2099: Project Icarus

The year is 2099. You live in the mega-city of Concordia, in a time of great technological advancment. Diseases once thought to be a death sentence are now curable. Humanity has colonies on the Moon and Mars. People are able to outfit themselves with cybernetic enhancments, and other body upgrades. And it is all thanks to Xerxes Technologies. Based out of your home city of Concordia, Xerxes Technologies is one of the most profitable companies in human history and responsible for many of the graces of your time. As an ex-employee, however, you are aware they are hiding something sinister. When you got too close to the truth, they cut you loose and forced you into a non-disclosure agreement. After years of silence, however, you refuse to stand by and do nothing anymore more. You know something terrible is behind Xerxes Technologies success, and it is time to bring it into the light. Will you bring Xerxes crashing down, or will your actions send you to an early grave? [[The choice is yours...]] WARNING: Contains mature content, adult themes, violence, and themes of suicide.

You stare out the window of your apartment, as rain beats against the window. In the distance stands the Xerxes Tower, the headquarters of Xerxes Technologies. A hover car zooms by the window, blocking your view for just a moment and you look to the street below. You stare down from your 90th floor apartment at the unsuspecting people below. Unaware of the evil presence lurking in the city. You look back at the tower in the distance. "This is the beginning of the end for you, Xerxes" you say. You turn away from the window and face the inside of your [[apartment]].

You walk over and sit on the couch in front of your TV. A newsbroadcast about Xerxes Technologies is playing. You listen to the woman news anchor. "Today was another successful day for Xerxes Technologies. Their stocks are up 600% after anouncing their new line of optical nerve implants. These new 2.3 models will offer 50% more clarity on zoom-in functionality. Also, for you fashion fanatics out there, these new models will allow you to change eye color instantaniously. How great is that!" [[continue watching]] [[turn off TV]]

You walk over to the desk in the corner. As soon as you sit down, the computer screen comes to life. A friendly voice says "Welcome back!". Several windows are opened on the computer: [[XerxesTech.net]] [[Old News Article]] [[Email]] [[???]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Urgent!!!")'s length is 1)[You think about the email...] (if:(history: where its name contains "Urgent!!!")'s length is 1)[[Go Back->apartment]]

You scoff at the comment made by the anchor, and continue watching. "The Xerxes 2.3 model of optical nerve implants will be avaliable starting next week. Aside from that exciting news, Xerxes Technologies has more announcments coming soon. Within the next few days they plan to make public their plans for the final quarter of this year, and they will be revealing some big plans they have for the turn of the century." "We truly are greatful for all of the contributions Xerxes Technologies has made for the betterment of humanity throughout this century, and we look forward to what will be accomplished in the next. Thats all for now. Join us again tonight at 11p.m. for an exciting story on the Martian Colony of Helios 1. This has been Ashley Sweed, Concordia Evening News." The broadcast ends. [[turn off TV]]

"What a bunch of bullshit!" you yell and turn off the TV. You don't blame the poor news anchor though. Xerxes Technologies has them and everyone else fooled. Not you. You know that under their progressive, helpful facade is a monster. And that monster needs to be stopped. You stand up from your couch and turn around to face the rest of your [[apartment]]

On the wall, your [[TV]] is playing a newsbroadcast. Across the room in the corner is your [[computer]]. (set:$urgentemailchecked to 0) (if:(history: where its name contains "Urgent!!!")'s length is 1)[You think about the email...] (if:(history: where its name contains "Urgent!!!")'s length is 1)[[Call Zoe]]

You click onto Xerxes Technologies website. It is sleek in its graphic design and easy to navigate. A single quote at the top of the screen reads: "Xerxes Technologies. For a bright, and better future." There are sections labeled [[About]], [[Products]], and [[Avaliable Careers]]. [[return->computer]]

You Click onto the window with an old news article titled "Xerxes Technologies Accussed of Unsafe Working Conditions: 27 Dead In Accident at Company Branch. Lawsuit to Ensue?". The article is dated April 17, 2096. The article discusses an accident that occured at the Xerxes branch in New Mexico, where 27 employees supposedly parished in an "expirement gone wrong". This was quickly swept under the rug, however, and Xerxes Technologies never recieved a lawsuit of any kind. You know that isn't the case though. As soon as you started digging into what really happened, you lost your job. The higher ups at Xerxes clearly didn't want you finding something. It's time for you to find out what really happened... [[return->computer]]

You click on the window with your emails open. Looks like mostly spam, promotions for various products, and one labeled... [[Urgent!!!]] [[return->computer]]

You click on the mysterious window. It wasn't there earlier today... It is just a black screen, with a single line of white text in the center that reads: "We know what your trying to do. Stop now, or their will be consequences..." The text flashes for a few seconds and then disappears. A new message appears: "//System Error: Message Deleted" So they are onto you... Guess there is no turning back now. [[return->computer]]

You click on the About tab. "Xerxes Technologies was founded in 2037. Our founder, Xerxes Deker, set out with ambitious goals of springing humanity into a new golden age. In 2044, Xerxes and with his elite team of scientists and engineers were able to develop the first series of cybernetic implants, approved by a council of outside experts for human use." "In 2050, Xerxes Technologies cracked the mystery behind cancer, and its universal cancer vaccine was released to the public. In 2054, Xerxes sent much needed resources and technologies to the Mars colony of Helios 1, to aid in its prolonged establishment. Today, the Helios 1 colony still remains and more than 50,000 people live there." "To this day, Xerxes Technologies remains dedicated to realizing Mr. Deker's visions of a new human golden age. All these accomplishments couldnt have been done without the contributions of our thousands of employees, and the general support of the public. Xerxes Technologies will continue advancing till there is no more to be done. For a bright, and better future." [[return->XerxesTech.net]]

You click on the Products tab. You see a line-up of various cybernetic implants: Optical implants, providing improved overall vision and allow user to access various interfaces visually. Muscle implants, targeted towards athletes, for there ability to increase general strength and endurance. Heart implants, that can regulate pulse, prevent heart attack/disease almost entirely, and even extend life. Cranial implants, which prevent degenerative diseases like alzheimers and can essentially tunr the human mind into a computer. The line-up seems to go on and on, and the prices only get more and more expensive... [[return->XerxesTech.net]]

You click on the Avaliable Careers tab. Currently Avaliable Careers: [[-Lead Programmer]] -Assistant Lead Programmer -Design Associate -Receptionist No other careers avaliable at this time... [[return->XerxesTech.net]]

Your old job... They still haven't been able to replace you after all this time. You laugh at this thought for a moment. [[return->XerxesTech.net]]

Hey, I think I found what you were looking for. It's not much, but it may help. Gimme a call. - Zoe [[return->computer]] (set: $urgentemailchecked to +1)

You activate your optical implant and select the call option. You scroll through your contacts till you find Zoe Bennet. An old friend of yours, and perhaps the only one you have been able to trust with the whole "Xerxes situation"... You call her and you wait for her to answer. She picks up after a few seconds. "Hey I was wondering when you were gonna call. Like I mentioned, I think I found something that may interest you. Probably to dangerous to tell you over the phone or email, can you meet?" "Yeah I can meet you right now." "Great. Where do you wanna meet?" [[Borealis Nightclub]] or [[Zoe's Apartment]]

"How about Borealis? It's loud so I don't think anyone will overhear us. Plus, if Xerxes sends anyone after us, I doubt they will try anything since its a public place." You hear Zoe laugh. "Sounds like a great time! Ill meet you there." She says. "Okay, see you soon Zoe." You say and hang up. Leave for [[Borealis]]

"What about your apartment? It's private, so we can discuss this without any prying ears listening." Zoe is silent for a second. "Alright. This is a sensitive topic so your probably right. Come right away, make sure your not followed." "Got it. Be there soon Zoe." You say and hang up. Leave for [[Zoe's place]]

You walk down the streets through the rain till you reach your destination. The massive apartment complex looms over you. From the outside, its almost undistinuishable from your own apartment building. You walk up to the console by the door and search for Zoe's apartment number. You find it, and hit the buzzer. After a few seconds a screen pops up, and you see Zoe appear on the live feed. "Good, you made it. I'll let you in." The door next to you slides open and you step into the building. You ride the elevator up to the 27th floor and get off. You walk down the hall and stop at door number 2736. [[Knock]]

You walk down the streets through the rain till you reach your destination. A blinding, blueish-greenish neon sign that says "Borealis" greets you when you arrive. There is a sign outside by the entrance that reads "Live Music Tonight". You walk into the nightclub. It is a lively, and as predicted, loud environment. A large group of people are out on the dance floor, dressed in all manner of clothes with neon glowing from them. A band is playing onstage. You can feel the bass pounding in your chest. You make your way to the bar and take a seat, waiting for Zoe. A charismatic, young bartender comes up to you. "What'll it be tonight?" He asks in a cheery tone. [[Whiskey]] [[Vodka]] [[Beer]] [[Water]]

"Ill take whiskey. Straight, on the rocks." You say. "You got it!" He says and whips around to the bottles behind him. He grabs a bottle of whiskey and turns to face you again. He whips up your drink so fast, you miss it. "One whiskey on the rocks!" He says and smiles. "Thanks." You say and tap the side of your temple to activate your optical nerve. You select the payment request and transfer the fee for the drink to the bartender. The bartender thanks you and moves on to the next person. You take a sip. You feel the cool liquir run down your throat and give you a warm feeling in your stomach. Then you feel a hand land on your shoulder. You turn your head. It's Zoe. "Starting without me, huh? Hey, bartender, one of what they've got." She says and takes a seat next to you. The bartender appears again and quickly prepares a drink. Zoe turns to you with her drink. "Cheers!" You clink glasses and both drink. "Shall we get down to it then?" You ask. "Right. The [[information]]." Zoe says.

"Ill take a vodka lemonade." You say. "You got it!" He says and whips around to the bottles behind him. He grabs a bottle of vodka and turns to face you again. He whips up your drink so fast, you miss it. "One vodka lemonade!" He says and smiles. "Thanks." You say and tap the side of your temple to activate your optical nerve. You select the payment request and transfer the fee for the drink to the bartender. The bartender thanks you and moves on to the next person. You take a sip. You wince a bit at the bite of the lemonade, and then feel the strength of the vodka. You then feel a hand land on your shoulder. You turn your head. It's Zoe. "Starting without me, huh? Hey, bartender, one of what they've got." She says and takes a seat next to you. The bartender appears again and quickly prepares a drink. Zoe turns to you with her drink. "Cheers!" You clink glasses and both drink. "Shall we get down to it then?" You ask. "Right. The [[information]]." Zoe says.

"Ill take a beer. The house brew." You say. "You got it!" He says and slides down to the beer taps. He puts a glass under the one that says "Borealis Lager", and pulls it down. You see the yellow-brown liquid fill up the glass, with a foamy top. "One house beer!" He says and smiles. "Thanks." You say and tap the side of your temple to activate your optical nerve. You select the payment request and transfer the fee for the drink to the bartender. The bartender thanks you and moves on to the next person. You take a sip. You feel the cool beer run down your throat. It's got a bitter, yet surprisingly sweet taste. Then you feel a hand land on your shoulder. You turn your head. It's Zoe. "Starting without me, huh? Hey, bartender, one of what they've got." She says and takes a seat next to you. The bartender appears again and quickly prepares a drink. Zoe turns to you with her drink. "Cheers!" You clink glasses and both drink. "Shall we get down to it then?" You ask. "Right. The [[information]]." Zoe says.

"Just a water." You say. "Not much of a drinker? No problem!" He says and pulls a soda gun out from under the bar. He fills up a glass with cool water. "One water for ya!" He says and smiles. "Thanks." You say. The bartender gives you a two-finger salute and moves on to the next person. You take a sip. You feel the cool water run down your. It's refreshing. Then you feel a hand land on your shoulder. You turn your head. It's Zoe. "Not drinking, huh?" She chuckles and takes a seat next to you. "Hey, bartender, I'll take a whiskey on the rocks." The bartender appears again and quickly prepares a drink. Zoe turns to you with her drink. "Cheers!" You clink glasses and both drink. "Shall we get down to it then?" You ask. "Right. The [[information]]." Zoe says.

Zoe sets down her drink. She glances left and scans the room for a moment, then turns back to you. She leans in closer. "Last night I cracked into an encrypted Xerxes server. There were dozens of files, and I found something interesting..." [["How did you crack it?"]] [["Where did you find the server?"]]

"How did you manage to crack the encryption?" You ask. Zoe looks at you with a blank stare for a moment, and then laughs. "Your joking, right? Have you [[forgotten]] that my skills are second only to yours, lead programmer?" "...Former lead programmer." You say, and take a sip of your drink. "Yeah, yeah." Zoe chuckles and takes a sip of her drink before continuing. "No, but seriously. The code monkeys that Xerxes has working for them nowadays are nothing. Didn't take me more than 2 minutes to break their silly little encryption." (if:(history: where its name contains "forgotten")'s length is 1)[["What did you find?"]] [["Where did you find the server?"]]

"What did you find in the file?" You ask. "Your not gonna believe it, but there was a file listed 'NM2096'." Zoe says. "New Mexico 2096?" Zoe nods and leans in a little closer. "I took a peak inside. Whole lotta data. Most of it needs more cracking, but there is some security footage buried in there." [["Security footage?"]] [["How did you crack it?"]] [["Where did you find the server?"]]

"Where, or how, did you find the server?" You ask. Zoe swirls her drink and looks at you. "Black market info-broker. Where else do you find out about shady shit like this?" She says and laughs. You chuckle at this as well. "Im guessing it didn't come cheap?" "Oh, it costed me a mint. Don't worry though, you can pay me back after we bring Xerxes down." She says giving you a cocky look. (if:(history: where its name contains "forgotten")'s length is 1)[["What did you find?"]] [["How did you crack it?"]]

That right. Zoe is probably the best coder you know, other than yourself. You both studied at the same school. After graduation, you ended up landing a [[comfy job]] at Xerxes. Zoe always struggled to find real work and tended to use her coding gifts for more... nefarious means. Still though, she is incredible at what she does. It's no surprise she was able to break a Xerxes encryption. [[Go Back->"How did you crack it?"]]

Well, your job wasn't exactly comfy. Not at first. You started as a low-level programmer, working on the most basic of tasks. Over time, however, your higher ups started to notice your talents. Before you knew it, you were being selected as Xerxes Lead Programmer. 10 years of employment just to realize the company you had been working for wasn't what it seemed... "Ah, to hell with em." you think. You'll be burning them to the ground before you know it. [[Go Back->"How did you crack it?"]]

