You wake with a jerk, but the tight grip across your chest is only a safety harness. The strange rhythm becomes the reassuringly-steady thrum of helicopter blades above your head. Outside, the light gleams unnaturally bright off the perfect white peaks of the Kjølen Mountains of Norway. You wince: even with sunglasses, your eyes hurt. It is 9:37am, 12 October, 2021. [[>|Alexis intro]]You lift your briefcase from between your feet, and take out your company iPad and a blue folder of photocopied files. Coson Technologies is nothing if not thorough. The facts are simple enough. As part of Penumbra Division, Tallerken Station is conducting [[classified research]] for Coson's biomedical department. Staffed by about thirty personnel, the station is run by a [[Doctor Saloman]], an unremarkable employee if ever you saw one. A week ago, a [[five-person]] survey team left Tallerken, to investigate a [[geological disturbance]] in the mountains and see if it posed a danger to the station. Only [[one person]] returned. [[Finish studying]]You open the slim blue folder. It contains the original signed NDAs of Tallerken Station's senior staff, plus accident and injury guidelines, but few actual details on the research itself. From your previous investigations for Coson, you aren't surprised. What does surprise you is ten copies of ration requisition forms, neatly paperclipped together and tucked in the back. You flick through them, puzzled. Maybe the company secretary copied the wrong pages? [[Back|Initial Files]]You turn your iPad around and open a copy of Saloman's last performance assessment. He's unremarkable, all right: middle of the road on just about every score. Perhaps a boring, easy-going man is a good choice to lead an isolated research station. The last page is a transfer notice for a Jans Saloman, the doctor's son, assigning him to work at Tallerken Station. An attached comment from the records department states: "one of the missing." [[Back|Initial Files]]The records department tucked a geological survey map into the folder, but it's highly technical and densely drawn-on with red ink. Tracing it with a fingertip, the best you can tell is that there was some sort of landslide that Tallerken thought was worth investigating. You make a mental note to get your own damn map next time. [[Back|Initial Files]]The name on the personnel sheet is "Lauren Fawn". Twenty-four. Graduate degree in geological sciences. You pause and read that again. Wasn't Tallerken Station doing research for the biomedical division? What was a geology grad doing there? Well, as the investigators say, "Coson knows best, we just clean up the mess." A photo of Fawn is clipped to the personnel sheet. She's a slender young woman dressed in Arctic exploration gear, her face rosy with the cold. She looks happy. [[Back|Initial Files]]It's dark. This is nothing new. Your work brings you to strange, dark places all too often. But here--the darkness in the office is red, like the inside of your body, and a thick rhythm like a heartbeat is pounding in your ears. Your chest is so tight you struggle to breathe. [[>|Dream 2]]The desk is spattered with dark spots. The chair is turned to face the wall, but you can see someone is slumped in it. You don't turn the chair around. You won't. Not this time. [[>|Dream 3]]You start tossing your paperwork back in the briefcase. Since four people went missing from that survey team, getting a straight answer out of Tallerken Station has been impossible. Doctor Saloman has suddenly become evasive. Despite repeated demands, Saloman refuses to file an incident report or give any more details on what happened. Before you put your iPad away, you glance at Doctor Saloman's file again, with the note that Saloman's son, Jans, is among the missing team members. [[>|Studying 2]]Coson Technologies does not appreciate being kept in the dark. But projects in the Penumbra Division are highly sensitive, so simply hauling Doctor Saloman back to HQ might be counterproductive. That's where you come in. Your job is to discover what, if anything, Saloman is hiding, what happened to those four missing people, and what action should be taken. You suspect Saloman will be an ex-employee so fast his head will spin. The timbre of the helicopter blades alters, and you glance out of the window. Below, you see a series of low, snow-blown buildings with a bright orange windsock flapping overhead. Tallerken Station. You've arrived. [[>|Arrival]]The helicopter blows a dusting of snow off the well-kept helipad as it lands. You step out into the biting Norwegian cold, briefcase in one hand and small overnight bag in the other. The pilot waves at you through the glass; you nod your thanks for a smooth flight. He'll head back to Alta for refuelling and pick you up in a few days. "Agent Bailey!" A slight woman in a red parka emerges from one of the buildings and bounces over to you, looking bright-eyed at the helicopter. "My name's Gail!" she shouts over the sound of the dying engines. "I'm head of personnel here, welcome to Tallerken!" She sticks her hand out for a handshake. Gail seems pleasant. Very pleasant for someone in a small research station that's just suffered the tragic loss of four people. [["Thanks for the warm welcome."]] [["Why so cheery?"]] [[Ignore her outstretched hand.]] To be honest, it's rare you're greeted so warmly. And from bitter experience, you know being rude will only make your investigation harder. Gail beams as you shake her hand, and leads you towards a frost-laced door. "I'm afraid our welcome is about the only thing that's warm around here!" "Have you had trouble with the weather?" you ask. "Oh, some! One of the wind sensors blew right off the roof, and--" She chatters on. From what you gather, the conditions are unlikely to have interfered with communications. That wouldn't explain why Doctor Saloman hasn't been forthcoming, either. [["I'm here for Doctor Saloman."]] [["About the missing people..."]] [["You're head of personnel, how is everyone?"]]Gail laughs as she grasps your hand to shake it. "Clearly you've never worked in a facility like Tallerken, Agent! Underground half the time, and the rest frozen in a Norwegian winter? The least one can do is keep their chin up." "But with everything that's happened--" you begin. "Everything?" Gail says, leading you to a frost-laced door. "The missing survey team," you prompt. Gail's face falls. It's like kicking a puppy. [[>|"About the missing people..."]]You're not here to make friends. Especially not with someone so damned cheerful. You stare at her. Gail eventually lowers her hand, looking hurt. "Well then. I suppose we'd better get you inside." [[>|Quarters]]"The doctor's such a //nice// man," Gail says. "I wonder if he might not crack the whip just a little bit more. Of course he's so busy these days." "Busy with what?" you ask. "Well, Coson sends so much work. Besides, it's not easy to keep a station running in the middle of nowhere." "And Jans, of course," you say. "His missing son?" [[Next|"About the missing people..."]] Gail's eyes go wide and solemn. "Those poor kids. It's such a tragedy..." She takes out a tissue to blow her nose. [[Something|Gail's protein bar]] falls out of her pocket. "I'm sorry, Agent," she goes on. "It just... Please, I know the company wants to investigate but--I can't. Not yet." Gail sniffles. "I suppose you'll be wanting to talk to little Lauren? She's the only member of the survey team who made it back." [["How is she?"]] [["Stop snivelling."]]Gail puffs out a sigh. "The usual cabin fever. At least they have their work! That's one distraction from the cold, and the darkness during that polar winter. Ugh." "Not to mention the survey team that went missing," you add, after a moment. [[>|"About the missing people..."]] It's a protein bar. Chocolate and peanut butter, to be specific. You pick it up. Gail is too busy wiping her eyes to notice--besides, she'll never miss it. She has three or four identical bars stuffed in the same pocket. [[Back|"About the missing people..."]]Gail's eyes well with fresh tears. "I'm here to find out what happened in this place," you go on, "and as head of personnel you may be liable as well. So if I were you, I'd turn off the waterworks and start thinking very seriously about my future." The tissue twists in Gail's hands. Then she looks up at you, and though her face is streaked with tears her voice is perfectly steady. "I'm very sorry, Agent," she says. "I'll show you to your room." [[>|Quarters]]"She's comfortable," Gail says. "We had to give her new quarters for the time being. Can't be too careful!" Before you can ask what she means, she opens another door and beckons you on. "Ah! Speaking of, let me show you where you'll be staying." [[>|Quarters]] Much of Tallerken Station is built below ground. Coson Technologies spends lavishly on its facilities, but even by the company's standards, this is impressive: gleaming labs, good living space, and the smell of something tasty from the kitchen. Gail leads you past several facility staff members, who stare like you're from Mars. Up here, you suppose that any stranger must be a shocking sight. They look pinched and pale. Too long under the ground, you guess. One, [[a young man with his hair shaved]], holds your eye for longer than any of the others. "Here we are!" trills Gail as she opens a door. "We cleared a storeroom to give you a bit of a private space." [[>|Quarters 2]]In your experience, if a Coson employee catches the eye of a special investigator, they do one of two things: they glower, or look guilty. This shaved man does neither. He just looks at you. Then he puts both hands over his mouth, like a child. His nails are bitten to the quick. Gail is chivvying you along. When you glance back, the young man is walking on with his back turned as if nothing happened. [[Back|Quarters]] The room is quite small, but there's a pile of thick woollen blankets on the cot. At least you won't feel the cold. "The washroom's there, cafeteria's that way," Gail tells you. "We're serving breakfast right now if you're hungry." You check the time: 11:05am. "Twenty-four hour breakfast?" Gail giggles. "We're underground, Agent! People work all hours here." She bounces away. Finally, you can hear yourself think. Speaking of work... [[Unpack your things]] [[Ask to speak with Doctor Saloman]] [[Ask to speak to the survivor, Lauren]] [[Ask to see Jans Saloman's room]]You've lived out of suitcases on assignments before, and it sucks. Since the Tallerken staff were kind enough to give you a small set of drawers and a shelf, you're going to make the most of them. You put a stack of clothes and underwear in the drawer, and neatly arrange your toiletries on the shelf. You open your briefcase for a moment to check everything's secured. It needs to stay locked, and preferably hidden. Your eyes flick over the [[files]] Coson Technologies gave you, and a small bottle of [[pills]]. Before you leave, you flick up the false bottom of the briefcase where you keep your gun. [[>|gun]] (set: $unpacked to true)You find Gail and ask where Doctor Saloman's office is. "Oh, surely that can wait! You've had such a long flight--" "Now," you say firmly. [[>|speak with doctor saloman 2]]You ask a passing staff member to take you to see Lauren Fawn, but he shakes his head. "Sorry. You'll have to ask Doctor Saloman." "I'm investigating him," you say. "I'm not asking his //permission// for anything." "He has to authorise any access to the quarantine wing," says the staffer, before hurrying off. Quarantine wing? [[>|Now what?]]Jans Saloman's roommate isn't too happy, but with a little persuasion he gives you ten minutes alone to take a look around Jans's bunk. The date of Jans's transfer suggests he was new to the station and it shows: his possessions could fit into a medium suitcase. You glance at fishing magazines, unironed clothes slung across the bed, and photos of someone you assume is his girlfriend or fiancée pinned to the wall. You think you spot [[something shiny|Jans's granola bar]] poking out from beneath the bed. Other than that, there's nothing remarkable here. [[>|Now what?]] (set: $sawjansroom to true)You flick the corner of the papers idly with a nail. It's never a good idea to let people know what you have on them--these should stay locked away. Although, you hope the Tallerken Station staff will be cooperative. Those missing people are their friends and colleagues. It's in everyone's best interests to clear this up. You put the files neatly back. [[Back|Unpack your things]]Ah yes. The pills. [[>|pills 2]]On the other hand, hate it or not, an unloaded gun is just a scary-looking paperweight. And if there's any trouble, this place is very remote. Better to have it and not need it, right? You load the gun smoothly and tuck it under the mattress. Ten rounds. That should put your mind at ease. [[>|Finish unpacking]] (set: $gunloaded to true)You haven't found the gun useful on assignment before, and you doubt that's going to change. Besides, in a remote little station like this, having a loaded weapon is like smoking near a powderkeg. You put the gun back unloaded and close the false bottom. [[>|Finish unpacking]] (set: $gununloaded to true)You don't have much, but your few possessions make the tiny room feel a little more lived-in. Knowing it'll be cold tonight, you unfold a few of the woollen blankets left piled on the cot. As you toss one over the bed, a piece of paper flutters to the ground. You pick it up. It looks like it was torn out of a notebook. A scrawl on it reads: //Feed it, or stop your mouth.// [["What the fuck?"]] [["A threat? Oh please."]] [["I should keep this."]] You don't need any right now. You put the little bottle back where it belongs. You'll need them later. [[Back|Unpack your things]]Back to business. It's your first day in scenic Tallerken Station. (if: $unpacked is true)[You've unpacked your things.](if: $unpacked is not true)[ [[Unpack your things]] ] (if: $spokesaloman is true)[You've spoken to Doctor Saloman.](if: $spokesaloman is not true)[ [[Ask to speak with Doctor Saloman]] ] (if: $sawjansroom is true)[You've seen Jans Saloman's room.](if: $sawjansroom is not true)[ [[Ask to see Jans Saloman's room]] ] (if: $spokelauren is true)[You've talked to Lauren Fawn.](if: $spokelauren is not true)[ [[Ask to speak to the survivor, Lauren]] ] { (if: $accesscard is true)[ [[Use Saloman's access card to see Lauren]] ] } Doctor Saloman's office overlooks the main lab. It's small, dominated by a large desk, and looks like a paper tornado just blew through. Saloman himself rises to greet you and grasps your hand with both of his. He looks like his photo: greying and plump, with anxious eyes. He's dressed in a lab coat and smells like he hasn't showered for a while. A [[picture|Jans pic]] sits on his desk. "Agent Bailey," he says, quickly clearing off a chair for you to sit down. "I know why you're here. I know." "The company wants an explanation," you tell him, "and at this point, so do I." Doctor Saloman looks down at his nails, studying them, turning his hands over and over. "It's very hard to explain," he begins, then falls silent. [["Take your time."]] [["Isn't Jans worth the effort?"]] [["You're in deep shit. Don't make it worse."]] (set: $spokesaloman to true)The picture is of a handsome young man grinning for the camera on top of a mountain. "Your son?" you ask, knowing the answer already. Saloman nods rapidly. "Jans. Yes." [[Back|speak with doctor saloman 2]] It's all you can do not to say it aloud. Maybe this is what passes for humour on the long winter nights? You puzzle over it for a bit, then shrug and throw the note away. [[>|Now what?]]Gosh, someone thinks they can intimidate a special investigator. What a novel idea. You crumple up the note and throw it away. You've heard worse in your career--and with better handwriting to boot. [[>|Now what?]] Someone obviously left the message here for you to find. But who? Most of the staff didn't even know you were coming. And how could anyone know you'd use this set of blankets? You wonder if it might have been Gail. It doesn't seem like her style, though. You fold up the paper scrap and put it in your pocket. Not much chance of finding the notebook it was torn from, but the handwriting might turn up again. [[>|Now what?]] (set: $foundnote to true)Saloman nods. