You currently work as a detective for [[Asteroidville]] Private Investigators, a small company you formed a few years ago. Your business is moderately succesful, and you like your job,, but you've always wanted something //more// with your life. At the moment, you are trying to work on a case you got from one of your clients. "Find out where my husband goes every night," she said. You are piecing together the clues at your desk. Let's just say the evidence doesn't bode well for your client and her husband's marriage.
It would be easier to do this, if the new genetic engineering factory in the town wasn't making a loud, annoying humming noise. The factory also runs a waste canal through your lawn, filled with green slime. "//Why did the mayor have to sell that land to GMOcorp?//" you think. "It would be much better for my—" You suddently hear a knock on the door. Do you want to [[open it]]? Perhaps you are risk-averse. [[Not responding|Hard Knock]] would be a better option. then.
(set: $hours to 48*60)
(set: $inventory to (a: "Revolver"))You open the door to see the current mayor of [[Asteroidville]]. He is a portly man, wearing an old-fashioned top hat. His most promient feature is his massive stash, one that has won the Annual Asteroidville Mustache Contest every year for almost a decade. "Hello!" he says. "I assume you are the proprietor of the Asteroidville Private Investigators Corporation?"
[["Yes"]]
[["No (lie)"]]
[["Get off my front door, fascist!"->"Get off my front door!"]]The knock gets harder. You really should [[open the door|open it]]. This guy seems determined. But maybe you are even more determined. Don't let this man win! [[Do not open the door|Rejection]].The town based on a small asteroid you live on. (link-goto: "Back", (history:)'s last)
You respond to the man with "Yes" and welcome him inside. He introduces himself. "I am Sir Alfwick Deeblemorth the Mayor of Asteroidville, five time winner of the Annual Asteroidville Mustache Contest, and I have a very interesting case for you. There is a monster on the loose in this town."
This is quite interesting. You've always been one for the supernatural, so maybe you should ask [["What type of monster?"]]. But then you think back to what your mother told you when you were a youngster: [["Monsters don't exist!"]]The man laughs. "You have a really good sense of humor, my dear friend." He lets himself inside, then introduces himself. "I am Sir Alfwick Deeblemorth the Mayor of Asteroidville, five time winner of the Annual Asteroidville Mustache Contest, and I have a very interesting case for you. There is a monster on the loose in this town."
This is quite interesting. You've always been one for the supernatural, so maybe you should ask [["What type of monster?"]]. But then you think back to what your mother told you when you were a youngster: [["Monsters don't exist!"]]The man turnes around and begins to leave. "People these days..." he mutters. "I had some extremely valuable work for that person. Never mind..." Important work? You could use some important work. Maybe you should [[ask him about the job|response]]. Or you could [[let him leave->Normal Life Ending]]."Small businesses these days... I had an important job for that guy..." You hear him begin to leave. What was that he said, about an important job? You could use an important, high profile case. Maybe you should [[open the door|open it]]. But is it really wise to open the door to a random stranger mumbling about "important jobs?" [[Not opening the door|Normal Life Ending]] would be a better option.(if: (visited: "Real Pay"))["People these days are so greedy." ]The man leaves your property, and you go back to being a normal detective. Later, you realized that the mayor was going to hire you to solve the mystery of a mysterious monster stalking the asteroid. Instead, the job went to a detective on another asteroid, who got all the credit instead of you. Bitter, you decided to attempt to murder the other detective. Unfortunatly, the security guards at the spaceport caught you with an illegal blaster rifle at the spaceport, and you were sent to Space Prison. You died there in a prison riot, and your body was dissolved in acid and the remains thrown out of the airlock, like every other common thief, murderer, scammer, and fraud sent to the prison to rot.
[[The End|Start]]"A horrible monster, indeed. It has already killed 9 people. The only reason the entire town is not in chaos is because I bribed the town newspaper to not report on it, and I had to buy robotic doppergangers of the victims to replace them. Trust me, the monster is horrible."
[["That sounds immoral!"]]
[["What do I have to do?"]]"That's only what you may think. But monsters are real. I can show you the tracks."' He takes a picture out of his pocket. You can see the tracks right there in the picture. They are like gigantic human feet, with 7 toes. You initially contest the picture as definite proof of a monster, but then the Mayor shows you more evidence. Eyewitness testimonies. Pictures of bodies. Claw marks on trees. It's undeniable: the monster is real. The only thing left to ask about it is [["What type of monster?"]] "That's just what you have to do to keep a town like this in check." You still disaprove of the mayor's dubious actions, but are curious as to what this job entails.
[["What do I have to do?"]]"Kill the monster. And quick. By my scientific advisor's calculatons, the monster will destroy the entire town in 48 hours."
You aren't entirely sure if you should take the job. You don't have much money, so low-paying work is completely out of the question. A high-profile case is what you need. You should ask him [[what he will pay you|Pay]]. Or, if you don't care, you can just [[accept the job->Accept Job]]."Can I pay you in exposure?"
[["Yes"|Pay in exposure]]
[["No"|Real Pay]]"I expected it wouldn't be that easy." The mayor pulls a large black briefcase out of his bag and opens it. Inside are a massive amount of Asteroid Credits, way more than the total you have ever made in your entire life. //This is a lot of money//, you think. "Will this be payment enough?" The mayor smiles.
[["Yes"|Accept Job]]
[["No"|Normal Life Ending]]"Good. It's always nice to see a businessperson who's willing to accept publicity in lieu of actual money!" The man brings out a manila folder from his bag, and gives it to you. The folder only has a few pieces of paper in it. "Here is a case file with everything the Asteroidville police have found out about this monster. Good luck!" The mayor leaves your house. [[Continue->Great Decision]]
(set: $payInExposure to true)
"Well then, that's that! Pleasure doing business with you. Course you'll need this..." The man brings out a manila folder from his bag, and gives it to you. The folder only has a few pieces of paper in it. "Here is a case file with everything the Asteroidville police have found out about this monster. Good luck!" The mayor leaves your house. What should you do now? You don't have any time to waste, maybe you should [[go to the crime scene to look for clues (-5 minutes)|Crime Scene]] immediately. Of course, you can also [[read the file (-10 minutes)|Case File]] first.
(set: $payInExposure to true)
It doesn't take you long to get to one of the crime scenes. Asteroidville is a very small and walkable community, and there are moving walkways to get you going. After a five minute walk, you arrive at one of the houses of the victims, very close to the dome that protects the entire town from the vacuum of space. Beyond this house is just forest. The house itself is quite small and quaint, white with a red roof. There is police tape surronding the entire house, and barricades have been put up to stop cars from coming. A police officer loiters on a street pole, watching videos about sports on his massive wearable display. "Are you the detective?" he askes, disinterested.
[[Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]]
(set: $hours to it - 10)The case file is very sparce. There are no pictures of the monster or anything. Just an eyewitness description of the monster as being "very large, humanoid, and furry." There are a few pictures of the monster's tracks as well, and the bodies of the unfortunate souls killed by it. The monster seems to only eat the heads of its victims. The remainder of the body is left completly intact. One other thing also appears in the file: the monster's skin is almost impervious to bullets. One of the victims reportedly shot it in the heart, and the monster just laughed it off, as if punched by a child. //This is very interesting information,// you think. //I may want to collect a sample and analyze the monster's DNA for any weaknesses//. The file also tells you where the crime scene is.