Hearing this nearly makes you fall out of your seat. "Holy shit! Security footage?! This could be just what we need!" "Don't get too excited. What I saw was grainy as hell. The data is gonna need more decryption and the footage is gonna need cleaning up." Zoe says. You think for a moment. [["I can decrypt the rest of the data"]] [["I can work on cleaning up the footage"]]

"I can handle decrypting the rest of the data, if you handle cleaning up the footage." You say. Zoe nods. "Fair 'nough." "Where can we get this done though?" You ask and rub your head. Zoe thinks for a moment. Then her eyes light up. "There is a data transmission center in Xerxes Tower. Why not do it right under their noses?" "Think we can pull it off? We'd have to get past all their secuirty and personnel to make it there." You respond skeptically. Zoe turns and gives you a smug look. "I know we can pull it off." She grabs her drink off the bar, and raises it too you. "To the end of Xerxes Technologies!" [["Cheers!"]]

"I can take care of cleaning up the security footage, if you work on decrypting the rest of the data." You say. Zoe nods. "Fair 'nough." "Where can we get this done though?" You ask and rub your head. Zoe thinks for a moment. Then her eyes light up. "There is a data transmission center in Xerxes Tower. Why not do it right under their noses?" "Think we can pull it off? We'd have to get past all their secuirty and personnel to make it there." You respond skeptically. Zoe turns and gives you a smug look. "I know we can pull it off." She grabs her drink off the bar, and raises it too you. "To the end of Xerxes Technologies!" [["Cheers!"]]

You knock on the door. After a few second it opens, and Zoe is standing on the other side. Before you can enter, she stops you with her hand. She peers her head out the door and looks left, then right. "I wasn't followed Zoe. Don't worry, I made sure." You say assuringly. "Sorry. Can't be too careful, especially with //this//. Please, come in." Zoe says and opens the door for you. [[Enter Apartment]]

You step inside Zoe's apartment and she closes the door behind you. It's much smaller than your own apartment. It is dimly lit. There are clothes, empty take-out containers, and drink cans scattered across the floor. "Sorry about the mess. Haven't done a lot of cleaning up recently. Been a little... pre-occupied." Zoe says, slightly embarrased. Maybe this is why she was hesitant to meet here. "It ok, Zoe, I understand." Zoe sighs with relief."Thanks. Please, make yourself at home. Want a drink or anything?" [["I'll take a drink."]] [["Im fine, thanks."]]

"Yeah, I'll take a drink if you don't mind." You say and take a seat on Zoe's couch. Zoe walks over to her fridge and pulls out a can of Soda. She turns to you. "Catch!" She yells. You catch the soda, and pop it open. "So, shall we get down to it." You say and take a sip of the soda. Zoe walks into another room, and reappears a few moments later. She sits down on the couch beside you. She lifts up her hand and between her fingers is a blue, glowing sliver. A holo-shard. [["A holo-shard?"]]

"No thanks, Zoe, Im good." You say and take a seat on her couch. Zoe smiles and nods. "Alright then. Ready to see what I have to show you?" She asks. "Yeah, let's see it." You say. Zoe walks into another room, and reappears a few moments later. She sits down on the couch beside you. She lifts up her hand and between her fingers is a blue, glowing sliver. A holo-shard. [["A holo-shard?"]]

"A holo-shard, huh?" You ask. Zoe smirks. "This isn't JUST a holo-shard. This. Is Xerxes downfall." She says. "Well, consider me intrigued. What's on it." You ask as you lean in a little closer. "Last night, I was able to crack into an encrypted Xerxes server. On that server, there was a file labled 'NM2096'. New Mexico 2096. I pulled the file, and coped it to this holo-shard." [["What kind of data?"]] [["How did you find the server?"]] [["Damn! Good job, Zoe!"]]

"What data did you find in the New Mexico file?" You ask and sit up-right. Zoe sits back. "Well, most of it is still encrypted. There is some security footage in there though." You nearly fall over at the mention of this. "Security footage?! This could be what we need Zoe!" "Don't get ahead of yourself. The footage is pretty corrupted, it could use some clean-up." Zoe says. (if:(history: where its name contains "How did you find the server?")'s length is 1)[["Nothing we can't handle!"]] [["How did you find the server?"]]

"How did you find out about the server, Zoe?" You ask intently. She gives you a smug look. "Come on. Where else do you go for shady shit like this?" "Info-broker?" You ask. "A //black market// info-broker." She says. "Im guessing the info didn't come cheap?" You say. "Oh, it costed me. You can bet on that. Don't worry, you can just pay me back after we take down Xerxes." She says and laughs. (if:(history: where its name contains "What kind of data?")'s length is 1)[["Nothing we can't handle!"]] [["What kind of data?"]]

"Damn! Good job, Zoe!" You say proudly. Zoe blushes. "Oh please, it was nothing. That silly little encryption bairly took me 2 minutes to crack. You probably could of done it faster." [["What kind of data?"]] [["How did you find the server?"]]

You give Zoe a confident look. "Nothing we can't handle. We'll get the rest of that data decrypted." (if:(history: where its name contains "Damn! Good job, Zoe!")'s length is 1)[Zoe smiles and looks at you. "Yeah, we'll work together on it. Just like old times."] You sit there for a moment and think. "Question is, where are we gonna work? Here?" You ask. Zoe looks at you. "I've been thinking about that. Xerxes Tower has one of the largest data centers in the world. Why not just work there?" "We can work right under their noses!" You say. "And burn them down from the inside." Zoe says in a cocky tone. "So, how do you wanna divide up the work?". [["I'll decrypt the data."]] [["I'll clean up the secuirty footage."]]

You walk over to the window and peer out it. Below it is a ledge. To the right, the roof of the parking garage. It can be reached via the ledge. "Oh no. Your not thinking that. Are you?" Zoe says in a panicked tone. "Your gonna have to get over your fear of heights real quick. We have to get out of here!" You say. Zoe swallows. "Alright... lets go." You open the magnetic lock on the window and step out onto the ledge. The wind is strong, and rain beats against your face. You cling to the side of the building. You start to shimmy across the ledge towards the spot where you can reach the adjacent roof. Zoe closes the window behind her and follows your lead. You and Zoe jump the gap to the other roof, once close enough. On the other roof you notice a roof access door ahead, and to your right, a ladder. [[Roof Access Door]] or [[Ladder]]

You run over to the roof access door, and try the handle. It's locked. On the wall next to the door, is a [[panel]]. It looks as though it can be hacked. "Cops are gonna see us out here! Just kick the door open!" Zoe yells. [[Kick Door Open]] or [[Hack Panel]]

You and Zoe rush over to the edge of the roof, where the ladder is. You look down, it leads down to a small outcropping "Lets hurry!" You say to Zoe and climb down the ladder. She follows after you. On the outcropping, there is a door that leads inside the parking garage. You and Zoe go through the door, and enter a corridor. To your right is an elevator. To your left, a door that leads to the stairs. [[Elevator]] or [[Stairwell]]

You step back from the door, and kick your foot at it with all your might. It gives some resistance. You kick it again. This time the lock breaks and the door flys open. An alarm starts to sound. "Shit! Hurry, lets go!" Zoe says and runs through the door. You follow her. The two of you frantically begin to make your way down the flights of stairs. About halfway down, your met with a security guard. "HEY! You two! Stop!" They say, and begin making their way towards you. The guard is coming at you. You don't have long to react... [[Attack]] [[Evade]]

(if:(history: where its name contains "panel")'s length is 1)["The door is rigged to an alarm, and its engaged, Zoe. Im gonna have to hack it or were gonna have another problem on our hands." You say.] You get down on one knee and slide open the panel. Inside is a series of blinking nodes. You notice a spot to jack in. You jack into the port and your optical implant activates. The security algorithm appears in your view. "SECURITY OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The String below needs to be completed: //01010110 01101001 01010110... [[01010110->Error]] [[10101001->Error]] [[01101001]] [[00100100->Error]]

Upon closer inspection of the panel, you see the words "SafeGuard Security". A little green light is shining, and an LCD screen reads: "SYSTEM: ENGAGED" [[Go Back->Roof Access Door]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! ALARM ACTIVATED!] (if:visits is 1 or 2)[[Try Again->Hack Panel]](if:visits is 3)[[Kick Door Open]]

01101001... ||Token Accepted! ||Unlocking door... The roof access door unlocks. You grab the handle and push the door open. "Nice going!" Zoe praises, taps you on the shoulder and proceeds inside. You follow Zoe inside, and the two of you proceed down the flights of stairs. You stop on the 7th floor of the parking garage. "My cars on this floor. Come on, follow me." Zoe says and goes out the door to where the cars are. [[Enter Parking Area]]

You enter the parking area and begin searching for Zoe's car. "You still driving that '87 Firebird? The red one?" You ask. Zoe looks back at you and smirks. "So you remember? Yup, just the one. I parked it over in row 13. Follow me." The two of you begin making your way through the garage. Suddenly, you spot a group of people moving up ahead, not to far away. Police. "SHIT!" Zoe says and ducks down. [[Hide Under Car]] or [[Duck Behind Truck]]

You think fast, and throw yourself over the railing to your left. You land on the flight of stairs below. You look back to make sure Zoe followed. You see her make the jump and land next to you. "STOP NOW!" The guard yells and turns to pursue you. "Lets go!" Zoe says and the two of you take off down the stairs. As you make your way down you can hear the guard behind you, calling for back up. Upon making it to the 7th floor, Zoe stops. "This is it! My car is on this floor!" She runs through a door to the car area. [[Enter Parking Area]]

You lunge at the guard. Making a fist, you swing at them. They block your attack, and then grab your arm to deflect it. Luckily, Zoe followed your lead. Coming up on your opposite side, she takes swing a at the guards head. She lands her punch. The guard's head recoils, and you feel their grip loosen. They crumple to the floor. Out cold. You and Zoe quickly make your way past them, and continue down the stairs till you reach the 7th floor of the parking garage. "My car is on this floor. Follow me." Zoe says and goes through a door to where the cars are. [[Enter Parking Area]]

You walk over to the uitlity door on your right. You open it. Inside, there is a trash shoot. Big enough for a person to fit inside. You look back at Zoe. Zoe looks at you, then at the trash shoot, then back at you. "Oh, hell no! You are not thinking that!" "We gotta get out of here, Zoe! This is the fastest way out." You say and open the door to the shoot. [[Enter Trash Shoot]]

"Cheers!" You say and clink glasses. You both drink. "Oooo, thats good stuff!" Zoe says as she finishes her drink. You feel proud inside. You now have your killing blow for Xerxes, you just have to deliver it. You and Zoe sit there for a while and listen to the band play. Suddenly, the doors to the club open. You see several people in suits enter. The Xerxes Technologies logo displayed proudly on their jackets. They begin scanning the room, guided by a shady looking figure. "Oh Shit!" Zoe says and ducks down out of her barstool. [[Duck Down]]

"Xerxes agents. Guess they caught up to us." You say as you join Zoe on the floor. "Not just the agents. That guy with em. He's the info-broker who told me about the server. Bastard!" Zoe says angrly. "Can't worry about that now, Zoe. We gotta get out of here!" You say. Zoe looks around from the floor. She peaks up for a second, and then drops back down. "Any idea's?" She asks. You look around the club. You notice a door marked, "EMPLOYEE'S ONLY". [[Employee's Only Door]] or [[Sneak Through Crowd]]

"Over there! Let's make for the employee area!" You say quickly and start crouch walking towards the door. Zoe follows close behind you. You bump into a bar-goer. "Hey! What the hell!? Watch it!" They yell. you apologize and continue towards the door. You make it to the door, open it, and you and Zoe crawl inside. You stand up and start making your way through the hallways in the back of the club. You run into an employee, who is carrying a crate of dirty cups. "Hey, you guys can't be back here!" She says. [["Sorry, we were looking for the bathroom."]] [[Run Past Her]]

"Lets sneak through the crowd. If we are careful, we won't get spotted." You say to Zoe. Zoe looks skeptical for a moment and then nods. You pull up your hood, and so does Zoe. The two of you stand up slowly, and begin to make your way through the crowd. Blending in as best as possible. [[Go Past the Bar]] or [[Go Onto Dance Floor]]

"Sorry, we were looking for the bathroom." You say apologetically. The employee sighs and points down the hall you just came from. "Down that way and to the left." She says. "Thank you." You say. You and Zoe quickly make your way down the hall. When you get to the end of the hall, there is a connecting hallway. You look behind you. The employee is gone. [[Right]] or [[Left]]

You take the hallway to the right. Upon reaching the end of the hall, it leads to the right again. You take the second right. In the middle of this hall you come to an intersection. To your left, a glowing sign reads "EXIT". You try the door, but it appears to be locked. To your right is a door labeled "SECURITY". (if:(history: where its name contains "0101010")'s length is 1)[[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]] [[Security Door]]

You go left, and head towards the restrooms. You and Zoe walk through the door at the end of the hall and enter the restroom. The lights turn on automatically upon entering. You are the only ones in here. "What are we doing here? We gotta go!" Zoe says. You take a moment to [[look around]]. (if:(history: where its name contains "trash can")'s length is 1)[[Vent]] [[Go Back->Right]]

Without a second thought, you around the side of the employee. Zoe follows behind you. "HEY!" The employee says and turns around. You ignore them and keep running down the hall. You come to an intersection. [[Left Hall]], [[Right Hall]], or [[Straight Ahead]]

You look around the bathroom. A wall of sinks and mirrors to your right. To your left, a line of urinals followed by stalls. Along the far back wall, hand dryers and a [[trash can]].

You walk over to the trash can. There appears to be something behind it. You pull it away from the wall. There is a vent behind it. [[Go Back->Left]]

"There is a vent behind this trash can, Zoe! Lets open it up!" You say and begin prying on the vent cover. Zoe walks over to help you. After a few second of struggle, the two of you manage to pull the vent cover off. Zoe enters first, and you follow. You come to an intersection in the ducts. [[Left Duct]], [[Straight]], or [[Right Duct]]

You exit the club.(if:(history: where its name contains "Stab Knife Into Counter")'s length is 1)[ Zoe looks at you. "Was that really necessary?] (if:(history: where its name contains "Stab Knife Into Counter")'s length is 1)["That bastard needed to learn a lesson!" You bark back at Zoe.] You and Zoe quickly make your way through the streets. After running for a while, Zoe yells "STOP! I think we are far enough." She ducks into an alley way. You follow her. "Well, their onto us now." You say as you lean up against the side of a building. "Yeah, no shit!" She says as she catches her breath for a moment. "No turning back now, I guess. Look, we gotta get to Xerxes tower and do this. We do it now, or they catch us and its over!". [["Lets do this!"]]

