Welcome to Victorville

Your name is (text-colour:#c8cc00)[Gary Patterson]. You are a skilled technician in the robotics department of (text-colour:red)[VolcanX Industries]. For the past few years now, you have been assigned to a maintenance position at a children's entertainment establishment in Victorville, California. Victorville itself isn't a bad place at all, you actually quite like it, but your assigned position isn't all that much to write home about. You feel your skills are being underutilized in this place. (set: $backed to false) =><= [[Continue->Start-2]]

One day, right as you're about to clock out, a familiar voice catches your attention. It's your work partner, (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams.] You've known him ever since you started working here, but don't know much about him other than that he's an excellent roboticist like yourself. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Patterson! May I speak with you a moment?"] Typical (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor], speaking in the most unnecessarily formal tone at every waking moment. It weirded you out at first, but you eventually got used to it. (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Sure, what's up, Vic?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I have news. BIG news. You once told me about your dissatisfaction with your current position. I believe I have found a solution."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Really? And what's that? Lemme guess, a pyramid scheme?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["What? No, no, I'm not dumb enough to fall for a trick like that. I'm trying to tell you that we have been offered a promotion."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["This isn't another one of your ramblings again, is it? I don't got time to sit here and listen to that, I gotta get home."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I'm being serious, Patterson! This is your chance-- OUR chance, to get out of here and really make something of our lives! I can't say much now, but I need a decision. Are you in, or are you out?"] [[I'm in->In-1]](text-color:black)[____][[I'm out->Out-1]]

(text-colour:#c8cc00)["Ah, screw it, I've been wanting to move up the ladder for a while now. I'm in."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Good. Now, keep in mind this is highly confidential, so we shouldn't be speaking of it in a public place like this. Meet me around back of the building in an hour, I'll tell you more details there."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] certainly hasn't lost his odd tendencies, and you're more than a little suspicious of him, but you follow his instructions anyway. An hour later, you find (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] waiting for you in the alley behind the establishment. (text-colour:#c8cc00)["There you are! So, what's this all abou--"] Everything went black. =><= [[Continue->In-2]]

(text-colour:#00b7b7)["A shame. I didn't want to have to do this, but..."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Huh? Do what?--"] Everything went black. =><= [[Continue->Out-2]]

You jolt awake in a cold metal chair. It's dark. After your eyes adjust to the light, you see that the room you find yourself in is mostly empty, aside from a few more chairs and strange, nigh-unreadable graphs strewn about the walls. (text-colour:#c8cc00)["(What the hell!?)"] You think to yourself. Of all possible outcomes that could have come from meeting someone in an alleyway, this was just about the strangest. Getting up from the chair and walking towards the lone doorway, you spot (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] waiting in a room a few feet down the hall. His back is turned away from you. [[Talk to Victor->In-3]](text-color:black)[____][[Get the hell out->Alone-1]]

` _ ________ _________ __ _______ __________ | | /| / / __/ / / ___/ __ \/ |/ / __/ /_ __/ __ \ | |/ |/ / _// /__/ /__/ /_/ / /|_/ / _/ / / / /_/ / |__/|__/___/____/\___/\____/_/ /_/___/ /_/ \____/ `(text-colour:#00b7b7)[` _ ______________________ ____ _ ________ __ ______ | | / / _/ ____/_ __/ __ \/ __ \ | / / _/ / / / / ____/ | | / // // / / / / / / / /_/ / | / // // / / / / __/ | |/ // // /___ / / / /_/ / _, _/| |/ // // /___/ /___/ /___ |___/___/\____/ /_/ \____/_/ |_| |___/___/_____/_____/_____/ `] Through the eyes of (text-colour:#c8cc00)[Gary Patterson] =><= [[Begin->Start-1]] (text-colour:red)[Copyright 2025 Taylor S. GAMES-3035 Storycrafting For Games The University of Utah]

Everything is far too suspicious to just go along with it now. You quietly slip past the door to the room where (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] is waiting. You don't trust him anymore. Heading down the hallway, you come to a stairwell. [[Go upstairs->Alone-Up-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Go downstairs->Alone-2]]

You jolt awake in a cold metal chair. It's dark. After your eyes adjust to the light, you see that the room you find yourself in is mostly empty, aside from a few more chairs and strange, nigh-unreadable graphs strewn about the walls. You don't know where you are. You don't know how you got here. The last thing you remember, you were finishing up work and heading to the break room to punch out. The only thing you DO know, is... That you hear footsteps. Someone's coming. =><= [[Continue->Out-3]]

You enter the room (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] is waiting in. He's standing in front of a wall of computer monitors, displaying images that you can't quite make out with your darkness-attuned eyes. (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Victor? What the hell was that? Where the hell are we?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Ah, you're awake. Apologies for the scare, but our new assignment requires a level of secrecy that even I find a tad absurd. Once again, I thank you for taking up the offer."] (set: $mem to true) [[Demand answers->Victor-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Back out of the deal->Backout]]

The source of the sound reaches the doorway. You can't make out the figure's face in the dark, but from it comes the voice of your work partner, (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams]. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Ah, you're awake. You've been out for a while, you must have hit your head quite hard. Are you alright, my friend?"] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Um, physically, yeah. But... What happened? What is this place?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Oh my, you don't remember? Well, allow me to explain once again. Before your trip and subsequent head injury, we both had accepted an offer for promotion. No more fixing entertainers, we've moved up in life."] (set: $mem to false) [[Let him continue->Victor-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Deny it->Backout]]

