Once through, you get a clearer picture of the central chamber. The walls are lined with a special kind of material that shimmers even in the dull light of the emergency systems. Behind you, you notice that the inner door of the airlock is made of the same material.\n\nIn the middle of this field are the body of a scientist wearing something like a cross between a space suit and a biohazard suit, and a large metal egg.\n\nThe scientist must be Dr. McClusky. You imagine he suffered the same fate as Boris, but you approach cautiously, just in case.\n\nYou ignore the egg for now and kneel down next to the doctor, whose body is lying face down. Not without some effort, you turn him over as slowly and gently as you can. Not gently enough, however, for you lose your grip on the suit at the last second and his right shoulder thuds onto the rocky ground.\n\nYou barely glimpse his serene face through a cracked faceplate before his eyes dart open, filled red with blood. His arm shoots up and hits you square in the chest. You are sent flying backward to land [[on your ass|On your ass]].

You return to the ship.\n\nThe pilot, confused, asks, "Back so soon?"\n\n<hr />[["I give up."|Give up]]\n\n[["Guess I should head back out."|Building]]

You're able to pull the strange device from the woman's grip, but the first of the awakened scientists is upon you. Soon they overhwhelm you and you're unable to fight back.\n\nYou die.\n\n[[Try again|Kill the sleeping]].

You've got just enough shots in your magazine to make this work. Luckily the awakened scientists move more slowly than the supercharged zombies in those terrible horror threedees your ex always took you to.\n\nOne by one them go down, thudding to the ground upon impact with an energy slug. After the last one, you make sure to reload, and then you turn back to the one holding the strange device. You're able to pull it from the woman's grip and [[examine it|Strange device]].

You kill the woman clutching the device, managing to startle awake the others in the room. They lurch to their feet collectively and likewise turn toward you. They've identified you as the source of the disturbance and march on you.\n\n<hr />[[You fire on them.|Open fireL]]\n\n[[You reach for the device.|Device death]]

“2385,” VIC says, as though taken aback by the obviousness of the answer.\n\nJust as you thought. This place has been shuttered for nearly two decades. At least, that’s how long ago Variabs went bankrupt.\n\n"Now before I send you along, is there anything I can help you with?"\n\n<hr />[[“What are you?”|What is VIC?]]\n\n[[“What is the Source?”|What is the Source?]]\n\n[[“Where is the Source?"|Where is the Source?]]\n\n[["No."|Beyond VIC]]

You find it a little difficult to breathe still, but you're going to make it.\n\nYou step over McClusky's body and walk over to the egg.\n\nThe Source. Now that you can actually examine it, it's about the size of a newborn baby. It looks to have a seam running around its hemisphere, with a latch keeping it sealed. This must be a containment unit for the energy.\n\nYou touch the egg. It's warm, really warm.\n\nYou pick it up. It's heavier than you thought, not that you thought much.\n\nThis had better be worth it.\n\nThe end...

The Command Center itself is about the same size as the other two rooms. There's a big command station and some scientific equipment. But what strikes you more than anything is the sheer devastation that occured in here. It almost looks like a bomb went off, but there's no evidence of that, no explosive residue. It's no use searching the debris for anything.\n\nTowards the center there's a huge glass screen that leads to a sort of airlock system, which looks like it has been wrenched open by an unimaginably powerful force. Beyond the airlock is a small rocky field.\n\nThe body of a security guard is slumped face-forward against the door leading the the living quarters. Poor Boris, it looks like he was trying to escape, like he panicked and forgot he'd locked the door. You first approach him, cautiously, in case he's just sleeping, dreaming. But you see he's not. The blast of whatever went off in here clearly killed him. His skull is a dessicated mass of bone and withered flesh, and his uniform lays uncomfortably on his corpse, like he had been playing make-believe with daddy's wardrobe.\n\nIf you didn't feel the urge to vomit before, now you do.\n\nBefore the bile can hit your throat, you turn and face the airlock. The initial blast must have come from there. It must be where the Source is.\n\nYou haven't come this far just to turn around now. You step through the airlock, careful not to catch yourself on the sharp edges of the exploded doors, [[toward the center|Through the airlock]].

