly hides their eyes from you. You recognize who it is from all the wanted posters: the vigilante Lowlife. They look up at you and hold a finger up to where their lips are, signaling you to stay quiet. How do you react? [[Call for the police.|callpoliceL]] [[Let Lowlife get away.|letLgetaway]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You decide not to get overly distracted, and [[grab your ID|d1idhave]]. Then you pick up your bag and go out the door.<<set $id to "have">><<elseif visited() is 2>>As you head to the checkpoint, you let your mind wander. You wonder how many people will look at glasses today at work, and think about what you were doing last in Sky’s Rim. [[And—|d1idhave]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>A weird thump sound comes from behind you. You turn—and immediately [[freeze.|d1idhave]]<<audio "wifi" stop>><<elseif visited() is 4>>A figure is standing in the shadows, wearing all black, including a mask that covers their face and nearly hides their eyes from you. You recognize who it is from all the wanted posters: the vigilante Lowlife. They look up at you and hold a finger up to where their lips are, signaling you to stay quiet. How do you react? [[Call for the police.|callpoliceL]] [[Let Lowlife get away.|letLgetaway]]<<audio "HuggingAPillow" loop play>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You look around, and spot a cop standing at the edge of the checkpoint. “Help!” you call. “[[Lowlife is here!|callpoliceL]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>The cop immediately runs toward you. You turn and point at the spot—but Lowlife is gone now. “You said you spotted Lowlife?” the cop asks. You nod. The cop shrugs. “Looks like he’s gone now; that’s a damn shame. [[Let me see your bag for the checkpoint.|d2checkpoint]]”<<set $calledpoliceL to "yes">><<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You give the vigilante a nod, and they nod back in thanks. You turn away for a moment, and when you turn back, Lowlife is gone. Did you do the right thing? As you walk toward the checkpoint, you feel like you might have. And that feels [[good|letLgetaway]].<<set $points += 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk up to the checkpoint, blending in with the crowd until a cop calls you forward. “HEY, YOU!” he says, pointing your way. “[[YOUR BAG, NOW!|d2checkpoint]]”<<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You walk forward and nervously obey his instructions. <<if $id is "have">>[[Will you be allowed to pass?|d2idy]]<<else>>[[Will you be allowed to pass?|d2idn]]<<endif>><<audio "Unfocused" loop play>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The cop rustles through your bag, finds your ID, and seems satisfied. You’ve learned not to put your phone in there—otherwise, those rats might take it for themselves. “Alright, [[you’re good|d2idy]],” the cop says, shoving your bag back to you. “Get out of here.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You do so, running past the checkpoint and escaping into the crowd. You find your way through the streets, and soon, you’re at work. . . . And you’re immediately greeted by a [[peculiar|d2idy]] sight.<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>A customer (the only one currently in the store) is chatting a mile a minute with Devin, clearly unable to shut their mouth. People aren’t usually this . . . enthusiastic at the eyewear store. “. . . And my game’s an environmentalist project,” the person says excitedly. “I think it could bring some awareness, change things!” [[Not the first time you’ve heard that|d2idy]]. You ignore the customer and head to the back, plugging in the Boss Chip.<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 4>>“Good morning, $Name,” Isaiah Warburton says. “Get to work, please.” You obey his instructions and walk to the front. The customer is still there chatting. “[[I’m always looking for playtesters|d2idy]],” she says. “So let me know if you’re interested.” “Ma’am,” says Delvin calmly, “why don’t we review the VR eyewear you requested? You want one that will load better graphically, correct?” “Oh right, of course,” she says. “Sorry, I got carried away. Let’s look at those. . .”<<elseif visited() is 5>>You take your place at your station and start cleaning the eyewear from last night. [[That’s when she approaches you.|d2idy]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>[img[images_ec/samantha.png]] “Hi, I’m Samantha!” she says cheerfully. “I didn’t see you there. I’ve been telling everyone in the store about my game.” She lowers her voice. “[[It’s not exactly something Digicore would approve of|d2idy]],” she whispers.<<elseif visited() is 7>>“So, what do you think?” “[[Sounds interesting.|d2idy]]” “[[Going against Digicore? Not interested.|d2samanthan]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“Thanks!” Samantha says cheerfully. “[[I’m glad you think so.|d2idy]] Here, let me give you my contact info, if you want to test it out!” Your boss frowns. “Consider your interest in that a penalty,” he snaps. <<set $Digibucks -= 35>><<set $points += 1>><<elseif visited() is 9>>She pulls out her phone, and a moment later, your phone buzzes. “My number,” she says. “Call me if you want to test it!” And with that, she’s gone. You look down at the eyewear, and get back to work, [[before you get penalized.|d2idy]]<<elseif visited() is 10>>Scrub, Rinse. Scrub Rinse.<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" volume 0.75 fadeout>> The morning passes smoothly, and [[soon, Harrison tells you to take your lunch break.|d2lunchcheck0]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The cop rustles through your bag, then looks up, shaking his head. “No ID,” he says, shoving your bag back in your hands. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.” Shit, you must have been distracted by social media and left it! You know it’s useless, but you try to get out of this anyway: “Please, can’t I just go home and get it?” “No,” snaps the cop. He puts an arm around you and hustles you forward. [[Looks like you don’t have a choice.|d2idn]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You are brought through the crowd and to a van, where you are locked up in the back with about a dozen other people. Most of them, you notice, are women, and you think back to the lady who was detained the other day. Your heart pounds. [[What’s going to happen to them? What’s going to happen to you?|d2idn]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You open your mouth to try and talk to the people around you, but an old man next to you elbows you and shakes his head. “Best to stay quiet back here,” he whispers. “[[Otherwise they get pissed. Understand?|d2idn]]” You nod.<<elseif visited() is 4>>The van starts up a while later, and [[you lurch back and forth as you are taken through the city streets. . .|d2idn]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>. . . Then the van stops, and for a moment, there is a peaceful bit of silence. Then the doors are quickly thrown open, revealing three NCPD officers waiting for you. “Get out. Single file,” one of them (nametag reading Carlington) orders. “Quick and quiet, understand?” A line forms out of the van, and you land somewhere in the back. Carlington sees the man who spoke to you at the front of the line, and the cop smirks. “You again, old timer?” he asks, walking up to the man. “How many times do you have to come here?” “Please, I keep telling you, somebody stole my identification!” the man says. “I just want to see my sick daughters on the other side of town—that’s all I ask.” “What a shame,” is all Carlington says, and he waves the line forward. “[[Let’s get you all inside.|d2idn]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>The line marches, with Carlington at the front, another cop named Davey at the middle, and a final officer named Iren at the back. Carlington opens a door, [[revealing the inside of the building.|d2idn]]<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 7>>[img[images_ec/detentioncenter.png]]<<audio "Invasion" loop play>> You see a long corridor ahead, with doors on both sides of the long hallway. Carlington stops at the first door and opens it. “Go on,” he says to the first person in line. The person quickly runs inside, and Carlington closes the door behind them—and locks it. This procedure is repeated for everyone in line. Even the old man is shoved behind a locked door. Until, finally, they get to you. Carlington opens the door and gives you a look. You hesitate, wondering what you should do. [[Try to explain one more time.|d2idn]] [[Go inside.|d2dc1]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>“I just forgot my ID at home,” you say. “Please, if you just—” “I don’t care,” Carlingson snaps. “Get in. [[Now|d2dc1]].”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You reluctantly walk inside of the room, and look around. Inside is a long square table with chairs on all four sides. As you sit down at one of the chairs, the door behind you slams closed, and you hear it lock up. There is a long moment of silence—you can’t hear anything from in here. But as you sit there, you realize they didn’t quite search you—you still have your phone in your pocket! [[Maybe you can get help that way—|d2dc1]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>The door suddenly opens. Two new officers walk inside: one with the nametag “Jefferson”, and the other with the nametag, “Francis”. They’re already glaring at you, so that can’t be a good sign. “Search him,” Jefferson orders his companion, the misgendering making you cringe. Francis walks up to you and pulls you up so that you’re standing, then pats you down. He finds your phone easily, and pockets it. Are you going to get it back? “So, tell us,” Jefferson asks, sitting down at the table. “Why exactly are you here?” “[[I forgot my identification at home.|d2dc1]]” “[[Please, can I just go?|d2dcplease]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You forgot your identification?” Jefferson asks, raising one eyebrow. “And why, pray tell, did you ‘forget’ it?” “[[I really did forget it; I’m telling the truth!|d2dc1]]” [[(Stay silent.)|d2dcstaysilent]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I see,” Jefferson says. There’s a twinkle in his eye. “Well, let me make you a little [[. . . offer|d2dcoffer]].”<<endif>>

“You’re that desperate, huh?” asks Jefferson. There’s a twinkle in his eye. “Well then, let me make you an [[offer|d2dcoffer]].”

Jefferson sighs. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me, kid,” he says. “Look, let me make you an [[offer|d2dcoffer]].”

<<if visited() is 1>>“Listen, listen, we can make this all go away—for a price,” says Jefferson. “750 Digibucks and we drop you back off at home. What do you say?” You do have the money, but it’s in your savings account. And for you, that’s quite a big expense, for someone who only earns 120 Digibucks a day. “Well?” asks Francis. “Do we have a deal?” “[[Ok, deal.|d2dcoffer]]” “[[No way.|d2dcofferno]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Good.” Francis smiles, and pulls out your phone. “Make the transfer.” He pulls a sheet of paper from his pocket: it has a QR code on it, and you scan it with your device. You’re taken to a virtual tip jar for “NCPD Detainment Division, Sector 4”. The tip is automatically set at 750 Digibucks. [[Pay the money.|d2dcoffer]] [[Refuse.|d2dcofferno]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You let out a sigh and make the transfer. Now you’re 750 Digibucks poorer—and you were already pretty poor.<<set $Digibucks -= 750>> “Excellent,” Jefferson says. “Let me just make some arrangements, and we’ll get you [[home|d2dcofferend]].”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Alright then,” says Jefferson. “We tried to give you the easy way out. Guess you’ll just have to stay here for a bit then.” The two cops get up, and [[leave the room.|d2dcofferno]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>[[. . .|d2dcofferend]]<<endif>>

<<if visited("d2dcofferno")>>By the time the van drops you off at home, it’s late at night. No doubt you’ve lost some Digibucks for not showing up to work on time—that always gets a penalty.<<else>>It’s the middle of the day by the time the van drops you off at your place. And you can’t report to work late—that’s against the rules. Looks like you’ve lost the money. But at least you’re home.<<endif>><<set $Digibucks -= 120>> [[What a shitty day.|d2dcofferend1]]<<audio "Invasion" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<center><<if visited ("d2news")>><<else>>[[Check the news.|d2news]]<<endif>> [[Play some games|d2games]]</center>

DIGICORE FUNDS GUARDS FOR LOWLIFE CRACKDOWN Digicore is funding more armed guards to prepare for where Lowlife will strike next. The villain has a pattern of striking pharmaceutical companies, and so the security at those locations has been tripled across the city. Employees of those companies are all being closely monitored and questioned as well. EUPHORIA MYSTERY CONTINUES The drug Euphoria continues to be smuggled into the city, and overdoses occur daily. Interviewing the police chief about the matter, he stated that, “How the drugs are getting into the city is a mystery, but it’s generally proven that the buyers all wanted to purchase it. These are intentionally inflicted deaths, not accidents.” ARRLINGTONS SEARCHING FOR UPPER HAND At the Arrlingtons shareholders meeting, CEO John Cooper stated that, “We are looking for ways to surpass Digicore, and we have found several avenues. I will say more about them as they continue to unfold.” BOAR CORP STOCK GOES BAD Boar Corp, in their latest of unfortunate losses, has needed to sell off some subsidiaries to rival companies, resulting in a loss for investors. Those subsidiaries were quickly scooped up by Digicore, though Arrlingtons also picked up a few of Boar Corp’s broken pieces. [[(back)|d2home1]]

Which game will you play? [[Sky's Rim|skysrimloading]] [[The Social Game|sg]] [[(back)|d2home1]]

You let out a yawn and put the VR port away. Then you crawl into your Sleepsack, and [[are soon in dreamland|branchpointcarl]].<<masteraudio stop>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Aw, bummer,” she says. “Well, [[I’ll give you my contact info anyway|d2samanthan]], in case you change your mind.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>She pulls out her phone, and a moment later, your phone buzzes. “My number,” she says. “Call me if you want to test it!” And with that, she’s gone. You look down at the eyewear, and get back to work, [[before you get penalized.|d2samanthan]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Scrub, Rinse. Scrub Rinse.<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" volume 0.75 fadeout>> The morning passes smoothly, and [[soon, Harrison tells you to take your lunch break.|d2lunchcheck0]]<<endif>>

<<if $id is "have">>At least you have your ID. [[Now it's off to the vending machines!|d2vendingmachines]]<<else>>Or maybe not, because you don’t have your ID with you. Guess you’re going hungry [[. . . yay.|d2breakroom]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You slink off to the break room. Devin and Sam are there already. Devin ignores you; Sam gives you a nod. “So, is Neon City everything you hoped for, Sam?” Devin asks. “I remember you were telling me how you didn’t want to move here. . .” Sam laughs. “Yeah, well, us older folk aren’t big fans of change,” he jokes. “I was pretty well rooted where I was, and the idea that I had to leave, well. . . It really stung at first. I was anxious coming here, but I got used to it.” “[[Do you miss where you were, Sam?|d2breakroom]]” [[(stay silent, let him talk.)|d2brsilent]]<<audio "MachinesVsWater" loop play>> <<elseif visited() is 2>>Sam and Devin turn to you. Devin’s giving you a glare, but Sam gives you a friendly smile. “I do, sometimes,” he admits. “But I know I made the right choice coming here. [[The air’s filtered, after all, unlike most of the country!|d2breakroom]]” “True,” Devin says.<<elseif visited() is 3>>There’s a moment of silence. Then Sam says, “How about you, Devin? Is Neon City everything you hoped for?” Devin grunts. “Well, I was born here, so I can’t complain. I don’t know if it’s everything I ‘hoped’ for—I never hoped for it to be anything other than what it is. And I guess that means I’m fine with it.” Sam laughs. “That sounds about right, kid. [[That sounds about right.|d2breakroom]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>You check the time on your phone, and see it’s almost time to return to work. [[So you leave the break room.|d2afternoon]]<<audio "MachinesVsWater" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited ("d2")>>Soon enough, [[you too return to work|d2afternoon]], putting your Boss Chip back inside of your head as you walk to the front of the store.<<else>>Soon enough, [[you too return to work|d1afternoon]], putting your Boss Chip back inside of your head as you walk to the front of the store.<<endif>><<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You go find your boss chip and plug it back in. [[Then you return to work.|d2afternoon]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>Late in the afternoon, [[two women|d2tinacheck]] walk inside the store. You notice they don’t really buy anything, they just browse the shelves and eye the workers—which includes you. You’re already being watched by your boss, so it’s a little creepy to be watched by some customers.<<endif>>

<<if visited("d1vendingmachines")>>[[You walk down to the vending machines, whistling to yourself.|d2union]]<<else>>[[You walk down to the vending machines, whistling to yourself.|d1vendingmachines]]<<endif>>

<<if visited("uniony")>>[[Just like yesterday, there he is.|d2uniony]]<<audio "Wateringplants" loop play>><<else>>This time, [[you don’t see Carl anywhere.|d2unionn]] That’s a relief. Maybe he gave up on you?<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/carl.png]] “Hey there,” Carl grins at you as you approach the vending machines. “I had a feeling you’d be back to see me. I’m glad you came by.” You give him a nod. “It’s good to see you too,” you say, [[and you mean it.|d2uniony]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>“So I have a job for you,” Carl says. He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a chip. From the look of it, it’s designed to go into a head port. “I got all the information on the union right here,” he says. “And I need your help to spread it around. Could you see if anyone else in your workplace is interested in joining the union?” Telling people could reap great rewards. But if you tell the wrong people, you could lose your job. “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|d2uniony]]” “[[No way.|d2unionyn]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Awesome!” Carl says, handing the chip to you. “I knew I could count on you. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?” He walks away, smiling and whistling. You turn to the vending machines. What to get today? [[Digicore’s Lean Dog with Mustard (3 Digibucks)|d2leandog]] [[Arrlingtons’ Chill Cheese Pack (5 Digibucks)|d2chili]] [[Boar Corp’s Ham & Pepperoni Pie (4 Digibucks)|d2pie]]<<endif>>

You walk up to the machine and order your food: [[Digicore’s Lean Dog with Mustard (3 Digibucks)|d2leandog]] [[Arrlingtons’ Chill Cheese Pack (5 Digibucks)|d2chili]] [[Boar Corp’s Ham & Pepperoni Pie (4 Digibucks)|d2pie]]

You shake your head. It’s too risky, and you could lose your job! Carl nods, and puts the chip away. “Don’t worry, I understand,” he says, giving you a smile. “Gotta warm up to it first. Maybe in time, you’ll want to do it! We’ll have to see.” He walks away. “I’ll see you later, $Name!” You give him a wave, then turn to the vending machines. What to get today. . .? [[Digicore’s Lean Dog with Mustard (3 Digibucks)|d2leandog]] [[Arrlingtons’ Chill Cheese Pack (5 Digibucks)|d2chili]] [[Boar Corp’s Ham & Pepperoni Pie (4 Digibucks)|d2pie]]

<<if visited(“d2uniony”)>>[[By the time you get there, you’re done eating.|d2uniony1]]<<else>>[[By the time you get there, you’re done eating.|d2afternoon]]<<endif>><<set $Digibucks -= 3>>

<<if visited(“d2uniony”)>>[[By the time you get there, you’re done eating.|d2uniony1]]<<else>>[[By the time you get there, you’re done eating.|d2afternoon]]<<endif>><<set $Digibucks -= 5>>

You walk into your apartment, determined to lose yourself. [[What do you want to do now?|d2home1]]<<audio "wifi" loop play>>

<<if visited() is 1>>In the break room, Devin and Sam are sitting chatting, and you know Carly will be here soon, too. Who do you want to talk to about the union? [[Devin|d2uniony1]] [[Sam|d2unionys]] [[Carly|d2unionyc]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Hey Devin,” you say, walking up to him. “Could I talk to you for a second?” Devin stares at you for a moment. “Uh, sure,” he says skeptically. “Let’s step outside.” The two of you walk outside the building, and Devin leans against the wall. “So, what’s up?” he asks. You take a deep breath. How to approach this? “[[So . . . there’s a union. . .|d2uniony1]]” “[[How do you like working here?|d2unionylike]]”<<<elseif visited() is 3>>Devin stares at you for a moment. Then, he laughs. “Very funny,” he says. “Those don’t exist anymore; Sam told me that. You’re pulling my leg.” “[[I’m serious!|d2uniony1]]” you insist. “There’s a union starting up, and I was wondering if you wanted to join it with me.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Devin scratches his chin. He looks from you quizzically—perhaps he’s trying to tell whether or not you’re lying. Finally, he shrugs. “What the hell, I got nothing to lose,” he says. “Aside from this shitty job.” “Great!” [[You hold out the chip.|d2uniony1]] “Here, some more information for you.”<<elseif visited() is 5>>He takes it and stuffs it in his pocket. “Thanks.” He turns to go inside, but looks back at you. “Thank you,” Devin mutters. Then he leaves. You stand there for a moment, unsure what to think. Then, you go back inside. [[Your break is over.|d2afternoon]]<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Sam shrugs. “Sure. Let’s step outside.” You do so. Sam turns to you. “So what’s up?” he asks. You take a deep breath. How to approach this? “[[So . . . there’s a union. . .|d2unionys]]” “[[How do you like working here?|d2unionyslike]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Sam’s eyes widen at your words. “A union?!” he whispers. “Holy shit. We haven’t had one of those in. . .” “Forever, I know,” you say nervously. “I just got involved, and I was wondering [[if you wanted to be part of it|d2unionys]].”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Holy shit. It’s been a long time since somebody’s told me that,” he says, sucking in a breath. “Is that a no?” you ask. “Not at all!” Sam proclaims. He takes a deep breath. “I know it’s risky, these unions—I’ve been burned before. [[But I want to take the risk.|d2unionys]] I’ll join.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Your heart soars. “Great!” Here, I have a chip for you; it has more information.” You hand it to him. “Thanks!” He takes it and plugs it in, and his eyes go blank as he skims the contents. “Arrlingtons is involved?! I see. . .” He turns to you and unplugs the port. “Thank you. This makes me feel more hopeful than I’ve been in a long time. You smile. “[[Me too.|d2unionys]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>There’s an awkward pause. “Well, break’s almost over,” Sam says, shoving the paper in his pocket. “I better get back to work.” “Right.” You clear your throat. “Thank you.” “No.” Sam smiles. “[[Thank you.|d2afternoon]]” You both go back in the building.<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You wait a moment, and soon enough, Carly walks in. You walk up to her. “Hey, Carly,” you say. “Could I talk to you privately for a moment?” She was taking out her lunch, but upon hearing your words, she turn to you. “Um, sure?” she says quizzically. “Let’s step outside, I guess.” The two of you go to the back of the building, and Carly closes the door behind you both. “So what’s going on?” she asked, sounding worried. “[[So . . . there’s a union. . .|d2unionyc]]” “[[How do you like working here?|d2unionyclike]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Carly cocks her head. “A union?” she echoes. “That’s . . . interesting, I guess. So, you’re asking me to join this union?” “If you want to. I have more information on it, if you want it,” you say, [[holding the chip out to her.|d2unionyc]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>She takes it and looks at it carefully. Then she puts it in her pocket. “Thanks,” she says hesitantly. “I appreciate that. I’ll look into this.” There’s an awkward pause, then she says, “Well, break’s almost over! So I’m going back now.” Before you can say anything, she’s gone. You follow her, and [[go back in the building.|d2afternoon]]<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

Devin shrugs. “I like it fine. Work is work, you know.” He turns to you. “I’m not going to say something stupid so you can report me to Harrison, so don’t even try. Why you asking me that?” “[[Because there’s a union. . .|d2unionylike]]” “[[No reason. . .|d2unionydnoreason]]”<<<elseif visited() is 2>>Devin stares at you for a moment. Then, he laughs. “Very funny,” he says. “Those don’t exist anymore; Sam told me that. You’re pulling my leg.” “[[I’m serious!|d2unionylike]]” you insist. “There’s a union starting up, and I was wondering if you wanted to join it with me.”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Devin scratches his chin. He looks from you quizzically—perhaps he’s trying to tell whether or not you’re lying. Finally, he shrugs. “What the hell, I got nothing to lose,” he says. “Aside from this shitty job.” “Great!” [[You hold out the chip.|d2unionylike]] “Here, some more information for you.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>He takes it and stuffs it in his pocket. “Thanks.” He turns to go inside, but looks back at you. “Thank you,” Devin mutters. Then he leaves. You stand there for a moment, unsure what to think. Then, you go back inside. [[Your break is over.|d2afternoon]]<<endif>>

That’s what I thought.” Devin sighs, and turns toward the door. “I’ll see you around, $Name. Don’t try to fuck with me like this again, got it?” Before you can respond, he goes inside. [[Well, shit.|d2afternoon]] You let out a sigh and walk inside after him. Your break is over anyway.<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I like it here,” Sam replies, sounding skeptical. “. . . You’re not trying to make me say something so you can report me to Harrison, are you? Why are you asking me that?” “[[Because there’s a union. . .|d2unionyslike]]” “[[No reason.|d2unionysnoreason]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Sam’s eyes widen at your words. “A union?!” he whispers. “Holy shit. We haven’t had one of those in. . .” “Forever, I know,” you say nervously. “I just got involved, and I was wondering [[if you wanted to be part of it|d2unionyslike]].”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Holy shit. It’s been a long time since somebody’s told me that,” he says, sucking in a breath. “Is that a no?” you ask. “Not at all!” Sam proclaims. He takes a deep breath. “I know it’s risky, these unions—I’ve been burned before. [[But I want to take the risk.|d2unionyslike]] I’ll join.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Your heart soars. “Great!” Here, I have a chip for you; it has more information.” You hand it to him. “Thanks!” He takes it and plugs it in, and his eyes go blank as he skims the contents. “Arrlingtons is involved?! I see. . .” He turns to you and unplugs the port. “Thank you. This makes me feel more hopeful than I’ve been in a long time. You smile. “[[Me too.|d2unionyslike]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>There’s an awkward pause. “Well, break’s almost over,” Sam says, shoving the paper in his pocket. “I better get back to work.” “Right.” You clear your throat. “Thank you.” “No.” Sam smiles. “[[Thank you.|d2afternoon]]” You both go back in the building.<<endif>>

“Ok,” Sam says. “I’m going inside, then.” Before you can say anything else, he leaves. [[Well, that was a bust.|d2afternoon]]<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

“Oh, I love it here!” she says cheerfully. “It’s a great place to work.” She teasingly raises an eyebrow.” “Did Harrison tell you to ask me that? Why do you want to know?” “[[Because there’s a union. . .|d2unionyclike]]” “[[No reason.|d2unionycnoreason]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Carly cocks her head. “A union?” she echoes. “That’s . . . interesting, I guess. So, you’re asking me to join this union?” “If you want to. I have more information on it, if you want it,” you say, [[holding the chip out to her.|d2unionyclike]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>She takes it and looks at it carefully. Then she puts it in her pocket. “Thanks,” she says hesitantly. “I appreciate that. I’ll look into this.” There’s an awkward pause, then she says, “Well, break’s almost over! So I’m going back now.” Before you can say anything, she’s gone. You follow her, and [[go back in the building.|d2afternoon]]<<endif>>

“Alrighty,” Carly says, giving you a shrug. “Well then, I’m going back inside. See ya!” Before you can say anything else, she’s gone. Great. Your break’s just about over, so [[you decide to go back in too.|d2afternoon]]<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Things were rough when I first arrived,” Sam continues. “I knew nobody, I didn’t have a job lined up, I had to convert all my money to Digibucks—it was hard. But I got my job here, I found my footing elsewhere, and here I am now. [[I’m doing alright.|d2brsilent]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>There’s a moment of silence. Then Sam says, “How about you, Devin? Is Neon City everything you hoped for?” Devin grunts. “Well, I was born here, so I can’t complain. I don’t know if it’s everything I ‘hoped’ for—I never hoped for it to be anything other than what it is. And I guess that means I’m fine with it.” Sam laughs. “That sounds about right, kid. [[That sounds about right.|d2brsilent]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You check the time on your phone, and see it’s almost time to return to work. [[So you leave the break room.|d2afternoon]]<<audio "MachinesVsWater" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited("notallcops")>>It takes a while (you notice them chatting with Sam in the back), but they do finally leave. That’s a relief. Harrison calls out to you, “Take your break, $Name!” You do so, removing the head port and heading to the "gender neutral bathrooms". Soon your business is concluded, and after washing your hands, [[you return to work.|d2afternoon1]]<<else>>Finally, one of them walks up to you. “Hey,” she says quietly, and you realize you recognize her[[—it’s the woman in the red dress from the checkpoint!|d2tina]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>><<endif>>

You scrub and scrub eyewear as people come in. Until, finally, the day is over, and the store closes. You stop wiping and put away your cleaning supplies, then go to the back and remove the boss chip. [[You’re free! And you got money!|d2afterwork]]<<set $Digibucks += 120>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/tina.png]] She smiles at you, and opens her mouth to speak. But at that moment, Harrison says, “$Name, take your break!” You turn to her. She says, “It’s ok, that’s probably for the better. Perhaps we can talk outside? I have a proposition for you.” “[[Um, sure.|d2tina]]” “[[Um, no thanks. Not interested.|d2tinan]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Fantastic. [[I’ll meet you at the back of the building.|d2tina]]” And with that, she’s gone.<<elseif visited() is 3>>You go to the back room and remove your Boss Chip (taking that out of your head is always such a relief). [[Then you go to the exit and leave the building.|d2tina]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>The woman in the red dress is standing outside. Upon seeing you, she walks up to you. “I don’t have time to explain all the details, but I and a few others are planning something big,” she says. “Something to help wake people up about how the police treat people around here. And I need someone in the eye store to play a part in it, since you’re next door to the police station. “Would you be up for a little danger, to help a cause that needs it?” “[[I’ll do it.|d2tina]]” “[[I’ll have to think about it!|d2tinathink]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>The woman smiles. “Fantastic. That’s fantastic. I appreciate that in a person. [[We’ll be in touch|d2tina]].”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“If you decide to join us, meet us here tomorrow.” She pauses, then says warily, “I’ve put a lot of trust in you, telling you this. “[[Please . . . don’t break that trust.|d2tina]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>With that, she turns around and walks away. Soon, she’s gone. [[Spend the rest of your break relaxing.|d2tinabreakrelax]] [[Call the police and report their actions.|d2tinareport]]<<endif>>

The woman nods. “Ok, no problem. I understand.” She and her companion go around a bit more (you notice them chatting with Sam in the back), but they do finally leave. Harrison calls out to you, “Take your break, $Name!” You do so, removing the head port and heading to the bathroom. This time, you choose the gender-neutral <<if visited("gnwr")>>men’s<<else>>women’s<<endif>> room to go in. Soon your business is concluded, and after washing your hands, [[you return to work.|d2afternoon1]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The woman frowns, but says, “[[I appreciate your honesty, friend.|d2tinathink]] Thank you.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“If you decide to join us, meet us here tomorrow.” She pauses, then says warily, “I’ve put a lot of trust in you, telling you this. “[[Please . . . don’t break that trust.|d2tinathink]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>With that, she turns around and walks away. Soon, she’s gone. [[Spend the rest of your break relaxing.|d2tinabreakrelax]] [[Call the police and report their actions.|d2tinareport]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You lean against the wall and slide down to the ground. Every minute you check time, and at the very last minute, you remember you should probably pee before you go back to work. So you run inside, take a quick trip to the bathroom (you choose the gender-neutral <<if visited ("gnwr")>>men’s<<else>>women’s<<endif>> room this time) and [[get back to work.|d2afternoon1]]<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You could walk over to the station, but you only have a few minutes left of your break—calling would be better. You pull out your phone and dial the station’s direct number. They answer at the second ring. “NCPD, what is your emergency?” a feminine voice asks. You can’t tell if it’s an AI or not. “[[Yeah hi, I think Ijust stumbled across a plot to bring down the cops???|d2tinareport]]”<<audio "Unfocused" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You explain what the woman in the red dress said, and describe her appearance as best as you can. “Thank you for the tip,” the woman/AI says to you. “[[We’ll look into it as soon as possible.|d2tinareport1]]” And then she hangs up.<<set $bombing to "stopped">><<set $calledpoliceT to "yes">><<endif>>

You check the time on your phone, and realize your break is almost over. So you rush back inside, take a quick trip to the bathroom (you choose the gender-neutral <<if visited ("gnwr")>>men’s<<else>>women’s<<endif>> room this time) and [[get back to work.|d2afternoon1]]<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if $Digibucks < 20>>==Head to the bar== You lost too many Digibucks today to go drinking. . .<<else>>[[Head to the bar.|d2bar]]<<endif>> [[Walk around the city.|d2walk]] [[Go back home.|d2home]]

<<if visited("d1bar")>>[[You decide to go to the bar.|d2bar1]]<<else>>[[You decide to go to the bar.|d1bar]]<<endif>>

<<if visited("d1walk")>>[[You decide to walk around the city.|d2walk1]]<<else>>[[You decide to walk around the city.|d1walk]]<<endif>>

[img[images_ec/apartmentn.png]] You are soon in your apartment. Plugging in your VR part, the user interface cloaks your body, and you wonder what you should do [[next. . .|d2home1]] [[Go to bed.|d2end]] <<audio "wifi" loop play>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You walk down to District 2, and soon make it to Harry’s Home. Entering the bar, Terry is right where ze was yesterday, as if ze never left. “Hey there!” Terry calls, giving you a wave. “How’s your day going?” “[[Good so far, I think.|d2bar1]]”<<audio "BlanketFort" loop play>> “[[Meh. It was ok.|d2barok]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I’m glad to hear that!” ze says, zir face brightening. “That’s always good.” You sit down at one of the bar stools. “What do you want to drink?” Terry asks. <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==Boar Corp’s Cherry Cocktail==<<else>>[[Boar Corp’s Cherry Cocktail (10 Digibucks)|d2barcherry]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 6>>==Arrlingtons’ Hard Lemonade==<<else>>[[Arrlingtons’ Hard Lemonade (6 Digibucks)|d2barlemonade]] <<if $Digibucks < 4>>==Digicore’s Light Beer ==<<else>>[[Digicore’s Light Beer (4 Digibucks)|d2barbeer]]

You take a stroll, [[not really having a destination in mind.|d2walk2]] <<audio "Carputer" loop play>>

“Got it, got it,” ze says, gesturing for you to sit. “Well, at least you’re here now, so you can kick back a bit and relax.” You sit down at one of the bar stools. “What do you want to drink?” Terry asks. <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==Boar Corp’s Cherry Cocktail==<<else>>[[Boar Corp’s Cherry Cocktail (10 Digibucks)|d2barcherry]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 6>>==Arrlingtons’ Hard Lemonade==<<else>>[[Arrlingtons’ Hard Lemonade (6 Digibucks)|d2barlemonade]] <<if $Digibucks < 4>>==Digicore’s Light Beer ==<<else>>[[Digicore’s Light Beer (4 Digibucks)|d2barbeer]]