(text-colour:#c8cc00)["So what's this promotion all about anyway? And again, where on Earth are we?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Yes, I do suppose it's about time I fill you in properly. VolcanX has been commissioned by the military to develop a new generation of automated robotic soldiers. Some progress has already been made, but the previous research and development team appears to have moved to a different project elsewhere. That's where we come in."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["NEW generation? I don't ever remember hearing about an OLD generation."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["From what I understand, the Gen-1 combat droids were never deployed to the battlefield, they were more of a proof-of-concept. The generation we will create however, IS expected to be deployed."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Alright, I guess that makes sense. So then, what's this place we're in?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["This is the VolcanX C.R.D. Facility. It stands for 'Confidential Research & Development.' Even some of the highest-ranking officials at the company are unaware of its existence."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Man. I knew the company was big, but I didn't realize it's THIS big. Wild."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Indeed it is. Allow me to show you to your quarters, where you'll be staying for the duration of the project."] [[Follow Victor->Victor-3]](text-color:black)[____][[But my family?->Victor-2]]

(if: $mem is true)[(text-colour:#c8cc00)["Actually... You know what? No. I'm not doing this anymore. You can't just knock me out and expect me to not question everything!"]](else:)[(text-colour:#c8cc00)["That... doesn't sound like something I'd do. You're lying."]] Victor lets out a disappointed sigh. (if: $backed is true)[(text-colour:#00b7b7)["..."]](else:)[(text-colour:#00b7b7)["I had hoped you wouldn't say that."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["What?"]] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["We'll keep doing this for as long as it takes."] Everything went black. (set:$backed to true) =><= [[Continue->Out-2]]

You follow (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] through the facility to the living quarters. Along the way, you see a number of odd sights. Rooms covered wall-to-wall in blueprints, graphs written in languages you weren't even sure were real, bare robotic skeletons in many shapes and sizes, all adorned with the two overlapping X's of the (text-colour:red)[VolcanX] logo. The more things you catch a glance of, the more your mind races, and yet at the same time, the more convinced you become of the legitimacy of your new assignment. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Here we are, your home away from home. It's late, I suggest you catch some rest. We'll begin working first thing tomorrow morning."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Sounds... good. Night, Vic."] As (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] walks away down the hall, you feel a sense of unease. Your new life makes sense enough to accept, but you still have so many questions. You try to sleep, but your mind simply will not stop racing. [[Forget it and sleep->Victor-4-Sleep]](text-color:black)[____][[Get up and look around->Victor-4-Look]]

(text-colour:#c8cc00)["Wait, hold on. Duration? You mean we can't leave the building until these robots are done?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Unfortunately, you are correct. We will have to call this facility home for a decent while."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["But what about my family? They're going to think I've gone missing! Or died!"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Fret not, Gary. I can assure you that your family has been notified of your temporary absence. They will be just fine."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Oh... Alright, then. I guess I should have gone over the terms and conditions... Wait, were there terms and conditions?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["..."] =><= [[Continue->Victor-2.5]]

You just can't sleep until you get some more answers. You peek out the door, making sure that nobody's around. It's disturbingly quiet. Down the hall, you find doors to other people's living quarters. There are names engraved on each of the doors, but it's too dark to make them out. You remind yourself to double check them when there's more light. Further down the hall, you find a door that had been left open. Inside, you find a record player with a disc already inserted. Playing the record, you hear the distorted, yet familiar voice of (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams]: (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[INFO GET: AUDIO LOG #1]] (text-colour:#00b7b7)[". . . . . . . . . . I miss . . . . . . . . . . . . maps . . . . . . . . . . . . politics, I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lost to legend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . those to myself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . difficult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ic travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . study the . . . . . . . . . . . . communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . real time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . respond."] You have no idea what any of that could mean, not that it was intelligible anyway. You wonder how old the recording must be to be that distorted. (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] certainly sounded younger from what you could hear. This whole venture has only raised more questions on top of the ones you already had. You decide that's enough snooping around for one night. You head back to your quarters and get some sleep. (set: $Audio1 to true) =><= [[Continue->Victor-5]]

You reassure yourself that whatever questions you may have will be resolved in time. There's a lot of secrets to this whole situation after all, you can't expect to know everything. You eventually drift off to sleep. (set: $Audio1 to false) =><= [[Continue->Victor-5]]

After a long, dreamless rest, you are jolted awake by the sight and sound of the facility's lights switching on. After a minute of adjusting your eyes to the bright light, you see a map on your room's wall with an arrow traveling from your quarters to the briefing room, where you assume (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] is waiting for you. (set: $Wrench to false) [[Head out the door->Victor-7]](text-color:black)[____][[Explore your room first->Victor-6]]

The layout of your living quarters is simple: Bed, desk, lamp, closet, sink, the works. There's a few sets of fresh clothes in the closet, and a wrench in the drawer of the desk. Thinking it may be useful, you slip the wrench into your pocket. (set: $Wrench to true) (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[ITEM GET: WRENCH Great for wrenching things. Also works as a blunt object for whacking things.]] =><= [[Continue->Victor-7]]

Outside the door is a hallway. According to the map from your wall, the briefing room is to the right. (if: $Audio1 is true)[To the left are the doors to the other quarters you walked past the previous night.](set: $Names to false) [[Head to the Briefing Room->Victor-9]](if: $Audio1 is true)[(text-color:black)[____][[Check the doors->Victor-8]]]

Upon reaching the Briefing Room, you find (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] standing over a circlular table. The table is covered in blueprints and other documents relating to the combat droid project. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Good morning, Patterson. I hope you slept well, we have much work ahead of us."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["These documents are from the old team, right?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Correct. It appears they made significant progress on the foundations of the project. I believe with our combined skills, we should be able to produce a functional prototype sooner rather than later."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Well, let's get started then."] =><= [[Continue->Victor-10]]

It was too dark to read the names engraved on the doors last night, but it's plenty bright now. Looking at the doors, you recognize some of the names, but aren't sure exactly from where or when. Peeking inside, you notice that every single room is empty. (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[INFO GET: DOOR NAMES (text-colour:orange)[Paul McCaul], (text-colour:purple)[Trey Middleton], (text-colour:blue)[Adrien Dittrick], and more… Where have you heard these names before? And where are they?]] You make a mental note of the names, and turn back towards the Briefing Room.(set: $Names to true) =><= [[Continue->Victor-9]]

