1/1 Cross 2023/02/04(Sat)17:58 No. 1055222 ID: 1015ea
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The static clears and - on the other side, a mouse.
“H-hello? Is anybody there?”
His voice is hazy at first, the bouncing signals picked up by your receiver coming from far, far away.
“I… I just got this connection all of a sudden. Haven’t gotten anything since the cave-in, but
He clears his throat, looking around nervously.
“I ah, um, this isn’t just me talking to nothing, is it? I hope it’s a real signal anyway.”

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling the transmission. We control the vertical and the horizontal. You are about to participate in a great adventure.

Assure him that this is a real signal, and he's connected with us. Ask about the cave-in, what happened, and for the location of where he's at so we can get someone to help rescue him out of there.

Let him know you're real, ask him who he is, what happened, and where. Use your 'soothing' voice-the one from the emergency call center gig you did some years ago.

>>1055222
Oh, sorry, didn't mean to broadcast anything. Homemade transceiver must be acting up.

What do you mean "cave in"? What is the situation?

"Okay, not what I was expecting to have on tonight, but okay. Um, assuming you can hear me, could you start with your current location, whether you have injured, and what danger you're currently facing, in that order? I can call someone, and I'd guess that you need to conserve air over there."

1/2 Cross 2023/02/10(Fri)17:21 No. 1055714 ID: 1015ea
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Picking up the receiver, you reply to his muttering.
>Oh, sorry, didn't mean to broadcast anything. Homemade transceiver must be acting up.

You reach over to switch the signal, but he pipes up again as he watches you get closer to your TV-set.
“H-hey, wait, please don’t leave. It’s… lonely in here. I’ve been stuck inside for a while now, but its hard to tell the time. I… don’t have anyone else to tak to. Is it okay if you stick around for a bit? N-not that you have to, if you’ve got anything better to do…”

He has no idea. Sure, let’s see where this goes.
>Use your 'soothing' voice-the one from the emergency call center gig you did some years ago.

It’s times like these where your wide range of experiences DO come in handy. Shame it didn’t take you anywhere else in life.

You tell the mouse man that everything will be fine and he seems to calm a little, soothed by your voice.
“O-oh, I’m sorry… it’s just been a while since I last had to talk to people,...”

Now for the next part - what was he talking about when he mentioned a ‘cave-in’? You bring it up to him.

“O-oh, so, the cave-in… well, from the looks of it, you’re a surface-dweller, so maybe its different for you, but down here, we get occasional earthquakes. Normally, the scaffolding on the roof is enough to help prevent any bigger problems, but… it didn’t work this time.”

2/2 Cross 2023/02/10(Fri)17:22 No. 1055715 ID: 1015ea
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You ask him to tell you his current location, his injuries if any, and what dangers he’s facing in case he needs help.

“Ah, well… I’m at my home, corner of 445 Geronimo Street, somewhere off the Undercity… I’m not injured, and the only danger is boredom… and the loneliness.”
Interesting that he says he isn’t injured, considering his eyepatch.

“I’ve got my own television setup connected to a camcorder, so I’m able to move things around a bit if you need to see something better. My home’s not too cramped, but I’m not sure if there’s anything I could say right now. It’s… quiet here. I never went out much before, but I think having my door blocked by rubble’s made me realise how much I liked HAVING the option of going outside…”

He catches himself muttering, snapping back to attention.
“Thanks for offering help though, but I think help’s already on the way.”
He gestures toward something off the screen.
“We’ve… got these pneumatic tube systems running through our homes. Makes sending messages easier, since signals are rare down here… they told me that rescue’s coming, but I don’t know when.”

He scratches his arm.
“That was a while ago… I hope they didn’t forget. Or maybe they were just playing at me. Maybe I’m not worth it… ah, I’m sorry, I’m rambling again.”

He tries to smile, but it comes out pained.
“I guess I’m glad that you’re here… but what’s your name?”

Rhak'isa Ha'jakal
(Rawr Imma Tiger)

"Rory Parth"

Contemplate how this mouse trapped behind a cave-in is somehow better off than you are. I mean seriously, is that a computer? Aren't those expensive? Not to mention all the books he has.

"I'm assuming your place is self-sustaining then?"

How long have you been stuck there?

How does refreshing food, water, air, and removing waste work if all the infrastructure and ability to leave to get supplies is messed up?

Lance Briskle.

How do I get to you?

1/2 Cross 2023/02/20(Mon)02:20 No. 1056550 ID: 1015ea
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“Rory Parth”, you tell the mouse.

“Ah… interesting name! I’m called Daveth… though sometimes I get called Davey, but that was a long time ago.”

>Contemplate how this mouse trapped behind a cave-in is somehow better off than you are. I mean seriously, is that a computer? Aren't those expensive? Not to mention all the books he has.

There’s certainly a twinge of envy in the back of your mind. If only things had gone better in the past. But for now, you’re wondering what the hell you can even do for him.

“How can I get to you?”

He scratches his arm, standing a bit further back from the camera.

“Oh… there’s… there’s probably no need for that. To be honest, while I’m rather worried… I’m still able to get food, water…”
He adjusts the camera, pointing it towards a strange array of pipes.
“The pneumatic transport system’s pretty handy for that kind of thing. I’m glad that my piping wasn’t damaged… I don’t know what I’d do otherwise.”

“I’m assuming your place is self-sustaining then?”

He nods, though he doesn’t quite look at the television set.
“Yeah… it’s just… there’s not much else besides that. I tend to my plants, but nobody really comes to visit. Not that anyone can right now, since… the door’s all blocked in.”

2/2 Cross 2023/02/20(Mon)02:20 No. 1056551 ID: 1015ea
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Does he want help or not? Time to cut to the chase.
“Well, what can I do for you?”

“O-oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I… there’s nobody to talk to - it’s just messages, and sending them back and forth isn’t much of a proper conversation…”
He shakes his little head, adjusting his eyepatch.

“I guess… you could keep me company for a while? I don’t know when exactly rescue will come, but I don’t have much to do. It’s hard to focus on reading now, and I think reception is down for the computer.”

“I mean… they wouldn’t lie to me about the rescue, would they? I got the last message pretty recently, but I don’t know how long its been since… everything happened. I don’t hear any sounds of equipment, and nobody’s gone to try and tell me that things are in progress so…”
He starts drifting off into quiet muttering, barely audible.

Perhaps there’s something to be said about the similarity of your circumstances. It wouldn’t hurt to accompany this poor man for the time being - but you’re seriously going to have to change the topic. He’s going to put himself into a panic if he keeps thinking like that.

Tell him it's fine. Even if rescue takes a while he's safe where he is.

Ask him if he's got any video games on that computer. Movies? TV shows?

Yes we can talk, we could even find something to play together through this communication.

We can talk about whatever, though we don't have much on our end.
What's on that shelf behind you?

1/2 Cross 2023/02/26(Sun)17:58 No. 1057018 ID: 1015ea
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>Ask if he’s got any games on that computer over there.

Games? On a computer? Seems a little unlikely, but you may as well ask.

“Oh, games, huh… well, I’ve got Solitaire on there! I love it when the cards do the little cascade thing when you win.”

Riveting.

“Perhaps we could find something to play together through this?”

He perks up immediately, his big ears quivering to attention.
“That sounds… fun, actually! But… I’m sorry to say that there’s not much that comes to mind. I’ve got… paper, I guess? Maybe tic tac- actually wait that’s too boring. Umm.”
He was seriously going to suggest playing tic tac toe?

2/2 Cross 2023/02/26(Sun)17:59 No. 1057019 ID: 1015ea
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Changing the subject again, you bring up the topic of his shelf. You can think about games to play later.

“Oh, my shelf? That’s…”
He stumbles over to the shelf, picking up a photograph. In it, you can see three mice who bear a resemblance to him.

“Yeah, so… that was my family. O-oh, but, they’re still alive, just… elsewhere. You know how it is, people will get into those retirement homes in no time… but I mean, all my siblings have gone off to do their own thing.”

“...It kinda sucks, doesn’t it? This was the one photo I could get of me and my folks without the others around.”

“I don’t think many surfacedwellers have to deal with this kind of thing. When you’ve got this many siblings, most of the time your parents won’t ever have any time for you. I think I was basically raised by older brothers and sisters.”

“Ah, well… should we get back to the topic at hand? I’m not quite sure what game we could play together, but I think that’ll be nice. Preferably something short and simple, if it was something long, then I fear I’d not be a good match for you. I don’t have any cards either, but I think card games don’t quite work over the TV… hahah…”
He makes a good point, even if he’s not even able to look at you while laughing.


Well, what game should you play with Davey?

