The elusive individual you've been seeking has revealed themself -will you follow them further into this intriguing mystery?
Level: 16?
Start: Ryan Tiberius, Hotel Rooms, LeGuin Stronghold
Introduction
It's been quite a day -every segment has felt like a cycle. Ryan Tiberius has just asked you to follow him out of the Adept's Repose, through an emergency exit, to places and adventures unknown -and you haven't even had a cup of coffee yet.
After everything you've been through these last segments, after all the action, the sleuthing, the interminable conversations with Smythe, after all that, you just can't see yourself continuing this quest. Maybe you'll try and find a cup of coffee somewhere, catch up on the latest news from the Mesh. You can always look Ryan up later -that guy has a habit of popping up when you least expect him anyhow.
You can imagine Ryan running through the streets of LeGuin, mid-monologue, letting you in on all that's been going through his pubescent space-mind -only to turn around and discover that you haven't been on his heels the whole time.
Oh, well. Can't forget the important things in life.
Like coffee. And a little quality time with yours truly.
Head to the Inn.
- Keep looking for that cup of joe.
You make your smug way out of the hotel lobby, past the inquisitive receptionist robot with its predictable, preprogrammed, personality quirks and into the Visitor's Dwelling. Sarananda Xon is behind the bar. Does this woman ever sleep? Maybe she's got a sleeping bag stowed under the counter.
Me: Good morning. Or whatever it is we say.
Sarananda Xon: We say, "First segments".
She's still got that edge to her -a crack of the whip that punctuates her sentences.
Me: First segments to you Sarananda.
Me: How about a cup of hot, steaming coffee?
Xon raises an eyebrow and let's out a sigh.
Sarananda Xon: Where do you think you are, on Madame de Pompadour? I've got coffee flavored pops -ice cold.
It figures. On LeGuin, with all its cycles of death, with all the catastrophes that have befallen it, this station being the plaything of the Fates that it will always be -of course! Of course the coffee will be cold too.
Mission failure
You have failed the "Lost Boy III" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.
You spot the laundry cart as you make your way to the emergency exit. Neatly folded towels are stacked with smug symmetry atop it.
You snatch a towel off the cart. It's not theft -it's a souvenir.
You're not the sort of person to take a towel from a hotel room. Let that be known about you.
Either choice continues:
You look out of the emergency exit door -and almost fall straight through it! There is a ten meter drop to the street below -some emergency exit this is. The signage is misleading. It should read: "If you use this exit, you'll end up in the emergency room".
You notice the problem. The emergency staircase, corroded and crumbled, lies in shambles on the street corner. Ryan stares up at you with his oversized eyes.
You want to yell: "I can't go while you're looking!" You decide to hang off the ledge and then drop down, but once you're dangling -face to the wall- you deem it too far a drop. There are a few rungs from the broken emergency staircase still attached to the building. If you reach them you can swing yourself down to the ground rung by rung.
Ryan heads down the street without waiting to see exactly how you manage a spinal fracture.
Forget it. You're not performing acrobatics this early. You climb back up and leave the emergency exit.
Failure
You try and place your feet on part of the broken staircase still attached to the building. You're not stable and can't adjust your weight to balance. Keep trying.
Success
You hook your feet on the closest rung and push your weight onto the wall. Deftly jumping down meter by meter, you nimbly skip and slide down the side of the building, You land on the sidewalk safely.
Failure
You try and reach the first rung with an outstretched left hand, but you can't quite make it. You'll need to let go, drop and reach it all at once. You can do it. Try. Let go. It'll be alright. Just let go.
Success
You drop down a meter or so and catch the first rung with both hands. You swing down to the following rungs with ease and alight on the sidewalk gracefully.
Either success continues:
Ryan, like an awkward streetlight, takes you in, tall, wide-eyed and silent.
You stare right back at him.
Acrobatics -early segment acrobatics at that- is one thing. Blindly following this strange teenager, is quite another.
Me: Much as I appreciate the obstacle course, I'd like to know where we're going even more.
Ryan Tiberius: Somewhere without all these faceless ears.
Ryan Tiberius: Follow me. Keep close.
Me: Impressed? You should catch my act on Cirque de Centauri. I only die half of the time.
Ryan gives you a chuckle. It might be sincere, it could just as well, be polite. There's not really time to tell.
Ryan Tiberius: Come with me. Stay close.
Either choice continues:
Follow Ryan to the Wrecks.
Next area: The Wrecks, LeGuin Stronghold
- Keep pace with Ryan.
Ryan moves quickly. He navigates the side streets of LeGuin like the town planner that drafted the station's blueprints might. There is an other-worldly ease about the young man. LeGuin, as always, rolls out before you, sterile and deserted. The great spokes above the torus stare down at the station like vigilant, glass spears. The spokes ahead are dark -you are headed to what Smythe described as, "the darkened zone". You are headed to Maple Town.
- Look at Ryan.
You can finally get a good look at this elusive man. Ryan is dressed in the orange spacesuit he was wearing when you first came across him in the docking bays yesterday. He is tall, very tall -well over two meters in height. His large eyes dart about constantly -miss nothing. Around his forehead a headband, the likes of which you've yet to come across, shoots out the occasional burst of red light. Small, metallic orbs seem to be in very close orbit around it.
Ryan is young, but his speed is more than just youthful. You're making an effort to keep up the pace with him.
Another, nearly imperceptible burst of red light flashes from his headband.
Me: What was that red flash?
You manage to put the words together between deep breaths. Ryan throws you a quick smile.
Ryan Tiberius: Laser bursts. They blind camera lenses when angled directly at them. No one's business but my own where I go. Come on.
- Ask Ryan about his headband. (if you haven't already asked)
- Ask Ryan to slow down. (if you have)
Keeping pace with Ryan as he darts down a narrow street, you inquire about his interesting head wear.
Me: That's an interesting headband you have on. What's it do?
Ryan looks down and back at you. He hasn't even broken a sweat. His voluminous eyes fill with mischief.
Ryan Tiberius: This?
He points to his headband.
Ryan Tiberius: I made this. Let's say, for now, that it has deflective purposes. I'll tell you more when I know you differently.
"Know me differently?" What does he mean by that?
Me: What do you mean, differently?
Ryan Tiberius: Right now I trust you, because I don't know you. When I get to know you, I'll either trust you -or I won't. Either way, the trust will be different.
