A morose stranger struggles to put a damaging relationship behind her. Will you help?
Level: 17
Start: Jassandra Phoenix, Bar, Asimov Freehold
Introduction
There's a somber mood in the 85 Bar as you enter. From the speaker, a slow, mournful ballad plays, casting a pensive air over the room's few occupants. The song's wistful lament builds to an emotional climax; 'And I cry, as orbits go by, how life flies, away in the blink of an eye'.
As the final chorus fades, you notice a lithe-limbed Belter rise from her stool to tap at the jukebox terminal. Its screen scrolls the words, 'MOOD MATCH MODE SELECTED - JASSANDRA PHOENIX'. The woman holds her face still before the jukebox's facial features scanner until a green tick mark icon appears. The next song starts, again in minor key, just as maudlin as before. Jassandra returns to her seat, swaying gently to its rhythms.
- Move on
- Approach Jassandra
Move on
You take in the Bar's lachrymose air for a few units more before leaving its occupants to their melancholic reflections.
[You have failed the "Trophy Wife" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.]
Approach Jassandra
You gesture at the empty stool by Jassandra. She looks up, her eyes a deep beryl green. The piped music shifts its key into a moody bridge section. After a unit's pause, she shrugs and motions at the unoccupied stool.
Jassandra says Sure, be my guest. Misery loves company, right?
You sit. Jassandra closes her eyes and tilts her face up, lost in the melody. Shoulders rocking gently, she mouths along to the singer's words, 'I searched the multiverse, and more, but I still haven't found, what I'm looking for…'
The song's final chorus fades out and the 85's background hum of quiet chatter becomes audible once again.
- Ask Jassandra avout the sad songs
Me Do you know this music? It's sounds so sad…
Jassandra says No kidding. It sure is downbeat… But that's why I like it. Sometimes you just need to wallow a little, you know what I mean?
- Agree
- Disagree
Agree
You nod gently but say nothing. Jassandra smiles.
She says I've been listening to this stuff for half a segment. Not helping one bit. Maybe I should try counting my blessings, isn't that what people say? I mean… it could be worse… I could still be there… With him… Eurgh.
Jassandra emits a tired, joyless laugh. She starts poking her lip piercing again with her finger, as if pondering something.
She says Not sure about this new lip ring. Thinking I got carried away. All that 'new body, new me' enthusiasm clouds the judgement… They shouldn't let you make any life decisions until you've been AT LEAST a tenspan outta the cloning pod, right? It's not like a little metal hoop is gonna fix my problems anyway. Kinda naive, right? Hehe.
Disagree
Me I'm not sure it really helps.
Jassandra smirks I see. You're one of those positive-thinking types, the 'count your blessings brigade'… Maybe I should try it. I mean… it could be worse… I could still be there… With him… Eurgh.)
Jassandra emits a tired, joyless laugh. She starts poking her lip piercing again with her finger, as if pondering something.
She says Not sure about this new lip ring. Thinking I got carried away. All that 'new body, new me' enthusiasm clouds the judgement… They shouldn't let you make any life decisions until you've been AT LEAST a tenspan outta the cloning pod, right? It's not like a little metal hoop is gonna fix my problems anyway. Kinda naive, right? Hehe.
Either choice continues:
- Ask Jassandra what's bothering her.
Me So, what's the problem? Struggling to shake off the new clone pod fog?
Jassandra says If only it were that simple! I'd be dancing on this table…
Jassandra smacks a palm against the bar counter, mimes a dance move, then laughs it off. She hesitates before continuing.
She says It's a bit messier than that. I don't wanna go into details but, let's just say there was a person in my life I needed to get away from. Not a nice person, at all. Wasn't as simple as just walking out the door… But, a suicide pill and a secret clone later, and… Ta-da! Here I am. A new me. Belter now. Changed my hair and everything, got this piercing. Not that I need a disguise. He didn't know about the clone. But still. I find it reassuring. Can never have too much insurance, right?
- Ask Jassandra more about this relationship.
Me Why did you feel you had to go to such lengths? Is he a dangerous man?
Jassandra says He's a powerful man. Well-connected. And proud. Very proud. In the past he always sent someone to bring me back. This time, I said, enough. Snapped. Y'know? No more being his public accessory, endless speeches, and rallies, standing by his podium, smiling for the cameras. There to make him look special, when in reality… Ah. Enough. never mind.)
