You've passed out again. You are wearing an oxygen mask over your nose and mouth.
You're used to passing out, but you thought you had more time.
You open your eyes to your worried friend standing over you. She is blurry for a moment, and you nearly confuse her for someone else, which starts your shoulders wrenching up off the ground only for you to fall back down in powerless fatigue.
Your chest burns.
"Don't say anything here," she warns. "The Denizens are watching you closely now. You're lucky I convinced a Caretaker to fit you with a temporary oxygen device."
You smell the rubber and the heat of your own stale breath trapped up against your nostrils.
[["Don't tell me what I can't say."->aI]]
[["I have to run right now or they'll get me again."->bI]]
[[Say nothing. Assess the situation and catch what little breath you can.->tankIntro]]
(set: $day to 1)
(set: $oxygen to 1)
"I'll assume you're being careless because you're out of sorts. You passed out again," she says, a little hurt but masking it. You notice because you know her so well.
You stare silently. Clearly you'd passed out. What else?
"I'll take you to the Bank and then we'll go home and figure out what to do. The others scattered after the Denizen hit you, and then you were on the ground," she elaborates. "I was frightened. I called the Caretakers, and they brought oxygen."
You nod, shuddering at the thought of the Caretakers' tendrils on your unconscious face and throat.
You remember the other Dissidents rushing through the streets with you, throwing pamphlets with Earth's image to any human who would open their hands or their eyes. You remember going hoarse shouting for freedom so loudly. You remember wondering how long you could shout before you ran out of oxygen.
"Your tank shattered," your friend says.
"Oh." It seems an inadequate utterance for an object as important as an organ, but you are still disoriented.
[[You look down at your Tank.->tankIntro]]
Your friend smacks you. "Get ahold of yourself! You don't have anywhere to go. If you run, you will have to fight past me. You've always been a fighter, but just this once have some sense."
You look around the space. (mouseover: "look")[(align: "===><==")[
You are on the street.
The street is empty. You do not see any Denizens strolling about, and you figure they must be either flying or noncorporeal today.
You seem to have collapsed just outside a machine factory.
You also see a marketplace and floating pod-homes. You don't know this neighborhood. You don't remember why you were here.
]]
You try pushing past her, but you stumble and immediately grow winded. You feel a familiar tightness in your chest. You reach back to check the levels of your Tank.
You should feel something on your back, but you do not.
[[You turn around and squint back to the site of your fainting.->tankIntro]]
"This one must have taken a bad fall," the Denizen murmurs, making worried eye contact with your friend. "Insurance is an old Human practice."
It looks back at me. "Your new Tank will be provided free of charge."
"Oh," you say.
You get fitted for a new Tank. As the thin wires they attach to your Tank fill you up with fresh oxygen, warmth and comfort rush to your head. You close your eyes and sigh. You hadn't realized how badly your temples had been aching.
(set: $oxygen = 3)
Once you are breathing normally again, you decide [[you need to get back to where you were before you passed out.->theNeighborhood]]
Every human wears a Tank. Your Tank keeps you alive. Without it, you cannot breathe the air on this planet. Your body is made for Earth and not for here, even though the Denizens teach you that Earth has been gone for a long time. (You know Earth still exists. You know you are kept here against your will. That's what you were shouting about in the streets.) You cannot remember a time without your Tank faithfully strapped to your back, the glimmering blue glass shapeshifting as you travel through narrow doorways or lay down to sleep.
Now, it lays in shattered remnants on the metallic substitute-cobblestone.(mouseover: "cobblestone")[
(align: "==><==")[The Denizens took in the Humans in the first place out of their fascination with your culture. (It was only convenient that Earth was supposedly destroyed and you had nowhere left to go.) They've copied the aesthetic - it's got a vintage appeal to them.]]
The blue wafts around like puffs of smoke, shrinking and shrivelling. The glass has lost its vibrancy. The little screen on the side blinks slowly, shudders, and goes black.
"The oxygen mask is only temporary," your friend says. "The Caretakers were clear. Let's go to the Bank."