You take the duct that is straight ahead. It leads to a dead end. There is a way to your left. [[Go Back->Vent]] [[Left Duct]]

You take the left duct. It leads to another vent cover. From this one, you can see the dance floor. You are next to the stage. You look around the room and don't spot the agents or the info-broker. [[Go Back->Vent]] [[Kick Vent Out]]

You take the duct on your right. At the end you can see light. You reach the end and it is another vent cover. Leading to the outside. You bring your legs in front of you and kick as hard as possible. The vent cover breaks free, and your exit is secured. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You swing your legs up in front of you, and kick as hard as possible. The vent cover comes loose and falls off the duct exit. You and Zoe crawl out of the duct and back into the main room of the club. People in your close proximity stop for a moment and give you strange looks. They quickly go back to what they were doing before. You and Zoe quickly make your way to the club doors. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You and Zoe take the hall to your left. At the end of the hall, your only way is another left. Halfway down that hall you stop. To your right is a glowing sign that reads "EXIT". You try the door, but it seems to be locked. To your right is a door labled "SECURITY". (if:(history: where its name contains "0101010")'s length is 1)[[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]] [[Security Door]] [[Go Back->Run Past Her]]

You and Zoe sprint down the hall to your right. At the end of it is a door. It leads to the area behind the [[bar]]. [[Go Back->Run Past Her]]

You and Zoe run down the hall straight ahead. At the end of the hall you make a left, and go through a set of double doors. You are inside the kitchen. People working stop what they are doing and look at you and Zoe. "What the hell!? Get out of here!" A chef yells. "Sorry. So Sorry." You say. The people in the kitchen go back to what they were doing. At the end of the kitchen you see a door with a sign above it that reads "EXIT". [[Head Through Kitchen]] [[Go Back->Run Past Her]]

You look through the window on the bar door. You can see the young bartender at the far end, helping a customer. [[Enter Behind Bar]] [[Go Back->Run Past Her]]

You and Zoe enter behind the bar. You duck down and crouch along. A peson seated on the other side gives you two a strange look. "Ah hell... Im drunk!" They say, and quickly return to their drink. You peak over the bar. You can see the Xerxes agents and the info-broker making their ways through the crowd. [[Climb Over]] [[Go Back->Run Past Her]]

You climb over the bar with Zoe. "Guess we're gonna have to just sneak out of here." Zoe says quietly. You pull your hood over your head, Zoe does the same. "Follow me. Stay close." You say. [[Go Past the Bar]] or [[Go Onto Dance Floor]]

"I know. Lets do this, Zoe! Still have the holo-shard?" You ask. Zoe pulls her hand out from behind her. The blue-glowing shard between her finger. "Yup. Still got it." Zoe stands up from the wall. "Let's split up. Meet outside Xerxes tower." [["See you there."]]

"Splitting up is probably best. I'll see you there Zoe." You say. Zoe nods and take off down the alleyway. You turn back towards the streets and begin walking down the sidewalk. You see red and blue lights out of the corner of your eye. You pull up your hood to cover your face. The car zooms past you. You let out a sigh of relief. Xerxes Tower isn't far from you. About 10 blocks away. [[Head to Xerxes Tower]]

You and Zoe head straight, walking past the bar. Out of the corner of your eye, you see one of the agents making their way in your direction. There is a group of people ahead. To your left, two empty seats at the bar. [[Hide in Group]] or [[Sit at Bar]]

You walk down the stairs to your right, out onto the dance floor. Zoe follows behind. A few feet from you is an agent, amongst the crowd. They are looking around, quickly making their way past people. The band is in the middle of a heavy song. [[Start a Mosh Pit]] or [[Coninue Through Crowd]]

You walk straight ahead towards the group of people, and attempt to blend in as best as possible. Zoe walks over to the railing over looking the dance floor, and leans against it. The agent is to your right, looking around. They look over at where Zoe is and begin walking towards her. [[Push Person Next to You]] or [[Sneak Up on Agent]]

You take one of the empty seats at the bar. Zoe takes the one next to you. You pull on your hood more to make sure your face is covered. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the agent go behind you and Zoe. They remain there for a moment. You feel the sweat begin to run down your face. Then out of the corner of your other eye, you see them continue down the bar. You and Zoe get out of your seats and continue towards the exit. Another agent begins walking towards you. [[Lean Against Railing]] or [[Trip Agent]]

You push the person next to you, and they bump into the agent. Spilling their drink on themself and the agent. "HEY! What the hell, buddy!" The man says angirly, looking at the agent. It worked. The drunk guy takes a swing at the Xerxes agent, and the two begin figthing. Zoe sneaks away from the railing and past the confrontation. You begin following her. Straight ahead, another agent is moving quickly over towards you. Rushing to help with the fight. To your left is a booth. To your right, the railing overlooking the dance floor. [[Booth]] or [[Railing]]

The agent walks past you, and you follow behind them quietly. They are only a few feet from Zoe. Deffinitly heading in her direction. [[Choke Them Out]] or [[Tap Their Shoudler]]

You take a seat in the booth. Zoe takes a seat across from you. You pick up a menu and bury your face in it. Zoe does the same. The agent runs up. She stops for a moment and looks you over. You hold the menu closer to your face. The agent continues on her way to help the other agent. When you know that it is clear, you and Zoe stand up and continue along. the way to the club doors is clear now. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You lean against the railing and look over the dance floor. Zoe stands next to you. The agent runs right past, over to where the fight is going on. You and Zoe leave the railing. The way to the club doors is clear now. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You get up close behind the agent. You throw your right arm around from behind them, and hold tightly around their neck. They struggle. You struggle back. Slowly you begin to win the fight. Their movements slow and eventually they go limp. You lower them to the ground. Zoe steps away from the railing and continues along, you follow. You see another agent running in your direction. Coming right at you. There is a table to your right. To your left, a booth. [[Sit at Table]] or [[Sit at Booth]]

You get up close behind the agent, and tap them on the shoulder. They turn around. They are wearing glasses, but you can tell they are surprised. They begin to motion towards you, but then an arm flys around from behind them and wraps around their neck. Zoe chokes out the agent and lowers them to the ground slowly. You turn around to keep going, and Zoe follows close behind. Another agent is heading in your direction. Coming directly at Zoe. [[Press Forward]] or [[Sit at Booth]]

You take a seat at the table, and look out over the dance floor. Zoe sits in front of you. The agent walks right up to the table. They look at you for a moment. "YOU! Your coming with me!" She says and reaches for your arm. Zoe stands up and activates and implant on her hand. Between her fingers, you see arcs of electricity. She puts her hand on the agent and administers a shock. The agent collapses to the floor. You look at Zoe. Dumbstruck for a moment. "New implant..." she whispers and continues towards the exit. You follow behind her. The way to the club doors is now clear. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You take a seat at the booth, and Zoe sits across from you. The agent runs up next to the booth. She looks around, confussed for a moment. Then she continues along. Once you think the way is clear, you stand up and Zoe follows. The way to the club doors is clear now. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You keep walking forward, towards the agent. She reaches Zoe and yells "Zoe Bennet! You are wanted for conspiracy against Xerxes! Your coming with me!" She reaches for Zoe and begins to detain her. You grab onto the agent, and start to wrestle with her. She releases Zoe and focuses on you. Your loosing this fight. Out of the corner of your eye you see Zoe activate some implant on her hand. Her hand electrifies, and she places it on the back of the agent. The agent convulses for a moment, and then collapses. "I gotta get me one of those!" You says. Zoe chuckles and helps you up. You two continue through the club. The way to the club doors is now clear. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You step to your right and lean up against the railing, over looking the dance floor. The agent runs up behind you. You feel a hand land on your shoulder. You turn around and face the agent. "YOU! Your wanted for conspiracy against Xerxes Technologies! Im taking you in!" she says and begins to detain you. Zoe is sneaking up behind her. Her hand has arcs of electricity shooting from it. She places her hand on the back of the agent. She convulses for a moment and collapses to the floor. "New implant..." Zoe says and quickly moves along. You follow behind her. The way out of the club is clear now. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You step to your left and lean up against the side of a booth. Zoe leans over the railing across from you. The agent is approaching where you are. She is moving quickly and shows no signs of stopping. You stick out your leg as she is passing you. the agent falls. Hard. She smacks her head off the club floor. Out cold. Zoe turns around from the railing. "Quick thinking!" She says proudly and continues towards the exit. You follow behind. The way to the club doors is now clear. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You think quickly. Then you get an idea. You push the person in front of you. They slam into the person in front of them, and so on. Pretty soon the group of people in front of you is pushing and slamming into one another. The crowd starts going wild. The agent is caught right in the middle, and you see them disappear into the mosh. You continue throught the crowd. You see the info-broker and another agent make their way into the crowd. [[Push Info-Broker]] or [[Push Agent]]

You continue through the crowd, squeezing through people as best you can. The agent in the crowd looks in your direction. [[Duck]] or [[Dance]]

You duck down, to get out of sight. Zoe does the same. After a few seconds you peak up. The agent is no longer looking towards you and has continued through the crowd. You continue through the crowd. In front of you, you can see another agent and the info-broker start to make their way into the crowd. [[Push Info-Broker]] or [[Push Agent]]

Without a second thought, you stop and begin to dance to the music with Zoe. The agent notices you, and starts coming in your direction. Just then you see someone slams into the agent. All of a sudden the area the agent is in errupts into a mosh pit. The agent disappears into the crowd. You and Zoe take this oppurtunity to continue through the crowd. You see another agent and the info-broker heading in your direction, to help the agent trapped in the mosh pit. [[Stop]] or [[Crowdsurf]]

You stop in place and just listen to the music for a moment. The agent slips past you and Zoe, making his way into the mosh pit to help the other agent. You turn, but the info-broker is standing there. "Found ya!" He says and starts coming at you and Zoe. [[Push Through]] or [[Confront Info-Broker]]

Seeing the info-broker and agent coming towards you and Zoe, you think quickly. You turn to the guy next to you. You point one finger in the air and say "UP!". He looks at you and nods. Pretty soon, the group of people around you are lifting you up on top of the crowd. Your being carried along, and you look behind you for Zoe. You see she followed your lead, and was being lifted above the crowd. You are carried right past the agent and the info-broker. They cleared out of your path. Zoe manages to get past them as well. You are let down right on the edge of the crowd. "Well, that was fun as hell!" Zoe says and makes towards the exit. You follow after her. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You push past the group of people blocking your way. You see the info-broker going for Zoe. You try making your way toward her, but you can't make it through. The info-broker grabs onto Zoe. Suddenly, you see Zoe's hand ignite with arcs of electricity. The info-broker convulses for a moment, and then collapses. You stare at Zoe, mesmerized. "Got a new implant... Pretty cool, eh?" She says. "Yeah. Thats pretty damn cool." You say, still stunned. Zoe pushes her way through and you follow. The way to the club doors is now clear. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You charge straight towards the info broker. He takes a swing at you, but you block it. You grab ahold of his arm and restrain it. Zoe runs up beside you and swings at his head. The info-brokers head recoils and then he goes limp. You drop him to the floor. You and Zoe continue ahead, as people behind you get down to check on the info-broker. The way to the club doors is now clear. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You wait in the crowd for the info-broker to approach. As soon as he is in front of you, you push him. He slams into the person behind him, and looks at you in shock for a second. "HEY! YOU! Whats the bi-" He is cut off mid sentence, and disappears into a group of people. Zoe joins you and the two of you proceed through the crowd. You make it through. The way to the club doors is now clear. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You wait in the crowd for the agent to approach. As soon as the agent is in front of you, you step forward to push them. They turn to see you and stop you dead in your tracks. "Got you!" He says. The two of you wrestle for a moment, and you are soon able to throw him off of you. He stumbles backwards. As he goes to approach you again, he disappears into a mosh pit that suddenly begins in front of you. You don't give it a second thought and continue out. You get to the edge of the crowd. A few seconds later, Zoe joins you. "Sorry. Had to take care of the bastard info-broker!" She says. You laugh and begin to make for the exit. Zoe follows behind you. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You call the elevator. You and Zoe stand there for what seems like an eternity. eventually it arrives and you both step inside. "7th floor. My car is there." Zoe says, and you press the "7" button. It stops on the 7th floor, and the doors open to the parking area. [[Enter Parking Area]]

You open the door to the stairs and step inside, Zoe following. "We have to get down to the 7th floor. Thats where my car is." She says and begins down the stairs. You follow her down. About halfway down, you run into a secuirity guard. You quickly make your way past them. They give you an odd look, but continue on the way. You get to the 7th floor, and Zoe stops. "Here we are." She says and enters the parking area. [[Enter Parking Area]]

You climb inside the shoot, and brace your hands and feet against the metal interior. It feels sturdy. You slide down a bit and Zoe climbs in after you. Just then You hear the door to Zoe's apartment burst open, and the stomping of feet. "We gotta move!" Zoe yells down. You begin sliding down the inside of the trash shoot. Below you, a shoot door opens. [[Enter Shoot Door]] or [[Stop Yourself]]

You keep sliding, and go right through the open door. You land on your feet. In front of you stands an older women. She looks frightened. Zoe slides down and lands behind you. [["Shhh"]] [["It's ok."]]

You stop your slide and yell up for Zoe to do the same. She stops above you. Just then, you see a head appear in the shoot you came from above. A light shines down on you and Zoe. "Hey! Their in the trash shoot!" The figure yells. Just then the shoot door below you closes. [[Drop]]

You put one finger up to your mouth. "Shhhhhh." You signal at the old lady. She screams and runs out of the room. You and Zoe follow after her. She is going for her phone. [[Run To Door]] or [[Stop Her]]

You hold up your hands. "Hey, its ok. Were not gonna hurt you." The woman drops the trash she was holding and backs up against the wall. You and Zoe walk past her, and exit out her apartment door. You step out into the hallway. At the end of it there are two elevators. [[Elevator 1]] or [[Elevator 2]]

You and Zoe make for the womans apartment door. As you step out into the hall, you can hear the woman on her phone. "Yes, hello?! I live in apartment #1489. Two people just entered my apartment through the trash shoot. They are running out into the hall now. [[Send help]], please!" You run down the hall to where there are two elevators.(if:(history: where its name contains "Send help")'s length is 1)[ The up arrow of Elevator 1 is on...] [[Elevator 1]] or [[Elevator 2]]

You rush over and grab her before she can make it to the phone. "Ahhhhh! Get off me!" She yells. Zoe grabs the phone she was going for and smashes it. She turns to you. "C'mon lets get out of here!" You release the woman, who begins to attack you and you make your way to her apartment door. "GET OUT! GET OUT!" The woman screams after you. You exit the apartment and begin to run down the hall. There are two elevators at the end of the hall. [[Elevator 1]] or [[Elevator 2]]

You wait for elevator 1. It arrives and the door opens. Two security guards are inside. They are shocked to see you and Zoe. You have the advantage. [[Punch Guard]] or [[Kick Guard]]

You wait for elevator 2. It arrives and the door opens. Empty. You and Zoe step inside, and select the ground floor button. Halfway down, the elevator stops. "Shit! This is like, one of my biggest fears! Being stuck in an elevator!" Zoe begins to panic. "Calm down, Zoe! We will get out of here!" You say reassuringly. Zoe takes a deep breath and nods. You begin to look around the elevator. The panel says, "Forced Stopped". It can probably be hacked. You look above, and their is a hatch. [[Hack Elevator]] or [[Hatch]]

Security will be coming soon... [[Return->Run To Door]]

"Hang on. I got this!" You say and step up to the elevator panel. You jack into the port on the panel, and the security system appears in front of you. "ELEVATOR OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 You see the algorithm below appear: >> || >> || << ||... [[>>->error!]] [[<<]] [[<<<->error!]] [[><->error!]]