(link-goto: "Continue", (history:)'s last)"What important work?" you ask. The mayor turns around. "Oh, there is a monster on the loose in this town. I was going to ask you to find it and kill it, before you so rudely rebuffed me." Monster? That sounds interesting. Maybe you should ask him about [[what the monster is like->"What type of monster?"]]. Of course, you could also tell him [["Monsters don't exist!"]] And if you really want him to leave, you can add a [["Get off my property, capitalist pig!"->Normal Life Ending]](if: visits < 2 and (history:)'s last is (passage: "Accept Job"))[You show your ID to the police officer. "Please come," he says, still watching sports on his wearable display. The crime scene itself isn't particularly special. On the front lawn of the house you can't find anything particularly useful or valuable.] (if: (visited: "Cop Convo") is true and (visited: "Victim Home") is true and (visited: "The Property") is true)[Your detective senses tell you that there is nothing left for you to do here. From the evidence you have seen, it is very clear that the monster is somewhere in the woods. (if: (visited: "GMO Corp entrance") is not true))[You are just about to enter the woods and look for the beast when you remember that the woods are very big, and with no indication of what location specifically in the woods, it would be a fools' errand to start a search. Besides, is it really the best idea to just go out and //fight// a ravenous, hungry, powerful monster? You should [[investigate its DNA->Your House]] first! You could find out where the monster might dwell and its weaknesses at the same time! Of course, if you are feeling stupid, you could just [[enter the off-limits, dangerous, deadly woods->The Woods]] without that information. If you are feeling slightly less stupid, you could [[apply for a permit first->Permit Application]].](else:)[It's a good idea to [[apply for a Woods Exclusion Zone Entry Permit first->Permit Application]], if you are impatient. If that's too much work, you can just [[foolishly enter the woods without a permit->Welcome to the woods]].]](else:)[Maybe you should [[ask the police officer about the crime (-30 minutes)|Cop Convo]], to find out any important information. But there isn't any time to waste! You should [[enter the house|Victim Home]], look for clues, and solve this mystery. [[Surveying the rest of the property (-2 hours)->The Property]] could work as well. (if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is not true)[If you need to, you can always [[return home->Your House]].] If you are feeling adventurous, you can always [[check the woods|The Woods]], if you think that there may be clues there. But be warned, due to a horrific chemical spill that happened there a few years ago, the woods are strictly off limits, and anyone caught there will face fines and potential imprisonment. You'll need to get a [[special permit from the mayor->Permit Application]] in order to enter the woods legally.]The house probably would have looked nice, if you had visited before the monster attacked. Now it looks like a total wreck. Chairs are turned over, the TV has been destroyed, photos ripped apart. (if: (visited: "look for clues (-2 hours)") is true)[Your years of experience working as a cerified Galactic Detective tell you that this area has not much more for you. Of course, if you wish to [[repeat your search for clues->look for clues (-2 hours)]], you are completely able to. But you are better served [[returning to the front lawn->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].](else:)[It looks like there might be something important here. You may want to [[look for clues (-2 hours)]]. If you are done looking for clues, you should probably go back to the [[front lawn->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].](set: $hours to it - 30)You go up to the police officer and strike a conversation with him. He tells you that the death happened suddenly, and he could hear screaming coming from the woods that surround the town of Asteroidville. There was a trail of blood, but the recent rains washed it all away before the cops could follow it. The body just showed back up at the house, covered in green slime and with its head gone. [[Back->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]] (set: $hours to it - 120)You look around for clues, and you find a few things. The back door leading to the woods has been knocked over. There are trails of blood on the carpets and floor leading to that door. Strangely, there are also lots of green slime smeared on the walls. You also get some fur samples. //I should run these through my DNA analyzer back at the office//, you think. After 2 whole hours of searching, you visit the kitchen, to finish up. Before entering the kitchen, you see a very large shadowy figure. You also notice large muddy bootprints inside. This could be the monster. Maybe you should [[grab your revolver and shoot it]]. But wait! Do you really want to shoot something before you know what it is? Maybe you should [[look first]]. Of course, you could also [[ignore this whole matter->Victim Home]].
(set: $inventory to it + (a: "Fur"))You shoot the figure, and it falls to the ground. Upon closer inspection, it was the Asteroidville police commisioner Robert Ground, who was a famously tall man who was known for not washing his boots. Of course, immediatly afterward, you were put in jail for manslaughter, ending your investigation. Oh, if you had just looked before you shot...You get a closer look at the figure and see that instead of the monster, it is the Asteroidville police commisioner Robert Ground. "Hello there!" he says, turning around to look at you. He is a man with a somewhat rectangular face, with glasses and a mustache not as magnificent as the Mayor's. "This is a crime scene. What are you doing here?"
[[Flash your Galactic Detective Association id->Commisoner Convo]]
[[Run away->Back to House]]You, for some reason, decide to enter the woods. You see a sign. "OFF-LIMITS: DO NOT ENTER" it reads. It shows a man dying, black goo on his arms. "This is what will happen to you if you enter the woods," it says under the body. Do you still want to [[enter the woods, knowing that they are off-limits?->Welcome to the woods]] You can always [[apply for a permit->Permit Application]]. If it's not worth it, you can [[just go back->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].The commisoner frowns. "Oh, so you're the detective..." Maybe you should [[ask the commisoner about what he is doing (-1 minute)]]. Or you could [[just leave->Victim Home]].Scared of the police commisoner, you run out of the house and back into the front lawn. [[Continue->Crime Scene]]You ask the commisoner about what he is doing. "I'm just launching my //own// investigation on this matter. It's unfortunate that the Mayor hired you, offense. Yes, I mean offense. You should take offense." Man, why is this commisoner so rude? Maybe you should [[shoot him in the head->Murder Ending]]. If you are feeling nice, you can always not kill him and instead [[ask him about his progress]]. You could always just [[leave->Victim Home]] as well.You do a detailed search of the property for any useful evidence. You find lots of green slime on the property. Strange, because the GMOcorp factory is a good distance from here, so it couldn't have come from there... You take a sample of it for later. [[Continue->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]]
(set: $inventory to it + (a: "Slime"))
(set: $hours to it - 120)You shoot the commisoner right in the head out of pure, unadulterated anger, //Good riddance//, you think. You are just about to leave the house when you see the police officer you saw earlier at the door. "I heard a loud noise, do you have any idea what it could be?" Man, now you're in trouble. If the cop finds out about your murder, you could be in real trouble. Maybe you should [[shoot him, too->Prison]]. You could also [[run away]] or [[admit]]."I know lots of things. Will I tell you those things? No." The commisoner doesn't seem like he will be of any help. You should [[leave->Victim Home]].You enter the woods. Immediately, you see a clump of fur on a nearby tree. //The monster must be here,// you think. If you are not sure that the monster is in the woods, you should [[look for clues in the woods]], just to be sure. It probably won't take up as much valuable time as searching for the monster. Of course, (if: (visited: "Victim Home") is not true)[for some strange reason,] if you want to [[search the woods for the monster]], you can. You have (print: $hours/60) hour(s) left for searching.(set: $hours to it - 5)After a short walk, you return home to your investigation office. You can [[read the case file here->Case File]]. If you wish, you can [[return to the crime scene->Crime Scene]]. Finally, you have a [[DNA Analyzer]] you can use for investigating samples. If you have anything you want to analyze, you can put it in the analyzer to check the makeup of its DNA. If, for some reason, you want to [[visit the GMO Corp factory->GMO Corp Factory]], you can.(if: $inventory contains "Slime" or $inventory contains "Fur" or $inventory contains "Strand of Unidentified Hair")[What do you want to analyze?
(if: $inventory contains "Slime")[
[[Slime]]]
(if: $inventory contains "Fur")[
[[Fur]]
]
(if: $inventory contains "Strand of Unidentified Hair")[
[[Strand of Unidentified Hair->Fur]]
]](else:)[You go to the analyzer, but realize you don't have anything to analyze! [["//What a stupid mistake!//"->Your House]]]
You put the slime into the analyzer, and immedietly get an error. "CANNOT SEQUENCE DNA WASTE SLIME" the screen says. "COPYRIGHTED PROPERTY OF GMOCORP." This is a revelation for you. //GMOcorp might know something about the monster's weaknesses//, you think. It's clear what you should do now. [[Go to the GMOcorp factory in Asteroidville and ask them about the monster (-5 minutes).->GMO Corp entrance]]You put the fur into the analyzer, and immedietly get an error. "CANNOT SEQUENCE MAMMALIAN DNA" the screen says. "COPYRIGHTED PROPERTY OF GMOCORP." This is a revelation for you. //GMOcorp might know something about the monster//, you think. It's clear what you should do now. [[Go to the GMOcorp factory in Asteroidville and ask them about the monster (-5 minutes).->GMO Corp entrance]](set: $hours to it - 5)It is a very short walk to the factory. Once you get there, you see the factory's gigantic sign: "GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville." The factory is surrounded by a massive fence with barbed wire on it. Strangely, there is more security here than usual. Every time before, when you drove past the factory, there were only a few guards. But now there are hundreds of guards patrolling the facility. You go up to the entrance. "Welcome to GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville," a guard at a booth at the entrance says. "What's your business here?"