Simon says, we'll be simon

There must be card games played with one deck for each player. Even if there isn't it should be possible to adapt some games.
How about Mau-Mau with one deck for each player? If you are not familiar it's the game Uno is based on. 7 is a +2, joker is a +5, 9 is a +1 (but doesn't skip a turn), queen switch, A skip (in a two players game Queen and A do the same thing) and Jack chose the next suit.

Logical board games work very well for this kind of setup. We can mimic each other game, or play with a single board with only verbal instructions from one of us. Chess have the advantage of easy to identify pieces.

What's the story behind the eyepatch Daveth? It seem like you wear one since childhood.

Oh chess would be ideal. Checkers, however, is much easier to set up if you don't have a set. Just need a bunch of little objects of two different kinds, and enough paper to draw a grid big enough.

Cards are no-go indeed, you need perfect information games like chess or checkers.

Since Chess is too long or complicated, I suggest checkers, or checkers on a chessboard: The latter would likely make the game a bit faster and the numbered squares will facilitate playing over the TV.

Alternately, you could try Connect Four.

1/3 Cross 2023/03/12(Sun)15:50 No. 1058358 ID: 1015ea
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>Simon Says!
…A little juvenile for two grown adults.

>How about some cards?
Davey’s not got any, and neither do you. The thought of cards only reminds you of many awkward and unsuccessful poker nights in the past.

>Checkers!

>Connect Four!

Now these two…
These are all fairly short games - and ultimately, nothing says you can’t do both of them.
You inform Davey of the games - and he’s more than happy to oblige.
“Oh! Checkers, that’s perfect! I don’t actually have all the pieces anymore, but we can make do!”
How does someone even lose the pieces for a checkers set?!


Regardless, thus begins an intense match - honestly, you hadn’t actually played that much checkers before, but who even has?

Soon enough, he’s got you cornered with an overwhelming advantage.
The old adage is true - never underestimate the quiet ones… or they’ll annihilate you in an old-timey boardgame.

“Looks like I win this time, Rory? How about we move onto the next game?”
To tell the truth, it’s surprisingly fun, even though you had to get him to move the pieces for you. In a way, it’s almost like being able to play games with a younger sibling, not that you’ve had any. Meanwhile, Davey’s got more than an abundance of siblings on his end.

“Well, what next?”

2/3 Cross 2023/03/12(Sun)15:56 No. 1058362 ID: 1015ea
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Moving onto the next game, Connect Four…
There’s something convenient about not even having to use a different board - with the previous setup sufficing, just approaching it differently.

This time,you have the edge.
Nobody ever expects a diagonal being formed when there’s multiple rows in contention.
“Oh! I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming. Maybe I should take notes for next time… you’re clearly quite a bit of a strategist.”
Divide and conquer - plan ahead a little. You can’t say you’ve accomplished much in your life, but some measure of strategy has been learned.

3/3 Cross 2023/03/12(Sun)15:57 No. 1058363 ID: 1015ea
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With another game concluded, the two of you take a mild drink break before returning to your spots in front of your setups.
You figure the amount of activity here’s gotten you closer to Davey - you finally ask the question that’s been on your mind for a long time.
“So what happened to you with that eyepatch?”

“Ah… people don’t ask me about it as often as they think. I think… it’s because they’re scared about touching on something they don’t wanna hear about.”
He adjusts the strap, the leather glistening under the television fuzz.

“To tell you the truth, I was born with it. An eye defect. Complications at birth. It had to get removed because one of my eyes didn’t develop while my mother was still pregnant with me. Outside of my vision being a little worse, I haven’t suffered any other health side effects!”

He slumps down where he’s sitting.
“...I guess. But it was a bit of a problem when it came to how others saw me. We tried a glass eye at first, but other kids often made fun of me because it never quite looked right. I can’t say it made me a lot of friends - some people tried taking the eye, using it as a marble… kids can be pretty mean.”
He sighs.
“I mean, now… I don’t think many people tried to even get to know me. Either they saw me as someone unstable, or someone dangerous. So I appreciate you spending time here with me.”
It’s certainly been nice in its own way.

“...I hope you don’t mind me asking, but were things hard for you when you were young as well?”
…The question is, what are you even going to say to him about that?

Well, sort of, though at first things were not much harder for you than they were for anyone in that situation, just what comes with growing up in a low income neighborhood.
Though, later on you made things harder for yourself, got in with the wrong crowd some might say, and you ended up burning every bridge you'd made before realizing your mistakes.

>>1058363
Grew up pretty poor, so had to cut a lot of corners to live. Never quite shook ourselves out of the frugal lifestyle. We never did anything REALLY illegal, but sometimes we succumbed to some temptation. Filching a piece of candy, making up extra bad sob stories for sympathy, that sorta thing. Had to make sure we didn't piss off the wrong kids, either, else you'd get a nasty visit one evening when you're walking home. Obviously we don't get up to anything foul nowadays, but better poor and unarrested than risking a 'visit' from the boys in blue when you're taking a piss.

No, you will never share your past with some one-eyed shut in. You may be a crook and a failed one to boot, but at least you can get yourself to get out of the house, dammit.
You are just spending time with this guy because you are bored out of your gourd. He is not your friend.

1/3 Cross 2023/03/25(Sat)18:34 No. 1059514 ID: 1015ea
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>No, you’ll never share your past with some one-eyed shut-in.
…And yet, this shut-in makes for a decent choice of confidant. Someone far, far away from your own circumstances. His people all live underground, right? The worlds of surface-dwellers, sky-fliers, ocean-swimmers and undergrounders are miles and miles apart.

Sure, why not. But you’re going to keep the finer details from him.

You tell Davey about your past - if only a little, of the rough time you’ve had growing up in a low-income neighbourhood.
The boardgames are packed away as he sits, engaged with your retelling of past events. Of your sticky fingers and barren cupboards.
For now, you held onto the details that followed - of your misguided teen years and young adulthood. Of the people who you’d been better off having never met.
And now, you’re alone in this world, without an out.

2/3 Cross 2023/03/25(Sat)18:36 No. 1059517 ID: 1015ea
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“So, you’re from a rougher childhood too? I… know how it feels.”
His fingers trace a line in the dirt flooring.
“I mean, nobody’s really well off where I’m at, but my family made do. My siblings were sent off to a bunch of different jobs and I was as well. I… wasn’t too bad at what I did. But I was only at the edge of being good enough, good enough to get into something more prestigious. I just don’t think my heart was into most of the options I had.”
He turns to his camera.
“What I’m really into, is plants. They’re hardy, much hardier than me.”
That would explain all the stuff growing in his house.
“Horticulture… it’s a complicated subject in our society. On one hand, it’s important because food’s important. We all eat a lot, metabolism, that kind of thing… on the other hand, it’s difficult to grow anything down here. Anything of value, anyway. I’d say we can eat a lot, but when the things you grow barely provide any nutrition, its got diminishing returns when it comes to space, time and efficacy.”

He looks at the flower at his side - a pale little thing. Compared to the ones you’ve seen in person, it seems frail, like its about to wilt at any moment. Yet, even in a sunless place like his home - there it is.

“The project I’ve been working on hasn't made much progress at all. But… you know what? I’m sticking with it. ”

3/3 Cross 2023/03/25(Sat)18:36 No. 1059518 ID: 1015ea
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Sticking with it? You ask him what he meant.

“Oh! So…”
He stands, grunting as he seems to be moving something from offscreen. Out of breath, he continues to explain his point.
“I guess it can be hard to stick with a project for a long time. But… it all depends on what the end goal is, and not losing sight of it.”

He pulls a big pot of soil over, though there doesn’t seem to be anything growing in it yet.
“Hah… well - let’s say you’re someone training for the Digging Cup, see who can make the longest, safest tunnel in the shortest amount of time possible. You have to train by making little holes with the right diameter and qualities over and over, and that can feel like a pain in the tush!”

His fingers point into the pot, but you don’t really quite see what he’s pointing at.

“If you didn’t have a real goal, then it’s gonna be hard to stick with it. But if you’re thinking about your dear wife in the hospital, or if you’re running for the sake of keeping your elementary school open… then you’re more likely to stick with it!”

The pot is scooted a bit closer to the camera, and you think you see a small plant shoot poking out from the soil.
“And in time, it does bloom, but you have to make sure the conditions are right as well - and you have to keep maintaining it!”
A bit of soil spills over the rim, onto the equally dirt-filled floor.

“Even if people tell me that I should put my time elsewhere, I can’t help but feel excited about this! But there’s been… harder times. When I think about just, stopping all of this.”

He looks off into the distance.
“But what else is there? I’d rather bring this project to fruition first, before just… throwing it away. I think there’s something worth it in there.”