You open the hatch on the roof of the elevator, and climb through. On top of the elevator you look around. Zoe joins you. "Great! Now what!?" She asks. You look at the cable. The magnetic lock that keeps it connected to elevator is clamped shut. You look behind you. The door to the floor above you is shut. [[Pry Open Door]]

<<... ||Token Accepted! ||Elevator activating... The elevator begins moving down towards the lobby again. "God Damn, you are a genius!" Zoe praises and gives you a hug. You chuckle. "Ah, it was no problem, Zoe." The elevator stops on the ground floor. The door opens, and you and Zoe make your way through the lobby. The buidling entrance is ahead. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! LOCKING SYSTEM!] (if:visits is 1 or 2)[[Try Again->Hack Elevator]](if:visits is 3)[[Hatch]]

You and Zoe quickly make your way through the streets. After running for a while, Zoe yells "STOP! I think we are far enough." She ducks into an alley way. You follow her. "Well their onto us now." You say as you lean up against the side of a building. "Yeah, no shit!" She says as she catches her breath for a moment. "No turning back now, I guess. Look, we gotta get to Xerxes tower and do this. We do it now, or they catch us and its over!". [["Lets do this!"]]

You walk up to the closed door. You put your fingers between the cracks and begin prying. It isn't budging. "It wont open! Any ideas, Zoe?" You ask frantically. Zoe thinks for a moment. Then she activates an implant in her hand. Arcs of electricity shoot between her fingers. "I can probably short circuit the door with this." She says. "New Implant?" You ask. Zoe smirks and walks up to the shut door. She places her hand on it. There is the sound of electronics frying and then the door open. "Nice going, Zoe!" You say proudly. She smiles back at you and climbs out of the elevator. [[Climb Out]]

You climb out of the elevator shaft. Not a moment too soon, the door shuts. You and Zoe head down the hallway, towards the stairwell. Deciding its probably a safer option. You and Zoe take the stairs all the way down to the lobby of the apartment building. It seems abandoned. The path to the exit is clear. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

You make a fist and send a punch at the guards face. On impact, your fist just vibrates off the guards head. His skull is as hard as steel. "Thats not good..." You mutter. the guard grabs your arm and pulls you in to restrain you. [[Slam Backwards]] or [[Throw Guard Over]]

You lift your leg to kick. You send your kick at the guards leg. The kick stops dead. The guard must have reiforced implants in his leg. "Shit..." You mutter to yourself. The guard grabs your legs and flips you over. You tumble to the ground. The guard towers above you, getting ready to stomp you. [[Roll]] or [[Sweep Leg]]

You roll out of the way, narrowly avoiding the guards stomp. You are now behind the guard. [[Push Guard]] or [[Jump on Guard]]

You sweep your leg underneath the guard. This works. The guard is thrown off balance, and falls to the ground. You throw yourself on top of the guard. You straddle them to keep them pinned. You notice the taser on the guards belt. [[Taser]]

You stand up and push the guard with all your might. He stumbles out of the elevator. Zoe does the same, and pushes her guard out as well. You quickly press the ground floor button, and repeatidly press the close doors button. The guards attempt to get back in, but the doors close just in time. You and Zoe ride the elevator down to the lobby. It appears abandoned and the exit is clear. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

You spring onto the back of the guard. You wrap your arm around their neck and hold it there. The guard fights and pry's at your arm, but you don't budge. After a few moments they go limp and you lower them to the floor. You look over at Zoe. She has been able to subdue her guard as well. "Well, that was fun." She says, exhausted. You nod in agreement and press the ground floor button on the elevator panel. You arrive at the lobby, and step out of the elevator. The path to the exit is clear. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

You grab the taser off the guards belt. You jam it right onto the side of their neck, and press the button. They convulse for a second and then stop. They are now imobilized. You turn around and find that Zoe has handled her guard. "Well, that was fun. Wasn't it?" She says nearly out of breath. You huff and stand up. You press the ground floor button on the elevator panel. You and Zoe arrive at the lobby. The path to the doors is clear. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

You struggle and slam backwards. You move the guard backwards and he slams into the wall behind you. They release their grip on you. They are for a moment. You notice a taser on the guards belt. [[Taser]]

You bend down with all your force, and pull the guard over you. Slamming them into the ground. They lay there. Unconcious. Zoe takes down her guard, and then leans against the wall. Exhausted. You press the ground floor button on the elevator panel. You arrive at the lobby and step out of the elevator. The way to the exit is clear. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

You release your iron grip on the sides and begin to slide down the shoot rapidly. "C'mon Zoe! Hurry!" You yell up. She begins falling quickly after you. You reach the bottom of the shoot, a pile of trash absorbs the impact. You roll out of the way, and Zoe soon tumbles out as well. "This is not how I wanted to spend my evening!" he says and brushes some trash off of herself. "I think you'll live, zoe." You say reassuringly and begin to look around the room. It is a dimmly lit area. There is a door at the end of the corridor. [[Trash Room Door]]

You walk over to the door and try to open it. It seems sealed. You look around for a way to open the door. There is a circuit panel to the right of the door. [[Hack Cicuit Panel]] or [[Ask Zoe for Help]]

You walk over to the circuit panel, and jack into it. The security system appears in your view. "DOOR OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The string below needs to be completed: //0100110 0101001 0101001... [[0100110]] [[0010101->Error!]] [[0110100->Error!]] [[0010010->Error!]]

"Hey, Zoe. Think you can get this door open?" You ask her. Zoe walks over and exams the door for a moment. The she looks at her hand. She activates an implant, and electricity arcs across her hand. "Woah! When did you get that implant!" You ask suprised. "A while back. Think I can short circuit the panel." She says. Zoe touches her hand to the circuitry on the panel. There is the sound of electronics frying, and then the door unseals. "Great job, Zoe!" You say and pat her on the bac. She smirks and walks through the opened door. [[Exit Trash Room]]

0100110... ||Token Accepted! ||Unlocking door... The trash room door unseals and opens. "Nice going!" Zoe yells and exits. [[Exit Trash Room]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! LOCKING SYSTEM!] (if:visits is 1 or 2)[[Try Again->Hack Cicuit Panel]](if:visits is 3)[[Ask Zoe for Help]]

You exit the trash room and enter a maintenance area. There is a door ahead. You and Zoe peer through the door, and see into the lobby of the apartment building. There are a few guards and they seem to be alert. Just then, one of them puts a finger to their ear. They signal to the other guards and they all pile into the elevator. The way to the apartment building exit is clear. [[EXIT APARTMENT BUILDING]]

"I'll take care of the data, if you clean up the secuirty footage." You say. "Sounds like a deal." Zoe says and smiles at you. Just then, you hear commotion out in the hallways. Then you hear banging on the apartment door. Zoe and you both stand up from the couch. "Concordia Police Department! We have a warrant against you Ms. Bennet! Open up!" You hear a voice yell from the otherside. "Oh shit! What are we gonna do?!" Zoe whispers frantically. You look around the apartment. [[Window]] or [[Utility Door]]

"I'll clean up the security footage, if you decrypt the data." You say. "Sounds like a deal." Zoe says and smiles at you. Just then, you hear commotion out in the hallways. Then you hear banging on the apartment door. Zoe and you both stand up from the couch. "Concordia Police Department! We have a warrant against you Ms. Bennet! Open up!" You hear a voice yell from the otherside. "Oh shit! What are we gonna do?!" Zoe whispers frantically. You look around the apartment. [[Window]] or [[Utility Door]]

You start walking through the kitchen. Zoe follows behind you. About halfway through, one of the chefs notices and leaves his station. He walks up to you. "I thought I told you two to get the hell out of here!" He says and holds up the knife he is holding. "MOVE IT!" [["Hey, man, put the knife down!"]] [["Sorry. We'll leave."]] [[Disarm Him]]

You put your hands up. "Sorry. We'll just leave." You say. You and Zoe turn around and get out of there fast. [[Go Back->Run Past Her]]

"Hey, man, put the knife down!" You yell. The chef narrows his eyes, and points the knife at you. "Then get the FUCK out of my kitchen!" You glance at Zoe. She looks at you and nods. [[Disarm Him]] [["Sorry. We'll leave."]]

Without a second thought, you move in on the chef. You use your left hand to grab the chef's hand that is holding the knife, and with your right arm, you push his forearm in the opposite direction. The chefs grip on the knife releases, and you take it. Then with all your might, you grab the back of the chef's neck and slam him down onto the counter to your left. You keep the chef pinned there on the counter. He is so shocked, he can't even speak. The commotion has attracted the attention of the rest of the kitchen staff. They also stand there in disbelief. "Lets get out of here." Zoe says and motions towards the exit. [[Leave]] [[Stab Knife Into Counter]]

You try the door labeled "SECURITY". It opens. It is a dark room, illuminated only by the light of computer screens. The screens showing footage from various camera's in the club. (if:(history: where its name contains "Security Footage")'s length is 1)[You also see a screen with different security systems on it. One of them reads:] (if:(history: where its name contains "Security Footage")'s length is 1)[REAR CLUB EXIT DOOR: STATUS: LOCKED] (if:(history: where its name contains "Security Footage")'s length is 1)[[Hack Club Door]] [[Security Footage]]

You jack into the computer with the security systems. The program appears in your field of view. "SECURITY OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The string below needs to be completed: 0101010 0110101 0110101... [[0010101->error]] [[0110011->error]] [[0101100->error]] [[0101010]]

You take a look at the screens. You see the Xerxes agents, quickly making their way through the club. Searching for you. It won't be long till they come to search the back of the building... [[Go Back->Security Door]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! LOCKING SYSTEM!] (if:visits is 1 or 2)[[Try Again->Hack Club Door]](if:visits is 3)[[Go Back->Security Door]]

0101010... ||Token Accepted! ||Unlocking door... The rear club exit should now be unlocked. (if:(history: where its name contains "Right")'s length is 1)[[Go Back->Right]](if:(history: where its name contains "Left Hall")'s length is 1)[[Go Back->Left Hall]]

You release your grip on the chef and drop the knife onto the ground. Following Zoe, the two of you make your way over to the exit door. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

Holding your grip firm on the chef's neck, you raise the knife and with all your force, stab the knife downwards. You stab down so hard that it pierces through the metallic counter. The chefs eyes widen and he lays there, trembling. The rest of the kitchen staff jump back in fear. "Alright, I think they get! Now lets go!" Zoe says in an annoyed tone. You scoff and step away from the counter, following after Zoe. The two of you head towards the exit door. [[EXIT BOREALIS NIGHTCLUB]]

You duck down and join Zoe underneath a car. From underneath the car, you can see feet moving. The cops are coming in your direction. "My car is just a few rows over. Follow me. Quick!" Zoe says and begins moving. She crawls ahead to the next car ahead of you. You see feet approaching. [[Move Under Next Car]] or [[Wait]]

You run to the right and duck behind a truck. You see Zoe crawl under a car. She looks at you nervously. You peer around the corner, and see the group of cops coming up the isle. Zoe makes a motion with her fingers and begins moving underneath the cars. [[Wait Behind Truck]]

You quickly follow after Zoe. The cops stop next to the car you two are under. "Spread out! Find them!" You hear one of them say. Two pairs of feet pass in front of you and Zoe. "Wait..." Zoe says quietly. [[Wait With Zoe]] or [[Crawl Left]]

You hesitate, and decide to wait. Zoe stops under the car in front of you. The cops stop next to the car she is under. "Spread out! Find them!" You hear one of them say. Two pairs of feet pass in front of Zoe. One cop walks past the car you are under. You notice a rock under next to you. [[Wait For Cop To Pass]] or [[Throw Rock]]

You get nervous and crawl to the left, going under a different car. Zoe looks at you with a confussed glance. The cops haven't noticed either of you. You just shrug. The cops pass by both your cars. Zoe begins moving, quicker this time. [[Move with Zoe]] or [[Wait There]]

You and Zoe lay there and wait. The two cops pass. Zoe looks around and then at you. "Alright, lets just make for it. My car is just a few away. Move fast." Zoe begins moving forward. You see more feet approaching on the left. [[Move with Zoe]] or [[Move Slowly]]

You lay there and wait for the cop to pass. After a few moments, they pass right by. The cops that were near Zoe are also gone. Zoe motions for you to join her. You crawl forward, until you are under the car with her. Zoe looks around and then at you. "Alright, lets just make for it. My car is just a few away. Move fast." Zoe begins moving forward. [[Move with Zoe]]

You pick up the rock next to you. You throw it to your left, as hard as you can. It skips across the pavement of the parking garage. The pair of feet in front of you quickly move in the direction of the noise. In fact, you see all of the cops begin to move over in that direction. You see Zoe crawl out from under the car, and start sneaking along. [[Crawl Out]]

You quickly move with Zoe. The two of you make it under one car. Two cars. Three cars. The cops didn't notice you. "There it is!" Zoe says. In front of you is a bright red car. Zoe's Firebrid. She climbs out from under the car and makes her way around to the drivers side. You follow after and hop in the passanger seat. She starts the car. Its engine loud and roaring. She slams on the gas. You pass the cops as they scramble to try and stop you two. Zoe weaves around the corners of the parking garage, until the exit is in sit. [[EXIT PARKING GARAGE]]

Seeing the feet approaching causes you to hesitate. You move up one car and stop. You watch as Zoe crawls up past two. Then three cars. She turns around and looks surprised to see you as far back as you are. You crawl out from under the car. A cop is standing right next to you. You stand up. The two of you look at each other for a moment. Frozen. Then you see the cop begin to move. [[Run]]

You and Zoe speed off out of the parking garage, and begin flying down the streets. "HA! That was incredible! What a rush!" Zoe says and press on the gas even more. (if:(history: where its name contains "Fight")'s length is 1)[You take a moment to check if your injuries are severe. You determine you'll live.](if:(history: where its name contains "Pick Up Baton")'s length is 1)[You take a moment to check if your injuries are severe. You determine you'll live.] "Yeah it was something alright. Slow down, Zoe, we dont wanna get pulled over now." You say. She slows down a little. "Yeah, I guess your right." "Guess we will be headed to Xerxes Tower now?" You ask. Zoe smiles. "Thats the plan." "There after us. I guess its now or never, to get to work." You say and relax in the seat. Zoe stares ahead at the road. "Then let's do this thing!" [[Head to Xerxes Tower]]

