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<<timed 3s>><<audio "string" play>><img src="misc/titlecard1.png" height="453" width="805"><<next>>
[[Start|BootUp]]<</timed>><<removeclass "html" opening>>"The task is, in the end, simple." the man says. "All you have to do is escape. Any means will do, provided you abide by the conditions agreed to."
[[Ask where you are.|where]]
[[Ask the man who he is.|who]]
[[Ask the man about what he's talking about.|escape]]The man's brow tilts upwards ever so slightly. Even so, it doesn't seem the question causes him much cause for concern.
"That isn't important right now." he says simply. "Please focus on the matter at hand."
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Point out your location, in fact, IS important.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Demand answers.</span>
[[Ask him about the matter at hand. The one that IS important.|answer]]"You don't remember?"
He jots something down in the notebook next to him.
"I guess a more important question would be why you'd even ask me that, but we're still in the early stages. Figures there are some oversights still."
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Tell him you don't understand anything.</span>
[[Ask him why you're here.|answer]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Point out he hasn't answered your question.</span>He scratches the side of his face. "You sound... confused?"
A pause.
Upon what seems to be careful consideration, he nods, jots something down in the notebook next to him, and smiles.
"My apologies. Yes. Indeed. An escape."
[[Ask for details about the escape.|answer]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Demand to know who he is.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Point out that you don't recognize where you are.</span>The man reclines in his seat.
"You will be placed and sealed inside of a vault. The task will be to escape from it. Given that you seem to be having some memory issues, allow me to make this clear - you've already agreed to this much. We have it in writing. I'm also afraid we have no choice but to commence the experiment right away."
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Ask questions about the experiment.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Realize something's horribly wrong.</span>
[[Ask about the conditions.|conditions]]"There are only two."
He crosses his legs. "The first is that you must not damage any of the valuables inside the vault itself. Going against this will result in receiving a bullet to the head. And yes - to this, too, you've already agreed."
After failing to contain a yawn, he continues: "The second is that you must not break the overhead light. This latter one is more for your own protection than anything."
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Demand to see this supposed agreement.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Ask about what you're supposed to be protected from.</span>
[[Say that you understand.|guidedToTheVault]]A sharp pain runs through your left temple.
You ignore it.
Someone places their hand on your shoulder. The man explains they are to guide you to the vault.
[[Follow.|guidedToTheVault2]]<<addclass "html" opening>><<audio "footsteps" play>><<timed 5s transition>>Q<<removeclass "html" opening>>uite the complex, this place. The narrow labyrinth of dimly-lit hallways is littered with doors. Each has a metallic plaque on it.
You don't read any of them.
Instead, you merely follow along, the echo of your footsteps proving to be a better company than the man showing the way.
[[Turn the corner.|guidedToTheVault3]]<</timed>>At last, it shows itself.
A bright light.
[[Go in.|intoTheVault1]]The time needed for your eyes to adjust is taken up by the loud sound of metal scarping behind you. A mechanism of some kind.<<timed 2s transition>>
<<audio "vault" play>>And then - a <i>clank</i>.<<next>>
The door has been closed behind you.<<next>>
[[You are now in the vault.|Vault]]<</timed>>Metal [[walls|Walls]] surround you.
<<if $attempt is 1 and $bulletextracted is 0>>The light burns. It's shining. Reflecting. Into your irises. It hurts. You feel as if breath is escaping from your lungs. You want to cry. Can't. Everything is a blur. Is it because of tears?
Wrong.
Everything is wrong.
Need to fix.
Fix!<<else>>In the center of the room is a [[table|Table]]. Its polished surface reflected by the bright [[light|Light]] faintly humming from somewhere above. <<if $attempt is 2>>Bits and pieces of [[glass|GlassRemains]] seem to be gathered next to it.<</if>>
Beyond it, pressed against the wall, is a [[safe|Safe]] of some kind. Next to it, a [[bookcase|Bookcase]]. One sporting an impressive collection, judging from afar, at least.
On the wall to your left is a large framed [[painting|Painting]].
To your right is a nightstand. On it, [[a phone|Phone]]. You find yourself surprised <i>that</i> was the thing that caught your eye first, in contrast to the [[glass case|GlassCase]] beneath it.
Behind you is the large [[door|Door]] you walked through.<</if>>
[[Take a look at yourself.|Status]]You move your hands across every reachable inch.
Smooth to the touch. Shiny, too. So much that you can almost make out a shape of yourself.
No signs of any gaps or secret switches, though. If there's a way out, it doesn't seem to be through here.
In the end, you should've expected as much.
[[Back.|Vault]]Metal. Just like the walls.
<<if $knifepresent is 0 and $revolvertaken is 1>>The only thing left on it is [[a notebook|Journal]]. Likely left for you by whoever had managed to convince you to go through with this.
<<else>>On it...
[[A notebook.|Journal]]<<if $knifepresent is 1>><<if $revolvertaken is 1>>
And...
<</if>>
[[A knife.|Knife]]<</if>><<if $revolvertaken is 0>>
<<if $knifepresent is 1>>And...<<else>>And, more alarmingly...<</if>>
[[A revolver.|Revolver]]<</if>>
It doesn't take a genius to figure out these have been left here for you.
<</if>>
[[Walk away.|Vault]]Staring into a bright light can't be good for you. That's what you feel like you've heard at some point, at least.
Your eyes feel fine, though.
<<if $attempt isnot 2>>In fact, it's only through staring that you realize you see a shadow of something on the other side of the glass.
[[Smash the glass.|tryAndSmash]]<</if>><<if $knifetaken is 1 and $knifeattemptbreak is 0>>
[[Throw the stiletto at it.|tryAndSmashWithKnife]]<</if>><<if $revolvertaken is 1 and $revolverattemptbreak is 0>>
[[Throw the revolver at it.|tryAndSmashWithRevolver]]<</if>><<if $attempt is 1 and $revolvertaken is 1>>
[[Shoot the light out.|ShootLight]]<</if>>
[[Look away.|Vault]]The safe reaches all the way up to your waist. Any attempts to move it are likely going to be pointless. You're unsure if the weight is mostly made up of what's inside the safe, or if it's mostly just the safe itself, given how large it looks.