[[Flash your Galactic Detective Association ID->Agents Come]]
[[Lie about being a worker->Questioning]](if: (history:)'s last is (passage: "GMO Corp entrance"))[You flash your Galactic Detective Association ID at the guard at the booth. He looks visibly alarmed. "Uhh, give me a moment..." He whispers something into a walkie talkie. ]Suddenly, you see two men in suits and sunglasses come to the factory entrance. One of them holds a strange looking gun with a green stripe on it in his hands. "Get out of here, before things get messy..." the man says. These guys clearly could do who knows what to you if you decide to mess with them. You should [[leave, and try to find another way in->GMO Corp Factory]]. The stupid, dumb, foolish, unwise, idiotic, hollow-headed, lacking, buffonish decision would be to [[stand against the obviously better armed guards->Radiation Ending]].You shoot the cop, but, unfortunatly, you missed his head and only hit his arm. He screamed out in pain, then prepared his own revolver. After a short gunfight, you were shot and died.You run away. The police officer chases you. You try your hardest, but you can't beat him, and are tackled to the ground. The officer cuffs you. "You're going to jail for a very //long// time," he says. [[END->Start]] You admit to shooting the commisoner, and get hauled off to life in prison. [[END->Start]] The guard raises his eyebrow. "You don't have your uniform on," he says. His hand starts to move towards a red button within the booth. You'll need to think fast. Maybe you could say [["I forgot it."]]. Maybe you could [[say that it is Uniform-less Day]]. Of course, [[violence is always an answer->Dead Guard]].The GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville is surrounded by a massive fence with barbed wire on it. If you want to get in, you could try [[digging under with your bare hands]]. That will probably take a long time, and it will likely be difficult. (if: $tippedOffGuard is not true)[You could always [[try the entrance->GMO Corp entrance]].] If you want to get in the legal way, you could always try [[getting a search warrant from the Mayor (-6 hours)->Warranted]]. Maybe [[waiting for it to get dark->GMO Corp Factory at Night]] will aid in breaking in to the complex. Finally, if you wish, you can [[go back to the office->Back to House]]."That's strange; //nobody// forgets their uniform."
[["I have forgetfulness disorder"]]
[["Just let me in!"]]
[[Give up and leave]]You shoot the guard in the head, killing him. //Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty in order to do the job,// you think, as you enter the booth the guard was in and open the gates yourself. Will this have any unforseen consequences? [[Time will tell->Beyond the Fence]]."I neve heard of no Uniform-less Day. Are you sure this holiday exists, or are you making it up?"
The sensible response would be [["It is real, trust me."]] If you are feeling honest, you could also [[admit to making things up]].You try to dig under the fence with your bare hands. It doesn't go well. After an hour, you have barely dug 2 inches. Do you want to give up? [[Yes->GMO Corp Factory]] [[No->More Digging]]
(set: $hours to it - 60)You attempt to get a warrant to search the GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville. After waiting 6 hours in the lobby to see the mayor, you enter his office and ask him to write you a warrant. He denies you. "GMOcorp is too important to the economy of this town," he tells you. "If you think GMOcorp has anything to do with this monster, you should just leave them be. Just kill the monster. You don't need to find out anything about its origin, if it would threaten GMOcorp." Demoralized, you return home and go to sleep because it is so late now. In the morning, you return to the factory. [[Continue->GMO Corp Factory]]
(set: $hours to it - (16 * 60))"Oh, my grandma has that. Sorry. Please come in." You are very surprised at the guard's acceptance of such an obvious lie. But you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. You should [[get on with your investigation->Beyond the Fence]]. You dig even more. It is similarly as unsuccesful. You barely manage to dig more than a few inches down. (if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is not true)[Surprisingly, the guards haven't noticed you yet, but passers-by are giving you strange looks.] Do you wish to continue? [[Yes->Even More Digging]] [[No->GMO Corp Factory]]
(set: $hours to it - 60)You continue to dig, barely making any progress whatsoever. Your previously clean suit has been covered in dirt, grime, and even blood as you cut your finger on a rock. "//Why am I doing this?//" you think. "//Should I [[continue->Final Success]]? Or should I [[cut my losses->GMO Corp Factory]] and give up?//"
(set: $hours to it - 60)
(set: $dirtySuit to true)For some strange reason, perhaps insanity or madness, you continue to dig. Surprisingly, perhaps due to your newfound hours of practice digging holes with your bare hands, it slowly but surely becomes easier to dig through the hard dirt. After a few hours, you have built a hole easy to cross through. [[Enter->Beyond the Fence]]
(set: $hours to it - 180)After getting past the (if: (history:)'s last is "Final Success")[fence](else:)[guards], you are now inside of the GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville. The factory is large, with three gigantic smokestacks coming out of the roof. You'll want to be sneaky here, the guards don't know what you're up to, and you'd like to keep it that way. You might want to start with a [[quick search of the grounds (-4 hours)]]. After that, you should try to [[enter the building->Inside the Factory]].(if: $hours >= (48*60)-180)[The guard lets you in. "Enjoy Uniform-less day," he says. [[Continue->Beyond the Fence]]](else:)[The guard raises an eyebrow. "Strange, it seems everyone else came in uniform..." He presses a red button in his booth. [[Continue->Agents Come]]]You tell the guard that Uniform-less Day is a fabricated holiday, made up in your attempt to get in to the GMOcorp offices. "I had a feeling," the guard says. "Now scram!" [[Continue->GMO Corp Factory]]
(set: $tippedOffGuard to true)You refuse to leave, delivering an impassioned address saying that it is your right as a Certified Detective of the Galactic Detective Association to enter the premises of the The GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville. The men do not let you finish your address, and shoot you with a strange gun. Strangely, no projectile comes out of the gun, and at first you wonder what happened. Then you proceed to throwing up your internal organs and dying.
[[THE END->Start]] (if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is true)[You search the land surrounding the factory for a bit, and unfortunately find nothing of interest. "//Guess I must [[enter the factory->Inside the Factory]]//," you think.](else:)[(if: (random:1,3) is not 3)[You search the land surrounding the factory for a bit, and unfortunately find nothing of interest. "//Guess I must [[enter the factory->Inside the Factory]]//," you think.](else:)[While you are searching the land near the factory, you come across a guard. "Hey, what are you doing!" he says. He whispers something into his walkie talkie. Suddently, two men in suits come out of the bushes. One of them is armed with a strange gun with a green stripe. "Please evacuate the premises," he says. You should probably [[leave->GMO Corp Factory]]. If you are dumb, you could try [[standing up to the guards->Radiation Ending]].]]
(set: $hours to it - 240)The factory at night is much less guarded, and the darkness should make it much easier to hide. To get into the factory, maybe you should try just [[going to the entrance->Tired Guard]]. That should be easy. Of course, if you have other ideas, you could try [[digging under the fence with your bare hands->digging under with your bare hands]].You walk up to the entrance to see a guard that is very clearly tired, almost dosing off. "Just come in already..." he says, unable to mentally exert himself enough to check if you should be allowed inside of the factory. [[Continue->Beyond the Fence]] (if: visits is 1)[You go through the big glass revolving doors and enter the interior of the GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville. You enter a large lobby. There are a few chairs, and some magazines on tables next to the chairs. ](if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is true)[There are practically nobody inside of the lobby, except a sleeping guard at one of the chairs.](else:)[There is a receptionist at a desk, and a few people (presumably visitors or GMOcorp employees) are sitting on the chairs. If you want to, you can [[talk to the receptionist->Receptionist Convo]].] There are also two signs for each wing of the facility: [[Factory->Factory Investigation]] and [[Research Facility->Research Investigation]]."Welcome to the GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville, the largest GMOcorp factory in the entire Asteroid Belt! What is your offical business here at the facility?"
