Phindar Station.
It's a rough place, full of rough people. I would know. I'm a PI - A Private Investigator - and I've seen the worst of 'em. I've been working this gig for as long as I've been Pepper Tupp. It's changed me. People say I ain't as sweet as I used to be. They're right. That's why they'd rather deal with Coneman.
Coneman's my partner. They're an honest guy. A trusting guy. And that's why I'm worried. See, Coneman shoulda been back hours ago. That ain't like 'em. The rain's beating against the window. My fingers are drumming against the desk. I know that something ain't right, here.
[[Stand up->Office]]
(set: $lightOn to true)The office. We ain't had it long and already it's brought us good business. It's small, I grant you, but it's all we need. (if:$lightOn)[Our light shines bright outside: We're open for business.](else:) [I had turned the light off. I needed to head out.] We don't tend to get callers when it's raining though. Good people are indoors on a night like this. Not that our callers are necessarily good people.
[[The Door->OfficeDoor]]
[[The Desk->Desk]]
[[Fuse Box->FuseBox]]
[[The Blinds->Blinds]]I grabbed my hat and coat off the peg. The rain would stop soon, but I didn't want to wait any longer.
(if: $lightOn)[The light still burned. The only bright thing on the street. I couldn't leave with it still on; couldn't leave someone knocking on the door to an empty office. Best to go back and turn it off.
[[Hang up your coat and head back in.->Office]]](else:)[The light was off, the door was locked. Coneman and Tupp were closed for business. I put my head down, and listened to the rain beat against the hat-brim. It felt good to be back on the streets. Only thing to do was to head to where Coneman had said they were heading.
[[The ice-cream shop->ShopIntro]]]The desk's so that when a broad comes in they gotta place to sit. It's too high for me to rest my feet on, but I still try. Coneman uses it to write at, and their holo's open at a draft of the novel. They said it would be a sad one, so I hope Uncle Cardamom doesn't mind that I've been using it to help learn to read.
==><===
"""
"But, your grace, I'm just your humble servant! I couldn't possible join you at the ball!"
"Nonsense, my dear," the duke's voice was low, but gentle, "you are too beautiful to miss it, even though you are poor and lowly and this is an uncomfortable power dynamic." The duke's eyes lowered to meet mine, a moment of weakness shown in an otherwise powerful, rugged demeanour.
I blushed, the heat rising to my cheeks as my gasps were held back by my lowly, maid-servant's corset.
"""
<==
I think Uncle Cardamom is going to love this one.
[[Leave the desk->Office]]The fusebox that powers our welcome light. It's how we let everyone know who we are and what we do. "Coneman and Tupp. Private Investigators." That's us. I ain't proud of much. But I'm proud of this.
The light is currently: (if: $lightOn)[On](else:)[Off]
[Flip the switch]<flip|
(click: ?flip)[
(set: $lightOn to not $lightOn)
(go-to: "FuseBox")
]
[[Leave->Office]]The rain is regular on Phindar Station. They say it's to keep the place clean. Can't say it's working. I nudge the blinds to the side and look out. (if: $lightOn)[The puddles gleam purple in our lamp's light. Ain't no-one I can see in the street.](else:)[With the lamp out you can't see more than a coupl'a doors down.] It's quiet. Quiet's nice. But quiet don't get our bills paid.
[[Back->Office]]"Well hello there, Investigator Tupp, you came all the way to see me in the rain? How sweet of you!"
The ice cream shop is warm, but it's empty. Can't see why; it's the best ice cream place I ever seen. Sometimes folks just don't have sense.
"What'll it be, sweet-thing?"
"Information. Aaaaand two scoops of Jerbwat Ripple."
"Two scoops of Jerbwat Ripple coming up!"
I waited. I wanted to know about Coneman, sure, but some things you gotta have patience with.
"There ya go! Now. What sort of information was you wanting?"
"Conmmmnm"
"What was that, sugar?"
I tried again, but this time I took the spoon back outta my mouth.
"Coneman. Have you seen them?"
