L-103 2015/05/23(Sat)20:39 No. 642519 ID: 02d9ae
File 143243878957.png - (2.96KB , 700x700 , darkness.png )

Crack! "Oof!"

Darkness. Am I dead? I wish I could've said goodbye 97 and 111... they were always so kind to me. But I guess they'll figure out what happened soon enough.

I don't know what happens next. Do I just wait?

Try feeling around. Think fondly of 97 and 111 while you do so. Check inventory, too.

Sniff it out and see what's in the air. Then jack off keep a hand on the wall and start walking.

L-103 2015/05/23(Sat)21:15 No. 642532 ID: 02d9ae
File 143244090051.png - (73.04KB , 700x700 , 01-02.png )

>97 and 111
They were the best friends I could ever ask for. They both kept me from getting dragged off to room 101 multiple times, which I'll always be grateful for. Two interrogations are more than enough for one lifetime. We all tried to keep each other safe like that, even if it meant risking the possibility that all three of us would be thrown in there, should the minders find out that we even had the mere intention of protecting each other.

>Try feeling around
>Sniff it out and see what's in the air
I'm trying, but everything feels numb, and I can't smell anything. I don't even think I have any limbs to feel with, anymore. My other senses are gone, too. I can't taste anything, see anything, or hear anythi--

Wait. I hear something. My senses are returning.

Grrroooaaaannnnnn...

Everything hurts. I managed to open an eye, so I guess I'm not dead, after all. But what was that sound? It sounded like... electricity?

looks like there's something in front of your face, is that it or is it coming from somewhere else?

>>642532
There's a thing. Some kind of belt? Is it yours?

L-103 2015/05/23(Sat)21:59 No. 642544 ID: 02d9ae
File 143244357955.png - (130.02KB , 700x700 , 01-03.png )

>Some kind of belt in front of my face
My low-light vision returns, and now I see what made the noise: my collar.

*bzzt* *cchrrrkkktt*

That's not good at all. Absolutely terrible, in fact.

"Collar tampering detected. L-103, report to a minder for interrogation immediately."

Well, so much for feeling relieved about being alive. Messing with my collar is pretty much the biggest offense I could commit, as a digger... even if I didn't mean to do it at all. I remember when 90 got caught trying to break the lock on his collar; the last I ever saw of him was when the minders were taking him to room 101.

>Check inventory
Well, there's my collar, busted on the ground in front of me, and my bag should be nearby, since I think it came down with me. Maybe the charged quartz I was collecting is still in there.

Maybe if I'm lucky, I can fix it, and they'll just gently maim me instead of outright killing me. I suppose I should get up and see how bad the damage is.

Forget the collar. Now that you're free of it you can start a social revolution and overthrow the hierarchy, establishing yourself as dictator of new world order do whatever you want. Find your bag and start looking around.

>>642544
Who is it that you work for? Investigate the collar but try not to get shocked too much.

L-103 2015/05/23(Sat)22:40 No. 642555 ID: 02d9ae
File 143244603065.png - (142.66KB , 700x700 , 01-04.png )

> Who do I work for?
I don't know their name, but it's some kind of mining company, supposedly owned by one of the dukes or duchesses. I don't know a lot about it, since I've never actually been to the surface--at best I have second-hand hearsay. And I don't so much work for them as I am owned by them. Life is cruel, apparently, and I was born into captivity. Still, I've overheard the minders speaking about us diggers as though we did something to deserve being slaves, like it's some kind of karmic justice. Maybe that makes them sleep better at night, I don't know.

>Find my bag
I get back up onto my feet, and it doesn't hurt nearly as badly as I expected. I guess hyper-dense bones are good for more than just absorbing beatings! I grab my bag, which landed only a couple of meters away, and pick up the collar to see how bad it is.

>Investigate the collar
Nnnnope I don't see a way to fix this! It looks like the quartz itself is damaged; I just collect the stuff rather than work with it, so I have no idea what to do with it.

>Forget the collar, I'm free to do what I want now
So far this collar's only ever given me orders and trouble, so I'll just leave it on the ground. If I find some reason that I need it, I don't think it'll go anywhere, so I'll come back for it in that case. That's a good point, too, I... guess I am free to do what I want to do! And what I'd really like to do is avoid death or brutal punishment!

From the looks of it, this cavern ends in a tunnel that seems to extend pretty far back. I also smell, coming from that direction, possibly the biggest charged quartz deposit I've ever come across. It could be some kind of motherlode... maybe if I'm caught or turn myself in, that motherlode will help me get some kind of leniency! Then again, it could also be a path to escape, if I'm willing to risk it.

So, I'd better come up with a plan of action. Do I explore the cavern and look for the motherlode or an exit, or should I try to get the attention of someone by shouting at the hole in the ceiling, and hope for leniency?

Explore the cavern, hope for an escape. Do you have anything that can take that tag off your ear?

You might want to take a couple chucks form the load just in case you need to barter. Then find an exit.

Find an exit, if you're caught tell them of the mother load and say you blacked out when you fell and woke up and found your collar broken. You were just trying to find a way back up to let them know what you found. But only if you get caught, for now try to get the fuck out of here.

L-103 2015/05/23(Sat)23:11 No. 642566 ID: 02d9ae
File 143244788392.png - (191.93KB , 700x700 , 01-05.png )

>You might want to take a couple chucks form the load just in case you need to barter.
I still have some room in my bag, so if I see some chunks that I can pry loose or dig out of the rock, I'll get them. I don't know how valuable charged quartz is, but I assume that if a single mining company has a team of 50-odd slaves dedicated to digging the stuff up, it must be worth something.

>Do you have anything that can take that tag off your ear?
Other than my hands or maybe a rock or a chunk of quartz, I'm afraid not. If it comes down to tearing it out for the sake of staying free, I'm willing to put up with the pain, but that might leave a tell-tale rip or scar, which might hurt me more in the long run. I think maybe I should hold off on doing anything about it until it's absolutely necessary, and try to find a tool that can cut it off, instead.

>If caught, tell them about the motherlode
Yes, that'll be my backup plan. But I'm going to get moving, in hopes that I don't get caught. Hopefully they'll assume I'm dead or something, but given that the collar's anti-tampering mechanism was tripped, I can only assume that sooner or later they're going to come looking for me.

>Explore the cavern, hope for an escape
I start walking down the tunnel, and it's not long before I come across... a door?

I can't say I expected that at all.

There has to be some kind of security here. Roll a rock along the floor. If nothing, tip toe carefully. then get on one side of the door and open it from there.

I see a switch on the right. Moving left, there's suspicious smudges on the ground (blood?) in front of what looks like a moveable wall panel (hidden door? Trap?). And there's mousehole on the far left. Trap or cave critter?

not really sure but I think I see something to the right of the door, kinda outlined with a brown line? Could be nothing, might be something. See if there's anything strange about it.

>>642566
I see some sort of discolored patch on the wall to the right, and something near the bottom of the wall there too. Watch your step, and get a closer look.

1/4 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)00:25 No. 642582 ID: 02d9ae
File 143245234351.png - (172.81KB , 700x700 , 01-06a.png )

>There has to be some kind of security here. Roll a rock along the floor. If nothing, tip toe carefully. then get on one side of the door and open it from there.
I grab a rock and toss it across the floor, but nothing happens. So I approach the door cautiously, sidle to one side of it, and push the other side. It doesn't budge. I also notice a low hum coming from the right of the door, through the tunnel wall.

It would appear that this is the security in question.

2/4 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)00:26 No. 642583 ID: 02d9ae
File 143245240993.png - (237.48KB , 700x700 , 01-06b.png )

>Suspicious smudges on the ground
Looking at them closely, it looks like it's just dirt tracked as though there's a path, although while it's not blood it's still kind of suspicious. I have no idea how old it is--there isn't much air movement in here, so these tracks could have been left undisturbed for ages... or more worryingly, they could be very fresh. I'm going to remain cautious.

>Mousehole on the left
I crouch down and peer inside it, but it just seems like a plain old hole in the wall. I get the idea to reach my arm in there, but I think I'll save that as a last resort. Who knows what's in there!

>Moveable wall panel on the right--hidden door? trap?
I go up to it and run my hand along it. There's definitely a seam where the coloration becomes brown.


>Switch or something on the far right?
I take a close look at it, and it definitely seems like a handle of some kind. I touch it just to make sure it isn't a trap of some kind, and nothing happens. So, I grab ahold of it and pull it upwards.

I'm startled when the wall panel slides upwards into the ceiling, revealing a passage bathed in a blue glow. Maybe the quartz motherlode is inside?

3/4 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)00:28 No. 642584 ID: 02d9ae
File 143245248582.png - (337.24KB , 700x700 , 01-06c.png )

I go inside, and the short passage leads to an adjacent room, which appears carved out of the tunnel.

Inside is the biggest chunk of charged quartz I've ever seen in my life. By far. I've collected quartz for as long as I can remember, and let me just say that it simply doesn't appear in quantities and sizes this big, based on the digs I've done in the past.

Charged quartz also doesn't hum. Or, well, I thought so, but this one definitely is. I don't really know what to make of this. Should I try to break a piece off and put it in my bag?

4/4 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)00:28 No. 642585 ID: 02d9ae
File 143245252149.png - (224.47KB , 700x700 , 01-06-pause.png )

PAUSED

I'll pick this back up tomorrow! I had a lot of fun with this tonight, thanks for participating!

>>642584
Touch iiiiiiit

touch the piece.

>>642592
Yep. Reach out and touch it gently, in awe.

touch it first. see if it does anything

Touch it, it may just save your life.

1/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)12:32 No. 642692 ID: 02d9ae
File 143249592022.png - (341.11KB , 700x700 , 01-07a.png )

>Touch iiiiiiit
>touch the piece.
>touch it gently, in awe.
>touch it first. see if it does anything
>Touch it, it may just save your life.

I... I have to touch it. I feel like it's pulling me towards it.

I place my hand on one of its facets. The light being emitted from it brightens around where my hand is touching it, to the point that it's almost difficult to look at. The low hum it emits starts getting louder. The sound begins to crackle and fizzle, growing ever louder, until--

sshhhhrrrrrCRACK

2/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)12:32 No. 642694 ID: 02d9ae
File 143249596724.png - (396.36KB , 700x700 , 01-07b.png )

The loud eruption startles me, sending me stumbling backwards. I look up as I fall, only to have my gaze met, to my horror, by a... thing. A ghost? An illusion?

I fall to the floor and stare at the construct, paralyzed by shock and fear. It stares back, in silence.

...H-h-hello?

>>642694
Ask who it is. What it is.

HHello. I'm I'm Lemo.

L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)13:43 No. 642704 ID: 02d9ae
File 143250018383.png - (233.43KB , 700x700 , 01-08.png )

"...H-h-hello? I'm, I'm Lemo." I'm not certain what possessed me to call myself that. I don't even have a name...

The spectre smirks and gives a deep, guttural chuckle, seemingly amused.
Leeeeeee-moooooohhh... It sounds the name out slowly, as if seeing how it rolls off the tongue.

I'm still terrified, but so far it doesn't seem like it wants to obliterate my soul. "Um, who--er, what are you?"

"Na obiteka uma Eador. Kalonen Uchul." It pauses for a moment and chuckles again. "Omote uma... Lemo." It grins.

I don't understand a word of what it's saying, but it seems to understand me.

>>642704
Tell it you don't understand it. Ask if it knows (the language you're speaking).

Are you Eador? (It's a start)

1/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)14:40 No. 642716 ID: 02d9ae
File 143250362759.png - (440.17KB , 700x700 , 01-09a.png )

"I don't understand what you're saying. Can you speak Noloric, like me?"

It just looks back at me quizzically. I guess it's not willing to speak my language, otherwise is unable to, despite appearing to understand me.

"Are you Eador?" I ask, wondering whether one of the words it spoke was its name.

It gets a pained, contemplative look on its face, pausing before responding. "...Uchul." I guess its name is Uchul, then.

"Well, Uchul, I'm in a lot of danger, and I could really use--" I start to ask for help before being cut off. With a loud bang, the spirit suddenly transforms into a wire-thin beam of light, which shoots off back towards the entrance tunnel. I hear something clatter to the ground.

2/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)14:41 No. 642717 ID: 02d9ae
File 143250367156.png - (234.51KB , 700x700 , 01-09b.png )

Uchul's light-beam ricochets out into the entrance tunnel and hits the wall above the mouse hole. It looks like something has rolled out of it.

>>642717
Hmm, well, go pick it up I suppose.

Whoa! That was something. Could have got epicly electrified or something instead! Check out the hole like there was no time to take the next breath. Ever.

well might as well see what it is

L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)15:22 No. 642737 ID: 02d9ae
File 143250617694.png - (128.45KB , 700x700 , 01-10.png )

The light beam fades out, and I go and pick up the object that rolled out of the hole.

It's a small scepter made entirely of charged quartz. Curiously, the "head" of the scepter is red, which is a kind of quartz I've never seen before. In my experience, it's always been blue.

I also notice that its glow gets brighter when I point it towards the locked door.

>>642737
congratulations you found a key.

cool, a crystal key.

Not a bad place for a spare key really. Didn't think of it being there in the first place. I wonder who lives behind the door? Maybe we should find out by pointing that key towards it up close.

1/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)16:11 No. 642746 ID: 02d9ae
File 143250909841.png - (260.27KB , 700x700 , 01-11a.png )

>it's a key
Sure enough, when I approach the door, I hear a loud clunking noise, which I assume is the lock mechanism disengaging. Pushing on the door again, this time it opens rather easily.

Not seeing any worthwhile options other than entering the next room, I decide to press on.

2/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)16:12 No. 642747 ID: 02d9ae
File 143250915648.png - (305.50KB , 700x700 , 01-11b.png )

Forget what I said earlier. This is the biggest chunk of charged quartz I've ever seen in my life. Holy shit. I'm beginning to hope my former captors don't manage to find any of this.

It looks like the crystals in this room are connected as some kind of network, judging from the cables attached to poles embedded in them. I can't fathom what purposes it served, in its time.

Scanning the area briefly, I see two paths: one leads up and behind the gigantic central crystal, ending in a passageway to another area; and the other leads to a raised dais set before a smaller, yet still enormous, crystal.

Try... the smaller crystal first. (Maybe it's some kind of control node or interface, while the bigger one is the server or network?)

Go for the smaller crystal, but be careful. Do you know how these things function? No.

Before going anywhere you best close the door and try to lock it. You don't want to risk sudden unwanted company from your former masters, now do you? Oh, and run back and close the secret door before you close this door too.

shut the door behind you so no one can sneak up from behind

1/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)19:30 No. 642801 ID: 02d9ae
File 143252104453.png - (340.46KB , 700x700 , 01-12a.png )

> Close secret door in entrance tunnel
I quickly walk back into the entrance tunnel and pull the lever on the right hand side of the wall. As expected, the secret door shuts tight.

> Close door to entrance tunnel and try to lock it, in case minders come looking for me
Good idea. After returning from shutting the secret door, I push the entrance tunnel door shut, from the inside. As I do so, I hear the lock mechanism reengage inside of it. I hold the quartz key up to it, but nothing happens. I guess I won't be getting back out that way, but the only things I think I could possibly want from there would be my broken collar and to talk to Uchul again. Given that the collar's probably more of a threat than a help, and that Uchul disappeared, I don't think I'll regret closing the door.

>Go to the smaller crystal first, but be careful
>Maybe it's some kind of control node or interface
I walk up the path onto the elevated dais in front of the smaller crystal. The crystal stands before me, large and imposing even in comparison to the gigantic one nearby, and to the right is a podium, which I take a closer look at.

2/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)19:31 No. 642802 ID: 02d9ae
File 143252111211.png - (28.49KB , 700x700 , 01-12b.png )

Upon examining the panel, I see:

- (A) A deep, diamond-shaped hole
- (B, C, D, E) Four glyphs from an alphabet I don't recognize, with a black dot beneath each
- (F, G) Two dials
- A diagram depicting a series of lines leading from each glyph, which branch together with each other and lead to specific spots beside the dials. The color coding seems significant.

I think this must be some kind of interface for the crystal network, but I'm not certain what its exact function is, or what the glyphs at the top represent. I can try to interact with the panel, or I can look around elsewhere to see if I can find some clues.

Apologies in advance to anyone who has color blindness.

>but the only things I think I could possibly want from there would be my broken collar and to talk to Uchul again
That's fine. He was like a ghost or something. He can probably go through walls.

>>642802
Aha! It is some kind of control. Too bad we don't know what they control yet.

Does the crystal rod fit in the diamond indentation?

>or I can look around elsewhere to see if I can find some clues
Yeah, we should probably look at what this might control before hitting buttons.

1/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)20:18 No. 642825 ID: 02d9ae
File 143252392921.png - (67.52KB , 700x700 , 01-13a.png )

>Does the crystal rod fit in the diamond indentation?
I try sliding the key rod into the hole, and it snaps in place with little effort at all. In response, the dot beneath glyph D lights up bright red.

2/2 L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)20:20 No. 642826 ID: 02d9ae
File 143252401391.png - (305.23KB , 700x700 , 01-13b.png )

I hear a crackle, and I look up to see electricity (or whatever charged quartz energy is) arcing at both terminals of the cable leading to the passage on the upper right.

hmmm... looks like we need to head up there now. unless he crystal can rotate now.