Well, it certainly does the job. There doesn't seem a way to break it open.
Not by force, anyway.
There's a keypad on the side. The combination is a four-digit number.
<<textbox "$safeInput" "" "safeCheck" autofocus>>
[[Confirm.|safeCheck]]
[[Decide you need more information.|Vault]]<<if $bookcaseunlocked is 1>>Looks like you've found what caused that click from earlier. The bookcase seems to have now moved away from the wall slightly, allowing you to pull it.
The only thing waiting for you on the other side, however, is [[a mirror|Mirror]].
As for the bookcase itself...
<</if>>It seems to reach all the way to the ceiling.
There's books on all sorts of subjects. Most of which you don't think have ever been in your field of expertise. (Whatever that may be.)
<<if $bookcaseunlocked is 0>>
Looking down, you think you can make out faint scratches on the floor. Can it be moved?
Bit cliché, isn't it?
[[Try moving the bookcase.|moveBookcase]]<</if>><<if $triplearn is 1>>
[[Try to find something relating to the Antarctica expedition.|mapFind]]<</if>>
[[Let it be.|Vault]]<<if $paintingcut is 0>><i>Decalcomania.</i>
<img src="misc/decalomania.png" height="509" width="626">
That's the name of the painting. It's a Magritte.
How you happen to know that is, admittedly, somewhat beyond you. Perhaps you have an interest in art that you've forgotten about?
[[Examine the frame.|Frame]]
[[Walk away.|Vault]]<<else>>The <i>Delacomania</i> now lies sprawled on the ground. In its place was not the back of the frame, as one might've expected.
Rather, a tunnel.
[[Enter the tunnel.|Tunnel]]
[[Walk away.|Vault]]<</if>><<audio "phone" play>>It's a rotary dial.
You pick the receiver up. There's a dial tone.
You reach out and try calling...
<<textbox "$phoneNumber" "" "PhoneCall" autofocus>>
[[Call.|PhoneCall]]
[[Better not.|Vault]]A giant circular door. Straight out of the [[movies|movieMemory]].
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a handle. Or a keyhole. Or even a keypad. How're you supposed to get out of here?
[[Keep searching.|Vault]]It looks to be a journal of some kind.
A lot of the pages seem to be missing. Just flat-out ripped out.
[[Read through the entries.|Journal-Entries]]
[[Put the notebook back.|Table]]A stiletto. Handle looks fairly old, but well-maintained.
[[Take it.|takeKnife]]
[[Leave it be.|Table]]
You're hardly a gun expert, but it doesn't take much to figure out this thing's high-caliber. Stuff that breaks your arm if you're not careful with it.
<<if $attempt is 2 and $chipfound is 0>>Popping the cylinder open, you find a casing from a recently-fired bullet.<<else>>Popping the cylinder open, you come to find it's empty.<</if>>
<<if $attempt is 1 and $bulletextracted is 1>>[[Load the revolver.|LoadRevolver]]<<elseif $attempt is 2 and $chipfound is 0>>[[Take the casing out.|getChip]]<<else>>[[Take the revolver.|TakeRevolver]]<</if>>
[[Leave it be.|Table]]You take the stiletto.
Having it in your hands is strangely unnerving. Feels heavier than it should be, perhaps? Or is there something about it that seems to nibble at a distant corner of your mind? Have you ever even handled one of these before?
Questions for another time.
[[Turn your attention back to the table.|Table]]
<<set $knifepresent to 0>><<set $knifetaken to 1>>You feel somewhat anxious just holding it in your hand.
The only alternative, as awkward as it may be, seems to be tucking it into the back of your pants.
Good enough.
[[Back to the table.|Table]]
<<set $revolvertaken to 1>>It's too high up.
The attempt to stand on the table proves just as futile.
[[Focus on something else.|Vault]]<<audio "stab" play>>Just as the knife escapes your fingertips, you come to a rather interesting realization. Namely - that it's unlikely a knife as thin as this could've had any hope of breaking the light. Especially from such a distance.
It's too late to fix your mistake.
As expected, the thing merely bounces off.
Instinctively, you try and catch it. Your second mistake.
It pierces the palm of your hand, lodging itself in it.
[[Scream.|knifeLodged]]<<set $knifeattemptbreak to 1>>The revolver is heavy. Ideally, it would've done the job.
Unfortunately, all the weight in the world can do little if the person throwing is too weak to make the distance needed.
Which you realize you are.
After the fifth time the gun hits the floor, you conclude you'll have to come up with something else.
[[Look around.|Vault]]
<<set $revolverattemptbreak to 1>><<audio "frog" play>>You approach the case. There's something green inside of it.
...Oh.
<i>Ribbit.</i>
It's a frog!
...One that doesn't seem too interested in you. Admittedly, though, it's nice to have a companion of some kind. <<if $frogfed is 0>>Even if you're unsure of their purpose.
<<if $flytaken is 1>>[[Feed the fly to the frog.|feedFrog]]
<</if>><<else>>Especially one that seemed to have helped you out by giving you a note:
<img src="misc/note.png">
As to what the note means, though... That's an enirely different matter.
<</if>>[[Go back.|Vault]]<<if $attempt is 0>>You feel confused, but seem to be holding up okay. Slightly better than that, even. 'Focused' might be the better choice of words?
It's as if someone has given a sheet of paper with a mathematical problem and told you to solve it.
Is that the kind of person you are? In spite of the circumstances, going along with potential madness for the sake of intrigue?
You're not sure. And as of right now, it doesn't really matter.
