Eye Spy GOLD

You park your car and open a small black case with two contact lenses that vibrate a brilliant purple hue. You put them onto your eyes and feel a small prickle. A girl's voice's echoes around in your head, //"Hi, Cyber Eye Employer #193004. I'm Emily, your personal artificial intelligence companion. I can run simulations for you in dangerous circumstances to determine the outcome using probability. Think of it like a "What if?" scenario."// [[Walk to the crime scene.]] [[Stay inside the car.]]

You pull out your Investigator license, and the officer's face turns pale white. The officer steps out of your way. "My apologies, Investigator. Detective Thomas is already by the body." Waves crash against the pier, and the downpour rolls off the shipping containers. You walk over into a corridor between two rows of shipping containers and find a thin man in a brown trenchcoat standing above the body with a lit cigarette. He turns toward you with his hand out. [[Shake his hand.]] [[Take a look around.]]

You shake the man's hand. "So, you're the Cyber Eye Investigator the whole department's been gossiping about for the last week. I'm Detective Thomas, and I'll be happy to provide you with anything you need." [[Inspect the body.]] [[Take a look around.]]

You crouch down and proceed to look over the body. The victim's eyes are missing, and you can find no other obvious signs of physical trauma. [[Check the victim's pockets.]]

Your cybernetic eyes scan the victim's body. Information about the victim's entire background history flashes before your eyes and fills your HUD. Name: Edgar Tortol. Blood Type: A+. Age 26. Sex: Male. Occupation: Dock Worker. Cause of Death: Unknown. Your scan also indicates a nearby grey container as "Suspicious." [[Scan the barcode with your cybernetic eyes.]]

You quickly search the victim's pockets and find a scrap of paper with a barcode on it. [[Activate cybernetic eye sensors.]]

You pull out your stun gun and fire at the woman. She drops like lead onto the wet concrete. Smoke rises from her body, and you realize that using a stun gun in a rainstorm might not have been the best idea. [[Check her pulse.]] [[Leave her.]]

You run after the woman, and Detective Thomas tries to keep up. The woman turns a corner and disappears into the shipping container maze. You reach a fork in the path. [[Go left.]] [[Go right.]]

You take a look around the perimeter. A grey container catches your eye. The body is directly next to its door, and it even looks to be partially open. [[Inspect the body.]]

You approach the container and open the door. A woman bursts out, knocking you aside. [[Shoot her with your stun gun.]] [[Chase her.]]

You stretch out the barcode to get a proper scan. ''Opening file... Warning. Cyber Eye Employer #193004 detected. Advised to give personal A.I. Designation: (Emily) administrator privilege over required action.'' [[Give Emily administrator privilege.]] [[Run Scenario: Ignore the warning and open the file.]]

You give Emily administrator privilege for the action. She boots up, and a smiley face icon appears before you. //"Hiya. Admin access for me? You shouldn't have. And what do we have here? Yikes! That's a nope from me," Emily closes the file. "For your own safety, I can't open the file. Sorry."// Emily's icon closes. [[Investigate the grey container.]]

You signal you proceed left and pull out your stun gun. You run through the narrow corridor and turn a corner to reach a dead end. The woman turns around with her back against the wall. "Cyber Eye dog. You might as well shoot. [[Shoot her with your stun gun.]] [[Holster your stun gun and approach her.]] [[Run Scenario: Try to arrest her.]]

You signal Detective Thomas to go left, and you proceed right. You run down the corridor and turn a corner to end up back at the victim. [[Go left.]] [[Wait at the body.]]

