=><=
[[START|COMENZAR]]
(link: "Load progress")[(load-game:"Slot A")]
(set:$JarraCerveza to false)
(set:$Reconocido to false)
(set:$knowsPassword to false)
(set:$Huir to false)
(set:$Day to (either: "Monday", "Tuesday"))[[Chapter 1]]The Bit-bar was the only place in the whole Low-Baltimore where animals were still welcomed and it was completely full that day. Just what I needed after a busy morning…
—Hey Rye! Beer?
[[Accept the beer]]
[[Reject the beer]]
(Set: $JarraCerveza to true)—A beer and a bowl of milk for the cat, coming up.
I glance at the bar looking for X. She had not arrived yet, so I take the opportunity to go to the bathroom. I stood before the mirror to groom myself:
“You have … eyes, I had always been told”
[[Your father (blue)|020]]
[[The technology (heterochromia)|020]]
[[Your mother (brown)|020]]
[[Your grandfather (honey)|020]]
I combed my… hair that my mother had once.
[[Curly|021]]
[[Straight|021]]
[[Wavy|021]]
From my father, I had inherited my skin color, which was of… ascendency
[[Nordic |022]]
[[Caucasian|022]]
[[Ethiopic|022]]
[[American|022]]
[[Oriental|022]]
I returned to my seat hoping that X has already arrived. Instead of her, there was a damn //restrictor//, the new police officers created by Faro, more severe and difficult to deal with than ordinary agents.
"//What do these people want now? Haven’t they had enough with this morning fight? I hope things go wrong, what will break first? My fist or its head?//"
[[Continue|Cap-030]]—Name and identification number.
—What a lack of courtesy, sir. Or miss? I still can’t make you out very well, I’m sorry.
—Your name, I won’t ask again— said revealing its razor-sharp teeth.
“Okay, I almost have him eating out of my hand.”
—What crime did I commit? Enter the bar with a kitten? The only animal around here is you.
I listen as he loads his gun.
[[Continue|Pasaje sin título 1]]—I know people like you well. Tell me your name if you don't want me to turn your friend's bar into a Tarantino movie.
—Okay, okay, take note:
[[Real name|Cap-040]]
[[Fake name|Cap-050]]
—I’m Rye 0101
I slyly tryed to stretch the sleeve of my shirt over the bracelet that Faro forced us to wear, in order to hide the color of it while he was looking for my name in the system.
—Don’t bother, I’ve already seen it. By the way, what a track record you have. Behavior color: red, of course. Attempted assault on Faro's offices, reckless driving through the city, assault on an eighty-year-old man…
—No, no, wait. That man deserved it. I saw him skip the line at the supermarket and he kept saying that he was ahead of me…
—Whatever. As I see, your behavior color doesn’t match with the one on your bracelet. Why not?
[[Ask him to check it again|Cap-060]]
[[Lie|Cap-041]]
—Hack 0100
—I see… an impeccable track record, Mister Hack. Not a single incident in the last three years. Behavior color: green. Certainly, do you come here regularly?
—Well… when work lets me. Why are you asking?
—Your house is quite far from here. It struck me as rather strange.
—Oh that! Yes, it's because of Blanco. There are few places left that allow animals these days.
—One last thing. Your behavior color doesn’t match with the one on your bracelet. Why is that?
[[Ask him to check it again|Cap-051]]
[[Lie|Cap-041]]
—I got promoted a few days ago, it probably won’t have been updated yet. People change, you know?. Maybe it's something beyond your understanding.
—Let me check it out.
After a while in silence that lasted an eternity for me, he finally speaks again.
—I can’t see any updates in the files.
—Evolution, everything will be faster, they said. Scrap heap— I say to myself.
Before I could see him, he [[hit me|Cap-062]] in the face.
—Are you sure? Why don’t you check it again?
—You will have to accompany me to the police station, sir.
—Look, it is not that I don’t want to go but today is quite bad for me. Can we leave it for another day?
—It's an order— He says coming closer to me.
(If: $JarraCerveza is true)[[[Hit him with the glass of beer|Cap-070]]] (Else:) [Before I could answer [[he hit me|Cap-062]] in the face.]
—Are you sure? Why don’t you check it again?
I successfully changed the bracelet color that Faro forced us to wear to classify us, while the restrictor was checking that the information matched.
—Everything in order, I beg your pardon, sir.
—No worries, good night— I said to him with a smile as false as his feelings.
I was on my way to the metro to go to Ex’s house when I received a phone call.
I hung up. “If it’s important he will call back”
[[Take the metro|Cap2E]]At that moment and with all the pain in my soul, I smashed the glass of beer against his metal skull.
I ran out towards to the metro station that was just under the bar. When I arrived, the metro going to Equis' house was about to leave.
[[Take the metro|Cap2E]]
(set: $Huir to true)
(set: $reductor to true)
(set: $Reconocido to true)(text-style: "blurrier")[—Stand up, we have not finished yet.]
(text-style: "blur")[I managed to recover from the first punch with some difficulty.]
—I thought I tore out enough wires this morning.
Before I could even get close to him to burst his metal organs, Blanco was already on top of him. In an instant, the poor //restrictor// was laying in the ground with one of its eyes hanging out.
I got closer to the body to take a last look at it before leaving the bar.
[[Destroy the restrictor]]
[[Spare its life]][[Start|Cap2E-001]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}—This is going to hurt me more than you. Nah, just kidding, I’m going to enjoy it like a little kid— I stepped on its head with all my might, leaving all the pieces scattered on the floor.
—Bye Ben! Sorry for the mess.
I rushed out of there. In less than a couple of minutes it would be full of police.
[[Run away|Cap2E]]
(set: $Huir to true)(set: $Reductor to true)(set: $Huir to true)—Next time think wiser before punching a //Recon//. Remember that I spared your life, it won’t happen twice.
—Bye Ben! Sorry for the mess.
I rushed out of there. In less than a couple of minutes that will be full of officers.
[[Run away|Cap2E]]Why hadn't X told me that she wasn't coming to the Bit-Bar? It had been a tradition since the day that she gave me Blanco, weeks after my family got murdered.
Her house wasn't very far, so I'd decided to find out on my own.
—//Next stop, Owing Mills.//
—Let’s go, Blanco, it’s here.
When I arrived at the house, I stayed for a while at the door, listening to the inside. There wasn't a sound to be heard so I didn't even bother to ring the bell and [[got in|Cap2E-002]].
—X? Are you there?
The house was very untidy, there were also a couple of lamps on as if she had had to leave in a hurry. I was looking around the house, when Hack, our own personal hacker, called me.
—Rye, I've tapped into police communications. They've found you. You better get your ass out of there as soon as possible.
[[Continue to search the house|Cap2E-003]]—I need more time, Hack. I'm sure there is some valuable information around the house about where she might be.
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {
(if: $Huir is true)[(set:$time to 200)](Else:)[(set: $time to 240)]
(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it -1)
$time
(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
<==
[[Go to the bathroom|Cap2E-003.1]]
[[Go to the bedroom|Cap2E-003.2]]
[[Go to the kitchen|Cap2E-003.3]]
[[Go to the dining room|Cap2E-003.4]]
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it -1)
$time
(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
<==
There was nothing there that could help me or give me a clue as to where Ex could be.
Wait… there’s something in the waste bin. A //predictor//? two stripes… that means that is positive?
[[Go to the bedroom|Cap2E-003.2]]
[[Go to the kitchen|Cap2E-003.3]]
[[Go to the dining room|Cap2E-003.4]]
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it -1)
$time
(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
<==
The room was completely dark, the light switch didn't work, so I had no choice but to search blindly.
=><=
[[Note]]
<==
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it -1)
$time
(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
<=
The kitchen was upside-down, with no room for another plate in the sink. Stuck on the fridge there was still the magnet I bought her on our trip to New New York, and below it an appointment with a Dr. Ten, a gynecologist, on the tenth of May.
[[Go to the bathroom|Cap2E-003.1]]
[[Go to the bedroom|Cap2E-003.2]]
[[Go to the dining room|Cap2E-003.4]]
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it -1)
$time
(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
<==
There was a laptop on the dining room table, but it needed a password to get access.
[[Enter the password]]
[[Go to the bathroom|Cap2E-003.1]]
[[Go to the bedroom|Cap2E-003.2]]
[[Go to the kitchen|Cap2E-003.3]]
-Come on, come on, come on—I began to hear out of the flat—. He's still in the building.
"Shit, they're here already?" I didn't have time to get out the door, and being on the sixth floor, escaping through the window was almost suicidal.
=><=
[END]
[[Restart|Cap2E]]
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {(live: 1s)[(set: $time to it -1)
$time(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
(set: $knowsPassword to (prompt: "What is the password?","") )
(if: $knowsPassword is "BLANCO")[(goto: "correct")]
<==
(else:) [Incorrect.
[[Try again->Enter the password]]
[[Go to the bathroom|Cap2E-003.1]]
[[Go to the bedroom|Cap2E-003.2]]
[[Go to the kitchen|Cap2E-003.3]]
[[Go to the dining room|Cap2E-003.4]] ]
“Come on, come on, come on.”
It was going to be hard to find something of value among all the files. Besides, the police were hot on my heels so I didn't have enough time. The best option was to download it all and go to Hack’s to investigate calmly.
[[To Hack's house|Cap3]][[Start|Cap3-001]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}Hack lived almost on the outskirts of the city, away from all the hustle and bustle of Baltimore. To be exact, you could never know where he was going to be, as he was a sort of modern nomad, caravanning from place to place.
He had managed to hide his house from the rest of the world in a rather peculiar way. You could only find it one day a week, on Mondays. So, if you weren't there on the right day, you couldn't see the house. Unless...
(live: 30s)[//I just have to make it Monday, it's not that hard. But how?//]
(set:$Day to (weekday:))
(if: $Day is "Monday")[(set: $Day to true)]
(if: $Day is true)[[[Hack's house|Cap3-002]]]
[[Update the visor|Cap3-001]]—Long time! My friend.
—Maybe it’s time you change the way you hide your house. Every time I come my visor gets messed up.
—Save your moaning for another time. Come in, take a seat.
—Oh man, Hack. Where? My god.
I had never seen a house with that level of clutter ever, the junk piled up to the ceiling of the caravan. The only tidy and clean room was where his computer and his gadgets were located.
—I made coffee, do you fancy some?
[[Take a cup of coffee|Cp3-002.1]]
[[Dismiss the offer|Cp3-003]]—//Puaj!// This is disgusting Hack— the first sip made me gag— What did you give me?
—Well, I don't know. What's the sticker on the jar say?
—"Billy"— Hack made a grimace that I didn't like at all— Why that face?
—Maybe I used poop from my goat instead of coffee beans… What's the reason for your visit?— He said trying to change the subject quickly.
[[Continue|Cp3-003]] —I managed to get access to X’s computer and downloaded all of its files before the police arrived. I reckon it may contain some important information about where she might be.
—Let’s take a look then.
Blanco meows in protest. He knows that X would not be amused by what we were about to do.
—We need to know where she is and this is our only option. —I said, trying to convince Blanco.
We found three folders.
[[New New York travel|Cp3-004.1]]
[[Faro|Cp3-004.2]]
[[X|Cp3-004.3]]I don’t think we'll find anything important among these photos.
[[Desktop|Cp3-003.1]](if: (history:) contains "Cp3-004.2")[ [[[[Desktop|Cp3-003.1]]]]]
(else:)[(alert: "These files are the property of Faro. They will be deleted once you have finished viewing them. If you wish to get access to them again, please contact us or visit our offices.")[[Dr. Ten's letter|Cp3-004.2.1]]
[[Faro's map|Cp3-004.2.2]]
[[Desktop|Cp3-003.1]]]There wasn't much in this folder. Files from X's daily life: drawings, music, work stuff.
[[Desktop|Cp3-003.1]][[New New York travel|Cp3-004.1]]
[[Faro|Cp3-004.2]]
[[X|Cp3-004.3]]
[[Continue|Cp3-005]]It was a “.hol” file, a hologram:
//Miss X D. we now have the results of the tests we did last Monday. Drop by my office as soon as you can. I cannot tell you more in this message.//
(if: (history:) contains "Cap2E-003.3")[—There was a note on Ex's fridge with an appointment with that same doctor.] (else:)[—¿An appointment with a doctor from Faro?¿For what?]
[[Desktop|Cp3-003.1]]
[[Faro's map|Cp3-004.2.2]]<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
}
</style>
<img
src=https://i.imgur.com/BbX97my.png</div>
[[Dr. Ten letter|Cp3-004.2.1]]
[[Desktop|Cp3-003.1]]—Okay, Rye. So what now?
-We have to go to Faro and find X. Also, this message from Dr. Ten... I have to know what it's all about.
—Wait for me!
—Since when do you do fieldwork? You will be more helpful from here at home, doing what a proper hacker does.
—Don't leave yet. I have something for you— He said to me, pointing to a typical dentist chair that he had.—. Do you remember the DNA samples I asked you for? I have prepared some enhancements for your body. However, I can only implant one for now or your system won't cope. It will literally fry your brain. Come on, [[sit down]]. —//Hi, welcome to “Beta.”//
—Who the hell is this girl? And why does she sound like you but with a higher-pitched voice?
Hack has always been a bit sleazy.
—So, you’ve noticed, huh?
—//Are you ready to see the enhancements that Hack has prepared for you?//
[[Change appearance (restrictor skin)|Cp3-006.1]]
[[Bionic arm|Cp3-006.2]](If:$Reconocido is true)[—Did the //restrictor// in the bar hit you? How many times do I have to explain to you how these restrictors’ arms work? Your DNA’s already in their database. A simple change of appearance would achieve nothing.
[[Bionic arm|Cp3-006.2]] ](Else:)[—So you prefer stealth rather than brute force. I was not expecting that, Rye. Where has the tough guy of a few years ago gone? It must be true what they say about love softening even a stone.
—Oh Hack, for the love of God. Can we start right now?
—First and foremost, I’ve got to get into your memories to copy the restrictor appearance you came across yesterday as accurately as possible.
—If you dig too deep, you are the one who will need a change in appearance.
After a few minutes of waiting for the enhancement to be implemented, I was finally ready to leave.
—Rye, have you got taller these last few days?
—What are you talking about?
[[Continue|Cp3-007.1]]]
(if: (history:) contains "Cp3-006.1") [I’m sorry but you will have to make do with arm enhancement. It’s not a bionic arm as such. It's a reinforcement to make yours stronger and pain-free. Which arm do you prefer?
[[Right one|Cp3-007.2]]
[[Left-one|Cp3-007.2]] ]
(else:) [—Indeed!. Heads will roll!—Hack looked more excited than usual—. It’s not a bionic arm as such. It's a reinforcement to make yours stronger and pain-free. Which arm do you prefer?
[[Right one|Cp3-007.2]]
[[Left-one|Cp3-007.2]] ]
—Well... I seem to have got your measurements wrong. They end at your knee level.
—You must be kidding me.— I glanced at my knees fearing the worst, and sure, the restrictor skin reached halfway down my legs.
—Sit back so I can fix it in a moment. It's just a second.
—Fuck you, Hack, I have wasted enough time. At what point did it occur to me to hire you?
—Rye, the security of Faro is far more thorough than you have ever seen. Even with the //restrictor// appearance, it is not one hundred percent certain that you will get in without problems.
He was right there, so I had no choice but to sit back in the damn dentist's chair.
—Now it is all ready for you to go.
[[End of chapter 3|Cap-4]]
(set: $aspecto to true)—Do you want to test it to see how it works?— Hack brought up a floating target made with concrete —Hit it, without fear.