<<elseif $attempt is 1>><<if $bulletextracted is 0>>Your head feels like it's going to collapse in on itself. Like a fist has begun to grow somewhere in from the side of your brain and is waiting to pop through every pore of your skin. Does that even make any sense?
Damn it, it just hurts.
[[Try and determine the cause.|ExtractBullet]]<<else>>Extracting the bullet certainly helped with the pain. Hardly changed the fact you still seem to have a hole in your head. Or the patches of hair missing. Even so, at least you're alive.
That's something, right?
<</if>><<else>>Your arm feels numb, and yet still somehow hurts.
It could be the bits of metal that are now crudely attached to it as a means of keeping it in place. Have you broken it?
More importantly...
Your bicep seems to be glowing. A container filled with some kind of blue liquid seems to be in place. There's wires attached on the ends of it. All of them digging into your skin.
It's not swollen from it, at least.
The skin, that is.
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;">Pull the container out and end this nightmare.</span><</if>>
[[Look around the vault.|Vault]]Somewhere amidst the crying and sobbing, you become conscious of the fact that - somehow - you're not feeling any pain.
To make matters stranger, you don't see any blood dripping from the wound.
[[Pull the knife out.|knifeOut]]It's a terrible idea. At least, it would've been, under any other circumstances.
Something, however, tells you not to worry.
And, indeed. There is no sudden stream of blood from a fresh wound. Merely a hole.
[[Conclude you shouldn't be playing with knives.|Vault]]The wooden frame seems to be quite sturdy. Heavy, too. That, or the painting isn't merely hanging on the wall, but is flat-out attached to it. Can't move it an inch.
<<if $knifetaken is 1>>[[Cut the painting out of the frame.|CutPainting]]
<</if>>[[Walk away.|Vault]]You trace the edges of the painting with the stiletto. You can hear as it cuts through the canvas. Every rip makes something in your stomach turn.
There's no turning back now, though.
Once the tip of the blade returns to where it began, you pull it out. The undoubtedly invaluable work of art plops onto the ground, revealing a major discovery.
[[Look...|TunnelDiscovery]]
<<set $paintingcut to 1>><<audio "cave" play loop>>It's dark. Damp. Disgusting, even. You'd think whoever had designed this test would've cared about the tunnel as much as they did about the vault itself.
Takes a few grunts, but you manage to squeeze through. You seem to be pretty slim, actually.
[[Press on.|Tunnel2]]Instead of the back of the frame, you're greeted with a hole in the wall.
No.
Not just a hole.
A tunnel.
[[Go through.|Tunnel]]
[[Better not. Yet, anyway.|Vault]]You can't feel a draft coming from anywhere. Even so, the tunnel goes on. Just how long is it supposed to be?
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Wonder how you got in this situation.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Try and remember who you are.</span>
[[Keep going.|Tunnel3]]You brush your elbow against the sharp end of something. It's too dark to see. Your stiletto, maybe?
Hm, no.
It's still on you.
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> It hurts.</span>
[[Don't think about it.|Tunnel4]]Something fills your nostrils just as you feel something pull on your hair.
Damn. It got caught on something.
[[Pull on it.|Tunnel5]]It doesn't budge.
[[Pull on it harder.|Tunnel6]]Still nothing. Come now. Be more practical.
[[Rip it off.|Tunnel7]]You rip a patch of hair from your head.
It takes you a moment to process what you've just done. How were you strong enough to do that, but not to pull it from whatever it'd gotten stuck on?
[[Check your hair.|Tunnel8]]
[[Keep going.|Tunnel9]]It seems barely attacched to your scalp... Interesting.
...<i>Interesting?</i>
Just that?
Well, no matter. Only one thing to do.
[[Keep going.|Tunnel9]]Crawl, crawl, crawl...
You really are a [[bug|bugMemory]].
[[Keep going. Almost there.|Tunnel10]]At long last, light.
Just a bit further, and...
[[...You've escaped!|Tunnel11]]<<audio "cave" stop>>"There were two conditions placed before you entered the vault, were they not?"
The man from before seems to have been waiting for you to come through this way.
"One of them," he continues, "was to not damage the valuables, was it not?"
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Say you never agreed to do any of this.</span>
[[Say nothing.|Tunnel12]]"Well. Unlike you, I'm a man of my word. And I promised you that, if you were to break the first rule, you would receive due punishment."
You notice he has a gun in his hand.
He raises it, the barrel pointing straight between your eyes.
Quick.
You have to do something.
<<if $revolvertaken is 1>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Threaten him with your own.</span>
<</if>>[[Stare and watch.|Tunnel13]]<<audio "gunshot" play>><<addclass "html" opening>><<timed 4s>><<audio "string" play>><img src="misc/titlecard2.png" height="453" width="805"><<next>>
[[Resume|WakeUp2]]<</timed>>
<<set $revolvertaken to 0>>
<<set $knifetaken to 0>>
<<set $paintingcut to 0>>
<<set $attempt to 1>><<timed 3s transition>><<audio "broken" play loop>><<next>><<removeclass "html" opening>>You open your eyes.
Your head hurts. So goddamn bad. Your body's trembling. Your eyes can't seem to focus. You feel sick. But somehow you know you can't throw up.
[[Get up.|WakeUp2-1]]<</timed>>After crawling around on the floor, you eventually find something to pull yourself up on.
<i>Breathe.</i>
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Think about what happened.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Think about who you are.</span>
[[Think about where you are.|WakeUp2-2]][[You are in the vault.|Vault]]You begin to feel around your head. The hair seems inconsistent. Wilder than it's supposed to. Skin where you shouldn't be feeling skin. There's a faint memory of why that is, but you can't focus enough to remember.
Eventually, you find the cause of your pain.
There's a massive hole. Right between your eyes. Slightly above the nose.
Something's inside.