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" "I'd say so," you tell him, gently. "Coson Technologies could be criminally liable over this." "Is that all the company cares about?" he says bitterly. "Its bottom line?" "Have you met Coson?" He doesn't laugh. "All right, then tell me, what //should// it be caring about?" Saloman looks away. "I can't sugar coat this, Doctor. Four people are missing and you've obstructed giving us any answers. Give me the truth, now, and I'll see what can be done." [[>|speak with doctor saloman 3]] He flinches. "How dare you speak that way ab--" You can't believe what you're hearing. "Don't you see how insane this is, doctor? Your //son// is missing, along with three other people, and you act like you're covering up a lab accident?" His face trembles. "Those missing people have families too," you go on relentlessly. "Should I call them up and tell them you'd love to tell them the truth but it's 'hard to explain'?" "All right!" Saloman takes a breath. "All right." [[>|speak with doctor saloman 3]] Saloman gulps. "You've ducked and obfuscated every attempt to clear up what happened," you snap. "If those people are dead and you're covering it up, I //will// find out. By the time Coson Technologies and the victim's families are through with you, you won't have enough money to cover your privates. So--" "Families!" Saloman blurts out. "I--" Shaking, he takes a moment to compose himself. You let him. It looks like his cage is rattled enough. [[>|speak with doctor saloman 3]]Saloman turns and looks through the window to one of the labs below. You sense he's making up his mind about something. "The geological event that the survey team was investigating wasn't natural," he says. His voice is dead and dry. "It was caused by an explosion in an old weapons cache, left over from World War II." You can't hide your scepticism. "Someone hid weapons all the way up here?" "Well, apparently so." He turns around and leans his back against the glass. "It was something experimental. The wires must have finally rusted through, bang goes the charge, and it caused the landslide." He rubs his hands over his face. "As best we can tell it was something radioactive. We know that now." "But the survey team didn't," you say quietly. He looks pale. [[>|speak with doctor saloman 4]]"Lauren's only been able to tell us a little," Saloman goes on. "She stayed behind to do a geophysics survey of the rubble--that's all that saved her. When she caught up with the others, it... it was too..." He composes himself. "She made it back, but the damage had been done. She's being kept in isolation, to protect the station." You sit and absorb this. "Why not just tell us this from the beginning?" you ask, finally. Saloman twists his hands together. "Well, the readings we got off Laura suggested that the radioactive material was unlike anything we'd ever seen. Maybe even a new isotope of uranium. It could be cataclysmically dangerous." He adds: "In the wrong hands." "And you think Coson Technologies is the wrong hands," you finish. Saloman nods. [[>|speak with doctor saloman 5]]"We don't have the protective gear necessary to investigate a threat like that," Saloman continues. He sounds like he's on the verge of tears. "We can't even go and recover the, the bodies. We can't mourn." He paces back and forth across his office. "I started to tell Coson the truth. But then I thought: what if? What if they recover that weapon and find a use for it? Jans... I love my son, Agent. He would have hated his... death to be used this way." "But stonewalling only brought me here," you say. "You must have known the company would send someone." "I did," he whispers. "Yes. I did." You ponder what he's just told you. [["Help us. Coson Technologies might go easy on you."]] [["Your story makes no sense."]] [["You are so, so fired."]]He shakes his head. "I can't help you. I can't help anyone." "Doctor, if you tell us what you know, they would understand why you couldn't come clean at first. The trauma, obviously, but now you're thinking more clearly. They could develop... something, a way to bring Jans's body back. You could say goodbye--" "No!" he roars, startling you. Then, softer: "No. Let Coson pummel me into oblivion. I don't care any more." You believe him. [[>|speak with doctor saloman 6]] "What do you mean?" Saloman asks. "Just that," you say. "Who would haul a weapons cache that big up into these mountains? Especially with such a valuable payload? And neither the Germans nor the Norwegians could have got their hands on a new isotope of uranium, let alone known what to do with it." "We've found the remains of old encampments up here left over from the war," Saloman says. "Coson Technologies chose this site to do their research--well, maybe the Germans had a similar idea." "I don't buy it," you say. "Then don't!" snaps Saloman. "I didn't ask for my son to--to die horribly because some grunts hid some weapon a hundred years ago!" [[>|speak with doctor saloman 6]] Doctor Saloman actually smirks for a moment. "Well, I was expecting thumbscrews first." "Keep laughing," you tell him. "Coson Technologies will crucify you for this--for hiding a discovery of this calibre, and the deaths of its employees. Consider your clearance revoked as of now. I expect a mirror of your hard drive and the secure servers here." Saloman has stopped laughing. "My god, do you realise what you sound like? Some bureaucratic little ninny nattering about //clearance// and //procedure// when my son lies--" [[>|speak with doctor saloman 6]] Doctor Saloman smoothes his hair with a shaking hand. "Forgive me, Agent. I... understand you must follow procedure, of course. But I need a break." He hands you an access card. "This is for the quarantine wing. Lauren Fawn is staying in isolation there. I assume you'll want to speak to her." "I do," you say, rising to leave. "Until later, doctor." As you go, Saloman sits down heavily. "Forgive me," he says again, but he seems to be speaking to the picture on his desk. [[>|speak with doctor saloman 7]] (set: $accesscard to true)You pause in the corridor, turning the access card over in your fingers. [[Saloman is lying.]] [[Saloman seems sincere.]]Did Saloman actually think you were going to fall for that fluff about undiscovered World War II weapons and mystery radiation? The good doctor is lying. Why, you don't know. But if he's panicked enough to cook up that story, the truth must be much, much worse. Someone at Tallerken Station knows that truth, though. You set off down the corridor, determined to crack this place open. [[>|Now what?]]Saloman's story is extraordinary, but no more so than some of the Penumbra Division's other projects. And that grief looked genuine. There are plenty of unanswered questions, still. But you suspect Saloman is going to cooperate. With new resolve, you set off down the corridor. [[>|Now what?]]The wrapper is in Norwegian, but you know a fruit-and-nut bar in any language. You shove it in your pocket. You can drop it into the kitchen later. [[>|Now what?]] (set: $granolabar to true)The quarantine wing is cold and quiet. You don a mask and gloves, and pass through a small airlock to get inside. Everything around you seems to be made of clear plastic sheets. "Lauren? Lauren Fawn?" "Yes. Here!" [[>|talk to lauren 1]] (set: $spokelauren to true)Inside a sealed area is a young woman wearing sterile scrubs. She's sitting on a low cot, with a toilet, sink, and small folding table nearby. The table is scattered with [[papers|lauren papers]]. Lauren Fawn smiles as you approach, but it's a tired smile. She's shockingly [[thin and wasted]]. Stacked near the cot are at least [[a dozen empty trays]], the sort used in a cafeteria. "It's Agent Bailey, isn't it?" she says. "They said someone from the company would be coming. It's kind of a relief to see a new face!" [["Are you feeling all right?"]] [["I'm here to get answers."]]You can't see the papers well through the plastic sheeting, but they look like maps. Lauren seems to have been annotating them with a red pen. She follows your gaze and grins. "Better to keep busy, right?" [[Back|talk to lauren 1]]You're no doctor, but Lauren looks like she's been on a starvation diet. Her cheeks are hollow and the scrubs hang off her. But she seems alert and interested in you. Even if her condition is as bad as Saloman said, she should be able to give you lucid answers. [[Back|talk to lauren 1]]The trays are spotted with crumbs and splashes of sauce. Other than that, they've practically been licked clean. Lauren follows your gaze and looks rueful. "A mess, isn't it? It's just hard to sterilise the things." [[Back|talk to lauren 1]] You know what you will see. The old question haunts you: //why the heart, not the head?// The question that gnaws at you. [[>|Waking up]]The company iPad has a photograph from the day Tallerken Station was established. The staff pose in front of the new buildings. The camera caught them mid-cheer. Five smiling faces have been circled digitally. You click on them one by one to read the names: //Halv Larsson, team leader// //Hannah O'Dean// //San Bharti// //Lauren Fawn// //Jans Saloman// [[Back|Initial Files]] It's getting late. You decide to wrap up for the day: it's not like the Tallerken staff are going anywhere. You eat a quiet dinner, write your daily report, then change for bed. You'll need a good night's sleep if you're hiking up the mountain tomorrow. Which means... You slowly open your briefcase and take out the little bottle of pills. Hateful. And necessary. [[Take your standard dose: one pill.]] [[It's been a tough day. Take two pills.]]You swallow the little pill with a dash of water and curl up under the blankets. Tallerken Station gradually goes quiet. [[>|bad night 1]] (set: $onepill to true)You rouse suddenly, from a faint medication-dulled shadow of your normal dreams. You're warm and drowsy; the room is comfortably dark. The station is utterly silent. Someone is standing at the foot of your bed. [[>|bad night 2]]Your mind's churning. One pill isn't going to be enough to keep you asleep. You pop two with a dash of water and curl up under the blankets. Tallerken Station gradually goes quiet. [[>|bad night 1]] (set: $twopills to true)The sliver of light from under the closed door gleams off the shaven head of the young man you saw when you first arrived at Tallerken Station. He is staring right at you. (if: $onepill is true)[ [["What the-- what do you want?"]] [["Someone help!"]] [["Get out of my room!"]] [[Lie still and do nothing.]]] (if: $twopills is true)[ [[You cannot move.]] ] Your voice is slurred from the medication, but your question is clear enough. Always the investigator, you think, but that thought rides a rising wave of panic. The young man doesn't blink. He says, in a hoarse voice: "I drink in tribute, but tribute is not what I need. I am here. You know me, as the others can't." He adds: "To you, I bestow the mystery." Raising a hand, he takes a step towards the bed. [[Look for a weapon.]] [["What mystery?"]]Heart racing, you keep absolutely still. He must know you're awake. Why the hell is he here? The young man speaks in a hoarse voice. "Out of the strong, such sweetness. I can feel it where they cannot." He adds: "They sent you bearing their sigil. Instead you shall be honoured with mine." He takes a step towards the cot. [["What the hell are you talking about?"|"Get out of my room!"]] [[Lie still and do nothing.|Lie still and do nothing 2]]Your voice is slurred from the medication, but loud enough. Someone must have heard you. Surely. The young man doesn't blink. He says, in a hoarse voice: "I was right. You understand. A craving soul cannot eat silence. It must cry out." He adds: "To you, I bestow the mystery." Raising a hand, he takes a step towards the bed. [[Look for a weapon.]] [["What mystery?"]]Your body is heavy from the medication. You can barely keep your eyes open: when you try to speak, no sound comes out. The young man speaks in a hoarse voice. "I was right. Out of the strong, such sweetness. I can feel it." He adds: "They sent you bearing their sigil. Instead you shall be honoured with mine." He takes a step towards the cot. [[You cannot move.|You cannot move 2]]It's a struggle to keep eye contact. But you have to. God knows what will happen if you look away. The young man says: "To you alone I reveal my mystery in person. How the others will envy you. But your awakening is closer--perhaps even here. This is right." He raises a hand. [[You cannot move.|You cannot move 3]]The young man's hand describes a circle in midair. You struggle to follow it. "Here is my mystery," the young man whispers. "The ouroboros. The serpent eating its own tail. It devours itself, and is made immortal." He opens his mouth wide, and brings his hand to his lips. You realise what's about to happen just as he bites down hard enough to send a trickle of blood running down his arm. [[You cannot move.|You cannot move 4]]The last thing you hear before the medication finally, mercifully knocks you unconscious, is the young man gnawing his hand apart. [[>|Morning after]]You wake stiff and shaky the next morning. Cold morning light sifts down from the skylight overhead, and you can hear the Tallerken staff walking by outside. You are alone. You rub a shaking hand over your face. Your whole body is damp with sweat, and a metallic smell seems to linger in the air. But when you glance around, there's no sign of blood on the floor or your bedclothes. [["The nightmares are getting worse."]] [["That was no dream."]]Your name is Alexis Bailey. You work as a special investigator for the international corporation Coson Technologies, specifically for what the bosses call their "Penumbra Division". Penumbra covers a half-dozen departments, all of them classified. Their work ranges from weapon testing to biological research... not all of it necessarily legal, and some of it downright hard to explain even if you had the clearance. And sometimes those assets--or their researchers--get a little out of hand. That's where you come in. You're part detective, part enforcer, and when necessary, you have Coson Technologies' blessing to bring down the hammer. Today, you're en route to Tallerken Research Station. And when you get there, someone's ass is going to get //fired//. [[>|Initial Files]]The gun is a perfectly nice SD40 VE smartgun, and you hate having it. You're a special investigator, not Dirty Harry. But Coson Industries demands that all its investigators be armed while on assignment. You've certainly seen a few hair-raising things while investigating Penumbra Division. Just... not many that could be fixed with a gun. [[Load the gun]] [[Put the gun back unloaded]] (set: $gunvisit to true)The pills usually help, but that dream was so vivid you could have reached out and touched it. Either this place is getting to you, or... Well, or your condition's worsened. Neither thought is particularly comforting. You get up and dress, thinking. [[>|day 2 opening]]You were definitely dreaming at some point last night, but you'd swear you were awake when-- You look around the room. No blood, and everything looks in place. Only your jacket, tossed over the back of a chair, seems to be hanging differently, as if someone brushed against it during the night. Or was it always that way? You get up and dress, thinking. [[>|day 2 opening]]You keep still, though your breathing quickens. The young man says: "To you alone I reveal my mystery in person. How the others will envy you. But your awakening is closer--perhaps even here. This is right." He raises a hand. [[Look for a weapon.]] [[Lie still and do nothing|Lie still and do nothing 3]] Your voice is slurred from the medication, but your tone is unmistakeable. Damn it, didn't you lock the door? The young man doesn't blink. He says, in a hoarse voice: "This fire at the heart has made you wholesome. How the others must envy you. They only understand fear." He adds: "To you, I bestow the mystery." Raising a hand, he takes a step towards the bed. { (if: $gunloaded is true)[ [[Grab your gun]] ] } [[Look for a weapon.]] [["What mystery?"]]You try to grab the water glass beside you, but your hand fumbles clumsily past it. You realise the medication still has a hold on you. "Here is my mystery," the young man whispers. "The ouroboros. The serpent eating its own tail. It devours itself, and is made immortal." He opens his mouth wide, and brings his hand to his lips. You realise what's about to happen just as he bites down hard enough to send a trickle of blood running down his arm. [[>|You cannot move 4]]Your own voice sounds strangely thick, and you realise the medication still has a hold on you. "Here is my mystery," the young man whispers. "The ouroboros. The serpent eating its own tail. It devours itself, and is made immortal." He opens his mouth wide, and brings his hand to his lips. You realise what's about to happen just as he bites down hard enough to send a trickle of blood running down his arm. [[>|You cannot move 4]]The young man's hand describes a circle in midair. You realise the medication still has a hold on you as you struggle to follow it. "Here is my mystery," the young man whispers. "The ouroboros. The serpent eating its own tail. It devours itself, and is made immortal." He opens his mouth wide, and brings his hand to his lips. You realise what's about to happen just as he bites down hard enough to send a trickle of blood running down his arm. [[>|You cannot move 4]]You open your door and notice Doctor Saloman and Gail talking just down the corridor. "--unpleasant implications there." "Don't look for the worst, Doctor. We're all in this together." Gail waves to you. "Good morning, Agent! Sleep well?" [["Yes, thanks."]] [["Not particularly."]]She grimaces. "I must look awful. I can't shower, and even changing my clothes means sending them through a steriliser." "Doctor Saloman mentioned the radiation readings," you say. "Do you know how much of a dose you received?" Lauren looked confused, then rubs at her eyes. "Sorry. I can't sleep in here, and--he talked to me a little. I feel all right so far." "You don't look all right," you tell her, cautiously. "I saw your personnel photo. You've lost a lot of weight." Lauren gives a sweet smile and nudges the pile of trays with her foot. "I'm trying to put it back on. But a girl can only eat so much chocolate pudding." She leans forward. "I suppose you want to know what happened?" [[>|talk to lauren 2]] Lauren nods. "I guessed they'd send somebody. Is Coson going to shut down the station?" "I don't know. A few of the senior staff are probably going to get... reassigned." "Like Doctor Saloman?" Lauren crosses her arms. "He's a good man." "He's also done some very questionable things," you say, firmly. "But that's for later. Right now I want to hear your side of what happened." [[>|talk to lauren 2]] As you take out a notebook, Lauren explains that after the landslide, she and the rest of the survey team were sent to ensure it wasn't a threat to the station. "When we reached the worst of the spill, [[I stayed behind]] to run a geophys survey," she says. "The others went on up the mountain to see what shape the rock face was in. We were supposed to stay in touch by radio. "When I was done [[a few hours later]], I tried contacting Halv or the others, but all I got was static. I was so worried [[I even left my phone behind]]--stupid. I followed their guide rope up the mountain, but I started feeling sick. I thought I was just feeling queasy. Then I got to the top and [[saw the bodies...]] "There wasn't anything I could do. I started making my way back to Tallerken, but the sick feeling got worse and worse. Doctor Saloman [[put me in quarantine]] just in case, and I suppose that's it. I've been here ever since." [["I think I've heard all I need to."]]"You stayed behind alone?" you ask. "I'd think safety regulations alone would call for someone else to stay." Lauren looks guilty. "Halv said he didn't want to sit watching a geophys survey. He wanted to climb the cliff face and the others agreed. San... asked if I'd be all right. I told him and the others to just go if they really wanted to. I guess I was angry." "You argued about it?" "Not really argued. More... oh, it sounds so petty now. I wish I'd let San stay. He might still be..." [[Back|talk to lauren 2]] "A few //hours//?" you repeat. "Yes. I think." "That seems a long time to be gone, if they were just looking at a rock face," you say, dubiously. Lauren shrugs. "I wasn't really looking at the time. I went by the light. Sometimes it can reflect off the peaks--I might be mistaken." You make a note. [[Back|talk to lauren 2]] "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful," says Lauren. "I've been sleeping a lot and just trying to get through this." "I understand," you say, standing up. "Thank you, Lauren. And I'm sorry about your friends." She lifts her head and gives a hollow smile. "So am I, Agent." Her eyes well up. "I'm keep feeling there's something I could have done to help them. And I feel like one night I'm going to wake up, and realise what I should have done instead. It eats me up..." She puts a hand over her mouth as if to choke down her tears. You decide to leave her in peace. As you step out of the quarantine wing, a staff member almost bumps into you. He's carrying a steaming, fragrant tray of curry and rice in to Lauren. [[>|decide to see landslide]]"I have to ask," you begin. "What state were they in?" Lauren says. Her eyes shine with tears. "They were dead. I didn't need to get close to see that. I saw Jans's face. That was enough." You scribble in your notebook and underline it: //Would a few hours of radiation exposure be enough to do that?