<marquee behavior="alternate" scrollamount="45">[[Hit the target|Cp3-008]]</marquee>
(set: $brazo to true)
[[Start|Cap4-001]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}I hit it with all my might and I could feel how my hand bones broke.
//Crrrack//
—Fuck!— I shook my hand full of pain.
—Something must have gone wrong during the installation process. Let me try again so it won't hurt you anymore.
I stared at him with the urge to kill him but I sat back in the dentist's chair. I couldn't go to FARO with a broken arm.
[[End of chapter 3|Cap-4]]
To get to the offices of Faro I first had to cross “The Capitol”, the part of the city where the richest families lived. This meant going through one of the checkpoints in the wall which divided the city. A 30 meter high spotlessly clean white wall in perfect condition.
When I arrived at the checkpoint there was a long line of people waiting. This was unusual given the speed with which the //restrictors// normally checked the identity of the large numbers of people who crossed the frontier every day.
Puzzled, [[I asked|Cap4-002]] the next person in line what was going on.—A couple of //restrictors// are beating on some poor kid. I guess they´d caught him smuggling //Cits//.
//Cits// were the currency used in the Capitol. They had a high value in the suburbs as there were some products you could only buy with them. It was hardly surprising that more and more people were becoming smugglers, especially young ones.
The situation outside the wealthy zone was unsustainable and //Cits// meant easy money. The worst that could happen to you, was that they downgraded your behaviour color code.
The line was interminable and I started to feel desperate standing there doing nothing.
[[Approaching the restrictors|Cap4-003.1]]
[[Keep waiting|Cap4-003.2]]
"I can`t stand waiting here any longer."
—What's he done to you to make deserve that?
—He's the first one we've caught today. We have to loosen up a bit— one of them said to me without even looking round.
—Why don't you put him to one side and carry on beating on him later? You're building up an enormous line and some of us have things to do.
(if: $aspecto is true)[They stared at me for a long time until one of them said:
—Now you have come, there are three of us, so we can speed up the queue. Stay here while we finish him. It will not take long.](if: $brazo is true)[—It´d be better if you shut up before I get bored with hitting him— said the reductor pointing at the poor kid, who was trying to crawl away— and you become his replacement.]
(link: "Continuar")[(if: $aspecto is true)[(go-to: "Cap4-004.1")]
(else:)[(go-to: "Cap4-004.2")]] It wasn't a good idea to jump the line. It would only annoy them and draw their attention. It would be better to wait my turn.
After a while, when they'd finished beating on the kid, one of them started to walk down the line. It stopped next to me and [[said|Cap4-004.3]]:
(if: $aspecto is true)[—Why are you queueing up?
“Oh shit.”
—I saw you were busy with that guy, so I preferred not to bother— I said, improvising.
—Come with me. You will be of great help to us.
He wouldn’t expect me to hit the kid, right? It was one thing to go unnoticed, but it was quite another to beat up a citizen.
—You will stay here, at the cabin, while we finish him off.
—What? Will you keep hitting him? He is almost dead. He can’t even move.
—Since when do you care about these vermin? We’ll be back in a moment… or two, depending on how many blows he can take— he said with a disgusting grin.
[[Continue|Cap4-004.1]]](else:)[—Why have you come to the Capitol?
The question caught me by surprise and I had to improvise.
—I need to buy medicines. I need treatment for myopia and can only pay with //Cits//.
If they thoroughly checked my identifier, Hack's one in reality, they would see that I was telling the truth, which would help me gain its trust. The //restrictor// didn't seem very satisfied with my answer, but continued walking
The line advanced slowly until my turn. I handed in my identifier with everything in order: green behavioral color, up to date, with my name and my ID number correct…
[[Continue|Cap4-006]]](alert: "You will now have to work at the Capitol border. Check the identifiers, making sure that the data provided by pedestrians is real.")Below is an example of an identifier with the information you need to know in order not to be misled. <style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
}</style>
<img
src=https://i.imgur.com/EgYKah9.png
</div>
(set: $Frontera to 0)[[Start|Cap4-005]]—Everything in order. May the light of Faro guide you...— It stopped suddenly in mid sentance, with my identifier in its hand.
I didn't remember exactly, but I knew that the behavioral bracelets, each had a specific shape that had to do with that phrase. "The first teaching of Faro".
<style> img {
max-width:80%;
max-height:80%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/ALk3bto.png/div>
[[There where darkness reigns|Game Over]]
[[In life and death]]
[[To you and yours|Game Over]]I noticed the kid was no ordinary smuggler. This explained why they were laying into him so heavily. He had a tatoo of a sinking city on his right wrist, barely visible under his bracelet. He was a //raccoon//, so called for the network of tunnels they had dug under the entire city.
The tunnels had evaded control for years. Once in a while the raccoons had to block up some, to prevent Faro from discovering the whole network, but in general they were a real headache for the authorities.
The raccoons guarded their secrets jealously and were very careful about who they let use their tunnels. If by chance, information reached the wrong ears, all their years of work could be ruined in an instant.
[[Continue|Cap4-004.2.1]]
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[16/05/2058]
<==
—ID card, please. <style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
}</style>
<img
src=https://i.imgur.com/ovW6UWJ.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.1]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.2]]
Looking at this //raccoon's// situation, if I helped him I could win his trust.
A voice brought me back down to earth:
—Hey! Didn't you hear me? Get back in the line.
[[Go back in the queue]]
[[Help the raccoon now]]
I decided to do nothing yet. There was a lot at stake and with any luck the kid could hold out a bit longer.
I joined the end of the line and waited my turn. About 20 minutes went by. I handed in my identifier with everything in order: Behaviour color green, up to date, with the right name and ID number.
—Why have you come to the capitol Mr Hack?
—I need to buy medicines. I need treatment for myopia and can only pay with //Cits//.
—Everything in order. May the light of Faro guide you...— It stopped suddenly in mid sentence, with my identifier in its hand.
[[Continue|Untitled Passage 1]]
I was just stupid enough to confront two //restrictors// at the same time, but maybe I had a chance if I managed to knock out the first one before the other had time to react.
I knocked off its head with one punch and it swung from side to side by one of the cables that joined it to the body.
"Not bad for one of Hack's improvements."
[[Continue|Help the raccoon now 2]]
=><=
(css: "color: red; font-size: 150%") [Time until the police arrive {(live: 1s)[
(set: $time to it -1)
$time
(if: $time<= 0)[(goto: "GAME OVER")]]
}]
<==
There was a note in which I could see that something was written but I couldn't read it clearly. If I had a special light…
Password:
(text-colour:"#0d1a25")[BLANCO]
[[Go to the bathroom|Cap2E-003.1]]
[[Go to the kitchen|Cap2E-003.3]]
[[Go to the dining room|Cap2E-003.4]](set: $Frontera to it)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
-May the light of Faro guide you...
-...In life and death.
—//Have documentation handy to expedite the queue//.
-Next.
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/gT4QE4a.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.3]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.4]](set: $Frontera to it +1)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
-I'm sorry, but the entrance is not allowed with a red behavioral color.
-Next.
—//Have documentation handy to expedite the queue//.
-Next.
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/gT4QE4a.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.3]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.4]](set: $Frontera to it +1)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
-May the light of Faro guide you...
-...In life and death.
-Next.
—Thank goodness you're here, I was tired of waiting.
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/MaDNr0E.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.5]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.6]](set: $Frontera to it)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
—-What?! What do you mean, denied? I have my ID in order. I'm going to write down your serial number and report it to FARO.
-Okay, okay. Now, jump out of the queue.
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/MaDNr0E.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.5]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.6]](set: $Frontera to it +1)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
-May the light of Faro guide you...
-...In life and death.
—Next
...
—Where's your ID card?
—It was stolen by a //raccoon// last Tuesday. I haven't been able to renew it yet.
—I'm sorry but I can't let you in wihtout an ID.
——Please, I have to pick up an order. If I don't go I will lose a lot of money. I have two children to feed. I'm not going to make ends meet.
[[Accept|Cap4-005.7]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.8]](set: $Frontera to it)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
—Denied? Fuck you and all the fucking robots.
—You are slowing down the queue. Please step aside.
—//Next!//
...
—Where's your ID card?
—It was stolen by a //raccoon// last Tuesday. I haven't been able to renew it yet.
—I'm sorry but I can't let you in wihtout an ID.
——Please, I have to pick up an order. If I don't go I will lose a lot of money. I have two children to feed. I'm not going to make ends meet.
[[Accept|Cap4-005.7]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.8]](set: $Frontera to it)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
-May the light of Faro guide you...
-...In life and death. Thanks, you just saved me.
—Next
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/590aAfw.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.9]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.10]](set: $Frontera to it +1)
—You have just condemned me. Me and my entire family.
//No access to the capitol without an ID or with a color code less than green will be allowed.//
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/590aAfw.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.9]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.10]](set: $Frontera to it)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
-May the light of Faro guide you...
-...In life and death.
—Next
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/joYEDoW.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.11]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.12]](set: $Frontera to it +1)
—Counterfeiting is punishable by downgrading the behavioral color and the confiscation of the identifier.
...
—Next
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/joYEDoW.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.11]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.12]](set: $Frontera to it)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
—May the light of Faro guide you…
—…In life and illness (live:4s)[(click: "illness")[(go-to: "Cap4-005.11.1")]]
—Next
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/Y8P3oZW.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.13]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.14]](set: $Frontera to it + 1)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
—Your ID card expired on 18/09/2055. I can't let you in.
//Access will not be allowed with an expired passport.//
—Next
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/Y8P3oZW.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.13]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.14]](set: $Frontera to it + 1)-May the light of Faro guide you...
-...In life and death. Have a nice day.
The //restrictors// were back, so I could finally leave the border. The guys were not with them.
"//Would they have killed him and left him lying on the ground?//"
—Have you finished with the kid? Where is he?
—He wasn't able to come on his own, so we left him lying there.— Said one of them with a disgusting smirk.
-So, I can go now, right?
One of them brought out a digital notebook and began reviewing the last entries to the Capitol.
(if: $Frontera is >= 4)[—Okay, you can go.](else:)[You've let a lot of people through with fake IDs, too many mistakes to be one of us…]
(link: "Continue")[
(if: $Frontera is >= 4)[(go-to: "Cap5B")]
(else:)[(go-to:"Game Over Cap4")] ](set: $Frontera to it)
—Why did you deny me the entrance? Everything is in order…
The //restrictors// were back, so I could finally leave the border. The guys were not with them.
"//Would they have killed him and left him lying on the ground?//"
—Have you finished with the kid? Where is he?
—He wasn't able to come on his own, so we left him lying there.— Said one of them with a disgusting smirk.
-So, I can go now, right?
One of them brought out a digital notebook and began reviewing the last entries to the Capitol.
(if: $Frontera is >= 4)[—Okay, you can go.](else:)[You've let a lot of people through with fake IDs, too many mistakes to be one of us…]
(link: "Continue")[
(if: $Frontera is >= 4)[(go-to: "Cap5B")]
(else:)[(go-to:"Game Over Cap4")] ](set: $Frontera to it + 1)
==>
(css: "font-family: aguda")[10/05/2058]
<==
—¿What did you say?
—In life and death…—He said haltingly—.In life and death, I swear.
-Not knowing FARO's First Teaching means...execution.
—What? No please!
—You will have to be absent for a while then. You will be banned from the Capitol for 2 months.
—Bu… but, I have to enter to the Capitol to go to work.
—I'm sorry.
—I'll be replaced.
—Would you prefer to call my two colleagues and see what they think?
—Okay, I'm leaving. You've fucked my life.
//Access will not be allowed with an expired passport.//
<style> img {
max-width:100%;
max-height:100%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/Y8P3oZW.png?1</div>
[[Accept|Cap4-005.13]]
[[Deny|Cap4-005.14]]—You will have accompany me to the Faro offices.
==>
[[Restart|Cap-4]][[Start|Cap5B]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}The main building of Faro was a four-hour walk from the border, which left me with few options for getting there.
The idea of a //restrictor// using public transport was quite odd and, it might arouse some suspicion if other police officers saw me.
The other option, getting to Faro in a slider, wasn't any better. I didn't know how to drive those things and, it was risky to have another //restrictor// take me.
[[Take the metro|Cap5B-002]]
[[Go in glider|Cap5B-001]]No matter how strange it was a //restrictor// using public transport, it was the safest of the options. I headed towards the nearest metro stop which was three blocks from the border.
All lines passed through faro, or better said, started there. Line 1 was the fastest one, with fewer stops than the others. Furthermore, it had loads of amenities, as only people with a white color code could use it. A social state which was mostly attributed to the wealthiest families inside the Capitol, regardless of any social acts they may have done.
Taking advantage of my appearance, I didn’t hesitate for a moment to use Line 1. I passed the facial scanner they used to charge the fare and sat down in one of the individual seats.
[[Continue|Cap5B-002.1]]
I decided to go in the glider. I just had to stay silent during the journey and I should be fine. I headed back towards the //restrictors// that were working at the border and asked them to send someone to pick me up.
—Why don't you use your walkie-talkie?
—It got broken yesterday morning during a fight.
—Oh, yes. I heard about the riots on internal radio. See what they tell you at the weekly review.
"//What's the weekly review?//"
—Could you call?— I insisted.
A few minutes later, the glider arrived.
[[Get into the glider|Cap5B-001.1]]For once in a while, luck smiled on me. It wasn't a //restrictor// who was driving the glider, it was a simple police agent who was extremely tense throughout the journey.
It seemed that the relationship between //restrictors// and ordinary agents was based on the latter's fear of the former. Which was not strange, as //restrictors// were unscrupulous, and any action was justified for them in order to ensure "security" in society.
Upon arriving at Faro, the officer let out a fart due to the tension he had built up from the journey.
[[I got out of the car|Cap5B-001.2]] and headed towards the building. No matter how much I hate them, I had to admit that the view from there was breathtaking. The city was built in such a way that the centre was at the highest point of it. Faro was the epicenter, surrounded by an artificial lake one kilometre in diameter. Furthermore, on top of the building, a floating cabin illuminated everything around it, as a real lighthouse would.
As soon as I entered the building, I passed a //restrictor//:
-The weekly review is going on right now, on (f)our floor.
"Of course, it was going to be today…"
—Perfect, because I have the walkie-talkie damaged.— I said, trying to feign security.
I got into the lift and pressed the button of the
[[2nd floor]]
[[3rd floor]]
[[4th floor]](set: $planta to it +1)
==><==
DR TEN'S CLINIC
<==
That's the doctor who sent the message to X. The whole floor for him? I wish I had more time to investigate it but now I have to go to the //restrictor// review. I'll come back later.
[[3rd floor]]
[[4th floor]]==><==
(set:$planta to it +1)Logistics and Ops department
<==
I don't think it's here.
[[2nd floor]]
[[4th floor]] —Hi! I'm ERA (//Evaluator Restrictor Assistant//) Welcome to the weekly review.
It was robot completely different from the //restrictors// It was egg shaped, its head floated above its body and it moved by levitating. It was totally white and very effusive.
—Come with me.
I followed ERA into a room with four doors and it pointed to door number three.
[[Enter|Cap5B-003]]—//Welcome to the basic cognitive abilities exam. We will evaluate your perception, memory and reasoning to prevent any shortcomings in their actions during the working day.//
—Well, at least they won't open my head to study me. That's something.
—//Date of fabrication of the model to be assessed: 9/03/2052.
Serial number: 20012... //(if: ($reductor is true) and ($planta is 2)) [//This serial number it has already been evaluated today.//
[[Continue|Game Over 100]] ]
(else:)[ [[Start the exam|Cap5B-004]]]ERA took me to a room separated from the rest. Once inside it, ERA hardened its digital features.
—They shouldn’t put me to do these things. I hate the smell of the burnt internal circuits.— It pulled out a cable from his right arm and plugged it into me.
