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File 140552353571.png - (47.92KB , 500x500 , Title Screen Cycle 01.png )
584329 No. 584329 ID: 4d30e8

What is time? It is a serpent which eats its tail.
~Kurt Vonnegut
299 posts omitted. Last 100 shown. Expand all images
>>
No. 661474 ID: 2a7417

Make like a brick and put PETAL TO THE METAL
>>
No. 661497 ID: e114bc

>>661472
[x] Show that you're just as professional as her.
>>
No. 661527 ID: 3c17ca

>>661472
[x] Other (fill in)
>"Dowd, got anything for headaches? I need to be clear when we go in."
Move in like liquid silk, smooth operator, don't be noticed until you are already sitting at the table.
>>
No. 661591 ID: 1cebc8

THEY MUST UNDERESTIMATE YOU

[X] Make like a brick and throw yourself in there.
>>
No. 661603 ID: ab7529

Professional to the max. We're on a job, here.
>>
No. 667720 ID: 41bd4b
File 144153494741.png - (107.74KB , 500x500 , ausevsis002a.png )
667720

"Gimme an aspirin or something, and I'll try to come off as a professional." You say, the dizziness dissipating slowly as the both of you park the car and make way to the entrance.
"That's the spirit, too bad about the aspirin though." McDowd opens the door, and heads straight for the door greeter - or was that the receptionist? Do restaurants even have those?
"Welcome to the Seven Sisters, sirs - do you have a reservation?" The swan at the table asks.
"We're here for a meeting with miss Jenna Foxglove, I'm sure she's told you about this?"
"I see. Please wait as we confirm with miss Foxglove." The swan taps her communicator.
You let your eyes wander as you wait. Casing the joint for potential shifty hostiles, actually. Among the usual corporate diners, you spot a ram that's discreetly trying to do what you're doing: casing the joint. Whether he's employed by the restaurant security or not remains to be seen.
There seems to also be a lonesome fox lady sitting near the window. Some kind of sandwich lies in front of her, uneaten. Seems like she got stood up for a date or something.
>>
No. 667721 ID: 41bd4b
File 144153527510.png - (109.03KB , 500x500 , ausevsis002b.png )
667721

>>667720
Soon enough, the swan returned. "Please come this way, sirs." She cuts through the dining room to the back, where the VIP chambers are. "Miss Foxglove has been waiting for you. Have a pleasant evening, sirs." She promptly leaves the premises.
"So, ready to bring out your charms? I know I am." McDowd jovially inquires.
You straighten out your spine, and put your arms behind you. "Of course, Mr. McDowd. I am currently radiating professionalism."
"Well, since you're ready, shall we go in, then?"
"After you, Mr. McDowd."
>>
No. 667724 ID: 41bd4b
File 144153632561.png - (115.84KB , 500x500 , ausevsis002c.png )
667724

>>667721
As McDowd opens the door, something caught your eye. You've seen her from your forays in cyberspace earlier, but she's even more lovely in that designer dress. Her shades seem to be the self-adjusting type - you can see her captivating eyes through the lighter shade.
"Miss Foxglove! How splendid! May I acquaintance you to my partner?" McDowd tries his hand at an introduction.
When she spoke, it's like someone dumped honey down your ears. "Thank you, Thespian - but why don't we hear it from his own mouth? He seems more handsome than your descriptions."

>What's your ops name?
[] Hi-Caliber
[] Sledgehammer
[] Braincase
[] Other (fill in)

>What say?
[] "Ah, it's nothing. I'm (ops name)."
[] "Very pleased to meet you in the flesh, miss Foxglove. I'm known as (ops name)."
[] "So you're our liaison for this mission? Call me (ops name)."
[] "You know how to make me blush, miss Foxglove. Name's (ops name)."
[] Other (fill in)
>>
No. 667739 ID: bd0fbc

Very pleased to meet you, Ms Foxglove. I'm Sledgehammer.
>>
No. 667757 ID: 0fc976

"You know how to make me blush, miss Foxglove. Name's Long Face."
>>
No. 667776 ID: 57dfcc

[X] "Very pleased to meet you in the flesh, miss Foxglove. I'm known as Hippogriff."