[["Now, let me think...->ShopStory]]"I last saw that partna of yours... why, can't 'a been more than two hours ago! They had their usual - vanilla - and then some of them waste boys came in on break. I remember cos one of //them// orders a vanilla too. Well, seems I don't need to tell you that Coneman comes over and they get a chatterin on about how complex a flavor it is. They go sit in a corner, seem to be gettin on just fine (that Coneman is just //so easy// to talk to, I do declare that if my youngest wasn't already hitched I would. What? Oh, sorry, sorry, I was sayin'.)
...gettin on just fine. They all stand up to leave, and your partner heads out with them. It wasn't time for shift yet; I know them waste boys' timings cos them's always coming in here on break. Can't tell you what they went to go and do though."
Catri seemed to have finished. [[I still had questions.->ShopQuestions]]
(set: $wasteLocation to false)I had questions. Course I did. But a PI needs to know which questions to ask. You don't run a premiere ice cream bar on Phindar without knowing a thing or two.
[["Who are the waste boys?"->WasteBoys]]
[["Did Coneman go willingly?"->ConemanWilling]]
[["Can I get another scoop?"->ShopScoop]]
[["What's that poster by the door?"->ShopPoster]]
[["Where can I find these waste boys?"->WasteBoysWhere]]
(if: $wasteLocation)[[[I should find these waste boys->WasteIntro]]]"The waste boys? Oh, it's what I call thems as works in Waste Disposal. Between you and me they don't smell too pretty, but they eat ice cream just like everyone else. Don't know much about them beyond that."
[[Back to questions->ShopQuestions]]"Well, Coneman was laughing along with them as they went. Now... come to think of it they had been whisperin' a bunch afore then. You know me, though, I like to give my customers their privacy. Maybe they'd decided to go do something together on the quiet. Maybe they's had a job for your partner. Can't rightly tell ya, sweet thing."
Perhaps Coneman was doing a job. No. Coneman wouldn't have agreed to that without me. We're Coneman and Tupp! You can't split the firm. Anyways, [[I still had more questions->ShopQuestions]]."Of course you can, sugar! What'll it be?"
(link-goto: (either: "Smooka Looka", "Quar Cobbler", "Pleeky Pecan","Togruta Tang","Draagax n' Cream")+"!", "ShopQuestions")(set: $wasteLocation to true)"Oh, there's a worker's entrance on this level. Head left, left then right and follow your nose (if you know what I mean.) Shifts only just started again, though, and they'll be on until the bell rings."
If I was going to find Coneman, then this was where I needed to start. [[Was there anything else I needed to know?->ShopQuestions]]I took down descriptions from Catri, then took the advice to follow my nose. It wasn't hard, even with the rain still coming down. It felt strange walking alone. Sure, Coneman and I did our own things sometimes. But I had a lead. I had a case. Yet I didn't have Coneman. It didn't feel right, is what I was saying.
I found the door. It wasn't locked. This wasn't wasn't where they kept the heaps and the furnaces, this was the delivery system. I took a deep breath, and [[I headed on in.->Waste]]
(set: $pipeA to false)
(set: $pipeB to true)
(set: $pipeC to false)Waste Delivery. It ain't glamorous, that's for sure. Three great pipes ran down one side, one of them being worked on by a maintenance droid. Opposite me was the doorway into the system proper. My leads were somewhere in there, no doubt. A bell sat straight over the door. On the last wall was a console and a pile of trash.
[[Inspect the door->WasteDoor]]
[[Inspect the pipes->Pipes]]
[[Inspect the maintenance droid->Droid]]
[[Inspect the console->Console]]I couldn't get through. Seems like you needed a pass of some kind. Makes sense if the machinery's in there, but it wasn't what I wanted to see. I missed Coneman and I wanted my lead.
Now, if I wasn't going to get through the door to them, I needed to get them through the door to me. I didn't know how long the shifts would last though, and I sure didn't want to wait in a room that smelled like this. The bell above the door. Maybe if I could get that to ring I could get them to come to me.
[[Back->Waste]]Three pipes ran down from the ceiling. I ain't the biggest PI in the business, but I ain't the smallest either and I couldn't have wrapped my arms around them. Two of them ran from ceiling to floor, but the last had been bent up so it could be worked on by the droid.
