Mission:The Graveyard Shift - Chapter Five: Contact Tracing

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Chapter Five: Contact Tracing

Editor's Note:

The path through this mission is dependent on what decision you finally made in the previous investigation mission. There are some nice little game lore pieces available if you choose the long way. The full path is Hollows -> Hunt Trolls -> Check Park -> Callboxes. Extra dialog options are available if you have completed the Hollows arc and the Cavern of Transcendence Trial.

Investigate the Hollows
Decision: "Investigate the Hollows" or "Ask Agent Watkins"
Briefing

Watkins looks at your notes.

Not a lot to go on, if I'm being honest. This kind of work can be difficult for some, and I don't hold it against you. lets rattle some cages and see what shakes loose. We're going to start with my man Julius in the south-ish end of Eastgate, by the dam. He may be green, but tell him I sent you and he'll cooperate.

  • Understood. I'll pay Julius a visit.

Mission Acceptance

He's a good person. Don't judge him by his skin. Whatever he suggests, its on the level. Follow up on anything he gives you.

Mission Objective(s)

  • Speak with Julius the Troll

Julius gave you some simple tips on how to work Skyway over for information.

Briefing

Julius looks at you cautiously and curiously.

You, hero. Me know about you. You much bigger than problems here. You come help clean up big bad boom? Beat back lava dudes?

Default
  • I'm sorry, Julius. I'm here on other business.

Julius makes eye contact with you and asks very bluntly...

You too big for this area. Who send you? Flux? Foreshadow? More trouble coming? Lava dudes return?

  • Nothing so serious, Julius. Watkins sent me.
Julius' fanged smile flashes at the name of Agent Watkins.
Watkins, good friend. He struggle too, with things. Just like Julius. Watkins offer good advice, find good doctor. Julius not like others because Watkins was friend. Shared pain. Knew struggle. If Watkins need Julius, Julius go all in.
  • Ask Julius about the Vahzilok.
Julius' brow furrows with intense thought, searching for something to help.
Smelly dead jerks no spend much time here. Me not know of movements here. Red River not 'Rs' you looking for. You say highwaytown was crime? Me think a second.
You can see Julius searching his memory, trying his very hardest to come up with something to work with.
Me not sure what do. Many brothers there, know things. Could ask them? Also annoying yellow boxes know things. Tell Watkins me sorry not more help.
  • You've been very helpful. I'll tell him you say hi.
  • I took down Atta, you can start rebuilding.
Julius' eyes light up with a sudden moment of clarity.
Atta. He lose control of Hollows. That you? Julius happy. Julius give thanks. Julius have many feels inside.
Julius looks like he can't decide what to do next, and hugs you awkwardly.
  • It's all in a day's work, friend.
Julius makes eye contact with you and asks very bluntly...
You too big for this area. Who send you? Flux? Foreshadow? More trouble coming? Lava dudes return?
  • Nothing so serious, Julius. Watkins sent me.
This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
  • I took out Atta and claimed the Cavern. You are free.
Julius' eyes light up with a sudden moment of clarity.
Atta. He lose control of Hollows. Thatt fault of you? Julius very happy. Then, lava dudes retreat into ground. Things go quiet. Trolls go sad, lava dudes gone. All you? Me full of feels.
Julius looks like he can't decide what to do next, and hugs you awkwardly.
  • It's all in a day's work, friend.
Julius makes eye contact with you and asks very bluntly...
You too big for this area. Who send you? Flux? Foreshadow? More trouble coming? Lava dudes return?
  • Nothing so serious, Julius. Watkins sent me.
This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.
You investigated the Hollows first and spoke to Julius the Troll.
Julius and Watkins have a long history, and though he may be a bit of a stiff, Watkins helped Julius overcome his Superadine addiction through shared experience.
He was happy to help, even though he couldn't. He suggested you hunt Trolls in Skyway for information.
Hunt Some Trolls
Decision: "Hunt Some Trolls"
Briefing

Watkins looks over your notes and scratches his chin stubble thoughtfully.

Pierce was set up in pretty well-established Troll territory. A show of strength should get you somewhere with them, for sure - but it might not be enough, so pay attention to anything those green goons might say as you beat them up.

  • Understood, Agent.

Mission Acceptance

Be careful. The Trolls still throw raves in the open lots of Skyway, and they don't always come out as nicely as they looked going in.