Sort of ties to McDowd's (since thespian comes from Greek roots).
>>
No. 667835 ID: df6309

Codename: Backswitch, Baby. No actualy go with Headcase it fits better
>>
No. 668191 ID: 27026a

Pleasure to meet in the flesh, *flex* im pretty girthy. But my code name is hammer. Same reason for both really...
>>
No. 669843 ID: 798c91
File 144237330265.png - (118.42KB , 500x500 , ausevsis003a.png )
669843

"Very pleased to meet you. Call me Sledgehammer, Miss Foxglove." You introduce yourself, extending your hand. When she shakes it, you feel a soft yet firm hand.
"I'll remember that. You boys want something to eat, or drink? It's on me."
"I don't drink while on the job, Miss Foxglove. When can we talk business?"
"Ah yes. Hold on for a moment."
>>
No. 669846 ID: 798c91
File 144237392580.png - (200.80KB , 500x500 , ausevsis003b.png )
669846

>>669843
From her purse, she takes out a small device, and pushes a button. As soon as it's turned on, you hear a slight hum, and your extremities tingle - she's really a professional, bringing a handheld Encryptor. It creates a sphere of tailored white noise, effectively making whatever sound you make inside the sphere to be heard only as unclear mumbles outside of the sphere. It also has the added bonus of jamming any hidden or unhidden surveillance devices.
The tingling sensation and pins and needles, though - that's new.
"I hope your implants are okay, Sledgehammer. Speaking of business, I'm sure Thespian has informed you of the rough details of the operation, right?"
"Yes. We are to extract a Dr. Twelvetrees from the TITOR laboratory in Acadia."
"And I imagine you have some questions you'd like to ask?"
>>
No. 669849 ID: 1cebc8

>>669846
"Aside from the obvious 'Would you like to do lunch', I'll keep this professional and ask for all the intel you've acquired for this mission. We'll call you if there is anything suspicious that we need clarification on. Good day Miss Foxglove."
>>
No. 669851 ID: 798c91
File 144237468825.png - (233.86KB , 500x500 , ausevsis003c.png )
669851

>>669846
There is some questions you'd like to ask, but McDowd asks the first one. "Uh, in fact, yes. Five mil C-creds, just for an extraction?"
"Let's just say that Dr. Twelvetrees is a very important researcher. So much so, that my client wants him for their own uses. And considering the security there, I think five million is a high enough number to start with. We could always negotiate."
A momentary lull in conversation as McDowd internalizes the answer gives you the opportunity to ask your own questions.

>Wat ask?
[] What sort of security makes you think that much money is good enough?
[] Does our client mention anything else about Dr. Twelvetrees?
[] It seems that the client is expecting us to do more than just grabbing Dr. Twelvetrees, isn't it?
[] How about casualties? How loud can we go on this ops?
[] What about Dr. Twelvetrees' research at TITOR? Acquire, destroy, or leave it alone?
[] Actually I'm starving. Can we order some appetizers?
[] Have you had an interesting dream, lately? Maybe of being a librarian in the 1980s?
[] Other (fill in)
>>
No. 669875 ID: 0fc976

Anything else mentioned about Twelvetrees, what about his research how loud can we go, and shall we order some appetizers?
>>
No. 669907 ID: 810cb6

How much damage are we allowed to cause?
>>
No. 670532 ID: a107fd

>>669907
Better question might be "does damage to the TITOR lab get subtracted from our pay, or added?"
>>
No. 670545 ID: 3c17ca

>>669851
lets grab something small while we talk, it is a bit suspicious sitting here not eating. <<plus we are hungry...perhaps as hungry as a horse...nyohohoho ^_^ >>

-How do you want this handled, loud, quiet, do you want him to "vanish" and make it look like he died, or are we making a statement?

-Also...just really odd, but...do I seem familiar to you? I feel like we have met before.
>>
No. 671047 ID: 149da0

Why are we the only person at the table the static seems to be getting to? It crosses past our outline, but not the other twos.

>[x] What sort of security makes you think that much money is good enough?
Getting information about what security we can expect to face seems prudent.

>[x] What about Dr. Twelvetrees' research at TITOR? Acquire, destroy, or leave it alone?
And would be nice to know if we're interested in just the person or his accessories.
>>
No. 679045 ID: 04e3ed
File 144569376221.png - (179.84KB , 500x500 , ausevsis004a.png )
679045

"If I may ask some specifics of the operation... how should we do this extraction? Should we go in loud, or should we sneak Dr. Twelvetrees out without anyone noticing? Do we need to fake his death, just make him vanish, or do we want to make a statement to TITOR? And while we're at it, what about the damages done to TITOR? Added or subtracted from our pay?"
You're really getting professional here, you think to yourself.
Miss Foxglove looks impressed. "Wise questions, Sledgehammer. Our client does want Dr. Twelvetrees alive, but doesn't care how we do it. Neither do they care about the state of TITOR by the end of our operation. Any research you can grab, especially his, would be a plus on my book - and your bank accounts. So, to summarize, your priority is getting Dr. Twelvetrees out alive, then any research you can grab. Data, prototypes, samples - anything TITOR is working on."
She seems satisfied with your question.
>>
No. 679046 ID: 04e3ed
File 144569411658.png - (232.61KB , 500x500 , ausevsis004b.png )
679046