<<if $got_strange_device eq "yes">>Luckily the awakened sleepers move more slowly than the supercharged zombies in those terrible horror threedees your ex always took you to.\n\nYou pull the trigger instinctively, having forgotten that you're holding your newly acquirely beam toy instead of your shotgun. <i>PUFF!</i> it goes, and the ball of energy hits the guard, rivulets of electricity spreading from the impact point and enveloping his whole body. He merely falls to the floor unconscious. So this gun seems to have been what put everyone to sleep in the first place. Right?\n\nYou turn to the mob, and one by one them go down, thudding to the ground upon impact with an energy slug. After the last one and then you turn back to the journal.<<endif>>\n<<if $got_strange_device eq "no">>You've got just enough shots in your magazine to make this work. Luckily the awakened sleepers move more slowly than the supercharged zombies in those terrible horror threedees your ex always took you to.\n\nYou start with the guard in front of you, and one by one them go down, thudding to the ground upon impact with an energy slug. After the last one, you make sure to reload, and then you turn back to the journal.<<endif>>\n\nYou're able to pull it from the guards's grip and flip to the [[last page|GuardJournalEntry]].

You level the energy gun at Dr. McClusky and pray for dear life this works against him.\n\nYou pull the trigger.\n\nThe energy slug hits him, and as you expect the impact radiates over his suit. You don't expect him to look down and glower, as though you had just spit on him.\n\nShit.\n\nHe returns you gaze, all the more empowered, and lurches toward you with ever greater speed.\n\n<hr />[[You panick and shoot again.|Energy gun again.]]\n\n[[You reach for your shotgun.|Shotgun]]

“All right then. Hey, do me one favor, would ya? Have yourself a good day, okay?” And Vic signs off with a wink and a nod.\n\nThe door slides back open, revealing a wall. Stepping through the doorway, you find yourself in a corridor, which curves in a gradual arc to either side of you. The curve appears such that it will make a complete circle, just like the exterior of the building. In fact the choice seems nominal.\n\n<hr />[[You go left.|Left]]\n\n[[You go right.|Right]]

<<set $visited_quarters = "yes">><<if $visited_labs eq "no">>You’re careful as you turn the door handle but the the door glides open without a creak. Almost immediately you met with the stench of death. Something horrible has happened here and it’s been festering for years.\n\nThe living quarters are a trippy scene, like you've stumbled into a living museum. To your left is a common living area, with sofas and chairs arranged around low tables. In the far left corner is a kitchen. To your right, rows of bunk beds and bathroom facilities. A fairly open floor plan for a dormitory.\n\nHalf the bunks are full of apparently sleeping occupants, their breathing coalescing into a gentle rhythmic whir. But the sweet smell of decay that lingers in the air tells a different story. So does the thin layer of dust that covers every surface here. This place has been untouched for some time.\n\nTake the bunk nearest you, for example. It contains a snoozing man in his late forties, his body contorted in such a way that if he were to wake up tomorrow he'd almost certainly have a sore back, surmising that he probably slept wrong last night. Thing is, if this place has been dormant for as long as you've reckoned, this man should be a rotted corpse. He does, however, still smell like one.\n\nEveryone in here is still breathing. Every body in here seems to be in the same condition; somehow artificially preserved in a state close to death.\n<<endif>><<if $visited_labs eq "yes">>\nThe living quarters are a trippy scene, like you've stumbled into a living museum. To your right is a common living area, with sofas and chairs arranged around low tables. In the near right corner is a kitchen. To your left, rows of bunk beds and bathroom facilities. A fairly open floor plan for a dormitory.\n\nHalf the bunks are full of apparently sleeping occupants, their breathing coalescing into a gentle rhythmic whir. But the sweet smell of decay that lingers in the air tells a different story. This place has been untouched for some time.\n\nTake the bunk nearest you, for example. It contains a snoozing woman in her mid thirties, her body contorted in such a way that if she were to wake up tomorrow she'd almost certainly have a sore back, surmising that she probably slept wrong last night.\n<<endif>>\nFrankly you're a little creeped out.\n\nIn the middle of the room, between the living area and the sleeping area, stands a security desk. The guard sits in his chair, leaning back with his right arm hanging down. With his mouth agape he's almost snoring, and dreaming. He looks to be clutching a journal of some kind in his left hand. If you're quiet, you may be able to take it without disturbing the guard.\n\n<hr />[[Take the journal gently.|Journal gently]]\n\n[[Grab the journal violently.|Journal violently]]