This time it wouldn't smell burnt scrap metal, but human flesh. The shock ran through my body in a matter of milliseconds and I ended up fainting.
=><=
THE END
[[Restart|Cap5B]] (set: $fallos to 0)(alert: "The test will now begin. Remember that you are a restrictor when answering the questions. You will only be allowed 1 failure" )
//—We will start evaluating your perception//
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/fgmawCF.png</div>
[[Option A|Cap5B-004.1]]
[[Option B|Cap5B-004.2]]
[[Option C|Cap5B-004.2]]//—Perfect, we will continue with your memory//
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/Hu7SOLS.png</div>
(live: 10s)[(goto: "Cap5B-005")](set: $fallos to it +1)//—Perfect, we will continue with your memory//
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/Hu7SOLS.png</div>
(live: 10s)[(goto: "Cap5B-005")]I grabbed the second one by the shoulder, who was still too busy hitting the kid to realize what had happened. But it was faster than I expected and spun round with its elbow extended, fracturing one of my ribs and leaving me breathless for a few seconds. I managed to parry its next blow while I was still recovering. I grabbed its arm and wrenched it out of its socket and then used it to beat the //restrictor// to the ground.
Within a few seconds there were alarms going off everywhere.
=><=
//¡Alert! Disturbance at entrance 4. Mobilize units at gates 3 and 5.//
<==
[[Continue|Help the raccoon now 3]]A big group of people started to run towards the capitol, others stayed at the frontier doing nothing. Probably those who started to run didn´t have their identifiers in order to get in, so were taking advantage of the opportunity.
I put the kid over my shoulder and started to [[walk|Ayudar ahora al raccoon 4]] with him as fast as I could.
(set: $transCounter to 0)\
|sample1)[(transition: "dissolve")|fadeout>[ [ [[Hide right there]] ]] ]
|sample2)[(transition: "dissolve")|fadeout>[ [ [[Run with the rest of people]] ]] ]
|sample3)[(transition: "dissolve")|fadeout>[ [ [[Separate from the others]] ]] ]
{
(live: 1s)[
(set: $transCounter to it + 1)
(if: $transCounter is 1)[
(show: ?sample1)
]
(else-if: $transCounter is 2)[
(show: ?sample2)
]
(else-if: $transCounter is 3)[
(show: ?sample3)
]
(else:)[
(stop:)
]
]
}
=><=
(live: 25s)[(goto: "game over 2")]Rang, that was the name of the //raccoon//, was too heavy to move fast enough to escape from the police who would soon catch up with us. I decided to stay where we were, among the giant flower pots that were behind each of the entrance gates of the capitol.
It wasn't a great hideout, but it would do unless the police got very close. Just as I thought, the police from gates 3 and 5 arrived very quickly, and the bloodbath started.
They parked their gliders to form a bottleneck and started to shoot anything that moved. The people furthest ahead managed to escape and hide among the big buildings of the city but many didn't make it.
Suddenly the shooting and screaming stopped. The police started to search for those who had managed to escape, including in our zone.
[[Go back to door nº4]]
[[Remain hidden]]We started to run as fast as we could, joining the group which had broken through the checkpoint. The police from gates 3 and 5 arrived almost immediately. They parked the gliders to form a bottleneck, forcing us all down the same street.
They shot anything that moved and in a few minutes it was silent. Those who could, hid, but the police continued with the search patrols. Now and again we heard screams and shots as they found somebody.
[[Continue|run with the rest 2]]The police from gates 3 and 5 arrived almost immediately and started a bloodbath. They parked their gliders to form a bottleneck and started to shoot anything that moved. The people furthest ahead managed to escape and hide among the big buildings of the city but many didn't make it.
The //raccoon// and I had separated from the others, and luckily the police hadn't followed us. Very soon they would send out search patrols de rastreo to find those who had managed to escape, so we didn't have much time to spare.
Rang, as the kid was called, was in a pretty bad way, worse than I thought at first, and would slow us down a lot.
[[Continue|Cap4]]
We started to walk back to the frontier towards the people who had waited there till things died down, when Rang begged me to do everything I could to protect him from the police. If they caught him they would keep hitting him till either he died or he told them everything he knew about the //raccoon//.
Once we got to gate nº4, the kid pointed at some abandoned houses.
What's there?
—An entrance to one of our tunnels. We'll be safe there until they stop patrolling– he said feebly.
[[Go to the houses]]
They were getting closer and closer. If we came out now we were done for. All we could do was pray that they didn't come round the back of the flowerpots...
But they did, the //restrictors// left no stone unturned.
—Two more at the flowerpots of gate nº4!
—//Take them to Faro//— said a voice on the walkie talkie.
The state the kid was in, it was futile to resist.
[[Restart|Cap-4]]We entered the house on the right. It wasn´t really abandoned. It was a hologram prepared by them to hide the entrance.
He asked me to look away for a moment while he activated the tunnel. I heard how he moved some furniture and the the room started to descend to the [[tunnels|far from there 3]].
-Let's go behind that supermarket.
In the street we had to cross to get to the supermarket there were a couple of //restrictors// on guard. They walked up and down, one on each side, but there were moments when they were both looking away from us, giving us the opportunity to cross.
{
(set: $firstGuess to true)
(set: $delay to 5000)
}
Restrictor 1:(live: 2s)[(set: $bomb to (either: "Facing us", "With their back to us", "Facing us"))(if: $bomb is "Facing us")[(text-colour: "red")[$bomb]](else:)[(text-colour: "yellow")[$bomb] ] ]
Reductor 2:(live: 2s)[(set: $bomb to (either: "Facing us", "With their back to us", "Facing us"))(if: $bomb is "Facing us")[(text-colour: "red")[$bomb]](else:)[(text-colour: "yellow")[$bomb] ] ]
[[Cross the street]](if: $bomb is "De frente")[(goto: "game over 1")](else:)[We managed to cross without being seen.
—¿What are we doing here in the supermarket "Green"?
—Behind, there's an entrance to the //raccoon// tunnels. We'll be safer down there.
We went to the back of the building. Rang, as the kid was called, moved a trashcan and said a few words I couldn´t hear clearly.
The floor below us opened.
[[Enter the tunnels|Run with the rest 3]] ]
It was nothing like I had imagined.
Except for a couple of details, the design was pretty rudimentary, with the dug earth visible, like the mines of our ancestors.
A floating disk came to meet us and followed us, illuminating the tunnel. The roof was supported by arches every 50 meters or so. They were of white metal which reflected the light which was following us, sufficiently to see clearly. Also the floor was mechanized and moved in the direction we were walking in.
—What do we do now?
—Follow me, we`re going to the //raccoon// underground base.
[[End of chapter 4|Cap5]]
It was nothing like I had imagined.
Except for a couple of details, the design was pretty rudimentary, with the dug earth visible, like the mines of our ancestors.
A floating disk came to meet us and followed us, illuminating the tunnel. The roof was supported by arches every 50 meters or so. They were of white metal which reflected the light which was following us, sufficiently to see clearly. Also the floor was mechanized and moved in the direction we were walking in.
[[Continue|Far from there 4]]The //raccoon// had managed to trick everyone. That was not a base, that was a real underground city that stretched nearly 100km^^2^^. They supported their constructions with the natural stalactites and stalagmites from the cave, connecting all of them with bridges to the central building.
—The hospital is in the first level— said Rang— leave me there, and go to the “Earthscraper” for an interview with Olga. If all goes well, you'll be able to leave when you're done.
“If everything goes well? What is that supposed to mean?”
—Okay— I said feigning confidence after that comment that was still on my mind.
[[Take Rang to the hospital|Cap5-002]]
We got to a metro station and I sat him on one of the benches.
—Rang, I can help you out. I know someone who lives near here who is into nanomedicine. We just need a safe way to get out of town. We can`t wait till they´ve finished combing the area, not with the state you´re in.
Without a word he pointed at the metro tunnel.
I put him over my shoulder again and went where he pointed. After about 100 meters he covered my eyes and said in a feeble voice:
—You can´t look.
I heard him look for something on the floor. He took my arm and led me a couple of paces.
—You can open them now.
[[Continue|Chap4-1]]
It was nothing like I had imagined.
Except for a couple of details, the design was pretty rudimentary, with the dug earth visible, like the mines of our ancestors.
A floating disk came to meet us and followed us, illuminating the tunnel. The roof was supported by arches every 50 meters or so. They were of white metal which reflected the light which was following us, sufficiently to see clearly. Also the floor was mechanized and moved in the direction we were walking in.
—How can we get to my colleague? I could say to meet us at gate 4. I thought we would have arrived in a few minutes and...
—Don't worry, we're heading for the underground //raccoon// base. It's safer for me. Anyway, I have to take to my boss anybody who has seen our tunnels who doesn't belong to the clan.
[[End of chapter 4|Cap5]]
I didn't remember exactly, but I knew that the behavioral bracelets, each had a specific shape that had to do with that phrase. "The first teaching of Faro".
<style> img {
max-width:80%;
max-height:80%;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/ALk3bto.png/div>
[[There where darkness reigns|Game Over]]
[[In life and death]]
[[To you and yours|Game Over]]—Not knowing "The First Teaching" of Faro is punishable by death.
(if: $Reductor is true)[It pulled out a pistol and took a shot at me right there, in front of everybody.
The bullet missed me. I couldn't see as I had my eyes closed waiting for the impact. When I opened them, the //reductor// which had tried to shoot me was on the ground with its companion on top of it.
—¡Scram, a patrol will be here any minute to see what happened!
I fled, without understanding what had happened or why the restrictor was helping me. Then I realised, it was the reductor from the bar which I spared its life. This was a novelty, did they really have feelings?(link: "Continuar")[(go-to: "En el capitolio")] ](else:)[I couldn't face both //restrictors// at the same time. It would be useless.
—You'll have to accompany me to Faro to see what we can do with you.]
=><=
THE END
[[Restart|Cap-4]]—... In life and in death
It gave me back the identifier and I carried on walking, this time inside the capitol.
Before going to the offices I went to look for the kid. It was very strange for the //restrictors// to give such a beating to an ordinary smuggler.
I got far enough away from the frontier to turn back without being seen.
I found him leaning against one of the giant flowerpots there were at all the capitol entrance gates. He was in a terrible state, coughing blood and hardly able to move. He had a deep cut near his stomach which was still bleeding. I ripped of a shirtsleeve to bandage the wound , lifted him up and carried him away [[far from there]].
We found an entrance to the metro, where we'd be safe for a while.
Before crossing the street to the metro, Rang, as the kid was called, stopped me.
—They mustn't see me in the capitol.
In the street we had to cross to get to the supermarket there were a couple of //restrictors// on guard. They walked up and down, one on each side, but there were moments when they were both looking away from us, giving us the opportunity to cross.
{
(set: $firstGuess to true)
(set: $delay to 5000)
}
Restrictor 1:(live: 2s)[(set: $bomb to (either: "Facing us", "With their back to us", "Facing us"))(if: $bomb is "Facing us")[(text-colour: "red")[$bomb]](else:)[(text-colour: "yellow")[$bomb] ] ]
Reductor 2:(live: 2s)[(set: $bomb to (either: "Facing us", "With their back to us", "Facing us"))(if: $bomb is "Facing us")[(text-colour: "red")[$bomb]](else:)[(text-colour: "yellow")[$bomb] ] ]
[[Cross the street|Far from there 1]](if: $bomb is "De frente")[(goto: "game over 1")](else:)[We were able to cross unspoted.
—We have to get out of here. When they see I'm not where they left me they´ll start looking for me...
—Why were they trying so hard to kill you?
— They weren't trying to kill me. They wanted information.
He pulled up his sleeve to show a tatoo of a sinking city.
He was a //raccoon//, so called for the network of tunnels they had created under all the city.]
[[Continue|Far from there 1.1]]The tunnels had evaded control for years. Once in a while the raccoons had to block up some to prevent Faro from discovering the whole network, but in general they were a real headache for the authorities.
The raccoons guarded their secrets jealously and were very careful about who they let use their tunnels. If by chance, information reached the wrong ears, all their years of work could be ruined in an instant.
I nodded to show I understood the tatoo.
—So what next?
—We´ll use the tunnels. Wait here a moment.
He went into the tunnels of the metro as best as he could, stumbling very slowly. He came back a few minutes later and waved at me to follow him.
—Sorry to be so secretive, but I can´t let anyone see how to get into the tunnels.
—It´s ok, I understand.
The entrance was imperceptible. A false wall projected from the floor, imitating perfectly the rest of the metro tunnel wall.
[[Go into the tunnels|far from there 3]]
—Where exactly does this tunnel go?
—Wherever you want, all the tunnels are interconected.
—Even to the Faro offices?
— Even to the Faro offices.
—And how do we get there?— I asked impatiently.
—First you have to accompany me to the //raccoon// base. Anyone outside our clan who has seen the tunnels has to see our leader. Then you can go.
[[End chapter 4|Cap5]]
I got far enough away from the border to be out of sight, when I met the boy who had been beaten up.
I found him leaning against one of the giant flowerpots there were at all the capitol entrance gates. He was in a terrible state, coughing blood and hardly able to move. He had a deep cut near his stomach which was still bleeding. I ripped of a shirtsleeve to bandage the wound , lifted him up and carried him away [[far from there]].
People looked at me with strange eyes, but no one stepped out to say anything to me. Faro had more than succeeded in their purpose, and with the arrival of the //restrictors// they had even more control of the city. The reputation for unscrupulousness of the new police officers had spread quickly among Baltimore's citizenry, who were now more docile than ever.
But, how long will that authoritarian regime based on fear last? Probably until //restrictors// commit some barbarity that even Faro’s most loyal followers couldn’t turn a blind eye to.
The announcer of the metro brought me from my thoughts:
—//This stop: “The lake”//
I got off as the doors were closing. I bumped into a //restrictor// who controlled the stop. Normally, those kind of jobs were manned by human police officers, but, being so close to Faro, security was increased.
It stared at me for a while:
—What were you doing in the metro?
[[Controlling it|Cap5B-002.2]]
[[My walkie-talkie it’s broken|Cap5B-002.3]]
—I had to come back from the border and I decided to get the metro and take the opportunity to control it.
—Control what?
—Any kind of robbery, riot or incident. Why the interrogation?
The //restrictor// was not very happy with my answer, but it let me continue my way through the bridge which linked the metro stop and the building.
No matter how much I hated them, I had to admit that the view from there was breathtaking. The city was built in such a way that the centre was at the highest point of it. Faro was the epicentre, surrounded by an artificial lake one kilometre in diameter. Furthermore, on top of the building, a floating cabin illuminated everything around it, as a real lighthouse would.
[[Enter to Faro|Cap5B-002.4]]
—I’ve got no other way to come back from the border. My walkie-talkie was damaged yesterday during a fight in a bar.
—Don’t forget to tell the engineers on the weekly revision.
—Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going for.— I lied.
The //restrictor// let me go finally, and I made my wayacross the bridge that linked the metro stop and the building of Faro.
No matter how much I hated them, I had to admit that the view from there was breathtaking. The city was built in such a way that the centre was at the highest point of it. Faro was the epicentre, surrounded by an artificial lake one kilometre in diameter. Furthermore, on top of the building, a floating cabin illuminated everything around it, as a real lighthouse would.
[[Enter to Faro|Cap5B-002.4]]
—//All restrictors are reminded that before the end of the day, they must pass the weekly inspection on the floor prepared for it. Those who do not pass it will be dismantled.//
"Fuck, of course I wasn't going to get away with that. But which floor is the one for the review?"