The pipe with "Organics" on it is undergoing maintenance.
The pipe with "Metals" on it is (if: $pipeB)[humming gently.](else:)[quiet.]
The pipe with "Other" is (if: $pipeC)[humming gently.](else:)[quiet.]
[[Talk to the droid->Droid]]
[[Back to the room->Waste]]-Schweep?-
"Hi!"
-Schep. Burburburba. Nip!-
"Of course I can see you're busy!"
-Scwaroo! Nip nip.-
"Fine then."
I wasn't going to get anything out of the droid. It had bent up one of the pipes so it could work on it, each limb ending in a different tool that acted in turn. The pipe's entrance was now pointing straight in line with the door I couldn't get through. Seemed like an accident waiting to happen if you ask me. I couldn't see what was wrong with it, but the droid clearly wasn't satisfied.
[[Look at the pipes->Pipes]]
[[Back to the room->Waste]]`*** *** ***`
*Welcome to the Delivery Tester*
Streams served by this facility are:
Organic
Metal
Other
Pipe status is:
Pipe A: (if: $pipeA)[Flowing](else:)[Blocked]
Pipe B: (if: $pipeB)[Flowing](else:)[Blocked]
Pipe C: (if: $pipeC)[Flowing](else:)[Blocked]
Please note that maintenance is occuring in your area. Avoid sending anything down the shute while maintenance is taking place. Note that pressure will be higher in flowing pipes while other pipes are blocked.
`*** *** ***`
Below the console is a hopper with "test" written on it in big letters.
[Flip Pipe A]<flipA|
[Flip Pipe B]<flipB|
[Flip Pipe C]<flipC|
[[Feed the hopper->Hopper]]
[[Back to the room->Waste]]
(click: ?flipA)[
(set: $pipeA to not $pipeA)
(go-to: "Console")
]
(click: ?flipB)[
(set: $pipeB to not $pipeB)
(go-to: "Console")
]
(click: ?flipC)[
(set: $pipeC to not $pipeC)
(go-to: "Console")
]You look at the pile of trash next to the console. What should you feed into the hopper?
[[Feed it a metal spork->HopperMetal]]
[[Feed it Jaquira husk->HopperOrganic]]
[[Feed it a "World's Best Bounty Hunter" mug->HopperOther]](if: $pipeB)[You hear a series of metallic "clunks" as the object you just dropped in rattles down a tube behind you.](else:)[The hopper accepts the item, then gives an angry beep and spits it back out again. That must mean the part of the system taking metal stuff isn't on right now.]
[[Back to the console->Console]](set: _pressure to (not $pipeC) and (not $pipeB))
(if: $pipeA)[The item drops into the hopper and dissapears with a gentle "swoosh." Moments later you hear:
"thwomp"
-Ny-IIIIIP-
As it flies out of the tube the droid was working on.
It soars up towards the bell (if: _pressure)[and hits it! It actually hit it! The bell gives a loud, mournfull ring.
[[Best to wait outside for the guys you want.->WasteOutside]]](else:)[ and then down again. So close. Perhaps if you could get more pressure in the system it would work.
[[Back to the console->Console]]
]
](else:)[The hopper accepts the item, then gives an angry beep and spits it back out again. That must mean the part of the system taking organic stuff isn't on right now.
[[Back to the console->Console]]]
(if: $pipeC)[You hear a series of dull "thuds" as the object you just dropped in rattles down a tube behind you.](else:)[The hopper accepts the item, then gives an angry beep and spits it back out again. That must mean the part of the system taking "other" stuff isn't on right now.]
[[Back to the console->Console]]The rain has stopped when I got outside. Steam rose up from the gutters, and I found a wall to lean against, all casual-like. I spotted one of my marks, an Artiodac in blue dungarees. They hung around, waiting for someone else, and sure enough the other two joined them. Both were humanoids; one light grey, the other light brown.
"Did that seem like a short shift to you?"
"You gonna complain?"
"Nah. You think it's finished yet?"