>>679045
You straighten your posture, and asked again. "Then what about the defenses at the lab? Should we be expecting a rival merc team that they hired, guard drones, hidden turrets - or just standard corporate security guard force?"
"Oh! An excellent question. I'm still digging that info myself. I'll re-contact you when you arrive in Acadia with the latest info of their defense, but do expect corpsec forces - they do have an armory."
You can't be sure because of the subtle buzzing of the white noise, but is she blushing?
>>
No. 679050 ID: 04e3ed
File 144569521929.png - (113.40KB , 500x500 , ausevsis004c.png )
679050

>>679046
"Well, I think that's just about all the questions I could think of." You say, while relaxing your posture.
"But wise questions to ask, especially in our kind of ops. I take it this concludes our business?"
"I think so, Miss Foxglove." You reply. "Now that business is over, let's talk about casual things. Maybe order a dish as well. Wouldn't want the waiters thinking there's something weird."
"Ah, I take it you haven't been to Seven Sisters? Don't worry about the staff, they know how to keep secrets. It's their main selling point. But yes, let's have a talk. You do intrigue me." She shuts off the white-noise generator and puts it in her purse. "What, specifically, do you want to talk about?"
You clear your throat. "This might sound like a sappy pickup line, but I dreamt of you."
"Oh really? Do tell. By the way, feel free to order something."

>Wat say?
[] "You were a librarian, and we met in the library. I asked for information, which you kindly supplied." (factual)
[] "We met at the library, and it seems like you have the hots for me." (emotional)
[] "I have a Morpheotron, and one of the simulation looked just like you by coincidence." (morpheotron)
[] "Well where do I start? It was 1984 in my dreams, and I awoke in an alley..." (dream recap)
[] Other (fill in)

>Wat order?
[] Baklava and Borscht
[] Chip and Fries
[] Doner Kebab
[] Shrimp Spring Roll
[] Pimento Cheese Sandwich
[] Glass of Water
[] Other (fill in)
>>
No. 679054 ID: 2ccbb3

Morpheotron

Do they have falafel?
>>
No. 679288 ID: 3c17ca

>>679050
[] "Well where do I start? It was 1984 in my dreams, and I awoke in an alley..." (dream recap)

[] Doner Kebab
>>
No. 679293 ID: 12b273

morpheotron, Pimento Cheese Sandwich
>>
No. 679367 ID: 0fc976

Morpheotron

REQUEST KEBAB REQUEST KEBAB
>>
No. 679392 ID: 85249f

>>679050
Recap and order kebab.
>>
No. 686466 ID: aca648
File 144898187563.png - (112.35KB , 500x500 , ausevsis005a.png )
686466

"In that case, do they have some Doner Kebab here? I might be a little bit hungry." It's true, your stomach feels fuzzy after that interview. Although you're not sure if it's really hunger.
"They do, actually. It's quite delicious. But tonight, I think a Pimento Cheese Sandwich would suit me better." You're not sure, but it seems a bit fitting for Miss Foxglove.
"Well then, I'll have some Falafel. If they got Doner then they got Falafel too, right?" McDowd chimes in.
Shortly after the three of you order your meals, Miss Foxglove inquires again. "Please do continue your dream story, Sledgehammer, while we wait for the food."
"Well where do I start? It was 1984 in my dreams, and I awoke in an alley - actually, it's a morgue. They found me in an alley. I met the coroner that was about to do autopsy on me, and well, you were there too, McDowd."
"Am I dead or something?"
"No, you were a cop, actually."
McDowd snorts. "Heh, ain't that the truth. Anyway, what's next?"
"So yeah, McDowd here drove me to the library, since I had a copy of Rubaiyyat belonging to that library on me - and then I met you. You were on the front desk, Miss Foxglove."
"Hmm. Fascinating."
"Well, aside from you, I also met this kid, Millie, with her sister, Trish. They're both orphans..."
>>
No. 686467 ID: aca648
File 144898220411.png - (102.04KB , 500x500 , ausevsis005b.png )
686467

>>686466
"...right behind me. The murderer hid in the cardboard box! And then by accident I -"
"Your orders, sir. Have a pleasant evening." You were interrupted by the food arriving.
"Excellent, I'm starving!" McDowd almost dives for his food when you sensed something from your Kebab. A whitish, fuzzy feeling.
"Wait a second, Thespian." You carefully pick out the object out of the Kebab.
>>
No. 686469 ID: aca648
File 144898273555.png - (106.21KB , 500x500 , ausevsis005c.png )
686469