Unnecessary Solicitation

Watkins has gone radio silent, but you can be sure he's still monitoring the situation.

Mission Objective(s)

  • Interrogate Trolls in Skyway
    • Defeat 10 Trolls

The Trolls you defeated were no help. You decide to check the park next.

Your hunt of the Trolls turned up very little, except for some broken teeth.
One of the last Trolls you defeated looked up at you and cried in frustration with a moment of clarity.
'Hero want help? Talk at bum in Hide Park. He see lots, talk little. Sad man. Go now before I angry.'
Investigating the Park
Decision: "Investigate the Park"
Briefing

Watkins looks over your notes and scratches his chin stubble thoughtfully.

These notes are... convoluted, but useful. I like that you took the time to look at the Parks and Rec website. Start there and see what you can find out.

  • Understood, I'll scout the area.

Mission Acceptance

If I were you, I'd look for less obvious things than footprints, and instead look for park regulars who might have seen something weird.

Unnecessary Solicitation

Watkins has gone radio silent, but you can be sure he's still monitoring the situation.

Mission Objective(s)

  • Check out Hide Park

There wasn't much to see at Hide Park, other than a washed up former actor that offered another direction to investigate. Time to check the callboxes for anything that can help.

Jacob Sloan
Briefing

Jacob looks at you with watery eyes, set deeply in his weatherbeaten face. His hair is unkempt, disheveled, and greasy; it hasn't been maintained in a long time. He hiccups and chokes back some vomit.

Another person coming to tear into Josh-Josh? Haven't life, the entertainment industry, and the Rikti done enough? Leave me alone.

  • I'm here on official city business.
Jacob changes his position but does little else.
Ask away, Officer. I swear I haven't been back to that district since the last incident. So don't even try to shake me down with that angle. I've been here all morning, fighting off those Rikti with the lawnmowers. I'm more useless than a callbox.
  • So you didn't see any Vahzilok?
Jacob drifts off into detached sadness. He sobs inbetween words.
Nothing happens here. That's why I'm here. To stay invisible.
Jacob's offhand comments about callboxes get you thinking.
  • Check out the callboxes
  • Are you okay? If you help me, maybe I can help you.
Jacob looks at you with contempt.
Yeah, you'll help me. Sure. Just like all the others. Every time someone thinks they can repair the city's opinion of me, they only end up making it worse. Why can't anyone understand that the only way to 'beat' the damage done to me is to disappear from cultural memory?
You explain to Jacob that Agent Watkins is very well connected in the city and could help him start a new life if he has any information to assist. You ask him if he saw anyone that morning.
Well, I can't say I believe you. But I don't have anything to lose, either. Nobody but some landscapers came through that morning.
Sloan suddenly recalls something, and it pains him to begin speaking the words.
...I didn't know this for the longest time... Did you know the Emergency Callboxes have short-range scanning? When someone calls in an emergency, they all ping out a short range scan for a half hour. PPD say it's for our safety. that's it very anonymous. The PPD used it to track the Rikti from my studio by chasing odd-shaped data blobs with a child-actor-shaped blob in tow.
  • I'm so sorry that happened to you.
Jacob gets visibly agitated.
I don't need your pity. The whole world saw me run for my life on live TV, leaving my crew and an audience full of kids to the mercy of the Rikti. I'm exactly where I deserve to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a full day of self-loathing and waiting for your promise to pan out as cheap words.
  • Whoa, take it easy, I meant no disrespect.
Jacob drifts off into detached sadness. He sobs inbetween words.
Nothing happens here. That's why I'm here. To stay invisible.
Jacob's offhand comments about callboxes get you thinking.
  • Check out the callboxes
  • Tell me what I need to know, or I'm going to get mad.
Jacob looks at you with contempt.
Another day, another bully. Get bent, jerk.
You pick up Jacob by the shoulders and force him to look at you. You tell him what you're up against.
Not my problem, cape. I don't particularly give a hoot about your problems. This whole world is upside down. You figure it out, or check a callboxes for gremlins. Anything, just not involving me.
You drop Sloan down to his resting spot.
  • Thanks for nothing, loser.
Jacob drifts off into detached sadness. He sobs inbetween words.
Nothing happens here. That's why I'm here. To stay invisible.
Jacob's offhand comments about callboxes get you thinking.
  • Check out the callboxes
Jacob Sloan. The name had sounded familiar when you heard it. The actor, from the kid's show. Oh no.
He'd shown his true colors on live TV during the second Rikti war. Tumbling over kids and other actors to flee the stage during an invasion of the studio.
Though broken, he still had a part to play and a use to the city. He rambled about the emergency callboxes. You never really thought about their wider use in Paragon.
Clue
The Dead Air Incident