You're not quite certain you follow that logic, but following Ryan is the more pressing question.
- Ask Ryan about the bursts of red light. (if you haven't already asked)
- Ask Ryan to slow down. (if you have)
You try and get the words out, sounding something like, "Please slow down."
They come out sounding more like:
Me: Plasma go merry-around.
Ryan frowns at you with a quizzical smile on his face.
After you've seen all three branches:
- Keep up with Ryan.
Has he quickened his pace, or are you slowing? Either way, you're lagging behind. Keep up!
- Pick up the pace.
(Strength check)
Failure
This kid is quick -and he's making it look effortless. Is he even running? Take a few deep breaths. Steady your stride. You're almost to him. You've got this.
- Pick up the pace.
Success
Ryan may be a natural runner, but you're no slouch yourself. You might be taking deeper breaths than he is, but you keep pace with him. An impressed smile slides across his face as you run alongside him.
The pace the boy set may have been intentional all along, because all of a sudden the surrounding neighborhood is foreign and you've no idea how you came upon it. The desolation has added a bleak and forgotten coat to its abandoned skin. The area is not kept up and the light is somehow weaker, darker -dead.
A dilapidated sign bearing a space-rat graffiti reads:
"Welcome to Maple High"
- Look around Maple High.
Ryan slows his pace, stopping entirely in front of a large building with doric columns lining the entrance. White steps lead up to large, brass doors behind the columns -a frieze above it all, bears the name, etched into the stone "Maple High". Inscribed underneath "Knowledge is the fruit of endeavor".
He turns to you, and with an outstretched hand indicates the entrance to the school.
Me: This way please.
You stop at the foot of the steps. Ryan turns to look at you.
- Tell Ryan that his mother and Smythe are worried about him.
Me: Ryan. I think it's probably better if we get you somewhere safe.
He looks at you. His wide, sad eyes perplexed.
Ryan Tiberius: Safe is an illusion. We're as safe here, as anywhere else.
He moves towards the stairs. You try a more direct tack.
Me: I spoke with your mother -she's very concerned about you. And Smythe too. He said not to worry about the vandalism. They both just want you to come home.
Ryan lets out a laugh -it's almost cruel.
Ryan Tiberius: My mother and Reggie -huh? Concerned. Worried. You've heard their stories -if you want to hear mine, follow me.
Me: Ryan. This place isn't safe. I've been tasked with finding you, and bringing you home.
You stare into his eyes. He is unmoved.
Me: Come with me.
Ryan let's out another short, cruel laugh.
Ryan Tiberius: But you didn't find me, did you? I found you.
Ryan Tiberius: "Bring me home". There is no home for me. Run along now. Go tell my mother whatever it is she needs to hear.
He turns, and with surprising speed, disappears through the grand columns into the darkened school.
- Make your way back.
You don't follow the troubled youth into his lair. Something about his actions, his demeanor is unsettling and you need to get help.
Your CORETECHS still can't contact Smythe. How is this possible? You're certain Ryan has something to do with it.
Me: Which way is out? It all looks the same!
You try and get your bearings, but the neighborhood is dark, and the streets seem to zig zag into each other. Are you headed the right way?
A wave of hesitation passes over you, but you follow Ryan through the Doric pillars into the highschool.
After a series of turns, down locker-lined hallways, you reach a door marked "Teacher's Lounge" with a brass plaque.
Ryan throws you a large grin.
- Enter the teacher's lounge.
The room holds but a few desks, chairs wander lost, here and there. Bulletin boards hang heavy with announcements that will never come to pass. Achievements, awards and dreams pinned on walls, all mocked by time, adorn the space -this is a shrine, not a schoolroom.
A door leads outside to a small courtyard, at the end of which a ramshackle shed awaits the ravages of time.
Ryan Tiberius: This way, please.
- Follow him into the courtyard.
I always like being outside, especially when I'm inside -which here on LeGuin, is all the time.
A faux tree, in mid-bloom overhangs the forlorn shed, a trio of comfortable, faux leather armchairs are clustered around its base. You both sit down.
Ryan Tiberius: Faux tree, faux chairs, but no faux pas, as my father used to joke.
His courteous tone is off-putting, albeit slightly contagious. You look up through the half-sprouted buds of the faux tree. The stars, here in the darkened zone, shine with an angry intensity.
Ryan Tiberius: It's magical out there -isn't it?
It's hard to tell whether he's asking a question, or stating a fact -either way, time to ask a few questions of your own and hopefully get a few facts in return.
Me: So, Ryan. How do I put this? Why have you been etching rats in spacesuits all over LeGuin?
He looks over at you with a mishievous smile.
Ryan Tiberius: You mean the vandalism?
Strange kid. One segment he's all riddles, the next he's direct.
Ryan Tiberius: If you don’t scratch the face, no one goes looking for the soul. It takes time to adjust a moral barometer. Can’t just go around telling people that they’ve been a bulletproof vest for evil. Make them uncomfortable first -then ask them to see. Comfort is blindness, friend.
And back to riddles.
If you've already asked if it's safe:
Ryan Tiberius: What do you think is going on past that blackout? Under that sinful red sun? You think they’re all just licking ice pops out there? They’re all deluded, depressed and demented. And delusion is the guardian of guilt.
If you haven't:
Ryan Tiberius: What do you think is going on past that blackout? Under that sinful red sun? You think they’re all just licking ice pops out there?
If you've already asked about the vandalism:
Me: But here, in the blackout, it's safe to talk?
Ryan smirks. His great eyes seem to be sipping the stars.
Ryan Tiberius: Safe is an illusion, but this is as good a place to talk as any. These armchairs came out of the Ambassador Hotel. It's a wreck now. Nothing but a big, empty building that dreams. Moved them with my father and my brother. We each hauled a chair from downtown, all the way here. Took thousands of segments. These are the real "faux" thing. He laughs out loud, eyes still glued to the stars. You notice a small "R" etched into the armrest of his chair. Your chair has a "T" on it.
Is this kid always so intense?
They’re all deluded, depressed and demented. And delusion is the guardian of guilt.
If you haven't:
Me: So, Ryan -is it safe to talk?
Ryan smirks. His great eyes seem to be sipping the stars.
