(set: $goodwill to 0) (set: $companion to "Nobody") As Roy beckons you further in, you gaze around the densley packed space with a critical eye. The Underground Market is a bustling bazaar, filled with odd fixtures and odder people. You wonder how anyone can hear themselves think down here. You think of the desolation of Lonely Skies casino and reevaluate your understanding of New Vegas' local economy. Clearly, this is where the magic happens.
"Okay," says Roy, who is already backing away, "this is as far as I can take you."
"Wait, you're not coming with me?" you say.
"I'm sorry," says Roy, and he looks it. "I'll lose my job if I'm caught down here. None of the employees are supposed to know about this place."
"Not supposed to, but they all do?" you ask.
"I mean, [[Ellie->Ellie Intro]] tells us to treat it like it doesn't exist. So, therefore, it doesn't. Working in the casino kind of warps your perception of reality."
"Sounds tough," you snark. "I need your help."
"I'm sorry," Roy repeats. "You're on your own."
Roy begins to walk away, but you catch him. "Can I ask you a question first?"
Roy seems to be wary of you already. He sighs, sticks his hands in his pockets. "Fine. One question."
You cast your eyes around. Among the fracas, you note a couple of stand-outs. Any one of them could be a topic of conversation. You could ask Roy about...
[[...that person with a cap over their face peddling strange vials...->Scene A]]
[[...an excited looking man shouting into the crowd, seemingly onto deaf ears...->Scene B]]
[[...a dour looking woman who clearly does not want to be seen, and looks somewhat familiar...->Scene C]]
[[...or maybe you could ask Roy about himself? You are somewhat curious.->Scene D]]You point to the person with the strange vials. "What's that person selling?" (set: $companion to "Tig")
"What?" Roy asks, then looks. He seems a little relieved. "Oh. That's just Rance. They set up shop whenever they feel like it."
You the forced lightness in Roy's voice. "But what are they selling?" you ask.
"Why don't you go ask them?" Roy says, pointedly not looking in Rance's direction.
You glare at Roy, then walk towards Rance, who perks up immediately upon seeing your approach. Perhaps business has been slow. "Hello!" they say, "Welcome to - "
The words die in their throat as the two of you lock eyes. You've seen this person before. Only last time, you heard someone call them [["Tig".->Tig Intro]]
"You!" you shout. "You work for the hospital!"
"Will you keep your voice down?" Tig hisses. "If I'm rumbled, I'm done for!"
You glance at the strange vials. You feel as if you're in the presence of a medieval doctor selling humour-balancing potions. "I take it this stuff is from the hospital?" you say. "So you're stealing?"
"It's not like that," says Tig. "Look, the hospital doesn't use the stuff I'm selling. They won't even miss it."
"I could report you," you say.
"I would be MOST appreciative if you didn't," Tig says, their voice taking on an edge you've never heard from them. "Not just for my sake. People depend on this stuff."
You have so many questions. [[Why use a pseudonym?->Scene A-1]] [[What exactly is this stuff?->Scene A-2]] And [[could this have anything to do with the man you're looking to talk to?->Scene A-3]]"What kind of a name is Rance?" you ask. You aren't trying to be mean. But Tig seems a little too straight-laced to pull off the moniker.
"You don't like it?" Tig asks. They're crestfallen. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill-1)
"It sounds like the name of a self-insert fanfic protagonist," you say. Not that you'd know anything about that.
"No, it's...ugh," Tig tries, suddenly frustrated. "It's supposed to be like 'Rancid,' you know? It's cool," they insist, bright red.
"What's wrong with 'Tig'?" you ask.
Tig shushes you and glances around. When nobody springs out of the crowd with a weapon, they relax. "I told you," they scold you in a whisper, "nobody can know I'm here."
"Yeah," you say, "but if I recognized you, don't you think someone else will at some point?"
"I have a contingency plan for that," says Tig.
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"You're about to find out," Tig says, looking at something behind you.
"What?" you ask, [[spinning around.->Scene A-4]]"What is this stuff, anyway?" you ask, gesturing towards the vials and beakers. You could swear you see the contents of one bubble and roil.
"Oh!" says Tig, not making eye contact. "You know...bits and bobs."
"Why are you being so weird about this?" you ask. "Roy wouldn't tell me what you're selling either."
"Roy doesn't know what I'm selling," says Tig. "Look, trading this stuff is dangerous for me. Nobody can get a whiff of what I've got here, except for the people who need it. It's the safest way to do business."
You see a flaw in Tig's logic. "But if someone like me can wander in here and spot you right away, aren't you worried about one of your supervisors doing the same? Or some other person who-"
"Nobody at the hospital knows about the Underground Market," Tig interrupts. "And as for other idiots, I have a contingency plan."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"You're about to find out," says Tig, looking at something behind you.
"What?" you say, [[spinning around.->Scene A-4]]"Maybe you'll know," you say, deciding to ignore Tig's whole deal for now, "can you tell me where to find Krill?"
Tig's eyes lose some luster. They've definitely become more guarded. "What do you want Krill for?"
"My friend went missing last night," you explain. "I've been told that Krill might know something about it."
Tig shuffles. "Look," they say, "I know your business has ties to the hospital. If you're trying to get Krill in trouble, I'm going to advise you not to."
"What? No," you say, "Roy just told me that Krill knows a lot of people in the casino."
"He doesn't just know people," says Tig. "He's the one running the show."
This gives you pause. The confusion must show on your face.
"It's like...you know how there are whales in the ocean that let smaller fish feed off of them? We're all the fish. And Krill's the whale. Except instead of a whale, he's more like a shark."
"So he's dangerous?" you ask.
"You aren't listening," Tig snaps. "Yes, he's dangerous. But he's also essential. And powerful. So when I tell you not to mess with him, it's not just for your safety, it's for ours."
You feel as though you've stumbled into something larger than your immediate concerns. "I just want to ask him some questions, Tig. Then I'll leave."
"Please call me 'Rance' while you're down here," says Tig, pulling down their cap. "You never know who...oh jeez."
You see Tig staring at something behind you. "What?"
"Things might get a little freaky," says Tig, beginning to pack up their stuff, [["so I'm going to ask you to remain calm."->Scene A-4]]"Hey! You!"
The guy who was screaming at the crowd before is marching toward you, purpose blazing in his eyes. You look around you for someone who can help, or something you can use to help yourself, when you hear Tig say something ominous.
"Hold your breath."
Before you can ask, Tig flips a switch and their booth collapses. Several jars break and a terrible smell fills the air. In the confusion, Tig takes your hand and you both flee the scene.
"Where are you taking me?" you ask, breathless.
"To the only person who can keep us safe right now," Tig says.
The two of you stop at a door to one of the nicer lean-to's in the market. Tig raps out a series of knocks, and the door opens slightly. It's dark; you can't make out anything inside. You're suddenly filled with a sense of unease.
"Come on," says Tig. "If that guy sees you later, there'll be trouble. Please trust me."
Trust Tig? They haven't been very forthcoming with information so far. And they're definitely up to something shady at the hospital. But you know about dirty business dealings, and this is the closest you've come to getting answers about where Barry could be.
[[Do you trust Tig?->Scene AA]]
[[Or do you trust yourself more?->Scene AB]]"Okay," you say, mustering as much warmth as you can. "I trust you."
"Thank you," says Tig, a hint of a smile on their face. Maybe the two of you could be friends, once the dust settles. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill+1)
Tig pulls open the door, drags you inside and slams the door shut. Someone else pokes their head out from another door farther in. The lights go on.
"Rance!" calls out a tired-sounding voice from the interior. "Who the hell said you could barge in here without knocking?"
"I didn't have time, Rob," says Tig, ears still to the door. "I'm sorry."
"And this person hasn't even gone through my vetting process," you hear as you turn to meet this new complication. "You letting in random bums off the street now?"
"You're a bum, Rob," says Tig.
"I prefer the term urchin," [[says Rob,->Rob Descriptor]] hands in his pockets. His eyes light up as he sees you. "Hey! I know you!"
"You do?" you say.
"Yeah! We met playing poker last night. Remember? You were with that doofy guy who wouldn't stop giggling to himself."
"Right!" you say. "You came in with Krill! Maybe you would know," you say, lowering your voice, "I'm looking for Krill right now, actually. Do you know where he is?"
"Nah," says Rob, and your heart sinks. Until he continues. "But if you wait around here he'll come by eventually. This is his pad."
"What!" shouts Tig, startled away from the door. "What the heck are you doing here all the time then?"
"Housesitting," Rob deadpans.
"Bullshit!" Tig yelps. They immediately cover their mouth. "I mean...ah, shoot. You're such a liar."
"Thanks!" says Rob, grinning. "I've been practicing."
Before Tig can formulate a response, a swaggering figure comes through the entrance, your pursuer in tow. [[It's Krill. You'd recognize him anywhere.->Preamble A]]Rob
Gender: Cis Male
Orientation: Straight
Age: 18
Rob learned what the word “urchin” meant a while back and has used it to describe himself ever since. He’s homeless, but not broke. He’s a decent gambler, and sometimes will sell fluids to the hospital for a quick buck. He made friends with Krill a while back and sometimes runs errands for him.
Rob is not smart. But he’s eager and sweet. He believes in the old laws of chivalry and serfdom. A good favor done should always be repaid.
Rob likes everyone, but will not tolerate people who are unkind or disrespectful. There’s lots of people worse off than he is, and they deserve happiness too."Tell me what you're selling," you say. You've been trained to always negotiate for a better offer. If you can find out more about this situation and get the help you need right now, that's two wins on your scorecard.
Unfortunately, Tig doesn't seem to be in a bartering mood. "What?"
"Tell me what you're selling. If I can't trust you, I don't think I should be wandering into strange shacks with you."
"I can't," says Tig. "If I'm caugh I have nothing left. I'm sorry."
"Then I'm sorry too," you say. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill-1)
Tig stares at you, disbelief and, perhaps, disgust creeping into their eyes. "Fine," they say. "I'm smarter than you, too, you know. It'll be easier to do what I need to do without you hanging around." They grab the door handle and plunge into the darkness, leaving you outside.
So much for negotiation. But you didn't want to get caught up in whatever Tig was into, anyway. You turn around to stand face-to-face with your pursuer.
"Hey there, stranger!" he says, gripping your shoulder in what's obviously meant to be a threatening manner. He's not quite pulling it off, somehow. "Haven't seen you around before. I just have a couple of quick questions."
"I'm not staying long," you say. "Just leaving, actually."
"Hey, hey, calm down," says the man. "Not going to hurt you. Name's [[Quentin.->Quentin Intro]] Just have a couple of questions."
He pulls out an obviously fake badge. You squint at it. "Is that scotch tape?" you ask.
"It was all they had at the store," says the man before he can stop himself. "No more questions!"
"I don't have time for this. I'm looking for someone," you say, regaining control over this ridiculous situation. "I'm looking for Krill. You know where he is?"
"I might," says Quentin. "Answer my questions and I'll take you to him. You know, depending on what you need."
Quentin is unaware of a swaggering figure coming up behind him. You lock eyes with a man with a devilish grin on his face. It's Krill. You'd recognize him anywhere.
"Are you loitering outside my home?" whispers Krill, long and slow.
"Oh no," says Quentin. He seems to shrink to half his size.
"Hey," says Krill, now turning his attention to you. "I know you. You're the rat who snitched on me at the poker table last night. Come by for your punishment?"
Your heart sinks. "Oh. Yes. Listen, I'm really sorry about that."
"Save it," Krill snarls. "Both of you. Inside. I'll deal with you there."
Krill grabs you and the stranger and hauls you inside, what you realize, is his home. You take one last look around for help. [[But nobody's there.->Preamble A]]"What's that guy yelling about?" you ask, pointing at the loud man. (set: $companion to "Quentin")
"What guy...oh no," Roy says, deflating as soon as he sees the direction your finger is pointing. He grips your arm. "We need to leave."
"What are you talking about?" you ask. "Is he dangerous?"
"In a sense," Roy allows. "He might make you lose your mind. Let's just get out of here before..."
But the man claps his hands around Roy's shoulders before he can finish the sentence.
"Roy!" he shouts. "Long time no see, buddy!"
[["Quentin!"->Quentin Intro]] Roy says through gritted teeth. "Hi!"
"You look positively PEAKED, my friend! You being overworked? You can always come work for me."
"But you can't PAY me, Quentin, you aren't running a BUSINESS," Roy says.
"Got that right," says Quentin, poking his finger into Roy's chest. "I'm running a Crusade..."
"A Crusade for Truth and Justice, yes, I know," Roy interrupts.
"Get in on the ground floor though," Quentin says conspiratorily, "and someday we'll have something much better than money. We'll have respect. Your brother's got the right idea."
"Please don't bring him up," Roy mumbles.
"Who's your friend?" Quentin asks, finally turning his eyes to you. "Are they up on my latest reports?"
"We are not staying long, Quentin."
"HEY!" Quentin shouts. "You're being shifty as hell, Roy. Who is this kid? What've they got on you?"
Quentin takes you by the shoulders and stares you in the eyes. "Could you be...are you a member of Trinity?"
You don't have a great response to this. But you've dealt with weirdos like this before. You have a couple of tactics you could try.
[[You could ask for more info.->Scene B-1]]
[[You could be honest, and claim ignorance.->Scene B-2]]
[[Or you could play along.->Scene B-3]]"What are you talking about?" you ask, deciding to be direct.
"Nice try," says Quentin, "but your deflections won't work on me. Tell me which arm you work for."
"I work in New York," you say.
"Don't pay attention to him. We're leaving now," Roy announces, taking your arm.
"Hey hey hey, slow down," Quentin says, catching up to you. "If you're traveling around with the unenlightened, I have a duty to explain what's really going on here."