Jassandra says I'm here now. Finally. Without him. I've thought about this moment for so, so long…
- "It's not what you expected?"
Me But it's not what you expected it would be?
Jassandra says Er- yeah. You could say that…
Jassandra seems suddenly more hesitant, as if wary of revealing too much. She picks at the fungal bar snacks on the counter, glancing around at the Bar's few other occupants.
She says I have to be careful. No point going to all this effort for a new identity only to blow my cover two tenspans in…
Jassandra's voice trails off as she catches sight of the Bar's main holoscreen, showing a muted news broadcast. Her features freeze in a contorted grimace, hand over her mouth, stifling a sudden anguished gasp. On the bright holo-screen, Farax Bigel, the bellicose Gaule nationalist, greets a crowd of red flag-waving supporters. A woman stands beside him, smiling and clapping along. Underneath, the scrolling text reads 'BIGELS LEAD GAULE-DAY CELEBRATIONS ON ORLEANS'.
Jassandra whimpers But… H- H-… How?? HOW?!
Jassandra slams a clenched fist onto the bar top's hardened surface. And again. And again. Her body convulses with something that looks like rage, or perhaps grief. Thick wet drops slide down her cheeks, pooling on the counter.
- Try to calm Jassandra down.
- Give her some space.
Try to calm Jassandra down.
Me That's no way to treat a fancy new Belter body… You're hurting yourself.
Jassandra slows down, then calms herself with a few deep breaths. She starts nursing her hand with a pained grimace as she exhales.
Give her some space.
You say nothing, watching as Jassandra calms herself with a few deep breaths, nursing her hand with a pained grimace as she exhales.
Either choice continues:
Jassandra says Sorry. I- It's him. The man I left. B- But- I don't u- understand.
Her voice trails off into silence. Open-mouthed, she sits, shaking her head, silent, then pulls out a pocket slate, turning its screen for you to see as she types in a Mesh search for 'ARIANE BIGEL DEATH'.
The results show an image of the smiling woman from the news report; 'Ariane Bigel is the wife of prominent Gaule leader, Farax Bigel…' There's no mention of her death. Jassandra enters another search, this time for 'ARIANE BIGEL SUICIDE'. The results are the same.
Jassandra says I died. The old me, I mean. The suicide pill worked. I mean… I'm here now. In a Belter body. But, it's like it never happened… And somehow, I'm still there. Standing next to him. Smiling, cutting ribbons… Look!
Jassandra enters another Mesh search on her slate. It's another news report, again showing Farax and Ariane Bigel attending a public event on the Maid of Orleans. It's dated from yesterday. Jassandra waves her hands erratically around her head, as if ready to spontaneously combust with confusion.
She whimpers I just want to understand… What's happening? Is- Are there two of me now? One here, and one still there? But how? I thought the amygchip made it impossible.
- "I agree. It doesn't make sense."
- "Are you sure of the details? It all sounds quite far-fetched."
"I agree. It doesn't make sense."
Me: I agree. It doesn't make sense…
Jassandra says: Thank you for saying that. I'm losing my mind over it… And I can't move on, with this new life, until I know what in stars is going on… But I don't wanna go back to Barnard's Star to find out. No way. I'm never setting foot in the same system as him again, ever again… I don't know what to do.
"Are you sure of the details? It all sounds quite far-fetched."
Jassandra shoots you a pointed glare, her features hardening at the suggestion that the confusion may be solely hers.
Jassandra says Yes. Thank you. I KNOW it sounds far-fetched. That's why I'm losing my mind over it… That's why I can't move on, with this new life, until I know what in stars is going on…
She adds And I can't go back to Barnard's Star to find out. No way. I'm never setting foot in the same system as him again, ever again… I don't know what to do.
Either choice continues:
- Wish Jassandra luck and leave her alone.
- Offer to travel to Barnard's Star on Jassandra's behalf to investigate.
Wish Jassandra luck and leave her alone.
Me Sounds like a difficult situation… I should be going now. Good luck in your new life here. Bye.
You rise from your seat and leave Jassandra muttering under her breath as she taps away at the pocket slate, refreshing her searches as she takes a long gulp from her beer. Over your shoulder, as you exit, you can hear the sombre melodies of the jukebox starting up again.
[You have failed the "Trophy Wife" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.]