I had no option but to do the test, so I got into the lift and pressed the button of the…
[[2nd floor]]
[[3rd floor]]
[[4th floor]]
(set: $planta to 0)
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/0jNgKoF.png</div>
Answer
(click:"Answer")[(set: $knowsPassword1 to (prompt: "Which one is the correct option?","") )
(if: $knowsPassword1 is "5" or "05")[(goto: "Cap5B-005.1")]
(else:)[(goto: "Cap5B-005.2")]
]//—One capacity left for evaluating, reasoning. It will consist on two parts:
1st one: It will evaluate your logical reasoning.
2nd one: It will evaluate your moral reasoning.//
[[Continue|Cap5B-006]]
(set: $fallos to it +1)//—One capacity left for evaluating, reasoning. It will consist on two parts:
1st one: It will evaluate your logical reasoning.
2nd one: It will evaluate your moral reasoning.//
[[Continue|Cap5B-006]]
//—Let’s start with the logical reasoning//
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/wUXXWfs.png</div>
[[acbd|Cap5B-006.2]]
[[adcb|Cap5B-006.1]]
[[abdc|Cap5B-006.2]]
[[adbc|Cap5B-006.2]]
(set: $fallos to it +1)//—Lastly: moral reasoning//
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/FcXMyWl.png</div>
[[Push the man|Cap5B-007.1]]
[[Don’t push the man|Cap5B-007.2]]
//—Lastly: moral reasoning//
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/FcXMyWl.png</div>
[[Push the man|Cap5B-007.1]]
[[Don’t push the man|Cap5B-007.2]]
//—Thanks for collaborating to make this weekly inspection as easy as possible. You have commited $fallos failures.//
Out, there was ERA with another //restrictor// waiting for me. ERA pointed my door to the //restrictor// and asked me to follow it.
(if: $fallos >= 2)[It took me to a room separated from the rest. Once inside it, ERA hardened its digital features.
—They shouldn’t put me to do these things. I hate the smell of the burnt internal circuits.— It pulled out a cable from his right arm and plugged it into me.
This time it wouldn't smell burnt scrap metal, but human flesh. The shock ran through my body in a matter of milliseconds and I ended up fainting.
THE END
[[Restart|Cap5B]] ] (else:)[—You did it great!—it said, circling around me.
ERA accompanied me to the lift and went back to the evaluation room. As I went down I heard ERA say:
—What do you mean that the serial number has already been assessed?
[[End of chapter 5|Capítulo 6]] ]
(set: $fallos to it +1)//—Thanks for collaborating to make this weekly inspection as easy as possible. You have commited $fallos failures.//
Out, there was ERA with another //restrictor// waiting for me. ERA pointed my door to the //restrictor// and asked me to follow it.
(if: $fallos >= 2)[It took me to a room separated from the rest. Once inside it, ERA hardened its digital features.
—They shouldn’t put me to do these things. I hate the smell of the burnt internal circuits.— It pulled out a cable from his right arm and plugged it into me.
This time it wouldn't smell burnt scrap metal, but human flesh. The shock ran through my body in a matter of milliseconds and I ended up fainting.
THE END
[[Restart|Cap5B]] ]
(else:)[—You did it great!—it said, circling around me.
ERA accompanied me to the lift and went back to the evaluation room. As I went down I heard ERA say:
—What do you mean that the serial number has already been assessed?
[[End of chapter 5|Capítulo 6]] ]
[[Start|Capítulo 7]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}When we arrived they already had a gurney ready for Rang. They were not surprised by his condition or by my presence, which was a bit strange.
—We…were you waiting for us? How did you know?
—The light which guided you through the tunnel is also a camera.—Said one of the doctors, while helping to put Rang up on the gurney.
Certainly, it was not that surprising. In fact, it was obvious that they had to be careful who walked through their tunnels.
—Olga awaits you in the “Earthscraper” and, by the way, she doesn’t like cats.
Blanco snorted at him, showing that she understood what he had said.
[[Go to the “Earthscraper” without Blanco|Cap5-002.1a]]
[[Go to the “Earthscraper” with Blanco|Cap5-002.1]]
—If she doesn’t like them, she’ll have to put up with it. Blanco is coming with me.
We got out of the hospital on our way to the “Earthscraper”. The building was in the middle of the city and when I saw it, I understood the reason for its name. Although part of it was protruding, it was built several metres below the level of the city.
Most likely, it would have been the one and only building of the //Raccoon’s// base before it became a city. It was constructed with the materials and the more sober and serious style of the beginning of the century, as opposed to the luminosity and ease of moulding of the new components that allowed for buildings such as the capitol.
When we got to the gate, one of the guards made us wait.
—Here, put this on.
He gave me a blindfold, took me by the arm and led me [[inside the building]].
(set: $Olga to it -1)—We don’t know who this Olga is and what she is capable of. We are in her territory, so we'd better not push our luck and take the advice. I'll be back soon.
Blanco pretended to follow me, disregarding everything I had said.
—Come on, It won’t take long.
I got out of the hospital on our way to the “Earthscraper”. The building was in the middle of the city and when I saw it, I understood the reason for its name. Although part of it was protruding, it was built several metres below the level of the city.
Most likely, it would have been the one and only building of the //Raccoon’s// base before it became a city. It was constructed with the materials and the more sober and serious style of the beginning of the century, as opposed to the luminosity and ease of moulding of the new components that allowed for buildings such as the capitol.
When I got to the gate, one of the guards made me wait.
—Here, put this on.
He gave me a blindfold, took me by the arm and led me [[inside the building]].
—You can take off your blindfold— Said a voice which I couldn’t distinguish clearly where it came from.
I was in a dimly lit room, almost in darkness. There was no decoration, except for a throne located right in front of me, levitating a few metres above me. Sat in it was who I assumed to be Olga, holding a walking stick in her right hand, which had a carved raccoon head on its handle.
She was a petite woman, in her seventies, but transmitting an image full of energy and might. With white hair falling down to her chest.
She tapped the floor three times with the base of his staff and a flash of light shone from the ground, creating a circle around me.
[[Continue|Fogonazo]]
(live: 2s)[(if: (history:) contains "Cap5-002.1")[(goto: "cap5-003")]
(else:)[(goto: "Cap5-003")]]
The light blinded and stunned me for a few minutes.
—Is all this paraphernalia necessary for an interview?
—You wouldn’t believe how many people we intimidate with the “paraphernalia”, as you said.—She said with amusement.
The voice was still coming from all parts of the room, although Olga was clearly in front of me.
She was silent for a moment. Blanco came out from behind me, who had so far remained hidden from Olga's eyes.
—Did you come in with the cat despite the warnings?
Without even giving me time to answer, she tapped the floor with the walking stick making it tremble. The circle of light narrowed, opening a hole in the room.
—Who are you and why are you here?
[[Rye, the Recon leader|Cap5-003.1]]
[[Lie|Cap5-003.2]]
The light blinded and stunned me for a few minutes.
—Is all this paraphernalia necessary for an interview?
—You wouldn’t believe how many people we intimidate with the “paraphernalia”, as you said.—She said with amusement.
The voice was still coming from all parts of the room, although Olga was clearly in front of me.
She was silent for a moment before he finally spoke again.
[[Lie|Cap5-003.2]]
[[Rye, the Recon leader|Cap5-003.1]]
Why did a Recon put himself in danger to save a simple //Raccoon//? I guess you want something in exchange. You could have left Rang safely before entering the tunnels, but you decided to accompany him here. Why?
[[He was almost dying|Cap5-004.1]]
[[I recognised his tattoo|Cap5-004.2]](set: $Olga to it -1)(if: $Olga is -3)[(goto: "game over cap5")]
—I wanted us to get off to a good start... and the first thing I hear is a lie.
(if: $Olga is -2) [The floor trembled again, and the circle of light narrowed even more. There was just a couple of metres of platform, and below it a hole that went deeper into the earth.](else:)[She tapped the floor with the walking stick, making it tremble. The circle of light narrowed, opening a hole in the room.]
—Come on Rye, I’ll ask it once again and I’ll pretend this didn't just happen. Who are you and why are you here?
[[Rye, the Recon leader|Cap5-003.1]]
—I supposed it would be good if you owed me a favor.
—At least you’re going straight. But you failed with your target. Rang is one of the worst of our clan, a mindundi who is always being arrested and jeopardizes the stability that we have worked so hard for so long to establish. However, what do you want from us?
—As Rang has told me, your tunnels go all the way to the Faro offices. I need to use them to get in undetected.
—So Rang has broken the first rule of the //Raccoon// by talking too much?… I’ll deal with him later. So let’s imagine for a moment that I let you use our tunnels, what would I gain with that?
[[Recon would owe you a favor|Cap5-005.1]]
[[We have an enemy in common, Faro|Cap5-005.2]](set: $Olga to it -1)—He was in really bad conditions. I didn’t know if he could have reached your base without any help.
—Altruism? In Baltimore?—she laughed— This was lost with the arrival of Faro. No one puts his life in danger for someone unknown without expecting anything in return, let alone against //restrictors//.
(if: $Olga is -2)[While she was talking, the floor trembled again, and the circle of light got narrower. There was now just a couple of metres of platform, and below it a hole that went even deeper into the earth.](if: $Olga is -1)[The floor trembled and the circle of light narrowed, opening a hole in the room.](if: $Olga is -3)[The ground trembled again, and this time, there was not a single cm. of platform left, which made me fall into the void].
[[Continue|Cap5-005.3]]—Debts are never collected in the end. I need facts, acts, tangible things, not just talk and deals.
—What do you suggest then?
—You are the one who needs my help, not the other way around.
"What could we offer to the //Raccoon/// that they didn't already have?"
[[Money|Cap5-006.1]]
[[Protection|Cap5-006.2]]
[[People for smuggling|Cap5-006.3]]—I think you have the wrong view of us. Faro is not our enemy. We’ve created our own society down here, and the more we are out of touch with what is happening up there, the better.
–So, what do you suggest?
—I'm not the one who needs help.
"What could we offer to the //Raccoon/// that they didn't already have?"
[[Money|Cap5-006.1]]
[[Protection|Cap5-006.2]]
[[People for smuggling|Cap5-006.3]]
—Money? Why would I need money in my own society? Furthermore, if I needed some, I just have to steal it from the Capitol. //Cits// are the easiest thing to get out from there.
(if: $trato is 2)[(link: "Continuar")[(goto: "game over cap5.1")]](else:)[(set: $trato to it +1)She kept quiet letting the tension in me increase.
—You have one more try to convince me. If not, you'll leave here the way you came. I’ve already lost enough time.]
[[Protection|Cap5-006.2]]
[[People for smuggling|Cap5-006.3]]
—As I could see, you don’t have enough weapons and resources to stop Faro’s expeditions to search for your tunnels. What if I linked some of my subordinates to help you protect them.
—Faro just finds the tunnels we want them to find.
—What?
—Feed a wild animal regularly and it will become tame.
She stayed silent for a while, thinking.
—But… on second thoughts, it wouldn't hurt to know the technology needed for the weaponry and to learn how to use it.
—You won’t find anyone better than the Recon for that mission. Deal?
Olga nodded her head.
—Tomorrow, I want your companions here to begin the training. Now if you will excuse me, I have to take care of Rang," he got up from the throne and left the room.
[[Leave the “Earthscraper”|Cap5-007]]
(set: $trato to it +1) —I could let a couple of my men do your dirty work for a while. Smuggling, stealing or whatever you do down here.
—And let the Recon wander freely in my tunnels? Nice try, but I have more than enough people for that.
(if: $trato is 2)[(link: "Continuar")[(goto: "game over cap5.1")]](else:)[(set: $trato to it +1)She kept quiet letting the tension in me increase.
—You have one more try to convince me. If not, you'll leave here the way you came. I’ve already lost enough time.]
[[Protection|Cap5-006.2]]
[[Money|Cap5-006.1]]
(if: $Olga is -3)[(goto: "game over cap5")](else:)[Olga was very clear about my intentions and what I intended to get out of this "fortuitous" rescue.
-The truth is that I need something from you.
-Of course you do. But what is it exactly?
—As Rang has told me, your tunnels go all the way to the Faro offices. I need to use them to get in undetected.
—So Rang has broken the first rule of the //Raccoon// by talking too much?… I’ll deal with him later. So let’s imagine for a moment that I let you use our tunnels, what would I gain with that?
[[Recon would owe you a favor|Cap5-005.1]]
[[We have an enemy in common, Faro|Cap5-005.2]] ]I headed towards the hospital again to see how Rang was. When I arrived, he was waiting for me unscathed, with a backpack hanging from the right shoulder. (if: (history:) contains "Cap5-002.2")[There she was Blanco too, just where I left her, licking her hind legs. When she saw me, she started to walk between my legs as usual].
—Where are you going?—I asked Rang.
—Olga wants me to guide you to Faro, but I won’t be able to eat anything for the two days it will take to get there and back.
—A whole day to get to Faro?!
—Yes, and the earlier we leave the earlier we’ll get there— he said, starting to walk—. We need to make several detours, avoiding Faro's radars, which is why it will take so long.
[[End of chapter 5|Capítulo 6a]][[Start|Capítulo 6A]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}The door clicked and opened.
—I’ve opened it Rang. Come in, and keep an eye out for anyone coming.
I sat down at the desk, switched on the computer, and while I waited, rummaged through the drawers of the office. There was nothing relevant. Just a pile of papers and a photograph with what must be his family.
[[Check the computer|Cap6-011.1]]
[[Continue searching the office|Cap6-011.2]]
(unless: (passage:)'s tags contains "no-header" or "Luz")[
<div class="container"> Stress level
<center>
<div id="thediv">| Optimal |</div>
</center>
</div><div id="health-bar">\
<div class="bar"></div>\
</div>](print: "<script>GE.updateHeathBar(" + (text: $maxHealth) + "," + (text: $health) + ");")I glance at the bar looking for Ex. She had not arrived yet, so I took the opportunity to go to the bathroom. I stood before the mirror to groom myself:
“You have … eyes, I had always been told”
[[Your father’s (blue)|020]]
[[The technology (heterochromia)|020]]
[[Your mother’s (brown)|020]]
[[Your grandfather’s (honey)|020]]Before we left I went to a restaurant to buy some food for the trip. It didn't look very good the food they had, but it was better than nothing. I offered Rang one of the sandwiches, made with lettuce leaves instead of bread, but he refused it. He was prepared to carry out the punishment to the letter.
Then, we started our way through the tunnels.
—I didn’t have the time to thank you for what you did before.
—Don't worry, kid. Any excuse to fuck FARO and his bunch of //restrictors// is a good one.
—I know it wasn’t to save me, but to gain Olga’s favour, but still, thanks— he said, ducking his head.
[[Consoling Rang|Cap6-001]]
He seemed affected by the comment I had just made. So I tried to cheer him up:
—Come on, don’t be that hard on yourself. I would have helped even if you weren't who you are.
—Do you know what Olga said before I left? That I'm a worthless lout who costs her more favours than benefits. In front of everyone— he said in a trembling voice.
—Don't make a big deal out of it. The job's gone to her head.
—Come on! She's my mother.
That caught me unawares. Even more with the words Olga had dedicated to him during the interview. The kid kept talking, he was taking the opportunity to get it all off his chest.
—No matter what I do for the //raccoon//, for her I’ll always be the one who almost made her lose her position in the clan.
—What? Why would she lose her position to have you?
—For the //raccoon// the fact that the chiefs have a child can be a reason for relegation, as they wouldn’t see everyone as equals. That’s why she behaves like that towards me.
[[Continue|Cap6-002]]
—Well, at least she has given you an excuse?
—What do you mean?
—Nothing can justify that behaviour, Rang. Least of all from a mother to her child. She doesn't deserve such devotion from you.
—But she’s my mother!
—And you’re her son. Simply because you’re family, doesn’t mean you should be fond of her. Sometimes one is born in the wrong place.