"No, we're running late - "
"Three sectors of the New Vegas Territory!" Quentin continues. "One, the casino. Two, the hospital. Three, this place. The Underground Market. All run by powerful, enigmatic masterminds with nobody's interests at heart but their own. They lead us to believe that they're working against each other, jockeying for power, but instead, they're secretly working together to screw over the common man."
"That's quite a theory you have," you say after letting Quentin's monologue rest.
"It's not a theory!" says Quentin. "I have documents, I have surveillance logs, I have pictures!"
"Quentin, we've been over this before," says Roy. "You can't just slap a bunch of materials together and say they make sense."
"Aw, come on Roy. Get the stick out of your ass and the dirt from your ears and listen to me."
Quentin turns to you, his eyes full. "You want to hear more, right?" he asks.
[[I mean, do you?->Scene BA]]
[[Or do you have better things to do?->Scene BB]]"Yeah, totally," you say, grinning. Quentin's theories are a little strange, sure, but you can't deny his passion. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill+1)
Roy throws his hands up in the air. "Okay, you guys have fun. I'm out of here."
"Aw, come on Roy, don't be like that," says Quentin.
"Nope. Don't have time for this. Later."
Roy leaves. Quentin puts his hands in his pockets. "He makes me feel like such a jerk," he says.
"Well...Roy's not a very patient guy," you admit.
"Got that right," says Quentin. "Not very open-minded, either. Incredibly unattractive."
You feel as though you're getting off topic. "Um...I hate to change the subject, but without Roy, I kinda don't know what I'm doing. I'm looking for Krill."
"Oh. Wow," says Quentin, suddenly serious. "Everything okay?"
"No, actually," you say. "I came here with a friend, and he's missing. Roy told me Krill might know something about it."
"And you're going to just confront him without any evidence?"
"Oh, I didn't mean..." You fumble. What do you mean? "I don't think KRILL kidnapped him..."
"Well, that's just it, he might have," says Quentin. "But it could have just as easily been the assholes at the hospital, or even someone at the casino. You have no idea what kind of stuff goes on here."
You really don't.
"Tell ya what," says Quentin. "You seem interesting. I happen to know where Krill's been spending time lately. I'll take you there."
"That would be amazing. I'd owe you one," you say.
"Don't get me wrong. The rest is up to you. I don't actually know Krill, and I don't relish getting in his way. You be careful too, okay? I'd hate to have to write an expose about your untimely death."
You don't know Quentin too well. It's hard to tell if he's joking. [["...I'll be careful."->Preamble B]]Quentin stops outside of a shabby lean-to, although you notice it's much less shabby than the others in the area. Quentin suddenly seems nervous. He picks at his sleeve.
"I...don't know if I should go in with you," he says.
"Why not? Krill doesn't like you?" you ask.
"As far as I know, Krill doesn't know I exist," Quentin says. "And I'd like things to stay that way. He's...not a nice guy, per say."
"I don't think he likes me much at all," you admit. "So we'll have to bluff our way through."
"I don't know if that'll work."
"It's better than not trying at all," you say. You're not sure where this bravado came from. Quentin's obviously gotten you caugh up in his orbit. Although right now he's looking downright terrified, staring openmouthed at something behind you.
"Hey. You two."
Quentin squeaks, and you whirl around to meet an imposing figure. It's Krill. You'd recognize him anywhere.
"You need something?" he snarls. "Or did you just pick the unluckiest place to stand?"
You decide to shoot for the fences. "Do you remember me?"
Krill examines you and smirks. "Hell yeah. You're the shrimp who snitched on me to Leanne at poker last night. Gotta tell ya, nobody's done that and come to see me the next day. Most people have good sense."
"So you're saying I made you mad?" you say, trying to keep any shred of fear from your voice.
But Krill doesn't look angry. Just bored. "Eh. Your friend made me more annoyed. He didn't take me seriously at all."
"Annoyed enough to do something to him?"
Krill narrows his eyes. He looks around, scratches his head. You didn't expect caution from him. "Tell ya what," he says, opening the door, "let's talk in private. You come in too, chucklehead," he says to Quentin.
"Me?" Quentin asks.
"Yeah. You can tell everyone what happens to people who spread rumors in the underground market." He grips Quentin by the shoulders and shoves him inside. "You're good at telling stories, right? Make it riveting."
The three of you enter the lean-to. "Rob, check the door for me," Krill says to a shabby-looking guy lounging nearby.
"Nice to see you, too," [[the guy mumbles.->Rob Descriptor]]
"Gotta do something about that ego, Rob, it's not flattering."
"Like I give a crap what you find flattering," Rob shoots back. You note their easy banter. He checks the door. "We're good. I'll hang out here."
"Perfect," Krill says, settling in. You notice he's taken up all the focus in the room. He grins broadly and stares at you. "All right. You. Shrimp. [[What do you want?"->Scene 2]]"Sorry, I'm not interested," you say. These theories are just a little too out there, and you've got more pressing matters to take care of.
Quentin looks extremely put out. "Seriously? I give you my pitch and you just fart in my face like that?"
"Evocative," says Roy.
"Screw you, Roy," Quentin shoots back. "I know you're not interested in what I have to say. I guess your buddy is just as small-minded as you are." He turns to you and points a finger at your chest. "If you need me, you know where to find me."
Quentin leaves.
"Actually, I don't," you remark.
"That's probably for the best," says Roy. "Quentin only goes to a couple places during his day. Creature of habit and all. You might not ever see him again."
"What's his deal?" you ask.
"He's a nutjob. He doesn't have a "deal"," Roy says, exasperated. "You heard him. "Enigmatic masterminds?" Geez." He looks around. "Well, the coast is clear. You'll probably be okay from here on out."
"Hey!" you shout as he starts to walk off. "You can't leave me here after something like that! What if something even worse happens?"
"I shouldn't have even stayed here this long, okay? I am on thin ice."
"Please."
You never beg. Maybe Roy can tell, because the expression on his face softens.
"Fine," he says. "Okay. But we're going to make it quick. And the quickest way to find Krill is to find his keeper."
Roy walks off without explaining further. [[You follow him into the market.->Scene DA]]Krill hauls the poor sap to the ground of his lean-to. Tig catches sight of Krill and tries to hide, but they aren't as sneaky as they think.
"Hey! Get over here!" Krill snarls.
Tig hesitates, then crosses to Krill. Krill grabs them by the collar and waves them in front of the shaking, increasingly sweaty, man.
"Pay close attention to me, loser," says Krill, shaking Tig for emphasis. "I've seen you around. You like to stir up trouble. This one? This one is one of mine. If you hassle them again, nobody will be seeing your face around here anytime soon. Got it?"
"You don't understand," the man yelps, "they work for--"
"No, YOU don't understand," says Krill. "You think I don't know everything that goes on out here? This is MY city. MY spot of New Vegas. You're nothing but a leech trying to cash in on my good graces. And I'm telling you that you aren't allowed to do that anymore."
The poor guy can't even string two words together. His mouth flaps open pointlessly.
"Get out," says Krill.
He does. Krill makes a "tsk" sound.
"Hate that guy," he muttes. "He likes to spread bad rumors."
"Why didn't you kick me out, too?" you ask after a moment.
Krill rounds on you. "You want to get kicked out?"
"No, sir."
"Oh for God's sake, don't call me that," Krill says, beginning a leisurely pace around the small room. "It makes me itch. "Krill" is fine. If I'd known nobody would want to call me by name, I wouldn't have spent so much energy picking one. Siddown."
You gaze around the room. There isn't anything that resembles a chair. "Uh...where?"
You glance at Tig, who promptly sits on the floor. You decide to imitate them.
"Uh...thank you, Krill," Tig says. "For telling him off."
"No worries, Rance," Krill says. He seems sincere. "Like I said. You're one of mine. So. You," he continues, shifting his hard gaze to you. [["What do you want?"->Scene 2]]"I don't know what you're talking about," you say. "The company I work for is called Larcorp." (set: $goodwill to $goodwill -1)
Quentin straightens up. He suddenly seems suspicious of you. "Oh. A suit."
Jesus. As if making money is a crime.
"Now will you leave us alone, Quentin?" Roy asks.
"Wait wait wait," says Quentin, energy renewed. "If you work for Larcorp, you must have been hanging around the hospital, right? You must have seen something strange while you were inspecting the place."
"How the hell do you know Larcorp's interested in the hospital?" you ask.
"I have my ways," says Quentin.
"He bought a cheap drone down here in the market, uses it for everything. It got stuck in a dumbwaiter once and I had to fish it out," says Roy.
"SHUT UP, Roy," Quentin pouts, stomping his foot. He turns back to you. "Look you, whatever your name is, give it to me straight. Every time I try to talk to anyone who works in the hospital, they give me the cold shoulder. I believe if they're hiding something...say, information on intelligent alien life...everyone has a right to know about it. I'm asking you, on behalf on an uninformed populous...did you see anything weird the last time you were there?"
The truth is, you did see [[something weird->Something Weird]] at the hospital. You couldn't forget that if you tried.
Does Quentin deserve to know about it, though? [[Will he put that information to good use?->Scene BC]] [[Or will letting anyone else know put others in danger?->Scene BD]]"Actually," you say, "I did see something strange." (set: $goodwill to $goodwill +1)
Quentin's eyes light up. He suddenly seems ten years younger. "Oh my God. You actually have a scoop. This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. Wait, let me get out my tape recorder." He rummages in his bag.
"Oh, I'm not going to tell you what I saw," you say. "At least not for free."
Quentin appraises you. "Go on."
"We're here because I'm looking for Krill," you explain. "A friend of mine is missing, and I have reason to suspect that Krill might be involved."
"Intriguing," says Quentin.
"Okay," Roy interrupts, "you guys obviously have your own thing going on right now, so I'm going to take this opportunity to bail. If I hurry, I can make my next shift."
"You're making a mistake, Roy," Quentin calls out. "You have a chance to be part of history!"
"I'll risk missing out on the excitement. I'm old before my time," he mutters. "Seriously."
Roy leaves. Quentin stares after him, then scoffs.
"Whatever. He'd ruin it anyway. You were saying?"
You're suddenly hit with a wave of self-doubt. "Do you know anything about Krill or don't you?"
"I know PLENTY about Krill," says Quentin, "but I've never spoken to the guy. I can take you to someone who has, though. You have to PROMISE to tell me everything you know about what's going on in the hospital. Every single gory detail. That's my only demand.
For saving Barry's life? That's a small price to pay. [["Deal."->Preamble B]]"Sorry, I can't help you," you say. These theories are just a little too out there, and you've got more pressing matters to take care of. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill - 1)
Quentin looks extremely put out. "Seriously? I give you my pitch and you just fart in my face like that?"
"Evocative," says Roy.
"Screw you, Roy," Quentin shoots back. "LIVES are at stake, here. Who the hell knows what the hospital goons are capable of doing with alien life under their control. Forget it. You," he says to you, and hands you a business card. "You change your mind? Call this number. We'll talk more later, WITHOUT closed-minded assholes fucking things up."
Quentin leaves.
"What's his deal?" you ask.
"He's a nutjob. He doesn't have a "deal"," Roy says, exasperated. "You heard him. Call me "closed-minded." Where does he get off?" He looks around. "Well, the coast is clear. You'll probably be okay from here on out."
"Hey!" you shout as he starts to walk off. "You can't leave me here after something like that! What if something even worse happens?"
"I shouldn't have even stayed here this long, okay? I am on thin ice."
"Please."
You never beg. Maybe Roy can tell, because the expression on his face softens.
"Fine," he says. "Okay. But we're going to make it quick. And the quickest way to find Krill is to find his keeper."
Roy walks off without explaining further. [[You follow him into the market.->Scene DA]](set: $companion to "Roy") On your way through market, Roy stops at a stall and buys a bag of almonds. They seem fresh. You debate whether to ask, then decide to go for it. "What are those for?"
"It's a bribe," Roy explains. "The person we're going to see loves them. It's like a sickness, really."
"So who is this mysterious guide?" you ask.
"He's Krill's right-hand man," Roy says as you continue to walk. "Got his thumb on the whole operation, but still feels free enough to help other people out when he feels like it. He has no morals whatsoever." He grimaces. "He's also my brother."
You understand some of Roy's tension now. "I take it you guys aren't close?"
"We used to be."
You arrive at a lean-to that's a bit nicer than most of the other buildings nearby. Roy holds up a hand as you approach the door. "You should hang back for a second. Let me do the talking."
"Should I be worried?" you ask.
"No, no, he's not dangerous at all," Roy says, a little embarrassed that you've come to that conclusion. "Just...it's been a while since we've talked."
Roy knocks out a series of raps on the door. A shabby-looking young man opens the door. Once he sees Roy, his face splits into a smile.
"Oh, man! Roy! It's been forever and a day, dude!" He wraps Roy in a hug. Roy goes stiff.
"Hey, [[little brother,"->Rob Descriptor]] he mumbles.
"You're looking good," the young man continues, patting Roy up and down. "You get a promotion? Able to feed yourself better than the last time I saw you?"
"Not a promotion so much as a bunch of other jobs," Roy admits.
"Man. I don't envy that lifestyle," says the young man. "Come in, come in."
"I brought a friend with me," Roy says, gesturing to you. "Can they come in, too?"
The young man looks at you. You see recognition light up his eyes. "Heeeey, I've seen you before. Do you remember me?"
You sort of recognize him too. You flash back to the night before, at the poker table. [[Should you let him know you recognize him?->Scene DA-2]][[Or should you play dumb for now?->Scene DA-1]]"You caught me," you say, holding your hands out in front of you. "I'm actually a founding member." (set: $goodwill -1)
Quentin looks irritated. You were always told you should play along with people's delusions, but it doesn't seem to have worked in this case.
"Asshole," says Quentin. "I just asked you a question. You don't need to be rude about it."
"It was a really weird question, though," you say, fighting for control again. "I mean, "Trinity"? Are we in a Wachowski movie or something?"
"You know what, forget it. You're a jerk."
Quentin leaves. Roy looks nonplussed.