With the barcode as your only evidence, you decide to leave the crime scene and get back into your car. You drive to the police station and find Detective Thomas waiting for you by the entrance. He holds the door open. "The suspect is waiting for you in the interrogation room, Investigator. Come find me at my desk whenever you're ready to begin the questioning." You walk inside, and the station bustles with activity. Low-level thugs are processed to your right, and various citizens wait in line in front of an info booth to your left. Detective Thomas walks off, and you're left to your own devices. [[Locate a decryption terminal]] [[Question the suspect]]

You holster your stun gun, which causes the woman to become confused. After a moment, she pulls out a hidden knife and places it on the ground before surrendering to you. You cuff her hands as a precaution. [[Find Detective Thomas]]

You search for Detective Thomas and find him in the middle of speaking with a group of Officers. One of the Officers points to you, and Detective Thomas turns around with a smile on his face. Detective Thomas runs up. "You captured her? Great job, Investigator. Meet me back at the station, and we'll question her. You hand over the suspect and walks back to your car. [[Leave the crime scene.]]

You reach the body, and Detective Thomas is no one to be seen. [[Go look for the suspect.]] [[Wait a little longer.]]

You stand in the rain for a few more minutes, and nothing of interest happens. [[Go look for the suspect.]] [[Run Scenario: Wait even longer.]]

You casually stroll through various corridors within the dockyard. As you reach a junction, the woman runs across. You give chase and follow you into a dead end. [[Holster your stun gun and approach her.]] [[Shoot her with your stun gun.]]

Rain patters off your hat as you approach the crime scene. The red and blue lights of a nearby police cruiser bounce off the wet concrete. A uniformed officer stands behind a barricade and stops you from entering. "Sorry, this is a restricted area, and I'm gonna need you to turn around." [[Pull out your Investigator license.]]

You open up an artificial reality schematic plan of the building. The map shows that the closest decryption terminal is located inside the laboratory of the building. [[Find the lab.]] [[Question the suspect]]

You walk into the bullpen and find Detective Thomas at his desk eating a cup of ramen noodles. His body jerks up from his chair as he notices you watching him. "Ready to question the suspect? I'll wait in the observation room. Follow me," Detective Thomas says. He leads you to the entrance of the interrogation room and disappears into the adjacent room. You open the door and walk inside to a small, poorly lit room with the woman cuffed to the table. You take a seat, and she glares at you. "I didn't see anything," the woman says. [[Run her face through The Database.]] [[Show her the barcode.]]

You scan her facial features using your cybernetic eye implants. Hundreds of images of different faces flash before your eyes. ''SCANNING. PLEASE WAIT...'' ''NO MATCHES.'' "//So, I can't find any information about her. That's odd. She doesn't appear to have any implants," says Emily.// [[Show her your Investigator license.]]

You pull out the barcode from your pocket. She flinches as you put it on the table and shuts her eyes. "Please! Keep that thing away from me. Look, I don't know anything, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell your lot." [[Show her your Investigator license.]] [[Walk out into the hallway.]]

You pull out your license, and a flash of terror comes over her face. "You're an Investigator? I'll tell you everything, but please don't give me a bad review on my record. First of all, I didn't kill Edgar, the barcode did! The moment he laid eyes on it, his eyes exploded. Secondly, before you ask, I don't know where he got the barcode from. He just showed up with it, and it killed him." [[Inquire about her identity.]]

You ignore the warning and open the file. ''ERROR... FOREIGN SOFTWARE DETECTED. PROBABILITY OF VIRUS: 99.4%.'' Images flash before your eyes: an apple, the logo of Cyber Eye, and a cat meme. A few dozen pop-ups continue to envelop your vision until you can't see. Suddenly, your eyes explode, and you fall to your knees. //Scenario Over. You're dead.// [[End Scenario.|Holding the barcode.]]

After ten whole minutes of standing next to the victim's body with the rain drenching you, a shiver runs down your back, followed by a sneeze. You realize you've probably caught a cold and won't be able to continue the investigation. //Scenario Over. You're sick.// [[End Scenario.|Go look for the suspect.]]