<center><br /><br /><br /><h2>[[by Vanishing Point|True Start]]</h2></center>

Finally you come across a door on the right side. You slow down as you approach it. A faint light emanates from a narrow window that runs the length of the door on one side.\n\nYou peer through and can see a sliver of the room inside. There appear to be rows of bunk beds in the center of the room. Must be a dormitory.\n\n<hr />[[You backtrack and enter through the Labs.|Labs]]\n\n[[You enter the Quarters.|Quarters]]\n

Another pause, as VIC appears to contemplate your response. “Well that’s just fine. Just fine. I notice you’re carrying an Anderson G-15 shotgun, there. Mighty fine weapon, but we’ll have to confiscate that, along with any other firearms you may have in your possession. My associate will help you with that.”\n\nThe door slides open, as though to admit a security guard. Yet no one comes, nothing happens.\n\nYou wait. VIC waits.\n\nFinally the door slides closed and VIC continues, “We thank you for your cooperation. These possessions will be returned to you upon your departure from the Variabs premises. Now before I send you along, is there anything I can help you with?”\n\n<hr />[[“Tell me, what is Variabs?”|What is Variabs?]]\n\n[[“What are you?”|What is VIC?]]\n\n[["No."|Beyond VIC]]

Your ship enters Bastion’s atmosphere amid great turbulence. You had intended to land adjacent to the target, but the pilot is forced to make an emergency landing a mile east. Due to atmospheric interference, ship-to-ground comms will be impossible. Before you open the airlock, the pilot calls out to you, apparently breaking his vow of silence.\n\n“Remember, you’re just visiting. Soon’s you’ve got the Source, get back here.”\n\nYou reach the facility without incident. It appears to be a large and circular industrial structure on the outskirts of a settlement, which is barely visible on the horizon, due north. A single, inconspicuous door interrupts the face of [[the building|Building]].

The door is locked.\n\n<hr />[[You pick the lock.|B&E1]]\n\n[[You blow this thing wide open.|B&E2]]

You follow the outside of the building, clockwise, scanning the perimeter as you go. As far as you can tell, nothing seems to break the surface of the structure aside from the occassional weathered crack.\n\nBut you soldier on. Finally you come across a door. You realize you've come full circle.\n\nYou're back [[where you started|Building]].

"If you have no business with us, we'll have to ask you to exit the premises. Sorry about that! But please, do us a favor and have a great day, would ya?"\n\nVIC gives you a wink and a nod, and the screen begins to darken.\n\n<hr />[["Wait!"|Wait]]\n\n[[You return to the ship.|Back so soon?]]

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<<set $visited_labs = "yes">><<if $visited_quarters eq "no">>You’re careful as you turn the door handle but the the door glides open without a creak. Almost immediately you met with the stench of death. Something horrible has happened here and it’s been festering for years.\n\nThe bodies of half a dozen or so scientists and researchers line the floor. You approach the one nearest you. It is slumped against the side of an examining table, its head cocked to the side.\n\nThe body is that of a young man with short dark hair. You know this because it hasn't decayed at all, as far as you can tell. This strikes you. If this place has been dormant for as long as you've reckoned, this man should be a rotted corpse. He does, however, still smell like one. But something catches you. Wherever you look, there's a thin layer of dust that covers every surface. This place has been untouched for some time. And something else. A gentle rhythmic whir. You hold still, making sure you're not scaring yourself.\n\nNo, it's breathing. Not just this one, either. Everyone in here is still breathing. Every body in here seems to be in the same condition; somehow artificially preserved in a state close to death.\n<<endif>><<if $visited_quarters eq "yes">>\nThe bodies of half a dozen or so scientists and researchers line the floor. You approach the one nearest you. It is slumped against the side of an examining table, its head cocked to the side.\n\nThe body is that of a young man with short dark hair. You know this because it hasn't decayed at all, as far as you can tell.\n<<endif>>\nOne of the bodies curled up in the corner of the lab catches your eye. Something about it glimmers. You approach it with some hesitation. This one's a woman, middle-aged. Her red hair tied back in a ponytail. She's clutching something, a device. It seems to be some kind of projectile weapon, near as you can tell.\n\nOf all the bodies in this room, this one seems to be dreaming the cruelest dream.\n\n<hr />[[You reach for the device, and pry it from her grip, gently as you can.|Grab the device]]\n\n[[You decide to put her out of her misery, aiming your shotgun.|Kill the sleeping]]