[["Okay, I trust you. Let's go. Watch my back."->theBankIntro]]
[["The Bank might be infested with Denizens wanting to take me out. I'm a known Dissident. I need to run now. I'm sorry. Let me go now and I'll do my best to come back for you."->bII]]
[[Stay quiet. You'll need oxygen to fight your friend.->fightInterimB]]
You've been to the Bank a thousand times.
You see the swirling glass of blues and violets, golds and greens. (mouseover: "blues and violets, golds and greens.")[(align: "==><==")[
You have an oxygen type just like a blood type, you know. The Denizens understand Human physiology better than Humans ever did.
That's why only the Denizens can replenish your oxygen. It would be dangerous to try alone.]]
The locked iridescent silver filing cabinets stretch so high you cannot make out a ceiling. The lone Denizens behind the hard-air barriers stand at their desks, occasionally stepping out to aid a Human who waited too long.
You and your friend get in line, which is thankfully short.
At first you don't think there's anyone at the counter when you reach the front, but the Denizen crackles like static and, after a hesitation or two, appears. Its five eyes widen. (mouseover: "five eyes")[
(align: "==><==")[You don't think you've ever seen a Denizen's natural form. They perfected masterful shapeshifting technology, around the same time they discovered how to be noncorporeal. Birth forms haven't been in vogue for centuries.]]
You feel a bit embarrassed. You wonder how many Humans break their Tanks by accident. You wonder if your insurance will cover this.
[[Ask if your insurance will cover this.->aII]]
Your pod-home consists of a bedroom, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. Your bedroom feels like your safe haven.
You have a desk and a bed.
(if: $day is 1)[[[Go to the strange neighborhood you fainted in.->theNeighborhood]]
[[Go to sleep.->sleep]]]
(if: $day is 2)[You come home to a Denizen perched atop your desk. It has three long, tapered wings and an earless, eyeless face.
"I know what you did," it purrs. "I know what you know."
(if: $oxygen is 3)[
[[Admit what you know, carefully.->cI]]
[[Lie.->cII]]
]
(if: $oxygen is 2)[
You notice your breathing growing strained. You are low on oxygen. What poor timing.
[[Admit what you know, carefully.->cI]]
[[Lie.->cII]]
]
(if: $oxygen is 1)[
You cannot speak. You are running out of oxygen.
You see that the Denizen has a vial of Blue sticking out of its pocket. [[You attack. Stealing that vial is your last hope.->cV]]
]
]
You go here whenever you are low on oxygen, which happens at least once a day. There are Banks stationed in every district.
You see the swirling glass holding blues and violets, golds and greens. (mouseover: "blues and violets, golds and greens.")[(align: "==><==")[
You have an oxygen type just like a blood type, you know. The Denizens understand Human physiology better than Humans ever did.
That's why only the Denizens can replenish your oxygen. It would be dangerous to try alone.]]The locked iridescent silver filing cabinets that stretch so high you cannot make out a ceiling. The lone Denizens behind the hard-air barriers at their desks, occasionally stepping out to aid a struggling Human who waited too long.
[[You fill your Tank.->fillTank]]
You hook up the micro-tubes on your Tank to the swirling Blue. You wait. You close your eyes when the warmth hits you. You breathe. You enjoy the breathing.
(set: $oxygen to 3)
[[Go home.->theBedroom]]
"I know everything now," you say as proudly as you can with your vision beginning to spot around the edges. "I've already told the Humans. If you kill me here, they'll escape anyway. We are not your prisoners anymore."
You want to continue your impassioned false speech, but instead you grimace in pain. You are running out of time.
And then you see, out of the corner of your hazy vision, a blue vial on the Denizen. It has oxygen.
[[You make a run for the vial.->cIV]]
You sprint down the street. Your friend yells after you and begins running too, but you are faster even though your chest and head ache. You struggle to recall which street might lead where. A rush of rebellion and bravado trembles through you. Without your Tank, you feel both naked and freeer than you've ever been.
