You have no chance to survive. - Let's Play Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive

[Olive Branch]

What is Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive?

Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive (or DE4) is an indie point-and-click adventure-horror game. It was developed by Scriptwelder and published by Armor Games Studios. It's the fourth game in the "Don't Escape" series, but as far as I can tell, there is no relationship between the four games.

A cataclysmic event has cracked the moon in half, and the Earth is struggling with the environmental fallout. Everything is already dead, dying, or mutating... except David, a lone survivor having prophetic dreams. We control David through the end of the world in the post-apocalyptic land, trying to survive four days of terror and danger. David must find a way to fortify his shelter each night against new threats, and perhaps meet companions, but time is not on his side, as many actions advance the clock and bring the deadly night closer and closer.

Will David survive? Will we discover the truth behind the apocalypse, and maybe live through the effects of the sundering of the moon? That depends on us!

What kind of LP is this?

This is a blind screenshot LP, and I have never played this game. It was recommended to me by my good friend and companion Maple Leaf, who encouraged me to do this Let's Play repeatedly. You, my great audience, will follow me in this quest, giving me your valuable input to make certain decisions or take certain actions to survive each day. Some actions I'll be worrying about myself and doing what I can to keep the story moving, but there will be times where I'll ask you to vote and contribute to David's decisions. In these votes, I will also be casting a vote and explaining my reasoning, but I will go with the majority vote. Please remember, as this is a blind Let's Play, there is a no spoilers rule in effect. I want to discover the story alongside all of you!

How are the updates going to be written?

As the game is dialogue-heavy and descriptive, there will be screenshots and a lot of in-text writing. Characters speaking will have an image of their heads talking, while my own commentary will be in italics. Any narrative writing will be written without any addition or modification to the text, or between [square brackets] for tutorials. If you see a musical note icon, click on the associated link to listen to the soundtrack that plays in certain areas!














































Characters

David: The player character. A good man who cares for his friends and a bit of a packrat, he has prophetic dreams of deaths that will happen to him the next night.
Catherine: Catherine Mayweather, or Cate for short. The helicopter pilot that crashed into our farmhouse at the start of the second day. She used to work for Sidereal Plexus and is probably from another world. She hinted that we have already experienced cycles of awakening.
Cody: A skinny ten-year old boy. We found him at the burger restaurant on the second day and gave him food to convince him to come with us. Loves tigers.
Barry: A middle-aged man whose wife, Maggie, died on the first night. We found him at his home on the second day and helped him by burying Maggie. He died on the third day while we explored the Sidereal Plexus office. He survived on the seventh day after our warning.
Sarge: Sergeant First Class Franklin McWillis. Leader of what's left of the army. We found him and his men camping out at the restaurant on the third day. He wanted to go west through the desert. We met him again on the seventh day, but he had joined a gang of bandits. We convinced him to leave with his men.
Paul: One of Sarge's men. An engineer who gave us Storm Catchers to help us survive the storm after we helped his squadmate Steve.
Josh: One of Sarge's men. He held up on his own, but didn't want to become a deserter and leave his squad behind.
Mark: One of Sarge's men. He trusted Sarge and considered him a friend, but thought we were "crazy sect people" for suggesting a way out of Earth.
Steve: One of Sarge's men. He was wounded by bandits during a firefight before we met him, but we patched him up with some items we found.
Maggie: Barry's dead wife. She visited us in our dream during the sixth night to warn us we were dream-traveling, and asked to save Barry in this life.
Seeing Creature: A mysterious dark figure who "found" us while talking to Maggie in the sixth night's dream. We had to run from it and beware its touch, according to Maggie.
Razor: The bandit leader. We spied on him and Sarge on the seventh day discussing the plan to attack us at night. His attack failed and he was captured. We decided to spare his life and let him go.

[Olive Branch]

We fade into a strange, half-lit living room. The wind whistles through the shattered window.



David, the lone survivor we control, walks into the frame from the darkness on the right.



The game helpfully gives us our controls: left-click to interact, right-click to examine. The items we find will have their descriptions written up from this examination.



We try the sturdy-looking door, but it's locked, as David points out. So how about that window? It's dark outside...



Oh god!



With a shatter of glass, two giant spiders burst through the window and maul David into a lifeless corpse.



But it was just a dream. David is in fact alive and well, and camping out in the desert. It's a bright morning, the sun is shining, and the moon is cracked in half. Just another day in the post-apocalypse. Let's check out our campsite.

What a nightmare... It all felt so real...
(Interaction - Tent) I think this tent served me well long enough. It's too damaged to keep using it. I'll just leave it here.
(Interaction - Campfire) That campfire kept me warm through the night. There's nothing left of it now.
(Attempting to move) I'm not going anywhere without my trusty backpack.



Let's take that backpack, which acts as our inventory.



It appears we can carry up to twenty items, but only 30 kilograms (that's about 66 pounds for the American audience). The heavier our load, though, the more time certain actions will take to carry out, like climbing out of a ditch. So how about that broken moon, eh?

(Interaction - Moon) It's shattered, just like all the dreams humankind ever had...



Moving east towards the wasteland causes some spiderwebs to tangle up in the horizon...

(Interaction - Spiderweb) Are those spiderwebs on the wind? They're huge. I think my nightmare might have been more than just a dream. I still have a couple of hours, but I have to find a shelter... fast.



David has a journal! As the game helpfully points out, we can check our current progress and David's movements throughout the day here.



David just started his journal. A couple of things of interest: the year is 1996, and David thinks the remains of the moon are getting bigger every day. Could this mean the moon is on a collision course with Earth? If so, we may just be screwed from the get-go.



But David has to get moving. Staying put means no fresh food or water, and no shelter for the night. So let's head east into the wasteland.



We don't get far before we run into some ruins in the distance, and closer, a great wall spanning the desert.

(Interaction - Ruins) Another ruin slowly swallowed by the desert.

Let's approach that wall. It seems there's an outhouse or shed and a hole in the wall we can go through. Let's check it out.

I don't have time to walk around this wall. There's gotta be a faster way to get to the other side.



[You will be warned each time before that happens. When you find a hiding place and prepare it for the night, use the clock icon to finish the current day.]

Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive has a clock mechanic. As the game points out, some actions we can take use up time, and how much time we spend depends on what we're doing. For the moment, I'll be taking decisions on my own about using up time, but later on, I'll give the thread leave to make decisions for me. So how about that hole, David? Can you fit through?

(Interaction - Hole) If only that hole was a bit larger I could squeeze through to the other side of that wall...

Let's check out that wooden fence.



You bet we're taking that wooden pole out!

A solid wooden pole (1 kg). Quite sturdy looking round pole.

How about the shed?



Hello there, that's a sledgehammer head.

A sledgehammer head (15 kg). A heavy hammer head. Useless without a handle.



By clicking on one item and then using it on another... We can combine those two items!

A sledgehammer (16 kg). A big, heavy hammer.



The only way through is by widening the hole! Get to work, David.



David swings the makeshift hammer three times, widening the hole enough for him to go through.



We are through the wall, but as we continue to walk east...





Well, that sucks. The sledgehammer could have come in handy. But that's another point this game is making: we can't carry everything we want. Sometimes we'll have to leave things behind. Thankfully they'll stay where we left them. In this case, though, the sledgehammer will be left behind in the sands.



And as we keep heading east, the game tells us we have to march on. And so... We do.

Main Menu

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!

Investigation



After hiking through the wasteland, David voices what I'm thinking. I'm sure this place could serve as a shelter. What about that sign?



A gas station 1.5 miles away. Unless it's been picked clean by other survivors, we should find something of use there.




David forestalls my attempts at exploring away from the house, though. So let's walk up to that house!



It looks in good shape to me!



The house has a path leading to the front door, and one to the rear. But can we enter it?

(Interaction - Door) It's locked.
(Interaction - Window) I have to break that glass if I want to get inside.

Well, bummer. I guess David isn't feeling up to using his elbow to smash the glass, and breaking the door down would weaken this place as a shelter. Let's follow that path!



The back of the house has a rear door, and the sad skeleton of a greenhouse, held together with rotten planks and rusty nails.

(Interaction - Door) It's locked.
(Interaction - Greenhouse) I could recycle some of the nails that hold this greenhouse together, but I need a tool for that.

So the back door is also locked, and we have a secondary objective: get some nails. I bet they're bound to be important. Also, there's something lying on the greenhouse.

A water sprayer (0.5 kg). It could be used to spray plants with water, if I didn't have better things to do. And if I had any plants.

Okay, maybe if we can fill this up with gas or something, and it could serve as a weapon?



We continue following the path and find a bright-red barn and tractor. There's also an irrigation pipeline running out of the barn and into the fields beyond.

(Interaction - Tractor) Months spent out in the open took its toll on this tractor. It's completely ruined. There isn't even anything to salvage.
(Interaction - Water irrigation system) These pipes seem to cover a lot of area, surrounding the house with the irrigation system.



The barn itself seems sturdy enough, and the machinery looks functional. There's a pickup truck in here, and a pipe, too. I am getting some ideas for this pipe.

A short pipe (1 kg). A short, metal pipe.

(Trying to interact with anything) I should find a way to get into that house before I start fiddling with things in here.

I guess the tutorial is still restricting my exploration abilities. I can't mess with anything here, with the exception of the car's trunk.



Getting some serious Fallout 2 vibes off the fact we can store items in the car. I bet that if we fix it up we'll be able to drive it around with our stuff in it. I also noticed is a haystack covering the pipes... Maybe there's a needle in there.



Kicking the haystack a few times reveals the pipe running under it, but as David puts it, it's not exactly in working order right now. Anyway, now that we have a metal pipe, I figure we can smash the house window and get inside.



With a mighty swing, David smashes the glass of the window. He brushes away the remnants of the glass clinging to the frame too. Nice touch.



Inside

We enter the house through the window, but I'll be damned if it isn't a ringer for the dream we had in which David got turned into spider chow.

This place looks abandoned... Staying here might be a good idea, but I only have a few hours to convert this ruin into a fortress before my nightmare catches up with me. I should look around and explore. That road sign might be a good start.

Next order of business is exploring this house, and given that David says we should explore, the stuff in the barn is probably active, too. Our journal got updated, so let's give that a read.

7:53 am: I found an abandoned house that looks like a good place to stay... I should go out, explore down the road and look for something to fortify this place with...



(Interaction - Photo) This photo of an old lady was taken years ago. The colors have faded a bit, but her warm smile is still clearly visible.
(Interaction - Kindling basket) The kindling box is empty.
(Interaction - Fireplace) The fireplace is empty. Only some ashes from previous uses still scattered all around in it. I also think the chimney is clogged. I don't feel any air draft. That's actually good news... at least for now.



[You can also just drop them on the ground - they will not disappear.]

This storage chest lets us store items in it, as the game helpfully points out. Since we only have a carrying capacity of 30 kg, being able to throw stuff we don't need in here will help us travel light. There's something in here, so let's grab it.

A hammer with a broken handle (1.8 kg). It's useless until I fix it somehow. World seems to be full of broken hammers.

Looks like this is everything in the living room. Let's head to the back of the house.



What a nice little kitchen space. Really welcoming and feels like a home.

(Interaction - Oven, closed) I've opened the oven. I've also switched it on, but nothing happened. There's no power.
(Interaction - Oven, open) I've closed the oven and switched it off.
(Interaction - Fridge) The fridge is empty. After such a long time without electricity, I'm relieved to know that.

Hanging on the rack, and glinting in the sunlight, is a set of house keys! Score! We can unlock the doors... but shouldn't forget to lock them again afterwards, just in case. Since the kitchen is all explored, time to go upstairs.

House keys (0.1 kg). A set of house keys, for both front and back doors.



The upstairs of the house looks like it served as a bedroom and office space. Of note is that the window here is broken, so maybe we should fix that later. There's also a ladder leading up to a ceiling hatch to what I'm guessing is an attic.

(Interaction - Window) A nice view around the wasteland, with the Moon hanging above like an executioner's axe.



It's locked, and I can't find any means of opening it.
(Item - House keys on ceiling hatch) There is no lock in that hatch. I think it might jammed rather than locked. Nothing I can do about it for now.

Oh well. Maybe we can use some sort of tool on it later, since David can't reach the handle or shove the door open. But we can still check out that desk with the broken computer and stack of papers next to it.

(Interaction - Papers) There was a paper clip holding several sheets of paper together. The documents themselves don't hold any useful information. Just some invoices for farming equipment.

A paperclip (0 kg). It looks really useful. I'm sure it would be helpful if I was writing a letter.
A stack of documents (0.5 kg). Some financial documents, invoices and bills, mostly for farming equipment.

(Interaction - Computer) The screen is all cracked and the case seems partially burnt. This PC won't work.

Damn! Now how is David going to goon it up if he can't lounge in front of a screen all day? Well, that's all there is to look at in this area, but there is a bathroom to the left.



The bathroom looks functional. The window here is also broken, though. How did that happen to both upper floor windows and not the ground floor one?

(Interaction - Mirror 1) You talking to me?
(Interaction - Mirror 2) Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land? Probably not me.
(Interaction - Mirror 3) That's me. I should probably wash myself. If only I had the time...
(Interaction - Mirror 4) I can see each and every day spent on the wasteland reflected in this face.
(Interaction - Mirror 5) This mirror has probably seen better looking faces.
(Interaction - Bathtub) There's no time to take a bath, unfortunately.

Between referencing Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle and not taking literally five minutes to wash himself, I think it's official, guys. David is a goon. Let's head back to the barn and wallow more in our own filth.

Investigation



Interacting with the generator gives us this. We can pull on the starting cord but David says it's out of fuel. Leaving it on "off" and trying pull the cord has David say we need an output first.

(Interaction - Water pump and irrigation control system) It seems to be dead. I think it's powered by that big generator next to it.
(Interaction - Pestice inlet) I could use this to add something to the water that will be pumped to the sprinklers.

Fuel's what we need, and I'm guessing that the oven in the house will turn on if we have the generator running with the output on "house." The irrigation system could also serve as a sort of insect deterrent if we had some pesticide, I guess. So what about the car?



Step one to being a mechanic: know your ride. Yes, let's investigate the car.

Well, the car could be started, I guess. But it doesn't look very good. Obviously a wheel is missing. The ignition coil is busted. It has no fuel.

To do: find a spare wheel, an ignition coil, and fuel.



Okay, given all that we have on hand and need for the day, I figured I'd leave the next step to you, goons. I left behind the papers and water sprayer in the house's storage chest (probably won't need those), but I'm taking the house keys, short pipe, hammer with a broken handle, and paperclip for the upcoming trek. The question is, what way out of the house shall we explore first: east or west?



Clicking on either direction brings up this map. As you can see, it's 8:08 am, and we have 11 hours and 52 minutes before night falls.



To the east is a roadblock, with a 15 minute travel time. Heading that way could probably net us an ignition coil, and it also appears to be a dead end, so we could turn right back around if we don't find anything.



To the west is a destroyed bridge, with a 15 minute travel time. The gas station is beyond here, and that's probably where we'll find plenty of the supplies we need to survive the first night, as well as gas, obviously.

Please vote on the way we should go. I personally favor going east, myself, because if a game wants you to go one way, any real explorer goes the other, right? Also, I think 30 minutes to go and come back to the house, and then keep going west, is a fair exchange of time.

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!

Almost everyone said to head east, so let's shake a leg and check out that roadblock!



Wasteland

Oh god, those corpses are covered in spiderwebs. It looks like these men put up a fight. But they didn't stand a chance in the open.

This is a grisly scene for sure. Let's see if the bodies have anything of value on them, they won't need it anymore.

(Interaction - Left corpse) There are some bite marks on its skin.



(Interaction - Right corpse) There is a small leaflet tucked between the folds of the ripped clothes.



Scent-repellents would be ideal to fortify the farmhouse, but if this "James" guy is dead, then we'll have to find his notes and get the repellent ourselves. On the bright side, there's a red wrench just sitting next to the right corpse. It was probably used to fend off the spiders, but not to any effect.

(Interaction - Wrench) Let's hope it will be more useful to me than it was to them.

A wrench (1 kg). A heavy but handy tool.

(Interaction - Car) I have to take a closer look to check out this vehicle.



We can swing 15 minutes to check if this car has anything of use.