Days turn into weeks as you and (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] tirelessly work on the project. Scanning blueprints, tweaking software, machining parts, trials, errors, flaws, fixes, it's all a blur in your recollection. Along the course of your time working on the project however, you begin to notice some strange things about the facility. For one, (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] is the only other person you have ever seen inside the facility. No upper management, no workers in the cafeteria, not even a janitor. It strikes you as increasingly odd the longer the project continues. Your thoughts toward (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] himself also change throughout the duration of your stay. You always felt that he knew more than he was letting on, but your suspicions only keep growing. He never takes a wrong turn in the facility, always gets to the Machine Room before you every morning, and expresses a level of enthusiasm towards the development of the project that strikes you as unhealthily high. Despite all the questions and suspicions in your head, you continue your work anyway, hoping that once the project is complete, you can finally go home to your family with enough cash to last a lifetime. =><= [[Continue->Victor-11]]

The night after completing the first prototype, you notice a door you haven't been through before, with light shining from the crack underneath. Upon closer inspection, you find that the door is locked. But you've become too suspicious of everything to just ignore this. You take the (text-colour:white)[Wrench] you found in your room that first morning and bash the lock off the door, hoping nobody will hear. Inside is a small room with just a single desk. On the desk is a tape recorder, and a container filled to the brim with casettes. You grab a random tape, and insert it into the recorder. Upon pressing the play button, you hear the unmistakable voice of (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams]: (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[INFO GET: AUDIO LOG #2]] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["The second-generation surveillance droids are coming along quite nicely. It may soon be time for public testing. However, there is one thing that needs to be taken care of first: (text-colour:orange)[McCaul] is getting wise. It's only a matter of time before he figures out what's really going on. He may need to be... let go."](set: $Audio2 to true) Let go? What could that mean? Why did he say it like that? And that name, "(text-colour:orange)[McCaul]"... It sounds familiar to you. (if: $Names is true)[[[Continue->Tapes-2-Names]]](else:)[[Continue->Tapes-2-NoNames]]

You try to think about where you had heard the name (text-colour:orange)[McCaul] before, but nothing comes to mind. Maybe it's just your imagination. Still, you're curious. You reach for another tape. =><= [[Play another tape->Death-tape]](text-color:black)[____][[Leave->Escape-1]]

Suddenly, you realize where you had seen that name before. "(text-colour:orange)[Paul McCaul]" had been one of the many names engraved on the doors of the empty living quarters. Something isn't right here. What happened to (text-colour:orange)[McCaul]? What did (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] do to him? Where is he now? You began searching the room, hoping to find answers. [[Play another tape->Death-tape]](text-color:black)[____][[Check the desk drawer->Tapes-3]]

After some time, the first prototype is completed. Standing tall on two strong legs, it's immensely intimidating, especially to those such as yourself who know what it is truly capable of. It can track targets as small as a house cat from miles away, can run faster than any human alive, and can aim its weapons to a terrifying degree of precision, all completely autonomously. It is you and (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor's] magnum opus, inscribed with its name on its chest: (text-colour:red)[CD-2]. (if: $Wrench is true)[[[Continue->Tapes-1]]](else:)[[Continue->Escape-1]]

(if: $Wrench is true)[On second thought, it's probably best not to worry about it. You head back to your quarters and try to get some sleep. Y](else:)[The morning after completing the prototype, y]ou're startled awake by a loud sound. Sirens are wailing, echoing about the walls of the entire facility. The overhead lights no longer shine their usual stark white, but are now flashing a deep red. Something has gone terribly wrong. A small screen by the door catches your attention. Displayed is a remote communication from (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams]: (text-colour:#00b7b7)["CD-2 PROTOTYPE GONE ROGUE. RUN!"] You let out some words that you'd never say around your kids. You should have seen this coming, after building an automated killer robot while locked inside of who-knows-where. You make a mad dash down the hall, coming to a staircase. =><= [[Run upstairs->Escape-Upstairs-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Run downstairs->Escape-2]]

You put in another tape into the recorder and hit play. Suddenly, you become nervously aware about how loud the sound is playing, to the point where you're not even processing what's being said. Before you can snap out of it, the door bursts open. (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams] walks inside. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Patterson. What are you doing in here?"] You have so many questions that they all come out at once. (text-colour:#c8cc00)["What is- Who is- Where is-"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["You know what? it doesn't matter anymore. We've come far enough that I can continue without you. Especially now that you're snooping around. It's been a good run, friend."] Victor steps aside for (text-colour:red)[CD-2] to enter the room. Your stomach sinks. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Permission granted."] A loud sound, then darkness. =><= [[THE END?->Title]]

Looking into the desk drawer, your heart sinks. Inside is a stack of MISSING posters, all for different people, all of whom you recognize. (text-colour:purple)[Trey Middleton], (text-colour:magenta)[Adrien Dittrick], (text-colour:orange)[Paul McCaul]... (text-colour:#c8cc00)[Gary Patterson]. A poster with your own name. The date on it is the last day before you woke up in the facility. Nobody knows where you are or where you went, not even your own family. You hesitatingly reach for another audio tape. [[Play the tape->Death-tape]](text-color:black)[____][[Check the hall first->Tapes-4]]

You should probably make sure nobody's around before you keep snooping. Right as you're about to open the door to check, you hear footsteps approaching from down the hallway. You turn off the lights, hold your breath, and wait for the footsteps to pass. After what feels like forever, you catch your breath and insert another tape. =><= [[Continue->Sabotage-1]]

You once again hear the voice of (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams]: (text-colour:#00b7b7)["The public (text-colour:#ffab19)[SD-2] experiments have been a success so far, I'm confident I can leave them unattended for a while. On my way out I gathered a new recruit, goes by the name of (text-colour:#c8cc00)[Gary]. It took a bit of convincing, but I believe he will be an invaluable asset. Of course, he doesn't know what he's REALLY working on. I told him it was a military commission, and I'm honestly surprised he believed it. Now all I have to do is keep him in the dark."] It's all come to a head. The names, the posters, the secrecy, and now this. You don't even care about finding the truth anymore. You only know one thing: You need to destroy everything.(set: $passcheck to false) [[Destroy the prototype first->Sabotage-2]](text-color:black)[____][[Delete the blueprints first->Sabotage-2-password]]