Ryan Tiberius: Safe is an illusion, but this is as good a place to talk as any. These armchairs came out of the Ambassador Hotel. It's a wreck now. Nothing but a big, empty building that dreams. Moved them with my father and my brother. We each hauled a chair from downtown, all the way here. Took thousands of segments. These are the real "faux" thing.
He laughs out loud, eyes still glued to the stars. You notice a small "R" etched into the armrest of his chair. Your chair has a "T" on it.
Is this kid always so intense?
After you've seen both branches:
- Ask what he means.
Me: Who's guilty Ryan? Of what?
Ryan Tiberius: Everyone's guilty of something.
Ryan stares back up at the stars.
Ryan is locked in his own mind. Try and get him to tell you more.
Me: I think I'd like a straight answer. Enough with the riddles.
You stare sternly at Ryan. He does not even appear to register your presence.
Failure
You may have forced the conversation a bit too abruptly. Try a different approach. This is obviously a sore subject.
Success
Me: Guilt is a heavy burden. Crushes people. Nothing that some sincere contrition won't fix.
This line -though, not your finest of thoughts- seems to have unchained him. He looks over at you.
Ryan Tiberius: You think asking for forgiveness is enough?
Me: Depends, I suppose. Who are we forgiving?
Ryan squawks that laugh of his.
Ryan Tiberius: My illustrious parents, of course.
Me: I've heard that your father is a preacher. He's working off-station?
Heavy lids close around the large eyes as Ryan lets out another laugh.
Ryan Tiberius: A preacher! My, how my mother has elevated him. Working …
He pauses, plays with the word.
Ryan Tiberius: Yes. I'll give him that. He's always working at something. My father -my teacher! Our illustrious genius. Who did he ever care about? I’ll tell you. He cared about the opinions of the generations to come. He cared about what people he'd never meet, would think of him. He cared about posterity. His head was always in the future.
Me: I've met your mother -strong woman. She's very worried about you.
Silence.
Ryan Tiberius: Well, she would be -wouldn't she. She's good at worrying. That keeps her safe and sound, where she belongs…
Ryan Tiberius: …head buried firmly in the past. She’d rather lose today than cut ties with yesterday.
After you've seen both branches:
- Look at Ryan
Ryan looks away from the stars and turns to face you. Tears have formed around his eyes.
Ryan Tiberius: Pleasant, isn’t it? Their little tug of war. He the devil, she, the saint -the eternal back and forth. Her digging trenches in the past, him galloping headlong into the future, And who pays? Who pays? I pay. Because I’m right here -and I’m right now.
He stands bolt upright and his voice is angry and grieving,
Ryan Tiberius: So they lost a son! I lost a brother! I lost my brother! They still have me. I’ll never have him!
Me: I'm sorry. What happened to him?
Ryan Tiberius: Trapped. Trapped like rats in our giant wheel in the stars.
- Continue engaging him.
Me: Sarananda said he was off-station.
Ryan stares at you dumbfounded. The anger has subsided, as quickly as it came.
Ryan Tiberius: Dead. Alive. What's the difference when you're trapped? Which is better?
Me: Sarananda said he was off-station.
Ryan stares at you dumbfounded. The anger has subsided, as quickly as it came.
Ryan Tiberius: Dead. Alive. What's the difference when you're trapped? Which is better?
- Continue engaging him.
Me: I'm sorry. What happened to him?
Ryan Tiberius: Trapped. Trapped like rats in our giant wheel in the stars.
Either choice continues:
Segments pass. A soft whizzing sound zips through the silence.
- Locate the source of the sound.
A familiar, tiny creature is the causing the noise. The rat scurries into the room and stops at Ryan’s feet. He leans down and picks up his mechanical creation.
Ryan Tiberius: How'd you get here?
Tumaini Muller's voice is warm and reassuring.
Tumaini Muller: Your pet led me here. This kind soul gave it to Alfred.
- Look at Tumaini.
Tumaini acknowledges your presence. Ryan smiles at her. And turning to you.
Ryan Tiberius: Thank you for doing that. Alfred always liked my pets. And you…
He turns and looks at Tumaini.
Ryan Tiberius: You were always one step ahead of me. Tumaini, Alfred and I were my father’s star pupils -weren’t we?
Me: Your brother? He excelled in school?
Ryan Tiberius: Yes. He was always keen on helping dad with his experiments. The golden boy -my brother. Their darling. Their favorite. But you’ve met my brother -haven’t you? You gave him this little rat.
Me: Did he teach you all?
Ryan Tiberius: My father was our science teacher. Not that he had a very large class, here on LeGuin. He was the only teacher who insisted on using the old biology laboratories -the ones right here, in this abandoned high school.
Ryan lets out a laugh.
Ryan Tiberius: All very mad-scientist stuff? No?
Tumaini Muller: Stop Ryan. This talk. It only hurts. It does not heal.
Ryan throws her a quizzical look.
Ryan Tiberius: Why? I thought you of all people would appreciate this talk. This talk is the Truth, no? What harm can the Truth do?
- Keep listening.
Tumaini is clearly uncomfortable, but there's more to this story.
Tumaini Muller: Stop it Ryan.
Again -a calm underpinned with strength, in this woman's voice.
A cruel mischief is swarming in Ryan's owl-eyes. He ignores Tumaini.
Ryan Tiberius: Didn’t you see the glimmer of genius in Albert's eyes. Did you catch the brilliance emanating from the man? You gave him this little rat.
Tumaini Muller: It’s not your fault Ryan. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. We were young. It was an accident.
Whatever Ryan is saying is clearly upsetting Tumaini.
Me: Ryan. I think that's enough,
He stares back at you intently.
- Tell Ryan that his mother and Smythe are worried about him.
Me: Ryan. I think it's probably better if we get you somewhere safe.
He continues to stare at you. His wide, sad eyes perplexed.
Ryan Tiberius: Safe is an illusion. We're as safe here, as anywhere else.
Tumaini Muller: Ryan… Please …
Me: I spoke with your mother -she's very concerned about you. And Smythe too. He said not to worry about the vandalism. They both just want you to come home.
Ryan lets out a laugh -it's almost cruel.
Ryan Tiberius: My mother and Reggie -huh? Concerned. Worried. I told you she was good at that.
- Plead with him again.
Me: Ryan. This place isn't safe. I've been tasked with finding you, and bringing you home.
