Mission:Second Chances at a First Impression

Second Chances at a First Impression

Issue 27: Finale

Briefing

Sending you coordinates. The answers are inside of an Architect file. It's safest for both of us. You can see what she saw, what we saw. You and I can talk without violence.

• This better be not a trap.

No trap. Being serious. For once. Too much at stake. Meet me in virtual reality.

Unnecessary Solicitation

You cannot interact with a payphone from outside its corded range.

Mission Objective(s)

The simulation boots up, showing you a familiar and yet completely foreign laboratory in the sewers...

• View... Personal Story?
  • Speak with... Bile?
    • Find Sim-Bile in the next room
    • Explore the lab
      • Test out the Portal Hack!
        • ???
          • ???
          • Investigate the Area
          • Seek shelter in the Arena
            • Find the Arena Terminal
              • Find a way into Arena Storage
                • Break the Magic Ward
                • Find Tablet in AE
                  • Access the Arena Matrix
                    • Conduct Exit Interview with Bile

The simulation has concluded, and you are overwhelmed with information that you may or may not believe.

Enemies

Neo-Shivans

Void Hunters

Warriors

Notable NPCs

• Bile (Elite Boss, Ally) (Also appears as "Bile, the Virtual Technophile" and "Bile, the Technophile")
• Lord Recluse (Archvillain)
• Arbiter Daos (Arbiter)
• Dream Doctor (NPC)
• Virgil Tarikoss (NPC)
• Void Harbinger Alpha-Three (Void Hunters Void Harbinger)
• Void Harbinger Delta-Tau (Void Hunters Void Harbinger)
• Incapacitated Vigilante (Boss, Ally)
• Lead Survivor (Crey Minion, Ally)
• Hilarion (Warriors Hewer Elite)
• Lycus (Warriors Smasher Elite)
• Phaedrus (Warriors Slasher Elite)
• Mortimer Kal, Rogue Wizard (NPC)
• The Nomad (Circle of Thorns Blade Prince, NPC)

Editor's Note:

Characters receive a Simulated Piecemeal costume on entering the mission, which prevents use of inspirations and all normal powers and abilities, but allows players to use a variation of Piecemeal's powers and statistics in combat. This costume persists until after the mission's final cutscene.

Bile Welcome Dialogue

On Approach:
Bile, the Virtual Technophile: Nothin' personal, but the safeties are on... just in case you gots an itch to pancake my thinkmaker.
Bile, the Virtual Technophile: Oof, and watch out for untextured geometries. They're here but invis.

Bile

Briefing

Bile appears within the simulation and looks at you with incredulity. He has his 'hands' up to show he is trying to be as above-board as possible in contacting you.

Yo. It's pretty dope that you were willin' to give me the benefit of the doubt and whatnot. Real talk, I wasn't about to have the message lost in a fit of violence, so I had to stay digital to make sure I didn't get pwned before I dropped the intel. Still ain't sure, so if you don't mind, I'mma stay all Swayze-like in the digital hullabaloo.

• You're safe. Am I?

Bile laughs and shakes his head.

Yes, bro / babe. You're totes safe up in here. Safety's on, I ain't here to start a war.

Bile looks away for a second.

But that's why we're here anyway. Ain't that somethin'? There's something out there about to start a war, and it's bigger than you, me, or our philosophies. There's some whack existential dread on the horizon bro / babe, and we caught a look-see at the B-B-E-G.

• ...B-B-what-now?

Bile pulls up a data file.

BBEG, or Big Bad End Game. Hang on, this one website is so good at explaining this stuff. You'll love it. One sec...

Bile scrolls furiously.

Aha! The Big Bad End Game is the literal cause of all the bad happenings in a story. You know... like Nemesis, he's involved in everything? Anyway a Big Bad End Game could be a single dude with evil plans or it could be an omnipresent situation, such as a comet heading towards the Earth.

Bile pauses.

That was like... a little too on-the-nose, hot dang. So the Big Bad End Game typically starts dippin' its fingers into all the sauces from early on, and it's only once you start tastin' finger that you realize what's up. But us, we accidentally peeked into the kitchen.

The TL;DR on what I'm trying to say: If there's a BBEG, I think it's just starting sampling sauce out in Galaxy.

• What did you see?

Bile playfully slaps his forehead in frustration.

It's like... it's complicated, bro / babe. Me and Kate, we know what she saw out in the sticks. Hell, we recorded it. That's the fringe benefit of unrestricted genius goin' ham on the limits of human potential without some governing body being all 'Whoa, slow down there Docpocalypse, ten thousand deaths is too high of a price' every time we have a breakthrough.

One of the first things Kate did after solving the modularity issues with her joints was to make sure she could record what she saw for review later, in case she ended up with 36 iterations and then needed to roll back the thought train to like three stations back. You know how it is, when you have a good win-streak and then all of a sudden you get rolled by the other team...? Ya wanna study those chads.

• Modularity?

Bile smiles.

She's pretty much completely modular. Like a doll. She can change out bad parts on a whim, upgrade while moving. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. It's... she's... beautiful, t-b-h. I thought I knew what freedom of personal expression was. She showed me there was a whole 'nother dimension beyond what I thought. I can't wait for her to come out of beta. I got a -long- list of things to upgrade.

Bile waits for you to ask about his upgrades, but you don't. He looks disappointed.

You ain't gonna ask? That's cool. Well here's one I implemented already. My brain takes a snapshot right before any time I walk into another room, in case I forget what I was doing when I get there. So annoying, right? Nah, solved that problem.

• How did modular body parts get her into Galaxy?

Bile laughs, then grows grim.

Modularity was the first thing scratched off her bucket list. And that bucket is huge, I should mention. When she took back the Doc's lab, there was something that intrigued her more than anything - the Rikti teleportation tech. She pushed that right to the top of the list, obsessed with it. Probably made it a new bucket on its own with its own list.

She spent weeks analyzing that tech, tweaking what she had, patching into the City Teleportation grid. Once she thought she had it all worked out, we attempted to connect our portal to the teleport grid with a pack of bio-electric flunkies wired into it, fixin' to 'sploit the enterbasefrompasscode protocols to change the ejection pointer.

Bile rubs his head regretfully.

Experimentation drives the science, homie. But there's a real dangerous side to it, when you encounter variables way outside reasonable caution. Kate was supposed to drop into the abandoned data lane to trigger the ejection sequence. But for real... that lane wasn't abandoned. Something was in there, and it did not like the energy signatures she was throwin' around. She said she felt a real unfriendly presence, and then she got booted via fastforward to end of the line... you'll see what I mean. Then her dimensional tether started boomerangin' her back home, but we couldn't lock on.

She ended up making some new enemies, and I think maybe a friend. And all anyone can talk about in the media is that the supergroup portals got rainbow-sprinkled with new colors. If only they knew.

• What do you think it was?

Bile shrugs.

Listen, my superpowered homie. Every additional question you pop at my thinkmeat gets me soundin' more and more like a tinfoil-wearing internet theorist, and not in a funny way like my cousin Corey, but in a sad way like my uncle Hank.

Whatever's out there, I think it's big, it's mean, and it's organized, like Aunt Louise's bake sales. I think it's got eyes and ears in places we ain't thought to look and listen, and I'm worried we might be too late.

• (END CHAT) You better show me what you have, then.

Bile looks at you for a moment and then collapses into a heap of soulless avatar. A pleasant tone sounds overhead, followed by a female voice saying "Doom.sim has loaded, please enjoy your ego death."

• (Proceed into the Simulation)

• (END CHAT) Great stories, but I can't just take your word for it.

