Quindecim 48th, 20XX -
Marie grabs the microphone, "Guards, please revoke Agent 4's VR license. He is no longer permitted to enter this facility."
You grapple onto the swivel chair and force your body upwards. You then point a stern finger in Marie's direction.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I told you there would be repercussions for your actions," Marie notifies.
You stiffen your extended finger. You warn her that if she fired you, you'd inform the company of her identity.
"What are you scheming Agent 4. You wish to work here after all of the torment you've endured. Callie had plenty of friends who'd be just as happy to oblige. Just fork over your role as VR tester and take up a position in the health and services department," Marie suggests.
No, you were willing to face any hardships to uncover the truth. And your first order of business was for Marie to tell you everything.
"That confidential. I have to maintain order, and I shall not let your outlandish propositions tamper with that responsibility.
• You restate your blackmailing plan, hoping to secure more information from Marie.
She scratches her head and ponders a rebuttal. "Ugh, guards dismissed," She orders.
"My name is Marie, and I used C as a moniker to mislead the staff. I chose it because I wanted my identity to remain a mystery. The sharks see me as a top threat. If any word was leaked about my profession, I'd become a walking target. I also want to move away from the title of Marie. I think it can help me distance my life now and my life before the Apocalypse."
• You inquire for more information regarding the Sharks.
"What hasn't been said? They're an organization that works to wreak havoc on the squid populist. Our sources report that their base is stationed at a dingy old theme park. They caused all of this; they're the real enemy, not me. Stop treating me like I'm the enemy," Marie pleads.
Marie had been concealing information for months. It's no wonder that people have continuously viewed her as the enemy. If Marie was ever to regain your trust again, she needed to reveal everything she's been hiding.
"There's one more thing I haven't told you about, but it be easier just to show you," Marie says, shifting your attention to a hidden door in the back of the room. Broken machinery and cobwebs obscure the entrance. After she inputs the passcode, she leads you through a winding corridor. The passageway becomes increasingly narrower the farther in you travel. Rusty metallic noises sound off in the distance, and the area exudes an unsettling atmosphere. You eventually reach a sizeable archaic door covered in ancient hieroglyphics.
"Don't freak out," Marie warns as she inspects the card reader.
The domain is a mash-up of antique tools and futuristic appliances. You spot an abnormal creature scurry up the side of the door, but you pretend to ignore it. Marie turns on the system's power and takes a step back. The symbols etched into the door begin to illuminate, and the room proceeds to shake. Inside the chamber, heaps of pipes and values are present. You also feel a frost emitting from the floor, that's used to maintain the vault's frozen products. You and Marie head to the center of the room.
Marie stops at a massive object covered by a tarp.
"Do you know why we were searching for Callie's password? It all had to do this with this..." She grips the edges of the sheet and forcefully removes the cloth.
Suddenly, your life flashes before your eyes. A sharp pain rushes through your head. The world is spinning, and you can't feel your feet. You latch onto Marie to prevent your fall. You then attempt to regain your composure and asses the situation.
The sight you witnessed was inconceivable. You feel as if your reality itself had been shattered into a million pieces. Everything you believed turned out to be a lie.
Callie occupies a cylindrical tube. She's unconscious and hunched in a fetus position — the computer linked to the machine displays Callie's current condition.
Callie - Alive