"Fini--- Oh. Yeah. Let's go check."
I didn't want to cause a fuss in the street, so I followed these boys quiet as I could. They seemed eager, and I didn't have to wait for long. Sure enough they took me straight to some dive. A Kaff joint. It had wooden tables outside, with umbrellas to keep off the rain.
I let them get settled in before walking through the door. [[A bell tinkled as I entered.->KaffIntro]]"You okay there, kid?" The Phindian behind the counter peered down at me, polishing a Kaff mug.
"My name's Pepper Tupp and I'm eighteen!"
"Oh! Beggin' yer pardon. What'll it be?"
I climbed up onto the bar stool. The barkeep seemed a safer lead than the three stooges I had trailed in here.
"I'm looking for my friend. A Rhodian, had a coat like this one, last seen a couple of hours ago."
The barkeep's face froze. "Uh, they, uh, left. Yeah, left. They had some Kaff and left. Like normal people do in normal bars. Like this one. It's a normal bar. A normal Kaff bar. Totally normal. Ha."
I felt inclined to believe them. Sometimes I just get this feeling about people, and this wasn't one of those times, so I figured they were straight-up. I looked over at the guys I had trailed from waste disposal. They had fresh mugs of Kaff and each had their holo-deck out. They weren't going anywhere quick and something about this place seemed off. [[I should explore a little first.->Kaff]]
(set: $foundNeemo to false)
(set: $A to 0)
(set: $B to 0)
(set: $C to 0)
(set: $posters to false)
(set: $petals to false)It was a well-lit Kaff-joint, with red booths round the sides. The barkeep stood nervously behind the counter but seemed okay with me wandering around. If I looked over at them they swallowed awkwardly even when I smiled and waved as friendly as I could. Perhaps it was because I hadn't ordered Kaff, but I never like it when I steal some of Uncle Rex's.
Someone had stuck posters on the wall by the entrance, and in the far corner I could see the door to the empolyee area. Between here and there were my marks. They sat in their booth with their holos and paid me no heed. They didn't even talk to each other, they just sat and read. That didn't seem like the kind of crook I was used to. (if: not $foundNeemo)[Some more investigating was called for before I tackle them.]
[[Talk to the barkeep->Barkeep]]
[[Look at the posters->Posters]]
[[Look at employee area->EmployeeArea]]
[[Approach the marks->Marks]](if: $posters and $petals)[
(if: $foundNeemo)[The barkeep dived down behind the counter when they saw me coming over.
"Hello?" I climbed onto the barstool.
"You want any Kaff?" They called over.
"No thank you. You okay down there?"
"I.. errr... I think I'll just stay down here if that's okay with you."
I didn't think they were gonna be much help any more.
[[Back->Kaff]]
](else:)[The more I look at the barkeep the more I realise they was nervous. So I keep on staring at them. Why was they so nervous? I narrow my eyes, and they backs away a little. I climb onto the counter to get a better look. Their backs to the wall, but we're eye-to-eye now. I lean in forward, my spikes level with the tips of their scales. Still I couldn't see why they was feeling nervous.
"Are... are you sure I can't get you anything?"
"I want to know about the flower arranging."
"The... the flower arranging? Haha. We stopped it. Ha. No more flower arranging. We're all moral Phindians here. I mean, obviously you're not. A Phindian! You're not a Phindian I meant. Of course you're moral. Everyone's moral here." Their voice had gotten faster and quieter as they spoke. "So, so moral." They added.
See, I was thinking of one of Coneman's books. There's a line in "Thane of Caamor" that I had always liked: "The dame doth protest too much, see?" This dame and this barkeep seemed to have a lot in common.
"Really, really, moral," they volunteered.
I kept my voice low. "So why are there petals on the floor?" My marks were still in their booth after all, and I didn't want to draw their attention with raised voices. Not just yet.
"Please, please don't tell the Moral Phindians! They'll, they'll paint me red and stick me in a vase in the middle of the station. Naked. You gotta keep quiet about this. Please! I don't want any trouble! See, here are the keys to the back room. Go, take a look yourself, I've nothing to hide."