Offer to travel to Barnard's Star on Jassandra's behalf to investigate.
Me I could travel there for you if you if you want? Help you find some answers. Must admit, I'm a little bit curious myself.
There's a long pause as Jassandra weighs your offer, as if suddenly unnerved by the prospect of escalating from words, to deeds. She takes a long gulp from her beer. Followed by another. When the cup is empty, she finally responds.
Jassandra says OK. I mean, thank you, I'd like that. I can reimburse your travel costs. I have some funds I saved… Go to Barnard's Star Jump Gate. There's a clone tech there, Charlize Avakian. She's the one who helped me arrange all this in the first place. The secret clone… Consortium papers. I think she's done it for others too in my… er- situation. I can't contact her myself. it's part of the deal… But, so far, this whole thing isn't quite going according to plan… Maybe she can explain why there are two of me now, old and new…
She adds I'm taking a big risk here, telling you all this. Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to disappear for a few days now. You can contact me remotely if you find anything. Thanks.
Travel to Barnard's Star Jump Gate to find Charlize Avakian.
Next NPC: Charlize Avakian, Clones, Barnard's Star Jump Gate
- Talk to Charlize Avakian.
Charlize is hunched over, muttering to herself as she works on an empty pod's pipe feed array. She snaps up as you approach.
Charlize says Greetings, Ser. I'm rather busy right now. If you find one of my colleagues, they'll be able to show you a brochure and talk you through our current offers.
She turns back to her pipe array, connecting a loose one to the dock labeled 'NUTRIENT FEED'.
Ask Charlize for information about Jassandra's case.
- Explain your purpose to Charlize discreetly.
- Explain your purpose to Charlize directly.
Directly:
Me I'm here about the wife, or former wife, of one Farax Bigel. I think we both know what this is about.
Discreetly.:
Me I'm actually here on behalf of a mutual friend. Somebody you helped into a new life… Well. the thing is. My- Er. Our friend is confused. She was under the impression her old life would end, when the new one began…
Charlize says Er— What is this? You always talk in riddles? I'm trying to work here.
Me Perhaps you've seen news reports. From the Maid?
Either choice continue:
Charlize stops tinkering with the pod's pipe array. There's a notable shift in her posture, much as she's trying to act normally. She clears her throat.
Charlize says Listen. I have to watch what I say. Got a job to keep here. So er… Let's just say I do watch the news reports, yes. Especially local system news… Some very strange things happening… Especially on the Maid. I'm very puzzled by it all…
Charlize ushers you closer so you can speak out of sight or ear shot of her colleagues.
- "How can you explain it?"
Me "How can you explain it?"
Charlize says I cannot. The technology does not allow two instances to exist… And yet. Both the new and the old walk among us… I've thought of nothing else for the past two tenspans. Look, here.
Charlize checks none of her colleagues are around, then wanders over to a desk slate and pulls up a news bullet-in from the Maid. Like the ones you previously saw, it shows Farax and Ariane smiling and waving their way through some sort of public duties, dated only three days ago.
Charlize says I don't understand. She died. The amygchip transfer only works when the current body dies. And yet… There she is. Smiling. Waving. Same old charade as before. The trophy wife.
- "Trophy wife?"
Me The what? Trophy wife?
Charlize says Oh sorry. It's an outdated term. Thankfully. Not that cases don't still occasionally manifest, even today, as you can see here… It's an ugly relationship dynamic, whereby one partner serves as a status symbol of sorts, for the other, especially in public. It stems from ancient human societies, but… Well. You can see here it's not completely disappeared. Ariane is a typical example. Look how docile she is. Smiling, waving, smiling, waving. To him she's an essential prop for his media image, little more…
As she speaks, Charlize skips through a few more news reports tagged 'Farax & Ariane Bigel'. Each is a variation on the same theme; Farax stands behind a podium, on a stage, or walks between adoring crowds, Ariane in tow, immaculately dressed, seemingly with the job of beaming her smile in all directions, her gleaming teeth somehow infusing the atmosphere with an air of positive emotion. Charlize watches on in disgust, suddenly jabbing a finger at the screen.
Charlize says Huh? Hold up. What the— HE'S new.
Charlize mutters to herself as she pinch-zooms a frozen frame from the report to focus on a figure in the background, standing with Farax's entourage. Charlize quickly swipes through another recent report, again zooming to identify the same balding man, hands clasped together, standing expressionless to the side of whatever stage Farax and Ariane are occupying.