>>642826
Hmm. Go look through the passageway that's lit up now, I guess. Maybe you just opened a door?

mud 2015/05/24(Sun)20:58 No. 642843 ID: 02d9ae
File 143252632194.png - (253.88KB , 700x700 , 01-14.png )

>Rotate crystal rod
I try to turn it, but it doesn't budge. It seems that its only role in the panel is to activate it.

>Go up to the passageway
I leave the dais and take the upper path past the giant crystal and enter the upper-right hand passage.

I emerge in a small room with four stone containers, each with what appears to be a sliding door on it. The rightmost container looks like it's ruined.

On the wall, above each container, are glyphs that match the ones I saw on the control panel. Glyph D is lit up, like a neon light, and the door on the corresponding container has a small right light by the handle.

>>642843
Typo correction: "small right light" should read as "small red light".

Okay... so if you manipulate the panel, maybe you can make glyphs for each of these containers light up.

Let's see what's in container D. Open it, carefully.

L-103 2015/05/24(Sun)21:42 No. 642877 ID: 02d9ae
File 143252896928.png - (238.58KB , 700x700 , 01-15.png )

>Let's see what's in container D. Open it, carefully.
I approach the container under glyph D, and try to carefully slide its door open, but it refuses to move. So then I try to open it somewhat less carefully, which has much the same effect. I'd say it's definitely locked. I'm a little relieved, to be honest; this room gives me the creeps.

Maybe I'll have better luck with one of the other containers.

>>642877
Oh! I see how to select which container is activated, as well. The dials on the bottom select two of four paths, and each pair of paths has only one destination in common.

For instance, orange+purple=red. Teal+lime=green.

So check to see which of the containers are unlocked, and what's in them. Then we can go back and activate the one we want.

can you make out what's inside the container that looks a little smashed?

1/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)14:01 No. 643141 ID: 02d9ae
File 143258771493.png - (397.75KB , 700x1400 , 01-16a.png )

>can you make out what's inside the container that looks a little smashed?
The door is covered in a thick layer of dust, so I wipe it off and try to see what's inside.

Um.

2/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)14:02 No. 643142 ID: 02d9ae
File 143258777063.gif - (107.76KB , 700x2100 , 01-16b.gif )

[animated]

I try to look through their doors as well, but I can't see into them. It looks like the hole in the broken container lets in just enough light that I can see the inside.

I go back to the podium and move the right-hand dial to the bottom position, activating glyph E. The light below it starts flashing red on and off. I guess that means that it's broken.

I try the other two combinations, activating glyphs B and C. For each of them, I hear a low, faint humming noise coming from the container chamber. The lights below these two glyphs are green, however, so maybe that means their corresponding containers are unlocked.

let's try B first.

>>643142
Yeah, B is good for now.

...I wonder where A is.

I wonder what the glyphs are, hey they're marking the containers! See if anything happened to the ones activated.

1/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)16:37 No. 643183 ID: 02d9ae
File 143259704665.png - (259.47KB , 700x700 , 01-17a.png )

>let's try B first
I activate glyph B on the podium, and then go to the container room. As expected, glyph B on the wall is lit up, and the door on the container below it is glowing with blue light, as though it's made of charged quartz. The door itself is glowing brightly enough that I'm still unable to see through it.

>...I wonder where A is.
A is the hole that L-103 inserted the key rod into, on the top left of the podium. The alphabetical markings aren't actually on the podium itself; they're just labels I put there for the sake of dealing with the controls in text.

2/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)16:38 No. 643185 ID: 02d9ae
File 143259709568.png - (286.22KB , 700x1400 , 01-17b.png )

I exhale slowly to gather my nerves, and then open container B. Inside is a cloth bag, which is closed with a cinch. Inside of the bag I find:

- A leather bracer of some kind, with a metal device attached to the top of it, and a hinged handle of sorts protruding from the inside, which has buttons on its underside. The larger partion of the metal device has a small door on it, and the chamber inside is empty.
- A small metal box containing several shards of charged quartz.

oh, it's a weapon bracer. put it on your arm then you shoot shards when you flex your hand.

you are now armed... though why they put something so small into such a large container puzzles me.

>>643185
Cool! Try opening C.

Is the bracer your side?

It's probably a weapon, and the charged quartz is the ammunition / power supply.

Hmm. I suppose we could test fire it at a wall in the big room, so long as we made damn sure to avoid the big crystals.

1/4 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)18:30 No. 643224 ID: 02d9ae
File 143260385932.png - (132.03KB , 700x700 , 01-18aa.png )

>oh, it's a weapon bracer. put it on your arm then you shoot shards when you flex your hand.
>Hmm. I suppose we could test fire it at a wall in the big room, so long as we made damn sure to avoid the big crystals.
I hesitate at the idea of testing the bracer, since I only have 4 shards, but I also have no idea when I might have to actually use it. So, I put it on, place a shard inside the compartment, aim it at the wall, and squeeze my hand around the handle.

PLINK

...Well, that was a little underwhelming. I'm not certain what I was expecting, though, given that charged quartz is pretty stable. If it wasn't there'd be no way we diggers could mine it with our bare claws. On the upshot, the shard I fired is intact, so I didn't waste any ammo. Plus, it could still be useful for self-defense to some degree.

2/4 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)18:31 No. 643225 ID: 02d9ae
File 143260389996.png - (228.55KB , 700x700 , 01-18a.png )

Moving on from testing the bracer, I go back to the podium to activate glyph C, and like B, its respective container turns on, the door glowing with a pale blue light. I slide the door open, expecting the possibility of something else useful being inside.

3/4 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)18:32 No. 643227 ID: 02d9ae
File 143260393852.png - (602.94KB , 700x1400 , 01-18b.png )

Eeeuuuggh. Whatever this container is supposed to do, apparently life preservation isn't one of its functions.

4/4 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)18:33 No. 643228 ID: 02d9ae
File 143260398332.png - (384.86KB , 700x665 , 01-18c.png )

I start to walk away from the container, and then I hear a dry, raspy moan.

well then... might as well shut that for now.

>Well, that was a little underwhelming
Maybe it only reacts with certain things. It might react differently to hitting flesh versus stone.

>>643228
Turn around to watch the thing in the coffin, freeze.

you got a water skin or something?

1/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)20:31 No. 643267 ID: 02d9ae
File 143261108573.png - (238.79KB , 700x700 , 01-19a.png )

1/2

>Turn around to watch the thing in the coffin, freeze.
I whip back around and stare at the container. The... corpse? Person? Whatever it is, the thing inside keeps moaning. I feel paralyzed. I slowly realize that the moaning is actually a word, repeated over and over...

"Kalta... kalta... kalta..."

>well then... might as well shut that for now.
I AGREE! I rush over and slam the door shut!

2/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)20:32 No. 643268 ID: 02d9ae
File 143261115354.png - (325.86KB , 700x700 , 01-19b.png )

FWOOSH

back away.

>>643268
Whoa. I wonder what just happened. Fall on your ass and reassess the situation.

So... did you shut it just in time not to get blasted in the face, or is she showing her displeasure at being shut up again.

maybe leave the room for now

2/2 L-103 2015/05/25(Mon)23:03 No. 643288 ID: 02d9ae
File 143262022632.png - (258.73KB , 700x1400 , 01-20b.png )

Wh... where am I?
...Oh.

"Hello?"

>>643288
...she looks mad.

>>643288
Hmm, suddenly you're naked. This must be some kind of dream or vision. Ask who she is.

I honestly don't know what to say here

If you can travel back to my age, I'm in trouble too. We may need each other in many ways.

>>643288
"...wait, bwuhhh?"

L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)01:04 No. 643299 ID: 02d9ae
File 143262744633.png - (368.39KB , 700x1400 , 01-21.png )

"Who are you? I'm in danger and need help, maybe we could help each othe--"

Wild guess; that's some sort of ancient ancestor of your kind and they're disappoint in how their great-great-grandchildren have turned out.

and now they'll send you out on a training montage to become buff and tall and fine like they are and reclaim your birthright.

...This is going to suck isn't it?

Lady why are you grabbing me?

L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)02:44 No. 643306 ID: 02d9ae
File 143263348896.png - (350.93KB , 700x1400 , 01-22.png )

>intruder why do you come here
>the barbarians do you serve them
>forfeit all that you know

groping in the back of my head what is going on
why are you doing this
it hurts
let go let go

>be quiet
>aha
>what... what is this
>no


[PAUSED]

she probably just learned about the enslavement of our kind. damb, thats gotta hurt.
"are you ok?"

>>643306
Um. Sorry?

You aren't wearing your ear-tag in this (I presume) mental space. She's not showing her aging / hibernation sickness either.

L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)14:28 No. 643362 ID: 02d9ae
File 143267572128.png - (154.52KB , 700x700 , 01-23.png )

"Are you okay..."

>"Hey. Kid. You snap out of it yet?"

I'm awake. Where am I, and how did I end up here?

>"Coast's clear. We gotta get a move on."

Who is that?

Did she lock you in one of those coffin things? How long have you been out?

Sit up, look around.

L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)18:19 No. 643394 ID: 02d9ae
File 143268959712.png - (179.97KB , 700x700 , 01-24.png )

>Did she lock you in one of those coffin things? How long have you been out?
>Sit up, look around.
I prop myself up on one arm as my eyes adjust to the darkness. I'm not sure what happened, but I didn't end up in one of those weird coffins. Instead this is some kind of crawlspace, I guess, judging from the wooden ceiling and trapdoor. I'm not really sure how long it's been since I was in the cavern; I feel like I've just woken up from a night's sleep. This doesn't seem like the cavern, at least.

I hear someone making a lot of noise upstairs. I assume it's the man who spoke to me just now. It sounds like he's rifling through cabinets and drawers.

>"Hey, you hungry?" He shouts. "I grabbed a sandwich for the road, I'll split it with ya." His voice seems strangely baritone, like it's lower than it should be.

"I'm awake," I shout back, "Where are we?"

>"Friend's house. Just outside of Windsport," he replies through what I assume is a bite of sandwich.

I don't really know any city names, so that wasn't terribly helpful, but it's better than nothing.

"What should I call you?"

>"Name's Remy. Now c'mon, we really gotta go, I bought us some time but sooner or later the MPs are gonna realize I sent 'em on a wild goose chase. Probably sooner. Also, last chance to call dibs on the other half of that sandwich. I'm hungry as fuck."

With that, he starts digging through drawers noisily again.

>>643394
Well join him in digging through drawers. There's a cabinet right there.

You should accept that sandwich. It's probably better than anything else you've eaten in your life.

Obvious question to ask is how you got here. Last thing you remember... you weren't here.

Do you still have your stuff with you? Your ear-tag is gone.

1/2 L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)20:51 No. 643422 ID: 02d9ae
File 143269868594.png - (80.53KB , 700x700 , 01-25a.png )

>You should accept the sandwich. It's probably better than anything else you've eaten in your life.
"Uh, yeah, I'll take that sandwich half, if it's really all right. I mean, if you're really hungry then I--" I call to Remy.
>"Shit man, you don't gotta treat me like I'm your master or something. Just say 'yeah, gimme the sandwich.' S'no big deal to me."
"...Yeah, gimme the sandwich."
>"Gotcha. It's up here on the counter."

>Well join him in digging through drawers. There's a cabinet right there.
I look through the endtable's drawers. They're bare all except for a switchblade, which I take.

>"Oh yeah, if you didn't find it already I put your bag behind the endtable down there. Safe keeping and all that," Remy shouts. "I dunno what you're doin' with all that quartz in there, but it's a wonder you didn't burn the hell outta yerself handlin' it. Oh well, none a' my business, just be careful with that shit around me." He continues rummaging around upstairs.

I look in the shadows behind the endtable, and sure enough, my bag's there. Looks like all the quartz, the bracer, and the box of shards are still inside. Digging deep, I notice that the key rod is in there, too. Funny, I don't remember taking it out of the podium in the cavern.

>"Ha haaa! Found 'em! Hide 'em near, hide 'em far, you can't hide yer smokes from Remy le Bagnard!" Apparently he found what he was looking for, and he yells to me: "Sorry if that was too corny for ya. Can't help myself sometimes. Ahem."

2/2 L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)20:52 No. 643424 ID: 02d9ae
File 143269875109.png - (184.73KB , 700x700 , 01-25b.png )

I gather my things and climb up the ladder through the trapdoor. In front of me is Remy, sitting on the kitchen counter, ashing a cigarette into the sink. He's a Nolor, and a particularly tall one at that. ...It's also worth mentioning that all of our minders back at the slave camp, and I assume everyone who owned us, were Nolor as well. Remy seems genuine, but I'm going to keep my guard up nonetheless.

>Obvious question to ask is how you got here.
"So, uh, my memory's kind of spotty. How exactly did I get here?" I ask as I walk over and pick up the sandwich, making sure to keep facing him.
>"Long story. I'll tell you in the truck, time's a-wastin'. Long story short, though, I found ya wandering around inside an old mine in some kind of daze."

>Your ear-tag is gone.
I hadn't noticed it until now, but that's right--the tag isn't there! It's been there for years, so by now I'd stopped paying any attention to the tag's presence.

"I had a tag on my ear. Do you know what happened to it?"
>"I cut it off. They put trackers inside those things, so I tied it to the foot of a carrier leuk bound for a city 2 hours in the opposite direction of where we're headed. Hence the wild goose chase I told you about." Remy grins. "Bastard MPs are gonna be so pissed."

>"Anyway, any other questions you wanna ask, or shall we get this show on the road?"

So... I'm gonna guess this is the first human you've ever met who hasn't treated you terribly.

>sent your guards on a wild goose chase
Thank you.

>Anyway, any other questions you wanna ask
Uh. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why are you helping me?

>it's a wonder you didn't burn the hell outta yerself handlin' [all that quartz in there]
>charged quartz is pretty stable. If it wasn't there'd be no way we diggers could mine it with our bare claws
Huh. That doesn't jibe. Is your species just resistant to the effects, or does the quartz get less stable outside of the cave system, maybe?

>>643424
Why's he helping you?

L-103 2015/05/26(Tue)23:47 No. 643443 ID: 02d9ae
File 143270923139.png - (261.20KB , 700x700 , 01-26.png )

"Uh. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but why are you helping me?"

>"The short of it is that some people I'm indebted to told me to do it. The long of it is... well, like I said, I'll save it for when we're in the truck."

"...Wait, you said you found me in an old mine, right?"

>"Yep."

"So... they knew I was there?"

>"Double yep. Or, actually, it seemed more like they knew you would be there. Don't ask me how, I have no idea. I don't expect they'd tell me if I asked, either." Remy eyes me for a moment. "Don't worry about it though, I've done favors for them for years and they've never steered me wrong. Hell, I pretty much owe them my life, in more ways than one."


>Is your species just resistant to the effects [of charged quartz], or does the quartz get less stable outside of the cave system, maybe?
Both seem like possible explanations. I should be careful with it in the future though, in case the latter explanation is true. It does explain that weapon I found in the caverns, though.

"All right, I guess I'm ready to go." But I'm gonna keep that switchblade at the ready just in case. I considered refusing, but I know next to nothing about the surface world, where to go for safety, and so on. A guide I don't trust entirely is better than no guide at all.

>"Great. I'm gettin' antsy anyway."

We step outside. And um, wow. "I'd heard about what it was like on the surface... that the ceiling is higher up than in any cave, but this is just mind-blowing. I couldn't have imagined this."

>"Actually, there isn't any ceiling."

"What?"

>"You'll understand eventually. Just wait till you see morning. Hold on, I've got something for you." He starts digging around in the back of the truck.

>>643443
You forgot to eat your sandwich!

ask on a scale from one to ten, just how much danger you are in right now and if he would be kind enough to tell us where we're going.

>>"Actually, there isn't any ceiling."
>"What?"
The world's a great big ball, and for the first time, you're standing on the outside, not inside. There's no more ball above you.

Wait to see what he gets out of the truck.

1/2 L-103 2015/05/27(Wed)17:57 No. 643561 ID: 02d9ae
File 143277464921.png - (78.88KB , 700x700 , 01-27.png )

>"Here, put this on. Sorry that it's way too big, it's all I've got on short notice. When we get there I'll see about getting you something that fits you."

He tosses me a large hooded sweatshirt, and I put it on. It's only about 20 sizes too big. "I feel ridiculous."

>"You look ridiculous. But that's better than looking like a fugitive slave. That horn sticks out like a sore thumb, though. Might wanna consider cuttin' it off." He gestures for me to get in the truck. "Hop in."

We both get in the truck, and Remy reaches behind the center console. A sudden, sharp hissing noise startles me.

>"Relax, that's just the hermetic seal engaging," Remy says, apparently noticing me jump at the noise. "Driving with a respirator on is a pain."

I take the sandwich out of my bag, and take a bite. It tastes... bizarre, but I'm glad for the food nonetheless. I didn't realize how hungry I was, until now. "Wow," I say through a mouthful.

>"Pretty good, huh," Remy asks as he pulls the truck out onto a dirt road. "It's my own creation. Peanut butter, banana, and fried leuk egg, slathered in mustard. Most people hate it, but it's my favorite."