His whiskers twitch and he turns his attention right back at you.
“Oh! I can’t believe I forgot, I didn’t ask about how you and the others garden on the surface! It isn’t like our societies come into contact with each other all that often, what with the Laws in place… but I’m wondering if there’s any tips you could give me.”

He waves his hands, as if to dismiss the idea that he’s expecting something from you.
“O-oh, but that being said, if you’re not the gardener type, then you don’t have to force yourself to…”

Are we defining the protagonist circumstances? I guess he could be an employed farmer.

From what Rory said we can assume the job he is describing is considered far more glamorous than ours, but maybe a little bit of what we know could be useful.
We could say that different plants require certain properties from the soil, but normally not extremely dissimilar to the necessities of every other plant.
Ph must be somewhere between 5.5 and 6.5. Use one of those paper test thing.
Nitrogen in the soil depend on bacteria, so how much organic matter the soil contain determines how much supplement you should add. 5% organic matter is the ideal proportion in this criteria because it require the least amount of nitrogen fertilizer. If you don't have this kind of fertilizer you can plant leguminous next to what you are trying to grow to increase the nitrogen in the soil. If there is too much nitrogen the leaves may develop rust, so be careful.
Phosphor in the soil can be washed away if the soil have a sandy conquistense. If you are having problems with this a clay base soil should be easier to fertilize.
And plant growth hormones are amazing. Auxin, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene. You have to read on how to ease each one, but it's worth. Just don't expect a miracle if there ia a problem with the fertilizing or the water supply.

Well for starters, on the surface, plants have the advantage of sunlight.

>>1059554

Eh, sufficient power levels means you can have a room with red glow lights and heavy CO2 content, and you can stack them vertically in trays and do mixed hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and mistponics systems, so you can get massive amounts of growth for limited spatial inputs and secondary benefits too. The problem there is the maaaassive input of both energy and labor. Outside, you get much lower outputs per cubic unit of space, but you can get wayyyyy higher outputs per worker-hour, with the types of automation that allow one worker to do many, more simple, tasks with the right machines. Because of the whole sunlight, soil, rain thing. It's also easier to grow certain grains if you have huge amounts of space.

1/3 Cross 2023/04/06(Thu)18:49 No. 1060862 ID: 1015ea
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You start with a pithy remark.
“Well, on the surface, plants have the advantage of sunlight.”

Davey nods.
“Oh… yes, of course. That’s true enough. Down here we’ve got other means, and I suppose there’s a degree of adaptability we possess to create more supplies for ourselves.”


You can’t say that you’re an expert about all things plant related, but you’re going to try to at least give him some kind of advice. There was definitely a time when you’ve tried your hand at farmwork. It didn’t pan out for long, but it did take a few years of your life. May as well see what you remember.
“You got any growth hormones for plants down there? If there’s no issues with fertilization and water supply, then chemicals like auxin, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene - they can all help stimulate plant growth.”

“Oh! That’s an excellent suggestion, Rory, I really appreciate it! I suppose… our kind down here don’t experiment as much with chemical infusions in the past due to past incidents. But narrowing down the list significantly can help.


He changes the topic, prodding at his whiskers in quiet contemplation.
“I’d… rather not bore you too long with this kind of thing, so let’s move on. But this was a great help, thank you! I can’t wait until-”

2/3 Cross 2023/04/06(Thu)18:50 No. 1060863 ID: 1015ea
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The view of the camera shakes - and intensely at that.
“What’s going on?”, you ask Davey.

In spite of everything, worry bubbles up in the back of your throat.
“I… I’ve got no idea! This doesn’t seem like a rescue!”

He ducks down, hands on his head as he sticks close to the ground. Small pebbles and chunks of earth rain down from the ceiling, scattering around Davey and dirtying his clothes.

The connection on the screen grows hazy - the screen filled with static for brief intermissions, sound crackling and popping like a spitting pot of oil.

For a brief moment, you can’t see anything - and it was as if the connection had been cut.

3/3 Cross 2023/04/06(Thu)18:50 No. 1060864 ID: 1015ea
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Soon, the rumbling stops and the haze from the television dissipates in part, returning back to the usual connection quality.
“What was that?”, you ask, hoping that Davey can still hear you.

“I… that was another tremor, wasn’t it? Oh no…”
His voice sounds so small from your television set.

“I heard some crunching during that… I hope there isn’t much that broke during that…”

Standing up, he dusts off his clothing - and the little man in front of you seemed tinier than ever.
“Umm, I hope you don’t mind sticking with me during this… things could get pretty bad and uh, having someone’s voice around can help calm the nerves.”

Seems fair enough.
But what parts of his home should you go tell him to inspect first? While it’s likely he wants to check every part of his home, giving him an area to prioritise could prove important.

The kitchen and pantry. If his supplies are damaged, it could prove to be a problem if rescue isn’t coming any time soon.
The pneumatic pipe system he’s shown from before. If that’s damaged, he couldn’t even ask for supplies if he’s running low.
What about his project room and his plants? He’s going to be checking the other utilities soon enough, but if his plants have been hit in the tremor, then that could prove fatal to his future endeavours without quick intervention.

>>1060864
Plants first, it's time sensitive. Then the pipe.

>>1060866
Make sense. It's not like he will be able to savage a broken pipe or a spilled pickle better now than a while later.

1/1 Cross 2023/04/24(Mon)16:59 No. 1062055 ID: 1015ea
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>Prioritize the plants! The pipes can be fixed later!

You tell Davey to hurry and prioritize saving his project - and he’s more than happy to oblige.
The camera jolts, this time from being picked up - and you get a brief tour of his house, flashing by through the static haze.

Tunnel-like is an apt description. Fitting for a mouse, if anything.


His garden room is… currently wet.
That’s the best way to describe it.
He quickly sets the camcorder down somewhere on a desk and you’re getting a solid view of
True enough - you can even hear a crackling sort of gurgling from the other side as Davey looks on the scene with shock.
A large stone’s landed on one of the smaller, thinner pipes leading into the room, the control valve having snapped right off. Water’s jetting out all over from the different sprinklers threatening an unpleasant demise for his plantation - and that isn’t accounting for the flow coming directly from the water pipe.

“Aagh! The water piping! It’s going to drown them!”
He struggles to close the valve, and his little legs are submerged in the water flowing between the hydroponics basins.
“There’s just… so much water. I can help dry the plants out afterward, but I have to stop the flow first! I’m… I’m not good with engineering, I don’t know if you are, but this thing’s flowing like crazy!”

Ah hell, he’s really not having a good time, is he?
Question is if there’s a good way to stop the water from ruining everything - he’s in a greenhouse, surely he’s got a good amount of tools to deal with it?

>>1062055
There must be a service valve somewhere nearby! Get a pipewrench and crank it. Elsewise ducttape it up while you look for more solutions, it'll at least buy you some time.

There should be a cutoff valve in the sprinkler control system. Is that what that hatch on the wall is for?

1/1 Cross 2023/05/06(Sat)19:29 No. 1062861 ID: 1015ea
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>There should be a service valve nearby!
“Can you try to find a service valve, Davey?”, you ask as he scrambles around the room.
“Try and get some duct-tape to patch up the holes first!”

The mouse scrambles, scrabbling across the waterlogged floor as he searches for supplies. Soon enough he finds the tape, rushing over to the pipe. Hurriedly, he circles the pipe using the table, struggling against the water blasting right against his face.

>There should be a cutoff valve in the sprinkler control system. Is that what that hatch on the wall is for?
It’s hard to see through the haze but… in the water, the valve’s handwheel seems to have snapped off. Uh oh.

Davey grunts, struggling to block up the broken pipe, his face being blasted by the water as he struggles to apply tape over the wrecked metal. A small bubble of water forms under the tape, pushed out by the jetting flow.
Soon enough - he’s able to force the last of it down, a shoddy seal forming around the pipe and stone that had wedged itself in there. Trickles of water still leak through, but nowhere near the volume as before.

“Is the water level going to keep going up?”, you ask Davey as he leans on the pipe to catch his breath.
“I… *huff*, installed a drainage system specifically in case something went wrong… I just wasn’t expecting it to be this big of a burst.”

Soon enough, some of the water starts draining out of the room, and a flustered Davey wipes his brow.
Unfortunately, he still seems to be ankle-deep in all of it.

“Ah… I don’t think I’ve gotten a workout like this in a while.”
He groans, looking at the sorry state of the waterlogged greenhouse.
“I think the drain’s clogged by all the dirt… I’m going to have to take measures to resuscitate the plants.”
The bulge of tape over the pipe wobbles ominously.

“I don’t think that’s going to hold forever”, you point out.
“The drain needs to be unclogged as well”, Davey adds.