"Wow," says Roy, "you actually got him to go away."
"Is he normally hard to shake? What was he talking about?" you ask.
"Quentin's kind of an eccentric," Roy explains. "Even for New Vegas. He's obsessed with the hospital. Thinks they're hiding some kind of alien life form there."
With a rush you remember the events of last night. "What? Did you just say alien life form?"
"Yeah...why?" Roy asks.
"Last time I was there, I --"
"Oh, shit, he's coming back," interrupts Roy, ducking behind you.
Quentin returns.
"You know what?" he sputters. "I'm not going to just walk away and let you mock me like that. LIVES are at stake here, asshole, and yeah, it's rough sometimes being the only person who can see this place for what it really is, but..."
"Quentin," you interrupt. "I believe you."
Quentin looks as if nobody has ever said those words to him before. "Huh?"
"Roy said you've been talking about aliens," you say, despite the look Roy's giving you. "I've seen one. The people at the hospital are keeping it under surveillance."
"You're kidding," says Quentin, beginning to get excited. "If that's true, then that would mean..." He suddenly seems unsure. Vulnerable somehow. "How do I know you're not just messing with me again? Where's your proof?"
You don't have proof, except for the [[vivid details->Something Weird]] you recall from your close encounter. [[You should tell Quentin that.->Scene BE]]
[[On the other hand...do you even need proof in a situation like this?->Scene BF]]"I'm sorry," you say. "I don't have proof." You would feel bad stringing him along. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill -1)
"Then I'm not interested," says Quentin.
"It's not like you to be such a stickler for facts, Quentin," Roy mumbles.
"Fuck you, Roy," says Quentin. "Seriously. Maybe I'm pushy, but you're the one who consistently takes things too far."
Quentin leaves. You feel sort of bad for him. Roy does too, even if he tries to hid it behind a muttered "Whatever".
"Is he going to be okay?" you ask.
"I mean, no," says Roy. "The guy has no friends and nobody takes him seriously. Whatever," he repeats. "He made his bed, and he can lie in it."
He looks around. "Well, the coast is clear. You'll probably be okay from here on out."
"Hey!" you shout as he starts to walk off. "You can't leave me here after something like that! What if something even worse happens?"
"I shouldn't have even stayed here this long, okay? I am on thin ice."
"Please."
You never beg. Maybe Roy can tell, because the expression on his face softens.
"Fine," he says. "Okay. But we're going to make it quick. And the quickest way to find Krill is to find his keeper."
Roy walks off without explaining further. [[You follow him into the market.->Scene DA]]This is going to take a lot of bravado to execute properly. But you think you have it in you. You square your shoulders and muster all the fire you have in you as you look into Quentin's eyes. "I don't need proof." (set: $goodwill to $goodwill +1)
"Excuse me?" Quentin asks.
"You know as well as I do that taking any kind of pictures or documentation of the inside of the hospital is next to impossible," you continue. "Someone like you should understand the power of conviction. I can't convince you to trust me, but you should know that I wouldn't lie about something like this."
Quentin stares at you for a long moment. Then, he bursts out laughing. Relief floods your chest.
"Damn!" he says. "That was a decent speech! Even if you're just pulling that out of your ass, I'm very impressed." He pulls out a notepad. "Okay, so let's say I believe you. What's the next step? What's your interest in this alien?"
"The alien's on the backburner at the moment," you say. "The friend I came here with has gone missing. Roy here says that Krill might know something about it...and it's possible that this plot with the alien is somehow connected.
"Keep going, keep pulling that thread, friend," Quentin says, scribbling furiously in his notepad.
"Okay," Roy interrupts, "you guys obviously have your own thing going on right now, so I'm going to take this opportunity to bail. If I hurry, I can make my next shift."
"You're making a mistake, Roy," Quentin calls out. "You have a chance to be part of history!"
"I'll risk missing out on the excitement. I'm old before my time," he mutters. "Seriously."
Roy leaves. Quentin stares after him, then scoffs.
"Whatever. He'd ruin it anyway. You were saying?"
You're suddenly hit with a wave of self-doubt. "Do you know anything about Krill or don't you?"
"I know PLENTY about Krill," says Quentin, "but I've never spoken to the guy. I can take you to someone who has, though. You have to PROMISE to tell me everything you know about what's going on in the hospital. Every single gory detail. That's my only demand.
For saving Barry's life? That's a small price to pay. [["Deal."->Preamble B]]You point to the woman. You just remembered where you know her from. "Doesn't she work at the casino?" you ask. "The poker table?" (set: $companion to "Leanne")
"What are you...oh my God," says Roy as he sees her. He runs over to the woman and you follow, trying not to bump into anyone.
"Leanne!" Roy whispers. The woman spins around and stares at him with wide glaring eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The woman, [[Leanne,->Leanne Intro]] settles down into an approximation of calm. "Oh. Roy. How goes it?" she says.
"You are not supposed to be down here," says Roy. You want to tell him to stop acting so agitated.
"You are not supposed to be shouting about my being down here. Will you shut up?" Leanne says, looking as nervous as you are.
"If Ellie finds out--"
"She's not going to find out, and I doubt she'd care if she did," says Leanne. "I am here for legitimate reasons."
"Oh, that's a good one," says Roy. "There's no such thing."
"What about you? Bringing someone like them down here?" Leanne says, gesturing in your direction.
"Someone like me?" you repeat.
"An outsider who should be spending all their money upstairs, not down here," says Leanne. "You must have better places to be. Weren't you with someone earlier? What happened to him?"
You feel your heart tighten. "Well...that's part of why I'm here. He's missing," you say.
"Hm. That's too bad," Leanne says, checking her fingernails.
Of all the responses you could have anticipated, you didn't expect boredom.
"Look, the two of you need to scram," says Leanne. "I'm meeting someone here, and they aren't expecting me to have company."
Doesn't she care that someone's missing? [[You'd love to hear the reasoning behind her callous attitude.->Scene C-1]]
Although part of you wants to just tell her bosses that she's obviously up to no good. [[Would she still act so bored if you threatened her job?->Scene C-2]]
Her eyes keep darting around. She seems very nervous. [[Maybe it would be better to calm her down first before acting rash.->Scene C-3]]You appraise Roy. He seems worn out and irritated, but you somehow get the feeling that if he was serious about leaving you, he would have done it already. "Would you really be that mad if you lost your job?" you ask him. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill +1)
"What?"
"Look, I don't know you very well," you say, "but you seem really overworked. I can't help but think being so hands-on at the casino has something to do with it."
"Yeah, but if I don't do it...who will?" Roy asks. "Nobody else is really responsible enough to..." his voice trails off. He seems to understand what he's just said.
"So, don't think of coming down here and showing me this place as another chore, okay? Think of it as playing hooky."
"Hooky?" Roy asks. Like he's never heard of the concept. Poor guy.
"Yeah," you say. "Just you and me, escaping our jobs, trying to do something that matters."
Roy heaves a big sigh. He looks resolute. "Look...I know you think you're trying to be nice. Paying attention to my problems and all...but I need this job. I'm not just supporting myself. I've got family. And frankly, I don't think someone like you can understand what it's like to work on someone else's behalf."
"I admit that I don't know your circumstances," you say, "and I admit that I don't have to worry about money as much as you seem to. But this is bigger than a job. Someone's life could be at stake. I'll explain things to your boss if it comes to that."
Roy chuckles. "You don't know my boss. She'd laugh in your face if you intervened on my behalf."
"I'm a charming guy. I can figure something out."
Roy appraises you. "Somehow, I believe you." He takes a big breath and looks around. "Okay. Okay. I think I'm an idiot for doing this, but I admit, leaving you here on your own would be cold-hearted at best."
"I owe you one," you say. "So, where should we head?"
"I know the quickest way to get an audience with Krill," Roy says, already walking off. "I'll hate every second of it, but it has to be done."
[[You follow Roy deeper into the Underground Market.->Scene DA]]"Don't you care that someone's missing?" you ask, shaking with anger. "That they went missing in the casino where you work?"
"Look. It is a damn shame that you're missing your friend," says Leanne. "He'll probably turn up at some point. There are weirder things that happen in this city. I mean, look around you. You're standing in a place that shouldn't exist."
"So because it doesn't affect you directly, it's not your problem?" you press.
"Exactly. I'm the worst," Leanne deadpans. "Now bug off."
"We should listen to her," Roy says to you.
"What if it happened to a friend of yours? What if it happened to you?" you say.
"Believe me," says Leanne, eyes cloudy, "If I disappear, it's because I mean to."
She looks off into the distance. Her eyes narrow. "Ah, geez, too late. I hate you Roy, you know that?"
"What did I do?" Roy groans.
You turned to see an approaching figure. The crowd parts for him automatically, and your blood chills. It's Krill. [[You'd recognize him anywhere.->Scene CA]]"Help us, or I'll report you," you spit. You don't have time for games, and this woman is pissing you off. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill-1)
Leanne stares at you. "Excuse me?"
"What are you doing?" Roy asks you.
"A person is missing," you continue. "I don't have time to be nice. You're clearly down here because you're into something shady. Help us, or we'll tell your boss."
"You don't have the power or the stones," says Leanne.
"Leanne," Roy says, standing between the two of you, "maybe you should just tell us why you're here. Then we can, you know, come to an agreement, maybe a "you-scratch-I'll-scratch" kind of situation."
"Oh for the love of...it's none of your business!" Leanne shouts.
"Cool," you say. "I'm sure Ellie will love to hear that excuse."
"She'd understand," Leanne says through gritted teeth.
"You keep saying that. Why?" Roy says.
"Jesus." Leanne looks around, visibly shaken. You suddenly feel bad for letting it get this far. "Fine. Fine. Since you're so eager to hear about my life, I'm down here getting some Spiro. I'm out. And I can only find it here."
Now you feel even worse. The three of you stand still for a second. Roy says quietly, almost like he can't help himself "...like the Pokemon?"
You both stare at him. If you had the power, you would have caught the words on their way out of his mouth. "Is this funny to you?" Leanne asks.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to say!" Roy yelps.
"So you make a stupid joke?" Leanne counters.
"Leanne, maybe if you--"
"Ohhhh, you better not be asking me to explain things again, kiddo," Leanne says, rounding on you before you can calm her further. "That is EXACTLY why I didn't want to say anything in the first place." She looks off into the distance. "Fantastic. He's here. The two of you, shut up and be quiet. It'll go better for you."
You follow her gaze to see an approaching figure. The crowd parts for him on instinct, and you feel your blood chill. It's Krill. [[You'd recognize him anywhere.->Scene CA]]"You seem nervous," you say, tamping down your anger. It's not the most useful reaction right now. "Is everything all right? (set: $goodwill to $goodwill +1)
"Why do you care?" Leanne says. "You should worry about your own problems."
"I can worry about myself and still be concerned about other people," you say. "What's wrong?"
She shifts. Maybe she's not used to people showing her concern. She looks uncomfortable, but not angry. "The guy I'm planning on seeing isn't exactly known for being nice. It's not like I'm asking him for the moon, but depending on his mood, he might not be inclined to help me."
"Leanne," Roy says, voice full of understanding, "are you meeting with Krill?"
"Keep your voice down," says Leanne, glancing around again.
"Are you?" asks Roy, who then pulls you forward. "Maybe you could help us then? We came down here to meet with him."
"Why in hell would you do that, Roy?" asks Leanne. "You're smarter than that. Krill doesn't do favors."
"Not to someone like me, no," Roy acknowledges, "but you two are friends."
Leanne laughs. "Friends? I don't think so. I'm a walking piggy bank to him. And he has something I need. That's all."
You venture a guess. "Does this Krill guy...have something on you, Leanne?"
Leanne pauses for the briefest moment. "Why would you think that?"
"I just have a hard time believing that you don't have any other options for getting what you want besides doing things his way," you say.
"Aw," Leanne says, smiling a snide smile. "Look at that. You're sweet. But having even this option makes me incredibly lucky." She looks off into the distance. "Well, friends, here he comes. It looks like you'll get your wish, kid. Keep your wits sharp. It's the one thing you've got that gives you an advantage."
You follow her gaze to see an approaching figure. The crowd parts on instinct, and you feel your blood chill. It's Krill. [[You'd recognize him anywhere.->Scene CA]]Krill approaches Leanne and grins. "Right on time, as always." His face falls as he sees you and Roy. "Although, I don't recall asking you to make it a fucking party."
"We were just leaving, sir," says roy.
"Ohhhh, Roy," says Krill, thrusting his face in front of Roy's rapidly paling one. "You'd think you'd been around long enough to know that I HATE formalities. They make me violent, and irritated."
"Hey. Leave him alone," you say. "I'm the reason he's here."
Krill turns to face you. You regret being so forthcoming. "Ah. I recognize you. But from where?"
"We've met before," you continue, summoning your calm business-persona. "At the poker table, last night."
"Riiiiight, right right right," says Krill. "You're the little tool that snitched on me to Leanne, weren't you? You are really not a smart person, are you?"
No. No you are not.
"You didn't tell me you'd met Krill before," Roy whispers to you.
"It didn't seem important," you say.
"It's important if he hates you!" Roy hisses back.
"Lay off the kid, Krill," Leanne drawls. "They didn't know better."
"But now they should," says Krill. He turns to you. "What the hell brings you down here, big shot?"
"Hey!" says Leanne, "You came here to talk to me, remember? Ignore this asshole."
"You can wait. This is more interesting," says Krill.
"No, it really CAN'T wait, Krill. I told you, I'm out. Completely."
Krill thinks for a moment, then lets out an exaggerated groan. "Fine," he says, "we'll do a nice little scene change. Today's your lucky day, Roy, you get to spend some more time with me."
"Oh!" Roy pipes up, still pale. "Cool!"
"That's the spirit. Come on. We're bouncing. That means you too, shrimp."
You at least have the presence of mind to know when you're being insulted. "Shrimp"?