The car is busted, so it's not going anywhere. One part that seems to be fine is the ignition coil, but getting it out won't be easy. I could remove the ignition coil from this car, but I need an adjustable wrench to do that.

Good thing we just found one lying five feet away, then!

(Item - Wrench on car) Well, let's see...



Damn, does it really take that long to work off an ignition coil with a wrench? Sure, let's do it. The way I see it, if we get the car running, we'll save time driving distances rather than walking them.

I've removed the ignition coil from the car.

An ignition coil (0.2 kg). An ignition coil, crucial to start a car's engine.

(Interaction - Car) There is nothing useful left here.

So that's one item on the checklist for fixing that red pickup, but I see more cars in the distance up ahead.



A pest control truck would be ideal to get some pesticides or scent-repellents, right? Even with all the spiderwebs around...

(Interaction - Truck) The back door is locked.
(Item - House keys on truck) These house keys won't fit. I'll need to break it open.
(Item - Pipe on truck) The pipe was good for smashing windows, but it's too broad to fit between the door and the rest of the truck.

I'm guessing we'll need a crowbar or some other thin metal tool to jimmy the truck door open. That seems to be everything we can interact with here, so it's back to the house for now. We took about an hour and a half messing around going east, but the wrench and ignition coil alone were worth it.

Investigation



Let's install that coil in the pickup before going west.

I've installed a part.



Now, to the bridge!



Wasteland

This isn't good. I mean, we knew it was out, but this means that we need to go through the ravine every time we want to cross it. But there are a few things to check out here.

(Interaction - Planks) I can't take those planks with me, but they could probably be useful right here by the bridge if I had the proper tools...
(Interaction - Wrecked car) This car has been wrecked beyond repair. Maybe I could take its wheel off if I had a wrench... which I happen to have!



It's a damn good thing we followed the mantra of "when a game says one way, go the other." Let's pop that wheel off.

Apart from almost falling off the cliff once, all went well. I got the wheel.

A car wheel (2.5 kg). A car wheel taken from a wrecked pickup truck.

Two-point-five kilos is way too light for a wheel, but whatever. I think it's safe to leave the wheel here, since I want to save my backpack space for whatever we may find at the gas station.



Three minutes to cross the ravine? It could just be perception wonking me out but I'm sure I could cross that in less than a minute. On we go!



After climbing to the other side, the ten-minute walk to the gas station is simple enough.



Exploration

"Oh yeah, this is totally an inviting and safe place to explore," David's facial expression is saying. Let's check out the gas station shop. I just hope we don't come across any spiders.



Well, crap.

(Interaction - Spider) It hasn't noticed me yet. I'd rather keep it that way.
(Trying to interact with anything) I don't want to get anywhere near that spider.

There are so many goodies in this room, but we need to get rid of this spider somehow. We'll come back later... so long as it doesn't have a buddy hanging around looking for fresh meat to munch on. The gas station shop has two doors, so let's head back outside and check out the rear room.



No spiders here, but not much to loot, either, other than plastic wrap, window nets, and metal bars. I bet these would work wonders to block spiders from entering through the broken windows in the farmhouse. There is also a pile of plates.

A plastic wrap (4 kg). A roll of plastic wrap.
A window net (4 kg). A strong and durable window net.
Metal bars (9 kg). A set of strong metal bars. The gaps between the bars are quite large.

(Interaction - Plates) Breaking this pile of plates would sure make a lot of noise.

I guess the idea here is to find a way to break the plates to distract the spider, but I'm holding off on taking any of these window-covering candidates yet. They are really heavy, and I think we may need to leave what material we use for the windows up to a vote. Speaking of windows, there is one facing the parking lot of the gas station, so let's head there.



A small rock lies on the ground, and a big fuel truck tanker is just chilling out here. Time to get a pet rock!

A small rock (1 kg). A small, round rock.

(Interaction - Fuel valves) There is a valve from which the fuel should flow. But how do I open it?



In attempting to use the wrench on the fuel valves, David succeeds in opening them, but without a container of some sort the fuel just spills on the ground. Now, I think it's time to say good-bye to the pet rock. It came from the earth, and to the earth it must return.



A moment after chucking the rock against the pile of plates, the spider comes to check out the noise, and David automatically turns around and leaves the back room.

(Interaction - Rear door to gas station shop) The spider is probably still there. I don't want to come anywhere near it...

David overrides my suicidal tendencies to check out the rear room again. Let's check out the front of the gas station, unimpeded by the eight-legged monstrosity.



Much, much better. Let's grab what we can, or at least what makes sense to loot for now. I see a hunting rifle on the ground, a pile of cash on the ground, a gas canister, and more! First things first, gimme that rifle.

A rifle (5 kg). A hunting rifle. It has 6 bullets.

10:36 am: I have a hunting rifle and some bullets. Not a perfect weapon against those bastards, but it will probably help. What else can I do to prepare?

(Interaction - Trinket stand) There is a lighter here that could be useful.

A lighter (0 kg). It's still working.

(Interaction - Cash) Well, you never know. Maybe it's going to be worth something again someday.

A wad of cash (0.1 kg). A wad of pretty much useless pieces of paper.

(Interaction - Newspaper and magazine stand) A newspaper from long ago sits in the magazine stand.





Yikes. The moon's explosion is most definitely the corporation's fault. I doubt that a single meteor could do such catastrophic damage and smash the moon to rubble without it being big enough to get picked up by science teams around the world, even in 1996.



Upon grabbing the bag of charcoal, the game strongly hints we won't need it. Whatever, we can throw it in the storage box, or maybe use it to light a fire? Or maybe that's a bad idea, given the flue is broken. In either case, no harm came from being a bit of a pack rat.

A bag of charcoal (10 kg). A bag full of barbecue charcoal.

(Interaction - Gas canister) It's empty. Well, the container might be useful.

An empty gas canister (1 kg). An empty canister.



The crowbar is stuck in the cash register and seems to be wedged firm in there. Nothing to be done but take the time to get it out, because I want to bust into that pest control truck. Pray the spider doesn't get bored checking out the back room within that time, though.

A crowbar (1.5 kg). A sturdy, handy tool that can be used to break things.

(Interaction - Corpse) This man is dead. Covered with webs and partially eaten. I don't want to touch him.

That seems to be everything in the room, and nothing useful is left in the trinket stand. Our inventory is mighty cluttered right now, so I think I'll leave behind the charcoal, especially since we need the space for fuel. Given that both the pickup truck and generator need gas, we may have to do two trips here, or more, if we want to get all the window stuff. Let's just leave for now--



Aaahhh! The spider found us! David falls on his rump as the arachnid advances towards him... We have to defend ourselves!



Use hunting rifle on spider!






Bang! Thanks to many goony sessions of Quake, David takes a quick snapshot with the rifle, wounding the spider as it launches itself at him. Spouting poisonous green blood through its new orifice, the spider retreats! We have five bullets left, but if more than that number of spiders attacks us in the night, we'll be in trouble.

And now that David has gotten his first taste of spider blood, time to get some gas as our prize.



I use the gas container on the gas valves, and David sets it down under one of them. Then, using the wrench on the valves, we get some precious, precious gas pouring in there.

A full gas canister (10 kg). A canister full of fuel.

That's about everything we can grab right now from the gas station. We're carrying 20.5 kg of stuff, so let's pop over to the farmhouse and drop some stuff off.

Wasteland



Jeez! All that weight in the bag is really hampering David's climbing ability. Getting the bridge fixed up is probably going to save us a lot of time.



On my way over to pick up the wheel I left behind, I noticed a small spade with a strong wooden handle on the back of the truck. David goes to grab it, but rather than take it out like I expected he snaps the handle off.

A wooden handle (0.2 kg). It's a small wooden handle.

It's all good, though, because it turns out this handle is a perfect fit for that broken hammer we've been lugging around. I combine the two items and presto, a new hammer!

A hammer (2 kg). Small, robust, and almost completely useless without nails.

(Item - Hammer on planks) I need nails to do this.

Yeah, I figured we couldn't just bang the planks with the hammer, cathartic as that could have been. Luckily, I recall the greenhouse has some nails, so let's head home and do a little inventory shuffling.

Investigation



But first, time to fix the car and gas it up! Slap that wheel on!

I've installed a part.



I've fueled the car.



Cool, now we can use the car whenever we want. Driving to the gas station or any other place will be way, way faster than walking there.



By using the crowbar on the greenhouse's supports, we get the option of getting some nails. Sure, let's get as many as we can!



David can rip all four supports down, but trying to use the crowbar further just results in him telling us there are only rotten planks left.

Broken planks (2.5 kg). A stack of broken planks. Withered and rotten, they don't make for good building material.
A handful of nails (0.1 kg). Some are bent, some are rusty, but probably could be used to, well, nail stuff.



Might as well use our new ride to get around in style!



Wasteland

We need to bust down that pest control truck's doors, and the crowbar does the job neatly.



There's some stuff to look at here. We have a pair of bear traps and four lockers. I wager those bear traps will be a good defense against the spider menace, so I'll be taking both.

A bear trap (5 kg). It looks dangerous.



The first locker has some pesticide cans, the second locker was locked but I prised it open with the crowbar, the third is empty, and the fourth has a note. Before we touch anything else we should read what that note says.

A pest control truck sticky note (0 kg).



Okay. We did check out those bite marks from that body earlier, and looking back, I counted six teeth: two big ones in the center, and two small ones flanking both sides of the big teeth. According to the note, repellent B-36 is our best bet.

A can labeled "B-36" (0.5 kg). It seems to be some sort of aromatic repellent.

That second locker had some duct tape, nice!

Duct tape (0.1 kg). Water resistant, strong and durable. They say there isn't a thing that can't be repaired by using a lot of duct tape. If it can't be repaired you're probably not using enough duct tape.

And that's all the truck had. I'll head back home with our truck and dump the lot in the storage chest. Next stop is the ravine, because I want to fix that bridge up.



Damn, so much for using the car to drive around the ravine. Still, for one set of nails we get a whole bridge we can walk over? I'll gladly invest the time on this now.



David's not a bad handyman, but I'd like to strengthen this bridge up for our car.



While spending two hours to do this seems like overkill, I can't drive through the ravine with the car. I don't know how much more of our day we'll need to spend scavenging, but the car is a huge timesaver, so long as the gas doesn't run out from that tanker, that is.



Beautiful. I just hope the planks actually hold up. Imagine using the rotten planks from the greenhouse for this job. We'd have wrecked our ride.



Exploration

I loot the gas station's window netting, plastic wraps, and metal bars, one for each broken window, and chuck them in the trunk of the car. Next step is to gas up our generator, so I head back home and do so.

Investigation

I've fueled the generator. Now I just have to start it.

Inside



After one more run to the gas station to top off our gas container again and pick up the charcoal, I transfer everything we have from the car to the storage container. Given we took absolutely everything not nailed down, as well as what was by taking the nails too, the next step is fortifying the place. I try to load up the water sprayer with the repellent we got.

(Item - B-36 can on water sprayer) Interesting idea, but I should find a way to spray this thing a lot more.

Investigation

I figure that what I need to do is load up the irrigation system with the B-36 can by placing it on the pesticide inlet, and I do so. To fix up the broken pipe, I'll use some plastic wrap with duct tape to prevent leakage. Does my idea pan out?

(Item - Plastic wrap on pipes) This won't make a tight enough seal.

Huh, okay. Then let's do the next best thing: our handy-dandy roll of duct tape!



Go wild, David. Use plenty of duct tape, and if in doubt, use even more.

I've put enough duct tape here to make it last until the end of time. Well, until Thursday, that is.



Things are looking up! Since the irrigation system is good to go, the next step is to fire up the generator with power going to the water pump.



Come on, David. Pull that cord like you mean it!

Come on, start already!

And one more pull...

Finally! It's running!



Upon checking out the water irrigation system, I'm struck by the complexity here. I'm guessing we'll need "mist mode" to spread the pheromones far and wide, rather than poisoning the groundwater...

(Interaction - Standby button) I want to switch it on, not off.
(Interaction - Ground watering button) There is no need to water the ground. It's not like I'll grow any crops here anyway.
(Interaction - Overnight mist spray irrigation button) This should cause the night sky to be soaked with dense mist.



Clicking on the sprinkler buttons raises or lowers the efficiency of our irrigation. This is the classic minigame where pushing one of the buttons on or off activates that button and any adjacent to it, so after fooling around with the puzzle a bit, I manage to light up all the sprinklers for maximum efficiency. We won't get many spiders chasing after us now!

04:19 pm: I scheduled the water sprinklers to put out a wall of mist with some extra chemical solution. Is there anything else I can do?

Inside

The last thing I think we need to do is cover up the windows and set up bear traps in front of our doors. Maybe get a fire going, I don't know.

(Item - Bag of charcoal on fireplace) I don't think lighting a fire is my priority now.
(Item - Bag of charcoal on kindling box) I don't have to put any fuel in the kindling box. I don't plan on lighting a fire... for now.

Well, I don't want to risk diverting power from the water pump to the house for lighting, at any rate. But now I think it's time for us to convene the goon council for David's continued health before moving on! As far as I can tell, there's only one more thing that needs doing, and that's putting up protection on our windows (and maybe doors), as well as dispatching the bear traps. There are three votes for you to consider today.

First, what type of protection should we use in our windows: metal bars, window netting, or plastic wrap? Also, how should we secure them to the windows? Given that we're facing giant spiders, I want to be safe and put up metal bars, because I'm sure that window netting isn't strong enough, and plastic wrap... will most definitely not work and get us killed horribly.

Second, what weapon shall we arm ourselves with for the night when we have finished fortifying the place? No contest here: I want to cradle that hunting rifle like it's my own baby. We could carry something else, like the wrench, the hammer, maybe trying to rig up something with the water sprayer and gas, or even go barehanded, but again, we're facing giant spiders here. Plus, we've already seen that one well-placed bullet, while it won't necessarily kill the spiders, will scare them off.

Third, what shall we name our car? I was thinking something like Big Red, but whatever name sounds cool and most-liked, I'll take!

[Olive Branch]

So by my counting, the votes were for metal bars for the windows (though a few people recommended netting or layering with netting), the creation and use of a flamethrower for nighttime protection if a rifle isn't possible, and Clifford will be our pickup's name, as suggested by SSNeoman! With all that said, it's time to get to work setting up for the night.

Inside





(Item - Metal bars on windows) It's just hanging there. I still should do something to attach it to the wall around the window.

So, slapping the metal bars on the windows alone isn't enough, but before we do something like wrap them up with duct tape, let's see if I can't layer this bad boy.

(Item - Window netting or plastic wrap on window with metal bars) There is something else in the window. I should remove it first.

Ah well. No layering of protective covering here. Maybe if the spiders were smaller, or if we were facing radioactive mosquitos or something, we could use the netting and plastic with the metal bars. But as it is, only the metal bars can stay. What about those rotten planks we got from the greenhouse? Could they at least serve as padding or extra debris to hold back the spiders?

(Item - Rotten planks on window) Those planks are too rotten and fragile to be of any use here.

Well, I have no idea what we can use these for, so back in the storage bin they go. Now, how to affix the metal bars properly...

(Item - Nails on window) Throwing nails at it won't work. I need a hammer.

We only have two handfuls of nails to spare, but I'm not sure if we will need them in the future. Hammering the nails alone may not do the job of holding back a jumping giant spider, either. Goons Black Robe and Maple Leaf recommended using the nails and maybe duct tape, too, but there's a problem. We have three windows to worry about, and only two sets of nails. So instead of making that decision now, let's turn to another potential tool: making a flamethrower with the water sprayer! The idea would be to strap the lighter on the water sprayer, if the game allows it. Will it blend?

(Item - Duct tape on water sprayer) I could use it to tape something to the water sprayer, but what should I tape?
(Item - Lighter on water sprayer) Using some duct tape, I've attached the lighter to the barrel of the water sprayer.

An empty flamethrower (0.5 kg). A water sprayer turned into a flamethrower. It just lacks fuel.

(Item - Fuel canister on empty flamethrower) I poured fuel into the water sprayer's container. I now have a working flamethrower. It will probably break really fast, but it's better than nothing.