You stare into his eyes. He is unmoved.
Me: Come with me.
Ryan let's out another short, cruel laugh.
Ryan Tiberius: But you didn't find me, did you? I found you.
Ryan Tiberius: "Bring me home". There is no home for me. Run along now. Go tell my mother whatever it is she needs to hear.
Tumaini Muller: Ryan… Please …
He hollers at her.
Ryan Tiberius: Are those the only two words you have! Ryan please! Ryan please! Ryan please! Go parrot your wisdom somewhere else. Join the Rat Giver and my mother why don'y you?
Tumaini is hurt. Her golden eyes well up with tears. She turns and leaves the courtyard.
Tumaini is upset and the thought of her walking, unaccompanied through Maple Town troubles you. Ryan, for his part is acting wildly -something about his actions, his demeanor is unsettling and you need to get help.
You leave the garden with its faux tree and Ryan, with his very real anger and try to catch up with Tumaini. She is nowhere to be seen. She probably knows this school and these neighborhoods as well as Ryan. You leave the high school building. Still no sign of Tumaini.
Your CORETECHS still can't contact Smythe. How is this possible? You're certain Ryan has something to do with it.
Me: Which way is out? It all looks the same!
You try and get your bearings, but the neighborhood is dark, and the streets seem to zig zag into each other. Are you headed the right way?
Ryan's anger is bordering on belligerent. It's time to apprehend him before he hurts himself or someone else.
Me: Enough of this. You're coming with me. Let's go.
Ryan turns to face you. His eyes tear through you like laser beams -his anger is palpable.
Ryan Tiberius: Turn around and follow Tumaini. I won't ask you twice.
You catch Ryan and wrap both arms firmly around him. You are eye to eye. A small red burst emanates from his headband. It blinds you and you let go instantly. You feel a fist meet your temple with great force.
The last words you hear before you pass out are:
Ryan Tiberius: I warned you.
Mission failure
You have failed the "Lost Boy III" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.
There's an anger, a rage in this boy that nom one -not even himself- can control. You're not dealing with Ryan right now, you're face to face with his demons. One of you will get hurt if this progresses any further.
You leave the garden with its faux tree and Ryan, with his very real anger and try to catch up with Tumaini. She is nowhere to be seen. She probably knows this school and these neighborhoods as well as Ryan. You leave the high school building. Still no sign of Tumaini.
Your CORETECHS still can't contact Smythe. How is this possible? You're certain Ryan has something to do with it.
Me: Which way is out? It all looks the same!
You try and get your bearings, but the neighborhood is dark, and the streets seem to zig zag into each other. Are you headed the right way?
Me: What happened to Alfred?
Ryan Tiberius: My father happened to Alfred. That’s what happened to Alfred. That’s what happened to me. Some parents dream of their children growing up to be ambassadors, captains, architects, or engineers -hell! Some parents just dream of their children growing up happy. But not good old dad. No -he wanted his children to grow up better, enhanced -grow up to be perfect.
Tumaini hangs her head.
Ryan Tiberius: We’re not a rich station. No cloning facilities here. Who’d be able to afford them? Couple that little fact with all of my mother’s spiritual beliefs, and it’s no surprise that you get just one shot on LeGuin. Hell, Mother Tiberius makes the Prometheans look like the Anima Foundation. One life -and you’d best live it to your fullest, no matter what state you’re in. My mother -and to think that she’s a doctor.
Tumaini's proud head is bent, her diamond chin rests on her collarbone. She looks as though she’s praying. She begins to speak. Her voice is straight -her words pointed.
- Look at Tumaini.
Tumaini Muller: We began with the most noble of intentions. Ryan’s father had pieced together two cloning vats. No one knew about them. Or so he thought. Only the three of us. Two brothers, Ryan and Alfred, his sons -and their young friend, Tumaini. We called ourselves the Rats. We loved the Ruins -and no one could keep us out of them. We knew them, like the back of our hands.
Ryan gazes back up at the stars.
Tumaini Muller: And one day, playing around Maple High, not far from here, we stumbled upon the makeshift laboratory. We got to know it well. Got to know the computers. Got to know the two cloning vats. Got to know when Mr. Tiberius was and wasn’t there. We got to know that place so well, that we started experimenting ourselves.
Ryan draws himself out of the stars and addresses Tumaini.
Ryan Tiberius: Show them. Show our friend.
Tumaini places a delicate index finger to her temple. She is accessing her CORETECHS.
You receive a CORETECHS message from Tumaini.
- Accept the CORETECHS message.
A warning flashes before your CORETECHS.
Tumaini Muller wished to share a POVRAM with you.
In mere fragments of a segment your CORETECHS receives the information you requested.
A POVRAM or Point of View Recorded Augmented Memory is a CORETECHS file enhanced to recall certain details and augment the experience. POVRAM may cause the viewer to experience certain sensations, both physical and emotional, contained in the event. Caution is advised.
Me: Seeing whatever tragedies have befallen these people first hand is more than you care to experience. You decline the POVRAM.
Ryan Tiberius: Can't say that I blame you. It's a pretty horrific scene. Trust me. I relive it nightly. I never dream without fire.
Tumaini whispers something inaudible under her breath.
Ryan Tiberius: I'll give you the abridged version, shall I?
Tumaini Muller: It was an accident.
Ryan snaps at her -venom coats his words.
Ryan Tiberius: There are no accidents! Just fates!
Quick eyes. Owl-eyes. Angry eyes.
Ryan Tiberius: We were playing around in my father's cloning lab. Gestating our own clones. Been working on them for a half cycle -we were all but done. And a fire broke out in the programming lab. Alfred and I were trapped. There was nothing we could do. We couldn't get out. The room filled with smoke -smoke and flames.
Tumaini begins to sob.
Tumaini Muller: I couldn't get you out. I couldn't get you out.
- You died?
Me: Ryan… if you didn't get out -how are you here?
You see a small laboratory with two rooms. Two young boys in their early cycles are behind a glass window in a room filled with makeshift computer terminals. Wires run from one console to another this way and that -the glow of monitors paints their young faces green. They do not look like anyone you know -two, young baseline boys, but instinctively you can tell that this is Ryan and Alfred. They are looking out onto the sterile cloning vat floor from where your vantage point stands.
You are seeing through Tumaini’s eyes. Seeing events as they transpired several cycles ago. She is programming something into one of the cloning vats.