The barkeep had slowly sunk down behind the bar. I tried to keep eye contact, but had to stop myself before I toppled down on top of them. I had progress though; something really was going on here.
[[So I took the keys, and went through to the back.->KaffUnlock]]
]
](else:)["I'll err... I'll just keep on cleanin' these cups!" Calls the barkeep. They hurry off to a pile of clean kaff cups and starts buffing them with a cloth. Seems they don't want to chat right now. Shouldn't matter. I know where they are if I want them, and right now I want to see more of this place with my own eyes.
[[Turn back to the room->Kaff]]
]I can read. I can! Just not as quickly as uncle Leenik, and certainly not as fast as Coneman. I can do my best, though, and that's what counts.
[[BHIKKE->BhikkePoster]]
[[No Authors!->AuthorsPoster]]
[[Flower Arranging -Cancelled-->FlowerPoster]]
[[Turn back to the Kaff joint->Kaff]](if: $foundNeemo)[Coneman's here! But they're in trouble, and we gotta fix it.
[[Talk to Coneman->ConemanTalk]]
[[Back to the bar->Kaff]]
[[Talk to Mu-53->Muse]]
](else:)[I waited 'til the barkeep was clearing tables then snuck over to the employees-only door. It was locked, and I didn't want to spook the marks by trying anything showy. Something stood out to me. Little pink and blue petals were scattered on the floor. (if: $posters)[The poster said that flower arranging had been banned, but these petals looked fresh. I think it's time I had another chat with my new barkeep friend.](else:)[They couldn't have been blown in. So why were they here? This had gotta be a clue! Best to look around for more.]
[[Back->Kaff]]]
(set: $petals to true)(if: $foundNeemo)[I'm not gonna lie, I didn't know what to make of these guys. I thought they had taken Coneman against their will, but Coneman seemed oddly comfortable with the situation.
"Hey."
"Beat it kid, we're reading."
"Then I guess you'd like to know that there's a new draft."
The grey humanoid taps at their holo-deck. "The kid's right! It's only a couple of changes though..."
They went back to ignoring me, and I ain't easy to ignore. Coneman knows their stuff, I guess.
[[Wait for their verdict->MarksVerdict]]
](else:)[A had the marks in my sights, but I didn't want to rush in. They weren't going anywhere, and something about this Kaff place seemed off. I wanted to find out what was bugging me first, then once I knew more I could grill these waste boys.
[[Back->Kaff]]]It looks like the same poster they had up in the ice cream store!
(display: "TemplateBHIKKEPoster")
I wonder why someone has tried to scrape it off with a fork.
[[Back->Posters]]=><=
''BHIKKE WORK WEEK''
''WE ARE TOUGH. WE ARE MEAN. WE ARE PHINDAR.''
We know all citizens feel priveleged in hosting the BHIKKE Work Week. We know our citizens will do their utmost to make our honored, bounty-hunting guests feel at home.
We thank the Moral Phindar Community Teams for their suggestions on how to achieve this great aim. They suggest that everyone smile less, that the police should be given special powers, and that "that arty nonsense" should be shut down. These suggestions are now law.
==>
- The Phindar Toursim Board
<=="Sound out the letters, now, hun!" Catri called from behind the counter. I didn't have trouble reading it though. I'm getting really good at that.
(display: "TemplateBHIKKEPoster")
Catri sighed. "It didn't used to be like this. Moral Phindians indeed. Who goes around calling themselves that. As though them bounty hunters don't want a warm welcome and an ice cream sundae like the rest of us."
[[Back->ShopQuestions]] (display: "TemplateAuthorsPoster")
Oh no! We weren't supposed to let people know this, but Coneman is secretly a famous author! We've kept it quiet though, but it won't end well if people think of us as anything other than "Coneman and Tupp. Private Investigators."
I needed to find Coneman. With posters like this one around I needed to make sure they were safe.
[[Back to the posters->Posters]]==><==
The Moral Phindar Community Work Team would like to remind all upstanding Phindians that these so called "novels" are a corruptor of the youth. Any holodecks found to contain novels shall be burned, and their owners made to ingest the fumes. We assure such depraved people that this will be a severe health risk, but that it is worth it to keep Phindar pure.