A flamethrower (5 kg). A water sprayer turned into a flamethrower. It could be used as a weapon. I'd better hold on to it.

04:19 pm: I built a makeshift flamethrower. Might come in handy in case they get inside the house.

Yes, YES! I can feel my inner pyro being channeled! Now we just need a gas mask and full-body jumpsuit in RED or BLU colors. I'm a little scared of the comment that it'll "break really fast," but if we can survive the night, the flamethrower will have done its job. I'm more confident now. So how should we protect our window?




Well, the game seems to offer both choices. I think what I'll do is hammer on the nails first, and then reinforce it with duct tape if possible. The spiders probably (and that's a big probably) can't jump high enough to break through the second floor windows, but let's be safe, shall we?



04:39 pm: I installed iron bars in one of the windows. Will this be enough?

No, probably not. Out of curiosity, can we recycle those nails? Let's grab the crowbar and try it out...



Cool, we can get them back if necessary. For now I'll say "no." Now to reinforce with duct tape, if possible.



Oh yes baby, tie me up, tie me down! Atame!



Mmhmm, mmhmm, that is looking mighty solid. Metal bars plus nails, plus duct tape holding it all together? So far, so good. Let's do the same thing to the computer room window, just in case those spiders pull an Air Jordan (Air Bud? Air Arachnid?) and try to ambush us before we can hear them coming. As to the final window in the bathroom, just duct tape should do.




05:19 pm: I installed iron bars in some of the windows. Will this be enough?



05:59 pm: I installed iron bars in all of the windows. Will this be enough?





Our shelter is looking more like a fortress now, but I'm regretting making the car-capable bridge so early. We could have used that third set of nails to reinforce the bathroom, but what's done is done. With only two hours and a minute left to go, I'll take my chances with one of the windows not being completely up to scratch. Before we drop any bear traps though, I run back to the gas station and top off on fuel while we still have daylight, and I go on foot. On doing so I realized I left the wrench back home, so I ran back, got it, and returned, with only 21 minutes left on the clock. Oops! And now... the bear traps! David didn't let me slap on anything on the doors themselves, so the bear traps will serve as a second layer of defense if the locks break.



07:39 pm: I placed a trap inside the house. Can I improve my chances somehow?



07:39 pm: I placed two traps inside the house. Can I improve my chances somehow?

You know, I honestly can't think of anything else we can do. We set up the traps, we prepped the irrigation system, we (almost fully) fortified the windows, made a freakin' flamethrower, and locked the doors. Maybe it's time to settle in for the night?



Oh man, I'm getting chills. The vote was for the flamethrower, so let's light a match, David! Arm yourself with the flamethrower! Mmmmph mmmph mmmmmmmph MMMMMMPH!

Long Nights



You found a hiding place in an abandoned farmhouse...



Despite being old and faulty, the sprinklers worked perfectly, fully covering the air above the fields with a dense mist. The spiders were not afraid of water at all... However, there was a strong repellent mixed with the water. It scared off 6 spiders.

Good thing we got the right repellent. If I had gotten any of the others we'd have had a much bigger problem.




I'm surprised the game doesn't mention the fact the doors were locked, but maybe if I had left them unlocked it would have meant spiders getting inside anyway.



Out of 5 spiders that tried to enter the house through that window, 5 were stopped.

Hell yeah! Nails and duct tape really fortified that sucker.



Out of 5 spiders that tried to enter the house through that window, 5 were stopped.

What the hell, giant spiders CAN jump! Good thing I went the extra mile and barred up the computer room's window, but... as to the bathroom window...



Out of 4 spiders that tried to enter the house through that window, 3 were stopped. The rest broke inside, destroying the blockade. They got in... 1 giant spider entered the house.

Oh nooooooo! Damn you, traffic efficiency! If only I had used my legs more than my car, we would have had the nails needed to completely shut out the spiders! Now it's up to the bear traps and our trusty flamethrower.






You survived to see another day...

Another Sunrise

Thank goodness! It seems that our weapons are not as important as blockading and prevention. From now on, I'll consider limited use items more carefully and try out more interactions. Thanks to the bear traps somehow killing two spiders even though only one got in, we didn't even need to use our weapon. Of course, I'd have preferred if no spiders had gotten in at all, but survival is survival!



As day breaks, the camera pans upward and a helicopter flies in from the left... It's flying a little too low--



Uh oh.

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Once again, we fade into the half-lit living room, which we now know to be our farmhouse. And once again, David walks into the frame from the darkness on the right.



The window next to the locked door is broken again. If this plays out like last time, we are going to die a horrible death in our nightmare the moment we investigate the window...



Aaaagh!



A powerful blizzard shatters the window and pours in. It strikes David with such force that he staggers back, falls down, and gets pushed away by the sheer power of the unceasing wind. The cold is so intense, David freezes to death within seconds, his outstretched arm powerless to stop the icy grip of the Grim Reaper...



The helicopter's impact rocks the farmhouse, waking David up from his prophetic demise and tossing him off the bed. Dust kicked up by the crash hangs in the air and the attic's jammed access door loosens and falls to the ground.

What was that? The attic...?



So here's today's plan to survive: don't freeze to death. Also, to check out that crash. I try to go downstairs first to investigate the traps and see if they're still usable, but David asserts his will over mine.

I'd better check out what happened in the attic first.

Inside



The attic's first room doesn't look like it contains much, with the exception of an extension cord. Let's take it.

An extension cord (0.3 kg). A few meters of cord with an electrical socket at one end.

There is also a hatch that leads outside to the roof. I open it and climb out...



Things don't look so bad from here, but maybe I should go back down and investigate the damage from within?



Whoa! Another survivor! I mean, she's pointing a gun at us, but still!

Whoa. Easy. Nice landing.
Considering the fact it was flying on fumes, and half of the controls were broken, I'd say I did a good job.
Well then... glad you're okay. Sorry for your helicopter.
It wasn't really mine. Sorry for crashing it into your house.
It's not really mine. Hey, you think you could lower that gun now? I mean you no harm.
(Pulls the gun up.) Hmpf. You look harmless alright.
Thanks. My name is David.
Catherine. Or just Cate. Do you think you could help me with something, David?
How could I say no to a pretty lady with a loaded gun in her hand.
(Lowers her arms to her sides.) I'm trying to get somewhere. An outpost.
What kind of outpost?
The one that could help me leave this place. Leave this world.
Are you sure you didn't hit your head during that crash?
They have a spaceship.
Oooh.
(Crosses her arms.) ...I still have this gun, you know.
Wait, you're serious about the spaceship?
Dead serious. Sidereal Plexus. The corporation. They owned a whole fleet of ships. When things went nasty they used those ships to evacuate their top researchers and some of the richest people off the planet. I know for a fact there is still one ship left on Earth. And I plan on using it to escape. You can come with me if you want.
Wait a minute. That's an awful lot to process.
Listen. I can take you there and you'll see for yourself.

Now this is an interesting bit of plot exposition. Catherine (or just Cate) is aware of a corporate spaceship we can use to get out of here. Because Sidereal Plexus is (was?) a superbig corporation, of course they'd make a mess and evacuate the top 1% to avoid their responsibility. Not that I would say "no" to her plan: this planet is a deadly wasteland and there's no good reason to stick around that I can see.



The moment the conversation ends I get this screen, which seems to act as a conversation menu. Let's start discussing what we can, starting with the far left picture: "Who are you?"

Who are you, exactly?
Just a girl trying to survive.
Okay, but what's with the spaceship, the outpost and all that stuff? You seem to know an awful lot.
Listen. I'm a person who's going to escape this hole before it goes to hell. With or without you.

Before I bring up the car (and probably get her pushing us to leave), let's ask about "The Moon."

Do you think the Moon is going to destroy the Earth?
I don't think it. I know it. The Moon's orbit has been unstable ever since The Incident.
I've noticed lately that it's been getting bigger every day.
Yes. It's going to fall down and wipe everything out. It's going to turn the whole planet into a ball of molten lava. Nothing can survive, no matter how deep and tough of a shelter you have.
Do you know when...?
In three or four days.
WHAT?! I thought it's more like... years away.
I'm sorry. But that's the main reason we have to get to that spaceship.

"Four days to survive" isn't just a nice subtitle, then. The Moon is indeed going to do a little bit of planet-busting. What about this "spaceship" that can get us out of here?

So... what kind of spaceship is it? Like... a giant ark that can travel between stars? Like in the movies?
No, nothing like that. It's a small ship, capable of getting to Earth's orbit. But that should be enough.
But what happens next? Once we reach orbit.
There's... a space station.
You're not making it all up as you go, are you?
I'm telling you. There is a space station where everyone went. That's our destination. But don't worry about that for now. First we have to survive for long enough to actually get there.

Well, fair enough. Sidereal Plexus did plan on mining the Moon's supply of Helium-3, so a space station would be necessary to act as a sort of waypoint between the Earth and the Moon. Now, what is this "outpost" exactly?

So... what is this outpost of yours?
It's a small research facility with a spaceship launch platform.
Okay... where is it?
I don't know.
What do you mean? You said you can take me there.
Yeah, but it's not that easy.
Why?
All the helicopter's navigation systems got smashed to bits when I crashed. And this outpost doesn't exactly have a bright neon arrow pointing to it. The fact that it remains a hard-to-locate place is our only chance of finding a ship still there.
So, what do we do then?
We have to find it... at some point. Let's try to stay alive until we do.



A new option popped up to show our map, but now I think that's what will get us to progress the plot. Cate has a point about the outpost being remote and our best chance of escape, so I think now it's a good time to bring up Clifford, our "car."

There's a pickup truck in the barn.
Are you trying to impress me or something?
Well... we could use it to get to that outpost of yours.
I guess we could.

Clifford impresses everyone, Cate. And we've only had it for a day! Speaking of impressions and days, let's tell her about "yesterday's dream."

I know that this might sound weird... but I had a bad dream yesterday, and it came true. A pack of huge spiders has moved through this area, eating everything in its path. Well, the dream ALMOST came true because I died in that dream. In reality I took it as a warning and prepared myself for the threat.
A dream, you say?
Yeah, I know. But I'm not making that up. That really WAS some sort of prophetic dream. It saved me because I knew what to expect. I don't even believe in stuff like that. I'm not a crazy person.
I do believe in dreams.
You do?
Yes. Does it make me a crazy person? I don't know. But I think sometimes dreams can guide us or help us find a solution that we otherwise can't find.



All right, Cate is down with the prophetic warnings. It's only right to tell her about "today's dream" and of our transformation into a human popsicle.

So, tonight I had another dream. I was still here in this house and all of a sudden it got very cold... freezing cold. I think this might happen tonight. I must sound like a lunatic, I know. But trust me... I know I'm right.
We're gonna find out ourselves if you're right.

An objective witness to our prophetic visions is welcome. Thanks for the optimism, Cate. In exchange, we'll "show our map" to you.

I have a map. Maybe looking at it would give you a clue where that outpost could be?
Hmm... no, sorry. However...
What?
While flying over this area I saw some places that looked interesting. Here. Let me mark them for you. Okay, so... let's see.




Maybe this information will turn out to be somewhat useful.

You bet it will. I'm certain that the restaurant could hold something like food and water, and maybe we can learn more about our distant neighbors (and even trade with them?).



That exhausts all of our topics of conversation, so all we can say now is "goodbye" and get to work sheltering up once again.

Let's go then. We should prepare for your prophecy.
And what about that outpost?
It's out there. We'll keep a look out for it.

We have control, but we can talk to Cate again, so let's do that first.

Cate?
Yeah?



A couple of new options popped up. First we'll ask "about this place" and see what she has to say.

So, what do you think of our hideout?
It's decent. High-ground advantage, solid walls, not too many windows.
It has a large helicopter-shaped hole in the roof, though.
...Your skillful observations amaze me.

I want to say Cate is a soldier of some sort, given her assessment of the farmhouse, the fact she can pilot a helicopter, has a gun, and knows of research stations. What "about today," Cate?

Isn't it chilly?
Your dream seems to be fulfilling itself.
If that's the case, there's going to be a surge of extreme cold right after it gets dark. What could have caused it?
Well, Earth's climate is a chaotic mess. This sort of thing happens more and more frequently now. It's probably a temporary event. Temperature should be back to normal tomorrow.
I hope we get to see that happen.
Of course we will. As I said, David. I have plans. Places to visit. A spaceship to grab. A little snow storm ain't gonna stop me.
(After saying "goodbye.") I'll be back.
I'm sure you will.

08:00 am: I met the helicopter pilot. Her name is Cate. She says she knows of an outpost with a spaceship that could be used to leave the planet. I have no idea what her plan is... and she isn't very talkative about it.

I guess Cate will stay behind for now, so let's check out the rest of the attic and the roof before we go out and about, starting with that helicopter wreck, and also that red screwdriver sitting there.

(Interaction - Helicopter wreck) This machine is totally wrecked. There is nothing I can do about it.

A screwdriver (0.1 kg). A handy tool.



I left the room and Cate followed. Cool! Maybe she has special interactions with some items, or else she will be able to help us do some tasks faster? Four hands ARE better than two, after all.



Cate doesn't follow me to the roof, but that's fine. There's a chimney here, and we can interact with the helicopter too. Since we will probably need to get a fire going (and we have the charcoal and rotten planks!) the first order of business up here should be to fix the flue somehow, if I can.

(Interaction - Helicopter wreck) It has crashed into the house, making a big hole in the attic.
(Interaction - Chimney) It seems the chimney is clogged by something inside. I can't reach it.

None of the items I have on hand have an interaction with the chimney, so I'll go down for now and check out the damage the spiders caused, as well as see if I can remove the reinforcements from the windows. We'll probably need to cover them up with something else (like the plastic wrap?) to prevent the cold from ruining our day.



Hey, I was right about Cate being able to help us! I'll "reset" the house later, and we'll have a vote about shielding it from the cold another time. For now, I'll start getting the fireplace ready.

(Item - Bag of charcoal on kindling box) Before I start stacking up fuel supplies for the night, I should place something in the fireplace to fuel the actual fire.
(Item - Bag of charcoal on fireplace) I've put a bag of charcoal into the fireplace.
(Interaction - Fireplace) The fireplace has a whole bunch of charcoal inside. Which is no surprise, I've put it there myself. I also think the chimney is clogged. I don't feel any air draft.
(Item - Rotten planks on fireplace) There is already some fuel in the fireplace. Instead of burning everything at once, I should put the fuel in the kindling box by the fireplace to save it for later.
(Item - Rotten planks on kindling box) I've put broken planks into the kindling box.
(Interaction - Kindling box) There is something inside. Let's see... 4 stacks of broken wooden planks...
(Item - Wad of cash on kindling box) I will need something like this as a kindling to start the fire.

An empty bag of charcoal (0.1 kg). This was a bag of charcoal, now only filled with some small coal bits and dust.



Oh yeah, there's the dead spider in the bear trap, its insides spilling on the nice carpeting.

(Interaction - Bear trap) This trap has caught something disgusting. I need a tool of some sort to reset the spring.



I use the crowbar on the trap and get this option, but right now I'm going to say "no." There's no point in resetting the trap when our dream says cold, not creatures, will kill us, so the spider stays for now. We should head off to explore, so I'm leaving behind some stuff and taking the empty fuel can, wrench, crowbar, duct tape, screwdriver, hammer, and extension cord. Our flamethrower is also out of fuel, even though we never used it. Bummer. But that's okay: we need fuel for the generator anyway (I'll try toggling it to the house for tonight), so I can stop by the gas station to both top off our makeshift weapon and gas up the generator.



Investigation

There's snow coming down and a bunch of dead (starved?) spiders about the front of the farmhouse. Some of them tried to spin webs, too. Gross.

Ugh, this place stinks... Or maybe that's you, David? When was the last time you bathed?



The back is similarly littered with spider corpses.

Of all the places I could have crashed into... don't mind me, just talking to myself.




The front of the house is updated to show the helicopter crashed through it, but I'll be damned if we're walking around out there. Clifford awaits! Unless you all want to save gas, of course... Let's talk to Cate about the road.

What do you think of this place?
It's... a road.
Yeah.
Want me to, I don't know, review the quality of the asphalt?
Why are you like this?
I don't like stupid questions.
I was just trying to start a conversation.
Well that was a weak attempt.