You see the machine factory. You see a marketplace. You see pod-homes in neat rows, and you see a couple Denizens of varying shapes meander past you.
Once you lose your friend, you slow to a stroll. You take in your surroundings in further detail - the sheen of the buildings, the faint colors in the air you can't breathe. Without your Tank on your back, you are standing straighter than ever before.
But you feel your breath catching in your lungs like the friction of knives on stone, and you aren't sure how long you think you can last with this foreign device substituting for your Tank.
[[Try exploring the machine factory. Maybe you can steal something to escape with.->factoryFake]]
[[You falter. This is a bad idea. Go back to your friend.->tryReconcile]]
You have never been to a machine factory before.
You know what they are for - they are where the Denizens build their shapeshifting technology, which can be controlled neurologically. If a Denizen has a non-coporeality implant, they can simply think of that state of being and their body will disappear.
(mouseover: "disappear.")[(align: "==><===")[When the Denizens shift from physical forms to non-corporeal ones, their bodies don't really disappear. They simply shapeshift into something so small the naked eye cannot percieve them. Their consciousness floats up and out, and only returns to their body when they will it to be so.]]
You look through the window. Everything seems sterile, and most furntiture is floating off the ground along some sort of invisible conveyer belt. You feel data reader eyes on you and you hear the low murmur of electronic voices.
You wander around the back.
(click: "You wander around the back.")[You see a few Humans wearing dark clothing. The man you saved motions to you. You see your friend there, too.
They press a button, and you see a rusty spaceship big enough for perhaps six people.
You do not know if this will work, but you will do anything to try and find Earth. If you succeed, you will start a whole new life without a Tank ever attached to you again. And if you fail, at least you will have died knowing the truth.
[[Play again.->alternate intro]]]
The Denizen vanishes, its body dissolving, its essence floating up and around the room invisible to your eye. You collide painfully with the floor.
You stand up and rub your forearm, which is now scraped. Your stomach lurches and your chest tightens even more. You try holding your breath. You can't waste time.
"I have something you want, it seems," says the Denizen's voice from everywhere and nowhere.
You nod. You do not let your breath go. You find holding it in makes your head ache just as much as breathing without enough air, but at least you know you are safer this way.
"I'll give you oxygen if you call off your friends. If not, you aren't leaving this room. You may think yourself a martyr, but I do not think you want to die," it says smugly.
It appears again on your bed, its physical shape floating an inch above your unmade sheets.
[[Attack the Denizen again.->cV]]
[[Accept the deal.->cVI]]
You scramble up and hurl the rest of your remaining might straight at the Denizen's body. Before it has a change to react and become non-corporeal again, you collide. You knock it onto its back and smash your first into its open mouth, the only feature on its face.
Your knuckles collide with its teeth, which crack. You feel its blood coating your fingers. You look down, and realize you never knew Denizen blood was pearl white.
This Denizen was not trained to fight you. It did not expect it would have to. You would stop breathing first.
Indeed, you are close to that. You are seeing stars. Pain sears through your body like rusty needles. Just before the unprepared Denizen dissolves into non-corporeality again, you steal the vial.
You only have a few moments left. You can barely see. You fumble with your Tank and with the vial. You struggle for an opening, for the wires, for something to pump. Yet you cannot even find a seam in the smooth glass of the vial.
You are about to throw up. In one last attempt, you smash open the vial and try forcing the wisps of blue into your Tank with your bare hands.
[[You think you see it working.->deathI]]
"I'll accept your deal," you choke out.
The Denizen grins widely, its mouth covering the entire lower half of its face. "Tell me where the Humans will be gathering."
"The factory!" you cry out, hating yourself for being so selfish. You do not want to die.
The Denizen moves quickly to replenish your oxygen.
You breathe in deeply and selfishly.
"I hope you are correct," the Denizen tells you, "or you will see me again."
It leaves you in a confused heap on your bedroom floor. As you close your eyes in exhaustion, you think of the man and your friend. You doubt you will ever see them again.