"Don't worry," Leanne says, tugging on your arm and whispering in your ear. "He calls everyone that. Keep smiling and stick close to me. I'll get you out of here in one piece."
You'd like to trust her. But you have the sinking suspicion that you're playing a game without some necessary pieces. [[You follow Krill deeper into the Underground Market.->Preamble C]]"Oh yeah," you say, snapping your fingers. You figure it's best to match this guy's energy. "We met last night! You came in with Krill." (set: $goodwill to $goodwill-1)
"Oh good! I was right," he says. "I'm not too good with faces. I remember yours, though! You're pretty easy to spot, y'know, since you aren't a local."
What on earth does that mean?
"Uh, speaking of Krill," Roy interjects, "we're kind of here on business, Rob. We want to speak to him."
The young man, Rob, turns to Roy. He loses some of that light, easy energy. "Oh. So, this isn't a social call?"
"I'm sorry. No."
"Damn," says Rob, rallying. "Well, that's too bad. I'll have to buy you a beer sometime. We'll go cruising. I'll be your wingman."
"I can buy my own beer, and I can meet girls on my own, too," says Roy. "Come on, Rob. Where's Krill?"
"Sorry, Roy, lips are sealed on this one," says Rob." "Krill makes his own schedule. I don't keep track of him."
"You don't?"
Rob smiles and punches Roy's shoulder. "I'm not his secretary, doofus, I'm his friend."
"That's not what it looked like last time I saw you two together," says Roy.
Rob sulks. You suddenly feel like you shouldn't be here. "Come on, man. Don't make this weird. I've been nothing but friendly to you since you got here."
"I can wait outside if that's better," you say, turning to leave.
Roy stops you. "It's too dangerous out there."
"No it's not," Rob says. "You're just a wuss. Too scared to get involved in anything that isn't up to code."
"Will you back off?" Roy shouts.
Before the fight can escalate, an imposing figure enters the lean-to. It's Krill. You'd recognize him anywhere. [[Suddenly you've landed yourself in a bad situation.->Preamble D]]"Never seen you before in my life," you say with a straight face. The young man blanches. (set: $goodwill to $goodwill +1)
"Ouch!" he laughs. "That's cold. Ice cold. We've met! I guess we didn't really talk, though, Krill did most of the talking. At the poker table? Last night?"
You've been rumbled. Might as well get back on the same page with this guy. "Oh yeah...you're a lousy poker player."
He laughs. "Got that right! I could be really good if I tried, though."
"Uh, speaking of Krill," Roy interjects, "we're kind of here on business, Rob. We want to speak to him."
The young man, Rob, turns to Roy. He loses some of that light, easy energy. "Oh. So, this isn't a social call?"
"I'm sorry. No."
"Damn," says Rob, rallying. "Well, that's too bad. I'll have to buy you a beer sometime. We'll go cruising. I'll be your wingman."
"I can buy my own beer, and I can meet girls on my own, too," says Roy. "Come on, Rob. Where's Krill?"
"Sorry, Roy, lips are sealed on this one," says Rob." "Krill makes his own schedule. I don't keep track of him."
"You don't?"
Rob smiles and punches Roy's shoulder. "I'm not his secretary, doofus, I'm his friend."
"That's not what it looked like last time I saw you two together," says Roy.
Rob sulks. You suddenly feel like you shouldn't be here. "Come on, man. Don't make this weird. I've been nothing but friendly to you since you got here."
"I can wait outside if that's better," you say, turning to leave.
Roy stops you. "It's too dangerous out there."
"No it's not," Rob says. "You're just a wuss. Too scared to get involved in anything that isn't up to code."
"Will you back off?" Roy shouts.
Before the fight can escalate, an imposing figure enters the lean-to. It's Krill. You'd recognize him anywhere. [[Suddenly you've landed yourself in a bad situation.->Preamble D]]"Well, well," Krill says slowly, glancing at you and Roy with all the care of a drowsy lion. "You throwing a party, Rob?"
"'Fraid our guests were just leaving. Right?" says Rob.
"I just told you a second ago that we were here to talk to Krill! You never listen, man!" Roy shouts.
Krill perks up and breaks into a grin. "Oh hey, it's Roy-boy. You got a present for me?"
Roy shrinks, then straightens up. "No, sir. I don't do that anymore."
Do what? Was Roy caught up in this business too?
"How many times do I gotta tell you I hate that polite crap, Roy? You clean your ears lately?" Krill says. Rob chuckles in the background.
"Don't yell at him," you interrupt.
Krill stares at you. Whatever boldness you had coursing through you has just dried up.
"You just made a mistake," Krill says. "I hadn't noticed you until you opened your mouth. And now I want to know what a stranger is doing in my home."
"You've met, Krill," Rob drawls. "Last night, at poker. The snitch."
Krill bursts out into laughter. "Right, right! Oh, that's funny. Two of my favorite people come to see me unannounced on a day when I'm bone tired already. Rob, get them out of here."
"With distinct pleasure," Rob says, heading toward you.
"Wait, wait!" you shout. "I just...I had something to ask."
"A favor?" Krill prompts.
"A question," you say.
"Same difference," Krill spits. "I don't do favors, unless people do favors for me. So, Roy," he says, suddenly turning to the bellhop. "You want to agree to my terms right now, or make me spell them out for your friend?"
"I'll do it," Roy says, eyes cloudy with fear. "I'll call her tomorrow."
"Excellent," says Krill with a smirk.
"What did you just agree to?" you mutter to Roy.
Roy forces a laugh, shrugs. "Nothing too bad. It's okay. Just means I can't get any parking tickets for a while."
"Shut up and start talking," Krill says. It feels like he's taking up the entire space. [["What do you want?"->Scene 2]]None of you say a word until you come to a shabby-looking lean-to, although it is less shabby than the buildings surrounding it. Krill takes one more look around and then ushers you all inside. The place is filled to the brim with weird trinkets and presumably ill-gotten goods. [[A young man->Rob Descriptor]] lounging on the ground gives a brief wave, then seeing Leanne goes back to ignoring you.
Krill makes a beeline for a treasure trove of bottles and tins on a nearby table. Clearly drugs. "Leanne, you oughta know better than to wait until you're completely out of stock to come back and refill."
"Yeah, well, shit happens," Leanne drawls. She seems more or less at home. "And it went faster than I thought it would. You didn't put a dosage label on it."
"Thought you could figure that out yourself," Krill says, shifting through bottles.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
"If you're worried about the risks, you should see a doctor," says Krill. "I say just take what feels good and if you start hurling scale it back a bit."
"So nice to know you have my best interests at heart," mutters Leanne.
"We're in the process of getting our hands on some non-'roidal shit. That might be more your speed. In the meantime, you're an adult, you should know how to take care of yourself." Krill tosses Leanne a couple of bottles. She catches them, stows them in her pockets.
"What's the price?" she asks.
"Be my dealer next Thursday."
Leanne's eyes narrow. "That's it?"
Krill shrugs. "IF you promise to come back sooner next time."
"Uhm...what...what is that?" Roy finally asks.
"None of your fucking business," Leanne growls, whirling on Roy.
"Aaaaand now I'm thinking you might be on the wrong dosage," Krill says, shaking his head. "It's T-blockers, Roy. Totally above board."
"Why don't you give them a copy of my medical history, Krill?" Leanne says.
"Toldya I'm not a doctor. Drink some water or something."
"Maybe I will," Leanne pouts, although she seems to be calming down.
You were right. Definitely drugs. Just not the kind you immediately thought of.
"So. You clowns," Krill barks. "Tell me exactly what you're doing here. Don't make me regret showing you my soft and cuddly side. [[All right?"->Scene 2]]You fix Krill with as hardened a stare as you can muster. You've survived plenty of high-stakes negotiations. Those just normally involved pricy real estate, not a human life. "I was told that you have eyes on every part of New Vegas."
Krill grins. "Well, that might be an exaggeration. But not by much. I know enough."
"My co-worker went missing last night," you say. "I left him at the poker table after you cashed out, and I haven't seen him since."
"Maybe he went looking for some strange. New city, here for the weekend..."
"He's not really the type," you admit. "He talks a lot about "meeting the right girl"."
Krill facepalms. "Oh, fuck me with a chainsaw."
"My point is, he plays by the straight and narrow," you continue. "He wouldn't go off for no reason without letting me know."
"Uh-huh. And what's it to you if this guy makes it back home safely?" Krill asks, leaning in close. "What do you get out of this?"
What a strange question. This exchange feels anything but transactional to you. But that's obviously the filter Krill runs over every scenario.
Should you play it cool? [[Act like Barry is just a co-worker?->Scene 2A]]
Should you show your hand? [[Let Krill know that Barry means more than that?->Scene 2B]]
Or maybe you should drop this whole "negotiation" schtick. The way Krill's talking makes your stomach roil, and [[you wouldn't mind getting mad.->Scene 2C]]You decide to try out your poker face. "It will look very bad if I go on a business trip with a colleague and come back from that trip without him." {(if: $goodwill>0)[(Set: $friend to true)] (if: $goodwill<=0)[(Set: $friend to false)]}
"Ah. Okay," says Krill. "So in other words, you don't really care about this guy. You're just worried about your own skin."
"You're a businessman," you counter. "I'm sure you understand my feelings."
Krill laughs. "You think you got the measure of me already?" He plants his feet, motions for Rob to check the door. "Here's the different between you and me," he says. "You're a flunky. You might think you've got power, but you're always answering to someone else. I don't answer to anyone. Might be the only person I know who can say that. So...as a businessman to a flunky, I have to ask the obvious question. What's in it for me?"
You're flabbergasted. Krill's obviously much better at this than you are. You turn to your companion. {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Tig')[==Tig looks at you and [[nods.->Scene 2AA]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Tig')[==Tig looks at you and [[shakes their head->Scene 2AE]]} {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Quentin')[==Quentin looks at you and [[gulps.->Scene 2AB]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Quentin')[==Quentin looks at you, [[then looks away.->Scene 2AE]]} {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Leanne')[==Leanne looks at you and [[sighs->Scene 2AC]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Leanne')[==Leanne looks at you, scoffs, and [[turns away.->Scene 2AE]]} {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Roy')[==Roy looks at you and [[nods.->Scene 2AD]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Roy')[==Roy looks at you, then [[looks down at the floor->Scene 2AE]]}"He's my friend," you say. "I'm worried about him." {(set: $goodwill to $goodwill +1)} {(if: $goodwill>0)[(Set: $friend to true)] (if: $goodwill<=0)[(Set: $friend to false)]}
Krill looks skeptical. "Would he do the same for you?"
"What a weird question," you mutter. "Sure he would."
Krill continues to examine you. You feel sweat beading on your brow. "How long have you known this guy? Forever and a day?"
"No," you admit. "He's my co-worker. This is the first time we've spent all that much time together."
"It doesn't sound to me like you want to help him because you care," Krill muses. "It sounds like you're guilty that you lost track of him."
"Whether or not I am, that's something for me to work out on my own," you say, strength returning to your voice. "What's important is that I've made the decision to help him. And I'm going to follow through on that decision."
Krill appraises you. He seemed to like that little outburst. "Okay. If nothing else, you've got gumption." He returns to the only chair in the room. "Okay. Say I knew anything about where he might be. What's that information worth to you?"
Oh God. You don't really have any bargaining chips. You turn to your companion. {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Tig')[==Tig looks at you and [[nods.->Scene 2AA]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Tig')[==Tig looks at you and [[shakes their head->Scene 2AE]]} {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Quentin')[==Quentin looks at you and [[gulps.->Scene 2AB]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Quentin')[==Quentin looks at you, [[then looks away.->Scene 2AE]]} {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Leanne')[==Leanne looks at you and [[sighs->Scene 2AC]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Leanne')[==Leanne looks at you, scoffs, and [[turns away.->Scene 2AE]]} {(if: $friend is true and $companion is 'Roy')[==Roy looks at you and [[nods.->Scene 2AD]]} {(if: $friend is false and $companion is 'Roy')[==Roy looks at you, then [[looks down at the floor->Scene 2AE]]}"What exactly are you getting at?" you growl. You're already tired of this guy's games. {(set: $goodwill to $goodwill-1)} {(if: $goodwill>0)[(Set: $friend to true)] (if: $goodwill<=0)[(Set: $friend to false)]}
"Just asking a question," Krill says, shrugging.
"Someone is missing, and nobody I talk to seem to care," you say. "Wouldn't it be normal for you to want to help me without me explaining why you should?"
"Look, man, Krill says, circling you, "there's been shady shit happening around the casino for a while now. People go missing all the time. Your friend is just one in a long line of the disappeared. Sometimes they come back. But the fact that he's gone? It means he had nothing to offer the people who could have protected him."
Krill's talking in riddles. You hate it. "So you know exactly what's going on, and you won't do anything to help? What's wrong with you?"
"Being sanctimonious with me isn't the way to get what you want," Krill warns. "I've got my own affairs to take care of. In order to make any kind of impact around here, you've got to be valuable. So," he continues, every ounce of good humor gone. "What makes you so special, that I should take time out of my day to help you?"
You feel $companion behind you get very, very tense. You're not feeling too chipper yourself.
Is it too late to [[make a break for it?->Scene 2CA]]
Or should you [[press on?->Scene 2AE]]So much for support. You're on your own on this one. You take a deep breath. "I don't have anything to give you," you admit. "Nothing I can think of."
Krill stares at you. "Are you serious?" He looks around. Nobody moves. "So you're saying that you're a completely worthless human being? That's the most pathetic thing I've ever heard."
"I can wire you money," you say, pulling out your phone. "I don't have much, but I have savings..."
"Not interested," says Krill. "I've got plenty of money. I need info, data, weaponry...service, maybe. Money's boring."
"It's all I've got," you say, suddenly feeling helpless.
Krill shakes his head, grinning wide. "No. No, you've got something. You're just not letting me in on what it is. Here's something you can give me," he says, moving closer. "The chance to find out."