Cate isn't very good company. Anyway, I'm driving ol' Clifford to destroyed bridge, as we can't access any new places before we hit their adjacent spots. I don't see any reason to go east to the roadblock... yet.



Wasteland

Are you sure you know what you're doing, David? Just kidding... I'm sure you don't know.

Shush, Cate. Tell me instead what you think of the destroyed bridge. Which we fixed up.

Isn't this a nice bridge?
It'll have to do, I guess. Oh, don't give me that look. Fine. I'm so proud of you. Should I also pat your back?

That would be nice, but now, David's hive mind must speak to him! We have two simple votes today, goons.

First, please vote what places we should go first, then second, then third. We can go to the gas station, the restaurant, or the ruined house. I personally vote to visit the gas station first to top off on gas, then hit the restaurant for supplies, and finally the ruined house to meet any person Cate believes still lives there.



Going to the gas station would take us 10 minutes from the destroyed bridge (3 minutes on Clifford, 3% gas used).



Going to the ruined house would take us 15 minutes from the destroyed bridge (4 minutes on Clifford, 5% gas used).



Going to the restaurant would take us 20 minutes from the destroyed bridge (5 minutes on Clifford, 6% gas used).

Second, how often should we use Clifford to get around today? I don't know if gas is limited, and we have 59% gas remaining in our tank after I drove to the destroyed bridge. I vote that we use Clifford as often as we can for now, because while it may guzzle up a lot of gas, it has a few item slots with unlimited carrying capacity for weight, and I have no idea if we'll need those slots. Of course, within reason, I'll leave Clifford behind if the trip would just be within half an hour as a round trip on foot.

[Olive Branch]

The votes this time were pretty much one-sided for a particular course of action. We are hitting up the restaurant, house, and gas station in that order, and using Clifford as much as we can. So let's hop in the driver's seat and check out the restaurant with Cate backing us up.



Exploration

The burger restaurant seems relatively peaceful. No spiderwebs anywhere, just the wind blowing the burger flag about. We can go inside the restaurant or check out the back, and there are some leaflets glued on the ground here in the parking lot. Let's check in with Cate.

So, what do you think of this place?
I saw it from the helicopter and thought it didn't look too bad. Now I know better.
You've gotta admit it looks solid...
With all those missing windows? It doesn't have any of the advantages of our hideout. It's also pretty much completely looted.
There might be a thing or two left...
Let me know if you find any coffee, okay?





Cate, could this have something to do with the outpost you're looking for? Because it says "Sidereal Plexus."
Just because it says "Sidereal Plexus" doesn't mean anything. Sidereal Plexus has more branches than you can imagine. I had no idea they were running a facility like this, for instance. But it's only more disturbing when I think about it...
Why?
Forget it. It doesn't matter. Let's keep going.

Sidereal Plexus has a "sleeper clinic" for coma patients and doesn't take money? This is absolutely some sort of research lab working on brain scans, and probably doing some really shady stuff with their patients. Anyway, before we head inside the restaurant, I feel like casing out the joint's perimeter first. To the back!

I should check the front door first.

David! Fine, let's go inside...



Hey, another survivor! This boy is tugging at the restaurant's kitchen door... Maybe he's hungry? I try to walk to the restroom to the side, and...



I'm warning you! I know how to fight!
Calm down... we're not here to hurt you.
Yeah, this man over here is pretty harmless.
Alright, okay, whatever! I'm not afraid of you!
My name is David. This is Cate. What's your name?
Cody. Now go away! Or else!



We get to talk to Cody in more detail. Let's see what he has up his sleeves... or fists, as the case may be. "Go away or what?"

Go away or what?
I'll beat you up!
Oh no.
Yeah! So... stay away! Please.

Cody acts tough but really, he's just a kid. Where are "your parents," Cody?

Where are your parents?
...Nowhere. I'm on my own.
I'm so sorry...
Don't be. I've always been on my own. I know how to take care of myself.

That still sucks, Cody. But before we invite you to come with us, please tell us "what's behind that door."

You seem to be really persistent on opening that door. What's behind it?
What do you think, stupid? It's a restaurant, duh.
You think there might be some food there?
For sure!

I bet the poor kid's hungry, so why don't you "come with us?" We can work together!

Let's team up. The weather is going to get really dangerous at night. You have better chances with us.
Do you have any food?
Maybe...?
Then MAYBE I will team up with you. If not, I have better chances on my own.

Huh. Come to think of it, we haven't seen David eat or drink anything yesterday. Has he been running on fumes this entire time? In either case, we have no food right now to entice Cody, so this is "goodbye" for now, kid.

Later.

I try to walk up to Cody a little to help him with the door, but...

Stop! Don't come any closer! Go away!

Fine, be that way. We'll just check out the back of the restaurant.



There's a dumpster full of trash, a rope hanging off the flagpole, and a door leading to the back of the restaurant with a small window on top of it.

(Interaction - Door) It's locked.
(Item - Crowbar on door) The door looks very sturdy. There's gotta be a way around it.
(Interaction - Window) I could probably squeeze through it. But I can't reach that high...
(Interaction - Rope) The flag's rope is stuck. It's held by a metal clamp. I have to release it first.
(Interaction - Rope clamp release mechanism) A part is missing. I need something with a round profile that could act as a lever.
(Item - Wrench, crowbar, or screwdriver on rope) It doesn't fit. I need something with a round profile that could act as a lever.

Maybe we need to come back here with the short pipe we used to smash the window at our shelter. We'll come back to this later. How about the dumpster?

(Interaction - Dumpster) (Struggles to move it.) It's too heavy.
(Item - Crowbar on dumpster) This won't help me with pulling the container. I'm still not able to do it on my own.



Time to ask Cate for "help pushing the container!"

Could you help me push that trash container?
David, do you have any clue how stupid your ideas are?
See that window over the door? I could squeeze through it, but I have to be able to reach it first.
You should have started with that. I'll help you for the sheer fun of watching you try to squeeze through that window.



Thanks, Cate.
Sure. Now see if you can climb it without breaking your leg.
(Interaction - Dumpster) I've already got it where I want it.



Climbing through the window worked just fine! Let's check out this area, maybe we can find some food to entice Cody with. There is a gas heater here, too, and you bet it's going to help keep us warm... if we can find a gas bottle, that is. I pop open a locked cupboard with the crowbar and find a kitchen knife, too.

An empty gas heater (10 kg). A gas-powered heater, heavy but still portable. Without a gas bottle it's not very useful, though.
A can of meat (0.3 kg). The label claims it contains delicious canned meat, expiring in two weeks. Luckily we won't be around to see this.
A kitchen knife (0.1 kg). A rather blunt kitchen knife.

(Interaction - Back door) It's locked. Besides, it's blocked by a garbage container on the other side.
(Interaction - Front door [before getting can of meat]) I'd better take some food with me while I'm here.
(Interaction - Window) I don't want to climb back up there.
(Interaction - Freezer) There's no food here. Only some weird tile-shaped objects. I wonder what those are...

A Heat Absorber Tile (TM) (0.5 kg).





Interesting... This would help us if we were facing a heat wave, but we want to produce heat, not absorb it.

(Interaction - Freezer) There is nothing left in the freezer.
(Interaction - Beverage fridge) It's locked, and the glass seems to be hardened.




Using the hammer or wrench on the fridge gives me the first option, but the crowbar gives me the second. I'll save time and jimmy it open. There are two bottles of water in there...

A bottle of water (0.5 kg). A small bottle of drinking water.



That's all the kitchen contained. Time to exit it through the restaurant's door and give Cody a surprise!



How... how did you get there?!



We have a few funny options to use here. We can say we're the owner of the restaurant, that we're a wizard, that we're David's twin... or that we used the back door. For the sake of completion and hilarity, I'm going to show each joke answer before the honest one.

I'm the owner of this restaurant.
Really?
Absolutely.
Umm, I didn't mean to steal anything.
I'm not sure about that. I'll be watching you.
Umm, okay. I don't suppose you're open for business?
Not really. Sorry.
Umm... did you find any food in there?

* * *

I'm a wizard. I can teleport.
Really?
Absolutely.
I don't believe you. Prove it. Teleport over there to the window.
Can't. I'm, err. I'm out of mana points.
Umm... did you find any food in there?

* * *

Huh? What are you talking about? We have never met before.
No, I talked with you!
Oh, you must be mistaking me for my twin brother David.
...Ha, ha. Sure. You ARE joking, right? Umm... did you find any food in there?

* * *

I used the back door.
Oh, I didn't know there was a back door.
Well, more like a back window.
Wow! You're like a burglar.
Come on. It's all abandoned anyway. Wait, why am I even explaining myself to you?
Umm... did you find any food in there?

Okay, kid. You were a good sport about our jokes and tried your best to open the door, and I respect that. Here's a can of still-good meat!

Here. Take this.
What? Is that...?



(Shakes the can of meat.) But... uh... how do I open this?
So that's how you've been taking care of yourself.
Hm, hand it back. I'll open it for you somehow.
I'm hungry...

(Item - Crowbar on can of meat) Alright, I know crowbars open a lot of things. But not this time.
(Item - Hammer or wrench on can of meat) That's going to crush it, not open it.




Joke items aside, the only two items on hand that can open it are the screwdriver and knife I found, and the knife is faster. So let's make like an iron chef and show our blade skills!

I've opened the can of meat.

An opened can of meat (0.3 kg). Yuck. Looks and smells like dog food.

Here. Take this.
What? Is that...?



(Jumps in the air and sloshes the meat a bit.) Wow! You are a good person after all.
I wouldn't say "good." Maybe a bit clumsy and soft.
Come with us, Cody. You'll be safer. We might even have more food.
Awesome!

08:19 am: We found a starving kid, Cody, and gave him some food.



Awesome, a brand new party member! Cody may be just a child, but he can probably help us with other tasks that don't involve a lot of heavy lifting. We can talk to him the same way we can do with Cate. First, let's ask her what she thinks "about Cody."

What do you think about Cody?
Eh, poor kid. It's a miracle he has survived this long.

A response without snark from Cate? That's a first! Alright, Cody, let's chat. You're probably friendlier than Cate is.

Hey there.



Much like Cate, we can ask Cody about each place we visit and the day, as well as about the Moon and Cate herself. We can also ask him about his age. First, I'll ask him what he thinks "about this place."

What do you think of this place, Cody?
When I saw it from a distance I thought they'd have hamburgers. I like hamburgers...
You don't look like you've had many. All skin and bones.
I didn't find any hamburgers here, obviously! You kinda know the rest.

That we do, laddie. What "about today?"

Are you fine, Cody?
Yeah. I'm wondering if we could make a snowman.
Well...
David.
...We don't have time for that. And it's going to be really cold.
Oh... too bad. I always wanted to make one.
...I'm not evil, okay? If we get through it, we'll make a snowman in the morning. Okay, kid?
Sure!

Aww, Cate isn't all that bad, and David seems to have a soft spot for kids. Speaking of, "how old are you," Cody? You've never made a snowman?

Hey kid, how old are you?
I'm not a kid, okay? I'm twelve.
Is that so?
Alright, I'm ten. So what! I know how to take care of myself.
I'm sure you do.

Ten years old. So young to die from "the Moon," wouldn't you say?

Have you noticed the Moon getting bigger each night?
No. Is it?
Yes.
Why?
Because it's coming down. Right at us.
Whaaat? But... wouldn't that... be bad for us?
Yes. It is.
David. Stop scaring him.
How bad...?
We're going to be just fine, Cody.

Cate may have little patience with David but that doesn't mean she's a cruel person. What exactly do you think "about Cate," youngster?

What do you think about Cate?
She's nice.
Just that? Simply nice?
Nice. And pretty.
Alright, let's stop it there.

Haha, David's either jealous of or puzzled with Cody's answer. Anyway, now that Cody is not guarding the restaurant like he owns it, we can check out the restroom.



Oh, damn.

(Interaction - Spiderwebs) Oh, not this again.
I hope there aren't any spiders left here. I've seen their corpses around the hideout, and I wouldn't want to meet them face-to-face, to be honest.
Maybe it's just leftover webs.
Leftover or not, they are blocking our way now.
Do you think we can do something to get rid of them?
They look kinda strong enough to trap an adult man in place. I think we should come back tomorrow.
Maybe we can dissolve it somehow...?
My guess is this spaghetti of webs will dissolve on its own by tomorrow. Let's just keep this place in mind and come back later.

I figure we could try to use our flamethrower to dissolve the webs if possible, but we'll come back here when we have gassed it up again, and if not, we'll take Cate's advice and come back tomorrow. At any rate, that's about all we can do for now here in the restaurant...



Next time, we stop at the ruined house.

[Olive Branch]

Covering Ground

The music's somber tone gives an appropriate welcome to this ruined house. On the right is another survivor, a middle-aged bald man with dark skin who is crying and mourning someone. Before we introduce ourselves, I want to ask Cate and Cody their impressions about the place.

So, what do you think of this place?
You want me to be honest?
Wait, no. Forget I asked.

Do you like it here, Cody?
This place feels nice.
But it's a ruin.
Yes, but it... feels like a good place. Maybe we could stay here?
Not a chance.
Aww... but why?
Maybe in your next life, okay?

Both of them are right, in my opinion, but survival beats "niceness" right now. Sorry, Cody. I want to see if we can explore around the house, but...



Why?
Because it's mine. Leave.

If we try again...

I told you. Don't go near that house.
Sorry.
Please go away.

And if we do it again...

Stay away!
Uh.
David, why don't we just kick his sorry butt?
Not exactly my style.

And one last try...

Please go away.

This man has no real fight in him. Let's talk and see what's up.

Hey.
Please leave. Just... leave me alone.
I mean you no harm.
Yeah, he's pretty much harmless.
Cate, please... My name is David. The boy over there is Cody. You don't look too good. Can you tell us what happened?
I'm Barry. It's about my wife. She... She didn't make it. Last night... she died. Why... God? Why her? It should have been me. It should have been me. And she is still there, in the house. I don't know what to do.
...
Come on, David. Let's go. This guy had enough.
Wait... Barry.
What do you want?



Poor Barry. The guy is obviously grief-stricken, and I don't want to leave him out here to die of exposure. "Tell me about your wife" and maybe you'll join us.

Tell me about your wife.
She was the most kind and wonderful person I've ever known. She was my entire world. And now she's gone. I failed her... I couldn't protect her. It should have been me.

That didn't do much. Why don't you "come with us?"

You'd better not stay here. The temperature at night is going to get crazy. Come with us. We can help each other.
Sorry. I see no reason to keep going. I might as well stay here and wait for death. Then I can be with my wife again.



We get a new option to tell Barry that "your wife would want you to live." As cliché as it may be, it would probably be true given his description of her.

I'm sure your wife would want you to live. You should keep memories about her. And you can only do that while you live.
Why do you care so much if I live or die? You don't even know me.
True. But we all have better chances to survive if we stick together.
I... I can't. I can't leave my wife like this.

I'm guessing we need to do some sort of funeral rite for his wife before we can convince Barry to join us, so this is "goodbye" for now.

That's all for now.

Maybe now we can poke around this place without Barry getting upset.

(Interaction - Garage) It's locked and I doubt if I could pick or lever that lock. I need a key.
(Item - House keys on garage) It won't fit.

It was worth a try. But when I try to enter the house, Barry tells me to go away again. I think it's time to ask our party members for help! Cody doesn't present an option, but you know who does?



Yeah, it's Cate. Let's ask her to "keep him busy" while we poke around his home. I hope she can keep him distracted long enough for me to be thorough.

Hey, could you distract our friend here for a moment somehow?



Could you do it without a gun?
(Lowers her arms.) Alright. Mr. Boring.



Cate walks to Barry. This conversation loops.

Hey. Umm... How are you?
My wife has just died. And how are you?
Alright. I'm sorry. No, I mean it. I'm really sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about her?
No. I don't know. I can't believe it happened. My sweet, sweet girl. She was so kind. So good. She didn't deserve to die.
I'm... I'm sorry. This must be painful...
(Attempting to talk to either of them) They're busy talking. Let's keep it this way.

Time to make our move and check out the house, and maybe see what we can do for Barry's deceased beau.