>>686467
It's a... memory stick of some sort? Looks like an old, nondescript type of data storage device, with a single familiar symbol on it.
"What is that?" McDowd pipes. "Is this some kind of complimentary thing you get with your meal in Seven Sisters?"
"No, not at all, Thespian. This is new." Foxglove cranes her neck in order to get a better look. "I'm curious as to what might be inside it."
"Or maybe we could not just jack in anything we find. Not without expert help or sufficient... support." counters McDowd.
>Wat do?
[] You think you've got an adapter for it handy, let's plug it in your head.
[] Can we borrow your Encryptor for a bit, Foxglove? Then we can jack in this thing.
[] Hold on to it, you're not gonna jack in right here and now. Maybe later with Pink Shock.
[] Ditch the memory stick, it's too suspicious.
[] Ask Foxglove if the symbol is familiar to her.
[] Ask McDowd if the symbol is familiar to him.
[] Call the waitress about this... 'complimentary gift'.
[] Other (fill in)
>>
No. 686470 ID: 2a7417

Later, with Pink Shock around.
>>
No. 686482 ID: 2ccbb3

Find a disposable computer to play this thing. You don't know how many viruses it could have.

Also, make sure the food isn't poisoned.
>>
No. 686511 ID: 86cfc3

Don't plug suspicious memory devices into your head. You open them up on a partitioned device, without network accesses. Preferably inside a virtual machine.
>>
No. 686514 ID: 58caf6

>>686469
Got a gut feeling this is for us, a one shot item, wherever we put it is the last chance we get with it. Its the symbol from the schematics, from the dream maybe, from the lab?

Jack in, fortune favors the bold.
>>
No. 686522 ID: 015f28

J A C K I N
>>
No. 686526 ID: 58caf6

>>686469
jack on then jack off. ^_-
>>
No. 686578 ID: 458c4a

>>686522
J A C K I N
>>
No. 693795 ID: af64c8
File 145278606520.png - (105.97KB , 500x500 , ausevsis006a.png )
693795

"You know, I bet that thing is like some sort of burner stick. Use it once, then it self-erases. Kinda makes you think who would send such a thing to us." McDowd drifts into thought as you fish out the adapter and switch its head to receive USB input. "Something 'bout that symbol is kinda familiar, though. Like I've seen it before..."
>>
No. 693796 ID: af64c8
File 145278651569.png - (122.81KB , 500x500 , ausevsis006b.png )
693796

>>693795
"What is he doing?" Foxglove's sudden query jolts McDowd out of his reverie.
"Hey, didn't you hear me, Sledgehammer?!? We gotta get more technical support for this! It's one-use only!"
"If it is as you say, Thespian, then this stick might have other failsafes, like a timed access point or similar. Judging by the way it's delivered to me... this is a message for me, to be read now. If anything should go wrong, you know our protocols, Thespian. Fortune favors the brave."
"The brave, or the foolish!" Foxglove's addition was the last thing you heard.
>>
No. 693798 ID: 7ddcc4
File 145278698374.png - (82.75KB , 500x500 , orbitalvirtualspaceencounter001.png )
693798

>>693796
Time seems to dilate into a million years, the instant you plug the jack in. A familiar feeling of weightlessness envelops you, and you find yourself orbiting the earth, the cold darkness of space above you.
This is some fancy USB stick, to be able to project a virtual data-space.
Under the starlight, above the glow of atmosphere, you can make the shape of something else in orbit.
Something that felt ancient.
>Wat do?
[] Go to the orbiting object, it's obviously the content of the stick.
[] Avoid the orbiting object, it's probably a trap.
[] The stars doesn't look quite right? Check with stored constellation data?
[] Try to hack deeper. This is but the surface visuals. You want cold, hard data.
[] Other (fill in)
>>
No. 693808 ID: 2ccbb3

[X] Try to hack deeper. This is but the surface visuals. You want cold, hard data.
>>
No. 693817 ID: 3d2d5f

>[X] The stars doesn't look quite right? Check with stored constellation data?
You're probably in the wrong time period. Knowing when this sim is set is probably important, with the time travel hints you had in the morphetron.
>>
No. 693932 ID: c45b7e

>>693798
hack deeper. if this was for us, they know what we are going to be doing. We dont want some of this data, we want it all.
>>
No. 694050 ID: 2a7417

Hack the planet!
>>
No. 694167 ID: 2f4b71

>>693817
Change your internal clock to the date of your dream?
>>
No. 701705 ID: 429e47
File 145542675256.png - (139.10KB , 500x500 , orbitalvirtualspaceencounter002.png )
701705

Alright, enough with the illusions. The fact that you can feel the ancient-ness of that orbital thing mean a program is manipulating your brain subtly.
Well, not subtle enough, you think, as you pull out a hidden program you always have in your (modified) adapter. You'll show the program how subtle you can be, and why trying to mess with your brain is something it shouldn't do.
>>
No. 701707 ID: 429e47
File 145542699809.png - (154.68KB , 500x500 , breaking through the brane of reality.png )
701707