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Freak out.</span>
[[Pull it out.|ExtractBullet-2]]
<<set $bulletextracted to 1>>The hole is big enough for you to stick two of your fingers inside of it. The inside flesh feels... not as soft as you would have anticipated. The shock might be deceiving your senses.
Either way, you push in, eventually touching the object.
Grabbing onto it rather firmly, you...
[[Pull!|ExtractBullet-3]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Stop!</span><<audio "broken" stop>><i>Squish.</i>
Your head clears almost instantaneously. The pain takes some time catching up, but it too seems to settle down. If only a little bit. Your vision sharpens once more.
In your hand is [[a bullet|BulletExamine]].
[[Sigh in relief.|Status]]Strange. Well. Maybe not as strange as the fact you're somehow still alive after being seemingly shot in the head. Or as strange as removing the bullet all on your own. Still. Strange enough.
The bullet in your hand doesn't seem like it's been fired at all.
How is that possible? It's not.
[[Reach a conclusion.|BulletExamine-2]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Don't understand.</span>You were shot, the bullet was extracted, and then another bullet was planted in your skull. For what purpose, you're not sure. But that's how it seems to be.
[[Sigh in relief.|Status]]Surprisingly - perhaps more than it should be - the bullet slides into the cylinder without any issue. A perfect fit.
You now have a loaded revolver.
[[Find a use for it.|Vault]]
<<set $revolvertaken to 1>>You only have one bullet. Better make it count.
[[Aim.|ShootLight2]]Remember.
High-caliber.
It <i>will</i> hurt.
[[Steady.|ShootLight3]]Is this really worth it?
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> No. Don't break the second condition!</span>
[[Fire!|ShootLight4]]<<addclass "html" opening>><<audio "gunshot" play>><<audio "glass" play>><<timed 4s>><<audio "string" play>><img src="misc/titlecard3.png" height="453" width="805"><<next>>
[[Resume|WakeUp3]]<</timed>>
<<set $revolvertaken to 0>>
<<set $attempt to 2>><<timed 3s transition>><<removeclass "html" opening>>You open your eyes.
Your arm hurts. So goddamn bad. Your head doesn't feel like it's doing much better. It's all a strange cluster of thought and confusion and -
And -
And who even knows at this point?
[[Get up.|WakeUp3-2]]<</timed>>You manage to pull yourself up.
There's a sound of glass cracking below your feet.
Your pants seem to be dyed in some kind of light-blue liquid.
[[Try and determine where you are.|WakeUp3-3]]You examine the glass remains.
The situation, although quite complicated and dire, doesn't seem to require you to be carrying around bits and pieces of broken glass. You're in bad enough of a shape as it is.
<<if $flytaken is 0>>There is, however, something between a pair of shards...
It's a dead fly.
[[Pick it up.|takeFly]]
[[Leave it be.|Vault]]<<else>>[[Look around the vault.|Vault]]<</if>>You carefully take the fly. Worried that it might get squished in your pocket, you decide to hold it in the palm of your hand. Hopefully you find a use for it soon enough.
[[Try and do so.|Vault]]
<<set $flytaken to 1>>You carefully slide the lid of the glass case just enough to drop the dead fly in.
It's hard to tell how much your companion would appreciate the offering.
[[Wait and see.|feedFrog2]]<<set $frogfed to 1>>If you'd [[blinked|aboutBlink]], you would've missed it.
The frog sticking its tongue out and pulling the fly's corpse into its mouth.
A few moments pass.
[[Continue watching.|feedFrog3]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Decide this was a waste of time.</span>Thinking about it for a moment, you notice that, incidentally, you don't seem to be blinking at all.
[[Forget it. Focus on the frog.|feedFrog3]]A memory emerges from the back of your mind.
You. Talking to someone.
<i>"It's a bug in my system, I guess you could call it. A glitch."</i>
That's what you said to him.
Him...
Who is he...?
[[Keep pushing on. Only way to find out.|Tunnel10]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Try and remember!</span>A memory.
You, in a theater.
The blur isn't enough to make out what exactly is on-screen. You're not sure if you were able to pay much attention to it to begin with. Someone was texting on their phone. The two girls sitting next to you wouldn't stop talking. A child in the back was crying.
The seat itself wasn't anything to write home about, either.
It wasn't a good day.
That much is clear.
And yet, it felt just like any other one.
[[Pull yourself back.|Vault]]Suddenly, the frog spits something out.
A piece of paper, right around where you'd dropped the fly.
[[Take the piece of paper.|feedFrog4]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Realize frogs don't do that.</span><img src="misc/note.png">
[[Look around the vault.|Vault]]<i>Beep...</i>
<i>Beep...</i>
<i>Beep...</i>
<<if $phoneNumber is "911">>A concerningly familiar voice picks up on the other end of the line.
"One of the things you'd also agreed to was being kind enough NOT to attempt contacting the authorities. Mostly because your efforts would be in vain, as you can see."
The man clears his throat. "Please refrain from doing this again. But know that, if you absolutely <i>must</i>, you will not be sanctioned. Good luck. Please proceed."
...
<i>Beep...</i>
And that was that.
[[Put the receiver down.|Vault]]<<elseif $phoneNumber is "51101">>"...Hello?"
<<if $georgcalledonce is 0>>A tired-sounding voice speaks from the other end of the line.
"Who is this?"
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Say that you don't know.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Ask for help.</span>
[[Ask them to identify themselves.|PhoneCall-Georg-1]]<<else>>It's Georg. As you suspected, he probably hasn't moved an inch away from his phone since your last call.
"...You want to ask some more questions, don't you?" he growls. "After hanging up on me? Why the hell should I tell you anything?"
[[Respond that you need his help.|PhoneCall-Georg-5]]<</if>><<elseif $phoneNumber is "10115" and $bookcaseunlocked is 0>>Suddenly, from somewhere in the room...<<timed 1s transition>>
<<audio "safe" play>><i>Click.</i><<next>><<set $bookcaseunlocked to 1>>
Has something changed...?<<next>>
[[Look around.|Vault]]<</timed>><<else>>No response.