This place served as a home, but now it's a morgue. There's an old-fashioned phone on a desk to the right, rubble blocking a doorway, a couch with a blanket, a book, and a bedsheet, a painting on the wall, a closet, an electric heater, and of course, a body.

(Interaction - Phone) All phone lines have been dead for quite a while now.
(Interaction - Rubble) The other part of the house has collapsed. Nothing but a pile of rubble left...
(Interaction - Painting) A lighthouse by the seashore. The sky is dark and the sea seems deep and cold as they foamy waves wash the sand around the unlit lighthouse. For some reason this painting makes me feel uneasy.
(Interaction - Book) It's a book titled "The Mysticism of Dreams."





A blue blanket (0.5 kg). It's thick and heavy. It's also a bit dusty and hasn't been washed for quite some time.
A bed sheet (0 kg). A thin white bed sheet. I can still smell flower fabric softener.

In the closet there are two coats, a green and a tan one.

A warm coat (0.3 kg). Not really my color, but it's thick and warm.
A warm coat (0.3 kg). It's a bit large, but it's thick and warm.

08:25 am: I have a warm coat that could be useful during the night freeze.

(Interaction - Electric heater) Hmm... something rustles inside this heater, like a bunch of loose screws or something. I think it's broken.

A broken electrical heater (2.5 kg). A device that blows hot air after plugging into electricity. Something rustles inside. The device is probably damaged somehow.

(Interaction - Barry's wife's body) She has a small locket on her neck.

A golden locket (0 kg).





(Interaction - Maggie's body) I hope Barry doesn't leave her like that.



Well, now that we've picked Barry's house clean and found a possible way to convince him to come with us with his wife's note, we should investigate the back of the house.



The back of the house has a propane tank with a small hose attached, and nothing else of interest. This is probably how they were using their heater.

(Interaction - Propane tank or hose) First I have to disconnect the hose from the tank. The ends are tightly secured with some lug nuts. I need to disconnect them first.
(Item - Wrench on hose) I've disconnected the hose from the propane tank.

A propane tank (10 kg). A tank filled with propane.
A short hose (0.1 kg). A short rubber hose with screwable valves. Good for transmitting gas or liquids.

That's about all we can do here. Let's head back out front. As soon as we do, Cate seems to get the message.

Well, I've gotta go for now.
Uh-huh...

I am kind of scared to show Barry the locket since that tells him we went inside his house, but that's probably the only way to get him to come with us. Time to take the plunge.



Where did you get it?
Uh... there's a note inside. I thought...




Tension

...There is a note inside... I think you should read what it says.
DID YOU SNEAK INTO MY HOUSE AND TOUCH MY WIFE?!
Stop it!
DID YOU?!
Barry, wait!
(Points the gun at Barry.) STOP IT!
So you go through her stuff like a SCAVENGER?! You're SO dead!!!
I'LL SHOOT YOU!
PLEASE STOP SHOUTING!
NO! WAIT! Barry... just read the goddamn note!!! Do it, please. Just... Read the note.




Survival

My honey... Why you...
I'm sorry for taking that, but I thought you should have it.
No, no... I'm sorry. (Sits down again as David gets up.) If it wasn't for you, I probably would have never seen my wife's final words. It's her handwriting for sure, but... when did she write it? How did she know?
Sometimes people can... sense things before they happen. Right, David?
It's almost like I read a goodbye letter. A letter that you've delivered. Thank you.



That situation could have gone south really, really fast, but I'm glad David's insistence on non-violence worked out. The fact Maggie somehow sensed her own death coming means David's not the only prophetic dreamer around. The book she had, being well-read and used, proves she was curious about dreaming. With the note delivered, we can ask about a "burial" for Maggie.

Your wife deserves a proper burial.
I... I can't. I just can't look at her like this. Lifeless. Cold.
I'll bury her.



This man has just lost everything. Show him some respect. I'm not going to ask for your help with this. Just don't try to stop me.
Eh... I'll help. I just hope we don't waste too much time.
Do you have a shovel, Barry?



There.
Thanks.

With Barry opening the garage door for us and the shovel right there, we should do what we can to honor Maggie.

A shovel (1 kg). A shovel. Good for digging.

Covering Ground






(Interaction - Grave) ...



(Interaction - Maggie's body) I should find something to cover the body with.

The bed sheet we got from the couch will do for a shroud.



(Interaction - Maggie's body) Cate... could you help me move Barry's wife?
Yeah, sure.
Let's take her outside.



(Interaction - Maggie's body) I should get Barry to come here before I bury her.

Hey.
Yes?



It's time to say goodbye to your wife at her "burial," Barry.

Come on. It's time.
Okay...



Of course she did. Come on, Barry. Let's go.
Where?
We've got a plan. Sort of. The first part of this plan is to survive tonight.
Alright. I'll do it for her.
Hey, mister?
Yes?
I'm Cody.
Hello, Cody. I'm Barry.



(Shakes the can of meat.) I left some for later, but I can share!
That's sweet of you, but I'm not hungry right now.
Eating makes me happy, and I thought it would also make you happy.
Heh... (Turns to David.) Is he your son, David?
No. We found him by a restaurant near here. I'll tell you all the details later.
Cody, you're a good kid.
I think I'll eat that food now.
Go for it. Come on, David. Lead the way.

09:10 am: We helped a man named Barry to bury his deceased wife. He decided to follow us.

(Interaction - Grave) Rest in peace.

And with this solemn event completed, please welcome Barry to the party. Before I speak with him, I want to hear what Cate and Cody think "about Barry."

Are you upset about Barry?
No. Not at all.
I know that look.
Really? We've known each other for how long? Several hours?
Maybe. Still...
Fine. That guy is annoying me. I know he lost his wife, but it's all he talks about. I'm tired of that. We have more important things to do than listen to a mourning man.
That's kinda harsh.
I'm harsh. Get used to it.

What do you think about Barry?
I don't know. He seems nice. But sad.
He lost his wife, you know.
I would give him something to cheer him up... But I don't have anything.
Let's just give him understanding and our company.
Will that be enough?
I hope so!



Barry has several topics of conversation outside of his wife we can discuss. I'll go from left to right, so tell me "about this place."

So, that was your home, huh?
Yes. I lived here with Maggie for almost ten years.
Ten years in a place like this? Wow.
Cate!
Hey. It used to be a nice place, really. Before it partly collapsed, at least... Maybe it wasn't much even back then. But for us, it was everything. Our little place on Earth.

I can understand how a home can be your space, Barry. What "about today?"

It's getting cold.
Indeed, it's a bit chilly. We're gonna need all the warmth we can get. If you intend to keep a fire lit in a fireplace or something like that, make sure you gather some reserve fuel. And maybe some extra kindling. With those freezing cold winds, you never know...
That's good advice. Thanks. How are you holding up, Barry?
Better. Given that I was willing to freeze to death, I'd say I got much better. And that's thanks to you.
We didn't do anything.
Come on. I know I was a mess. I hate being helpless, yet there I was, unable to even bury my own dead wife.
Admission is the first step to recovery.
Actually, denial was, in my case.

Barry gave some solid advice here. Get some reserve fuel and extra kindling. Off the top of my head we have those rotten planks and the bag of charcoal for fuel, and that wad of cash and the computer documents as kindling in case of an errant gust of wind. Maybe that big burger flag could be used for fuel too, although morbidly I thought of using it as a shroud for Maggie, as darkly-humored as the idea was. This was all caused by "the Moon," so let's talk about that.

Have you noticed the Moon getting bigger each day?
Yes. I reckon our days are numbered.
They are indeed. But I'm not giving up that easily.
Good for you.

We're not giving up because we're gonna steal us "a spaceship," Barry!

So, the plan is to find a spaceship and escape.
A spaceship.
Yeah. I know it sounds crazy. But look around; the whole world is crazy.
It's Cate's plan, isn't it?
Yes.
What do you think about it?
I'm not sure. It's a longshot, but there is no other hope.
We've got nothing to lose, right?

Nothing to lose except our lives, and everything to gain... including our lives. Such as the one belonging to young "Cody," for instance. About him...

What do you think about Cody?
Poor boy. All alone in this world.
From what I understand he's an orphan.
It's a miracle he has survived this long. Without his parents, alone in this messed up world... Life wasn't easy on him. I hope things will change now. You keep that boy safe, David.

David may be the best father figure around, but with "Cate" and her survival instinct, she should be good as a mother figure too, right? About her...

What do you think about Cate?
I'm not sure. She seems to be hiding something.
You realize I'm literally next to you, right?

Haha, I was wondering if anyone would call another out on these conversations about each other. Finally, Barry seems to be a car enthusiast, because David has an option to tell him how "our car uses so much fuel." Can Clifford run lean and mean, Barry?

Our car uses so much fuel. I don't think it's normal.
There might be a number of reasons for that... From fuel injectors to incorrect tire pressure. There might also be something wrong with the engine.
Could you take a look?
Sure.



Teach us your ways, oh wise one. We plan on riding this big red dog to the last day.

There. Now it should use much less fuel.

You're already a better party member than Cate, Barry. Thank you! I mean, sure that she helped dig the grave and Cody did too, but this is some actually game-changing stuff here. While we are here and have a solid number of party members who can help out in time-consuming tasks, I think we should try fixing up that electric heater.



I figured using the screwdriver on the "loose screws" inside the heater would be the right solution. One hour to fix this heater is time well-spent when the alternative is turning into a human popsicle.

An electrical heater (2.5 kg). A device that blows hot air after plugging into electricity.

While we stand around and I ponder our next move, Cate and Cody have a short conversation about Cody's upbringing, and Cate wishes for coffee. The game does this periodically during inactivity, and it's a neat touch.

So, you lived in an orphanage?
Yup!
Was it, err, nice there?
Not really. It was scary and dark.
What?
And spooky. If it wasn't for my plush tiger... I wonder where he is now...

I could kill for a coffee right now...



Well, Cate, maybe you'll get your wish and find some at the gas station, because that's our next destination! We're using just a little less fuel than before, and every bit counts when we don't know how much fuel we can siphon off the tanker! Thanks again, Barry!

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Exploration

Welcome back to the gas station, everybody! The spiderwebs are still out and about, but at least the spiders themselves are gone. Let's sound off the crew and see what they have to say about this place.

So, what do you think of this place?
I saw it from the air and regretfully realized they probably don't have any helicopter fuel. Apart from the fuel tank, this hole is pretty much useless. Let's take what we came for and move on.

Do you like it here, Cody?
It smells weird. It makes me dizzy.
It's gas. Fuel. There's a lot of it in the tank.
Can we go somewhere else?
We will... just a sec, okay?

What do you think of this place?
I used to fuel my car here often. They had good prices but the fuel quality was terrible. I don't think it has changed much since then.
Not that we can be fussy about it.
Sure. It's a miracle this fuel is still here.



We'll just be nicking the fuel we can to top off our flamethrower and gas canister. There's nothing else of interest here. Next stop is the destroyed bridge, just because I want to hear Barry and Cody's comments on the place. And get our ego massaged for building the bridge itself.



Wasteland

How do you like the bridge, Cody?
Hmm... it could use some paint.
We don't have any.
Yellow would be nice. Or green. I like green.

This bridge is almost like the end of the world never happened, am I right?
Well... How do I break this to you? This... isn't necessarily the finest bridge I've seen in my life. But, okay. It looks sturdy enough for a car to cross it. I'll give you that.

Sheesh, everyone's a critic. Anyway, let's head on back home, gas up the generator, then grab some items to mess around with that burger joint flag. I'm sure something on hand can trigger its mechanism.



Investigation

But first, I want to hear Cody and Barry's thoughts on the road leading to our safehouse.

Do you like it here, Cody?
Umm, you mean here? On this road? No... I don't like it here. It's windy and there's nothing but sand all around.

What do you think of this place?
I used to take this road when travelling from my place. It looked so much different not too long ago. There was a countryside here, you know? Cattle in the pastures, crops growing high up all around... Good times.



Inside

It's so cool!!!
It's not my home. I found it deserted.
Oh. It's still cool! Can we go upstairs? I saw a helicopter sticking out of it.
Calm down, Cody!
So, this is the place you stayed at?
Yes.
It's... big. Looks solid.
Despite Cate's best attempts, it still stands. And I think it can provide us with the protection we need. At least until we figure out what to do next.
I knew the people who lived here.
Really?
I'll tell you about them if you want.

Before you do that, Barry, let's get your opinions on the place.

Do you like it here, Cody?
Yeah, it's awesome! It's huge and looks comfy and it has a helicopter on the roof! Why would someone build a house with a helicopter like that?
It wasn't built like that. The helicopter is Cate's addition.
Oh. Cate's so cool!
Thanks.
Yeah, it takes real talent to crash into the only house in the middle of the desert.
I was trying to... You know what? Fine. I'm talented.

What do you think of our hideout, Barry?
What can I say? It's okay. It's bigger than my house used to be. I think it was a nice place before the world ended.
It's still a good shelter.
A shelter, yes. Home? No. It used to be a home for some people. It's now like an empty shell of a turtle that once lived.
Oh, Barry. I didn't know you were so poetic.



Barry is certainly eloquent. Why don't you tell us about "the people who lived in our hideout," my good man?

You said you knew the people who lived in our hideout?
We weren't really close, but we spoke on occasion.
What happened to them? I always wondered. The house was locked, and I didn't find any bodies. So, I guess the set of keys I found must have been spares.
They left. The military was still trying to evacuate civilians from endangered areas until they realized there were no safe areas left.
Didn't you want to go with them?
We refused. Maggie wanted to stay. Now I wonder. What if...? Then again, I have no idea what happened to the ones who left. I hope they're alright. But I doubt they are.

I think the poor souls who lived here died and became spider food, but I'm not about to say anything to the gang. Let's go check out the helicopter upstairs since Cody was so into it.



It's so awesome!
I flew it, you know.
She flew it IN here.
Helicopters are cool. Can I get inside?
Not the best idea, kid.
But...
Don't touch it. Don't even come near it.
But why...?
Because it might fall. I wouldn't want you to fall and hurt yourself.
Soon after my wife died I heard your helicopter. I walked outside just in time to see you fly over the house.
Yeah. I wasn't sure if the place was abandoned or not.
Why didn't you land there if you were low on fuel?
I was trying to touch down this baby since I had flown past the city. It was not particularly operative.
Are those... bullet holes?
It's a long story.

And as much as I would like to hear that story, Cate ain't sharing it. Either she got shot at when she took the helicopter in the first place, or when she flew over the city. The helicopter is actually a problem, because it's going to let in a whole lot of cold given that huge hole it left on the roof. We'll work on that later. For now, let's gas up the generator in the barn and set it to "house" for heat...

Investigation

I've fueled the generator. Now I just have to start it.
The generator is running again.



Inside

Wow, it's bright in here now! Time to run back to the burger joint with the short pipe, then the gas station to top off the canister again.



Exploration

Barry, my fine man, what's your take on the place?

What do you think of this place?
You know, in all those years living just a bit down the road, I never visited this place.
Any particular reason?
Maggie... My wife was a great cook. You should have tasted her steak. Or her grilled chicken with pasta. She was... She was... Anyway. I never ate here. But looking at this place from up close, I don't think I missed much.

For any goons feeling hungry, hit up the Goons With Spoons subforum, and you too can learn to be a great cook like Maggie! But enough of that. Let's get to the back of the restaurant and work on that damn flagpole. Use the pipe on the rope mechanism, David!

This pipe fits perfectly into the opening.



Success! I use some leverage and claim our prizes: the restaurant's flag, and the rope it was hanging on. I want to get the pipe back too, but...

(Interaction - Short pipe) The clamp is already released. It seems that the pipe is stuck here for good.

A restaurant flag (0.5 kg). A big and thick sheet of red fabric with a picture of a tasty hamburger. I miss hamburgers.
A rope (2 kg). A few meters of strong rope.

Pour one out for our pipe. I head inside to try and access the restaurant by using the flamethrower on the spiderwebs, but...

(Item - Flamethrower on spiderwebs) Yeah, and burn down the whole place I'm trying to get to in the process. No, thanks...

So much for that. That's all we got from the two new areas we discovered today. After refueling the canister in the gas station I return to the household. Time to see what can be done about sealing the place up and getting it heated.