When you went to Hide Park, you met former TV star Jacob 'Josh-Josh B'Gosh' Sloan slumped over in the grass surrounded by shin-high weeds and litter. He reeked of alcohol and was awfully intent on making himself feel as bad as possible during the conversation. He was eventually able to pull himself together long enough to suggest that you try looking into the Emergency Callboxes, as they track movement anonymously when a call is placed.

He also mentioned his life-ruining experience, which according to the Riktipedia article on him says:

Once a beloved television star to a generation of bright-eyed children, Jacob 'Josh-Josh B'Gosh' Sloan had his career abruptly ruined during the arrival of Rikti during the second Rikti War. On live TV, the Rikti stormed his studio and took several crew members hostage while using the live camera feed to threaten and intimidate the Paragon airwaves. While the cameras rolled live, Josh was seen ducking, dodging, and tripping over child actors and heading for the exit; all while plasma weapon fire set the stage ablaze. His career and his public perception never recovered.

...Yikes. You remember hearing about that. The PPD said they had acquired data on the Rikti movements within minutes to rescue the hostages. That must be how Sloan knew what the callboxes could do.

Check the Callboxes
Decision: "Check the Callboxes"
Briefing

Hmmm, good work! I'd use the emergency callboxes to triangulate their movements. If they did indeed go South, these four callboxes...

Watkins marks a few spots on your digital map remotely.

...should confirm or deny our suspicions.

  • Understood. I'll check them out.

Mission Acceptance

Thanks. If you need anything, just give me a call.

Watkins pulls out a tablet and begins swiping away at the screen and typing in notes.

Unnecessary Solicitation

I'm afraid I've gotten tasked out by the Bureau while you're out there, so don't lean on me too hard for this one.

Mission Objective(s)

  • Check the Callboxes

The emergency callboxes also have short-range scanners, and confirm that a group of 'people' moved south into Overbrook at the movement speed you'd expect from a zombie horde. The times line up with Dr. Pierce's account of the story. Call Agent Watkins with your findings.

The callboxes turned out to be the key. They had to serve a larger purpose than just covering terrain for heroes like Synapse when he tasked out up-and-coming heroes.
There's a short range radar in each box for when a major crime is called in. That technology was well obscured from the public; but if they knew, at least this data was designed to be anonymous.
The data package contained only nameless, faceless movement data at the time the crime was reported, and nothing more. Big Brother, this was not.
By triangulating the south callboxes' data, you were able to confirm movements resembling the size and speed of the group Pierce encountered. Heading South, into Overbrook.

Debriefing

Decision: "Investigate the Hollows" or "Ask Agent Watkins"
Debriefing

That's good old-fashioned hero work, Character. When in doubt, you talk to people, clean up the streets, help the needy, and use the resources available to you to solve problems!

I will personally call Julius and check in with him, then see if MAGI has a witness protection opening for Sloan - They can glamour him to look like someone else until he can hit the reset button on his life. The emergency callbox scanners were a fantastic idea: they confirm that a group of people' moved south into Overbrook at the movement speed you'd expect from a zombie horde. The times line up with Dr. Pierce's account of the story, so I think we have our answer. We're heading into Faultline!

Decision: "Hunt Some Trolls"
Debriefing

The trolls and the park were bad leads that turned into a solid win! It's a shame to hear about Jacob Sloan. I will see if MAGI has a witness protection opening for him - They can glamour him to look like someone else until he can hit the reset button on his life. The emergency callbox scanners were a fantastic idea: they confirm that a group of 'people' moved south into Overbrook at the movement speed you'd expect from a zombie horde. The times line up with Dr. Pierce's account of the story, so I think we have our answer. We're heading into Faultline!

