Quindecim 47th, 20XX -
Wrong passcode X, three attempts remaining.
"What are you doing? I told you to be more careful," C roars. "If the phone resets, we can neve-
Look, do you want a paycheck or not," C groans.
You're intrigued by his statement and proceed to ask him a question you'd been sitting on for quite some time.
• You ask him if his name is Cooper.
"Oh well, you got me. I guess it's not a secret anymore. Was Marie the one that told you.
I had a hunch; she's always betraying my orders."
• You question Cooper about his past career.
"Since you've been behaving lately, I'll impart you with a story. I trained all my life to become a pilot. After numerous exams and air practice, I finally made it into the force. However, an injury I sustained during an expedition severed the ties between me and my passion. Now, I maintain a position in the VR project to cleanse my boredom," Cooper affirms.
• You reassess he's the same James Cooper who knew Captain Cuttlefish.
"Indeed, Cuttlefish and I use to sail the high seas together. He was a faithful companion until the end," Cooper details.
• You inquire Cooper's middle name.
"How does it have any relevance to the case at hand?" Cooper doubts.
• You tell him to answer the question with a forceful attitude.
"Uh, it's William," Cooper responds, confused.
You inform him that the real James passed away. Cooper's middle name began with a B, and not a W. You tell him that he's a fraud.
"Where's your proof," C exclaims.
You pull out the tattered Grizzco documents from your pocket. You familiarize C with the contents of the paper. A specific string of letters revealed the answer.
In memory of a good friend, James B Cooper.
Marina intrudes on the conversation, "Wouldn't C know the handbook. How did he fall for such a glaring contradiction?"
You establish a rebuttal for Marina's claim. This book was published three years ago — It's easy for someone to forget a trivial detail such as an author's middle initial.
His name isn't James Cooper. He was posing as this character to mislead us.
"Well, if you think you're so smart, who am I then?" C rebukes.
You weren't quite sure yet. There was a large pool of suspects yet to be confirmed. C could either be Marie, Captain Cuttlefish, Callie, or an unknown individual.
"Well, the Captain wrote the book, so it's not him. Marie is usually stationed at her desk, so not her either. And it can't Callie because she knows the password. So that only leaves one potential suspect, someone we don't know about..." Marina concludes.
"No, that's not true." C declares. "Captain Cuttlefish is an old man, and it's not unlikely for him to forget a name. Marie isn't glued to her office; she can come and go as she pleases. And Callie...
Well, actually, that one is pretty stupid," C confesses.
"See, I told you," Marina whispers.
"Shut up," Pearl shouts.
At this point, you can't trust C's word. He's grasping at straws to disprove his guilt.
"I'd admire your tenacity, but you can't lob accusations at me without evidence. Let's resume the VR procedure after a quick lunch break. I hope then we can put this controversy to rest," C states.
As you depart from the vicinity C calls for your name, "And Agent 4,
You're playing with fire my friend. I suggest you stop intervening with my plans," C advises.
The three of you head to the cafeteria. You plop down at a bench positioned at the edge of the room. As Marina waits in line to get food, you pull out the torn documents and decipher the message.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
If, at any point, the subject is bombarded by a surge of static noise, please postpone the procedure. The vassal is in grave danger of losing their memories.
You spot a folded section attached to the bottom. You refrain from reading it, scared of what other health risks await. Every sign was telling you to suspend the program and alert the staff. However, you avoided partaking in this action. If C or Marina found out you were experiencing these side effects, they'd pull you from the project immediately and replace you with another unfortunate soul. If you wanted to uncover the details of Callie's disappearance, you would have to bear through it for the time being.
"I didn't think you'd be the rebellious type Agent 4; rummaging through old hospital records," Pearl exposes. "You don't have to conceal information from me. I'm not as uptight as Marina. Tell me why you were delving through documents in the first place?" Pearl comments.
Should you tell her about your condition, would it be a wise decision? How good is she at keeping a secret?
Marina interrupts your conversation. "Time to dig in," She says as she sets down a tray of mushy coral. Pearl squeezes her nostrils with her finger, "Ugh, that smell reminds me of school lunch."
"Come on. It's all healthy products low in cholesterol. I'm sure Agent 4 would like a bite," Marina says the holding out the fork to you.
You taste the mushy substance and almost barf from sheer disgust. You give a reassuring thumbs-up to satisfy Marina's desires.
The three of you contemplate the logistics of the case over lunch. Marina draws a box on a napkin, providing insight into the situation, "C resides in a control room elevated twelve stories of the ground. It's earned the nickname of the Eye in the Sky. The only opening is a stairwell connected to the back of the office. However, a plethora of trained guards occupy the area."
"What are you planning, storm the passageway?" Pearl queries.
"No, we need to take a more strategic approach," Marina says as she continues sketching on the napkin. "Pearl is the fork, I'm the spoon, and you're the knife Agent 4," Marina clarifies.