[[Play again.->alternate intro]]
Your vision blacks out entirely.
You fall.
You cease to feel. To breathe. To exist.
You should have known Humans don't know how to replace their own Oxygen.
In your final seconds, you hope the others are escaping. You hope your friend remembers all the details. You wonder what Earth looks like.
You think it might be blue.
[[Start over.->Intro]]
You have a restful sleep. You wake up and need to replenish your oxygen.
(set: $day += 1)
(set: $oxygen = 1)
[[Go to the bank.->theBank]]
There is sunlight, bright and insistent. At midday, the second sun shines further than the first sun. You have sometimes felt it is watching you.
(click: "You have sometimes felt it is watching you.")[Before, you were in an altercation with a Denizen. You were marching for freedom to return to Earth, even though everyone around you denies that Earth still exists. And suddenly you were bathing in nothingness.]
(click: "And suddenly you were bathing in nothingness.")[You have lost track of time.]
(click: "You have lost track of time.")[You have been floating.]
(click: "You have been floating.")[[[It is time to come back.->Intro]]]
You return to the neighborhood where you'd passed out after the protest and altercation.
(if: $day is 1)[You wonder who lives in the pod-homes - is this a Human neighborhood or a Denizen neighborhood?
Now that you have more oxygen in your body, you feel calm and present in your body.]
(click: "you feel calm and present in your body.")[You turn a corner and see a Denizen fighting a Human. The Human is clawing at the Denizen and shouting.]
(set: $day to 2)
(click: "shouting.")[The Human yells, "I won't be your prisoner! Send me home!"
The Denizen swiftly goes non-corporeal. You watch the plug detach from the Human's Tank, presumably pulled by the now-bodiless Denizen. The Human keels over and falls face-first to the concrete.
[[You stare, openmouthed. This is too close to what just happened to you.->getRecruited]]
[[You rush to help him.->helpHuman]]]
[[You hightail it back to your house.->theBedroom]]
You are almost at the machine factory. You know this is where the Denizens' shapeshifting technology is built. If a Denizen has a non-coporeality implant, they can simply think of that state of being and their body will disappear.
(mouseover: "disappear.")[(align: "==><===")[When the Denizens shift from physical forms to non-corporeal ones, their bodies don't really disappear. They simply shapeshift into something so small the naked eye cannot percieve them. Their consciousness floats up and out, and only returns to their body when they will it to be so.]]
You are about to push through the transparent doors when you are knocked to your knees by sharp pain in your chest.
You feel as if you are choking. You clutch your abdomen, you try to hold your breath, you push your oxygen mask so tightly against your face that you feel it digging into your skin.
Your vision blurs.
You pass out again.
(click: "You pass out again.")[But not before you hear a voice.]
(click: "But not before you hear a voice.")[The voice says, "What is that Human doing without a Tank?"
That voice is the last thing you hear.
(click: "That voice is the last thing you hear.")[No one helps you in time. Your lungs are out of oxygen and your heart stops beating.
[[Play again. ->alternate intro]] ]]
You stare silently while the man in front of you dies. His oxygen, Blue like yours, floats from the little opening in his Tank and disappears into the air. He makes strained choking sounds and eventually stops moving.
You take a deep breath, grateful that your own Tank is still full.
The Denizen materializes again in front of you.
(click: "The Denizen materializes again in front of you.")["Hello Human," it says. "Please do disregard what you have just seen. That man was a violent lawbreaker, you see."
"I see," you say, unsure whether this Denizen recognizes you.
"You seem like a responsible citizen," the Denizen says. "Would you like to help me with something?"
[["Okay."->getRecruitedII]]
[["No thanks, I'm going home." This could be a trap.->theBedroom]]]
The Denizen who pulled the Tank's plug shifts back to physical form and turns its back, walking away.
You start shouting for Caretakers, but no Denizen comes to help. The man before you is dying. You kneel next to him and feel for his pulse, which is faint beneath your fingertips.