- Move around within the POVRAM.
(Stamina check)
Failure
You try and direct your attention in a particular spot of the room, but navigating this virtual realm is confusing and off-putting. Steady yourself. You can do this. You have the stamina to view the world through someone else's eyes.
- Move around within the POVRAM.
Success
You summon all your concentration. You can move about within the POVRAM.
Tumaini, Ryan and Alfred are speaking to each other.
A young Harsene clone with large eyes lies quietly gestating in the first cloning vat. You are looking at Ryan as he appears today.
In the cloning vat simply labelled, "Two", a large Mall clone, fully gestated, rests comfortably. You recognize his face. It’s the Mall you gave the rat to -this is Alfred.
After you've seen both vats:
- Listen to their conversation.
Ryan’s voice comes into the sterile room over an intercom. You turn your focus to the booth.
Young Ryan Tiberius: Computer door sealed. Environment sterile. Commence physical modification protocols.
You hear Tumaini's words, somewhat internally, sounding like a magnified echo, "Opening vats and commencing PMC. You’re going to have some beautiful eyes Ryan."
You swing your attention back to what Tumaini is doing. She opens both vats and injects each clone in turn with a series of syringes. She is dressed in a sterile medical suit.
Tumaini's voice is heard, "Agility enhancers injected. Commence computer-generated genome reconfiguration."
Alfred’s voice comes over the intercom.
Young Alfred Tiberius: Commencing computer-generated genome reconfiguration. I’m going to outrun and out-think you little brother.
You move within the POVRAM and look into the programming booth at an unknown Ryan Tiberius. His eyes are a dull, almost nondescript brown, but the light, intelligence and excitement you're familiar with is there. The eye color and shape is different, but the life in them is the same.
So, this is Alfred. Strong, young, cocky and eager -laughing with his younger sibling. Their bond is evident and deep; their energy contagious. They banter, poke and tease.
After you've seen all three branches:
- Keep listening to them laugh and talk.
Young Ryan Tiberius: Concentrate on what you’re doing or you won’t be able to outrun old man Smythe.
Tumaini Muller laughs. She closes the cloning vats.
Tumaini's voice echoes internally, "Cloning vats sealed. You are good for finalized genome run."
All of a sudden the intercom fizzles. An ear shattering explosion rips through the cloning vat.
The explosion feels real to you. You're shaken where you stand, but unharmed. You are immune to the realities unfolding in the POVRAM.
You crouch and cover your face. The scene is so vivid that your reaction is instantaneous. You raise yourself up -you are unharmed and immune to the realities unfolding in the POVRAM.
Either choice continues:
You turn towards the center of the blast. It has emanated from inside the programming booth.
The computer room begins to fill with smoke. Over the intercom Alfred’s voice is heard panicking.
Young Alfred Tiberius: Fire! Get out! Get out now!
You focus your attention on Tumaini, who is banging on the programming booth door. You're close enough to smell the smoke in the other room.
Tumaini's voice shouts out, "Ryan!"
She bangs hopelessly on the door. It won't open.
Tumaini screams, "Alfred!"
The two brothers try frantically to exit the small computer room and rejoin Tumaini, who is banging on the opposite side of the door.
Young Ryan Tiberius: We're locked in. Alfred! Alfred listen to me. We've got to finish the cloning process.
He breaks off into a series of coughs. You can barely see them through the window separating the two rooms so quickly has the smoke spread.
After you've seen both branches:
- Try and see into the computer room.
You move with Tumaini as she tries to look into the blazing computer room. It has filled with smoke. The brother's suffocating voices can be heard struggling through the intercom.
Young Ryan Tiberius:Try and stay calm. Just one more step.
Young Alfred Tiberius: I can't see. I can't see.
They break into intense coughing fits.
Young Ryan Tiberius: Initiate!
He coughs uncontrollably. Tumaini screams.
Young Alfred Tiberius: Ryan! Ryan!
Young Ryan Tiberius: Initiate…. Initiate the…. sequence.
Coughing and straining for air.
Silence.
Segments pass.
Both pods begin gestating.
The POVRAM ends.
You decide to relive the horrific experience again. The POVRAM plays over from the begining. NOTE: bugged
It takes you a few segments to readjust to your surroundings. You are back in the small garden under the stars. Tumaini has tears in her eyes. Ryan stares at you coldly.
Me: You didn't make it?
Ryan shakes his head. Tumaini walks over to him and takes him in her arms.
Me: That was horrible.
Ryan Tiberius: You should try dying through it.
After you've seen both branches:
- Express remorse.
Me: I'm so sorry.
Both paths continue:
Ryan's smile again -sad and surrendered.
Ryan Tiberius: We both died. Alfred and I. We died that day-and we were born that day.
Ryan Tiberius: We were both baseline -like our parents. I wanted to be a Harsene. Alfred -Alfred wanted to be a Mall. We both got our wishes. Only something went wrong with his gestation and Amygchip transference. He came out…. He came out… He came out -unfinished.
Silence. Silence and the stars above.
At the mention of his father's name, Ryan's demeanor changes. He smirks and lets out a small laugh.
Ryan Tiberius: My father. My father was more concerned with covering it all up. We were sworn to secrecy. Made up a whole farce about Alfred and him leaving the station. Off to other systems to preach and teach -what rubbish. He just ran away and left the husk of one son behind and the other to mourn him. He's a coward. I hate him.
Me: There were no backups?
Ryan Tiberius: We were fortunate to have those two vats to work with. What was there to be done? The Mall clone hadn't accepted the reprogramming. The Amygchip transfer was compromised. Whatever little got through, that's what lives -if you can call it that- at Moss Hospital. That's what they all exploit.
After you've seen both branches:
The sound of heavy footsteps shatters the retelling. Someone is just outside the teacher's lounge.
Ryan Tiberius: Looks like I have unwanted visitors.
- See who is approaching.
Everything happens within the blink of an eye.
Gerald Blackleg: Ryan! Stop there! I'm taking you in!
Gerald Blackleg, that slug of a human being, flanked on three sides by his mercenaries, bursts into the courtyard with fake bravado.
Ryan Tiberius: You're not taking me anywhere Pudding Pop.
Ryan's calm is disarming. Before anyone can act a stream of red light shoots forth in a burst from his head band.