"I leave town in two days," you say, moving back a hair.
"There's a lot I can use a person for in two days," Krill says. You hear Rob snicker behind him. "Jesus, Rob," Krill says, "get your head out of the gutter." He turns back to you. "I'll help you. In exchange for one free errand, and a promise from you that you won't lie to any question I ask you. And you stay here tonight."
You look around the room. "I...stay here?"
"On the couch," says Krill, rolling his eyes. "I'm not that crass. But if I can't figure out how to use you, dressing you up in something skimpy and having you dance around for a bit might not be off the table. But hey...your friend doesn't need to know what price you paid to find him, does he? It all stays between us."
That's a mental picture you don't know what to do with. You gesture toward Rob. "What about him?"
"He'll keep his mouth shut," says Krill.
Rob grins wide. "Who am I going to tell? Other than Krill, I got NO friends."
"See? Totally trustworthy," says Krill. He walks right up to you and holds out a beefy hand. "So? What do you think? Is it a deal?"
You stare at Krill's hand, mind whirring. What's the right move here?
Should you [[agree->Scene 2AEA]] to Krill's terms? Krill would be a powerful ally.
Still, this whole situation feels weird and gross. This is a gangster we're talking about. Maybe you should just [[say no->Scene 2AEB]] and try to find Barry another way.Tig clears their throat and stands up. "Uh...Krill?"
"Yeah, Rance? Something to say?" Krill asks.
"About that, Krill." Tig hangs their head, shamefaced. "My name isn't actually Rance."
"Yeah. I know."
Krill's admission hits Tig like a punch. "You do?"
"Sure," says Krill. "You work at the hospital."
"Why...why didn't you say anything?" Tig asks.
"You're a useful person to have around. I figured you'd let me know if you wanted to come clean at some point." Krill somehow seems calmer, almost nice. It's unnerving. "So, what's on your mind?" he asks.
"Um...Um!" Tig pulls you forward. "My friend here...they work for the hospital, too."
"Well, that's not strictly true," you protest. "I'm an investor."
"Yeah, but my point is your company and its members have open access to the hospital and all of its subsidiary buildings," Tig says, excited now.
"Open access?" Krill's eyes gleam with interest. You see why he's compared to a shark.
"Is there something you want in there?" you venture.
"Oh, baby, you bet there is," Krill says, energized. "A bunch of somethings. Tell me, has Rance...uh, TIG, here, told you what they're peddling?"
"No," you say. "They just hinted that it's safer if only the people who need it remain in the know."
"That's probably a safe bet," Krill admits. "In any case, Tig's been smuggling it out in small doses, but demand's grown high as of late. If we had someone working for us who could waltz in whenever and grab some, that would save Tig some heartache and make things easier for a lot of people."
"So you want me to be some kind of drug mule?" you ask. You don't like where this is heading.
"It's not cocaine, or anything like that, if that's what stresses you out," Krill says, voice dripping disdain. "I told you. This stuff makes lives better. Maybe you're not used to that, but you can get a mighty strong high from helping out the little guy."
Tig turns toward Krill, eyes practically shining. "Krill...that's sweet."
"Shit," Krill says with a grimace. "Let me dial it back then." He puffs up his chest and renews his machismo. "You scratch my back, kid, and I'll scratch yours. And hey, who knows, maybe we'll end up killing two birds with one stone."
Krill holds out his hand to you. You stare at it, mind whirring. What's the right move here?
Should you [[agree->Scene 2AAA]] to Krill's terms? Krill would be a powerful ally.
Still, something about this feels wrong. This is a gangster we're talking about. Maybe you should just [[say no->Scene 2AAB]] and try to find Barry another way.
Maybe if you [[ask more questions->Scene 2AA-1]] you'll be able to make up your mind."Yeah, okay," you say, as nonchalantly as you can. "I'll take that deal."
Krill snorts. He's not even trying to hide his contempt. "You think you're some kind of cowboy? Come on, let's shake on it."
You shake Krill's strong hand. You can't help but notice Tig off to the side, not looking at you. They look worried.
It's time to take control of this situation. You straighten up, shoot your cuffs. "Okay," you say, "before we do ANY planning about the hospital, tell me everything you know about what happened to Barry."
Krill smiles. As if to say "[[Let the games begin.->Ending 1]]"You stare at Krill's hand. It feels like you're in too deep, but maybe you have one more chance to walk. "Sorry," you say. "I don't know enough about what's going on here. I don't want to get involved."
"So..." Krill prompts, gesturing with his outstretched hand.
"So, no deal," you say. "I'll figure out some other way to pay you."
Krill laughs. "You just said "no" to the most straight-forward method. What else have you got?"
"I have money," you say. "It'll take me a couple days, but I can wire some to your account..."
"No, no, no, money's not interesting to me," Krill says. "I've got enough of that. Some other act of service will do."
You don't like the way he said that.
"They'll play you for the information," Tig shouts. They ignore your panicked expression and turn toward Krill. "You like gambling, right Krill? They'll play a game with you."
"What are you doing?" you hiss.
"If you want to get out of here with the skin on your back, this is the best way," Tig says.
"But what if I lose?"
The confidence drains out of Tig's body. "Oops."
"Yeah, yeah, actually I like this!" Krill crows. "Okay. Let's make it fair."
Krill shuffles a deck of cards and takes two of them out. An Ace of Clubs and a Joker. He shows you the cards, shuffles them behind his back, and then places them facedown on the ground. "It's the best way to do this," he explains. "One of those cards is the Ace. Pick it, and I help you out. Pick wrong, and you help me free of charge."
"How do I know you aren't cheating again?" you ask.
Krill shrugs. "I told you. Fair and square."
You stare at the cards. They aren't giving you any information. You only have two choices.
(either: [[You pick a card.->Scene 2AAB-1]], [[You pick a card.->Scene 2AAB-2]])You really only have one question, and it's been nagging at you since you ran into Tig at the market. "Before I agree to anything, I need to know what I'm getting myself into. Tell me what you're stealing from the hospital."
Krill's eyes darken. "Come on, don't be like that. You're in no position to negotiate."
"I don't care," you say. "I'm doing it anyway. Tell me what you're smuggling."
"Krill," Tig pipes up, "It's okay. I'll tell them. At least a little bit."
Tig seems so small compared to Krill, even though they're taller than he is. Krill scratches his head. "It's your show, in the end. Go ahead."
Tig straightens up. Suddenly, you're speaking to a scientist. "What I've got at my stand...it's a kind of synthetic hormone. More cheaply made than the kind most hospitals keep in stock. I've been combing the place looking for raw material, and I've been making the finished product myself."
You goggle at them. "Are you fucking serious? How can you even do that? Don't you need equipment?"
Tig shrugs. "The hospital doesn't keep very strict tabs on me. I'm kind of a gofer over there. During my off-hours, and after the place is closed, I use their equipment."
"So, what you're telling me is that you're some kind of kid genius?
Tig turns bright red. It's very endearing. "Oh, no, not really...I just have too much time on my hands...most of the stuff that falls under my job requirements is fairly easy to figure out."
"They're being modest," Krill chimes in, grabbing Tig in a one-armed hug. "Tig's made my life miles easier. Their product doesn't quite replace the real thing, but it helps out the people who need it until I can grab a stronger dosage to sell them."
"But...wouldn't the hospital do that anyway?" you ask.
Krill and Tig laugh uneasily. You flush. Did you just say something stupid?
"Anyway," says Krill, "story time's over. So tell me now. Do we have a deal?"
You think you can make an informed decision now.
[[Do you take Krill's deal?->Scene 2AAA]]
[[Or do you walk?->Scene 2AAB]]Congratulations! You've convinced a powerful mob boss to help you in your cause without bloodshed. But who knows if this will help you find Barry. Your time at Lonely Skies casino has been anything but predictable so far.
This has been "Lonely Skies", a smaller piece of a larger work that was originally performed at The Hive in New York City as a part of Undiscovered Countries "Blast Off!" Development Workshop.
Curious about how else this encounter could have played out? [[Click here->The Underground Market]] to try your luck again.Krill looks at the card you're pointing at. With gravitas, he flips it over to reveal...
The Joker.
Shit.
"Oooh! So close! But no, no you lost," he crows. He sees your crestfallen face. "I mean, you really should have known better than to suggest that. Only an IDIOT would put their fate in the hands of a fifty-fifty chance, right?" He directs this last part at Tig.
"I'm not an idiot," Tig seethes.
"Oooo, Rance," Krill teases, "that had a little bite to it. Don't be mad. I don't actually think you're stupid. But maybe take a second to think about that impulsive streak of yours and if it's really serving your best interests."
"So...what happens now?" you ask, stomach sinking.
"Well, now, we're in business," Krill says, holding his arms out wide. "And I think you should stay here tonight, so I can figure out exactly what you're good for."
You look around the emptyish flat. "Where...am I supposed to stay?"
Rob pipes up from the doorway. "Well, if you imagine hard enough, it starts to feel like the entire world is one big couch."
"Figure it out," Krill orders. "Meanwhile, Rance? You gotta go."
"No. I'm staying," says Tig, standing near you. "If they have to help you, then so do I."
Krill shrugs. "Suit yourself. Doesn't ever hurt to have an extra hand."
Tig smiles at you encouragingly. You wish you could smile back. You're in the worst situation you've ever been in, and as much as you hate to say it, [[it's kind of Tig's fault.->Ending 2]]Krill flips over the card and his eyes grow wide. "Whoah! Whoah!" He waves the card around. "Are you seeing this? This is incredible! You actually picked the correct card!" He thrusts the card into his henchman's face. "Rob, are you seeing this?"
"I'm seeing it," Rob says, slightly bored.
You're nonplussed. Krill's delight seems genuine. Maybe he really wasn't trying to trick you?
"Okay. Let's all calm down now," Krill says, growing serious again on a dime. "You calm?" he growls at you and Tig. The two of you mumble your assent. "Excellent."
"Way to go," Tig whispers to you. "You did well."
"No thanks to you," you say before you can stop yourself.
Tig's eyes grow wet. They shake it off. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you later. I promise. But hey, we won. Let's focus on that."
"So," Krill interrupts. "Where were we?"
"You were going to tell me what happened to my friend. Free of charge," you say.
"Right," Krill says, settling into the only chair in the room. "All right, then. Here's hoping you like what you hear."
You swallow hard. Time to see if all this hard work actually [[paid off.->Ending 1]]Oh no! You've landed yourself in Krill's clutches. If you stick around you may still be able to learn something, but who knows when that will happen again? All you can do is hope for the best.
This has been "Lonely Skies", a smaller piece of a larger work that was originally performed at The Hive in New York City as a part of Undiscovered Countries "Blast Off!" Development Workshop (2017).
Curious about how else this encounter could have played out? [[Click here->The Underground Market]] to try your luck again.Quentin makes a hissing sound at you. "Tell him about the alien," he whispers.
You almost forgot you had told him the details of your [[close encounter.->Something Weird]] You want to say that seems like a misguided idea, but Krill overhears you first. "What?"
Quentin musters up his strength. "Krill, inside the hospital...I've been tracking its movements and activity for MONTHS...there's an extra-terrestrial."
A pause. Then Krill lets out a hearty laugh. Then almost immediately, the humor in his face is gone. "Okay, get out of here."
"No! Wait!" Quentin protests. "Please, if you won't listen to me, listen to them! They've seen it! They can tell you!"
Krill glares at you. You think you can see some measure of eagerness in his face. "Well?"
Well. You've got no choice now.
"It's true. I've seen it," you say, thinking back to that day. "They keep it in a glass tube in its own separate room."
Krill seems to consider. Apparently your words carry more weight than Quentin's. "And if I believe you? How can this alien help me?" he asks.
"How CAN'T an alien help you?" Quentin asks. You wish he would stop talking. "I bet it would be so grateful if you let it loose, it'd do anything you wanted! Maybe, maybe help you expand your business?"
"Oh my God, you're so stupid!" Rob laughs from the door, delighted.
"Shut up! No I'm not," Quentin shoots back.
"You're banking on the idea that this alien shares our values about "gratitude"," Krill says, pacing now, "AND that it would stick around after being sprung, AND that it feels charitable towards whatever work I'm doing here. That's a lotta "maybes" that I don't feel too keen on.
He walks up to you, sticks his face close to yours. His breath smells like tobacco. "No, the bigger story here is that YOU have ways to get into the hospital. You've been inside?"
"I have," you say.
"Of your own free will? They didn't steal your keys or anything?" Krill asks.
What a strange question. "No, I have access," you say, producing your access pass from your wallet. Krill immediately grabs it from you and crows.
"Hot DAMN," he says, "why didn't you say so sooner, idiot? Fuck, get me into the hospital and I'll tell you everything you need to know!"
"Get you in to do what?" you ask.
"Aw, sweetheart, I can't tell you that," says Krill. "You'd need an extra piece of bait for me to let you in on what I'm planning. Neither of you are my people, after all."
"So...we'd be letting you in blind?" asks Quentin.
"Yeah. A little trust goes a long way. And hey, MAYBE if you do what I want, we'll actually be killing two birds with one stone." Krill settles back on the only chair in the room.
"What do you mean by that?" you ask. You're getting a bad feeling.
"You need more hints? Woof. You aren't very smart, are you?" Krill laughs.
You're starting to get riled up in spite of yourself. "Okay, man, listen..."
"No. You listen," Krill says, serious again. "Do you agree to my terms or not? You get me or one of my people into the hospital, I tell you where I last saw your friend. Is it a deal?"
You stare at Krill. He's looking murderous suddenly. What's the right move here?
Should you [[agree->Scene 2ABA]] to Krill's terms? Krill would be a powerful ally.
Still, something about this feels wrong. This is a gangster we're talking about. Maybe you should just [[say no->Scene 2ABB]] and try to find Barry another way."Yeah, okay," you say, as nonchalantly as you can. "I'll take that deal."