"A lot better than what we had at the camp," I say between bites. "So uh, you seem pretty relaxed, does that mean we're not in a lot of danger?"

>"Hell no. Right now I'd say we're... somewhere between being in trouble and being in deep shit." He puts the truck in drive and slowly pulls out of the dirt driveway. "S'why we're gonna get the hell out of MP jurisdiction, which means leaving the country. Oh yeah, what's your name?"

"I... don't have one, at the camp I was called L-103 or just 103."

>"That's a slave name, it'll be nothing but trouble going forward. Be thinking about what you wanna call yourself. By the time we get there, you'll need a name. Hell, think of several if you can, and I'll tell you which one sounds the least like bullshit."

2/2 L-103 2015/05/27(Wed)17:59 No. 643562 ID: 02d9ae
File 143277477360.png - (168.70KB , 700x700 , 01-27b.png )

"Just where're we going, anyway?"

>"Well, right now we're in Argenty, arguably the slave capital of the Empire, which is pretty fuckin' ironic given what the imperial religion is about. The logical place to take a fugitive slave would be Calderon, due west of here; lots of abolitionist influence there. Which is precisely why we're going in the opposite direction--MPs usually have checkpoints on the west border." His face darkens a bit, but only slightly. "Instead we're headed for a little hidey hole I have in the Liberation Union, to the southeast. MPs don't expect it because it's a crazy thing to do--the LU is no friend to slavery, but don't let the name fool you. Their idea of freedom is like a fish's idea of fresh air. But we won't be staying long-term. Just long enough for me to receive further instructions, and sooner or later you'll probably end up in Calderon, probably by boat."

>"Now listen, there's a trapdoor in the floor behind your seat, leading into a compartment. If I tell you to get in there, you get in there as quick as possible. Locks from the inside, so make sure you do that, and there's another trapdoor inside that will let you out underneath the truck. There's a pneumatic gun in there for self-defense, too. It probably won't be necessary, but we might run into some trouble at the border."

The gravity of the situation I'm in is beginning to hit me. Remy's attitude so far had me thinking that safety was just a short drive away. There's an awkward silence for a few minutes, until Remy takes an onramp onto a highway.

>"Hey, sorry if that was a bit of a downer. I've been doin' this for so long that I forget what it's gotta be like for you. Whole thing just feels like routine to me. Go to this hiding spot, dodge that checkpoint, bribe those cops..." He sighs. "It's all kinda crazy when I really stop and think about it--story of my life. But enough about that. I was gonna tell you how I found you, right? It's a bit of a long story, but don't be afraid to pipe up if you got a question."

The perspective is about to switch to a memory of Remy's, but during the flashback L-103 can still ask him questions. Non-question suggestions will be treated as ideas in Remy's subconsciousness.

Well, for names, we did say Lemo to that spirit was ours. Might as well take it.

1/2 Remy 2015/05/27(Wed)21:06 No. 643617 ID: 02d9ae
File 143278601022.png - (49.63KB , 700x700 , 01-28a.png )

A coded message came in via carrier leuk, which is pretty normal for this kind of job, especially from my... benefactors. Looked like a grocery list, pretty clever encoding system since it's easily committed to memory.

Decoded message:
PROCURE ASSET 30 KM N WINDSPORT. ASSET LOC IN MINE (48.77 DEG N 102.3 DEG E). AUTHORITIES EXPENDABLE PROTECT ASSET AT ALL COSTS.

This one was a bit strange, though, especially the "authorities expendable" part. It usually goes without saying that, when doing these fugitive slave jobs, I'm to bypass authorities however I can. But this message said specifically that they're expendable--meaning the killing sort of expendable. It was like they actually expected me to be unable to elude the MPs on this one.

2/2 Remy 2015/05/27(Wed)21:08 No. 643618 ID: 02d9ae
File 143278608028.png - (165.23KB , 700x700 , 01-28b.png )

Well, this is the place. Fuckin' weird place to drop off a fugitive, an old hole in the wall like this. Usually it's a vacant house or an abandoned building or something. And usually there's someone to hand the asset off, but they weren't mentioned at all in the message. I wonder what the deal is.

I don't like the looks of this. Could be an ambush waiting inside. I'll keep my pneumogun in my jacket for a silent takedown if need be, but I'll only get two, maybe three shots before I have to stop to pump it. Debating taking my pistol as well, but if I take a shot the sound'll reverberate all over the place, and if I lose it then I won't have a backup weapon in the truck. I've also got the sedative needle in my false finger, but that's a one-shot kinda thing and I've gotta be right up on someone to use it.

Maybe I should look for a side entrance or something, get the drop on 'em if anyone but the asset's waiting in there.

This doesn't seem like the kind of place to have an easily located side entrance, being carved into the side of a cliff and all. Just go in, but proceed cautiously.

Probably there will be an "ambush" at some point anyways so better be prepared when going in. At least mentally!

Leave the pistol. Do look around a little, but I expect there isn't a side entrance. Looks like a mine.

...oh, a question. The stud still left in Lemo's ear... we're sure that's not the tracking device?

Suggestion for the escaped slave: spell your name "Limoe" as a leetspeak reference to the number.

mud 2015/05/28(Thu)22:03 No. 643836 ID: 02d9ae
File 143287583036.png - (214.37KB , 700x700 , 01-29.png )

>"I think I want to call myself Lemo... it seems right to me, for some reason," L-103 interrupts. "And what about having an alternate spelling of it, like L-i-m-o-e?"
"That's a kinda weird name, but it ain't gonna seem like bullshit, so it'll work. An alternate spelling might be useful too, in case you need a bit of an alias, but if you need one then you've got trouble already. It's kinda surprising the number of escapees I've helped who thought to use Nolor ceremonial names for themselves. Had to explain every time that those names are a... very Nolor kinda thing and even then most of us almost never use them outside of religious stuff. A non-Nolor wandering around callin' himself Semakhlem or somethin' is just askin' to get made as a fugitive slave. Anyway, where was I..."

>The stud still left in Lemo's ear... we're sure that's not the tracking device?
Yep. Those ID tags have a thin quartz circuit sandwiched between the outer layers of the tag itself. Couldn't remove the stud itself with what I had, that'll require something that'll cut metal cleanly without damaging the ear. Or just rippin' it out, but I figure he'd prefer not havin' a nick or a scar that coincidentally happens to be located in the same place that Argenty slavers like to tag their property.

>Leave the pistol.
Right. Better to have a backup in the truck, in case I gotta hightail it but get pinned down before I can get it started.

>Probably there will be an "ambush" at some point anyways so better be prepared when going in. At least mentally!
Heh, shouldn't have to be prepared for an ambush for this kinda job anyway. Someone somewhere fucked up I figure, and I've gotta pick up their slack. But ya can't pick and choose with this kinda job, can you?

>Don't bother looking for a side entrance, if there is one at all it'll be hard to find.
Yeah, probably. Worth considerin', but if there is an ambush waitin' in there, taking too long could put the asset in danger.

I check my pneumogun's magazine and pressure gauge, then stick it in the front of my coat before hopping out of the truck. I take a cursory look to make sure the coast is clear, but I don't see any trace of other people. Not that that means much, since MPs know better than to park their vehicles or steeds right outside of a sting operation. They're easily fooled, but they ain't that dumb.

I head into the mine, and pull my flashlight out as the light dims. I follow the entrance tunnel into a larger area, probably the main tunnel of the mine. What immediately catches my eye is a set of strange tracks straight ahead of me, as my flashlight beam hits them. Not sure what to make of it, looks like someone was dragging something, but in a weird way. There's an old rusted minecart too, but it probably hasn't been moved in at least a century or two. Probably stuck in place by now.

I notice another set of tracks immediately to my right after looking for a moment--footprints. Looks like multiple sets--that's bad news. I dunno the layout of these mines. There's a decent chance that different branches of the mine converge, so following those tracks might not be the best option. Could try to loop around to 'em, but that's a bit of a gamble--then again, following 'em outright is a gamble too.

Whoops--forgot to change the name field. To be clear, the most recent update is still from Remy's perspective.

>>643836
I say loop around by following the drag marks.

1/3 Remy 2015/05/29(Fri)21:49 No. 644028 ID: 02d9ae
File 143296139361.png - (135.09KB , 700x700 , 01-30a.png )

I decide to follow the weird tracks, in the hopes that they'll give me a roundabout way of getting to the asset--and simultaneously avoiding anyone else who might be here. The layout of these mines is a little difficult to follow, but it does seem like the tracks are leading me back around in the direction that the other set of tracks led to.

I continue until I reach a junction, and--what the fuck. That's a dead body, or most of one at least. Shit.

And at the junction itself, the strange tracks... diverge?

2/3 Remy 2015/05/29(Fri)21:50 No. 644029 ID: 02d9ae
File 143296143264.png - (168.94KB , 700x700 , 01-30b.png )

Warning: gore

I approach the corpse to inspect it. It's an MP. Things just got a lot more complicated. I expected MPs were a likely possibility, but... what the hell ripped him apart like this? Had to have happened recently, since the blood hasn't even started to dry. Couldn't have happened without being at least kinda noisy though, so I guess it happened before I went inside.

Right now, though, it's silent. Except for the faint sound of something shuffling somewhere down one of the paths of the junction up ahead.

3/3 Remy 2015/05/29(Fri)21:52 No. 644030 ID: 02d9ae
File 143296155040.png - (99.96KB , 700x700 , 01-30c.png )

Whatever it is, I gotta be careful. No second chances with something like that, that's for sure. I switch off my flashlight and press up against the wall and sneak a look down the left path of the junction. It's dark as hell, but I can faintly make out the silhouette of something shuffling away from me--looks like it might be what made those weird tracks. It's huge, but beyond that I can't make out its shape well... but for some reason it seems familiar to me, in a way that I really, really don't like.

Not sure whether I should follow it, or check the right-hand path of the junction first. Maybe I should just wait and see what happens--can't be that they only sent one MP here.

if it tore that guy apart I really think it's a bad idea to follow it and hope that it's last meal left it full. I say hit the other path and hope that it leads somewhere a bit more inviting... Also do you even have any idea what you're looking for or did the contact only tell you to meet someone here and then left it at that?

>>644030
In the interest of keeping things moving how about you go along the other path.

Question: Who are these "MP"s?

Another question: exactly how is that sandwich made? Does it use three slices of bread or two? What kind of mustard?

If there's enough dust for clear footprints, you can always follow up on the monster later. Right now you're looking for alternate routes.

Remy 2015/06/03(Wed)14:47 No. 645073 ID: 02d9ae
File 143336807869.png - (207.48KB , 700x700 , 01-31.png )

>Another question: exactly how is that sandwich made? Does it use three slices of bread or two? What kind of mustard?
Two or three slices, it doesn't matter, use the whole loaf if you want. Peanut butter goes on one slice, then put the bananas on top. The leuk egg goes next--always fry it sunny-side-up, you'll know you got it right when the yolk turns blood red--then spread some spicy brown mustard on the other slice of bread. I guess you could use any mustard, but spicy brown's how I do it. Squirt a bit more mustard on the egg itself, add lettuce for garnish, then smush the whole thing together. Best sandwich in existence.

>"Who are the MPs anyway, exactly?" Lemo asks. "I guess I should have a better idea of just who is after me, right?"
[i]"My bad, kid, forgot that you dunno slang names like that. The MPs are the Argenty Military Police; they're the country's national police force and a branch of the military. They're basically cops, but with twice the firepower and ten times the attitude. They get called in for jobs that require more than your typical local police force, and aside from that usually get saddled with slave recapture jobs, to keep 'em busy I guess, or maybe the duchy don't trust local cops to refuse bribes."

>Do you have any idea what you're looking for or did the contact only tell you to meet someone here and then left it at that?
It's pretty normal for briefings on these jobs to leave out any description of the asset; the idea behind that is that if the message gets intercepted, the authorities don't have as much of an idea of who they're looking for. Usually it ain't a big deal, since there's usually a handler to pass the asset off. But for some reason the briefing for this one didn't mention a callsign or anything. S'why I think I'm getting to play cleanup for someone else's fuckup--handler for this one probably got arrested or killed.

>if it tore that guy apart I really think it's a bad idea to follow it
>Right now you're looking for alternate routes
Right. Don't so much care about the monster anyway, so long as I can avoid it--just hope I can avoid any other MPs, too. If I'm lucky, the monster's heading right for 'em.

I take the right-hand path, heading down it at a steady, but quiet, pace, with my thumb ready to switch my flashlight off at a moment's notice. I hear some kind of rustling noise ahead of me. I'm hoping it's the asset.

I round a bend in the tunnel, and come to a dead end. And there's a mlurx waiting there--a huge, mobile mass of mushrooms and fungus. It's fuckin' huge. Guess that explains the tracks, then--probably the monster going down the other path was a mlurx too, and I'm guessin' they're both the same one, but split in two when it came to the junction behind me. A mlurx is definitely strong enough to tear a person apart, like with that MP earlier... but what's weird is that it happened in the first place. Usually mlurx are pretty peaceful, only attacking things that stand in their way, like buildings or walls, and people who decide to provoke them.

I'm about ready to turn back around and quietly go back, when the mlurx turns to face me, as if it's lookin' at me--not that mlurxes have faces, but y'know. It feels like it is. Then I realize it's got somethin' in one of its limbs. I think that's the asset, judgin' from the peculiar skin color and tail. Fuck.

Then it, uh, speaks. They don't do it much at all, but if you've ever heard a mlurx talk, you'd know it almost hurts to listen to it. Kinda sounds like wood beams snapping in two, or rocks being crushed, like they're makin' the sound by breaking their insides apart or something.

"We are handler. Identify," it groans with an agonizingly slow intonation.

Never heard of a mlurx acting as a handler before. Or doing anything other than... whatever it is that mlurxes do with their time.

>>645073
...it killed the MP, so maybe it's not allied with them, and you can identify yourself normally? Tell it you're here for pickup. I don't suppose it's even possible to kill this thing, is it? How fast are they?

"Here for pickup. Wasn't given a callsign."

Don't give it your name if you can avoid it.

Wait, you found me being carried around, by the head, by a giant fungus monster that rips people appart?!

...okay, obviously neither of us died there, but that is not reassuring.

1/3 Remy 2015/06/05(Fri)01:37 No. 645811 ID: 02d9ae
File 143349343430.png - (226.34KB , 700x700 , 01-32a.png )

>Is it possible to kill a mlurx? How fast are they?
Well, that's the thing: it's almost impossible to kill a mlurx. Their bodies don't work like ours, since they can split apart and change their shape and stuff. So bullets, blades, and knives don't have much of an effect on them. Instead the best weapon to use on one is fire, and lots of it. Problem is, attacking one usually causes it to release a cloud of spores, meaning that little mlurx growths will start showing up in the area a few days later. So the only way to kill one and be sure it's dead is to burn it to ashes, salt the earth, and then burn the surrounding area a few times just to be sure. Fire's also about the only thing that can get an angry mlurx to give up the fight, so most anti-mlurx defenses are based around sending out teams of people with flamethrowers. It's not unheard of to see a team blasting one with fire to get it to stop beating the shit out of a building. Doesn't happen a whole lot, though.

As for how quick they are, they're pretty slow. That doesn't matter much, though, since they're strong as hell and can put a ton of momentum behind a swing. It's like gettin' hit by a freight train, except that this train can split in two or grow extra cars to hit you with.

I didn't get a callsign or any indication that a fuckin' mlurx was gonna be the handler, so discretion is best. Not gonna tell it who I am.

"Here for pickup. Wasn't given a callsign." I try for the most aloof, professional attitude I can muster. Can't afford to let this thing figure out how freaked out I am right now. "That the asset? Is he even alive?" I point to the person still stuck inside of its arm.

So, the guy whose head was embedded in the mlurx's arm... that was you, Lemo. You remember any of that or how it happened?
>"N-no, I don't remember it at all," Lemo murmurs, visibly shaken. "So... you found me being carried around by the head, in the hands of a giant fungus monster that rips people apart?! Uh, obviously we survived, but that isn't reassuring at all."
"Yeah, I'm pretty weirded out by it. Especially 'cause it grabbed ahold of my head, too."

"This is asset. Asset is alive, but entranced. We did not induce it. You did not identify. We will confirm. Do not move," the mlurx rumbles, before reaching a tendril out and wrapping it around my head.

This might be the most disgusting thing I've ever experienced in my life. Smells horrendous, too. Part of me really wants to jerk away--this thing could rip off my head. But I don't. It doesn't seem pissed at me, and I don't think I oughta give it a reason to be.

After a few moments it retracts the limb from my head, and sets the asset on the ground, letting him go. "Identity confirmed. Alias Remy le Bagnard. Our callsign is Grnxlum."

The fucking hell?

2/3 Remy 2015/06/05(Fri)01:38 No. 645812 ID: 02d9ae
File 143349351102.png - (197.43KB , 700x700 , 01-32b.png )

"You will take asset and flee," it intones. I notice faint sounds of gunfire and shouting coming from down the tunnel. "Milpol approach. Move now."