// [[Back|talk to lauren 2]] "Why quarantine?" you ask. "It's the best he had, I suppose," Lauren says. "Better that I'm in here than risking everyone else around me." "What treatment have you been given?" Lauren shakes her head helplessly. "It's all a blur. We have accident procedures for the labs, I think, since they use some radioactive substances in there. They took me through them--that's all I can really tell you." [[Back|talk to lauren 2]]You find a quiet corner and flick through your notebook. Lauren's story seems complete. Reasonable. And rehearsed. Of course, she could just be afraid of talking to a corporate investigator. But she doesn't seem the type to scare easily. You've made up your mind. Tomorrow, you'll go and see the site for yourself. Even looking from a distance might answer some of the questions churning in your mind. [[>|End of day 1]] "Excellent," she beams. "Those extra blankets must have come in handy, hmm?" Doctor Saloman looks glum, as well he should. "Well, I suppose you intend to continue our interview today." "Actually, I want to hike up the mountain," you say. "I want to get a look at the incident site." Saloman's eyes go wide, then he scowls. "No. I told you, it's completely unsafe for any exploration. Even with our equipment, we can't get close." [["I'll observe from a distance."]] [["You don't get a say, Doctor."]]"You poor thing," she says sympathetically. "It's probably the altitude. You'll be just fine in a day or two." Doctor Saloman looks glum, as well he should. "Well, I suppose you intend to continue our interview today." "Actually, I want to hike up the mountain," you say. "I want to get a look at the incident site." Saloman's eyes go wide, then he scowls. "No. I told you, it's completely unsafe for any exploration. Even with our equipment, we can't get close." [["I'll observe from a distance."]] [["You don't get a say, Doctor."]]"We have no idea what the minimum safe distance is!" Doctor Saloman insists. "Agent, please, this is completely unsuitable. I won't have more people fall victim to this... this..." "I have experience in hazardous situations," you tell him. "I'm not going to take any stupid risks up there." Saloman deflates. "Fine. But regulations state that you need to be fitted with ascent gear, and given a medical exam beforehand. Plus you'll need a guide." "Your commitment to safety and Coson Technologies' safety regulations is appreciated, Doctor," you say dryly, and he flushes red before walking away. [[>|day 2 hub]]"This is still my station, and I'm responsible for its people," he protests. "You forfeited that right when you stonewalled us," you tell him. "Besides, if you told me the truth, you've nothing to hide. Right?" Saloman deflates. "Fine. But regulations state that you need to be fitted with ascent gear, and given a medical exam beforehand. Plus you'll need a guide." "Your commitment to safety and Coson Technologies' safety regulations is appreciated, Doctor," you say dryly, and he flushes red before walking away. [[>|day 2 hub]]It's your second day at Tallerken Station. The staff seem to have adjusted to your presence, though they still look pinched and pale. Today's plan: get up that mountain and see what happened for yourself. (if: $visitedmedical is true)[You have the medical certification you need.](if: $visitedmedical is not true)[ [[Go to the medical bay]] ] (if: $gotascentgear is true)[You have the proper ascent gear.](if: $gotascentgear is not true)[ [[Get fitted for ascent gear]] ] (if: $guideisarno is true)[Gail recommended a guide for you: Arno Jokinen.](elseif: $guideisval is true)[You found a guide: Val Naess.](if: $gotguide is not true)[ [[Find a guide for the ascent]] ] (if: $gotascentgear AND $visitedmedical AND $gotguide is true)[ [[Begin your ascent]] ]The medical bay is orderly, with sparkling-clean pale green tiles. No one seems to need treatment today. The staff doctor, glancing over at you as he stocks a shelf, is as massive and dark-haired as a bear. His nametag reads "Dr. Lindgren". "Agent Bailey," he rumbles. "Here to prod my brains about the poor mess upstairs?" "Maybe later," you say. "I need a medical exam to prove I'm fit to make an ascent." Doctor Lindgren shrugs. "That's what they pay me for." He reaches for a pair of gloves. [["Go ahead."]] [["I'd prefer a female nurse."]]Tallerken Station's equipment shed is so cold there is ice on the interior. Bundles of harnesses and helmets dangle from the ceiling. A pinch-faced young staffer starts to his feet as you enter, quickly stubbing out a cigarette. "Agent Bailey. Ah. Hi!" "I need enough gear and provisions for a hike up the mountain," you say. "Uh. Sure! Sure thing." The staffer measures you and asks for your shoe size, then scuttles into the back. You hear him rummging through boxes. As you look around, you notice a laminated map of the mountains pinned to the wall. A route is drawn in red. You recognise it from your map as the same route the survey team is meant to have taken. A Post-It note with truly terrible handwriting on it is stuck beside the route. [[Take the Post-It.]] [[Leave the Post-It alone.]] (set: $gotascentgear to true)It occurs to you that since she's head of personnel, the best person to ask about a guide is probably Gail. Otherwise you'll have to ask around. [[See who Gail suggests.]] [[Find your own guide.]] (set: $gotguide to true)"I take tranquillisers," you say. "Usually one a night." Doctor Lindgren keeps scribbling. "What brand?" "Sovorasin." He looks up, frowning. "Coson Tech's own? Heavy-duty stuff. What do you take them for?" [["That's none of your business."]] [["For nightmares. There was an... incident."]]Doctor Lindgren shrugs. "I suppose so. Just tread lightly with Sovorasin. Save the hard liquor for when you're off it." "I know what I'm doing, Doctor," you say stiffly. "Of course," he agrees. [[>|medical bay 2]]"Those nightmares must be bad if you need Sovorasin to handle them," Doctor Lindgren says. The memories are normally walled-off and guarded by the pills. You've tried many things to quell them--except confiding them to anyone. A sympathetic stranger might do. "Someone was stealing code from one of our software labs and selling it to a competitor," you say. "[[I got the assignment to find who it was.]] Turned out to be [[a friend of mine]] who'd had the project taken away from him." "And that was traumatic?" Doctor Lindgren asks. [["That's not the whole story."|medical bay new night]] [["On second thought, forget I said anything."|medical bay 2]]Doctor Lindgren finishes whatever he's scribbling, and thrusts the form at you. "There. If you truly feel the urge to traipse up that mountain in the middle of winter, you're physically fit to do it." He settles into the little chair behind his desk with an audible creak. "Anything else I can do for you?" [["Anyone reported a hand injury?"]] [["How's Lauren Fawn? She looked ill."]] [["Nope, that was all. Goodbye."]] (set: $visitedmedical to true)That makes Doctor Lindgren look up. "That's a... weirdly specific question. Should I expect someone to report a hand injury?" "I take it that's a no," you say. "It's a no, and a good day to you, Agent," he replies stiffly, bending to the work on his desk. As you close the medical bay door behind you, you glance back and notice him unwrap an energy bar. He scarfs it down in two bites. [[>|day 2 hub]]"Have a good one, then," says Doctor Lindgren, "and I hope you come down from that mountain in one piece." He starts sifting through paperwork on his desk. As you close the medical bay door behind you, you glance back and notice him unwrap an energy bar. He scarfs it down in two bites. [[>|day 2 hub]]No; you //begged// for the assignment. Coson Technologies' new flagship operating system was at stake; anyone who made this problem go away would be the shining star of special investigations. You wanted to be that star. You wanted this to be the defining moment of your career. You got everything you once thought you wanted. [[Back|"For nightmares. There was an... incident."]]Alive, you mentally add. You found him //alive//. You called for help right away, but it was obviously too late. Bone glistened through the wound in his chest--a sucking wound, as Dray's body was still trying to breathe. It was like his body had split into a vast open maw. The smell is what you remember most clearly. Not the blood, but the smell of seared flesh from the heat of the bullet. To this day the smell of cooking pork makes you flinch. [[Back|medical bay new night]]"Sloppy" is a better word than "stupid and arrogant". You said the wrong thing where the wrong person could hear. You will never be that careless again. [[Back|medical bay new night]] (set: $memoryscrewup to true)You'd known Cyrus Dray for three years. You went through orientation on the same day. Sometimes you shared a drink together and bitched about the job. The usual things. When you think back now, Dray always needed to vent. That usually means something is about to boil over. [[Back|"For nightmares. There was an... incident."]]"Can't discuss a patient's condition without her consent," Doctor Lindgren says breezily. "Officially, of course not," you say. "But unofficially, to someone interested in her welfare--?" He grins at you and reaches for some paperwork on his desk. "Nice try. Have a good day, Agent." As you close the medical bay door behind you, you glance back and notice him unwrap an energy bar. He scarfs it down in two bites. [[>|day 2 hub]]<center>Epilogue</center> "This is a fascinating account, Agent," says Harrow, paging through the file. As usual, he is sitting on the edge of his desk rather than behind it. "Excellent work, as always." It is 9:22am, October 19, 2021. You are sitting in the middle of Harrow's office in a sumptuous leather chair, still stiff and aching, though the worst of your bruises have faded. Behind you, the words "Senior Supervisor, Penumbra Division" stencilled on the office door cast a long shadow on the carpet. [[>|Epilogue 3]]Harrow puts the file down on his desk, takes off his glasses, and begins cleaning them with the handkerchief from his suit pocket. "Coson Technologies appreciates your diligence in this matter, of course. This business with the Ravine could have been... far messier. And the compensation will reflect your performance." "Compensation?" you say. "The company thinks I can be //compensated// for this?" You lean forwards. "I knew that Penumbra Division was into... grey areas. Shady stuff. But this is beyond some weird zoological specimen or a weapon you won't explain. Evil like this--" Harrow settles more comfortably on the edge of his desk. "Agent, I'm sensing you have comments that are not in your official report." [["You want to weaponise the Ravine."]] [["You used me as bait!"]] [["I quit."]]Harrow raises his eyebrows. "From your report, it seems that would be most unwise." "Why would that stop you?" you say bitterly. "Imagine the carnage it could cause. And it would be unstoppable." Harrow's nose wrinkles. "Precisely, Agent. What good is a weapon that cannot be controlled?" He smiles. "Why, the marketing would be a nightmare." When you don't smile back, he becomes serious. "Agent, I think you misunderstand your role in this particular investigation." [[>|Epilogue 4]]"That's a rather vulgar way to put it," says Harrow, "but astute, nonetheless." "You don't even deny it," you say, wonderingly. Harrow folds his arms. "There is a reason we run extensive psychological profiles on our agents. Your rather unfortunate experience with Cyrus Dray made you the perfect tool to resolve the... complex situation at Tallerken Station." "//Complex situation?//" you snap. "You knew the Ravine would take an interest in me. You knew what it might do!" "But instead you succeeded beautifully, as we expected," Harrow says. "The survey team was returned alive. The Ravine was contained, and our facility was preserved... well, largely intact. The staff will require counselling and appropriate treatment, of course, but such is life." [["What happens now?"]] [[Stay silent.]] [["Fuck you."]] Harrow nods, seeming unsurprised. "That was one reaction we'd anticipated." "I mean it," you say. "I'm not dancing to Coson's tune any more. Find someone else to clean up your precious Penumbra Division." "You think 'clean up' was all we wanted from you?" Harrow shakes his head. "Agent, you misunderstand your role in this particular investigation." [[>|Epilogue 4]] (set: $iquit to true)Harrow folds his arms. "You were not sent out there by chance, Agent Bailey. There is a reason we run extensive psychological profiles on our agents. Your rather unfortunate experience with Cyrus Dray made you the perfect tool to resolve the... complex situation at Tallerken Station." "//Complex situation?//" you snap. "You knew the Ravine would take an interest in me. You knew what it might do!" "But instead you succeeded beautifully, as we expected," Harrow says. "The survey team was returned alive. The Ravine was contained, and our facility was preserved... well, largely intact. The staff will require counselling and appropriate treatment, of course, but such is life." [["What happens now?"]] [[Stay silent.]] [["Fuck you."]]"That largely depends on you," says Harrow. He rises and goes to the window. It overlooks the lobby of Coson Technologies: filled with light, glass, and people going about their business day. "There is something more we should discuss," he says. "I wonder. How are your dreams lately, Agent?" [[>|Epilogue 5]]Harrow rises and goes to the window. It overlooks the lobby of Coson Technologies: filled with light, glass, and people going about their business day. "There is one more thing we should discuss," he says. "I wonder. How are your dreams lately, Agent?" [[>|Epilogue 5]]Harrow scratches his nose. "I suppose that's not entirely unwarranted." (if: $iquit is true)[You start to get up. "Don't worry. Once I clean out my desk you'll have nothing but little sycophants to talk to." "Sit down, Agent," said Harrow, very quietly. "Why? There's nothing else to say."](else: $iquit is false)[You give him a cold smile. "Get used to it."] Harrow rises and goes to the window. It overlooks the lobby of Coson Technologies: filled with light, glass, and people going about their business day. "There is one more thing we should discuss," he says. "I wonder. How are your dreams lately, Agent?" [[>|Epilogue 5]]You meet Harrow's gaze, but you can't put aside the dreams you had while being treated in the medical unit. //Darkness. A bright red guide rope plunging into a chilly abyss. The overwhelming cold of ice and stone.// //Relentless hunger.