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• Solving the big problems first, I see.

You have literally no idea how high this was on the priority list. It outranked the idea of having thrusters in my arms so I could fly, which after it was demonstrated in the Grindhouse, slipped 40 points down the list.

• Okay, what's the Grindhouse?

Oh man, you wouldn't know about the GRINDHOUSE! That's where we do our live-fire testing. Don't go tryin' to shut it down, you ain't gonna find it. It got the name after the first test of those Disc Jockeys. We'd tried to get thme to just move faster, but we ended up with a pile of charred legs and moaning torsos, so once we raided the Sky Raiders and rigged them up to float... it was a couple of iterations to get the things to spin right... and... hang on you want me to draw you a picture?

• I have questions, can we rewind?

Bile waits for your questions.

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• (END CHAT) Nope, I can't unsee that one.

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• (END CHAT)With four fingers and a scythe? Doubtful.

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• (END CHAT) I could ask, but I'm pretty busy. Can we move ahead?

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• Frankly, that sounds a tad horrifying.

Bile looks at you curiously.

You don't strike me as the kind of person who would be mod-averse. I mean, with the exception of those Natural types, everyone's got some kind of existential G.M.O. driving their talents. Whether it's a glove, a defective gene, some kind of infernal bloodline haunting your hemoglobin... everyone's modified.

Come to think of it, even a natural hero with a staff ends up augmented by the staff. Bah, don't be a hypocrite, is all I'm sayin'.

• Awfully touchy for a Freak. Not your usual M.O.

Bile pauses to reflect on that.

Ya'right, it's not 'Show M.O. at all. It's one of the many reasons I took the dingdongs that would listen to reason...

Yeah, I said 'reason', I'm stunned too.

...and brought them to Kate to make them better.

• So you're down with the Freaklok?

Bro / Babe, I was in jail for like... a week, and this crew showed up doin' what I've wanted to do for a decade with the 'Show.

A week. How could I not throw down with this crew, they are exactly what I wanted from the moment Dreck brought me in. Dreck can have his violence and chaos, the Freaklok rodeo is on point for this clown.

When opportunity knocks, you take that mother hostage. And when the B-B-E-G threatens existence, you make hard choices.

• ...B-B-E-G?

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• Hard choices?

Bile playfully slaps his forehead in frustration.

Hard choices, like calling in a super to show them what we saw when she accidentally tele-shunted herself somewhere she shouldn't be... like Galaxy City.

Me and Kate, we launched this wildly dope experiment, and got way more than we were asking for. Lucky for us, one of her first upgrades was personal recording, so we could study her footage and repeat experiments she ran on Rikti tech - in case she ended up with 36 iterations and then needed to roll back the thought train to like three stations back. You know how it is, when you have a good win-streak and then all of a sudden you get rolled by the other team...? Ya wanna study those chads.

So I took the footage and jammed into an Architect format. Someone already did the groundwork on that, and I was able to improve it.

• She records everything?

Bile laughs heartily.

Oh, oh man, No, no way. She records when she intends to. Otherwise, she'd run out of storage pretty fast AND you'd be spending a lot of time sifting through boring crap and... completely benign videos of cats.

No, she only records when she's in the experiment phase, the combat testing chamber, making hard choices, or when she's been teleshunted out of phase and into a restricted war zone.

• Hard choices? War zone?

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• (END CHAT) Okay, I'm intrigued. Tell me more.

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• (END CHAT) I'm here to watch a sim?

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• (END CHAT) Mixed metaphors aside, why am I here?

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• You ditched the 'Show? Where's your loyalty?

My loyalty ain't bought, sold, or given freely, homie.

It's earned. Dreck earned it once, years ago, and then spent it all on himself and drained my respect for him. I know who I am and what I'm about - and when Piecemeal's crew got me out, I saw that it was time to spend my loyalty on a new crew that needed and appreciated my talents.

Tell me you wouldn't do the same.

• Hard to be sure, given your circumstances.

My circumstances? Yeah, they're P whacked. But doesn't mean I can't make the best choice for me, even if ya can't grasp the context.

Now, I didn't get you here to take a beating on my morals and motivations. Something big's going down and I need someone who'll take a chance on listening. I need your help.

• You sound scared.

Adrenaline helps me think clearly. I don't ever clutch in the last round because I'm chill. It's cuz I'm tweaked out like a bear on kinetics and paranoid that every corner is gonna get me ganked.

Am I scared? Bet your spandex I'm scared.

Am I making a mistake, over-reacting? Doubtful.

You'll see for yourself, and then we'll talk.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• This really doesn't seem like the Freakshow M.O.

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• You should stop teasing this big reveal.

This reveal takes a lot of time to load up. So while we've been talking, it's been reticulating splines and shading vertexes and whatnot.

Listen, if I just told you what I saw...

• You'd sound crazy, right?

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• (END CHAT) Put up or shut up, then.

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• I don't think we'll ever know that answer.

Probably not. You're clearly flawless with no skeletons in your closet at all. Yeah, a deep dive into your work history wouldn't turn up anything, would it...?

Now check it, I didn't get you here to take a beatin' on my morals and motivations. Something big's going down in the DGC and I need someone who'll take a chance on listening. I need your help.

• You sound scared.

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• That's not loyalty, that's personal advancement.

So any person who takes a better job is a villain? If you're an undervalued employee making big contributions, you just sit there and accept it?

You're more naive than you look.

Now, I didn't get you here to take a beating on my morals and motivations. Something big's going down and I need someone who'll take a chance on listening. I need your help.

• You sound scared.

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• I'll let you know if it happens.

Fair enough.

Now, I didn't get you here to take a beatin' on my morals and motivations. Something big's going down and I need someone who'll take a chance on listening. I need your help.

• You sound scared.

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• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• You can't just unleash your meme horde on it?

Maybe back in the day, that mighta been my style. Before Dreck became el Presidente. But Dreck took the reins on the violence, Clamor took the warmongerin', Upstart took the anarchy... I put my mitts in the data. I found who I was, and when the Freakshow started to fracture after Upstart went into the slammer and Clamor went rogue in the reactor, I held on but secretly... I just wanted somethin' more. Then I found out Dreck was sellin' out to the Corpos he used to work for, and I was happy to move on to the Freaklok.

Neither my resources then, nor my resources now are playing nice with 'throw numbers at the problem'. That's the Sledgehammer of Subtlety I call Dreck. If you want a horde of minions to throw into the abyss, he's ya boi.

Me, not so much. Freaklok, less so. Freaklok are doin' somethin' I thought we ain't ever gonna live to see... order to the chaos, without losin' the chaos. Everyone gets to be themselves, but understands the importance of the mission. Everyone lays down for the greater good in this org.

It's wild.

We don't lemming into the void, is what I'm sayin'.

• Greater good? You're soft. Freaklok are strong, use them.

Bro / Babe, your opinion of me ain't even a note in the margins of the appendix of my story. You thinkin' I'm soft ain't worth a moment's thoughts, and the Freaklok are strong, but not like this.

Y'all need to be shown some truth.

• (END CHAT) Then do it already.

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• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• (END CHAT) So you called me here to do... what?

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• (END CHAT) Okay, how about we just show me what you lured me here for.

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• You've cost ten thousand lives so far?

Bile looks like your question physically hurt him.

What? No. Not ten thousand, not even ten... hundred? And nobody that wasn't willing. You gotta understand, we ain't snatching like the Doc, we just mackin' hard with the Charisma rolls and people just line up to be powered on.

Bile pauses in thought.