Your CORETECHS goes blank and you can't see.
- Open your eyes slowly.
It takes you a moment to adjust your eyes. Your CORETECHS comes back online.
- Look around.
Neither Tumaini or Ryan are anywhere to be seen. The three, heavily-armed mercenaries are standing around the faux tree, shaking their empty heads and blinking their eyes. Blackleg is curled up in one of the faux leather chairs whimpering.
Gerald Blackleg: I can't see! I can't see! I'm blind! I'm blind. Someone help me.
The mercenaries complain bitterly that they're not paid enough for this kind of work. Poor bastards, why doesn't their bounty lie down quietly for them? They depart, finding Ryan now the furthest thing from their thoughts. Blackleg trails behind them like a runny nose.
- Keep looking for Ryan.
You make your way out of Maple High. Blackleg and his paid thugs may have given up on finding Ryan, but you haven't. There must be a way to bring the boy back into the fold.
Where could he be? Where did I first bump into Ryan?
Navigate:
(Intelligence check)
Failure
You try and remember the way you came, but Ryan had been moving at such a fast pace that no land marks seem to register. You can solve this. Look up at the torus, try and spot the spokes. Navigate. You'll find your way out. Keep your calm and concentrate.
Success
You steady your nerves. The torus is a giant spherical tube, you remind yourself. You mark a trajectory and stay true in that direction. Thankfully Maple Town is as desolate as the rest of LeGuin and you don't encounter any unsavory characters. Your CORETECHS comes back online, the darkness fades. You've made it out of Maple Town.
Go to the Government Center.
- Speak to Smythe.
You reach the somber building that houses Smythe and his series of functions.
Fortunately both he and Mother Tiberius are there. They look up at you with eager eyes.
They speak over one another.
Reginald Smythe: Have you found him?
Mother Tiberius: Ryan? Is he alright?
- Tell them what has happened.
You recount the events of the last few segments, starting with your encounter at the "Lost and Found". Both Smythe and Mother T. listen intently.
Reginald Smythe: There's nothing else to do, but to go and retrieve him by force.
Mother Tiberius: I can't understand. I can't understand.
The powerful woman is defeated. She hangs her head and stares down at her lap.
Reginald Smythe: We'll get him back home Rita. I promise you.
Mother Tiberius looks up at Smythe. Her face is stricken with fear.
Mother Tiberius: They won't hurt him, will they Reginald? You won't let them hurt him?
Reginald Smythe: No one will lay a finger on him. We're going to get him home -and we're going to get him help.
Smythe's resolve is impressive. It seems to soothe Mother T. somewhat. Only you notice Smythe left eye flinch ever so slightly. The old woman turns to you.
Mother Tiberius: Thank you. You are known to me.
Smythe begins to coordinate with Gerald Blackleg and his mercenaries. A search party is being formed to find Ryan in Maple Town. Smythe turns to Rita and places a consoling hand on her shoulder.
Reginald Smythe: Rita -there's no sense waiting out the search here. I'll call for you at Moss when we have him safe and sound.
- Join Smythe on the search for Ryan.
Mother Tiberius, not keen on witnessing the formation of the search party, leaves to wait out the results at Moss Hospital.
Reginald Smythe: You did the right thing, coming back here to inform me of what's happening. It's obvious that Ryan isn't in his right mind.
Me: He won't be easy to apprehend. Not only is he quick, but he's crafted some sort of tech that allows him to avoid digital detection it seems.
You hear Blackleg's weasel voice behind you. As though on cue, he speaks his line, coated, oozing with distasteful self-satisfaction.
Gerald Blackleg: We've got tech of our own.
Smythe throws him a disapproving glance. The room has filled with mercenaries. A strange, unsettling energy pervades -this feels, suddenly, more like a hunt than a search.
Reginald Smythe: We're going to handle this carefully.
He stares straight at Blackleg.
Reginald Smythe: Aren't we, Gerald?
Blackleg, the coward that he is, gulps an acquiescent:
Gerald Blackleg: Of course… Ser.
Head back to the Wrecks.
Next area: The Wrecks, LeGuin Stronghold
- Look for Ryan.
Accompanied by Blackleg, who lags conspicuously behind his heavily-armed mercenaries, you lead the way back through Maple Town to the high school.
The darkness is deep, bleak. A search of the building yields nothing. The hallways echo with the horrors that befell them so many cycles ago. The place is other-worldly, off-putting; even the seasoned mercenaries feel uneasy here. Empty classroom stare wide-eyed at you from gaping doors. Nothing.
Blackleg is a nervous puddle.
Gerald Blackleg: He could be anywhere -he sure ain't here. Right? We should go…. Right?
The search party regards him with dismissive side-glances.
Gerald Blackleg: Let's all head back… together. Okay? Right? Let's go…. okay?
Blackleg's authority -or lack thereof- makes him somehow even less likable. Something previously believed to be impossible.
The search party disbands, and the mercenaries return to their Security bunker with Gerald lapping at their heels.
You've done all that you can do. There's no way you're going to find Ryan, a boy who doesn't want to be found, here on LeGuin. The only thing left to do is go and see Mother Tiberius -to let her know, you tried.
Head to the Sick Bay.
Next area: Sick Bay, LeGuin Stronghold
- Go and speak with Mother Tiberius.
It's hard to gauge how long you've looked for Ryan, but the experience has been exhausting. The soothing blue lights of Moss Hospital are a welcome sight. The music is comforting, speaks in a wordless language and tells you it will all be alright.
You find Mother Tiberius tending to a patient. A young girl, with striking blue eyes, with a comatose look on her face.
Mother Tiberius: There, there, there now. Try and rest, I know you can hear me. Close your beautiful eyes darling.
The girl is in her early cycles. A child. She lies, as though under a spell, under the pristine white of the hospital sheets. Mother Tiberius looks up at you.
Mother Tiberius: More and more of these strange cases. Children mostly. Their parents bring them in like this -physically fine, but they can't communicate. Can't close their eyes.
She looks down at the child.
Mother Tiberius: Reminds us that we're not the only ones with problems.
She pauses. Takes you in. Speaks with your eyes.
Me: I'm sorry. I haven't found him.
Mother Tiberius: You've tried -and for that alone, you are known to me. Many did not.