Krill snorts. He's not even trying to hide his contempt. "You think you're some kind of cowboy? Come on, let's shake on it."
You shake Krill's strong hand.
Quentin clears his throat. "And I get to come too, right?"
"What makes you think so?" Krill replies.
Quentin deflates. "Come on...please...this is my life's work, my dream."
Krill barks out a harsh, cruel laugh. "Your LIFE'S WORK? You have the nerve to say you've devoted your entire self to this? Are you SERIOUS?"
"You have to take me along," Quentin says with renewed vigor, "or else I'll follow you and you won't be able to get rid of me! And I'm useful!" he adds, seeing Krill growing bored. "I know when security around the hospital is tight and when it's not!"
Krill grins. "Finally. You learn how to speak my language. If you're useful you can definitely come. Sure."
You make note of this exchange. Krill has been calculating your responses to every word out of his mouth since you walked into his hideout. You're glad he's on your side. For now.
It's time to take control of this situation. You straighten up, shoot your cuffs. "Okay," you say, "before we do ANY planning about the hospital, tell me everything you know about what happened to Barry."
Krill smiles. As if to say "[[Let the games begin.->Ending 1]]"You stare at Krill's hand. It feels like you're in too deep, but maybe you have one more chance to walk. "Sorry," you say. "I don't know enough about what's going on here. I don't want to get involved."
"So..." Krill prompts, gesturing with his outstretched hand.
"So, no deal," you say. "I'll figure out some other way to pay you."
Krill laughs. "You just said "no" to the most straight-forward method. What else have you got?"
"I have money," you say. "It'll take me a couple days, but I can wire some to your account..."
"No, no, no, money's not interesting to me," Krill says. "I've got enough of that. Some other act of service will do."
You don't like the way he said that.
"I can get you some super clear pictures of the hospital," Quentin offers.
"Are you stupid?" Krill barks. "If I wanna look at the hospital, I can go outside and look at it. If you don't have anything useful to offer me, get out."
"No," you say, crossing your arms. "Not until you help me."
"Wow. You're dumber than I thought." Krill looks around as if searching for inspiration. "Okay," he finally says. "I have an idea."
Krill shuffles a deck of cards and takes two of them out. An Ace of Clubs and a Joker. He shows you the cards, shuffles them behind his back, and then places them facedown on the ground. "It's the best way to do this," he explains. "One of those cards is the Ace. Pick it, and I help you out. Pick wrong, and you help me free of charge."
"How do I know you aren't cheating again?" you ask.
Krill shrugs. "I told you. Fair and square."
You stare at the cards. They aren't giving you any information. You only have two choices.
(either: [[You pick a card.->Scene 2ABB-1]], [[You pick a card.->Scene 2ABB-2]])Krill flips over the card and his eyes grow wide. "Whoah! Whoah!" He waves the card around. "Are you seeing this? This is incredible! You actually picked the correct card!" He thrusts the card into his henchman's face. "Rob, are you seeing this?"
"I'm seeing it," Rob says, slightly bored.
You're nonplussed. Krill's delight seems genuine. Maybe he really wasn't trying to trick you?
"Okay. Let's all calm down now," Krill says, growing serious again on a dime. "You calm?" he growls at you and Quentin. The two of you mumble your assent. "Excellent."
"This might be the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me," Quentin whispers to you.
"Seriously?" you whisper back. "But you deal in conspiracies."
Quentin smiles at you, his eyes shining. "Yeah, but this is the first time a conspiracy is dealing with me."
"So," Krill interrupts. "Where were we?"
"You were going to tell me what happened to my friend. Free of charge," you say.
"Right," Krill says, settling into the only chair in the room. "All right, then. Here's hoping you like what you hear."
You swallow hard. Time to see if all this hard work actually [[paid off.->Ending 1]]Krill looks at the card you're pointing at. With gravitas, he flips it over to reveal...
The Joker.
Shit.
"You know, part of me was really hoping that would work," Krill says. "Would put a nice cap on the spookiness we've been talking about all evening. But no. Wrong card."
"Bummer, guys," Rob says, coming over from the door.
"Okay, conspiracy-boy," Krill says, pointing at Quentin. "First thing's first. You get the hell out of here."
"No! That's not fair," Quentin cries. "If they get to stay...Uhm...HAVE to stay," he says, correcting himself after noticing your glare, "I should too."
"Most of this stuff is way over your head," Krill says.
"He means you're dumb," Rob translates.
"I know what he means, and I don't care," Quentin says. "I'll find a way to be useful. I promise."
Krill shrugs. "Honestly, as long as you're quiet, I don't give a crap. What about you?" he asks, looking at you.
You'd rather Quentin was far away at the moment. But after all you've put him through, maybe making him happy for a second is the best thing to do. "Yeah. He can stay."
"Thank you," says Quentin.
"Sure," you say. You're not sure you deserve thanks.
"Okay. Where were we?" Krill says, taking control of the situation. "Finding out exactly what you can do for me?"
You focus up. Things are about to get more difficult. Might as well act confident. "Yeah. [[That's where we were.->Ending 2]]"Leanne rolls her eyes and steps forward. "Hey, Krill? Why don't you stop posturing and just tell the kid what you know?"
Krill spreads his arms wide. "Because I rule this town, and as the ruler I deserve respect and presents."
"Cool," Leanne says, then turns to you. "Your friend got thoroughly whacked by my boss at the poker table and then went to drown his sorrows in booze. His phone died, so he couldn't call you. He ran into a very interesting man who tried to pick him up, and when he told him he was straight the man got angry. Then he played things more professional and got your friend to follow him to a second location."
"Leanne, what the fuck?" Krill shouts.
"I'm bored," says Leanne. "And you've been nothing but mean to me all night."
"This guy Barry was talking to," you say to Leanne. "Do you know him?"
"I've seen him around."
"You know how to contact him?" you press.
"Sure do," Leanne replies.
Krill stares at Leanne and a grin slowly splits his face. "You don't. You don't know!"
"Shut up, yeah I do," says Leanne.
"No you don't! You're lying to me! Oh, Leanne, I'm wounded!" Krill slaps his hands to his chest. "You're willing to tell lies to get this shrimp away from me?"
"Listen," Leanne says to you, ignoring Krill, "I can help you for free. Krill's help comes with a price tag. All you need to tell me is that we'll get out of here now, and I'll help you find your friend."
"She doesn't have a clue," Krill laughs. "It's written all over her face! Come on, friend. We can work something out. I'll even do you a little favor, since you're friends with Leanne, and give you a discount. One favor, that I name, carried out before you leave." He smirks, self-satisfied. "That's all I ask."
You thought Leanne was going to help things, but now it all seems more complicated than ever.
[[Should you trust Leanne?->Scene 2ACA]] She's cool, collected and is willing to help you for free. The details of her story add up.
But what if she's lying? Sure, Krill's a gangster, but [[his help->Scene 2ACB]] might be more valuable than Leanne's.
You look at Roy. He's worked with Leanne for years. [[Maybe he has an inkling->Scene 2AC-1]] of whether or not she's telling the truth.You take a deep breath. You weren't psyched to talk to a mob boss in the first place. If Leanne has a chance of helping you, it would be smart to take it. "Okay, Leanne. I trust you."
"Great. Let's get out of here." She springs from the wall, grabs you and Roy and heads toward the door. "Thanks for the hook-up, Krill," she calls back.
"Ohhhhh, Leanne, the pleasure's all mine," sings Krill. "Especially when I collect a higher payment from you next time you need some."
"You say that now," Leanne shoots back. "Maybe you forgot what it feels like to win games of poker without help."
"Get out of here before I throw you out."
The three of you leave the shack. Leanne walks ahead, parting the crowd. You follow on her heels.
"Okay. Tell me what you know," you say once you catch up.
"I don't know anything."
You stop walking. "Excuse me?"
Leanne turns to face you. "I was bluffing. Everything I said in there was true. Except for the part where I know how to contact the guy."
"Are you kidding me?" you growl. "You screwed me over on my best chance to rescue my friend?"
"You don't GET IT," Leanne seethes. "Krill is a dangerous person. The fact that you got that far into the conversation is a miracle in itself. Getting you out of there was the nicest thing I could do."
"But now I've got nothing!"
"You have your fucking life!"
"Leanne, keep your voice down!" Roy hisses. You're starting to attract some stares.
Leanne falls silent. She adjusts her collar. "Screw this. I'm outta here." She runs off.
"Hey! Wait!" you call out. For all the good it'll do.
"Shit. Leave her," Roy says. "She'll be back at the casino soon enough. Come on, we can brainstorm back at the hotel. Maybe Natasha will know something, she was working the same night."
You vaguely remember [[Natasha.->Natasha Intro]] Could you actually salvage this day after all?
"So come on," Roy insists. "Let's go."
You look in the direction Leanne ran off. If you try, you might be able to [[catch her.->Scene 3B]]
Or should you abandon the Underground, and [[go with Roy?->Scene 3C]]You take a deep breath. You came here to talk to Krill. This isn't the time to get distracted. "Sorry, Leanne. I think Krill knows what he's talking about."
Krill bounds towards you and extends his hand. "So we have a deal?" he says. You hate the gleam in his eye, and the pit in your stomach.
"Yeah," you say, "We have a deal. One free favor, whenever you need it."
You shake hands. Leanne doesn't say a word.
"You can leave now, Leanne," says Krill. "You too, Roy."
Roy leaves immediately. You're somewhat hurt. Leanne, however, crosses her arms and leans against the wall. "I think I'll stay."
"Why? Planning on casing the place?" Krill laughs.
"Please, I could have stolen something ages ago if I wanted to," says Leanne. She still doesn't look at you.
"Hell, I don't care if you're here," says Krill. "It's going to be boring though. You know, since you don't know what we're talking about."
If the comment bothered Leanne, she doesn't show it. She stares straight ahead. You shoot your cuffs. Time to take control of the situation.
"Okay," you say, "before you cash in that favor, tell me everything you know about what happened to Barry."
Krill smiles. As if to say "[[Let the games begin.->Ending 1]]"You pull Roy to the side. "Roy, help me out. Is Leanne telling the truth?"
Roy shifts. "I'm not really sure," he whispers. "The two of us don't talk too much. I don't really trust her."
"Really? Why not?" you ask.
"She never talks about herself. She's like a stone wall." Roy shakes his head. "But that's got nothing to do with what's going on right now. If Leanne was working the poker table with you last night, it's possible she would be working the bar around the time your friend went there. But it's not likely she would have been able to catch the whole conversation. So she's filling in the blanks somehow.
"So I should take Krill's deal," you say, glancing at Krill. He and Leanne are trading barbs again. He clearly likes riling her up.
"That's what we came here for," says Roy without enthusiasm. "But if Leanne's telling the truth, I know who the guy she's talking about is. He works for the hospital. I've served him when I covered for Natasha."
"Does that help us any?" you ask.
"It means we have a lead, even if we don't take Krill's help." Roy stares at the ground. "It's really up to you, though. Krill, whatever else you might say about him, he never lies."
Who do you trust?
[[Leanne?->Scene 2ACA]]
[[Or Krill?->Scene 2ACB]]
"Okay. Let's go," you say. You suddenly feel very tired.
"Hey, don't look so worried," Roy says as you head for the exit. "Leanne's tougher than you know. She just needs to cool off a bit."
"It's that simple, huh?"
"I mean, compared to what I go through to look presentable every day. She always manages to look composed," Roy says.
"And that doesn't worry you?" you ask.
"No," says Roy. His brows knit together. "I mean, should it?"
You look back into the Underground Market. "We should both look for her later," you say. "After we've done what we need to do. Just to make sure she's okay."
Roy shrugs. "If you want to. But I think you're wasting your time."
The two of you leave, [[feeling much worse for the wear.->Ending 3]]You don't feel good about how you left things with Leanne. You make a decision. "I'm sorry, Roy, I'll catch up with you later."
"Come on, really?" says Roy. "She can take care of herself."
"I'll be right up," you insist.
Roy sighs. "Okay. I'll be at the hotel. Or, by the looks of things, covering Leanne at the casino. Again."
Roy leaves. You run in the direction you saw Leanne heading and eventually see her at a small jewelry stall. She seems lost in thought. She looks up as you approach, and seems completely unsurprised. "Perfect timing. You can help me choose."
"What?"
Leanne holds up a couple of necklaces. "Not going to be able to stop by Krill's for a bit, so might as well buy something pretty with the money I'll save. Which one?"
You're a little thrown by her nonchalance. [[Is she really okay?->Scene 3C-1]]
Krill didn't seem that angry to you. Maybe an outside perspective would [[make her feel better?->Scene 3C-2]]
Or maybe you should play along. [[You like the necklace on the left.->Scene 3C-3]]Well, you kind of blew it there. Not going to lie. You didn't find what you were looking for AND you made some people angry at you. This might have consequences in the future.
This has been "Lonely Skies", a smaller piece of a larger work that was originally performed at The Hive in New York City as a part of Undiscovered Countries "Blast Off!" Development Workshop.
Curious about how else this encounter could have played out? [[Click here->The Underground Market]] to try your luck again."Are you okay?" you ask.
"Fine. Couldn't be better. Pick a necklace." Leanne shakes the jewelry at you.
"I...Are you honestly shopping right now?" you say.
"Yup."
"Because neither of those necklaces match the jewelry you have on."
"I'm looking for something new," Leanne says. Something that screams 'stop talking to me.'" She smiles for a moment at your dejected face, then turns back to the stall. "Don't you have an investigation to conduct? Leave me alone."
Nuh-uh. [[You aren't letting her off that easy.->Scene 3CA]]"Krill didn't seem all that mad to me," you venture.
"Well, you don't know him like I do," Leanne says as she examines the necklaces. "He'd rather do something sneaky later than get really mad now. Like I bet he'll stand me up next time we try to make a deal."
"Well, maybe that's a good thing," you say, trying to catch her eye. "The deal you've got going on, it doesn't seem very safe."