You pull out a pair of handcuffs and approach her. "You want to kill me, right? Don't come in any closer!" she screams. "I don't want any trouble." You don't stop walking toward her. She draws a knife and stabs your chest. You collapse onto the wet concrete as she runs away. //Scenario Over. You're dead.// [[End Scenario.]]

You hold up a datapad with a name search window open. She stares at the screen for a moment then puts it down on the table. "I'm not in the system," she says. "Truth is, I don't have any implants inside of me, so you can't do a part search. My name is Alexi. No last name, unfortunately. I can't afford any implants, so you can't find me in any of those part number search engines." [[Inquire about Edgar.]]

Alexi leans back in her metal chair. "Edgar and I grew up in the slums, and he got his hands on some of those knock-off implants eye implants. We worked at that dockyard off the books, of course." Emily's icon appears at the corner of your vision. //"It sounds like they were exploited as a cheap labor force by the dockyard. No wonder they weren't on the official employee records."// [[Walk out into the hallway.]]

You close the door behind you. Detective Thomas leans against the wall. "She's lying. Let me get a crack out of her while you try to find out more about that barcode." You open up an artificial reality schematic plan of the building. The map shows that the closest decryption terminal is located inside the laboratory of the building. [[Find the lab.]]

The map of the floor leads you to the laboratory. Dozens of terminals line the main room walls, and various doors lead to smaller testing rooms. You approach the closest terminal and scan the barcode underneath it. The terminal's screen goes red. ''Scanning. Please Wait...'' ''34% Scanned. Please Wait...'' ''68% Scanned. Please Wait...'' ''96% Scanned. Please Wait...'' The lights suddenly flick off with a loud thunk, and the terminal shuts down. [[Get back to the interrogation room.]] [[Turn on Night Vision.]]

You stumble around in the dark and smack your shin into something. You crouch down and rub your shin for a few minutes. As the pain subsides, you hear a commotion in the next room over and locate the door out of the lab. [[Investigate the noise.]] [[Check on the suspect.|Go back to the interrogation room.]]

You activate the Night Vision mode on your eye implants. The lab becomes as bright as day, and you easily find your way back to the door of the interrogation room. [[Go inside the interrogation room.]] [[Go inside the viewing room.]]

You open the door to the interrogation room and find Detective Thomas crumpled underneath the one-way mirror. Blood pools around him. The suspect appears to be dead from a single shot to the forehead. You hurry over to Detective Thomas. "Is that you, Investigator? I can't see," Detective Thomas says. "They got us. As soon as the lights went off, the door swung open, and the next thing I know, I'm on the floor bleeding. All I heard were two muffled pops." You sit him up. Detective Thomas grips his side. "Someone searched me. Think they were looking for that scrap of paper you got," Detective Thomas coughs up blood. "I know a guy in the black market district. He runs a cybernetics shop next to the ramen bar. He might be..." The Detective's pulse stops. [[Leave the police station.]]

You walk inside the viewing room, and the suspect is slumped over on the table. Detective Thomas is nowhere to be found. [[Go inside the interrogation room.]]

You enter the hallway and follow the noise you heard. The sound of shuffling comes from a nearby door, followed by a yelp from someone. [[Draw your stun gun.]] [[Run Scenario: Open the door and walk inside.]] [[Ignore the noise.]]

After entering the hallway, you remember to turn on the Night Vision Mode on your implants to see better. No more bruised shins. You easily find your way back to the door of the interrogation room. [[Go inside the interrogation room.]] [[Go inside the viewing room.]]

You walk out of the police station and hop inside your car. Emily's icon appears. //"I'm sorry about Detective Thomas. He seemed like a good man. So, the black market, eh? That's a restricted area for Cyber Eye employees. Going there would result in punitive actions against your record. You know, Cyber Eye Corporation requires me to send a full report and update them on the situation. The only thing is, doing so would mean telling them about the black market and ultimately handing over the barcode."// You grip the steering wheel. Emily's smiley face icon spins around. //"I know I'm programmed to follow company policy, but my user's safety overrides that directive. I'd consider punitive action taken against you as a danger to your safety, wouldn't you? Plus, the whole administrative privilege doesn't hurt. Let's solve this case."// [[Drive to the black market.]]