[[Flash your Galactic Detective Association id->On the back foot]](if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is not true)[You open the door to the factory section of the facility. The second after opening the door, you see the massive factory floor of the GMOcorp facility. Seemingly almost infinite workers package and ship infinite amounts of all sorts of products. Eye color changing genetic treatments, specialty genetically-modified pets, genetically modified beef, genetically-modified corn. Almost every genetically-modified product imaginable is manufactured in this facility. You compose yourself and stop taking in the awe-inspiring nature of the factory floor. You should get to work, and [[interview some workers]].](else:)[The factory floor is a complete ghost town. Nobody is working, probably because it is the middle of the night. [[Moving on->Inside the Factory]] is probably the best course of action. There is nothing for you here.](if: (visited: "On the back foot") is not true)[You decide to enter the research section of the GMOcorp Factory and Research Facility Asteroidville. The door to the research section looks strangly new. It is made almost entirely out of perfectly polished metal, like it was designed to keep things from escaping. You try to open the door, but unfortunatly it is locked. You notice the ID reader on the door. //The door will only open for those with IDs,// you think. You still need to find a way in. A forceful method would be [[shooting the ID reader]]. Another method might be [[trying to use your Galactic Detective Association ID->ID Door Opening]]. Maybe [[asking the receptionist for a key->Receptionist Convo]] would work. Of course, you could always [[give up and return to the lobby->Inside the Factory]].](else:)[You use your Universal Access Key to [[enter the Research Facility->Research Facility]].](if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is true)[You shoot the ID reader. Surprisingly, it works, and the door opens. [[Continue->Research Facility]]](else:)[You shoot the door open. All the eyes in the lobby turn to you. Quickly, you realize, this had been a horrible mistake. "Ahh, a man with a gun!" someone said. "Call the police!" You tried to escape, but it was of no use. The police found you and put you in jail for property damage.You use your Galactic Detective Association Badge on the ID scanner. Surprisingly, the door opens, allowing you in. //I knew joining the Galactic Detective Association would open doors for me.// You chuckle at your own humor just a smidge, then [[proceed to enter the facility->Research Facility]].(if: (random: 1,3) is not 1)[You go up to one of the workers. "Hey! What are ya doin here! You're not in uniform!" he says in a foreign accent. It's clear that he isn't from town, just from looking at is clothing and demeanor. //Maybe he's an immigrant from planet-side,// you think. You flash your badge at him. "I have a few questions for you," you tell the worker. "Have you seen any suspicious creatures lately?" The worker begins to pay just a smige more attention to you, after you say the words "suspicious creatures." He quickly wipes off the dust on his uniform, and then begins to tell you about the creatures. "Oh, so you're here about that..." The worker tells you about some sort of strange beast, very large, humanoid, and furry, he saw escape from the research branch of the factory. Other workers back this up as well. It seems that your monster is in the research branch. [[Continue->Inside the Factory]] ](else:)[Unfortunatly, as you go to interview some of the researchers, the factory floor manager spots you and stops you. "Hey, stop there!" he yells, speedwalking towards you. At this point, you have two real options. You could [[flash your Galactic Detective Association ID->Ultimatum]] at the manager, potentially alerting him to your business at the factory. The other option is to [[give up without resistance]], which could be the easier option, albeit more limiting.]The receptionist frowns. "Oh. We're being investigated. " The receptonist says that last sentence slightly less firmly than the rest. "Unfortunately, I am legally required to give you this." The receptionist hands you a white card with grey stripes. "UNIVERSAL ACCESS KEY," the card reads. "Just, don't go snooping around where you don't belong. The Genetically Modified Organism corporation has nothing to hide. And if you find anything that could threaten this corporation..." She chuckles a little. "Well, you'll find out." "//What did I get myself into?//" you think. "//Oh, well. Might as well [[go on with the investigation->Inside the Factory]].//"You give up to the manager without resistance, and leave the factory for good. [[Continue->Your House]] You show the manager your badge. He sighs. "You're here for the... //incident?//"
[["Yes"->Final]]"Well, let me just say one thing. I don't want to get laid off, and you look like an upstanding citizen. Saving the galaxy and all that." The manager laughs. "So, can you just... //not//... look into what we have to do with this? By all means, kill the monster. Just don't involve GMOcorp in this." Do you want to [[take the manager's offer]]? You don't really mean for him to get fired. But then, you remember the pledge you took at your Galactic Detective Association swearing in ceremony: "I pledge to [[be a servant of Justice.->Servant of Justice]]"You decide to take the manager's offer and leave the factory. "Thank you," he says, as you exit through the doors. Now what? Should you [[go home->Back to House]]?The facility is a total mess. The otherwise white and sterile research facility looks like a tornado (or, perhaps something more sinister) ran through it, ravaging everything in its path. Chairs are overturned. Clawmarks almost cover the walls. You can see a few pools of blood on the floor. "//The evidence doesn't look good for GMOcorp,//" you think. (if: visits is 1)[A door catches your eye. "Project Archives," the door says. Maybe you should [[start your search there->Project Archives]]. Of course, you can just [[keep on going up the hallway]].](else:)[[[Go further up the hallway->keep on going up the hallway]]]"No." you say to the manager. "I'm sorry I have to do this," the manager replies. He pulls out a walkie talkie out of his pocket, and whispers something into it. Almost instantly, three men in suits and sunglasses armed with strange guns with green stripes on them fall from the room of the building. They effortlessly land on their feet, then point the guns at you. "Surrender to us," one of them says. "Or we will be forced to use lethal force." These guys looks like they mean business. Maybe you should [[surrender]]. Or, you could do what you sweared to do. [[Be a Servant of Justice->Gunfight]].(click-replace: "Men in suits really spooky, huh?")[The pure force of those men is enough to make you give up your heroism and [[leave the factory->Your House]].The men in suits attack you. Strangely, no bullets or other projectiles come out of their unusual weapons. After a short gunfight, you manage to take out all of the agents. You need to investigate this place quick. It's only a matter of time before the men in suits come back and finish you off. You should [[get going->Inside the Factory]].
(set: $timeTillGuardsCome to 100)
(live: 1s)[(set: $timeTillGuardsCome to it - 1)]
(if: $timeTillGuardsCome <= 0)[(go-to: "Radiation Ending 2")]Unfortunatly, you were too slow. The men in suits come, and shoot you with their guns. At first, nothing happens. (link-reveal: "What relief!")[But then you begin to violently throw up all your internal organs. [[DEATH!->Start]]](if: visits is 1)[You enter the Archives. The first thing you notice is the room's almost surreal yellow lighting. From this light, it becomes clear that, like the rest of the facility, it is a total mess. Filing cabinets are torn down. [[Papers are littered across the floor.->Project X]] You should maybe [[check some of these cabinets for useful information->Cabinet Search]]. Of course, you can always [[return to the hallway->Research Facility]].](else:)[The Archives are in a horrible shape. Filing cabinets are strewn across the floor, dented as if ravaged by some beastly figure. (if: (visited: "Project X") is not true and (visited: "Cabinet Search") is not true)[[[The floor is littered with papers.->Project X]] You should maybe [[check some of these cabinets for useful information->Cabinet Search]]. If you are done searching, you should [[return to the hallway->Research Facility]].](else:)[You see that there is nothing else to do in the archives, and [[return to the hallway->Research Facility]].]]You continue to go up the hallway. As you go up the hallway, you can see the facility's state looking worse and worse. The blood becomes a ubiquitous thick puddle. Your shoes and pants are stained with it. (t8n: "dissolve")+(link-reveal: "Posters celebrating genetic engineering ")[("Together, we can make plants better than ever before")] clawed and ravaged by //something//. Something wild. Unhuman. Unnatural. Evil. You even see a human finger drenched in blood lying on the floor. Fur is everywhere, clumps of it floating in the puddles of blood. (t8n: "dissolve")+(link-reveal: "Finally, you come to a room that looks like it may hold the answer to everything. ")[[["The Containment Room"->Containment Room]]]