Charlize adds Look. This guy is there, every time, since it er- happened. He was never there before. I know because I had to study all this, for the planning, for our friend… But I know him from somewhere… Darn it. Facial image search says his result is non-public.
Charlize scratches her chin as you squint at the zoomed in figure on the image. At the top of the screen, a new item appears in the feed for Maid news; 'DISCIPLINE GRAND OPENING TODAY - BIGELS EXPECTED'. You swipe it open and read that both Farax and Ariane will be making a public appearance to re-open the Maid's refurbished Gym, 'Discipline' later today. Charlize looks at the screen, then back to you, with unspoken understanding.
Charlize says Go. Keep in touch. I'll call if I find anything useful here.
Visit the Gym on the Maid of Orleans for Farax & Ariane's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Next NPC: Farax Bigel, Gym, The Maid of Orléans
- Join the crowd for the Gym's re-opening ceremony.
You arrive at the Gym just as Farax's voice becomes audible through the area's public speaker. In the Gym's main lobby, a small stage has been set up, around which a few dozen locals are stood, listening to Farax speak.
Farax says Take a look around, good people, at this new facility. It shall be a factory of strength, training our fighters and soldiers to be the best they can be… Those enemies who think us weak, who failed to kill us off, even with the Catastrophe, who bide their time waiting for their next opportunity, I say… Look! Look at the warriors we train here, the proud champions we produce… Do you dare test them? Test loyalty to THEIR flag? And their hatred of YOURS? Do you?!
He pauses for effect, and the crowd dutifully cheers and hollers to fill the gap. All around, devotees of this military Gym watch on, faces focused on the man on the podium. A few meters behind, there's a small entourage. Two burly security guards flank a smiling Ariane Bigel, and the mysterious figure Charlize noticed. They stand still, listening attentively, and with Ariane occasionally giving the crowd a wave in response to each whooping cheer.
- Continue observing the scene.
Farax drones on, building towards a typically bellicose finale, the words of which are half-drowned out by the crowd's cheering and applause. And yet, something else catches your eye; Ariane.
Still standing, beaming her smile, she doesn't react to a slowly growing wet patch which appears on her shoulder. You look up to see a newly-fitted air recycler unit above her, dripping from its excess pipe. Every few units another drop falls. The wet patch gets bigger, darkening an ever larger patch of the first lady's bright red dress. And yet, she doesn't react. Not even acknowledging it's happening. Her smile doesn't waver, and nor does she simply step to the side to evade the drops.
- Continue observing Ariane Bigel.
While others focus on Farax, center-stage, cutting a long red ribbon which has been tied across the entrance to the Gym's main workout zone, you keep your eye trained on Ariane. Still the damp patch grows and still, neither she nor anyone else, seems to react.
And then Farax notices. Glancing over at her, he double-takes, then spits a few vicious words in the direction of the white-coated figure that Charlize had noticed in the photos. The man, whose CORETECHS ID is non-public, jolts into action, now noticing the large wet patch on Ariane's shoulder. He barks a few orders at the security guards, and the trio of Farax, Ariane, and the man make a hasty departure from the stage.
Follow Farax and Ariane to investigate further.
- Follow them.
- Contact Charlize and tell her what you saw.
Follow them.
You shuffle through the crowd with purpose, but careful to avoid attracting attention. By the time you emerge from the cluster of bodies, you can spot your three targets trotting hastily towards Amereaux.
Follow your targets to Amereaux, the Residences on the Maid of Orleans, to continue investigating.
Contact Charlize:
Quickly you pull up a recording of what you just saw via your CORETECHS interface and send the clip off to Charlize, with a two-word message attached; 'weird, right?' By the time you finish, the crowd around you has started to disperse. There's no sign of Farax or Ariane any more.
Find Farax and Ariane. They must be somewhere on the Maid of Orleans.
Either choice continues:
Next NPC: Farax Bigel, Residences, The Maid of Orléans
- Follow Farax and Ariane Bigel.
Ahead of you Farax paces through the avenues of Amereaux, turning occasionally to spit a few angry commands in the direction of Ariane and the white-coated assistant, who retorts with some pointed tones of his own. The argument between the two men progresses in volume as their walking pace quickens, with Ariane neither speaking nor being spoken to as she follows alongside.