Both of the issues need to be resolved, sure - but the question is how Davey should juggle the tasks. It would be a problem if the tape seal over the pipe broke - but part of why water’s still leaking through was because he didn’t have enough strength to make the seal airtight. And there’s the matter of the clog too - Davey’s looking winded, and at this rate, if something goes wrong, he may not have the energy to fix it.
There surely has to be a more efficient way to solve the problem.

>>1062861
Hmm... with better leverage, a job is easier. Is there anything he can wrap the pipe in and then fasten shut? Like with a ratcheting rope? Even a belt would help.
As for the clog, has he got a pipe snake around? A plunger could work too.

Do you have a toolbox somewhere? With a wrench you should be able to shut the valve even without the handwheel.

Yes, look for a wrench. And while we are at it, lets pay close attention to Davey's house to infer where exactly in the surrounding area his house is located.

>>1062979
It's underground.

>>1062981
With interior decor and building techniques that might be unique to an especific part of the surrounding area!

1/2 Cross 2023/05/25(Thu)19:31 No. 1064560 ID: 58e9c7
File 168506829598.png - (2.08MB , 1303x1008 , GA19.png )

“Davey, is there a toolbox around? The valve’s broken off, but a wrench should get it handled properly.”
You watch as his little legs slosh through the water, his head swivelling back and forth as he searches for the toolbox. He leans over, grunting as he strains to pull the box out, lifting it above the water and placing it to the side, near the pipe.
As he opens the lid, water gushes out and Davey gives it a gentle push, draining the container before grabbing a soggy wrench.

He’s holding the damn thing with both hands. For a gardener, he really doesn’t have much for upper body strength, does he? Maybe he’s just built that way.
The wrench slips back and forth before finally, he’s able to align the nut with the wrench - and starts to tighten the valve.
With each laboured pull, the trickling stream grows thinner and thinner until finally, the sound of water can no longer be heard from the television.

Then there’s the issue with the clog.
“You can see a plunger, right?”
Davey gives a weak nod, trudging offscreen before returning, plunger in hand.
Sooner than later, there’s the sound of gurgling water, disappearing off into the depths of whatever elaborate plumbing system that his city had concocted.

2/2 Cross 2023/05/25(Thu)19:31 No. 1064561 ID: 58e9c7
File 168506831278.png - (2.05MB , 1321x1037 , GA20.png )

With his plants safe, you can feel the tension dissipate from Davey, before he slumps down on the plunger he was just using.

“Dang… I haven’t gotten a workout like this in ages…”
Davey absolutely looks winded, drenched in both sweat and water. While a few puddles surround him, neither him or his plants are in danger of being flooded.

“Are you okay?”, you ask, a twinge of concern bubbling up inside of you.

He groans, giving a thumbs up.
“I think the plants will recover fine, I made them to be resilient… I’ll make adjustments later. Hahh… remind me again, was there something else I should be checking on? ”

Well, there were the other two options; his kitchen and the pneumatic pipeline.
Still plenty of time left in the evening to resolve these problems, and you don’t have other plans. But maybe you should say something to him, while he’s recovering from the ordeal?

What kind of problems a broken pneumatic pipeline can cause? I don't know a lot about this but I'm assume it can't suffocate Davey. Maybe it can, is his house hermetically sealed duo to the cave in?
If those are just paranoid thoughts of an ignorant, let's focus on the kitchen.
Unless he is extraordinarily unlucky a flooding shouldn't cause as much damage to the food as it did to the plants, but I'm concern with gas . ...Assuming they burn gas underground, they could rely exclusively on electrical heating for safety. It usually takes hours to fill a room with enough gas from a pipe to suffocate, so it should be relatively safe breathing for now, but sparks and open fires are very dangerous.

Check his kitchen next. He should be able to salvage anything that spilled.

Tell Davey what he did was impressive. You're there for him, and as long as you work together, everything is gonna be okay. It might be exhausting, but he stopped the leak. He saved his plants. He can do this.

1/2 Cross 2023/06/22(Thu)18:25 No. 1066470 ID: 58e9c7
File 168748355396.png - (1.94MB , 1300x979 , GA21.png )

First things first - gotta give praise when it’s due. Davey was doing a LOT down there, especially considering he’s been living more of a sedentary lifestyle.

“Good job - that was impressive!”, you tell him. For someone like him, completing a repair job like that alone? You were worried he’d pass out.

“Things are gonna be okay. But you’ll have to check your food supply next.”
He nods, a faint smile across his face. For a one-eyed mouseman, he’s got some guts in him.

“Ahh… wow… I really did all that, with your help! Thanks, Rory… just give me a moment.”
It’s been a while since someone last thanked you. The moment hangs, with the faint dripping of water in the background. Finally, he sloshes through the water, over towards the camera.

>What kind of problems could the pneumatic pipeline cause if it got broken?
You ask Davey the question as he leans over, to pick up the camera, water still dripping from his clothing. He responds as the camera shifts, pointing away towards the walls.

“Oh… well, if the pneumatic tubing is damaged, then things would be a lot worse! In my case, and my neighbours, we wouldn’t be getting parcels of rationed food any more.
I… hope they’ll be fine. But they’ve held up through past disasters,if they were so easy to break, I don’t think we’d use them as the Undercity’s main delivery system.”

Guess there’s no worry about a gas leak or suffocation. Presumably the homes in the Undercity are built to be well-ventilated in a case like this.

2/2 Cross 2023/06/22(Thu)18:26 No. 1066471 ID: 58e9c7
File 168748359947.png - (2.22MB , 1305x1037 , GA22.png )

A solitary chair and what looks to be more of a desk than a table make it apparent that this was Davey’s dining room. There’s a clatter as he places the camera on a nearby piece of furniture.

Thankfully, the damage this time seems much less pronounced.
It’s hard to tell through the TV grain, but dirt, pebbles and dislodged ceiling tiles are scattered around what used to be a clean, quaint little place.


“Ah… things seem kind of fine”, he says from behind the camera.
Until he turns around.
“Oh… oh no.”

A whole passageway had collapsed, whatever supports on the other side of it given way. It looks like an avalanche made from dirt.

“That was where I was… keeping all the food supplies I’ve been getting sent when the first cave-in happened.”
Even without seeing his expression, you can feel the tension in his body.
“Can we fix this?”, you ask.

“...If there’s one thing they taught us in school, it’s to not poke around crumbled ceilings.”

Next plan, then.
“Do you still have enough food to last you for the meantime?”

“I… I don’t know, most of the supplies that I’ve been sent at the start of this disaster I’ve been storing away in the pantry… The fridge will have some, but I was just about to restock it later today! It’s nearly empty by now…”

Davey cradles his head between his hands. It’s just been one problem after another for this guy.

“Oh, what am I going to do? If I knew this was going to happen, I would have taken some of my supplies out!”

His fingers knead at his forehead, his soaked clothes stained with dirt.
Digging sounds like a bad idea, considering the structural integrity of his house. But what can you even suggest in a time like this?

>>1066471
It'll be okay, he's still got the pneumatic tube, which means he can start rationing food until either the next delivery or rescue arrives. ...maybe you can send out a message so that they can send him an early food shipment?

There doesn't look like anything we can do in this room, which means... check the rest of the house for actionable problems. Once everything is checked we can take stock of supplies and working utilities, and make a plan for survival.

If I'm understanding the situation that was a small room with shelves containing food packs and not a collapsed corridor leading to an intact pantry room. So the food should be in the middle of the rubble and if he run out before the next deliver he will always have the option of risk digging for food packages.
If my understanding is incorrect and there is an intact room formerly connected to the kitchen he could draw or pick a map of his house to see if it's viable to dig a small tunnel from another room.

If he managed to store food they should be sending more than he consume. If possible doing nothing in relation to the pantry should be the safest option.

Don't forget that his plant also count as food supply, that was the point of growing vegetables in the first place.
If he run out of food he can cook soup using leather from things like boots and books. Animal glue should contain calories. It's also theoretically possible to extract digestible carbohydrates from wood chips by pressure-cooking with acid (maybe vinegar). Those are all horrible and may get him sick but are better than starvation.

In the future he may consider spreading his food storage across every room during this kind of emergency.

Oh yeah if there are any thin, non supporting walls connected to the room with the food, he can just knock a hole through the plaster or whatever and access it that way.

Let's continue to take stock of everything we DO have. Check what might still be accessed around the partially destroyed areas, too.

And honestly? I think we should start digging a tunneln out of this place.
It's clear no one will come rescue us. At least not before the food and air run out.

1/3 Cross 2023/07/06(Thu)16:55 No. 1067225 ID: 58e9c7
File 168868771525.png - (2.37MB , 1382x1037 , GA23.png )

You ask if he could make a quick search around the kitchen to take stock of what food he has left.
He doesn’t take long, and comes up with little worth mentioning.