I didn’t want to continue the conversation, so I suggested to Rang that we stop for a bite to eat. We had spent the last five hours walking and it must have been late.
Rang nodded in agreement and pulled a portable stove from his backpack. He put it down on the ground and after a while it lit up.
[[Stop to eat]]
He must have seen the strange look on my face.
—It collects heat from the earth to work. At this point underground, the temperature begins to rise.
I offered him a sandwich again but he refused once more. Blanco looked at me and meowed, so I broke it into small pieces.
While we were eating, Rang kept an icosahedron shaped black pendant between his hands.
[[Ask for the pendant|Cap6-002.1]]—It’s nothing —he said, letting it go for the first time since we had sat down.
—It’s related to Olga, isn’t it?
Rang nodded and stood for a while staring at the ground.
—It’s the only gift she has ever given me in my entire life, and it was after completing my first mission. You know? The first few months after she gave it to me I kept trying to open it. I was hoping it wasn't just a pendant... but it turned out that it was.
—Did you notice it Rang? She just broke any link with you. You are just another member of the clan for her.
[[Continue|Cap6-00]]I didn’t mean to be rude with the boy, but the sooner he understood it, the sooner he would get out of that rut.
—What would you have done if you hadn’t been born where you were? Now that nothing ties you to the clan, you can do whatever you want.
Blanco, who had already finished the pieces of sandwich lay on my lap.
—Well, the truth is that I’ve never thought about it… I always wanted to see the outer world. I hardly ever leave the base, and when I do, it's to do missions that are usually in Baltimore or very close to it.
—There you are! You have something to focus on now.
—The thing is that I’ve never been alone. I’m sure that you travel a lot, right?
Was that a proposal to join me and the //recon//?
[[Accept Rang|Cap6-003.1]]
[[Reject Rang|Cap6-003.2]]
—Okay, I’ll let you come with me on this mission. It will be your entrance exam.
—What do we have to do in Faro?
—X is one of our most important members of the clan and she has disappeared. The last we heard from her is that she had an appointment with Dr. Ten who consults at FARO's offices.
Rang stood silent waiting for me to continue talking.
—Is that it? Are we going to break into the biggest company in the world just because you suspect that a doctor from Faro might be involved in your colleague's disappearance?
—If you don’t like the idea, you don’t have to come with me.
[[Continue|Cap6-004.1]]—I'm sorry Rang. You have to learn what it means to live on your own, to don’t have someone to get you out of trouble when something goes wrong, that will help you to grow a lot.
—I think I’ll go back to the //raccoon// when the mission is over. I wouldn’t be able to survive on my own.
—I’ve been there too. Until you put yourself to the test you won’t be able to see if you’re really ready or not. Do you think it was easy for me to leave home?
—Okay, but I’m sure you weren’t in the same situation.
—No, my parents were starving to death while they fed my sister and me —Rang froze—. So I left my home, and I made a living for myself.
—How did you get into that situation?
—My father was a police officer. With the arrival of the new technologies and the //restrictors//, was replaced at the drop of a hat. His entire life dedicated to a company, and they get rid of you as soon as they get the chance. Good night Rang, or good days, or whatever it is. I’m going to rest, I have a hard day ahead of me tomorrow.
I laid down, rolled my jacket into a ball and rested my head on it.
[[Rest|Cap6-004.2.1]]
Rang had to learn quickly that our //modus operandi// was quite different from what he had been used to in the //raccoon//.
—We’ve been facing Faro for years. This will be just one more time. We'll go in, take out a couple of //restrictors//, get what we came for and leave.
—Are we going to fight the //restrictors//?
—Calm down boy, the trick is to rip their heads off before they do it to you— I said with a laugh.
Rang smiled bitterly.
—As long as you stay with me and listen to me, everything will be fine.
—How were //Recon// born, Rye?
[[Answer to Rang|Cap6-005.1]]
[[Go to sleep|Cap6-005.2]]—I created Recon with the hope of destroying Faro and the society that they've managed to implant in this shitty city. Gradually, that has become more complicated and the hatred I felt at the beginning has turned into resignation.
—But… where does all this hatred for them come from?
—Apart from controlling and marking us all as if we were cattle? They fucked up my entire life, me and my whole family. After my father had been working for them as a policeman all his life, they replaced him at the drop of a hat with a //restrictor//. I had to leave my house when I was sixteen because my parents were starving to death while they fed my sister and me.
Blanco must have felt that remembering that again had turned me inside out and started to lick me.
—Hey, come on, stop it— I said with a chuckle, trying to shake him off—. Let's go to sleep Rang, we have a tough day ahead of us tomorrow.
—Good night Rye.
Rang turned off the portable stove, took the floating light of the tunnel and dimmed it. I laid down, rolled my jacket into a ball and rested my head on it.
[[Following day|Cap6-006]]
—If you don’t mind Rang, let’s leave that for later on. We should go to sleep, tomorrow will be a tough day.
I lied laid down, rolled my jacket into a ball and rested my head on it. Blanco walked around my face to find his niche with me and laid down next to me.
—Good night, Rye.
—Good night, Rang.
[[Following day|Cap6-006]]
During the rest of the journey, we exchanged very few words. Rang was very focused on trying to hide how nervous he was, and I also needed some time for myself to take in all that was going on.
We had been walking for four hours or so when Rang stopped.
—It 's here.
—What 's here?
—We have arrived— said to me, pointing to the right wall.
I stared for a while, trying, unsuccessfully, to see something different from what I had already seen during the last kilometers we had walked.
Rang set a stone aside and stepped on the button underneath it. The wall of the tunnel opened leaving a new, completely dark passageway in view.
—Where does this tunnel go?
—To the parking zone of Faro offices.
—Okay, [[Let’s review the plan|Cap6-007]] before going in.
—1. Go into Faro.
2. Take the lift.
3. Find Dr. Ten’s office.
4. We log on to his computer to see the information he has about X.
5. We leave.
—And what if he is in his office?
—Better for us— I smiled—. We won’t need to log on to his computer.
—And what if someone sees us and asks us what we are doing there?
—We’ll say we have an appointment with the Dr.
—And if he isn’t working today?
—Rang, relax. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. Are you ready?
—Yes— he said with no conviction.
[[Go into Faro|Cap6-008]]
I couldn’t see anything inside of the new tunnel, but Rang insisted that I kept keep walking. We finally made it to the end, the parking zone.
Once we secured the area, we called the lift and took it.
—Which floor?
—Second. Don’t stop until we get to the office, be seen to be determined and to know where you are going.
[[2nd floor|Cap6-008.1]]
==><==
“2ND FLOOR. DR. TEN’S CLINIC”
<==
—Remember, don’t stop, follow me.
I began to walk through the floor with the hope of finding the office quickly.
—If my memories serve me correctly, this is it.
—Yes. The "Dr. Ten's Office" plaque, just near the door, cleared up any remaining doubts.
I tried to open the door but it was locked. Just to the left was a number pad.
—It needs a code…
—Can you see something inside? A piece of paper with the key written on it or something like that?
[[Look inside the office|Cap6-009]]
At first glance there was nothing that could help us open the door. There was just a computer on the table hardly visible from where we were. The most striking feature of the office was an old bookcase on the right wall, with the books arranged in an apparently disorderly fashion.
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img src=https://i.imgur.com/Z8Gm2R0.png</div>
(live: 30s)[—Can you see anything, Rye?]
(live: 60s)[—Nothing? We are going to get caught]
[[Introduce the code|Cap6-010]]
(set: $knowsPassword1 to (prompt: "Introduce the code","") )(if: $knowsPassword1 is "2639")[(goto: "Cap6-011")](else:) [Incorrect code.
[[Try again->Cap6-010]]]
[[Peek again->Cap6-009]] Dr. Ten must be someone really exclusive. The number of patients he had was ridiculously low. Three more people apart from X wasl his list, or at least that was all that was on his computer, which was rather strange.
I opened X’s information and started reading it.
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/hlW4bVE.png</div>
[[Continue|Cap6-011.4]](set: $amante to true) I approached the old bookcase. Over one of the books there was a picture of the Dr. kissing a girl much younger than him.
“So the Dr. has a mistress…” good to know.
Otherwise, I didn't find anything important or that we could use against him if we came across him. A couple of diplomas hanging on the wall accrediting his speciality in mental surgery, medical books…
[[Check the computer|Cap6-011.1]]
—Rang, stay behind the door. When he comes in, cover his mouth so he doesn’t scream. This is our best chance for him to tell us where X is.
I stood and sat waiting for him to come in. He opened the door and froze when he saw me there. Rang closed the door after him and covered his mouth as I'd asked him. The doctor was bigger than Rang, and began to fight to get away.
I punched him in the pit of his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
That gave us time to organize how we were going to act. We decided to tie him to the chair and put the office windows on night mode, so we couldn’t be seen from the outside.
—If you even think of screaming, I'll kill you right here before anyone can get here to help you.
[[Begin the debrief|Cap6-014]](alert: "Reach the optimal stress level to get a confession from the doctor")
(set: $health to 35)
(set: $maxHealth to 100)(link: "Name")[
(set: $health to it - 2)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Debrief")]
](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
—Doctor, refusing to talk is not one of the options. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll have to beat it out of you. It's up to you.
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[-I can't tell you anything, they'll kill me if they find out I've told you anything.](else:) [The doctor kept quiet, without saying a word.](set: $Amenaza to it +1)(if: $Amenaza is >=2)[(goto: "Threaten2")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]—Okay okay, I’ll talk. But if they find out that it was me who told you, they will kill me.
Honestly, I cared little about this man's life. He worked for Faro, that was all I needed to know about him.
Rang sighed in relief that he had finally given in to telling us everything. He looked tense and eager to get out of there as soon as possible.
—What do you want to know?
[[X|Cap6-014.1]]
[[Mental surgery|Cap6-014.2]]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
-It seems that you still don't understand the situation. We're not moving from here without the information we need, and no one is coming to help you. You're on your own.
Rang watched intently, seeming to be taking mental notes of everything that was going on.(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[—You're wasting your time, I'm not going to tell you anything.
—Look, at least you're talking.](if: $Amenaza is 3)[(goto: "Threaten3")]
(display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")](display: "Update Health Bar")
I walked over to the desk, picked up the picture of Dr. Ten's family and showed it to him.
-Do you think they will know what I need?
-No, please! Leave them alone, they have nothing to do with this.
-It's up to you.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Golpear")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
—We don't want to hurt you. Just tell us what we need to know and we'll go back where we came from. (if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[-Please leave me. I can't do it.](set: $Calma to it +1)(if: $Calma is 2)[(goto: "Calmar2")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[ [[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
-Nobody needs to know who gave us the information. We won't say a word to anyone.(if: $Calma is 3)[(goto: "Calm3")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
-There's no point in dragging this out any longer. Come on, it's just a couple of questions.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
-You leave me no choice then.
I punched him in the chin, crossing his face from side to side. I stood there for a few seconds waiting for his response.
-Nothing?
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[—I can't tell, they'll kill me if they find out I've told you anything.](set: $Golpe to it +1)(if: $Golpe is >=2)[(goto: "Hit2")](display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(goto: "Hit3")](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
His face had swollen from the punch earlier. I rolled up my sleeve.
-Rang, cover his mouth.
I punched him again, this time in the ribs. The doctor let out a cry of pain that was muffled by the piece of cloth Rang had put over him.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
The doctor looked bruised, but he had not yet said a word.
-Who will get tired first? Me from giving blows or you from taking them?
I punched him again in the face, which made his nose begin to bleed. If I kept hitting him I could kill him. The best thing to do would be to change my strategy.(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión")]
I walked over to the bookshelf where I had left the photo of her lover and showed it to him. The doctor looked pale when he saw it.
-Maybe your wife and daughter would be interested to know what you do in your spare time, don't you think?
-No, please!(set: $amante to false)(display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1")]](display: "Update Health Bar")(set: $Amenaza to 0)(set: $Calma to 0)(set: $Golpe to 0)(set: $interrogatorio to 0)
—You are the doctor, Alan Ten, right?
He nodded with his head.
—Im Rye, the leader of the Recon.
—I don’t know who you are, but I won’t say anything to you.
(display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(set: $health to it +15)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Hit1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it +35)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1")]
] ]
—Why does X come to your surgery?
—She 's pregnant.
That explained the predictor I found in her house.
—Who’s the father?
—I don’t know. She didn’t want to tell me.
—But, how can she afford someone as exclusive as a doctor from Faro?
—Her father and I were old friends, we used to work on some projects together related to mental surgery. Luckily, that kid will help her to overcome her father's death. She loved him more than her own life.
[[Continue|Cap6-014.1.1]]
—I’ve seen something called “mental surgery” mentioned in several places. What is that?
—It’s the closest humankind has ever come to immortality. Mental surgery will make it possible to transmit consciousness from one body to another. And Faro and I will be the pioneers in this.
The doctor seemed really enthusiastic. But there was something in the way he spoke and what he said that I found quite shady. Until I realised what it was…
—If you need at least one dead body to do [[tests|Cap6-014.2.1]], where have you been taking them from?
How was it possible that X had never told me about her father if he was so important to her? All the information seemed to point in the same direction. X had betrayed us.
—Is she here?
—Who?
—X, is she in Faro right now?
—I think so. She should be on the top floor meeting with the boss.
[[Get out the office|Cap6-015]]
[[Mental surgery|Cap6-014.2]]
—Aren’t we going to untie him, Rye?
—Don’t worry. They will miss him and come and get him.
We got out of the office and headed towards the lifts lifters. I was about to push the button when Rang told me:
—Wouldn’t it be better to use the stairs? We have less chance of s to bumping into somebody.
The guy had a point there. He had done a good job during the mission, although he was still a little nervous. What was left to do there in Faro wasn’t that much, but if I happened to run into any //restrictor// he could be helpful. I had to decide what to do with Rang before moving on.
[[Ask Rang to leave Faro on his own|Cap6-015.1]]
[[Continue together|Cap6.015.2]]
The doctor suddenly fell silent and his countenance changed.
We had found something sensational that could compromise Faro, so we had to get that information out of him no matter what.
—Where do you take them from?! —I said, slamming the desk with both of my hands.
Rang was also startled by my reaction.
—When Faro created the //restrictors//, and deployed them in society as police officers, many human officers were replaced and dismissed —I knew that story well—. That provoked a wave of revolts that Faro gradually put a stop to by removing the families involved, using them to conduct trials and advance in the project.
The doctor only cared about his research and spoke with a coldness about it that sent shivers down my spine.
[[Continue|Cap6-014.2.2]]
—And who the fuck are you to kill people in name of the scientific development? —I lunged at him in anger and began to beat him until Rang stopped me. I would have killed him.— You are fucking narcissists so in love with yourselves that you refuse to die, in defiance of nature.
He was so proud of his research that he kept talking regardless.
—Of all the tests conducted, only one was successful, but we were unable to collect data because we transmitted its consciousness to an animal.
[[X|Cap6-014.1]]
[[Get out of the office|Cap6-015]]
The doctor's pulse began to race too fast, he was short of breath and turning red. He collapsed to the floor, dead of a heart attack.
The stress we had put him under had been too great.
[[Reintentar|Cap6-014]]Someone knocked on the door.
-Doctor Alan, the boss is waiting for you. You had a meeting with him at 12:00.
I asked Rang to keep quiet, they might turn around thinking no one was there.
-Alan? Are you there?
Someone knocked. The Doctor had knocked the chair off balance to fall over.
We were well and truly screwed. The two restrictors kicked in the door. They were armed and at such close range and without enough room to move it would be impossible for us to win.