Inside

(Item - Stack of documents on fireplace) I've put a stack of documents into the fireplace.
(Item - Empty charcoal bag on fireplace) There is already some kindling in the fireplace. Everything that would prolong the fire is useful, but instead of burning it all at once, I should put the fuel and kindling in the kindling box by the fireplace to save it for later.
(Item - Empty charcoal bag on kindling box) I've put an empty bag of charcoal into the kindling box.
(Item - Wad of cash on kindling box) I've put a wad of cash into the kindling box.
(Item - Pest control truck sticky note on kindling box) I've put a pest control truck sticky note into the kindling box.
(Item - Propane tank on empty gas heater) I've installed the propane tank in the gas heater.

A gas heater (20 kg). Loaded with a gas bottle, it can produce a lot of heat.

(Item - Extension cord on electrical heater) I should find somewhere to plug this extension cord in first before I hook it up.

I saw a plug near the broken PC upstairs, so I go there.

(Item - Extension cord on broken computer) Judging by the look of the socket this PC was plugged into, I think it stopped working soon after it fried that computer's circuits.



I kept looking for a plug, and found one in the kitchen. I used the extension cord with this result! Now, let's plug in that electric heater.

(Item - Electric heater on extension cord sockets) Plugging this into the extension cord here isn't the best idea. I should take the extension cord somewhere else first.
(Interaction - Extension cord sockets) Where should I take the end of the extension cord?



I get an option to give the extension cord to someone else or even throw it out into the passage somewhere (or outside). I decide to leave it where it lies for now and ask you all to make the decision for me later. For now, let's remove all the spider barricade reinforcements from the windows.





Thanks to the combined efforts of the gang, removing the broken window reinforcements is quite a fast job.

Besides the nails, the barricade was not salvageable.

Hmm... what about the helicopter? I don't think we can remove it by force. Can we cover it with the restaurant flag?

(Item - Restaurant flag on helicopter) It's too small to cover the helicopter...

Maybe that's good for covering the latch itself. Right now I'm worried about the flue being clogged up. David climbs on the roof alone and no item interactions worked with the chimney. My big idea is to get one of the other characters into this, maybe by giving them the rope and convince them to climb down the chimney, so that's what I do.

Yay! Tug of war!

I'm not THAT desperate, thanks. Also, this was really distasteful.

Do you want me to tie you up or something? I'm not really into that kind of thing. On the other hand, I could take a break from you.

Damn it, zero for three on the "explain what my idea is" attempt. What else can I do... Maybe the roadblock has something new for us to check out?



Wasteland

The two bitten bodies are gone, probably eaten by the spiders. There are tire tracks here now, though. None of our party members have anything to say about the area.

(Interaction - Tire tracks) These tracks weren't here yesterday.
The road ahead is blocked. Maybe someone was trying to go around the crash site.
That's possible, I guess.
Let's follow the tracks and see where they take us.
That's my life motto.



It looks like we have a new area to explore, an RV. Our fuel is in the red now, warning us we're low. But damn it, Barry did a good job keeping it up to date. Let's follow that trail!



Exploration

Looks like their trip didn't end well... I wonder what happened.
My guess is their car broke down. RVs are not the best suited for off-road travel, you know.
They set a camp and then... The spiders got them.

These people were really unlucky. You can still see one of them half-covered in the webs, but not quite fully-eaten. Let's ask the gang what they think of this desolate area.

So, what do you think of this place?
Like I said, they must have gone off-road to get past the roadblock. And their suspension didn't survive that. Consequently, neither did they.

What do you think about this place?
I wonder where those people were going. Like... there's nothing here!
And? Any ideas why they were here?
Maybe... they wanted to hide a treasure. Hey, do you think there's a treasure here or something?
I doubt that...
Maybe let's dig?
Maybe let's not.
Awww. Pssst. David. Distract her. I'm gonna dig!
I hear you, kid.
Uh oh! Abort! Run away!

What do you think of this place?
This place smells of death. Like most of the world, actually... making it a pretty ordinary place, I guess.
I hope some stuff here will be useful to us.
Well, surely it won't be useful to the previous owners. Looking at all those deaths I can't help myself but wonder: How did we... survive up to this point?
Maybe it was destiny.
Destiny. Hah. Or blind chance. And nothing more.
Not everything is pointless, Barry.
Yeah? Well, my wife's death was pointless.
I'm sorry.

Low blow there, Barry. But both Cody and Barry have a point about "treasure" and "stuff" to be had here. Surely something can act as a sort of flue-unblocker here, right? Besides the RV, there's also a rock formation and a cave.

(Interaction - RV) Well, let's see...



Huh. Sure, why not? Three minutes is nothing, and we can probably get an upgrade to the car, too.

The engine seems fine, but the suspension is busted. The RV is not going anywhere, and I don't think there is anything I can do to fix it. Also, the internal battery for appliances seems to be working, but I don't know how much juice it has left. The battery is charged when the engine is running.

I guess if we need to charge any batteries or something, we can just bring some fuel to the RV, plug it in, and let it run. Nothing on hand needs that, though.

(Interaction - RV fuel inlet) I could pour fuel through that.
(Interaction - RV electrical socket) The socket won't solve any problems without anything to plug in.
(Interaction - RV hook) The hook is attached to the RV with big bolts.
(Item - Wrench on RV hook) I've detached the hook.

A hook (0.5 kg). A big, metal hook.

(Interaction - Body in the car) He's dead. No valuable belongings.
(Interaction - Body outside) He doesn't have anything interesting. Not much I can do for that poor guy.
Are you sure you don't want to bury him? Because we have sooo much time on our hands.
Cate... we buried Barry's wife to help him.
So why are they not worth getting their own funeral?
Don't be snarky, okay? Of course they're worth it. We just don't have the time.
Hear that? Sorry guys, it's past our grave-digging time for today.
Whatever, Catherine.

You know what, let's get that shovel out, and--

Did you really want to dig for treasure, David?
I, uh...
Great. Looks like I have TWO kids on my team.

I just wanted to poke around with it...



The inside of the RV seems pretty cozy, if unsafe. We have some items to grab here, too, including two bottles of water.

(Interaction - First aid kit) There is some stuff in this first aid kit. There was a bandage in the first aid kit. There's something more here. There was a thermal blanket in the first aid kit. There's nothing else in here. Previous owners must have used it all.
(Interaction - Driver's seat) (Attempts to start the RV.) Something is wrong. It won't start, but the engine is fine. Fuel perhaps...?

A warm jacket (0.3 kg). A bit small, but it's thick and warm.
A warm jacket (0.3 kg). Smells a bit odd, but it's thick and warm.
A green blanket (0.5 kg). It's thick, heavy, and also stained with what I hope was tea.
A bandage (0.2 kg). A roll of clean bandage. I'd better keep this in case someone gets hurt.
A thermal blanket (0.1 kg). Low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin silvery sheeting.



Now that we've taken everything of value from here, we can ask the others about the RV.

It must have been fun riding through wastelands with this thing.
Well, its end certainly didn't look like fun.
Every road ends somewhere, Cate.
My road ain't ending in the dust of a wasteland thanks to a broken car.
Maybe sometimes it's not about where it ends, but rather how it goes?
Nah. Only losers say that. Don't say that.

Do you like this RV?
It's cool! Can we take it? We could travel the world!
I think it's broken.
Well, there aren't too many nice things to see anyway, so it's okay...

Isn't it a nice RV?
Looks cozy. I could probably repair it if we had a few days... which, of course, we don't have. Not that it would be better than a well-fortified house anyway.

Good stuff, good stuff. But I'm curious about the cave and rock formation outside. Did the RVers camp down there?

(Interaction - Rock formation) This rock formation is full of cracks and holes, but it looks really sturdy and stable.
(Interaction - Cave) It's at least 7 feet deep. I don't want to jump in there.
(Item - Hook on rope) I've tied the rope with the hook.

A rope with a hook (2.5 kg). A few meters of strong rope with a hook attached to one end.



David finally does something I want with the rope! Let's head down there!



Inside

Brr... it's really cold down here.

This is an interesting area, but there's nothing here to be had. Given the cold, though, it's obviously unsuited for the coming blizzard. What do our intrepid companions think of this icy pit?

So, what do you think of this place?
David, if you were looking for a place that I couldn't compare to a hole in the ground, you've found it. This is literally a hole in the ground. There is nothing here, just severe cold.

What do you think about this cave?
It's cold in here!!! ...cold in here! Echo! Echo! Gekko! ...ekko! Tee-hehehe! hehe!

What do you think of this place?
It's cold, like Cate's heart.
Hey!
What? It's an accurate description.
I think I have to agree.
You could have said it's dark, like our future. Or its bottom is as hard as life has recently become. Or that it's shallow, like our current discussion.

Looks like the trip out here was only good for the contents of the RV. Time to head back to our shelter, because we are entirely out of places to explore for today. Let's not forget our rope and hook, though.

(Interaction - Rope and hook) I've removed the hook from the crack. That rope might be useful elsewhere.



Upon returning to the shelter, I throw a bunch of items in the storage chest and take our brand new rope and hook to the roof and chimney, where upon using the rope and hook on said chimney reveals it was clogged by... a dead bird.

A dead bird (0.1 kg). Mummified carcass of a bird. I don't see a reason to carry this around...

Let's offer it to our companions!

Wha... Are you a cat or something? Or are you just really bad with women.

Yuck! Can I poke it?

I'm not sure you should walk around with it in your backpack.

Well, I am taking this dead bird to space, you hear me? These conversations happened as I walked around the wasteland for this update!

So kid, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Hmm... I'm not sure.
Not that it matters now anyway.
Policeman? Fireman? I'm sure you had some ideas.
I wanted to work in a zoo. There are so many animals there! I could play with tigers!
That could be dangerous...
No, I've heard they can be really friendly!
If you say so, kid.

Knock knock.
...
Knock knock!
There's no one home.
You don't know how to have fun...

Hey, Cate?
Yeah?
Well...
What is it?
I was just wondering. Sometimes you're kind of mean to David.
And?
And... well... I just don't understand. Don't you... like him?
Well... it's not that I DON'T like him...
But you make fun of him or get angry and yell at him all the time.
Cause sometimes he acts like a... a goof!
A goof?
Yes, a goof. It means that sometimes he does stupid things.
Oh, okay. I get it.
Are we done here?
Yeah, thanks. I need to think about it some more.
As long as you do it quietly...

Eleven... Fourteen times three...
Cate! What are you calculating?
Two hundred seventy... gah! Why do you have to interrupt like that?!
Sorry. I was just curious.
I was calculating how much fuel we will need.
We have pretty much all the fuel that we could need from the gas station.
I meant the rocket fuel.
Wait... you've been counting that in your head?
I read the technical manual to the Sidereal's ship. It wasn't easy to get one, I might add. But as for now I know it by heart.
How do you know how much we weigh? I guess that's a factor, right?
I... approximate.

All right, that was a long entry, but I can't see anything else that can be done today that doesn't involve preparing for the long, cold night. Goons, it is time to reconvene David's hive mind...



Here is what our inventory looks like, for your perusal. There are five votes for you to consider today.

First, who should get what coats, jackets, and blankets to keep warm? I figured size may be a component, so both small jackets to Cate and Cody, and the big ones to Barry and David, with the blankets going to our party members and not David himself.

Second, where should we put the electric heater and the gas heater? I want to put one heater in the living room and the other in the bedroom upstairs.

Third, should we light the oven as well as the fire for extra heat? I am definitely lighting the fire (possibly using the flamethrower, haha) but do you think it would be safe to turn the oven on? I want to say yes to the oven.

Fourth, how else should we protect our home from the cold? I am probably overlooking something, so should we board up the windows with plastic and duct tape? Should we close the hatch outside and maybe use the burger flag to cover the broken hatch?

Fifth, what shall we name our new best friend, the dead bird?

[Olive Branch]

So most of the goon mind feels that everyone gets a coat, the blankets go on the windows, both heaters go in the living room with the fireplace and the oven gets turned on! I'll take any other steps I can to protect ourselves from the cold with the items on hand, especially to insulate any pockets of cold from the rooftops. The dead bird's name suggestions were all single-voted, but I personally liked how Eve reminded me of The Binding of Isaac, so Eve it will be called! Now, time for us to set up for the second night of four.

Inside

We'll start by giving coats to the gang. Barry, take this big tan one.

Hey, take this coat.
Thanks. But... I think you should give one to Cody first.
Huh? Did someone call me?
But what about you, Barry?
I'll be fine. We can always find more coats.

But we have four of them, ya goof. All right, but before I do, let's offer the red one to Cate and see what she says.

Here. Take this coat.
Aww, you shouldn't have.
Wear it when it gets really cold.
I know. Thanks.

12:39 pm: I gave Cate a warm coat.

I guess Cate is plot-important (or just selfish) so she'll snag it if you offer it. Okay Cody, let's give you this small blue one.

Take this coat.
It's too big for me!
I know, but you'll have to wear it later when it gets really cold.
Uh... okay.
Hah. You're good with kids, David.
I don't know, am I?
Hey, I'm not a kid!

12:39 pm: I gave Cody a warm coat. He's small, so he might need it more than anyone else.

Now that Cody's bundled up, take your coat, Barry.

Hey, take this coat.
Huh? Um, okay. It's getting rather chilly already.
Yeah. And it's only going to get worse.
Thanks.

12:39 pm: I gave Barry a warm coat.

Next, to use the blankets on the windows.



Well I'll be damned. You guys who considered the blankets for the windows called it. Let's nail and duct tape the blankets on. Now I really wish we'd had the third set of nails.




Interesting that the game is warning us about the window frames getting weaker, but this must be a time-intensifying mechanic given we have a whopping seven hours to spend until nighttime. Thanks to the gang, the job is faster.

01:02 pm: I installed a thermal insulation fabric in one of the windows.




01:48 pm: I installed a thermal insulation fabric in some of the windows.



02:34 pm: I installed a thermal insulation fabric in all of the windows.

Time to close the hatch leading to the roof, and try to use the restaurant flag to insulate the hole leading up here.



02:34 pm: I covered the hatch with something to block the temperature.

(Item - Duct tape on hatch) Covering this with some cloth should be sufficient. There's no need to do anything else with it.

Do you even know where we're going? ...Just as I thought.

Not now, Cate. Besides, we're not going anywhere now that we're set up here at the hideout.



I take the extension cord to the living room. Can it even reach up to the second floor if we wanted to?

No point dragging it up there.

I guess we'll be having a sleepover in the living room! Let's set up the electric heater, get these spiders and bear traps out of here and the kitchen, turn on the oven, and finally, drop the big gas heater...



02:34 pm: I put an electrical heater in the house.





I've opened the oven. I've also switched it on. I'm getting hot already.

02:58 pm: I started an oven to generate more heat.



02:58 pm: I put a gas heater in the house.

And now, for the coup de grâce: lighting the fireplace! David, the flamethrower, if you please!



I wouldn't know, David, but I'll take your word for it. I bet we're all going to be sweating buckets in here. In fact, I'm worried about that, so I am going to pass around the water bottles, just in case...

Hey, take this water.
But it's snowing everywhere. If I'm thirsty, I just have to open my mouth wide and catch some snow! Aaaaaaaaaaah!
Yeah, you're probably right. Forget it.

Here, have some water.
No, thanks. How about you drink it yourself?

Hey, have some water.
Not really thirsty, thanks. Maybe we should look for something warm instead.
Yeah. You're probably right.

Damn it folks. Aren't you all going to be rolling around sweating out of every pore in a few hours? Jeez.

Barry, can you play with me? I'm bored.
Sure, kid. What do you want to do?
There is this simple game where one person describes what they see and the other person has to guess. I can go first!
Go ahead.
I spy with my little eye something scary.
Cate.
How did you guess that so fast?!

I actually said "Cate" out loud when Cody said his line and laughed when Barry echoed me. And not to worry, Cody my boy, we'll have plenty of game time tonight because we're all set up here!



Yes, we're ready. Everyone's got a coat, the windows are as well-sealed as I could make them, both heaters have been plunked down, and every opening save the helicopter's is closed up or insulated. I'll equip the coat for the night. Time to see if our preparations have been sufficient, goons...

Long Nights



It got so cold that everything in the area that was alive and hadn't found a shelter was frozen almost instantly. You found shelter in a house, hoping it would save you from the wave of cold death...