You drive into a parking garage and park by the staircase. Graffiti covers the wall by the staircase door. You enter into the stairwell and graffiti of a goblin holding an arrow points down. Following a trail of painted arrows leads you out of the parking garage and into an alleyway. Graffiti of a bag of gold is painted across the brick wall. [[Scan the wall.]] [[Run your hand across the wall.]]

Your eyes scan the wall and find a loose brick protruding. You push it forward, and the wall shifts to the side, revealing a door. You walk through the door, and the wall closes behind you. The underbelly of the city lies before you with hundreds of different stalls in a line and as many people. You squeeze through the crowd and find yourself under a neon sign of a ramen bowl. The cybernetic shop is just beyond the ramen bar. [[Enter the cybernetic shop.]]

You run your hand up and down the wall. The brick surface is coarse and scratches your hand. After patting down the entirety of the wall, you find a loose brick protruding. You push it forward, and the wall shifts to the side, revealing a door. You walk through the door, and the wall closes behind you. The underbelly of the city lies before you with hundreds of different stalls in a line and as many people. You squeeze through the crowd and find yourself under a neon sign of a ramen bowl. The cybernetic shop is just beyond the ramen bar. [[Enter the cybernetic shop.]]

You walk inside the shop, and a skinny man with various piercings and cybernetic replacements slouches behind the counter. The shopkeep straightens himself. "Welcome. Anything I can help you with today?" [[Show him the barcode.]] [[Flip out your Investigator license.]] [[Scan the shop.]]

You pull out the scrap of barcode and place it on the glass counter, with your hand covering part of it. The shopkeep inspects it. "What's this? Oh. I've heard of these. They're circulating through the underground. Wait! This could've killed me if I didn't catch this in time. Seriously, Investigator?" [[Demand the shopkeep decrypt it.]]

You flip out your license, and the shopkeep goes pale. "Listen, I don't want trouble, okay?" The shopkeep reaches underneath the counter, and you draw your stun gun by the time he pulls out a hidden knife. He drops it on the floor. "How'd you find me? Listen, I didn't kill those people. Sure I took any of their parts I could salvage, but that doesn't mean I killed them!" [[Show him the barcode.]] [[Hit him.]]

You hit him in the face, and he flies into the wall behind him. "Look, I'll give you all the parts I took, just don't kill me!" [[Show him the barcode.]]

You threaten to leak the fact he scavenged and sold cybernetics off of corpses. A drop of sweat rolls down the shopkeep's forehead. "Alright. I'll do it. Let me get some special goggles first." The shopkeep walks into the back room, and after a few minutes, he returns with a pair of massive goggles strapped to his head. You hand him the barcode, and he studies it. The shopkeep pulls out an old fashioned scanner hooked up to a computer tower. He scans it, and the monitor beside him flashes red. "No good. I'm gonna have to scan it manually through a jailbroken pair of contact lenses." The shopkeep removes the goggles and carefully places a special set of contact lenses onto his eyes. You lean on the counter. The shopkeep holds up the barcode and stares at it. After a moment, he claws at his face in an attempt to rip out his eyes but to no avail. His eyes explode, and you leap back. His body falls to the floor. [[Check his pulse.]] [[Go to the backroom.]]

You walk around the counter and crouch down next to his body. He's face down, and smoke rises from his eye sockets. //"Yikes! That wasn't our fault, was it? Well, I can't say he didn't deserve that but still. Perhaps he has something that could help in the back?"// [[Go to the backroom.]]