[[Restart|Cap6-014]]—Rang, from here on we´ll separate. I need you to leave Faro and go to talk to Hack. Tell him everything we got out of Dr. Ten, he’ll know what to do. If we publish it, we have a good chance of taking down Faro once and for all.
—Come with me then, what’s left to do here?
—I have to end with X, one way or another.
—But it’s so risky to go alone.
—Blanco is with me.
I started to climb the stairs. I turned around to see if Rang had left yet, but he was still in the same place, completely blocked.
—Olga was wrong about you. You’ve done great.
A smile spread across his face and he started down the stairs. Now he was proud of what he had achieved and of having been of help.
[[Continue|Cap6-015.1.1]]
—You are doing great, but you have to relax a bit. We have the last part of the mission left and probably the riskiest one. So I need you at 100 percent.
A smile spread across his face and he started down the stairs. Now he was proud of what he had achieved and of having been of help.
—Are you ready to go?
—Yes, come on.
[[Climbing the stairs|Cap6-015.2.1]]
=><=
FIFTH FLOOR. “OFFICES”
<=
The floor appeared to be deserted, so I began to creep forward with my eyes wide open for whatever I might find. I carefully peeked my head before I turned a corner, right at the end of the corridor there was a door. It was strange that there was no security around. I got near the door. I heard something inside.
[[Listen|Cap6-15.1.2]]
—… we need results, and we need them now, before someone gets ahead of us or finds out what we want to do.
—But we’re running out of test subjects— a female voice answered—. We need some other excuse to bring out another wave of people to continue practicing with.
She was X
—I can't kill more workers. Last time we were almost shut down, remember it.
—With the death row inmates we manage to buy from the prisons there's not enough to keep a continuous rhy…
There was a thump, as if something had fallen.
—Sir, we’ve found this subject on the 1st floor. We haven’t been able to get any information out of him, but look.
[[Continue|Cap6-15.1.3]]
—Oh, he’s a //raccoon//.
What? Had they caught Rang?
—Look, you have one more to practice with.
I had to go in, but I couldn’t face the //restrictor// and the others without weapons.
—Thank you, you can leave now.
I heard a door open and close on the other side of the office, waited a few more minutes and went in.
X was pointing a gun at Rang and dragging him towards the centre of the office. She turned to see who entered this time. She hesitated for an instant when she saw me, which gave me enough time to get on top of her.
Blanco pounced on the boss of Faro. He was in a wheelchair so it was not a big problem, but he could maybe raise the alarm if he had a button nearby.
[[Continue|Cap6-15.1.4]]
I grabbed X’s gun and as we struggled I kneed him in the stomach. When she loosened her grip on the gun I took it from her and hit her in the head with the butt of the gun.
The blow was enough to knock her unconscious.
It was then when I noticed the terrible state Rang was in. He was bleeding from the mouth and completely bruised. I sat near him and put his head over my thighs. The pendant his mother had given him had broken, split open in the middle and to my surprise there was a message floating inside it.
I showed it to the boy.
—Look Rang, you were right, she left you a message.
—I can’t see anything Rye, what does it say?
—You’ll always be my son, I’ll always be your mother.
Tears streamed down Rang’s cheeks and a smile spread across his face. Soon after, he closed his eyes and his heart stopped beating.
[[Dry Rang’s tears|Cap6-15.1.5]]
(text-style: "blur") [“While you stay with me and listen to me everything will be fine.”]
Those words I had said to him in the tunnels were now echoing through my mind.
I dropped his head carefully on the floor, took the gun full of anger and shot the boss of Faro. The shot brought X out of her unconscious state.
—What have you done?!
—Ending this once and for all.
—He funded the research. We won’t be able to move forward and your family will have died for nothing.
—My family didn’t choose to die for this. You murdered them, that’s the word.
—Thanks to that, your sister is still alive.
[[Continue|Cap6-15.1.6]]
Blanco approached me and I realized what Equis had said. Dr. Ten told us that there was a test in which they managed to transmit the consciousness of a human to an animal. I hugged Blanco, crying with joy.
I took Blanco in my arms.
—Where are you going?
–To Hack's home. I'll bring to light what you've done and close this shitty company. Bye X.
[[Leave Faro|Cap6-15.1.7]]
----
(css: "font-family: aguda")[7 MONTHS LATER]
The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating along with the statement from X, forced to say everything she knew, were sufficiently decisive to close Faro and completely stop the development of mental surgery.
The //recon// had taken a vacation after the last year of work, and Blanco and I had moved to a house in the middle of nowhere to disconnect from the city. No one knew about our whereabouts, which made the visit we received that day even stranger.
I peeked through the peephole, but I saw no one. Just a box with something inside. I opened the door and removed the blanket that covered the inside.
She was a girl, just born, but she was not breathing and in one of her hands she had tied a rope with a note which said: “An eye for an eye. Olga”
=><=
[[THE END|FIN]]
=><=
FIFTH FLOOR. “OFFICES”
<=
The floor appeared to be deserted, so I began to creep forward with my eyes wide open for whatever I might find. I carefully peeked my head before I turned a corner, right at the end of the corridor there was a door and a //restrictor// guarding it.
He didn’t move from there, it was the only door in the whole floor guarded by someone. So what was behind it must have been important, probably the office of the boss of Faro.
—How are we going to do it?— Rang said, nervously again.
—It’s just one of them. Stay here and take notes. Follow me Blanco.
[[Turn the corner|Cap6-015.2.2]]
I turned the corner walking as normal, making it clear to the //restrictor// that I had no intention of doing anything. He didn’t notice that Blanco was walking just behind me.
—Hi, excuse me, but I think I’m lost —I said while I kept walking towards it—. I had an appointment with the Dr. Ten, where’s his office?
When I was close enough, I stepped aside slightly to make space while Blanco jumped for him. It was the perfect distraction to [[hit him|Cap66-015.2.3]].
I punched him with the enhancement that Hack installed in my arm, rendering it inoperative at that very moment.
—What was that noise?— said a voice from inside the office.
—Let me go and see— someone replied.
I hid the //restrictor// behind the wall as best as I could and waited for the door of the office to open and immobilize whoever came out.
A dark-skinned woman, with black hair braided only on one side of her head and falling to her shoulders, peeked through the door. It was X. I grabbed her and whispered to her:
—Say that everything it’s ok and come with me.
—I don’t see anything strange. I’m going to investigate the whole floor— she said addressing the person in the office.
I signaled Rang to follow us.
—Take us to a safe place to talk.
[[Follow X|Cap6-015.2.4]]
She took us to a small interrogation room, she drew the curtains and closed the door.
—Who's this guy?
—He's R…
—I’m Rang, the new member of the //Recon//, it's a pleasure to meet you.— He said proudly, interrupting me.
—Why didn't you tell me about the baby? I could have helped you to protect him without the need to join Faro.
X laughed, but I didn’t understand why.
—What’s so funny?
—I think you didn't get why I'm here. The baby is the least important thing, it is just another body to experiment with, in order to continue advancing in the research of mental surgery.
[[Continue|Cap6-15.2.5]]
—Have you lost your mind? Sacrificing your own baby?
—We can have another when the research ends.
—We? Then… Am I the father?
—Yes.
—Another reason to end with this. Let’s go Rang, we have to publish the information we have.
X held Rang and drew her pistol, putting it to the boy's temple.
—You are not going to publish anything. I won't let you throw away years of my father's work.
Blanco began to snort at X.
[[Hit the table]]
I kicked the table that separated X and me with all my might and pushed it towards her. She didn’t have time to react and it hit her at the knees causing her to let Rang go for a second. Just enough time for me to grab the gun and for the boy to come to my side.
—Bye X— I said while I opened the door to leave.
—Please no, Rye—she pleaded—. Don’t make your family’s death a waste of time.
—Don’t you dare talk about them! Right now I just want to know who handed them over to the police.
X remained mute and bowed her head.
—Was it you?
—I didn’t know who they were until it was too late. But I gave your sister back to you.
[[Continue|Cap6-16.1]]
Blanco approached me and I realised what Equis had said. Dr. Ten told us that there was a test in which they managed to transmit the consciousness of a human to an animal. I hugged Blanco, crying with joy.
—She didn’t deserve this. Just because you wanted to play God.
I pointed the gun at X.
—Rye, stop— Rang told me.
—This isn’t about you, Rang. Why are you so invested in this investigation—turning to X again—. Why lose it all for it?
—This research is all that’s left of my father— she sobbed—. I don’t want to forget him, I have to keep him alive in my memory.
[[Kill X|Cap6-16.1.1]]
[[Leave the office|Cap6-16.2.1]]
—If you love him so much, go and keep him company.
—Rye, let me do it.
—No, I have to do it.
—Can you really live with the knowledge that you killed your own son? Let me carry that for you.
[[Give the gun to Rang|Cap6-16.1.3]]
[[Kill X|Cap6-16.1.4]]
—To keep him alive? But, at what cost? At the cost of losing everything? If he’s watching you in any way I don’t think he’s very proud of what you’ve done— I turned and walked out of the office—. Let’s go Rang, there’s nothing left for us to do here.
We were on our way to the lifts when an alarm began to ring in the entire building.
—//Move all units. Two men and a cat are wanted. One of them is armed. They were last seen on the top floor.//
—We need to use the tunnels to get out of here.
—Right.
I called the lift but it didn’t work, the doors were locked.
—They have blocked the lifts to force us to use the stairs. We have to open the door and climb down the cable.
Between Rang and me we were able to open it easily. I carried Blanco on my shoulders and grabbed the pulley that held the lift.
[[Down to the parking|Cap6-16.2.2]]
I gave the gun to Rang, turned around, took Blanco in my arms and left the room. I didn’t want to see that, I was devastated inside, but honestly, I think it was the best I could do. X had completely lost her mind and was no longer the same as she had been a few years ago. Or not the person I knew.
Rang came out a few seconds later and we left.
—Mission accomplished, I guess.
[[Continue|Bad ending 1]]
—No Rang, this is my business. Wait for me outside with Blanco— I turned to X—. I never thought I would be in this situation.
—About to kill your baby and her mother? Me neither.
—How can you be so cynical? You said yourself that you didn’t care about it a few minutes ago, it was going to end up dead anyway.
—But for a good cause, the baby will now die in vain.
I put the gun to her is forehead, closed my eyes and pulled the trigger.
When I left the room blanco jumped on my shoulder.
—Come on, Rang, there’s nothing left for us to do here. Mission accomplished, I guess.
[[Continue|Medium ending]]
----
(css: "font-family: aguda")[7 MONTHS LATER]
After what happened at the Faro offices, I needed some time to disconnect and be alone with my newfound sister who was imprisoned in the body of a cat.
The alcohol helped me cope with X's and my child’s death, but at some point I would have to face reality. I had lost them for nothing and that was what hurt me the most.
The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating weren’t sufficiently decisive to close completely. We had managed to stop the investigation, yes, but only for a while. When the perpetrators served their sentences, they would return as if nothing had happened.
I hadn’t heard from the //Recon// since the day case resolution came out, so I was surprised to see Hack that day.
—Hey Hack! Long time.
He didn’t even flinch, his eyes were puffy and red from crying.
—Rang killed himself. He couldn’t bear to have killed X and your baby and he’s finished it all.
=><=
[[THE END|FIN]]The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating weren’t sufficiently decisive to close completely. We had managed to stop the investigation, yes, but only for a while. When the perpetrators served their sentences, they would return as if nothing had happened.
No matter how far I moved from Baltimore, the guilt followed me everywhere. I spent my days drunk, trying to cope with what I had done that day in the Faro offices. I had killed X and my baby.
Rang had made a big effort to help me get through it and came to visit me often. We hit it off and Blanco liked him being around the house. I think they would have gotten along well under normal conditions.
At least, with both of them, days were getting a little easier and thoughts about killing myself were becoming more and more sporadic.
When we arrived downstairs there were two //restrictors// guarding the car park.
—Open the tunnels. I got it
<marquee behavior="alternate" scrollamount="45">[[Shoot|Cap6-22.3b]]</marquee>
—They are in the car park— one managed to shout before the bullet hit him in the head.
—Come on, Blanco. How is it going, Rang? Have you opened the tunnels yet?
—Yes, come on, come in.
Rang closed the mechanical door and we were finally safe. There was no way they could follow us in there.
—Let’s go and see Hack. Does this go all the way to the outskirts?
—Yes, it does.
[[Continue|Cap6-16.2.4]]
----
(css: "font-family: aguda")[7 MONTHS LATER]
The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating along with the statement from X, forced to say everything she knew, were sufficiently decisive to close Faro and completely stop the development of mental surgery.
The //recon// had taken a vacation after the last year of work, and Blanco and I had moved to a house in the middle of nowhere to disconnect from the city. No one knew about our whereabouts, which made the visit we received that day even stranger.
I opened the door. It was a young girl carrying something in her arms, but I couldn’t make out what it was because it had a blanket on top of it.
—Are you Rye Pierce?
I nodded.
—She is your daughter. Her mother is still in prison, so you have custody of her.
=><=
[[THE END|FIN]] During the rest of the journey, we exchanged very few words. Rang was still thinking about what to do when the journey was over and I also needed some time for myself to take in all that was going on.
We were walking for four hours or so when Rang stopped.
—It 's here.
—What 's here?
—We have arrived— said to me, pointing to the right wall.
I stared for a while, trying, unsuccessfully, to see something different from what I had already seen during the last kilometers we had walked.
Rang set a stone aside and stepped the button underneath it. The wall of the tunnel opened leaving a new, completely dark passageway in view.
—Where does this tunnel go?
—To the parking of Faro offices.
—Thanks for everything, Rang. Good luck in the your future.
—Thanks to you, for opening my eyes about Olga. Goodbye and good luck.
[[Enter to Faro|Cap6-005.2.1]]
There was absolutely nothing to see inside the new passageway, but Rang had already warned me about it, so I kept walking until we finally reached the Faro car park. I sneaked between the parked sliders to make sure no one was around until I reached the lifts.
I called one it, and hid again until it arrived. When the doors opened I stepped inside with Blanco, and pressed the button for
[[2nd Floor|Cap6-006.1]]
[[3rd Floor|Cap6-006.2]]
[[4th Floor|Cap6-006.3]]“DR. TEN’S CLINIC”
I started walking around the floor in hope of finding the office quickly.
—Come on Blanco. According to the map we saw at Hack’s house it has to be here.
Blanco meowed, looking at the office.
—This is it, isn’t it? —Next to the door was a plaque which said “Dr Ten’s office” and just below it was a number pad.
—It needs a code… Let me know if anyone comes, okay?
[[Look inside the office|Cap6-009.1]]
==><==
LOGISTICS AND OPS DEPARTMENT
<==
Okay, it’s not here.
—Wait for me!— I’ve heard from across the corridor.
I let the lift doors close.
[[2nd Floor|Cap6-006.1]]
[[4th Floor|Cap6-006.3]]
—Hi! I’m ERA… wait. You aren’t a //restrictor//. What are you doing here then?
—Ehm…
—I’ll have to call security— It stopped the lift doors and pulled me out of it.
[[Restart|Cap6-005.2.1]]
At first glance there was nothing that could help us open the door. There was just a computer on the table hardly visible from where we were. The most striking feature of the office was an old bookcase on the right wall, with the books arranged in an apparently disorderly fashion.
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img src=https://i.imgur.com/Z8Gm2R0.png</div>
[[Introduce the code|Cap6-010.1]](set: $knowsPassword1 to (prompt: "Introduce the code","") )(if: $knowsPassword1 is "2639")[(goto: "Cap6b-011.")](else:) [Incorrect code.
[[Try again->Cap6-010.1]]]
[[Peek again->Cap6-009.1]] The door clicked and opened.
I sat down at the desk, switched on the computer, and while I waited, rummaged through the drawers of the office. There was nothing relevant. Just a pile of papers and a photograph with what must be his family.