// [["I think you already know."]] [["I dream of cold and hunger."]] [["I'm done answering your questions."]] Harrow tips his head. "Ever the perceptive one." "If you know, I assume you also know what they mean," you say. "Care to share?" "While the Ravine is contained, it affected you for quite some time," says Harrow, still looking through the glass. "It's entirely possible that you are now a carrier for the Ravine, much as Lauren Fawn was--though any such fragment of the entity would be far weaker than before." [[>|Epilogue 6]]"How vividly?" he asks. "And how often?" "Vividly enough," you say. "And almost every night. Why?" "That matches the analysis of our psychologists," Harrow muses. "So what do the 'psychologists' make of it?" you ask, getting annoyed. "That while the Ravine is contained, it affected you for quite some time," he continues, still looking through the glass. "It's entirely possible that you are now a carrier for the Ravine, much as Lauren Fawn was--though any such fragment of the entity would be far weaker than before." [[>|Epilogue 6]]"As you wish," says Harrow. His voice has become colder. "In that case, let me share an answer freely. "While the Ravine is contained, it affected you for quite some time." He is still looking through the glass. "It's entirely possible that you are now a carrier for the Ravine, much as Lauren Fawn was--though any such fragment of the entity would be far weaker than before." [[>|Epilogue 6]]Harrow coughs. "Coson Technologies will assist you with this... condition, with every tool at our disposal. Should you choose to remain our employee, of course." He looks over his shoulder. "Every job has its hazards, and every hazard must have its compensations. That's merely good business." "Why?" you demand, dry-mouthed. "If you don't want the Ravine--" He sighs. "Agent Bailey, apply your considerable intellect to this concept: Coson Technologies may see value in the Ravine itself, but we see greater value in having an agent who has the mental capabilites to face and stop such a being." [[>|Epilogue 7]]Harrow sets his glasses back on his nose, suddenly brisk. "In that spirit, you have been sent a file containing your new assignment. One particularly suited to your... new circumstances." He gives you a warm smile. "But accepting it or not, remaining with us or not, is your choice, Agent. You owe us nothing." You leave Harrow's office and take the elevator down to your floor. Your mind is churning. When you unlock your PC, there is indeed a new folder on your desktop. You try to open it and get a password prompt, along with a warning about its clearance level. Ultraviolet. High risk. High prestige for an agent who succeeds. [[To hell with them. Pack up your desk and leave.]] [[Sit down, open the folder, and get back to work.]]It takes only a little time to box up your books and papers, the photos on your noticeboard, and the unwatered plant on the corner of your desk. You start building a mirror of your hard drive, but your computer shuts down unexpectedly in the middle of it. Harrow always knows. You carry your box through the lobby, toss your keycard to the startled receptionist, and pass through the glass doors marked "Coson Technologies" for the last time. There are eyes watching you from everywhere: you can feel them, but you no longer care about their bullshit. You are free. You drive home. Or start to--on the way you pull into a drive-thru and order a big meal to celebrate. You're famished. <center>THE END</center>You settle in your comfortable chair and breathe a deep sigh. This is where you belong: nestled in the nerve centre of Coson Technologies, with a hot new case at your fingertips. What you went through at Tarkellen Station will not change you--unless you let it. You think of Harrow's words: they wanted an agent who could overcome the Ravine. Whatever's lined up must be something truly special. As you reach for a notebook with one hand and type your password with the other, you feel a sudden stab of ravenous hunger. You scowl and curl your hand into a fist. Eventually it passes, as if slinking away. "That's better," you say to no one in particular, then flip the notebook open and reach for a pen. <center>THE END</center>You find Gail in the cafeteria. It's too early for lunch, but a few of the staff are eating anyway. They look exhausted: fresh from a night shift, maybe. Gail is sitting at a corner table, drinking a large, fragrant coffee and doing a crossword. "Why hello, Agent!" she trills. "I'm technically on break, but can I help you?" "Doctor Saloman said I needed a guide for the ascent," you say, "so I thought you could recommend someone." "A guide for a guide, so to speak?" she chuckles. "Well, Arno Jokinen is marvellous: he grew up in these mountains. He'll help you, I'm sure." [["Thanks."]] [["One more thing. Who's the young man with a shaven head?"]] (set: $guideisarno to true)You ask around the station, but not surprisingly, most of the staff look like they'd rather swim with sharks than go up the mountain. Eventually, someone suggests a name: Val Naess. "She was friends with Halv Larsson, the team leader. Been eager for a chance to find out what happened to him." Val does not look eager. You find her sitting on her bunk reading, with her mouth drawn down in a line. You knock on her open door and she looks up: greying blonde hair, jade eyes, and bitten fingernails. Then she turns back to her book. "Let me guess," she says. "You're looking for someone stupid enough to take you up the slope after all those people vanished." [["Including your friend."]] [["I'll be there too. Let's be stupid together."]] [["Is that a no?"]] (set: $guideisval to true)"It's my job!" Gail says. She crinkles a frown. "Though I still don't know why you need to go up there. It's so dangerous. Wouldn't you rather stay here where we can look after you?" She hurries away, taking her coffee with her. [[>|speak to arno]]Gail blinks rapidly. "My, what a... strange question." "Why is it strange?" you ask. "I mean, why do you ask? Is it part of your investigation?" [["Just answer, please."]] [["Why are you so nervous?"]] [["He might have broken into my room last night."]]"Well, not many people shave their heads in this kind of cold," Gail says. "The only person I can think of is Kristoffer." "Who is he?" "One of our engineers. He's a lovely young man." Gail leans in conspiratorially. "I don't think he's dealing with being out here very well. Rather homesick, I think. It makes him act up a little bit." "I'd like to talk to this Kristoffer," you tell her. "I can try to find him for you," Gail says dubiously, "but, well, the engineers are always doing maintenance on the station. It could take all day." "I'm in no rush," you say, getting up. "Thank you for your cooperation." [[>|speak to arno]]Gail withers into her chair. "I...I..." She bites her lip. "I'm sorry, Agent--it's not personal. I just hate situations like this." "Like what?" you ask. "Well, internal investigations! They're such a strain on the staff. You work so hard to create a nice environment for people, and--just understand what a tight-knit community we have to be to even survive out here." She looks morosely into her coffee cup. "I hate how one mistake can bring everything crashing down." [["I just want to help."]] [["You need to grow a spine."]]Gail's eyes go wide. "Why, Kristoffer would never do such a thing! He's a nice young man. Even though..." "Even though what?" you ask. "Well, I shouldn't talk out of school but I don't think he's dealing with being out here very well. Rather homesick, I think. It makes him act up a little bit." "Enough to break into someone's room?" Gail frowns. "No. Never." "I'd like to talk to him, anyway." "I can try to find him for you," Gail says dubiously, "but, well, he's an engineer and they're always doing maintenance on the station. It could take all day." "I'm in no rush," you say, getting up. "Thank you for your cooperation." [[>|speak to arno]]Gail's mouth gives an ugly twist. "All I've tried to do is make you feel welcome," she cries. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been for us? Our friends gone, and so much grief, everyone frightened--and you don't care about any bit of it, do you?" She stands so abruptly that coffee slops out of her mug. "Doctor Saloman says you'll make this right. I wanted to believe him, but you... you're..." Gail composes herself. "Arno Jokinen, remember. You can be mean to him too." She stalks out. [[>|speak to arno]]"We're all just trying to help," Gail murmurs. "That doesn't mean we can escape. The past, I mean. No one can." "Of course," you say soothingly. Gail suddenly grasps your hand like a lifeline. "You'll make this right. Doctor Saloman is sure of it." Is he? "That... isn't the impression I've been getting from him," you say. She smiles. "He always does the right thing. You'll see." Gail gets up. "Arno Jokinen, don't forget. Though I still don't know why you need to go up there. It's so dangerous. Wouldn't you rather stay here where we can look after you?" She hurries away, taking her coffee with her. [[>|speak to arno]]Val's eyes flick up, cold and clear as the mountain air. "Emotional blackmail, suit? Very nice." "It's the truth. Don't you want to find out what happened to him?" She sets her book aside and folds her arms. "This is kind of above and beyond your normal day's work, isn't it? Why do you care enough to risk your neck up there, for total strangers?" [["Someone around here isn't being honest with me. The truth is up there."]] [["It's the right thing to do--is that so hard to believe?"]] [["Honestly? This assignment is a juicy career opportunity."]] [["A better question: why isn't the staff more motivated to find answers?"]] [["I'll keep my reasons to myself, thanks. Now: yes, or no?"]]Arno Jokinen turns out to be a friendly scarecrow of a man with a fluff of black hair, a sunburned face, and tattoos running down both arms. You find him fixing a PC in one of the labs. "Up the mountain?" he says, scratching his cheek. "It ain't safe to go up there. Saloman's orders--" "--get overriden by mine," you say firmly. "We don't have to go to the site itself, just close enough to get a look." "Good," Arno laughs hollowly, "because I ain't going any closer than that. Let me know when you're ready to risk it." [[>|day 2 hub]]Val snorts. "Good one, suit. Almost good enough." She sets her book aside and folds her arms. "This is kind of above and beyond your normal day's work, isn't it? Why do you care enough to risk your neck up there, for total strangers?" [["Someone around here isn't being honest with me. The truth is up there."]] [["It's the right thing to do--is that so hard to believe?"]] [["Honestly? This assignment is a juicy career opportunity."]] [["A better question: why isn't the staff more motivated to find answers?"]] [["I'll keep my reasons to myself, thanks. Now: yes, or no?"]]"It's a 'I want to know your deal', suit," Val says. She sets her book aside and folds her arms. "This is kind of above and beyond your normal day's work, isn't it? Why do you care enough to risk your neck up there, for total strangers?" [["Someone around here isn't being honest with me. The truth is up there."]] [["It's the right thing to do--is that so hard to believe?"]] [["Honestly? This assignment is a juicy career opportunity."]] [["A better question: why isn't the staff more motivated to find answers?"]] [["I'll keep my reasons to myself, thanks. Now: yes, or no?"]]You shove a hand under the mattress. Cold and numb as your fingers are, you manage to grab the colder metal of your gun, yank it free, and point it at the strange young man. "Back the //fuck// off," you slur. You cannot aim properly; your vision blurs as you try to focus. But you see the young man smile beatifically. He opens his mouth wide, and brings his hand to his lips. You realise what's about to happen just as he bites down hard enough to send a trickle of blood running down his arm. [[>|Pull the trigger.]] Val studies you, then shrugs. "Fine. I'll see you up there safely, suit. Just be sure you keep up--I'm not carrying you back." She returns to studying her book. It seems like the conversation is over. [[>|day 2 hub]] Val studies you, then shrugs. "Fine. I'll see you up there safely, suit. Just be sure you keep up--I'm not carrying you back." She returns to studying her book. It seems like the conversation is over. [[>|day 2 hub]] Val studies you. "Yeah, that sounded cut-throat enough to be honest." She shrugs. "Fine. I'll see you up there and back, suit. Just be sure you keep up--I'm not carrying you back." She returns to studying her book. It seems like the conversation is over. [[>|day 2 hub]] "You think we're just sitting around on our hands?" Val challenges you. "If you're not, this is the first I've heard of it," you shoot back. "Care to share?" Val gazes at you for a minute, then shrugs. "Fine. I'll see you up there safely, suit. Just be sure you keep up--I'm not carrying you back." She returns to studying her book. It seems like the conversation is over. [[>|day 2 hub]] Val studies you, then shrugs. "Fine. I'll see you up there safely, suit. Just be sure you keep up--I'm not carrying you back." She returns to studying her book. It seems like the conversation is over. [[>|day 2 hub]] One swift tug, and the Post-It note is off and folded in your pocket. "Right we are," calls the staffer, coming back in with a jumble of equipment including a helmet, snow goggles, a climbing axe, a safety harness, and cold weather gear. He gives a quick demonstration of how to put the gear on and adjust it, while wiping his nose on an ice-festooned sleeve. "You'll need a few more layers on," he tells you, finding a clean and well-mended thermal undershirt. "Be sure you get changed before you forget." You wonder if his eyes flick to the map. "Thanks," you say, stepping in front to take the undershirt. "I'll take care of it right away." [[>|ascent quarters post it]] "Right we are," calls the staffer, coming back in with a jumble of equipment including a helmet, snow goggles, a climbing axe, a safety harness, and cold weather gear. He gives a quick demonstration of how to put the gear on and adjust it, while wiping his nose on an ice-festooned sleeve. "You'll need a few more layers on," he tells you, finding a clean and well-mended thermal undershirt. "Be sure you get changed before you forget." You thank him for the help and head to your room to take care of it. [[>|ascent quarters]]Back in your warm room, you strip off and get dressed again with the thermal undershirt beneath. It really is cosy. [[>|ascent quarters riffle]]Once you're alone in your quarters, you take out the Post-It note and unfold it. The writing is nearly illegible: <center> //in shelter w/ food / water & climbing gear -- ??? days?// //who would need meds? - san / jans. nm// //dr s says raveen is ok? b.s. feed it or shut up// </center> You puzzle over it for several minutes. (if: $foundnote is true)[Remembering the scrap of paper someone left for you in the blankets, you take it out and compare the handwriting. At a glance, it looks similar, but you'd need an expert to be sure.] The strangest part is 'raveen'. There's no one called Raveen at the station, so at a guess it's a misspelling of 'raven' or 'ravine'. But to the best of your knowledge, there's neither ravens nor ravines in these mountains. You mull it over as you get changed. [[>|ascent quarters riffle]]You finish sorting out your ascent equipment and emergency rations. In terms of gear, you're about as ready as you'll ever be. As you leave your quarters, you pause. This morning your briefcase was stowed neatly under the bed, square with the wall. Now it's turned with one corner sticking out. //Well, shit.// You check the lock. It doesn't seem to have been tampered with. But that means nothing. {(if: $gunloaded is true)[With a stab of paranoia, you check under the mattress for your gun. Cool metal touches your fingertips almost immediately. But somehow you don't find that reassuring.](elseif: $gunloaded is false)[You swiftly open the briefcase and check the false bottom. Your gun is still inside, apparently untouched. But somehow you don't find that reassuring.]} [[>|day 2 hub]] (set: $emergencyrations to true)"I beg you to reconsider," says Doctor Saloman, twisting his fingers as you lace up your boots. "Noted," you say. He glances at (if: $guideisarno is true)[Arno Jokinen, who simply shrugs. "I'll take care of everything, doc."](elseif: $guideisval is true)[Val Naess, who just stares back, moving a wad of gum from one cheek to another.] "Very well," Saloman sighs. "But I cannot take responsibility for any of this." "That doesn't surprise me," you say, and pull open the exterior door. Snowflakes swirl in, and you blink at the perfectly clear azure sky. The mountain lies ahead. [[>|ascent 1]]Your voice is dry and thick. How long have you been in here? It's a long time before Doctor Saloman replies. "Forgive me, Agent. Please. It had to happen this way." After a few tries, you manage to roll to your knees, then stand. Red pain pulses in your head. Beyond the dangling plastic sheets are shadows that could be silhouettes, or just dark spots in your vision. "I mean, it asked for you personally." Doctor Saloman's fearful voice echoes through the room. "What else could I do?" [[>|return 2]]Your voice is dry and thick. How long have you been in here? "No," Doctor Saloman says, heavily. "I couldn't tell you the truth. Couldn't. Please try to understand." After a few tries, you manage to roll to your knees, then stand. Red pain pulses in your head. Beyond the dangling plastic sheets are shadows that could be silhouettes, or just dark spots in your vision. "I mean, it said you were exactly what it was looking for." Doctor Saloman's fearful voice echoes through the room. "What else could I do?" [[>|return 2]]Your voice is dry and thick. How long have you been in here? Doctor Saloman stammers. "Of course. I can't imagine how angry you must--but please, please try to understand." After a few tries, you manage to roll to your knees, then stand. Red pain pulses in your head. Beyond the dangling plastic sheets are shadows that could be silhouettes, or just dark spots in your vision. "I mean, it asked for you personally." Doctor Saloman's fearful voice echoes through the room. "What else could I do?" [[>|return 2]]You make good time. The guide rope left from the survey team is a bright red thread leading you ever higher. The cold is startling, but after a day and a half shut up in Tallerken Station, the fresh air tastes like champagne. (if: $guideisarno is true)[Arno makes surprisingly good company. He tells you cheery stories about the personnel at the station, and crunches over the snow like a deer. He's also a good teacher, and shows you a trick or two about handling the conditions.](elseif: $guideisval is true)[Val, not surprisingly, is silent for most of the journey except for swearing volubly when her boot slides on loose shale. She's quick, though, and is at least ten paces ahead of you the whole way.] Eventually you reach a