I suppose you could grief us on the Abominations we took, but I swear those things were already dead. But if it weren't for their... contributions? I wouldn't 'zactly call it a sacrifice... if it weren't for their contributions we wouldn't have Disc Jockeys. Those dudes are cool as heck, and you can rest easy knowin' we jacked mad Sky Raider tech to make 'em float. Also, we installed an audio network mesh. Get enough of them together and they make their own party!

• Yes, but it's still mad science.

Bile shrugs.

Mad science, bad science... wiggity whack science, doesn't matter. End of the day, your spandex ended up here with a curious itch to scratch. Next time we meet face-to-face you can tell me how much you don't jibe with our methods, but for now I'm fixin' to be nice to ya and sharin' some juicy deets with things nobody wants to talk about.

Fo' real. Vanguard, Longbow, PPD, FBSA... they all sent some kind of force into the G.C., and not a soul is talking about what's in there.

Doesn't that raise an eyebruh?

• ...Did you just say 'Eyebruh'?

Yes, I did.

I'll give you my address later so you can fight me about it.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• (END CHAT) Okay, just making sure I'm current with the lingo.

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• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• Your experiments are insane.

Mad science, bad science, totally rad science.

All science is good science, if it answers questions. Even questions nobody asked. Or in hindsight, asks questions like 'who asked to test this?'. A valid question, validating the effort. The logic is, like... flawless.

• I have additional questions about that.

Bile shrugs.

Listen, my superpowered homie. Every additional question you pop at my thinkmeat gets me soundin' more and more like a tinfoil-wearing internet theorist, and not in a funny way like my cousin Corey, but in a sad way like my uncle Hank.

Something's lurking in Galaxy City - I think it's big, it's mean, and it's organized, like Aunt Louise's bake sales. I think it's got eyes and ears in places we ain't thought to look and listen, and I'm worried we might be too late.

• Wait. How can I see it?

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• (END CHAT) You better show me what you have, then.

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• (END CHAT) I'm not sure what to think of any of this.

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• (END CHAT) You talk a good game, but let's get me out of here.

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• She records everything?

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• (END CHAT) So what am I here to do, actually?

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• What could be that big and bad? Rularuu?

Bile looks at you with a look of contempt.

If I thought the jamdog was Rularuu, I'd have straight up namedropped Rularuu, and not slaved over jammin' minutes of visual data into the third grade coding project that the Architect is, yo.

'sides, Wade and his Easter-Island-Monument-Sized head are in a Vanguard solitary. Last I creeped on their systems, they were getting some -juicy- deets about the Shard from him, and Portal Corp was freakin' out something fierce about the flurry of protected updates that Vanguard was insisting on placing into Firebase Zulu.

• Is there any data you can't steal?

Bile shakes his head.

You noodle around in the 1's and 0's long enough, ya realize that most data out there is just protected 'good enough' to keep the public at large out. Me though, and a few bored teenagers with the right software, we see some things out there that regularly blow our mind-holes open and make us jaded.

Never stopped me, though. Difference is I gots the line drawn on 'could hack' and 'should hack'.

Your personal data? Not worth it. What do I care about your credit card debt or your side pieces?

Now, Portal Corp's Dimensional Codex? The cream of the crop, most golden of nuggets out there. If that gets out, it's the beginning of a revolution. That's worth the effort.

It all comes down to priorities, dog. Time is valuable. Your photos... not so much.

• Dimensional Codex?

Bile licks his lips.

Ever prank call out of a phonebook back in the day?

• Once or twice...

Bile laughs.

So then you know how gut-bustingly funny it can be when someone's just not expecting it, right?

If ya had ya hands on the Codex, you could probs find a 'Conspiracy Earth' and go to town with just that one for years.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• (END CHAT) Tempting, but I was called here for something else.

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• Been there, done that.

Bile laughs.

Ooh, look at this one, 'been there done that'. Ell-Emm-Ayy-Ohh.

Well this kind of prank call could happen on an Earth where the machine revolution actually happened, and you could bribe a refrigerator to run someone over.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• (END CHAT) Sounds fun, but not what I came here for.

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• More to stalk and kill than prank.

Bile actually looks caught off-guard.

Sometimes I forget your reputation. Murder, death, kill, that's your idea of a vacation, is it?

There's an alternate Earth out there, I've read, where people like you get to hunt the less fortunate for sport.

The only catch is that the governing body there is a corporate entertainment conglomerate, so you basically have to participate in a life-or-death game show, and if you survive you get to be one of the gladiators in the gauntlet for the next poor soul that gets thrown into the game.

The viewer ratings are gold, the survival ratings, not so much.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• (END CHAT) Sounds like a bad movie. So... why am I here?

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• You can't be serious.

Bile laughs.

I'm never serious, but this time, I'm totes serious. If I had that kind of power, I'd waste it.

Apparently some version of me out there found some bombed-out flooded Boomtown and just...

...squatted there in the ruins. That ain't me at all. I'd be trying to mess with as many Earths as I can just to see which one founds a religion in my image after a few years.

That's the gift that gives forever.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• (END CHAT) You do you. So... why am I here?

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• Thanks. I think?

Bile chuckles.

Don't worry, you got nothin' I want. Although, I gotta say, you're allowed to be proud, if you catch m'drift.

• I have questions, can we rewind?

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• Ignoring that... am I safe in here?

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• (END CHAT) Uh. Can we get this over with?

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• (END CHAT) So how do I fit into all this?

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• What did you see?

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• You sound scared.

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• You can't just unleash your meme horde on it?

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• (SKIP) So you called me here to do... what?

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• Are we going to talk about why I'm Piecemeal?

Bile's smirking. He can't help it.

No can do, muchacho / baberino. Believe it or not, I gots a story to tell - well, her story t-b-h. And to maintain some kind of - hot dang I can't believe I gets ta say this - journalistic integrity, I'mma need you to climb all the way down off my back on this one bro / babe. It's all about immersion.

• We're going to talk about this again sometime.

• Bile? This doesn't seem like the Freakshow M.O.

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• Stand down and submit to arrest, Bile.

Bile laughs and shakes his head.

I'm not really here, Character. You're totes safe up in here, and so am I. Safety's on, I ain't here to start a war.

Bile looks away for a second.

But that's why we're here anyway. Ain't that somethin'? There's something out there about to start a war, and it's bigger than you, me, or our philosophies. There's some whack existential dread on the horizon bro / babe, and we caught a look-see at the B-B-E-G.

• ...B-B-what-now?

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• What did you see?

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• You sound scared.

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• (END CHAT) So you called me here to do... what?

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• Life since the breakout's been good to you, Bile.

Bile's eyebrows raise high when you say this.

Ya know, I have been feelin' pretty good since I got out, even got me some primo lighting kit for my chassis! It's all thanks to you and Kate for springing me from the pokey. That was tight.

• So, why am I here with you in a digital Purgatory?

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• (SKIP) I don't have time for this. Let's go.

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Bile "Death" Dialogue

Bile, the Virtual Technophile: Ooh, snap! The sim's loaded. Get ready!
Bile, the Virtual Technophile: OOoooOoooo... I'm a spoOOooOooOoooky ghost...! Find me in the portal roooOooooOOOOooOOoOm!

Editor's Note:

To progress through the next section, enter the five different areas of the lab that trigger narration from Bile: the base portal under the walkway leading into the room, the Freaklok Boomer behind the forcefield, the electrified Swipey Cadavers, the Eidolon doing research at the south end of the room, and the raised platform above the contraption at the east end of the room.