I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if that horse was just partially engulfed by a slimy fungus beast. I don't have time to think about how the hell it was able to figure out who I am, or whether I even want to know. Not worth it, not when a squad of MPs are getting closer like this, regardless of whether a mlurx is tearin' 'em apart. So I grab the asset's arm and book it. Luckily he's not so zoned out that he can't run.

I can hear the MPs shouting behind us. Sounds like the mlurxes are keeping 'em busy, and judging from all the gunfire those idiots must be panicking. They've gotta know that won't work. Pretty sure I heard one of them barking at his radio for a napalm team. Gotta keep moving and get out of here before reinforcements show.

3/3 Remy 2015/06/05(Fri)01:39 No. 645815 ID: 02d9ae
File 143349355784.png - (657.26KB , 700x700 , 01-32c.png )

By the time we reach the entrance to the mine, everything's gone quiet. I guess someone won, probably the mlurxes. I shove the asset in the back seat, start the truck, and speed off. Gotta find somewhere to lay low for at least a few hours. Off the top of my head I can think of several possibilities:

(A) I know of a shitty little motel nearby. Probably doesn't have many people there, and I could get a room and hide out there till I'm sure we aren't being followed. We could hide there safely for 2 or 3 hours, tops. Any longer than that and we'll run the risk of the MPs deciding to check it out, and I'm pretty damn sure the clerk would squeal within moments of the MPs walking in, even if I bribe him. He's a weaselly little fucker. Still, I could clear my head there and plan my next move before moving on.

(B) There's a fence I work with from time to time near Windsport, named Mo. Only about a 20 minute drive to get there. Upshot is, the MPs probably don't know who she is, and so I can probably safely stay there for upwards of a week if necessary. The downside is that if I show up with a fugitive slave, she's gonna be real pissed at me, and I'm gonna have to convince her to let me stay for even five minutes.

(C) I could go to an abandoned house I know of in a shitty neighborhood in a suburb of Windsport, also about 20 minutes from here. There's no telling just how long I could hang around there without gettin' caught, since there are eyes everywhere in places like that... but I figure I should be able to hide out for at least a day before the MPs start searching the area. Plenty of abandoned houses around there, so even if they are an obvious place for someone smuggling an escapee, they'd have a lot of houses to check.

(D) I could start heading towards Windsport, and spend the time trying to think of somewhere else to go.

Don't worry about making Remy's decision here "fit" what we know about the result of this flashback.

go bug mo.

>>645815
The abandoned house. Mo's place would probably provide the best concealment, but even if it's weird as fuck, this mission isn't screwy enough to justify pissing off a friend. Yet.

tell us more about Mo, like what's she like and who does she work for/who are her normal clients? If we had an idea of what she's like might suggest going to her but bugging out ASAP to not piss her of more then necessary. If Mo doesn't work out go for the house.

Go to the abandoned house. You're not just trying to avoid the MPs immediate notice, you also shouldn't give them a clear trail to follow, which the motel snitch could provide.

While you're there, contact Mo over the phone or something. Gauge her mood. If she seems likely to help, you're being polite by giving advance warning, and if not, you've neatly avoided leading pursuit to her doorstep and thereby endangering both the friendship and her business.

1/5 Remy 2015/06/08(Mon)12:53 No. 647148 ID: 02d9ae
File 143379321281.png - (344.35KB , 700x700 , 01-33a.png )

I decide to avoid the motel--this job's got too much heat already, and the clerk's sure to squeal on me the moment MPs walk through the door. Could use more time than going there would buy me, anyway. I figure my best option for right now is to find one of those abandoned houses on the southwest side to hole up in, then find some way to contact Mo. I don't carry a phone with me on jobs, since MPs can triangulate them pretty easily, so I'll have to find a payphone. Hopefully Mo's home, but she's kind of a night owl. No guarantee I'll be able to reach her.

I glance back at the asset--he's just lying there on the back seat, with that deadpan expression on his face. Startin' to wonder if he's gonna snap out of it at all. Oh well. Gotta get him outta the country no matter what, but it's gonna be a lot tougher to get him to Calderon if he stays like this. Might have to escort him the whole way.

>Tell us about Mo, what's she like?
Mo's cocky. A bit on the butch side. Puts up a bit of a tough front, probably 'cause she has to in her line of work, otherwise people'd just rip her off all the time. So she makes a big show of caring the most about money--if it ain't about makin' money, then it's about spending it, like with those fancy cigars she's always smoking. Think she might be a bit soft on the inside, though. Just a hunch--seems like sometimes she's not as detached from others' problems as she makes herself out to be. Could be wrong though--she's tough to read when it comes to stuff like that, probably 'cause she's from Cleze. They're kinda secretive about their feelings down there. Not that she's told me she's from there, but she's the spittin' image of a Clezean, what with the purple-grey skin, dark blue hair, thick eyebrows, pink eyes... And that accent's kind of a dead giveaway too, so I figure she grew up there. No idea what brought her all the way across the continent like this--ain't none of my business, so I never asked.

Remy 2015/06/08(Mon)12:54 No. 647149 ID: 02d9ae
File 143379326531.png - (108.75KB , 700x700 , 01-33b.png )

After a quarter hour we arrive in the southwest side, and I head over to one of the slummier neighborhoods, making a mental note of payphones I pass by on the way there. Sure enough, there are still some condemned houses, but fewer than I expected. Guess they finally started tearin' them down. Still, that's not good news--gives the MPs fewer places to look. I still reckon I've got about a day or two before things get desperate though.

I find a house that's got a nice amount of tree cover around it, and pull the truck around into its backyard. Back door's boarded up, but a few swift kicks fixes that problem. Looks like I got lucky with this one, 'cause the floor in the living room is damaged enough that I can pry up a floorboard, and there's a cavity between the floor and the foundation. I carry the asset inside the house and set him down inside the cavity, before covering it back up with the loose board. I'm a bit concerned that there could be somethin' down there that'll hurt him. I can't fit in there to clear it out, and I don't have time to find a different hiding place, so it'll have to do. Don't really like leaving him alone here like this either, but if I want Mo's help I need to avoid bringing him around her 'til she gives the OK. She'll appreciate the effort to not involve her without her consent.

>Who does she work for/who are her normal clients?
Mo doesn't work for anyone but Mo. Real entrepreneurial type. She buys from anyone she's sure ain't settin' her up or rippin' her off, and sells to anyone she's convinced will keep their mouth shut if the cops show up. That's another reason for that tough front; makes people think they'll sorely regret it if they cross her. Which they might, actually, judging from what I've seen of her pugilistic skills. Usually though, she's buyin' from thieves like me, and sellin' to pawn brokers and the like who don't mind moving hot merchandise if the price is good enough.

>"You're a thief?" Lemo asks. "I... thought you just helped people like me."
"I do. But ferrying escaped slaves ain't gonna pay the bills, hell it don't pay much at all. Maybe occasionally I'll get somethin' to cover expenses, but that's about it. If I wanna feed myself then I gotta do some more work on the side." I notice Lemo's eyeing me a bit uncomfortably. "Don't look at me that way. It ain't like I rob people's grandmas or something. My targets are all rich bastard aristocrats who probably don't really miss what I take anyway. Hell, half the time I'm doing hired jobs to steal some priceless artifact from one of them, just to give it to another one. There are these two guys who for a few years now have been hiring me to steal and re-steal the same fuckin' statue from each other... pretty sure they just see it as a game now. 'Course, when I'm at it I'll pocket what I can on the side... s'why I need a fence from time to time."

3/5 Remy 2015/06/08(Mon)12:55 No. 647150 ID: 02d9ae
File 143379334490.png - (372.76KB , 700x700 , 01-33c.png )

I debate leaving the truck behind the house, but decide that'd look too conspicuous for it to be a better idea than risk being tailed by MPs who might have the description of it. I drive it back to the last payphone I saw and park to the side. I slide a ducat in the slot, dial Mo's number, and...

Ring ring...

Ring ring...

Goddamnit, pick up already, Mo...

Ring... *click*

>"Hhh... Hello?" A groggy-sounding voice answers, yawning. It's Mo. Guess she was asleep after all.
"Yo, it's Remy. Sorry if I woke ya."
>"Oh, hey Rhemy... It'zh okhay. Whaddaya need?"
"I need to meet up with you somewhere, soon. Next-half-hour kinda soon. Can't do this over the phone."
>"If yhou gotta trop zomezhing off, yhou coulda just come straight over..."
"Nah. I gotta talk to you... Not at your place, somewhere else. You can choose, make it convenient for yourself."
>"...What's zhis about, Rhemy?"
"Can't talk about it now."
>"Okhay, ommmmm... 'Cloud Nine'. It'zh on zoutzheast side. Yhou know it?"
"Yeah, I know the place. Meet you there."
>"Ya, gimme fifteen..." She's interrupted by a long yawn. "No, twenty minutezh. Zhird floor."
"Alright. See you there. And thanks."
>"...Ya, no problem."

CLICK

Cloud Nine's a lounge near her place, maybe a five minute walk for her, tops. Not surprised she chose it. It's one of her favorite joints, I think. The kinda place where you can have private conversations without anyone hearing in, even when it's packed. Open all night, too. Good choice on her part.

I've got ten minutes or so to kill before I need to head to the southeast side, so I head back to the condemned house. I check the floorboards, and they appear undisturbed. Asset's still lying inside. I take a few minutes to make a sweep of the whole house, to make sure there ain't any homeless folks taking refuge inside. Normally I wouldn't give a shit whether they were there, hell I'd probably give 'em some ducats or something. But this job's too risky for that; if MPs show up it'd be trivially easy to loosen their tongues with offers of food or booze. Thankfully the place appears empty. I wasn't lookin' forward to kicking out some poor guy who's down on his luck.

4/5 Remy 2015/06/08(Mon)12:56 No. 647151 ID: 02d9ae
File 143379340128.png - (242.26KB , 700x700 , 01-33d.png )

I double-check to make sure the loose floorboard isn't sticking out conspicuously, then hop in the truck and head to the southeast side. I arrive at Cloud Nine with a few minutes to spare. It's a little hole in the wall, a skinny building squeezed between a phloxum shop and a religious store. I forgot how much I like their sign--it's kinda clever.

I head on in, pay the cover charge--10 ducats, a bit pricey but I ain't in a position to complain--and climb the stairs up to the third floor. Mo's already here. She sees me as I reach the apex and waves me over. The place is dimly lit by violet lights, an effect hindered a bit by the hazy atmosphere--probably mostly the work of fog machines, with a bit of smoke from patrons mixed in. An undertone of unidentifiable ambient music drones in the background; it's the kind of thing that you don't pay much attention to, but kinda slowly seeps into your brain the more you listen to it. Can't say it's unpleasant.

5/5 Remy 2015/06/08(Mon)12:57 No. 647152 ID: 02d9ae
File 143379345836.png - (221.01KB , 700x700 , 01-33e.png )

I take a seat across from Mo, who's leaning back in a swiveling recliner. The table's a repurposed cable spool--the sort of thing that manages to make a place seem cooler and trashier at the same time. Mo looks a lot more awake than she sounded over the phone, so I feel a bit less guilty for waking her up.

>"Well hey there bhuddy," Mo coos before taking a long drag on the cigar--apparently too long, since she nearly coughs a lung out afterwards, before flashing a big toothy grin at me.

Seems like she's in a good mood. Good, 'cause it'd be a lot harder to convince her if she were already pissed.

"You and your cigars," I chuckle. "Don't think you're suppose to inhale those. Or maybe that's why your eyes're always so pink."
>"Haha! Whatever, azhole. Yhou know that'zh just 'cause I'm Clezean." She eyes at my coat and scarf for a second. "Ahren't yhou hot, in zhat getup?"
"Hey, not everyone melts steel beams with their body heat like you folks do." I know she's kidding around of course, throwing a playful jab in exchange for mine. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't trying to butter her up a bit first.
>"Hah. I'm enviouz. Fuckhing shortzh n' tanktop and I ztill feel like I'm about to zweat bulletzh." She takes another puff of the cigar, managing not to cough this time. "Zo... Yhou said yhou needed to tahlk. Zo tahlk. What'zh zo important that yhou had to trag me outta bed to my favorite plaze in zhe middle of zhe night? Zhis juzt a zcheme to trag me into yhour bed?"

She flutters her eyes in a mock display of flirtatiousness, before losing her composure and letting out a loud guffaw. It gets the attention of a few of the nearby patrons, but they just stare for a second before returning to their conversation. It's another joke--Mo ain't the girly type, and with her it's business before pleasure anyway. That's good sign--might be able to convince her to help me after all.

>"Zeriouzly though, what'zh up? Yhou zteal zhe Duke's car or zomezhing?"

"It's not somethin' I stole, per se. No this is about my other business."

I got a job... but it's not like any job I've had before and I could use a little advice and some help if you got any.

then tell her what you know.

" Uh, not something, per say... Maybe someone? "

" Look, long story short, I'm exhausted after going through a mine and a Mlurx to get my asset and I need help figuring out what to do without making you freak out, okay? "

"Nah, nothing big and noisy like a car. Just a little piece of jewelry. One of those square gold plastic whatsits with numbers on it... or rather, everything except that earring, if you catch my meaning."

Remy 2015/06/09(Tue)16:31 No. 647430 ID: 02d9ae
File 143389269493.png - (218.97KB , 700x700 , 01-34.png )

"It's not somethin' I stole, per se. But let's just say the goods I'm movin' right now came with a lil' yellow tag. This job I'm on ain't like any I've had before and it's goin' to shit fast. I need your help."

Mo nearly drops her cigar. A severe expression creeps onto her face as she realizes what I'm referring to.

>"Wow. Yhou're not zeriouz, are yhou?" She start's speaking in a fervent, but hushed manner. "'Cause I zeem to rhecall telling yhou how I felt about zhis. Tell me what I told yhou."
"Look, Mo, it's dif--"
>"Rhemy. Tell me."
I sigh. "You said, 'don't involve me in any you-know-what hunts.'" She had actually used the word slave when she had told me that, but I want to be careful about what I say. It's probably safe, but you never know who's listenin'.
>"Zhat'zh rhight. It'zh one zhing if yhou want to rhizk yhour own neck playing hero, even if I don't like it. But getting me involved, and if we were caught... even if Milpol doezn't indict me for harboring a... yhou-know-what, they could ztill find out about all zhe ztuff I traffic! Yhou..." Her eyes widen. "Oh zhit. Yhou didn't bring zhem here wizh yhou? Tell me yhou didn't."

>Oh zhit. Yhou didn't bring zhem here wizh yhou? Tell me yhou didn't.
I'm not an idiot, Mo. I came to ask for help, not to rope you into something against your will.

Just give her the "are you stupid" look until she calms down. Then tell her the client was a talking mushroom guy who had to cut your meeting short to ... Clean house lets say of some unwanted pest.

Remy 2015/06/09(Tue)18:56 No. 647460 ID: 02d9ae
File 143390141546.png - (200.04KB , 700x700 , 01-35.png )

I just kinda stare at Mo, as if to say, "you gotta be kidding me."

"I ain't an idiot, Mo--I came to ask for help, not to rope you into somethin' against your will. I stowed him away somewhere else before coming here. Figured you'd appreciate that much, at least."
>"Yheah yhou aren't an idiot, even if yhou are crazy. Yhou're damn rhight I apprezhiate it, and zhat'z zhe only rheazon yhou ztill have all yhour teezh right now." She puffs the cigar for a moment, massaging her temple with her free hand, and sighs as she exhales. "Fine. I might az well hear you out. What etzactly do yhou want from me? Do I even want to know?"
"You probably don't, but I've gotta ask anyway. My asset's in some kinda trance or daze, or somethin'. I dunno. Not in any condition to continue on to Calderon. More heat than usual with this job, too. And there're mlurxes involved, no idea how or why; but one told me it was the handler. They wrecked what was probably an entire squad of MPs in the process. Shit's fucked to high heaven, Mo. So I need a place that I can hole up in, maybe for up to a week, while I figure out my next move and try to get the kid to snap out of it. Your place's the best I can think of."

There's an awkward silence. Mo looks flabbergasted. Her face softens.

>"...What have yhou gotten yhourzelf into, Rhemy?"

>"...What have yhou gotten yhourzelf into, Rhemy?"
Hell if I know. Although it sure didn't agree with the MPs, so I must be on the right track somewhere.

Something important.

>What have yhou gotten yhourzelf into, Rhemy?
and you see now why I came to you for advice with this job instead of our normal trade.

1/2 Remy 2015/06/10(Wed)22:00 No. 647720 ID: 02d9ae
File 143399880926.png - (262.00KB , 700x700 , 01-36a.png )

"Hell if I know. Thought this was a regular ferry job, but with Milpol involved as much as it is... well, the asset's gotta be real important to them. No idea why, but they're willin' to throw an entire squad at his recapture, and then there's the whole mlurx thing. Screwin' over the MPs and the Duchy as bad as this seems should be a good thing, but I feel like I'm in way over my head."

It kinda hits me, now, just how fucked I am if this doesn't end well.

"I normally don't scare easily, Mo. I've seen a lot of the worst the world has to offer. Something big is goin' on beneath all of this, and I dunno what it is. That scares me, big time. You see now why I came to you for help?"

Mo reaches over and puts her hand on top of mine, and squeezes it. It ain't like her to do something like that, to get so close.