low rise where you immediately see the long, dark scar of the landslide below. (if: $guideisarno is true)["This is as far as we should go," says Arno. He points to where the red guide rope snakes off into the distance. "That's where the team headed."](elseif: $guideisval is true)["This is it," Val says. She jerks her head at the red guide rope snaking off into the distance. "The team went that way."] You take out your binoculars. [[>|ascent 2]]From here, you have a surprisingly clear view of the site and the landslide. [[A bright green flag]] flutters near the loose rock below. Above, you can see the red guide rope leading to [[the rock face]] where the team was camped. [[Only pristine snow]] can be seen below it. { (if: $laurensphone is true)[ [[Head back to Tallerken Station.]] ] }It takes you a minute to adjust to what you're seeing. Through the ice you can see, very clearly, the mouth of a cave. "Wait, Lauren didn't say anything about a cave," you say. (if: $guideisarno)["Why would she?" Arno says. "There's a bunch of caves up here."](elseif: $guideisval)["So what?" Val asks]. You lower the binoculars uneasily. If Doctor Saloman's telling the truth, it seems obvious--no one would just toss a weapons cache on the mountainside. Still, it also seems strange that no one has mentioned a cave before now. [[>|ascent 2]]"You left your phone?" you repeat. "I was using an app to do calculations and I left it on a rock," Lauren says sheepishly. "So stupid. It was a birthday present and everything. It's probably ruined by now." [[>|talk to lauren 2]] "That must be where Lauren was studying the spill," you mutter to yourself. Sunlight winks off something on a rock far below. "There's something down there," you call to (if: $guideisarno)[Arno](elseif: $guideisval)[Val]. (if: $guideisarno)[He glances in that direction. "Should be far enough away to be safe, if you want to go get it."](elseif: $guideisval)[She stares. "What, do you want to head down and get it?"] "Yes, I do," you say. [[>|get lauren's phone]]Wait, that can't be right. You adjust the binoculars for a closer look. (if: $guideisarno)["Everything all right?" Arno asks.](elseif: $guideisval)["Something up, suit?" Val asks.] "Where are the bodies?" you ask. "We should be able to see them from here." (if: $guideisarno)["Snowfall's been pretty bad this week," Arno suggests. "It must have covered them over."](elseif: $guideisval)["Well, it's not like they walked away," snaps Val. "Snow falls thick up here. They'll be underneath."] Maybe. There should be some sign of them, surely? [[>|ascent 2]]You feel like Lauren's phone is burning a hole in your pocket. It's almost impossible to keep a straight face in front of (if: $guideisarno)[Arno](elseif: $guideisval)[Val]. This is proof that everyone at Tallerken Station has been lying through their teeth. "We should probably get back," you say. "The light won't last much longer." (if: $guideisarno)["I ain't arguing," says Arno breezily. "Home in time for dinner and a smoke will suit me fine." "Sounds good to me," you grin.](elseif: $guideisval)["You in a hurry, suit?" Val asks. You feign looking cold and miserable. "It's fucking freezing out here," you whine. "Let's just go." She shrugs.] [[>|return with guide]]It takes about forty minutes to climb down to Lauren's little camp safely. Days of snowfall have covered much of it. You dust the snow off a rock and find a smartphone resting on top. Its leather case has protected it from the worst of the weather. You try turning it on. (if: $guideisarno)["Anything?" Arno asks, adjusting his helmet](elseif: $guideisval)["Probably ruined by the wet," says Val, tugging her coat closer]. (if: $guideisarno)["Nothing," you say. "I think the battery's dead. Let's climb back up."](elseif: $guideisval)["Looks like it," you say. "Damn. Well, let's get back up there."] [[>|get lauren's phone 2]]You make sure to be behind (if: $guideisarno)[Arno](elseif: $guideisval)[Val] on the ascent back to the rise, and turn the phone on. The battery is at 2%, but you are able to see the last text messages Lauren exchanged, a week ago. ''Jans Saloman'' //Omg look at these. Prehistoric?// Attached are a number of low-res photos. After you turn the screen around a bit, you think they're of a crude flint knife, and cave walls with regular scratch marks on them. ''Me'' //Holy sht// //Dont touch anything// //but this is huge// //U think the corp gives bonuses???? :D// The last message is dated an hour later. ''Jans Saloman'' //hungry// Chilled, you tuck the phone away and follow (if: $guideisarno)[Arno](elseif: $guideisval)[Val]. Your heart is racing. [[>|ascent 2]] (set: $laurensphone to true)The downhill journey goes smoothly. It's a good thing you returned when you did: it's already getting dark as you approach the lights of Tallerken Station below. You don't care how late it is. Wading over the snow towards the exterior door, you're so worked up it's a miracle the snow doesn't melt under your feet. You're going to nail Doctor Saloman to the wall for everything he's kept from you. And tomorr-- (if: $guideisarno)[Behind you, Arno coughs delicately. "You know, Agent, this really sucks. But I got orders."](elseif: $guideisval)[Behind you, Val unzips her jacket. "You want to know the truth, suit? I'm not even sorry."] You turn just as the haft of a climbing axe cracks across the side of your head. Everything goes grey. It doesn't go black until the second blow. [[>|return dream]]Into the black you fall, dreaming. [[>|return dream 2]]Dray says nothing. He stares with empty eyes that are strangely curious. Your chest aches. When you look down the same wound that killed Dray--after putting a bullet in his own chest--is spreading down your sternum. The smell of your own blood and seared flesh surrounds you. "Are you hungry, Agent?" Dray whispers. The voice comes from both his mouth and the maw his chest has become. Staring at the ruin of your body, smelling it, you realise the horrible truth: [["I'm ravenous."]]It //was// real. Dray's death happened. But this was over and done long ago. Your chest aches. When you look down the same wound that killed Dray--after putting a bullet in his own chest--is spreading down your sternum. The smell of your own blood and seared flesh surrounds you. "Are you hungry, Agent?" Dray whispers. The voice comes from both his mouth and the maw his chest has become. Staring at the ruin of your body, smelling it, you realise the horrible truth: [["I'm ravenous."]]The darkness of Dray's office gives way to stark fluorescent light. You blink, and come fully awake. You are lying face down on a hard floor. Ghostly shapes swim in the corner of your eye until you manage to focus: clear plastic sheets are hanging from the ceiling. Disorientated as you are, you have to almost physically piece together that you're in one of the clean rooms in Tallerken Station. [[>|return 1]]"//What// was looking for someone like me?" you demand, pinching the corners of your eyes. "The... being we found in the mountains," Doctor Saloman says. "The Ravine." [[>|return 3]]"One of our mandates was to investigate the caves," Saloman says, nervously, as you start to push your way through the plastic sheeting. "The landslide was our doing. Just a small charge so the survey team could get inside. "They found evidence of prehistoric occupation--a knife, markings on the walls... A huge reward for such a little effort. Things we couldn't have imagined. Especially..." "Especially what?" you demand angrily. You push the last sheet aside and flinch. Lauren Fawn is standing beyond, half in shadow. Her eyes seem eerily bright. "Me," she says. Her voice is soft, gentle, and inhuman. [[Back away.]] [[Stand your ground.]]"It was so very long ago," Lauren whispers as you back off, step by step. "The people came to the caves for shelter and warmth, ripe with food. Then the long cold darkness came. The sweet fullness was gone from them. How they cried!" "Saloman!" you shout. "I'm sorry, Agent," he mutters over the PA. "It was dark forever," Lauren says, drawing closer. "It was cold forever. It gnawed at them, until they gnawed at themselves. They became immortal. They became me." "What //are// you?" you manage. "Ravening, ravenous, ravaged," Lauren says. "I am the Ravine." Suddenly she is closer, reaching out to touch you. The tips of her fingers are chewed bloody. [[Slap her hand aside.]] [[Run.]]"I'm not afraid of you, or any of this horseshit," you snarl. "So brave!" says Lauren, or whatever is speaking. "They were brave, too." "Who--?" "It was so very long ago," Lauren says. "The people came to the caves for shelter and warmth, ripe with food. Then the long cold darkness came. The sweet fullness was gone from them. How they cried!" "What the hell are you talking about?" "It was dark forever," Lauren says, drawing closer. "It was cold forever. It gnawed at them, until they gnawed at themselves. They became immortal. They became me." "What //are// you?" you demand. "Ravening, ravenous, ravaged," Lauren says. "I am the Ravine." She reaches out to touch you. The tips of her fingers are chewed bloody. [[Slap her hand aside.]] [[Run.]]Lauren smiles brightly, though that must have hurt. "Yes! Perfect!" Her other hand shoots out and grabs you by the throat. You choke as she tightens her grip. "There is already a dark place within you where my mystery can dwell," she says. "What an honour!" [[>|lauren attack]]You turn and flee, struggling through the plastic sheeting. "Agent, please," Salmon pleads. "Don't--you'll only make it worse." You can't find the door despite the bright, harsh light from overhead. Between the headache and your terror, you seem to be caught in a clear plastic cage--the only solid thing is the girl walking towards you. You come up against a window and slam your palms against it again and again. Safety glass. Shit! Something seizes the scruff of your neck and yanks you around. The grip is like iron and ice. "There is already a dark place within you where my mystery can dwell," Lauren says. "What an honour!" [[>|lauren attack]]You are sitting on the floor of the clean room, blinking rapidly. Your headache is gone. In its place you can feel... [[something... beating in your veins]] like adrenaline. Lauren Fawn is [[lying on the floor]] nearby. The PA system seems to be [[silent]]. You try to swallow. Whatever happened to you--whatever has //been done// to you--feels... unfinished. You might have a little time. [[I need to understand this 'Ravine'.]] [[Saloman will suffer for this.]] [[I have to get the fuck out of here!]]You try to focus on the feeling--and a rush of energy and heat floods through you. You are conscious of your body as never before: the complex salt of your blood, the sweet delicacy of your nerves, the fine cords of your muscles. It's intoxicating... You snap out of it, breathing hard. [[>|return 4]]You check Lauren's pulse and breathing. She's alive, but deeply unconscious. You do what little you can to make her comfortable. It's hard to even tell what's wrong with her, but she seems to rest easier. [[>|return 4]]"Saloman!" you shout. "Where are you?" There's no answer. Either Doctor Saloman is watching in silence, or he left once Lauren--or whatever she was--attacked you. [[>|return 4]]You stare at your hands, and at Lauren's gnawed fingertips. Whatever this Ravine is, if it's responsible for all this, it's powerful, and dangerous. The staff at Tallerken have been keeping secrets from you. But answers must lie somewhere in the station. You get up, slightly wobbly, and find the door that leads out of the clean room. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $understandravine to true)Doctor Saloman set this up--he //offered// you to that... thing, the Ravine, like you were a cut of meat. The son of a bitch! He said that this Ravine was the only thing keeping Jans alive. How can that be? It's all bullshit to save his neck. But nothing's going to save him from you. You'll turn the station upside down until you find him. You get up, slightly wobbly, and find the door that leads out of the clean room. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $salomansuffer to true)You're done. Whatever secrets are at Tallerken Station, you no longer care. You just want to leave before any more crazy shit happens. The staff can't be trusted. You're on your own. You get up, slightly wobbly, and find the door that leads out of the clean room. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $getoutofhere to true)You manage to roll onto your back. A monstrous headache is pushing at the back of your eyes. A static crackle somewhere overhead becomes a voice. Doctor Saloman's voice, through a PA system. "Agent Bailey. Yes. You're awake?" [["What have you done?"]] [["There was no weapons cache."]] [["You're a dead man."]]It's the darkness of the office again. Cyrus Dray's office. His slumped silhouette behind the desk is outlined in the faint light beyond the window. But this time he is turned to face you. The terrible wound in his chest glistens. You remember, and [[your guilt]] chills you. The old question returns, as it does whenever you remember Cyrus's death. //Why the heart, and not the head?// His eyes open. [["Dray--I'm sorry..."]] [["This isn't real."]]"Saloman," you choke. "Saloman--!" "I'm sorry, Agent," he whispers over the PA. "I had to agree. I //had// to. It's the only thing keeping Jans alive." A cold red sensation fills your veins, your sinuses, your stomach. That strange expression drains from Lauren's eyes, as your own vision whites out. [[>|return 4]]Tallerken Station is eerily quiet. Many of the banks of fluorescent lights have been shut off, leaving large portions of the station in darkness. There is no sign of the staff. But you feel eyes on you, like insects crawling on the back of your neck. (if: $ravineanswers and $salomansob)[You now know a little more about this... //intelligence//, but more urgent is the knowledge that Jans Saloman and the others are still alive. That the Ravine is //keeping// them alive. Hunger growls in your belly; you force yourself to concentrate. If those people are alive, and you and the Ravine have been joined somehow... could you find them?] (if: $ravineanswers and $salomansob)[ [[Leave the station and try to save them|save them]].] (if: $visitedsalomanroom is true)[You've been to Saloman's office.](if: $visitedsalomanroom is not true)[ [[Go to Doctor Saloman's office.]] ] (if: $visitedroom is true)[You've already checked your room.](if: $visitedroom is not true)[ [[Go to your room.]] ] (if: $searchstaff is true)[You've found the station staff.](if: $searchstaff is not true)[ [[Search for the staff.]] ] (if: $lookedforphone is true)[You tried looking for a phone.](if: $lookedforphone is not true)[ [[Look for a phone to call for help.]] ]Doctor Saloman's office is deserted and as messy as before. You have no cares about adding to the mess as you turn the place upside down. If you catch up with Saloman, he'll have more pressing concerns than rearranging his office. (if: $salomandead is true)[Saloman's in no position to argue.] A [[filing cabinet]] full of scientific reports stands in a corner. On the eastern wall is a [[corkboard]] festooned with notecards. Saloman's desk itself has a [[large drawer]] with papers poking out of the top. (elseif: $ravineanswers AND $gotnotecard AND $gotfiling is true)[ "Forgive me." Saloman is standing in the doorway of his office. His face is grey as death. [["How do I get rid of this... Ravine?"]] [["What really happened to Jans, and the others?"]] ](elseif: $salomandead is true)[Doctor Saloman lies crumpled against a wall in a pool of blood. One wrist is slashed: the other hand holds a craft knife. His mouth is stained with gore. [[>|day 3 hub]] ](elseif: $salomansob is true)[Doctor Saloman is sitting against the wall, sobbing quietly. He doesn't seem to notice you're there. [[>|day 3 hub]] ](elseif: $salomangone is true)[The office is empty. Wherever Saloman went, he didn't come back here. [[>|day 3 hub]] ] (set: $visitedsalomanroom to true)Your room is as you left it, even the blanket with one corner folded back. Everything seems shockingly ordinary. [[Retrieve your gun.]] [[Take a pill.]] (set: $visitedroom to true)You wander the dark halls of the station like a sleepwalker--or someone else's waking nightmare--hungry for another human face. They must be here. Where? After an eternity, you step into the central research corridor... and stop. Here is the station staff, crouched, silent, kneeling along each long wall, facing the walls with their arms bound behind their backs. Their mouths are gagged with duct tape. [[>|Search for the staff2]] (set: $searchstaff to true)You can already tell that your own phone was taken. Saloman was careful. But the helicopter pilot isn't due to pick you up for another couple of days. (if: $getoutofhere is true)[You're damn well not going to wait that long.] There will be an emergency phone somewhere. Coson Technologies is devoted to workplace safety. The thought almost makes you sob out a laugh. (if: $lookedforphoneoutside is not true)[ [[Search outside.]] ] (if: $lookedforphonemedical is not true)[ [[Search the medical bay.]] ] (if: $lookedforphonestaff is not true)[ [[Search the staff quarters.]] ] (set: $lookedforphone to true)The reports in the cabinet are impenetrably technical. Most are concerned with biomedical experiments, while a few look like geological surveys. A signed memo stapled to one of the surveys is on official Coson Technologies stationery. [[Back|Go to Doctor Saloman's office.]] (set: $gotfiling to true) You paid little attention to this when you were first in Saloman's office. It looks detailed but dull; a competent and unimaginative manager's way of planning for staff rotations, team assignments, and-- <center>//Agent Alexis Bailey, spec. inves. from Coson//</center> --visitors. You snatch off the notecard. It's dated "08 October, 2021". [["That's significant."]] [["Who cares?"]] (set: $gotnotecard to true)The drawer is locked. One quick yank breaks it open. You stare at your hand--perhaps it's better not to think about where that strength came from. On top is a red manila folder labelled "TALLERKEN PROJECT--'RAVINE'--CRITICAL FINDINGS--CONFIDENTIAL!" It's a thick folder. You flick through reports, photographs, X-rays, carbon copies; and phrases jump out at you. [[Flick.