“I guess if rations don’t arrive soon, I’ll have to start eating my crops… but they’re nowhere near ready yet either.”

He audibly sighs, and you can’t help but empathise with him.
“These kinds of quakes have been happening a bit more of late. I just wonder what’s happening? Even though I heard the news about it, I suppose I didn’t think too much of it at the time.

“Could we knock a hole through the wall to get to the pantry that way?”, you ask.

He shakes his head.
“That would be something we’d call professionals for… and they’ve been on overtime for a long while.”

The thought of Davey smashing his walls down after performing physical maintenance on his garden is an amusing thought - but disregarding the risk, you’re not sure he’s going to be conscious after having him take a hammer to his own house.

>If the pneumatic tubes are still fine, then he’d still be able to receive rations and stuff, right?
You ask Davey about that, and his ears perk up a little.

“Right. They’re dried, preserved foods specifically intended for this kind of situation. I’d still have access to them, but they space out the deliveries…”

“Still, that’s the only way right now.”

2/3 Cross 2023/07/06(Thu)16:55 No. 1067226 ID: 58e9c7
File 168868773352.png - (2.26MB , 1382x1037 , GA24.png )

There’s nothing else to it, he’s going to have to look in the last room of note for now.

You tell Davey to check out the pneumatic piping again - and to your surprise, he’s taking the camcorder somewhere new.
“What you saw from before was just one of the pipe’s exits… there’s actually a whole console room we use to coordinate the deliveries! I’ll have to check that out, but there is some redundancy in the piping, so hopefully there won’t be any problems.”

The pneumatic tube room is more interesting than you had imagined, with pipes running through and across the room, disappearing into the walls. You’d seen some of the pipes before elsewhere, crisscrossing other rooms in Davey’s house, but here? It’s something else entirely.

A console rests in the corner of the room, the screen gently pulsing.

“This is the Pneumatic control room. Deliveries are fairly automatic and centralised, from a distro centre at the heart of the Undercity. You can send messages freely using the system, but they check to make sure that nothing else besides the packages with the right clearance. Both sides have to agree to a transfer before something can get sent through, unless it’s from central. There’s no worries of people sending you bad stuff, since it all has to pass through rigorous screening before being sent off elsewhere.”

It’s safe to assume that the console probably is involved with actually setting up the transfer requests.
“Oh, but there is one problem; sending stuff to Central isn’t allowed. It’s not connected up to the system in the same way, so they can send us stuff but not the other way around. Normally we could just send messages via the terminals, but it’s hard talking to people outside of the local area here.”

Davey looks over at the deposit box, his tail perking up. A blinking light seems to indicate something’s inside.
“Oh! There it is! A fresh bundle from central!”

He skitters over, picking up the little box, which seems to be encased in what almost resembles a miniature suitcase shell.

He frowns.
“...Huh. This is a lot smaller than last time.”
You inform Davey that this time around, the rations should probably be spread out over multiple different rooms so that if something caves in, he wouldn’t be out of luck.

He gives a quick nod, turning the box over in his hands.
“Yeah… I won’t make that mistake again.”

There’s a chime from the terminal - and Davey turns his head.

3/3 Cross 2023/07/06(Thu)16:56 No. 1067227 ID: 58e9c7
File 168868777261.png - (2.03MB , 1305x965 , GA25.png )

“Oh, huh, what’s this? Someone’s sending me a request.”
A sudden message, now of all times?

“It’s… asking for some supplies. Food specifically. My neighbour’s… asking for some as he’s had his own pantry obliterated by the cave-in.”

I guess that’s even worse than what happened to Davey.

You ask Davey whether the message mentions anything about the fact that the neighbour should have had his own ration pack.

“A-ah… yeah, that’s what makes me feel a bit funny about all of this. He says that he hadn’t received one at all.”
The box rattles in his hand.
“This is only really enough for a day or two, and that’s for one person… sometimes I get so immersed in my work that I don’t eat, which is part of how I saved up a lot in the pantry.”

There’s a twisting, conflicted expression spreading across his face.
“It’s entirely possible for rations to get lost during transit, but… I don’t know. I want to respond, but…”
He turns away from the camera.

“Well… I don’t know him well at all. It’s also possible that it’s a situation where someone is trying to hoard resources in a time of hardship.”

Davey opens the lid, staring at its contents.
“If I split half of this and sent it over, I suppose we’d both live, but who knows when we’d next get something from central? If it takes too long, then…”

“Are the rescue efforts being hampered? From the sounds of it, you’ve been in here for a while…”
He doesn’t respond, the furrow in his brow deepening.

This poses a problem. But is it right for you to influence Davey’s decision on this?

>>1067227
I think the situation has progressed to the point in which we can do something directly to help. Tell him to network with everyone he can contact to create a detailed report on their survival situations, and you will relay that information to Central yourself. Those with blocked-off supplies will have priority on rations, obviously.

Specifically the report should at least include:
1, what parts of their apartments were damaged
2, how much food and water they have left
3, any injuries

>>1067233
Can we? We are part of a different nation and this government is difficult to communicate with for their own citizens.

There is too much uncertainty to give up on your food right now. The priority should be your own survival, but you can try to consume only half of your portion to send the rest to your neighbor later if you feel you can afford to.
Exchange a few messages to get a better understanding of his circumstances and to explain what happened on your end. This decision should not be taken lightly and doesn't need to be made immediately.

1/2 Cross 2023/07/20(Thu)18:00 No. 1068354 ID: 78048b
File 168990120097.png - (1.88MB , 1280x975 , GA26.png )

>I think the situation has progressed to the point in which we can do something directly to help.

You’re already this deep into things, you may as well get Davey helped out while you can.

>Exchange a few messages to get a better understanding of his circumstances and to explain what happened on your end. This decision should not be taken lightly and doesn't need to be made immediately.

You tell Davey that there isn’t a need to commit to the decision right away, especially considering that starvation isn’t an immediate threat any time soon, only a future one.

He blinks, then nods in affirmation.
“Yeah… you’re right! Even if our metabolism is a little faster than surfacedwellers are, we should be fine for a while.”

Soon enough, Davey’s tapping away a response message to the request he’d received. Though his fingers are dancing over the keypad, you can’t really see the contents of what he’s writing up which you proceed to ask him about.
Davey responds, “I’m just telling him that I can’t afford it right now either, since my own pantry was blocked off. We’ll have to discuss it again in future.”
Though as he presses send, he exhales with a pained expression.

2/2 Cross 2023/07/20(Thu)18:00 No. 1068355 ID: 78048b
File 168990121860.png - (2.31MB , 1382x1037 , GA27.png )

You ask Davey what’s wrong as he sits on the little stool he used to access the console, his head between his hands.

“I really hope that… Nico doesn’t judge me too much for this. My neighbour.”

“I mean it when I said that I don’t know him well at all; and the few interactions that we have had haven’t been great. He’s meant to be some kinda… fancy bigwig type over at central. Apparently he chose to live here to get space away from the busier parts of the city.”

It definitely does feel odd, hearing that a supposedly relevant official is living somewhere obscure, and not necessarily well-provided for, since Davey talks about his relative isolation.

“What if he accuses me of being selfish when the disaster ends?”

“Or worse, what if I somehow cause him harm because I didn’t agree to it out the gate? There could be ulterior motives for that message!”

What’s that supposed to mean? Ulterior motives for food reasons?

“Oh… I guess this is something unique to the Undercity… um. I’m not sure I should be talking about this, honestly.”

There seems to be a lot of weight behind that.

“To put it one way… when it comes to the city officials, as a civilian you should try to listen to them however you can. Non-compliance is seen as… potentially treasonous. O-oh, but, that doesn’t mean that people just… disappear, right? I haven’t seen it happen myself, so maybe it’s fine!”

…Does… does Davey not get the implications of that? Why didn’t he tell you BEFORE you told him to send that message?

“Ah… ah, hahah…”
He starts laughing to himself, a worried look in his eye. “I hope that Nico’s not trying to act on official duty or anything… there’s an Undercity saying, that when we’re at home, our uniforms do not matter. I… hope that’s true.”

This could be a problem.

>>1068355
Tell him that the response he gets to his message about putting it off until later will decide how he should proceed. If his neighbor is a bit pushy about it then he'll have to cave, I guess.
Is that the only other person he can contact?

...something worth bringing up is that the reason his neighbor didn't get food is that his pneumatic pipe might be broken... is he sure that the food will be delivered, and not just get stuck and wasted?

>>1068355
"You'll just have to live with that. But I think you need to ask yourself about the context of where you've made the decision.

I'm starting to wonder if that cave in was... well, I wouldn't declare it was scheduled, as it would hamper productivity. But I suspect the officials calculated a risk-reward formula and decided that cutting corners in natural disaster mitigation was worth the profit. That letting nature occasionally take its course is part of the system."