The Source

And the screen comes alive. What appears to be a dashing older gentleman fills the frame, along with the emergency lighting system. You click your flashlight off.\n\nThe man on the screen is attractively dressed in a black suit and tie, with combed salt and pepper hair and thick black eyebrows. As he stares outwardly, unblinking, you get a strange impression from him. You realize he’s a CGI model, incredibly detailed but slightly disturbing in an uncanny valley way. Definitely not as sophisticated as today’s modern VI’s.\n\nHe takes a moment to “notice you” and smile before finally speaking. “Hello, and welcome to Variabs. I’m VIC, the Variabs Virtual Information Console. What's your business with us today?”\n\n<hr />[[“Just visiting.”|Just visiting]]\n\n[["Uhhh . . . "|Uhhh]]

The vidpanel brightens, and VIC appears a bit thunderstruck.\n\n"Say what now? Oh, it's you! Welcome back! What can I do for ya?"\n\nYou remember what the pilot told you, and say, [["I'm just visiting."|Just visiting]]

This door seems to be the only way in, as far as you can see.\n\n<hr />[[You try the door.|Door]]\n\n[[You go around.|Around]]\n\n[[You return to the ship.|Back so soon?]]

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Recruited on a Federation hubworld, you have been promised a sizable reward for the retrieval of a mysterious artifact on the planet Bastion, the outermost orbit of the Djun system.\n\nYou know nothing of your employer, or why you were chosen. You're told the mission should not be difficult, as the planet is known to be devoid of any life and the location long-dormant.\n\nAnd it's not like you have anything better going.\n\nThe pilot hasn't said word one to you the entire flight, no matter how many question you ask. It looks like it will be up to you and your wits to [[see the plan through|Begin]].

It takes some finesse, but you're able to pull the device from the woman's grip without disturbing her and [[examine it|Strange device]].

You kiss the barrel of your shotgun before leveling it at Dr. McClusky.\n\nBOOM. The shot hits him vengefully in the chest, knocking him back. But it just slows him down. You've bought yourself some time, though, allowing you to aim right for his head.\n\nBOOM. Headshot. The slug shatters the faceplate and penetrates McClusky's skull. He crumples to the ground in front of you.\n\nYou lay there in bewilderment for a few minutes before finally [[standing up|End]].

The door opens into a small anteroom with a sliding door on the opposite wall. It's pitch black but for the natural light coming through the exterior door. You turn on your handheld flashlight but its sharp blue circle hardly makes a difference.\n\nScanning the room, you see a dormant vidpanel to the left of the sliding door. Looking more closely, you see a small green light beeping softly on one corner of the vidpanel. It appears to be a button, in fact.\n\n[[You press the button.|Button]]

Curiosity gets the better of you and you grab at the journal, yanking it hard when you realize that the guard still has quite the grip on it.\n\nThe guard startles awake with a unnatural moan, waking the others in the room. The guard's moaning spreads like an airborne disease and the cacophany curdles your blood as well as agigates the mob that is now moving toward you.\n\n<hr />[[You continue to pull the journal from the guard's hand.|Journal Death]]\n\n[[You fight them off.|Open fireQ]]

With each step his suit crackles with the same blue-white energy that issues from your energy gun.\n\n<hr />[[You reach for it.|Energy gun]]\n\n[[You reach for your shotgun.|Shotgun]]

That may have broken something, but in this moment it matters little.\n\nDr. McClusky lurches to his feet, and in a moment towers over you. He's lethargic, but he moves with determination [[toward you|Toward you]].