>>701705
The hammer-head swings up, and with a mighty heave you sent it crashing into the 'planet' below. A sound akin to broken glass mixed with radio static and ancient modem connecting was heard, as the virtual-space cracked apart. The stars, the planet, and the orbital thing dissipates from your mind-interface.
>>
No. 701712 ID: 429e47
File 145542790654.png - (111.67KB , 500x500 , blankvirtualspaceencounter001.png )
701712

>>701707
In their place, you can see the real contents of the USB drive: a few directories. No doubt containing plenty of information.
But it's better this way, you think. Just straightforward data, instead of misleading illusions! Now, which one to peek into first?
>Wat do?
[] Look into the Ophiuchus directory.
[] Look into the Pleiades directory.
[] Look into the Moonrose directory.
[] Look into the "Black Knight" directory.
[] Attempt to copy the contents of one directory into your head (choose which).
[] Attempt to copy all of them into your head.
[] Modify the system date and time into current time.
[] Modify the system date and time to the date of your dream.
[] Swing the sledgehammer once more.
[] Other (fill in)
>>
No. 701713 ID: 1cebc8

Attempt to ZIP all files and copy into head.
>>
No. 701715 ID: f6442a

Swing the sledgehammer around a few times for fun. Then copy all directories to head.
>>
No. 701726 ID: 02422f

>[] Attempt to copy all of them into your head.
Uh, check the size of the directories before even thinking about attempting that.
>>
No. 701729 ID: 7a2f2c

>>701726
It would be a better idea to do it individually just in case their is some sort of virus or trap stowed away in there.
>>
No. 701730 ID: 5ad4a7

>>701712
[] Look into the Ophiuchus directory.
>>
No. 702078 ID: c45b7e

>>701712

[x] Modify the system date and time to the date of your dream.

worst case scenario, it gives us more time to hack, best case scenario, we are gonna unlock another tidbit.
>>
No. 711139 ID: b1963c
File 145879630230.png - (148.53KB , 500x500 , blankvirtualspaceencounter002a.png )
711139

You decide upon the Ophiuchus directory. As you scan it before copying it, an impossibility is made known: the directory's size is magnitudes more than the USB stick could theoretically hold.
What's worse, there's a two-minute timer attached to it. You can't copy it during that time, let alone the rest of the directories!
>>
No. 711140 ID: b1963c
File 145879657111.png - (97.87KB , 500x500 , blankvirtualspaceencounter002b.png )
711140

>>711139
Thinking fast, you pull up the date/time settings for your datajack interface. The only way to delay this timer is by going back in time.
But you do not know why you set it to that one date. That particular date in your dream.
The clock ticks, tocks, then stops.
And time rewinds in the virtual space.
>>
No. 711141 ID: b1963c
File 145879708336.png - (165.00KB , 500x500 , ophiuchuschoices.png )
711141

>>711140
Suddenly, a sharp pain. Your datajack is processing an unholy amount of data. The Ophiuchus directory is copied, and opened in an instant. Words and concepts and records are flying by at a phenomenal speed, organizing themselves in distinct clusters.
A cluster feel old, weathered with emotions. Teutonic experiments and a twin.
Another seem more familiar, a newspaper clipping and a dead couple's last moments lay bare.
The last one is a doctor with a dream, and many enemies, and Titor.
As the directory lay open in front of your mind, blood slowly trickles down your face.
>Choose one to witness first (we'll be witnessing all of them)
[] Ad-Dhib
[] Cassandra
[] Damballah-Wedo
[] No, I'm outta here, out of this virtual world
>>
No. 711143 ID: f6442a

[] No, I'm outta here, out of this virtual world, you can't make me stay here where it's crazy
Just to see what happens.
>>
No. 711144 ID: 02422f

>[X] Damballah-Wedo
>>
No. 711179 ID: c45b7e

>>711141
>[x] Damballah-Wedo
nightmare fuel later.

Besides. We still have more suffering in other directories.
>>
No. 711616 ID: a107fd

I don't think turning the clock back to the 1980s is going to be enough. Squeezing 375 zettabytes through a really good modern fiber-optic connection would take approximately twelve thousand years. Short of getting some kind of exotic matter involved, the storage media for that much data should weigh two tons and fill a small cargo truck.
>>
No. 711619 ID: d152f2

>>711616
dis the nondescript cyberfuture man, it'd take a day or two tops
>>
No. 711726 ID: 2067a4

Ad-Dhib, I think. Cassandra makes for a good story, but I think it's a mystery that may carry more weight when solved a bit later on. Let's save that one for later. Also, how long will this take in real time? Terminator references aside, we can't afford to spend too much time here, especially with the fact that someone just gave us that much relevant information. If we hurry, maybe we can learn who it was?
>>
No. 711735 ID: 1cebc8

[X] Cassandra
>>
No. 731766 ID: fdcf4f
File 146685178010.png - (467.95KB , 500x1000 , Damballa-Wedo 01.png )
731766

You grit your teeth as the memory-archive deluges into your mind, steering yourself, however ineffectually, into the directory named Damballah-Wedo.