Decision: "Investigate the Park"
Debriefing

The park was a bad lead that turned into a solid win! It's a shame to hear about Jacob Sloan. I will see if MAGI has a witness protection opening for him - They can glamour him to look like someone else until he can hit the reset button on his life. The emergency callbox scanners were a fantastic idea: they confirm that a group of 'people' moved south into Overbrook at the movement speed you'd expect from a zombie horde. The times line up with Dr. Pierce's account of the story, so I think we have our answer. We're heading into Faultline!

Decision: "Check the Callboxes"
Debriefing

The emergency callbox scanners conform that a group of anonymous 'people' moved south into Overbrook at the movement speed you'd expect from a zombie horde. The times like up with Dr. Pierce's account of the story, so I think we have out answer. We're heading into Faultline!

Investigate the Rusty Rivet bar

Briefing

Everything seems to add up in terms of what we know from Dr. Pierce. I can only surmise their destination is the Rusty Rivet! It's a popular place, but rumors flew a couple years back about a very high-profile VIP room that was added during the rebuild of the area. This crew must be renting it as a command station!

Everything seems to be coming together. If you hurry, we can catch them, and maybe get some solid answers!

Agent Watkins hands you a list of names.

Also keep a look out for these people while you're there: Sally 'Mander' Martinez, Cortex, Dr. Morben, Harry 'Grey Matter' DeMauro, Godwin Blaire, and Tanisha 'Vivisec' Jameson. Any of them are high-priority targets if you can collar them.

  • I'm heading there right now, Agent.

Mission Acceptance

Don't waste any time getting there. These monsters move frequently to keep people like me on their toes. This is the freshest lead we've had in a while, and that's saying something for chasing cybernetic undead.

Unnecessary Solicitation

See if you can gain access to the Rivet's VIP room and find out what happened!

Mission Objective(s)

You slip into the bar's VIP room an air conditioning maintenance hatch. There is a lot of commotion below you.

  • Investigate the Rusty River bar
    • 1 Rescue the bartender
    • 1 Rescue the Waitress
    • 1 Rescue the Cook
    • Defeat Grey Matter
    • Defeat Salamander

You slipped into the Rusty Rivet and were able to find the pack of Vahzilok that robbed Dr. Pierce, arguing with yet another group of factionalized undead, this time run by a two-bit mentalist named Grey Matter. The tensions were high, and by the time you were able to make your way into the VIP lounge, they were already fighting with each other. This time, it was over who sold them out to you: There's a mole in their midst! The brawl cost Grey Matter his freedom, and literally cost Mander an arm and a leg... which you recovered as evidence. Ew.

Clue
Pathogen's Warehouse

You slipped into the Rusty Rivet and were able to find the pack of Vahzilok that robbed Dr. Pierce, arguing with yet another group of factionalized zombies, this time run by a two-bit mentalist named Grey Matter. The tensions were high and by the time you were able to make your way into the VIP lounge, they were already fighting with each other. This time, it was over who sold them out to you: There's a mole in their midst! The brawl cost Grey Matter his freedom, and literally cost Mander an arm and a leg... which you recovered as evidence. Ew. Between Grey Matter's big mouth, Salamander's petty attitude, and a rescued worker at the Rusty Rivet, you've found that there are still three targets out there: 'The Boss', 'The Sleeper', and 'Pathogen'. This Pathogen character might have a warehouse hideout in Independence Port, according to a waitress.

Enemies

Vahzilok

Notable NPCs

Battling Vahzilok dialogue
Captives dialogue
Grey Matter and Salamander dialogue

Debriefing

Another faction, and a mole! This just keeps getting weirder and more unpredictable. Grey Matter's people don't give themselves an identifier - they consider themselves the true, faithful followers of Dr. Vahzilok and restorers of the original order; and they are the disruptors on the forums, trying to shut down and gaslight these new would-be saviors. I'd place them at the top of the 'most dangerous' list, because they've been the least visible in this mess until now. The organization of these purists probably runs deep if they're taking the mantra of the Doctor to heart, and Cortex would be the only candidate close enough to the Doctor to keep the army on the rails. His hero profile is decades old at this point, so we have no idea what he's capable of. Cortex's downfall has been... transmutative, to say the least.

This isn't over, but until something else from Grey Matter's faction shakes loose, or we identify this sleeper unit, or flush out the mole... we have to grease the squeaky wheels. And that means this 'Pathogen' character.

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