|flick1]] <center>//...parently dating back to the Neolithic Era. If able to communicate, this is an unprecedented find fo...//</center> [[Flick.|flick2]] <center>//...a carrier, of sorts. Ms Fawn seems unaffected as long as her calorie consumption remains up. She is often seen worrying or gnawing at her fingers--the act of chewing seems to...//</center> [[Flick.|flick3]] <center>//...ut the influence spreads anyway. My god! Some are more susceptible than others. The hunger touches everyone. The observer has become the obser...//</center> [[Flick.|flick4]] <center>//For Jans. It is all for Jans.//</center> [[Back|Go to Doctor Saloman's office.]] (set: $ravineanswers to true)You arrived at Tallerken Station on 12 October, as scheduled. Saloman's too meticulous to make a mistake like that. So why is the date wrong? Unless... it's not the date you were supposed to arrive. Maybe it's the date Saloman heard that an investigator would be coming, and he made a note of the conversation here. But you didn't even accept the Tallerken Station assignment until 09 October. And wasn't Doctor Saloman supposed to be evasive about communicating with the company after Jans and the others went missing? At least, that's what you were told. //What the fuck is going on?// [[Back|Go to Doctor Saloman's office.]] You rip the notecard in half and toss it away. Petty, but it makes you feel a little better. [[Back|Go to Doctor Saloman's office.]] "You don't--" Saloman twists his hands together. "It defies scientific understanding. Everything we learned was to protect ourselves..." "But not me," you snarl, and he falls back a step. "I'm sorry," Saloman whispers. "I had to--it asked. I couldn't refuse." [[>|Saloman confession]]"You don't know?" Saloman asks, his eyes watery and worried. "No, I don't," you snap. He studies you like you're a specimen in one of his labs. "So it doesn't share everything. Or perhaps it takes longer to--" You grab him by the lapels. "Explain. Everything. And if you lie again, so help me--" [[>|Saloman confession]]It's easy. You look at Saloman, and that cold red feeling rises in you along with your anger, and you just reach out. Something--some influence--passes between you, and you can //feel// Saloman's will crumple under it. Saloman gasps and staggers. Trembling, he looks down at his hands, and you see the spark of hunger--your hunger--in his eyes. It's very easy. And satisfying. Like getting a stubborn lock to turn. Or the last click of a puzzle box. "Please," Saloman whispers, clutching one hand in another. He is looking at a pot full of pens and pencils on the shelf beside him. One of the items is a craft knife. [["No!"]] [[Punish Saloman.|punish2]]The word tears your throat as you speak it, but Saloman gasps and sags against the wall with relief. Tears glitter in his eyes. "Thank you. Thank you--" "Spare me," you growl. [["Get out of my sight."]] [["You're going to help me."]]"I asked for help, too," you say, but you feel weirdly detached from all this. You've given yourself over to whatever power this Ravine has. {(if: $salomansuffer is true)[And this bastard had it coming. He played you--played everyone--and now he pays the price.] }"Agent, please--!" You remain strangely detached, as you force Saloman to bend against your will once again. His face contorts with insatiable hunger, and he slashes his own wrists open to drink thirstily of his own blood. By the time you come back to yourself, you're wandering through Tallerken Station once more. [[>|day 3 salomandead hub]] (set: $salomandead to true)Saloman nods, and backs away. "That's your right. I... I'm sorry... I... Don't judge us too harshly. We only wanted to keep them alive..." He steps into the main corridor and is gone. You stand for a while, trembling, getting yourself under control, then leave. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $salomangone to true) (set: $salomansob to true)"There's nothing I can do," Saloman says. His shoulders are hunched, and tears stand in his eyes. "I'll decide that," you tell him. But his head is shaking rapidly. "I can't stand against it. Not even this long. We only wanted to keep them alive..." He steps into the main corridor and is gone. You stand for a while, trembling, getting yourself under control, then leave. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $salomangone to true) (set: $salomansob to true)"Your son Jans, and the others," you say. "They aren't dead, are they?" Saloman shakes his head, numbly. "The Ravine is keeping them alive, out //there//. But we couldn't go for them. The Ravine wanted to remain in the station. It said if we tried..." "Why is it doing this?" He can only look at the floor, shoulders hunched. "It's... curious." [[Punish Saloman.]] [["We need to work together."]]There has to be a phone in the medical bay, doesn't there? That only makes sense. You stumble through the corridors, and shove through the medical bay doors. Instead of antiseptic, the room smells of stale food. Trays are stacked on Doctor Lindgren's desk. The doctor himself is crouched behind it, with food stains smeared across his medical whites. "Agent Bailey." A ghastly grin spreads over Doctor Lindgren's face. "Aren't you looking well--" He lunges over the desk, his massive hands clutching at your shirt. His breath smells terrible. "How's your appetite?" [["Get away from me."]] [[Punish Doctor Lindgren.]] (set: $lookedforphonemedical to true)The staff quarters are deserted. Beds are unmade, doors stand open, and chairs have been tipped over. Your feet swish through empty food wrappers like fallen leaves. There are no cellphones in sight. Your eye falls on a red emergency phone at the end of the hallway. You pounce on it... and the receiver slips through your fingers, the cord cut in half. No, not cut. Chewed. [[Back|Look for a phone to call for help.]] (set: $lookedforphonestaff to true)The surface seems like your best bet. There could be an emergency phone or even a shortwave radio in the sheds up above. (if: $getoutofhere is true)[Besides, getting the hell out into the fresh air is a step in the right direction.] You find your way to the exit and wrench the door open. Freezing night air rushes at you with a flurry of snowflakes, but that strange red feeling inside you is colder. [[>|searchoutsidephonehub]] (set: $lookedforphoneoutside to true)Tallerken Station is eerily quiet. Many of the banks of fluorescent lights have been shut off, leaving large portions of the station in darkness. You don't exactly understand what you did. You're no stranger to violence, but that was... baffling. You have the floating sensation that you're //choosing// whether or not to be afraid of yourself. Hunger stabs through your gut. You raise your hands. Suddenly you're conscious of the thousand swirling lines on your palms and fingertips, like the grain in a fine cut of meat. (if: $visitedcafeteria is not true)[ [[Resist.]] ] [[Eat.]]<center>Epilogue</center> Snow and ice entomb Tallerken Station, but here underground is your domain--comforting darkness, the delicious taste of iron, and answers written in red. Forlorn souls roam the halls, cringing under the lash of your will. But you indulge them. There will be time for them to understand. You have the mystery you seek, at your fingertips whenever you need it. And now the radio has come to life, demanding answers of its own, threatening to send another team. You laugh and speak in the voice of your host, inviting them to come and be welcome. Why not? There is kinship between you, after all. Everything hungers. <center>THE END</center>The heat of your palm against your lips is like the first sip of hot chocolate on a cold day. That red hunger cuts through you again, and this time you give yourself over to it, joyfully. Salt-sweet liquid kisses the back of your throat. You chuckle in delight. You are warm, at last, //full//, after so long starving in the empty dark. The mystery, the truths that the snake knows as it eats its own tail, lie just beyond your crimson fingertips. You need more. [[>|ravine epilogue]] The cafeteria is trashed. Dirty plates and utensils are strewn across the tables, as if everyone in the station desperately threw a meal together from anything at hand. Even the dried smears across the plates make your hunger worse. You dart into the kitchen and yank the fridge and pantries open, pawing through the food inside like a bear. Cheese. A whole jar of peanut butter. Bread. Canned tuna. Ice cream. Cold meat--maybe even raw meat, but you don't notice. You chew and choke and cram as much food as you can manage, until that terrible cold red cramping in your stomach is gone. Finally you slump against the counter, struggling to get a grip on yourself. It's only then that you glance down at the ruins of the tuna cans, and realise you ripped them apart with your bare hands. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $visitedcafeteria to true)You gaze curiously at your hands... and then remember Lauren Fawn's bloody, gnawed fingertips. A horrible connection looms, but you shove that thought violently aside before it's made. You know. You need food. Quickly. [[Go to the cafeteria.]](if: $gununloaded)[You flick through the briefcase combination, yank open the false bottom and take out your gun.](if: $gunloaded)[You put a careful hand under the mattress and touch cold metal. Your gun's where you left it.] It's a familiar weight, if not a particularly comforting one. Your hands seem unnaturally strong and steady as you snap the briefcase closed and turn around. Someone is standing in the doorway. [[>|Kristoffer confronts gun.]] (set: $tookkristoffergun to true)Whatever the //fuck// is going on, you need to calm down before your heart explodes. You fumble the bottle out of your briefcase, shake out a tiny capsule, and dry-swallow. Hunger uncoils in your belly. The mere act of putting something in your mouth seems to have reawoken that cold red feeling. But you take a moment and keep the pill down. A few breaths later you start feeling better, and turn to leave. Someone is standing in the doorway. [[>|Kristoffer confronts.]] (set: $tookkristofferpill to true)You immediately recognise the shaven-headed silhouette before you. The faint light from the corridor is faint pinpricks in the eyes, gleaming off naked skin. The pill shows you all this through a faint fog, with enough distance to keep you from panic. "Your mystery..." he whispers hoarsely, and reaches out with an arm that ends too early... before crouching to the ground, prostrate, like he's begging. [["What do you want with me?"]] [[Punish him.]]The door to Tallerken Station stands open. Snowflakes pour down from the [[cloudy night sky]] and the wind gnaws on your exposed skin. The windsock flutters madly from the top of a [[maintenance shed]]. Beyond is the helipad with a small [[controller's booth]] beside it.It's hard to tell whether it's late, or growing early. You have no idea how long you lay unconscious, either after (if: $guideisarno)[Arno](elseif: $guideisval)[Val] clocked you or after Lauren's... //gift// //mystery// //Attack//, you correct yourself. The snow isn't too thick yet. If you can get a message through, the helicopter might be able to make it through. You swallow down a pang of hunger. [[Back|searchoutsidephonehub]] The shed doubles as a workshop. Various machines are shrouded in heavy canvas, and tools line the walls. (if: $guideisarno)[You stop short. Arno Jokinen, your guide up the mountain, is crouched on the floor with his tattooed arms wrapped around his head.](elseif: $guideisval)[You stop short. Val Naess, your guide up the mountain, is crouched on the floor with her knees drawn up against her chest.] (if: $guideisarno)[You shake his shoulder. Arno's skin is cold, and he doesn't react to your presence.](elseif: $guideisval)[You shake her shoulder. Val's skin is cold, and her eyes seem to be clouded over.] (if: $guideisarno)[Looking at him reminds you of sudden darkness, and the rich red smell of blood. You quickly back out of the shed.](elseif: $guideisval)[Looking at her reminds you of sudden darkness, and the rich red smell of blood. You quickly back out of the shed.] [[Back|searchoutsidephonehub]]A dusting of snow blows in as you shove the door open. A bank of monitors and a battered PC rest on a table. Fluorescent jackets hang on a wall, almost outshining the red of the emergency phone beside them. Emergency phone! You snatch up the receiver and hear the dial tone like the singing of angels. Your hands shake as you punch in the secure contact number for the pilot from memory. //Ring... ring... ring...// A crackle. "Agent Bailey?" [["Come and pick me up. Right the fuck now."]]//Save them.// That thought is like a dash of cold water through the weird red delirium. You have no idea why or how the Ravine would be keeping the team alive, but Doctor Saloman believed it; so much that he was willing to sacrifice you. If this is more than the Ravine toying with Saloman--if it //needs// those people somehow--that could be leverage. And, good investigator that you are, you know what to do with leverage. [[>|save them 1]]You immediately recognise the shaven-headed silhouette before you. The faint light from the corridor is faint pinpricks in the eyes, gleaming off naked skin. "Your mystery..." he whispers hoarsely, and reaches out with an arm that ends too early. It's too much. You don't think, just bring up your gun with a yell. Cold redness pulses through you as you pull the trigger. (if: $gunloaded)[You might not like the gun... but you were well-trained. The bullet punches through the young man's heart. For a second you glimpse the light of the corridor through the wound, winking like the light in his eyes, before he collapses to the ground. [[>|shotkristoffer]] ](elseif: $gununloaded)[//Click.// The dry-fire snaps you back to your senses. The young shaven-headed man is kneeling before you, his arms outstretched as if in supplication. [[Knock him out.]] [["What do you want with me?"]] ]You crouch and turn the body over to check he's dead, but the gaping chest wound fascinates you. //Dray//, you remember, and let the body lie on the cold floor. You swallow down a pang of horrible, inexplicable hunger, and limp towards the door. [[>|day 3 hub]]One quick strike from the butt of the gun sends the young man sprawling on the cold floor. You lean against the wall and catch your breath, trying not to look at the splintered carnage of his outflung hand, before staggering out with your gun in hand. [[>|day 3 hub]]The crumpled, pleading pose of the young man is familiar, you realise as you ask the question, and that cold red sensation crystallises into memories that aren't yours. "The long ice. The hunger that gnaws itself," the young man whispers, as you say the same words in a voice that isn't yours. "You are the realisation of the mystery," he whispers. "You can teach--teach me how..." [["No. Stop!"]] [[Punish him.]]You remember him breaking into your room to babble and threaten you a few nights back. Another of Tjoldvaldr's crew who thought you were helpless fodder for their science experiment. You aren't helpless any more. This time, when that cold redness rises in you, you welcome it. You reach out to him, and like a static spark, //something// passes between you. The young man's will is nothing but a wisp, and you crush it. His eyes widen with ecstatic joy as he lifts his remaining hand to his mouth. "Oh, yes. Oh, yes--" You watch. It takes a while. And when you return to your senses, out in the halls, there are freckles of blood on your face. [[>|day 3 salomandead hub]] (set: $kristofferdead to true)You shove Doctor Lindgren back harder than you meant to. His foot slips in a spill of sauce on the tiles, and he knocks his head hard against the wall. "Fit as a fiddle," he slurs. "You're in great shape, Agent. Let's get a drink sometime. The average human body contains five and a half litres of--" His eyes roll up into his head and he slumps, leaving a tiny smear of blood on the wall. Five litres of blood, you think, resting in your veins like a sweetly-aging wine. You swallow; you try to distract yourself by finding a phone, but all you find is a crushed mass of metal and plastic that was ground under a massive heel. There's no way to call for help from here. [[Back|Look for a phone to call for help.]]You stare at Doctor Lindgren's massive hands. Food is trapped under the fingernails--dried, stale, and disgusting. He kept the secrets of Lauren Fawn to himself, when he could have helped you. He could have helped you reach enlightenment sooner. "Wash your hands, Doctor," you tell him, and you let the cold redness in your mind push him away from you. Doctor Lindgren staggers, then looks down at his hands with a sudden horror, like he's realising the blasphemy he just committed. "Shit! I didn't scrub first. I didn't--" His fingers hook as he reaches up to his face. To his eyes. You don't remember whether there was a phone in the medical bay. You don't remember much after seeing the crimson rivulets running down Doctor Lindgren's face. [[>|day 3 salomandead hub]] (set: $lindgrendead to true)"Is anything wrong?" the pilot asks. "Did I fucking stutter?" you snarl, and you hear the pilot gulp. "I said //right now!