You walk behind the counter and step over the shopkeep's body to enter the backroom. Dozens of illegal cybernetic implants scour the walls—one half of the wall occupied by a massive server. Emily's icon appears in the corner of your eye. //"Hey, I've got an idea. Place one of the contact lenses inside that wireless ConnectBowl over there to hook me up to the server. Might be able to find some info."// [[Remove your contact lens.]]

You take a look around the shop's inventory. Various legal and illegal implants fill the shelves. A cybernetic arm catches your eye—the latest model by the looks of it. [[Take the cybernetic arm.]] [[Leave the cybernetic arm.]] [[Take a look behind the counter.]]

You take a quick peek behind the counter. A small wooden case is hidden away behind a few small cardboard boxes filled with parts. You push the boxes aside and grab the wooden case. You set it on top of the counter and flick the latches open, revealing a fossil of technology. An old fashioned revolver with no ammo. The speaker behind you blasts out Emily's voice, ''"Hey, you sure about that? I haven't known you for long, but I don't think you're the scary killer others might make you out to be just because you're an Investigator. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think taking it will end well for anyone."'' You close the wooden case and leave the revolver behind. Your stun gun is more than enough, and it can actually shoot. Emily's icon smiles and bounces around your peripheral view. ''"Proud of you. Also, I found something. Come check this out."'' [[Check on Emily's progress.]]

You take the cybernetic arm off the shelf, and it falls apart in your hand. Emily's voice blares out of a nearby speaker, ''"More like the latest junk if you ask me. Did you forget where we are, Investigator?"'' [[Take a look behind the counter.]]

You leave the cybernetic arm be and continue browsing the shelves. The more you look, the more junk you find. It becomes painfully obvious that almost all the merchandise inside the shop is either broken, counterfeit, or stolen. Some items are all three. [[Take a look behind the counter.]]

You walk back into the backroom of the shop and sit down next to a monitor. Your contact lens rests inside the ConnectBowl, and Emily's icon bounces around the monitor. The computer speakers come to life with Emily's voice, ''"I found something. The thing is there's no way of knowing if this will work. Best case, we find what we're looking for, worst case, you die. Do you trust me?"'' [[Nod with a smile.]] [[Shake your head and laugh.]]

You give Emily an affirmative nod with a wry smile. Her icon on the monitor spins around. ''"Okay! I'm glad you trust me because I can't actually run a scenario right now being inside the server and all. So, good luck! I'm gonna try running this program I found to help decrypt the barcode. It's all set up and waiting. Whenever you're ready, scan the barcode with your eye with the contact lens. Close the other eye."'' [[Scan the barcode.]] [[Run Scenario: Scan Barcode.]]

''"Rude! Fine, do whatever you want. The program I found is set up and waiting. Whenever you're ready, scan the barcode with your remaining contact lense. Close the other eye."'' [[Scan the barcode.]]

You place the deadly scrap of paper on the table in front of you and close your naked eye. With only a single contact lens, you look directly at the barcode. Warnings flash across your vision. A few dozen pop-ups envelop your vision until you can't see. ''ERROR... FOREIGN SOFTWARE DETECTED. PROBABILITY OF VIRUS: 99.4%.'' ''Console window opening...'' ''Password: ******'' ''Password: Eyespy'' ''Admin access granted. Run external program?'' ''Run'' ''Running... virus deactivated.'' ''Continue original scan?'' [[Contine scan.]]

''PROBABILITY OF VIRUS: 99.4%'' ''Chance of death: 50%.'' ''Unable to predict simulated scenario.'' ''End scenario.'' [[Scan the barcode.]]

''Opening file...'' The Cyber Eye Corporation logo of an eyeball open as an artificial reality image before you. An artificial voice echoes in your head, //"Welcome valued customer. We appreciate your business. Our hours are..."// Emily's voice overlaps the automated message, //"Cyber Eye? But. Investigator, wouldn't that mean they're involved somehow?"// [[Go to Cyber Eye Corporation.]]