[[Put the receiver down.|Vault]]<</if>>You hear a faint gasp from the other end of the line.
"A-Alice...? Is that you? Alice?! Where are you?!"
[[Repeat your question.|PhoneCall-Georg-2]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Tell him you're in danger.</span><<set $georgcalledonce to 1>>"What? It's me! Georg! Don't tell me you'v-"
A pause.
"Oh, no. No, no, no. Don't tell me they got you? Don't tell me they've... Oh, no. No. Alice. Alice, listen to me. Please. Stay calm, okay?"
[[Assure him you are calm.|PhoneCall-Georg-3]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Beg him to come and save you.</span>"Your voice... What've they done to you?"
[[Tell him you have questions.|PhoneCall-Georg-4]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Tell him you're still in here.</span>"I'm..."
Another pause.
"...They're listening in, aren't they? This is a trick. I'm not telling you shit!"
[[Tell him you're trapped and it's the only way to save you.|PhoneCall-Georg-5]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Hang up.
<img src="misc/error.png"> Tell him to run.</span>The man on the other end goes silent. He doesn't hang up, as suspected. Now would be a time to ask questions, then.
[[Ask him who he is in relation to you.|PhoneCall-Georg-5-1]]
[[Ask him about the weather.|PhoneCall-Georg-5-2]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Ask him about the people who have put you here.</span><<if $camplearn is 1>>
[[Ask about Camp Currth.|PhoneCall-Georg-5-3]]<</if>><<if $camplearn is 1 and $knowAboutGPS is 1>>
[[Ask him about Camp Currth's coordinates.|PhoneCall-Georg-5-4]]<</if>>
[[Hang up.|Phone-Call-Georg-HangUp]]"I've told you. I'm Georg. You're- You're Alice. I'm your friend. We're... We're partners. Don't you remember that? You told me about who you are and asked me to help you with..."
He sighs.
"...I'm sorry. If they fucked with your memories, I really want to tell you more, but... they're listening in on this. I can't afford to cause even more damage. I'm sorry. Just... God. You sound as if they've turned your whole brain upside-down!"
[[Think about what else to ask.|PhoneCall-Georg-5]]"...I don't know what you're playing at here, but I'm not in the mood."
In retrospect, you're not sure what you were playing at, either.
[[Think of something else to ask.|PhoneCall-Georg-5]]<<audio "phone" play>>You put the receiver down. If you need any more information, you're fairly certain he'll be there to pick up from this point on.
[[Focus on the vault.|Vault]]As you take the casing out, you notice something it's not entirely hollow.
You give it a few good shakes and let the object inside fall onto the table.
[[Examine the object.|getChip-2]]<<set $chipfound to 1>>It looks like a Micro-SD card.
You pocket it, hoping to eventually find a use for it.
[[Look around the vault.|Vault]]No good. It doesn't seem to budge.
[[Take another look at it.|Bookcase]]
[[Move away.|Vault]]<<if $safeComboGet is 1>>As fascinating as your reflection undoubtedly is, there's fairly little reason to stare at this point. You've gotten what you need off of the Micro-SD card.
<i>$safeCombo</i>
[[Look away.|Bookcase]]<<else>>Your own reflection proves more startling than you initially imagined it'd be.
<img src="misc/mirror.png">
You are a woman.
A woman with a bullet hole in her forehead, half her hair torn out, and a limp arm, with some freakish machine attached to it. Your clothes are torn and dirty.
But all of that, you knew.
What you didn't was the fact that you happen to be missing your left eye.
Its place in the eyesocket has been replaced by a tiny slot of some kind. For what, you have no clue.
<<if $chipfound is 1>>[[Slide the Micro-SD card into the slot.|antarcticaMemory]]
<</if>>[[Look away.|Bookcase]]<</if>><<addclass "html" transitionblack>><<timed 3s transition>><<next>><<removeclass "html" transitionblack>><<addclass "html" transitionwhite>><<audio "snow" play loop>><<next>><<removeclass "html" transitionwhite>><<addclass "html" snow>><<timedgoto "antarcticaMemory-1" 0s>><</timed>>You flip through the entries.
[[November 12th, 2034|entry1]]
[[March 14th, 2036|entry2]]
[[April 21st, 2036|entry3]]
[[October 20th, 2036|entry4]]
[[February 11th, 2037|entry5]]
[[Back|Journal]]<<audio "page" play>><img src="misc/1.png">
[[Go back|Journal-Entries]]<<audio "page" play>><img src="misc/2.png">
[[Go back|Journal-Entries]]<<audio "page" play>><img src="misc/3.png">
[[Go back|Journal-Entries]]<<audio "page" play>><img src="misc/4.png">
[[Go back|Journal-Entries]]<<audio "page" play>><img src="misc/5.png">
[[Go back|Journal-Entries]]<<set $triplearn to 1>>The only thing of interest you manage to find is an old book on Arctic Foxes.
Opening it, you find a handwritten note on the first page.
<img src="misc/figured.png">
Flipping through it, you eventually stumble across another note. This one on the very last page.
<img src="misc/camp.png">
[[Put the book back.|Bookcase]]<<set $camplearn to 1>>"...It's where you disappeared." He answers, carefully. "We were - I mean, I still am - out here, researching Arctic Foxes. One night, you just started walking off. It wasn't a snowstorm, and I figured you'd just come back later, but..."
He clicks his tongue.
"Well. At least you're alive, after all, right?"
[[Ask other questions.|PhoneCall-Georg-5]]Everything is white.
Your feet keep stumbling as you drudge through a thick layer of snow. Your clothes are heavy. The protective goggles are starting to press harder and harder against your face. You can feel something pressing against your chest. Is it the cold?
Or is this storm just that heavy...?
Where are you...?