You turn around on your heels and run out from behind the car. The cop is chasing after you. Pretty soon the rest are converging on you. Your running down the isle as fast as you can. Suddenly, you hear the rev of an engine. There is a red blur, and then Zoe's car is in front of you. "Get in!" She yells. You run around and jump in the passenger seat. She slams on the gas and drives off. The cops chase after, but can't catch up. She weaves around the corners of the parking garage, until the exit is in sight. [[EXIT PARKING GARAGE]]

You wait under your car. You watch as Zoe makes it three cars ahead of you. She is looking around for you. You begin moving out from underneath the car, when on your right, you see a cop. You stand up. The two of you look at each other for a moment. Frozen. The cop begins to move towards you. [[Run]]

You crawl out from under the car, and sneak over to join Zoe. "That was quick thinking. They seem to be distracted over there now. Lets go." She says and begins moving along. The two of you crouch walk down the isle, till you arrive at a red car. "Here we are. Get in." Zoe says and hops in the drivers seat. You jump in the passangers seat. Zoe turns on the car and revs the engine. She speeds off, passing the cops, and weaving around the corners of the parking garage. The exit is in sight. [[EXIT PARKING GARAGE]]

You wait there, pressed up against the truck. The group of cops starts to pass by. You see Zoe begin to move underneath the cars. One cop turns and notices you as he passes by. [[Rush Him]]

You rush the cop before he has time to react. With your right hand you strike him in the chest, and then you hit him in the head with a left hook. He falls to the ground, out cold. Two cops across the way heard the commotion and turned around. They are coming at you now. [[Run From Them]] or [[Confront Them]]

You turn on your heels and start running down the isle. The two cops give chase. As your running, a cop runs out from behind a car and stands in front of you. "Stop right there!" She says and points a taser at you. [[Slide]] or [[Go Left]]

You start moving towards the pair of cops. The two of them pull out batons. The one on the left strikes at you. You block it with you arms. The go for a second strike, but you deflect it. You are able to land a strike, knocking them back. They fall and drop the baton. The second cop is coming at you with his baton. A group of five cops is approaching you from behind. [[Pick Up Baton]]

You quickly drop. The ground is at a slight angle downwards, and you start sliding. You slide right into the cops legs. Knocking her off balance. The two cops that were chasing you are practically on top of you. Four more cops are converging on you from the front. [[Fight]]

You evade the cop and run to the left. She fires the taser a little too late and you hear it impact one of the cops that were chasing you. "GET THEM!" You hear call behind you. You continue running along. Suddenly, you hear the rev of an engine. There is a red blur, and then Zoe's car is in front of you. "Get in!" She yells. you run around and jump in the passenger seat. She slams on the gas and drives off. The cops chase after, but can't catch up. She weaves around the corners of the parking garage, until the exit is in sight. [[EXIT PARKING GARAGE]]

You stand up and brace your self for a fight. Two cops behind you. Four in front. You rush one of the cops approaching you from the front. You strike at them and they fall over. The other three pull out batons. You feel something hit you on the back. The two cops behind you also have batons. You are knocked to the ground, as a second strike hits you on the back of the head. You lay there as the cops converge on top of you, and you prepare for a sensless beating. Suddenly, you hear the rev of an engine. The cops clear out from around you. There is a red blur, and then Zoe's car is in front of you. "Get in!" She yells. You stand up, slide across the hood and jump in the passenger seat. She slams on the gas and drives off. The cops chase after, but can't catch up. She weaves around the corners of the parking garage, until the exit is in sight. [[EXIT PARKING GARAGE]]

You quickly grab the baton off the ground. The cop in front of you takes a swing with his baton. You dodge it, and come in with a swing of your own. It strikes his side, and he recoils in pain. Suddenly, your striked from behind. You stumble, and then you fall to the ground as a second strike hits you. You lay there as the cops converge on top of you. Bracing for the worst. Suddenly, you hear the rev of an engine. The cops clear out from around you. There is a red blur, and then Zoe's car is in front of you. "Get in!" She yells. You stand up, slide across the hood and jump in the passenger seat. She slams on the gas and drives off. The cops chase after, but can't catch up. She weaves around the corners of the parking garage, until the exit is in sight. [[EXIT PARKING GARAGE]]

(if:(history: where its name contains "Lets do this!")'s length is 1)[You crouch behind the bushes. In front of you stands Xerxes Tower. The entrance is in sight, just across the way. "Where the hell is Zoe?" You think to yourself. You lay there for several minutes. Suddenly, you hear footsteps approaching behind you. You turn around quickly. It's Zoe. "Hey, sorry Im late. I had to throw off some cops that were tailing me." She says and crouches next to you. "Well at least your here now. How are we gonna do this?" You ask.](if:(history: where its name contains "EXIT PARKING GARAGE")'s length is 1)[You and Zoe fly down the streets of Concordia until you are within a few blocks of Xerxes Tower. Zoe parks the car in an alleyway, and the two of you go the rest of the way on foot. The two of you crouch behind some bushes. Xerxes Tower stands in front of you. The entrance is in sight, just across the way. "How are we gonna do this?" Zoe asks.] The two of you look around the outside of the building for a few moments. The main entrance is directly ahead, with one guard posted in front of it. Around the side of the building, you see a flashing arrow on a sign that indicates "PARKING". [[Go Around Building]] or [[Main Entrance]]

"That parking sign over there." You say. "Let's head around the side of the building." Zoe looks in the direction of the flashing arrow. She nods. "Alright, let's go!" The two of you make your way quickly, but quietly, around the side of the building. You press up against the building and shimmy over to the parking entrance. You peer around the corner. The lot is empty. It is after hours after all. "Looks clear. C'mon follow me." You say and begin to move into the garage. Just then, a guard comes out of the parking office to your right. [[Sneak Past]] or [[Take Down Guard]]

you take a moment and look at the main entrance to Xerxes Tower. "Theres only one guard. We can take him, or maybe distract him and lure him away from the door." Zoe says. You continue examining the main entrance. Thats when you notice them... two auto turrets. "Except then we'd have to deal with those. Those are new." You say, pointing out the auto turrets to Zoe. "Yeah... that could be a problem..." Zoe says. You take a few more moments to think. [[Go Around Building]]

You hug the wall next to you. Zoe is a few feet behind you. The guard turns around to the door he just came out of and locks it. You stay as silent as possible. Straight ahead of you, about a hundered feet away, is a door marked "STAIRS". He finishes locking up the door and turns back around. He begins walking through the garage. As soon as he is far enough away, you and Zoe make for the door ahead. You turn around to make sure the guard didn't see. He still walking along, completely unaware. [[Enter Stairwell]]

You begin creeping up on the guard. He turns around to face the door of the parking office and begins to lock it. You lunge at the guard. Wraping your right arm around his neck, and holding his head in place with your left. He struggles. After a few moments, he goes limp. You lay him on the ground. You notice the [[keycard]] on the ground next to the guard. (if:(history: where its name contains "keycard")'s length is 1)[[Enter Parking Office]]

You open the door the the stairs, and Zoe follows. You look upwards through the center. The stairs seem to spiral upwards for an eternity. "We really gonna walk up all that?" Zoe asks with a concerned tone. "Hopefully not. Follow me." You say and begin up the stairs. At the top of the first flight of stairs is a door labeled "MAINTENANCE". [[Maintenance Door]] or [[Continue Up Stairs]]

You hold the keycard up to the lock on the door. The light turns from red to green and the door opens. You and Zoe enter the parking office. "Looks like no one's home. Guess he was locking up for the night, right?" Zoe says and chuckles. The two of you make your way through the office. At the end of the room there are two doors. One is labeled "SECURITY", the other is labeled "LOBBY". [[Lobby]] or [[Security]]

You pick up the guards keycard. [[Go Back->Take Down Guard]]

You slide open the lobby door. It leads to a small corridor. At the end is a second door. You walk through the corridor, and open the door at the end. You and Zoe step through and into the lobby of Xerxes Tower. You are behind the reception desk. The lobby is a large room. Directly ahead is the main entrance to the building. To your right, a fountain display with the Xerxes Technologies logo. To your left, several elevators. [[Go to Elevators]]

The security door is locked. You hold the keycard up to the lock. The light turns from red to green, and the door opens. The room is dark. You feel around on the wall for a lightswitch. You flick it on and the room illuminates. It is a long room. One the left side, rows of body armor and helmets. On the right side, a row of shotguns and handguns. "Holy shit! Xerxes looks like their preparing for war!" Zoe says in shock. You look at the handguns. [[Take Handgun]] [[Leave->Lobby]]

You walk up to the row of handguns and pick one up. You check to make sure the safety is on. It is. You cock back the slide slightly. There's a bullet in the chamber. You take the magazine out. Fully loaded. Zoe is giving you a skeptical glance. "Just in case. For emergencies." You say and slide the handgun into a holster you found. She lets out a sigh. "Yeah, its probably for the best." She says, and walks over to grab a handgun for herself. "Hopefully we won't have to use them at all." You say reassuringly. She nods and holsters the firearm. The two of you turn and make for the lobby. [[Lobby]]

"Those elevators." You say and point. "We can use one and take it up to the data center." "Probably the fastest way up there..." Zoe says and begins walking towards the elevators. You and Zoe walk over, and she hits the call button on the first elevator. Nothing happens. She tries the second. Nothing again. The same result on the third and fourth. "What the hell is going on? Does Xerxes shut off the elevators at night?" She says and looks at you. "They didn't when I used to work here. I should know, I always worked [[late nights]]." You say and start rubbing your chin. "Well. Theres alway the stairs." Zoe says and points towards the door marked "STAIRS". [[Stairs]]

They were brutual. You had to stay, sometimes hours after your shift had ended, making sure everyones coding was up to the "Xerxes Standard". You remember typing in your credentials in on repeat, to approve everyones work for the day. Your credentials... [[Try Old Credentials]]

"Guess we'll take the stairs." You say and walk over to the door. You enter the stairwell, and Zoe follows. You look upwards through the center. The stairs seem to spiral upwards for an eternity. Zoe takes a deep breath. "Well. Here we go, I guess." She says and begins up the stairs. [[10th Floor]]

You walk up to the elevator panel and activate it. Sure enough, the call button wasn't working because it requires a login. You type in your old employee login. You still remember it after all these years... You hit enter. A few seconds pass. Suddenly, a green checkmark appears and a voice says "Aceepted! Welcome back!". The down arrow lights up and the elevator begins making its way down. "Holy shit! What did you do." Zoe says excitedly. "My old employee credentials. They still exist in the system." You say. Zoe bumps you on the shoulder with her fist. "Nice going! Only you would think of something crazy like that!" The elevator arrives and the doors open. [[Board Elevator]]

Zoe steps into the elevator, and you follow. She stands by the panel. "Where to?" "77th floor. Thats were the data center is." You pause, and then say "Thats where we will end Xerxes." "Ooooo, chilling! Can't wait!" Zoe says and presses the button. You ride in the elevator for what seems like an eternity. The floors tick up...33...34...35... You close your eyes to think for a few moments...49...50...51... What will happen when this is all over?... 67...68...69... What will happen to you. To Zoe... 77! The elevator stops and chimes. The doors slide open. [[Step Out]]

You step out of the elevator and onto the 77th floor. It is almost pitch black. Suddenly, dim over head lights turn on. At the end of the corridor you can see double doors with a sign above them that reads "DATA CENTER". And between you and the door is... lasers. "Jesus... Looks like some kind of security measure. Anyway to deactivate it?" Zoe says and stands in shock. You look around the area for a few moments. You activate your optical implant to see if you can pinpoint the source. You see the source.. in an adjacent hallway. Out of reach from where you are. "The security panel that controls these lasers is in a hallway over there, and theres no way to get to it from here. Which means..." "Our only way to the data center is through those lasers. Shit..." Zoe says. [[Approach Lasers]]

You try the maintenance door. It doesn't open. The lock on the door is glowing red. You could probably hack it. Zoe could probably also short cicuit it with her implant. [[Hack Maintenance Door Lock]] [[Ask Zoe to Short Circuit the Door]] [[Continue Up Stairs]]

You decide to just continue up the stairs. Zoe takes a deep breath. "Well. Here we go, I guess." She says, and begins following you up the stairs. [[10th Floor]]

You jack into the port on the maintenance door lock. The security system appears in your field of view. "DOOR OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The algorithm below appears: < ^ > | > ^ < | < ^ > | >... [[> < ->error!!]] [[> ^ ->error!!]] [[^ ^ ->error!!]] [[^ <]]

"Hey, Zoe, think you can use that new implant of your to fry the lock on this door?" You ask. Zoe steps up to the door and then smiles. "Oh yeah, I got this!" She activates the implant and electricity errupts through her fingers. She waits a moment and then places it on the lock. There is the sound of electronics frying and then the light on the lock turns off. Zoe kicks the door and it flies open. She steps away from it and puts a hand up. "After you." She says. [[Maintenance Room]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! LOCKING SYSTEM!] (if:visits is 1 or 2)[[Try Again->Hack Maintenance Door Lock]](if:visits is 3)[[Ask Zoe to Short Circuit the Door]]

^ <... ||Token Accepted! ||Unlocking door... The maintenance door unlocks. You grab the handle and open the door. [[Maintenance Room]]

you step into the maintenance room. The lights turn on automatically when you enter. It is a decent sized room. Various tools and machinery lay throughout the room. On the far side of the room is a maintenance elevator. "Hell yeah!" Zoe says when she notices the elevator, and runs over to it. She play with the elevator panel for a moment and then turns around in frustration. "It says 'Maintenance Personel Access Required' on the panel." [[Search Room]]

"Maybe we will find some 'maintenance personel access' in here. Look around." You say. You begin searching around the room. Finding almost nothing of interest. In the corner you spot some lockers. You walk over to the lockers and open one. Inside is a [[jacket]].