"One of the important Loa in Voudun, Damballah-Wedo rules over the mind, intellect, and cosmic equilibrium. His counterpart is Ayida-Wedo, Loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, and serpents. Together, they are the Rainbow Serpent that held up the heavens."
"James Twelvetrees met his wife and soulmate, Aida, when both of them worked at Apex Communications. James, despite his background in neuroscience, turned out to be an apt programmer, while Aida is an excellent engineer and a spiritual one. But only a month and a week after marriage, an event that neither thought would ever happened, happened."
"It all began when one of Apex's quantum satellites in the void went haywire. James and Aida was called into the facility along with other Apex employees to figure out what's wrong. James had just figured out the satellite's erroneous behavior, and Aida was busy getting the necessary schematics to the satellite when the backup satellite in storage at their on-site hangar disappeared."
"Then, everything changed."
"Ten hours later, James woke up in the forest near the facility. He wasn't the only employee missing, some others were also reporting that they woke up in the forest with missing time. But some of them didn't return."
"Aida was one of them."
"James only found her clothes on the forest floor, next to him."
"Her clothes, and James' memory of her, were the only traces of her left behind. Despite both James and Aida had worked 8 years in Apex, only James was registered there, and nobody has ever heard of her at all."
"It was if she had never existed at all."
"This drove James into leaving Apex, and he did something in his despair."

Here, you see the path split into three. All three are obfuscated and blurry, but you somehow knew that once you picked a path, that will become clear. All the while, your gums bleed and your ears ring.

>What did James do?
[] Fell into depression, and one day decided to end his life.
[] Fell into denial, and kept searching for her.
[] Fell into madness, and decided he'd do something with his knowledge about it.
>>
No. 731772 ID: 398fe1

>>731766
"find her in the space between the void and time i love her so much"

[x] Fell into madness, and decided he'd do something with his knowledge about it.
I think this is the only true choice.
>>
No. 731788 ID: 358228

Fell into madness, convinced there was a conspiracy of vespids behind it all.
>>
No. 731795 ID: a075ba

>>731766
Madness.
>>
No. 731804 ID: b2d501

Madness: This is the part where we learn how James developed a neural augment that allows psychics to phase shift between dimensions, right?
>>
No. 731820 ID: 0bf568

>>731788
Clearly they were behind everything
>>
No. 731913 ID: 5428f3

>James Twelvetrees, Aida
The Luteces

>"It all began when one of Apex's quantum satellites in the void went haywire. James and Aida was called into the facility along with other Apex employees to figure out what's wrong. James had just figured out the satellite's erroneous behavior, and Aida was busy getting the necessary schematics to the satellite when the backup satellite in storage at their on-site hangar disappeared."
God dammit the file just contained a link to that stupid tg website

[x] fell into maddness, went back in time and changed his name to doug
>>
No. 750540 ID: 728ffd
File 147532411923.png - (354.62KB , 500x500 , Madness 01.png )
750540

"James Twelvetrees struggled in vain to comprehend just what happened to his wife."
Mistake not the map for the territory
"He scoured the vast knowledge-base of science, seeking to find the truth behind the event - and even more important, how to get her back."
Quae est in Terra Incognita
"Maybe science don't have the answer he seeks, but his rational brain refuses to acknowledge that limitation."
Look in the exoteric and the esoteric
"Again and again he chased the serpent's tail, hoping to find closure; when closure cannot be found, understanding; when understanding cannot be found, the truth; and when truth cannot be found in the science he knew, he turned into the knowledge he discarded."
>>
No. 750541 ID: 728ffd
File 147532506430.png - (226.62KB , 500x500 , Madness 02.png )
750541

>>750540
"He finally turned into the fringes of rationality, to the theories once thought to be obsolete."
But he's still in cyberspace!
"In the tulpa meditation of Kundun monks, in the hidden records of the Vril Society, in the obscure annals of Alchemy - James Twelvetrees had finally begun to understand the nature of the event."
Yeah, it's taking too long
"But to continue, he needed more. He knew he could combine the hidden knowledge with the current knowledge to get Aida back, but a piece of the puzzle is still missing."
Sledgehammer, c'mon, we need you back here
"And that is why he applied to Tribranch Biomedicals, if not to gain knowledge he can use, to gain funds to find such missing knowledge."
Mistake not the map for the territory
Again, the path frays into three possibilities. If you weren't gritting your teeth from the biofeedback, you'd curse this recursive kind of programming.