(set: $hours to it - 60)You pick up one of the papers to read it. "//Project X//" the paper's title reads. "//What could be this mysterious 'Project X'?",// you think. But then you remember that you have limited time, and need to finish this investigation as quickly as possible. Maybe you should [[put it down->Project Archives]]. But something, somewhere in your heart, beckons you to (link-reveal: "continue reading.")+(t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 1.6s)[ "The Genetically Modifed Organism corporation has been called upon by the United Asteroid Belt Defense Forces to design a product utilizing all of our genetic modification knowlege to create the ultimate soldier." //This has nothing to do with the monster,// you think. //Maybe I should [[put it down->Project Archives]].// But, again, something beckons you to (link-reveal: "continue reading. ")+(t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 1.6s)["Here is my proposal: we use the new, untested GenetiMorph technology on a volunteer to turn whatever soul decides to let us do it into a beast of a soldier, surpassing every other troop on modern battlefields today. Sure, the GenetiMorph system is not rated for human testing, and there is a //miniscule//, //infinitesimal//, only 2.5% chance that our volunteer will turn into an //actual// beast, but it is worth it for the money we could potentially gain." You stuff the paper into your pocket. You do not need to keep reading; your detective senses tell you that you already know everything that you need to. You need to [[continue the investigation->Project Archives]].]]You search the cabinets inside of the archives for information. As you search and read the documents, you slowly piece together a picture of what happened at the Facility. The papers confirm your expectations; it looks like there was some kind of escape of a genetically-engineered monster inside of here. It ravaged the scientists and researchers inside of this place, then escaped somewhere. Who knows where? //It is still threatning this town,// you think. //I need to [[get on with this investigation->Project Archives]], quick.// You enter the room. It is a horrible sight; at the center of it all is a massive broken tube. Inside of the tube is a grey chair with torn restraints on it. The [[bodies of researchers->Check The Bodies]] are strewn across the ground, covered in blood. Broken beakers and other scientific instruments also litter the ground, making movement difficult. The same clumps of fur are even more prevalent now in this room. As you look at this horrible scene, something catches your eye: a dented supply closet. //Maybe I should [[check that supply closet]],// you think. //Of course, I can always [[go back into the hallway->keep on going up the hallway]].//(set: $hours to it - 45)You do a quick examination of the bodies. They all have almost identical wounds. Three nasty, bloody claw marks of equal length that stretch across their mutilated sides. //I should stop looking at this tragedy and [[get back to the investigation->Containment Room]]//, you think.You look in the closet and see a dead body. The dead body is quite similar to the others in the facility: your average glasses-using, lab coat-wearing researcher. You should probably [[check his pockets for an ID->Researcher ID]], just to be thorough.You wrench the book from the corpse's hands and look at its cover. "//Research Journal of Jebediah Frank//" the cover reads. //I should [[read this book->Researcher Diary 2]],// you think.You check his pockets and find a [[few rusted Asteroid Credits]], a [[family photo->Photo]], and, most importantly, the corpse's Researcher ID. You can clearly see his name and picture on it: Jebediah Smith. You put the ID in your pocket, then you notice something about the body: it is holding a strange blue book! [[Pick it up->Researcher Diary]] You take the credits and put them in your pocket. //Might as well put them to good use,// you think. [[Continue->Researcher ID]] The photo is nothing special: Just Jebediah Smith and his family out at the beach. //I wonder how this man's family is doing//, you think. //Maybe the mayor found robotic doppergangers for Jebediah, and they don't even know he's gone.// [[Continue->Researcher ID]]You open the book and begin to read it. It starts off innocently enough: Jebediah Smith complaining about academic grant money being too thin, his superiors at GMOcorp being "idiotic buffoons who don't know the meaning of 'genius'", his personal faliures in his romantic relationships, etc, etc. Continue(t8n: "dissolve")+(click-replace: "Continue")[But it quickly takes a dark turn when he is assigned to (if: (visited: "Project X") is not true)[something he calls "Project X"](else:)[Project X]. He talks about how he initally opposed the project, but GMOcorp forced him to work on it. Continue(t8n: "dissolve")+(click-replace: "Continue")[On the final day of the project, something horrible happened. The volunteer they had for the project, a former soldier called Roberto Jones, was going to be turned into the ultimate soldier via genetic enginering. But instead of becoming a great soldier the test subject became a monster. [[Continue->Diary 3]]]]You go to the weapon's room. There are lots of weapons on the wall, all powered by genetically engineered fuel. But there is only one you are looking for. You grab the radiation gun from the armory wall. This will be very useful in fighting the monster. Now, you should (if: (visited: "Warranted") is not true)[[[leave the factory and go to the mayor with this information->Mayoral Denial]]](else:)[[[go back to the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]]].
(set: $inventory to it + (a: "Radiation Gun"))(if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is true)[You manage to sneak out of the factory. Of course, it is the middle of the night, so you should [[go home and go to sleep first->Sleep]].](else:)[You manage to sneak out of the factory, and head to the mayor's office. After waiting almost 4 hours in the lobby, you finally get to speak with the mayor. [[Continue->Mayor Convo]].]You go home and go to sleep. Now you can [[visit the mayor->Mayor Convo]].(if: (visited: "Sleep") is true)[(set: $hours to it - 240)After waiting for 4 hours in the lobby, you finally get to talk to the mayor.]
"Hello," the mayor says. "I wasn't expecting you to come today. Have there been any breakthroughs in the case you want to tell me about?"
[[Tell the mayor about GMOcorp and the monster]]
[[Decide not to tell him at the last moment]]You tell the mayor all about what you saw at GMOcorp "That's concerning," the mayor says. "Is this all true?"
[["Yes"->Mayoral Fury]]"Uh.. Nothing, sir." The mayor frowns. "Then, why are you here? I'm paying you for this, you know. Stop stalling, and [[go out and kill the monster->Walk Home]]!""Well, if it is all true, we can't let anyone else find out. GMOcorp powers this town's economy. If the media finds out about this, GMOcorp could go bankrupt. People would lose their jobs. They would vote me out of office. You gotta promise that you won't tell a //soul//, alright?"
[["I promise."]]
[["But the public deserves to know!"]]"Good. Now [[get out of my office->Walk Home]]. Kill that dammed monster!""They might deserve to know, but I also deserve to not get voted out of office. Besides, do you really want all of those poor GMOcorp workers to lose their jobs?"
[["You have a point. I won't tell a soul!"->"I promise."]]
[["I refuse. The public deserves to know."]]"Good. Now [[get out of my office->Walk Home]]. Stop wasting time, and kill that dammed beast!""Are you sure you want to make that decision? I am the mayor. I can make your life //hell//. I can destroy your house. I can destroy //everything//. I can destroy //you//!"
[["I will not hide this."->Ominous Warning]]
[["I reconsider. I won't tell a single soul."]]"Okay. I warned you, though. Things won't be so chummy between me and you anymore. I dismiss you. Please [[leave->House Torn Down]] immediately.""Good. Now we can continue our professional relationship." The mayor smiles. "[[Get out of my office!->Walk Home]] Kill that dammed monster!"You walk home from the mayor's office and head home. Now, you need to find where this monster is. The best place to investigate is [[the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].Dejected, you slog home, weighed down by thoughts of what the mayor could do to you. //Should I have given in to the mayor's demands?// you think. //What will happen to me?// Eventually, you arrive at your home. You look at it in total disbelief and horror. Two muscular construction workers are outside of it on the road, jointly holding a massive plasma cannon pointed at your house. There is a massive wheeled machine with a wrecking ball on it. "//HOA//" the men's hard hats say, almost mocking you. //They're here to destroy my house//, you think. [["What are you doing?"->HOA]]."Bulldosing your house," one of the men replies. "We got a call from the mayor saying your house was incompliant with the Asteroidville Home Owner's Association Code of Rules. As detailed in your home owner's agreement, if a house is found in noncompliance, it is immediatly destroyed." You look on in total disbelief.
[["Stop bulldozing my house!"]]
[[Accept that your house is gone and plan for the future->Compose Yourself]]"Sorry. I don't make the rules, I just carry them out. I kinda feel bad for you. Having your house bulldozed due to such a minor violation. I mean, your flowers were only one milimeter off! I barely even noticed it." The worker stops talking to you and turns back to his work. "CLEAR!" he yells, before pressing a red button on the cannon. In an instant, your entire house explodes in a massive ball of fire. After the explosion ends, there is nothing left of your dear abode. It is all gone. Almost everything you have ever owned. Your entire livelihood. Gone. Forever. All you can do is [[accept that your house is gone and plan for the future->Compose Yourself]].You walk onto the sidewalk and think about what to do next. Since you got your house destroyed because of this, you might as well kill the monster. The only remaining question is where is it. You should [[go to the crime scene->Crime Scene]], in order to find out.You go searching inside of the woods. Unfortunately, you aren't able to find much really good evidence. The only thing you found is a strand of hair. The hair could be human or monster, it's impossible to tell. Maybe you should [[go home and analyze the DNA->Your House]]. Of couse, you could just [[search the woods for the monster regardless->search the woods for the monster]]? Or do you want to [[leave the woods->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]]?
(set: $inventory to $inventory + (a: "Strand of Unidentified Hair"))You move to search the woods for the monster. You are currently in one section of the woods. There are multiple places you can search. You can try searching the [[poisoned tree zone]], [[the area near the waste canal]], [[the chemical lake]], the [[the fur smell you detect in the distance]], [[the high hill]], and the [[area near the Silo]]. But beware, searching takes time, and the more parts you search, the more valuable time you will waste. Also, there is still the risk of being caught by the rumored men that guard the mysterious woods. The more time you spend in these woods, the more the risk that you will be captured increases.