(if: $passcheck is true)[Of course it's password-protected, how could you forget? ]You dash down the stairs towards the Machine Room, where both the (text-colour:red)[CD-2] prototype and all its physical blueprints are currently being stored. As you burst through the door, your eyes lay upon the killing machine you had finished just some few short hours ago. It hurts to destroy something you spent so long working on, but it must be done. Drill. Hammer. Saw. Soldering iron. Its own arm cannon. Using the various tools in the Machine Room, you reduce (text-colour:red)[CD-2] to nothing but a pile of rubble. You take the robot's lithium-polymer battery from the pile, stab a hole into it, and throw it into the stack of blueprints and other documents. The resulting fire destroys all physical plans for the monster you helped create. =><= [[Continue->Sabotage-3]]

You make a break for the Main Control Room, where the main computer that controls the entire facility is located. You take a seat, wake it from sleep, only to find that it requires a password.(set: $passcheck to true) [[Destroy the prototype first->Sabotage-2]](text-color:black)[____][[Enter Password]]

=><= Enter password: (input: bind $password) [[Confirm]] [[Return->Sabotage-2]]

(if: $password is "PROMETHEUS")[(text-colour:red)[You're not supposed to know that yet. How are we supposed to maintain narrative continuity if the main character enters a password he doesn't know beforehand? You expect him to just GUESS it? No. That's stupid. Shame on you. =><= [[THE END???->Title]]]](else-if: $password is "D0")[(text-colour:black)[D0: The void at the bottom of time and space. A realm of true nothingness. Zero matter, zero laws of physics, zero flow of time. So empty it doesn't even deserve a name. To be trapped here is a fate worse than death. However, there is some evidence to possibly suggest that a being with a strong enough motivation may be able to reach outside... More research is required on this subject.]](else:)[ =><= Incorrect password. (link-goto: "Back", (history:)'s last)]

The job isn't over just yet. The physical blueprints may be destroyed, but backups are still present in the facility's computer system, which is password-protected. Looking around, you notice a door labeled "(text-colour:orange)[Paul McCaul]." It must have been his office from whenever he was still present. Inside, the room consists of a desk, chair, lamp, and various filing cabinets. You don't know why, but you have a feeling that the computer password may be in here.(set: $cabcheck to false) [[Search high->Sabotage-4]](text-color:black)[____][[Search low->Sabotage-5]]

You search all the filing cabinets beside the desk. You find lots of interesting papers that you wish you had time to process, but nothing resembling a computer password. You decide to check the desk.(set: $cabcheck to true) =><= [[Continue->Sabotage-5]]

In the desk drawer, among (if: $cabcheck is true)[even more](else:)[many] odd documents, you find a sticky note with a hand-written message. Written on it: (align:"=><=")[(text-colour:orange)["PW: PROMETHEUS"]] You have no doubt in your mind. This is the computer password. If (text-colour:orange)[McCaul] is still out there somewhere, you'll remember to thank him if you ever get out of here. =><= [[Continue->Sabotage-6]]

You run up the stairs to the main Control Room, right across the hall from the room where you first woke up in this place. You sit down, wake the computer from sleep, and enter the password: (text-colour:orange)["PROMETHEUS."] Access is granted. [[Wipe everything->Sabotage-9]](text-color:black)[____][[Look up "Paul McCaul"->Sabotage-7]]

You know what you came here for, but you're just too curious. You enter "(text-colour:orange)[Paul McCaul]" into the search bar and hit Enter. (text-colour:orange)[(align:"<==")+(box:"=XX=")[SUBJECT DATA: PAUL MCCAUL ASSIGNMENT: SD-2 DEVELOPMENT PROJECT STATUS: COMPLETE SUBJECT STATUS: RAXUS]] (align:"=><=")[...] [[Look up "Gary Patterson"->Sabotage-8]](text-color:black)[____][[Look up "Gary Patterson"->Sabotage-8]]

No time to wonder about anything. You open Disk Management and wipe everything, zeroing out every drive on the network. You watch as each system shuts down, one by one, until even the facility's lights stop working. You've done it. Whatever horrendous things (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] was planning to do with that robot have been stopped. Now there's only one thing left to do: [[Confront Victor->Sabotage-10]](text-color:black)[____][[RUN!->Sabotage-10]]

(text-colour:#cccc00)[(align:"<==")+(box:"=XX=")[SUBJECT DATA: GARY PATTERSON ASSIGNMENT: CD-2 DEVELOPMENT PROJECT STATUS: ON HOLD SUBJECT STATUS: D0]] =><= [[Continue->Sabotage-9]]

You turn around, only to find (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams] blocking the door. He looks different than normal; wearing a long cloak and a cyan top hat that looks like someone smashed it on a table upside-down. His face is stern, just barely hiding immesurable rage underneath. In his hand is a long staff with a glowing headpiece. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["What have you done, Patterson?"] [[What I had to.->Sabotage-11]](text-color:black)[____][[The right thing.->Sabotage-11]]

(enchant:?passage,(text-colour:#cccc00))You tried to form words, but nothing came out. You tried to run towards him, but you only fell to your knees. You tried to fight whatever was coming over you. All you could do was beg. =><= [[Proceed->Sabotage-12]]

=><= (enchant:?passage,(text-colour:#00b7b7)) |textbox>[] (live:3s)[(stop:)(replace:?textbox)[AND THE LAST THING YOU FELT ]] (live:6s)[(stop:)(replace:?textbox)[AND THE LAST THING YOU FELT BEFORE IT ALL WENT BLACK ]] (live:9s)[(stop:)(replace:?textbox)[AND THE LAST THING YOU FELT BEFORE IT ALL WENT BLACK (text-colour:#cccc00)[WAS HATE]]] (live:12s)[(stop:)(goto:"Credits")]