You leave the blue of the hospital and walk out into the shaded red of station. The torus rotates, resigned and silent around its hub, as the stars continue their steady, silent pilgrimage into the darkness, far from the sorrows of LeGuin.
Mission failure
You have failed the "Lost Boy III" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.
The paid mercenaries may have found the search not worth their while, but you're not about to give up. There's still much of LeGuin left to scout.
Where could Ryan be? Where did I first bump into him?
All paths continue:
Search LeGuin for Ryan.
Next area: Docks, LeGuin Stronghold
- Something tells you Ryan is here. Search the docks.
You navigate the spoke heading to the Docks on foot, keeping a keen eye out for the lost boy.
You reach the section of the Port containing the ice dock stations. It too, is abandoned, bereft of activity. You look through several docking chambers.
Peering into the last of the ice docking chambers you spot your quarry. Ryan is dancing in the zero gravity chamber. Your hunch was correct -and you wish it hadn’t been. You notice that the duct that allows the icebots re-entry to the chamber from space is still shut -thankfully. You don a spacesuit and tether yourself instinctively to a secure latch. Better safe than sorry.
Ryan, tethered to a wall, dancing around a block of ice, is sculpting with a small hammer and a blade. He is still wearing his spacesuit, with a backpack attachment that is foreign to you. His helmet is on, and the visor is down. Without looking at you he opens up communication with your CORETECHS.
- Listen to what Ryan is saying.
Ryan Tiberius: Hello. I'm glad it's you who's here. I knew you'd find me.
He sculpts into the side of the block.
Ryan Tiberius: There are sides of things. So many sides of things. And for every side, there is dimension, texture, and characteristic. Over there, all along the upper tube of the Torus there are panels that insulate from the cold, ones that capture heat and ones that reflect. I like the mirrored ones most.
He turns from his sculpting and looks at you for a brief segment and turns back to his art.
Ryan Tiberius: But they’re all just a side, different sides of just one small part of the Torus -spinning fixed in space.
Ryan stops sculpting. The small hammer and blade float, harmless and misplaced around his head. Still tethered, he moves closer to one of the space ducts, his hand firmly on the tether’s clasp. The manual release valve precariously near him, stands out stark and red against the indifferent, white of the room.
You open communication with Ryan on your CORETECHS.
You call out to him through your CORETECHS.
Me: Ryan, I understand. Really. I do. I understand. Please. Please. Let's talk out here. Come out of the docking bay. There are people who care deeply about you.
Your words seem to have some impact, Ryan moves further away from the air duct.
Ryan Tiberius: People.
He holds the word, as though in his hand. Grabbing the small hammer out of the air, he chips away at the block of ice.
Ryan Tiberius: People. People are like stars too. So many sides, some seen, some hidden, some reflecting. All angles and orbits. Some, fixed in space, like the Torus -others have propulsion. Move of their own free will.
You try and distract Ryan's attention away from the duct.
Me: What's that you're sculpting there?
Ryan looks at you through the porthole window in the door. You can see his face through his visor. He smiles.
Ryan Tiberius: We're all trying to find the stars, no? They're right here in front of us.
He grabs his blade out of the air and continues sculpting.
After you've seen both branches:
- Keep him engaged. Keep him talking.
Me: Everything you create… it's all really quite remarkable -from the rats, all the way to the stars. Must take a lot of work?
Ryan Tiberius: That's kind of you to say -and I believe you're sincere. Sincerity is an art form too. A poorly rehearsed one, but an art form all the same. It's harder to grow honesty than anything else -costs less to lie.
You are running out of tricks, but thankfully Ryan is still talking. "While he's speaking to you, he's safe," you think to yourself.
Ryan Tiberius: I've rehearsed this, you know? I should say, "I've practiced."
Ryan Tiberius: We rehearse together. We practice alone. I've practiced this. Many times. You interrupted me last time. Saved me.
He turns his sculpture, takes in the angles -some of the shafts catch the faintest tinge of red.
Ryan Tiberius: Did I thank you for that?
Me: You did, but you could really thank me by leaving that chamber.
Ryan stops sculpting -a sad smile crosses his face. He floats to the release valve and activates it. The small hammer and blade float, harmless and misplaced for a segment and are sucked suddenly out of the duct into space. Ryan, still tethered is jolted violently towards the void, his hand firmly on the tether’s clasp. You smash down on the “close” button outside the dock, but the duct remains open, expectant.
To enter that room -even tethered as you are- would be suicide.
You need to keep him talking.
Me: Ryan! Ryan! Close that duct. Please. Come out here. There's nothing we can't figure out.
You hope your words come out sounding something like they sound in your head. It doesn't matter though: Ryan has cut communication. You are speaking to yourself -the CORETECHS connection is dead.
You bash the porthole window with your fist.
Me: Ryan!
The name echoes in your helmet. You look in horror through the porthole. Your CORETECHS opens communication. You hear his voice, his final words…
Ryan Tiberius: Time to fly.
Ryan activates the override valve near the duct, and is sucked instantly into space.
There’s nothing else to do, but enter the chamber and pull him out. You check your tether one final time and head to the door.
Control panel:
(Intelligence check)
Using your CORETECHS link-up, you swiftly scan the Docks mainframe to locate the chamber entrance. Accessing the override controls you force the door open. The pressure in the chamber sucks you in the moment the door slides aside. You're jolted towards the open duct and the endless void of space; your tether snaps you back violently.
The door is stubborn, but you eventually prevail. The pressure in the chamber sucks you in the moment the door slides aside. You're jolted towards the open duct and the endless void of space; your tether snaps you back violently -you feel an immense strain come to bear on it.
Either choice continues:
You steady yourself. The force of the suction is incredibly violent. You are constantly propelled towards the duct. Ryan dangles over it -a mere three to four meters from you.
You know you’ll never manage to reach Ryan. This is his world, in stasis, dancing in mid air, all angles and trajectories, but the force drawing you towards the void of space has landed you near to the manual override valve for the ducts. You make a last ditch attempt and reach the valve.
You activate the valve.
You are too late. The last words you hear from Ryan echo through the virtual vastness of your CORETECHS.
Ryan Tiberius: Time to fly.
The airlock closes mere seconds behind him. You feel your chest collapse. You’ve failed him. The door slams shut -the suction ceases instantly. You're left floating in an aftermath as absurd as it is horrifying.