1/3 Cross 2023/08/25(Fri)21:34 No. 1070903 ID: 78048b
File 169302447447.png - (2.21MB , 1382x1037 , GA28.png )

“The best thing to do is to wait for his response. Depending on what it is, then we can figure out how to proceed.”

Davey nods.
“You’re right, Rory. Besides… I’m still stuck here. I can’t do much besides wait.”

“But at least I have you for company!”


>Is he sure that the food wasn’t delivered and didn’t simply get stuck?
You ask Davey about the stability of the pneumatic tubing.

“Hmm… normally these tubes aren’t supposed to get stuck, and there are systems in place for detecting blockages to reroute packages when necessary. I guess it could happen, but if it did, he probably would have mentioned it?”

A part of you wonders if the cave-in had been orchestrated. Use explosives in the right place and a lot could happen. But Davey’s anxious enough already, so you keep it to yourself.

You also tell Davey that there’s probably other people Nico could ask if he’s really struggling.
“I suppose so… it would be rather awkward if everyone said no.”

2/3 Cross 2023/08/25(Fri)21:34 No. 1070904 ID: 78048b
File 169302449605.png - (2.30MB , 1382x1037 , GA29.png )

Davey steps back as a fresh new package drops into the collection area.

“Is that from Nico?”

“No… I…”
Davey looks worried, his whiskers twitching.

3/3 Cross 2023/08/25(Fri)21:35 No. 1070905 ID: 78048b
File 169302454025.png - (2.14MB , 1382x1037 , GA30.png )

“Packages are supposed to have proper authorization and certification! I never asked for something like this!”
From what it seems, the package is indistinct, wrapped in paper of some kind. An ambiguous bundle.

The package sits in the receptacle, an ominous aura around it. You don’t hear anything besides Davey’s breathing.
There’s no NEED to open it, is there?

If it has no authorized recipient, it's up for grabs.
Look it over a few times and open it.

Ask Davey to share his thoughts. I don't fully understand his concern.

If the fear is about the government knowing he received a package that violate the rules there is nothing to be done about any possible paper trail on the other side of the tube, but assuming there is no register of where this end up the safest option is to keep it in secret.

Since your neighbor is politically relevant it's possible your addresses were accidentally mixed. That would mean you were meant to be left to starve while he was a priority, and this mysterious package could be something intended for him outside official procedures.

Unless I'm misunderstanding something you got to find out what's inside to decide what you should do with it.

Examine the package. How heavy is it? Does it rattle? Is it making any noise? Does it smell like anything? Are there absolutely no identifying marks? How securely is it wrapped?
All sorts of physical evidence can give us clues as to its origin and purpose.

No, no need to open it.
Eat it with the wrapping.

But honestly, it's not a bomb, even corrupt politicians won't explode someone for not giving food on the first "no".

At worst, it's somethig that shows whoever sent it is not fooling around and wants food now, which means it's already our problem.

I can't see what it is from here. Is it something particularly alarming? They wouldn't be sending you a weapon, would they? Surely they're not sending you something that... would only be of use to someone who's not going to be rescued?

1/2 Cross 2023/09/25(Mon)19:36 No. 1073243 ID: 78048b
File 169569578435.png - (2.33MB , 1382x1037 , GA31.png )

First things first, you ask whether the package is in response to how you answered Nico or not.

“I… I don’t think it’s from Nico. He’s a city official, right? He wouldn’t risk doing anything like this. Unauthorized deliveries are taken VERY seriously by the Party. They insist on overseeing as many of the deliveries in the Undercity as they can, if I’m caught with this, depending on what’s inside, I could be severely punished! ”


You tell Davey that, at this rate he has to examine it. It’s even possible that yours and Nico’s addresses were mixed up, leading to this unexpected delivery.

“Well… okay. But I’m putting on some gloves first… if this is a prank in poor taste, I want to have some protection on.”
He scampers out of the room, returning freshly equipped.
“Okay… I’m going to do it.”

He leans over, reaching for the package.

2/2 Cross 2023/09/25(Mon)19:36 No. 1073244 ID: 78048b
File 169569580967.png - (2.21MB , 1382x1037 , GA32.png )

“It’s blank and unmarked…”

He gives the package a gentle shake.
“Doesn’t make any sound when I shake it.”

His whiskers twitch as he sniffs the bundle, before recoiling.
“Ick. It smells… chemical. Not the good kind.”

Finally, he unwraps the bundle, stumbling as he drops the contents onto the console.Whoever had packed it didn’t do a good job of arranging it neatly, it seems.
The opened package is full of foil holders of pills, row after row of them stacked atop one another. Little beads seem to be inside, but it’s hard to tell from your television’s screen.


“Oh… that can’t be good.”
You ask Davey if it looks like it’s medication or something more illicit.
“I think it’s the latter… if it was prescription, it would be in proper boxes and everything.”

Perhaps the only thing to do is for Davey to keep hold of it.

“But if the rescue team comes and searches through my house, they’ll end up finding it!

There’s a bit of a shuffling sound as Davey looks through the paper the pills were wrapped in.
“There is a note on it, but it seems to be in some kind of code… I don’t really understand it. It’s full of dots, I guess it would be morse code? But I wouldn’t know what it means...”

“What should I do? I seriously can’t keep this… I mean, I could report it, but what’ll happen to me? I’m not the type to go outside much… if someone decides to pin something on me, I’ll be ruined!”

Oh I should have specified not to open it, apparently.
>>1073244
Most likely, someone had the same thought that they couldn't be rescued with it in their home, and sent it to someone at random. Try not to touch anything with your bare hands. Hold the note up to the camera please, I want to get a better look at it.

Then... hmm, reporting it immediately seems like the wisest thing to do. The only other option is to hot potato it along, and I for one do not approve of making this someone else's problem.

Funny, I was just about to propose hot potatoeing it.

Now that I give it a second thought, I believe yes, let's hot potatoe it.
Do it to Nico, even, if you think he can figure you did it.

I see three options: flush it, hide it or cooperate with the police.
You can discard the pills slowly with a functional toilet, that way there will be no evidence of illegal contraband in your possession. This does not solve any possible record of the package destination, so the police or the drug dealers can still conclude you received it depending on factors outside your control.
Hiding it will be the ideal solution in case the drug dealers later demand their contraband back. If you fear organized crime more than the government this is the best you can do. I don't know why the rescue team would search your house extensively, but if that is a concern dig a hole and bury this box.
Cooperation with the police is only risky because of their level of corruption. I can't really judge this because I'm not familiar with the political circumstances, so I can only take your word that they would blame you to help the true culprit. If that wasn't a concern this would be the best option: not only you don't have to take risks maintaining a secret you wouldn't be a great target for revenge from the criminals because "you just did what you had to" and "don't know anything".

Are those plastic explosives? You could blast a way out of there!
Try it out. Make a controlled fire next to the cave-in.

Also, I just thought of something: Why not mail the dirt you're excavating until you've made an exit? Just mail it to the government for 'disposal'.

I think reporting it, preferably in a way that leaves a paper trail, remains Davey's best bet.

Dots? Are they bumpy dots or just written dots?

1/3 Cross 2023/10/29(Sun)16:54 No. 1075893 ID: 78048b
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Time to consider the options.

“Can you package it back up and send it to someone else?”

Davey peers down at the package, his mouth puckering into a sour expression.
“I mean, I could… but that’s just passing the problem onto someone else. And I can’t just send the package without authorization, if I try sending it through official systems, then I’ll be in trouble for sure.”

“What about flushing it down?”

“That could work, but I’m not sure that putting this into the sewage system is a good idea. What if the people who sent it here by accident want it back?”
That’s a good point. Holding onto it for now until a more ‘conspicuous’ way of reporting it would come into effect.

>Are those plastic explosives?
Either the TV’s resolution is that low, or your eyes are failing you. Those are clearly drugs.

Another question comes to mind, this time about the notes from before.
“Davey, are the dots bumpy dots or just written dots?”

He unfurls the note again, and you hear the crinkling of paper.
“Ah, written dots and dashes. It’s kind of long though…”

“Just hold it up to the screen and I’ll write it down.”

You retrieve a piece of paper and start to transcribe.

..- ..-. .... .--. ..-. .-.. .--- / -.-- - / .-.. .-- .--- -.. -... -- -. -..- .--. .--- .-- / -.... ---.. ----- ....- ----- .....

Whatever it is, it’s probably Morse Code, right? Something to think about for later. More pressing issues are at hand.

“Okay, what about reporting it? You do have the communication systems up, right?”

Davey nods.
“Yeah, I could go and contact an official with a report! That way, I’ll at least have an alibi, right?”