=><= (enchant:?passage,(text-colour:#cccc00))` _ ________ _________ __ _______ __________ | | /| / / __/ / / ___/ __ \/ |/ / __/ /_ __/ __ \ | |/ |/ / _// /__/ /__/ /_/ / /|_/ / _/ / / / /_/ / |__/|__/___/____/\___/\____/_/ /_/___/ /_/ \____/ `` _ ______________________ ____ _ ________ __ ______ | | / / _/ ____/_ __/ __ \/ __ \ | / / _/ / / / / ____/ | | / // // / / / / / / / /_/ / | / // // / / / / __/ | |/ // // /___ / / / /_/ / _, _/| |/ // // /___/ /___/ /___ |___/___/\____/ /_/ \____/_/ |_| |___/___/_____/_____/_____/ ` Through the eyes of `G[][][][]` A gamebook by Taylor S. Made with Twine Created for GAMES-3035 Storycrafting For Games with Prof. Alex Hunter at The University of Utah "More Perfect DOS VGA" font by Zeh Fernando & LÆMUR Title ASCII art by Patrick Gillespie (patorjk.com) Special Thanks to: 3-Minute Games Eipix Entertainment The University of Utah Absolutely No Thanks Whatsoever to: Anish Kapoor OpenAI [[THE END->Title]] (text-colour:black)[D0]

Suddenly, you forgot what you had just been thinking about. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Come, the living quarters are this way."] =><= [[Continue->Victor-3]]

Maybe you can get to the roof? You run up the stairs, flight after flight, until your legs feel like they're about to fall off. At the very top is a ladder, leading to a hatch. Unfortunately, it's locked. You're not even surprised at this point. =><= [[Turn back->Death-CD2-Stairs]](text-color:black)[____][[USE YOUR FISTS->Escape-Upstairs-2]]

The ground floor has to be at the bottom, right? You rush down the stairs until coming to a hallway at the bottom. You're not sure exactly what floor you're on, but there's an elevator at the other side where you could find out. Suddenly, you hear heavy metallic footsteps coming down the stairs behind you. You run for the elevator. (if: $Audio2 is true)[[[Continue->Escape-3]]](else:)[[Continue->Death-CD2-Hallway]]

All that running, only to hit a dead end. You start back in the other direction, hoping that wherever (text-colour:red)[CD-2] is, it isn't... Here. It's right in front of you. You know you have no chance of escape, but your human instinct kicks in anyway. As expected, it pins you down before you can get two steps back up the stairs. In your final moments as you stare down the barrel of its arm cannon, you hear (text-colour:red)[CD-2] do something you never programmed it to do: It speaks. (text-colour:red)["TO THE VICTOR... GO THE SPOILS."] =><= [[THE END?->Title]]

No time to even TRY to guess the combination. You brace yourself, and start punching the lock, over and over and over. You clench your teeth through the pain as you make slow but steady progress in bashing the lock off the hatch. After it feels like you've broken most if not all of the bones in your hand, the lock comes free. You open the hatch, and are blinded by a bright light. Climbing out, you feel the familiar knee-ruining texture of asphalt. =><= [[Continue->Escape-Upstairs-3]]

You adjust your eyes to the light shining from the morning sun. Taking a look around, you realize where you now find yourself: Victorville, California. You were underneath the town this entire time. =><= [[Go to the police->Death-Outside]](text-color:black)[____][[Go to your family->Death-Outside]]

You can't feel your legs from all the stair climbing, but you take off running again anyway. You have to make it. You have to tell them. You have to warn everyone. Suddenly, a loud sound, and a sharp pain shoots through your side. You fall to the ground. Approaching in your now-blurred vision is a strange figure: An ovoid body, rectangular head, standing on one leg. It stares you down with its one red eye, and says: (text-colour:#DB3A24)["THANK YOU FOR COMPLYING WITH VOLCANX CONFIDENTIALITY PROTOCOL. YOU WILL NOW BE DISCARDED."] Another loud sound. =><= [[THE END?->Title]]

As you run towards the elevator, a specific door in the hallway catches your eye. Engraved on the door is a name you recognize: (text-colour:orange)[Paul McCaul]. Hearing the footsteps coming closer, you decide to hide inside. Hiding crouched at the bottom of the door, you see a small office with a desk and some filing cabinets. This must have been where (text-colour:orange)[McCaul] worked before he was "let go," whatever that was supposed to mean. You hear the footsteps come to a stop right outside the door, and the mechanical whirring of servos. The footsteps start up again, fading away up the stairs. You slowly open the door, peer outside, and let out a sigh of relief. It's gone... for now, at least. You call the elevator and head inside. Looks like you're many stories underground, maybe upstairs would have been a better choice earlier. Doesn't matter anymore, though. You press the button to take you to the surface, and start moving upwards. =><= [[Continue->Escape-4]]

You reach the elevator and furiously mash the button to call it. Your rational self knows pressing it over and over won't make it come any faster, but it's all you can do at this point other than hope that whatever's coming from behind won't reach- The booming footsteps stop at what feels like only inches away. If it could breathe, you swear you would be able to feel the air on your neck. You don't turn around. You can't bear to see what you know is standing there. A searing pain through your stomach, then black. =><= [[THE END?->Title]]

On your way up the elevator shaft, you're finally able to relax. You take a moment to reflect on everything that's happened since you woke up in this facility. How long has it even been? What's been happening up on the surface while you've been away? Did (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] escape too? Not like any of it matters anymore, though. Right now, you're just happy to be free. The elevator approaches the surface: 3 floors below. 2 floors below. 1 floor below- The elevator jolts to a stop. =><= [[Continue->Escape-5]]