Lab Narration and Dialogue

On Approach:
Bile, the Technophile: Hey babe, this shimsham is all juiced up and ready to rock. Got all the teleport wiggles hotwired and crosslinked.
Bile, the Technophile: If this works, we're gonna be able to bring teleportation to the common person. It's gonna be chaos!
Bile, the Technophile: Let's do a walkthrough before you jump.

---

Approaching Base Portal:

Bile, the Technophile: We're gonna eyeball this portal and look to see if it gives off any irreggos.

---

Approaching Caged Freaklok Boomer:

Bile, the Technophile: When you spook in over here, I'mma have a little present waiting for you.

Bile, the Technophile: Don't get mushy on me, okay?

---

Approaching Cadaver Batteries:

Bile, the Technophile: The efficiency ain't exactly where we want them to be.
Bile, the Technophile: Jockeys would probably work better but we can't get them to stay still.

---

Approaching Researcher Eidolon:

Bile, the Technophile: NeXcelsior is coming along, we should be libb'ed from Dreck and Crey pharmaddiction in about a month.

---

Climbing Experimental Platform:

Bile, the Technophile: Stay right there, babe - I was in the middle of some calibrations I should finish before you jump.

---

Finished Exploring:

---

Entering Portal:

Bile, the Technophile: Pierce, wait! I wasn't done calibrating! Don't go yet!

Error! Unexpected energy in departure area!

 

Base portal turns red

Flesh Carver: Something's wrong! The transport lane is reacting like a wounded animal. You seein' this?
IDX Virus: I see it, but it don't make a lick of sense. Rogue electrons are flyin' about, this is mad whack.
Flesh Carver: The whole light matrix is weeblin' and wobblin'... so much for bein' discreet.
IDX Virus: I'm worried about our canary. GUT5H0T, how's the test-meat?
IDX Blinker: Bruh. He's not doin' so great. Can a person have a 100 degree fever... in Celsius?

He doesn't look so good

Freaklok Boomer: Hrrrrrrrrnnngh... *burp*
IDX Blinker: Oh no, I'm gonna have to clean this up.
Flesh Carver: I lost Pierce. Where's the boss? Guys? Anyone have a lock on Pierce?

The smell of brass and ozone greets you...

Piecemeal arrives on the Rikti Homeworld

Star Strider's Costume

You don't know it at the time, but Piecemeal found an invaluable clue to the fate of Star Strider, a hero from the Rikti War that's been missing for nearly twenty years.

Star Strider was one of the world's first and foremost protectors of the space around Earth, able to make effective but short-lived excursions to space-based anomalies and threats. Together with his friend who later became known publicly as The Dark Watcher, Star Strider would help maintain peace above the skies, and occasionally through the dimensional divide as well.

Star Strider was the first hero to explore the portals that began opening in the skies hours before the Rikti War began, flying into one never to be seen again. It's rumored that The Dark Watcher's outlook on all things was irrevocably altered when his friend went missing, destroying his sense of humor. People that know him swear he hasn't smiled or laughed genuinely since that day.

Bile's note: There's very lil' data on Star Strider out there. Weirdness abides. He -was- registered years before the war and recorded as MIA/KIA, but there isn't a piccie attached to his dossier to know what the dude looks like. Consider me challenged by this little puzzle. Time to go doxxin'.

The pull of your home dimension strengthens! You can hear recorded monologues in the distance...

Lord Recluse and Arbiter Daos

Recluse and Daos Dialogue

Lord Recluse: ...applaud your tenacity, but you forget your place, Arbiter. My association with the Red Widow is not your concern.
Lord Recluse: I will not entertain this conversation twice.
Arbiter Daos: Very well. Another matter of attention. Our roster of subcontractors has been... irregular, lately.
Lord Recluse: They were never recruited for their charm. Continue.
Arbiter Daos: No, but this one seems to have established a very subtle pattern in their failures.
Arbiter Daos: I've reached further on certain hunches, but I want your authorization to investigate her.
Lord Recluse: Her? Surprising. But you've never been wrong before, Daos. Don't come back emptyhanded.
Arbiter Daos: As you w- What the? The room is sealed. How did she get in here?
Lord Recluse: The smell of ozone and burnt skin hangs fresh in the air. This is a teleport malfunction.
Lord Recluse: And a fortunate one, as I've always wanted Dr. Pierce for research...

Editor's Note:

After the conversation, Recluse and Daos turn hostile. Defeating them is unnecessary and likely impossible, as the player will be teleported away again soon after.

Warning: Teleport anchor unstable! The sounds of death and despair surround you...

Things look bad in Galaxy City

Ambush! A short time after entering Galaxy City, a large ambush of Neo-Shivans will be triggered. The player doesn't need to defeat the ambush, as they will be teleported away again soon afterwards.

Magical energy tugs at your body... Someone has lassoed you with magic!

Dream Doctor and Virgil Tarikoss

Dream Doctor and Tarikoss Dialogue

Dream Doctor: The wards will hold, we need not fear this one.
Virgil Tarikoss: Fear? No, friend, I loathe this one. Responsible for so many deaths, and yet we help her?
Dream Doctor: You are entirely correct, she is not the model of virtue. But she must arrive alive at the right time.
Virgil Tarikoss: Your cryptic dreamspeak gives me migraines. We're placing a murderer into a warzone to save the world!
Dream Doctor: You see the issue narrowly. This one life could save billions. The past is done, the future is yet to be written.
Virgil Tarikoss: The greater good has been a flimsy pretext for atrocities before. I trust you, but know that my trust's betrayal will not be suffered lightly.
Dream Doctor: I would not 'dream' of it, friend. Time will tell, this one will make the difference.
Virgil Tarikoss: Can she hear us?
Dream Doctor: Yes. Katelyn, I have no quarrel with you. I wish I could say this is the end of your journey, but you are needed elsewhere, and soon.
Dream Doctor: By surviving this experience, you will become part of a story far greater than yourself.
Dream Doctor: Your decisions today could very well save us all.
Virgil Tarikoss: Now?
Dream Doctor: Now!

Strange energy wells up around you again...

Editor's Note:

There are no more random teleports after this point in the mission. All objectives except the Arena are optional. Dying here and going to the hospital will revive the player inside the mission, near the point where they entered.

Galaxy City... What's gone wrong?

Editor's Note:

One of the two Void Harbingers will be randomly chosen to spawn in the initial area. Whichever one is not encountered will spawn near the AE building later in the mission.

Void Harbinger Alpha-Three Dialogue

Before Combat: The huntress said it was in this district somewhere. Continue the search.
Combat Start: Your end is nigh.

The Huntress

Piecemeal encountered a Void Harbinger in her time within Galaxy City. If what was shown can be taken as truth, they are answering to someone called 'The Huntress'. You can't immediately draw any conclusions other than it being Arakhn, but you've learned over time not to be too quick jumping to conclusions.

Bile's note: Too many women fit this profile. I don't know if I have the patience to run down all the leads on what they coulda meant. Arakhn's a weak guess though. She's actively sidelining and benching those cats from active service in the Council.

Void Harbinger Delta-Tau Dialogue

Before Combat: The call has sounded. The fleet moves. Finally, the noise subsides.
Combat Start: Ah! A challenge.

The Call Has Sounded

'The call has sounded. The fleet moves. Finally, the noise subsides.'

If that doesn't scare you, what will? A call... a fleet. No reasonable answers are less than terrifying.

Bile's note: This planet is woefully unprepared and underdeveloped for galactic threats. What's it gonna take to build a proper scanning network? I've seen too many movies where giant ships just show up like it's a surprise. I wonder if I can solve the numerous problems presented with a space-faring Freak. If I do, I'm calling 'em AirLoks.

I will not apologize for that pun.