- Get closer to hear what they're saying.
- Follow from afar.
Get closer:
Seizing your chance, you sprint forward as the argument reaches a particularly-throaty exchange, ducking down again behind a snack vendor machine only a few meters from where the trio are stood.
Farax says Let me spell it out, Gustavius. You. Messed. Up. Got it? I don't want to hear more of your merde excuses, d'accord?
Gustavius replies With all due respect, Governor, the science on this isn't easy… I warned there'd be diff—
Farax spits Shut it. No more. What did I say about excuses?!
Still bickering, they turn into the wider and more prestigious streets of the residential quarter, then reach their destination; an A-grade hab unit with 'GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE' marked across the main entrance. They disappear through it, closing the door behind them.
- Try to see what's happening inside.
Follow from afar.
You're careful to keep a safe distance, ducking down whenever Farax casts a cursory glance around. They're too far to make out specific words, but the two men are clearly still disagreeing strongly about something.
Turning into the wider and more prestigious streets of the residential quarter, they finally reach their destination; an A-grade hab unit with 'GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE' marked across the main entrance. They disappear through it, closing the door behind them.
- Try to see what's happening inside.
Try to see what's happening inside.
You creep around the outside of the residence. Its main windows have the privacy tint active. Holding an ear against the wall paneling, you hear the argument continuing inside. Two male voices, no longer making as much effort to suppress the volume of their words.
Farax shouts Do what you're paid to, Gustavius, and FIX IT! OK?! I don't want a repeat of what just happened, got it?!
There's some sort of meek and inaudible reply, before both men re-emerge from the main entrance and head off in separate directions, back into the station. You remain undetected, crouched low behind some ornamental hydroponics, breath-held and motionless against the front facade of the residence in which Ariane has now been left alone.
Return to Amereaux
- Look around.
You emerge from cover and take a look around. The large residence now seems silent. To the side, the access walkway is quiet but for the low thrum of air recycler and heat exchanger ducts.
The Bigels' home sits at the end of a short dead-end walkway, deep in the outer sectors of the station's hull. Polished chrome panels form its outer structure, punctuated with privacy-tinted viewing panes every few meters, the kind which toggle images of starry constellations or terran oceanic beaches on the other side.
- Ring the door entry buzzer.
- Explore the perimeter of the residence.
Ring:
You walk over to the door's entry buzzer and press it but nothing happens. Once. Twice. Nothing.
- Shout to get Ariane's attention.
- Explore the perimeter of the residence.
Shout:
You voice reverberates off the area's many flat surfaces, but still the door doesn't open.
- Explore the perimeter of the residence.
Explore:
You take a few steps to follow the curve of the residence's outer wall. Around, on the other side, you notice one viewing pane which seems to have its privacy filter off, revealing instead a window into the darkened interior. You step forward for a closer look.
Inside, the room is in almost total darkness but for the light coming from some of the kitchen appliance LED indicators. You see the silhouetted outlines of a food preparation area, with dining table and chairs, opening out onto a lounge, with a holoscreen and some shelving on the wall. Underneath there's a couple of arm chairs, one of which is occupied. It's Ariane.
Look at Ariane Bigel
- Look at Ariane
Ariane's motionless body sits, bolt upright in the lounge armchair, staring blankly ahead like a deactivated android. She seems not to notice you. You tap on the pane's hard surface with increasing force, but still she doesn't react.
Over your shoulder, the tap of footsteps on the regocrete walkway echo nearer. You hold your position, still watching through the viewing panel as the white-coated man re-enters the residence, activates the lights, and gets to work removing items from a satchel, onto a table. He says nothing to Ariane, nor she to him.
For the first time, you notice some sort of pod in the corner of the room, shaped as if to accommodate a human body. The silent figure taps away at a pocket slate and the metallic pod powers up, its outer display screens flickering into life, and LED indicators blinking red, blue and green. He's muttering something, more to himself than to Ariane, as he taps away on his device.
He says Now, in you get.
Ariane finally stirs, standing from her chair and walking over to the strange chamber. The man helps her inside this odd vertical tomb, closing the door behind so that only her face is still visible through a small circular glass panel. As you watch on, a CORETECHS call from Charlize comes in.
- Answer the call
You quickly answer Charlize's call, but hesitate before speaking, wary of alerting those inside of your presence.