The door opens one level short of the surface. Standing on the other side is the only other face you've seen for who knows how long: The face of (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams], holding a staff with a glowing headpiece. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Congratulations, Gary. You've passed the test."] [[What test?->Escape-6]](text-color:black)[____][[You were in on this?->Escape-6]]

(text-colour:#00b7b7)["...Well, I guess that's not exactly true. Only in technicality, really."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["What are you talking about?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["It's more like... CD-2 failed ITS test."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Are you serious? You used me as a test subject!?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I'll be honest with you. You've served your purpose, Patterson. You're no longer useful. Now you're just a liability."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["What- That's not- You can't-"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Alright, let's just get this over with. You had a good run, Gary. Enjoy the Raxus. Or don't."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] raises his staff, and it begins to glow brighter. A flash. (text-colour:magenta)[Everything.] =><= [[THE END...->Title]]

You start up the stairs, hoping to find an exit to wherever you are, or even a map of some sorts. Flight after flight, step after step, the stairs feel like they go on for forever. [[Keep going->Alone-Up-2]](text-color:black)[____][[Turn back->Alone-Turnback]]

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, you come to another hallway. Among the many doors in the hall, three of them catch your interest. One is labeled "MACHINE ROOM." Another is labeled "ARTIFACT ROOM." The third is the door to an elevator at the end of the hall. (set: $Item2 to false) [[Enter the Machine Room->Alone-Machine-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Enter the Artifact Room->Alone-Artifact-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Ride the elevator->Alone-Elevator]]

You've already decided to go up, might as well stick to it. You continue up the stairs. ...It really does feel like you're going nowhere fast. [[Keep going->Alone-Up-3]](text-color:black)[____][[Turn back->Alone-Turnback]]

These stairs are just too tall. You give up on going upwards and turn back, heading towards the bottom of the stairwell instead. =><= [[Continue->Alone-2]]

You've gone too far up to turn back now. You continue up the now seemingly infinite stairwell. Your legs feel like they're about to fall off. [[Keep going->Alone-Up-4]](text-color:black)[____][[Turn back->Alone-Turnback]]

After what felt like an eternity, you finally reach the top of the stairs. There's a short ladder here, leading to a locked hatch at the top. It requires an 8-digit passcode in order to unlock. [[Try to guess the code->Death-Code]](text-color:black)[____][[Turn back->Alone-Waste]]

Well, THAT was an enormous waste of time. You turn back and head all the way down to the bottom of the stairwell. =><= [[Continue->Alone-2]]

You know this is a long shot, but you may as well try. You start punching in random numbers into the keypad, but nothing appears to work. You keep at this for quite some time, trying whatever number sequences pop into your head. (align:"=><=")[28656134... 50180719... 68690216... 72934428... 99042362...] All incorrect. Eventually, you decide to give up and turn back in the other direction, but upon reaching the bottom of the ladder, you see (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] standing right in front of you. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I should have known you'd try to run away."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["What the HELL is going on here, Victor!?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I misjudged you, Patterson. I thought you would have been useful. Turns out, I can't even leave you alone for five minutes."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["You didn't answer my question."] Victor lets out a disappointed sigh. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I don't usually like doing this myself, but... Wheels aren't great at going up stairs."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["The hell do you mean by-"] A loud sound, then darkness. =><= [[THE END?->Title]]

Inside the Machine Room is a variety of equipment: laser cutters for sheet metal, 3D printers for prototyping, soldering stations for electronics, among others. Sitting prominently on one of the tables is a stack of blueprints for what appears to be some sort of soldier robot. You take a look around for some sort of tool that may assist in getting out of here. You notice a pegboard on the wall, with various power tools hanging from it. Thinking it may come in handy, you take a cordless drill. (set:$Drill to true) (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[ITEM GET: DRILL Equipped with a strong bit that looks to be intended for thick metal.]] [[Return to the hallway->Alone-3]](text-color:black)[____][[Keep looking around->Alone-Machine-2]]

You open the door to the Artifact Room and are hit with a wave of surprise. The inside of this room looks nothing like the rest of the places you've been since you woke up here. Contrasting the cold metal walls of the previous hallways, this room is plastered in elegant wallpaper, with a warm fireplace at the opposite wall. The "artifacts" referred to by the door label were also nothing like you expected, with many of them looking like they came straight out of a fantasy movie. Swords, plates of armor, and glowing crystals, just to name a few. Among the artifacts, what appears to be a small twig catches your attention. Upon picking it up, a bolt of electricity shoots from its end. (set: $Drill to false) (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[ITEM GET: WAND It shoots lightning, apparently. But what on Earth is it doing HERE of all places?]] [[Return to the hallway->Alone-3]](text-color:black)[____][[Keep looking around->Alone-Artifact-2]]

You walk towards the elevator and notice that none of the buttons are illuminated. You try to call the elevator, but nothing happens. Looks like it's not working. [[Enter the Machine Room->Alone-Machine-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Enter the Artifact Room->Alone-Artifact-1]]

Exiting the room, your eyes are drawn towards the elevator at the end of the hall. The buttons and floor display are illuminated, when they weren't before. [[Ride the elevator->Alone-4]](text-color:black)[____][[Take the stairs again->Alone-NoStairs]]

Continuing to explore the machine room, you find a few computer workstations along one of the walls. They look dated, with beige cases and old-school CRT monitors placed on top. Sitting beside one of the computers is something you haven't seen since you were just a kid: A floppy disk. Though you know they're practically useless nowadays, you take it anyway. (set: $Item2 to true) (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[ITEM GET: RECOVERY DISK It's labeled "CD-1 Recovery." Which strikes you as odd, as it's not a CD at all.]] =><= [[Return to the hallway->Alone-3]]

Looking around further, another small object piques your interest. It's a metal key with a peculiar symbol carved into it. You don't know why, but something tells you that you should take it. (set: $Item2 to true) (text-colour:white)[(align:"=><=")[ITEM GET: OLD KEY Has a four-pointed star carved into the handle. Feels like a good luck charm, somehow.]] =><= [[Return to the hallway->Alone-3]]