The jumping puzzle starts here...

...and ends here

Editor's Note:

The incapacitated vigilante can spawn in (at least) four locations: somewhere atop one of two tall buildings at the north end of the map; inside a destroyed apartment building at the west edge of the map; or on top of the Arena building. In all cases, a waypoint will eventually appear to indicate his location if the player spends enough time exploring the area before entering the Arena.

To climb one of the tall northern buildings: If it has doors at the bottom, the player should enter them. If not, they should look for red light coming out of the ground near the bottom (near where the Void Harbinger spawns). The light indicates altered gravity; one can climb the building by exploiting this aberrant gravity. They will eventually reach a small meteorite embedded in one of the platforms, which will rocket them to the top if necessary.

The destroyed apartment building should be straightforward to navigate. There is a ramp of debris inside the building on the second floor, which may be needed to reach interior rooms.

To reach the top of the Arena, the player should head to any entrance and climb the archway in front of it until the roof is within jumping distance.

Incapacitated Vigilante

Briefing

Well I'll be d...

The hero looks at you in disbelief and winces.

Of all the people that could have shown up here... it's you. Of course it would be. One final insult before I die.

• I get this feeling like I should know who you are.

The hero barely acknowledges the statement.

I was the guy who was supposed to take you down, but the FBSA made a real mess of that.

Katelyn Pierce, a.k.a. The Sleeper, a.k.a. Piecemeal. Had a file running on you for a long time, with all these clever schemes you'd been running to keep your operation off the books. Was probably three weeks away from a bust when the FBSA took over my case on you, and...

He looks you up and down.

...well, we can all make our jokes about federal intervention. Looks like they did a thrilling job of collaring you, didn't they?

• Do you work with the PPD?

I'm bettin' what I tell you won't matter after a few hours, so truth'll do for now. I don't work with the PPD. I work -for- the PPD. I work the streets at night without a license for the scumbags that wiggle free from justice.

Go on, tell me 'We're not so different, you and I' and so help me, I will put a bullet in you or me to avoid that cliche.

Not that any of that matters now. Clock's ticking, super-genius.

• What's going on here?

I was fed up with getting professionally black-balled on Galaxy City information since Vanguard took a hammer to all media and reporting from the zone.

Figured my alter-ego could get answers. I didn't get any, only more questions.

Bizarre, twisted shapes that move in the darkness. Some kind of spire being built. This nightmarish withering that's affecting everything. Things growing out of the meteors. The ground itself is roiling, like it's being forced to conform to some grand design.

The hero laughs.

You have any tinfoil? I feel like I need a hat.

The hero coughs.

Nevermind, time's running out.

• Agreed. I am very tired of your personality.

The simulation is doing a great job of showing Piecemeal's struggle as she hesitates before doing anything... unsightly. Her body languages is subtly showing her realization that her power is limited, and she's trying to preserve what she has left.

Dream Doctor's words flash across your vision to indicate Piecemeal's having a real moment of conscience.

'Your decisions today could very well save us all.'

• (Sighing) It's like you're asking me to kill you. Stop it.

I don't know what you think you can accomplish here, Kate. Just accept that you're not going to leave here as anything more than ash and dust.

You should just... sit down, relax, and accept the inevitable. Maybe even have some personal breakthroughs before you meet your unmaker.

• That's where you're wrong, kiddo.

If you've got a plan, I'd love to hear it. I could use a good laugh before I crumble.

• I do, but first I want to know who you are.

The hero begins slowly digging through his pockets and emptying them of gadgets and garbage. Many of the devices he carries are emblazoned with a decal or embossed logo of "SC" on it with a circuit board pattern behind it. Classic entry-level Icon work if ever she'd seen it before - either SC was new to the game or his influence was so weak he'd settled for print services at the local Bullseye store.

Finally, he reveals a cheaply made replica hero identification card.

Shadow Commando

I can feel your judgement. I make do with what I have. The 'Shadow Commando' would love to hear your thrilling tale of potential heroics.

• Begin explaining the plan.

Wait, lemme guess. You're going to hike the wastelands for the magic light-switch that turns the warwalls back on? Oooh, wait. You're going to kill every last thing that moves in here and just set yourself up as the local Queen?

The hero perks up for a second, feigning interest.

I got it. You're going to fashion a signal from a spotlight and signal for the Freedom Phalanx with a giant 'MEH' in the sky?

The simulation is doing a great job of making you want to punch this guy in the face. Piecemeal continues to resist the urge.

• It's a miracle I haven't killed you yet.

Piecemeal explains that the Arena appears to be the only holdout source of power left in the area. She's going to try and cross-wire it into the mediporter system to get out. When she does, the system will work for anyone else watching their mediporter, but only for a few minutes before the power overloads the system.

She wishes Shadow Commando good luck, and reminds him that she does not care if he lives or dies. One way or another, though, she was getting out.

Stone cold. Maybe that's what we need. Less empathy, more sociopathy.

All right, you walkin' nightmare. If you're not all talk, I'll find you in the streets when this is over. Count on it.

• Whatever, Commando.

• Desperation is the grandmother of invention.

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

• I'm not going down without a fight.

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

• I'm going to save you, just for the fun of it.

Vigilante Dialogue

Incapacitated Vigilante: Gah! Ugh, why... you arrogant cy...

Piecemeal knocks the hero out and searches his pockets, pouches, and tactical packs for any information. Many of the devices he carries were emblazoned with a decal or embossed logo of "SC" on it with a circuit board pattern behind it. Classic entry-level Icon work if ever she'd seen it before - either SC was new to the game or his influence was so weak he'd settled for print services at the local Bullseye store. In one pocket, she found prescription painkillers - the label was scratched off but you can read "ns" where you think the name was.

Then, a few layers of armor deep, you found a card that said "Shadow Commando" with a reasonable facsimile of a hero registration card, though the lamination and color fidelity were both indicative of forgery.

Piecemeal puts it all back, knowing that sparing him is an uncomfortable change of heart given her general antipathy to weakness. But Dream Doctor is worming his way into her subconscious whether he meant to or not, and she doesn't feel threatened by Commando. Maybe saving him will cause him to question her and change his opinion. She sets the mediporter to emergency evac. Now, all it needs is a signal.

He can live - there are bigger problems to deal with.

• Leave the hero behind

• (Frustrated) Shut up and maybe you'll survive this.

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

• (Concerned) You're dying. But you don't have to.)

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

• (Knock him out and prep his mediporter for evac)

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

• Play stupid games, win stupid prizes...

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

• I think your time's up, not mine.

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

• You irritate me, and you know too much about me.

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

• Please don't have a shrine to me somewhere...

The hero looks offended.

A shrine? To you? If by that you mean a sprawling mural of connections between news articles and photos of associated criminals all strung together with red string, then yes.

No, I don't think I need to spend my last hours stroking your impossibly large ego. It'll all... be over soon, I reckon.

• Your death does seem imminent. What's going on here?

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

• You irritate me, and you know too much about me.

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

• I -was- arrested, it was just temporary.

The hero rolls his eyes.

Yeah, I heard that story. Not surprised you had that whole thing worked out with a fallback plan. I swear, for a minute I thought you might be Nemesis, with how often you had another way to pivot out of trouble.

The hero coughs.

Hope I live long enough to see you fail to wiggle out of this one.

• I didn't plan that one, believe it or not.

The hero perks up, hearing that.

I find that hard to believe. You were completely out of contacts and associates. Your days were numbered, and you were just going to roll over?

• I was going to try and trade my skills to SERAPH to survive.