Charlize says It's me. Just thought we should check in. I've been thinking about our friend's problem and er- … You there? <name>? Hello? Why aren't you speaking. I can literally hear you breathing, I know you're there… Is there a glitch of some sort?
Charlize's voice trails off into baffled silence.
- Give Charlize right of observance via your CORETECHS.
You activate the right of observance mode in your CORETECHS so that Charlize has access to a feed of what you're seeing right now. Her voice is barely audible in your ear as she reacts to the images.
Charlize says Whatnow? Right of observance? What the shooting stars is this??
You send a quick text reply; 'I HEAR YOU. CAN'T SPEAK. YOU SEEING THIS?'
Charlize replies Oh. My. Nebulas. THAT'S where I know him from! That guy, the one who's always lurking around with Farax and er… His wife, ever since er- it happened. It's Gustavius Hix! The creep with the MSBs!
Charlize's voice modulates erratically, clearly pumped by the adrenaline of the realization, as you both watch Gustavius tinkering with the metallic pod's control panels. Ariane spasms slightly inside, as if flinching at some unseen annoyance. Her eyes remain mostly open, blinking regularly.
She continues Oh. This is… Ugly. Poor… Ariane. Oh no…
- Ask Charlize about Gustavius.
- Ask about MSBs.
Gustavius:
You send another text reply to Charlize; 'GUSTAVIUS?'
Charlize replies Yep. That's him. For sure. I knew I recognized him. Was an Anima Staffer, way back. Quite senior. RnD. Got struck off though, must be eight or nine cycles back. Didn't hear anything else after that. The company kept it hush hush, for obvious reasons. We figured he'd get work someplace where the leadership had less worry about regulation. Always figured that meant some 'booter hole, never thought it'd be on the Maid.
With Charlize's voice in your ear you continue observing the strange scene inside the Bigels' residence. Gustavius is pottering about checking connections in the pod's electrical circuits via an open panel at the side. Ariane is still inside, almost motionless apart from the slight flaring of her nostrils as she breathes.
Charlize says We never knew why he was barred, not exactly. He'd breached ethical codes, and laws, in pretty severe ways… There were all kinds of rumors. Turns out the ones about the MSBs were true. He WAS doing illegal experiments with the banned tech…
Charlize tuts slightly, like a parent telling off a naughty child. You check quickly over your shoulder but still the walkway behind is deserted. You keep low so as to not be visible to the area's security cameras. Inside, Gustavius continues his tasks.
- Ask about MSBs.
MSBs:
Using your neural CORETECHS interface, you compose the content of your message simply by thinking it. It reads; 'MSBs?'
Charlize says MSBs. Yep. Medical Statis Boxes. A pre-Cat tech that's so illegal now, even 'Booters won't touch it. They're designed to reverse cell decay… Sorta by freezing it, then sending nano-tech in to fix the damage. Except, nobody knows how to work them, not really. Even on basic single-celled organisms, it works like one in ten. Un-rotting some food might be one in a hundred. And… well… It's only ever produced disasters when tested on humans. Post-Catastrophe anyway. Programming the nano-tech repair is just too complex…
You continue watching through the viewing pane as the man inside tinkers with the pod's settings. Ariane is expressionless inside.
- Ask Charlize about Gustavius.
After asking about both Gustavius and MSBs:
- Ask Charlize if this is how Ariane 'survived' the suicide pill.
Me Is this how Ariane survived the suicide pill?
You whisper your question, checking around that the walkway is still deserted. There's still no sign of Farax returning.
Charlize says Yup. It's the only way to explain it. I mean… The suicide pill worked. The Amygchip authorized the data transfer and the new clone was activated. But… It looks like the body was er- handed over to Gustavius and- … You can see the results. She's breathing but… That's not…
Charlize's voice trails off momentarily. You hear a deep breath as she recomposes herself.
She says Sorry. It's just… I know it might sound rich coming from a clone tech, but this is upsetting… To use Ariane… I mean, Jassandra's, old body like this, I mean… You can see what sort of man he is, this Farax, I'm even more convinced I did the right thing to help her escape him… Maybe to a Promethean what Farax is doing and what I do are the same… But to me, and to the law, they're not… Jassandra doesn't consent to this. It's- it's abuse… Look! That's how he's doing it!
- See what's happening inside.