You grab the jacket from the locker. Upon further inspection, you notice and ID card in the pocket of the jacket. "Well, Mike Schmidt, maybe you'll be our ticket into that elevator." You say and take the ID. [[Maintenance Elevator]]

You walk up to the elevator and hold the ID up to the scanner next to it. You wait there for a few seconds. Then you hear a chime and a voice say "Accepted! Welcome back, Mike Schmidt!". The elevator door opens. "Hot damn! Nice going, 'Mike Schmidt'" Zoe says laughing and steps into the maintenance elevator. [[Ride Elevator]]

You enter the elevator after Zoe. She stands by the panel. "Where to?" "77th floor. Thats were the data center is." You pause, and then say "Thats where we will end Xerxes." "Ooooo, chilling! Can't wait!" Zoe says and presses the button. You ride in the elevator for what seems like an eternity. The floors tick up...33...34...35... You close your eyes to think for a few moments...49...50...51... What will happen when this is all over?... 67...68...69... What will happen to you. To Zoe... 77! The elevator stops and chimes. The doors slide open. [[Leave Elevator]]

You step out of the maintenance elevator. A small corridor stands in front of you. It is dimmly lit. At the end of the hall, you see a door labeled "DATA CENTER". "There it is." You say. Zoe begins to step forward. You stop her. "Wait, lets make sure this hall doesn't have any sort of security measures." You say and look around. There is nothing visible that you can see. You take off one of your shoes and throw it down the hall. Nothing happens. You let out a sigh of relief. Zoe laughs and looks at you. "Now your just a dumbass with one shoe!" "Haha, very funny." You say sarcastically. You walk through the hallway and put on the shoe you threw. "Let's do this then." [[ENTER DATA CENTER]]

You get to the 10th floor. "What floor do we have to go to?" Zoe asks. "77th, thats where the data center is." You respond. "Wow. We got a while to go yet, huh." She says and continues up the next flight. [[20th floor]]

You get to the 20th floor. Zoe doesn't stop, and keeps climbing the next flight of stairs. [[30th Floor]]

You get to the 30th floor. Zoe stops and leans against the wall, taking a break. [[Rest With Zoe]] [[40th Floor]]

You rest on the wall next to Zoe. "At this rate... we're gonna be climbing these stairs all night." She says. "I agree. Maybe we should look for an alternate root." You respond and look towards the door to your left, marked "30". "That door must lead to offices, or something. Perhaps even an elevator." Zoe says as she looks at the door. [[30th Floor Door]] [[40th Floor]]

You walk over to the 30th floor door and open it. You are greated by a long corridor. You step through the door, with Zoe following. The lights are very dim in this hallway. "Probably to conserve power." You think. A building like this probably requires its own nuclear reactor to run. Along the right side of the corridor are various offices, and linking hallways, forming a labyrinth. Probably easy to get lost in if your not careful. Down one of the connecting halls, you see a sign that says "ELEVATOR". You point towards it. "Down that way. Theres an elevator." You say and begin walking towards it. "Looks like our luck is turning around." Zoe says, following behind you. [[Call Elevator]]

You hit the call button. It lights up. You and Zoe wait there a few moments. The elevator doors open. Suddenly, you hear footsteps. They are not too far, and sound like they are headed in your direction. "Quick! Lets go!" Zoe says frantically. You press the button marked "77", and rapidly press the close doors button. They close, and the elevator begins moving up. You ride in the elevator for what seems like an eternity. The floors tick up...33...34...35... You close your eyes to think for a few moments...49...50...51... What will happen when this is all over?... 67...68...69... What will happen to you. To Zoe... 77! The elevator stops and chimes. The doors slide open. [[Exit Elevator]]

You continue up the stairs, Zoe following behind you. You get to the 40th floor. [[50th Floor]]

You get to the 50th floor. Zoe makes it a few moments after you. [[60th Floor]]

You make it to the 60th floor. You feel sweat pouring down your face. Zoe is starting to lag behind. [[70th Floor]]

You make it to the 70th floor. Zoe is still a few floors down, making her way up sluggishly now. Your so close... [[77th Floor]]

You and Zoe step out of the elevator. As you exit the elevator, you notice the button from the floor you just came from light up. After your out of the elevator, the door closes and you hear it begin to go down. You look at Zoe. "We better hurry." It is almost pitch black. Suddenly, dim over head lights turn on. At the end of the corridor you can see double doors with a sign above them that reads "DATA CENTER". And between you and the door is... lasers. "Jesus... Looks like some kind of security measure. Anyway to deactivate it?" Zoe says and stands in shock. You look around the area for a few moments. You activate your optical implant to see if you can pinpoint the source. You see the source.. in an adjacent hallway. Out of reach from where you are. "The security panel that controls these lasers is in a hallway over there, and theres no way to get to it from here. Which means..." "Our only way to the data center is through those lasers. Shit..." Zoe says. [[Approach Lasers]]

You make it to the 77th Floor. you feel like you are going to pass out and lean up against the wall. Several minutes later, Zoe makes it. She collapses on the wall next to you and slides down it till she is sitting. After a few minutes of catching your breaths, she looks up at you. "Never again..." She says and then laughs. You laugh too. She stands up and the two of you make your way over to the door marked "77". You open it. It is almost pitch black. [[Exit Stairwell]]

You walk through the door labeled "77". It is almost pitch black. Suddenly, dim over head lights turn on. At the end of the corridor you can see double doors with a sign above them that reads "DATA CENTER". And between you and the door is... lasers. "Jesus... Looks like some kind of security measure. Anyway to deactivate it?" Zoe says and stands in shock. You look around the area for a few moments. You activate your optical implant to see if you can pinpoint the source. You see the source. A panel to your left. "Right there. Thats the panel that controls the laser grid." You say. "Alright, so what are we doing?" Zoe asks. [[Hack Laser Grid]] or [[Approach Lasers]]

You step forward and approach the laser grid. You look carefully at the first set. You spot a gap big enough, and duck through it. You made it. You look back at Zoe. "C'mon Zoe, it's nothing. You just gotta pay attention and find the right place to step through." You say. Zoe stands there in silence. Unmoving. "Just follow me, Zoe. You can do this." You say reassuringly. She snaps out of it and approaches the laser. "Ok. I'll follow your lead." She says. You look at the next set of lasers. [[Crawl Under]]

You crawl under the next set of lasers. Narrowly missing them. Zoe follows after you. The next set are rising and falling at an interval. You watch it for a few moments to get the timing down in your head. [[Run Through]]

You run through the set of lasers at the right time. Zoe follows behind you. One more set. These lasers zig zag back and forth, and cut across one another. You study them for a while. Then, you think you figure it out. [[Bend Through]]

You perform a series of intricate bends. Twisting your body through the lasers, and overlapping your limbs. Luckily, you make it through. You watch as Zoe does the same, bending her body intricatly through the web of lasers. She makes it and the two of you stand at the end of the corridor, the data center doors within your reach. Zoe jumps at you and wraps her arms around you in an embrace. You stand there for a few moments. Holding each other. "WE FUCKING DID IT!" She says excitedly as she pulls ways from you. "Yes we dit! Now lets finish it!" You says and step towards the doors. [[ENTER DATA CENTER]]

You and Zoe enter the data center. It is full of computers, access points, and servers. All of Xerxes Technologies information in one place. The perfect place to expose their dark secret... Zoe rushes over to a console and pulls out the holo-shard. "Still intact." She says with a tone of relief. A few moments pass. Then Zoe speaks up. "Alright, its in the system. We just have to get to work. Decrypiting the data and cleaning up the footage. Rememeber what your doing?" She asks. You nod, and walk over to a terminal to get to work. This is it. (if:(history: where its name contains "I can decrypt the rest of the data")'s length is 1)[[Decrypt Data]](if:(history: where its name contains "I'll decrypt the data.")'s length is 1)[[Decrypt Data]](if:(history: where its name contains "I can work on cleaning up the footage")'s length is 1)[[Clean Up Security Footage]](if:(history: where its name contains "I'll clean up the secuirty footage.")'s length is 1)[[Clean Up Security Footage]]

You jack into the laser grid panel. After a few moments, the security system appears in your view. "SECURITY OVERRIDE IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The string below needs to be completed: 00110011 01010101 01010101 00110011... [[01001001->Error!!]] [[01010101]] [[01100011->Error!!]] [[00110011->Error!!]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! LOCKING SYSTEM!] (if:visits is 1 or 2)[[Try Again->Hack Laser Grid]](if:visits is 3)[[Approach Lasers]]

01010101... ||Token Accepted! ||Disabling laser grid... The lasers in the hallway deactivate. You assume the rest of the system was also shut down, so any other lasers should be off as well. "Good shit!" Zoe says and jumps at you, wrapping her arms around you. You and her stand there for a moment in each others embrace. "Ah, it was nothing, Zoe." You say. Zoe pulls away. "Alright, lets finish this!" [[ENTER DATA CENTER]]

You take a seat at a terminal. You see the file labeled "NM2096" and open it. Your blown away by what you see. Thousands of lines of code, all embedded with sensitive data that will bring Xerxes crashing down. "Alright, data's all yours. Ill get to work on the security footage." Zoe calls over. "And be careful. Too many errors and we will be locked out of the system. Then that will be it... We won't get a second chance..." [[Begin Decryption]]

You take a seat at a terminal. You see the file labeled "NM2096" and open it. Your blown away by what you see. Thousands of lines of code, all embedded with sensitive data that will bring Xerxes crashing down. "Alright, security footage is all yours. Ill get to work on the data decryption." Zoe calls over. "And be careful. Too many errors and we will be locked out of the system. Then that will be it... We won't get a second chance..." [[Begin Footage Clean-Up]]

(if:visits is 1)[You jack into the computer and begin the decryption process. Your overwhelmed by the data that you are seeing. After a few moments you get your bearings and begin.](if:visits is >=2)[You restart the decrption process...] "DECRYPTION IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The algorithm below needs to be completed: < < > > ^ ^ < <... [[< > ^ >->Error!!!]] [[< > < >->Error!!!]] [[> > ^ ^]] [[^ > ^ >->Error!!!]]

||Error!|| ||Unexpected Token!|| (if:visits is 1)[(5) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 2)[(4) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 3)[(3) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 4)[(2) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 5)[(1) Attempts Remaining...](if:visits is 6)[(0) Attempts Remaining... FORBIDDEN ACCESS DETECTED! SHUTTING DOWN SYSTEM!] (if:visits is 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5)[[Try Again->Begin Decryption]](if:visits is 6)[[LOCKED OUT]]

The terminal in front of you locks up. Text appears that reads: "UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED! PURGING SYSTEM!" The data is deleted. Zoe stands up from her terminal. "FUCK, NO! WHAT HAPPENED?!" You look at her horrified. "Im sorry, Zoe. I fucked up..." An alarm begins blaring throughout the building. Within minutes you are descended upon by security robots and guards. They apprehend you, and escort you out of the building and into a police van. It's all over now. You've failed... [[AFTERMATH: Captured]]

> > ^ ^... ||Token Accepted! More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following string needs to be completed: 0010010 0101101 0101101 0010010 0101101... [[0101101 0010010]] [[0111001 0100101->Error!!!]] [[0011001 0101010->Error!!!]] [[0101010 0101011->Error!!!]]

0101101 0010010... ||Token Accepted! The data begins to look more like something [[tangible]]. More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The string below needs to be completed: 01110111 01110111 01001000 01110111... [[01001000->Error!!!]] [[01100111->Error!!!]] [[01000011->Error!!!]] [[01110111]]

The data begins to look less like code, and more like something you can make out. It is still rather jumbled though. You can make out a few things... Incident-------New Mexico-------fatalities-------expirement---------expunge-------censor-------hide--------employees---------classified. What your looking for is deffinitly hidden in this code. You getting closer... [[return->0101101 0010010]]

01110111... ||Toke Accepted! More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following algorithm appears: > - - < o > - - < ... [[o o -->Error!!!]] [[o > -]] [[- - <->Error!!!]] [[o > >->Error!!!]]

o > - ... ||Token Accepted! More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The string below needs to be completed: 01101111 00101110 01101111 00101110... [[01001111 00101110->Error!!!]] [[01110000 01110000->Error!!!]] [[01101111 01101111->Error!!!]] [[01101111 00101110]]

01101111 00101110... ||Token Accepted! The data is now looking almost entirely [[decrypted]]. Just a little more work. More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following pattern needs to be completed: 7, 14,__, 28, 35,__, 49, 56,__, 70 [[16, 48, 61->Error!!!]] [[21, 42, 63]] [[20, 43, 62->Error!!!]] [[15, 36, 57->Error!!!]]

You can make out more of the data than before. Incident at New Mexico----2096. 27 fatalities. Project----expirement---total-----lost-----project-----not ready----expunge records---censor media------hide evidence--------terminate contracted employees---------keep data classified. Almost there. Just a little more... [[return->01101111 00101110]]

21, 42, 63... ||Token Accepted! And just like that, no more code appears in front of you. The data is completely decrypted now. [[Read Full Decryption]]

"Zoe, I did it! The data is fully decrypted!" You call out in excitment, and begin reading the full decryption. Incident at New Mexico facility, April 16,2096. 27 fatalities. Project Icarus expirement was a total failure. Personnel lost control of asset. Project Icarus not ready for further development. Clean-up measures are in place. Expunge records from main database, censor media coverage, hide evidence using tier 5 encryption. Upload to private server. Keep hidden from other Xerxes personnel, terminate contracted employees looking into incident and keep data classified. You read the information infront of you in complete bewilderment. Just what was Project Icarus, and why go to such lengths to cover it up? "Hey, Zoe! You gotta read this." You call out. Just then Zoe stands up from the terminal she was at. "Im finished cleaning up the security footage... This you have to see." She says with a ghostly look on her face. [[Go Over to Zoe]]

You rush over to the terminal Zoe is at. She stands motionless, stairing at the screen. "Watch." She says. You peer at the screen and watch as the footage begins to play. The footage is from the inside of a large lab. There are many people in frame. There are scientists, engineers, and other Xerxes personnel. In the middle of the shot it a large mass. It looks like a person... only it is made of metal, and is much larger than your average person. It has broad shoulders, a large middle frame, and stands at least 8 or 9 feet tall. It towers over the people in the room. Suddenly, one of the scientists at a console begins freaking out. He keeps yells out "It's activating itself! I can't control it anymore!". Then, the metallic figure snaps to life. Its eyes glowing a deep blue. It lunges at the group of people in front of it. You stand in shock of what you are watching. The carnage that ensues is sickening. The figure begins massacring the people in the room. Secuirty forces rush to stop it, but they are unsuccessful and all meet the same fate. In the last seconds of the footage, the metallic figure looks at the camera and then the footage cuts. [["So, that's Project Icarus."]]