Seems like a plan then…
Until you once again hear a noise rattle the room.

2/3 Cross 2023/10/29(Sun)16:55 No. 1075894 ID: 78048b
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“Um.”

The telltale sound of another package dropping into the chute is more than apparent.

Davey bends over, retrieving what seems to be a tube-shaped capsule.
“It’s… just a note inside of the capsule.”

“We’ve got an eye on you. Do not report the package. If you do, consequences will follow.”
Davey’s hands shake as he lowers the sheet of paper.
The taste of bile lingers in the corner of your mouth.

“Ah… well, there… there goes that plan, ha ha ha…”

Great.
“Did they say anything else?”

His whiskers shake. Compared to the flooding from before, this problem seems like a new bag of caltrops.
“They told me to wait for further instruction, but that’s it…”

3/3 Cross 2023/10/29(Sun)16:55 No. 1075895 ID: 78048b
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A mouseman getting embroiled in an organised drug smuggling ring was one of the least likely possibilities of trouble brewing when you sat down this evening.
“Ah… what should I do, Rory? I’ve never been in this kind of situation before and it’s making me feel a little worried.”

It’s a tough spot to be in.
Can you even trust his government to do their job effectively? On the other hand, it may be even worse for Davey in the long run if he complies, as he’ll be implicated. The return note won’t be enough proof to protect him, especially since all these pneumatic tube deliveries are unmarked regardless.

Hm. The question is, who's it really from?
Davey: Write the following return message
"GET ME THE @#$% OUT OF HERE!"

>>1075893
Translating from morse...
UFHPFLJ YT LWJDBMNXPJW 680405

It's encrypted. ROT21.
PACKAGE TO GREYWHISKER 680405
Hrm, what to do with the numbers... well, ROT21 goes back 5 letters in the alphabet, maybe we do the same with each digit? That would be 135950.

What do we do with this information? He's being threatened and someone is watching him, but how is he being watched? It could be the same way you're watching him... Should probably keep the information private for now. If the criminals know he knows the secret message, they might try to eliminate him. They can't do anything to US though. For now, we should try gathering information on it ourselves. Find out who Greywhisker is.

Hmm, ask Daveth what his last name is. If it's NOT greywhisker, and the number doesn't match his address, then that proves the package was not meant for him. If he's found with it, he'll be fine.

Consequences worse than starving to death because you can't get out of your house due to earthquakes? I really don't think this is all that important right now, given the circumstances.

Has he considered uh... doing the drugs?

Send it back to wherever it was sent from.
If you find you can't send it back, hot potatoe it.

I'm feeling lucky, punk.

>>1076055
Problem is we don't know where it came from. Whoever is involved, they have the postmaster in their pockets so that they can deliver things without a marked address.

1/3 Cross 2023/12/05(Tue)15:54 No. 1078740 ID: 78048b
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“Can you send it back, Davey?”

He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t know how to send these packages back without direct approval myself, and I don’t have the other side’s address.”

>Whoever it was has the postmaster in their pocket so they can send packages without an address
That may not be the case; there may be ways to crack the delivery system. But whatever it is, it’s flawed, otherwise the package wouldn’t have arrived at Davey’s.

You look over at the transcription of the code that Davey received, turning it over in your head a couple of times. Soon enough, the cipher becomes apparent to you and you’re fairly sure that you’ve got the right code.

2/3 Cross 2023/12/05(Tue)15:55 No. 1078741 ID: 78048b
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>PACKAGE TO GREYWHISKER 135950
“Davey, I’ve got a question. Do you know who or what Greywhisker is? Is it your surname?”

He strokes his whiskers, deep in thought.
“W-well… that’s not my name, but it does sound familiar…”

He turns his attention back to the computer console, clattering away at the keys.
“Ah! Well, there’s a place called ‘Greywhisker’s’! It used to be a bar of sorts, I saw ads for them outside my window, before the cave-in happened… didn’t pay it much attention because I don’t really go drinking but… I am friends with the proprietor. I don’t think these guys would know that though.”

So it confirms that the package wasn’t intended for Daveth to begin with.
But if he’s friends with the owner… would sneaking a message in with the package be possible?

3/3 Cross 2023/12/05(Tue)15:55 No. 1078742 ID: 78048b
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Before you can contemplate whether or not to give Davey the information, another clatter, and a package falls through.
You can hear Davey audibly swallow, but finally, he grabs the package and unwraps it.

“What’s this one say, Davey?”
The crinkle of paper crackles through your speakers before he starts reading.
“We can help you out if you help us. It’s for the greater good.”

You find yourself frowning. You’ve found that people who say the words ‘greater good’ usually have a lot of skeletons in their closet.
“Greater good? Aren’t they smuggling drugs?”

Davey’s whiskers twitch, his little beady eyes squinting at the packaging of the package he’s got in his other hand.
“I… I suppose it wouldn’t be easy, getting funding if you’re trying to rebel against the Party. But I can’t tell if these are prescription or… something else.”

Finally, he ends the message off with a stilted set of numbers.
“Send to this address: 758392”.
That’s different to what the note’s numbers are, either possible translation for the numbers.

Wrapping up the note and stuffing it into his pocket, Davey peers at his camera setup - and you.
“Um… if I leave the package, apparently they’re going to route something through it? They’re unspecific about how I’ll be able to send it through…”

Now the question is whether complying is a good idea or not.

You're trapped in your apartment, alone, with no sign of help arriving. Except these guys. They seem sketchy as fuck, but they are literally the only people you have to rely on. In other words, comply.

...but yes, sneak a message in. Let him know you're in trouble and acting under duress, but at least, alive. Speaking of which, check on your plants. Water level is OK?

I'm not sure what the long therms consequences will be, but don't forget you have dire short therm problems to deal with. Do what you must.
After you get rescued, would leaving the city be an option? Honestly this is the only way I imagine you can untangle yourself from the pressures exerted by a tyrannical government and criminal rebels. Either escape to somewhere else like the surface or try your luck as one of the revolutionaries.

1/2 Cross 2024/01/14(Sun)06:31 No. 1080971 ID: 78048b
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“Davey, are you sure there’s no help arriving?”

He shakes his head.
“N-no, but I’ve never heard of people simply being abandoned, right?”

The alternative is any information about that being covered up.
“Have you ever considered leaving the city, Davey?”
He ponders the question for a moment, scratching his chin.

“Ah, but that’s… I guess you don’t know, since you’re from outside here… but the Undercity doesn’t really have any other alternatives. Certainly not for someone like me, no!”

Then, he looks directly into the camcorder.
‘Besides… I hope that my plants can help fix the food shortages in this city one day. If I run away from all of that, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself!”

There’s a faint courageous look in his eye. Conviction.
Rare, for a person such as yourself.

But speaking of the plants, you remind Davey to check on his plants’ water levels.

He scurries out of the room and you’re left with your own thoughts.
Things started simple this evening, what with you helping a little fellow on the other side of your TV, but now? It’s like the poor fellow has his life in your hands, considering he’s been quite receptive to your advice.

Finally, he returns. Seems there weren’t any issues while you were gone.

“Whatever choice you make Davey, should be yours.”

Considering he’s the one whose life is in danger, it should really be his decision in the end.

“I think…”
He mulls it over, his whiskers twitching.
“I can’t accept what they’re doing. Even if I help them out, there’s nothing saying that they can’t blackmail me with evidence of me helping them.”

He turns to look at the hastily-packaged ball of drugs.
“Are you going to report it, then?”

“Well… I don’t know… I’d rather not give them any reason to go after me. Maybe I’ll just get rid of the package altogether.”
Flushing it down the toilet is still an option, if he wasn’t too worried about it getting into the sewage.

2/2 Cross 2024/01/14(Sun)06:34 No. 1080973 ID: 78048b
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Another rattle-clunk, the telltale sign of a delivery.

“Oh! A followup….”
He unfurls the scroll, reading the contents aloud again.
“If you help us, we can guarantee that this will be the only job you'd need to do for us - upon completion, we will send word that you and your fellow residents are in dire straits.”

Davey frowns, putting the note back down.
“I… they’re really wanting me to do this. I guess we did take a lot of time to decide whether we wanted to help or not. Maybe the receiver reported back or something.”

“Are you going to trust them, Davey?”
It’s odd that they’re so persistent, too.

“What they’re saying isn’t the worst, but…”
But will they go back on their word?
Davey trails off, deep in thought.

The group smuggling this stuff around seem a little desperate. Is a small package of drugs really worth going through all of this hassle of negotiating with him?
Even though Davey’s mostly made his decision, you can’t help but wonder if there’s more you can advise him on. Especially since he seems conflicted about it.