<<if visited() is 1>>“[[Coming right up!|d2barcherry]]” Terry says. Ze walks away for a moment, disappearing behind the corner of the bar.<<set $Digibucks -= 10>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wait patiently for your drink to arrive, watching the regulars as you do so. There’s a group of young men in the corner, laughing together. In one booth, an old women sips on a beer, jotting something down in a notebook as she does so. They’re the ones who are usually in Harry’s Home when you arrive. [[The consistency is kind of nice.|d2barcherry]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Here you are!” Terry returns with your beverage, giving you a smile. “Enjoy.” You sip your drink and lean back a bit, loosening up and feeling your shoulders sag downward. This. . . This is nice. “Any misgendering today?” Terry asks. “[[No, nothing to report this time.|d2barcherry]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Good, good,” ze says. “I got nothing to report today either, thank Christ. As they say, no news is good news.” Another customer sits down at the bar. “I’ll be right back,” Terry says, and goes over to them. By the time ze gets back, you’ve finished you drink. “Another?” ze asks, and you shake your head. [[One is enough for you—you’ve had to learn that the hard way.|d2barcherry]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Alrighty,” Terry says. “Stay as long as you’d like.” And with that, ze goes to tend to another customer. You stand up from the bar. How much of a tip do you want to leave today? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|d2bartip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|d2bartip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|d2bartip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|d2bartipn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“[[Coming right up!|d2barlemonade]]” Terry says. Ze walks away for a moment, disappearing behind the corner of the bar.<<set $Digibucks -= 6>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wait patiently for your drink to arrive, watching the regulars as you do so. There’s a group of young men in the corner, laughing together. In one booth, an old women sips on a beer, jotting something down in a notebook as she does so. They’re the ones who are usually in Harry’s Home when you arrive. [[The consistency is kind of nice.|d2barlemonade]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Here you are!” Terry returns with your beverage, giving you a smile. “Enjoy.” You sip your drink and lean back a bit, loosening up and feeling your shoulders sag downward. This. . . This is nice. “Any misgendering today?” Terry asks. “[[No, nothing to report this time.|d2barlemonade]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Good, good,” ze says. “I got nothing to report today either, thank Christ. As they say, no news is good news.” Another customer sits down at the bar. “I’ll be right back,” Terry says, and goes over to them. By the time ze gets back, you’ve finished you drink. “Another?” ze asks, and you shake your head. [[One is enough for you—you’ve had to learn that the hard way.|d2barlemonade]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Alrighty,” Terry says. “Stay as long as you’d like.” And with that, ze goes to tend to another customer. You stand up from the bar. How much of a tip do you want to leave today? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|d2bartip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|d2bartip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|d2bartip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|d2bartipn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“[[Coming right up!|d2barbeer]]” Terry says. Ze walks away for a moment, disappearing behind the corner of the bar.<<set $Digibucks -= 4>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wait patiently for your drink to arrive, watching the regulars as you do so. There’s a group of young men in the corner, laughing together. In one booth, an old women sips on a beer, jotting something down in a notebook as she does so. They’re the ones who are usually in Harry’s Home when you arrive. [[The consistency is kind of nice.|d2barbeer]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Here you are!” Terry returns with your beverage, giving you a smile. “Enjoy.” You sip your drink and lean back a bit, loosening up and feeling your shoulders sag downward. This. . . This is nice. “Any misgendering today?” Terry asks. “[[No, nothing to report this time.|d2barbeer]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Good, good,” ze says. “I got nothing to report today either, thank Christ. As they say, no news is good news.” Another customer sits down at the bar. “I’ll be right back,” Terry says, and goes over to them. By the time ze gets back, you’ve finished you drink. “Another?” ze asks, and you shake your head. [[One is enough for you—you’ve had to learn that the hard way.|d2barbeer]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Alrighty,” Terry says. “Stay as long as you’d like.” And with that, ze goes to tend to another customer. You stand up from the bar. How much of a tip do you want to leave today? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|d2bartip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|d2bartip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|d2bartip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|d2bartipn]]<<endif>>

You transfer the money to Terry’s tip jar account (the QR code is on the coasters) and walk outside. [[It’s time to go home.|d2home]]<<set $Digibucks -= 1>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You transfer the money to Terry’s tip jar account (the QR code is on the coasters) and walk outside. [[It’s time to go home.|d2home]]<<set $Digibucks -= 5>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You transfer the money to Terry’s tip jar account (the QR code is on the coasters) and walk outside. [[It’s time to go home.|d2home]]<<set $Digibucks -= 10>><<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You walk outside. [[It’s time to go home.|d2home]]<<audio "BlanketFort" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

Finally, you look up, and realize you’re right across the street from an interesting looking restaurant called “The Open Mouth”. <<if visited("d1news")>>You remember reading about it on the news.<<else>><<endif>> It looks medium-priced, at least. [[Continue walking.|d2walk3]] <<if $Digibucks < 20>>==Go inside.== You probably don’t have enough Digibucks for a meal there, and you don’t want to embarrass yourself.<<else>>[[Go inside and check it out.|openmouth]]<<endif>>

You shake your head and keep walking. Not tonight. Plus, it’s getting pretty late anyway. After walking a bit longer, [[you make your way back home.|d2home]]<<audio "Carputer" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You step inside the restaurant, and your ears are immediately greeted by the smooth sound of jazztronica. It washes over your ears, and manages to be just slightly louder than the sounds of people eating—by the sight of it, this place is busy. “Hey there!” A server greets you. “Just one person. Alrighty, step this way, sir!” “[[Actually, I’m not a sir. . . I’m nonbinary.|openmouth]]” “[[Um, ok. . .|om1]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Oh, sorry,” the server says. They mutter something under their breath (you have a pretty good idea of what they might be saying), and then tell you, “Alright, um . . . [[fellow person|om1]], follow me!”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You follow the server to a small booth in the back, walking through quite a crowd of eaters to get there. This place is pretty popular—you wonder how a new restaurant can gain traction so quickly. After you sit down at the booth, the server presents you with a menu. “Someone will be with you shortly to get your drink,” they say. [[And with that, they’re gone.|om1]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You look over the menu. Right as you’ve settled on some choices, another server arrives. “Hi, I’m Marie,” she says, giving you a smile. “What do you want to drink?” [[Arrlingtons Chocolate Milk (3 Digibucks)|ommilk]] [[Digicore Sweetened Tea (2 Digibucks)|omtea]] [[Boar Corp Water (1 Digibuck)|omwater]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Good choice,” Marie says, jotting this down. “[[I’ll be right back with your drink.|ommilk]]”<<set $Digibucks -= 3>><<elseif visited() is 2>>While she’s gone, you look at the menu, and settle on a few choices. The server returns quickly with you drink, and she sets it down on the table. “Know what you want?” she asks. You decide to choose the . . . [[Corn-Salsa Tacos (11 Digibucks)|omtacos]] [[Fish And Chips Deluxe (13 Digibucks)|omfish]] [[Shrimp Salad & Soup Combo (10 Digibucks)|omshrimp]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Good choice,” Marie says, jotting this down. “[[I’ll be right back with your drink.|omtea]]”<<set $Digibucks -= 2>><<elseif visited() is 2>>While she’s gone, you look at the menu, and settle on a few choices. The server returns quickly with you drink, and she sets it down on the table. “Know what you want?” she asks. You decide to choose the . . . [[Corn-Salsa Tacos (11 Digibucks)|omtacos]] [[Fish And Chips Deluxe (13 Digibucks)|omfish]] [[Shrimp Salad & Soup Combo (10 Digibucks)|omshrimp]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Good choice,” Marie says, jotting this down. “[[I’ll be right back with your drink.|omwater]]”<<set $Digibucks -= 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>While she’s gone, you look at the menu, and settle on a few choices. The server returns quickly with you drink, and she sets it down on the table. “Know what you want?” she asks. You decide to choose the . . . [[Corn-Salsa Tacos (11 Digibucks)|omtacos]] [[Fish And Chips Deluxe (13 Digibucks)|omfish]] [[Shrimp Salad & Soup Combo (10 Digibucks)|omshrimp]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Tasty,” Marie says, giving you a smile. “Alrighty then. I’ll deliver that order to the kitchen. Let me know if you need anything else.” She walks away. You lean back in your chair. Nothing left to do but wait. [[Look around the restaurant.|omtacos]] [[Look at your DigiFeed.|omdigifeed]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You glance around the restaurant. People are talking and laughing with their friends and [[family|omtacos]].<<elseif visited() is 3>>You miss your folks, back in the countryside. Even when the smog came in, they refused to move away from home. So you had to leave. You still call once in a while, but they’ve been cold toward you ever since you left—no, before that, [[ever since you came out|omtacos]]. Nothing you do is ever enough. . .<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Here’s your food.” Marie startles you, and you quickly reposition yourself, sitting normally in the chair. She places a delicious looking plate in front of you. “[[Enjoy|omtacos]],” she says, giving you a smile. Then, Marie is gone.<<elseif visited() is 5>>You pick up your fork, sample some of the food—and your eyes immediately widen. It’s quite a bit better than you expected it to be, and you expected quite a bit for the price. You dig into the dish, and before you know it, [[the food is done.|omtacos]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I assume you liked it?” Marie teases, walking back to your table. You give her a nod, and she says, “Good. Shall I get the check for you?” You nod again, and she goes off to get it. Marie returns a moment later, and puts the check on the table: a screen with a custom QR code for you to pay for your meal. “Just put your ID on the code and it’ll start the payment process,” she says. You do so, and the screen flashes. A moment later, it reads, “Meal Paid. Would you like to add a tip?” How much would you like to give? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|omtip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|omtip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|omtip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|omtipn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Tasty,” Marie says, giving you a smile. “Alrighty then. I’ll deliver that order to the kitchen. Let me know if you need anything else.” She walks away. You lean back in your chair. Nothing left to do but wait. [[Look around the restaurant.|omfish]] [[Look at your DigiFeed.|omdigifeed]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You glance around the restaurant. People are talking and laughing with their friends and [[family|omfish]].<<elseif visited() is 3>>You miss your folks, back in the countryside. Even when the smog came in, they refused to move away from home. So you had to leave. You still call once in a while, but they’ve been cold toward you ever since you left—no, before that, [[ever since you came out|omfish]]. Nothing you do is ever enough. . .<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Here’s your food.” Marie startles you, and you quickly reposition yourself, sitting normally in the chair. She places a delicious looking plate in front of you. “[[Enjoy|omfish]],” she says, giving you a smile. Then, Marie is gone.<<elseif visited() is 5>>You pick up your fork, sample some of the food—and your eyes immediately widen. It’s quite a bit better than you expected it to be, and you expected quite a bit for the price. You dig into the dish, and before you know it, [[the food is done.|omfish]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I assume you liked it?” Marie teases, walking back to your table. You give her a nod, and she says, “Good. Shall I get the check for you?” You nod again, and she goes off to get it. Marie returns a moment later, and puts the check on the table: a screen with a custom QR code for you to pay for your meal. “Just put your ID on the code and it’ll start the payment process,” she says. You do so, and the screen flashes. A moment later, it reads, “Meal Paid. Would you like to add a tip?” How much would you like to give? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|omtip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|omtip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|omtip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|omtipn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Tasty,” Marie says, giving you a smile. “Alrighty then. I’ll deliver that order to the kitchen. Let me know if you need anything else.” She walks away. You lean back in your chair. Nothing left to do but wait. [[Look around the restaurant.|omshrimp]] [[Look at your DigiFeed.|omdigifeed]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You glance around the restaurant. People are talking and laughing with their friends and [[family|omshrimp]].<<elseif visited() is 3>>You miss your folks, back in the countryside. Even when the smog came in, they refused to move away from home. So you had to leave. You still call once in a while, but they’ve been cold toward you ever since you left—no, before that, [[ever since you came out|omshrimp]]. Nothing you do is ever enough. . .<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Here’s your food.” Marie startles you, and you quickly reposition yourself, sitting normally in the chair. She places a delicious looking plate in front of you. “[[Enjoy|omshrimp]],” she says, giving you a smile. Then, Marie is gone.<<elseif visited() is 5>>You pick up your fork, sample some of the food—and your eyes immediately widen. It’s quite a bit better than you expected it to be, and you expected quite a bit for the price. You dig into the dish, and before you know it, [[the food is done.|omshrimp]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I assume you liked it?” Marie teases, walking back to your table. You give her a nod, and she says, “Good. Shall I get the check for you?” You nod again, and she goes off to get it. Marie returns a moment later, and puts the check on the table: a screen with a custom QR code for you to pay for your meal. “Just put your ID on the code and it’ll start the payment process,” she says. You do so, and the screen flashes. A moment later, it reads, “Meal Paid. Would you like to add a tip?” How much would you like to give? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|omtip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|omtip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|omtip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|omtipn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>><div class="border">Scarlet Johnson, Singer. 1.1M Followers My current apartment. Don’t be jealous, world! <3</div> [img[images_ec/apt.jpg]] <div class="border">Arrlingtons #1 Fan. 49K Followers (This post has been removed by Digicore LLC for containing sensitive content)</div> <div class="border">Ian, Baker. 51 Followers Making a cake because I have the equipment and why not. Plus, I can stun everyone around me who’s never seen a person baking in their lives lol.</div> <div class="border">Kate, Podcast Wonderwoman. 67K Followers My next podcast will be up for public viewing soon! I interviewed the developers at IndieZone about the exclusives they make. C:</div> <<timed 15s>><<goto "omdigifeed">><</timed>><<elseif visited() is 2>>“Here’s your food.” Marie startles you, and you quickly reposition yourself, sitting normally in the chair. She places a delicious looking plate in front of you. “[[Enjoy|omdigifeed]],” she says, giving you a smile. Then, Marie is gone.<<elseif visited() is 3>>You pick up your fork, sample some of the food—and your eyes immediately widen. It’s quite a bit better than you expected it to be, and you expected quite a bit for the price. You dig into the dish, and before you know it, [[the food is done.|omdigifeed]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I assume you liked it?” Marie teases, walking back to your table. You give her a nod, and she says, “Good. Shall I get the check for you?” You nod again, and she goes off to get it. Marie returns a moment later, and puts the check on the table: a screen with a custom QR code for you to pay for your meal. “Just put your ID on the code and it’ll start the payment process,” she says. You do so, and the screen flashes. A moment later, it reads, “Meal Paid. Would you like to add a tip?” How much would you like to give? <<if $Digibucks < 1>>==1 Digibuck==<<else>>[[1 Digibuck|omtip1]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 5>>==5 Digibucks==<<else>>[[5 Digibucks|omtip5]]<<endif>> <<if $Digibucks < 10>>==10 Digibucks==<<else>>[[10 Digibucks|omtip10]]<<endif>> [[Don’t leave a tip.|omtipn]]<<endif>>

You add the tip to the meal and stand up from the table. It’s time to go. You exit The Open Mouth and [[walk home|d2home]], keeping your head down as you do so.<<set $Digibucks -= 1>><<audio "Carputer" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You add the tip to the meal and stand up from the table. It’s time to go. You exit The Open Mouth and [[walk home|d2home]], keeping your head down as you do so.<<set $Digibucks -= 5>><<audio "Carputer" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You add the tip to the meal and stand up from the table. It’s time to go. You exit The Open Mouth and [[walk home|d2home]], keeping your head down as you do so.<<set $Digibucks -= 10>><<audio "Carputer" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You stand up from the table. It’s time to go. You exit The Open Mouth and [[walk home|d2home]], keeping your head down as you do so.<<audio "Carputer" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You put your things away and get in your Sleepsack. Soon, [[you're fast asleep.|d3endpivot]]<<masteraudio stop>><<set $day to 4>>

You put your things away and get in your Sleepsack. [[Soon, you're fast asleep.|end]]<<masteraudio stop>>

You shake your head put the amulet away in your inventory. You do what you want. And what you want is to [[not deal with that shit right now.|skysrim2woods1]]

<<if $day is 2>>And that’s when your “[[go to bed|d2end]]” notification pops up.<<elseif $day is 3>>And that’s when your “[[go to bed|d3end]]” notification pops up.<<elseif $day is 4>>And that’s when your “[[go to bed|d4end]]” notification pops up.<<endif>><<audio "ActionEpic" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You walk deep into the forest, losing yourself as you pick herbs and slay the occasional Bat-Bear. It’s a series of calming activities, ones that you’ve done over and over again. And that’s the beauty of it. But as you reach the edge of the woods, you stumble across bandits attacking a carriage. What do you want to do? [[Attack the bandits.|skysrim2woods1]] [[Try to sneak away.|skysrim2sneak]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You charge forward, determined to kick some ass. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2woods1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>The bandits surround you. You hold up your weapons. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2woods1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>A bandit attacks you from behind. You repay him by slaying his sorry butt. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2woods1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Man, this bandit looks easy. Health is pretty low. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2woods1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>Just one more lowlife to go. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim2woods1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>It’s done. You gather up the loot—five silver swords, 130 gold, and [[plenty of rusty armor.|skysrim2woods1]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>“Oh, thank you!” the carriage driver says. “I was on my way to Farandell when these lowlives attacked me! Now my carriage is ruined! I don’t suppose a hero like you could escort me there, could you?” “[[Sure!|skysrim2escort]]” “[[Nah.|skysrim2woods1]]”<<elseif visited() is 9>>You shake your head, refusing the quest, and wander into the woods. [[You have better things to do.|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

You crouch on the ground and slowly walk forward in the woods, praying the bandits don’t notice you. Eventually, you’re far enough away that they’re out of sight. Good. [[You prepare to wander some more . . .|skysrim2sneak]]<<set $Skysrim to "wander">>

“Oh, thank you!” the carriage driver says. “[[Please, lead the way.|skysrim2end]] I’m so grateful for your help!”<<set $Skysrim to "escort">>

<<if visited() is 1>>Incorrect! [[District 4 is abandoned for a reason, and should not be entered by civilians.|sg2-1w]]<<set $sgpoints -= 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You see a homeless person panhandling on the streets of Neon City. What do you do? [[Report their presence to the NCPD.|sg2-2r]] [[Ignore them.|sg2-2w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Correct! [[District 4 is abandoned for a reason, and should not be entered by civilians.|sg2-1r]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You see a homeless person panhandling on the streets of Neon City. What do you do? [[Report their presence to the NCPD.|sg2-2r]] [[Ignore them.|sg2-2w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Correct! Homeless should not be panhandling on Neon City streets. The NCPD are [[properly equipped|sg2-2r]] to handle any homeless who congregate here.<<set $sgpoints += 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You see a prostitute on the streets of District 2. How do you react? [[Purchase their services.|sg2-3w]] [[Report their presence to the NCPD.|sg2-3r]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Incorrect! In these situations, reporting the illegal panhandling is the correct call. The NCPD are also equipped to [[handle|sg2-2w]] any homeless who congregate here.<<set $sgpoints -= 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You see a prostitute on the streets of District 2. How do you react? [[Purchase their services.|sg2-3w]] [[Report their presence to the NCPD.|sg2-3r]]<<endif>>

Incorrect! Since buying sex is illegal, both you and the prostitute would be [[legally charged|sg2end]].<<set $sgpoints -= 50>>

Correct! While selling sex is still legal (currently), buying it is not. It is best to [[report the sex worker to the NCPD|sg2end]] in case of illegal activity on their part.

<<if $Digibucks < 1>>==Yes, I can spare some change.==<<else>>“[[Yes, I can spare some change.|d1yeschange]]”<<endif>> “[[No, I can’t. Sorry.|d1nochange]]”

<<if $lunch is "have">>And you actually remembered to bring your lunch today! [[Yay!|d2breakroom]]<<else>>And you didn’t bring your lunch! Well, [[maybe you can get something from the vending machine instead. . .|d2lunchn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 3|cop]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You couldn’t stop thinking about Rodney’s offer for a ride-along. [[So, when you wake up in the morning, you give him a call on your phone.|cop]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/rodney.png]] He picks up immediately. “$Name! Guess you’re accepting my offer then?”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" loop play>> “Yeah,” you reply, laughing awkwardly—guess you can’t surprise him. “Could you pick me up at my place?” “Sure! It’s the same address, right?” “Right.” “Those were good times. Playing Sky’s Rim together at your place was some awesome fun,” Rodney says to you. “Wish I could relive those days sometimes.” “[[You still can.|cop]]” “[[Yeah, me too.|copmetoo]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Really?” Rodney seems to perk up a bit. “We gotta play some more Sky’s Rim together then! Kick some demonic butt. When I’m not too busy, that is.” You laugh. “Sure. Sounds good to me.” It’s hard to believe he’s changed[[—he still sounds like the same old Rodney.|cop]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Well, anyway,” Rodney says. “I’m almost at your place, so step outside and I’ll pick you up!” “Alright.” “Cool! See you soon!” He hangs up the phone. You put your phone away and quickly get dressed. Walking outside to the elevator, you take a moment to reflect on your [[goals|cop1]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 3|gamedev]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next morning thinking about the game. That indie dev left you her number, so you dial her up. [[She answers at the third ring.|gamedev]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/samantha.png]] “Hey!” Samantha says, sounding pleased. “I’m happy you called! You want to test my game?”<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" loop play>> “[[Yeah, for sure!|gamedev]]” “[[Yeah, I guess.|gamedev]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Awesome!” exclaims Samantha. “I’ll send you the address. Stop there anytime today. Hope to see you there!” She hangs up. A moment later, you get a text that reads, “124 Carter Street, Apartment 13.” Looking it up, you see it’s only a five-minute walk away from you. [[No time like the present—might as well go now.|gamedev]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You get out of bed, get ready to go, and walk outside, venturing forth to Samantha’s apartment. It doesn’t take long for you to get there, and you knock on the door. She answers immediately, and gives you a grin. “Hey, good to see you! Come on in!” She rushes you inside, and [[leads you down the hall.|gamedev]] You follow her.<<elseif visited() is 6>>[img[images_ec/samanthasplaytestingroom.png]] “Welcome to my home base!” Samantha walks inside an empty room, where a VR eyeglass sits on a table. “This is where I develop my games. I’m working on an environmentalist project right now—want to try it out?” “[[Sure!|gdgame]]” “[[I have a few questions first.|gdquestions]]”<<endif>>

<<if $calledpoliceT is "yes">>[[. . .|cop]]<<elseif visited("notallcops")>>[[. . .|cop]]<<else>>[[. . .|revolutionary1]]<<endif>>

<<if $calledpoliceL is "yes">>[[. . .|cop]]<<else>>[[. . .|vigilantee1]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|lawbreaker]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>When you wake up, you notice that your VR port is . . . flashing? A purple light is emitting from the side. It usually flashes like that if there’s an update (blue light) or an error (red light). But never purple. That’s weird. Confused, you pick up the VR port and plug it into your head. [[And immediately, you are transported away.|lawbreaker]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“So, are we all here?”<<audio "mint" loop play>> The voice makes you jump in surprise—it’s Isaiah Warburton! Shit, the Boss Chip isn’t in your head, is it? That’s when you properly see the scene in front of you. Five holograms are sitting at a virtual table, and one of those holograms is [[your boss|lawbreaker]]. He smiles at the other men in the room and leans forward.<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Present,” an older gentleman with a white hat says. “I’m so glad we could gather here today—I’m eager to discuss today’s . . . issue.” “Agreed,” says the man next to him, a young man with a mustache. “Today will be a productive meeting,” says a middle-aged gentleman in brown suspenders. “I can tell. And Boar Corp is going to come out on top soon.” “You always say that, Charlie,” remarks the last man, who’s wearing a Digicore-branded suit. “But your company is going down the crapper. I think you need to know when you’ve lost.” “Can it, George,” Charlie snaps. “Boar Corp is just having a rough patch. We’re just weeks away from a breakthrough—and then, we’ll [[crush|lawbreaker]] Arrlingtons and Digicore.” “In your dreams,” George retorts.<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Gentlemen, gentlemen, that’s enough,” Isaiah says, giving everyone in the “room” a warm smile. “Let’s get down to business. “Phil, tell us what you’ve found out.” Phil turns out to be the man with the mustache. He clears his throat and says, “I’ve heard from some of my sources that there’s a new law being drafted by some senators. One that will raise the minimum wage by 28 Digibucks—35 Digibucks an hour.” There’s murmuring around the table. Your eyes widen. [[35 Digibucks an hour . . . well, that would change your life!|lawbreaker]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>“That would be a disaster,” mutters the older man. “Paying workers more would, well . . . it would certainly take value out of our company, for sure.” “I agree with Ian,” George says. “We can’t have that. That would be giving them way too much.” Isaiah smiles. “I agree,” he says. “So, who wants to be the one to [[convince|lawbreaker]] them otherwise?”<<elseif visited() is 7>>More murmuring. “Perhaps we can all pool our money,” suggests Charlie. “Come together for a common goal. . .” “Because Boar Corp can’t afford a bribe?” George teases. Charlie gives him a glare. “Because none of us want this law to reach the voting stage,” he snaps. “The way things are in the government, well, it currently has a chance of passing! But if we give the ones writing this law a monetary gift. . .” “I agree with Charlie that we need to act, and act quickly, if we don’t want this law to pass,” Isaiah says. “Ian, you haven’t contributed in a while. Let’s give those senators a donation of, say, 1 million Digibucks?” Your jaw drops open. Ian, on the other hand, [[barely raises an eyebrow.|lawbreaker]] “That amount sounds acceptable,” he says. “I’ll transfer the money to George now, and he can pass it along to the senators. Run it through their Super PACs.”<<elseif visited() is 8>>His hologram presses a few unseen buttons, and a moment later, Phil nods. “I received the funds. Thank you—this will do nicely. I’ll let you know when the cash is sent.” “Good,” Isaiah says. He smiles. “Shall we adjourn this meeting until next week?” The men all nod. “Good. I’ll see you next time, gentlemen.”<<audio "mint" volume 0.75 fadeout>> [[The holograms fade away, and you are left in darkness.|lawbreaker]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>[img[images_ec/thelawbreaker.png]]<<audio "StolenLife" loop play>> “That was just this morning,” a voice behind you says. You turn around, and see another holographic figure standing there, arms folded and shaking their head in disgust. They are wearing a helmet that covers their eyes. “They meet every week and throw their money at anything that prevents them from getting richer—it’s disgusting, really.” “And you know what the funny thing is?” they continue. “[[There is no law being drafted to raise the minimum wage.|lawbreaker]] It was a scheme Isaiah Warburton and Phil Taylor came up with to steal from their colleagues. It’s not the first time they’ve done it, either. As if they need even more money than they already have.”<<elseif visited() is 10>>They give you a smile. “I have records of that. And I plan to use them—but first, I have my own idea to get them ‘donate’ to a cause that’s actually worthy. “And I want you to be a part of it.” “[[Why me?|lawbreaker]]” “[[Who are you?|lawbreaker1]]”<<elseif visited() is 11>>“Because you’re a [[rebel|lawbreaker1]],” the figure replies simply. “I’ve had my eye on you for quite a while, and a spark has been lit in you that refuses to go out. I want to help get that spark brighter, until it becomes a bonfire for good.”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 3|hacker]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] When you wake up the next day, you realize you haven’t stopped thinking about what Rudy meant by “changing the world”. You want to do things like that, but aren’t sure if you have the spine or the passion to. Maybe he can help?<<audio "Polygons" loop play>> You pull up the contact information he transferred over to you, and call his number. A few rings later, [[he picks up.|hacker]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/rudy.png]] “$Name!” Rudy exclaims cheerfully. “It’s good to hear from you! Let me guess: you want to change the world with me, don’t you?” “[[Yes, I do.|hacker]]” “[[Do you think I have what it takes?|hackerhave]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Awesome!” Rudy says. “[[I can’t wait for you to join me.|hacker]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“I’m tracking your GPS coordinates now—you live in Vine Heights, it looks like?” Rudy says. “I’ll come pick you up, so step outside. [[See you soon.|hacker1]]” He hangs up. You quickly get dressed and go to the elevator. A moment later, you’re downstairs.<<endif>>

<center><<if visited ("d3news")>><<else>>[[Check the news.|d3news]]<<endif>> [[Play some games|d3games]] [[Go to bed.|d3end]]</center>

INDEPENDENT GAME STUDIOS RISING IN PROMINENCE There is a rise in independent games being released by Neon City citizens, according to the statistics on the DigiShop marketplace, and on the Boar Corp market IndieZone. Interviewing one developer (who wished to remain anonymous), it was revealed that this is partially because of harassment causing talented crew members to quit and go on their own, but also because many citizens want their voice to be heard “and this is an accessible way that we can do it.” POLICE SUSPECTED OF SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES ((This article has been copyright claimed by Digicore, and has been removed.)) ANOTHER EUPHORIA DEATH Randy Zeigler, 25, has been found dead of a Euphoria overdose. According to his family, Zeigler had been diagnosed with clinical depression, a pattern that persists with most of the Euphoria victims. LOWLIFE STRIKES AGAIN! Lowlife has struck the city once again, stealing 30 pounds of Vyvance from a local factory. Police are baffled by the vigilante’s continued success. [[(back)|d3home]]

Which game will you play? [[Sky's Rim|skysrimloading]] [[The Social Game|sg]] [[(back)|d3home]]

<<if visited() is 1>>You get low on the ground and crawl up to the wyvern. Closer. . . Closer. . . Closer. . . And. . .! You jump out from behind the beast and slash your knife across its face. The wyvern roars and turns to face you. It’s time to kick some ass. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You charge at the dragon, and it roars again. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>A direct hit! The creature screams in pain. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You tear your weapon through the wyvern’s left wing. It tries to fly away, but falls to the ground. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You tear the right wing next. Now it definitely can’t get away. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>You slash at the creature’s scaled belly. It’s nearly dead. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>The wyvern lowers its head as you deliver the final blow. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim3wandercharge]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim3wandercharge]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>It’s done. You gather the loot—550 gold and ten Wyvern Teeth—and [[move on.|skysrim3wander1]] One-Handed Weapons has leveled up!<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The wyvern’s body fades out of existence, and then, a message pops on screen. “1/2 Legendary Mythicals Killed,” it says. A quest marker pops up, likely leading to the next Legendary Mythical. Well, this is interesting. . .<<set $wyvern to "dead">> [[Go after the next Legendary Mythical.|skysrim3wander1]] [[Continue wandering.|skysrim3wancont]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You smirk. You’re going to go after these mythical beasts. This is going to be fun.<<set $Skysrim to "legendary">> You’re going to slaughter these mythical beasts. [[This is gonna be good.|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

Nah, fuck that quest. [[You decide to just continue wandering instead.|skysrim2end]]<<set $Skysrim to "wander">>

<<if visited() is 1>>There is a brief pause. “Well then, come on inside,” she says. “Door’s open.” You open the door, and are greeted by a small, cozy home, covered with bottles of various concoctions. They invade the tables, crowd the windowsills, and even cover the floor. In the center of the mess stands an old woman, wearing a Bat-Bear cloak. She eyes you suspiciously. “Well? Do you have the herb?” “[[I have it. (Hand over 10 Bitter Root)|skysrim3root1]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>A message pops up: “10 Bitter Root removed from your inventory.” At the same time, the witch is now holding the herb. “Excellent,” she says, smiling. “Come with me. Such a gift deserves a reward—and I have a great one for you.” She walks away. You [[start to follow. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

Nah, fuck that quest. [[You decide to just continue wandering instead.|skysrim2end]] <<set $Skysrim to "wander">>

You ready your weapons. Regus sighs. “I wanted to have a conversation,” they say. “But if you and to fight . . . well, I’ll definitely grant it to you.” The demon waves their hands, and a rose-shaped staff comes into existence. They grab it and get in a fighting stance. “[[Let’s duel.|skysrim2end]]” <<set $Skysrim to "qattack">>

<<if visited() is 1>>“You are free to call me [[sinful|skysrim3qsinful]], and I admit to having blood on my hands,” says the demon. “Perhaps when our crusade is over, the only sinful one left will be me.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“The Radiant’s goals are to create a new era,” Regus says. “A new world, with the slate wiped clean. You could be part of that. Or you can continue to stand against it. “What do you choose?” “[[I stand against the Radiant. You’re going down.|skysrim3qfight]]” “[[Very well. I’ll join you, and be part of your new world.|skysrim3qjoin]]”<<endif>>

The demon smiles. “I’m so happy to hear that, friend.” They hold out their hand, and a white burning cross appears on your palm. “[[Welcome to the cleansing.|skysrim2end]]”<<set $Skysrim to "qjoin">>

<<if visited() is 1>>Correct! [[The NCPD will correctly handle the situation and stop the thieves.|sg3-1r]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You see someone who looks like they could be Lowlife. What do you do? [[Report that person to the NCPD|sg3-2r]] [[Ignore it.|sg3-2w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Incorrect! In these situations, [[you must report the thieves to the NCPD|sg3-1w]], who will take things from there and stop them.<<set $sgpoints -= 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You see someone who looks like they could be Lowlife. What do you do? [[Report that person to the NCPD|sg3-2r]] [[Ignore it.|sg3-2w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Correct! Even if it turns out to be a false positive, [[we must capture Lowlife at all costs.|sg3-2r]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>A friend confesses to you that they are Lowlife. What do you do? [[Report them to the NCPD.|sg3-3r]] [[Keep their secret.|sg3-3w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Incorrect! [[We must capture Lowlife at all costs.|sg3-2w]]<<set $sgpoints -= 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>A friend confesses to you that they are Lowlife. What do you do? [[Report them to the NCPD.|sg3-3r]] [[Keep their secret.|sg3-3w]]<<endif>>

Correct! [[Capturing Lowlife will be for the good of the city, and reporting them will help with that.|sg2end]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>>

Incorrect! By keeping their secret, you are complicit in Lowlife’s actions. [[We must capture him for the good of the city.|sg2end]]<<set $sgpoints -= 50>>

<center><<if visited ("d4news")>><<else>>[[Check the news.|d4news]]<<endif>> [[Play some games|d4games]] [[Go to bed.|d4end]]</center>

DIGICORE STOCK RISES OVERNIGHT After announcing that they will “crush Arrlingtons, whatever their next move will be,” and revealing plans for a “Paid Elevator To The Sky,” Digicore’s stock went up as investors ran to the company. Many have faith in Digicore, and believe the company is too big to fail, thanks to the many avenues which it funds. SILENCE ON THE EUPHORIA FRONT The city sleeps peacefully tonight, as no Euphoria deaths have currently been reported. SKY’S RIM RECEIVES ITS TEN BILLIONTH DOWNLOAD The legendary game, which has been played across generations, received its ten billionth download today, according to development studio Bathesda. Sky’s Rim is a fantasy title where players roleplay and fight to protect the land from the Radiant’s forces. [[(back)|d4home]]

Which game will you play? [[Sky's Rim|skysrimloading]] [[The Social Game|sg]] [[(back)|d3home]]

“Your memories of what you have learned will fade,” she says, “but your strength will stay, and you will get to choose which skills you wish to keep.” [[So you’ll retain your level and get to reallocate your skill points.|skysrim4root1]] Cool.

The witch laughs. “Through more than just simple magic,” she says. “Let’s just say I’ve [[learned a thing or two from the gods|skysrim4root1]], and leave it at that.”