You're able to pull the strange device from the guard's grip, but not without enraging him. He lunges at you, knocking you down. Soon the rest of the awakened sleepers join him. They quickly overhwhelm you and you're unable to fight back.\n\nYou die.\n\n[[Try again|Journal violently]].

The corridor stretches on as you walk, curving endlessly to the left. It may be dark, the dim lights of the emergency systems barely guiding your way, but the walls seem to be as perfectly barren as the outside walls were.\n\nFinally you come across a door on the left side. You slow down as you approach it. A faint light emanates from a narrow window that runs the length of the door on one side.\n\nYou peer through and can see a sliver of the room inside. There appear to be rows of bunk beds in the center of the room. Must be a dormitory.\n\n<hr />[[You keep following the corridor.|Keep going right]]\n\n[[You enter the Quarters.|Quarters]]

<<set $got_strange_device = "yes">>It does seem to resemble a weapon of some kind, but none you've ever seen. It's smaller than your shotgun, but it appears meant to be held with both hands. No sights, though. So maybe not a gun. Maybe a sensor?\n\nYou pull the trigger anyway. The nozzle emits a blue-white, baseball-sized orb of energy with a <i>PUFF!</i> The orb travels quickly and visibly until it hits a surface and dissipates in an electrical conflagration.\n\nYou're still not sure what it does, but with the room cleared and a new toy, you can proceed.\n\n<hr /><<if $visited_quarters eq "yes">>[[You go to the Command Center.|Command]]<<endif>><<if $visited_quarters eq "no">>[[You go to the Living Quarters.|Quarters]]<<endif>>\n\n<<if $visited_quarters eq "no">>[[You go to the Command Center.|CommandLocked]]<<endif>>\n

You manage to uncurl the grip on the guard's hand one finger at a time, as he goes on snoozing. When you get to his ring finger, however, he snorts and seems to stop breathing. So you do. But after a pause he continues snoozing like nothing happened. His grip loosened, you slide the journal out of his hand and open it to the [[last page|GuardJournalEntry]].

You flip the safety on your combat shotgun and aim squarely at the door handle.\n\nYou pull the trigger, and the door flies open.\n\n[[You go inside.|Inside]]

You retrieve a lockpick set from your pack.\n\nIt strikes you that such a simple door is the only way into this place.\n\nKneeling by the door, you examine the lock more closely. You unpack the lockpick set and retrieve the apppropriate tools.\n\nOnce you've inserted the tools into the lock, and almost immediately it bends to your will. Mere seconds pass before a satisfyng <i>kachunk</i> tells you that the door has unlocked.\n\nYou pack up the lockpick set and try the door handle as you stand. As expected, it opens.\n\n[[You go inside.|Inside]]

You just keep pulling the trigger and sending wave after wave of energy at the lumbering space demon, oblivious of the fact that you're digging your own grave.\n\nWhen he finally sets upon you, you get the distinct sensation that your hair is standing on end, just before a gloved fist crushes your skull.\n\n[[Try again.|Toward you]]

The corridor stretches on as you walk, curving endlessly to the right. It may be dark, the dim lights of the emergency systems barely guiding your way, but the walls seem to be as perfectly barren as the outside walls were.\n\nFinally you come across a door on the right side. You slow down as you approach it. A faint light emanates from a narrow window that runs the length of the door on one side.\n\nYou peer through and can see a sliver of the room inside. It seems to be a laboratory. Vast examination tables and pieces of equipment of various sizes fill the space.\n\n<hr />[[You keep following the corridor.|Keep going left]]\n\n[[You enter the Labs.|Labs]]

“Well, I’m VIC.” He laughs. “Though I suppose that’s not exactly what you’re asking. You can think of me as a sort of interactive information guide. I pretty much know all there is to know about Variabs and what goes on here. And I’d be happy to share that knowledge with you, long as you’ve got the security clearance.\n\n"Now before I send you along, is there anything I can help you with?"\n\n<hr />[[“Tell me, what is Variabs?”|What is Variabs?]]\n\n[["No."|Beyond VIC]]\n\n<<if $asked_about_variabs eq "yes">>[[“What is the Source?”|What is the Source?]]\n\n[[“Where is the Source?"|Where is the Source?]]<<endif>>