[[Check the computer|Cap6b-011.1]]
[[Continue searching the office|Cap6b-011.2]]Dr. Ten must be someone really exclusive. The number of patients he had was ridiculously low. Three more people apart from X wasl his list, or at least that was all that was on his computer, which was rather strange.
I opened X’s information and started reading it.
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/hlW4bVE.png</div>
[[Continue|Cap6b-011.4]](set: $amante to true) I approached the old bookcase. Over one of the books there was a picture of the Dr. kissing a girl much younger than him.
“So the Dr. has a mistress…” good to know.
Otherwise, I didn't find anything important or that we could use against him if we came across him. A couple of diplomas hanging on the wall accrediting his speciality in mental surgery, medical books…
[[Check the computer|Cap6b-011.1]]The idea that Equis was betraying us had become more real with the information I had just seen. I felt like walking out of there and giving it all up, but now was not the time to back down.
I needed to find her to put everything in order inside my head, but the report didn’t give us any information about where she could be.
Furthermore, something caught my attention and which I had never heard of before.
—Hey Rang, have you ever heard about mental surgery?
—Hmm no, why?
—It was mentioned in the report. It is said that the Dr. specializes in it.
Rang was startled.
—Maybe you can ask him yourself. I think he is coming.
[[Hide|Cap6-013]]
The idea that Equis was betraying us had become more real with the information I had just seen. I felt like walking out of there and giving it all up, but now was not the time to back down.
I needed to find her to put everything in order inside my head, but the report didn’t give us any information about where she could be.
Furthermore, something caught my attention and which I had never heard of before. The mental surgery.
The office door opened. It was the doctor who was petrified when he saw me and Blanco inside. I took advantage of his confusion to pounce on him.
[[Close the door|Cap6-013.1]]I closed the office door and set the windows to night mode so that no one could see us from outside.
I tied him to the chair because there were some questions I wanted to ask him.
-If you even think of screaming, I'll kill you right here before anyone can get here to help you.
[[Begin the debrief|Cap6-014b]](alert: "Reach the optimal stress level to get a confession from the doctor")
(set: $health to 35)
(set: $maxHealth to 100)—You are the doctor, Alan Ten, right?
He nodded with his head.
—Im Rye, the leader of the Recon.
—I don’t know who you are, but I won’t say anything to you.
(display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(set: $health to it +15)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it +35)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ]
—Okay okay, I’ll talk. But if they find out that it was me who told you, they will kill me.
Honestly, I cared little about this man's life. He worked for Faro, that was all I needed to know about him.
Rang sighed in relief that he had finally given in to telling us everything. He looked tense and eager to get out of there as soon as possible.
—What do you want to know?
[[X|Cap6-014.1b]]
[[Mental surgery|Cap6-014.2b]]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
—Doctor, refusing to talk is not one of the options. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll have to beat it out of you. It's up to you.
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[-I can't tell you anything, they'll kill me if they find out I've told you anything.](else:) [The doctor kept quiet, without saying a word.](set: $Amenaza to it +1)(if: $Amenaza is >=2)[(goto: "Threaten2.1")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
—We don't want to hurt you. Just tell us what we need to know and we'll go back where we came from. (if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[-Please leave me. I can't do it.](set: $Calma to it +1)(if: $Calma is 2)[(goto: "Calm2.1")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[ [[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
-You leave me no choice then.
I punched him in the chin, crossing his face from side to side. I stood there for a few seconds waiting for his response.
-Nothing?
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[—I can't tell, they'll kill me if they find out I've told you anything.](set: $Golpe to it +1)(if: $Golpe is >=2)[(goto: "Hit2.1")](display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it +25)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
I walked over to the bookshelf where I had left the photo of her lover and showed it to him. The doctor looked pale when he saw it.
-Maybe your wife and daughter would be interested to know what you do in your spare time, don't you think?
-No, please!(set: $amante to false)(display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
-It seems that you still don't understand the situation. We're not moving from here without the information we need, and no one is coming to help you. You're on your own.
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[—You're wasting your time, I'm not going to tell you anything.
—Look, at least you're talking.](if: $Amenaza is 3)[(goto: "Threaten3.1")]
(display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")](display: "Update Health Bar")
I walked over to the desk, picked up the picture of Dr. Ten's family and showed it to him.
-Do you think they will know what I need?
-No, please! Leave them alone, they have nothing to do with this.
-It's up to you.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Golpear")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
-Nobody needs to know who gave us the information. We won't say a word to anyone.(if: $Calma is 3)[(goto: "Calm3.1")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
](link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
-There's no point in dragging this out any longer. Come on, it's just a couple of questions.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ](if: $Golpe is 3)[(goto: "Hit3.1")](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
His face had swollen from the punch earlier. I rolled up my sleeve and cover his mouth.
I punched him again, this time in the ribs. The doctor let out a cry of pain that was muffled by the piece of cloth Rang had put over him.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1")]
The doctor looked bruised, but he had not yet said a word.
-Who will get tired first? Me from giving blows or you from taking them?
I punched him again in the face, which made his nose begin to bleed. If I kept hitting him I could kill him. The best thing to do would be to change my strategy.(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1")]
] ]
The doctor's pulse began to race too fast, he was short of breath and turning red. He collapsed to the floor, dead of a heart attack.
The stress we had put him under had been too great.
[[Reintentar|Cap6-014b]]Someone knocked on the door.
-Doctor Alan, the boss is waiting for you. You had a meeting with him at 12:00.
I kept quiet, they might turn around thinking no one was there.
-Alan? Are you there?
Someone knocked. The Doctor had knocked the chair off balance to fall over.
We were well and truly screwed. The two restrictors kicked in the door. They were armed and at such close range and without enough room to move it would be impossible for us to win.
[[Restart|Cap6-014b]]—Why does X come to your surgery?
—She 's pregnant.
That explained the predictor I found in her house.
—Who’s the father?
—I don’t know. She didn’t want to tell me.
—But, how can she afford someone as exclusive as a doctor from Faro?
—Her father and I were old friends, we used to work on some projects together related to mental surgery. Luckily, that kid will help her to overcome her father's death. She loved him more than her own life.
[[Continue|Cap6-014b.1.1]]—I’ve seen something called “mental surgery” mentioned in several places. What is that?
—It’s the closest humankind has ever come to immortality. Mental surgery will make it possible to transmit consciousness from one body to another. And Faro and I will be the pioneers in this.
The doctor seemed really enthusiastic. But there was something in the way he spoke and what he said that I found quite shady. Until I realised what it was…
—If you need at least one dead body to do [[tests|Cap6-014b.2.1]], where have you been taking them from?
How was it possible that X had never told me about her father if he was so important to her? All the information seemed to point in the same direction. X had betrayed us.
—Is she here?
—Who?
—X, is she in Faro right now?
—I think so. She should be on the top floor meeting with the boss.
[[Get out the office|Cap6-015b]]
[[Mental surgery|Cap6-014.2b]]
I put a gag in his mouth before we left so that he couldn’t scream and raise the alarm. He started to move around and try to get out the piece of cloth I had tied into him, but with no success.
We got out of the office heading to the lifts. Before we got there, Blanco stood in front of the stairs trying to say something to me. I walked past it and continued on my way to the lifts.
—Come on Blanco. We have to see where X is. The doctor has told us that she must be meeting the boss.
Blanco turned and started up the stairs.
—What’s got into you now with the lift?
[[Follow Blanco|Cap6-016b]]The doctor suddenly fell silent and his countenance changed.
We had found something sensational that could compromise Faro, so we had to get that information out of him no matter what.
—Where do you take them from?! —I said, slamming the desk with both of my hands.
—When Faro created the //restrictors//, and deployed them in society as police officers, many human officers were replaced and dismissed —I knew that story well—. That provoked a wave of revolts that Faro gradually put a stop to, by removing the families involved, using them to conduct trials and advance in the project.
The doctor only cared about his research and spoke with a coldness about it that sent shivers down my spine.
[[Continue|Cap6-014b.2.2]]
—Who the fuck are you to kill people in name of the scientific development?—I lunged at him in anger and began to beat him until Blanco stopped me. I would have killed him.— You are fucking narcissists so in love with yourselves that you refuse to die, in defiance of nature.
He was so proud of his research that he kept talking regardless.
—Of all the tests conducted, only one was successful, but we were unable to collect data because we transmitted its consciousness to an animal.
[[X|Cap6-014.1b]]
[[Get out of the office|Cap6-015b]]
=><=
FIFTH FLOOR. “OFFICES”
<=
The floor appeared to be deserted, so I began to creep forward with my eyes wide open for whatever I might find. I carefully peeked my head before I turned a corner, right at the end of the corridor there was a door and a //restrictor// guarding it.
He didn’t move from there, it was the only door in the whole floor guarded by someone. So what was behind it must have been important, probably the office of the boss of Faro.
I turned the corner walking as normal, making it clear to the //restrictor// that I had no intention of doing anything. He didn’t notice that Blanco was walking just behind me.
[[Continue|Cap6-017b]]He didn’t notice that Blanco was walking just behind me.
—Hi, excuse me, but I think I’m lost —I said while I kept walking towards it—. I had an appointment with the Dr. Ten, where’s his office?
When I was close enough, I stepped aside slightly to make space while Blanco jumped for him. It was the perfect distraction to [[hit him|Cap6-017.1]].
I punched him with the enhancement that Hack installed in my arm, rendering it inoperative at that very moment.
—What was that noise?— said a voice from inside the office.
—Let me go and see— someone replied.
I hid the //restrictor// behind the wall as best as I could and waited for the door of the office to open and immobilize whoever came out.
A dark-skinned woman, with black hair braided only on one side of her head and falling to her shoulders, peeked through the door. It was X. I grabbed her and whispered to her:
—Say that everything it’s ok and come with me.
—I don’t see anything strange. I’m going to investigate the whole floor— she said addressing the person in the office.
I signaled Rang to follow us.
—Take us to a safe place to talk.
[[Follow X|Cap6-017.2]]She took us to a small interrogation room, she drew the curtains and closed the door.
—Why didn't you tell me about the baby? I could have helped you to protect him without the need to join Faro.
X laughed, but I didn’t understand why.
—What’s so funny?
—I think you didn't get why I'm here. The baby is the least important thing, it is just another body to experiment with, in order to continue advancing in the research of mental surgery.
[[Continue|Cap6-17.3]]—Have you lost your mind? Sacrificing your own baby?
—We can have another when the research ends.
—We? Then… Am I the father?
—Yes.
—Another reason to end with this. Let’s go, I have enough information to close Faro, like we always wanted X.
—Like **you** always wanted— X drew a gun and started pointing at me—. You aren't going to publish anything.
Blanco began to snort at X.
[[Hit the table|Hit the table.1]]
I kicked the table that separated X and me with all my might and pushed it towards her. She didn’t have time to react and it hit her at the knees. That gave me enough time for me to grab the gun.
—Bye X— I said while I opened the door to leave.
—Please no, Rye —she pleaded—. Don’t make your family’s death a waste of time.
—Don’t you dare talk about them! Right now I just want to know who handed them over to the police.
X remained mute and bowed her head.
—Was it you?
—I didn’t know who they were until it was too late. But I gave your sister back to you.
[[Continue|Cap6-18b.1]]Blanco approached me and I realised what Equis had said. Dr. Ten told us that there was a test in which they managed to transmit the consciousness of a human to an animal. I hugged Blanco, crying with joy.
—She didn’t deserve this. Just because you wanted to play God.
I pointed the gun at X.
—Why are you so invested in this investigation? Why lose it all for it?
—This research is all that’s left of my father— she sobbed—. I don’t want to forget him, I have to keep him alive in my memory.
[[Kill X|Cap6-16.1.1b]]
[[Leave the office|Cap6-16.2.1b]]—If you love him so much, go and keep him company. I never thought I would be in this situation.
—About to kill your baby and her mother? Me neither.
—How can you be so cynical? You said yourself that you didn’t care about it a few minutes ago, it was going to end up dead anyway.
—But for a good cause, the baby will now die in vain.
I put the gun to her is forehead, closed my eyes and pulled the trigger.
When I left the room Blanco jumped on my shoulder.
—Mission accomplished Hope, I guess.
That was the name of my sister.
[[Continue|Bad ending]]—To keep him alive? But, at what cost? At the cost of losing everything? If he’s watching you in any way I don’t think he’s very proud of what you’ve done— I turned and walked out of the office—. Let’s go Rang, there’s nothing left for us to do here.
We were on our way to the lifts when an alarm began to ring in the entire building.
—//Move all units. Two men and a cat are wanted. One of them is armed. They were last seen on the top floor.//
I called the lift but it didn’t work, the doors were locked.
The door wasn't too heavy so I was able to open it. I carried Blanco on my shoulders and grabbed the pulley that held the lift.
[[Down to the parking|Cap6-22.2b]]
----
(css: "font-family: aguda")[7 MONTHS LATER]
The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating weren’t sufficiently decisive to close completely. We had managed to stop the investigation, yes, but only for a while. When the perpetrators served their sentences, they would return as if nothing had happened. All except X
Killing her and my son haunted me wherever I went in the few moments of the day when I was sober. I couldn't take care of Hope in that state, and I was ashamed of her seeing me like that, so I had decided to leave her with Hack until I recovered, if that ever happened.
=><=
[[THE END|FIN]]
=><=
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME
---
When we arrived downstairs there were two //restrictors// guarding the car park.
<marquee behavior="alternate" scrollamount="45">[[Shoot|Cap6-24.3b]]</marquee>—They are in the car park— one managed to shout before the bullet hit him in the head.
—Come on, Blanco. Let's get in one of those sliders and get out of here.
The restrictors started pouring down the stairs, I could count about twenty of them before we got out of there.
We had narrowly escaped, but we were finally out of there. All that was left was to get to Hack's house, publish the information we had gathered and it would all be over at last.
[[Continue|Good ending]]
----
(css: "font-family: aguda")[7 MONTHS LATER]
The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating along with the statement from X, forced to say everything she knew, were sufficiently decisive to close Faro and completely stop the development of mental surgery.
The //recon// had taken a vacation after the last year of work, and Blanco and I had moved to a house in the middle of nowhere to disconnect from the city. No one knew about our whereabouts, which made the visit we received that day even stranger.
I peeked through the peephole.
It was Rang, carrying something in his arms that I couldn’t make out because of the blanket over it.
—Would you accept us both in the //Recon//? Don’t you dare to refuse me again— he said as he pulled back the blanket revealing a small head through the fabric.
I gazed dazedly at the baby and a feeling of joy ran through my body from head to toe.
—Aren’t you going to say anything to your daughter?
=><=
[[THE END|FIN]]“DR. TEN’S CLINIC”
I started walking around the floor in hope of finding the office quickly.
Blanco was waiting for me at the door. How could he possibly know where to find me? We had separated when we entered the building, as it would have been quite strange to be accompanied by a cat everywhere, being a restrictor.
Still, I was surprised that it was so intelligent and could recognise me even looking like this.
Blanco meowed, looking at the office.
—This is it, isn’t it? —Next to the door was a plaque which said “Dr Ten’s office” and just below it was a number pad.
—It needs a code… Let me know if anyone comes, okay?
[[Look inside the office|Cap6c-009.1]]
[[Start|Chap5]]
{(link:"Save progress")[
(if:(save-game:"Slot A"))[
Game saved!
](else: )[
Sorry, I couldn't save your game.
]
]}At first glance there was nothing that could help us open the door. There was just a computer on the table hardly visible from where we were. The most striking feature of the office was an old bookcase on the right wall, with the books arranged in an apparently disorderly fashion.