(set: $seenSecondEncounter to false)(set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 8))
(set: $hours to it - (random: 180, 360))
(if: $hours <= 0)[(go-to: "Too Late")]
(if: _randomNumber is 1 and $inventory does not contain "Permit")[(go-to: "Caught")](else-if: _randomNumber is 2 and $inventory does not contain "Permit")[You search the area near the waste canal for literal hours. Unfortunately, while you are searching along the waste canal, you are caught by a group of boxy robots patrolling the woods. The robots all have plasma cannons for arms. "LEADER, WHAT SHALL WE DO?" you hear one of the robots saying. A bearded man with a large stick in his hand emerges from the bushes. //He must be the leader,// you think. "Hello," the man says. "I'm sorry, but I found you illegally trespassing in these woods. Unfortunately, anyone found trespassing in these woods has to be annihilated. I don't make the rules; I just enforce them. Any last words?"
[[Beg for mercy]]
[[Curse out the man]]](else:)[At first, you struggle to find the monster. You search for hours, and find almost nothing. You are just about to give up and search another area when you see a large, furry, shadowy figure running through the trees. //I should [[chase it->Encounter]],// you think. But wait. Maybe it isn't a monster. Maybe it is just a shadow. You should [[leave it be]].]
Currently, you have (print: $hours/60) hours left to find the monster. (set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 8))
(set: $hours to it - (random: 180, 360))
(if: $hours <= 0)[(go-to: "Too Late")]
(if: _randomNumber is 1 and $inventory does not contain "Permit")[(go-to: "Caught")](else:)[Unfortunately, after searching for hours, you cannot find the monster anywhere in this area. You do find, however, lots of clues to where the monster might be. Mutilated human heads covered in slime. A trail of blood leading north. Claw marks on trees. Everything points to the monster being in these woods. You should continue the search. But where? You can try searching [[the area near the waste canal]], [[the chemical lake]], the [[the fur smell you detect in the distance]], [[the high hill]], and the [[area near the Silo]].]
Currently, you have (print: $hours/60) hours left to find the monster.(set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 8))
(set: $hours to it - (random: 180, 360))
(if: $hours <= 0)[(go-to: "Too Late")]
(if: _randomNumber >= 6)[(go-to: "Caught")](else:)[The chemical lake is very picturesque. The bubbling body of hydrochloric acid would be a nice place to take pictures, if it wasn't so dangerous. After hours searching the lake area, you cannot find the monster anywhere in this area. You do find, however, lots of clues to where the monster might be. Mutilated human heads covered in slime. A trail of blood leading north. Claw marks on trees. Everything points to the monster being in these woods. You should continue the search. But where? You can try searching [[the area near the waste canal]], the [[poisoned tree zone]], the [[the fur smell you detect in the distance]], [[the high hill]], and the [[area near the Silo]].]
Currently, you have (print: $hours/60) hours left to find the monster. (set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 8))
(set: $hours to it - (random: 180, 360))
(if: $hours <= 0)[(go-to: "Too Late")]
(if: _randomNumber is 1)[(go-to: "Caught")](else-if: _randomNumber is 2 or _randomNumber is 3)[Unfortunately, after searching for hours, you cannot find the monster anywhere in this area. You find something much more unsettling however. You see a group of large boxy robots armed with plasma cannons. A bearded man with a distinct claw wound on his arm is leading them. "I sense an intruder; let's get him!" he shouts. (if: $seenSecondEncounter is false)[//These must be the rumored mysterious men guarding the woods//, you think. //I'm going to need to be more careful, lest these men catch me.// You compose yourself, and think about where to go next. ]You can try searching [[the area near the waste canal]], the [[poisoned tree zone]], [[the chemical lake]], [[the high hill]], and the [[area near the Silo]].(set: $seenSecondEncounter to true)](else:)[Unfortunately, after searching for hours, you cannot find the monster anywhere in this area. You do find, however, lots of clues to where the monster might be. Mutilated human heads covered in slime. A trail of blood leading north. Claw marks on trees. Everything points to the monster being in these woods. You should continue the search. But where? You can try searching [[the area near the waste canal]], the [[poisoned tree zone]], [[the chemical lake]], [[the high hill]], and the [[area near the Silo]].]
Currently, you have (print: $hours/60) hours left to find the monster.(set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 8))
(set: $hours to it - (random: 180, 460))
(if: $hours <= 0)[(go-to: "Too Late")]
(if: _randomNumber <= 6 and $inventory does not contain "Permit")[(go-to: "Caught")](else:)[You reach the Silo. It is the tallest building in the entirety of Asteroidville; visible for miles. Nobody knows what the building is used for, but that is not why you are here. Unfortunately, after searching near the Silo for hours, you cannot find the monster. You should continue the search. But where? You can try searching [[the area near the waste canal]], the [[poisoned tree zone]], the [[the fur smell you detect in the distance]], [[the high hill]], and [[the chemical lake]].]
Currently, you have (print: $hours/60) hours left to find the monster.While you are searching, you hear a strange clanking noise. At first, you pay it no heed, but then you realize what made the sound. You see a large boxy metal robot jump out of the bushes and point its plasma cannon arm at you. <span style="font-family: monospace">"WOODS ARE OFF LIMITS,"</span> it says in a robotic voice. <span style="font-family: monospace">"PREPARE FOR TOTAL ANNIHILATION!"</span> The robot charges up its plasma cannon, and prepares to shoot you. You could [[run]], but you can see that it is likely useless. It's probably best to simply [[prepare for death]].You run away from the robot, but it is no use. It completly vaporises you.
[[END->Start]]Knowing that you are doomed, you simply prepare to die. The robot's plasma cannon arm instantly vaporizes you, and you completely die.
[[END->Start]] (set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 8))
(set: $hours to it - (random: 180, 460))
(if: $hours <= 0)[(go-to: "Too Late")]
(if: _randomNumber <= 6 and $inventory does not contain "Permit")[(go-to: "Caught")](else:)[Unfortunately, after searching in the southern parts of the forest for hours, you cannot find the monster. //I just need to find it//, you think. You are tired and totally exhausted, but you must continue the search. You can try searching [[the area near the waste canal]], the [[poisoned tree zone]], the [[the fur smell you detect in the distance]], [[area near the Silo]], and [[the chemical lake]].]