>"If anyone elze wazh telling me all of zhis, azking me to do zhis for zhem, I'd tell zhem zhey're full of zhit and to go fuck zhemzelvezh. But yhou and me, Rhemy, we have hiztory.. And if everyzhing yhou zay izh true, zhen if yhou get caught..." She squeezes my hand harder, blinking a few times. "I don't want to loze another frhiend."

She's never called me that before. Guess Clezeans really are secretive when it comes to that kinda stuff. I dunno what to say, if there's even anything to say at all. She pulls her hand away, and we're both just kinda quiet for a moment.

>"...Yhou can keep yhour azzet at my plaze. But yhou have to prhomize me zhat zhis izh yhour lazt job in zhis... ferrying buzinezzh."
"Mo, you know I got an obligation to Daw--"
>"Fuck Dawn!" The nearby patrons stare for a moment, shrug, and then go back to their conversation. She quiets down after she realizes she's making a scene. "If yhou were azh important to zhem azh yhou zay zhey tell yhou, zhey wouldn't have zent yhou on a fucking zuizide mizzhion like zhis! Why can't yhou juzt tell zhem yhou're done?"

2/2 Remy 2015/06/10(Wed)22:01 No. 647721 ID: 02d9ae
File 143399888414.png - (161.66KB , 700x700 , 01-36b.png )

"It don't work that way. I owe 'em. And there ain't any hidin' from them; they got eyes everywhere. Besides, my debt ain't only to them, not by a long shot. If they told me tomorrow that I didn't have to do any jobs for 'em anymore, I'd still do 'em. Even if they were all insane jobs like this one. Lemme get a hit of that." I point at her cigar, and she hands it over. I take a long drag. "Even if it gets me killed, or worse."

Mo shoots me a bewildered, distraught look.

"I don't expect you to understand. I have my reasons. It's all in the past, I guess, but that don't change what I gotta do." Urgh. I don't like thinkin' about why I do all this. I feel sick.
>"Rhemy. In Cleze, we have a zaying: 'Zhoze who live in zhe pazt never change zhe future.'"
"Maybe that's true, Mo. But I can't quit. I'm sorry. I'll talk to them about this job once it's done, let them know that springin' crazy jobs on me like this ain't acceptable. If I do that, will you still help me?"
>"...Fine, Rhemy." She sighs, burying her face in her hands. "I guezzh zhat'zh all yhou can do, even if I don't underztand yhour reazonzh. But we have to come up with a plan. I need plauzible deniability, in caze yhou get caught. Zomezhing zhat will keep Milpol off of my azh, zomezhing zhat will convinze zhem I didn't have anyzhing to do wizh zhe azzet. Do yhou have any ideazh?"

First thing that comes to mind is to find some way to trick the MPs into thinkin' I used Mo's house without her knowing, or at least without her permission.

Break in? If the area you could stash the Asset in was somewhere she couldn't reasonably find it, making it seem like a break and enter job would be a potential way of making it seem like she had no idea.

DIG now has a discussion thread:
http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/91853.html

Criticism, advice, etc. are very welcome.

(Also, I didn't see anything in the FAQ about how to make hyperlinks inside posts, so I apologize if the above URL isn't a link, in the case that the board software doesn't do it automatically.)

Have her be "on vacation" so she was letting you stay at her place?

That works but you can do it shorter with >>/questdis/91853

>well, the asset's gotta be real important to them
Lemo: I'm important? Why am I important?

>plausible deniability
Well, my staying there without your knowing would be a place to start.

...might help if you had a fight with me in public, and then stormed off shouting about how you never wanted to see me again. If we got caught, I'm the no good bastard getting back at you by breaking in.

1/4 Remy 2015/06/12(Fri)14:31 No. 648036 ID: 02d9ae
File 143414469106.png - (194.70KB , 700x700 , 1-37a.png )

"We could have a big, loud fight in public. Might give some people the impression we hate each other's guts now. The MPs might think I'm using your place behind your back, then."

>"I don't zhink zhat will work, Rhemy. Do yhou really zhink it'zh even common knowledge zhat yhou and I do buzinezzh togezher? Zhey might zee rhight zhrough it if we call attentzhion to ourzelvezh like zhat."

"Good point. Guess how secretive we've been is workin' against us now. How about this," I say, after pausing for a few moments. "You go out of town for a week 'on vacation'. While you're gone, I'll 'break in', keep the asset in your place, and just to happen to 'steal' any hot merchandise you've got there. MPs show up, you give 'em a sob story about how someone broke into your home and robbed you. They might search the place and question you, but they won't find nothin' that way, and it'll keep 'em from thinking you're involved."

>"I can't zhink of a better one zhan zhat. One problem zhough: how will yhou know yhou weren't tailed? It zeemzh like zhey'd find it pretty zuzpiciouzh if yhou happened to break in rhight after I leave for an impromptu vacazhion."

"I'll wait a day where I got the asset stashed right now. Make it seem like I was waitin' for you to leave on an extended trip. If they're tailin' me close enough to follow me right to your place, I'm already screwed and they'll grab me before I manage to break in. No point in tryin' to avoid that possibility. You know where you're gonna go?"

>"I've got a few ideazh. I'll make up my mind after I leave. I'll move all of the hot ztuff into zhe crawlzpaze underneazh zhe kitchen." She stands up, snuffing out her cigar in the process. "I guezzh I zhould get going. The zooner I leave, the more believable zhis whole plan izh going to be."

"So long, Mo. And thanks." I watch her walk away a few paces, before she turns again to face me.

>"Bye, Rhemy." Her tone of voice is soft, almost forlorn. She pauses, like she can't find the words she wants to say. "...Be zafe, okhay?"

"Don't worry 'bout me. Just look after yourself."

With that, she leaves. I can't help but wonder if it was right for me to get her to do this. But I don't have time to waste thinkin' about that.

2/4 Lemo 2015/06/12(Fri)14:32 No. 648037 ID: 02d9ae
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>"After that I went back to the condemned house an' checked on you. By then you were sound asleep, so I was hopin' you'd sleep that trance off--which, apparently, you did. That's when I clipped off your ear tag and sent it towards Calderon by carrier leuk. Haven't seen any MPs following me, so I figure the diversion worked. Once I was sure Mo was gone, I brought you to her place, 'n stuck you in that crawlspace you woke up in. Moved all of Mo's merch to a storage unit. From there it was just playin' the waitin' game. After a few days you finally woke up. I think you know the rest." Remy takes a drag of his cigarette. "I hope you can appreciate just how much trouble I'm goin' through for your sake. Not sayin' you owe me, 'cause you don't. But I still hope you appreciate it. Especially since you're one hell of a special case, heh. Any idea why that might be?"

Everything feels unreal right now. Was it really less than a week ago that I was just a digger slave deep down in some mine? It feels like that was a lifetime ago. I don't know how Remy's jobs usually go, but it sure sounds like this has all been too much attention for a digger like me. And those... mlurxes. I don't even know what to think of that. What were they doing to me?

"I... really don't know, Remy." I try to swallow the lump in the back of my throat, but it won't go away. "I wasn't even the most productive digger in my camp. Both times I went to interrogation were for failing to meet my weekly quota. They... the MPs, I mean, they don't give this kind of attention to other escaped slaves? I was hoping you knew why my escape is such a big deal to them."

>"Not 'send multiple squads to their doom' kinda attention, no. And they usually don't show up as quickly as they did. Usually I beat 'em to the punch. At most you're usually talkin' two or three MPs per escapee. For comparison I reckon they've sent at least 20 after you." He puffs on the cigarette a couple more times. "An' no fuckin' mlurxes, either. That was a new one for me. Whatever's goin' on, you've gotta be real important to someone. No idea why. I'd say to feel flattered by that, but if I were you I'd be wishin' I weren't so special."

A few minutes go by without us saying anything. I'm at a loss for words.

3/4 Lemo 2015/06/12(Fri)14:33 No. 648038 ID: 02d9ae
File 143414482050.png - (110.29KB , 700x700 , 1-37c.png )

Remy speaks up, maybe sensing that I was getting lost in discomfort.

>"Gettin' through the Liberation Union ain't gonna be easy, even though they don't give a shit about escaped slaves and ain't exactly on friendliest terms with Argenty. You'll wanna be alert for it. Best to get some shuteye now, while you still can. We still got a few more hours 'til we reach the border. I'll wake you when we're close. Get in the back if you wanna stretch out a bit."

I think that's a good idea. I don't know if Remy could tell, but even though I apparently slept for the past three days I still feel pretty tired. I don't say anything, but just get into the back seat and lie down.

>"Hey, you mind if I turn on the news for a bit? I wanna make sure they don't have any stories on about us. They probably don't, but with a job as weird as this one I wanna make sure. I'll try to keep it on the quiet side."

"...No, I don't mind," I think I know what he's talking about; I remember hearing the minders talk about the news before. I close my eyes and try to get some sleep, and Remy turns the broadcast on. The anchor's droning voice actually seems to help, and I feel myself slowly drifting away.

... a somber day for everyone in the Empire, and nowhere is it felt more bitterly than at the Renovo. The Prophet's failing health is continuing to decline, according to a spokesperson from his entourage, and his team of doctors do not expect that he will live through the end of the week. Tomorrow morning the heir apparent to the Prophetic Throne, Constance Milot, is scheduled to perform the Rite of Gratitude for the Prophet, and give a speech in honor of his works. If the Renovo medical staff's expectations are correct, then we may see her ascend the altar for the Last Communion as early as Monday. We here at AG-LXN News will keep you updated as the situation progresses. In other news, scandal erupted late yesterday evening when explicit footage was leaked of the mayor of Windsport and his house slaves...

4/4 child Lemo 2015/06/12(Fri)14:35 No. 648039 ID: 02d9ae
File 143414490583.png - (199.86KB , 700x700 , 1-37d.png )

Ma said I hafta practice the memory thing so if I forget things someday I can remember them. I dunno why I'd forget things especially Ma and Kona and Aruvy but Ma knows EVERYTHING so I guess I might! I hope I don't forget anything. Ma says that if I do then someday I'll remember this and it'll be like telling a story to myself! I asked Ma why would I forget everything but she just looked kinda sad and said don't worry Lemo it'll be fine and I probably won't forget anything but this is just in case. So hi future me if you're there I'm you I'm Lemo and I live with Ma and Kona and Aruvy in the warrens!

Here is A IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER oh wait it's a story so ONCE UPON A TIME: I'm the best at funny faces and I always make Aruvy and Kona laugh first! That is the importantest thing to remember after Ma and Kona and Aruvy. Also one time my faces made Aruvy laugh so much he barfed but Ma didn't like that and said clean it up before the minders come back but I think it's really funny.

Ma says this isn't enough practice and I need to think of more things to remember because remembering Ma and my brothers and funny faces is good but not enough. What should I remember next...

Suggestions during this segment will be treated as child Lemo thinking of general subjects to commit to memory.

think about the coolest thing you can do.

Think about where you live.

>I... really don't know, Remy.
What about that stuff you found after you fell down? The giant quartz crystals, or the body in the locker? The stuff you found light be more valuable then you.

...big question is how you got from there to where they found you, though.

>>648039
Remember where you live, and what your parents do there.

Remembers the faces of your closest friends and family.

Remember your favorite food.

Remember your favorite thing to do.

Remember the stars. Remember a rainbow.

...remember anything special about quartz?

1/2 child Lemo 2015/06/13(Sat)17:12 No. 648270 ID: 02d9ae
File 143424072110.png - (524.85KB , 700x1400 , 1-38a.png )

>Think about where you live.
The warrens! Me and Ma and my brothers have a room here. Ma says the warrens are really deep underground. We have to stay inside most of the time and that gets really boring but usually when I'm bored me and my brothers just wrestle and fight. I don't think Ma likes that but it's fun and she doesn't get mad if we don't get hurt and don't poke each other with our horns. Sometimes I really want to go out and see some other places though but the minders say we can't. But I really want to because I think there might be other kids and their Mas too and I want to meet them.

Sometimes the minders take us out of the room though and we get to see the doctor! The minders are kind of mean but the doctor is really nice and she says she wants to keep us safe and healthy so Ma likes her too. But sometimes the doctor gives us shots and that's kind of mean and Aruvy always cries. But she says that shots are better than getting really sick even if you feel a little sick for a few days after so I guess shots are mostly nice and just seem mean. I don't think Ma likes it when we get shots, one time she went into another room with the doctor and I could hear Ma getting mad and the doctor just kept saying sorry.

>Remember where you live, and what your parents do there.
Ma is my only parent! She said me and my brothers have a Pa but he's gone now and she only knew him for a little while because the minders took him away after she had us. The minders are really mean. She said he was nice though and that we should be nice like him. Ma takes care of us and lives with us and teaches us stuff! Like the memory thing except she only taught that to me, she said that Aruvy and Kona are special, but not in the way I'm special, so they don't need the memory thing. She said don't tell them about that because it might make them sad, so I don't because I don't want them to be sad, I want them to be happy! She also said never tell minders or anyone who looks like minders about it because they'll get jealous and be mean to me.

>Remember the faces of your closest friends and family.
That's Ma and Aruvy and Kona! I'll think extra hard about how they look so I never forget them.

>Remember your favorite thing to do.
Playing with Aruvy and Kona! And snuggling with Ma and listening to her tell stories. At night when the minders aren't listening she sometimes tells us stories about the surface and what it's like. And about our ancestors! She says they lived up on the surface and that someday we'll live there too! I wanna go there now, the surface sounds really neat.

2/2 child Lemo 2015/06/13(Sat)17:13 No. 648271 ID: 02d9ae
File 143424083156.png - (435.23KB , 700x1400 , 1-38b.png )

>think about the coolest thing you can do.
Guess what future-me, I can sneak really really good! Sometimes Aruvy and Kona and me play blind tag but I'm so good at not getting caught and they get mad, so sometimes I have to let them win. But other times they like it when I sneak! Like when I sneaked past the minders and got chocolate out of the storage room, and Aruvy and Kona thought it was really cool! But then Ma found out and got really scared and took the chocolate and flushed it down the toilet, and told me never do that again or else the minders will get mad at us! So I don't take chocolate anymore.

But I DO wanna sneak around some more someday! I wanna see where the other kids are and where the minders go and everything else out there! I just won't take any chocolate so Ma won't get scared about the minders.

>Remember your favorite food.
Chocolate chocolate chocolate!

>Remember the stars. Remember a rainbow.
Sometimes Ma talks about those in the stories she tells me and my brothers! I dunno what they look like but she said they were pretty and that there are a lot of stars at night and that they're where our ancestors went after they died. I wanna see them someday so I can say hi to the ancestors!

>...remember anything special about quartz?
Ma says the light here comes from quartz but I've never seen one before, just the light. Ma talks about quartz in her nighttime stories too, she said our ancestors used it for everything and it made them very very strong. But then they used it too much and then bad people took the quartz away and our ancestors weren't strong anymore. And then the bad people hurt them and put them underground forever. That's a sad part and she always gets sad when she tells it and so do me and my brothers, but I think she gets sadder than we do.

She said if I ever see some quartz it's okay for me to touch it. And to hold onto it because the minders don't like touching it because it burns them but it won't burn me or Aruvy or Kona! So if the minders are being mean I can touch them with it and make them stop.

Remember the layout of the places you're not supposed to go, so you don't get lost while sneaking.

>She said if I ever see some quartz it's okay for me to touch it. And to hold onto it because the minders don't like touching it because it burns them but it won't burn me or Aruvy or Kona!
That would seem to confirm the hypothesis that it's a racial advantage that let you safely handle quartz, not that it was more stable underground.

Remember stuff the minders said. Or anything weird they did.

...remember the day you left.

1/4 child Lemo 2015/06/17(Wed)00:04 No. 649004 ID: 02d9ae
File 143452467325.png - (326.38KB , 700x1400 , 1-39a.png )

>Remember stuff the minders said. Or anything weird they did.
Today the minders brought two people I never seen before and I named them Tall and Hat because one is really tall and the other one has a big hat. I think they're more important than the minders because they did everything Hat said. I wanna be important like Hat so I can tell the minders to give me and my brothers chocolate and let us leave when we want. Hat talked to Tall and the minders outside of our room but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Tall didn't say anything and he just looked at us through the window and he looked kind of sad.

Then they came into our room and I wanted to ask Hat if I could have his hat but the minders said don't get close to him. Instead he watched us and Tall came over and poked the backs of our necks with his finger for some reason and then shook his head. Ma didn't like it but she didn't say anything, she just looked mad. Tall and Hat started talking kinda quiet but I could hear what they were saying.

TALL: "It's too soon to tell. Gestation isn't finished."
HAT: "Hrmph. Things are moving more slowly than our schedule demands. We'll have to brute force it."
TALL: "You can't mean... I mean, we can't just wait until--"
HAT: "I was gracious enough to try things your way, and to give you the benefit of the doubt because I was close with your father before his bout of insanity. Don't make me regret that favor."
TALL: "He wasn't insa--" Tall started to yell but then he stopped. "I'm sorry. Thank you."
HAT: "That's better. You will have Janine do a full examination of each one and then tag them. Analyzing the results should at least give us a clue about which of them to start with."
TALL: Tall sighs. "Okay. For the record, though, I just want to say that I don't like--"
HAT: Hat gets mad and starts talking in a scary voice. "Your dislike of this plan of action is irrelevant. Do remember that you are not in a position to try my patience, cousin, given the disgrace our branch of the family has suffered. It would be unseemly if you too were accused of treason.
Tall just looks sad and then he goes away with Hat.