"Look who's worried about my safety now," Leanne chuckles.
"I am. I have been."
She finally looks at you. Her eyes are cold. "Kid, every decision you've made today has been about making sure you're getting what you want. If you're going to tell me lies, at least acknowledge that they're lies." She looks at the necklaces. "Screw it. I'll get both."
Well, at least she's having a conversation with you now. You decide to [[press your luck.->Scene 3CA]]"I like that one," you say, pointing to the necklace in her left hand.
Leanne looks at it. "Well. You have terrible taste."
"Okay, the other one then."
"Nope, too late," she says. "You chose wrong. That means you have to leave now. Bye."
You don't like this game. "Come on, will you let me talk to you?"
"Why? So you can yell at me some more?" she says.
Did you yell? It didn't feel like you were. But the moment did get sort of heated. "I didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry."
"Sure."
"I mean it."
"Sure."
She's avoiding your gaze again. There has to be a way you can [[make sure the two of you are okay.->Scene 3CA]]"Why did you help me?" you ask. "Some of what you said was true. Right? A man took Barry away somewhere?"
"That part's true, yes," she admits.
"Why tell me anything true? Why tell me anything at all?"
Leanne looks up at the sky. "Kid, I'm tired. You're spinning your wheels. I kinda want to crawl in a corner and hide until you're safely out of New Vegas."
"I wish we could help each other," you say. "If you struck a deal with me, I'd be much nicer to you than Krill is."
You made her mad again. You can practically see her hackles rise. "Do you know what a savior complex is?"
"That's not what this is about," you say.
"I can't afford to get mixed up with someone who's stirring the pot this much," says Leanne. "Before you got here, yeah, things weren't great, but there was an equilibrium. A steadiness. You've barely involved me in what you're doing and you're ruining my life."
"I don't think any of this is my fault."
"You wouldn't."
You didn't come over here to fight again. Maybe it's best to bow out. "I only followed you to say that if you need anything, I'll help," you say. "And if you can help me too, that'll be amazing, but it's not a business deal or a trade. I'd like to be friends."
At that last word, Leanne looks visibly uncomfortable. "You want to be my friend?"
"Yes."
She looks at you. "Then go away."
You finally listen to her. As you leave, she calls out, "I'll come to you. If I find anything. IF I find anything."
You turn. She's still not smiling, still not looking at you, but something about the air between you two feels lighter. "Thank you," you say, and [[walk toward the exit.->Ending 4]]Things could definitely be worse! You have some allies, but now you're back at square one. Barry could be in serious trouble and you're running out of time. Head back to the casino and see what else you can dig up.
This has been "Lonely Skies", a smaller piece of a larger work that was originally performed at The Hive in New York City as a part of Undiscovered Countries "Blast Off!" Development Workshop.
Curious about how else this encounter could have played out? [[Click here->The Underground Market]] to try your luck again.Roy takes a deep breath and steps forward. It seems to take all he has. "Come on, Krill. We already paid you in favors. Please, help us out."
Krill looks bemused. "Nuh-uh. YOU paid me so I'd grant you an audience. I need something else to agree to help."
"That's...that's not fair," Roy protests.
Krill spreads out his hands and shakes his head. "Did I ever claim to be fair, Roy?"
"Your friend is his brother," you say. "That should count for something, right?"
Roy looks at you with a strange expression. Was this supposed to be a secret? Krill's brow furrows. "That's news to me," he mutters. He calls back to Rob, "Hey, Rob. I didn't know you had a brother."
"Must've forgot to mention it," says Rob, not looking at you.
"You don't even talk about me at all?" says Roy. His voice is an octave lower.
"Look, Roy," Rob says, "if you want me to treat you like a brother, you should act like one."
"What the fuck is happening with the two of you?" you say before you can stop yourself.
Rob's face turns dark. "Nosy. That's what you are. You're going to be gone in two day's time, anyway, so why do you care?"
You've wound up in the middle of some kind of soap opera. You don't really have time to do a proper mediation, but maybe you can use it to your advantage.
Maybe you can [[convince Rob to find it in his heart to help you.->Scene 2ADA]] He seems like a good kid who's gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd.
Then again, you came here to talk to Krill. So maybe [[ignoring this whole thing and speaking directly to him->Scene 2ADB]] would be best.
Rob's looking pretty upset now, and so is Roy. Before you worry about your own problems, maybe you should just suck it up and [[apologize.->Scene 2ADC]] You don't want bad blood.You put on your best therapist's face. "I don't know what's happened between you two," you say, "but life is short. It sounds like you don't talk much." You turn to Rob. "Given that you don't seem to take very good care of yourself..."
"Hey," Rob protests.
"I'm just saying," you continue, "what if something happened to one of you? And you never patched things up."
You let the suggestion hang in the air. Rob seems to think it over. He starts kicking at the ground like an old-school newsie. "Aw, gee, you're right...I've, I've been so stupid, and foolish and dumb. And cowardly, and miserly, and..."
You have a bad feeling. "Are you...mocking me?"
"Damn skippy," Rob shouts, dropping the act. "You don't actually give a shit about me and Roy. You've got your own agenda. So pretending that you give a crap about our boring family drama is fucked up. Krill, I can get them out of here as soon as you say "go"."
"Go," says Krill.
"Roger that, Boss." Rob begins to muscle you and Roy toward the door.
"Wait!" you call out. "Please, you're my only chance!"
But you're already at the door. "Before you play therapist again," Rob seethes, "maybe think things through, first." He turns to his brother, as if waiting for him to say something.
"Go to hell, Rob," says Roy.
Rob nods. "Up yours," he replies. He slams the door.
"I'm sorry," you say to Roy. "I was just trying to help."
"On a normal person, that might have worked," Roy growls. "Rob's just a bad apple. Always has been."
"What do we do now?" you ask. "We've blown our shot."
"Hey, we're not totally screwed yet," Roy says, perking up. "Let's get out of here - quickly - and talk to Natasha. She was working last night too, right? She might know something."
Right. Natasha. You think back to the perky bartender from the night before. Could she know something about Barry? "Okay, let's try it. Thanks for your help."
Roy somehow seems embarrassed. "Oh...no problem."
The two of you make your way out of the underground market, [[no closer to answers than when you started.->Ending 3]]
GO TO SCENE 3BYou turn to Krill, ignoring the brothers completely. "There has to be something I can do."
Krill barks out a laugh. "You need things spelled out real clear, don't you? I don't do anything unless you do something for me in return."
"I can wire you money," you say, pulling out your phone. "I don't have much, but I have savings..."
"Not interested," says Krill. "I've got plenty of money. I need info, data, weaponry...service, maybe. Money's boring."
"It's all I've got," you say, suddenly feeling helpless.
Krill shakes his head, grinning wide. "No. No, you've got something. You're just not letting me in on what it is. Here's something you can give me," he says, moving closer. "The chance to find out."
"I leave town in two days," you say, moving back a hair.
"There's a lot I can use a person for in two days," Krill says. You hear Rob snicker behind him. "Jesus, Rob," Krill says, "get your head out of the gutter." He turns back to you. "I'll help you. In exchange for one free errand, and a promise from you that you won't lie to any question I ask you. And you stay here tonight."
You look around the room. "I...stay here?"
"On the couch," says Krill, rolling his eyes. "I'm not that crass. But if I can't figure out how to use you, dressing you up in something skimpy and having you dance around for a bit might not be off the table. But hey...your friend doesn't need to know what price you paid to find him, does he? It all stays between us."
That's a mental picture you don't know what to do with. You gesture toward Rob. "What about him?"
"He'll keep his mouth shut," says Krill.
Rob grins wide. "Who am I going to tell? Other than Krill, I got NO friends."
"See? Totally trustworthy," says Krill. "And Roy Boy won't say a word either, will you Roy?"
Roy's face has paled. "Uhm...no, no of course not. I don't...have many friends, either."
Krill walks right up to you and holds out a beefy hand. "So? What do you think? Is it a deal?"
You stare at Krill's hand, mind whirring. What's the right move here?
Should you [[agree->Scene 2ADB-1]] to Krill's terms? Krill would be a powerful ally.
Still, this whole situation feels weird and gross. This is a gangster we're talking about. Maybe you should just [[say no->Scene 2AEB]] and try to find Barry another way.You decide that it's important to be a person right now. You let out the breath you've been holding in. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
Rob blinks at you. "What are you talking about?"
"Using your fight with your brother to try and turn things in my favor...only scumbags do things like that. If I was going to try and negotiate with Krill, I should have used my own type of collateral, not anyone else's."
Rob eyes you. "Uh-huh...so, why didn't you?"
You decide to tell the truth. "I don't have much," you admit. "I have a good job, but it's not very useful. I have money, but something tells me it's not going to do me much good, and it'd take days to get it here anyway. I'm...poor in a lot of ways."
The realization is sobering. You suddenly don't want to be here.
"Come on, Roy," you say. "We'll figure out another way to find Barry."
You step towards the door and almost make it out before Rob calls to you. "Wait." He turns to Krill, looking a little sullen. "Help the kid out."
Krill goggles at him. "Excuse me?"
"I don't ask for much, right?" asks Rob. "This kid's all right. Help them out. We'll figure out some kind of payment plan. For now, you can put it on my tab."
"Your tab is through the roof, Rob," Krill seethes.
"So I'll start a new one."
"That's not how tabs work."
"Come on!" Rob cries. "Be a friend!"
Suddenly Rob seems very young to you, and Krill seems even more dangerous. The gangster fumes and seems to almost lose it, then collects himself almost as quickly as his temper flared.
"Okay," he growls. "Being a friend...helping a stranger...for basically nothing...remind me, stranger, what was it you want to know?"
All eyes are on you. Huh. Sometimes being a person pays off. "Everything that you know about my friend Barry," you say.
Krill settles down in the only chair in the room. He lets out a groan of frustration and then locks eyes with you. You get the feeling you're finally going to [[find some answers.->Ending 1]]You muster as much courage as you can. You'll do anything to find Barry at this point. "Okay. It's a deal," you say and extend your hand to shake Krill's.
"Okay, no, I changed my mind," Roy pipes up. "I'm not okay with this. What are you doing?"
You're pretty frustrated with Roy by this point. "You said it yourself, the quickest way to get what I need is to strike a deal with Krill."
"Yeah, but it's not worth DEBASING yourself over!"
Honestly, what does he think's going to happen? "He just told me I'll be on the couch," you say.
"THERE IS NO COUCH," Roy shouts. "Where do you see a couch?"
"Somebody isn't using his imagination," says Rob.
Roy turns to Krill, abject. "Look, Krill, I'll pay double, they don't have to..."
"Roy," you say. "It's fine."
And it is. You've made up your mind.
"Yeah, Roy. You can go home now," says Krill, shooing him off.
Roy makes a bunch of strange faces and eventually lets out a small groan and heads to the door. "Come to see me as soon as you can when you have the chance." he says to you before leaving. "Okay? Just...as soon as you can."
He leaves.
"All right," Krill says, settling into the only chair in the room. "Where were we?"
Time to take control of the situation. As much as you can, anyway. You shoot your cuffs, put on your business face. "I believe you were about to tell me where my friend is."
Krill chuckles. "Right. I am a man of my word."
[[You hope so.->Ending 2]]You feel to weird about this. There has to be a better option. "Sorry, Krill. No deal."
Krill looks much more dangerous. "No?"
"I just can't get over how sleazy this whole thing sounds," you say, throwing caution to the wind. "A free favor? That could be anything. If I don't know what I'm getting into, I shouldn't promise myself away."
Krill has lost all trace of good humor. "You're being real sanctimonious for a completely useless person," he says. "One free favor is a BARGAIN. Especially when I don't even know if you'll be able to do what I ask."
"I'm still saying no."
Krill stares at you, then turns away. "All right, get out of here, then."
"I'm not done talking," you say.
"You are if I say you are."
"I need your help."
"You think you can still try to negotiate with me, even after doing every damn wrong thing in the book?" Krill shouts, whirling on you so fast it makes you dizzy. "You're a dumbass. A grade-A idiot. Rob, get them out of here," he barks to his flunky.
"On it," says Rob. He manhandles you and $companion and tosses you both out of the lean-to. He's stronger than he looks.
Before returning to Krill, he leans in to you and whispers, "Meet me at the casino later. I'll find a way to get us alone."
Oh God.
"No, not like that," Rob says at your expression. "Give me five hours. I'll be able to get enough info from Krill to help your friend."
Before you can ask more questions, he leaves.
You turn to $companion. You have a lot to process.
{(if: $companion is 'Tig')[==[[What does Tig have to say for themself?->Scene 2AEB-1]]} {(if: $companion is 'Quentin')[==[[What does Quentin have to say for himself?->Scene 2AEB-2]]} {(if: $companion is 'Leanne')[==[[What does Leanne have to say for herself?->Scene 2AEB-3]]} {(if: $companion is 'Roy')[==[[What does Roy have to say about this?->Scene 2AEB-4]]}Like it or not, this is the first bit of real help you've been offered. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" you ask, knowing the answer already.
"You always have a choice," Krill says. "Right now, you just don't have any good choices."
You stare at his hand. "You'll help me find Barry?"
"As long as you hold up your end of the deal," Krill agrees.
"Got it. Okay, then," you say, gripping his hand. "One free favor." You look around, hoping to lighten the mood. "Where's that couch?"
"Oh, the couch is more figurative than anything," Krill says as Rob giggles helplessly to himself. "I've got pillows or something. We'll figure something out."
He looks at $companion. "You can leave now. It's time for me and your friend to speak privately."
Krill walks away. Before you can follow, $companion places a hand on your shoulder.
{(if: $companion is 'Tig')[==[[What do they want?->Scene 2AEA-1]]} {(if: $companion is 'Quentin')[==[[What does he want?->Scene 2AEA-2]]} {(if: $companion is 'Leanne')[==[[What does she want?->Scene 2AEA-3]]} {(if: $companion is 'Roy')[==[[What does he want?->Scene 2AEA-4]]}Tig's eyes are shadowed. "I'm a little worried about what you just stepped into," they say.