[[Try to give him some of your oxygen.->respirateConspirator]]
[[Try taking him to the Bank.->deadConspirator]]
[[Try talking to him.->dyingConspirator]]
The Human you saved is older than you. He has gray hair and clear blue eyes. He walks a little hunched over, clutching a walking device.
You ascend the steps to his pod-home. The doors slide open and you step inside.
(click: "you step inside.")[The space is sparsely decorated, save for a couch and a few family holographs on the rounded walls.
The man gestures for you to sit, and you do.
"Have you heard that the Denizens have lied to us?" he asks.
You nod. "I know the Earth is out there."]
(click: "I know the Earth is out there.")[The man leans in close and breathes, "They may be listening. But you must know, for your own good, that some of us are planning to go back."
You open your mouth, dumbfounded.
[["I'm in. How are we going back?" you ask.->theConspiratorII]]
[["I think the Denizens will stop you," you respond. "We would probably die on the way. You should lay low and stop telling people about this. I'm going home.->theConspiratorEnd]]]
You and the Denizen walk to a little cafe and sit down.
(mouseover: "cafe")[
(align: "==><==")[The Denizens do not need food to survive, but Humans do.]]
The Denizen orders you a sandwich. You begin eating.
The Denizen says, "The Planetary Guard is seeking Human help. We fear an uprising. We know that without us you will not survive on this planet, and that your home planet Earth is long gone. We must talk sense into these rebellious folk. We do not like killing Humans, but we will do so if they threaten our lives as that man did. We think they will listen if it is another of their kind telling them to stop."
[["Of course I'll help you." This is better than being on the run or getting attacked again.->happyMindless]]
[["I'll do my best." You don't mean it. You think you can use this to get information.->happyMindless]]
[[This is wrong. Turn the Denizen down.->refuseRecruited]]
Once you join the Denizens, you learn all about how Humans across the planet have become violent or disagreeable against Denizens due to information that the long-deceased planet Earth may still exist. You begin holding rallies where you proclaim the goodness of the Denizens and urge Humans to retain order. You explain repeatedly that Earth was destroyed a long time ago, and any other notion is propaganda. You don't believe any of this, but saying it keeps you safe.
Sometimes, you help the Denizens cut off oxygen of Dissenters. These Humans sometimes try to tell you why they have been dissident. But you don't dare listen to their dangerous talk anymore.
You know the Denizens treat you well. They give you oxygen so you can live on their planet. You are grateful to be of service.
[[Play again.->alternate intro]]
"Yes," he says. "A few other Humans know. We plan on stealing a ship and returning to our old home planet. If you are interested, come to the machine factory at midnight."
"Can I bring my friend?"
"Yes," he says. "Just be careful. Bring no possessions except your Tank. We must travel lightly and quietly. Now go home. Tell no one except your friend."
[["I'm going to tell my friend right now."->tellFriend]]
You excitedly tell your friend that some Dissidents are planning an escape back to Earth. She decides to join the escape team with you. You tell her what to do and where to be. You are elated to share this with her. She wraps you up in a hug.
(set: $oxygen to 2)
[[After that, you go home.->theBedroom]]
You think taking the easy way out is the best option. You are shaken from your attack, and you aren't sure whether the Dissident life is for you anymore.
Over time, you forget about that strange encounter. You never tell a soul. You still see Humans attacked in the streets, but you turn a blind eye. You think you hear something about a botched attempt to steal a ship. You think you hear about a death toll.
You listen without reacting. You only ever stand there and breathe.
[[Play again.->alternate intro]]
You tell the Denizen about the man, and you say truthfully that you do not know his name.
"That man was speaking nonsense," the Denizen tells you. "There is no Earth. But so many Humans have been believing otherwise that we must take precautions that you do not attack our own. That is why I am here. We must stop their attempt at escape before they harm anyone with their reckless violence."
[[Believe it.->confederate]]
[[Don't believe it.->subtlety]]
"I see," you say. "Are you going to kill me?" you ask.