Currently, you have (print: $hours/60) hours left to find the monster.Unfortunately, you were too late, and the 48 hours has passed. You see a gigantic monster come towards you. You try to run, but it is of no use; you are squished under its foot.You see the monster you were chasing in all of its 10 foot tall horrid glory. The blood-stained dark brown fur. The nasty maw. The thick, almost log-sized arms and legs. Completely naked, the monster roars at you. What should you do? (if: $inventory contains "Radiation Gun")[Since you have the radiation gun (the monster's only weakness), you could probably quite easily [[kill the monster with the radiation gun->Radiation Killing]].](else:)[Of course, you could always [[fight the monster->Final Battle]].] But you notice that the roar was not a roar of greatness or pride. It was a roar of fear, a desperate roar designed to make you flee, not paralyze you with fear. You notice a distinct wound on the monster's arm. A sharp piece of wood is stuck in the monster. You know first aid, and carry a kit with you everywhere you go; it would be quite easy to remove the piece of wood from the monster's arm, if it let you. Should you [[deliver first aid to the monster]]?You decide to leave it be; a horrible mistake. You continue looking for the monster, but cannot find it in time. [[Continue->Too Late]] You beg the man for mercy, talking about how you still have plenty of life to live and you were just here to investigate the monster. "Too bad." The bearded man shakes his head. "Them's the rules. ROBOTS! Annihilate." The robots charge up their plasma cannon arms. Just before they were about to kill you, you hear a gigantic, very loud roar behind you. [[Turn around->Encounter]]You curse out the man, telling him that he is cruel to kill people for trespassing. "Those are some rude words, but they won't get you out of being annihilated." The bearded man shakes his head. "Them's the rules. ROBOTS! Annihilate." The robots charge up their plasma cannon arms. Just before they were about to kill you, you hear a gigantic, very loud roar behind you. [[Turn around->Encounter]]You shoot the monster with the radiation gun. At first, nothing happens; the monster stomps towards you. But just before the monster would kill and/or eat you, it begins to throw up its internal organs and die a grizzly death. (if: (visited: "Beg for mercy") is true or (visited: "Curse out the man") is true)["Well, that was easy..." the bearded man says. "Oh, and also: Now that I'm thinking, since you were here to kill the monster, I'm sure the Mayor will understand if I don't annihilate you. So I guess this is where I say goodbye. By the way, my name is Jeff." Jeff walks away with his platoon of robos.] Now that you have killed the monster, what do you want to do? Of course, you could [[tell the mayor->Congratulations]]. (if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is true)[But you got your house torn down for it, so you might as well [[release the GMOcorp files]].](set: _randomNumber to (random:1, 8))
(if: (visited: "Beg for mercy") is true or (visited: "Curse out the man") is true)[(set: _randomNumber to it + 1)]
(if: _randomNumber < 4)[You try to fight the monster. Unfortunately, due to its sheer strength and might, things are dire. The monster is almost entirely immune to bullets. Should you [[change your tactics and throw slime at the monster->Tactics]]? Or [[just keep on shooting->Guns]]? Maybe you want to [[trick it]].](else:)[It is a hard battle. The monster is almost completely immune to your bullets. Many times you almost get destroyed. But in the end, you prevail.(if: (visited: "Beg for mercy") is true or (visited: "Curse out the man") is true)["Good job," the bearded man says. "In fact, you did such a good job, that I'm going to make an exception to the 'Annihilate all trespassers' rule and let you go." The bearded man leaves with his group of robots.] Now what do you want to do? (if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is true)[Since you got your home torn down for it, you probably want to stick to your principles and [[release the GMOcorp files]]. Of course, if you feel like it, you can [[beg the mayor for mercy from your situation->take evidence of the killing with you and beg the mayor for forgiveness]].](else:)[You should probably [[tell the mayor you killed the monster]].]](if: (random: 1, 10) is not 10)[You go up to the monster, take out your first aid kit, and deliver first aid to the monster, removing the piece of wood from its wrist. The monster squirms a little while you are delivering first aid, but otherwise is calm. After you are done delivering first aid to the beast, it sits down near a tree, and begins to speak. "Thank you," it says. //The monster looks so vulnerable,// you think. You are tempted to [[take advantage of its weakness and shoot it in the head]]. But you see an opportunity. //Maybe this monster is not so bad after all,// you think. //Maybe I should [[talk to this monster]].//](else:)[You go up to the monster and deliver first aid. At first, it seems to be calm, but then, just after you finish, it eats you. [[END->Start]]]You leave the forest and go to the mayor, relieved that this saga is finally over. After waiting a long time in the lobby, you tell him the good news. "That's great!" he exclaims. "Now the town is free from that beast's clutches." He (if: $paidInExposure)[takes a selfie with you and puts it on his social media page](else:)[gives you a massive amount of money.] The entire town hails you as a hero, for killing the terrible monster! [[END->Start]] Taking advantage of the monster's momentary weakness, you shoot it in the head. The monster falls flat onto the ground. It is dead. (if: (visited: "Beg for mercy") is true or (visited: "Curse out the man") is true)["That's just plain cruel..." the bearded man says. "I was going to spare you because of the monster attack, but now that I see how mean and cruel you are? You deserve to be annihilated." The man gives the order to his robots to kill you. You are vaporized before you even have a chance to flee. [[END->Start]]](else:)[ Now that you have killed the monster, what do you want to do? Of course, you could [[tell the mayor->Congratulations]].]You start a conversation with the monster. [["Why did you kill all of those people?"]] you ask, trying to get to the point swiftly.The monster begins to cry. It can barely speak. "I... I couldn't control myself... After the project..." He tells you about something called Project X. (if: (visited: "Project X") or (visited: "Researcher Diary"))[You already know everything, but it is comforting to hear it all from someone else. [["Yes, I already know."]]](else:)["I used to be in the military. But, but, they turned me into--" It vaguely gestures at its entire body. [["Who's 'they'?"]]]"Well, then, since you already know, I should spare you the details. Just, thank you."
[["Uhh, //beast//, I still have a question.]]
[[Leave the monster alone]]"GMOcorp, that's who." You gasp in shock. Originally, you had your suspicions that this monster could be some sort of GMOcorp thing, but you were never completly sure. The monster goes on about how he was supposed to be genetically engineered to become the ultimate soldier. But the experiment went horribly wrong, and this man was turned into a monster."
[["Monster, that's so sad."]]"I have a name, you know."
[["What is it?"]]You leave the monster in peace."I have a name, you know."
[["Roberto Jones?"]]"Yep, that's my name. Although it doesn't matter. You should just shoot me in the head; I don't wanna live no more."
[[Shoot the monster in the head]]
You shoot the monster in the head, killing it. Congratulations, you killed the monster! But what do you want to do now? (if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is true)[Considering you got your house torn down, you probably want to [[release the GMOcorp files]]. But maybe you hope that the mayor will forgive you, and stop ruining your life. If so, you should [[take evidence of the killing with you and beg the mayor for forgiveness]].](else:)[You probably should [[tell the mayor you killed the monster]].]"Roberto Jones. Or that's what I used to be called before I turned into this. Just shoot me in the head. I don't wanna live with the things I have done."
[[Shoot him in the head->Shoot the monster in the head]]
[[Convince him to live]]//The people deserve to know,// you think. You leave the forest and head to a scanning shop in the Downtown area of Asteroidville. "Hello," the clerk says. "How can I help you?" "How much to scan 600 pages?" you ask the clerk. The clerk laughs. "That's a big job! I'd say, maybe, 2000 Asteroid Credits." You quickly check your bank account to see how much money you have left. "//2000 Asteroid Credits//" the screen reads, exactly. Begrudgingly, you give up all your money to the clerk and enter the scanning room. There, you scan all the pages of Jebediah Frank's diary, the internal GMOcorp messages you found, etc, and upload them onto your phone. After that, you anonomusly send all of the information to The Galactic Times. //It's all for the people,// you think, exiting the store. [[Continue->Hero Ending]]You leave the building, unsure of if you made the correct decision. It is getting a little late, and since you don't have a house any more, you sleep on a bench in the park. When you wake up, you see the mayor (now in rags instead of a masterfully tailored suit) pointing a machine gun right at your head. "Goodbye," he shouts, before pulling the trigger. "And thanks for ruining my life!" Luckily, the Mayor has very bad aim and hits you in the chest instead, extending your life by a few seconds. In your last moments, you smile. The world will not know your sacrifice, but you didn't do it to be a hero. You did it to be a servant of Justice.
The EndYou cut off the monster's head as evidence, and go to the mayor to beg for forgiveness. "Please, now I see the error of my ways!" You drop to your knees, for extra effect. The mayor laughs. "I knew you would fold!" he shouts, slamming his fist on the desk for extra effect. "I, in all of my pure greatness, grant you mercy. I will no longer ruin your life. Just hand me the offending documents, and you will be spared!"
[[Hand over the GMOcorp files]]
[[Refuse->Shot]]You leave the forest and go to the mayor. After waiting a long time in the lobby, you tell him the good news. "That's great!" he exclaims. "Now the town is free from that beast's clutches." He (if: $paidInExposure is true)[takes a selfie with you and puts it on his social media page](else:)[gives you a massive amount of money.] The entire town hails you as a hero! [[END->Start]] What should you do now? You don't have any time to waste, maybe you should [[go to the crime scene to look for clues (-5 minutes)|Crime Scene]] immediatly. Of course, you can also [[read the file (-10 minutes)|Case File]] first.You hand over the files. "Good," he says. The Mayor turns around to the door. "Servant!" he calls. A man in a tuxedo quickly runs through the door to the Mayor's office. "Please take these documents to the incinerator," the mayor commands. "Yes, sir," the servant replies. He runs out of the room. "You have done something //very// good for this town. By the way, I won't pay you for killing the monster. Your life is your payment.
The End"I'm sorry I have to do this. Actually, not sorry. Not sorry at all. You are too dangerous to live." Before you can even process the sentence, you are shot in the head. [[END->Start]] You leave the crime scene and go to the mayor's office in an attempt to get a permit for entering the woods. The mayor is very busy today, so it takes almost 8 (t8n: "dissolve")+(link-reveal: "//valuable//")[, (t8n: "dissolve")+(link-reveal: "//needed//")[, and //in demand //]] hours for the mayor to recieve you.(if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is not true)[ "Hello," the mayor says, once you finally enter his office. "I wasn't expecting you today. What do you have to tell me?"