The minders said it's time to see the doctor again so they took us there. Aruvy was scared that we were gonna get shots but we didn't! Instead the doctor poked us and felt our chests and bellies and spent a long time looking at the backs of our necks and in our eyes and noses and ears. The poking tickled and I laughed and she said sorry and smiled a little.

Then the worst thing ever happened.

The doctor went away for a minute and then came back with a scary looking tool and she said I'm sorry little guys, and I was first and she used it on my ear and it hurt really really bad and it was the meanest thing in the world! She did it to Aruvy and Kona too and Aruvy cried a lot more than when he gets shots and me and Kona cried a lot too. Now we all have ear things like Ma does but they are awful and they still hurt.

We got back and we were still crying and Ma saw and started crying too, and Ma was sad for the rest of the day. Ma just stayed in bed and we snuggled in bed with her too because we were sad that she was sad and because our ears still hurt really really bad. I asked Ma why the doctor was so mean when she's usually the nicest person and Ma said that Hat made her do it because he is the meanest person.

2/4 child Lemo 2015/06/17(Wed)00:05 No. 649006 ID: 02d9ae
File 143452472139.png - (326.00KB , 700x1400 , 1-39b.png )

>Remember the layout of the places you're not supposed to go, so you don't get lost while sneaking.
Yesterday the minders came and took Aruvy away. I thought maybe he was going to the doctor, but that's weird because we all go to the doctor at the same time. I asked the minders when he is coming back and they told me to be quiet. I miss Aruvy and so do Ma and Kona, and Ma got really sad when they took him. I asked ma if he was going to be okay and she said Lemo don't worry Aruvy will come back soon but she was crying when she said it.

In the middle of the night I woke up and heard something that really sounded like Aruvy. So I got up and waited until the minder went somewhere and snuck out because I wanted to find Aruvy and bring him back. He kept making noise and it sounded like he was crying so I followed his voice, and I tried to remember where I went so I wouldn't get lost later. I went by what I thought was rooms that might have other kids and their mas, but I didn't go look because I needed to go get Aruvy!

I found a room that sounded like Aruvy was in it, he sounded really scared and sad and he was yelling. I was scared to open it and there was a window, so I looked through it instead and I think I saw Tall and Hat in there too. Hat was shouting something at Aruvy but I couldn't make it out and I got really scared because it sounded like they were hurting him really bad. But he's my brother so I had to do something and even though I was really scared I got really really mad too! So I ran through the door and yelled LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE and tried to hit Hat, but he pushed me and then minders came and hit me a few times and then took me back to our room. And then I was really upset and crying and scared about Aruvy and I woke Ma and Kona up, and they were confused and didn't know what was wrong. I was crying too much to tell them and I just said Aruvy and I think they knew something horrible was happening because they started crying too and then we all cried together forever

3/4 child Lemo 2015/06/17(Wed)00:06 No. 649007 ID: 02d9ae
File 143452476970.png - (141.41KB , 700x700 , 1-39c.png )

I hate Hat. I hate Tall. I hate the minders. I hate the doctor even though she's nice. Someday I'll get them all back and they'll be sorry.

4/4 child Lemo / Lemo 2015/06/17(Wed)00:07 No. 649008 ID: 02d9ae
File 143452486039.gif - (1.24MB , 700x700 , 1-39d.gif )

[Animated]

>...remember the day you left [the warrens].
The day I... I--

"Uaagh!" I'm jolted awake. ...Was that just a bad dream, or was it memories of my childhood? I don't remember even thinking about my childhood before, but I guess I couldn't remember it until now, if the memories are true.

>"'Ey, you alright back there?"

Remy must have heard me when I woke up. I don't know whether, or how much, I should even tell him about this. It could have just been a crazy dream, but at the same time, it felt so real. I cautiously poke at the back of my neck with my fingers, but nothing feels out of the ordinary there.

Ask him about Hat, if he knows anyone like that amongst that group. Hat seemed very important to the minders and if that was the case Remy might know something about him.

>I don't know whether, or how much, I should even tell him about this.
If Remy's rescued people like you before, maybe he knows where you come from. Or maybe he's seen others remember. It's your best bet to check if any of that was real.

This might be a bit abrupt, I'm going to take a short break from running this quest. In hindsight I think I've been overly ambitious, especially in terms of planning things, and so I want to take some time to think it over and find out how many people are interested in the quest as it exists currently, before continuing. See the thread linked below:

http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/91853.html#i92039

1/4 Lemo 2015/06/19(Fri)13:35 No. 649405 ID: 02d9ae
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"Yeah. Just a bad dream, or something, about my childhood."
>"Same thing happens to me sometimes. Ain't no one got a childhood without at least a few bad memories... I guess that goes double if you've been a slave your whole life."
"Well, the thing is, I never remembered my childhood before." I shrug defeatedly. "I don't think I ever thought about it when I was at the camp."
>"That's gotta feel pretty fucked up. At least you remember it all now, even if it's bad, right?"
"Well, there was a little bit of good in there. I remembered my mother, and my brothers."

Suddenly, I have a revelation--the numbers on my brothers' tags. L-097 and L-111. 97 and 111 are my brothers, not just my best friends back at the camp. That was why they were always looking out for me, risking interrogation for my sake. The realization hits me in the gut like a brick. I guess it must have been obvious, because Remy seems to have noticed.

>"You okay?"
"...Yeah, I'll be alright. My two best friends back at the camp. They're my brothers." I try to swallow the lump at the back of my throat. "And I didn't even realize it, until now."
>"Shit," Remy muses. "That's heavy. This shit all hitting you at once? 'Cause you're gonna need to get a handle on it by the time we reach the border. Too much risk otherwise, you gotta be in control."

After an awkward silence, Remy speaks again.

>"Sorry, that was harsh. It's just that you can't afford to be walkin' down memory lane when it's time to run, y'know?"
"No, you're right. It's just... a lot to take in at one moment. There's a lot I still don't understand, and who knows whether it's real at all."
>"Such as? Might as well sift through the details now so it ain't a distraction at the border or in the LU."

>Ask him about Hat, if he knows anyone like that amongst the group.
"Uh, there was this man, in my memories. I guess he was in charge of some kind of experiment, or something, involving me and my brothers. They had a table they strapped us to, with this big quartz machine hanging above it, and..." I shudder audibly. "Well, it was a living nightmare, to say the least. I remember he wore some kind of uniform, and he ordered the minders around. And he had an armband that said 'OSP' on it. I feel like I need to know who he was, or at least why he did that to us."
>"OSP, huh? Stands for 'Office for Special Projects'. Military jargon for 'crazy woo-woo bullshit experiments.' So basically you're probably some crackpot's escaped pet project. Explains why they're so interested in gettin' you back--OSP gets a lot of funding, so someone high up the food chain prolly thinks you're worth a shitload--or they just want you dead as part of a cover-up operation. Bad news either way. Dunno who the guy is, though. About the only thing that's well-known about OSP is that it exists in the first place."

Well, I can't say that helped my stomach feel any better.

"How long was I asleep, anyway?" I ask, wanting to get an idea for how much longer we've got till we reach the border.
>"Maybe about 2 1/2 hours now. Not too long before we get to the LU."

2/4 Lemo 2015/06/19(Fri)13:37 No. 649406 ID: 02d9ae
File 143474622233.png - (149.53KB , 700x700 , 1-40b.png )

>If Remy's rescued people like you before, maybe he knows where you come from. Or maybe he's seen others remember. It's your best bet to check if any of that was real.
"I lived somewhere else before I ended up in the camp," I say, changing the subject. "My mother might still be there. I think it might be connected to the slave camp by a tram, somewhere. Any ideas where it might be?"
>"Beats me, but I assume it's underground somewhere, since you said you've never been to the surface before now. The camp you were at, though--I don't think it's a coincidence I found you in an old mine. Prolly connected to it in some roundabout way, if I had to guess. I'd assume that the tram would be somewhere near there, too. Oh, shit, you aren't thinkin' of goin' back there, are you?"
"I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to rescue my family."
>"Do yourself a favor and put any thoughts of playin' hero to rest. For you, it'd be suicide. Maybe someday Dawn'll organize some kind of breakout at those facilities, but don't count on it. I stopped tryin' to figure out what makes 'em tick years ago."
"Dawn?"
>"Code-name for the folks who send me on slave-rescue jobs."
"...Do you think you could get me in contact with them? Maybe I could get them to--"
>"Nah, I can't, and you couldn't. I mean, I could ask 'em, but I don't expect I'd get a response. Communication with 'em is usually pretty one-sided. Even if you did get their attention, I don't think they'd take suggestions from you. Like I said, there's no figurin' 'em out. But if you really want, I'll send 'em a message sayin' you want 'em to bust your family out. They prolly won't even respond, but they won't be pissed if I send 'em a message on your behalf."
"Thanks, even if it doesn't amount to much."
>"Trust me, it won't."

"So, have any other people you've rescued gone through this? Suddenly regaining memories like this, that is."
>"Nope. You're the first I've seen, unless the others just didn't talk about it. Just a guess, but it seems like maybe it ain't just a coincidence, between OSP bein' involved and you realizing you forgot your childhood for so long. What're the last things you remember, from back then?"
"Well, I... remember being taken away with my brothers, and then they put me under that machine again... after that things get kinda hazy. I have a fuzzy memory of riding a tram with my brothers, I think. And then nothing but working in the mines day after day."
>"I dunno what that machine you mention was supposed to do, but to me it sounds like they tried to block your memories with it." He's got a puzzled expression on his face. "It don't make sense. Why would they give a shit about you remembering bein' tortured by them? Ain't like most folks in Argenty are gonna give much of a shit, if word of it got out, so why the cover-up?"

He's right, something doesn't fit. What didn't they want me to remember? Or is that just a side effect?

Remy points to a road sign as we pass under it.

3/4 Lemo 2015/06/19(Fri)13:38 No. 649407 ID: 02d9ae
File 143474633635.png - (615.92KB , 800x600 , 1-40c.png )

>"We're comin' up on the border. Get in the secret compartment in the floor, make sure to lock it from the inside. I stashed my pneumogun in there for ya, so take it. Also, take this." He pulls something out of the glove compartment, grabs a pen and scribbles something across it, and then hands it to me. "You know how to read maps? Understand the cardinal directions--north, south, east, west?"

"Yeah, back at the camp they'd sometimes give us tunnel maps and compasses for the more complicated parts of the mine." I unfold the map and take a look. It looks like Remy drew a route leading south to a body of water. "I've never seen a map like this before."

>"It's a political map of the Empire. Shows you the layout of the continent and where the borders between countries are. Covers a helluva lot more ground than I'd think a mine map would, too. You see the route I drew on there? See the X? That's where we're gonna be when we reach the border."

"I don't get it," I say, "I thought you were going to take me to the Liberation Union. This looks like it'd lead us south along the border, rather than into the country."

>"That's your plan B. Who knows how things are gonna go at the border. You hear me say something about wantin' to go home to my wife and kids, you get out through the trap door in the compartment, which'll let you out underneath the truck. Then you sneak away as quietly as you can, and then book it once you're outta earshot. At that point on the border, the river flows south along the border, and then cuts through the middle of Temahktem. Just follow it 'til you hit the bay. You'll know it when you see it--lotsa water, like a giant lake. Jump in the river if you gotta, to avoid being caught--it's fast but doesn't have any rapids or waterfalls. Same goes for when you're in Temahktem--it ain't Argenty but it's still hostile to... your kind. They still got the whole tribalism thing goin' on. Once you get to the bay, follow the shore northwest. That'll bring you into Calderon. Be careful who you talk to there--Calderon's an abolitionist country, but that don't mean there ain't bounty hunters lookin' to snag an escaped slave illegally. And given the OSP shit, you're bound to have a hefty price on your head. Look for a cop; Calderon prides itself on its police force's track record for helping fugitive slaves, so they're trustworthy. They wear tan uniforms. You find them, they'll get you to somewhere safe. Bet my life on it. You got all that?"

It's a lot to take in, but I think I'll remember it all. "Yeah. Follow the river south, go northwest at the bay until I cross into Calderon, then find a cop wearing a tan uniform."

>"Good. That's what we'll rely on if shit gets hairy at the checkpoint. Don't look back, don't worry about me. Priority number one is gettin' you to safety. Now get in, we're about five minutes out."

4/4 Lemo 2015/06/19(Fri)13:40 No. 649409 ID: 02d9ae
File 143474641763.png - (167.21KB , 700x1400 , 1-40d.png )

I climb into the secret compartment, making sure to take my bag and Remy's map down with me. I manage to lock the door after feeling around for a couple of moments. Remy's pneumogun is lying nearby, so I grab it and put it in my bag, too. After several minutes, I feel the truck start to slow down, and as it pulls into the lit area of the checkpoint I notice that there's a crack that I can see outside through. It comes to a stop, and I can see the legs of a green-clothed figure walking towards the driver's side door.

REMY: "Evenin'."
GUARD: "Mmhm. Passport and purpose of visit."
REMY: "Here ya go. Repo job, gotta go pick up some poor asshole's car."
GUARD: "Duration of stay?"
REMY: "A day, tops. I don't get paid for time spent.
GUARD: "Alright, Mr... Knapp, everything checks out. Please step out of the vehicle.
REMY: "What? I thought you said everything checks out."
GUARD: "It does. This is just standard procedure.
REMY: "Alright, alright."

I hear Remy get out and slam the door. It sounds like maybe things aren't going to plan.

GUARD: "Okay, Mr. Knapp, hold still for a moment."
REMY: "What fo--hey, what the hell, what's up with the handcuffs?!"
GUARD: "Relax. Command wants enhanced searches at the western border today."
REMY: "Man, I just wanna finish this job so I can get home to my wife and kids!"
GUARD: "Mr. Knapp, you'll be on your way after a routine inspection. We apologize for the delay."

Oh shit. That's my cue.

I open the trap door as quietly as I can, and gently lower myself and my things down onto the pavement below. I try to get a look at my surroundings, and I see several more pairs of legs surrounding the truck. Two of them are wearing black pants instead of green ones.

REMY: "Is that... Milpol? What the hell are they doing here, I thought you guys hated each other!"
GUARD: "We do. But this is a matter of national security which requires special measures. Now shaddap".
REMY: "I have rights, you know! I--oh, god damnit."

One of the pairs of legs wearing black strides up to Remy and starts talking.

[color=black]???: "Well, if it isn't Roland Fa--oh, wait, you go by 'Remy le Bagnard' these days, don't you? How cute. Given your activities as of late, however, maybe you should have chosen the name 'Remy l'Émancipateur,' instead, hmm? Anyway, we have reason to believe you have something that belongs to us--why not do yourself a favor and tell us where you've hidden him? I'd advise against being as foolish as your father was."
REMY: "Fuck you, Bertrand. Don't you fuckin' talk about my da--OOF!"

There's a sickening cracking sound. Remy collapses to the ground, sputtering and coughing uncontrollably.

I need to figure out a way to sneak out, and quick. Most of the guards have crowded around the sides of the truck, leaving possible openings for escape at the front and the back. The front is directly underneath a bright light, though, and the rear has a guard standing by it, so there'll be some risk either way.

Lemo's inventory:
- pneumogun w/ 1 clip (12 rounds)
- bag containing several chunks of charged quartz
- switchblade
- map
- bracer with quartz firing mechanism (4 rounds)

>>649409
Apologies for the missed [/color] tag.

>He's right, something doesn't fit. What didn't they want me to remember?
Maybe you're a failure. Maybe the experiment was supposed to do something else to you, but it didn't work, so they just made you a regular miner.

>what do
...I kind of want to help Remy. We got a gun, and the quartz weapon, and quartz apparently really hurts these guys.

We're outnumbered though, and have zero experience with these weapons. Even if we get a few lucky shots right off the bat, one of them is gonna stop us before we can take them all out.

Try to sneak out the rear.

If you can sneak off but stay relatively close, there might be a way to ambush the milpol as they take Remy away, once they get away from the regular guards.

They're probably somewhat expecting you to make a run for it. You need to disrupt their discipline with less predictable actions first, so that they don't just grab you immediately when you stick your nose out.

Shoot 'Bertrand' in the shin, just above his boot, with the quartz launcher. You've actually used it before, unlike the pneumogun, which is pretty important in a combat situation. Milpol bastard gets hurt, maybe gruesomely crippled if weaponized charged quartz is as exciting as we hope. It's been established that MPs and border guards don't get along; somebody important screaming for a medic might aggravate that and open up a better gap in their circle around the truck.

Is that bright light up front coming from the truck's headlights, or something separate? If it's just the headlights you might be able to cut the power and earn yourself some more shadows to hide in by reaching up underneath the engine and yanking out wires. Fumbling around in there while the engine's running is risky for your fingers, but everything's risky right now, and the fan belt at least isn't actively plotting your downfall.