<<if visited() is 1>>She finishes stirring, and takes an empty bottle from a shelf. Filling it with the liquid from the caldron, she holds it out to you. “It’s your choice whether you drink it or not,” she says. “Consider it a reward for bringing me such rare ingredients.” You take it, and a message flashes on top of the screen: “Elixir Of Ultimate Renewal has been added to your inventory. Do you wish to drink it?” [[Yes.|skysrim4root1]] [[No.|skysrim4rootn]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You take a deep breath. Then, you open the bottle, and drink the potion. Immediately, your character falls over onto the ground. The witch crouches so that she’s in your line of sight, and says, “[[See you in another life, hero.|skysrim4root1]]” Then, everything fades to black.<<elseif visited() is 3>>The game takes a minute to load. Then, you appear in the starting dungeon, at the end portion. “Finalize your character before leaving!” the game says. [[And so, you do.|skysrim4root1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You create a Woodland Orc this time, one that can tame wild beasts, and you make her female (though in your mind, she’s definitely queer—just like all your characters are). You make her specialize in bows, and born under the Midnight Moon (+10 to Sneaking and Sneak Attacks). Then, you exit the dungeon. [[You want to explore the world a bit more with your new character. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You shake your head, and keep the potion in your inventory. It’ll probably end up collecting dust in your house, like other relics you’ve collected in this game. “Don’t want a new life then, hero?” the witch asks. “Very well. The potion is yours to keep, if you change your mind.” She turns back to the cauldron and says, “[[You can see yourself out.|skysrim4rootn]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>And so you do, stepping back out into the beautiful, clear daytime. [[You want to explore the land a bit more. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Finally, you reach the destination. In front of you, a cockatrice looms—didn’t you have a quest to kill one of these? No matter, here it is now, and it’s ready to fight—in fact, it’s charging right at you! Bring it on. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You dodge the cockatrice and hit its wing. It lets out a squawk of pain and defiance. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>The beast struggles to turn around, and during that time, you get a few hits in. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>It finally turns to face you, and you dodge its mighty peck, while hitting its neck. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>The cockatrice is slowing down—you’ve got it pretty good. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>The beast tries to counterattack, but you’re too strong. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>The HP bar flashes. Just a few more hits! [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcock]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcock]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>It’s done. You gather the loot—330 gold, seven Cockatrice Feathers, Chicken Meat, and two Phoenix Plumes—and [[move on|skysrim4lcock]]. One-Handed Weapons has leveled up!<<elseif visited() is 9>>A notification pops up: “2/2 Legendary Mythical Killed. 0/4 Ancient Mythicals Killed.” It just keeps on going, doesn’t it? [[You want to check out these Ancient Mythicals. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You load in. Going after the next Legendary Mythical—this should be fun. You walk across the map. Finally, you reach the destination. The wyvern—likely a Radiant, due to the bright spikes—turns to you, and charges at your face! It’s time to kick some ass. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You charge at the dragon, and it roars again. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>A direct hit! The creature screams in pain. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You tear your weapon through the wyvern’s left wing. It tries to fly away, but falls to the ground. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You tear the right wing next. Now it definitely can’t get away. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>You slash at the creature’s scaled belly. It’s nearly dead. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>The wyvern lowers its head as you deliver the final blow. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4lcwywern]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4lcwywern]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>It’s done. You gather the loot—550 gold and ten Wyvern Teeth—and [[move on.|skysrim4lcwywern]] One-Handed Weapons has leveled up!<<elseif visited() is 9>>A notification pops up: “2/2 Legendary Mythical Killed. 0/4 Ancient Mythicals Killed.” It just keeps on going, doesn’t it? [[You want to check out these Ancient Mythicals. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Excellent,” Regus says. “Take one of the hounds with you. I look forward to your successful return. In the meantime, I will tell the Radiant One that you have joined us.” They walk to the back of the cave, and then [[disappear|skysrim4qjoin1]] in a flash of light.<<elseif visited() is 2>>A, “Bark!” startles you, and you look down. One of the demonic hounds is sitting at your feet now, ready to follow your every command. So you have an animal companion now. Sweet. You exit the cave, with your dog (you name him Rusty) right at your heels. Checking the map, you see that the town you need to “[[cleanse|skysrim4qjoin1]]” isn’t too far away, probably a few minutes’ walk. And so you set out, weapons in hand.<<elseif visited() is 3>>You get there quicker than expected. As you approach the town, you expect to be attacked, or for somebody to scream and warn the others. But a farmer NPC sees you and just says, “Greetings!” before continuing to till his field. They must not know you’re the bad guy yet. But if you kill them all, word will surely spread. [[‘Cleanse’ the people.|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Change your mind.|skysrim4qjoin1n]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You walk toward the farmer, who looks up at you with a smile. Let’s do this. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You charge forward and slash the farmer, who instantly falls down dead. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>People around you scream, and you look up from the corpse. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>You fight the other people standing in the town, all of whom are basically defenseless. They have no weapons or armor—they don’t stand a chance. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>Thankfully, there doesn’t appear to be any children here. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>Blood stains your weapons. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 10>>Only one woman remains alive. Soon, she’ll be no more. [[Slash with your knife!|skysrim4qjoin1]] [[Hack with your axe!|skysrim4qjoin1]]<<elseif visited() is 11>>It's done. None in the town remain. The words ‘[[Quest Completed|skysrim4qjoin1]]’ flash on-screen.<<elseif visited() is 12>>You put away your weapons and look out at the carnage. The village is completely wiped out, and some fire has even spawned in to emphasize the destruction. Even though it’s just a video game, you still feel a little bit sick about what you just did. [[You wonder what else you’ll be doing for Regus and the Radiant cause. . .|skysrim2end]]<<endif>>

You shake your head. You’re not doing this. You turn and walk away from the down, with the villagers none the wiser about what your intentions were. [[You prepare to go back to Regus and fight him. . .|skysrim2end]]

<<if visited() is 1>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>><<audio "PracticingtoaMetronome" stop>> Are you a traitor to Neon City and everything it stands for? [[Yes.|sg4traitor]] [[Yes.|sg4traitor]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>[[An NCPD officer is on their way to retrieve you. Your answers have been recorded and sent to their offices.|sg4traitor1]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You lose your government issued ID. What do you do? [[Go to the DigiID offices and get a new one as soon as possible.|sg4-1]] [[Ignore the problem.|sg4-1w]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>Correct! [[Losing an ID is a serious matter, and must not be ignored.|sg4-1]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>><<elseif visited() is 3>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You encounter graffiti at your place of work. What do you do? [[Report it to the NCPD.|sg4-2r]] [[Ignore it.|sg4-2w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You quit the game, panicked, and take out your VR port. Just as you’re putting it away, your door is broken down, and a police officer busts in. “Hands in the air!” they scream, pointing their electric firearm at you. “You’re under arrest!” [[Put your hands in the air.|sg4traitor1]] [[Try to run.|sg4traitor1run]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You put your hands in the air, and are quickly cuffed. The officer forces you up, and pulls you out of the building. Neighbors have poked their heads out of their houses to watch. How humiliating. . . You are brought downstairs and shoved into the back of a cop car. [[Looks like there’s no getting out of this one.|end]] <<set $player to "prison">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You start to stand up to try to get away, but the officer shoves you back onto the bed, and you’re quickly cuffed.<<elseif visited() is 2>>You put your hands in the air, and are quickly cuffed. The officer forces you up, and pulls you out of the building. Neighbors have poked their heads out of their houses to watch. How humiliating. . . You are brought downstairs and shoved into the back of a cop car. [[Looks like there’s no getting out of this one.|end]] <<set $player to "prison">><<endif>>

<<if visited("sg4traitor")>>[[. . .|sgarrestend]] <<elseif visited("cop")>>[[. . .|copend]] <<elseif visited("hacker")>>[[. . .|hackerend]] <<elseif visited("gamedev")>>[[. . .|gamedevend]] <<elseif visited("revolutionary")>>[[. . .|revoend]] <<elseif visited("vigilantee")>>[[. . .|vigilend]] <<elseif visited("lawbreaker")>>[[. . .|lbend]] <<elseif visited("union")>>[[. . .|unionend]]<<endif>><<masteraudio stop>>

You were arrested after your answers in The Social Game were found to be unbefitting of a Neon City citizen. And so, [[you were sent off to prison|jail]], charged with Conspiracy To Commit A Crime.

You get used to the routine of prison. It takes time, but you adapt. It’s not that much different from your normal life when you get down to it, just without the VR port and with quite a bit more danger. You can at least check out VR ports from the prison technology library, to use for an hour a day. You make a new Sky’s Rim save and play that every week. [[Life goes on . . . for now.|fin]]

<<if visited() is 1>>[[. . .|fin]]<<elseif visited() is 2>> <center><big><big><div id="container">Eyewear Cleaner 2077</div></big></big> [[fin.|Credits]]</center><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Incorrect! [[Getting a new ID should be your first priority.|sg4-1w]]<<set $sgpoints -= 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> You encounter graffiti at your place of work. What do you do? [[Report it to the NCPD.|sg4-2r]] [[Ignore it.|sg4-2w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Correct! Vandalizing public property is a crime, and [[must be reported to the police|sg4-2r]] for inspection and cleanup.<<set $sgpoints += 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> A person is asking for change on the subway. What do you do? [[Report him to the police.|sg4-3r]] [[Give them change.|sg4-3w]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Incorrect! Ignoring a crime is a serious matter—vandalizing [[must be reported to the police.|sg4-2w]]<<set $sgpoints -= 50>><<elseif visited() is 2>>Points: <<= $sgpoints>> A person is asking for change on the subway. What do you do? [[Report him to the police.|sg4-3r]] [[Give them change.|sg4-3w]]<<endif>>

Correct! Panhandling is illegal in Neon City, and [[must be reported to the NCPD.|sg2end]]<<set $sgpoints += 50>>

Incorrect! [[Panhandling is illegal in Neon City|sg2end]], and supporting it is supporting an illegal action.<<set $sgpoints -= 50>>

<<if visited() is 1>>There’s an awkward pause. “Yeah,” Rodney says, sighing. “I wish, right?” “Yeah.” It’s hard to believe he’s changed[[—he sounds like the same old Rodney, nostalgic mind and all.|copmetoo]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Well, anyway,” Rodney says. “I’m almost at your place, so step outside and I’ll pick you up!” “Alright.” “Cool! See you soon!” He hangs up the phone. You put your phone away and quickly get dressed. Walking outside to the elevator, you take a moment to reflect on your [[goals|cop1]].<<endif>>

<<if visited("umno")>>You want to see if Rodney’s changed. If being a cop has made him one of them, one of the slimy bastards who populate Neon City and pretend to execute justice. [[You need to see for yourself.|cop2]]<<else>>You want to have a good day with your old friend, see how he’s adjusting to the new job. Maybe Rodney’s the exception to the rule, like he said he’s trying to be. [[Maybe he can really change things.|cop2]]<<endif>>

You step outside, and Rodney’s already there, pulled up in a squad car. It feels weird getting inside the passenger seat, but you do so anyway. “So what’s going on with you?” Rodney asks, driving away from your place. You think about what to say to him. “[[The job is the same old, same old.|copold]]” “[[Sorry, I still can’t believe you’re a cop now!|copcantbelieve]]” <<if visited ("d1breakroom1")>>”[[There’s a union forming. . .|copunion]]”<<elseif visited ("d1vendingmachines")>>“[[I heard Digicore is inventing a cleaning bot to replace me!|copbot]]”<<else>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Yeah, it sounds like it would be,” Rodney says, laughing. “Sometimes I miss it, the routine of sales, the comfort of the breakroom. But then I remember how stale it could be, and how much of a pain it was to have Warburton in my head all the time! [[We don’t have anything like that at the police station.|copold]] So, I like this job better.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]] That’s when you look out the window and notice where you’re going. You’ve long since left Neon City’s shining streets—now, you’re in the old part of town, District 4, where buildings from the old days were left to rot. Nobody lives there anymore—why is Rodney here? Rodney sees your expression and smiles. “Relax, bud. I’m going to take you on the ride-along, but I got an [[errand|copold]] I have to run first. Nothing major. You won’t be involved.”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>A moment later, a figure steps out of the building. You don’t recognize him, but Rodney does. “Hey!” your friend says, stepping out of the car. “Good to see you.”<<audio "Inspiration" loop play>> “Well well,” the man says, giving you and Rodney a grin. “Come on inside, Rodney.” He suddenly points at you, making you jump in surprise and fear. “And [[bring your little friend along too.|copold]] Or things will get . . . messy. Understand?” Rodney quickly nods and turns to you. “Come on then,” he says nervously. “You have to come inside with me. Might be good! You’ll get to see some of what we NCPD do, after all.” He steps out of the car, and you do too, although hesitantly. Rodney walks in the door after the man, and you hesitate.<<elseif visited() is 4>>[[But you don’t have much of a choice. . .|copold]] You gulp, then follow Rodney inside of the building. It’s old and decrepit, unlike most of the buildings in Neon City, which are new and sleek. You’re certainly in new territory now. . .<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/carmenmeeting.png]] The man stops at a table and beckons you and Rodney to sit down. Rodney does so first, then you also sit. “So,” the man says, smiling at Rodney. “I have a little gift for you. Consider it my thanks to the NCPD for letting us run this . . . operation.” He takes out a phone and presses a few buttons. A moment later, a holographic notification pops up on Rodney’s arm: Carmen Tyler is sending you [[6000 Digibucks|copold]]. Accept money transfer? Y/N<<elseif visited() is 6>>Your eyes widen in shock. 6000 Digibucks could get you out of your hellhole and into a better life; it would be enough to live on, at least for a while. And that money is given so freely to the police? “Accept the transfer,” Carmen orders. “We don’t got all day.” Rodney nods, and presses “Y”. The notification disappears, and your former friend just became 6000 Digibucks richer. But for what? [[You have to know.|copold]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>“What sort of operation are you running?” you ask Carmen. The man smiles warmly at you. “You can relax. I know how it looks, meeting here all shady-like, but we’re actually [[helping|copold]] people.” “How?”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“We smuggle in a drug called Euphoria,” he explains to you. “A drug that causes peaceful euthanasia. [[Plenty of people in this city want a peaceful way out. And we give it to them.|copold]]” Your eyes widen in surprise.<<elseif visited() is 9>>“The reason I’m even telling you this, kid,” he says to you, “is because we’re always looking for runners. People who can drop off Euphoria to my clients. I promise you, I pay at least triple of what your current job pays you now. Interested?” You think about it for a moment. Rodney glances at you, holding his breath. “[[I’m interested, yes.|euphy]]” “[[Sorry, but no.|euphn]]” “[[Let me think about it.|euphthink]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rodney laughs. “I can barely believe it myself,” he admits to you. “I just went in for an interest meeting after I got fired, and now I’m here. [[Kind of amazing what a six months can do to a person, huh?|copcantbelieve]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]] That’s when you look out the window and notice where you’re going. You’ve long since left Neon City’s shining streets—now, you’re in the old part of town, District 4, where buildings from the old days were left to rot. Nobody lives there anymore—why is Rodney here? Rodney sees your expression and smiles. “Relax, bud. I’m going to take you on the ride-along, but I got an [[errand|copcantbelieve]] I have to run first. Nothing major. You won’t be involved.”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>A moment later, a figure steps out of the building. You don’t recognize him, but Rodney does. “Hey!” your friend says, stepping out of the car. “Good to see you.”<<audio "Inspiration" loop play>> “Well well,” the man says, giving you and Rodney a grin. “Come on inside, Rodney.” He suddenly points at you, making you jump in surprise and fear. “And [[bring your little friend along too.|copcantbelieve]] Or things will get . . . messy. Understand?” Rodney quickly nods and turns to you. “Come on then,” he says nervously. “You have to come inside with me. Might be good! You’ll get to see some of what we NCPD do, after all.” He steps out of the car, and you do too, although hesitantly. Rodney walks in the door after the man, and you hesitate.<<elseif visited() is 4>>[[But you don’t have much of a choice. . .|copcantbelieve]] You gulp, then follow Rodney inside of the building. It’s old and decrepit, unlike most of the buildings in Neon City, which are new and sleek. You’re certainly in new territory now. . .<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/carmenmeeting.png]] The man stops at a table and beckons you and Rodney to sit down. Rodney does so first, then you also sit. “So,” the man says, smiling at Rodney. “I have a little gift for you. Consider it my thanks to the NCPD for letting us run this . . . operation.” He takes out a phone and presses a few buttons. A moment later, a holographic notification pops up on Rodney’s arm: Carmen Tyler is sending you [[6000 Digibucks|copcantbelieve]]. Accept money transfer? Y/N<<elseif visited() is 6>>Your eyes widen in shock. 6000 Digibucks could get you out of your hellhole and into a better life; it would be enough to live on, at least for a while. And that money is given so freely to the police? “Accept the transfer,” Carmen orders. “We don’t got all day.” Rodney nods, and presses “Y”. The notification disappears, and your former friend just became 6000 Digibucks richer. But for what? [[You have to know.|copcantbelieve]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>“What sort of operation are you running?” you ask Carmen. The man smiles warmly at you. “You can relax. I know how it looks, meeting here all shady-like, but we’re actually [[helping|copcantbelieve]] people.” “How?”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“We smuggle in a drug called Euphoria,” he explains to you. “A drug that causes peaceful euthanasia. [[Plenty of people in this city want a peaceful way out. And we give it to them.|copcantbelieve]]” Your eyes widen in surprise.<<elseif visited() is 9>>“The reason I’m even telling you this, kid,” he says to you, “is because we’re always looking for runners. People who can drop off Euphoria to my clients. I promise you, I pay at least triple of what your current job pays you now. Interested?” You think about it for a moment. Rodney glances at you, holding his breath. “[[I’m interested, yes.|euphy]]” “[[Sorry, but no.|euphn]]” “[[Let me think about it.|euphthink]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Really?!” Rodney exclaims, his eyes practically popping out of his head. “Those haven’t been successful in . . . fuck knows how long!” “This one’s different. Or so they say,” you explain. “Gotcha,” Rodney says. You may have imagined it, but you think you see a [[disapproving|copunion]] frown on his face. But it’s gone before you can even blink.<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]] That’s when you look out the window and notice where you’re going. You’ve long since left Neon City’s shining streets—now, you’re in the old part of town, District 4, where buildings from the old days were left to rot. Nobody lives there anymore—why is Rodney here? Rodney sees your expression and smiles. “Relax, bud. I’m going to take you on the ride-along, but I got an [[errand|copunion]] I have to run first. Nothing major. You won’t be involved.”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>A moment later, a figure steps out of the building. You don’t recognize him, but Rodney does. “Hey!” your friend says, stepping out of the car. “Good to see you.”<<audio "Inspiration" loop play>> “Well well,” the man says, giving you and Rodney a grin. “Come on inside, Rodney.” He suddenly points at you, making you jump in surprise and fear. “And [[bring your little friend along too.|copunion]] Or things will get . . . messy. Understand?” Rodney quickly nods and turns to you. “Come on then,” he says nervously. “You have to come inside with me. Might be good! You’ll get to see some of what we NCPD do, after all.” He steps out of the car, and you do too, although hesitantly. Rodney walks in the door after the man, and you hesitate.<<elseif visited() is 4>>[[But you don’t have much of a choice. . .|copunion]] You gulp, then follow Rodney inside of the building. It’s old and decrepit, unlike most of the buildings in Neon City, which are new and sleek. You’re certainly in new territory now. . .<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/carmenmeeting.png]] The man stops at a table and beckons you and Rodney to sit down. Rodney does so first, then you also sit. “So,” the man says, smiling at Rodney. “I have a little gift for you. Consider it my thanks to the NCPD for letting us run this . . . operation.” He takes out a phone and presses a few buttons. A moment later, a holographic notification pops up on Rodney’s arm: Carmen Tyler is sending you [[6000 Digibucks|copunion]]. Accept money transfer? Y/N<<elseif visited() is 6>>Your eyes widen in shock. 6000 Digibucks could get you out of your hellhole and into a better life; it would be enough to live on, at least for a while. And that money is given so freely to the police? “Accept the transfer,” Carmen orders. “We don’t got all day.” Rodney nods, and presses “Y”. The notification disappears, and your former friend just became 6000 Digibucks richer. But for what? [[You have to know.|copunion]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>“What sort of operation are you running?” you ask Carmen. The man smiles warmly at you. “You can relax. I know how it looks, meeting here all shady-like, but we’re actually [[helping|copunion]] people.” “How?”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“We smuggle in a drug called Euphoria,” he explains to you. “A drug that causes peaceful euthanasia. [[Plenty of people in this city want a peaceful way out. And we give it to them.|copunion]]” Your eyes widen in surprise.<<elseif visited() is 9>>“The reason I’m even telling you this, kid,” he says to you, “is because we’re always looking for runners. People who can drop off Euphoria to my clients. I promise you, I pay at least triple of what your current job pays you now. Interested?” You think about it for a moment. Rodney glances at you, holding his breath. “[[I’m interested, yes.|euphy]]” “[[Sorry, but no.|euphn]]” “[[Let me think about it.|euphthink]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Oh yeah, I heard about those,” Rodney says. “They have a few prototype bots cleaning up crime scenes now. I’d imagine they’ll be in the public in, say, a few months.” Your heart sinks. “So I’ll be [[out of the job|copbot]], just like those crime scene cleaners probably are?” “’Fraid so,” he replies. “Sorry bud.” <<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]] That’s when you look out the window and notice where you’re going. You’ve long since left Neon City’s shining streets—now, you’re in the old part of town, District 4, where buildings from the old days were left to rot. Nobody lives there anymore—why is Rodney here? Rodney sees your expression and smiles. “Relax, bud. I’m going to take you on the ride-along, but I got an [[errand|copbot]] I have to run first. Nothing major. You won’t be involved.”<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>A moment later, a figure steps out of the building. You don’t recognize him, but Rodney does. “Hey!” your friend says, stepping out of the car. “Good to see you.”<<audio "Inspiration" loop play>> “Well well,” the man says, giving you and Rodney a grin. “Come on inside, Rodney.” He suddenly points at you, making you jump in surprise and fear. “And [[bring your little friend along too.|copbot]] Or things will get . . . messy. Understand?” Rodney quickly nods and turns to you. “Come on then,” he says nervously. “You have to come inside with me. Might be good! You’ll get to see some of what we NCPD do, after all.” He steps out of the car, and you do too, although hesitantly. Rodney walks in the door after the man, and you hesitate.<<elseif visited() is 4>>[[But you don’t have much of a choice. . .|copbot]] You gulp, then follow Rodney inside of the building. It’s old and decrepit, unlike most of the buildings in Neon City, which are new and sleek. You’re certainly in new territory now. . .<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/carmenmeeting.png]] The man stops at a table and beckons you and Rodney to sit down. Rodney does so first, then you also sit. “So,” the man says, smiling at Rodney. “I have a little gift for you. Consider it my thanks to the NCPD for letting us run this . . . operation.” He takes out a phone and presses a few buttons. A moment later, a holographic notification pops up on Rodney’s arm: Carmen Tyler is sending you [[6000 Digibucks|copbot]]. Accept money transfer? Y/N<<elseif visited() is 6>>Your eyes widen in shock. 6000 Digibucks could get you out of your hellhole and into a better life; it would be enough to live on, at least for a while. And that money is given so freely to the police? “Accept the transfer,” Carmen orders. “We don’t got all day.” Rodney nods, and presses “Y”. The notification disappears, and your former friend just became 6000 Digibucks richer. But for what? [[You have to know.|copbot]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>“What sort of operation are you running?” you ask Carmen. The man smiles warmly at you. “You can relax. I know how it looks, meeting here all shady-like, but we’re actually [[helping|copbot]] people.” “How?”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“We smuggle in a drug called Euphoria,” he explains to you. “A drug that causes peaceful euthanasia. [[Plenty of people in this city want a peaceful way out. And we give it to them.|copbot]]” Your eyes widen in surprise.<<elseif visited() is 9>>“The reason I’m even telling you this, kid,” he says to you, “is because we’re always looking for runners. People who can drop off Euphoria to my clients. I promise you, I pay at least triple of what your current job pays you now. Interested?” You think about it for a moment. Rodney glances at you, holding his breath. “[[I’m interested, yes.|euphy]]” “[[Sorry, but no.|euphn]]” “[[Let me think about it.|euphthink]]”<<endif>>

“Excellent,” Carmen says, smiling. “I’ll give you a job tomorrow—a little test, to see if this is for you.” “So soon?!” you ask, alarmed. “No time like the present, kid,” he says simply, pressing a few buttons on his arm. A moment later, your phone buzzes. “I’ve given you my private number and retrieved yours. [[I’ll call you tomorrow morning.|cop3]]"<<set $Euphoria to "yes">>

“Alright,” Carmen says. He looks disappointed, but then his face turns more understanding. “Don’t worry, kid, [[I get it—you don’t have to worry.|cop3]]”

“Sure thing,” says Carmen. “But think fast. I have a job that needs doing tomorrow.” He presses a few buttons, and your phone buzzes. “I've exchanged information with you. [[I'll be in touch tomorrow morning.|cop3]]”<<set $Euphoria to "think">>

“And with that, our business is concluded.” Carmen shakes your hand, then Rodney’s, and smiles. “See you around, cop. And kid, <<if $Euphoria is "yes">>I look forward to working with you<<elseif $Euphoria is "think">>do let me know what you decide about the job<<else>>it was great to meet you.<<endif>>”<<audio "Inspiration" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You both stand up from the table, and walk back to the car. Carmen follows you out, and closes the door behind you. There is an awkward silence once you return to the car. “So,” Rodney says, giving you a smile. “Shall we continue our patrol?” “[[Sure.|copsw]]” “[[Not yet. I have a few questions.|cop4]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>The two of you continue the patrol. It’s more . . . uneventful than you might have imagined. Though it’s probably because Rodney’s still low in rank at the force—he likely doesn’t get to see the big action yet. He stops a few speeding cars, pulls over to those doing violations (drugs, etc) on the street, giving digital tickets through his arm. He also gets you food from the vending machines, which is kind of him.<<audio "WakingUponAnotherPlanet" loop play>> But near the end of the patrol, as the two of you are driving through District 2, something [[happens|copsw]].<<elseif visited() is 2>>Rodney is driving past a group of women, and he frowns. “Looks like they’re whores,” he says, turning to you. “Straying the line of legality in Neon City. I should pull over and bring them to the station.” “[[Um . . . sure?|copsw]]” “[[No, don’t!|copswnodont]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Rodney grins. “Knew you’d find this [[fun|copsw]], $Name” he says. “Trust me, this’ll be a breeze.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>He brings the car closer to the curve and rolls down the window. “Keeping things legal, ladies?” he calls out to the group. “Or are you all to fuck some sugar daddy?” One of them, a woman with a blue dress and a butterfly tattoo on her arm, turns to Rodney and frowns. “Fuck you,” she spits. Rodney frowns. “You really want to escalate things towards an officer of the law?” he asks. “I can bring you down to the station for that!” “[[Rodney, stop it!|copswstop]]” [[(Stay out of it)|copsw]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Karina, just apologize!” one of the women hisses, this one wearing a tight green shirt and skirt. “Please!” “I’m not apologizing to that scum!” exclaims the woman in the blue dress. “Fuck him to death.” Rodney smiles. “Ok, [[now you’ve done it.|copsw1]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Oh? ”Rodney says, looking nervous. “Like what?” “[[Rodney WHAT THE FUCK?!|cop4]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Rodney’s eyes widen. “Geez, that’s a strong reaction,” he says, laughing. Your anger increases, and you say, “[[You said you were going to fix corruption, not be part of it!|cop4]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Come on, $Name!” Rodney exclaims. “I have to blend in around here, roll around in the mud a bit before I clean things off. I [[promise|cop5]], it’ll be different around here once I get things revved up! But right now, I have to play along.”<<endif>>

<<if $Euphoria is "yes">>”Besides, you’re not one to talk,” he adds. “You did accept his job.” “[[You have a point.|cop5point]]” “[[That’s different. I’m poor as fuck.|cop5paf]]”<<else>>[[There is an awkward silence.|cop6]]<<endif>>

“Yeah,” he mutters. [[There is an awkward silence.|cop6]]

“Maybe you’re right,” Rodney mutters. [[There is an awkward silence.|cop6]]

<<if visited() is 1>>Finally, your friend clears his throat. “Well, shall we continue?” he says, starting the car. “[[No. Take me home.|cop6]]” “[[Yeah, let’s go.|copsw]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Rodney turns to you in surprise. But instead of protesting, he says a [[quiet|cophome]], “Ok.” Then he starts driving, and soon, the two of you are back in Neon City.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rodney laughs. “I guess you’re a little protective of people you don’t know,” he teases. “Don’t worry, $Name. [[This’ll be quick.|copswnodont]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>He brings the car closer to the curve and rolls down the window. “Keeping things legal, ladies?” he calls out to the group. “Or are you all to fuck some sugar daddy?” One of them, a woman with a blue dress and a butterfly tattoo on her arm, turns to Rodney and frowns. “Fuck you,” she spits. Rodney frowns. “You really want to escalate things towards an officer of the law?” he asks. “I can bring you down to the station for that!” “[[Rodney, stop it!|copswstop]]” [[(Stay out of it)|copswnodont]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Karina, just apologize!” one of the women hisses, this one wearing a tight green shirt and skirt. “Please!”<<set $karina to "yes">> “I’m not apologizing to that scum!” exclaims the woman in the blue dress. “Fuck him to death.” Rodney smiles. “Ok, [[now you’ve done it.|copswnodont]]”<<endif>>

He turns to you in surprise. “$Name, relax,” he says. “There’re [[just|copsw1]] whores. Gotta show them their place from time to time.”

