Mission:Troubled Times - Epilogue: Long Arm

Epilogue: Long Arm

Editor's Note:

You receive this mission if you chose to arrest Marcus.

Briefing

Excellent! Is the mutant on the way here?

• About that...

What did you just say? Sorry, my connection must be bad down here in my lab...

The call disconnects. Did he just hang up on you?

Mission Objective(s)

• Call the doctor again

Dr. Stribbling

Briefing

Hello, Character? Ah, excellent. This connection is much better. Unfortunately, underground labs tend to act as Faraday cages! Anyway, about the mutant...

• I caught him. But not for you.

Excuse me? What do you mean?

• I know he's your son. I know what you did to him.

There is a long pause. Then Dr. Stribbling lets out a long, ragged sigh.

Yes, he's my son. So what? He still killed my other son. His own brother! He's still dangerous. He still needs to be controlled! No one should have his powers!

• You tortured him! And you lied to me.

I never lied! I... I just did not give you all the information. It would have just complicated things, as can plainly be seen from your pointless objections here. Honestly, the fact that he's my son gives you even less standing! I'm his father, I decide what is best for him. And taking away his dangerous powers is what's best for him.

• You're not disputing that you tortured him.

It was *not* torture. It was experimentation! Look, sometimes, in science, you have to be a little unsavory. You hook electrodes to a rat's brain or inject a guinea pig with chemicals or extract a horseshoe crab's blood. It's all for the greater good. In the end, he'd have been cured of his dangerous powers and the world would be a better place. It would be worth the cost.

• Your child isn't a lab animal, you monster!

A monster? No, no, no. I'm a visionary. And it's pretty rich, coming from you. I know what you are. You are a vigilante. You don't let a little thing like the law or ethics dictate what is right. You hurt people, you kill people, to deliver justice.

I'm no different, Character. I am just honest enough to admit it.

• Oh no. Not the "we're not so different" card. I only punish the guilty.

Convenient, when you're the one who decides who is guilty or not. I haven't killed anyone, it's debatable if I've even hurt anyone. Unlike the mutant, who definitely killed my son. I lost two sons that day, Character. One was regressed into nothingness, the other became a real monster with monstrous powers. I am just trying to get one of those sons back.

• The authorities will judge you.

It's unfortunate that you think that way, Character. Well, do what you will. You don't know where my lab is... and by the time you find it, I'll be long gone. It's a shame you decided to side against the course of history. Goodbye. I do not think we will see each other again.

The phone disconnects.

• You'll be punished eventually, Stribbling...

• I do judge you guilty. And you will pay with your life.

I should have never trusted you, Character. You're just a villain who wears a hero's cape. You're not going to stop me. You don't have any idea where my lab is and I'll be long gone before you ever discover it. I might not have my mutant, but I will figure out how to cure him one way or the other. Goodbye, Character. We won't see each other again.

The phone disconnects.

• I'll end you eventually, Stribbling...

• We'll see what the authorities think of your vision.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You're right, I do kill people. People like you.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• We'll see what the authorities decide!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You're disgusting! I will end you, Stribbling!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• But you abused him! You're a monster.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You won't get away with this. I am going to the authorities.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You don't deserve to live, Stribbling.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• He's in full control of his powers!

What? No, he... He killed my son! He couldn't control his powers! He couldn't! I saw it every time I took him out of his stasis pod and felt time go too fast or too slow.

• Because you kept him drugged! Once he was awake, he had full control.

W... well, that's even more reason to turn him over to me! His powers are dangerous! No one should have them. And it doesn't change the nature of my research. Once I can take his powers away, I can take them from anyone else who is dangerous!

• You know it won't just stop with him.

Of course I won't. We'll strip the powers from anyone who wants to use them for harm. But now, thanks to you, it will take far longer than it would otherwise. I'll have to start all over with a whole new subject. And who knows how long that will take?

• You won't get away with this. I am going to the authorities.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You don't deserve to live, Stribbling.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You've clearly proven you can't be trusted to do that.

Oh? And who can be trusted? You, with your judge, jury, and executioner mindset? Don't make me laugh! At least I would have worked within the bounds of the law... Though now, who knows? Without the mutant to continue assisting my research, I will have to start nearly from scratch. It won't be easy.

• You won't get away with this. I am going to the authorities.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You don't deserve to live, Stribbling.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• No one deserves what you did to him, you monster!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• Maybe once. But not any more. He had full control.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• I don't care about your excuses, Stribbling.

They aren't excuses! It's the truth! He was dangerous, but I kept him from causing any more harm! And it's only by continuing my work that I'll ever be sure he can't hurt anyone else ever again. If I don't do this, he'll have to spend the rest of his life in a stasis pod, behind bars, or completely isolated from other people.

It seems cruel now, but sometimes medicine is bitter. One day he'll thank me for it.

• You lied to me, Stribbling.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• He is in full control of his powers!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• There's no excuse for torture!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You're a monster!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• The authorities will hear about everything!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• You don't deserve to live.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

Debriefing

The phone rings twice, then the operator picks up and informs you the number has been disconnected. It seems the doctor prepared for the eventuality that he'd need to disappear quickly.