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img src=https://i.imgur.com/Z8Gm2R0.png</div>
[[Introduce the code|Cap6c-010.1]](set: $knowsPassword1 to (prompt: "Introduce the code","") )(if: $knowsPassword1 is "2639")[(goto: "Cap6c-011.")](else:) [Incorrect code.
[[Try again->Cap6c-010.1]]]
[[Peek again->Cap6c-009.1]] The door clicked and opened.
I sat down at the desk, switched on the computer, and while I waited, rummaged through the drawers of the office. There was nothing relevant. Just a pile of papers and a photograph with what must be his family.
[[Check the computer|Cap6c-011.1]]
[[Continue searching the office|Cap6c-011.2]]Dr. Ten must be someone really exclusive. The number of patients he had was ridiculously low. Three more people apart from X wasl his list, or at least that was all that was on his computer, which was rather strange.
I opened X’s information and started reading it.
<style> img {
max-width:120%;
max-height:120%;
align: left;
} </style><img
src=https://i.imgur.com/hlW4bVE.png</div>
[[Continue|Cap6c-011.4]](set: $amante to true) I approached the old bookcase. Over one of the books there was a picture of the Dr. kissing a girl much younger than him.
“So the Dr. has a mistress…” good to know.
Otherwise, I didn't find anything important or that we could use against him if we came across him. A couple of diplomas hanging on the wall accrediting his speciality in mental surgery, medical books…
[[Check the computer|Cap6c-011.1]]The idea that Equis was betraying us had become more real with the information I had just seen. I felt like walking out of there and giving it all up, but now was not the time to back down.
I needed to find her to put everything in order inside my head, but the report didn’t give us any information about where she could be.
Furthermore, something caught my attention and which I had never heard of before. The mental surgery.
The office door opened. It was the doctor who was petrified when he saw me and Blanco inside. I took advantage of his confusion to pounce on him.
[[Close the door|Cap6c-013.1]]
I closed the office door and set the windows to night mode so that no one could see us from outside.
I had tied him to the chair because there were some questions I wanted to ask him.
–If you even think of screaming, I'll kill you right here before anyone can get here to help you.
[[Begin the debrief|Cap6-014c]](alert: "Reach the optimal stress level to get a confession from the doctor")
(set: $health to 35)
(set: $maxHealth to 100)—You are the doctor, Alan Ten, right?
He nodded with his head.
—Im Rye, the leader of the Recon.
—I don’t know who you are, but I won’t say anything to you.
(display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(set: $health to it +15)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it +35)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ]—Okay okay, I’ll talk. But if they find out that it was me who told you, they will kill me.
Honestly, I cared little about this man's life. He worked for Faro, that was all I needed to know about him.
Rang sighed in relief that he had finally given in to telling us everything. He looked tense and eager to get out of there as soon as possible.
—What do you want to know?
[[X|Cap6-014.1c]]
[[Mental surgery|Cap6-014.2c]]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
—Doctor, refusing to talk is not one of the options. If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll have to beat it out of you. It's up to you.
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[-I can't tell you anything, they'll kill me if they find out I've told you anything.](else:) [The doctor kept quiet, without saying a word.](set: $Amenaza to it +1)(if: $Amenaza is >=2)[(goto: "Threaten2.1c")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
-It seems that you still don't understand the situation. We're not moving from here without the information we need, and no one is coming to help you. You're on your own.
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[—You're wasting your time, I'm not going to tell you anything.
—Look, at least you're talking.](if: $Amenaza is 3)[(goto: "Threaten3.1c")]
(display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")](display: "Update Health Bar")
I walked over to the desk, picked up the picture of Dr. Ten's family and showed it to him.
-Do you think they will know what I need?
-No, please! Leave them alone, they have nothing to do with this.
-It's up to you.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Golpear")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
-You leave me no choice then.
I punched him in the chin, crossing his face from side to side. I stood there for a few seconds waiting for his response.
-Nothing?
(if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[—I can't tell, they'll kill me if they find out I've told you anything.](set: $Golpe to it +1)(if: $Golpe is >=2)[(goto: "Hit2.1c")](display: "Update Health Bar")(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](if: $Golpe is 3)[(goto: "Hit3.1c")](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
His face had swollen from the punch earlier. I rolled up my sleeve and cover his mouth.
I punched him again, this time in the ribs. The doctor let out a cry of pain that was muffled by the piece of cloth Rang had put over him.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
The doctor looked bruised, but he had not yet said a word.
-Who will get tired first? Me from giving blows or you from taking them?
I punched him again in the face, which made his nose begin to bleed. If I kept hitting him I could kill him. The best thing to do would be to change my strategy.(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")](if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ]
(set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
—We don't want to hurt you. Just tell us what we need to know and we'll go back where we came from. (if: $health >= 50 and $health <60)[-Please leave me. I can't do it.](set: $Calma to it +1)(if: $Calma is 2)[(goto: "Calm2.1c")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[ [[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
-Nobody needs to know who gave us the information. We won't say a word to anyone.(if: $Calma is 3)[(goto: "Calm3.1c")](display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]
]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
-There's no point in dragging this out any longer. Come on, it's just a couple of questions.
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]
]
(if: $amante is true)[(link: "Blackmail")[
(set: $health to it + 25)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Blackmail1.1c")]
] ](set: $interrogatorio to it +1)(if: $interrogatorio >= 12)[(goto: "Salir sin confesión.1c")]
I walked over to the bookshelf where I had left the photo of her lover and showed it to him. The doctor looked pale when he saw it.
-Maybe your wife and daughter would be interested to know what you do in your spare time, don't you think?
-No, please!(set: $amante to false)(display: "Update Health Bar")
(if: $health is >= 100)[(go-to: "dead.1c")]
(if: $health >= 60 and $health <= 65)[
[[Ask for confession|Ask for confession.1c]] ]
(link: "Threaten")[
(set: $health to it + 5)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(goto: "Threaten1.1c")]]
(link: "Calm")[
(set: $health to it - 3)
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Calm1.1c")]]
(link: "Hit")[
(if: $Golpe is 0)[(set: $health to it +7)]
(if: $Golpe is 1)[(set: $health to it +15)]
(if: $Golpe is 2)[(set: $health to it + 25)]
(if: $Golpe is 3)[(set: $health to it + 35)]
(display: "Update Health Bar")
(live: 1s)[(go-to: "Hit1.1c")]] How was it possible that X had never told me about her father if he was so important to her? All the information seemed to point in the same direction. X had betrayed us.
—Is she here?
—Who?
—X, is she in Faro right now?
—I think so. She should be on the top floor meeting with the boss.
[[Get out the office|Cap6-015c]]
[[Mental surgery|Cap6-014.2c]]
—Why does X come to your surgery?
—She 's pregnant.
That explained the predictor I found in her house.
—Who’s the father?
—I don’t know. She didn’t want to tell me.
—But, how can she afford someone as exclusive as a doctor from Faro?
—Her father and I were old friends, we used to work on some projects together related to mental surgery. Luckily, that kid will help her to overcome her father's death. She loved him more than her own life.
[[Continue|Cap6-014c.1.1]]—I’ve seen something called “mental surgery” mentioned in several places. What is that?
—It’s the closest humankind has ever come to immortality. Mental surgery will make it possible to transmit consciousness from one body to another. And Faro and I will be the pioneers in this.
The doctor seemed really enthusiastic. But there was something in the way he spoke and what he said that I found quite shady. Until I realised what it was…
—If you need at least one dead body to do [[tests|Cap6-014c.2.1]], where have you been taking them from?I put a gag in his mouth before we left so that he couldn’t scream and raise the alarm. He started to move around and try to get out the piece of cloth I had tied into him, but with no success.
We got out of the office heading to the lifts. Before we got there, Blanco stood in front of the stairs trying to say something to me. I walked past it and continued on my way to the lifts.
—Come on Blanco. We have to see where X is. The doctor has told us that she must be meeting the boss.
Blanco turned and started up the stairs.
—What’s got into you now with the lift?
[[Follow Blanco|Cap6-016c]]The doctor suddenly fell silent and his countenance changed.
We had found something sensational that could compromise Faro, so we had to get that information out of him no matter what.
—Where do you take them from?! —I said, slamming the desk with both of my hands.
—When Faro created the //restrictors//, and deployed them in society as police officers, many human officers were replaced and dismissed —I knew that story well—. That provoked a wave of revolts that Faro gradually put a stop to by removing the families involved, using them to conduct trials and advance in the project.
The doctor only cared about his research and spoke with a coldness about it that sent shivers down my spine.
[[Continue|Cap6-014c.2.2]]—And who the fuck are you to kill people in name of the scientific development? —I lunged at him in anger and began to beat him until Blanco stopped me. I would have killed him.— You are fucking narcissists so in love with yourselves that you refuse to die, in defiance of nature.
He was so proud of his research that he kept talking regardless.
—Of all the tests conducted, only one was successful, but we were unable to collect data because we transmitted its consciousness to an animal.
[[X|Cap6-014.1c]]
[[Get out of the office|Cap6-015c]]
=><=
FIFTH FLOOR. “OFFICES”
<=
The floor appeared to be deserted, so I began to creep forward with my eyes wide open for whatever I might find. I carefully peeked my head before I turned a corner, right at the end of the corridor there was a door and a //restrictor// guarding it.
He didn’t move from there, it was the only door in the whole floor guarded by someone. So what was behind it must have been important, probably the office of the boss of Faro.
–You have to stay here until I get rid of him, okay?
I turned the corner and walked determinedly towards him.
[[Continuar|Cap7-009c]]Hello, I've been sent from the fourth floor to fill in for you while you do your weekly check-up.
—Who sent you?
—ERA. It says there aren't many more to be assessed. I'll stand guard until you get back.
—Ok, but under no circumstances let anyone in. He's in a very important meeting.
I couldn't hear clearly what they were talking about inside, but I managed to make out Equis' voice and another one that must have been the director of Faro.
[[Wait for the meeting to end|Chapter7c-010]]When X left the office I deactivated the aspect and asked her to take us to a safe room to talk in peace.
We went to a small interrogation room and she put the office windows on night mode, so we couldn’t be seen from the outside.
—I see you're getting on well with the head of Faro.
—What are you doing here, Rye?
—Why didn't you tell me about the baby? I could have helped you to protect him without the need to join Faro.
X laughed, but I didn’t understand why.
—What’s so funny?
—I think you didn't get why I'm here. The baby is the least important thing, it is just another body to experiment with, in order to continue advancing in the research of mental surgery.
[[Continue|Cap7c-011]]
—Have you lost your mind? Sacrificing your own baby?
—We can have another when the research ends.
—We? Then… Am I the father?
—Yes.
—Another reason to end with this. Let’s go, I have enough information to close Faro, like we always wanted X.
—Like **you** always wanted— X drew a gun and started pointing at me—. You aren't going to publish anything.
Blanco began to snort at X.
[[Hit the table|Hit the table1.c]]The doctor's pulse began to race too fast, he was short of breath and turning red. He collapsed to the floor, dead of a heart attack.
The stress we had put him under had been too great.
[[Reintentar|Cap6-014c]]Someone knocked on the door.
-Doctor Alan, the boss is waiting for you. You had a meeting with him at 12:00.
I kept quiet, they might turn around thinking no one was there.
-Alan? Are you there?
Someone knocked. The Doctor had knocked the chair off balance to fall over.
We were well and truly screwed. The two restrictors kicked in the door. They were armed and at such close range and without enough room to move it would be impossible for us to win.
[[Restart|Cap6-014c]]-2 more in St. August Street, next to the supermarket!
=><=
THE END
[[Restart|Cap-4]]-If in two attempts you have failed to persuade me to let you use my tunnels, I'm afraid we can never come to an agreement. I have things to do now, goodbye.
Without the help of the //raccoon// to infiltrate into Faro, it would be impossible to get to the offices.
=><=
[END]
[[Retry|Chap5]]I fell and fell down that hole for several hours until I finally reached the end.
A gravitational wall prevented me from smashing into the ground. I was outside the tunnels in a city underground station. Without the help of the //raccoon// to infiltrate Faro it would be impossible to get to the offices.
=><=
[END]
[[Retry|Chap5]]I kicked the table that separated X and me with all my might and pushed it towards her. She didn’t have time to react and it hit her at the knees. That gave me enough time for me to grab the gun.
—Bye X— I said while I opened the door to leave.
—Please no, Rye —she pleaded—. Don’t make your family’s death a waste of time.
—Don’t you dare talk about them! Right now I just want to know who handed them over to the police.
X remained mute and bowed her head.
—Was it you?
—I didn’t know who they were until it was too late. But I gave your sister back to you.
[[Continue|Cap6-18c.1]]Blanco approached me and I realised what Equis had said. Dr. Ten told us that there was a test in which they managed to transmit the consciousness of a human to an animal. I hugged Blanco, crying with joy.
—She didn’t deserve this. Just because you wanted to play God.
I pointed the gun at X.
—Why are you so invested in this investigation? Why lose it all for it?
—This research is all that’s left of my father— she sobbed—. I don’t want to forget him, I have to keep him alive in my memory.
[[Kill X|Cap6-16.1.1c]]
[[Leave the office|Cap6-16.2.1c]]—If you love him so much, go and keep him company. I never thought I would be in this situation.
—About to kill your baby and her mother? Me neither.
—How can you be so cynical? You said yourself that you didn’t care about it a few minutes ago, it was going to end up dead anyway.
—But for a good cause, the baby will now die in vain.
I put the gun to her is forehead, closed my eyes and pulled the trigger.
When I left the room Blanco jumped on my shoulder.
—Mission accomplished Hope, I guess.
That was the name of my sister.
[[Continue|Bad ending]]—To keep him alive? But, at what cost? At the cost of losing everything? If he’s watching you in any way I don’t think he’s very proud of what you’ve done— I turned and walked out of the office—. Let’s go Rang, there’s nothing left for us to do here.
We were on our way to the lifts when an alarm began to ring in the entire building.
—//Move all units. Two men and a cat are wanted. One of them is armed. They were last seen on the top floor.//
I called the lift but it didn’t work, the doors were locked.
The door wasn't too heavy so I was able to open it. I carried Blanco on my shoulders and grabbed the pulley that held the lift.
[[Down to the parking|Cap6-22.2c]]When we arrived downstairs there were two //restrictors// guarding the car park.
<marquee behavior="alternate" scrollamount="45">[[Shoot|Cap6-24.3c]]</marquee>—They are in the car park— one managed to shout before the bullet hit him in the head.
—Come on, Blanco. Let's get in one of those sliders and get out of here.
The restrictors started pouring down the stairs, I could count about twenty of them before we got out of there.
We had narrowly escaped, but we were finally out of there. All that was left was to get to Hack's house, publish the information we had gathered and it would all be over at last.
[[Continue|Good ending.c]]----
(css: "font-family: aguda")[7 MONTHS LATER]
The information that we presented to the courts about Faro and its method for investigating along with the statement from X, forced to say everything she knew, were sufficiently decisive to close Faro and completely stop the development of mental surgery.
The //recon// had taken a vacation after the last year of work, and Blanco, Rang and I had moved to a house in the middle of nowhere to disconnect from the city. We hit it off and Blanco liked him being around the house. I think they would have gotten along well under normal conditions.
No one knew about our whereabouts, which made the visit we received that day even stranger. I opened the door. It was a young girl carrying something in her arms, but I couldn’t make out what it was because it had a blanket on top of it.
—Are you Rye Pierce?
I nodded.
—She is your daughter. Her mother is still in prison, so you have custody of her.
=><=
[[THE END|FIN]]When they had finished with the group that had run off, a squad of four //restrictors// moved in to investigate what had happened.
I turned around and saw those who had stayed behind pointing at me. Their fear of Faro doomed me.
[[Restart|Cap-4]]