"<b>The Source</b> . . . is at the center.\n\n"Now before I send you along, is there anything I can help you with?"\n\n<hr />[[“Tell me, what is Variabs?”|What is Variabs?]]\n\n[[“What are you?”|What is VIC?]]\n\n[[“What is the Source?”|What is the Source?]]\n\n[["No."|Beyond VIC]]

This guard has terrible handwriting but it's just legible enough for you to read:\n\n"0200: Everyone's down for the night, except for the scientists and Dr. McClusky in Command. Everyone's been on edge ever since we managed to finally open the rift. I'd say it was about damn time but frankly I've been creeped out by the whole thing since I signed onto this post.\n\n"0230: Some strange rumblings coming through the walls. Checked in with Boris in Command, he said not to worry. Still, it sounded like the ground was opening up. I'm just glad I'm in here instead of in there.\n\n"0315: Well curiosity got the better of my I guess. Those rumbling sounds came back and it's not like there's anything going on in here anyway. I went into Command to see what all the hubbub was. Didn't even make it through the door before Boris started waving me away, saying "No, no, you do not want to be in here!" I told him I was just curious but he gave me this look like that could almost kill me. Just before he closed the door in my face, I shot a look past him. Dr. McClusky was at the riftgate punching computer keys like he wanted to punch <i>through</i> them instead. I caught a glimpse through the screen too. There was just this intense ball of blue-white light radiating, it looked like it was getting bigger, little by little, soaking up the atmosphere around it. Too creepy. Oh yeah. And when I tried to get back in my keypass didn't work. Bastard disabled it and locked me out. I'd go through the Labs but at this point I can't be bothered.\n\n"0330: God, that was the loudest rumble yet. I thought things were serious before but now--"\n\nIt cuts off there, mid-sentence.\n\nAt least now you've got the guard's keypass too. But it sounds like the door from here into Command is blocked off, so you'll have to go through the <<if $visited_labs eq "no">>[[Labs|Labs]].<<endif>><<if $visited_labs eq "yes">>[[Labs|Command]].<<endif>>

<<silently>>\n<<set $got_strange_device = "no">>\n<<set $visited_labs = "no">>\n<<set $visited_quarters = "no">>\n<<set $asked_about_variabs = "no">>\n<<endsilently>><br /><br /><br /><center><h1>[[The Source|By]]</h1></center>

<<set $asked_about_variabs = "yes">>"Variabs Research Technologies was founded in 2334 with the goal of enriching humanity with the gifts of the unknown universe. For over fifty years, Variabs has been on the forefront of scientific exploration and technological research, and holds over two thousand individual patents. The current efforts of Research Base Quanta include: <b>The Source</b>."\n\nOver 50 years? Something didn’t add up.\n\n"Now before I send you along, is there anything I can help you with?"\n\n<hr />[[“What year is it?”|What year is it?]]\n\n[[“What are you?”|What is VIC?]]\n\n[[“What is the Source?”|What is the Source?]]\n\n[[“Where is the Source?"|Where is the Source?]]\n\n[["No."|Beyond VIC]]

The pilot sighs. "Just like that, eh?"\n\nHe pulls out a sidearm and aims it at you. "Don't say we didn't warn you."\n\nThe pilot shoots you dead.\n\n[[Try again.|Back so soon?]]

This door is different from the others. Too heavily reinforced to be blown open and no obvious lock to pick. You'll have to move on to the [[Living Quarters|Quarters]].

"I'm afraid that's classified.\n\n"Now before I send you along, is there anything I can help you with?"\n\n<hr />[[“Tell me, what is Variabs?”|What is Variabs?]]\n\n[[“What are you?”|What is VIC?]]\n\n[[“Where is the Source?"|Where is the Source?]]\n\n[["No."|Beyond VIC]]

Finally you come across a door on the left side. You slow down as you approach it. A faint light emanates from a narrow window that runs the length of the door on one side.\n\nYou peer through and can see a sliver of the room inside. It seems to be a laboratory. Vast examination tables and pieces of equipment of various sizes fill the space.\n\n<hr />[[You backtrack and enter through the Quarters.|Quarters]]\n\n[[You enter the Labs.|Labs]]\n

Neal Ryan Shaw