// This place has fallen apart, the staff attacked me--get me out of here!" "Shit!" A rustle. "On my way. Got about forty minutes flight time." "Make it less," you hiss, and slam the phone back on the cradle. Your heartbeat is thudding in your skull. Escape! [[>|pilotarrives]]You hear the rhythmic clack of the helicopter blades long before you see it approaching over the mountains. As it comes in to land on the helipad, blowing snowflakes everywhere, you duck low under the blades and leap aboard. "Go!" you yell at the pilot, and then lunge for your seat as the helicopter rises into the sky. [[>|pilotarrives2]]Your gun has never been your friend. At best it's been a painful reminder of how bad your missions can go. You reach under your jacket and pull the weapon free. Well, it's never too late to kiss and make up. "Agent?" asks the pilot, but his voice is coming from a long way off, through a cold red haze. "It's all right," you say, feeling the Ravine's curiosity swell along with your own ravenous hunger. "Like the man said: it won't hurt." You stare into the heart of that curious red haze. And you pull the trigger. [[>|deathepilogue]]The helicopter is high above the Kjølen Mountains, with sharp peaks jutting below. You have what you need. You unbuckle your seatbelt. "Agent?" asks the pilot, but his voice is coming from a long way off, through a cold red haze. "It's all right," you say, feeling the Ravine's curiosity swell along with your own ravenous hunger as you reach for the door handle. "Like the man said: it won't hurt." Freezing air blasts your hair back as you fling open the helicopter's door. You feel the pilot's fingertips scrabbling for your sleeve as you balance for an instant on the brink, and then let go. You let everything go, as you plummet towards the ice and the darkness below. [[>|deathepilogue]]<center>Epilogue</center> <center>COSON TECHNOLOGIES</center> <center>INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMO -- CONFIDENTIAL!</center> <center>Re: Quarantine Guidelines</center> This is a notice to all employees concerning the quarantine level. Please observe the following guidelines when interacting with Subject Bailey: 1. Observations should be limited to no longer than 30 minutes. 2. All observers must wear approved and serviced neurocompulsive monitoring devices. 3. //All// unusual symptoms should be reported to your supervisor. Symptoms include: excessive nailbiting, hunger pangs, compulsion (see Penumbra Division guidelines), and resolutions to free Subject Bailey from containment. Despite the safety concerns, I want to underline the importance of studying Subject Bailey. While the Ravine has been of interest to the bioweapons division, restoring an agent capable of withstanding its influence should be our top priority. Senior Supervisor Harrow Coson Technologies, Penumbra Division <center>THE END</center>Cold. Red. Like a mist of blood frozen in ancient ice. //So new!// But death is not new. You--both of you--have breathed this iron-tasting air before. You have looked into the black expanse where all hunger and all mysteries end. It is all that you see before the end. [[>|deathepilogue2]]"There's nothing to teach you!" you roar at him, and he cowers. "This--//thing// isn't some big mystery! It's got nothing to offer anyone! Whatever it is--" //Hunger. Curiosity.// "--it's just Saloman's pet project!" The young man doesn't listen. He's reaching for you, babbling about ice and blood and time, with one human hand and the other horrifically mangled. You grab the blanket off your bed, yank it taut, and truss him up. He doesn't resist. You shove him up against the bed. He stares up at you with wide, worshipful eyes. "They told it to expect you," he whispers. [[>|day 3 hub]]You pulled it. Didn't you? You can't tell. You didn't hear a gunshot. But you can clearly hear something else, and you've never wanted to be deaf so much in your life. [[>|You cannot move 4]] She looks at you, and vaguely gestures the roll of duct tape in your direction. You smack it away. "Gail. Listen to me! What Saloman did--I need real help to stop this thing! What can I do?" She cowers, covering her face and rocking back and forth. "What can anyone do?" she cries. "It's so hungry..." A murmuring chorus rises behind you, strangled by the duct tape gags of the staff. "//Feed... stop its... stop its mouth... feed... feed it or stop its mouth... feed it or stop its mouth...//" Some cold red part of you recognises this as your due, a rightful tribute, and a smile flickers on your lips--but you wrench yourself away. You leave, quickly, feeling that hunger steadily growing stronger. [[>|day 3 hub]]You look down at her. That goddamn sunny smiling face when you arrived. All the lies she told you. The cover-up she did for missing friends and colleagues. She deserves this. You push out at Gail with that cold red feeling. Hunger cramps your stomach... and then passes through you, shredding Gail's will. Her terrified gaze softens, and she licks her lips as her eyes fall to the soft flesh and fine blue rivers on the inside of her wrist. You push again. A shudder ripples through the kneeling staff members, and Gail smiles up at you. "I'm here to help," she says rapturously, and her other hand falls on the pair of scissors at her side. When you come back to yourself with a start, you're wandering the halls of the station. You try to remember where you found the staff, but all you remember is a sound: //snip...snip...snip//. [[>|day 3 salomandead hub]] <center>R A V I N E</center> <center>a horror text adventure by</center> <center>Joanna Berry</center> <center>[[Content Warning]]</center> <center>[[Credits]]</center> <center>[[- Begin -|Dream 1]]</center> <center>*Writing and Scripting*</center> <center>Joanna Berry</center> <center>*Testers*</center> <center>Sylvia Feketekuty</center> <center>Rob Appleyard</center> <center>[[Return to Title|Title card]]</center>No head turns. No voice speaks. All you hear, as you walk between them, is harsh gutteral breathing. You realise that you can feel how empty their fear has left them. How easy it would be to reach out with that cold red feeling, and make them yours. At the end of the corridor, Gail is slumped, unbound, against the wall. She stares up at you in uncomprehending terror. "I'm head of personnel," she whispers, holding up an empty roll of duct tape. A pair of scissors lies near her hand where she cut the ends. "They needed me to help..." [["Can you help me?"]] [[Punish Gail.]]//Escape.// You strap yourself into the helicopter's passenger seat and lean your head back. The madness is over. You're safe. You glance over at the pilot. "Good work." He nods. "It's what they pay me for, Agent." One hand rubs over his beard, likely from nerves. "Once we get back to civilization you can get some rest... go get something to eat..." He rubs his fingernails along his teeth, rougher, and rougher. You realise he's about a moment away from biting down. [[>|pilotarrives3]] The pilot stares in confusion and curiosity. "But I thought--" "Stop thinking and get me back there," you snap. You keep thinking of Lauren Fawn, and how her simple presence rippled through the whole station, and what it might do to Coson Technologies if you brought the Ravine back home. Your glare at the pilot sends the helicopter banking around back to Tallerken Station, blades thundering overhead. As it settles back onto the helipad, your stomach sinks with it. So close, but... You steel yourself as you step out of the helicopter and head back into the station. If there's an answer, it lies in this terrible place. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $returnedstationpostheli to true)The pilot looks at you, dazed. "Agent? Aren't you hungry?" You are. And you realise that you always will be, and that those around you will become puppets to that hunger. Unless you take the final step, and kill the fucking Ravine the only way you know how. (if: $tookkristoffergun is true AND $gunloaded is true)[ [[Use your gun.]] ] [[Jump.]]But is that such a bad thing? You see the Ravine's memories of Tallerken Station--a place where everyone was united, keeping their delicious secret close at hand. Other people could share in the Ravine's mystery, and its gift. Wouldn't that be wonderful? "Take me home," you hear yourself saying. You exert your will against the pilot, easing his hunger and turning his mind towards the journey home. He blinks and nods obediently, as is proper, focusing on the controls. You settle into your seat. Smiling, you rest your knuckles against your teeth, breathing in the smell of your skin. Won't Coson Technologies be surprised? [[>|prisonerepilogue]]<center>Epilogue</center> <center>COSON TECHNOLOGIES</center> <center>INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMO -- CONFIDENTIAL!</center> <center>Report of Employee Death -- Alexis Bailey</center> We have now confirmed Agent Bailey's loss as a result of the events at Tallerken Station. We're still recalling the staff from the station, but most of them are in a semi-hysterical state. Agent Bailey's death is a significant blow to Coson Technologies. It's our lasting regret to have lost not only a renowned talent, but one of the few to interact with the Ravine who showed even a trace of what we needed. However, Penumbra Division agents have confirmed there is no trace of the Ravine's influence. Extreme though Agent Bailey's methods might have been, the being should no longer be considered an ongoing threat. Once any family is informed, I recommend we seek other avenues. Our work is too significant. Senior Supervisor Harrow Coson Technologies, Penumbra Division <center>THE END</center>Now that you're looking for it, you can feel the Ravine's presence surrounding the whole helicopter like a cold red aura--delighted, curious, and absolutely starving. You're carrying this thing like a virus. The same way Lauren Fawn carried it back to Tallerken. [["Wait. Go back to the station."]] [["I have to stop this monster. Whatever it costs."]] [["Serve me. Take me home."]] <center>CONTENT WARNING</center> <center>This story contains descriptions of body horror, self-harm, and suicide.</center> <center>[[Back|Title card]]</center>"Saloman. //Saloman.//" He looks up. "Help me stop it." He gives you a strange look. "Isn't that why the company chose //you// to come here?" "Chose me?" you ask, startled. "How could they? They didn't even know about the..." Saloman turns away. "I've done enough. I failed Jans, and I failed my station. End it if you can. But I can't--it's too strong..." He slides down the wall and starts sobbing quietly to himself. You back away into the main corridor, away from suspicions too horrible to contemplate. [[>|day 3 hub]] (set: $salomansob to true)You keep one hand on the guide rope as you head deeper into the mountains. Your legs seem [[unnaturally strong]] as you plough through the fresh snowfall. Above you, the moon is more beautiful than you've [[ever seen it]]. Thankfully it's casting enough light for you to see without a torch. After about ten minutes, the first [[hunger pangs|save them 3]] strike you.Is it strength, though, or do you just feel //lighter//; buoyed up by that cold red light sparkling through your body? You luxuriate in the feeling of invincibility, before snapping yourself back to reality. [[Back|save them 2]] When did you last look at the full moon? Not just a glance while going to your car after dark, but really //seeing// it? You can feel the moonlight against your skin. You remember, now, how it feels to hunt under that moon. Everything tastes better in that light. "Stick to your own fucking memories--" you snarl to whatever was remembering that instead of you. But the thoughts stick in your mind. [[Back|save them 2]]You stop and groan as the hunger takes you. Your stomach cramps and twists on nothingness. Fuck! Why didn't you eat before you left? Is there any food hidden in the jacket you borrowed? As you pat the pockets, the hunger pangs strike again and you double over. You can smell your own sweat from the climb--but it doesn't disgust you. The scent is... inviting. Your whole body is a banquet waiting to be served. [[Give in.]] [[Keep going.|save them 4]]//The snake that devours its own tail, and becomes immortal thereby.// //Do you see it yet? How very close you are!// You struggle with the hunger, the fears, the cold red strength of the Ravine... and you start laughing. You cling onto the guide rope and laugh yourself silly while the full moon stares down. //Yes, yes--my mystery, agent! You see now, what fun we'll have together!// Eventually you calm down, still grinning as you pull your gloves off with your teeth. (//And doesn't that feel right? doesn't it feel good?//) You twirl as you toss your clothes away, piece by piece, into the dark. Under the moon, you dance. And eventually, you feast. [[>|ravine epilogue]]You lean on the guide rope to support yourself as you keep frantically searching your pockets. Nothing. No food. Nothing to feed it. //Feed it or stop its mouth,// you think. Desperately, you cram a spare woollen glove into your mouth and bite down. But that's worse; you have the urge to rip it apart with your teeth like a strange delicacy, and then through your sleeve, and the flesh underneath. This is what teetering on the brink of madness feels like, then. When the only sane thought left is to //keep going forward//. [[Give in.]] [[Why not just give in?|Give in.]] [[Keep going.|save them 5]][[It's unbearable, isn't it? Denying yourself the mystery?|Give in.]] [[Would it be so bad to give in?|Give in.]] [[Aren't you curious?|Give in.]] [[Keep going.|save them 6]][[There are easier ways to revelation than this, Agent.|Give in.]] [[But it's delightful watching you. So fascinating!|Give in.]] [[How desperately you hunger to save the team.|Give in.]] [[To understand their role--to ease that craving...|Give in.]] [[What void will that fill for you, I wonder?|Give in.]] [[Will you finally see my mystery?|Give in.]] [[Or will you still hunger to understand?|Give in.]] [[Keep going.|save them 7]][[So much persistence! Such strength! Delightful!|Give in.]] [[Your curiosity is so familiar.|Give in.]] [[Almost as boundless as mine. How well I chose!|Give in.]] [[Very well, Agent. Go forth. Meet those who were first to be chosen.|Give in.]] [[Indulge your appetite for answers.|Give in.]] [[Keep going.]]You did this. Cyrus was a friend and a colleague, who made a stupid mistake. But not as fucking stupid as yours, when you were assigned to investigate him and accidentally let the wrong details slip where someone could hear. When word got to Cyrus, he panicked. He shot himself before Coson Technologies could bring the hammer down. You were the one who found him, like this. Did you really deserve anything less? [[Back|return dream 2]] //Why the heart, and not the head?// [[Back|medical bay new night]]You pull yourself up onto the ledge. Freezing wind tugs at your hair as you turn to peer into the cave mouth. There's no light from inside. Yet you can see into the darkness perfectly well, through a faint red haze over your vision. No time to worry about that now. [["Hello?"]] [[Look around.]]Your voice echoes unevenly into the darkness. You wait, but there's no answer. Snowflakes strike the back of your neck, and you shiver. It's time to dig deeper. [[Look for the team.]]You spot a piton hammered into the rock face just below the cave entrance, and a discarded blue rain cover, half-covered by the recent snowfall. The team was definitely here. From what you can tell, there are no footprints in the snow besides yours. Searching the cave seems like the best hope to find them. [[Look for the team.]]The wind chills the sweat pouring down your face, and you start awake from that dark red haze. You're gripping the guide rope so hard it's cutting into your hands, but you can think again, even if it's a temporary reprieve. //Curiosity//, it said. Saloman said something about that too, didn't he? You stagger onwards. [[>|cave approach]]Eventually you spot a flapping shadow up ahead. Squinting, you recognise it as the green flag from before, and use that to orientate yourself. There--the rock face you saw before. It's easy--a little too easy--for you to clamber up the cold, slick rock. Ice crystals rattle against your jacket as you climb effortlessly higher, towards a ledge leading to the mouth of a cave. [[>|cave entrance]]You can remember the ascent gear you used yesterday, but it takes you a while to get suited up. Your hands shake, and every little noise sets you on alert. At the sound of what might have been a frightened sob--or just metal groaning in the wind--you let out a snarl that echoes off the walls of the equipment shed. Utter silence follows it. Finally prepped, you head outside, and tramp towards the bright red guide rope. Under the full moon, on the clean white snow of the mountains, it's the only colour you can see. [[>|save them 2]]Further on. The cave smells of old, damp sand. You clamber between rock formations, ducking as the roof becomes lower. Here and there, fresh scratches on the rock show where the team found their way. And older, duller scratches underneath, as if someone else was here even before them. You remember something Lauren Fawn said: //The ones who came for shelter, ripe with food, before the long darkness came.