Hah, SERAPH would probably have you strapped down to a gurney and submitted for endless interrogations long before they ever let you near a computer or a scalpel.

Who'd have been so resourceful, and left in good standing with you?

• Cortex, actually. Bet you didn't see that coming.

The hero looks agitated.

Cortex? After you dented his brain and sent him running for the Isles? I don't know if I can believe that he'd be a fan after you took everything from him.

• He bested me... In the end, heroes -saved- me from him.

The hero looks confused.

Then why did he save you?

Piecemeal explains that the beating Cortex took was so severe, he had to flee to the Rogue Isles to get treatment from Doc Buzzsaw. Buzzsaw was able to trade and torture information out of him, and blackmailed him into coughing up the existence of the Lab, which then led them to Pierce to help locate it.

...Okay, maybe the FBSA was right taking that one from me, I'd have probably sent dozens to their deaths trying to sort through that.

• ...and now I have to deal with you.

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

• You're dying. What happened?

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

• You irritate me, and you know too much about me.

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

• You know far too much about me...

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

• I can't say I get that a lot, but I like hearing it.

A pompous and overblown sense of self-importance? That tracks with the profile. Never thought it'd come with a complete...

The hero eyeballs Piecemeal up and down.

...-disdain- for your humanity. I should have arrested you when I had the chance.

• Do you work with the PPD?

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

• I -was- arrested, it was just temporary.

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

• You know far too much about me...

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

• What happened to you?

I don't know, but I'm sure this district is the reason.

Everyone in here - you included I'm betting - seems to wither and fade over time.

What a joke, spending my last hours with you.

• I get this feeling like I should know who you are.

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

• You should be honored to witness me.

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

• Galaxy City is killing people?

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

The Shadow Commando

Piecemeal encountered a foolish vigilante while escaping from Galaxy City. Known as 'Shadow Commando', he bore a massive grudge against Kate, whom he was close to collaring during his day job as a PPD detective. While the exchange of dialog between them was amusing, it amounted to nothing more than a rare show of humanity for Kate, who being haunted by Dream Doctor's words elected to let the vigilante escape with her when he succeeds.

Bile's note: This guy isn't going to be a problem if he tried to get between me and Pierce. His drones are somehow operating on SMB1 - if he tries anything I'll give him a spicy haircut.

Lead Survivor Dialogue

Reached Terminal: Someone's down there. Don't panic, don't get your heartrate up. We've survived this long, we'll be okay...

Lead Survivor

Briefing

No access... until the Warriors give the OK...

...wait...

You... a hero? Come here to save us?

• Not exactly. I'm here by accident.

The people around you slowly crane their necks to look at you. Some of them can't even muster that, however, and just make a faint sound of despair.

You... would be the first. Heroes were here, in the beginning. All came... on purpose. Fought the Shivans, then quiet after three days. We... don't know how long we've been here. But weird things happening. No sleep, no hunger, but hollow inside, growing. Like being... dried out.

The Crey guard stops talking abruptly.

• Are you okay?

One of the survivors lets out a gasp, and slowly disintegrates into a cloud of smoke. This startles the others, who appear to do so in kind, in response.

Horrified, Piecemeal has her first reality check in Galaxy City - that she's not even remotely close to the top of the food chain or able to comprehend what she's seeing. It rattles her, fundamentally.

• Take the key from the former guard.

• I am really creeped out by this.

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

• Yes! And in order to do so, I need that door open.

The people around you slowly crane their necks to look at you. Some of them can't even muster that, however, and just make a faint sound of enthusiasm.

Thank the heavens above. Been here for... lost track of time. Shivans stopped attacking after day three. Weird things happened after that. No sleep, no hunger... but can feel the hollow inside. Need escape. That woman over there... has an appointment she can't miss.

The Crey guard stops talking abruptly.

• Are you okay?

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

• I am really creeped out by this.

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

• Warriors?

Said... critically important, storage. Captain Hill from PPD sent them because desperate. Said there's been a leak. That was... long time ago.

You've dealt with the Warriors enough times to know altruism isn't their defining trait. What could the Warriors want in the arena?

• I need to get down there. Now.

The people around you slowly crane their necks to look at you. Some of them can't even muster that, however, and just make a faint sound of despair.

You... but Warriors, not give the OK. Told us to wait, but... We... don't know how long we've been here. Weird things happening. No sleep, no hunger, but hollow inside, growing. Like being... dried out.

The Crey guard stops talking abruptly.

• Are you okay?

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

• I am really creeped out by this.

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

Feeling Hollow

Whatever is going on in Galaxy City appears to be outright sinister. Those left exposed to the energies (or lack thereof) in Galaxy seem to be able to function without food or sleep, but feel 'hollow'. It appears that when this situation becomes critical, the victim falls into a 'decelerated' state, and something like a startle or pang of excitement can destabilize them, causing them to fade to dust.

Bile's note: Def looks like some kind of wide-area reversal of whatever ethereal soup connects all the metas to their powers. Too ambitious for Malta, but reeks of their mantra.

The Nomad can be seen through a crack in the wall

Mortimer Kal before he vanishes

Editor's Note:

Although the AE building is visible on the map, it is initially accessible only by proceeding deeper into the Arena. After reaching the AE building, the barrier between it and the Arena will vanish.

Hilarion Dialogue

Before Combat: Remember to stay close, brothers. The warding is centered on me. The withering is not to be taken lightly.
Combat Start: To arms, brothers, we are beset upon from the rear!
First Blood: Ow! This one still has their strength!
75% Health: Impressive. But your strength won't last forever.
50% Health: I can feel your strikes weakening.
25% Health (vaporizes): Uff, ugh. Aaaaaagggggghhhhh...

Phaedrus Dialogue

Before Combat: This is where the warding is weakest. Don't by afraid, it can't kill you.
Combat Start: No holding back!
First Blood: A hero... undoubtedly going out in a blaze of glory.
75% Health: I am not afraid to die. Are you?
50% Health: My wards give me strength to endure.
25% Health (vaporizes): Ugh... the wards... not afraid...

Lycus Dialogue

Before Combat: Remember brothers, we signed up for glory. Get the goods, stay in tight formation, and get out.
Combat Start: Heroes? Azuria's found a way to counter the withering!
First Blood: How you got this far... is terrifying to think about.
75% Health: How do you still have strength?
50% Health: I can see your strikes slowing down.
25% Health (vaporizes): Oh... noooo....

The Nomad Dialogue

On Approach: After all these years I'm free. Vengeance be upon thee.

Mortimer Kal Dialogue

Phaedrus Defeated:
Mortimer Kal, Rogue Wizard: Incredible. His dreamwalking predicted this moment accurately down to the minute.
Mortimer Kal, Rogue Wizard: It is finally time to move.
Both Warrior Bosses Defeated:

Mortimer Kal, Rogue Wizard: The storm has begun... I was with him at the end - why did I ever doubt him?

AE Troubleshooting Tablet

On its own, the AE Troubleshooting Tablet can get an average AE user into a lot of trouble. But if you get this device to synchronize with the Near Field Communications of a mobile cybernetic genius, you can force the software to do some really amazing things. Like, for instance, have the robust code needed to brute force into many older systems, not just Architect.

Bile's note: Do I even hafta note what this cheeky lil' clue is suggesting?

Bug! The waypoint for this stage of the mission initially points to the wrong location. To proceed, reenter the Arena, at which point the waypoint should be corrected and will lead into the door on the east side of the storage room where Hilarion appeared.