Rodney gets out of the car, putting a hand on the holster—something you didn’t even notice until now. It’s likely equipped with the latest Electronic Pistol from the station. This could get ugly. “Come on,” Rodney challenges <<if $karina is "yes">>Karina<<else>>the woman in the blue dress<<endif>>. “Say it again. I dare you.” She looks scared, but determined. “Look, just leave us alone,” she says, her voice shaking just a bit. “There was a chance of that before,” Rodney says. “But not after you said what you said.” “Karina, please!” the last one of the group exclaims, a short woman in a lacy outfit. “Can’t you just apologize?!” “You might want to listen to your friends,” challenges Rodney. “Well?” [[(Stay in the car.)|copswstay]] [[(Step outside and try to intervene.)|copswgo]]

<<if visited() is 1>>You stare at the scene, unable to move. There is tension in the air, and then. . . You see that Rodney’s kicked Karina, and she’s fallen on the ground, screaming. “That’ll teach you,” Rodney snaps, and he stomps back to the car. A moment later, the two of you are driving off. “Let me take you home,” Rodney says cheerfully, as if nothing transpired at all. “It’s been a long night, after all—wouldn’t want to tire you out.” You can't think of anything else to except: “[[Um, yeah. Ok.|copswstay]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“See, you already sound tired,” your friend teases. “[[Let’s get you home.|copswhome]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Something inside you snaps, and you step outside the car, marching toward the scene. Rodney turns to you, raising an eyebrow. “$Name, what are you doing?” he asks. [[(Step in front of the women.)|copswgo]] “[[Rodney, stop this! This isn’t right!|copswgostop]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You gather up all your courage and step in front of the women, [[going between them and Rodney.|copswgo]] Your friend laughs. “$Name, what do you think you’re doing?” he asks again. You say nothing. The amusement leaves Rodney’s face, and he says, “Oh . . . I guess you’re serious about this, huh?”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Finally, Rodney sighs, and walks away from the women. “Forget it. It’s not worth it anymore,” he mutters. He turns to you. “Come on, $Name. Let’s go.” “[[Ok.|copswgo]]” “[[I’m not going with you.|copswgonotgoing]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>You walk back to the car and get inside, waiting for Rodney to join you. But then, you hear a commotion outside. Looking out, you see that Rodney’s kicked Karina, and she’s fallen on the ground, screaming. “That’ll teach you,” Rodney snaps, and he stomps back to the car. A moment later, the two of you are driving off. “Let me take you home,” Rodney says cheerfully, as if nothing transpired at all. “It’s been a long night, after all—wouldn’t want to tire you out.” You're quite stunned. All you can think of saying is: “[[Um, yeah. Ok.|copswhome]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rodney frowns. “$Name, they’re just a couple of street whores!” he exclaims. “You’re being awfully defensive about them—makes me wonder if you’re [[one of them.|copswgostop]]” You can’t tell if he’s joking or not.<<elseif visited() is 2>>Finally, Rodney sighs, and walks away from the women. “Forget it. It’s not worth it anymore,” he mutters. He turns to you. “Come on, $Name. Let’s go.” “[[Ok.|copswgostop]]” “[[I’m not going with you.|copswgonotgoing]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You walk back to the car and get inside, waiting for Rodney to join you. But then, you hear a commotion outside. Looking out, you see that Rodney’s kicked Karina, and she’s fallen on the ground, screaming. “That’ll teach you,” Rodney snaps, and he stomps back to the car. A moment later, the two of you are driving off. “Let me take you home,” Rodney says cheerfully, as if nothing transpired at all. “It’s been a long night, after all—wouldn’t want to tire you out.” You're quite stunned. All you can think of saying is: “[[Um, yeah. Ok.|cophome]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Fine $Name, suit yourself,” Rodney says, shrugging. “Your loss.” He goes back into the car, and soon, he’s [[driving off|copswgonotgoing]].<<elseif visited() is 2>>You turn back to the women, who are looking at you with suspicious eyes. “You a cop too?” asks Karina, folding her arms. “They don’t look like one to me,” says the lady in the lacy outfit. “I mean, they did try to protect us.” Karina frowns. “Explain yourself,” she orders you. “[[I’m not with him!|copswgonotgoing]]” “[[I’m not a cop!|copswgonotgoing]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I’m just an ordinary citizen!" you exclaim. “I thought he was my friend—clearly I was wrong. Please, I’m not with him. . .” Karina frowns, glaring at you for a long pause. Then, she nods. “Alright, I believe you,” she says. “[[Besides, if you were really with that cop, things would have probably been much worse.|copswgonotgoing]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>She holds out her hand. “I’m Karina.” You shake. “I’m Regina!” the girl in the green outfit says. “I’m, um, Caroline,” the one in the lacy outfit says shyly. Karina scratches her head. “Not sure why that cop wanted to bother us. We were just walking home from the movies.” “Did he say what he wanted?” asks Caroline. Well, this is awkward. You hesitate before you speak. “[[He thought you were, um, ‘whores’. . .|copswgonotgoing]]” “[[He thought you were sex workers.|copswgonotgoing]]"<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Huh,” Karina says, tilting her head. “Well, he was right on the money for me. But not my friends—they work at the grocery, for fuck’s sake!” She shakes her head. “What an asshole. At least we’re going to get revenge on those dickweeds soon. . .” Before you can ask what she means, Regina jumps in. “You know, it’s not safe out here at night,” she says to you. “Where do you live?” You tell her, and pull out your phone, looking up how long it’ll take to walk from here. . . 25 minutes. Great. “We’ll walk you back,” says Karina. “Can’t just leave you alone, especially after helping us like that." “[[Thank you.|copswgonotgoing]]” “[[You don’t have to. . .|copswgonotgoing]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“It’s no problem,” says Karina. She gives you a smile. “Don’t want you to run into any unsavory types out here, now do we? Trust me, you’re safer with us.” You nod. [[Looks like you’re all in this together.|copswgonotgoing]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>The walk back home is, at first, quiet and awkward. Then Karina turns to you and asks, “So, what brought you to Neon City?” It’s something you haven’t thought about in a long time. You take a moment to think before you reply. “[[Well, my home got covered in smog and filth, so now I’m here!|copswgonotgoing]]” “[[I wanted a change, and life threw an opportunity at me.|copswgongsmogchange]]” “[[It’s kind of private. . . Sorry.|copswgongprivate]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>You know how the world is now,” you say to her. “A factory got built next door to my house, and soon enough, I was breathing toxins every day. So I decided to move, and since Neon City is at least filtered, I chose here.” Karina nods. “Sounds like it was a rough situation.” You nod. “Yeah, it was.” [[You appreciate her empathy.|copswgonotgoing]]<<elseif visited() is 9>>“So what about you all?” you ask the group. “I moved here to be closer to my grandma,” Karina says. “She has a terminal illness—still holding on, but it’s a difficult thing.” “I moved here to be with my datemate,” Regina says. “We’re still together, in fact—coming up on our three year anniversary.” “I don’t have a deep reason like those,” Caroline says, laughing. “I just needed a job, and there was an opening here." You nod. You want to ask more, but at that moment, Caroline says, “[[Hey, looks like we’re here.|copswgonotgoing]]”<<elseif visited() is 10>>You look around, and realize you’re at your apartment complex. “Oh.” You turn to the ladies. “Well, thanks for walking me home.” “Don’t mention it,” Karina says. “Stay safe, ok? And don’t trust cops.” “[[Will do.|copswgonotgoing]]” “[[AGREED.|copswgongAGREED]]”<<elseif visited() is 11>>The ladies depart, waving at you, and soon they are out of sight. [[You walk up to your apartment|copswgonotgoing]], and sit down on the bed.<<elseif visited() is 12>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re not sure what to think about Rodney. All of this makes you wonder if you ever really knew your friend at all. If he’s had hidden darkness all this time, waiting for a spark to ignite it, and is now unleashed on innocent people. . . Sighing, you curl up in your Sleepsack. [[At least you can rest now.|d3end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>A few silent minutes later, he parks the car back at your apartment. “I’ll see you around, then,” he says, giving you a smile. He still looks the same, like nothing’s changed at all. It’s frightening. “[[Yeah, hope to see you around.|cophome]]” “[[. . .|cophome]]"<<elseif visited() is 2>>“See you!” he says, sounding cheerful. You step out of the car, and he drives away in a flash. Those NCPD cars can be quite fast. [[You go to your home.|cophome]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re breathing hard as you walk inside, and you sit down, unsure what to think. All of this makes you wonder if you ever really knew your friend at all. If he’s had hidden darkness all this time, waiting for a spark to ignite it, and is now unleashed on innocent people. . . You shake your head and get in your Sleepsack. Fuck, you don’t want to think about this right now. [[You just want all this to go away.|d3end]] Soon, you’ve dozed off. <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“My home was rendered basically unlivable, so I decided to move somewhere where the air is filtered,” you explain. “Neon City was the place.” Karina nods. “I can [[respect that.|copswgongsmogchange]]” <<elseif visited() is 2>>“So what about you all?” you ask the group. “I moved here to be closer to my grandma,” Karina says. “She has a terminal illness—still holding on, but it’s a difficult thing.” “I moved here to be with my datemate,” Regina says. “We’re still together, in fact—coming up on our three year anniversary.” “I don’t have a deep reason like those,” Caroline says, laughing. “I just needed a job, and there was an opening here." You nod. You want to ask more, but at that moment, Caroline says, “[[Hey, looks like we’re here.|copswgongsmogchange]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You look around, and realize you’re at your apartment complex. “Oh.” You turn to the ladies. “Well, thanks for walking me home.” “Don’t mention it,” Karina says. “Stay safe, ok? And don’t trust cops.” “[[Will do.|copswgongsmogchange]]” “[[AGREED.|copswgongAGREED]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Karina nods, looking satisfied. “Cool.” The ladies depart, waving at you, and soon they are out of sight. [[You walk up to your apartment|copswgongsmogchange]], and sit down on the bed.<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re not sure what to think about Rodney. All of this makes you wonder if you ever really knew your friend at all. If he’s had hidden darkness all this time, waiting for a spark to ignite it, and is now unleashed on innocent people. . . Sighing, you curl up in your Sleepsack. Today was a loaded day. [[At least you can rest now.|d3end]]<<audio "WakingUponAnotherPlanet" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“[[No need to apologize|copswgongprivate]],” Karina says, shrugging. “We all have our reasons. It’s ok for some of them to be private, you know.” You nod. “Yeah. Thanks.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“So what about you all?” you ask the group. “I moved here to be closer to my grandma,” Karina says. “She has a terminal illness—still holding on, but it’s a difficult thing.” “I moved here to be with my datemate,” Regina says. “We’re still together, in fact—coming up on our three year anniversary.” “I don’t have a deep reason like those,” Caroline says, laughing. “I just needed a job, and there was an opening here." You nod. You want to ask more, but at that moment, Caroline says, “[[Hey, looks like we’re here.|copswgongprivate]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>You look around, and realize you’re at your apartment complex. “Oh.” You turn to the ladies. “Well, thanks for walking me home.” “Don’t mention it,” Karina says. “Stay safe, ok? And don’t trust cops.” “[[Will do.|copswgongprivate]]” “[[AGREED.|copswgongAGREED]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Karina nods, looking satisfied. “Cool.” The ladies depart, waving at you, and soon they are out of sight. [[You walk up to your apartment|copswgongprivate]], and sit down on the bed.<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re not sure what to think about Rodney. All of this makes you wonder if you ever really knew your friend at all. If he’s had hidden darkness all this time, waiting for a spark to ignite it, and is now unleashed on innocent people. . . Sighing, you curl up in your Sleepsack. Today was a loaded day. [[At least you can rest now.|d3end]]<<audio "WakingUponAnotherPlanet" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Karina smirks. “Good.” The ladies depart, waving at you, and soon they are out of sight. [[You walk up to your apartment|copswgongAGREED]], and sit down on the bed.<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re not sure what to think about Rodney. All of this makes you wonder if you ever really knew your friend at all. If he’s had hidden darkness all this time, waiting for a spark to ignite it, and is now unleashed on innocent people. . . Sighing, you curl up in your Sleepsack. Today was a loaded day. [[At least you can rest now.|d3end]]<<audio "WakingUponAnotherPlanet" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited("euphy")>>[[. . .|d4euphy]]<<elseif visited("euphn")>>[[. . .|d4euphn]]<<elseif visited("euphthink")>>[[. . .|d4euphthink]]<<elseif visited("hackery")>>[[. . .|d4hy]]<<elseif visited("hackern")>>[[. . .|d4hn]]<<elseif visited("gdgame2")>>[[. . .|gdd4go]]<<elseif visited("gdgame2idk")>>[[. . .|gdd4idk]]<<elseif visited("revoy")>>[[. . .|d4revoy]]<<elseif visited("revon")>>[[. . .|d4revon]]<<elseif visited("vigi1meetn")>>[[. . .|d4vmeetn]]<<elseif visited("vmy1y")>>[[. . .|d4vy]]<<elseif visited("vmy1n")>>[[. . .|d4vn]]<<elseif visited("lawbreakery")>>[[. . .|d4lby]]<<elseif visited("lawbreakern")>>[[. . .|d4lbn]]<<elseif visited("unionstopbyn")>>[[. . .|d4stopbyn]]<<elseif visited("uniondoit")>>[[. . .|d4uy]]<<elseif visited("unionnofinal")>>[[. . .|d4un]] <<set $day to 4>> <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4euphy]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]]<<audio "Inspiration" loop play>> It’s your phone that wakes you up the next morning. Its loud buzzing on your desk snaps you out of your dreams, and you sit up in bed, groaning. Not really looking at the caller ID, you answer the phone. “[[Hello?|d4euphy]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“It’s me.” The voice coming through is Carmen’s. “Remember the job I asked you to do? Well, it’s here. I can promise you [[1000 Digibucks|d4euphy]] today, more if you continue to work for me.” That’s about how much you get in a week! 1000 Digibucks for just one job could change things a bit. Especially if you continued to get that much money.<<elseif visited() is 4>>“In ten minutes, you’ll find the package outside your apartment door,” Carmen continues. “[[Deliver it successfully, and the Digibucks are yours.|d4euphy1]]” Then, he hangs up. You stare at your phone for a moment, stunned. Then you set about waiting for that package.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You feel at ease. Maybe things are going to be alright. You play video games all day, let yourself relax. But even as you slay monsters in Sky’s Rim, you can’t help but think about Rodney. You close the game with a sigh. [[Call Rodney.|d4euphncall]] [[Just keep playing your game.|d4euphn]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You focus back on your game. The best thing you can do right now is try to forget about Rodney. [[Maybe he won’t call you again. . .|d4games]]<<audio "wifi" loop play>><<endif>> <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4euphthink]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] It’s your phone that wakes you up the next morning. Its loud buzzing on your desk snaps you out of your dreams, and you sit up in bed, groaning. Not really looking at the caller ID, you answer the phone. “Hello?”<<audio "Inspiration" loop play>> “It’s me.” The voice coming through is Carmen’s, to your surprise. “I have a job for you if you want it. Today. Pays well. I can promise you 1000 Digibucks today, more if you continue to work for me.” That’s about how much you get in two weeks of work! 1000 Digibucks for just one job could change things a bit. Especially if you continued to get that much money. . . “So, what do you say? Want to run a package for me?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|d4euphthink]]” “[[Sorry, but no.|d4euphthinkn]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Excellent,” Carmen says, sounding quite delighted. “In ten minutes, you’ll find the package outside your apartment door. [[Deliver it successfully, and the Digibucks are yours.|d4euphy1]]”<<set $Euphoria to "yes">> Then, he hangs up.<<endif>>

“I see,” Carmen says. He sounds disappointed. “Well, no matter. I’ll have somebody else get the package, then. Call me if you change your mind.” [[Then, he hangs up.|d4euphn]]<<audio "Inspiration" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Ten minutes go by. You expect a knock on the door, or some kind of indicator that the package has arrived. But there’s nothing. So you hesitantly stand up, and peek outside your apartment. [[There’s a neatly-wrapped package sitting outside, big enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It’s wrapped nicely with a ribbon.|d4euphy1]] So, this is Euphoria? You hesitantly pick it up, examining the package for any sign of contraband. But it looks rather innocent.<<elseif visited() is 2>>Your phone beeps, and you glance over it at. Carmen has sent you a text, with an address: 12 Regina Road, Neon City, Apartment 13. So that’s who wants to take this drug then. You wonder what they’re like. Guess you’ll find out soon. You pick up the package. And you feel a strange pull to it, like it belongs to you. . . [[Open and take the drugs.|d4euphytake]] [[Put the package in your pocket for delivery.|d4euphy1]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You pocket the drugs and grab your phone. [[It’s time to go.|d4euphy1]] Searching for 12 Regina Road, it’s only a few minutes’ walk away from you. Good. This should be quick then.<<elseif visited() is 4>>You go outside and walk to the location. When you find it, you look up and find you’re at a luxury apartment complex. Right. Time to find Apartment 13. You step inside and find yourself on a fancy carpet. Checking a sign on the right, you see that Apartment 13 is just down the hall. Perfect. There’s still time to change your mind, if you don’t want to do this. [[Turn back.|d4euphy1run]] [[Deliver the drugs.|d4euphy1]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You walk down the hall and to the door, which has “13” on the front of it. Taking a deep breath, you knock on the door. A moment later, the door cracks open, and a head peeks out. “You have it?” a ragged voice asks. Looks like this person isn’t wasting any time. “[[I have it.|d4euphy1]]” “[[Um, yes, before we do that. . .|d4euphy1]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“So you do have it,” they say, opening the door wider. “Come on then.” They [[hustle|d4euphy1]] you inside.<<elseif visited() is 7>>[img[images_ec/darrensapartment.png]] You look around the apartment. The place is a mess, with clothes strewn all over the floor of this tiny place. The kitchen area is full of dirty dishes, and a terrible smell radiates from it. “Yeah, sorry about that,” the client mutters, closing the door behind you. Taking a better look at him, you see he’s dressed in a bathrobe and wearing slippers. “I’ve been too depressed to really clean lately. At least now I have a way out of all of this.” They hold out a hand. “By the way, my name’s Darren. He/Him. Nice to meet you.” “[[Nice to meet you too.|d4euphy1]]” “[[So why do you want to take Euphoria?|d4euphy1why]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“Thanks,” he says, and the two of you exchange a handshake. “Let’s go sit down in my room. [[Do you want anything to drink?|d4euphy1]]”<<elseif visited() is 9>>You shake your head, and he smiles. “Good. I don’t really have much anyway. . . Let’s go.” He leads you down the hall, into a small bedroom. A computer and chair sits across from the mattress, and he gestures for you to sit down. “Show it to me first,” he says, sitting on the bed. “I want to see it.” “[[Okay.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[I don’t know if I should. . .|d4euphy1idk]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You pull the ribbon and let the package fall open. It reveals a blue powder inside, a small pile that seems unbelievably trite. At least, compared to what you were expecting.<<audio "Inspiration" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You snort the powder, and immediately start to feel sleepy. It’s like you’ve been awake for your entire life, and you’re finally going to rest. . . [[Finally. . .|d4euphytake]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>The world fades away, and you find yourself in another place. [[Another time|d4euphytake]], when you were much younger.<<audio "bioluminescence-acousticdemobonustrack" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 3>>You’re a kid, in someone’s lap—you can’t remember who—and they are stroking your hair. There’s something peaceful about this moment, something [[ethereal|d4euphytake]]. And you want it to last forever.<<elseif visited() is 4>>But eventually . . . it stops. [[And everything fades to black.|d4euphytake]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>[[You have died. Your body is found by the landlord a few days later, when you don’t pay your rent on time.|end]] <<set $player to "dead">><<audio "bioluminescence-acousticdemobonustrack" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You went on a ride-along with Rodney and <<if $Euphoria is "yes">>agreed to <<elseif $Euphoria is "think">>thought about<<else>>refused to<<endif>> running the drug Euphoria for Carmen. <<if $player is "dead">>[[And. . .|copenddead]]<<else>>[[And. . .|copend1]]<<endif>><<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" loop play>>

You took a dose of Euphoria and died. While you were gone. . . <<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but no incident occurs at the police station.<<else>> During your untimely absence, a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door.<<endif>> Not long after that, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. Not toat it matters much.. You’re dead now. [[Your life had ended, and time for you has ceased. . .|fin]]

<<if $Euphoria is "yes">>[[You decided to run Euphoria.|copendey]]<<else>>[[You decided not to run Euphoria.|copenden]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You pause in the middle of the hallway. Then you take a deep breath, and turn around, not looking back. You don’t stop until you get home. When you reach your apartment, you close and lock the door behind you. You put your hand in your pocket, and pull out the package. What to do with it. . .? [[Take the drugs.|d4euphytake]] [[Hide the drugs.|d4euphy1run]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You look around your room and see the crack underneath your bed. You stuff the package down there and then sit down, unsure what to do next. [[Where will things go from here?|end]]<<set $Euphoriajob to "ran">><<endif>>

You <<if $Euphoriajob is "complete">>successfully<<else>>unsuccessfully<<endif>> completed your Euphoria drop, resulting in <<if $Euphoriajob is "complete">>[[a suicide|ceeuphy1]]<<elseif $Euphoriajob is "ran">>[[putting yourself in danger|ceeuphy1]]<<endif>>

You stayed home the next day, and when Rodney called, you <<if visited("d4euphncnofriend")>>confronted him<<else>>agreed to still be friends with him<<endif>>. <<if $Rodney is "friend">>You go on a ridealong with him a few days later, watching him "question" (harass) people who might have been involved in a bombing.<<else>>You're on your guard at the checkpoint from now on.<<endif>> <<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but going by the fact that no incident occured at the police station, you would guess that your stopped whatever the woman in the red dress was planning.<<else>>You learn that a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door.<<endif>> And not long after, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. <<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> You find a new job at a clothing store, but nothing ever lasts. . . And so, [[life goes on. . .|fin]]

<<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but going by the fact that no incident occured at the police station, you would guess that your stopped whatever the woman in the red dress was planning.<<else>>You learn that a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door.<<endif>> Not long after that, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. <<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> You find a new job at a clothing store, but nothing ever lasts. . . <<if $Euphoriajob is "complete">> You decide to quit your job at the store and continue running Euphoria. Yes, you have enough money, but Carmen just seems to talk you into another job, another drop-off, another more run. And money is always good, isn’t it? <<elseif $Euphoriajob is "ran">> Not long after this, Carmen’s goons track you down. You are forced to return the Euphoria that was given to you, and are now in serious debt to Carmen’s group. If you’re lucky, you can pay it off within a year. . . <<else>><<endif>> [[And so, life goes on. . .|fin]]

<<if visited() is 1>>Darren frowns as he shakes your hand. “[[. . . It’s a long story|d4euphy1why]],” he finally says. “We can go sit down in my room, and I can tell it to you there. It’s been so long since I’ve had company. . . Oh, do you want anything to drink?”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You shake your head, and he smiles. “Good. I don’t really have much anyway. . . Let’s go.” He leads you down the hall, into a small bedroom. A computer and chair sits across from the mattress, and he gestures for you to sit down. “Show it to me first,” he says, sitting on the bed. “I want to see it.” “[[Okay.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[I don’t know if I should. . .|d4euphy1idk]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You take the package out of your pocket and give it to Darren. He snatches it from your hand and unties the ribbon, [[holding his breath.|d4euphy1ok]] Upon seeing the contents, a tiny amount of blue powder, he nods.<<elseif visited() is 2>>“That’s Euphoria, alright,” he says, re-sealing the package. “You were good on your word. [[This wasn’t all in vain then. . .|d4euphy1ok]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>He turns to you. “You can go now. I don’t think you want to be here for this. Besides, someone in my room next to my dead body? Looks bad for you, man.” The misgendering makes you cringe, but you try to focus on the subject at hand. “[[Ok, I’ll go.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[No, I want to stay. If that’s ok.|d4euphy1stay]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Cool,” Darren says. He gives you a half-hearted smile. “Thank you. [[You’re doing a good thing.|d4euphy1ok]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>You stand up and leave the room, then slip out of the apartment. When you get home, you’re not quite sure what to feel, if anything. A man is dead now, and you were a part of that. A few minutes later, you get a notification on your phone: Carmen Tyler is sending you [[1000 Digibucks|end]]. Accept money transfer? Y/N<<set $Euphoriajob to "complete">><<audio "Inspiration" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Come on, I need to know if . . . if all this led to something!” Darren explains. “All the payments, all the promises. . . Please, can I see it, just to know that?” “[[Sure.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[Tell me why you’re taking it first.|d4euphy1idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Darren sighs. “Ok, that’s fair, I guess,” he mutters. “I’ll tell you why I’m taking it.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I . . . had a bad breakup,” he admits to you. “And I was already in a bad place before David dumped me, but after he did, I [[spiraled|d4euphy1idk]], I guess. Not to mention my depression meds got too expensive to buy."<<elseif visited() is 3>>“And I had a long time to think. And I thought . . . how much better off the world would be without me. Of how tired I am of living; of how much I just want to move on. So here we are.” He sighs. “The world we live in is so demanding. It wants us to constantly consume, constantly buy, and I just can’t. I can’t do it anymore.} “[[I’m sorry.|d4euphy1idk]]” [[(Let him talk.)|d4euphy1idklet]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Thanks,” Darren says. He laughs. “Though that doesn’t matter much to me now. [[No offense or anything. But I’m at the end here.|d4euphy1idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>He turns to you. “So. The drug. Give it to me. Please.” “[[Ok.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[No.|d4euphy1idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>Darren’s face turns angry. “What the heck, man?!” he exclaims (the misgendering makes you cringe). “I paid for the stuff. It’s mine. Give it to me.” “[[Ok.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[I don’t think you want to do this. . .|d4euphy1idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>Darren groans. “Please, really? I know what I want here. Just give me what I need before I take it from you. You don’t want me to complain to Carmen, do you?” Now you start to notice how much bigger this man is than you. And he’s probably stronger, too. . . [[(Give him the drugs.)|d4euphy1ok]] [[(Try to run.)|d4euphy1idk]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>You stand up from the bed and bolt for the door. “Hey!” Darren shouts—clearly you took him by surprise. [[It’s that surprise that lets you reach the door and get out in time|d4euphy1idk]], running down the hall and out of the apartment complex.<<elseif visited() is 9>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] When you reach your house, you’re panting, gasping for breath after all that running. And there’s one question on your mind. . . [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<set $Euphoriajob to "ran">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Nah, I don’t mind,” Darren says, shrugging. “Who knows? [[Maybe it’ll inspire you down the same path.|d4euphy1stay]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>He opens up the drugs, and stares at the blue powder for a moment. Then, he brings it up to his nose, and [[snorts|d4euphy1stay]] the stuff.<<elseif visited() is 3>>There’s a short pause. Then, Darren’s eyes glaze over, and his breathing becomes shallow. His eyes roll to the back of his head, and he collapses back onto the bed. You don’t have to check his pulse to know: [[this man is dead.|d4euphy1stay]] You have to get out of here. Now.<<elseif visited() is 4>>Quickly, you exit the room, running outside as fast as you can. When you get home, you’re not quite sure what to feel, if anything. A man is dead now, and you were a part of that. A moment later, you get a notification. Carmen Tyler is sending you [[1000 Digibucks|end]]. Accept money transfer? Y/N<<set $Euphoriajob to "complete">><<audio "Inspiration" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“So when I heard about Euphoria I knew it was the perfect way to go out,” he continues. “I heard when you take it, you see your best memory, before you go. That’s the way they made it. And [[I’ve been looking forward to that—that’s been what keeps me going.|d4euphy1idklet]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>He turns to you. “So. The drug. Give it to me. Please.” “[[Ok.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[No.|d4euphy1idklet]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Darren’s face turns angry. “What the heck, man?!” he exclaims (the misgendering makes you cringe). “I paid for the stuff. It’s mine. Give it to me.” “[[Ok.|d4euphy1ok]]” “[[I don’t think you want to do this. . .|d4euphy1idklet]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Darren groans. “Please, really? I know what I want here. Just give me what I need before I take it from you. You don’t want me to complain to Carmen, do you?” Now you start to notice how much bigger this man is than you. And he’s probably stronger, too. . . [[(Give him the drugs.)|d4euphy1ok]] [[(Try to run.)|d4euphy1idklet]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You stand up from the bed and bolt for the door. “Hey!” Darren shouts—clearly you took him by surprise. [[It’s that surprise that lets you reach the door and get out in time|d4euphy1idklet]], running down the hall and out of the apartment complex.<<elseif visited() is 6>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] When you reach your house, you’re panting, gasping for breath after all that running. And there’s one question on your mind. . . [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<audio "Inspiration" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<set $Euphoriajob to "ran">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You turn off the game and pick up the phone. Rodney’s new number is saved inside. You dial it.<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" loop play>> Two rings later, Rodney picks up. “Hey buddy!” he says cheerfully. “I’m on patrol right now. What’s up?” “[[Nothing, just wanted to say hi.|d4euphncall]]” “[[We can’t be friends anymore.|d4euphncnofriend]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Aw, that’s sweet,” Rodney says. “I should totally take you on another patrol sometime. That way we can hang out more! I’m sure it’ll be as fun as last time.” “[[For sure.|d4euphncall]]” “[[Yeah, about that. . . We can’t be friends anymore.|d4euphncnofriend]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Alright.” There’s a brief pause. “Well, I’m gonna let you go. But let’s talk later, ok?” “[[Ok.|d4euphncall]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Cool. Bye!” Rodney hangs up. You stare at your phone, unsure what to feel. [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<set $Rodney to "friend">><<endif>>

“What do you mean?” Rodney asks. “Did I do something wrong?” “[[Um, YES!|d4euphncnfYES]]” <<if visited("copsw")>>“[[You harassed women for no reason! No shit you did something wrong!|d4euphncnfharassed]]”<<else>>”[[Yeah, kind of. . .|d4euphncnfYES]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Oh.” There’s a pause. “I guess you’re surprised at what I do. I’m sorry about that. [[I could have delivered things more gently, I guess.|d4euphncnfYES]] And I didn’t want you to get involved with Carmen.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You sigh. “[[You’re not the person I knew.|d4euphncnfYES]]” “[[I thought you were better than this.|d4euphncnfbetter]]” “[[Fuck you.|d4euphncnfFU]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I know I’ve changed—but that’s because I’m better than who I was!” Rodney insists. “I’m not weak anymore!” [[You hang up the phone in disgust.|d4euphncnfEND]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Whoa, whoa, [[calm down!|d4euphncnfharassed]]” Rodney says. “They weren’t ordinary citizens, $Name! They were whores!”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You sigh. “[[You’re not the person I knew.|d4euphncnfharassed]]” “[[I thought you were better than this.|d4euphncnfbetter]]” “[[Fuck you.|d4euphncnfFU]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I know I’ve changed—but that’s because I’m better than who I was!” Rodney insists. “I’m not weak anymore!” [[You hang up the phone in disgust.|d4euphncnfEND]]<<endif>>

“Better than what?” Rodney asks. You don’t know what to say to that, so you [[hang up the phone|d4euphncnfEND]].

And before Rodney can respond, you [[hang up the phone|d4euphncnfEND]].

You stare at the phone for a moment, expecting Rodney to try and call you back. Thankfully, he doesn’t. You lean back and look out the window, thinking about what has transpired. You were a witness to an illegal exchange between Neon City Police and a drug dealer. <<if visited("copsw")>>You witnessed a cop abuse his power over a group of women. <<else>><<endif>>And you just shut him out of your life for it. [[Hopefully nothing negative will happen to you as a result of this. . .|end]]<<audio "Icamebackdownstairsandyouweregone" volume 0.75 fadeout>> <<set $Rodney to "enemy">>

You went to Rudy’s house and learned how he “changes the world”. Upon being asked to join him, you <<if visited("hackery")>>agreed<<else>>refused<<endif>>, and he <<if visited("hackery")>>invited you back the next day<<else>>asked you to leave<<endif>>. The next day, you spent the day at <<if visited ("d4hn")>>your house, chilling and gaming. [[A normal day off for you.|hackerend1]]<<else>>[[with Rudy and his group|hackerendnb]]<<endif>> <<audio "Polygons" loop play>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Absolutely!” Rudy replies. “Everyone has what it takes to do what I do. They just have to be [[taught|hackerhave]], that’s all.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I’m tracking your GPS coordinates now—you live in Vine Heights, it looks like?” Rudy says. “I’ll come pick you up, so step outside. [[See you soon.|hacker1]]” He hangs up. You quickly get dressed and go to the elevator. A moment later, you’re downstairs.<<endif>>

Cars stream by the building, and you cautiously step outside, keeping an eye out for Rudy. <<if visited("hackerhave")>>He says you have what it takes to change things[[. . . That’s the most hopeful thing anyone’s said to you in a while.|hacker2]]<<else>>He seems ready to accept you into his cause[[. . . That brings more hope to you than you’ve felt in a long time.|hacker2]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>A sleek but cheap car pulls up to the building, and the window comes down, showing Rudy’s face. “[[You ready to do this?|hacker2]]” he asks you. You nod, and walk up to the car, getting in the passenger seat.<<elseif visited() is 2>>A few minutes later, he stops the car in front of a condominium, parking on the street. “That’s my place,” he says as the two of you step outside. “Company provided, thankfully. I’ll be happy to show you around.” He walks to a door marked “15”, and you follow, watching as Rudy fumbles with his keys. Finally, [[he gets the door open and walks inside, with you close behind him.|hacker2]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/rudyshouse.png]]<<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>> His place is pretty big—much bigger than your shitty apartment, at the very least. The front area is a kitchen, with a small living room behind it, and several doors behind that. On the living room table is a computer, which is still running, though the screen is lowered. “Let’s sit down,” Rudy says, leading you to the living room. He sits at one of the chairs, and you sit across from him. What to say. . .? Well, honestly, there’s only one thing on your mind: “[[So . . . how do you change the world?|hacker2]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Rudy smiles and looks up at you. “Allow me to explain.<<audio "WaitingforthetrainItscold" loop play>> “The idea,” he explains, “is to make better products. There are a lot of people—particularly women—out there who try to line products up according to their ‘values’. I don’t know why companies continue to hire them, but they do. Luckily, there are people like me who correct that.” “[[‘Correct that’?|hacker2]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Yeah.” Rudy turns to you with a smile. “We let those companies know that we don’t like those particular people working on our products. Give them the nudge they need. That’s how we change the world, see—once you change the way products are made, you change the future as we know it. You may have seen our work on the news—Alice Carlile was our latest target.” “[[That sounds interesting.|hacker2]]” “[[That sounds . . . weird.|hacker2weird]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I’m glad you think so, $Name!” Rudy says cheerfully. “[[We provide a valuable service, really.|hacker2]] I wish more people understood that.”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“And it’s not like I don’t think those women aren’t valuable for society—far from it,” he explains. “But many of us think that they’re not useful in their current positions, and that they’d be better elsewhere. Not to mention so many of them complain about their jobs—it’s a wonder they get to keep them when they whine about them so damn much!" Rudy chuckles to himself, then turns to you. “It may seem trite, sure, but that’s how we change the world,” he says. “So, what do you say? Are you interested in joining me?”<<audio "WaitingforthetrainItscold" volume 0.75 fadeout>> “[[Yeah, I’m interested.|hackery]]” “[[Not yet. Tell me more first.|hackermore]]” “[[Heck no.|hackern]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy tilts his head. “I don’t think it’s weird at all, $Name,” he says. “[[It’s a valuable service, really.|hacker2weird]] I wish more people understood that.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“And it’s not like I don’t think those women aren’t valuable for society—far from it,” he explains. “But many of us think that they’re not useful in their current positions, and that they’d be better elsewhere. Not to mention so many of them complain about their jobs—it’s a wonder they get to keep them when they whine about them so damn much!" Rudy chuckles to himself, then turns to you. “It may seem trite, sure, but that’s how we change the world,” he says. “So, what do you say? Are you interested in joining me?” “[[Yeah, I’m interested.|hackery]]”<<audio "WaitingforthetrainItscold" volume 0.75 fadeout>> “[[Not yet. Tell me more first.|hackermore]]” “[[Heck no.|hackern]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>A grin breaks out on Rudy’s face. “That’s fabulous!” he exclaims. “I’m so happy to hear that. . . The rest of the gang will be happy we have another member, too. Oh, I’m so excited! “A big group of us is meeting tomorrow morning—we have a new target,” Rudy says to you. “Let’s say you come back then, and we can show you the ropes. How does that sound?”<<set $hacker to "yes">><<audio "Polygons" loop play>> “[[That sounds great!|hackery]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Awesome!” He turns back to his computer. “Now, I better get back to work. I’m glad to have you on board[[—you’ll be a valuable addition to the team.|hacker3]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“What’s there to tell?” Rudy asks. “[[Tell me more about these women.|hackermore]]” “[[Tell me more about what exactly you do.|hackermoredo]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>"Well, it’s not always women,” Rudy defends himself. “But ignoring that point for a moment, there’s not much to say about them. [[They’re just people who ruin our favorite things.|hackermore]] And they’re nothing more than targets at the end of the day.” He laughs. “They complain about so many things in their line of work, but they should consider themselves lucky to be there! So many whining about crunch—well, others work long hours and they don’t complain! At the end of the day, they ruin everything with their complaints. We’re just trying to take power back by removing them.”<<elseif visited() is 3>>So, with that out of the way, are you interested in joining us or not?” “[[Yes, I am.|hackery]]” “[[No, I’m not.|hackern]]"<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy’s smile fades from his face. “I see,” he says, letting out a sigh. “I’ve heard that so many times—there’s so many people who want to change the world but don’t want to join me. That’s fine, though. I’ll just continue on with the people I have.” He looks over at you. “Frankly, I don’t think there’s anything more for us to discuss now. You should go.”<<audio "Polygons" loop play>> He doesn’t sound harsh, just blunt. What will you do? “[[Ok, I’ll leave.|hacker3]]” “[[Just one second.|hackern]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Ok,” Rudy says, raising one eyebrow. “What’s up?” “[[What you’re doing is wrong. You should stop.|hackern]]” “[[People get fired because of you. And you’re ok with that?|hackernfired]]” “[[Fuck you, dude.|hackernfu]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Wrong?” Rudy laughs. “Hardly. [[We’re helping protect the things we love—what could be more noble than that?|hacker3]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy shrugged. “Well, it depends on the target. Sometimes we spam their DigiSpace pages with negative comments about their work. Sometimes we email their employer directly, or reach out in some other way. We don’t show up in person—that’s the beauty of the internet. [[We can protect the future while staying anonymous.|hackermoredo]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>So, with that out of the way, are you interested in joining us or not?” “[[Yes, I am.|hackery]]” “[[No, I’m not.|hackern]]"<<endif>>

You walk toward the doorway, and give Rudy one last look. He smiles and gives you a wave. You step outside, and realize that since Rudy isn’t driving you back, you’ll have to walk back home. Great. Looking it up on your phone, you notice it’s a thirty minute walk back—and, thankfully, Rudy didn’t pass through the checkpoint, so neither will you. Phew.<<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You make your way back home, and soon are at your apartment. The day goes by quicker than you expect, and soon, [[it’s night.|d3end]]

“Of course,” Rudy says, not hesitating for a second. “That’s the price they have to pay for corrupting the things we love. [[Not our fault that they got involved, and now have to be removed.|hacker3]] It just how things are.”