The Denizen shakes its head. "I am here to warn you. I am here to tell you not to trust what you have been told, and instead to remain on your guard. I expect you to never again engage with that Human. We will be dealing with him appropriately. Do you understand?"
[["I understand." In the back of your mind, you plan your escape.->escape]]
[["No, I won't let you kill him!" you shout, rushing suddenly to attack the Denizen. You make a dive for it.->cIV]]
A little while after the Denizen disappears, you take your chance. You slip out to the machine factory. You need to know for yourself if Earth is indeed still real.
[[Now is your chance.->factoryI]]
You think back upon your encounter. The man in question hadn't offered you any evidence, and the Denizens have never given you a reason to doubt them. They take care of their Human population so well.
"I suppose what he said did not make very much sense," you respond carefully.
"I have an offer for you," the Denizen says. "If you are interested, come with me."
[[You follow.->getRecruitedII]]
After a pause, your friend sighs in exasperation. "Okay. You must be in shock. Let's go." She grabs you by the shoulders. She tries dragging you along beside her.
You wrench away and send a knee to her stomach.
Her eyes widen and she doubles over. "You fucker!" she shouts. "You're making a mistake!"
You don't care. Your freedom is more important than anything. [[You take off down the street.->bII]]
You stop and turn around, walking back where you came from. After a couple blocks, you see your friend in the distance, likely still looking for you.
You catch up to her and muster a breathless apology. You're almost out of oxygen in this small mask. "I'll go to the Bank with you," you suggest.
She steps back. "You're a mess, and I'm not sure I want to be around you right now. You could put me in danger too, being so reckless. I'll take you to the Bank, but then I'm out."
[[You nod. "I did what I felt I had to do."->theBankIntro]]
[[You nod. "I'm sorry. You were right, and I need you."->theBankIntro]]
[[You nod and say nothing, walking with her.->theBankIntro]]
You unscrew one of the wires attached to your Tank and plug it into his, hoping you both use the same Blue oxygen. You watch the foggy Blue float halfway into the foreign Tank. You hold your breath, both out of anxiety and because you are giving some oxygen away.
(click: "You hold your breath, both out of anxiety and because you are giving some oxygen away.")[
After a moment, the man's eyes flutter open and he takes a deep breath.
He laughs a little in relief.
(set: $oxygen to 2)
"Thank you for saving my life. Come with me to my house," the man whispers.
[["Okay," you say. "Let's go."->theConspirator]]]
You try hauling the man up in your arms.
"What . . . are you . . . doing?" he strains, his face losing color and the edges of his eyes stained red.
"We're going to the Bank! You need oxygen!"
His weight is heavy against yours, but you stumble with him anyway.
"T-thank you ---" he stammers, coughing. "There's a ship! A ship going ---"
"Ssh. Don't talk. We're almost there," you assure him.
"--- to Earth!" he finishes. He erupts into another storm of coughing. You watch the veins on his neck bulge against his wrinkled skin.
"What? When? Who?" you ask.
He does not respond.
He goes limp.
He has died before you could help him. You collapse with him in the street, trying to shake him or feel his heartbeat again. He is heavy in your lap now and your knees dig into the hard street.
It's no use.
[[You go home, stewing over your new knowledge.->theBedroom]]
"It's okay. I'm here with you," you assure him, leaning in close.
He erupts in coughs. You see his veins bulge against his wrinkled neck.
You whisper in his ear, "They attacked me, too. I was protesting. I'll make sure you aren't forgotten."
"There's --- there's a ship leaving for Earth ---" he stammers, struggling.
"What?" you ask, gripping his trembling hand.
"From the machine factory, tonight. Go. Find our home."
Without another word, he dies.
[[Tell your friend.->tellFriend]]
[[Go right home.->theBedroom]]
"I'm sorry, but I won't help you," you say.
"Very well," responds the Denizen. "But if you are not with the Denizens of this planet, you may be against us. There have been strange secrets circulating amongst the Humans, and we will find out what they are by any means. Good day."
[[Shaken, you return home.->theBedroom]]