1/3 Lemo 2015/06/20(Sat)20:04 No. 649732 ID: 02d9ae
File 143485589575.png - (438.67KB , 700x1400 , 1-41a.png )

>Maybe you're a failure. Maybe the experiment was supposed to do something else to you, but it didn't work, so they just made you a regular miner.
That's possible, but... why're they going through so much trouble to get me back, compared to other escapees, then? But there's no time to think about it now.

>Is that bright light up front coming from the truck's headlights, or something separate? If it's just the headlights you might be able to cut the power.
I think it's just coming from a light inside the checkpoint. I think Remy shut off the truck when he got out. I wouldn't know how to cut the headlights quickly and quietly enough to be worthwhile, anyway.

>Try to sneak out the rear.
I slowly crawl my way to the rear of the truck. I've never felt so fortunate to be so small--there's just enough room underneath for me to move without noisily dragging my legs and tail along the ground. That Bertrand guy keeps talking as I move.

BERTRAND: "That's Captaine Rochard d'Argenty, to you, 'Bagnard.' You never did know when to bite your tongue. Still, I'm flattered you remember my name! Now, we're certain you have the slave; the only question is where you left him while you went on this strange excursion to--Wait. You didn't bring him here with you, did you? You didn't," he says incredulously.

REMY: "He's long gone, you prick."
It's all that Remy can manage to say between fits of coughing.

Bertrand bursts out laughing, kicking Remy a few times in the process, eliciting a loud groan.

>You need to disrupt their discipline with less predictable actions first, so that they don't just grab you immediately. Shoot 'Bertrand' in the shin, just above his boot, with the quartz launcher.
Who knows what's going to happen to Remy if I don't do something. He's risked everything for me, apparently thanklessly, and said I don't owe him. He's wrong. I do owe him. I carefully pull the quartz launcher out of my bag, and slip it on, cringing as the shards inside make little rattling noises--but I don't think anyone noticed. I fall flat onto my stomach, and try to aim towards Bertrand's leg. Remy catches me out of the corner of his eye and glares at me, as though he's asking what the hell I think I'm doing. No time to explain.

Bertrand resumes speaking, giggling between phrases. I squint one eye and try to line up the shot, to the best of my ability. At this range I might actually manage to hit him.

BERTRAND: "You are a terrible liar, Roland. And an idiot! Did you really think you'd just be able to waltz through the Union, that they'd pay no mind to your track record, let alone what you're bringing with you? If you dispense with the charades and tell me where in the truck you hid him, and I won't let the interrogators crack you like an e--"

2/3 Lemo 2015/06/20(Sat)20:05 No. 649733 ID: 02d9ae
File 143485594201.png - (252.74KB , 700x700 , 1-41b.png )

shunk

BERTRAND: "MY LEG! YOL PRESERVE ME, MY LEG, IT'S BURNING, GET A MEDIC YOU DOLTS!"

Quartz launcher ammo count: 3

3/3 Lemo 2015/06/20(Sat)20:06 No. 649734 ID: 02d9ae
File 143485600870.png - (204.23KB , 700x700 , 1-41c.png )

Bertrand's entire left leg goes up in flames. Holy shit. He begins hopping around, shrieking, trying to fan the flames out futilely. The hopping around somehow manages to spread the fire across the pavement, as though it were soaked in kerosene or something. The Union soldiers don't appear to know how to react; half of them are chuckling at Bertrand's agony and the others are frantically looking around, trying to figure out what just happened. The other MP drops his gun and starts trying to beat the flames out. I take the opportunity to sneak out from under the back of the truck during the confusion, and dive behind some thick brush at the southern side of the road.

I peek my head out to see just how much commotion I've caused, and I realize I don't see Remy anymore, or the MP's dropped gun. I look around, but don't see where he went to. I notice the river Remy mentioned to my right, not far past the checkpoint, and behind me I see an oddly-shaped black vehicle. I think it's probably what the two MPs arrived in.

BERTRAND: "LAFAVE! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK, CALL FOR BACKUP! AND A GOD DAMNED MEDIC OH GOD FFFFUUUCCK!"
It's a wonder that Bertrand can form coherent sentences while shrieking like that. The other MP--Lafave, I guess--takes a device out of a hip holster and starts pushing buttons on it. The Union soldiers really dislike that and start barking orders at him, to put the device down, but he doesn't respond. A couple of them aim their guns at him, and another runs into the checkpoint.

If you have trouble seeing Lemo in the image, he's just outside of the range of the light source in the center of the picture, diagonally downwards and to the right.

Huh. Well at least we now know what quartz does to those guys. We're gonna have to break some more down to size to fit your weapon.

>>649734
What's that thing off to the right? A camper? An armored vehicle of some kind?

>what do
Assume Remy made a break for it in the confusion. You did what you could, you need to get gone.

Which means either sticking to cover and heading out along the right and going for the river later, or sneaking to the river now.

>>649734
That's a pretty goddamned effective distraction. Don't stick around. Do what you came here to do. Get to the river, follow it south. Tempting to steal the MP vehicle but you don't know how to drive, I bet.

I'm beginning to think that the reason Quartz is mined by us is because our skin is apparently resistant to the heat effects, because it's certainly never done that in response to it!

It spreads unnaturally even for fire, that quartz truly is dangerous as a weapon... Which makes it a very effective tool for us, the other gun is better for something less effective then this.

Either way we need to get out of here, it seems there's reinforcements to come and we don't want to wait around!

The MP vehicle looks like some sort of armored troop transport. Sneak over to it, see if you can get the door open. If not, forget it and run. Remy can find his own way out, he does this a lot and you gave him a great opening.

If the APC's door is unlocked, and the keys are in the ignition and you can figure out the controls, get it turned around and crash it into the river. Just, y'know, to make sure you've ruined Bertrand's day as thoroughly as possible.

Even if you can't work the controls, ransack the APC's storage compartments for packaged food, first aid kits, rope, a third weapon, maps, and anything else that seems like it could come in handy on a cross-country trip without being heavy enough to slow you down. If you find something that looks like a tracking chip, float it down the river as another distraction.

1/5 Lemo 2015/06/22(Mon)23:17 No. 650256 ID: 02d9ae
File 143504027632.png - (143.65KB , 700x700 , 1-42a.png )

>What's that thing off to the right? A camper? An armored vehicle of some kind?
It looks like an armored vehicle, to me. I think it belongs to the MPs.

>The MP vehicle looks like some sort of armored troop transport. Sneak over to it, see if you can get the door open. If not, forget it and run.
The Union soldiers are still shouting at the MPs, so I make a dash for the MPs' vehicle. The left-hand door is ajar, and I poke my head around it to peek inside.

>"The fuck were you thinkin', kid?"
It's Remy!

"Remy! How did you get back here? I didn't even see you," I say in a hushed voice.

>"Wouldn't last long as a thief if I wasn't good at sneakin' around. Never mind that though. What you did was fuckin' crazy, Lemo, I--" He breaks out into a wheezing, coughing fit. "Don't even wanna know how you did it. But you coulda gotten yourself killed. Ain't worth it for my sake."

"I couldn't just leave you there like that!"

>"Heh. Well, I won't say I don't appreciate it. Probably saved my life, for the time bein'." He grins weakly for a moment and chuckles, which triggers another coughing episode. "Nice job gettin' that bastard Bertrand, though. You got no idea the kind of shit that guy has had comin' to him."

"It was a lucky shot, I guess. I wasn't even sure what would happen. So, uh, are we going to use this thing to get out of here?"

2/5 Lemo 2015/06/22(Mon)23:19 No. 650258 ID: 02d9ae
File 143504035749.png - (253.13KB , 700x1400 , 1-42b.png )

>"Not we. Me. It ain't safe for you to be around me anymore." He looks ahead at the checkpoint for a moment; the Union soldiers are still standing off with the two MPs. "Eventually those guys are gonna stop, or reinforcements are gonna show up, and they're gonna realize we ain't there anymore. They're gonna go lookin', and it'll be easier for 'em to find me than you. Plus, I ain't in any condition to help you now."

Remy moves his arm away from his torso, revealing a growing bloodstain soaking through his coat. It occurs to me now that he looks paler than usual.

>"Fucker got me pretty good. Had a blade in his boot. Prolly my best chance is to get caught anyway. Union and MPs both want me alive, even if Bertrand don't, so they'll fix me up at least."

I panic. "Remy, oh shit, hold on, there's got to be something around here we can use to bandage you up, I'll check the back--"

>"Ain't nothin' back there that'll help me, Lemo. Already looked. Don't think they expected much resistance--just equipment back there for interrogation." He starts to cough again, but gets it under control. "Found this, though. Can't make any sense of it, but I figure it prolly has somethin' to do with you. And don't you worry about me--I ain't down for the count yet."

"Wha--"

>"It's an expression, kid. I'll be fine."

Remy hands me a binder with "K-084" written on the cover. I look inside it for a moment, but I don't recognize this kind of writing. I put it in my bag.

Lemo's Inventory:
- pneumogun w/ 1 clip (12 rounds)
- bag containing several chunks of charged quartz
- switchblade
- map
- bracer with quartz firing mechanism (3 rounds) [equipped]
- K-084 binder

3/5 Lemo 2015/06/22(Mon)23:20 No. 650259 ID: 02d9ae
File 143504040672.png - (179.68KB , 700x700 , 1-42c.png )

I'm startled by a sudden, loud buzzing noise coming from the direction of the checkpoint. I look up and see that two more Milpol vehicles have shown up, and MPs are pouring out of them. They open fire on the Union soldiers, who dive behind Remy's truck. The fire is still raging and has overtaken half of the checkpoint building, at this point.

>"Shit! Get moving, Lemo, now," Remy wheezes.

>Do what you came here to do. Get to the river, follow it south.
My legs respond immediately, and before I realize it I'm sprinting through the brush past the checkpoint.

I make it to the river, and press myself against the outer side of the concrete bridge leading to it, when I hear more vehicles coming--this time from the Union side of the river. Two green vehicles come flying over the bridge and careen towards the checkpoint building. Sure enough, union soldiers rush out and disappear into the checkpoint. It sounds like absolute chaos over there; near-constant sounds of gunfire and shouting come echoing from beyond the checkpoint.

I hear the whizz-crack of a bullet hitting the bridge uncomfortably close to my head, and I run for my life. I don't stop to look back; I'm too afraid to. I just keep going, sticking to the river as best I can. I watch it as I run, and become mesmerized by its undulating shape and the rhythmic pounding of my feet. I lose myself for a while, driven forward by adrenaline and blind panic.

Lemo 2015/06/22(Mon)23:21 No. 650260 ID: 02d9ae
File 143504049569.png - (236.49KB , 700x700 , 1-42d.png )

Eventually, I hit the point where I can't run any farther, and I collapse to my knees, grasping for breath. I don't know where I am, or how much farther I have to go. It's quiet here. I don't hear any fighting, or vehicles, or people. I don't see anything resembling civilization close by, so I guess I'm in the wilderness. I feel relieved and grateful when I realize that this means I can probably start walking instead of running, at least for a while.

It occurs to me now that the entire time I've been at the surface, I haven't thought to look at the ceiling--no, the sky. I think that's what they call it up here. So I look up, and--

Wow.

There's... so much of it. And it's so high up--higher than any ceiling I've ever seen in any cave. Memories come flooding back to me, of Ma telling me about the stars, how they're our ancestors long passed. I had no idea I had so many. I can even see the land they live on, just look at all the vivid colors! I wonder if they're looking back at me, thinking about me. I wonder if they're proud that I escaped. The awful thought that Ma and my brothers could be up there too, now, enters my head, and I have to force it out of my mind. It's too much to consider right now.

And those round things--I think they must be the Revellers! Ma told me about them too, that they're two divine lovers who created the world an eternity ago, and they were so happy about it that they began dancing in celebration with each other, around and around until the end of time. I couldn't have imagined what any of this would actually look like... as a kid I just thought of it being a bunch of people standing on a really high ceiling. This is so much... more than that.

5/5 Lemo 2015/06/22(Mon)23:22 No. 650261 ID: 02d9ae
File 143504053806.png - (331.73KB , 700x700 , 1-42e.png )

I continue walking along the river for a long while, getting lost in the sky above and losing track of time. I still don't know how much longer I have to go, but these moments have been so peaceful that I find myself almost unable to care. Still, I make sure to not be completely distracted; I'm still being hunted, and Remy said Temahktem is hostile territory for me, although I don't know if I've crossed over that border yet. I try to keep an eye on my surroundings.

Eventually I come across a large... thing, floating in the river. Some kind of building? I don't know what it is, but it's obviously constructed for some purpose. On the back of it the phrase "Last Call" is painted in large letters, whatever that means. The bank of the river slopes up to form a fairly large hill ahead, and I can see some figures gathered around a fire. As I get closer, I think I can hear them singing.

Who are they? What are they doing--waiting in ambush? Or something different? My mind races over the possibilities. I'm unsure as to whether to approach them or to try to sneak past somehow. The singing sounds happy, so maybe they're friendly... or maybe they'd resent me interrupting whatever it is that they're doing.

>>650258
Remy you startling ham you are wearing a scarf you could have easily fashioned into a bandage.
And eh, see if you can pilfer some food and keep moving. New friends are great but lets not tempt fate.

>>650261
I find it unlikely you've crossed the border. From the look of the map you should not be able to get to it in only a few hours. However, it's still possible they're FROM Temanktem. Eavesdrop a little bit to see what the song is about. You know the culture is different down south, so if the song is related to the Liberation Union you should be okay talking to them.

>Who are they? What are they doing--waiting in ambush?
It's unlikely people waiting in ambush would be singing. These are probably normal people, doing something unrelated to you.

There's no way to know if they'd be friendly or hostile, or if you'd put them in danger from milpol if you approached them. Safest thing is just to go around.

That's a vehicle for traveling on the water. If you wanted to make trouble for those guys around the campfire and draw attention to yourself, but also travel faster with less effort, you could untie the big rope holding it in place, run across that little bridge and then cut it loose with your knife, and then simply ride downstream with the current.

>>650259
Hiding tips:
* Holding your arms up like that will not help, it only increases the surface area you take up.
* Cover that orange hoodie in mud or something, orange is the most easily spotted color.

I dunno whether to try and be friendly with these guys. The "listen to their song" plan sounds good, although it may not actually provide much information.

Lemo 2015/06/23(Tue)20:37 No. 650385 ID: 02d9ae
File 143511705031.png - (165.40KB , 700x700 , 1-43.png )

>Cover that orange hoodie in mud or something, orange is the most easily spotted color.
That's a good idea, but I'm afraid I'll attract attention if I go splashing around at the bank of the river at the moment, so for the sake of stealth I stuff it into my bag as best I can, for the time being. Thankfully the bag's fabric is stretchy.

>There's no way to know if they'd be friendly or hostile, or if you'd put them in danger from milpol if you approached them. Safest thing is just to go around.
I decide it's best if I just try to sneak by them, but I'll have to go slowly so that I'm not seen or heard. While I'm making my way past, I'll try to listen in and get an idea of who they are and where they're from, in the hopes that it might give me a clue as to where I am.

>I find it unlikely you've crossed the border. From the look of the map you should not be able to get to it in only a few hours.
I'm not sure what I was thinking. I guess I'm used to the scale of cave maps; Remy did say that this map covers a lot more distance. I guess I might have a long journey still ahead of me.

>Eavesdrop a little bit
I get low to the ground as I get closer to the group, eventually deciding to crawl. As I approach, they finish singing, and I can hear their conversation.

1???: "Hey Cappy, sing a shanty for us now!"
2???: "Yheah, Cap, it'zh been a while!"
CAP: "Ah, y'all don't wanna hear this old barnacle scrapin' his vocal cords."
3???: "Yeah, whatever. You're the best singer in the troupe, Cap. Don't pussy-foot it, man."
CAP: "Heheh, alright, alright. Now let's see..."
1???: "Hey Boss! Cappy's gonna sing, come listen!"
BOSS: "I can hear from here. Maybe Cap's singing will make these damned fish start biting."
CAP: "Here, I got one for y'all. Back in the day we'd sing this one to stave off homesickness... or make it worse, dependin' on yer perspective on it. I figure it's a good one for right now, considerin' we'll be headin' home after the next gig. It's called 'When the Winds Do Take Me There.'"
3???: "Heh, break out the tissues, Cap's gonna make himself cry."
CAP: "Ain't my fault if I miss home so much! Now quiet, I'm gonna start."

>And eh, see if you can pilfer some food and keep moving. New friends are great but lets not tempt fate.
As he starts singing, I pick up the pace a little bit, figuring that he'll drown out the sound of my movement a little. I notice that they've got a blanket laid out on the ground with some food on it. And it's easily within reach. I could approach them and ask if they'll share, but it's just too risky, compared to trying to steal some instead.

CAP: "Well I've seen th' bright lights of Adiba,
An' th' rocky peaks of Cleze.
My eyes have spied before I've died
Union's Ob'lisk of the Free.

"But no sight's quite as lovely,
Naught ever can compare,
To the wondrous land upon which I'll stand,
When the winds do take me there.

"From the hallowed halls of Yulen,
To the Renovo's Endless Stairs,
From Temahktem's Pyres, holy fire,
To Doren's sweet sea air,

"Well I've seen it all, an' loved it too,
But d' you know just what I'd do?
I'd cross the Empire, an' swim the seas,
Just so Calderon's where I'd be."