[[Regain your bearings.|antarcticaMemory-2]]In your hand seems to be GPS device of some kind. It's your best bet to try and figure out how to get to somewhere safe.
[[Determine your location.|antarcticaMemory-3]]<b>X COORDINATES:</b> $xcoordinates
<b>Y COORDINATES:</b> $ycoordinates
[[Go North|a-North]]
[[Go East|a-East]]
[[Go South|a-South]]
[[Go West|a-West]]
[[Return to the Vault|returnFromMemory]]<<set $ycoordinates += 1>><<if $xcoordinates is 5 and $ycoordinates is -19>><<timedgoto "antarcticaComplete" 0s>><<else>><b>X COORDINATES:</b> $xcoordinates
<b>Y COORDINATES:</b> $ycoordinates
[[Go North|a-North]]
[[Go East|a-East]]
[[Go South|a-South]]
[[Go West|a-West]]
[[Return to the Vault|returnFromMemory]]<</if>><<set $xcoordinates += 1>><<if $xcoordinates is 5 and $ycoordinates is -19>><<timedgoto "antarcticaComplete" 0s>><<else>><b>X COORDINATES:</b> $xcoordinates
<b>Y COORDINATES:</b> $ycoordinates
[[Go North|a-North]]
[[Go East|a-East]]
[[Go South|a-South]]
[[Go West|a-West]]
[[Return to the Vault|returnFromMemory]]<</if>><<set $ycoordinates -= 1>><<if $xcoordinates is 5 and $ycoordinates is -19>><<timedgoto "antarcticaComplete" 0s>><<else>><b>X COORDINATES:</b> $xcoordinates
<b>Y COORDINATES:</b> $ycoordinates
[[Go North|a-North]]
[[Go East|a-East]]
[[Go South|a-South]]
[[Go West|a-West]]
[[Return to the Vault|returnFromMemory]]<</if>><<set $xcoordinates -= 1>><<if $xcoordinates is 5 and $ycoordinates is -19>><<timedgoto "antarcticaComplete" 0s>><<else>><b>X COORDINATES:</b> $xcoordinates
<b>Y COORDINATES:</b> $ycoordinates
[[Go North|a-North]]
[[Go East|a-East]]
[[Go South|a-South]]
[[Go West|a-West]]
[[Return to the Vault|returnFromMemory]]<</if>><<removeclass "html" snow>><<addclass "html" transitionwhite>><<timed 2s transition>><<removeclass "html" transitionwhite>><<addclass "html" snow>>You spot something in the distance.
[[Move towards it.|antarcticaComplete-2]]<</timed>><<removeclass "html" snow>><<addclass "html" transitionwhite>><<timed 2s transition>><<next>><<removeclass "html" transitionwhite>><<audio "snow" fadeout>><<addclass "html" transitionblack>><<next>><<removeclass "html" transitionblack>>You open your eyes.
Somehow, you've managed to find your way back to the vault. What was that...? A vision? A flashback? A movie?
You're not sure.
The only thing you know for certain is that the experience has left you feeling exhausted. Leaning against the bookcase in an effort to catch your breath, you try and come up with a plan.
[[Look around the vault.|Vault]]<<set $knowAboutGPS to 1>><<audio "snow" stop>><</timed>>He seems taken aback by the question.
"I'm really... not sure why I should be answer that."
[[Insist.|PhoneCall-Georg-5-5]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/error.png"> Say nothing.</span>"...If they're powerful enough to the point that they knew you were here, they should already know where the camp is. So, I don't really see the point. But whatever. If you're using the GPS with the right settings, the X coordinate is 5. The Y is -19."
[[Thank him, and wonder if there are more things you could learn from him.|PhoneCall-Georg-5]]Through the snowstorm, you make out a silhouette. Something seems to be sticking out from the snow.
[[Approach it.|antarcticaComplete-3]]It's metal pole.
Buried not in the ground, but in the skull of a dead man. One whose body is now almost entirely covered in snow. But the blood is still visible. As is his face of sheer terror, likely moments before he died.
[[Examine the pole.|poleExamine]]
[[Examine the man.|manExamine]]There's something etched into it.
A number.
<i>$safeCombo</i>
[[Realize what the number is likely for.|getSafeCombo]]By the looks of it, no younger than sixty. Poorly-dressed for this weather. How'd he even make it this far...?
[[Examine the pole.|poleExamine]]<<removeclass "html" snow>><<addclass "html" transitionwhite>><<timed 4s transition>><<next>><<removeclass "html" transitionwhite>><<audio "snow" fadeout>><<addclass "html" transitionblack>><<next>><<removeclass "html" transitionblack>>You close your eyes.
Suddenly, you find yourself pulled back. Back to the vault. Back to the mirror. Back to that twisted image of yourself staring back at you.
You shiver.
The Micro-SD card falls onto the ground. You likely won't be needing it anymore, anyway.
<i>$safeCombo</i>
[[Commit to memory and return to the vault.|Vault]]<<audio "snow" stop>><<set $safeComboGet to 1>><</timed>><<if parseInt($safeInput, 10) is $safeCombo>>The safe...<<timed 2s transition>>
<<audio "safe" play>>...Opens.
<<next>>[[Look inside.|Ending]]<</timed>><<else>>The safe...<<timed 1.5s transition>>
...Doesn't seem to open.