You have a sick feeling in your stomach. You feel as though you may throw up. You work through it. "So, thats Project Icarus." You say. Zoe looks pale. She swallows and says. "So I guess it is... What. The. FUCK. This is so much worse than what I thought they were hiding! Those sick bastards!" You grab Zoe on the shoulders and look into her eyes. "Zoe, get a hold on yourself! I agree, they are a bunch of sick bastards! But we have to get this data and footage, out there for the world to see!" Zoe takes a moment to breath. She looks up. "Your right. Ok. We should be able to upload it to a public server from here." She says and sits back down at the terminal. She types some commands and then slides the chair away from the terminal. "Ok, its all ready to upload. Ready?" [[Upload Project Icarus Data]]

"Do it, Zoe!" You say. Zoe types in another line of commands. Suddenly, text appears on screen that reads: "DATA UPLOAD IN PROGRESS... 0%" "Alright, it's uploading to a public server. From there, the media, the people of the world, they'll be all over it. They will expose Xerxes, and all the terrible shit they've done!" Zoe says in a serious tone. "We did it Zoe. Now we just have to wait for the data to upload, then we'll be out of here." She nods and then says "And hopefully not go to jail." "Don't worry. I think we have a solid case for our defense now. We'll get off with a pardon, I know it." You respond reassuringly." You say. She smiles and nods at this thought. Suddenly, you hear the door open behind you. [[Turn Around]]

You sit in a jail cell for months, by yourself, awaiting trial. The day comes. You and Zoe are both tried, and found guilty of conspiracy against Xerxes Technologies. As well as being found guilty of several accounts of assualt, and breaking and entering. You and Zoe are both sentenced to life in prison. The weeks turn into months. The months into years. You feel yourself wasting away. You look back on your failure, and cry at the thought. Xerxes. They will never be exposed for whatever monsterous thing they did. You and Zoe will die being the only ones who know about it. In the end, they beat you. You live out the rest of your days behind bars... [[PLAY AGAIN->Beginning]]

(if:visits is 1)[You jack into the computer and begin the decryption process. Your overwhelmed by the data that you are seeing. After a few moments you get your bearings and begin.](if:visits is >=2)[You restart the decrption process...] "SECURITY FOOTAGE RECOVERY IN PROGRESS..." 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The string below needs to be completed: 01010010 01100110 01100110 01010010... [[01010010 00101110->error!!!]] [[01100110 01100110]] [[01010010 01010010->error!!!]] [[01110011 01100110->error!!!]]

01100110 01100110... ||Token Accepted! More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following pattern needs to be completed: __, 66, 99, 132, __, 198, 231 [[32, 166->error!!!]] [[24, 148->error!!!]] [[33, 165]] [[14, 188->error!!!]]

33, 165... ||Token Accepted! The security footage begins to become more [[clear]]. More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following algorithm appears: > > < ^ > > < ^ ... [[> > < ^]] [[< > < >->error!!!]] [[^ > ^ >->error!!!]] [[< < > ^->error!!!]]

The footage is a little less grainy, and a few parts are crystal clear. The footage appears to be inside a large room. You can make out the silhouettes of people. Suddenly, a dark mass begins moving throughout the room. You can make out screaming. The footage cuts out. You are getting closer to revealing the truth... [[return->33, 165]]

> > < ^... ||Token Accepted! More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following pattern needs to be completed: 6,__, 18, 24,__, 36, 42, 48, 54,__ [[7,28,56->error!!!]] [[12,31,60->error!!!]] [[17,25,55->error!!!]] [[12,30,60]]

12,30,60... ||Token Accepted! More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following string needs to be completed: 00110110 01001001 01001001 00110110... [[00110110 01001001->error!!!]] [[01001001 01001001]] [[01000111 01100110->error!!!]] [[01110011 01100100->error!!!]]

01001001 01001001... ||Token Accepted! The footage is even clearer now. It just seems to be a little [[out of focus]]. Only a little more work, and you''l be done. More code appears in your view. 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101101 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01110011 01111001 01110011 01110100 01100101 01101101 00101110 00101110 00101110 The following pattern needs to be completed: __,34, 51,__, 85, 102,__, 136,__, 170 [[14,58,120,140->error!!!]] [[27,75,128,160->error!!!]] [[17,68,119,153]] [[18,52,103,169->error!!!]]

You watch the blurry, out of focus security footage. The large room appears to be more of a labratory. There are deffinitly people in the room. They seem to be working on some large mass in the center. Suddenly, there is commotion and the large mass begins moving. The people scramble around, and you see the mass quickly move about the room. You what appears to be... blood, splattering around the room. The large mass stops in frame of the camera and looks at it. You make out what looks like two deep blue eyes, peering at the camera. Then the footage cuts to static. You so close to the truth now... [[return->01001001 01001001]]

17,68,119,153... ||Token Accepted! And just like that, no more code appears in front of you. You look at the screen. The footage is fully cleaned up and ready for play back. Zoe calls out from across the room "I've done it! All the data is full decrypted! Listen to this..." and she begins to read off the text on her screen. "Incident at New Mexico facility, April 16,2096. 27 fatalities. Project Icarus expirement was a total failure. Personnel lost control of asset. Project Icarus not ready for further development. Clean-up measures are in place. Expunge records from main database, censor media coverage, hide evidence using tier 5 encryption. Upload to private server. Keep hidden from other Xerxes personnel, terminate contracted employees looking into incident and keep data classified." She says. Project Icarus? Just what was that, you thought to yourself. You look back at your terminal screen. [[Watch Cleaned Up Footage]]

"Hey, Zoe! I got the footage cleaned up. Come over here and watch it." You call out. Zoe rushes over to your terminal. You press play and begin watching. The footage is from the inside of a large lab. There are many people in frame. There are scientists, engineers, and other Xerxes personnel. In the middle of the shot it a large mass. It looks like a person... only it is made of metal, and is much larger than your average person. It has broad shoulders, a large middle frame, and stands at least 8 or 9 feet tall. It towers over the people in the room. Suddenly, one of the scientists at a console begins freaking out. He keeps yells out "It's activating itself! I can't control it anymore!". Then, the metallic figure snaps to life. Its eyes glowing a deep blue. It lunges at the group of people in front of it. You stand in shock of what you are watching. The carnage that ensues is sickening. The figure begins massacring the people in the room. Secuirty forces rush to stop it, but they are unsuccessful and all meet the same fate. In the last seconds of the footage, the metallic figure looks at the camera and then the footage cuts. [["So, that's Project Icarus."]]

You and Zoe turn around abruptley, shocked to hear the door open. In the door way, stands an old man. He is outfitted with several cybernetic implants. He looks as though his life has been extended well past its natural end, but also appears exceedingly healthy. He stares at you and Zoe, with a stern look on his face. You recognize him. It's Xerxes Deker. Founder and CEO of Xerxes Technologies. "Congratulations. You two have done it." He says while clapping slowly. [["It's over! We know your secret!"]] [["You sick, old bastard!"]]

You speak up firmly. "It's over! We know your secret, Xerxes, and we just shared it with the world!" He chuckles for a moment and says "Not quite. That file is still uploading." Zoe stands up from her chair. "You fucking sick son of a bitch! What happened with Project Icarus?! Why let all those people die, and then cover it up?!" She yells across the room. "My dear girl, there is no need for obscenities. I'll explain everything to you." He says in response. [["What is Project Icarus?"]] [["Start Talking!"]]

You narrow your eyes and explode with rage. "You sick, old bastard!" Xerxes responds calmly. "There is no need for obscenities." Zoe stands up from her chair quickly. "It's over old man! We know your dark secret, and we've just sharred it with the world!" She yells across the room. Xerxes looks at Zoe. "My dear, that file is still uploading." "You just let all those people get massacred, and then play it off like nothing!" You bark at Xerxes. "That isn't quite it. Don't worry, I will gladly explain everything to you." Xerxes says. [["What is Project Icarus?"]] [["Start Talking!"]]

"What is Project Icarus?" You ask. Xerxes closes his eyes for a moment and then opens his mouth to speak. "Project Icarus. Is my greatest achievement." Zoe laughs sarcastically. "Your greatest achievement?! That thing murdered all those people, and you don't even care! You played it off like nothing ever happened!" She shouts with uncontrollable rage. "My dear, of course I care. I am devistated by the loss of life that occured in New Mexico. I just couldn't let anyone figure out the truth, there would be widespread panic if I did." Xerxes responds quickly, but concisely. "Why?" You ask. "Because." Xerxes begins. "Because that 'thing', as your partner referred to it as, is the world's most advance artificial intelligence." [["You've Created AI That Advanced?"]] [["Your Playing God!"]]

"Start talking!" you shout loudly at Xerxes. He recoils and then says "No need for that." "What is Project Icarus, old man." Zoe asks. Xerxes closes his eyes for a moment and then opens his mouth to speak. "Project Icarus. Is my greatest achievement." You can't help but laugh at this. "Achievement? All you've managed to do is bury 27 people. They all had lives! Families! Your responsible for that, and you feel nothing!" "Of course I care! I am devistated by the loss of life that occured in New Mexico. I just couldn't let anyone figure out the truth, there would be widespread panic if I did." Xerxes responds quickly, but concisely. "Why?" Zoe asks. "Because." Xerxes begins. "Because that 'thing', as your partner referred to it as, is the world's most advance artificial intelligence." [["You've Created AI That Advanced?"]] [["Your Playing God!"]]

"You've created AI that advanced?" you ask in shock. Xerxes nods. "Yes. Icarus, is my life's work. Developing AI on the level of intelligence as a human being, has always been my primary goal. Thats why I've continued to keep prolonging my life with implants. I have to see this through." Zoe responds in a sickened tone. "Your sick! Your playing God! You've created something that you have no control over!" This seems to throw Xerxes off his composure. "I CAN CONTROL IT! I just need time to perfect it. Work out the kinks. This is humanities future! To ascend beyond our physical being, and become one with cyberspace! Icarus is the first step towards that!" He yells back. [["Icarus Was Destroyed Though."]] [["What Happened In New Mexico Proves You Can't!"]]

You are shocked to hear this. "Your playing God!" You yell at Xerxes. He stands there silently. With a faint smile on his face. "You've managed to creat AI that advanced?" Zoe asks. Xerxes nods. "Yes. Icarus, is my life's work. Developing AI on the level of intelligence as a human being, has always been my primary goal. Thats why I've continued to keep prolonging my life with implants. I have to see this through." You feel sick. "You foolish old man! You've created something that you have no control over!" This seems to throw Xerxes off his composure. "I CAN CONTROL IT! I just need time to perfect it. Work out the kinks. This is humanities future! To ascend beyond our physical being, and become one with cyberspace! Icarus is the first step towards that!" He yells back. [["Icarus Was Destroyed Though."]] [["What Happened In New Mexico Proves You Can't!"]]

"What happened in New Mexico proves you can't control Icarus!" You yell. "What happened in New Mexico, was simply a bump in the road. That can't stop us from innovating. I am so close to cracking this mystery." Xerxes says in a chilling tone. Zoe speaks up. "But, Icarus was destroyed. Thats why the security footage cuts the way it does at the end. The labratory must have been rigged up to some sort of self destruct, to prevent Icarus from escaping. The lab was destroyed, and with it, Icarus." From across the room, you see Xerxes crack a wicked, twisted smile. "The frame was destroyed. The AI was not." He reaches behind his head. A moment later his hand comes back out, with a small blue sliver in between his fingers. "Icarus is here." [["You Have To Destroy It!"]] [[Charge Xerxes]]

"Icarus was destroyed though. That's why the footage cut out at the end like that. After the AI murdered all those people, the labratory must have had some sort of failsafe in place to prevent Icarus from escaping. So the lab was destroyed. The AI along with it." You say in rebute. From across the room, you see Xerxes crack a wicked, twisted smile. "The frame was destroyed. The AI was not." He reaches behind his head. A moment later his hand comes back out, with a small blue sliver in between his fingers. "Icarus is here." "What happened at the New Mexico facility proves your incapable of controlling that AI!" Zoe yells. "What happened in New Mexico, my dear, was simply a bump in the road. That can't stop us from innovating. I am so close to cracking this mystery." Xerxes says in a chilling tone. [["You Have To Destroy It!"]] [[Charge Xerxes]]

You are horrified. "Xerxes! You have to destroy it!" "NO!" He bellows. "I will not throw away decades of work and research! This will be the pinnacle of my achievements!" You shoot Zoe a stern glance. She has the same look in her eyes. Xerxes has to be stopped. All of a sudden, Zoe springs into action. She charges Xerxes, and within seconds has him in her grasp. She socks the old man across the face with a solid hit. "You damned old bastard! Is there no getting through to you!" She screams in his face. He isn't putting up much of a fight. Zoe is easily over powering him. She throws Xerxes to the floor. [[Decide What to Do]]

You give Zoe a quick glance. She nods. Then you charge at Xerxes. Within seconds, the old man is in your grasp. "You stupid old fool! Listen to us!" You yell, and punch Xerxes across the face. He is not putting up much of a fight, and you are able to easily over power him. "Xerxes! You have to destroy it!" Zoe calls out from the other side of the room. "NO!" He bellows. "I will not throw away decades of work and research! This will be the pinnacle of my achievements!" Your eyes widen at this response. You look back at Zoe again. The both of you knowing, Xerxes has to be stopped. You throw Xerxes to the floor. [[Decide What to Do]]

"Wait! Listen! Icarus will benefit humanity for generations once completed. This is our species future." Xerxes says. "Stop the upload of that data, and I will forget about all the crimes you've committed against me!" "Oh, just like you forgot about all those people you got killed!" Zoe says in a disgusted tone. "You evil son of a bitch!" She says, and punches Xerxes. Xerxes recoils and then sits back up. "Please, listen! I'll even give you your old job back!" He says looking at you. "That's right! I'll even give you a job as well." He says glancing at Zoe. "You two are the greatest programmers I've ever seen! You made that tier 5 encryption look like it was created by a child! With you two working beside me, we will have Icarus completed in no time!" Zoe looks back at you, a sickened look on her face. She shakes her head. You look back at the terminal. The data upload is at 87%. You look back at Zoe and Xerxes. [[Let Data Upload Finish]] or [[Take Xerxes' Offer]]

You narrow your eyes at Xerxes. "It's over you evil bastard! You've lost!" Just then, behind you, you here a ping from the terminal. A voice announces outloud: "Data upload completed!" Xerxes stands up from the floor and begins to rush towards the terminal. "NO!" He screams. Zoe cuts him off, and punches him again. He slams to the ground. "Didn't you hear them! Your done! The whole world is gonna find out what you've done!" He lays on his side on the floor, looking up at you and Zoe with anger in his eye's. "You two! You'll never get away with this!" Zoe looks back at you. "Well, the data is uploaded. We just have to wait. In the meantime..." She says glancing back at Xerxes. "What do we do about him?" [["Forget About Him. He's Already Lost."]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Take Handgun")'s length is 1)[[Pull Out Handgun]]

You think for a few moments. Then you turn to Zoe. "Zoe. Maybe he's right." Zoe's eyes widen. "What? What, do you mean 'maybe he's right'?! He's responsible for the deaths of so many! He's created something that would kill us all without a second thought!" She says in complete shock. "Yes, but what if he's right about Icarus? What if with our help, it can be perfected, and used to benefit humanity?" You say in response. Zoe takes a step back. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. We've worked for years to bring this company down! Now we are finally here, and you want to turn your back on that?! Because of the bullshit promises of an evil, twitsed old man!" She says angirly. You try to think clearly. Your mind is racing. You can't even decide who is in the wrong, and who is in the right anymore. [[Convince Zoe]]