You switch attention from your CORETCHS UI to the scene beyond, which Charlize is also seeing via your right of observance. Inside, Gustavius has opened the doors of the MSB chamber and now manipulates some sort of hand console, while Ariane steps forward slowly, then raises a hand to wave and flashes a smile left and right. Same as she did at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Charlize's voice in your ear is laced with biting rage.
Charlize says That's how he's doing it! Remote control. He must've rigged her nervous system up to remote receptors… The MSB merely keeps the simple cells from decay, but whatever function it… she… has is… entirely fabricated… I feel sick! All this time, I was worried, maybe I did something wrong, the way I set up Ariane's clone. But it had nothing to do with me. Farax stole her corpse and is using it as a prop to pretend nothing ever happened!
Suddenly, more footsteps are audible. On the walkway, Farax approaches, scurrying hastily towards his residence entrance.
Charlize says There he is. Monster. I should go. You don't need distractions. Watch yourself, <name>. You don't know what he's capable of…
Charlize ends the CORETECHS call and the right of observance ceases. You're alone again, watching as Farax re-enters his quarters. Inside he seems to be happy to find Ariane as she is, exchanging a few muffled words with Gustavius about something being 'fixed'. You creep carefully away from the residence and find a quiet spot to contemplate your next move.
Go to the Lounge on The Maid of Orleans so you can call Jassandra with an update.
Next area: Lounge, The Maid of Orléans
- Contact Jassandra to tell her your findings.
Once you're safely away from the residences, you follow the walkways to the Salon de The, the Maid's Lounge. It's hard to reconcile the apparent normality of people chatting and sipping tea here with the grotesque sights witnessed only moments ago. You settle into a booth in the far corner and call Jassandra. She answers immediately.
- Explain what you discovered about Farax, Gustavius, and the MSB.
Jassandra listens quietly as you describe what you've seen.
Me It's called an MSB. A medical stasis box. Tech from the before, illegal now… He's using it to arrest the decay of your- I mean… Ariane's body… Gustavius Hix, ex-Anima, struck off for ethics breaches is helping him do it… But the movements, the waving, smiling… It's all remote controlled. And it doesn't work that well. They were arguing about it today. I can't understand why he'd go to all this trouble… He doesn't seem particularly grief-stricken at losing his wife…
As you speak, you become aware of Jassandra's steady sobs in your ear.
She says Even for a monster like Farax, this is beyond belief… It's nothing to do with grief. I was never a person to him before anyway, just a public accessory, part of his image… So, in a way, he didn't really lose anything, as long as he keeps the puppet smiling and waving… I-
Jassandra coughs and splutters, as if gripped by a sudden nausea. She says nothing for a few units. You wait, watching the Lounge's other occupants chattering away about some carefree topic or other.
Jassandra continues Sorry. I- It feels strange. I mean- I knew I'd be leaving my body behind. I just didn't think… The hard part is, I imagined the people I'd be leaving being told about my death. I didn't imagine them still thinking that this… thing… was me. I don't have much in the way of family but still… I don't want them thinking… Oh no—
Somewhere back on Asimov, Jassandra Phoenix retches once again. You turn the volume down slightly on your CORETECHS call settings to spare your ears.
- Suggest reporting Farax to the authorities.
We could send an anonymous tip-off? MSBs are illegal on Gaule stations, like most other places. Maybe it'll be enough to stop this grim puppet show.
Jassandra says Good idea. Farax is well connected, he won't be punished, but it could get him to stop what he's doing… Can you send it? Keep the details sparse. I don't want Charlize or me getting traced to any of this…
Me Sure thing.
You prepare a short message and submit it via the Gaule security services' anonymous informants channel. Jassandra is quietly pensive on the other end of the call.
Me It's done.
Jassandra says Thank you. I suppose I should try to look forward now. Somehow put all this behind me. Those twelve cycles with Farax, and now, all this… I need to let go of the old me, of Ariane. I hope I'll be able to that soon… It just wasn't easy, with what Farax did… But I'm Jassandra now. I need to get used that. It's all a lot more confusing than I expected it to be.
Jassandra adds I appreciate what you did for me, <name>. It brings some solace, at least. To understand what happened. Hopefully Ariane, or what's left of her, will be allowed to rest in peace and dignity soon… I'm sending you a payment, to cover all the travelling, plus a litte extra for your trouble.
You have received 10,000.00 credits.
You have completed the "Trophy Wife" mission.
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