// "The team," you mutter to yourself. "Focus. Don't let it distract you." But to your investigator's mind, that doesn't feel like a distraction. More like you're seeing part of an answer. That thought is forgotten a moment later, as you see what looks like a faint light up ahead. [[>|find team]]You squeeze through a gap and emerge into a wider cavern. [[Climbing equipment]] sits in humped piles here and there. The walls are slick with damp and ice, glistening in the pale blue light of a [[biolamp]] resting in the middle of the floor. Slumped around it are the four team members. Creeping forward, you recognise each one from the briefing: [[Hannah O'Dean]], [[San Bharti]], [[Halv Larsson]], and [[Jans Saloman]]. They look pale and frighteningly thin, but their eyes dart back and forth behind their closed lids as if they're dreaming. [[Try to wake them.]]It's a Coson Technologies emergency lamp that gives off both light and a little heat. Expensive tech: it uses a prototype bioluminescent cell. The light is steady, but you spot dim patches on the cell itself. You'd guess that it's seen more than a week of constant use. The Ravine kept them alive, and kept them //here// all that time. Why? [[Back|find team]]Hannah, a freckled woman in her thirties, is crumpled beside the biolamp with her arms wrapped around her head. You touch her hand: the skin is cold as stone. She stirs towards you, as if eager for human contact, then sinks back into her stupor. [[Back|find team]]San is about Lauren Fawn's age. His head lolls forward onto his drawn-up knees. His cheeks are dense with over a week's worth of stubble. You check his pulse, but as soon as you touch him he flinches like a frightened child. [[Back|find team]]The team leader, you remember. Halv's beard has grown out, resembling the fur edge of his parka. His breath rattles through his teeth. When you get close to him, you notice his hands are clenching and unclenching. [[Back|find team]]After a week in these conditions, pale and unshaven, Jans looks even more like his father. His arms are wrapped around his body as if he's holding himself together. He shivers as you try to examine him, so violently that you hear his teeth chattering. [[Back|find team]]You reach out to Jans Saloman and firmly shake his shoulder. He shudders and moans, his breath visible in the cold. "Jans. //Jans!//" You slap him across the face, back and forth, then shake him again. "Jans. //Wake up//." His jaw works briefly. His eyes flutter open; they meet yours and focus. He doesn't look surprised to see you. Or perhaps it's not you he's recognising. "You brought it back," Jans croaks. [["How are you still alive?"]] [["Brought it back?"]] [["Help me stop this thing!"]]Not just climbing equipment: you see a camera and surveying gear amongst the pile. And -- As you look at the walls, you see ancient scrapings that are almost lost in the long years of moisture dripping down the stone. Your strangely-acute vision lets you make out a few of them. Some look like heavy axe blows that went astray. Others, you realise with a sick feeling, could have been fingernails. [[Back|find team]] (set: $sawcavebones to true)"You've been here for more than a week," you tell him. "No water, no food. Your father said the Ravine was keeping you alive." Jans blinks slowly. "Took our... our hunger away. Gave it to the station. Needed... It needed us. Here." "Can you walk? Get back to the station? We can--I can call for help--" "Back..." He seizes your hand. You flinch--the strength in his grip is astonishing. But familiar. "The hunger in the body," Jans whispers. "And the hunger we taught it. The hunger in the mind." [[>|jans talk 1]]"You mean, the same way that Lauren Fawn took the Ravine to the station to begin with?" Jans tries to swallow and nods slowly. "Found it here. Lauren... first. Then the rest of us. Enslaved. It said... it would find another vessel." He blinks. "Must be you." Saloman said that too--that the Ravine wanted you. But how would it //know// about you? Then again... it wasn't the Ravine who sent you here, was it? "I came to find the truth," you tell him, and try to tell yourself. He seizes your hand. You flinch--the strength in his grip is astonishing. But familiar. "The hunger in the body," Jans whispers. "And the hunger we taught it. The hunger in the mind." [[>|jans talk 1]]"I'm going insane," you tell him rapidly. "Always hungry. There's this, this //voice// in my head, and it's cold but still wants--" Jans looks like he's fighting to stay conscious. Frightened, you grab him by the jacket and shake him. "Damn it, Jans, I need to kill this son of a bitch! And you're my last hope to find out how!" He seizes your hand. You flinch--the strength in his grip is astonishing. But familiar. "The hunger in the body," Jans whispers. "And the hunger we taught it. The hunger in the mind." [[>|jans talk 1]] "It began with the ancient people," Jans whispered. "Long, long ago. Wanderers. Exiles. Looking for shelter. So many of them had died already." //Through that red haze across your vision, you can almost see them as Jans talks: a straggling line of short and muscular travellers wrapped in the skins of reindeer and seals, fording through heavy snow. People forgotten for ten thousand years.// "They came here. Hoped for safety. Winter closing in around them." //Again you see those long-forgotten exiles, clambering into the cave with frostbitten hands and feet. They huddle here around a meagre fire, chewing the last of their rations, talking in low voices of their journey here, and the journey ahead.// "But winter," Jans whispered. "The ice..." [[>|jans talk 2]]//You see the exiles sleep, huddled together for warmth. You see the snow outside the cave thicken, and feel the iron-hard cold closing its grip on the world. The ice age.// //You see the exiles try to leave again and again, only to be driven back by the terrible blizzard. You watch them lay out their rations, less and less each day, for already snarling bellies.// "The ice, and the hunger," you whisper. [[>|jans talk 3]]//Starvation. Tempers rise, blame is flung back and forth. Knives flash. Blood, startlingly red, sprays the wall. But the ice is unrelenting, and there is no way out.// //No rations. No escape.// //Fear and desperation. Chewing anything, everything, that might be edible. Gnawing on fingertips, from nerves at first, and then out of craving for any trace of food. Gnawing hands. Faces.// //Begging the gods, as the last of the fire dies. Then cursing them in the darkness. The suffering echoes continue, long after they should have faded.// //Red. Hunger. And cold. Eater and eaten. The snake that devours its own tail, and becomes immortal thereby.// [[>|jans talk 4]]"In the end there was only the hunger." Jans whispers. "Thousands of years, churning in the darkness. Their pain, their curses, became something else. It took on a life of its own. As powerful as the will to survive." "The hunger of the body," you say. "The Ravine." He nods weakly. "It woke when we came here. Took us over. And... learned." "Learned?" Jans lolls forwards, exhausted. You prop him up. "Jans? What did it learn?" "The hunger of the mind," he mutters. [[>|jans talk 5]]//So much to know!// You think you see now. While the Ravine was entombed in ice and rock, humanity learned, and grew. People became aware of how much they //didn't// know. They hungered to understand. Thousands of years passed. Then these scientists, Coson Technologies' researchers, came here full of modern curiosity, into the maw of an ancient force that had only known blind hunger. And it... moved with the times. //They came to learn my mystery! Honoured guests, minds brimming with colour and light, and a roofless sky of what they could know! Like a well of hunger reaching to the stars--all of the mind! Insatiable, yet fed by any secret! So ingenious. So much to learn!// You realise you're getting very cold. That hunger is starting to rise in your belly. [[>|jans talk 6]]//And then you, Agent! The perfect host! Darkness, and hunger, and curiosity, all in one mind!// //Imagine what we could be! You are so close to my mystery.// //Why not [[take the final step?|final give in]]// [[Give in.|final give in]] [[Give in.|final give in]] [[Give in.|final give in]] [[Resist.|jans talk 7]] [[Give in.|final give in]] A smile creeps over your face and you find yourself nodding. Of course. Of //course!// Jans's gaunt, pale face swims in your vision. But you're no longer concerned about him. He serves you. Of course he's happy. A glance from you, and a rictus smile spreads across his face. There! All is well! You rise onto your feet as if floating, and wander through the cave to the entrance. The team flinches from you, but you smile to comfort them. Outside, you stand on your tiptoes, drinking in the cold and the moonlight. You smell the rich warm flesh of your body waiting to be savoured. You feel half-immortal already. The taste of blood in your mouth takes you the rest of the way. [[>|ravine epilogue]]"All right," you say. You feel a grin beginning to stretch your lips--but you force the cold redness back down for a moment. "Just one last thing to... to... //chew// on first." You feel the Ravine's delighted laughter tickling inside you, in your voice, but you plough on. "You have your mystery. The snake eating its tail. You said there was a place inside me for it. You know why that is?" //Oh?// "Because I have my own mystery," you manage. "Why... why the heart, and not the head?" [[>|jans talk 8]] //Why the heart, and not the head?// The Ravine's curiosity turns in that direction, with delight and joy. Yes, yes! What a wonderful question! Why the heart, and not the head? Cold red darkness consumes you. You feel an insatiable urge to show the Ravine the root of the question. The day you found Cyrus dead. [[>|jans talk 9]]A slumped silhouette behind a desk. A terrible chest wound, glistening, giving off a smell that should be repugnant. A suicide you bear the guilt for. Meat that used to be a friend. [[Why the heart, and not the head?|heart 01]]A slumped silhouette behind a desk. A terrible chest wound, glistening, giving off a smell that should be repugnant. A suicide you bear the guilt for. Meat that used to be a friend. [[Why the heart, and not the head?|heart 02]]A slumped silhouette behind a desk. A terrible chest wound, glistening, giving off a smell that should be repugnant. A suicide you bear the guilt for. Meat that used to be a friend. [[Why the heart, and not the head?|heart 03]]A slumped silhouette behind a desk. A terrible chest wound, glistening, giving off a smell that should be repugnant. A suicide you bear the guilt for. Meat that used to be a friend. [[wait|heart 04]]A slumped silhouette behind a desk. A terrible chest wound, glistening, giving off a smell that should be repugnant. A suicide you bear the guilt for. Meat that used to be a friend. [[agent wait|heart 05]] [[agent, why the heart and not the head|heart 05]]A slumped silhouette behind a desk. A terrible chest wound, glistening, giving off a smell that should be repugnant. //But why the heart and not the head? Why the heart and not the head?// A suicide you bear the guilt for. Meat that used to be a friend. //agent?// //what does it mean// [[i want to know|heart 06]] [[i HAVE to know|heart 06]] [[agent TELL ME|heart 06]]//A slumped silhouette// When you can stand to think about it, //behind a desk.// there is one thing that's always confused you about Cyrus's death. //A terrible chest wound// He was still alive when you found him, //glistening// because he shot himself in the chest. //giving off a smell that should be repugnant.// In the heart. [[AGENT WHY AGENT AGENT ANSWER|heart 07]] //A suicide// But why, when the head would have ended it all at once? //you bear the guilt for.// Why the heart, and not the head? //Meat that used to be a friend.// Why the heart, and not the head? [[Why the heart, and not the head?|heart 08]]"I don't know why," you slur. At some point you must have collapsed; when you speak, you feel ice-cold stone against your face. The turmoil in your head is like a cauldron boiling over. "I never. Never knew. Tried to. Investigate. Nothing in his personnel file. No profiling. Didn't. Make sense." //AGENT I NEED TO KNOW I NEED TO KNOW I NEED TO KNOW// "It consumed me for years," you mutter. "And now there's no. No way to find out. Question consumed me. The emptiness. Consumed me. Now it's consuming you." //AGENT NO AGENT NO AGENT AGENT AGENT// "That's the price. Of gorging yourself on... on curiosity," you slur. "Hunger only... only cares about being satisfied. But eventually, you run up against the unanswerable. Unanswerable questions. Humans learn. How to cope with them. You never have." //NO AGENT PLEASE// "The hunger in the mind has a price," you slur through the Ravine's howling. "You wanted me as a host. But all I'll feed you is more hunger. Until. You. Choke." //AGENT// //[[AGENT HELP ME|heart 09]]//"I know the answer to your mystery," you whisper as the Ravine screams. "The snake that devours its own tail isn't made immortal." //AGENT! AGENT!// "It's //diminished//," you whisper, as the Ravine's suffering grows fainter, dwindling as it consumes itself in its frenzy. Fading. Fading. [[Until...|heart 10]]Your eyes flutter open as Jans Saloman violently shakes your shoulder. "Please--please, wake up! It's...the Ravine's gone! We all felt it!" Blearily, you look around at the team in the cold glow of the biolamp. They look like people who've been startled out of a horrific nightmare. You wonder how you look to them. Halv and San help you to your feet. All of you are weak and staggering, but you can walk. "Can we get back to the station?" Hannah O'Dean asks, shakily. "Is it over?" You close your eyes. For a moment you feel a cold red thread running through you, the last wisp of something that was once much more powerful. You force it down, and manage to smile. She smiles back. Good enough. Better not to try explaining the truth. Not now. It's time to go. [[>|triumphantreturn]] Doctor Lindgren's hands look like paws, but are surprisingly gentle. He completes the exam in short order, and you start getting dressed. He pulls out a form and starts scribbling on it. "Fit and healthy. Any family history of anything lurking about?" "Nothing relevant." He scribbles again. "Taking any medication?" [["Yes." The pills.]] [["No."|medical bay 2]]Doctor Lindgren nods and sends for assistance. The nurse's quick, if cold, hands finish the exam in a few minutes. You dress while she hands a form to Doctor Lindgren. He studies it while scratching his chin. "Fit and healthy. Any family history of anything lurking about?" "Nothing relevant." He scribbles on the form. "Taking any medication?" [["Yes." The pills.]] [["No."|medical bay 2]]All five of you stagger towards safety almost drunkenly. You lead the way--that eerie strength is gone and you feel horribly nauseous, but you grimly forge ahead anyway. If the others fall, you //have// to make it back somehow. Sheer bloody-minded spite is all that's keeping you going. [[>|triumphantreturn 2]]Tallerken Station emerges from the snowy pre-dawn like a lifeboat tethered to the guide rope. People are stumbling outside, grabbing at one another, crying, or laughing with relief. "//Jans//!" Doctor Saloman comes sprinting across the snow towards the five of you. He barrels right past you and grabs his son in a massive bear hug, clutching him close. "Jans," he keeps repeating. "You're alive. You're //alive//!" "Only just." Jans's voice is muffled against his father's shoulder. He pulls free and reaches out to you, clutching your sleeve in thin icy fingers. "You--thank you. Thank you--" "You did this?" Doctor Saloman says to you, refusing to let go of his son's arm. He's white with shame. "You saved my boy? Even after I--after I let the Ravine--" [["I understand. You did it for him."]] [["I was freeing myself. Jans was a bonus."]] [["I'm a pro. I don't keep grudges."]] [["Fuck you. Also, you're fired."]] Tears trickle down Doctor Saloman's face and he nods, pulling Jans closer. "To be clear," I add, "that doesn't mean I'm not //truly// pissed off about what you did. But... I understand why you thought it was necessary." "Thank you," Saloman tells you. The staff crowd around you and the rest of the team, shouting for blankets and hot drinks. You let them sweep you up, and treat you as a hero. Haven't you earned it? But all the while, there is one tiny thing remaining in the back of your mind. A single cold red flicker, that won't go away. [[>|workepilogue]]Doctor Saloman swallows. "Then I suppose I should count myself lucky." "No shit," you tell him. "For the record, I'm glad he and the others are all right. But that's not why I went out there." The staff crowd around you and the rest of the team, shouting for blankets and hot drinks. You let them sweep you up, and treat you as a hero. Haven't you earned it? But all the while, there is one tiny thing remaining in the back of your mind. A single cold red flicker, that won't go away. [[>|workepilogue]]Doctor Saloman looks at his feet. "Even so, I am sorry. I thought--well, whatever you think when you have a choice like that ahead of you." "Even so, Coson's going to have some very searching questions," you tell him. "I suggest you start getting some real answers together." He nods and kisses Jans's forehead. "My son is alive. They can take whatever they like." The staff crowd around you and the rest of the team, shouting for blankets and hot drinks. You let them sweep you up, and treat you as a hero. Haven't you earned it? But all the while, there is one tiny thing remaining in the back of your mind. A single cold red flicker, that won't go away. [[>|workepilogue]]Doctor Saloman laughs hollowly. "I imagined that was a given." "Pack your shit," you tell him, with what authority you can muster when you're practically swaying on your feet. "And pray that whatever's in my report is convincing enough for Coson //not// to annihiliate your future prospects at every research centre from here to Antarctica." "My son is alive," Saloman tells you quietly. "You can do whatever you wish." The staff crowd around you and the rest of the team, shouting for blankets and hot drinks. You let them sweep you up, and treat you as a hero. Haven't you earned it? But all the while, there is one tiny thing remaining in the back of your mind. A single cold red flicker, that won't go away. [[>|workepilogue]]You look at your hands. "[[I got sloppy.]] I tipped him off by accident. When he found out he was about to get fired, face all the wrath of Coson Technologies, he panicked. Shot himself [[in the chest]] at his desk. [[I was the one who found him.]] It was... messy." "Well," says Doctor Lindgren after a moment. "Makes sense why you'd need a little helper to sleep after that." [[>|medical bay 2]]