>What did James Twelvetrees do in Tribranch?
() Wake up, Baxter, your friends need you
[] Oversees the development of a new drug (alchemy)
[] Researched the side-effects of Tribranch's drugs (tulpa)
[] Found hidden documents in Tribranch's archives (vril)
>>
No. 750543 ID: 71d443

[b] thought himself up a Jackie Chan tulpa
>>
No. 750546 ID: 094652

[X] Went insane and raped a dozen travelling Kundun pilgrims, siring multiple children in hopes of turning them into homunculi for his wife to inhabit. Because she was invisible.

Luckily, his head exploded before he could get to the third. Because magic.

Oddly enough, they were all female, AND a different species from the parents. Something the doctor did?
>>
No. 750554 ID: 595d54

(X) Wake up, Baxter, your friends need you
>>
No. 750559 ID: 3abd97

[x] Found hidden documents in Tribranch's archives (vril)
>>
No. 750581 ID: 398fe1

>>750540
"i tried to bring her back i called again and again hoping to find the truth crla"
...did I screw up the last bit? I wish there was an easier way of picking out the letters than eyeballing it.
>>750541
The serpent is saying "every thing has a price"

[x] Found hidden documents in Tribranch's archives (vril)
I'm not familiar with Vril occultism, so this should be neat.
>>
No. 750592 ID: 398fe1

...on the other hand, if there is a "correct" choice, signs are pointing towards tulpa. Baxter here might be a tulpa that has been projected into alternate timelines, or the tulpa is the serpent.
>>
No. 750714 ID: 2ea9b9

Vril sounds silly and vague.

Can we have Tulpa and Alchemy? Like he researched the side-effects and then used alchemy and modern chemistry to make a new drug that had the desired effects
if not the Tulpa please.
>>
No. 760396 ID: 398fe1

OH. There was no t available, but the last bit is hinting at "ctrl+A"

Switching my vote to (X) Wake up, Baxter, your friends need you
>>
No. 779422 ID: ab2b43
File 148704890292.png - (293.15KB , 500x500 , Method 01 copy.png )
779422

Initially he sought for any evidence of Vril technology, but it lead to a dead end.
But he just didn't look in the right places
Quietly he went on with his job to gather funds for his next search.
Sometimes you find something you're not looking for
But one of his test subjects offered something, in return for freedom.
>>
No. 779427 ID: ab2b43
File 148705002742.png - (155.17KB , 500x500 , Method 02 copy.png )
779427

>>779422
She t0ld him of the nightmares the t3st subjects had. How 1t is consistent with each and every su8ject. 4t first Tw3lvetrees 4lm0st d1sm1s53d 1t, 8ut wh3n h3 5t4rt3d t0 s33 th3 v3ry th1n6 h1m53lf, h3 th0u6h7 07h3rw153.
7h15 l3d h1m 1n70 4n 1n516h7 0n h0w 7ulp45 4r3 cr3473d, 4nd h3 m4d3 600d 0n h1s 3nd 0f 7h3 d34l, 8y 63771n6 4n 0p3r4710n 734m t0 3x7r4c7 h1m 4nd l3771n6 7h3 7357 5u8j3c75 70 fr33d0m..././////
>>
No. 779428 ID: ab2b43
File 148705021852.png - (158.28KB , 500x500 , Fatal System Error.png )
779428

>>779427
WARNING. FURTHER DATA CORRUPTION AT MORE THAN 70%. MATRIX SYNCHRONIZATION RATE LESS THAN 50%. MENTAL PROCESSES FORCE STOPPING. ORGAN FAILURE IMMINENT. DATA BACKUP TO SECONDARY STORAGE N/A. FATAL SYSTEM ERROR. SOUL NOT FOUND.

...---...

beyond the pain, beyond the distant screams of a scrambled brain, the familiar sense of weightlessness arrive.
>>
No. 779432 ID: ab2b43
File 148705054291.png - (112.24KB , 500x500 , cruiser006.png )
779432

>>779428
You awoke in the cruiser, with McDowd sitting right beside you.

And of a hand that grabs your neck from behind, gripping with all might.

"Künstlichemann! Verfälscht! Why don't you just- Sterben!!" the rabbit screams. Somehow, he has one hand loose.
>>
No. 779435 ID: ab2b43
File 148705085937.png - (150.74KB , 500x500 , cruiser007.png )
779435

>>779432
It seems like slow motion when McDowd turns towards you, his face in surprise - the rabbit shaking and cursing out in Teutonic - and you, gasping for air, eyes fixed forward towards the suddenly-swerving 18-wheeler. The rabbit is too focused on choking you, McDowd is momentarily focused on the rabbit and you, and you, you alone witness the truck with the horned ornament plow onto the cruiser's hood, its metal crumpling beautifully as the windshield shatters into fractal shards of glass, and squishing the cruiser's occupants in an instant.