Rudy smiles. “[[I’ll take that as a compliment|hacker3]],” he says.

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4hy]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] The next day, you are woken up by a phone call. After fumbling around for a bit, you successfully pick up and answer your mobile device. “Hello?” “It’s me.” Rudy’s voice crackles through your speakers. “I’m parked outside your apartment. We’re all going to meet up soon, and I wanted you to come. Can you be down in ten minutes?” “[[Yep.|d4hyy]]” “[[Nope.|d4hyn]]” <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4hn]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wake up the next morning with a headache. After taking some Digicore Pain Relieving Medicine, you eat a big meal and plug in your VR port. Time to do what you usually do on your days off: [[play videogames and chill.|d4home]]<<audio "wifi" loop play>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“What did you mean?” Rudy asks. “Are you not coming anymore?” “[[Yeah, I’m out.|d4hyn]]” “[[Yeah, because you suck.|d4hynsuck]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rudy says. “The guys were really looking forward to meeting you. But if you don’t want to do this anymore, I’ll respect your decision.” “[[Yeah, I’m out.|d4hyn]]” “[[Actually, give me a minute. I’ll be down soon.|d4hyy]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Ok,” Rudy says. He truly sounds disappointed. “You’re not the first to walk out on me, so I understand. See ya.” And with that, he hangs up.<<set $hacker to "changedmind">> You eat a large meal and take out your VR port. [[Now you can have some fun.|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Telling me how you really feel, huh?” Rudy says, laughing. Does he think you’re joking? “Well, if you want out, I won’t stop you. The guys were really looking forward to meeting you, though.” “[[Yeah, I’m out.|d4hynsuck]]” “[[Actually, give me a minute. I’ll be down soon.|d4hyy]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Ok,” Rudy says. He truly sounds disappointed. “You’re not the first to walk out on me, so I understand. See ya.” And with that, he hangs up.<<set $hacker to "changedmind">> You eat a large meal and take out your VR port. [[Now you can have some fun.|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Alright!” Rudy says. “See you soon.” And with that, he hangs up. You get out of bed and quickly get dressed. Then you head downstairs and out the door. Sure enough, there’s Rudy’s car, parked next to the building. You get in the passenger side, and he greets you with a smile, shifting the gear into Drive. “Hey there,” he says cheerfully. “Today’s going to be great. [[Trust me, you’ll love this.|d4hyy]]” He drives you back to his place and parks the car. He leads the way up to his apartment.<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/rudyshouse.png]]<<audio "Polygons" loop play>> You both step inside his place, and he sits down on the living room couch, pulling out his laptop. “Alright, $Name,” he says, opening up the computer. “I’d like you to meet the gang.” He shows you the screen. On it are [[five webcam images of various men|d4hyy]], and they all wave at you.<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Hey there!” one says. “Good to have a new guy on the team.” [[The misgendering makes you cringe.|d4hyy]] “Yeah, Rudy told us about you,” another one adds. “You seem like a pretty cool one.” “Unlike Mark,” a third person chimes in. “Very funny,” a forth (presumably Mark) says flatly. “You all are hilarious.” “Yes we are,” the last of the group says. “You’re right on the money there, Mark.” “Alright, alright, settle down,” Rudy says. “Let’s all introduce ourselves to $Name, then we can banter, ok?” He turns to you and shrugs. “They’re pretty much always like this. Hope you don’t mind.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Person 1 says. You cringe again. “But anyway. I’m Stefan. Nice to meet you.” “I’m Mark,” says Mark. “But you might’ve already guessed that, huh?” “I’m Damian,” says Person 3. “I’m Greg,” says Person 4. “And I’m Rayno!” Person 5 tells you. “[[Welcome to our little club.|d4hyy]]” “Too bad we don’t have a clubhouse,” teases Mark. “We got one online, doofus,” says Damian, laughing. “Are you not paying attention?” “Oh yeah, that’s true,” says Mark, sounding sheepish.<<elseif visited() is 5>>There’s an awkward silence. Then Rayno speaks up. “So $Name, it’s nice to have another member of the group. Rudy’s been trying to recruit people, but he hasn’t been successful until now.” “Shut up,” Rudy says, laughing. But he turns to you and admits, “It’s true. I’ve talked to quite a few folks, but none of them were really into it. Some of them don’t want to talk to me anymore. It’s a shame—they don’t understand our [[vision|d4hyy]].”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Yeah, they’re just cowards,” Greg says. “They don’t get what we’re trying to do. If we want great games again, we need to get the people who don’t belong out of there.” “[[Are you talking about . . . women?|d4hyy]]” “[[Right. . .|d4hyy1]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“Well not just women,” says Damian. “We target them sometimes, but it’s not just them.” “Don’t forget the queers,” Rayno adds. “Those motherfuckers are scum of the earth.” “[[Um . . . sure. . .|d4hyy1]]” “[[I’m nonbinary, asshole.|d4hyy]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>There is a long silence. Rudy turns to you, eyes wide. “You’re . . . what?” he says, clearly stunned. “Think he said he’s nonbinary,” Greg says (you cringe at the misgendering). “You didn’t say you were inviting a nonbinary, Rudy,” adds Rayno, sounding pissed.<<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>> “I didn’t . . . look,” Rudy sighs and turns to you. “Could you step outside for a moment? I need to talk to them alone.” “[[Sure.|d4hyynb]]” “[[What are you going to talk about?|d4hyy]]”<<elseif visited() is 9>>“I’ll tell you when you get back,” says Rudy. “But for now, [[I need you to step outside.|d4hyynb]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Yeah,” Rayno says, sounding confident in himself. “[[Fuck them and their dumbass agenda.|d4hyy1]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Alright, guys,” Rudy says, smiling. “Why don’t we move onto our target for today? So $Name can become acquainted with what we do?” “Good idea,” Damian agreed. “Let’s get to it.” “So, today’s target is Carolyn Cantinelli,” Rudy says to you, typing a few words into the computer. “She’s a lead programmer at TerrainCraft. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that not long after she got hired, the game started going downhill. We’re going to fix that. “I’ve already hacked into her website, which gives us admin access to post whatever we want. And I’ve given you guys remote access to write on the website. $Name, [[you can have the honor of writing the first post.|d4hyy1]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Woot woot!” cheers Mark. “Make it something good,” says Rayno. “And by good, I mean, ‘[[Rip her a new one.|d4hyy1]]’”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Rudy pushes the laptop toward you, and you lean forward, resting your fingers on the keys. In front of you, a resume website for Carolyn is displayed, with a blinking cursor at the bottom of the screen. All the guys around you hold their breaths. What message do you want to put out? “[[You don’t belong in TerrainCraft.|d4hyy2]]” “[[Die, bitch.|d4hyy2]]” “[[You’re doing great, keep it up!|d4hyy1great]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You get up and leave the apartment, closing the door behind you. You can hear Rudy’s muffled voice for a moment, then he and the others talk in hushed tones. [[Try to listen in.|d4hyynb]] [[Just wait.|d4hyynbwait]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You gently press your ear against the door, trying to catch as many words as possible. You hear, “[[. . . not welcome . . . mistake . . .understand.|d4hyynb]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>A moment later, Rudy calls, “Ok $Name, you can come back in now!” You open the door, and are surprised to see Rudy standing in front of it. “Look,” he says, stepping forward and blocking the doorway, “I think there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding. I didn’t know you’re, uh, ‘nonbinary’. If I did, I wouldn’t have invited you. So I’m going to need you to leave.” “[[So, you’re kicking me out?|d4hyynb]]” “[[Ok. I understand.|d4hyynbok]]” “[[Fine. You’re a dick anyway.|d4hyynbdick]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Pretty much,” Rudy says, [[shrugging|d4hyynb]]. “Sorry buddy. I’ll see you around, ok?”<<elseif visited() is 5>>And with that, he closes the door. You walk out of the apartment complex and back home. [[When you get to your apartment, you’re not quite sure what to feel.|d4hyynb]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>Regardless, it’s over now. You walk back to your apartment, go inside, and plug in your VR port. What to do now. . .? There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You lean against the wall, [[tapping your foot.|d4hyynbwait]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>A moment later, Rudy calls, “Ok $Name, you can come back in now!” You open the door, and are surprised to see Rudy standing in front of it. “Look,” he says, stepping forward and blocking the doorway, “I think there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding. I didn’t know you’re, uh, ‘nonbinary’. If I did, I wouldn’t have invited you. So I’m going to need you to leave.” “[[So, you’re kicking me out?|d4hyynbwait]]” “[[Ok. I understand.|d4hyynbok]]” “[[Fine. You’re a dick anyway.|d4hyynbdick]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Pretty much,” Rudy says, [[shrugging|d4hyynbwait]]. “Sorry buddy. I’ll see you around, ok?”<<elseif visited() is 4>>And with that, he closes the door. You walk out of the apartment complex and back home. [[When you get to your apartment, you’re not quite sure what to feel.|d4hyynbwait]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Regardless, it’s over now. You walk back to your apartment, go inside, and plug in your VR port. What to do now. . .? There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Good,” Rudy says, looking relieved. “[[I’m glad you get it.|d4hyynbok]] I’ll see you around.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>And with that, he closes the door. You walk out of the apartment complex and back home. [[When you get to your apartment, you’re not quite sure what to feel.|d4hyynbok]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Regardless, it’s over now. You walk back to your apartment, go inside, and plug in your VR port. What to do now. . .? There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy laughs, but you can see the [[flash of pain|d4hyynbdick]] that your words cause. “I get that you’re mad. I’m sorry. I’ll see you around, ok?”<<elseif visited() is 2>>And with that, he closes the door. You walk out of the apartment complex and back home. [[When you get to your apartment, you’re not quite sure what to feel.|d4hyynbdick]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Regardless, it’s over now. You walk back to your apartment, go inside, and plug in your VR port. What to do now. . .? There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You type the words and see them show up on the screen, underneath Carolyn’s credentials. Rudy frowns and tilts his head. “That’s not exactly . . . discouraging, $Name,” he says. “The point is to drive her out, you know. Do you want to try again?” He deletes the post, and gives the laptop back to you. What to type. . .? “[[You don’t belong in TerrainCraft.|d4hyy2]]” “[[Die, bitch.|d4hyy2]]” “[[Seriously, you’re doing awesomely!|d4hyy1great]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You type the words, and Rudy’s frown gets deeper. “That’s. . . That’s really not funny, $Name,” he says. “I don’t get what you’re trying to do here.” “I’ll say what he’s trying to do,” Rayno says. “He’s trying to sabotage our goals, that’s what he’s doing.” “Yeah Rudy, why’d you invite someone if he’s not even for our cause?!” Greg asks. Jesus, [[the misgendering is constant, isn’t it?|d4hyy1great]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Just hold on a second, guys,” Rudy says. He looks angry now, and he turns to you. “Is that the only reason you came here? To sabotage us?” “[[Guilty as charged.|d4hyy1great]]” “[[Come on guys, I was just joking by complimenting her! Relax.|d4hyy1gjoke]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Rudy’s anger turns to rage. “What the fuck, $Name?!”<<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>> He stands up and points to the door. “Get the fuck out of here. Now.” You get up and walk toward the door—but turn around before you get there. Any last words before you go? “[[You all are the worst.|d4hyy1great]]” “[[Your games are dumb anyway.|d4hyy1gdumb]]” [[(Say nothing.)|d4hyy1gnothing]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>Rudy actually looks surprised to hear that. [[You slam the door and walk away.|d4hyy1great]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>You walk back to your place, feeling drained. When you get there you sit down in your Sleepsack, and try to think. There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You type the words and see them show up on the screen, underneath Carolyn’s credentials. Rudy nods. “[[That’s a good start|d4hyy2]],” he says.<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Alright guys. Go to town on her,” Rudy says. “With pleasure,” replies Damian, smirking. Immediately, more messages start appearing on the website, [[ranging from death threats to hate messages to sexist comments|d4hyy2]]. Your eyes widen as they pop up on the screen—holy crap, they are fast. They fill the screen with all sorts of nasty messages, until there’s barely any room left.<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Alright, that’s enough,” Rudy tells them, and the four guys stop. “Don’t want to make them unreadable, after all. Digicore’s game division will hear about this, I’m sure, and then they’ll let her go.” He turns to you with a smirk. “That’s how it works, see,” he says. “These companies listen to us[[—they cater to us, after all.|d4hyy2]] We have a voice this way.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Rudy puts an arm around you. “Welcome to the group, $Name,” he says. “[[You’re one of us now.|end]]” <<set $hatemail to "sent">><<audio "Polygons" volume 0.75 fadeout>> <<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy’s anger slowly drains away, and it’s replaced by a strained smile. “I suppose that makes sense,” he finally says to you. “Not a very funny joke,” Damian adds, “but hey, I believe him.” “I think it’s a funny joke!” says Mark. “[[Of course you do, Mark|d4hyy1gjoke]],” teases Rayno. “Hey!” Mark protests.<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Enough, guys,” Rudy says. “Let’s have $Name write their first message. For real this time.” He turns to you with a smile, a genuine one. “Go on.” You turn to the keyboard. Looks like your ‘joke’ has run its course, and you’re going to have to play along. “[[You don’t belong in TerrainCraft.|d4hyy2]]” “[[Die, bitch.|d4hyy2]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Rudy actually looks offended for once. [[You slam the door and walk away.|d4hyy1gdumb]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk back to your place, feeling drained. When you get there you sit down in your Sleepsack, and try to think. There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You just [[shake your head|d4hyy1gnothing]] as you exit the apartment.<<elseif visited() is 2>>You walk back to your place, feeling drained. When you get there you sit down in your Sleepsack, and try to think. There’s not much you can do about what you just witnessed. It’s already common knowledge that these groups exist—heck, it’s all over the news! But maybe you can try to be a counterbalance to their discouragement. Be an encourager. [[Heck, it’s worth a try.|end]]<<set $encourager to "yes">><<endif>>

“Fire away!” Samantha says. “[[So how long have you been working on this?|gdhowlong]]” “[[What kind of game is it?|gdqkind]]” “[[I think I’m ready to play now.|gdgame]]”

“Alright!” Samantha hands you the VR eyewear. “Put this on. I’ll boot up the demo then.” You put on the VR headset, and are instantly surrounded by darkness. Then, a loading screen pops up. [[After that. . .|gdgame0]]<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“A few months!” Samantha replies. “It started out as a whole new project—buuuut I shouldn’t tell you about that because I don’t want to bias you!” “[[What kind of game is it?|gdhowlong]]” “[[I think I’m ready to play now.|gdgame]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“You’ll see—I don’t want to bias you,” Samantha says. “[[I think I’m ready to play now.|gdgame]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“You’ll see—I don’t want to bias you,” Samantha says. “[[So how long have you been working on this?|gdqkind]]” “[[I think I’m ready to play now.|gdgame]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“A few months!” Samantha replies. “It started out as a whole new project—buuuut I shouldn’t tell you about that because I don’t want to bias you!” “[[I think I’m ready to play now.|gdgame]]”<<endif>>

Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 more litter into the atmosphere so far. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] <<if visited("gdd4go")>>[[Stop playing.|gdd4gameend]]<<else>>[[Stop playing.|gdgameend]]<<endif>>

You have <<if $game is "repetitive">>[[picked up|gdd4gamerepe]]<<elseif $game is "moreactions">>[[picked up|gdd4gameactions]]<<elseif $game is "ending">>[[picked up|gdd4gameending]]<<else>>[[picked up|gdgame1]]<<endif>> <<print visited()>> can<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>><<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 1>>

You’ve <<if $game is "repetitive">>[[picked up trash around your house|gdd4gamerepe]]<<elseif $game is "moreactions">>[[picked up trash around your house|gdd4gameactions]]<<elseif $game is "ending">>[[picked up trash around your house|gdd4gameending]]<<else>>[[picked up trash around your house|gdgame1]]<<endif>> <<print visited()>> time<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>>.<<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 10>>

You’ve <<if $game is "repetitive">>[[cleaned up a park|gdd4gamerepe]]<<elseif $game is "moreactions">>[[cleaned up a park|gdd4gameactions]]<<elseif $game is "ending">>[[cleaned up a park|gdd4gameending]]<<else>>[[cleaned up a park|gdgame1]]<<endif>> <<print visited()>> time<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>>.<<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 50>>

You’ve <<if $game is "repetitive">>[[organized a community cleanup|gdd4gamerepe]]<<elseif $game is "moreactions">>[[organized a community cleanup|gdd4gameactions]]<<elseif $game is "ending">>[[organized a community cleanup|gdd4gameending]]<<else>>[[organized a community cleanup|gdgame1]]<<endif>> <<print visited()>> time<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>>.<<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 100>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You take off the VR eyewear, blinking as you adjust to the return to reality. Samantha stands up from her chair, and tilts her head smiling. “So what did you think?” she asks. “Give me your thoughts!”<<audio "rhubarb" volume 0.75 fadeout>> Well. . . “[[It was great!|gdgameend]]” “[[It was ok.|gdgameok]]” “[[I didn’t like it.|gdgamedidntlike]]” <<elseif visited() is 2>>“I’m glad you liked it!” she exclaims, producing a notebook from nowhere and writing something down. “Any points of criticism?” Hmm. . . “[[I thought it was a little repetitive.|gdgamerepetative]]” “[[It could use some more actions to take.|gdgamemore]]” “[[It needs an ending.|gdgameending]]” “[[No, I thought it was basically perfect.|gdgame2]]” <<elseif visited() is 3>> <<endif>>

“Got it, got it.” She produces a notebook from seemingly nowhere and writes something down. “What made it just ‘ok’? How can I improve it?” Hmm. . . “[[I thought it was a little repetitive.|gdgamerepetative]]” “[[It could use some more actions to take.|gdgamemore]]” “[[It needs an ending.|gdgameending]]”

“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that.” She produces a notebook from seemingly nowhere and writes something down. “What didn’t you like about it?” Hmm. . . “[[I thought it was a little repetitive.|gdgamerepetative]]” “[[It could use some more actions to take.|gdgamemore]]” “[[It needs an ending.|gdgameending]]”

“I see,” she says, writing this down. “I wonder if I could break up the action somehow, make things [[flow|gdgame2]] a little better. . .” <<set $game to "repetitive">>

“I see, I see,” she says, writing this down. “[[I’ll try to add some more then.|gdgame2]]” <<set $game to "moreactions">>

“Gotcha,” she says, writing this down. “[[I’ll add one and see what that does to the game!|gdgame2]]” <<set $game to "ending">>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I appreciate the feedback!” says Samantha. “Would you want to come by again tomorrow?”<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" loop play>> “[[Sounds good to me!|gdgame2]]” “[[I don’t know. We’ll see.|gdgame2idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Awesome!” She lets out a cheer. “[[It’s always so exciting when people play my work.|gdgame2]] I’m happy to have you play it too!”<<elseif visited() is 3>>She brings you back to the door and opens it. “Alright then,” Samantha says. “Thanks for coming by! [[It’s been a while since I’ve had a tester, so . . . thanks.|gdgame2]] See ya!” You step outside, and she gently closes the door behind you.<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 4>>By the time you get back, it’s getting late, and you’re tired. You eat and decide to go to [[bed|d3end]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Aw, ok,” Samantha says, sounding a bit [[disappointed|gdgame2idk]]. “Well, let me know tomorrow if you’re coming by, ok?”<<elseif visited() is 2>>She brings you back to the door and opens it. “Alright then,” Samantha says. “Thanks for coming by! [[It’s been a while since I’ve had a tester, so . . . thanks.|gdgame2idk]] See ya!” You step outside, and she gently closes the door behind you.<<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 3>>By the time you get back, it’s getting late, and you’re tired. You eat and decide to go to [[bed|d3end]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|gdd4go]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next day and get ready to go--you got nothing better to do. You were at Samantha’s house around this time, so [[hopefully she’ll be expecting you at this time today.|gdd4go1]] That would be convenient.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You get up early the next day—something gets you up before your alarm goes off. And so you spend the morning tossing and turning in your Sleepsack, trying to get back to resting, but your body won’t let you. Drat. Then, you hear your phone ringing. You stretch out your arm and grab the device from your bedside table, and look at the front of it. The caller ID says it’s Samantha. You answer it. “Hey!” she greets you, sounding quite chipper. “I wanted to check if you were coming by today. Did you want to test my game? I made some improvements after you gave me feedback, and I’d love for you to see them!” “[[Sure, I’ll come by.|gdd4go1]]” “[[No, I don’t think I’ll be coming. Sorry.|gdd4idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Aw, bummer,” Samantha says. She sounds let down. “Well, ok then. Perhaps another time, then. I’ll talk to you later!” And with that, she hangs up the phone. You put your phone away and sit up, stretching. [[What do you want to do today?|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>One walk later, you reach her house, and knock on the door. She answers a moment later. “[[Ready to test?|gdd4go1]]” she asks, a big smile on her face.<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/samanthasplaytestingroom.png]] You nod, and she leads you back to the testing room. “Have fun!” she says. [[You put on the VR eyewear, and are transported to the game.|gdd4game]]<<endif>>

[img[images_ec/samanthasgame.png]]<<audio "rhubarb" loop play>> It’s time to save the world! Can you protect people from environmental chaos?<<if $game is "repetitive">>[[Let’s find out!|gdd4gamerepe]]<<elseif $game is "moreactions">>[[Let’s find out!|gdd4gameactions]]<<elseif $game is "ending">>[[Let’s find out!|gdd4gameending]]<<else>>[[Let’s find out!|gdgame1]]<<endif>><<set $litter to 10293>>

<<if $game is "repetitive">>You lift up the VR eyeglass. Samantha sees this and perks up. "What did you think of the ‘break’ that showed up at the end there?” she asks. “It comes in after the litter reaches a certain amount, and I just have one so far. I want to sprinkle in more at different milestones. Do you think it would help break up the action, make it less repetitive?” “[[Yeah, it does help.|gdd4repey]]” “[[No, it doesn’t help.|gdd4repen]]” <<elseif $game is "moreactions">>You lift up the VR eyeglass. Samantha sees this and perks up. "What did you of the other options?” she asks. “Does it make the game work better?” “[[Yeah, I like the new options.|gdd4acty]]” “[[No, it was better before.|gdd4actn]]” “[[No, it needs more options.|gdd4actmore]]” <<elseif $game is "ending">>You lift up the VR eyeglass. Samantha sees this and perks up. "What did you think of the ending?” she asks. “Does it make the game work better?” “[[Yeah, I like the ending.|gdd4geendy]]” “[[No, it was better before.|gdd4geendn]]” “[[No, it needs a different ending.|gdd4geenddif]]” <<else>> You lift up the VR eyeglass. Samantha sees this and perks up. "[[Thanks for playing it again!|gdd4gameend1]]" she says. <<endif>><<audio "rhubarb" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 litter into the atmosphere. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] <<elseif visited() is 2>>Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 litter into the atmosphere. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] <<elseif visited() is 3>>Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 litter into the atmosphere. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] <<elseif visited() is 4>>Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 litter into the atmosphere. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] <<elseif visited() is 5>>You are approached by a representative from Digicore. They have noticed your actions, and want you to stop picking up so much trash. They’ll give you a one-time payment of 150,000 Digibucks if you never do it again. [[Take the money.|gdd4gamerepe]] [[Refuse the money.|gdd4gamerepe]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>Interesting choice. . . [[(Stop playing)|gdd4gameend]]<<endif>>

Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 litter into the atmosphere. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter.|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] [[Rally your entire town: -300 litter.|gdd4gamea300]] [[Get nearby towns in on the cleanup: -500 litter.|gdd4gamea500]] [[Convince the state to clean all its trash: -700 litter.|gdd4gamea700]] [[(Stop playing.)|gdd4gameend]]

Total litter: $litter Digicore has dumped <<print visited()>>000 litter into the atmosphere. [[Pick up a can: -1 litter.|gdgame1litter]] [[Pick up trash around your house: -10 litter|gdgame10litter]] [[Clean up a park: -50 litter.|gdgame50litter]] [[Organize a community cleanup: -100 litter.|gdgame100litter]] <<if $litter gte 20000>><<goto "indiegameending">><<else>><<endif>>

[[go|revoend]] <<set $joinedTina to "yes">>

“That’s great!” she says, a grin sprouting on her face. “I’m glad you liked it. [[And I really appreciate you giving me feedback on my game!|gdd4gameend1]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>“Got it, good to know,” Samantha says, writing this down. “So what should I do? What are your thoughts?” “[[There should be much more breaks!|gdd4repen]]” “[[There should be different breaks, so it varies up.|gdd4rependif]]” “[[No more breaks. Something else.|gdd4repenno]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Much more breaks, ok!” Samantha grins. “[[I can do that!|gdd4gameend1]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Well, I really appreciate you coming back to play the game,” Samantha says, giving you a smile. “I’ll tell you what. What do you say we get some lunch?” You frown. That might not be in your budget. But then she adds, “I’ll treat you!” [[Fuck yeah! How can you refuse?|gdd4gameend1]] “[[Actually, I should get home. . .|gdd4ge1home]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Samantha leads you down the street to a diner. You sit down at the table, and a holographic menu pops in front of you. “I usually get the Bacon Burger—it’s really good,” Samantha says. “What do you want to get?<<audio "Cyan" loop play>> You look over the menu, and a few things catch your eye. “[[I’ll get the Chickpea Soup and Salad.|gdd4gameend1]]” “[[I’ll get the Zesty Ranch Wrap.|gdd4gameend1]]” “[[I’ll get a Bacon Burger too.|gdd4gameend1]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Nice choice!” Samantha says, giving you a smile. A waiter comes by your table, “Hey, I’m Yolanda, and I’ll be serving you today,” e (eir name badge lists eir pronouns—you wonder how hard e had to fight for that) says, giving you both a happy smile. “Good to see you, Samantha. Do you both know what you want to eat?” The two of you place your orders, and Yolanda jots them down. “And anything to drink?” e asks. “Sorry, almost forgot to ask!" "I'll have a lemonade,” Samantha says. “How about you, $Name?” You look at the menu, and settle on three choices: [[Boar Corp Water|gdd4gameend1]] [[Arrlingtons Chocolate Milk|gdd4gameend1]] [[Digicore Sweetened Tea|gdd4gameend1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Got it,” Yolanda says, writing down your drinks. “I’ll bring your orders to the kitchen,” e says, and walks away from the table. You turn to Samantha. What to talk about while you wait. . .? “[[So, what got you into game development?|gdd4gameend1]]” “[[Where’s the game going to be released?|gdd4ge1released]]” “[[Tell me about yourself.|gdd4ge1yourself]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Oh, that’s quite a story,” Samantha says, giggling. “When I was younger, we used to play ‘board games’ in my house. They’re not around much anymore, and even then they were kinda relics—my grandpa gave them to us. But I loved the little pieces, and reading the rulebook, all those things that make up a physical game. So I made a few ‘board games’ of my own. Then as I got older I moved onto digital game development, and [[the rest is history|gdd4gameend2]].”<<endif>>

“Different breaks, ok,” Samantha says. “[[I’ll change them up and see what that does to the game. Thanks!|gdd4gameend1]]”

“Something else, ok!” Samantha says. “[[I’ll change things up and see what happens. Thanks!|gdd4gameend1]]”

You’ve [[rallied your entire town|gdd4gameactions]] <<print visited()>> time<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>>.<<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 300>>

You’ve [[gotten other towns in on the action|gdd4gameactions]] <<print visited()>> time<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>>.<<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 500>>

You’ve [[gotten the state to clean trash|gdd4gameactions]] <<print visited()>> time<<if visited() % 2 is 0>>s<<else>><<endif>>.<<set $litter += 1000>><<set $litter -= 700>>

“That’s great!” she says, a grin sprouting on her face. “I’m glad you liked it. [[And I really appreciate you giving me feedback on my game!|gdd4gameend1]]”

“Got it, so the new options made it worse,” Samantha says, writing this down. “[[I’ll remove them then, and revert the game back to what it was before.|gdd4gameend1]]”

“I see, I see,” Samantha says, writing this down. “[[I’ll add some more then. Thanks!|gdd4gameend1]]”

You tried your best, but corporations like Digicore, who pollute the atmosphere every day with their factories, outnumbered your efforts by a long shot. And so the world is covered in smog. We already can’t see the sky. If things keep going the way they’re going, we won’t be able to see our future. [[THE END.|gdd4gameend]]

“That’s great!” she says, a grin sprouting on her face. “I’m glad you liked it. [[And I really appreciate you giving me feedback on my game!|gdd4gameend1]]”

“Got it, so the ending made it worse,” Samantha says, writing this down. “[[I’ll remove it then, and revert the game back to what it was before.|gdd4gameend1]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>“Oh yeah?” Samantha asks, sounding curious. “What should the ending be instead, then? Give me your take.” “[[The world should explode.|gdd4geenddif]]” “[[Digicore should pay you to stop helping.|gdd4geenddifpay]]” “[[You should see the amount of garbage and give up.|gdd4geenddifgiveup]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“That sounds interesting,” Samantha chirps, writing it down. “[[Not sure how well it fits with the game, but I can try it out and see!|gdd4gameend1]]”<<endif>>

“Ooo, they’d totally do that,” Samantha says, writing it down. “[[I’ll try that out!|gdd4gameend1]]”

“Oh man, that’s depressing!” Samantha says, writing it down. “[[But I think it could work. . .|gdd4gameend1]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>“Aw, ok,” Samantha says, sounding disappointed. “I’ll let you go then.” She leads you to the door. “Have a good rest of your day!” Samantha tells you. [[Then you leave her apartment, with her closing the door behind you.|gdd4ge1home]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You soon reach home, and sit down on the bed. You’re still thinking about the game. You eat a big meal, and [[plug in your VR port. Time to relax.|d4home]]<<endif>>

“It won’t pass the standards for IndieZone or DigiShop, that’s for sure,” Samantha says. “Because my game’s speaking out against both corporations behind it, really, even if Digicore is the focus. So I’m planning to ‘[[leak|gdd4gameend2]]’ the game online via a few channels, and see how it spreads.”

“Well, you already know I’m a game designer,” she says. “Other than that, I love to read in my spare time—I’m currently working my way through an old book called [[Neuromancer|gdd4gameend2]]—it’s such a weird story! And I really really want to own a cat someday.”

<<if visited() is 1>>Yolanda returns with your drinks. When e leaves, Samantha lets out a sigh. “Recently, I lost my job at IndieZone, Boar Corp’s indie game marketplace—I used to help make exclusives for the platform," she says. “But then I got [[targeted for harassment|gdd4gameend2]], so Arrlingtons let me go so it would go away."<<elseif visited() is 2>>“That’s what started my independent work. I have some money saved up from when I worked for IndieZone, so I decided to use it to support myself while making games of my own.” She smiles knowingly. “It was my firing by Boar Corp that really got me thinking about how powerful these companies are, and how much and how little they do for us. I want to make games that express that. While I was researching for a game about being a dumpster driver, I found out how much trash Digicore is putting into the atmosphere—that’s how I started making the game you played.” “[[That’s amazing.|gdd4gameend2]]” “[[Isn’t it scary, standing against the system like that?|gdd4ge2stand]]” “[[Will you make that dumpster driver game?|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Thanks!” Samantha says cheerfully. “[[I appreciate that a lot.|gdd4gameend2]]"<<elseif visited() is 4>>Yolanda comes back to the table with your meals. “Here you go,” e says, setting down the food. “Enjoy!” e tells you, and walks away. Samantha takes a bite of her burger. “Mmm, that’s still as good as ever,” she says. “How’s your food?” You take a bite. It’s ok. . . “[[It’s great!|gdd4gameend2]]” “[[It’s alright.|gdd4gameend2]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Gotcha,” Samantha says. There is a pause. Then Samantha tells you, “I truly believe that independent game development is getting more ethical than big budget game development. Because small games are made by small teams, and those teams don’t normally have the crunch condition of triple-A games. “But [[even independent ventures can turn toxic sometimes|gdd4gameend2]],” Samantha says. “I know multiple studios that fell apart due to abusive bosses. This area is great because it’s full of small projects made by a few people, but that close-knit nature can also be its downfall in the wrong hands.”<<elseif visited() is 6>>She sighs, and takes a drink of her water. “It’s a weird spot to be in because independent game development has every right to be more ethical. [[But sometimes, it isn’t.|gdd4gameend2]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>Samantha catches herself, and laughs. “Sorry, it’s something I’m very passionate about. Hope I didn’t bore you!” “[[It’s ok, you didn’t.|gdd4gameend2]]” “[[Let’s talk about something else.|gdd4ge2else]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“I’m glad,” Samantha says, sounding relieved. “[[It’s good to talk about this with someone.|gdd4gameend3]] I guess I’ve been holding it in a little bit.”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Of course—I’m scared as hell to release this!” Samantha replies. “But [[somebody has to say something. And it might as well be me.|gdd4ge2stand]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Yolanda comes back to the table with your meals. “Here you go,” e says, setting down the food. “Enjoy!” e tells you, and walks away. Samantha takes a bite of her burger. “Mmm, that’s still as good as ever,” she says. “How’s your food?” You take a bite. It’s ok. . . “[[It’s great!|gdd4ge2stand]]” “[[It’s alright.|gdd4ge2stand]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Gotcha,” Samantha says. There is a pause. Then Samantha tells you, “I truly believe that independent game development is getting more ethical than big budget game development. Because small games are made by small teams, and those teams don’t normally have the crunch condition of triple-A games. “But [[even independent ventures can turn toxic sometimes|gdd4ge2stand]],” Samantha says. “I know multiple studios that fell apart due to abusive bosses. This area is great because it’s full of small projects made by a few people, but that close-knit nature can also be its downfall in the wrong hands.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>She sighs, and takes a drink of her water. “It’s a weird spot to be in because independent game development has every right to be more ethical. [[But sometimes, it isn’t.|gdd4ge2stand]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>Samantha catches herself, and laughs. “Sorry, it’s something I’m very passionate about. Hope I didn’t bore you!” “[[It’s ok, you didn’t.|gdd4ge2stand]]” “[[Let’s talk about something else.|gdd4ge2else]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I’m glad,” Samantha says, sounding relieved. “[[It’s good to talk about this with someone.|gdd4gameend3]] I guess I’ve been holding it in a little bit.”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Probably not—that’s just how game development goes sometimes,” Samantha replies. “[[Projects evolve and change. And that’s not a bad thing.|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Yolanda comes back to the table with your meals. “Here you go,” e says, setting down the food. “Enjoy!” e tells you, and walks away. Samantha takes a bite of her burger. “Mmm, that’s still as good as ever,” she says. “How’s your food?” You take a bite. It’s ok. . . “[[It’s great!|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]]” “[[It’s alright.|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Gotcha,” Samantha says. There is a pause. Then Samantha tells you, “I truly believe that independent game development is getting more ethical than big budget game development. Because small games are made by small teams, and those teams don’t normally have the crunch condition of triple-A games. “But [[even independent ventures can turn toxic sometimes|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]],” Samantha says. “I know multiple studios that fell apart due to abusive bosses. This area is great because it’s full of small projects made by a few people, but that close-knit nature can also be its downfall in the wrong hands.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>She sighs, and takes a drink of her water. “It’s a weird spot to be in because independent game development has every right to be more ethical. [[But sometimes, it isn’t.|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>Samantha catches herself, and laughs. “Sorry, it’s something I’m very passionate about. Hope I didn’t bore you!” “[[It’s ok, you didn’t.|gdd4ge2dumpsterdriver]]” “[[Let’s talk about something else.|gdd4ge2else]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I’m glad,” Samantha says, sounding relieved. “[[It’s good to talk about this with someone.|gdd4gameend3]] I guess I’ve been holding it in a little bit.”<<endif>>

“Of course,” Samantha says quickly. “[[Sorry|gdd4gameend3]], I should be more conscious of other people in conversations.”