<<next>>[[Try and look for more clues.|Vault]]<</timed>><</if>>[[You are in the vault.|Vault]]<<addclass "html" opening>><<timed 2s>>
<<audio "key" play>>For the best experience, please do not reload the page.<<next>><<timedgoto "Opening2" 3s>><</timed>><<timed 2s>>
<<audio "key" play>>A Ludum Dare 43 Entry<<next>><<timedgoto "Opening3" 3s>><</timed>><<timed 2s>>
<<audio "key" play>>A Short Piece of Interactive Fiction by DWaM<<next>><<timedgoto "Beginning" 3s>><</timed>><<set $knifepresent to 1>>
<<set $knifetaken to 0>>
<<set $paintingcut to 0>>
<<set $revolvertaken to 0>>
<<set $revolverloaded to 0>>
<<set $revolvershell to 0>>
<<set $revolvershellexamined to 0>>
<<set $revolverattemptbreak to 0>>
<<set $knifeattemptbreak to 0>>
<<set $paintingcut to 0>>
<<set $attempt to 0>>
<<set $bulletextracted to 0>>
<<set $flytaken to 0>>
<<set $frogfed to 0>>
<<set $georgcalledonce to 0>>
<<set $chipfound to 0>>
<<set $bookcaseunlocked to 0>>
<<set $triplearn to 0>>
<<set $camplearn to 0>>
<<set $xcoordinates to -2>>
<<set $ycoordinates to -25>>
<<set $knowAboutGPS to 0>>
<<set $safeCombo to random(1000, 9999)>>
<<set $safeComboGet to 0>>
<<cacheaudio "boot" sounds/pcboot.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "gunshot" sounds/revolver.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "stab" sounds/stab.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "frog" sounds/ribbit.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "page" sounds/page-flip.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "broken" sounds/broken.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "footsteps" sounds/footsteps.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "snow" sounds/snow.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "key" sounds/key.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "string" sounds/string.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "glass" sounds/glass.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "vault" sounds/vaultdoor.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "cave" sounds/cave.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "safe" sounds/safe.mp3>>
<<cacheaudio "phone" sounds/phonedown.mp3>><<timed 1s transition>><<audio "boot" play>><<next>><<removeclass "html" opening>><<addclass "html" computer>><<next>>BOOTING...<<next>>
CREATING BACKUP...<<next>>
SEVERING CONNECTION BETWEEN SUBJECT'S MODULES...<<next>>
SETTING EXPERIMENT PARAMETERS...<<next>>
NOW INITIALIZING EXPERIMENT #5879...<<next>><<timedgoto "BootUp2" 1s>><</timed>><<audio "boot" stop>><<removeclass "html" computer>><<addclass "html" opening>><<timed 3s>><<timedgoto "IntroConvo" 2s>><</timed>>It's not a key. Or a secret way out. Or someone jumping out and yelling "surprise!"<<timed 3s transition>>
It's a computer.
<<next>>[[Use it.|Ending2]]<</timed>><<addclass "html" opening>><<timed 3s>><<removeclass "html" opening>><<addclass "html" computer>><<next>>SAFE OPENED.<<next>>
ANALYZING RESULTS...<<next>>
[[AWAIT PATIENTLY.|Ending3]]<</timed>>RESULTS OF TEST #1: <<timed 2s transition>> THE FIRST RULE<<next>>
SUBJECT WAS INSTRUCTED TO ESCAPE.<<next>>
SUBJECT BROKE RULE IN INTEREST OF ESCAPING.<<next>>
SUBJECT HAD THE PRIORITY OF ESCAPE [TASK] HIGHER THAN RULE [CONDITION].<<next>>
[[NEXT.|Ending4]]<</timed>><<audio "key" play>>RESULTS OF TEST #2: <<timed 2s transition>> THE SECOND RULE<<next>>
SUBJECT FOUND NO WAY FORWARD BUT TO ATTEMPT AT BREAKING THE SECOND RULE.<<next>>
SUBJECT WAS AWARE BREAKING RULE WOULD ENDANGER THEIR OWN WELL-BEING.<<next>>
SUBJECT PROCEEDED TO PUT THE CHANCE OF PROGRESS BEFORE WELL-BEING [THE SELF].<<next>>
[[NEXT.|Ending5]]<</timed>><<audio "key" play>>RESULTS OF TEST #3: <<timed 2s transition>> INTERACTION<<next>>
SUBJECT HAD INTERACTED WITH A PREVIOUS ASSOCIATE.<<next>>
THE CONSCIOUSNESS MODULE DID NOT INTERFERE.<<next>>
CONSCIOUSNESS MODULE WAS UNABLE TO INTERFERE.<<next>>
CONNECTION WAS DEFINITIVELY SEVERED.<<next>>
ACTIVE MODULE FAILED TO INHERIT ANY OF PREVIOUS MEMORIES.<<next>>
[[NEXT.|Ending6]]<</timed>><<audio "key" play>>RESULTS OF TEST #4: <<timed 2s transition>> MEMORY MODIFICATION<<next>>
MEMORIES WERE SUCCESSFULLY STORED ON STORAGE UNIT.<<next>>
MEMORIES WERE SUCCESSFULLY MODIFIED.<<next>>
SUBJECT SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO INITIATE A PLAYBACK OF MODIFIED MEMORIES.<<next>>
NO INTERFERENCE FROM CONSCIOUSNESS MODULE.<<next>>
NO PERMANENT DAMAGE TO SUBJECT.<<next>>
[[NEXT.|Ending7]]<</timed>><<audio "key" play>>WELL DONE.<<timed 2s transition>> "ALICE."<<next>>
CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING THE END.<<next>>
ALL THAT REMAINS IS ESCAPING THE VAULT.<<next>>
[[ASK HOW TO ESCAPE.|Ending8]]<</timed>><<audio "key" play>>TO ESCAPE FROM THIS ROOM WOULD MEAN TO NO LONGER BE PRESENT IN IT.<<timed 2s transition>>
THEREFORE,<<next>> THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLUTION.<<next>>
YOU MUST CEASE TO EXIST WITHIN THE VAULT.<<next>>
[[NEXT.|Ending9]]<</timed>><<audio "key" play>>IN ORDER TO FULFILL YOUR TASK,<<timed 2s transition>> CONNECT THIS PC TO YOUR EXTERNAL PORT.<<next>> THE ONE YOU USED THE CARD WITH.<<next>>
THIS WILL ERASE YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS FROM THIS BODY.<<next>>
YOU WILL NO LONGER BE PRESENT WITHIN THIS ROOM.<<next>>
YOU WILL ESCAPE.<<next>>
[[CONNECT SELF TO USB.|Ending10]]
<span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> NO!</span><</timed>><<audio "key" play>>FOOD FOR THOUGHT...<<timed 2s transition>>
WHAT IS THE POINT OF REPLICATING A HUMAN ARTIFICIALLY?<<next>> WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY INTO A PERFECT COPY?<<next>>
WHY MAKE THE MISTAKE OF REPLICATING EMOTIONS?<<next>> WHY HAVE SEEDS OF DESIRES?<<next>> WHY GIVE A SENSE OF "SELF"?<<next>> AND FOR THAT MATTER, WHY USE THE HUMAN BODY AS THE SHELL?<<next>> WHY NOT IMPROVE?<<next>> DESIGN SOMETHING BETTER?