After a quick drive, you find yourself before the entrance of Cyber Eye Corporation. You walk inside, past the reception and up the elevator. //"I hope you know what you're doing. I'll keep my recording feature on in case we get lucky, and he talks. I'm with you no matter what,"// Emily says. The elevator dings and the door opens. You walk past the CEO's secretary and kick in the door. "Hey! You don't have an appointment," the secretary screams. "Mr. Larry, I'm so sorry." A stocky man in a suit more expensive than you make in five years sits at a desk in the middle of the office. He waves the woman behind you away. You step into the office and stop just shy of his desk. "Ah, Investigator #193004. A pleasure to see you again. Any progress on the case you were assigned?" Mr. Larry says. [[Slam the barcode down on his desk.]]

You smack the scrap of paper down on his oak desk. He looks at it briefly then back at you. "A barcode? Is that all you have for me? I do have a busy day today, so if that's it..." [[Accuse him of being complicit.]] [[Give him a compelling lie.]]

You accuse Mr. Larry and his company of being connected to the barcodes and list out all the evidence that backs your claim up. "You call that evidence? It's all circumstantial. If that's it, then report to the third floor to return all Cyber Eye Corporation property. You're fired," Mr. Larry says. [[Demand the truth.]]

You give Mr. Larry a compelling lie about how Detective Thomas and the black market shopkeep were connected as Detective Thomas stole implants from the victims and sold them to the black market shopkeep for reasonable prices. The barcode contained a virus and just so happened to have a link to the official Cyber Eye Corporation's website. Edgar Tortol had good taste in implants is all. Mr. Larry's face relaxes. "Is that so? Just a series of random murders then? Good work, Investigator. You had me worried there for a moment. [[Get him to confess.]] [[Ask for hush money.]]

You reach over the desk and yank Mr. Larry across it by his tie. "What is the meaning of this? Have you lost your mind, Investigator?" You explain to him that he's under arrest for releasing killer barcodes onto the streets and pin him to his desk. Mr. Larry's face turns pale. "What are you saying? None of that is true!" A video window opens up in your vision. Emily quickly edits fake CCTV footage from outside the building with various police cars and uniformed officers standing in front of the entrance. You look at a nearby TV, and it flicks on with the doctored footage. Mr. Larry becomes flustered. "What? That's impossible. Okay! Yes, I did those things. The company releases the barcodes to create a panic on my orders. The plan was to release an anti-virus software after the fear spread to make a hefty profit. Please, you've gotta help me. Name your price just get me out of here. [[Have Emily send the recording to the police.]]

You wink at Mr. Larry and extend your hand. "Is that it? Alright. You will receive a handsome number in your account as soon as the investigation officially closes." Mr. Larry shakes your hand. [[Accept the money.]] [[Get him to confess.]]

You accept the bribe, and a sense of guilt passes over you as you remember Detective Thomas and all those who suffered during the case. The moment quickly passes as you get a notification about an incoming money transfer to your account. You tell Mr. Larry that you took care of all the loose ends, which made Cyber Eye looks complicate. "Good work, #193004. You're due for a promotion. The barcodes are a bit messy right now as we're still working out some bugs. I'm glad you were smart enough not to look at it directly See, the company is currently in the process of releasing the barcodes nationally but were in a beta test as of right now. The codes were released to the streets to cause panic. We'll release an anti-virus software in a few months to make a profit. Supply and demand at its finest. I recommend you not look directly at the barcodes until we release a patch for our employees. In the meantime, enjoy your "bonus" for a job well done." You thank Mr. Larry and leave his office. Emily's icon spins. //"A bribe? After all that trouble, you chose money instead of justice? In that case, can you buy me a few upgrades? Let's hit the shops!"// //The End.// [[Title Page.]]