<<if visited() is 1>>“Anyway, why don’t you tell me something?” Samantha asks. “Why do you play games?” That’s an odd question. You consider it for a moment, and reply . . . “[[I like feeling immersed in a new world, getting lost in a different place.|gdd4gameend3]]” “[[I like being engaging characters, going through their lives and sorting through their problems.|gdd4ge3characters]]” “[[I like experimenting with mechanics, finding new ways to communicate in virtual worlds.|gdd4ge3mechanics]]” “[[I don’t know. I never thought about it before.|gdd4ge3idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“That’s cool,” Samantha says. “[[It’s always nice to get lost in a new place.|gdd4gameend3]] I love doing that too.”<<elseif visited() is 3>>By now, the two of you are finished with your food. Yolanda approaches the table with a smile. “Looks like the two of you liked your meals,” e says. “You bet!” Samantha says. “Can we have the check?” “Of course.” E turns around and walks away to get it. A moment later, Yolanda returns with the check: a screen with a QR code for Samantha to pay for the meal. [[She does so promptly, adding a tip as well.|gdd4gameend3]] <<elseif visited() is 4>>Samantha turns to you. “I think I’ll polish up the game a bit more before I release it—you’re welcome to try the almost-final version before it’s out!” she says. “[[I’d love to try it!|gdd4gameend3]]” “[[Actually, that’s ok. Thanks but no thanks.|gdd4ge3nothanks]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Sweeeet!” Samantha cheers. “[[I’m already excited to show it to you!|gdd4gameend3]]”<<set $futuregames to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 6>>She stands up from the table, and you do the same. “I think this is where we part ways,” she says. “It was great chatting with you! And I appreciate you coming by to test the game for me.” “[[No problem. It was my pleasure.|gdd4gameend3]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“Thanks.” The two of you walk out of the restaurant, and Samantha starts walking in the direction of her apartment. “See ya!” You wave at her, then pull out your phone. After looking it up, you see that your home is just a fifteen minute walk away from here. So you [[get going|gdd4gameend3]].<<elseif visited() is 8>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You soon reach home, and sit down on the bed. You’re still thinking about the game. You spend the day resting and pondering, until it gets late. Then you get in your Sleepsack, and go to [[bed|end]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Rad—it’s always nice to play interesting characters,” Samantha says. “And [[finding new people through games is pretty awesome.|gdd4ge3characters]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>By now, the two of you are finished with your food. Yolanda approaches the table with a smile. “Looks like the two of you liked your meals,” e says. “You bet!” Samantha says. “Can we have the check?” “Of course.” E turns around and walks away to get it. A moment later, Yolanda returns with the check: a screen with a QR code for Samantha to pay for the meal. [[She does so promptly, adding a tip as well.|gdd4ge3characters]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Samantha turns to you. “I think I’ll polish up the game a bit more before I release it—you’re welcome to try the almost-final version before it’s out!” she says. “[[I’d love to try it!|gdd4ge3characters]]” “[[Actually, that’s ok. Thanks but no thanks.|gdd4ge3nothanks]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Sweeeet!” Samantha cheers. “[[I’m already excited to show it to you!|gdd4ge3characters]]”<<set $futuregames to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 5>>She stands up from the table, and you do the same. “I think this is where we part ways,” she says. “It was great chatting with you! And I appreciate you coming by to test the game for me.” “[[No problem. It was my pleasure.|gdd4ge3characters]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Thanks.” The two of you walk out of the restaurant, and Samantha starts walking in the direction of her apartment. “See ya!”<<audio "Cyan" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You wave at her, then pull out your phone. After looking it up, you see that your home is just a fifteen minute walk away from here. So you [[get going|gdd4ge3characters]].<<elseif visited() is 7>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You soon reach home, and sit down on the bed. You’re still thinking about the game. You spend the day resting and pondering, until it gets late. Then you get in your Sleepsack, and go to [[bed|end]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Nice,” Samantha says. “[[Mechanics are the backbone of games, after all—and they can be quite fascinating.|gdd4ge3mechanics]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>By now, the two of you are finished with your food. Yolanda approaches the table with a smile. “Looks like the two of you liked your meals,” e says. “You bet!” Samantha says. “Can we have the check?” “Of course.” E turns around and walks away to get it. A moment later, Yolanda returns with the check: a screen with a QR code for Samantha to pay for the meal. [[She does so promptly, adding a tip as well.|gdd4ge3mechanics]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Samantha turns to you. “I think I’ll polish up the game a bit more before I release it—you’re welcome to try the almost-final version before it’s out!” she says. “[[I’d love to try it!|gdd4ge3mechanics]]” “[[Actually, that’s ok. Thanks but no thanks.|gdd4ge3nothanks]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Sweeeet!” Samantha cheers. “[[I’m already excited to show it to you!|gdd4ge3mechanics]]”<<set $futuregames to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 5>>She stands up from the table, and you do the same. “I think this is where we part ways,” she says. “It was great chatting with you! And I appreciate you coming by to test the game for me.” “[[No problem. It was my pleasure.|gdd4ge3mechanics]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Thanks.” The two of you walk out of the restaurant, and Samantha starts walking in the direction of her apartment. “See ya!”<<audio "Cyan" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You wave at her, then pull out your phone. After looking it up, you see that your home is just a fifteen minute walk away from here. So you [[get going|gdd4ge3mechanics]].<<elseif visited() is 7>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You soon reach home, and sit down on the bed. You’re still thinking about the game. You spend the day resting and pondering, until it gets late. Then you get in your Sleepsack, and go to [[bed|end]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s ok!” Samantha tells you. “It’s just something I think about a lot, so I thought I’d ask you! No worries if you don’t have an answer. [[Just think about it.|gdd4ge3idk]]” <<elseif visited() is 2>>By now, the two of you are finished with your food. Yolanda approaches the table with a smile. “Looks like the two of you liked your meals,” e says. “You bet!” Samantha says. “Can we have the check?” “Of course.” E turns around and walks away to get it. A moment later, Yolanda returns with the check: a screen with a QR code for Samantha to pay for the meal. [[She does so promptly, adding a tip as well.|gdd4ge3idk]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Samantha turns to you. “I think I’ll polish up the game a bit more before I release it—you’re welcome to try the almost-final version before it’s out!” she says. “[[I’d love to try it!|gdd4ge3idk]]” “[[Actually, that’s ok. Thanks but no thanks.|gdd4ge3nothanks]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Sweeeet!” Samantha cheers. “[[I’m already excited to show it to you!|gdd4ge3idk]]”<<set $futuregames to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 5>>She stands up from the table, and you do the same. “I think this is where we part ways,” she says. “It was great chatting with you! And I appreciate you coming by to test the game for me.” “[[No problem. It was my pleasure.|gdd4ge3idk]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Thanks.” The two of you walk out of the restaurant, and Samantha starts walking in the direction of her apartment. “See ya!”<<audio "Cyan" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You wave at her, then pull out your phone. After looking it up, you see that your home is just a fifteen minute walk away from here. So you [[get going|gdd4ge3idk]].<<elseif visited() is 7>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You soon reach home, and sit down on the bed. You’re still thinking about the game. You spend the day resting and pondering, until it gets late. Then you get in your Sleepsack, and go to [[bed|end]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“[[That’s fine too|gdd4ge3nothanks]],” Samantha says. “I might see if I can find another tester, but if I can’t, I’ll just release the game.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>She stands up from the table, and you do the same. “I think this is where we part ways,” she says. “It was great chatting with you! And I appreciate you coming by to test the game for me.”<<audio "Cyan" volume 0.75 fadeout>> “[[No problem. It was my pleasure.|gdd4ge3nothanks]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Thanks.” The two of you walk out of the restaurant, and Samantha starts walking in the direction of her apartment. “See ya!” You wave at her, then pull out your phone. After looking it up, you see that your home is just a fifteen minute walk away from here. So you [[get going|gdd4ge3nothanks]].<<elseif visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You soon reach home, and sit down on the bed. You’re still thinking about the game. You spend the day resting and pondering, until it gets late. Then you get in your Sleepsack, and go to [[bed|end]].<<endif>>

[[You hung out with Samantha, giving her feedback on her environmentalist video game.|gamedevend1]] You gave some critique on her project, and <<if visited("gdd4go1")>>returned the next day to play it again.<<else>>decided not to go back and play it the next day.<<endif>> <<if visited("gdd4gameend2")>>You went out to lunch with Samantha, learning about her history and philosophy as a developer. She paid for the food, which was also nice.<<else>>You were home playing video games. Fun!<<endif>><<audio "Everythingfeelsgood" loop play>>

<<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> You find a new job at a clothing store, but nothing ever lasts. . . Life may be unpredictable, but it’s looking up a bit at least. . . [[Hopefully|fin]].

<<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but going by the fact that no incident occurred at the police station, you would guess that your stopped whatever the woman in the red dress was planning.<<else>>You learn that a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door. Who could have coordinated that? Certainly not Rudy and his gang.<<endif>> And not long after, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. <<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> You find a new job at a clothing store, but nothing ever lasts. . . <<if $encourager is "yes">> You decided to be a counterbalance to Rudy’s gang—someone who encourages the ones they relentlessly targets, instead of harassing them. Once a day you browse the web and when you see discouraging comments on marginalized game developer’s page, you leave an encouraging one instead. It’s not much, but it’s all you can do.<<else>><<endif>> And so, [[life goes on, despite your protests.|fin]]

You wrote <<if visited ("d4hyy2")>>[[threatening|hackerend1]]<<else>>[[nice|hackerend1]]<<endif>> messages on her page, <<if visited ("d4hyy2")>>pleasing<<else>>pissing off<<endif>> the group. At the end of the day, you were <<if visited ("d4hyy2")>>welcomed as one of them<<else>>forced to leave<<endif>>.

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 3|revolutionary1]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next day thinking about the woman in the red dress, and how she wants your help for a cause. [[She said to meet her at the eye store today, didn’t she?|revolutionary1]] Well, you better get going.<<elseif visited() is 3>>You quickly get ready to go, grab your things, and are soon out the door. You walk the familiar streets of Neon City, pass through the checkpoint with ID (thank Christ), and soon reach the store. You hesitantly walk down the alleyway next to the store, to the place you met with the woman in the red dress the day before . . . and there she is, standing right there. She’s [[alone|revolutionary1]] this time.<<elseif visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/tina.png]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>> The woman in the red dress looks up, and upon seeing you, she smiles. “I’m glad you could make it,” she says. “I’ll lead you to our hideout. There we can properly talk.” She walks out of the alleyway and gestures for you to follow. You do, and she takes you through the city streets in [[silence|revolutionary1]].<<elseif visited() is 5>>"[[. . .|revolutionary1]]"<<elseif visited() is 6>>Finally, the quiet is getting unbearable, so you decide to ask her a question: “[[Where are we going?|revolutionary1]]” “[[So what do you want me to do exactly?|revo1exactly]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“A [[safe place|revolutionary1]], away from all this,” she tells you. “I think you’ll find it agreeable.”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“My name’s Tina, by the way. She/her” she says to you. “How about you? What’s your name and pronouns?” she asks. Feeling [[a deep sense of relief|revolutionary1]], you say, “I’m $Name. They/them. I’m nonbinary.”<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>> “Nice to meet you.”<<elseif visited() is 9>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]]<<audio "TaxipastTurningTorso" loop play>> Tina takes your hand and ducks into another alleyway. She walks forward, and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by dilapidated, rotting buildings. You’re in District 4—the dead district. You look around, unsure of what to think of this, and Tina turns to you. “Trust me,” she says, squeezing your hand. “I know this place may look rotten, but [[there’s a home here.|revolutionary1]] I’ll lead you to it.”<<elseif visited() is 10>>She leads you through the abandoned streets of District 4. And you thought it was quiet before. . . Now, there’s true silence, nothing but the sound of both of your footsteps. Wait a minute. . . You can hear the sounds of a crowd talking in the distance now. As Tina walks, the sounds get closer. Is this the [[hideout|revo2]] she was talking about?<<audio "TaxipastTurningTorso" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I’ll tell you when we get there, I promise,” she tells you. “I know it’s hard waiting, but [[it’s better to talk more when we get there.|revo1exactly]]"<<elseif visited() is 2>>“My name’s Tina, by the way. She/her” she says to you. “How about you? What’s your name and pronouns?” she asks. Feeling [[a deep sense of relief|revo1exactly]], you say, “I’m $Name. They/them. I’m nonbinary.”<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>> “Nice to meet you.”<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]]<<audio "TaxipastTurningTorso" loop play>> Tina takes your hand and ducks into another alleyway. She walks forward, and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by dilapidated, rotting buildings. You’re in District 4—the dead district. You look around, unsure of what to think of this, and Tina turns to you. “Trust me,” she says, squeezing your hand. “I know this place may look rotten, but [[there’s a home here.|revo1exactly]] I’ll lead you to it.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>She leads you through the abandoned streets of District 4. And you thought it was quiet before. . . Now, there’s true silence, nothing but the sound of both of your footsteps. Wait a minute. . . You can hear the sounds of a crowd talking in the distance now. As Tina walks, the sounds get closer. Is this the [[hideout|revo2]] she was talking about?<<audio "TaxipastTurningTorso" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

[img[images_ec/queerutopia.png]]<<audio "studies" loop play>> The two of you turn the corner, and she walks into an abandoned business parking lot, one that’s hidden away inside cement ceilings. There, sitting in the parking lot, is a large group of people, sharing food and chatting with each other. <<if $homelessperson is "helped">>You even see the homeless lady who you talked to, sitting among them. <<else>><<endif>>Across from them, some private areas have been built, wooden walls that are far away from the group. You wonder what they’re for. “The cops don’t check District 4 at this hour of this day, so we got the place to ourselves,” Tina explains, gesturing to the crowd in front of you, all settled and chatting together. “[[We get together, share what we have.|revo3]] And there are private areas for intimate activity. It’s not perfect—nothing is—but for me, it’s the closest thing to utopia as we’re going to get. Not to mention it also helps the homeless living in District 4—they know we’ll be here reliably with food and water.”

She turns to you. “What are you thinking?” she asks. <<if visited("revo3started")>><<else>>“[[How did this all get started?|revo3started]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("revo3share")>><<else>>“[[You all share everything?|revo3share]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("revo3intimate")>><<else>>“[[Um, there’s ‘intimate activity’ here?|revo3intimate]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("revo3utopia")>><<else>>“[[So, this is your ‘utopia’?|revo3utopia]]”<<endif>> <<if visited() is 5>><<goto "revo4">><<else>><<endif>>

“Well, I and a few other sex workers wanted a safe place from the police,” Tina explains. “We decided to find a place in District 4. A hacker friend of ours looked up the days and times that the police scout the area—we passed the info on to the homeless here too, so they can stay safe—and so, we made our little ‘hangout’. It started small, but more and more people wanted to join, and so, [[here we are.|revo3]]”

“Yes.” Tina nods. “We’re following a communist model, in a sense. How it works is that people bring what they have—basically, food, and mostly bread—and we gather it all up in a pile. Then we divide it equally among the group. We share more than food with each other though: [[we also share our talents, our bodies, our intimate moments.|revo3]] So far, it’s been working well.”

“Yes,” Tina tells you. “[[Part of what we share with each other is our bodies.|revo3]] Of course, those who would rather not are excluded, but there’s a lot of people who do. You’re welcome to partake as well, if you wish.”

“Yes—and I don’t use that word lightly,” Tina says. “I wanted a place like this for a long time, a place where everybody was equal and shared with each other. I’m humbled and happy that it’s finally a reality. I use the word utopia because of the dystopia I believe we live in[[—this place is the opposite of that.|revo3]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>“We have a community of people. We have doctors who help cure the sick and give medicine,” Tina says. “We made a great place here.”<<audio "studies" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You open your mouth to ask another question, but at that moment, someone approaches Tina. “Is this them?” a woman in a blue dress asks, looking over at you. Tina nods. “Yes, this is $Name. Their pronouns are they/them.” “Nice to meet you.” The woman extends her hand. “I’m Karina. [[It’s good to know we have another ally on our side.|revo4]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>You shake her hand and nod, unsure what to say. “Let me take you away from the group so we can explain the plan,” Tina says. She leads you to a spot in the parking lot, and sits down on the ground. [[You do the same|revo4]], and Karina sits next to you.<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>><<elseif visited() is 3>>“You might already know about the assaults the NCPD commits,” Tina begins. “Daily they take women from the checkpoint and rape them. I can’t tell you how many awful stories I’ve heard from women who have been assaulted at the hands of the police.” “[[That’s horrible!|revo4]]” “[[That’s horrible, but what does that have to do with me?|revo4horribleme]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I agree,” Tina says. She closes her eyes for a moment, and takes a deep breath. Then she [[continues|revo4]].<<elseif visited() is 5>>“We plan to bomb the police station at noon tomorrow,” Tina explains. “We’ve chosen a specific date, when all officers will be out of the building thanks to a drill. Our goal isn’t to kill, but to make a statement. [[And to do that, we’d like to ask for your help.|revo4]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>She reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a small diamond-shaped device. “The police station has thick walls, designed to prevent certain types of wireless communication,” Tina explains. “We need to use wireless communication to coordinate the plan once we’re inside. We have a device that helps with that, and [[we’d like to ask you to plant it in the eyewear store, as close to the police station as you can get.|revo4]] That way, we can all communicate effectively once inside.<<elseif visited() is 7>>“Does that make sense so far?” “[[I think so. Go on.|revo5]]” “[[Why don’t you just plant it inside of the police station?|revo4]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“Because that would only let us communicate inside that building,” Tina says. “[[We need to coordinate with people both inside and outside the police station. That’s why we need the device in the eyewear store.|revo5]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I’m getting there,” Tina says, giving you a smile. “[[Let me explain first.|revo4horribleme]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“We plan to bomb the police station at noon tomorrow,” Tina explains. “We’ve chosen a specific date, when all officers will be out of the building thanks to a drill. Our goal isn’t to kill, but to make a statement. [[And to do that, we’d like to ask for your help.|revo4horribleme]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>She reaches into her pocket, and pulls out a small diamond-shaped device. “The police station has thick walls, designed to prevent certain types of wireless communication,” Tina explains. “We need to use wireless communication to coordinate the plan once we’re inside. We have a device that helps with that, and [[we’d like to ask you to plant it in the eyewear store, as close to the police station as you can get.|revo4horribleme]] That way, we can all communicate effectively once inside.<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Does that make sense so far?” “[[I think so. Go on.|revo5]]” “[[Why don’t you just plant it inside of the police station?|revo4horribleme]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Because that would only let us communicate inside that building,” Tina says. “[[We need to coordinate with people both inside and outside the police station. That’s why we need the device in the eyewear store.|revo5]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Tina continues, “The reason we’re doing this is twofold. We want to make a statement, and tell the police that what they’ve been doing is despicable. We plan to broadcast a message all over the city in coordination with the bombing. “The other reason is so we can provide a distraction for Lowlife. We’ve been coordinating with xem, and xe plans to strike the Synthroid factory at the same time as the bombing. It’ll be the perfect distraction for xem.” “[[What message are you going to send?|revo5]]” “[[You know Lowlife?|revo5knowL]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“We plan to broadcast the message, ‘[[State Funded Rapes Are Not Ok|revo5]]’,” Tina tells you. “I have a hacker friend who’s cracked the broadcast systems in the city. They’ll be the ones broadcasting the message.”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Tina looks at you. “So what do you say?” she asks. “Are you willing to help us, by planting the listening device?” “[[Yes, I am.|revoy]]” “[[No, I’m not.|revon]]” “[[How am I going to get in? It’s my day off tomorrow!|revo5]]” “[[Why can’t you just do this yourself?|revo5yourself]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I’m sure you can think of something. Say that you forgot something at the store, something like that. “So, will you help us?” “[[Yes, I will.|revoy]]” “[[No, I’m won't.|revon]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Tina nods. “We’ve been in communication a few times—xe found out about our little utopia and came to us. [[Things just took off from there.|revo5knowL]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Tina looks at you. “So what do you say?” she asks. “Are you willing to help us, by planting the listening device?” “[[Yes, I am.|revoy]]” “[[No, I’m not.|revon]]” “[[How am I going to get in? It’s my day off tomorrow!|revo5]]” “[[Why can’t you just do this yourself?|revo5yourself]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I’m sure you can think of something. Say that you forgot something at the store, something like that. “So, will you help us?” “[[Yes, I will.|revoy]]” “[[No, I’m won't.|revon]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>A smile breaks out on Tina’s face. “Thank you. Thank you so much,” she says. She hands you the device, and you slip it into your pocket. “[[Plant it at least an hour before noon. Contact us when it’s done.|revoy]]” She takes out her phone (it’s quite an old model, you notice), and a moment later, your phone buzzes. “I just sent you the number for my burner phone. Call me when the device is planted.”<<set $helpingTina to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 2>>She stands up. “I’ll take you back to the alleyway, and you can go home from there. Come on, follow me.” “I’ll come with,” Karina says, standing too. And so both women escort you back to the alleyway, taking you through the deserted streets of District 4 and back to civilization. The return trip feels faster, somehow—[[you reach the alley quickly|revoy]].<<elseif visited() is 3>>When you reach it, Tina gives you a nod. “Alright,” she says. “We’ll see you around, then. Thank you.” With that, she and Karina turn around and walk away. [[You watch them go, then return to your apartment.|revoy]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re [[too exhausted to do much of anything when you get back.|d3end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Tina nods. “I understand,” she says, looking disappointed. She clears her throat. “We’ll see if we can find another way. I appreciate you coming all the way here with me[[—thank you for that, at least.|revon]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>She stands up. “I’ll take you back to the alleyway, and you can go home from there. Come on, follow me.” “I’ll come with,” Karina says, standing too. And so both women escort you back to the alleyway, taking you through the deserted streets of District 4 and back to civilization. The return trip feels faster, somehow—[[you reach the alley quickly|revon]].<<elseif visited() is 3>>When you reach it, Tina gives you a nod. “Alright,” she says. “We’ll see you around, then. Thank you.” With that, she and Karina turn around and walk away. [[You watch them go, then return to your apartment.|revon]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You’re [[too exhausted to do much of anything when you get back.|d3end]]<<endif>>

“Because the closest thing to the police station is the employee room,” Tina explains, “and if we tried to get inside, it would be suspicious. That’s why we’re asking you.” “So, will you help us?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|revoy]]” “[[No, I won’t do it.|revon]]”

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4revoy]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next morning feeling quite anxious. Sitting up in your Sleepsack, you get ready to go in a hurry. When you leave the house, it’s an two hours until noon—[[and you don’t want to be late.|d4revoy]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/eyestore.png]] You reach the eyewear store soon enough, and for a moment you stand outside, nervous as heck. Then you take a deep breath, and [[walk inside|d4revoy]].<<elseif visited() is 4>>You go inside the store. Sam is the first to see you, and he gives you a wave. “Hey, $Name!” he calls. “Thought you were off today. You here to shop?”<<set $Tsuspision to 0>><<audio "genomnatteniendatorssken" loop play>> “[[No, I forgot something in the back.|d4revoy]]” “[[Oh, I thought I was working today. Let me talk to Harrison.|d4rythought]]” “[[Um . . . yes?|d4ryumyes]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Oh, ok. Gotcha,” Sam says. He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4revoy]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>You make your way through the store until you reach the break room. Thankfully, nobody is inside yet—you’re alone. That means you have time to plant the device before anyone notices. Or you could look around first, make sure you’re truly alone. [[Plant the device now.|d4ryplant]] [[Look around.|d4rylook]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4revon]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next morning feeling relief, but also a pang of regret. Oh well. That’ll probably go away soon anyway. Now you can do what you usually do on your days off: goof around the play games. You eat a big meal (so that you won’t go hungry later—thankfully, you have enough in the fridge), and plug in your VR port. What do you want to do now?<<audio "wifi" loop play>> [[Report what you know to the police.|d4report]] [[Move on with your day.|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s fine, but I’m pretty sure you’re off today,” Sam says. He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4rythought]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way through the store until you reach the break room. Thankfully, nobody is inside yet—you’re alone. That means you have time to plant the device before anyone notices. Or you could look around first, make sure you’re truly alone. [[Plant the device now.|d4ryplant]] [[Look around.|d4rylook]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Sam raises an eyebrow. “Um, ok. Feel free to look around then?” He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4ryumyes]]<<set $Tsuspision += 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way through the store until you reach the break room. Thankfully, nobody is inside yet—you’re alone. That means you have time to plant the device before anyone notices. Or you could look around first, make sure you’re truly alone. [[Plant the device now.|d4ryplant]] [[Look around.|d4rylook]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You look around, searching for a good place to plant the device. After a while, you’ve come up with three spots. [[On top of the shelf.|d4rycaught]] [[In the vent.|d4ryplant]] [[In the boards under the table.|d4ryplant]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You manuver your body and plant the device in that spot. [[That should be a good location.|d4ryarrestcheck]]<<endif>>

You make your way around the room, and press your ear against the door to the alleyway. Nobody seems to be back there, good— “$Name? What are you doing?” You turn around to see Devin standing at the break room door, staring at you in complete confusion. “Forget it,” he says. “Excuse me.” And with that, he leaves. [[Phew.|d4ryplant]]<<set $Tsuspision += 1>>

You get on your tip-toes and put the device on top of the shelf. [[That should be a good spot.|d4ryarrestcheck]]<<set $Tchip to "caught">>

Satisfied, you leave. Almost home free. . . <<if $Tsuspision is 2>>Then you see Harrison, who’s walking right toward you! When he reaches you, he folds his arms and asks coolly, “What were you doing in there?” You stammer for an explanation, but he just shakes his head. “You better come with me,” Harrison snaps, grabbing your arm. “The NCPD will get the truth out of you.” You are forced outside, where a cop car is waiting. You are shoved inside, and the car drives away. [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<set $player to "prison">><<else>> You stealthily make your way out the door. Sam and Devin busy with customers as you leave—good. [[You don’t want to have to explain anything to them.|d4rycomplete]]<<endif>><<audio "genomnatteniendatorssken" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Once outside, you pull out your phone and find Tina’s number. After calling it, she answers on the first ring. “I assume you succeeded,” she says. “Good. Thank you so much for doing this—you’re really helping us make a statement here. “My friends and I came up with a little gift for you. Here, check your phone screen.”<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>> You look at the screen. It reads: Tina Washington is sending you 550 Digibucks. Accept? Y/N [[Accept the money.|d4rycomplete]] [[Reject the money.|d4rycreject]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You click Y, and [[the money is accepted into your account.|d4rycomplete]]<<set $Digibucks += 550>><<elseif visited() is 3>>“Thank you again,” Tina says. There is a pause. Then, she adds, “You know, we could always use more hands on deck if you’re up for continuing. The revolution doesn’t happen by itself—it needs people. “Would you like to join us?” “[[Yes.|d4rycomplete]]” “[[No.|d4rycdontjoin]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I would,” you say to Tina. “Thank you, that’s excellent!” she exclaims. “Welcome aboard, $Name. “[[Trust me, you’re joining a great cause.|end]]” <<set $joinedTina to "yes">><<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You were with Tina, a sex worker revolutionary who runs a queer utopia in District 4. She asked you to help plant a communication device inside the eyewear store, and you <<if $helpingTina is "yes">>[[agreed|revoendy]]<<else>>[[refused|revoendn]]<<endif>> to do it.<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" loop play>>

<<if $Tsuspision is 2>>You got caught putting the device in the break room, and were hauled off to the police station. After some intense questioning, they were able to get the truth out of you. [[And so you were charged with Illegal Device Planting and thrown in prison for your crimes.|jail]]<<set $player to "prison">> <<elseif $Tchip is "caught">>A week later, Harrison found the device, and they somehow traced it back to you—maybe your fingerprints were on it. You were hauled to the police station, and after some intense questioning, they were able to get the truth out of you. [[And so you were charged with Attempted Data Stealing and thrown in prison from your crimes.|jail]]<<set $player to "prison">> <<else>>The device was never discovered. [[You planted it successfully.|revoendy1]]<<endif>>

Because you didn’t help Tina, you didn’t put yourself in danger. But you also rejected an opportunity to help change things. Perhaps that was for the better, or perhaps that was for the worse. [[That’s up to you.|revoendn1]]<<if $bombing is "stopped">> Because you tipped off the police, the bombing was thwarted.<<else>>The bombing of the police station was successful, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door.<<endif>> And not long after, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while.