Any being attempting to create such filth shall meet a far worse, yet infinitely more justified, end.
==>
- Moral Phindar Community Team
<==(display: "TemplateFlowerPoster")
That's such a shame! (if: $petals)[But if flower arranging's been banned, then why were there fresh petals by the employee's only section? That got me thinking. Maybe I should have another little chat with the barkeep.](else:)[Who could object to flower arranging? The more I hear about these "Moral Phindians" the more I think I don't like them.]
[[Back->Posters]]
(set: $posters to true)==><==
'~*Weekly Flower Arranging!*~'
Come down to Kraff's Kaff for an afternoon of aesthetic bliss!
<==
Kraff's Kaff! That's here! You can't see any more details than that though. Someone has put their stamp over the whole poster:
==><==
*CANCELLED.*
-The Moral Phindar Community Team
<==My marks were still in their booth as I crept by. They were still real occupied in whatever it was they was reading. I think the grey one was sobbing, quietly. Leastways, they seemed settled. I wanted to check out this back room they had here first.
It unlocked, and I nudged it forward with my boot before jumping clear. The door swung inwards. I was lucky that no one was waiting to get the drop on me, because what I saw stunned me like a slap in the face like the smell of a Rancor's undies. I had found Coneman! But that wasn't what stunned me. I'm a private detective and I always find what I'm looking for. What surprised me was that Coneman just looked up, waved, and then went back to writing on their holodeck.
"I'll be with you in a second, Tupp!"
"Coneman!"
I didn't know what to do. The only other being in the room was a protocol droid, and surrounding them on the table, on the chairs and on the floor were vases and cups and buckets full of flowers.
"Sent!" Said Coneman to the droid, which nodded and put something that looked like some sorta weapon the table.
"What's going on!" I demanded.
"I got myself in deep, Tupp", said Coneman, their head sinking into their hands, "I didn't know when to stop!"
"What did you do!"
"They said they'd be gone for a couple of minutes. By the time they came back I'd... I'd used up all of the flowers. I just hadn't done an arrangement in so long!" Coneman gesticulated at the improvised vases covering the room.
"They weren't happy when they came back. Said I'd used up all their stash. So now I've got to write off my debt!"
The droid jerked upright again. "Review: Novel not acceptable. Proceed anew."
"But they never give me any feedback! They just say they don't like it and tell me to do it again!"
[["That's terrible"->KaffUnlock2]]
(set: $foundNeemo to true)"Well, have they explained what they want, yet? C'mere and help me alter the draft.
[{
(if: $A is 0)[It opens on a beach...]
(if: $A is 1)[It opens on a ship...]
(if: $A is 2)[It opens at a ball...]
}]<A|
[{
(if: $B is 0)[... the lovers meet in a quiet cafe...]
(if: $B is 1)[... the lovers meet cracking the same safe...]
(if: $B is 2)[... the lovers meet seducing the same target...]
(if: $B is 3)[... Dan Danger works alone...]
}]<B|
[{
(if: $C is 0)[... it ends on a cliffhanger.]
(if: $C is 1)[... they get out before the stroke of midnight.]
(if: $C is 2)[... the queen dies, but the kingdom prospers.]
}]<C|
"If you think they'll like it then could you please ask the guys to read it again?"
[[Head back->Kaff]]
(click: ?A)[
(set: $A to ($A + 1)%3)
(go-to: "ConemanTalk")
]
(click: ?B)[
(set: $B to ($B + 1)%4)
(go-to: "ConemanTalk")
]
(click: ?C)[
(set: $C to ($C + 1)%3)
(go-to: "ConemanTalk")
]The protocol droid's eyes light up happily as you turn towards it.
"Greetings. This unit is happy to report that the author is acting to within required parameters." The droid merrily waves a cattle-prod in the air. "The Author Stimulator Mark I seems to be having the desired effect."