 

Bile in the Matrix Room

Piecemeal: Okay, Bile, I'm in the... whoa.
Bile: I'd hoped to show you it myself, but this'll hafta do, boo.
Piecemeal: I can... see you? How'd you do that?
Bile: That AE Tablet is a thing of beauty, let me make a projectable construct to guide you. Had enough time to do it during the backtrack here.
Piecemeal: I'm impressed, but you'll forgive me if I'm a little focused on surviving right now.
Piecemeal: Core temps keep climbing. I can't keep regenerating like this. I need an exit.
Piecemeal: How do we make this thing teleport?
Bile: We're going to need to divert the power to the mediporter systems.
Bile: Put the tablet down anywhere on the comp. There are NFC access points all over this jam-a-lam.
Piecemeal: I don't want to rush you, but I feel like time's a factor, here.
Bile: I've been peepin' your vitals, chica. I know what kinda deadline we up against. You'll be 100, promise.
Bile: Okay, that's a lock, codes in place. There must have been some refits over the years, Emil Christie's got his company tattooed all over the Arena generator subsystems.
Piecemeal: Less fanboying, please. I'm dying. Get the teleport going.
Bile: Aye aye, cap'n. Just one liiiiiittle thing we need to talk about.
Piecemeal: If this is your attempt at a joke, I am failing to indulge it.
Bile: As if! I just didn't want to start throwin' hands 'bout how I'm getting you out.
Bile: I blitzed our pet project a couple'a weeks ago. You're gonn' be totes fine. Pinky swear.
Piecemeal: You are NOT. No! Freaklok Friday is not ready.
Bile: I knew the work had to be put into it. It -is- ready, because I knew someday we'd have to use it.
Piecemeal: ...who am I swapping with?
Piecemeal: ...and so help me, if you say Dap-Dap I'm going to convert your consciousness into an NFT.
Bile: That's the brilliant bit, babe. Nobody. You're going right into the Panopticon.
Piecemeal: ...You finished it?
Bile: It's baked enough to hold one person, you. Because, ya know, I love you and all that.
Piecemeal: I'm impressed, and suspicious. And dying. I don't like this mix of feelings.
Piecemeal: So... thank you?
Bile: I got you, boo. Don't sweat the deets. I got it on lock.
Bile: I just need all ya' trust. I did the monsta-math. Either die in here, or take the chance and die as a bunch of 1's and 0's in a blaze of glory.
Piecemeal: ...I'm gonna miss this body.
Bile: Er, umm... Me too.

Piecemeal's body disintegrates

Bile: But I've been working on a little something about that, too.
Piecemeal: What does that m-

Bile

Briefing

Bile once again stands before you, looking a tad glum.

So, thassit, more'a'less. Kate got in over her dome and now I'm caretaking a digital aquarium for a single koi.

You probs got questions. I owe you some answers. Warning tho, I don't think I got as many answers as you want.

• I have a few questions.

Bile Dialogue

Bile: Round and round we go, 'notha bunch a Q's we go.

• Where are we?

Bile looks at you with what you think might be a smirk. It's hard to tell, with the welded on mask, but his eyebrows suggest it.

We in the heart of the Arena, lovingly called the 'Matrix Room'. By me. This place - far as I could tell cuz one time I snuck down in Peregrine Island on a wicked Excelsior trip - this place is a self-contained power source. It's not on the grid! Like... dude... what?!

Well tbh, I thought it was self-contained. When we sapped the juice, two things happened that I didn't think would happen.

First, the Arena fell shortly after we turbo'ed the generator. Like some kind of forcefield dropped and the Neo-Shivs went all 'Tally-Ho!' and seized the moment. Second, there was a brief energy spike in Christie Square, which only makes sense because I found Emil Christie's code stamped all over the Arena power subsystems. Now I gotta suss out why a blurp in Galaxy caused a hiccup in Kallisti and it tickles my thinkmeat in brand new ways. I told Kate about it and she immediately started investing in Old Slough real estate from her digital confines. Never fails to impress me, that one.

• Emil Christie owes the public some answers.

Believe it or not, I appreciate your dedication to the Girl Scout routine. Impulsive short-sighted idealism tho, that's for the Freakshow. Y'all are better than that. Slow down. You ain't got enough pieces of the puzzle to act on anything.

You got more questions, or are you gonna whoosh your cape and disappear in a puff of morals?

• I have more questions.

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

• (END) I can't sit idly by. I need to do something.

Listen, I get it. When this sim ends, we go back to being whatever we was before you picked up the payphone. I'll play my part, and you'll play yours.

Jus' 'member, when you and I be at each other's throats, fighting over ideals that don't matter to the Doom-at-Hand, it don't change a damn thing that happened in here. In here, I tried to give you the truth as best as I could give it.

Ain't never gonna say otha-wise, my conscience is clear. Take this information and do whatcha gonna do.

• Until next time, Bile.

The simulation persists, but most of the interactive functions seem to have stopped interfacing with you.

• (Leave)

• Rookies. I'd claim that power for myself.

Sometimes I forget how tantalizin' the illusion of power can be, boo. You can be Lord Darkity Dark of the Void any time, but right now you have to acknowledge that flexin' your lack of moral compass isn't worth anything in here.

You got more questions, or are you gonna sharpen your teeth and commit unspeakable horrors outside of y sim?

• I have more questions.

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

• (END) My time is now - First Galaxy, then all of Paragon.

Remember - when this sim ends, we go back to being whatever we was before you picked up the payphone. I'll play my part, and you'll play yours.

Even if we end up side-by-side rodeo-wrangling longbow skiffs to raid a Rikti mothership, it ain't gonna change a thing 'bout what went down in here. The truth is here as best I could give it. Real talk, no jokes.

Ain't never gonna say otha-wise, my conscience is clear. Take this information and do whatcha gonna do. Just do something that matters.

• Until next time, Bile.

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

• Time to chat with Christie... One-on-one.

That seems to track for someone who thinks they're above the law. I'm sure that you're chock full of ideas and tricks that the PPD, Longbow, Wyvern, Freedom Phalanx, Vanguard, Portal Corp, and the Midnighters combined haven't considered.

You got more questions, or are you off to brood on a balcony fifty stories up?

• I have more questions.

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

• (END) If I can't do it, nobody can.

Remember - when this sim ends, we go back to being whatever we was before you picked up the payphone. I'll play my part, and you'll play yours.

Might come a time where you think I've gone too far and are dangling me off the side of a 75-story building, guided by your warped sense of justice - but even if you cross that point 'a no return, won't change what happened in here. In here, I gave you somethin' no media outlet could distort - just real truth as best I could give it. Go on, vet it, if you can.

Ain't never gonna say otha-wise, my conscience is clear. Take this information and do whatcha gonna do. Just do something that matters.

• Until next time, Bile.

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

• You think the Arena has instant replays? Asking for a friend.

You've been shown some graphic, borderline horrifying footage of a situation never seen before on the planet, and all you can think about is how you won't be getting any instant gratification for the efforts from people in the area, or how you can profit from it?

I don't know what I was expecting, tbh. I'm so dumbfounded I dropped my lingo almost completely. Dank. You dumbed me straight.

You got more questions, or do you have to glam up and get ready for a press conference?

• I have more questions.

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

• (END) One sec, I have to film a rant for my followers.

Remember - when this sim ends, we go back to being whatever we was before you picked up the payphone. I'll play my part, and you'll play yours.

It ain't ever gonna last, you know. You do know that, don'tcha? The fame, the money, the glory. Gonna come a time where your self-absorbed idiocy is gonna run face-first into the inevitable like a coyote into a painted wall. I only hope that when the inevitable comes callin', you recognize some warnin' signs that were posted 'long the road. They all started here in this sim.