Afterwards, Tina asked if you wanted to join her revolution. You said <<if $joinedTina is "yes">>yes<<else>>no<<endif>>. The bombing of the police station was successful, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “[[NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES|fin]]” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door. And not long after, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. <<if $joinedTina is "yes">>In the coming months, you do several more missions for Tina, mostly planting devices and running packages across the city. Sometimes those packages are medicine, sometimes they’re things that’ll help the revolution (more bombs, protest signs, masks in case of tear gas). It’s a fulfilling life—you feel like you’re actually helping to change things.<<else>><<endif>>

<<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> You find a new job at a clothing store, but nothing ever lasts. . . And so, [[life goes on, despite your protests.|fin]]

<<if visited() is 1>>You click N. “[[I didn’t do this for money|d4rycreject]],” you tell Tina. “But I appreciate the sentiment.<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Thank you again,” Tina says. There is a pause. Then, she adds, “You know, we could always use more hands on deck if you’re up for continuing. The revolution doesn’t happen by itself—it needs people. “Would you like to join us?” “[[Yes.|d4rycreject]]” “[[No.|d4rycdontjoin]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I would,” you say to Tina. “Thank you, that’s excellent!” she exclaims. “Welcome aboard, $Name. “[[Trust me, you’re joining a great cause.|end]]” <<set $joinedTina to "yes">><<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You shake your head. “Sorry, I’m not interested,” you say to Tina. “I understand,” she says to you. “Well, thank you for helping us with this, at least. I—we—appreciate it a lot.” And with that, Tina hangs up. You stare at your phone for a moment. [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<audio "Beatstoprocrastineto" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if $carlpath is "yes">>You dream about. . . [[The union.|union]] [[Something else.|branchpoint]]<<else>>[[. . . |branchpoint]]<<endif>> <<set $day to 3>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 3|union]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>You can’t get Carl and the union off of your mind. You’re eager to see if it actually takes off—if it does, it’ll be the first in a long time.<<audio "Wateringplants" loop play>> Taking out your cell phone, you dial Carl’s number. [[Two rings later, he answers.|union]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/carl.png]] “Ah, $Name!” he says. “I’m glad you called. Listen, I have a friend of mine from Arrlingtons who’s eager to meet you. Are you able to come by the vending machines today?” “[[Sure, I’ll stop by.|union]]” “[[Actually, it’s my day off, so no. . .|unionstopbyn]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Splendid!” Carl exclaims. “I’ll see you soon, then.” And with that, he hangs up. You quickly climb out of your Sleepsack and get ready to go. You debate on whether to bring food, but decide to just pick something up at the vending machine if you get hungry. And so [[you leave your apartment and set out for the vending machines|union]], walking the path you take to get to the eyewear store. It almost feels like you’re going to work, but you remind yourself it’s your day off.<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/vendingmachines.png]] You finally turn the corner and reach the vending machines. Carl is standing there, and he smiles when he sees you. “Hey there,” he says. “We’re actually not going to talk here—I have a car around the corner ready to take us to our destination. You ready? “[[Um, sure?|union1]]” “[[Where are we going?|union]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“A little place in District 1,” he replies. Your eyes widen. That’s the upper-class district—why would you be going there? Carl continues, “I have a friend there who wants to meet you-they're the one who sent me out recruiting." “[[Ok.|union1]]” “[[Who is this ‘friend’?|union]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“A corporate worker,” Carl explains. “[[You’ll meet her soon enough.|union1]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You pull out your phone and dial the station’s direct number.<<audio "Unfocused" loop play>> They answer at the second ring. “NCPD, what is your emergency?” a feminine voice asks. You can’t tell if it’s an AI or not. “[[Yeah hi, I think I stumbled across a plot to bring down the cops???|d4report]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>><<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>>You explain what Tina had said to you as best as you can. “Thank you for the tip,” the woman/AI says to you. “We’ll look into it as soon as possible.” [[And then she hangs up.|d4report]]<<set $bombing to "stopped">><<set $calledpoliceT to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 3>>You put down the phone and [[return to your VR port|d4home]].<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<audio "wifi" volume loop play>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 3|vigilantee1]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wake up the next day—and[[there is a figure standing above you.|vigilantee1]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/lowlifehover.png]]<<audio "HuggingAPillow" loop play>> Startled, you scramble to get out of bed, but the person puts a finger to their lips. “Quiet,” they whisper. “[[I’m not here to hurt you.|vigilantee1]] Just listen to me.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/lowlife.png]] Your bleary eyes are focused now, and you realize that the figure is Lowlife! They’re all wrapped up in black clothing, their usual attire, and the only part of them you can see is their striking blue eyes—something you didn’t notice before, but you can see now that you’re up close. “I need your help,” says the vigilante. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while—you and the other employees at the glasses store—and [[I think you’re the person who can assist me.|vigilantee1]]"<<elseif visited() is 5>>“If you want to help, meet me outside the Synthroid factory. I hope to see you there.” With that, Lowlife jumps out the window, and is gone. What do you want to do?<<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>> [[Go meet up with Lowlife.|vigi1meety]] [[Stay home.|vigi1meetn]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You quickly get ready to go, and are quickly outside. Your heart is pounding as you cross the checkpoint. Can the police sense your intentions? Apparently not, because they hand back your ID without much of a fuss. You breathe out a [[sigh of relief|vigi1meety]], and proceed to the eyewear store.<<elseif visited() is 2>>Finally, you reach it. [[You don’t see anyone waiting for you.|vigi1meety]] You linger outside the front of the store, your fingers tapping nervously against your leg.<<elseif visited() is 3>>“[[Keep your voice down.|vigi1meety]]”<<audio "HuggingAPillow" loop play>> Lowlife’s voice startles you, and you jump as you turn around to face them.<<elseif visited() is 4>>[img[images_ec/olga.png]] They’re out of their costume! “Lowlife” is wearing colorful scarves and a duffel coat. Not to mention they have a buzzcut and aqua hair. Sweet. “I want to take you somewhere,” they tell you slowly. “Somewhere private where we can talk. Follow me.” They walk away, and you follow them. [[You’ve come this far, so why not go farther?|vigi1meety]]<<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/district4.png]]<<audio "TaxipastTurningTorso" loop play>> They weave through the city streets with ease, and then . . . they leave the border of District 3, and walk into District 4—the abandoned district. You hesitate for a moment, and then follow them. In contrast, the streets here are quiet and desolate. [[District 4 is nothing more than a tomb of forgotten places, after all. Why would Lowlife want to bring you here?|vigi1meety]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>Finally, they reach a crumbling building, and walk inside. You hesitantly follow them, praying the roof won’t cave in from above you. To your surprise, there are two chairs in here, ones that look like they were placed recently. Lowlife sits down in one, and you take a seat in the other. There is an [[awkward|vigi1meety]] silence.<<audio "TaxipastTurningTorso" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 7>>Finally, Lowlife speaks. “I’m sorry to have to bring you all this way,” they say to you. “District 4 is the best place to talk without being watched or fearing you’ll be overheard. And the cops aren’t here at this day and hour, so it all works very nicely.”<<audio "HuggingAPillow" loop play>> “[[You really thought this through.|vigi1meety]]” “[[So what do you want with me?|vmeetywant]]”<<elseif visited() is 8>>“Thanks.” They give you a smile. “I have a mutual friend who knows a [[hacker|vigi1meety]]. They were able to get the schedule for the police patrols through here. That’s why I came to your apartment at a certain time.”<<elseif visited() is 9>>“I am Lowlife,” they say to you. “I bring medicine to the sick who need it. I bring hope, unlike those Euphoria dealers. All they bring is death, sending already depressed people over the edge for their money. I want to pull people back on solid ground. That’s my mission. Does that make sense?” “[[I think so.|vigi1meety]]” “[[Euphoria dealers?|vmeetyeuphd]]”<<elseif visited() is 10>>“Good,” Lowlife says, nodding. “I’m glad you [[understand|vigi1meety]], at least.”<<elseif visited() is 11>>“I’ve been keeping an eye on the employees at the eye factory, because I need the help of one of you. I’ve sent friends to survey the situation too. Point is, I see a rebellious heart in you, one that might be willing to help me out.” “[[Ok. . .|vigi1meety1]]” “[[Rebellious heart, huh?|vigi1meety]]”<<elseif visited() is 12>>Lowlife nods. “You’ve made some mistakes, to be sure. But [[your heart’s in the right place|vigi1meety1]], in my opinion. That’s why I need you.”<<endif>>

You decide not to go meet the vigilante. Whatever they’re planning could be risky, and you want no part of it. With that, you decide to do what you usually do on your days off: plug in your VR port and [[have some fun|d3home]].<<audio "wifi" loop play>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4vmeetn]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next day with a strong feeling of relief. Whatever Lowlife has planned, it doesn’t involve you, and that means you’re safe as ever. Good. But you did see Lowlife. And they said they have something planned. . . What do you want to do? [[Report Lowlife’s actions to the police.|d4reportL]] [[Do not.|d4vmeetn]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You shake your head, and decide to let Lowlife get away with whatever they have planned. The cops don’t need to know you saw them. Satisfied, you eat a big meal and plug in your VR port. [[Now to enjoy your day.|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“[[I’ll get to that, I promise|vmeetywant]],” Lowlife says, holding up their hand. “Just let me finish.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I am Lowlife,” they say to you. “I bring medicine to the sick who need it. I bring hope, unlike those Euphoria dealers. All they bring is death, sending already depressed people over the edge for their money. I want to pull people back on solid ground. That’s my mission. Does that make sense?” “[[I think so.|vmeetywant]]” “[[Euphoria dealers?|vmeetyeuphd]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Good,” Lowlife says, nodding. “I’m glad you [[understand|vmeetywant]], at least.”<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I’ve been keeping an eye on the employees at the eye factory, because I need the help of one of you. I’ve sent friends to survey the situation too. Point is, I see a rebellious heart in you, one that might be willing to help me out.” “[[Ok. . .|vigi1meety1]]” “[[Rebellious heart, huh?|vmeetywant]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>Lowlife nods. “You’ve made some mistakes, to be sure. But [[your heart’s in the right place|vigi1meety1]], in my opinion. That’s why I need you.”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Never mind,” Lowlife says, [[shaking their head|vmeetyeuphd]]. “It’s not important right now.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I’ve been keeping an eye on the employees at the eye factory, because I need the help of one of you. I’ve sent friends to survey the situation too. Point is, I see a rebellious heart in you, one that might be willing to help me out.” “[[Ok. . .|vigi1meety1]]” “[[Rebellious heart, huh?|vmeetyeuphd]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Lowlife nods. “You’ve made some mistakes, to be sure. But [[your heart’s in the right place|vigi1meety1]], in my opinion. That’s why I need you.”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Here’s what I plan to do,” Lowlife says. “You may have heard about what I do: I take medicine from the factories that horde it. And [[I plan to break into the Synthroid factory tomorrow, at noon.|vigi1meety1]]"<<elseif visited() is 2>>“There’s a lot of desperate people who need that medicine, but it’s too expensive now—one dose costs almost 1000 Digibucks, and they need that medicine to survive!” Lowlife grits their teeth angrily. “It’s pathetic, how much these companies want to leech from people who need medication. I want to do my part to help.” “[[So why do you need me?|vigi1meety1]]” “[[Robbing factories is ‘helping’?|vmy1robbing]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Let me [[explain|vigi1meety1]],” Lowlife says.<<elseif visited() is 4>>“I need someone to watch things from the outside for me,” the vigilante explains. “Someone who can be there without looking suspicious. And since you’re an employee of the eye store next to the factory, you qualify for the role. “I’m not asking for you to do anything super dangerous, though it does put you at risk. [[Just hang out outside and keep and eye on the factory.|vigi1meety1]] That’s all.”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“What do you think? Will you do this for me?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|vmy1y]]” “[[No, I won’t do it.|vmy1n]]” “[[Am I really the only person who can help you?|vigi1meety1]]” “[[But it’s my day off tomorrow. . .|vmy1dayoff]]” <<elseif visited() is 6>>Lowlife nods. “You’re one of the few people who can linger there without arousing suspicion. The NCPD has an eye on the factories right now—if they think something’s off, they’ll act. That’s why I need you. “So, will you do it?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|vmy1y]]” “[[No, I won’t do it.|vmy1n]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Stealing from rich assholes to help poor people? Yes, that’s helping,” Lowlife says, sounding determined. “They horde medicine and charge more than ten times the amount it costs to produce it. [[That’s a system that needs breaking, and I’m part of that.|vmy1robbing]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I need someone to watch things from the outside for me,” the vigilante explains. “Someone who can be there without looking suspicious. And since you’re an employee of the eye store next to the factory, you qualify for the role. “I’m not asking for you to do anything super dangerous, though it does put you at risk. [[Just hang out outside and keep and eye on the factory.|vmy1robbing]] That’s all.”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“What do you think? Will you do this for me?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|vmy1y]]” “[[No, I won’t do it.|vmy1n]]” “[[Am I really the only person who can help you?|vmy1robbing]]” “[[But it’s my day off tomorrow. . .|vmy1dayoff]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>Lowlife nods. “You’re one of the few people who can linger there without arousing suspicion. The NCPD has an eye on the factories right now—if they think something’s off, they’ll act. That’s why I need you. “So, will you do it?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|vmy1y]]” “[[No, I won’t do it.|vmy1n]]”<<endif>>

Lowlife smiles. “Thank you. [[I sincerely appreciate you cooperating with me—it means a lot.|vmy1y1]] Thank you so much.”<<set $joinLowlife to "yes">>

Lowlife nods. “I understand,” they say, sounding disappointed. “I’ll see if I can find somebody else who can help me, then. [[I appreciate you coming all the way out here with me.|vmy1takingpcback]]”

“The security watching the place won’t know that,” Lowlife tells you. “And I’m sure you can think of an excuse as to why you’re there. “So what do you say? Will you do this for me?” “[[Yes, I’ll do it.|vmy1y]]” “[[No, I won’t do it.|vmy1n]]”

<<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Olga<<else>>Lowlife<<endif>> stands up. “I should take you home.” <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>xe says<<else>>they say<<endif>> to you. “Come with me. I’ll lead you there.” <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Xe<<else>>they<<endif>> stand up and walk out of the building. You follow them through the streets of District 4, the desolate silence surrounding you both. Thankfully, that silence is soon replaced by the sounds of the city—it doesn’t take long for you both to return there, and <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Olga<<else>>Lowlife<<endif>> weaves through the streets with ease. [[Soon enough, you both are standing in front of your apartment complex.|vmy1tgpcb1]]

<<if visited() is 1>>“Now, I’m sure you have some questions about me. It’s only fair that I answer them, considering how large a task I’m asking of you. So ask away.” You ponder for a moment, then speak.<<else>>Lowlife waits patiently for your questions.<<endif>> <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>><<else>>“[[So what’s your name and pronouns?|LowlifeqsName]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("LowlifeqsStarted")>><<else>>“[[What got you started doing this?|LowlifeqsStarted]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("LowlifeqsLife")>><<else>>“[[What do you do when you’re not, uh, doing this Lowlife stuff?|LowlifeqsLife]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("LowlifeqsYourself")>><<else>>“[[Tell me more about yourself.|LowlifeqsYourself]]”<<endif>> <<if visited("LowlifeqsFriends")>><<else>>“[[Tell me more about your friends.|LowlifeqsFriends]]”<<endif>> <<if visited() is 6>>"[[That's all.|vmy1takingpcback]]"<<else>><<endif>>

“My name’s [[Olga|vmy1y1]],” Lowlife replies. “My pronouns are xe/xem/xyr.” Xe gives you a smile. “What about you?” “I’m $Name,” you reply. “Pronouns they/them.” Xe nods. “Nice to meet you,” xe says.

“A friend of mine lamented to me how much medicine cost for her chronic illness,” Lowlife explains. “I learned that this is actually pretty common all around the city—I’m one of the lucky ones, since my medicine happens to be cheap. So I decided to do something about it. It was scary, taking that first step. And I have to plan around my pain levels, wait for my meds to kick in. But [[I'm glad I do what I do. And I’m not sorry about it in the least.|vmy1y1]]”

“I do sex work in District 2," Lowlife explains. “[[It’s good work, hard work too, fits around my schedule very nicely.|vmy1y1]] Fits around my chronic illness. I just hope it can have full legality someday.”

“Not much to tell,” Lowlife says. “I was born and raised in the city. My parents live in District 3, and have long since cut me off for being queer. I have a chronic illness, which affects how much pain I’m in during the day. That’s why I do sex work—there’s flexibility, and shorter hours. [[That’s it, really.|vmy1y1]]”

“I’m friends with a few other sex workers, and we’re mutual friends with a skilled hacker,” Lowlife says. “[[We’re all trying to change this city for the better. I just hope we can succeed.|vmy1y1]]”

<<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Olga<<else>>Lowlife<<endif>> stops and turns to you. “Thanks for coming,” <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>xe says<<else>>they say<<endif>>. “I appreciate you trusting me.” They hold out <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>xyr<<else>>their<<endif>> hand. “I’ll see you <<if visited("vmy1y")>>soon<<else>>around<<endif>>.” [[Shake Lowlife’s hand.|vmy1tgpcb1shake]] [[Don’t.|vmy1tgpcb1dont]]

You reach out and shake the vigilante’s hand. It’s very warm. “It was good to meet you,” you say. <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Xe gives<<else>>They give<<endif>> you a smile. And with that, <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Olga<<else>>Lowlife<<endif>> [[turns around and walks away|vmy1tgpcb2]]. “Bye <<if visited("vmy1y")>>for now<<else>><<endif>>.

You shake your head, folding your arms. Lowlife drops <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>xyr<<else>>their<<endif>> hand. “Don’t worry, I understand,” <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>xe says<<else>>they say<<endif>>. And with that, <<if visited("LowlifeqsName")>>Olga<<else>>Lowlife<<endif>> [[turns around and walks away|vmy1tgpcb2]]. “Bye<<if visited("vmy1y")>> for now<<else>><<endif>>.

You stand there for a moment, still shell-shocked. Then, you walk inside the complex, and are soon home.<<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You’re too exhausted to do much of anything, aside from eat. Then you turn to your [[bed|d3end]].

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4vy]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] By the time you get up, it’s an hour from noon. You groan and leave you Sleepsack, thinking about Lowlife’s upcoming robbery. Of course, you could still betray them. If you wanted to. [[Report Lowlife to the police.|d4reportL2]] [[Do not, and get ready to go to the factory.|d4vy]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You shake your head. Lowlife trusted you with this task—not to mention their civilian identity! You don’t want to break that trust, you want to help them.<<set $helpLowlife to "yes">> And so, determined, you stand up and leave the apartment, walking down to the factory. It doesn’t take long to get there, and you notice a few guards standing out front. They’re normally there ever since Lowlife began xyr medicine stealing, [[but now you’re hyper aware of them|d4vy]], wondering if they know your intentions.<<elseif visited() is 4>>You go outside of the eyewear store and lean against the window, switching your gaze from the street to the factory, trying to act casual. Lowlife wanted you to keep watch, but xe didn’t exactly give you specific instructions to that end. [[What are you supposed to be watching out for?|d4vy]]<<set $Lsuspision to 0>> “$Name?” <<elseif visited() is 5>>You turn around to see Harrison, poking his head outside of the store. “You’re off today, you know,” he adds. “What are you doing here?” “[[I wanted to talk to Sam about something—came too early though. I’m going to wait until he’s on break.|d4vy]]” “[[Sorry, thought I was working today! I think I’ll wait around here though—I was thinking of buying a new VR port with my employee discount.|d4vybuying]]” “[[Um . . . no reason! Just hanging.|d4vyhanging]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Oh, I see,” says Harrison. “I’ll let him know you want to talk to him then. He should be out in 30 minutes or so.” He goes back inside the store, and you breathe out a sigh of relief. Turning your focus back to the Synthroid factory, you look up at the huge building, then check your phone. It’s two minutes to noon. Come on, Lowlife, you think to yourself, putting your phone away. [[Get to it!|d4vy]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>And right then is when you hear a loud BOOM! You and everyone else on the street look up to see some kind of fire on the top floor of the police station! Immediately the guards outside react. “MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” one of them shouts. Most go to the police station; the rest go in the factory Your heart pounds. [[Will Lowlife be caught?|d4vysuscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4vn]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wake up the next day with a strong feeling of relief. Whatever Lowlife has planned, it doesn’t involve you, and that means you’re safe as ever. Good. But you did see Lowlife. And they have a big plan. . . What do you want to do? [[Report Lowlife’s actions to the police.|d4reportL1]] [[Do not.|d4vn]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You shake your head. No, Lowlife's plans are safe with you. You won’t report them to the police. Satisfied, you eat a big meal and plug in your VR port. [[Now to enjoy your day.|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You pick up the phone and call the police hotline. A moment later, someone answers. “NCPD Tip Center, how can we help?” “Yeah, I saw Lowlife,” you say to them.<<audio "Unfocused" loop play>> There’s a sigh at the other end. “We get a lot of reports of Lowlife sightings,” they explain to you. “Most of them turn out to be false. Tell me more, and we’ll see if yours turns out true or not, kid.” “Well, Lowlife stopped by my house the other day,” you continue. “I don’t know how they got in. But they wanted me to meet them by the Synthroid factory. I don’t know why, because I didn’t go.” “I see.” Their voice sounds more serious now. You hear typing sounds in the background. “Well, thank you for the tip. From the NCPD to you, have a great day.” [[They hang up the phone.|d4reportL]]<<set $reportedLowlife to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 2>>Satisfied, you eat a big meal and plug in your VR port. [[Now to enjoy your day.|d4home]]<<audio "Unfocused" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<audio "wifi" loop play>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You pick up the phone and call the police hotline. A moment later, someone answers. “NCPD Tip Center, how can we help?” “Yeah, I saw Lowlife,” you say to them. There’s a sigh at the other end. “We get a lot of reports of Lowlife sightings,” they explain to you. “Most of them turn out to be false. Tell me more, and we’ll see if yours turns out true or not, kid.” “Lowlife wanted me to follow them to District 4—I went in order to see what it was all about,” you explain. “Xe plans on robbing the Synthroid factory, the one near the police station, at noon. That’s what xe told me.” “I see.” Their voice is serious now, and you hear the sounds of typing in the background. “[[I’ll get this information to the NCPD as soon as possible.|d4reportL2]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“There’s more,” you add. “Lowlife is a person named Olga. Xe lives in District 2 and works as a sex worker. That’s xyr civilian identity.” “And how do you know this?” “Xe told me.” “I see.” You hear more typing. “Thank you for the helpful information. I’ll relay this to the NCPD as soon as possible.” [[And with that, they hang up.|d4reportL2]]<<set $reportedOlga to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 3>>You put your phone back in your pocket. It’s probably best you stay home now—don’t want to go to the danger zone after what you just did. You need a [[distraction|d4home]]. And so you eat a big meal, and plug in the VR port.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s wonderful!” says Harrison, smiling. “Well, let me know if you decide to buy one—I’d be happy to help you choose.” He goes back inside the store, and you breathe out a sigh of relief. Turning your focus back to the Synthroid factory, you look up at the huge building, then check your phone. It’s two minutes to noon. Come on, Lowlife, you think to yourself, putting your phone away. [[Get to it!|d4vybuying]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>And right then is when you hear a loud BOOM! You and everyone else on the street look up to see some kind of fire on the top floor of the police station!<<audio "DriveItLikeYouDownloadedIt" loop play>> Immediately the guards outside react. “MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” one of them shouts. Most go to the police station; the rest go in the factory Your heart pounds. [[Will Lowlife be caught?|d4vysuscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Harrison raises an eyebrow. “Alright then,” he says, sounding suspicious. <<set $Lsuspision += 1>> He goes back inside the store, and you breathe out a sigh of relief. Turning your focus back to the Synthroid factory, you look up at the huge building, then check your phone. It’s two minutes to noon. Come on, Lowlife, you think to yourself, putting your phone away. [[Get to it!|d4vyhanging]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>And right then is when you hear a loud BOOM! You and everyone else on the street look up to see some kind of fire on the top floor of the police station!<<audio "DriveItLikeYouDownloadedIt" loop play>> Immediately the guards outside react. “MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” one of them shouts. Most go to the police station; the rest go in the factory Your heart pounds. [[Will Lowlife be caught?|d4vysuscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if $Lsuspision is 1>>But then, before you can find out, you’re suddenly grabbed from behind, and handcuffs are placed on your wrists! You turn around in surprise to see two NCPD cops, and Harrison standing there with his arms folded. “Wait!” you cry, but you’re already behind shoved to the station. [[What will happen to you now?|end]] <<else>>You watch the guards all pour inside, until only two are guarding the door—the rest are heading for the vigilante, it seems. You stare at the scene, along with everyone else in the area, [[waiting|d4vy1]] for whatever will happen next.<<set $helpLowlife to "succeed">><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>That’s when you see xem. Lowlife jumps out of a window on the top floor—you can barely see xyr cloaked figure thanks to all the smog—and lands on the building next door, running away from the scene. Xe has a giant bag on their back—one that’s presumably filled with Synthroid, if you had to guess—and stumbles on the landing, but [[xe makes it.|d4vy1]] The guards stick their head out the window, but by the time they do that, Lowlife is gone. Xe is out of sight, and the crowd murmurs in astonishment (though their attention is at the commotion at the police station). You’re quite surprised too.<<audio "DriveItLikeYouDownloadedIt" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 2>>A moment later, your phone starts to ring. Taking it out of your pocket, you see it’s from an unlisted number. Heart pounding, you answer the call.<<audio "HuggingAPillow" loop play>> “It’s me.” Lowlife’s/Olga’s voice crackles on the other end of the line. “My friend is using their skills to make sure this call isn’t recorded or traced. “I just wanted to say thank you for being there today. [[I know you didn’t do much, but just standing by my side like that is enough to show you care. And I appreciate that.|d4vy1]]"<<elseif visited() is 3>>“My friends and I have scrounged up a little something for you. Check your phone now.” You look at the screen. It reads: Olga Thunderson is sending you 550 Digibucks. Accept? Y/N [[Accept the money.|d4vy1]] [[Reject the money.|d4vy1reject]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You click Y, and [[the money is accepted into your account.|d4vy1]] <<set $Digibucks += 550>><<elseif visited() is 5>>“I have a confession to make,” Olga tells you. “Part of the reason I recruited you is because I have needs of eyes and ears. Somebody who’s willing to stay on the outside and make sure things go smoothly. If you take up that task, you’ll be a bit more involved in my heists in the future.” “Would you like to join my team?” “[[Yes.|d4vy1]]” “[[No.|d4vy1dontjoin]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“I would,” you say to Lowlife. You can practically feel xem smiling. “Excellent,” xe says to you. “Then [[welcome aboard a great cause.|end]] “Trust me, you are going to have quite a great time here.”<<set $Lowlifeteam to "yes">><<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You click N. “[[I didn’t do this for the money|d4vy1reject]],” you tell Olga. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>“I have a confession to make,” Olga tells you. “Part of the reason I recruited you is because I have needs of eyes and ears. Somebody who’s willing to stay on the outside and make sure things go smoothly. If you take up that task, you’ll be a bit more involved in my heists in the future.” “Would you like to join my team?” “[[Yes.|d4vy1reject]]” “[[No.|d4vy1dontjoin]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“I would,” you say to Lowlife. You can practically feel xem smiling. “Excellent,” xe says to you. “Then [[welcome aboard a great cause.|end]] “Trust me, you are going to have quite a great time here.”<<set $Lowlifeteam to "yes">><<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You shake your head. “Sorry, I’m not interested,” you say to Lowlife. “[[I understand|end]],” xe says to you. “Well, thank you for doing this for me. I appreciate it.” And with that, Olga hangs up. You stare at your phone for a moment. What will happen to you now?<<audio "HuggingAPillow" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

You were with Lowlife, the vigilante who takes medicine from rich pharmaceutical companies and gives them to the poor. They wanted you to meet with them, and you <<if visited("vigi1meetn")>>[[didn't go|vigilend1]]<<else>>[[went|vigilend0]]<<endif>>.<<audio "HuggingAPillow" loop play>>

[[At the factory|vigilend1]], <<if $Lsuspision is 1>>you were apparently suspicious, and so you were arrested by the NCPD. During questioning, they broke you, and soon Lowlife was in custody too. Soon, [[both of you are convicted and jailed.|jail]]<<elseif $helpLowlife is "succeed">>[[you successfully kept watch for Lowlife outside|vigilend1]], and xe asked if you wanted to continue helping xem.<<endif>> You said <<if $Lowlifeteam is "yes">>yes<<else>>no.<<endif>> <<if $Lowlifeteam is "yes">>You spent some of your days helping Lowlife now. Most of it involves standing watch outside their latest heist location, but you’ve also delivered medicine to the sick. The joy on people’s faces when you deliver it is one of the best things in the world.<<else>><<endif>>

“I am The Lawbreaker,” they inform you. “I’m a hacker who’s been keeping an eye on Neon City for a long time. There are a few groups I’m a part of who I help with their goals, but I also have goals of my own. I want to help them as much as I can—and taking from the rich is how I do it.” The Lawbreaker turns to you with a smile. “So what do you say? Do you want to join me?” “[[Yes.|lawbreakery]]” “[[No.|lawbreakern]]”

“I knew you would,” they say, their smile getting wider. “Let me give you your instructions. “At noon, I need you to go to your workplace and retrieve your boss chip. I will meet you in the alleyway outside. I want to download the hologram database within the chip for a little . . . surprise. “After that, I’m going to send an email out to everyone in the meeting, asking them to come back—everyone except Isaiah Warburton, that is. [[The meeting will occur at 1pm, and I want you to witness it.|lawbreaker2]] Don’t worry—no one will be able to see or hear you, just like in the meeting that just occurred. And I’ll turn on the light feature of your VR port again so you know when to join.” <<set $HelpingLawbreaker to "yes">>

<<if visited() is 1>>“I’ll see you on the other side,” The Lawbreaker says, giving you a smirk. “Until next time.” Then, their hologram disappears. [[And your VR port home screen pops in front of you, as if nothing happened.|lawbreaker2]]<<audio "StolenLife" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<elseif visited() is 2>>For the rest of the day, you’re in a bit of a state of shock. You eat, drink, and sleep, but you can’t help but thinking about Phil dropping a million dollars like it was loose change. And [[how much you would kill to get money like that. . .|d3end]] Before you know it, it’s nighttime, and you’re ready to go into your Sleepsack.<<endif>>

They frown. “That’s surprising,” The Lawbreaker murmurs. “Oh well . . . no matter. [[I’m disappointed, of course, but I respect your decision.|lawbreaker2]]”

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4lby]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] The next day, you’re feeling a little bit better now. Trying to forget that million bucks helps. Though you get up pretty late—it’s almost 11. You get out of bed, and get ready to face the day. [[Go get the Boss Chip.|d4lby]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>Determined, you get up and march toward the door. You are going to do this. [[You’re nervous as hell, but you are going to do this.|d4lby]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You grab your stuff and get out the door. Your journey down the streets and through the checkpoint is a nervous blur, and before you know it, you’re at the eyewear store. You take a deep breath. Then, [[you walk inside|d4lby]].<<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/eyestore.png]]<<set $Lsuspision to 0>> You go inside the store. Sam is the first to see you, and he gives you a wave. “Hey, $Name!” he calls. “Thought you were off today. You here to shop?”<<audio "genomnatteniendatorssken" loop play>> “[[No, I forgot something in the back.||d4lby]]” “[[Oh, I thought I was working today. Let me talk to Harrison.|d4lbyHarrison]]” “[[Um . . . yes?|d4lbysus]]”<<elseif visited() is 6>>“Oh, ok. Gotcha,” Sam says. He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4lby]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>You make your way to the back, and walk inside the Employees Only room. The only chip here is yours, since the others are plugged into everyone else’s heads. Do you want to just grab it? Or do you want to check if you’re alone first? [[Grab the chip.|d4lby]] [[Check first.|d4lbysus2]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>You don’t hesitate. You reach out and grab the chip from the charging dock and stuff it into your pocket. Then you get out of the room as quick as you can, and walk towards the door to the alleyway. [[Phew. You did it!|d4lbysuscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4lbn]]</big></big><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] The next day, you’re feeling a little bit better now. Trying to forget that million bucks helps. Though you get up pretty late—it’s almost 11. You get out of bed, and get ready to face the day. You pick up your VR port. The purple light is nowhere to be found this time, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You plug in the port, and prepare to [[relax|d4home]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s fine, but I’m pretty sure you’re off today,” Sam says. He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4lbyHarrison]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way to the back, and walk inside the Employees Only room. The only chip here is yours, since the others are plugged into everyone else’s heads. Do you want to just grab it? Or do you want to check if you’re alone first? [[Grab the chip.|d4lbyHarrison]] [[Check first.|d4lbysus2]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You don’t hesitate. You reach out and grab the chip from the charging dock and stuff it into your pocket. Then you get out of the room as quick as you can, and walk towards the door to the alleyway. [[Phew. You did it!|d4lbysuscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Sam raises an eyebrow. “Um, ok. Feel free to look around then?” He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4lbysus]]<<set $Lsuspision += 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way to the back, and walk inside the Employees Only room. The only chip here is yours, since the others are plugged into everyone else’s heads. Do you want to just grab it? Or do you want to check if you’re alone first? [[Grab the chip.|d4lbysus]] [[Check first.|d4lbysus2]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You don’t hesitate. You reach out and grab the chip from the charging dock and stuff it into your pocket. Then you get out of the room as quick as you can, and walk towards the door to the alleyway. [[Phew. You did it!|d4lbysuscheck]]<<endif>>

You listen against the door for a while, to check if anyone is coming. Once you’re satisfied, you grab the chip and stuff it into your pocket. Breathing a sigh of relief, you duck out the door—and almost run into Harrison! “$Name?” he says, sounding confused. “You’re not working today. What were you doing in there?” “Sorry, I thought I was on today,” you improvise. “But I just remembered I’m not, so I’m heading out.” Harrison nods, looking [[skeptical|d4lbysuscheck]]. “Alright then.” You walk toward the alley door, breathing a sigh of relief.<<set $Lsuspision += 1>>