You gauge the distance between the two of you. He’s no further than ten meters away now. If you lunge, pushing off the nearest wall at the right angle you’re fairly certain you’ll catch him even if he untethers.
Fairly certain.
You go for it.
- Push off the wall.
Pushing with all your strength off both feet you aim square for the boy.
He was expecting your move. With the grace of a dancer, he whirls slightly to his right and up, twirling away from your outstretched arms as he does. You are now entirely out of his path, headed towards the opposing wall of the dock.
Your CORETECHS lights up. Ryan’s words in your ears have a steadiness -a strength in them- that’s haunting.
Ryan Tiberius: It was never going to end any other way.
You spin around pushing against the opposing wall and launch yourself blindly, arms outstretched towards the center of the dock hoping to collide with Ryan. Again, he seems to have calculated even your most unexpected of moves and pushes off the nearest wall with the lightest of touches.
He looks down at you, his countenance is strangely calm. His demeanor is almost assurring, as though to say, “It’s alright. It’ll be okay.”
Through your CORETECHS you hear his final words as he jettisons untethered into space.
Ryan Tiberius: Time to fly.
It’s madness and certain death. Not only is there no chance of rescuing Ryan, but even if there were, you’ve no way to make it back onto LeGuin. Your scanty spacesuit is designed to perform in the station, within the Zero-G confines of the bays, it will provide no protection out in space.
Ryan is gone.
The grim reality takes you by the throat. Your survival instincts kick in -you reach the override valve and smash it with you outstretched hand. The door slams shut -the suction ceases instantly. You're left floating in an aftermath as absurd as it is horrifying.
All paths except "Unclasp your tether and get sucked out into space" continue:
- Get to the observation viewport.
You take a deep breath, regain your composure, and making your way as fast as the spacesuit permits to the bay viewport, look out into outer space. The fear of seeing Ryan's lifeless body orbiting the station, like one of his cold, dead stars, grips you. You're just in time to see a small rocket burst emanating from Ryan's backpack shoot him out of LeGuin's orbit. The small, orange speck disappears from view.
Silence. Nothingness.
This silence has a voice.
It is a whisper that cuts -chanting a hushed and terrible litany over and over and over in your mind: Why? Why? Why?
Segments pass.
A call is coming through on your CORETECHS.
- Pick up the call.
You compose yourself and pick up the call. Smythe, Tumaini and Mother Tiberius are huddled together.
Reginald Smythe: There you are. We've been looking for you. The cameras at the Docks are deactivated.
Tumaini Muller: The search party hasn't found him.
Mother Tiberius: Is he with you?
Me:
Ryan was right -lying costs less. You decide that the Truth, however painful, is always best told.
Me: Ryan jettisoned himself from the ice docking chamber. I tried to save him. There was nothing I could do.
Several segments follow in silence. A faint gasp, followed by a sob is heard, and smothered.
Me: I'm so sorry.Tumaini Muller: He is gone?
You nod, unable to form the simple word with your lips.
Tumaini and Mother Tiberius leave the call. They speak their parting words to you, almost in unison.
Tumaini Muller: You are known to me.
Mother Tiberius: You are known to me.
Smythe and you stare at one another. His left eye tears up and twitches. A segment passes. The old man sighs.
Reginald Smythe: Thank you for trying. It's all any of us can ever do.
Mission success
You have received 200.00 credits.
Smythe terminates the call with a sad nod. The credits, deposited to your CORETECHS seem empty, almost vulgar.
You look back out into the infinite dark. The torus rotates, resigned and silent around its hub, as the stars continue their steady, silent pilgrimage into the darkness, far from the sorrows of LeGuin.
Mission success
You have completed the "Lost Boy III" mission.
Logic and reason hold no sway over passion. You cannot watch his lifeless body orbit LeGuin, like so many of his frozen masterpieces. You cannot bear the thought of his mother viewing such a graphic scene. And so, within a blink of an eye, without even fully recognizing what you’re doing, but fully cognisant of why, you untether yourself from the safety harness and shoot through the duct into space after Ryan.
The cold strikes instantly and precisely, like a thousand synchronized darts, and the air is sucked from your lungs. The velocity that propelled you from the station ceases almost as quickly as it began -like a bullet halted in mid air. You do not see Ryan. You hear his words though, sharp as always, yet surprised.
Ryan Tiberius: You're a mad person!
Your CORETECHS goes black.
Your body is transported to the Sick Bay.
Next area: Sick Bay, LeGuin Stronghold
- CORETECHS INITIALIZING.
The words crawl slowly across your CORETECHS.
Tumaini Muller looks down at you. How are you still alive?
Me: How am I still alive?
Tumaini Muller: The mercenaries found you floating and unconscious in the ice docking chamber. They brought you here. The cameras throughout the whole port were deactivated. What happened?
- Sit up and get your bearings.
You sit up. The blue light of Moss Hospital is familiar and soothing. The soft music, almost sedating. Your throat is dry, an intense feeling of despair overwhelms you.
Me: Water. Please.
Tumaini Muller: Of course.
Tumaini walks out to get you a glass.
You feel something in your pocket and instinctively reach into retrieve it. Another mechanical rat -this one, smaller than the others. A tiny pair of wings adorn its back. It is immobile -lifeless. Who put that there?
Your CORETECHS receives a message.
Ryan Tiberius: Did I ever thank you for saving my life? Well, now -now, I suppose we're even. Take care of my rat for me. I'm sending you a little something to help with the feeding.
The message terminates abruptly.
Tumaini walks back into the room.
- Look at Tumaini Muller.
She fixes you with her golden eyes, lined with tears. She repeats her question -hands you the water.
Tumaini Muller: What happened? Did you find him?
Me:
You decide that the Truth, however painful, is always best told.
Me: Ryan jettisoned himself from the ice docking chamber. I went after him. I should be dead.
Tumaini regards your somberly.
Me: He saved me. I don't know how.
Tumaini Muller: He is gone?
You nod, and take the small rat out of your pocket.
Me: He's gone, but something tells me we'll hear from him again.
Tumaini's golden eyes stare off into the quiet blue of the bay. The torus rotates, resigned and silent around its hub, as the stars continue their steady, silent pilgrimage into the darkness, far from the sorrows of LeGuin.
Mission success
You have received 350.00 credits.
Mission success
You have completed the "Lost Boy III" mission.
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