That's rich. "Well, you could have helped out at any time. Why didn't you?"
"I thought you had a plan," Tig snaps. "Coming in here in talking to Krill without a plan is moronic."
"It was my only option."
Tig stares at you. "I don't know if I believe you." They shift, grain toward the door. "Uh, anyway...you seem to have arrived at...some kind of resolution, so I'm going to leave."
Your heart sinks. "Sure. I'll see you around?"
Tig looks at the ground, then at you. "I don't know."
They leave. (set: $companion to 'nobody')
You turn to look at Krill, who grins at you from the only chair in the room, as if to say, [["Let the games begin."->Ending 2]]Quentin's a little sweaty. You suppose you can't blame him for being afraid. "What the hell just happened?" he hisses. "I blinked, and now suddenly you're staying here?"
You shrug. "I guess you should leave before Krill changes his mind about letting you go."
"Hey, I mean..." Quentin fiddles with his bag. "I'll stay if you want me to. I just don't know how helpful I'll be. Maybe, maybe I can research the hospital from outside this whole craziness going on in the market, and you can be the one on the inside. You know. The hero."
You stare at Quentin. "You called me a hero," you say. You're a little touched.
"Well," Quentin says, "you could be one. I'm hopeless. You saw me there, I just froze up."
"I don't blame you," you say.
Quentin seems relieved. You don't hate him, really. He's obviously in over his head. "Come find me later. Okay?" He waits for you to nod in agreement, then leaves. (set: $companion to 'nobody')
You turn to look at Krill, who grins at you from the only chair in the room, as if to say, [["Let the games begin."->Ending 2]]"I do NOT envy your position right now," Leanne says, eyes cold.
You have never been so confused by another person before. "I thought you were on my side," you say. "You told me to stick with you."
"Yeah, that was before you started saying a bunch of reckless shit," Leanne spits. "I have...an arrangement...with Krill. Helping you would have put that in jeopardy."
You can't help but feel for her. "You have to have more options, Leanne. You must."
"Make enough choices, kid, and you somehow get fewer options, not more." She starts to walk away. "My shift starts soon. Drop by if you can. Although, by the looks of things, you won't have the chance."
She leaves. Roy stares at you, pale as a sheet. "My shift starts soon too, so..." He inches towards the door.
"Go ahead," you say. You feel so tired.
"Thank you. Good luck!" Roy calls, and leaves as well. (set: $companion to 'nobody')
You turn to look at Krill, who grins at you from the only chair in the room, as if to say, [["Let the games begin."->Ending 2]]Your anger cools as soon as you look at Roy's face. He looks like he's about to burst into tears. "I'm so sorry," he whispers.
"It's okay, Roy," you say.
"No, it's not!" Roy says. "I blew it. I got so nervous when he looked at me, and I lost every bit of courage I had. You deserved better."
You don't want him to feel worse than he already does. "Well, I'm getting what I want," you say. "I'll find out what happened to Barry. Maybe whatever he's got planned for me won't be so bad."
Roy doesn't look convinced. "Sure...maybe. I...have to go. I'm sorry. I'll...stop apologizing. I need to get to work."
"Okay."
"I'll find you later," says Roy.
"Okay."
Roy stares at you, as if wanting to apologize again. Instead, he leaves. (set: $companion to 'nobody')
You turn to look at Krill, who grins at you from the only chair in the room, as if to say, [["Let the games begin."->Ending 2]]"That went about as bad as it possibly could have," says Tig. You suppose you can always count on them to be frank.
"Was there anything you could have done?" you ask.
"Absolutely," says Tig.
You glare at them. "Then why..."
Tig shrugs. "You don't trust me, I don't trust you."
You feel your temper flare. "What, so now you're mad at me?"
"Oh, that's an understatement," says Tig, still calm despite their words. "Let's just say, next time you try to enter the hospital, you might have a little trouble." (set: $companion to 'nobody')
Tig leaves without another word. You stare after them, feeling exposed in the market. You make your way towards the exit, [[once you're sure you're going in another direction.->Ending 3]]Quentin lets out a low whistle. "I have to admire your attitude, but I don't think it helped you any in there."
"Hey, at least Rob wants to meet with me later," you say. "Maybe he'll be useful."
"I wouldn't count on it," says Rob, to your chagrin. "He's even more of a pariah than I am. He's lucky his one friend is the most powerful man in the market."
"But he's got to be some help, right?" you insist. It's the only lead you have.
Quentin shrugs, suddenly looking disinterested. "I think for my purposes, I'll have a better time investigating on my own. I don't need to hang out with people who don't take me seriously."
You're confused. "Who says I don't?"
Quentin looks through you. "Just a feeling I have." He shoves a business card in your hand. "Call me when you decide to get serious." (set: $companion to 'nobody')
Quentin leaves. You stare after him, feeling exposed in the market. You make your way towards the exit, [[once you're sure you're going in another direction.->Ending 3]]Leanne looks a little more relaxed now that you're out of the shack. "I know you probably don't think so, but that's the best thing that could have happened to you," she says.
"I'm basically starting over at square one," you reply.
"Your friend will turn up," she says. "A little worse for the wear, maybe, but you don't need to get yourself involved in what's happening here."
Oh, you're getting involved, all right. "Do you think Rob will actually help me out?" you ask.
Leanne grunts in frustration. "You're not listening to a damn word I say, are you?"
"Sorry, I..."
"Whatever, kid. You're on your own." She looks at Roy. "We should get back to work, yeah?"
"Oh my God my job," Roy says with a start.
"Mmm-hmm. Come on. Let's go," says Leanne. She shoots a dark glare at you and the two of them leave. (set: $companion to 'nobody')
You stare after them, feeling exposed in the market. You make your way towards the exit, [[once you're sure you're going in another direction.->Ending 3]]"That didn't go so well," says Roy.
"That's an understatement," you snap. You thought he'd have more to say than the obvious.
"Well, hey, don't lose hope," Roy says, perking up. "Let's go back to the casino and talk to [[Natasha.->Natasha Intro]] She was working that night, right? She might know something."
"Are you curious at all about what your brother might know?" you ask. You did just get a juicy lead.
His face grows dark. "No. Rob talks a lot and knows very little. That's something you should know right off the bat."
"Do you want to talk to me about what's happening with you two?" you ask.
You pushed too far. Roy puffs out his chest. "No, I don't think I do. Tell you what. If you want to hear what he has to say, be my guest. But I don't want to be involved. Okay?" (set: $companion to 'nobody')
Roy leaves without another word. You stare after him, feeling exposed in the market. You make your way towards the exit, [[once you're sure you're going in another direction.->Ending 3]]You grab $companion's hand and try to leave, but Rob blocks the way. What he lacks in build he makes up for in executive presence.
"Whoah, whoah, buddy," he says, like a practiced bouncer, "you think you can get Krill all riled up like that and squirm out of it that easy?"
"I just thought," you sputter, "maybe I made a mistake coming here after all."
"Oh, you definitely did," says Rob. "You made a huge mistake. But you know what? Mistakes have consequences. You're going to have to keep going, bucko. Krill's watching you. Look him straight in the eyes and tell him you've got nothing to offer him."
"Great. Thanks," you say.
"Oh, my pleasure," says Rob, a genuine smile on his face.
Okay then. That didn't work. You turn to Krill and stare him in the eye. All you can do now is [[hope for the best.->Scene 2AE]]This was supposed to be a quick trip.
Your instructions were simple: Evaluate and examine a New Vegas property for renovation. The property currently houses a hospital, but honestly? Something seemed fishy.
What kind of hospital, especially one that's government run, calls itself something like "Friendly Seas?"
One run by pirates? A navy outpost maybe? Please.
Anyway, you did the job. Bim-bam-boom, very easy, very few tears.
Of course your co-worker [[Barry->Barry Intro]] dragged you to the nearby casino later that night. And this place was just as fishy.
They call it "Lonely Skies". It felt like you were the only ones there.
You and Barry.
Jesus, Barry.
He's the reason things became...
...Not simple.
He's gone missing.
And it's up to you to find him. You're responsible for him, in a way. He's your co-worker.
Your friend?
Maybe once all this is over.
Luckily you have one lead: [[Roy.->Roy Intro]] He's a bellhop at the casino. He told you he knows someone who might help you find Barry.
A dangerous person named [["Krill".->Krill Intro]] He can be found in a secret area only known as the Underground Market.
You have no other leads, so...
[[Off you go.->The Underground Market]]Barry
Gender: Cis Male
Orientation: Straight
Age: 29
Barry is your co-worker at Larcorp Enterprises. He likes to play video games and crack wise. Can be melancholy. Needs someone to take him on adventures. However, once he’s on one, his inexperience can get the best of him.
Barry has a hard time with relationships. Possibly because he’s so close to you, but more likely because he scares off potentials by being too clingy. He has a tendency to say the wrong thing. An honest guy, he’ll usually listen to any requests you have, unless they go against his moral code.
Barry's whereabouts are currently unknown. You last saw him at the poker table at Lonely Skies Casino, throughly getting his ass kicked by a mysterious man.Roy
Gender: Cis Male
Orientation: Straight
Age: 20
Roy is a bellhop at the casino’s hotel – actually more of a substitute for every service position in the place. He has one of those faces that blends into the woodwork. He doesn’t have many friends, and he feels guilty that he’s not as interesting as he should be, given his profession.
When does Roy find time to sleep? He’s woken up in some odd places.
Roy’s easy to read – he wants someone to think of him as a special person. He’ll treat that person like a queen.
He’s listened in on a number of important conversations in the hotel, but he isn’t good at remembering faces. What a pain.
Roy can be a pushover. He needs someone to help him stand up for himself.Krill
Orientation: Transgender Male
Age: 22
Orientation: Pansexual
Krill is the kingpin of the underground market. He got his nickname because he used to be tiny and scrawny, but now he’s made sure that nobody gets in his way. Does not respond well to people directly questioning his motivations. He can get you anything you need…for a price.
Krill has a simmering hot temper. He won’t fight you right away, would rather get revenge on you later. Word has it that he’s looking for a way to get even stronger. Apparently the gym isn’t cutting it.
Krill likes having a number of people under his command. Not comfortable with that? Better get used to it.Ellie
Gender: Transgender Female
Orientation: Bisexual
Age: 35
A professional gambler, and the owner of Lonely Skies Casino. She favors the blackjack table. A bit of a mythical figure around the casino, she rarely stays long, but this month she’s making an exception. Maybe she senses that something exciting is about to happen.
Ellie is a kid at heart and feels about money the same way most kids do about chocolate. She’s not a sore loser, though; losing makes her more cautious and focused. Her happiness comes from the thrill of the game and the maintenance of her carefully crafted mystique.
Ellie likes to open doors for people. She’s a gracious and willing companion, even if she does like to flaunt her assets. Any criticisms given to her should be gentle and veiled.Tig
Gender: Nonbinary
Orientation: Pansexual
Age: 21
A young scientist working as a lab assistant at the hospital near the casino. Tig got the job through a craigslist ad just vaguely worded enough to sound interesting, and has regretted it ever since. Although Tig projects timidity, they are devestatingly intelligent and willing to take risks as long as they can clearly understand the costs and benefits involved.
Tig doesn’t really “get” romance. They find working with computers much more straightforward. You can’t program love, after all. Secretly, Tig wants to be taught about what it all means, but it has to feel organic. With their intellect, Tig can’t stand feeling condescended to.Quentin
Gender: Male
Orientation: Gay
Age: 26
Quentin fancies himself a crusader for truth and justice – most people would call him a conspiracy theorist. He annoys the hell out of any hospital personnel by badgering them about the whereabouts of "Subject #4." He’s right that they’re hiding things, but can’t get any positive proof.
Quentin is easily excitable, and just charismatic enough to be enchanting when he goes off on tangents. Above all he’s dedicated to the mission, but he feels lonely in a way he knows can’t be easily fixed. Sometimes he thinks his camera is his only friend.
Quentin thinks trust is the most important part of a relationship. He dislikes closed-minded people.You really only wanted to return a lost wallet. That's what you told yourself anyway. Maybe some part of you wanted to see what Friendly Seas hospital was like after hours. The staff was uniformally tight-lipped about the nature of their operations.
You took some wrong turns, ended up in a room you definitely shouldn't have been in. A room filled with test tubes and large containers, on of which bearing only the words "Subject #4".
Something compelled you. You approached the container to stand face-to-face with a humanoid creature. Certain missing features -- no body hair, nose or birthmarks of any kind -- kept you from calling them human. Your hand moved, as if on its own, to touch the glass.
The creature's eyes flicked open. For a moment, their face looks just like yours. The container glowed with a blinding light...
...And you woke up in your bedroom. Alone, and unharmed.Leanne
Gender: Transgender Female
Orientation: Likes women, will humor men.
Age: 28
Leanne runs a mean game of poker. She can be torturous to first timers, which has gotten her into trouble with her boss. Not used to holding her sharp tongue. Not great at keeping secrets, unless she’s given a good reason to do so.
Leanne is a guarded person. Too many people have taken advantage of her in the past, and she’s unable to shrug it off. She’d like to be taken seriously in all facets of her life. She’ll try to scare you off if you ask her personal questions before you get to know her well.
Leanne is a Scorpio. She’s pretty proud of that fact.Natasha
Gender: Cis Female
Orientation: Straight
Age: 24
Natasha is a poker dealer, so she’s used to flirtation as part of her job AND has an accomplished poker face. Often bubbly and outgoing, she masks a seriousness that she doesn’t readily show. Responds well to honest answers and promises made good upon.
Natasha is a good source of information. She knows everyone else in the story, at least by face, and can tell you a lot about their habits. A good person to get to know, even if she doesn’t like to get her hands dirty.
She’s impressed by guys who can hold their liquor, and guys who ask smart questions.