Take this information and do whatcha gonna do. Just do something that matters.

• Until next time, Bile.

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

• Whatever, this is just another reason the Arena failed.

Hm, an answer like that really speaks to the substance of your character. Imma have to update my dossier because your attitude is hard to quantify. Maybe you ain't the person I thought you were.

Aight, red pill blue pill time. You wanna keep inquirin' about the sim, or are you gonna throw deuces and peace out?

• I have more questions.

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

• (END) Nah, screw this, I'm out.

You know, I thought I liked ya. I thought ya plucky, rash, and emotionally distant demeanor were the keys to ya success.

No, that was some bad readin' on the data. You might justa gotten where you are because ain't no-one or nothing worth your time. You sidekicked ya'self to your own damn ego, and that's a shame.

I ain't above a little spiteful pettiness, and tbh you're probably corrupting my code just by being here, like an actual virus. Sooner you bounce, the better. I'm pulling the mapserver out from under you.

• Get me out of here, nerd.

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

• I have more questions.

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

• What happened to those civilians?

Bile looks uncomfortable answering the question.

I've done probs like ten-plus evaluations of the data, and I have no frickin' clue. M'best guess is that something is withering the area. What really turns my thinker inside out is that Kate was able to fight it, but not forever. Others like Shadow Commando just de-powered and the civilians, whom I assume were just power-neutered to begin with, became these dried-out husks.

I ain't much for settlin' on theory and way more about connectin' the dots. You can take this as truth or just my opinion, which is all it is.

Something is severing us not just from our powers, but shutting down the connection to something more fundamental that fuels our potential... that's why the civs ended up in the same boat.

• We have to save whoever's left at any cost!

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• Less people in my way...

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

• I'll figure out a solution my own way.

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

• Not much of a point if there's nobody to thank you.

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• If they were still in GC after the meteors, they earned that.

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• I have more questions.

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

• There was something underground, looked arcane.

Bile shrugs.

Your guess is as good as mines. Looked like even more convenient access to Azuria's private stash, where every klepto street-thug keeps getting mitts on them every other Tuesday. Warriors definitely seem to know a thing or two about it, tho. D'you notice they were immune to the wither, right up until when Kate dropped them? Then poof! Ash pancake. I gotta avoid me that kinda death, tbh.

• MAGI will be notified, I'll see to it.

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• The things in there... could serve me well.

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

• The Warriors better watch their backs.

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• I wonder how much the information is worth to Azuria...

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• Azuria deserves to be a meme if that was the security.

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• I have more questions.

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

• The meteors seem to be warping the zone.

Bile laughs.

That's a hella-obvious moment of clarity. Did you notice that the gravity fluxes were only around the meteors and the plaza? Seems to be a new part of the Neo-Shivan package. The district is turning into something else, or becoming a staging ground. Some kind of outer-space Kansas, friendo. There's no place like home.

• We have to get back in there and eliminate the Shivans!

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

• ...and I'll claim it as my own.

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

• Time to start picking at the weeds, then.

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• This information is worth millions, I bet.

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

• I never liked the district anyway. Good riddance.

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• I have more questions.

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

If Shadow Commando was found and rescued:

• Did Shadow Commando survive?

Bile laughs.

He did. I've been peepin' on him since he left. Went right to Atlas Park on the Med-evac... into Atlas Park.

Into the PPD infirmary in Atlas Park.

That's gotta raise a few uncomfortable questions, eh?

• I have more questions.

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

• I have more questions.

Bile Dialogue

Bile: Ya spinnin' me right round, baby, right round!

• Did I see Mortimer Kal?

Bile laughs.

You did.

Frickin' wizards, bro / babe. They show up whenever they want as if they always planned to do it that way, like a cable TV repairman. Seems like he was muttering to himself about that headache-inducing Dream Doctor. I've hit digital wards from that guy, that crap ain't fun. I'm also stunned the Midnighters have a single computer for Internet access. It was too tempting not to try. Can you imagine what could be hidin' in that rig?

• I have more questions.

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

• Piecemeal's not dead?

Bile looks at you and goes very still.

TBH my dude / m'lady, she's in a Schrödinger state at the moment. She's both alive and kickin' it, as I can chat her up and she's still growing as a conscious thinker, but also dead because she ain't technically got an anchor in physical reality. There's a 10 percent margin of error on her personality capture, but she's rediscovering herself in a project called the Panopticon. I klepped her some heavily firewalled access to the internet and the Freaklok Neural Net... even so, if it weren't for the inhibitor cubes I hooked onto her, she mighta been an electrospectral Genghis Khan by now, so let's all give thanks for plannin'. Girl's a beast.

• She must be stopped. She's dangerous!

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

• A fine method of torture. I approve.

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

• Consider Club Med's rent agreement on borrowed time.

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

• You should broadcast her live! You'd make a mint!

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

• A fitting turn of events for someone like her.

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• I have more questions.

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

• Why was the Arena so important?

Bile scratches his head. Carefully.

Arena was the most logical place when Kate finally blooped back into the fabric of Galaxy - the lights were on, ya dig? But the Neo-Shiv definitely had a pattern - they were drawn to things that were reminiscent of home, maybe? Or things they didn't understand - that's why they seemed to hover around the meteors and the magic pokey. The Arena was otherwise pretty much free of spawncampers, just a buncha dustbombs waitin' 'round for salvation.

What made it far more clutch was that the power source was unaffected by this apocalyptic hellscape. A credit, I suppose, to Emil Christie whose company was tattoo'ed all over the subsystems. Whatever that power source was, it was enough to stall the Shivans out of confusion of curiosity. Pretty dope, if I'm bein' honest.

• Emil Christie, the tech mogul in Kallisti?

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

• Time to invade other arenas, I reckon.

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

• If Christie won't give me answers, I'll take them.

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

• Christie... now there's a whale we could extort!

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• More theorycraft? Boooooring.

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• I have more questions.

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• Did I see the Rikti Homeworld?

Bile's neon flares up like a holiday tree.

Did. You. Ever. We're some of the first peeps to eyeball the Rikti Homesauce and survive, outside of the Dark Watcher - and even though we only got to ogle two grunts on dig duty through the window of an old Nemesis post, I was leakin' grey matter out of my floompa just trying to comprehend all the things I might need to document for later.

TBH, I think that the experience there did Kate a world of harm, she ain't been one-hundred since slippin' 'cross the veil. Me tho, I had a full-on personality slip-n-slide into Becky, the Cross-Dimensional Peeper when I rolled that footage. I'm still basking in the memories of it, memories I can replay anytime I want!

• This could severely upset Traditionalist diplomacy.

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• I should finish what Ruin started, given the chance.

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• That door should be shut. By any means.

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• There's definitely power and influence in controlling that door!

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• The Rikti have had twenty years now... Who cares.

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• I have more questions.

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

• Let's rewind a second... So much to ask.

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

• Let's rewind a second... So much to ask.

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• (END/Hero) There's so much suffering... What can I do?

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• (END/Villain) Galaxy City seems ripe for the taking.

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• (END/Vigilante) I'm going to hunt the Warriors for answers.

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• (END/Rogue) Does this recording tech work for someone like me?

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

• (END/Rude) I don't care, this was a waste of my time.

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

Badge

Completing this mission awards the Face Turn badge.

Face Turn

You witnessed what Bile swears is the truth, and navigated a recording of Piecemeal's final moments, marooned in Galaxy City amidst the beginning of a horrific invasion.

Debriefing

The pay phone is not ringing. In fact, the wire to the handset looks like it was cut a long time ago, aged by the sun and the rain - was it always that way?