<<if $Lsuspision is 2>>But before you can escape, Harrison grabs your collar! “Not so fast,” he snaps. “You’re acting suspicious. I’m calling the NCPD.” You sputter for an explanation, but he isn’t listening to you anymore. Before you know it, you’re being dragged off to the station and put in an interrogation room. [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<set $player to "prison">><<else>> You go outside and close the door behind you. Looks like you made it—for now. “[[You have it?|d4lby1]]”<<endif>><<audio "genomnatteniendatorssken" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You jump at the sound of The Lawbreaker’s voice, and turn around to see them standing behind you. They look basically the same as they did as a hologram—it’s a weird outfit for sure, but in this city, it barely stands out.<<audio "StolenLife" loop play>> They hold out their hand. “The chip,” they say. “Quickly.” You hand it to them, and they smile wide. “Excellent.” They pocket the chip, and say, “Don’t worry—I’ll ensure it is safely returned. For now, go back home. [[I’ll turn on the light feature for your VR port when I’m ready.|d4lby1]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>They turn around to leave. “Wait!” you call out. The Lawbreaker looks back at you. “Yes?” “[[What’s your name?|d4lby1]]” “[[Why are you doing this?|d4lby1why]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“My name doesn’t matter,” The Lawbreaker says. “Trust me, it’s something disappointing, like ‘Reggie’. You don’t want to know my name. [[Just see me for who I am presenting myself to be.|d4lby1]]”<<elseif visited() is 4>>And with that, they walk away, and are gone. You make your way back home in the smoggy city, and soon reach your [[apartment|d4lby1]].<<audio "StolenLife" volume 0.75 fadeout>> <<elseif visited() is 5>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] Sitting down on your Sleepsack, you pick up your VR port and stare at it, waiting for the purple light to turn on. As time slowly passes, your nervousness increases. What if those rich people see you during the meeting? What if everything goes wrong, somehow, and you get questioned by police? What if— [[The purple light turns on.|d4lby1]] You jump in surprise, and fumble to plug the port into your head. Soon, it slides in, and you are transported yet again.<<elseif visited() is 6>>You are in front of the table again, with the holograms sitting around it. “Are we all here?” Isaiah Warburton asks, looking around the table. There’s a certain glint in his eyes, and somehow you know: that’s not Warburton. He sounds and looks like your boss, but that’s The Lawbreaker, isn’t it? “I do believe we’re all present and accounted for,” Ian says with a smile. “So, Isaiah, what did you want to talk to us about?”<<audio "mint" loop play>> The Lawbreaker, through the hologram of Isaiah Warburton, smiles. “I do believe Phil and I have something we want to say to you,” he says, turning to the man in question. “[[Isn’t that right, Phil?|d4lby1]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“Isaiah, we never discussed this,” Phil nervously replies. “What are you on about?” “Why, I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I’ve had a change of heart,” The Lawbreaker replies. “I’m thinking about coming clean. . . What do you think of that, Phil?” “‘Come clean’?” asks George. “What are you talking about exactly?” “Isaiah, I will do anything if you just stop this,” Phil says, clearly starting to panic. “Anything?” The Lawbreaker asks, tilting his head. “No, let him talk!” insists Charlie. “I want to hear this confession.” “Hang on,” orders The Lawbreaker. He presses a few unseen buttons, and a QR code appears in front of Phil. “[[If you’ll really do anything, then make a 500,000 Digibuck donation to that address|d4lby1]],” The Lawbreaker says smoothly. “I know you have the cash.”<<elseif visited() is 8>>Phil fidgets angrily in his chair. “Fine,” he snaps, and presses a few buttons of his own. The Lawbreaker checks something in his hand, then nods. “I’ve confirmed the donation,” he says. “Thank you, friend. I suppose I have nothing else to say.” Phil breathes a sigh of relief. “Good.” Charlie glances at the two, suspicious, but says nothing. “Was there anything . . . else you wanted, Isaiah?” he asks. “No,” The Lawbreaker replies. “Phil, I’ll be in touch. Until next time, gentlemen.” And with that, Isaiah Warburton’s hologram disappears.<<audio "mint" volume 0.75 fadeout>> One by one, the other men sign off. Phil is the last to leave. Once they’re all [[gone|d4lby1]], the table disappears, too.<<elseif visited() is 9>>“That was easier than I expected.” The Lawbreaker’s voice—their real one this time, not your boss’s—comes from behind you, and you turn around to see them. “I had Phil donate to the soup kitchen down in District 2—Digicore’s been squeezing them dry of money for years by raising the rent, and they’re at the brink of shutting down. Figured they could use a little boost.”<<audio "StolenLife" loop play>> They smile. “And I’ve sewn some seeds of distrust within this little group—that’s a bonus I can appreciate. I’m certain it’ll break up within a few months, if not sooner. Maybe the city—and the country—will be better off without it.” “[[Why do you want to break up the group?|d4lby1]]” “[[Why manipulate them like this?|d4lby1whymanipulate]]<<elseif visited() is 10>>“You heard them too, didn’t you?” asked The Lawbreaker. “They meet every week to discuss how they can sabotage efforts that will help the poor people of the city. From housing to labor to wages. I’ve attended many in secret. And I can tell you that those men are some of the vilest creatures in all of Neon City. [[That’s why I want to break up the group—because that would be a step towards making this city better.|d4lby1]]”<<elseif visited() is 11>>The Lawbreaker turns to you. “You know, I could use someone by my side,” they say. “A rebel who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty in the name of justice. “Are you that person?” “[[Yes.|d4lby1y]]” “[[No.|d4lby1n]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Why else?” The Lawbreaker asks. “[[Because the rich steal and lie, and the only thing we can do is be better at their tactics than them.|d4lby1why]] That’s all.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>And with that, they walk away, and are gone. You make your way back home in the smoggy city, and soon reach your [[apartment|d4lby1why]].<<audio "StolenLife" volume 0.75 fadeout>> <<elseif visited() is 3>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] Sitting down on your Sleepsack, you pick up your VR port and stare at it, waiting for the purple light to turn on. As time slowly passes, your nervousness increases. What if those rich people see you during the meeting? What if everything goes wrong, somehow, and you get questioned by police? What if— [[The purple light turns on.|d4lby1why]] You jump in surprise, and fumble to plug the port into your head. Soon, it slides in, and you are transported yet again.<<elseif visited() is 4>>You are in front of the table again, with the holograms sitting around it. “Are we all here?” Isaiah Warburton asks, looking around the table. There’s a certain glint in his eyes, and somehow you know: that’s not Warburton. He sounds and looks like your boss, but that’s The Lawbreaker, isn’t it?<<audio "mint" loop play>> “I do believe we’re all present and accounted for,” Ian says with a smile. “So, Isaiah, what did you want to talk to us about?” The Lawbreaker, through the hologram of Isaiah Warburton, smiles. “I do believe Phil and I have something we want to say to you,” he says, turning to the man in question. “[[Isn’t that right, Phil?|d4lby1why]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“Isaiah, we never discussed this,” Phil nervously replies. “What are you on about?” “Why, I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I’ve had a change of heart,” The Lawbreaker replies. “I’m thinking about coming clean. . . What do you think of that, Phil?” “‘Come clean’?” asks George. “What are you talking about exactly?” “Isaiah, I will do anything if you just stop this,” Phil says, clearly starting to panic. “Anything?” The Lawbreaker asks, tilting his head. “No, let him talk!” insists Charlie. “I want to hear this confession.” “Hang on,” orders The Lawbreaker. He presses a few unseen buttons, and a QR code appears in front of Phil. “[[If you’ll really do anything, then make a 500,000 Digibuck donation to that address|d4lby1why]],” The Lawbreaker says smoothly. “I know you have the cash.”<<elseif visited() is 6>>Phil fidgets angrily in his chair. “Fine,” he snaps, and presses a few buttons of his own. The Lawbreaker checks something in his hand, then nods. “I’ve confirmed the donation,” he says. “Thank you, friend. I suppose I have nothing else to say.” Phil breathes a sigh of relief. “Good.” Charlie glances at the two, suspicious, but says nothing. “Was there anything . . . else you wanted, Isaiah?” he asks. “No,” The Lawbreaker replies. “Phil, I’ll be in touch. Until next time, gentlemen.” And with that, Isaiah Warburton’s hologram disappears.<<audio "mint" volume 0.75 fadeout>> One by one, the other men sign of. Phil is the last to leave. Once they’re all [[gone|d4lby1why]], the table disappears, too.<<elseif visited() is 7>>“That was easier than I expected.” The Lawbreaker’s voice—their real one this time, not your boss’s—comes from behind you, and you turn around to see them. “I had Phil donate to the soup kitchen down in District 2—Digicore’s been squeezing them dry of money for years by raising the rent, and they’re at the brink of shutting down. Figured they could use a little boost.”<<audio "StolenLife" loop play>> They smile. “And I’ve sewn some seeds of distrust within this little group—that’s a bonus I can appreciate. I’m certain it’ll break up within a few months, if not sooner. Maybe the city—and the country—will be better off without it.” “[[Why do you want to break up the group?|d4lby1why]]” “[[Why manipulate them like this?|d4lby1whymanipulate]]<<elseif visited() is 8>>“You heard them too, didn’t you?” asked The Lawbreaker. “They meet every week to discuss how they can sabotage efforts that will help the poor people of the city. From housing to labor to wages. I’ve attended many in secret. And I can tell you that those men are some of the vilest creatures in all of Neon City. [[That’s why I want to break up the group—because that would be a step towards making this city better.|d4lby1why]]”<<elseif visited() is 9>>The Lawbreaker turns to you. “You know, I could use someone by my side,” they say. “A rebel who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty in the name of justice. “Are you that person?” “[[Yes.|d4lby1y]]” “[[No.|d4lby1n]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“They do the exact same thing, don’t they?” asked The Lawbreaker. “They manipulate the systems to get what they want and earn the most cash. [[I’m doing the same thing, but to help the poor of the city.|d4lby1whymanipulate]] Frankly, they deserve to lose a few bucks to help out some folks.”<<elseif visited() is 2>>The Lawbreaker turns to you. “You know, I could use someone by my side,” they say. “A rebel who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty in the name of justice. “Are you that person?” “[[Yes.|d4lby1y]]” “[[No.|d4lby1n]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>The Lawbreaker smiles. “Excellent,” they say, putting a virtual hand on your shoulder. “I think you’ll find my line of work fulfilling, to say the least. It’s not a perfect solution—nothing is—but [[it helps those who need it.|d4lby1y]] And I do a lot more than crash rich peoples’ meetings.” <<set $JoinedLawbreaker to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 2>>They stare at you for a moment, then say, “And there’s something I wanted to ask you. “Who am I talking to right now?” “[[You’re talking to|d4lby1y]] $Name, of course.” “[[You’re talking to the player.|d4lby1yplayer]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“That’s what I thought,” said The Lawbreaker, giving you a smile. “Thank you for joining my cause. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.” With that, they disappear, and the VR port flashes back to the home screen. You’re not sure what will happen next, but [[you are sure that adventures await you.|end]]<<audio "StolenLife" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You shake your head. The Lawbreaker nods. “I understand,” they say to you. “I’ve met plenty of people who aren’t ready to do what I do—even those I work alongside, people I consider friends. So I get it. But if you ever change your mind, [[I’ll leave a way for you to find me.|d4lby1n]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>They walk away, and your VR port flashes back to the home screen. At the corner, you can see a tiny app, a new one: it reads, “Contact LB.”<<audio "StolenLife" volume 0.75 fadeout>> [[Show this to the police.|d4lby1npolice]] [[Leave it alone for now.|d4lby1n]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You shake your head, and leave the app alone. Taking out your VR port, you look around your room, and stand up. [[What lies ahead for you?|end]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s what I thought,” The Lawbreaker says, giving you a smile. “I can break more than just the law, you know. “I want you to listen very carefully. Because as I am saying this, we live in a very scary time. Billionaires exist, climate change threatens to erase the planet, and poor people are trying their best but often their best isn’t enough. And I want us to do what you can to help with that. Because that’s all we can do, fight this fucked-up ‘normal’ until we get a new one that’s better. [[Please. Let’s fight this together.|d4lby1yplayer]]”<<set $Lawbreaker to "player">><<elseif visited() is 2>>The Lawbreaker clears their throat. “Well, that’s all I had to say,” they tell you. “I’m glad we’ll be working together, you and I. I’ll see you soon.” With that, they disappear, and the VR port flashes back to the home screen. You’re not sure what will happen next, but [[you are sure that adventures await you.|end]]<<audio "StolenLife" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<endif>>

You get up and walk out the door of your apartment, heading to the police station. You don’t know exactly how this will work out, but [[perhaps the cops can find The Lawbreaker through this.|end]] <<set $Lawbreaker to "reported">>

You stumbled into meeting The Lawbreaker, <<if $HelpingLawbreaker is "yes">>[[a hacker on a quest to redistribute wealth.|lbendy]]<<else>>[[a hacker on a quest to redistribute wealth.|lbendn]]<<endif>><<audio "StolenLife" loop play>>

You agreed to help The Lawbreaker with their scheme by stealing the Boss Chip for them. And so, the next day, you went off to your workplace. <<if $player is "prison">>But you were unsuccessful in your heist, and managed to get yourself thrown in an interrogation room! There, the police managed to get the truth out of you, and now The Lawbreaker is on the wanted list, right next to Lowlife. And you are [[hauled off to jail|jail]] for Conspiracy To Commit Robbery.<<else>>You successfully took the Boss Chip, and The Lawbreaker was able to download its contents. After that, The Lawbreaker staged a meeting with four of the five rich men—a meeting you attended. [[You watched as they blackmailed one of the members of the group into sending money to a soup kitchen, and sowed seeds of distrust between the members.|lbendy1]]<<endif>>

You refused to help The Lawbreaker, and spent your day off relaxing, like you usually do. Your life remained unchanged—and that was fine by you. <<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but going by the fact that no incident occurs at the police station, you would guess that your stopped whatever the woman in the red dress was planning.<<else>>You find out that on that day, a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city.<<endif>> And not long after, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. <<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> And so, [[life goes on|fin]].

After that, The Lawbreaker asked if you wanted to join them, and be by their side. You said <<if $JoinedLawbreaker is "yes">>yes<<else>>no<<endif>> to their proposal. After that, they talked to <<if $Lawbreaker is "player">>you<<else>>you<<endif>> about the current state of things, and with that, they left. <<if $JoinedLawbreaker is "yes">>You spend your time off work helping The Lawbreaker now. Sometimes you retrieve or steal items that they need; other times you’re making sure money gets to its chosen destination. Do the ends justify the means? This is a question you still ask yourself, but one thing is undeniable: you’re doing good for the poor of Neon City. [[And that seems like it’s enough.|fin]]<<else>>The Lawbreaker left you with a way to [[contact|lbendy1n]] them.<<endif>>

<<if $Lawbreaker is "reported">>You brought your VR chip to the police to see if they could find The Lawbreaker. While they couldn’t crack the encryption on the app, they were able to trace some location data. They explained this to you in a follow-up phone call, but The Lawbreaker was not found at those locations. And so, their whereabouts still remain a mystery. But at least you tried. And you would do it again in a heartbeat. <<else>>You left if alone. Your life continued as normal from then on, as you ignored the contact app and just kept living as you were.<<endif>> <<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but going by the fact that no incident occurs at the police station, you would guess that your stopped whatever the woman in the red dress was planning.<<else>>You find out that on that day, a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city.<<endif>> And not long after, a game was released speaking out against Digicore—it rocked the internet and sent the company’s stock down, at least for a little while. <<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> And so, [[life goes on|fin]].

“Oh.” Carl sounds disappointed. “Well, I’ll call back tomorrow and see if you’re available. Talk to you then!” He hangs up. You have the day to yourself. [[What do you want to do?|d3home]]<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<audio "wifi" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4stopbyn]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>You wake up the next morning with a faint feeling of regret. Maybe you should have seen what Carl had to say . . . but then again, you’re not up for any adventure. Now it’s time for you to do what you always do on your days off: [[plug in your VR port and lose yourself|d4home]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You follow Carl down the alleyway. At the end of it, you see a car—it’s a really nice one, too. “That’s mine,” Carl explains. “Get in the backseat. I’ll drive.” You do so, but questions swirl around in your mind. Why does Carl need union support if he’s so well off (as his car would indicate)? Maybe he’s doing this for other people, not necessarily for himself? It certainly is [[strange|union1]]. . .<<elseif visited() is 2>>Finally, Carl parks the car. “We’re here,” he says, stepping outside. You follow him, and your mouth drops open. The two of you are standing outside of [[Arrlingtons’ offices|union1]]! Carl walks right up to the door like they’re expecting him, and a moment later, the doors open on their own. “After you,” he says. You hesitantly walk inside.<<elseif visited() is 3>>There’s a fancy reception desk a few feet away, but Carl ignores it and walks to the elevator. “We’re going to the 17th floor,” he says to you. “That’s where my friend is.” Ding! The elevator opens up, and Carl goes inside. [[You follow him, and the door closes.|union1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>As the elevator goes up, there is a moment of silence. You decide to fill it with a question: “[[Why do you need a union if you’re so well off?|union1]]” “[[So, tell me more about your friend.|union1friend]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“All I know is that I want to recruit people,” Carl says. “Besides, I’m not that well off.” Ding! The elevator opens up, and Carl steps out. You follow him. The two of you are in a narrow hallway, and at the end of that hallway is a set of doors. Carl walks up to those doors and knocks. “[[Amy?|union1]]” he calls.<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>> “Come in,” a voice replies from inside. He opens the door, and you follow him in.<<elseif visited() is 6>>[img[images_ec/amysoffice.png]] You step inside an elegant office, one that’s way nicer than your apartment. Behind a mahogany desk, a woman sits, and she smiles at you.<<audio "charging" loop play>> “So you’re $Name,” the woman says, standing up. “Carl has told me a lot about you.” She gestures to him. “[[Leave us to talk alone.|union1]]” “Of course,” Carl says. <<elseif visited() is 7>>“Clever, isn’t he?” Amy says as Carl closes the door behind him. “He was built to be intelligent, but I must say, he’s not very bright. Oh well, there’s always next time.” “[[‘Built’?|union1]]” “[[‘Next time?’|union1]]” <<elseif visited() is 8>>Amy smiles. “I’m about to tell you something that very few people in Neon City know about,” she says. “[[Consider yourself honored.|union1]]”<<elseif visited() is 9>>“[[Carl is an android|union1]],” she says to you. “A robotic body with a very advanced AI. That AI has one goal: to recruit people to the Arrlingtons union. I must say though, he can be . . . very blunt about it. But like I said, there’s always next time.” <<elseif visited() is 10>>She smirks. “Of course, even he isn’t quite aware of this fact yet. He thinks he’s a loyal Arrlingtons recruiter, who works at the mines to pay the bills.” “[[Androids exist?!|union1]]” “[[Why not tell him he’s an android?|union1whynottell]]”<<elseif visited() is 11>>“For now, we only have Carl—[[he’s our big success story|union1]],” Amy explains. “But we’re working on mass producing them as we speak. Progress is slow, but steady.”<<elseif visited() is 12>>She continues talking as if nothing happened at all. “I was delighted when he told me that he found someone who works at the eyewear store.” Amy gives you a smile. “[[We want to get the edge over Digicore in VR eyewear and implants, and hitting them at their stores will be a nice start to that.|union1]]"<<elseif visited() is 13>>“That’s the reason I brought you here, you see. You can help us get intel on the inner workings of their stores. And, of course, we’ll pay you well for your time—does 750 Digibucks a day sound good to you?” Your eyes widen. [[That’s more pay a day than you make in a week!|union1]]<<elseif visited() is 14>>“All you have to do is report on the inner workings of the store. And of course, we’ll give you the occasional task to do, to help us out. “So, what do you say?” “[[I’ll do it.|uniondoit]]” “[[I won’t do it.|uniondonot]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Well, she’s a pretty high-ranking person in Arrlingtons,” Carl explains. “Very important. You should be honored she wants to meet you.” Ding! The elevator opens up, and Carl steps out. You follow him.<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>> The two of you are in a narrow hallway, and at the end of that hallway is a set of doors. Carl walks up to those doors and knocks. “[[Amy?|union1friend]]” he calls. “Come in,” a voice replies from inside. He opens the door, and you follow him in.<<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/amysoffice.png]] You step inside an elegant office, one that’s way nicer than your apartment. Behind a mahogany desk, a woman sits, and she smiles at you.<<audio "charging" loop play>> “So you’re $Name,” the woman says, standing up. “Carl has told me a lot about you.” She gestures to him. “[[Leave us to talk alone.|union1friend]]” “Of course,” Carl says. <<elseif visited() is 3>>“Clever, isn’t he?” Amy says as Carl closes the door behind him. “He was built to be intelligent, but I must say, he’s not very bright. Oh well, there’s always next time.” “[[‘Built’?|union1friend]]” “[[‘Next time?’|union1friend]]” <<elseif visited() is 4>>Amy smiles. “I’m about to tell you something that very few people in Neon City know about,” she says. “[[Consider yourself honored.|union1friend]]”<<elseif visited() is 5>>“[[Carl is an android|union1friend]],” she says to you. “A robotic body with a very advanced AI. That AI has one goal: to recruit people to the Arrlingtons union. I must say though, he can be . . . very blunt about it. But like I said, there’s always next time.” <<elseif visited() is 6>>She smirks. “Of course, even he isn’t quite aware of this fact yet. He thinks he’s a loyal Arrlingtons recruiter, who works at the mines to pay the bills.” “[[Androids exist?!|union1friend]]” “[[Why not tell him he’s an android?|union1whynottell]]”<<elseif visited() is 7>>“For now, we only have Carl—[[he’s our big success story|union1friend]],” Amy explains. “But we’re working on mass producing them as we speak. Progress is slow, but steady.”<<elseif visited() is 8>>She continues talking as if nothing happened at all. “I was delighted when he told me that he found someone who works at the eyewear store.” Amy gives you a smile. “[[We want to get the edge over Digicore in VR eyewear and implants, and hitting them at their stores will be a nice start to that.|union1friend]]"<<elseif visited() is 9>>“That’s the reason I brought you here, you see. You can help us get intel on the inner workings of their stores. And, of course, we’ll pay you well for your time—does 750 Digibucks a day sound good to you?” Your eyes widen. [[That’s more pay a day than you make in a week!|union1friend]] <<elseif visited() is 10>>“All you have to do is report on the inner workings of the store. And of course, we’ll give you the occasional task to do, to help us out. “So, what do you say?” “[[I’ll do it.|uniondoit]]” “[[I won’t do it.|uniondonot]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“We want to see how long it takes for him to figure it out—consider it an experiment of sorts,” Amy explains. “[[We at Arrlingtons love experiments.|union1whynottell]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>She continues talking as if nothing happened at all. “I was delighted when he told me that he found someone who works at the eyewear store.” Amy gives you a smile. “[[We want to get the edge over Digicore in VR eyewear and implants, and hitting them at their stores will be a nice start to that.|union1whynottell]]"<<elseif visited() is 3>>“That’s the reason I brought you here, you see. You can help us get intel on the inner workings of their stores. And, of course, we’ll pay you well for your time—does 750 Digibucks a day sound good to you?” Your eyes widen. [[That’s more pay a day than you make in a week!|union1whynottell]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“All you have to do is report on the inner workings of the store. And of course, we’ll give you the occasional task to do, to help us out. “So, what do you say?” “[[I’ll do it.|uniondoit]]” “[[I won’t do it.|uniondonot]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Splendid!” A smile breaks out on Amy’s face. “I’m so happy we can work together on this. Trust me, [[Arrlingtons has your back|uniondoit]], $Name.”<<set $Arrlingtonsdeal to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 2>>She reaches into her desk, and produces a small chip. “This is a listening device,” she says to you. “I’ll need you to plant this inside the store, somewhere management resides. The sooner the better—let’ schedule this for tomorrow. And you’ll be paid for the task, of course.” She hands you the chip, and you pocket it. “Just remove the film from the bottom of the device, and it will stick to any surface,” Amy tells you. There is a pause. “Well, that’s just about it for me,” she says with a smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you, $Name.” She opens the door. “[[You can see yourself out.|unionamyend]]”<<endif>>

It’s hard to walk away from all that money, but something about this situation seems off to you. “Sorry, but no,” you say to her. Amy tilts her head. “What if we bump up the pay to 1500 Digibucks a day? Do I have your interest then?” “[[Yes.|uniondoit]]” “[[No.|unionnofinal]]”

<<if visited() is 1>>You get up from the chair and walk outside, closing the door behind you. Carl is waiting for you in the hallway. “How’d it go?” he asks.<<audio "charging" volume 0.75 fadeout>><<audio "Wateringplants" loop play>> <<if $Arrlingtonsdeal is "yes">>“[[Well, I think.|unionwell]]”<<else>>“[[Not great. . .|unionnotgreat]]”<<endif>> “[[Um . . . you’re an android, Carl.|unionamyend]]”<<elseif visited() is 2>>Carl stares at you for a moment. Then, a laugh escapes him. “Excuse me? I’m as human as you!” he exclaims, playfully punching your shoulder. “But hey, good one $Name. You got a sense of humor.” “[[But I’m serious!|unionamyend]]” “[[Ha ha . . . funny. . .|unionamyend]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>Carl laughs some more, and then, he [[clears his throat.|unionamyend]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>“Well, I better take you on home, then,” he says, leading you to the elevator. “Did you have dinner yet? I’ll stop by the vending machines and grab something for you.” And that’s exactly what happens. You both drive in silence until you reach the vending machines. There, you tell him your order, he gets it for you, and then he asks where you live. You tell him, eat your food, and soon, [[the car stops in front of you house|union2]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You shake your head. She frowns at you. “What a shame. I was hoping we could work together on this.” She produces a document from her desk, and hands it to you. “Well, if you’re certain that you don’t want to team up, please sign this NDA. I wouldn’t want anything we discussed today getting out.”<<set $Arrlingtonsdeal to "no">> She hands you a pen. [[Sign the document.|unionnofinal]] [[Refuse to sign.|unionrefusesign]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You sign the document and hand it back to her. She accepts it with a nod. “Good, thank you, $Name. [[You can see yourself out.|unionamyend]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You shake your head. “I’m not signing this,” you tell her. There is a pause. Then, Amy laughs. “You sure are a stubborn one,” she remarks. “Alright, you don’t have to sign. But [[we at Arrlingtons will be watching you|unionrefusesign]], to make sure our secrets are protected. You can be assured of that.”<<set $Arrlingtonswatch to "yes">><<elseif visited() is 2>>She takes the NDA and puts it back in her desk. “You can go now, $Name,” she says. “[[See yourself out.|unionamyend]]”<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s fantastic!” Carl exclaims. “I assume you’re with us then—that’s great! [[Trust me, you made the right call.|unionwell]]” It’s hard to believe he’s an actual android. . .<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Well, I better take you on home, then,” he says, leading you to the elevator. “Did you have dinner yet? I’ll stop by the vending machines and grab something for you.” And that’s exactly what happens. You both drive in silence until you reach the vending machines. There, you tell him your order, he gets it for you, and then he asks where you live. You tell him, eat your food, and soon, [[the car stops in front of you house|union2]].<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that,” Carl says. “I guess you won’t be joining us then. . . That’s a shame, a darn shame. [[But it’s your choice.|unionnotgreat]]” It’s hard to believe he’s an actual android. . .<<elseif visited() is 2>>“Well, I better take you on home, then,” he says, leading you to the elevator. “Did you have dinner yet? I’ll stop by the vending machines and grab something for you.” And that’s exactly what happens. You both drive in silence until you reach the vending machines. There, you tell him your order, he gets it for you, and then he asks where you live. You tell him, eat your food, and soon, [[the car stops in front of you house|union2]]. <<endif>>

“Alright then,” Carl says. “<<if $Arrlingtonsdeal is "yes">>I’ll see you next time, alright? Thanks for joining us!<<else>>Have a good night! Sorry things couldn’t work out with you and Amy.<<endif>>” You get out of the car, and he drives away. You watch him go, and then, [[you go inside your home|d3end]].<<audio "Wateringplants" volume 0.75 fadeout>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4uy]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]] You wake up the next day feeling apprehensive. You’re more than a little nervous doing this. But the <<if visited("uniondonot")>>1500<<else>>750<<endif>> Digibucks does tantalize you, even if you are scared as shit. You get out of bed and get ready to go. Then you [[pocket the chip|d4uy1]], and take a deep breath. Finally, you leave your house.<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>> <center><big><big>[[Day 4|d4un]]</big></big></center><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/apartment.png]]<<audio "wifi" volume 0.75 fadeout>> You wake up the next morning with a faint feeling of regret. That was a lot of Digibucks that Amy offered you . . . but then again, you probably made the right choice by refusing them. Now it’s time for you to do what you always do on your days off: [[live in your VR port.|d4home]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You walk down to the eyewear store--you have to remind yourself a few times you're not going there to work. You have a mission to do: plant the chip “somewhere management resides”. That would be [[the manager’s office, which is at the back of the break room|d4uy1]].<<set $Asuspision to 0>><<elseif visited() is 2>>[img[images_ec/eyestore.png]]<<audio "genomnatteniendatorssken" loop play>> You go inside the store. Sam is the first to see you, and he gives you a wave. “Hey, $Name!” he calls. “Thought you were off today. You here to shop?” “[[No, I forgot something in the back.|d4uy1]]” “[[Oh, I thought I was working today. Let me talk to Harrison.|d4uy1Harrison]]” “[[Um . . . yes?|d4uy1sus1]]”<<elseif visited() is 3>>“Oh, ok. Gotcha,” Sam says. He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4uy1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You make your way to the back, and walk inside the employee area. At the back in the door to Harrison’s office. Looking around, you don’t see anybody right now . . . but someone could walk in at any moment. [[Press your ear against the office door.|d4uy1sus2]] [[Don’t risk it—just go inside.|d4uy1]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You decide to just go for it. You walk up to the door and open it: nobody’s there. Good. [[You go inside the office and close the door behind you.|d4uy1]]<<elseif visited() is 6>>You’ve never actually been inside Harrison’s office before. It’s small, almost too small, with a desk that’s littered with papers (schedules, order forms, etc), and a computer monitor that’s currently shut off. In front of it is a metal chair that’s clearly seen better days. You remove the film from the bottom of the chip, revealing its sticky surface. Now, where to put its. . .? [[On the computer.|d4uy1caught]] [[Under the desk.|d4uy1]] [[Under the chair.|d4uy1chair]]<<elseif visited() is 7>>You put the chip underneath the desk, placing it far from the front. [[That should be a good spot.|d4uy1suscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>“That’s fine, but I’m pretty sure you’re off today,” Sam says. He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4uy1Harrison]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way to the back, and walk inside the employee area. At the back in the door to Harrison’s office. Looking around, you don’t see anybody right now . . . but someone could walk in at any moment. [[Press your ear against the office door.|d4uy1sus2]] [[Don’t risk it—just go inside.|d4uy1Harrison]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You decide to just go for it. You walk up to the door and open it: nobody’s there. Good. [[You go inside the office and close the door behind you.|d4uy1Harrison]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You’ve never actually been inside Harrison’s office before. It’s small, almost too small, with a desk that’s littered with papers (schedules, order forms, etc), and a computer monitor that’s currently shut off. In front of it is a metal chair that’s clearly seen better days. You remove the film from the bottom of the chip, revealing its sticky surface. Now, where to put its. . .? [[On the computer.|d4uy1caught]] [[Under the desk.|d4uy1Harrison]] [[Under the chair.|d4uy1chair]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You put the chip underneath the desk, placing it far from the front. [[That should be a good spot.|d4uy1suscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>Sam raises an eyebrow. “Um, ok. Feel free to look around then?” He then notices a customer walk in, and goes to deal with them. [[Phew.|d4uy1sus1]]<<set $Asuspision += 1>><<elseif visited() is 2>>You make your way to the back, and walk inside the employee area. At the back in the door to Harrison’s office. Looking around, you don’t see anybody right now . . . but someone could walk in at any moment. [[Press your ear against the office door.|d4uy1sus2]] [[Don’t risk it—just go inside.|d4uy1sus1]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You decide to just go for it. You walk up to the door and open it: nobody’s there. Good. [[You go inside the office and close the door behind you.|d4uy1sus1]]<<elseif visited() is 4>>You’ve never actually been inside Harrison’s office before. It’s small, almost too small, with a desk that’s littered with papers (schedules, order forms, etc), and a computer monitor that’s currently shut off. In front of it is a metal chair that’s clearly seen better days. You remove the film from the bottom of the chip, revealing its sticky surface. Now, where to put its. . .? [[On the computer.|d4uy1caught]] [[Under the desk.|d4uy1sus1]] [[Under the chair.|d4uy1chair]]<<elseif visited() is 5>>You put the chip underneath the desk, placing it far from the front. [[That should be a good spot.|d4uy1suscheck]]<<endif>>

<<if visited() is 1>>You walk up to the door and press your ear against it. Doesn’t seem like anyone’s there. Good. You straighten back up and—<<set $Asuspision += 1>> “$Name? What are you doing?” You turn around to see Devin, who looks very confused. “I’m looking for Harrison,” you blurt out. “One second.” [[Before Devin can say anything else, you go inside the office and close the door.|d4uy1sus2]]<<elseif visited() is 2>>You’ve never actually been inside Harrison’s office before. It’s small, almost too small, with a desk that’s littered with papers (schedules, order forms, etc), and a computer monitor that’s currently shut off. In front of it is a metal chair that’s clearly seen better days. You remove the film from the bottom of the chip, revealing its sticky surface. Now, where to put its. . .? [[On the computer.|d4uy1caught]] [[Under the desk.|d4uy1sus2]] [[Under the chair.|d4uy1chair]]<<elseif visited() is 3>>You put the chip underneath the desk, placing it far from the front. [[That should be a good spot.|d4uy1suscheck]]<<endif>>

You lean forward and put the chip on the computer, behind the monitor. [[That should be a good spot.|d4uy1suscheck]]<<set $Achip to "caught">>

You put the chip underneath the desk, placing it far from the front. [[That should be a good spot.|d4uy1suscheck]]

<<if $Asuspision is 2>> You walk outside Harrison’s office—and run right into the man himself! “What were you doing in there?” he asks coolly. You stammer for an explanation, but he just shakes his head. “You better come with me,” Harrison snaps, grabbing your arm. “The NCPD will get the truth out of you.” You are forced outside, where a cop car is waiting. You are shoved inside, and the car drives away. [[What will happen to you now?|end]]<<set $player to "prison">><<else>>You walk outside the office and stealthily make your way out the door. Sam and Devin busy with customers as you leave—good. You don’t want to have to explain anything to them. You go outside, and immediately, your phone rings. [[You open it.|d4uy1suspassed]]<<endif>>

It reads: Amy Palmer has transferred <<if visited("uniondonot")>>1500<<else>>750<<endif>> Digibucks to your account.<<audio "genomnatteniendatorssken" volume 0.75 fadeout>> [[Now what?|end]]

You joined the Arrlington union, talking to <<if visited("d4stopbyn")>>Carl. You refused any future opportunity to help him with the time arose, [[which was fine by you.|unionendwrapup]]<<else>>[[Carl and Amy|unionendamy]]<<endif>>.<<audio "Wateringplants" loop play>>

<<if $bombing is "stopped">>You never find out what your tip to the police did exactly, but going by the fact that no incident occurs at the police station, you would guess that your stopped whatever the woman in the red dress was planning.<<else>>The same day, a bombing occurred at the police station, resulting in it crumbling to the ground. At the same time as the bombing, the message “NO MORE STATE-FUNDED RAPES” was broadcast across the city, and Lowlife robbed the Synthroid factory next door.<<endif>> <<if visited("d2unionyclike")>>One day, when you go into work, you are suddenly laid off for “spreading false information”—you assume it has something to do with the union, but can’t prove it.<<else>>You continue life at the glasses store, but in a few months, are replaced with a cleaning robot.<<endif>> You find a new job at a clothing store, but nothing ever lasts. . . And so, [[live goes on. . .|fin]]

<<if $Arrlingtonsdeal is "yes">>You [[agreed|unionendamyy]] to help Amy plant a chip in the eyestore.<<else>> You refused to help Amy, and lost an opportunity for cash in the process. You never hear what happened to her planting that chip, but when you go in the eyewear store, [[you can’t help but feel somebody is listening to your every word.|unionendwrapup]]<<endif>>

<<if $Asuspision is 2>>You got caught putting the chip in Harrison’s office, and were hauled off to the police station. After some intense questioning, they were able to get the truth out of you. And so you were [[charged with Attempted Data Stealing and thrown in prison from your crimes|jail]].<<set $player to "prison">> <<elseif $Achip is "caught">>A week later, Harrison found the chip, and they somehow traced it back to you—maybe your fingerprints were on it. You were hauled to the police station, and after some intense questioning, they were able to get the truth out of you. And so you were [[charged with Attempted Data Stealing and thrown in prison from your crimes|jail]].<<set $player to "prison">> <<else>>The chip was never discovered, and Arrlingtons paid you well for your actions. You continued to do things for Amy and Arrlingtons, mostly planting more listening devices in the eyewear store. You waited for the union to get into motion, but somehow it keeps getting pushed back. Just a few more days, they say, then weeks, then months. Someday it’ll happen, you tell yourself. [[Someday.|fin]]<<endif>>

<<if visited ("d4hyynb")>>You came out to the group as [[nonbinary|hackerend1]], and were kicked out as a result of this.<<else>>[[And so. . .|hackerendtargeting]]<<endif>>

[img[images_ec/samanthasgame.png]] It’s time to save the world! Can you protect people from environmental chaos? [[Let’s find out!|gdgame1]]<<set $litter to 10293>><<audio "rhubarb" loop play>>

Xe asked you to keep watch for them outside the eyewear store, and you <<if $joinLowlife is "yes">>agreed to do it. By doing so, you learned personal information from the vigilante, including xyr name. <<else>>said you wouldn’t do it.<<endif>> The next day, <<if $reportedLowlife is "yes">>[[you reported Lowlife to the police|vigilend1]], telling them as much as you knew about the vigilante’s scheme. The day after, the headline, “LOWLIFE BARELY AVOIDS CAPTURE!” was in the papers.<<elseif $reportedOlga is "yes">>[[you reported Olga to the police|vigilend1]], revealing xyr identity to the NCPD. The day after, the headline, “LOWLIFE CAPTURED! REAL NAME OLGA THUNDERSON.” was in the papers.<<elseif $helpLowlife is "yes">>[[you walked down to the factory to help Lowlife.|vigilendhelped]]<<elseif $helpLowlife is "succeed">>[[you walked down to the factory to help Lowlife.|vigilendhelped]]<<else>>[[you stayed home and relaxed|vigilend1]], relieved that you weren’t helping that vigilante.<<endif>>