Marina moves the fork along the paper, "Pearl cuts out power to the mainframe. That's when the spoon comes in. I release a barrage of tear gas at the enemy. With the guards knocked out, Agent 4 can reach the chamber unharmed."
"Wouldn't Agent 4 fall victim to the gas as well," Pearl suggests.
"Not if we equip him with a gas mask. Just give him the one you found," Marina instructs Pearl.
"No way, I stole it fair and square. And um..."
"What."
"I've already worn it. And my face against Agent 4's..."
"Heh." Marina snickers, "Someones a weirdo."
"That aside, we'll have to be very careful. We only have one shot at this, and if we mess up its game over. Okay team, place your hands in the middle. On three, we yell for Callie.
One, you put your hand in the center.
Two, you squeeze the Grizzco parchment tightly.
Three, you shoot your hands up and release a loud cry. "FOR CALLIE."
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November 5th, 2019 -
("Can you hear me," Marina says, communicating to you using an earpiece. "Please wait for my signal.")
Callie plunges into a leaf pile and sends the leaves airborne. You use a rake to block any incoming debris. You then gather the leaves into a small mound and prepare to counterattack. You hold the rake like a baseball bat and smack them in Callie's direction.
She shakes the leaves off her body. "You don't think this is childish. Marie always makes fun of me for enjoying these kinds of activities," Callie sighs.
• You notify her that you would categorize her hobbies as cute more than anything.
"Cute is a strong word. I'm sure my boyfriend wouldn't appreciate you using that word when describing me," Callie informs.
Boyfriend?
Callie smirks, noticing your flustered reaction. "Yeah, he's tall, handsome, and wears a bright neon jacket." You look down at your clothes, realizing you fit that description.
"I'm just joking, hahaha, please forget I said anything. You think of me as a sister after all," Callie awkwardly laughs.
("Come in Agent 4; Pearl just reached the breaker. I'm nearing the VR room with the tear gas stored in a medical kart — The operation will commence in less than five minutes." Marina announces.)
"Could you help me up," Callie asks. You grasp her hand firmly, preparing to lift. She yanks you back into the pile, and both you topple onto each other. A stream of leaves descends from above. "Deja vu huh. But this time, you're on top of me," Callie realizes.
You roll over and gaze at the puffy white clouds. The autumn breeze is blowing the and the harvest season is at its peak.
"You know why I ran away at the Halloween party. Well, I didn't want anyone to see me with a loser like you," Callie explains.
You knew she was lying. You saw her doing little jig after the kiss.
"It's funny; I usually hate raking leaves. I guess I like spending time with you... we should do more stuff together. We can see a movie, go to a theme park, or even meet each other's parents.
Callie was a ball of mixed signals. She'll kiss you one minute and deny it happened the next. Maybe she likes you but is afraid to admit it?
At the side of the screen, a small icon is displayed: Battery 100%. That was your cue that the power was out. You remove the helmet and re-enter reality.
A monotone voice echoes on the loudspeaker, "Backup generators are operable. Please proceed with caution."
("Wait, what. I didn't know they had backup generators," Marina says, bewildered.
"Oh no, they'll see us coming. Marina get out of there!" Pearl warns.
"Carp, they saw me, and now they're approaching the kart.")
"Excuse me C. We discovered an individual carrying tear gas in a medical kart, what should we do with them," The watchman reports.
"Bring them here. I'd like to have a chat with them," C states.
("Marina what happened?" Pearl questions.
"I got caught, and now there escorting me to the VR chamber. This isn't looking good for us," Marina worries.
"This is what happens when you formulate a plan on a napkin," Pearl yells.)
Marina enters the chamber with a fleet of armed guards surrounding her. "Marina, you're behind this? I'm incredibly disappointed in you," C shamefully expresses. The guards are preoccupied with detaining Marina, and the stairwell remains vacant.
If you had any hope of uncovering the truth, you had to take any opportunities offered to you.
You sprint past the guards and race up the stairs. "Hey, what are you doing, come back here?" One sentry clamors. Marina grabs a can of tear gas and hurls it at her feet. The blast submerges Marina and the guards in a heap of vapor.
You hurl your body up each flight. ("Abort mission Agent 4. I repeat, abort mission Agent 4." Pearl enforces.) You rip the earpiece out of your ear and toss it behind you.
"Stop him, don't let him get any further," C orders. The guards dive out of the smoke and hurry up the stairwell. The guards begin to close the gap between you and them. You propel your body like a missile, launching yourself upwards using the handrails. You clutch the door handle and shove it forward. Shit, it's locked. You thrust your body at the door. You can hear the guards rushing from behind."Don't do this Agent 4. You're better than this." C pleads.
You continually throw your body against the door as the division of guard closes in on you. "Agent 4 stop, please, I'm begging you," C urges.
You step back; a guard grasps your shoulder. "AGENT 4" C screeches. You fling your body against the door, busting it down.
The true identity of C is revealed to be...
Marie