[["May you please grant me a special permit to enter the woods?"->Clue Screen]]](else:)[You enter the Mayor's office. The mayor takes one look at you, and laughs. "You have the gall to talk to me after what happened? Get out, before I ruin your life even more than I already have!" Demoralized, you leave the office and [[return to the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]], without a permit.]
The mayor adopts a more serious face. "Don't you remember the chemical leak? It's very dangerous. Why do you want to enter the woods?"
[["The woods are naturally where a monster would live"]](if: (visited: "Victim Home") is true)[
[["The back door leading to the woods is knocked down and dented"->Dented Door]]]
[["The woods are where the best food sources for a monster are."]]
[["The monster is probably like a monkey, and monkeys live in trees."]](if: (visited: "Cop Convo") is true)[[["The police officer I asked said that he heard screaming coming from the woods"->Woods Screaming]]]
[["Dunno, just want to."]]"Hmm, that sounds like fine evidence. I'll write you a permit." He pulls a card labeled "Woods Exclusion Zone Entry Permit" out of a cabinet in his desk, lightly places it on top of it, and then writes your name on it. "There!" he exclaims. "Go! Into the Woods!" You follow his order and [[leave his office and enter the woods->Welcome to the woods]].
(set: $inventory to it + (a: "Permit"))"I don't buy that one bit. Monsters could live anywhere! They could be in the downtown, they could be underground, they could be //anywhere//! Why the woods? Permit application DENIED! Once you have some compelling evidence, come back." Dejected, you [[leave the mayor's office and go back to the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].The mayor laughs madly. "Yeah, right. Why can't the monster get food from //eating// people? Isn't it that how monsters //survive//? Isn't that what wolves, bears, sharks, and lions survive on, just like every predatory animal? Permit application DEEEEE..." The mayor holds the 'E' for a few seconds, just to emphasise his denial and to make you feel worst. "...NIED! Once you have some compelling evidence, come back." Too demoralized to debunk the mayor's wild misreprentation of the animal kingdom, you [[leave the mayor's office and go back to the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]]."Hmm, it's so unfortunate, how much pain the victims of this monster had to experience. It must be killed, maybe captured so we can sell it in the galactic exotic animal marketl I am proud to award you a special permit to enter those terrible woods, to finally slay that horrible beast!" He opens a cabinet in his desk, and takes a piece of paper labled "Woods Exclusion Zone Entry Permit" out of it. He writes your name on it, then hands it to you. "Go! Out! Kill that dammed stupid beast!" You follow his orders and [[exit the mayor's office and enter the woods->Welcome to the woods]]
(set: $inventory to it + (a: "Permit"))Do you want to [[ask the police officer about the crime (-30 minutes)|Cop Convo]]? Or do you want to [[enter the house|Victim Home]],? Do you want to [[survey the rest of the property (-2 hours)->The Property]]?The mayor laughs at you. "This monster is not a simple monkey!" he exclaims. "It is a trained killing machine, made for murder, killing, destruction, and death. Why should it live in trees? Why not, say, underground? Be ashamed of yourself, stupid! Get out of my office! Come back when you have some *real* evidence the monster lives in the woods!" The mayor laughs a few more times, and throws a few insults like "Idiot!" and "Buffoon!" just for plain good measure. Demoralized by the mayor's relentless moral assault, you leave his office and [[go back to the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].The mayor laughs at you. "Ha! Do you //really// think I am going to let you just //enter// a chemical exclusion zone, just because you //want to?//" He begins to pretend to be a baby, mocking you. "Ha! Go away." Demoralized by the mayor's verbal assault, you leave his office and [[go back to the crime scene->Flash your Galactic Detective Association id]].(set: $tippedOffGuard to true)You give up and leave the entrance. You'll need to [[find another way in->GMO Corp Factory]].The guard looks at you strangely. "I don't like that sort of attitude. Get out, or I'm calling the other guards!" You can see this guy is serious. You should [[find another way in->GMO Corp Factory]]. Of course, if you are tired of life and want a way out, you can [[refuse to leave->Radiation Ending]]. You grab some slime from the canal and throw it at the monster. Unfortunately, it has the opposite effect from what you wanted it to do. You see the monster get bigger. And bigger. And bigger. The monster, now at a massive size, kills you with ease. [[END->Start]] Now what do you want to do? (if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is true)[Since you got your home torn down for it, you probably want to stick to your principles and [[release the GMOcorp files]]. Of course, if you feel like it, you can [[beg the mayor for mercy from your situation->take evidence of the killing with you and beg the mayor for forgiveness]].](else:)[You should probably [[tell the mayor you killed the monster]].]](set: _randomNumber to (random: 1, 6))
(if: _randomNumber is 6)[You fight for hours. Luckily, as a certified Galactic Detective, you have a gun that can synthesize new ammo from thin air. If you didn't, you'd have likely died. But because of your special gun, the monster is the one that died instead. (if: (visited: "Beg for mercy") is true or (visited: "Curse out the man") is true)["Good job," the bearded man says. "In fact, you did such a good job, that I'm going to make an exception to the 'Annihilate all trespassers' rule and let you go." The bearded man leaves with his group of robots.] Now what do you want to do? (if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is true)[Since you got your home torn down for it, you probably want to stick to your principles and [[release the GMOcorp files]]. Of course, if you feel like it, you can [[beg the mayor for mercy from your situation->take evidence of the killing with you and beg the mayor for forgiveness]].](else:)[You should probably [[tell the mayor you killed the monster]].]](else:)[You fight for hours. Luckily, as a certified Galactic Detective, you have a gun that can synthesize new ammo from thin air. If you didn't, you'd have died a little earlier. Eventually, you get too tired and the monster kills you.]You run towards the chemical lake. The monster runs right after you. Right before you would have fallen over the edge and into the acid, you jump and get out the monster's way. The monster, overcome by his own momentum, falls into the lake of acid and dies.You shoo"Don't die! There must be something I can do." The monster just shakes his head. "There's nothing. Get it over with and shoot me."
[["What if I could turn you back into a human again?"]]
[[Shoot the monster in the head]]Jebediah Smith fled to the supply closet, which would become his grave. Luckily, before he died, he wrote down some very important information on the monster. The monster's main weakness is radiation. There is a radiation gun in the weapons room. The monster relies on green slime to survive, and the more it absorbs, the more powerful it gets! So don't let it get slime. You now know everything you need to know. (if: (visited: "Warranted") is not true)[You should [[go to the mayor with this information->Mayoral Denial]]](else:)[At first, you think, "I should tell the mayor!" But then you remember what the mayor said to you: "GMOcorp is too important to the economy of this town." The mayor would never accept any information that would threaten GMOcorp. You should (if: (visited: "GMO Corp Factory at Night") is not true)[[[leave the factory, and try to kill the monster on your own->GMO Corp Factory]]](else:)[[leave the factory, and try to kill the monster on your own->GMO Corp Factory at Night]]]. Of course, not before [[getting a radiation gun from the weapon room->Weapons Room]]."You can't. My DNA is permanently changed. Unless you have a DeGMOer, it's impossible. Just shoot me."
[["What's a DeGMOer?"]]
[[Shoot the monster in the head]] "A machine that can reverse artificial genetic changes. It's very expensive; I don't want someone like you to deal with the trouble. Just shoot me."
[[Shoot the monster in the head]]
(if: (visited: "House Torn Down") is not true)[
[["Does a DNA Analyzer work?"]]]"Yes, but it requires some serious modifications. I know how to do them, but its a bit of a stretch."
[[Bring Roberto Jones home to do the modifications]]You sneak back home with the monster and show him your machine. He quickly changes it to become a DeGMOer. Your old DNA Analyzer is now a crazy looking gun, which Roberto points at himself. "Let's see what this can do!" He fires the gun. A massive blue bolt of energy comes flying at the monster. Nothing happens. "It usually takes 8-10 months for the DeGMOer to finish working." Roberto is moving over to the machine with his wrench to turn it back into a DNA Analyzer when it explodes. Scared by the blast, Roberto runs away out of the building. You sigh. Without a DNA Analyzer, you can't really be a detective anymore. (if: $paidInExposure is false)[You collect the money from the mayor, then move to the planet Zedro, the offical headquarters of the Galactic Detective Association and work as a guide for the Headquarters Museum.](else:)[You don't even bother to collect the 'exposure' from the mayor. You move to the planet Zedro, the offical headquarters of the Galactic Detective Association and work as a guide for the Headquarters Museum.]
THE END