You reach for the holster on your hip, and pull out the handgun you took from the security room. You aim at Xerxes. Xerxes' eyes widen. "Wait! Please don't!" He says, raising a hand. Zoe looks back at you. She is surpirsed for a moment, but then the surprise fades. "Choice is yours." She says in strong tone. You think for several moments. Sure, this evil bastard probably deserves to die for what he's done. Although, is it truly up to you to be judge, jury, and executioner? You keep the handgun aimed at Xerxes. Zoe stands off to the side, unmoving. [[Knock Out Xerxes]] or [[Kill Xerxes]]

"Forget about him Zoe. He's already lost. Tomorrow morning, him and this company will be the target of a media firestorm. Not to mention the public outlash." You say sternly, not looking away from Xerxes the entire time. Zoe looks back at you and laughs. "Guess your right. C'mon, lets get the hell out of here." She says and begins walking towards the door. As you walk past Xerxes, he jumps up from the ground and lunges at you. You wrestlt with him for a moment, but you are able to pull your fist back at strike him right in the temple. He goes limp and collapses to the floor. Out cold. The blue slivers slides out of his hand an onto the floor. The holo-shard, with Icarus on it. You had almost forgotten about it. Zoe, who is standing beside you, leans in closer. "So... What do we do about Icarus?" [[Destroy It]] [[Take Holo-Shard With You]]

You look at Zoe. "We said it should be destroyed, right?" She looks at the shard, and then back at you. She nods. You raise your foot and stomp down as hard as you can on the holo-shard. You grind your foot back and forth for good measure. When you remove your foot, there are fragments of the holo-shard smashed against the floor. "Good riddance, Icarus!" You say. You and Zoe walk to the elevator and take it down. You walk through the lobby of Xerxes Tower, for what will hopefully be the final time. You head out through the parking garage where you entered, and walk off into the night. (if:(history: where its name contains "Zoe's Apartment")'s length is 1)[Zoe looks at you. "So... Since my apartment was raided by police.... You mind if I crash at your place for a bit? You laugh. "Sure thing, Zoe."] [[AFTERMATH: Data Uploaded]]

You look at Zoe, and then back at the holo-shard on the ground. You lean over and pick it up, examining it between your fingers. Zoe gives you a skeptical glance. "Let's take it with us. Probably safer in our hands anyways." You say. Zoe nods. "Yeah, I agree. Now lets get out of here." You and Zoe walk to the elevator and take it down. You walk through the lobby of Xerxes Tower, for what will hopefully be the final time. You head out through the parking garage where you entered, and walk off into the night. (if:(history: where its name contains "Zoe's Apartment")'s length is 1)[Zoe looks at you. "So... Since my apartment was raided by police.... You mind if I crash at your place for a bit? You laugh. "Sure thing, Zoe."] [[AFTERMATH: Data Uploaded]]

The next day, you and Zoe are sitting on the couch in your apartment. You two are patiently watching the TV. Waiting. Then it happens. The program cuts to a breaking news story. "Good Afternoon, Concordia. This is Ashley Sweed reporting on a breaking story about Xerxes Technologies." You and Zoe give each other a glance. This is it. "Early this morning, sensitive data from Xerxes Technologies was leaked onto a public server. The data included information and even security footage, from the incident at the Xerxes branch in New Mexico 3 years ago. The data was circulated quickly through the internet, and this news station has managed to gain access to the secuirty footage. Be advised, this footage is shocking." The news station then proceeds to show the security footage. Unedited and unchanged. They are showing it in its rawest form for all to see. [[The news anchor continues.]]

"All of this comes as a shock to the world. Especially after Xerxes won their court case a few years back, denying any sort of negligence. This new evidence against them, however, will certainly open doors for new lawsuits. It all appears to be an elaborate cover up by Xerxes Technologies. (if:(history: where its name contains "Leave Gun With Xerxes")'s length is 1)[In addition, CEO Xerxes Deker, was found dead this morning in Xerxes Tower. He was found alone, with a gun in his hand." You swallow, and continue listening to the broadcast. "Law enforcment have their suspicions, but currenlty, Mr. Deker's death is being declared a suicide. Police have also taken many of the companies board of directors into custody, under suspicion of being invloved.](if:(history: where its name contains "Forget About Him. He's Already Lost.")'s length is 1)[In a press conference with CEO, Xerxes Deker, this is all he had to say..." The TV cuts to an interview with Xerxes, probably done earlier that morning. "It's all a conspiracy against me! Xerxes Technologies will continue to provide innovation for humanity!" Xerxes says on the podium, scrambling for his words. The TV cuts back to the news anchor. "Unfortunately for Mr. Deker, I don't think Xerxes Technologies will be doing anything, anytime soon. Xerxes Deker was placed into police custody, and most of the companies board of directors was as well, under suspicion of involvment.] (if:(history: where its name contains "Knock Out Xerxes")'s length is 1)[In a press conference with CEO, Xerxes Deker, this is all he had to say..." The TV cuts to an interview with Xerxes, probably done earlier that morning. "It's all a conspiracy against me! Xerxes Technologies will continue to provide innovation for humanity!" Xerxes says on the podium, scrambling for his words. The TV cuts back to the news anchor. "Unfortunately for Mr. Deker, I don't think Xerxes Technologies will be doing anything, anytime soon. Xerxes Deker was placed into police custody, and most of the companies board of directors was as well, under suspicion of involvment.]In addition, Xerxes stocks are down almost 600%, with many investors pulling out. We will have more information on this story later, as new developments happen. This has been Ashley Sweed, Concordia Evening News." [[The broadcast ends]]

You and Zoe sit there on the couch for a moment, in silence. "We did it." Zoe says. You look at her, and see she is tearing up. "We actuall did it!" She says, and turns to you. Wrapping her arms around you. "Yeah, I guess we did, Zoe." You say and hug her as well. You two sit there for several moments, embracing each other. She pulls away a few seconds later and stands up. "Well, I gotta get back to my place and get it cleaned up. Then we will work on getting a celebration party together. How 'bout it?" She says and laughs. You laugh too. "Sounds great, Zoe." She begins walking towards your door and then turns around. "Be over soon, ok?" You smile and nod. She smiles back, and walks through your apartment door. [[Go To Roof]]

You approach Xerxes slowly, keeping the gun aimed at him. He trembles on the ground as you get closer. "Please..." He says in a quivering tone. Quickly, you raise up the gun and bring it down as hard as possible over his head. You strike him right in the side of his temple. He snaps onto his back, out cold. Zoe lets out an extreme sigh of relief. "Holy shit! That was too intense. C'mon, lets get the hell out of here." She says and begins headed towards the elevator. As you walk past the unconcious Xerxes, you notice the blue sliver on the floor. The holo-shard, with Icarus on it. You had almost forgotten about it. Zoe comes back over and looks at it with you. "So... What do we do about Icarus?" [[Destroy It]] [[Take Holo-Shard With You]]

You approach Xerxes slowly, keeping the gun aimed at him. He trembles on the ground as you get closer. "Please..." He says in a quivering tone. You close your eyes, and slowly squeeze the trigger. Their is a loud bang as the gun goes off, and then silence. You open your eyes. Xerxes lay dead at your feet. A bullet in the side of his head. You turn around to look at Zoe. She has her eyes shut, and she slowly lets out a breath. She opens her eyes. "It had to be done. He was a monster." She says in a cold tone. You look at the gun in your hand, and then at Xerxes body. [[Leave Gun With Xerxes]]

You walk over to Xerxes corpse. You carefully place the gun in his hand. You look back at Zoe. "Hopefull, when they find him, they'll think it was suicide." You say. Zoe thinks for a moment and then replies "Yeah. They'll think he was so racked with guilt from what he's done, that he took his own life." Its morbid and dark. But perhaps the best choice you have. On the ground something cataches your eye. By the hand of the deceased Xerxes, a blue sliver. The holo-shard, with Icarus on it. You had almost forgotten about it. Zoe walks over and looks at it. "So... what do we do about Icarus?" [[Destroy It]] [[Take Holo-Shard With You]]

You get up from your couch, and head up to the roof of your apartment building. It is raining again, but you don't care. You pull up your hood and walk over to the railing. You lean over it and look out over the sprawling, mega-city. You stare out at the cityscape. Concordia. Your home. You catch Xerxes Tower in your vision. You stare at the building for a moment, and then chuckle to yourself. In the end, you won. (if:(history: where its name contains "Take Holo-Shard With You")'s length is 1)[You take the Icarus holo-shard out of your pocket. You look at it for a few moments, between your fingertips. Then you look over the railing, and then back at the shard.] (if:(history: where its name contains "Destroy It")'s length is 1)[[Leave For Zoe's]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Take Holo-Shard With You")'s length is 1)[[Put Holo-Shard Back In Pocket]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Take Holo-Shard With You")'s length is 1)[[Drop Holo-Shard]]

You think for a moment. Then, without a second thought, you tighten your fist around the shard. Crushing it. You drop it and watch it fall down the side of the building, disappearing into the city below. "Good riddance, Icarus." You say and turn away from the railing. [[Leave For Zoe's]]

You think for a moment. Then you shake your head, and slide the holo-shard back into your pocket. "Probably best to hang onto you for now, Icarus." You say and turn away from the railing. [[Leave For Zoe's]]

you walk towards the door that leads back down into the apartment building. You take one last look behind you, staring out at the Xerxes tower. You smirk, and turn away. You leave for Zoe's apartment. Closing this chapter on your life, once and for all. ''THE END.'' [[PLAY AGAIN->Beginning]]

You gather your thoughts. "Zoe, listen! Maybe we have been looking at this the wrong way the whole time. Xerxes had his reasons to cover up the what happened in New Mexico. Imagine the panic that would have ensued if people were aware of what really happened there!" You say. Then, Xerxes speaks up. "Listen to your friend, my dear. My intentions with Project Icarus, were always pure. What happened in New Mexico was heartbreakingly unfortunate. I promise you, that if we all work together, we can ensure that something like that never happens again." You continue speaking. "C'mon, Zoe. We can be partners in this, and do something truly great with our lives. We won't have to live like fugitives. I mean think about it, even if we expose Xerxes, they'll still come after us. We won't be able to live normally!" Zoe is just staring at her feet. Unmoving. You glance at the terminal behind her. The upload is at 95%. Your running out of time. [[Approach Zoe]]

You walk slowly up to Zoe, and place your hands on her shoulders. "Zoe.." You begin. She looks up at you, tears in her eyes. "Why? Why come this far, just to betray everything that we worked towards?" "Zoe, think about. We could work towards a new goal, with a new purpose. And we could still do it together." You say. Zoe collapses onto you. You embrace her. "So, Zoe. What do you say?" The two of you stand in silence for a moment. Then you hear Zoe speak up. "Ok... Let's go work for Xerxes. Hopefully make a good situation out of a really, really shitty one." She pulls away from you and walks over to the terminal. She types in some commands and a few moments later your hear a voice say: "Data upload terminated!" Xerxes walks up behind you and Zoe. "I'm glad we could all reach an agreement. Now let's get to work!" [[AFTERMATH: Xerxes' Offer]]

You walk slowly towards the terminal, passing Zoe. A moment later you hear movement behind you. You whip around. You see Zoe coming at you. She swings her fist and it cracks across your face. "YOU FUCKER!" She yells in rage. You stumble over in a daze. Before you can react, her fist pounds into your gut. She hits you with such force that you cough up some blood. You stumble backwards and manage to gain your composure. You wipe your mouth, clearing away the blood. Zoe is coming at you again. [[Block]] or [[Punch]]

Several months pass.. Project Icarus was moved from branch facility expirementation, to in-house expirementation. Xerxes Deker had a special containment labratory set up, hundereds of feet below Xerxes Tower. You and Zoe have been working as consultants of Xerxes, aiding him directly, as well as high level programmers. Progress on Project Icarus has been slow, but it's there. Small expirement teams are now sent into the lab to be up close, with the new Icarus frame, rather than a large group like at New Mexico. This reduces casualty count... Employees working in this division now have to sign both an NDA.. and a waiver. This was Xerxes briliant plan to try and eliminate a large scale incident like what happened at New Mexico. Last month, only 3 employees died... [[Leave Work]]

You hold up your arms to block her incoming advance. You block her first hit, but the second one nails you right in the side of your ribs. The pain radiates up your side, but the adrenaline your feeling quickly makes it subside. You grab Zoe's arm while it is still close to you. [[Knee]] or [[Throw]]

You raise up your right arm, readying a punch. You swing at her. She swings with her left arm. You both simultaniously punch across each others face. You both stumble back.

You pull her in close, brining up your knee hard and fast. It impacts against her stomach. She lets out a large gasp of air. She recovers from it quickly though, and breaks free from your grasp. She kicks her leg up through the air, knocking you right in the face with her foot. You fly back and hit the gorund. You lay there dazed for a moment and then see her coming at you.

Double-click this passage to edit it.

Your shift is over, and your leaving Xerxes Tower for the day. The elevator ride up from the Icarus facility is long, usually taking about 5 minutes. The elevator stops, finally at the top. The large doors slide open. On the other side is a familiar face. Zoe. She switched over to the night shift, so you don't see her often anymore. "Hey, Zoe. How's it been going?" You say as you step out of the elevator. She is silent for a moment, but then she speaks. "I've been as well as I possibly can be." She says and steps into the large elevator. "Hey, uh... good luck tonight! Hope you make some real progress." You say. She turns around and gives you a blank stare. "Yeah, progress. Maybe I'll join Icarus' death toll tonight. If Im lucky, of course." She says coldly as the elevator doors begin to shut. The elevator door shuts. You have a sick feeling in your stomach. "What have I done..." you think to yourself. [[Go Home]]

You arrive back at your apartment. You walk through it, almost mindlessly, straight to your bedroom. You sit down on your bed. Reality comes crashing back to you. Zoe. Xerxes. You betrayed everything you believed in that night so many months ago. You betrayed yourself, but more importantly you betrayed Zoe. The data from the New Mexico incident was permanently deleted that night, so never in your life will you get another chance to bring Xerxes down. Now she resents you, and keeps hoping that she will just die on the job. In fact, you've been having some of the same thoughts. Maybe it would be better if you were just killed on the job. Maybe thats exactly what Xerxes wanted all along. To get rid of you and Zoe, by disposing of you in the work place. You look over at your closet. [[Go To Sleep]] or [[End It]]

You shake off the thoughts. "Snap out of it! You've still got work to do!" You say to yourself. You roll over into your bed and go to sleep. You've got to be back at work tomorrow. You'll make Project Icarus work, one way or the other. And, you'll regain Zoe's friendship. Whatever it takes... ''THE END'' [[PLAY AGAIN->Beginning]]

You walk over to your closet and stare into the dark. The darkness that you will be joining soon... You step in and close the door behind you. ''THE END'' [[PLAY AGAIN->Beginning]]