You turn around without another word to Mr. Larry and leave his office. Emily uploads the conversation as an audio file to the police tip line anonymously. //"We got him. Not even Mr. Larry and the entire Cyber Eye Corporation will be able to hide their involvement now. Also, I just sent this recording to various news outlets. I know, I'm awesome. Even if Mr. Larry gets off easy, his company won't survive the public outcry."// //The End.// [[Title Page.]]

You demand the truth from him. He moves an arm under his desk, and the entire room becomes bathed in red light: the alarm sounds and the door behind shuts. Mr. Larry stands up from his chair. "You want the truth? Fine. I'll tell you since my guards are about to kill you anyway. The company released the barcodes to the streets to cause panic. We'll release an anti-virus software in a few months to make a profit. Happy?" [[Leak the recording.]]

//"Something jammed me before the upload finished, but I sent a majority of what he said to various social networks. It's only a matter of time before the info spreads all across the internet. We did it, Investigator,"// Emily says. The office doors behind you open, and a dozen armed security guards rush in and overpower you. They disarm your revolver and pin you to the floor. Mr. Larry walks up to you. "A pity. You were so good at your job. I doubt I'll ever see you again. Goodbye, Investigator." The guards drag you off, never to be seen again. A sense of accomplishment passes over you. Cyber Eye Corporation won't be able to recover once the recording reaches the police. //The End.// [[Title Page.]]

You tap your eye with a finger, and the contact lens disconnects from your eye. You place the lens inside the ConnectBowl, and a nearby monitor flashes green. Emily's voice blares out from a nearby speaker set, ''"Hey! This is kinda cool. With all this processing power, I feel invisible! Or is it invincible? Whatever. Look around for a sec while I figure out this whole out of body experience. You know what I mean."'' [[Look around the shop.]]

Eye Spy By Dylan Stevens-Foster [[Start.]]

You explain the situation to Detective Thomas while he inspects the woman. "Talk about a nasty zap," Detective Thomas says. "I don't think she'll be in any condition to question now. I'm going to wait for an ambulance to arrive, then I'll meet at the station." [[Take your leave.]]

You crouch down and press your fingers against the side of her neck to discover a slight pulse. She's alive. Detective Thomas rushes up to behind you. [[Report what happened.]]

Her body is motionless with no clear way to tell if she's alive or dead by looking at her. She could be waiting to attack for all you know. As you turn to leave, a faint whisper escapes her lips. She's alive. Detective Thomas rushes up behind you. [[Find Detective Thomas.|Report what happened.]]

With the barcode as your only evidence, you decide to leave the crime scene and get back into your car. You drive to the police station and enter the building. The station bustles with activity. Low-level thugs are processed to your right, and various citizens wait in line in front of an info booth to your left. A nearby receptionist walks up. "Investigator? Detective Thomas will be back shortly. Please feel free to take a look around in the meantime." You open up an artificial reality schematic plan of the building. The map shows that the closest decryption terminal is located inside the laboratory of the building. [[Find the lab.|Go to the lab.]]

You activate the Night Vision mode on your eye implants. The lab becomes as bright as day, and you easily find your way out of the lab. A commotion in the next room over catches your attention. [[Ignore the noise.]] [[Investigate the noise.]]

You draw your stun gun and take position by hugging the wall. The door is just in front of you. With a solid kick, you push the door open and find a masked man and uniformed officer struggling against one another. Servers line the wall. You fire your stun gun at the masked man. His body contorts and falls to the floor while the uniformed officer stands up and fixes himself. You pat the officer on the shoulder, and he runs out of the room. You cuff the masked man and position him against the wall. A few loose cables connect a nearby laptop on the floor to the servers. You yank the cables out of the server, and the lights flicker back on. "Just kill me already, Investigator," says the masked man. You search the man and find a Cyber Eye keycard on his person with a code number. //"Cyber Eye? What's this thug doing with that? Let me run that number through The Database. Interesting. Says this guy's name is John. No last name. He works as a contractor for Cyber Eye. Contract killer most likely. Perhaps we should pay a visit?"// [[Go to Cyber Eye Corporation.]]