As a result, that window blocked 6% of the initial cold wave.



As a result, that window blocked 6% of the initial cold wave.



As a result, that window blocked 6% of the initial cold wave.

Thank goodness I didn't need the nails after all, whew!



With a large hole in the attic, the hatch was an important air-flow route. It stopped 6% of the initial cold wave.



It was generating a lot of heat, countering 30% of the initial cold wave. During the night a sudden strong gust of wind almost put the fire out... You had a lot of spare kindling for such an occasion: to relight the fire or make the flame bigger. You didn't lose any heat. The basket by the fireplace was full of fuel to burn. It kept the fire going till dawn.



Too bad you were staying in the other room, making it less effective. As a result, the oven raised the temperature a bit, dispersing about 7% of the initial freezing wind power.

We figured that it would help at least a little bit, but I'd have stayed in the living room anyway even knowing the effectiveness would go down.



The hot air it blew raised the temperature around it, deducting 22% of the initial cold wave.



The warmth from the gas heater dispersed about 24% of the initial freezing air.



Wow, did we just ace this night?



Another Sunrise

You were able to rest much more comfortably than you thought you would. [+5 kg permanent carry weight bonus]

Sweet! Looks like getting a perfect night's rest grants a bonus to our weight limit, which makes me sad we didn't snag it with the spiders. But we had plenty of time and, it seems, forgiving methods of cold dispersal tonight compared to the first night of fending off spiders. There seemed to be more room for error here.



But during the night... another prophetic dream of doom begins. Why not see what danger awaits us tomorrow? You all know the drill. Let's look out the window--




Aaaaagh, acid rain! It burns! Run for it, David!





Lighting strikes David, discharging a strong surge of electricity. The bolt instantly fries him and he falls to the ground, his burnt flesh smouldering and his muscles convulsing as his nerves give their final reactive twitch. This thunderstorm with acid rain is not going to be easy to protect against...

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!

With the night survived and the dream had, it's time to let the gang know what's going down tonight.



Inside

Yeah, not a very pleasant one... There was a storm. A thunderstorm. The rain was burning, like it was acid. And lightning was striking all around.
I see. We'll have to prepare for it then.
What is it Cody? You seem excited.
I have something important to tell you! It's like... super-duper important! We have to prepare for tonight! Even more than yesterday!
Yes, Cody. I know...
But you don't know why yet!
I don't? I thought...
Shush! I had a dream. There were like dozens of zombies coming towards the house. They wanted my brain! We have to protect it! I don't want to be eaten... They had those ugly faces, and they were slowly walking with their arms in front of them. They were speaking to me. All like, "Braaaaaains!"
Cody... Zombies are not real. You had a bad dream, that's all.
What? No! Why? Your dreams are better than mine?!
I'm not saying they are better...
So you believe me that there are zombies coming after me!
No one is chasing you, Cody...
I hope zombies will think you are tasty...
David, there's something I have to tell you. I also had a dream.
You saw what I saw?
No... I saw a city. I know where to find the spaceship, David. Or at least, I know how to look for it.
What? Where?
Sidereal. The corporation that built those ships had a number of outposts and offices across the... well, everywhere, actually. In my dream I saw one of them in the deserted city in the southwest. It was just an office, but if we get there, we might find the location of the spaceship outpost.
So... you don't know for certain.
David, have I doubted your dreams for one second? I need you to trust me on this one. We've gotta get there as soon as possible. Before we spend any time preparing for what's coming tonight.



We have to secure our hideout for the incoming storm.

Alright then. I want to say Cate has a point about where to ultimately look to get out of here. We can safely dismiss Cody's nightmare, but just in case, we do have a flamethrower and rifle with five bullets! Before heading out, I want to do a quick check of the home and talk to our companions. The blankets in the window are already protecting us from the rain, apparently, but if we find anything better I'll ask you all if we should keep them up.



First up is Cate, who is willing to tell us about today, Barry, and Cody. Let's begin with tonight's forecast, shall we?

Any ideas for today?
Before we start even thinking about what comes later, we HAVE TO go to the Sidereal Plexus office. Let's get back to this talk after we're done with that, okay?

Wow, she really isn't kidding. What "about Barry," has your opinion of him improved any?

Cate?
What now David?
I wanted to talk about Barry.
What is there to talk about? He is not fond of me, and I'm not fond of him. We still can work together. That's what's important.
Couldn't you be like more... you know... human?
What?
Eh... never mind.

Cate has a point. Nobody can like everyone, even in the end of the world. But "about Cody," you like him, right?

Anything new on Cody?
What do you mean? He's not that annoying. If that's what you are asking.
No... I didn't mean that.
I told you already. I think he's a poor kid. I was expecting him to be an obstacle, but for now he's doing well enough. I'm pretty sure he is afraid of me. Maybe that's for the best. At least he'll listen to someone.
You think he wouldn't listen to me?
David, please...

Hah, that wasn't exactly a negatory answer. David is sweet, but he certainly leans more on his kindness and gentleness than anything else.



Cody also has new topics of conversation about today, Cate, and Barry. Take it away, Cody, say what's on your mind "about today!"

What is it, Cody? Worried about tonight?
Yes, but also... Do we have to go to that Sideplexthing office? It sounds kinda scary.

Welcome to the real world, kid. David still has nightmares about the Umbrella Corporation when he was playing Resident Evil. Speaking of scary stuff, tell us "about Cate."

Any new thoughts on Cate?
She is nice, but a bit scary.
How so?
Like, she is pretty but also kinda mean. But not really.
Not really?
Yeah. I think she is a good person. She just tries to hide it. Why would anyone try to hide that they are a nice person? I don't get adults...

What an innocent boy Cody is, but he has a point. Cate is stern and bitter, but she isn't bad. And while we're on the subject of good people, as goon my dad pointed out, tell us "about Barry."

Did you change your opinion about Barry?
Dunno. He is still sad.
It's not that easy to let it go after such a loss.
I know. I'm trying to cheer him up. I think today I saw him smiling. People should smile more often. Everything is better then.
When you put it that way it doesn't sound too complicated.
Of course it doesn't! You make it complicated! All adults do.

Cody with the truth bombs. Out of the mouth of babes and all that. Let's turn to Barry, who has been quiet the entire time.



Just like the others, new thoughts on the group and the day. "About today," Barry...

Are you worried about tonight?
Tonight? I'm worried about this whole Sidereal Plexus thing. That office is in the city. Nobody lives or goes there. And I have a bad feeling about it.

Earlier in the thread goon SSNeoman suggested we should take the rifle in case the locals were "less than friendly" when we visited the ruined house. I think now I'll take up on his advice if Barry says he's got the willies about the city. Now, "about Cate" and her plan...

Any new thoughts on Cate?
I don't know, David. This Sidereal Plexus thing. She claims she didn't know where it was, but then she knows. Plus she knows just so much about them. Not to mention this whole spaceship idea. Isn't this ridiculous?

You're not the only one suspicious of Cate, Barry. Goon cant cook creole bream already suspects that she's going to ditch us when we find the spaceship, but right now all we can do is follow her and be on guard for treachery. But Cody wouldn't betray us, right? Give us your thoughts "about Cody."

Is something wrong with Cody? You're always looking at him.
I think I envy him. He lost... like everything. Without family, without friends, without anyone he knows. With a group of strangers. Who knows how long he was alone before you found him. And yet look at him. Smiling, happy and eager to play. Even with the world dying around him. I wish I could be like that.
Actually... me too.

Talk about a reality check for what Cody's gone through, and yet he remains an optimistic and playful kid. He really is a good boy, as goon Leraika pointed out. He is the glue that will hold the group together.

Baarrry!
What's up, kid?
Why did the tiger lose at poker?
I don't know. Why?
Because he was playing with a cheetah!
Hah! Good one.

With Cody's joke told, it's time for us to make the house lightning-safe. I clean up the living room by throwing the heaters in the storage chest, then head to the kitchen to unplug the extension cord, which also goes into the chest. For good measure, I turn off the oven.

(Interaction - Oven) I've closed the oven and switched it off.

As we may need to reuse it, I run upstairs and take the restaurant burger flag back, and into the box it goes. While we're here, let's get equipped for the day.



Yeah, this looks like a good set of tools and equipment to carry around, and yes, Eve is coming with us. While David gears up, the gang talks to each other.

I miss you so much, Maggie. It's been only a little while... but it feels like an eternity. I wish you were here with me.
Who are you talking to, Barry?
No one, kid. No one...

How are you holding up?
You don't have to pretend you care.
That's a relief. I'm not really good when it comes to social skills.
I already noticed that.

If only Maggie could see me now.
Now? You're not even doing anything special.
No? I'm traveling with new friends, almost strangers... trying to outsmart the wastelands. Maybe we have different definitions of what's special.

Where is it? Where is it?
What's up, Barry?
Have you seen... Oh, here it is. Maggie's locket. I almost lost it.
It's just an item.
Maybe for you.



Investigation

The snow outside seems to have melted fast after the cold snap. There is soft ground outside the house, and we have a shovel.

(Interaction - Ground) I could dig some ditches here to prepare for the incoming storm.
(Item - Shovel on ground) Good idea. Digging ditches would help with the large amount of water pouring down from the sky, but first we have to go to the Sidereal Plexus office and locate the outpost.

The game seems to be forcing us to take Cate's request to heart. In that case, we'll head out back and get Clifford, if it's still roadworthy after the blizzard.



What the... who made a snowman out here? Did someone unlock the doors with our keys and go out in the wee hours of the morning? We promised Cody we'd make a snowman ourselves! While I'm pondering this strange event, Barry strikes up a conversation with Cate, then Cody.

What do you miss, Cate?
Huh?
From your life before all this. Before the world went to hell.
Coffee.
That didn't take long.
It wasn't a hard question. I miss coffee. If you find any, give me some.
Okay...

What do you miss, Cody?
Hm?
From before the world broke down like it did.
Umm... I don't know. Food?
Oh, come on. There must have been something else. Like a TV show or specific type of candy.
Comic books... I miss them. And I had a toy tiger. I miss him, too. But don't say that to David or Cate. It's kinda childish.



Uh... the moon is looking mighty big today. I'm getting some serious Majora's Mask vibes, here. As I gawk at the moon, Cody and Cate continue their conversation from the previous day.

Cate, I've been thinking...
Aaaand?
...And I still don't get it.
What now?
You... why are you so mean to David sometimes?
I thought we covered that: 'cause he's a dork.
...I thought it was "goof"...
Goof, right. Well, that's that.
But that's why I don't get it! Wasn't he like that before?
Before what?
Before you and him got married.
Ack?!
If he was a goof, why would you marry him?
I... what?! I wouldn't!! I wouldn't marry him!
Then... did he, like... make you marry him?
What?
That's what villains do! Did he pretend to be different? Or... did he threaten you?!
Kid, listen!
No wonder you are mean to him.
...I'm getting a nasty headache...



For those wondering, Clifford is working just fine after the blizzard, and the drive to the city will be relatively fast. Since we'll be running on fumes, though, I figure we ought to stop by the gas station later and top off our tank. I run back into the house and grab the full fuel canister, then toss it in Clifford's trunk. Instead of going straight to the city, though, let's go to the restaurant. If you'll recall, there were spiderwebs in the bathroom, and Cate suggested waiting until they dissolved. If they have, then maybe something of use will be salvageable in the restroom area.



Exploration

Well, I'll be. Cate was right again. Maybe she's something of a spiderweb expert. I poke my head in the toilet and open a closet door on the right, and this is what I find. There's a magazine, a bottle of oil, and a bottle of rat poison to be looted here.









Now, I'm no fan of conspiracy magazines, but given the Amazon-levels of shady dealings Sidereal's into and how Cate herself is involved, there's something to be said about the paranoia here. Experimenting with the capacity to transfer minds into other bodies under the guise of a coma treatment clinic is some sci-fi stuff, but hey, so was mining the moon for Helium-3 and then blowing it up. Anyway, back to the business at hand: looting stuff!

A bottle of kitchen oil (2 kg). I doubt if I'll be making french fries with it but who knows. I'd better watch out where I spill it, because it won't just dry like water.
A bottle of rat poison (1 kg). The label warning on the poison says that digesting it might cause nausea, internal bleeding, liver failure or even death. Jesus, were they trying to poison rats or elephants with this?

And with all that done, time to hit the big city, see what's cracking.



Main Menu

Hit by earthquakes, it was quickly abandoned, only to be swallowed by sands after the climate changed. I never liked the idea of going there. It was like a massive tombstone emerging from the wasteland, luring travelers so it could become a grave for more victims.





You bet we have questions. We can check that this isn't the outpost Cate was looking for, ask what exactly we are looking for here, or what are Cate's connections with Sidereal Plexus. Let's work from left to right.

This isn't the outpost you were looking for, right?
Have you been listening to me at all? Of course this isn't the outpost I was looking for. That one had a launchpad and a spaceship. This one... well, this is an office.

What exactly are we looking for here?
Coordinates. We need to know where the launchpad outpost is located. Look for any documents or maps you can find. It's gotta be somewhere here.

What are your connections with Sidereal Plexus?
I... don't know what you mean.
Well, how did you know about the spaceship thing in the first place?
Can we have this conversation another time? It's a long story.

No more questions.
Let's move then.

Who are you anyway?
I'm Catherine?
You know what I'm talking about. Flying a helicopter, using a gun.
You can call it a survival instinct.
That doesn't explain anything.
I'm a girl who survives.

08:22 am: We arrived at the Sidereal Plexus office in the destroyed city. Cate hopes to find the location of the spaceship somewhere around here.



Well... here we are, folks. The big city, not so big or urban anymore. Before heading inside the Sidereal Plexus office building, I want to ask the gang their impressions of the place.

What do you think, Cody?
It's almost like a disaster movie... One time some other boys from the orphanage wanted to watch this film about a huge earthquake. The whole city was devastated! It looks similar. Just much more sand.
We kind of are in a catastrophe movie right now...
Can I be the main hero? And I will save everyone at the end.
That role is already taken, kid.
Aww...
But you can be my sidekick!
Yay!

What do you think of this place?
I didn't go to the city too often. Mostly just when Maggie needed something from here and I had to give her a lift. Living so close was quite handy. It was quiet in our area, but when we needed something it was only a twenty-minute trip. It changed a lot. I mean, just look at all this. It's even worse than anywhere else.
I wonder what happened to all the people.
Simple. They either moved out or died, buried in the sand.

Do you believe in ghosts, Barry?
Do you mean the afterlife? Yes, I...
No, actual ghosts!
Not really.
Oh. Okay. That's good.
Why do you ask...?
No reason.
Cody?

We're not going to die in his hole. We must gather our party and venture forth.



Sand, sand, sand. Let's poke around and see what we can do. There is no music playing here, only the sound of wind whistling over the dunes.

(Interaction - Street lamp) Give it a few more months and this lamp will completely disappear under the sand.
This world doesn't have a few months.
(Interaction - Entrance) Shouldn't there be a door here?
There is. It's probably a few feet under all that sand.
We could bring a shovel and...
Are you serious? Digging a desert's worth of sand would take us hours. No time for that. Let's look for another way in.

There is an east wing and the big dune leads a couple of floors up. I want to search the perimeter first.



This is the east wing, with a metal door still accessible. There's also more to the side of the building further right.

(Interaction - Door) (Struggles to open it.) It seems to be locked from the other side.
(Item - Crowbar on door) (Struggles to open it.) It's no use. The lock is too strong.
(Interaction - Side of the building) Everything here is either collapsed or covered with tons of sand...

Hey David, maybe I'll help you carry something?
Don't even try. He's a hoarder. He just loves collecting stuff.
He just makes sure we have all the things we might need. And I don't want to see his back snap in half.
He'll be fine, Barry. We all carry our own burdens.



I headed back to the front to climb the big sand dune. We need to get inside this office complex.



As David and company walk up the dune, the camera pulls up slightly with each step to show more of the city. The cracked moon looms overhead and rattles like a fragment of angry candy. Or fragments, to be more accurate. As we trudge up, I am treated to more conversations among the team.

I hate walking.