And all you can feel is the familiar sense of weightlessness.
>>
No. 779436 ID: 094652

> Initially he sought for any evidence of Vril technology, but it lead to a dead end. But he just didn't look in the right places. Quietly he went on with his job to gather funds for his next search. Sometimes you find something you're not looking for. But one of his test subjects offered something, in return for freedom.
Creepy. Hey, which color id did you use for futaba setting?

>James Baxter is being strangled
QUICK GET THE GUN
>>
No. 779439 ID: ab2b43
File 148705149410.png - (74.10KB , 500x500 , TheBar001.png )
779439

>>779435
And in a sea of static, you find yourself back at this place again. A place you do not remember yet feels familiar.
"Back so soon, Mr. Baxter? Would you like another drink?"
Unsure of everything but the sense of familiarity, you nod at the cat behind the bar.
The cat eyes you for a bit before sighing.
"You forgot, didn't you? Well, doesn't matter now. What have you got for the drink?"
You empty your pockets, and some familiar items emerge. The rabbit's glasses. The coroner's scalpel. Your wallet, with the ID that has you minus two years. The portable mindjack. And the three tarot cards.

>Choose two ingredients.
[] An alternate viewpoint.
[] A factual razor.
[] An implausible identity.
[] A bridge between worlds.
[] A glimpse of the future.
[] Do something else (fill in).
[] "I'm supposed to find her."
>>
No. 779441 ID: 3abd97

[X] A factual razor.
[X] An implausible identity.
>>
No. 779442 ID: 398fe1

>>779427
Garbled text says "Aida still lives in your mind". In the background there's 5195 3748.
>>779428
"YOUR TIME IS UP"

Also the hidden letters spell out "danger goodbye baxter"

>>779432
The assassin is calling Baxter an "artificial man", and "false". Which makes sense considering what we've found out. Maybe Baxter is a Tulpa?

>>779439
[x] An alternate viewpoint.
[x] A bridge between worlds.
>>
No. 779456 ID: 8d4593

[X] "I'm supposed to find her."
[X] A bridge between worlds.
>>
No. 779528 ID: 398fe1

>>779456
Aw derp I missed another hidden command. Yeah, let's do this.
>>
No. 799663 ID: 96e80d
File 149390955092.png - (98.63KB , 500x500 , TheBar002.png )
799663

You think the rabbit's glasses and the portable mindjack would be sufficient. "These are all that I got. So what is this place? Am I dead?" Gingerly, you hand the mindjack first.
The bartender just sighs. "It doesn't matter anyway. You keep dying, Mr. Baxter, and you kept forgetting, and then you always return here. Well, let's just say that you are but one of my patrons, Mr. Baxter." He says, dejectedly, while he reaches for the mindjack.
>>
No. 799664 ID: 96e80d
File 149390978124.png - (131.99KB , 500x500 , TheBar003.png )
799664

>>799663
As soon as the mindjack leaves your hand, it turns into a vodka bottle in his hand. The fact that this does not surprise you lends credit to what he said - that you might have been here before. You try to think back on what happened before you died, only to find vague memories. But one thought kept bubbling up, a phrase.
"I'm supposed to find her, aren't I?" You say as the bartender prepares a cocktail mix from the ingredients you supplied. He seemed a bit surprised.
>>
No. 799665 ID: 96e80d
File 149390998707.png - (150.93KB , 500x500 , TheBar004.png )
799665

>>799664
Slowly, he smiles a crooked grin. "Interesting. Interesting! It seems that you do remember something, Mr. Baxter. Try to keep it up, will you, Mr. Baxter?" He hands you a drink. A Bloody Mary. "And here's something that would help you remember." The static noise behind him seemed to throb with an ever-loudening ticking of a clock.
>>
No. 799666 ID: 96e80d
File 149391042499.png - (126.12KB , 500x500 , TheBar005.png )
799666

>>799665
As you down the cocktail, you feel the drink working its way down your very being. The haze surrounding your memories clears, and you remember. The year, 1984. The year, 2153. New Bataven. McDowd. Dr. Wu. The Library. Foxglove. The Seven Sisters. Dr. Twelvetrees. The dead double. Orville. The risky gamble. Millie. MILLIE! The familiar sense of weightlessness that you're currently feeling.

The familiar sense of weightlessness that you're currently feeling.

The familiar sense of weightlessness that you're currently feeling.
>>
No. 799671 ID: 96e80d

Next cycle:
https://tgchan.org/kusaba/quest/res/799667.html
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