"For no sight's quite as lovely,
Naught ever can compare,
To the wondrous land upon which I'll stand,
When the winds do take me there..."

While the group is distracted, I crawl over to the blanket and hastily stuff my bag as full as I can with food. I feel guilty doing this, since they could be perfectly nice people, for all I know. The song makes it sound like Calderon might be their home, and that's where I'm trying to go... but I don't know that I should trust someone just because they're from that country. They might not be willing to share the food, anyway, and I need it no matter what, since I have no idea when I'll come across an opportunity to get more. Not to mention that one of them looks, well, huge.

>The big thing is a water vehicle, you could cut the rope and ride it if you want to make trouble for those guys.
It might get me to the bay faster, but I don't know how to drive something like that--what if it hit the river bank or something? And I'm not certain I want to draw that kind of attention to myself, since I think they'd notice it floating away. I think if I want to use it, I should either ask them, or I can try to sneak on it and find a place to hide, and hope that they're heading to Calderon soon. Or, I can cut my losses and get away with the food I've taken, and continue on foot.

I don't think trying to steal the ship will work. It has a crew for a reason- it needs one. One person unskilled in it's use won't be able to pilot it effectively.

Plus, if they see their livelihood floating away, they're probably gonna run along the bank and jump aboard. They won't be friendly to a pirate who tried to steal their ride.

That leaves stowing away, approaching them openly, or just continuing on.

...I don't think you can stow away without being caught at some point, and with milpol as excited as it's been, that ship is gonna be stopped and searched before it reaches the ocean. I say continue on by foot.

>>650385
>we'll be headin' home after the next gig
They're not going back to Calderon yet. If you try to hitch a ride with them you'd have to wait until their job's done. If they allow you to remain hidden on board that might work out, but these guys are not the guards you were instructed to find. They won't risk themselves for you.

Talking should be fine though. You'll want to sneak away and put the hoodie back on. That way they won't suspect you as much of stealing their food- they would have seen you in the hoodie, right? You can ask them what they're doing around here.

If you do talk to them, you should probably put the food back first. That's just all kinds of bad for a first impression.

1/2 Lemo 2015/06/24(Wed)23:11 No. 650602 ID: 02d9ae
File 143521267402.png - (96.82KB , 700x700 , 1-44a.png )

Since it seems like they're from Calderon, I figure it's worth taking the risk to talk to them, and see if they have any information about my route. They might be able to give me some tips for when I pass through Temahktem, or at least give me an idea of how much farther I have to go. But I'm keeping the food; I simply can't risk the possibility that they wouldn't willingly give me some, even if that means potentially dealing with them finding out. Starvation won't help me get to Calderon.

I wriggle my way back down the way I came, and throw the hoodie back on, and make sure that I keep my bag underneath it, to avoid letting them see the food I have stuffed inside of it. I figure that it'll make them less likely to suspect I stole from them, since something bright and orange would've made me easily visible. I turn around to start making my way back up the hill, and--

2/2 Lemo 2015/06/24(Wed)23:11 No. 650603 ID: 02d9ae
File 143521270712.png - (92.43KB , 700x700 , 1-44b.png )

BOSS: "Hello."

"Uh. Hi. Was just planning to talk to you, actually, guess I got the chance now..."
or something more in Lemo's voice cause I don't have so good a sense for how it sounds

By the way Lemo you ever seen one of these guys before? He's got four arms, that's cool right?

>>650603
Stand your ground, don't act overly fearful or aggressive. We don't know his or her intentions, yet.

>>650603
Um, hello.

Wait to see if they do or say anything further. If this goes bad you'll need to move quick, they outnumber you.

Hi! Is your vessel available for hire? I'm looking to go to Calderon, quickly and quietly if you catch my meaning. All I have to pay you with is some charged quartz.

Be polite.

>>650716
Don't say this. Especially not straight away - he may have caught you stealing. If he asks you to return the food, agree.

1/2 Lemo 2015/06/29(Mon)19:51 No. 651789 ID: 02d9ae
File 143563269271.png - (379.93KB , 700x700 , 1-45a.png )

Sorry for the delay; I threw my back out last week and couldn't get comfortable enough to draw.

LEMO: "Uh, hi! I was wondering--"

BOSS: "Why don't we discuss this by the bonfire, instead?"

She turns around and starts walking back up the hill, gesturing for me to follow.

>Stand your ground, don't act overly fearful or aggressive.
I've got to act natural. If I don't go up there with her, it'll make me look suspicious, and she might already suspect I've been up to something. So I follow her up to the fire pit, trying to seem nonchalant.

>Have you ever seen one of these guys before? He's got four arms, that's cool right?
I've never seen anything quite like her. But I've probably never seen most things in the world. And four arms is definitely a new thing, to me.

BOSS: "Hey, listen up! We've got a visitor." She gestures towards me.

Everyone in the group turns to look at me, and thankfully none of them look angry or hostile. I notice that only two of them are Nolor. I'm not sure what the rest are, but one of them looks to be the same species as the Boss. The smaller one seems kind of like a digger, but maybe slightly bigger and with a different facial shape.

The huge one gets a quizzical look on her face.
3???: "...and?"

2/2 Lemo 2015/06/29(Mon)19:52 No. 651790 ID: 02d9ae
File 143563273180.png - (169.58KB , 700x700 , 1-45b.png )

The Boss grins, placing a hand on my shoulder.
BOSS: "And he's the guy who robbed us, right under our noses. While you were supposed to be on lookout duty, Rosalka."

Ummmmmmm

The huge one--who is apparently named Rosalka--jumps up and starts shouting at me. Shit.
ROSALKA: "What?! You lil' pipsqueak, I'll flatten y--"
BOSS: "Can it. You aren't going to touch a hair on his--" She glances at me. "Well, you aren't going to touch him at all, anyway. Got that? Now, how did you put it earlier, when you volunteered to be the lookout? 'Ain't no one gonna get past me'? Well, this little guy just did, and he got within five meters of you while doing it. You lost any right to beat his face in when you fucked up at your job. You're lucky this wasn't a more critical situation, and that all he stole was some food."

Rosalka opens her mouth to say something, then apparently reconsiders it and sits down, with a sour look on her face. The smallest one is snickering and doing a bad job at stifling it, but stops when Rosalka glares at her. The Boss turns back to me.

BOSS: "Now. What's your name?"
LEMO: "Uh, I'm Lemo. Look, I'm--"
BOSS: "Shhhh. Lemo, I think it's obvious why you stole that food. Possibly even understandable. But what confuses me is the fact that, after doing so, you apparently decided you wanted to speak to us, for some reason." She gets a severe look on her face, suddenly. "Are you a con-man as well, in addition to being a thief? What's your angle?"

Well you are kinda lost, and that their best bet would be to point you in the right direction, you were kinda hoping that they wouldn't notice that you had taken anything and would just let you pass on your way.

That's all you really wanted, food and directions.

>Are you a con-man as well, in addition to being a thief? What's your angle?
Um. No. I just hoped you wouldn't notice I'd taken the food.

...I'm uh, really struggling to think of a con that starts with being seen stealing from someone. Aren't con men all about getting people to trust them?

Our only refuge in is complete beguiling innocence and naivete. Other than that, getting away would be a crapshoot. Even with your weapons, you're outnumbered in close range- they could just tackle you.

At least they don't seem to recognize you for an escaped miner and default to immediately wanting to hand you over.

>>651790
>>651790
Be at least slightly honest.

"I was worried you would attack me or... something. I'm more than a little lost on the way to Calderon. When I got closer and listened to you guys talk a little, I, uh..."

Play up the scared and out-of-place angle a little bit. You can offer to pay them now, too, if that's an issue.

"Honestly I'm just looking for a good dick to suck."

>>651809
Replace with "heard what you were singing", but otherwise seems fine.

Lemo 2015/07/02(Thu)23:13 No. 652738 ID: 02d9ae
File 143590401331.png - (154.45KB , 700x700 , 1-46.png )

LEMO: "...Con-man?"

BOSS: "Come off it. I mean that you're trying to trick us into trusting you, so that you can steal more from us than just some food."

LEMO: "I--um, how could I get you to trust me by stealing from you? Look, I just--"

BOSS: "Seriously, quit playing dumb." She narrows her eyes at me. "I've seen this scam plenty of times before. You walk along, pretending you just escaped from an Argentyne slave camp, and find some sucker who'll pity you and give you whatever you say you need. Stealing from us is just a way to make it more believable--makes you seem desperate. I've got you figured out."

Everyone's staring at me, and none of them are smiling.
LEMO: "That's not true! I'm sorry I took the food, but I didn't know how I was going to get my next meal otherwise. I'm lost and I just wanted to get directions! I'm trying to get to Calderon, and I heard what you were singing... so I thought maybe you could help me." They don't look like they believe me. "I-I'll pay you."

The Clezean interjects, speaking in a stern tone.
CLEZEAN: "Too late. Yhou zhoulda zhought about zhat before robbin' uzh."
BOSS: "Oh, but you'll pay all right, that's for sure."

LEMO: "I'm sorry! I'll give the food back, I didn't mean any harm!"

BOSS: "Damn straight you'll give it back. The only question is, what should we do with you after that?" She pokes me firmly in the chest when she says 'do with you,' and then turns to the rest of the group. "Any ideas?"
Rosalka and the Clezean wink at each other, for some reason. The smallest one starts giggling, but one that is the same species as the Boss just rolls his eyes. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I've got to think fast.

Take out a chunk of charged quartz. Ask if that proves your innocence. From what we've seen, they might either be afraid of it (as it reacts strongly with those not of your species) or believe you really ARE an escaped slave.

Then tell them you don't want anything from them anymore, except maybe for them to not tell anyone you were here. Back away from the campfire then run off. Keep the damn food. Draw your pneumogun for emphasis if any of them stand up and look like they want to give chase.

>>652738
They want to have, uh. I guess this wasn't in your education or you just forgot about it. They're just playing with you.

OR THINK FAST THEY PLAN TO GRAB YOU AND SELL YOU BACK FLIP YOUR SHIT *NOBODY* WANTS TO GO BACK THERE.

Yeah, tale out a chunk of raw quartz and just hold it. Let them react. They'll freak out a little bit because it's a weapon- that doesn't hurt you, and because it means you really are an escaped slave. Either they help you after that, or it's the start of the chaos you need to escape.

Out of curiosity, what happens if you put quartz in a campfire? If it reacts violently, that might give us the distraction we need without shooting any of these guys.

1/2 Lemo 2015/07/04(Sat)19:44 No. 653091 ID: 02d9ae
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ROSALKA: "Just lemme at 'im, Boss. That weird horn would look better danglin' from my neck, maybe a few of his teeth too." She snorts. "It's prolly fake anyway--who ever heard of a steward with a horn?"
???: "Not me! None of my brothers or sisters ever had one," the smallest one adds, forcing words in between giggles. "Let's keelhaul him! That'll teach him a lesson!"
CLEZEAN: "Nah, let'zh dump him off by zome backwater town in Temahktem. It'd probably make those hillbilliezh' day to have zomeone to rough up and chaze out."

Rosalka takes a step towards me, and I stumble backwards, falling onto my back.

BOSS: "I say we do all of it. You hear that, you little con artist? We've got plans for you."

>Take out a chunk of quartz and threaten them with it
I scramble backwards, using my legs to push myself. I hastily grope around inside my bag for a chunk of quartz, and hold it up at them. They all stop in their tracks, wide eyed in disbelief.

ROSALKA: "The hell?"
BOSS: "Holy shit."
CLEZEAN: "How izh he... Ola, can you ztewardzh touch quartz wizhout getting burnt?"

The smallest one responds to the Clezean, so I assume she's Ola. She's stopped giggling--she's just staring with the rest.
OLA: "...Nnnnnope."

>Throw quartz in campfire
Still holding the quartz chunk out at them threateningly, I get back on my feet. For a moment they remain still, and then Rosalka takes a step towards me. Getting ready to run, I throw the the quartz towards the bonfire. Rosalka shouts and dives out of the way. The quartz lands inside the fire, and...

2/2 Lemo 2015/07/04(Sat)19:46 No. 653092 ID: 02d9ae
File 143606436329.png - (184.42KB , 700x700 , 1-47b.png )

Nothing happens. There's just a faint fizzling sound as the quartz's light dies, just as it passes into the fire.

ROSALKA: "What the fuck! You tryin' to get someone killed?!"
BOSS: "...Just what are you?"

A voice speaks up from across the campfire--it's the one that looks like the Boss.
[color=#006666]???: "Whatever he is, he's not a con artist, Vivian."

I guess Vivian is the Boss's name.

BOSS: "Really, Vic? You're gonna stand up for this prick who thought he could con us? Besides, I'm doing him a favor--next time he'll think twice when choosing a mark!"
VIC: "He's a slave. And I don't think he's a steward."
BOSS: "So what, you're saying you believe him?! And what the hell is he, if he isn't a steward?"
VIC: "I am. Do you really think that anyone, even a rookie, would be foolish enough to try the escaped slave scam in the Union? Everybody knows everyone in the LU is dirt poor. Plus, it's not out of the question that there might be some other enslaved species that nobody's seen before. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors at Argentyne slave camps."
CAP: "He's got a point, Viv. And y'all were takin' it too far anyway."

The Boss opens her mouth to say something, but doesn't. She furrows her brow for a moment, apparently thinking about what Vic had to say.
BOSS: "...Fuuuck me," she murmurs under her breath. "Dammit Victor, why do you have to be right all the time?"
VIC: "You know my secret. I don't say anything unless I'm completely sure it's true."
BOSS: "Rhetorical question, you turd." She turns to face me. "Well, shit. I'm sorry, guy--I really did think you were just another scammer, and we were trying to teach you a lesson by scarin' you away. Keep the food, you deserve it. If you want to leave, we won't stop you. But you did say you wanted help getting to Calderon, right?"

I'm a little shocked still, but I manage to find my voice and choke out a response.
LEMO: "Err, yeah, I was told that's where I'd be safe from Milpol."
BOSS: "Well, we're heading there after our next gig on Adiba Island--which is a protectorate of Calderon, so it's pretty safe for escapees. If you want, we can give you a lift--it's the least we can do after how we treated you. Besides, most of us know all too well what it's like to be in your position."

She gestures towards the notch cut out of her left ear, grimacing a little, as though thinking about it brings back harrowing memories.

>>653092
>>653092
You shouldn't have thrown the quartz, it's very valuable. Are you fire resistant, too? You might be able to reach in and just pull it out.

You can just point to your ear where (most) of the ear tag was cut off. "I need to remove the rest of this too." You can probably relax and maybe share stories about where you've been.

>She gestures towards the notch cut out of her left ear, grimacing a little, as though thinking about it brings back harrowing memories.
Wait, you were a slave too?

>what do
Might as well stick around. You took a stupid risk, but it looks like you've found some folks who are sort of sympathetic, when they're not being jerks.

>You shouldn't have thrown the quartz, it's very valuable. Are you fire resistant, too? You might be able to reach in and just pull it out.
I think it's broken. It said the light died.

>>653106
Yeah throwing it in there wasn't worth it. Who suggested that? Oh well. Now we know, I guess.

> Most of us know all too well...
...
GROUP HUG!

>>653112
No, it's just discharged. That's different.

Comment that you're a bit disoriented at how quickly their attitudes have changed. You're really not used to social stuff. Before it was only just your family you really talked to. And do they really get so many con-men of your species... Actually, you don't even know your species' name, do you? Your mother nor your handlers ever said, did they? Do they know? Anyway, do they really get so many con-men around that they have to act like they did? Are there really that many liberated and escaped slaves running around?

Tell 'em that up 'till about a week ago you were a slave mining charged quartz for... Uh... Guys of the species that old guy in the yellow hat is. From the Duchy. That's where you got all this charged quartz and stuff from, from down in the mines. Then you were liberated by this good guy named Remy. You were hold up in a crawl space 'till tonight, when he tried to smuggle you into the LU. And then everything went sideways at the checkpoint and you had to make a run for it. And now you're here. It's all been a combination of horribly terrifying and amazing and your head has been spinning for hours. You mean, you've lived underground your whole life and only just tonight saw the sky and it's... Amazing.

You don't know how you can handle charged quartz without bursting into flame or whatever. It's just something you assumed your species could do, but looking at... Ola? Looking at her you guess not. By the way, the horn is real. Give it a knock for emphasis. Maybe they could go 'round and tell you what their species names are. 'Cause before tonight you only knew of your own and the guys with the breathing tank things. And mlurx.

...Oh, you just realized you might have a problem seeing come daybreak 'cause your eyes are all adapted to low-light. It'd be a terrible shame if you're nearly blind during the day and can't see how amazing things are.

Does the Boss know a way to pop this damn tag-hole thingie out of your ear without just ripping it out? Or is it going to have to be the painful and bloody way?

You get the uncomfortable feeling that that chunk of charged quartz should have done far worse then just fizzle out, and yet it did fizzle. Ask 'em what they think it would have done when it landed in the fire. And ask if they have a pair of tongs or a something you can use to retrieve the quartz. Maybe it'll do something once it's back in your hands.