[["Who are you?"->MuseWho]]
[["What desired effect?"->MuseEffect]]
[["Whadya mean, 'required parameters'?"->MuseParameters]]
[["Well, err, carry on."->EmployeeArea]]"This unit is designated Mu-53. Thank you for choosing a protocol droid for you Author Stimulation purposes. My owners are most likely at work or next door. My special skills include languages, flower arranging, and now Author Stimulation." The droid gives Coneman a quick jolt with the cattle prod. Coneman gives a small "yelp" of surprise, and picks up the pace of their writing. "I am new to the Author Stimulation part, but I am told I am very good at it, and it is a lot more fun than I was expecting."
[[Back->Muse]]"The desired outcome of this situation is that the author completes a work to the satisfaction of my owners. Should the auther slow their pace of writing then it is my honor to administer a dose via the Author Stimulator Mark I. I am pleased to report that it is working so well that I foresee no need for a Mark II model."
[[Back->Muse]]"Should the author slow down below sixty words a minute then they should be encouraged to go back above this speed." Again, the cattle prod is waved in the air. "This speed is to be maintained until my owners are satisfied that a novel has been written to their standards. Originally it was set to forty words a minute, but the author themselves deemed it fit to raise the bar."
[[Back->Muse]]"Warning: Author operating inefficiently. Applying Author Stimulator." The protocol droid picked the implement back up off the table and used it to shock Coneman.
"Aaah!"
"Hey, you leave my partner alone!" I point my blaster at the droid, but Coneman waves me down with one hand, frantically typing with the other.
"Don't tell the guys outside this, but this is the most productive I've been in weeks!" Says Coneman. "I just need to know what it is they actually want. That would be a real help right now, Tupp."
"Don't you want me to spring you from their terrible bondage?"
"Who's been teaching you those words!"
"Uncle Tryst! I thought it meant 'prison'."
"Oh, errr, it does. It does." -zap- "Ah! Just, go and see why the didn't like that last draft. Please?"
[["Sure thing, Coneman!"->EmployeeArea]](set: $A to 0)
(set: $B to 0)
(set: $C to 0)
[[ConemanTalk]] (if: $A is 2)["Yes! Class! Dresses! 136 Stringed instruments. I love it! I love it I love it I love it." Rumbles the Artiodac.](else:)["It's still lacking style! Lacking class. I want something fancy." Grumbles the Artiodac.]
(if: $C is 0)["What happens next! No. Don't tell me. I want to discuss it at length. Oh, oh, I can't wait to do the fanfics. The teasing interviews. The utterly unfounded speculation. I LOVE IT!" The grey humanoid seemed pretty chuffed.](else:)["It's too final. Too abrupt. I want to want more of it." Chimes in the grey humanoid.]
(if: $B is 2)[The blue humanoid just turns a delicated shade of pink in between furtive glances towards their two companions. I think they got what they wanted.](else:)["I... um... I was hoping for maybe a love triangle?" Murmurs the blue one, but only loud enough for me to hear.]
(if: ($A is 2) and ($B is 2) and ($C is 0))[[[Coneman had done it!->Victory]]](else:)[[[Hmmm, maybe it could do with another tweak->Kaff]]]The three tough guys didn't say much to me and Coneman. One of them was crying too much anyway, but the other two helped me put things straight. What they'd done to my partner wasn't a thing I was about to forigve. But I couldn't say ole Coneman was blameless either. Someone gives into their basest urges like that then they need to learn what it costs. Sure, Coneman coulda spent their time writing or arranging flowers. We all could. But that's not where we're needed. The streets need us. This station needs us.
We get back to the office before the rain starts up again. Coneman's pretty drained, I can see it in their eyes. I send them through to the bed in the other room. Then I turn the lantern back on: "Coneman and Tupp. Private Investigators." The warm purple glow guiding anyone in need to our door. We'll have another case soon, I know it. And I'm going to need my partner well rested. For now, it's best to let them sleep.
[[The End->End]]=><=
Coneman and Tupp
in
[[No Words for Phindar->Introduction]]
<==
This is a fan-game made based on the characters of the Campaign Podcast.
http://oneshotpodcast.com/category/campaign/Thank you for playing!