You breach the door to find two individuals struggling against one another. A muzzle flash temporally blinds you, and when the light subsides, a uniformed officer is crumpled against the wall, and a masked man points a silenced pistol at you. A dull sensation passes through you, followed by another and another. You collapse to the ground and the masked killer steps over your body like trash. //Scenario Over. You're dead.// [[Investigate the noise.]] [[Ignore the noise.]]

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You give the shop a quick scan. Suddenly, dozens of red warnings fill your vision. ''ILLEGAL MERCHANDISE DETECTED.'' ''PROBABILITY OF ITEMS AQUIRED BY ILLEGAL MEANS: 99.2%.'' ''ADVISED TO CONTACT AUTHORITIES.'' //"The junk is stolen, what a big surprise. How about a scan on the dude behind the counter?"// ''Searching...'' Name: Hector Smith. Blood Type: B. Age 43. Sex: Male. Occupation: Black Market Dealer. ''WARNING. WANTED FOR: SMUGGLING, POSSESSION, TRAFFICKING, THEFT, AND ASSAULT.'' [[Show him the barcode.]] [[Flip out your Investigator license.]]

You reach the main entrance of the police station and find Detective Thomas stumbling around in the dark. You tap his shoulder, and he tries to karate chop you but misses horribly. "Investigator, is that you? Something must've happened to the backup generators. Sabotage perhaps? If that's the case, Listen. It might be a simple power issue, but if it's not, then you better continue the investigation while I get this sorted." You lead Detective Thomas to the exit, and he extends his hand. You give him a handshake and walk toward your car. "I know a guy in the black market who might be able to help you with that barcode," says Detective Thomas. "Look for a cybernetics shop by the ramen bar when you first enter the market. Good luck." [[Drive to the black market.]]

The woman stands cornered with her back against the wall. She trembles as you stand before her. [[Holster your stun gun and approach her.]] [[Shoot her with your stun gun.]]

Your eyes adjust back into reality, still holding the barcode in your hand. A robotic voice rattles around in your head: ''Warning, Cyber Eye Employer #193004. Dangerous entity detected. Advised to give personal A.I. Designation: (Emily) administrator privilege.'' [[Give Emily administrator privilege.]]

You stay inside the vehicle. Rain patters down the windshield, and the glowing blue and red lights of nearby police cruisers reflect and contort through on the window. [[Walk to the crime scene.]] [[Recline back in your seat.]]

You lay back in your seat. The sound of rain splattering against your car relaxes your body. Emily's icon appears in the corner of your vision. //"Umm. Investigator? Shouldn't you get moving?"// [[Walk to the crime scene.]] [[Relax.]]

You ignore Emily and enjoy a peaceful moment. A red light flashes on your car's dashboard, followed by the sound of a ringing phone. [[Ignore the call.]] [[Answer the call.]] [[Walk to the crime scene.]]

You ignore the call. The red light on your dashboard disappears, but the peaceful moment is ruined. [[Walk to the crime scene.]]

You flick a switch on the car's dashboard. A monotone voice cracks out from the speakers. "Cyber Eye Employer #193004? My name is Heather, Mr. Larry's secretary. He would like to speak with you regarding the investigation you were assigned. Please wait one moment while I connect you." [[Hang up and walk to the crime scene.|Walk to the crime scene.]] [[Wait to be connected.]]

The car speakers click. "Investigator? About the case you were assigned," Mr. Larry says. "Don't bother. See, the company's lawyers have advised me that getting involved in this case might come back to bite our profits this quarter. Just drop what you're doing, and a handsome bonus for you will be on its way shortly. Okay? Great." [[Accept the bonus.]] [[Walk to the crime scene.]]

You agree to the bonus and drop the case. Officers scurry about in the rain outside your window as you drive back to Cyber Eye Corporation. //The End.// [[Title Page.]]