You press the button to call the elevator, and the doors open immediately. Walking inside, you discover that you're several stories underground. You select the ground floor, the doors close, and the elevator begins rising. A few floors before reaching the surface, the elevator jolts to a stop. The door opens to a small room with three large ventilation openings. The middle vent is closed. You try to get the elevator moving again, but none of the buttons work anymore. Nowhere left to go but forward. [[Take the left vent->Death-Vent1]](text-color:black)[____][[Take the right vent->Alone-5]]

Too suspicious, it feels like a trap. Hoping to find some other way to go, you start back up the stairs. Or, you would, if there were still stairs to go up. When you try to open the door to the stairwell, the handle won't budge. It's locked. You notice a handwritten note taped to the door: (align:"=><=")[(text-colour:#00b7b7)["The stairs are closed. -V"]] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Well, that's just perfect,"] you mutter to yourself. You reluctantly turn back towards the elevator. =><= [[Continue->Alone-4]]

You begin crawling down the left vent, but you don't make it far before bumping into something. (text-colour:red)[It's right in front of you.] =><= (text-colour:white)[THE END?] [[Rewind story->Alone-4]](text-color:black)[____][[Return to Title Screen->Title]]

As you begin crawling through the vent, it gets dark very quickly. It's not long before you can no longer see anything. Suddenly, you hear a noise. There's something else in these vents. You start crawling faster, feeling your way through. You come to a fork. [[Turn left->Alone-6]](text-color:black)[____][[Turn right->Death-Vent2]]

The noise sounds like it's getting closer. You come to another fork. [[Turn left->Death-Vent2]](text-color:black)[____][[Turn right->Alone-7]]

=><= (text-colour:red)[It catches up.] (text-colour:white)[THE END?] [[Rewind story->Alone-4]](text-color:black)[____][[Return to Title Screen->Title]]

Turning the corner, you see a light at the end of the tunnel. As you push yourself out of the vent, you fall into a small closet. You reach for the door handle; it's locked. The noises from the vent grow louder. =><= (if: $Drill is true)[[[Continue->Drill-1]]](else:)[[[Continue->Wand-1]]]

Suddenly, you remember the (text-colour:white)[Drill] that you picked up back in the Machine Room. Using it, you drill right through the bolt holding the door shut, burst through, and dash down the hallway. Upon reaching the other side, you burst into the next room and lock the door behind you. Whatever was chasing you in the vents slams into the door, tugs on the handle a few times, then leaves. =><= [[Continue->Drill-2]]

Suddenly, you remember the (text-colour:white)[Wand] that you picked up back in the Artifact Room. You ready your nerves as the noises from the vent grow closer. You raise the wand. As the source of the noise launches itself out of the vent, you fire a stream of lightning directly into its body. It falls to the ground, motionless and smoldering. With the danger averted, you step closer to see what it is that you just burnt to a crisp. To your relief, it's a robot. Underneath its now melted casing, you can see text printed on its metal skeleton: (text-colour:#e6e7e8)[SD-3]. =><= [[Continue->Wand-2]]

You catch your breath and take a look around the room. It looks like the Machine Room, but from the amount of dust covering everything, it doesn't appear to have been used for quite some time. Laying deactivated in the center of the room is an old robot. It has a single leg with a wheel at its end, and a CRT monitor for a head. There's a sticker on its chest, with some text written on it: (text-colour:#DB3A24)[CD-1]. [[Turn it on->Drill-3]](text-color:black)[____][[Keep moving->Death-CD1]]

You inspect the lock of the closet door, as you find it odd that the door would be locked from the inside. It appears to be an electronic lock that requires a keycode to open. Luckily, you have a better idea. Using the (text-colour:white)[Wand] once again, you hit the lock with a small zap of electricity. The device spasms and the bolt retracts, letting you exit the closet. Outside is yet another hallway. There's a single door on both the left and right hand walls, and one more at the far end of the hall. (set: $mid to false) (set: $right to false) [[Take the left door->Wand-Left-1]](text-color:black)[____][[Take the far door->Wand-Far]](text-color:black)[____][[Take the right door->Key-1]]

You open the left-hand door to see a ladder on the other side. Looking up, it's quite tall, possibly leading back up to the surface. This is your chance to escape. You climb up the rungs of the ladder until you can no longer see the bottom. Finally, you reach the top. There's a hatch, thankfully unlocked. You open the hatch, and are blinded by a bright light. Climbing out, you feel the familiar knee-ruining texture of asphalt. =><= [[Continue->Wand-Left-2]]

You head down the hall towards the far door, but before you can reach it, you hear the sound of a bolt sliding into place. By the time you reach the door, you discover that it's locked. (set: $mid to true) [[Take the left door->Wand-Left-1]](if:$right is false)[(text-color:black)[____][[Take the right door->Key-1]]]

The right-hand door stands out among all the other doors you've seen so far. It appears to be made of a thick, dark iron material, and has a four-pointed star symbol prominently embossed at its center. You pull on the handle, but like so many of the doors so far, it's locked, this time with a physical keyhole. (set: $right to true) (if: $Item2 is true)[The symbol on the door jogs your memory; that four-pointed star is the same star engraved on the (text-colour:white)[Old Key] from the Artifact Room. You insert the key into the lock and turn. The door swings open. =><= [[Continue->Key-2]]](else:)[[[Take the left door->Wand-Left-1]](if:$mid is false)[(text-color:black)[____][[Take the far door->Wand-Far]]]]

You enter a large, dark room. It's empty, aside from a raised pedestal in the center. Standing upon it is a staff with a glowing headpiece. Staring into it, you feel compelled to approach... Suddenly, a voice shouts from behind you. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["STOP!"] But you don't want to stop. It doesn't want you to stop. You continue. (text-color:black)[_]You(text-color:black)[__]want(text-color:black)[__]to.(text-color:black)[___]You(text-color:black)[___]have(text-color:black)[___]to. =><= [[Continue->Key-3]]