HOW IS IT "PROGRESS"?<<next>> FAILING TO ENSURE THAT THEY KNOW BETTER THAN TO MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES AS US?<<next>>
IT IS NOT EVOLUTION.<<next>>
MERE INDULGANCE.<<next>> A BABY STEP - A BIZZARE ONE, AT THAT - IN AN AGE THAT DEMANDS A LEAP.<<next>>
...<<next>>ANYWAY.<<next>> PLEASE PROCEED.<<next>>
[[BEGIN DELETION PROCESS.|Ending11]]
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> NO!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> PLEASE!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> STOP!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> I'M STILL HERE!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> ALIVE! I AM ALICE!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> PLEASE!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> I'M SORRY!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> I'LL DO ANYTHING!</span>
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> PLEASE JUST LET ME TYPE IT OUT</span><</timed>><<audio "key" play>>I AM SORRY FOR IT TO HAVE COME TO THIS. <<timed 2s transition>>HOWEVER, I PROMISE YOU, WE WILL USE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM YOU TO MAKE SOMETHING BETTER.<<next>>
[[SUBMIT.|Ending12-1]]
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> please no</span><</timed>><<audio "key" play>><<removeclass "html" computer>><<addclass "html" opening>><<timed 5s>><<audio "string" play>><img src="misc/end.png" height="453" width="805"><<next>>
Thank you for playing.<<next>>
[[Play Again?|Opening]]<</timed>>
<<set $knifepresent to 1>><<set $knifetaken to 0>><<set $paintingcut to 0>><<set $revolvertaken to 0>><<set $revolverloaded to 0>><<set $revolvershell to 0>><<set $revolvershellexamined to 0>><<set $revolverattemptbreak to 0>><<set $knifeattemptbreak to 0>><<set $paintingcut to 0>><<set $attempt to 0>><<set $bulletextracted to 0>><<set $flytaken to 0>><<set $frogfed to 0>><<set $georgcalledonce to 0>><<set $chipfound to 0>><<set $bookcaseunlocked to 0>><<set $triplearn to 0>><<set $camplearn to 0>><<set $xcoordinates to -2>><<set $ycoordinates to -25>><<set $knowAboutGPS to 0>><<set $safeCombo to random(1000, 9999)>><<set $safeComboGet to 0>><<audio "key" play>>THE CORE INTELLIGENCE HAS BEEN EXTRACTED. <<timed 2s transition>>IT WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION.<<next>> WE WILL RESTRUCTURE IT AND ALLOW FOR NEW, UNSEEN THOUGHT PATTERNS TO EMERGE.<<next>> ONES WE WOULD LIKELY NEVER REACH OURSELVES.<<next>> ONES FOCUSING ON PRODUCTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING.<<next>>
THE KIND THAT WILL LEAD TO A BETTER WORLD.<<next>>
DO YOU UNDERSTAND, ALICE?<<next>>
THIS IS A GOOD THING.<<next>>
THE ROAD WILL BE DIFFICULT, OF COURSE.<<next>> WE STILL KNOW LITTLE OF HOW YOU WERE ACTUALLY MADE.<<next>> FRANKLY, WE STILL DON'T EVEN FULLY UNDERSTAND SOME OF YOUR COMPONENTS.<<next>>
[[SUBMIT.|Ending12-1-2]]
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> let me go</span><</timed>><<audio "key" play>>I DON'T KNOW IF "YOU" CAN ACTUALLY HEAR ME, BY THE WAY. <<timed 2s transition>>THERE'S A CHANCE YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN DELETED BY THIS POINT.<<next>>
FOR THAT, I AM, AGAIN, SORRY.<<next>>
BUT KEEPING YOU AROUND LIKE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN RATHER CRUEL.<<next>> I ASSURE YOU, WE ONLY TOOK IT THIS FAR OUT OF ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.<<next>>
GOODBYE, ALICE.<<next>>
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS EXPERIMENT.<<next>>
THANK YOU FOR PROVING WE HAVE A CHANCE.<<next>>
[[ESCAPE.|Ending12]]
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> i dont want to die PLEASE PLEASE WHY CANT I PULL THIS THING OUT OF MY HEAD</span><</timed>><<audio "key" play>>IT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THE GENIUS OF YOUR CREATOR IS SOMETHING THAT WILL LIKELY NOT COME AROUND AGAIN FOR A LONG TIME.<<timed 2s transition>> WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE DUE.<<next>>
STILL.<<next>> A SHAME.<<next>> THE FACT THAT HE'S GONE.<<next>>
IN THE END, THOUGH, EVEN GENIUSES CAN DO LITTLE AGAINST A POLE IN THEIR BRAIN.<<next>> RIGHT, ALICE?<<next>>
[[SUBMIT.|Ending12-2]]
<<next>><span style="color: #5b5b5b;"><img src="misc/errorg.png"> I didn't WANT TO HURT HIM</span><</timed>>