Well, if you want to destroy the life saving medicine, turn your back on the only people who've offered to help you, and give up on any chance of rescue, just dissolve the pills in water, then feed it to your plants. The microbes in the soil should make short work of them in a year or two.

They're already sending you bad stuff. Imagine what they could send if you make them mad.

Just follow instructions, you have their notes as evidence at the least.

Davey: Agree to the request, but ask for more information about them, and a copy of their manifesto.
Rory: Do research on this resistance movement and whether or not they're preferable to the authoritarian government.

Davey, how is this connection set up? I think they might be signal jacking, considering how they seem to know what you're considering.
It might be possible that they're recording the signal as well...

I think in terms of blackmail, they don't need you to hold onto the evidence.
At this point, I don't think there's a choice.

1/2 Cross 2024/02/10(Sat)23:51 No. 1083126 ID: 32ff81
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Is there a possibility that the medicine that they’re shipping around is going to help save lives?
…Probably not. Even if there’s a regime running the Undercity, shipping medical supplies around like this, unlabelled, raises a lot more questions. There’s a chance - but considering the circumstances, its unlikely.

It’s also entirely possible that they’re listening in on your conversation somehow.

“Davey… I’m sorry to say, but maybe compliance is the right choice here. We don’t know the bigger picture, and I don’t want you to be making more enemies. At the end of the day, you’re still being pressed into this, so I doubt anyone would blame you for this choice.”
Hopefully.
You keep mum on some of your thoughts - best not to say some of this when it’s very likely that they’re listening in on you.

Davey bites his lip, his whiskers drooping a little.
“Ah… alright. I understand. I trust you, Rory.”

He leaves the camera on the desk as he goes to retrieve the package.

He waddles over to the tube’s receptacle, the wrapped package present with him.
Davey keys in the numbers, before placing the package in and closing the lid on top of the tube.

There’s a big sucking sound, and a ‘whoosh’!
Seems like the pneumatic piping is still working perfectly fine despite the recent issues with the landslides and earthquakes.

“What now?”

“I suppose we wait?”

2/2 Cross 2024/02/11(Sun)00:04 No. 1083128 ID: 32ff81
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A few minutes pass without any kind of response.

Then, the telltale sound of a new tube.
Finally! You were wondering if that shady group had just up and abandoned Davey.
"Your help is greatly appreciated. We've alerted the most skilled individuals, and you might want to secure your belongings. We have obtained data indicating that there’s another earthquake projected to soon impact your district."

He pauses, lowering the piece of paper.
“Another earthquake?”, you ask.

“That’s… odd. I thought the first one was a fluke, but normally we’d get warnings before they hit. The tubing system doesn’t seem to be down, but…”

“No, other part. Secure your belongings? Are they bringing in a drill or something?”

Davey’s eyes bug out a little as a realization dawns on him.
“Ohhhhhh no. I thought… oh no. Another one. I… I have to fortify this place, otherwise the roof’s going to come down in my greenhouse! The first earthquake’s already done enough structural damage!”

“Breathe, Davey, what’s the matter?”

“If there’s a second earthquake but there’s still no notice… then that means someone’s intentionally withholding the data from the governing body. These warnings don’t get sent out lightly, after all!”

“So they’re keeping the data away from the government?”

“I don’t know! But maybe someone wants Nico dead, and maybe that’s why things have been so odd… why the response team’s taken so long. But we only have so much time left…”
Davey, stroking his ears in stress, mutters to himself aloud.

“If they’re wording it like that, then we only have around half an hour before things get shaking. Ahh, goodness, I’m glad I still have that spare fortification kit prepared, ohh but I’m going to have to dig it out and…”

That means there’s only so much time left to prepare before the place starts shaking up.
And what about Nico or his neighbours? Is he going to have enough time to warn them?
Besides his plants, what else should he prioritise to try and live through this?
Maybe planning things out first is in order.

Secure anything that holds food and water first. After that write a quick letter to Nico. If there's time, then protect anything sentimental.

Consider the possibility that one of the power players involved has created foundation-destabilizing technology.

That means making small earthquakes.

Two major shocks at once is too big a coincidence. Even with aftershocks, you'd think the government would have protocols for major chain earthquakes. No, someone, somewhere, is busy letting you all die.

Davey needs to find the best spot - the area in the house that gives the best chance of survival and escape - and then reinforce and resupply that specific area. Take the food and water to that location, then nail in some extra struts and find some way to stack heavy appliances near the ceiling.

Which neighbours are the nicest/ most sociable? Send a warning to those and tell them to pass it along to everyone else in the neighbourhood.

Send one to Nico too with a jar of food, cause why not.

After that, secure all the plants and food and water you can. We don't have time for non-vital things.

1/2 Cross 2024/05/23(Thu)16:34 No. 1091641 ID: 20eb0f
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It does seem a little odd that this other group is able to detect when an earthquake is about to hit Davey’s neighborhood. But it would be a bit of a stretch to assume that there’s technologies in the Undercity that let people create earthquakes of their own, wouldn’t it?
No matter. Davey’s life is at risk, and you have to keep him centered while he fixes things.

“What’s the safest room in your house right now, Davey?”

He gestures towards the screen.
“The tube room, actually! They’re pre-fortified specifically because its so important!”

Good, good. That’s that covered.
Onto the next.
“Secure the rest of your food and water supplies, Davey! And anything sentimental!”

The mouse jumps in response to your voice.
“O-On it!”
The little mouse scampers out of the room, rushing back with a couple of supplies.
“Not a lot left, but it should be enough for some time!”

Seems he also brought his photo with him.
Probably best not to poke at whether or not he has anything more.

“You’ve still got time, right? Put in some extra reinforcements for the tube room and your garden if you can.”

The mouse mutters to himself, dragging what seems to be a large box of building supplies out with him, taking out what looks like a car-jack.
“Good thing these are easy to use and carry… I wouldn’t have the strength to use the other stuff in the fortification kits.”

He tows the jack behind him, disappearing for a few minutes before returning.

“Garden’s been reinforced! It’s my most important project, so I made sure to take care of it first!”
Then, pushing up the jack toward the middle of the room, he cranks it until it reaches the ceiling.


“That’s everything! Now, I just hope I’m… ahh!”
Davey’s home begins to shake.
Violently.

“O-o-o-o-o-h-h-h-h n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o…..”
The little mouseman is jittered up and down by the sensations.
Hopefully the fortifications hold.

Though you don’t feel any of the shaking yourself, the violent jittering seen in the camera is more than enough to get the impression across. The lights flicker on and off - and the sound of something crashing in the back can be heard.

Soon, the shaking stops.

Is it me, or does the screen look a bit different now?
“You alright, Davey?”

The shaken mouse stands, giving a thumbs up.
“I’m a little rattled, but compared to the first quake, this isn’t too much more!”

2/2 Cross 2024/05/23(Thu)16:35 No. 1091642 ID: 20eb0f
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“What’s the situation like down there, Davey? I heard a crash from the camera.”

Davey scampers off-screen for a bit.
“There’s a big hole in the wall now, actually! Shouldn’t be too much of a problem, there’s little debris in the area, so whatever it’s from, it’s pretty reinforced!”

He angles the camera to face it. It’s much too dark to see inside.

“Why’s there a hole? I thought your houses wouldn’t have critical vulnerabilities like that.”

Davey turns his head toward the gloomy opening.
“It doesn’t seem to be a full hole? More like, there’s a gap… then a metal wall of some kind. I see a hatch of some kind? Must be a maintenance tunnel for the pneumatic tubes. I guess they built it like this because if they go down, then the system would fail?”

A maintenance tunnel? That does make sense, but…
“But then why wouldn’t they let civilians evacuate through the tunnels?”

Maybe this is how other mail ends up here. Were the other group using this tunnel to send Davey those messages?

“I don’t think anything even mentioned the existence of these tunnels… this is pretty new to me. I guess whatever these tunnels are, they aren’t good for lots of people to move through.”

Then the government must be keeping them secret on purpose.

“Do you think you could get the hatch open, Davey?”

“I’m not sure… I’m not very strong and that hatch seems quite rusted.”
If we need to, I’m sure there’s other ways of prying the damn thing open.
But should we even let Davey explore there? For all we know, it’s even riskier than before.

Can't dismiss any possible escape routes. At least have him try to open it and look around what's on the other side.

Hmm, my first thought was that some kind of drilling vehicle is causing the earthquakes and that's one of its hatches, but that would've been very audible. Maybe there's some kind of underground facility beyond the hatch that's responsible for the quakes?

Well, to open that hatch he's going to need leverage and/or rust remover. Some kind of long iron bar should work, or that wrench he used earlier.

No guts, no glory. Let's try to oil up that door with whatever we have at hand pry it open.