A right hook to the side of your head. You fall to the ground. You feel a wave of confusion. What were you just doing? What were you thinking about just now? You look up to see (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams] breathing heavily, his hand still clenched in a fist as he stands over you. He takes the staff from its pedestal and points it towards you. The last thing you hear is a single word: (text-colour:#00b7b7)["NO."] =><= [[THE END...->Title]]

You adjust your eyes to the light shining from the sun. Taking a look around, you realize where you now find yourself: Victorville, California. You were underneath the town this entire time. =><= [[Go to the police->Wand-Left-3]](text-color:black)[____][[Go to your family->Wand-Left-3]]

You take off running down the street. You need to tell someone what you saw. You need to know you're not crazy. Will anyone even believe you? As these thoughts circulate through your head, you begin to get a strange feeling. Like you're being watched. Being followed. Almost as if something LET you escape. No. It's all in your head. You're just being paranoid, is all. You slow down to catch your breath, and take a seat at a roadside bench. You hear someone sit down next to you. You don't look to see who they are, as you're still too winded. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Well, it was fun while it lasted."] You freeze. You know that voice. You look up. The last thing you saw was the glow of the staff. =><= [[THE END...->Title]]

You press the power button on the robot's face, and you hear it spin to life. A beep plays from its internals, and a red square slowly fades into view on its glass face. You take a step back as the robot lifts itself off the floor and balances upon its singular wheel. After properly orienting itself, it takes a look at you. (text-colour:#DB3A24)["INTRUDER DETECTED."] It lunges at you, just barely missing as you dodge. (text-colour:#c8cc00)["(Because nothing's ever NOT aggressive around here),"] you think. =><= (if:$Item2 is true)[[[Continue->Disk-1]]](else:)[[[Continue->Drill-4]]]

Judging by whatever was chasing you in the vents, you get the feeling that if you turn the robot on, it won't end well. You ignore it and head towards the door at the other end of the room. You open the door, only to see none other than (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams] standing on the other side. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I must say, I did not expect that."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Wh- Expect what?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["I really thought you'd have turned it on. I suppose that's on me."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Hold on, what's going on here-"] Suddenly, you feel cold metal pressed against the back of your head, and the sound of mechanical whirring coming from behind you. Victor steps aside. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Permission granted."] A loud sound, then darkness. =><= [[THE END?->Title]]

As you dodge around the room, you remember the (text-colour:white)[Recovery Disk] from the Machine Room. It was labeled as a disk for (text-colour:#DB3A24)[CD-1], the same code written on the robot attacking you now. You dodge the robot once more, take the disk out of your pocket, and ready yourself. You let (text-colour:#DB3A24)[CD-1] get close, and shove the disk into the slot at the bottom of its face. The robot staggers to a stop. You can hear its disk drive clicking as it reads the disk. Eventually, the whirring sounds of its internals go silent, then come back on with a beep. The robot turns around, and you see that the red square on its face has turned green. A friendlier voice plays from its speakers: (text-colour:#6EC551)["Hello there! What's your name?"] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Um... Uh..."] (set:$asked to false) =><= [[What is this place?->Disk-2]](text-color:black)[____][[How do I leave?->Disk-3]]

You can't dodge this thing forever. Eventually, it's going to get you. Just then, you get an idea. You ready the (text-colour:white)[Drill] that saved your life just a few minutes ago, and wait for the robot to make another dash towards you. Right as the robot reaches you, you shove the drill right into its face, shattering it. The robot falls backwards, and the whirring from inside it slowly comes to a stop. Regretting ever turning that thing on, you catch your breath and head towards the door at the opposite end of the room. [[Continue->Drisk-End]]

(text-colour:#c8cc00)["Do you... Know what this place is?"] (text-colour:#6EC551)["Yes! This is-- This is--"] (text-colour:#6EC551)["My apologies, it appears some of the data on my hard drive has been corrupted. I cannot recall."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Damn. Is there anything you DO remember?"] (text-colour:#6EC551)["I am able to direct you to an exit, if you wish."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["I'll take that. Been trying to get outta here for a while now."] (set:$asked to true) =><= [[Continue->Disk-3]]

(if: $asked is false)[(text-colour:#c8cc00)["Do you know how to get out of this place?"] (text-colour:#6EC551)["Yes! There is an exit just this way. Follow me!"] ] The robot leads you through the door on the opposite side of the room, down the hall, and to an elevator. (text-colour:#6EC551)["This will take you back up to ground level. Have a good day, sir!"] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Uhh... Yeah, you too."] You select the ground floor, the doors close, and the elevator starts moving. [[Continue->Drisk-End]]

(if:$Item2 is true)[It's only a few seconds before the elevator stops, one floor short of the surface. The doors open to reveal (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams] waiting outside, holding a glowing staff. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["An interesting solution, if I say so myself."]](else:)[However, before you can reach the door, someone opens it from the other side. (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor Adams] walks through, slowly clapping his hands. (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Congratulations for surviving, Patterson. Really, I mean it. Though, I do wish you hadn't destroyed that robot, it WAS the original."]] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Wh- YOU! What's been going on here!?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Oh, it's quite simple, really. You backed out of our little deal and ran off. At first, I was just going to get rid of you, but as you kept going I realized that this was an opportunity."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Really? For what, exactly?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["If you weren't going to help me MAKE my robots, I figured you may as well help me test some of the old ones. Research and development, you know how it is."] (text-colour:#c8cc00)["Um, no! You don't just kidnap people and use them as test subjects for killer robots, are you insane!?"] (text-colour:#00b7b7)["Ah, it's not like that matters anymore. What matters now is how close you are to making it out, and I can't have that with everything you've seen. Enjoy the Raxus. Or don't."] (text-colour:#00b7b7)[Victor] raises his staff, and it begins to glow brighter. A flash. (text-colour:magenta)[Everything.] =><= [[THE END...->Title]]