Hey, Barry.
What's up, Cody?
I've been thinking.
Oh, here we go.
Shush, Cate. What have you been thinking about?
Maybe there's a way to stop the Moon.
Stop the Moon?
Yes. From falling down.
How would you do that?
Let's shoot it with a rocket! Or a dozen rockets!
Believe me, Cody. A lot of very smart people tried to come up with a way to do it.
They did?
Yes.
I should tell them my idea then.
Yes. You definitely should.
ROCKETS AWAY! SWOOOSH! SWOOOSH!!!



We've reached the roof... there's crack in the wall on the other side which could let us in the building.







Tension

The "R" in the "SIDEREAL" logo suddenly bends and tilts, metal groaning under the unfamiliar weight distribution nearby. It falls back and smashes the roof open, bringing down a ton of sand and part of the roof with it. While both Cate and David manage to leap out of the way, Barry and Cody are left dangling over the pit!

Oh god...
Help! Help me!
Ugh. I... I can't hold it much longer...
Hang on guys! David, for god's sake! Help them!
Forget me! Save Cody!
Aaaah! I'm gonna fall!
Just... save... the boy...

(Interaction - Opening in the wall) I've gotta help them!

Cody! Barry! Save them, David! They won't hold much longer!




Goons! Emergency vote! Who do we save? I want to save Cody, it's what Barry wants, and damn it, we can't let the kid die like this! If you get an idea to use an item, like our rope with a hook, to hopefully save both, I'm all ears!

[Olive Branch]

The last update was a cliffhanger in a most literal sense! Most people voted to rescue Cody from the pit's edge, but I will try to rescue both him and Barry if possible...



Tension

Our two companions dangle over the pit. I try using the items on them as I can, but even with the rope and hook, the option to rescue them remains the same. Save one, and hope for the best... Cody, get up here!






Barry!!! BARRY!!! ...Can you hear me?!
David... We are on a roof and this hole seems to go all the way down. It's at least a 4-story drop, if not more. He couldn't survive that.
Maybe he did. Maybe he landed on sand. How can you know? BARRY!!!
David...

08:27 am: Barry is dead. I couldn't save them both...

Wow, this really sucks. Barry was a good man, but our lack of foresight or equipment meant that we couldn't rescue our two companions... At least the boy is safe, and it's what Barry wanted. Let's check up on both Cate and Cody.

You okay?
Yeah. I'm fine. I'm not going with you though, it seems.



You're safe. Calm down.
W-where is Barry...?
I... I'm sorry, I couldn't grab both of you.
Noo!! Why didn't you save Barry?



We have three options to tell Cody why we didn't. They are to tell him that "he didn't want to live," that "he wanted me to save you," or to tell Cody, "don't ask." Just like in the restaurant where we met Cody to explain how we opened the door from the other side, I'm going to choose all options and present each of them, but "he wanted me to save you" will be our "real" answer.

I don't think... I don't think he really wanted to live anyway.

* * *

Please don't make it any more difficult than it already is.
...

* * *

I think he'd want me to save you, Cody.
S-so it is my fault...?
No! No, no, no. He just... he cared about you more than he cared about himself.
... *sobs*
Shh... calm down. We have to move.
David, I know this is terrible but we can't let him die for nothing. Get to the opening. I'll try to find another way in. Find the location of that base. Look for documents or a map of some sort. We'll just meet up later. Good luck.



And having said her piece, Cate walks back the way we came. Now it's just David and Cody. Cody doesn't have anything else to say, so it's time to move inside the building.



The office has some sand on the floor but otherwise seems relatively sturdy. What does Cody think about the place?

What do you think of this office?
I don't like being here. Can we go already? This place is... wrong. It's evil. Can't you feel it?

There may be evil here, since it is part of Sidereal Plexus... Anyway, there are a few things to look at here: a chart on the wall, and two computers.

(Interaction - Chart) This chart has some lines of different heights and curves. I have no idea what exactly it represents. Electrical voltages? Something with semiconductors?
(Interaction - Broken computer) Time wasn't very merciful to this particular computer.
(Interaction - Computer) This computer doesn't seem to work.

Nothing of interest in this room, so let's head through the door on the right.



We enter a hallway. There is a collapsed doorway, stairs heading down, a fire alarm, and an elevator door. There is also a small rock on the floor which I pick up.

A small rock (1 kg). A small, round rock.

(Interaction - Collapsed doorway) It's completely collapsed. I can't do much about it.
(Interaction - Fire alarm) In case of emergency, break the glass. I think I've done enough glass breaking for now.
(Item - Wrench on fire alarm) I doubt anyone would come to the rescue anyway.



I open the elevator door, but it seems to be inaccessible.

(Interaction - Elevator) The elevator is stuck mid-floor. I don't think getting inside would be a good idea.

Nothing more here. Let's go downstairs.



The Waste's Mystery

Don't be scared, Cody.
I'm not! ...What was that? (Runs back to David.) I am scared. I don't want to be here.
Hey, it's okay. I'm here. We'll get what we came for, and then we'll just leave.
Okay...



This floor is dark, but the stairway leading down is probably pitch-black. There's another elevator door and two doorways, so we should go from left to right. But can we even go downstairs?

(Interaction - Stairway down) I should find the outpost location before going any further.



Oh god, that's a dead body. There are a few other things of interest here too, including a fax machine with a document sticking out and a gun silencer on the ground.

(Interaction - Dead body) He has an ID on his neck.

An ID badge (0 kg).





A key (0 kg). A simple, metal key.

(Interaction - Dead body) I've already taken his ID. He doesn't have anything else that would be interesting.
(Interaction - Any PC here) It's not powered. Or it's broken. Or both.
(Interaction - Fax machine) The fax machine is not operational.

Fax document (0 kg).







Well, we knew Sidereal was fishy, but this is pretty sickening. There was only bus that would rescue anyone (thus sacrificing the other "less important employees") and a gag order on everyone. On top of that, there is also a sort of "sleep process" that the escapees will undertake, which we've seen hinted at before. Perhaps the most intriguing part is the last line, saying that "the only way to escape is to stop running." We should keep that in mind.

(Interaction - Gun silencer) A gun silencer? What is it doing here? Maybe it's the reason there's a dead guy at the desk.
Assassins! Do you think they are still here?

A rifle silencer (0.5 kg). It's a big silencer for rifles.



We brought along our rifle, and this silencer fits in perfectly... but I don't want to spend more time than needed here. We'll mod our gun later when we're out of this death trap. But maybe Cody can hold the rifle for us?

No way.

Fair enough, David. Let's go into the other doorway on this floor.

(Interaction - Doorway) It's locked.
(Item - Metal key on doorway) I've unlocked it.





Hmm. There's a backup battery in here, but let's check out the elevator really fast.

(Interaction - Elevator shaft) The elevator shaft is just like our future... dark and hollow. And with a risk of being crushed by a heavy thing falling from above.

Very apt analogy, David, I'm surprised! Okay, enough fooling around. Let's see if that backup battery has some juice left in it.




Another minigame. Looks like we need to match both pins A and B to their values, 50 and 10, by taking each pin's connection wire to another electrical pin, with the starting values on the left of 10 and 60. Let's see how well I do...





The burnt-looking pins actually still had a charge on them: the one on the bottom left has a value of 20, and the one on the top right has a value of 15. By using both of them, we get the values we need, and we have light once more!



As it turns out, turning the power back on gave us a working PC! But wouldn't the loss of electricity have rebooted it? Whatever, it's game logic, or else David's goony powers are so strong he can bypass all boot sequences by merely being near a computer.



Like any good cubicle worker, whoever sat at this desk kept a sticky note showing their user login and password, and both are appropriately insecure. We can access an internet browser and the e-mail client, but I'll allow David to get his goon on first.



The page view that any computer toucher most fears to see... If only, as goon Regallion points out, someone sitting in front of a computer with an active internet connection could access the page for themselves, and maybe use these login credentials, too... Ah well, can David at least still access the e-mail servers? If we can, let's root through all the documents!





Leaves of absence are boring. Next!






Huh...? Catherine Mayweather... Pilot. Could that be Cate? We really need to have a talk.

I'll say. Also, does this say Cate is from another goddamn world? And who are these scientists she was escorting, did they have something to do with the Moon? Curiouser and curiouser.







08:27 am: I learned about a lodge in the woods up north. It might be worth checking out.

Hmm... Guns and bear traps at a lodge, you say? We may need the firepower, so we'll swing by there later.




Yeah, this "Catherine Mayweather" is totally Cate. Just read the way she ended the e-mail!





Damn. I was curious to read what the report said. Next e-mail, then.





Ah, here's a clue to lighting up the floor below us: we need to give pin A 15V, and pin B 40V. We'll do that after we finish snooping here.




This is some capitalism.doc right here. "Oh yeah, the Moon blew up, but keep working and zip your lip about us being responsible, wage slave!"






Jacob Salmann, as it turns out, is the dead guy right next to us who we got the ID from. As it is, we are in danger, Jacob, not that you would know anymore.




Joshua has guts, but chances are he's absolutely wasted like Jacob over here. For what it's worth, I appreciate his efforts: the military probably wouldn't have tried to evacuate anyone otherwise until too late.







08:27 am: I found the location of the outpost.

I saved the best for last. They're probably referring to Jacob getting offed, but now that we have the location of the outpost we can leg it out of here! Let's step back out to the hallway.

Umm...
What happened?
Nothing... David? Do you think...? Do you think Barry is alive?
...I don't know, kid.
I hope he's okay...
Me too...

Before we get the lights rejiggered, let's see if we can head downstairs.




As it turns out, we can. Let's see what we can do here, just for fun.

(Interaction - Elevator shaft) I think I see the bottom, but it's far too high to jump.
(Interaction - Fire hose) It's a fire hose locked in a glass cabinet.
(Interaction - Darkness) It's too dark to see anything...

Yeah, it's dangerous to head in there blind, but let's use our wrench on that fire hose!



Now that we've broken the glass, we can grab the fire hose and use it to descend the elevator shaft, since it's too high to jump. But before we do that, we should finally get around to powering up this floor.



After some more fiddling around, I manage to get the values we need.



This looks pretty creepy. There's a pipe, a vent, and a doorway. Before we go in, I want to check out the hallway.

(Interaction - Pipe) (Struggles to pull it.) It's too heavy.
(Interaction - Vent) (Pulls the vent out.) I can't fit in there.
(Interaction - Doorway) It seems to be locked from the other side.



Talking with Cody gives us the option to ask him to enter the vent. Good thing we saved him, huh?

Hey Cody. Do you think you could crawl through that vent over there?
Huh? Why?
Because this door is locked. Maybe there's a way to open it from inside.
(Walks to the vent.) Okay, just wait here. I'll open it.



There is nothing here, though. Just some office stuff.
Thanks, Cody.



I absolutely want to loot the hell out of this office. There's a photocopier with a stack of papers, a PC, and a floppy disk.

(Interaction - PC) It's not powered. Or it's broken. Or both.
(Interaction - Photocopier) It's not operational.

Photocopier document (0 kg).






Controlled dreaming in sleep, and "Seeing" something... something really spooky, that's for sure. Did he see it in reality, or in dreaming? Or is it a being that can walk between worlds?

(Interaction - Floppy disk) A floppy disk labeled "PHASE CTRL LITE". I have no idea what it is... yet, I feel it's really important. I definitely don't want to leave this thing behind...

A floppy disk labeled "PHASE CTRL LITE" (0 kg). No idea why, but I feel like I've seen this thing before. It feels so important. I should keep it no matter what.

You really can't tell the player more blatantly that this is a plot-crucial item. We'll keep it on us at all times!




We pay out some hose down the shaft, and now we can go down. Let's do it.



Two more collapsed doorways, and a door label telling us this is Lab 14...

(Interaction - Either collapsed doorway) It's completely collapsed. I can't do much about it.



This hallway and Lab 13 look accessible, though.

(Interaction - Lab door) It's locked. I need a key to open this door.

Okay, fine, after we find the key. Towards that other corridor!



Ah, shit, Barry. Shit. You do not look good. Damn. Let's check on him before anything else.



Aaaahh...




Hah... you're terrible.
I also feel terrible.
W-what should I do?
You got the location of the base?
Yes.
Good. Get out of here then.
Can't leave you like that.
I'm good as done, David. Take the kid and go.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I let you fall.
It's alright. You've made the right choice. Maggie knew you would make the right choice.
Huh...?
My wife... she... knew. In her note... she wrote... that she knows you'll make the right choice when the time comes. The note was for me, but that section, that line... That was for you. I know it. I see it.
Barry, get up! please!

Mourning

In a sec. Okay, kid? Uncle Barry's gotta rest his bones a bit. Go, David. Take good care of him and Cate. I... don't know... where you're going... but... (His voice line colors begin to fade to gray.) I'll meet you. In another life.
Goodbye, Barry.




Godspeed, Barry. Be at peace with Maggie.

(Interaction - Barry) Poor Barry. I have to leave him like this for now. Maybe after finding an exit there will be time to honor him.



Not surprisingly, we can ask Cody about Barry.

How are you holding up, kid?
I miss Barry... He was so kind and good... But then he fell into that hole... *sniff*
Shh... don't cry...
I'm not... *sniff*... crying...

(Interaction - Reception desk) Nothing useful here.
(Interaction - Sidereal Plexus logo) What exactly were you doing, Sidereal? What was your game?
(Interaction - Main door) There is a dune of sand on the other side of that door. I'd better find another exit.

There is only one way to go, and that's the exit to the left.



More labs, more collapsed doorways.

(Interaction - Either collapsed doorway) It's completely collapsed. I can't do much about it.



Thankfully, this seems to be the end of the line.

(Interaction - Doorway) I've unlocked it.



Freedom!



David. You've got the location?
You really don't care about Barry, do you? Don't you want to ask about him first?
I just assumed he is dead.
He DIED for this information, Cate. He DIED, for god's sake.
Like I said, that's what I assumed.
Oh, okay. Assume I've got your stupid map then.
Show me it.
Take a look. The launchpad is here in the mountains. We can go right away.
What about your dream? The storm, acid rain, thunder.
What about them? If we get to the launchpad fast, they won't be our problem.
I... don't know, David. You HAD that dream. It might mean we won't escape them just like that. The wind blows from the east. The storm comes from that direction. If we go there today, it might catch us in the open before we find the ship and we can't launch during a storm for sure. We have to wait for this storm to pass in our base. We have to stay one more night.
How about we stay here, then?
The storm will get to us here, too. You've seen weather anomalies before, David. I'd rather be in our reinforced base than here in this death trap, flooded with sand AND acid rain water.

Cate seems surprisingly willing to accept David's dream as a certainty again, but given her likely background with Sidereal and the stuff we read about dreaming so far, maybe David was experimented on and he doesn't remember it?



Cody has something to say "about today," so let's hear it, kiddo.

You look worried. Is something wrong?
Uh... nothing.
Are you sure? You know you can tell me.
Hmpf. I'm fine. I'm not afraid of thunderstorms.
I didn't say you were.
But you thought it!
No, I didn't.
Yes, you did! That's why you asked me if I'm fine! And I'm fine! Who would be scared for a storm? Not me. Not at all.



Cate has quite a bit to say, namely her thoughts of the place, about today, Barry, and who she actually is... I'll do this in order.

So, what do you think of this place?
I was expecting something more, to tell you the truth. I heard so many things about this place, but I never made it here myself. Until now of course.
It was once a huge city.
The bigger they are...

And what "about today," sunshine?

Any thoughts about today?
Don't ask me. Thunderstorms are not afraid of bullets.
Do you always resolve issues with a gun?
Do you have any issues with me?
Um... no. Not at all. I was just curious.
I'm glad we settled that. Back to the topic. The acid rain will be a huge problem. I think we should cover as many holes as possible.
That's a valid point.

Some people think they can outsmart Cate. Maybe, maybe. She's yet to meet one who can outsmart boolett. Now, "Barry" died, Cate... Are you going to mourn his passing?

Poor Barry...
Yes.
Yes? That's all you have to say?
I regret he died. I wish he hadn't.
Was that so difficult to say?
This is exactly why I don't want to get attached. Losing friends is difficult. Losing strangers... got familiar. I can handle it almost too easily. So do me a favor and mourn him for both of us. Please.

Ice cold, damn. She does have a point, especially since she's a stranger to us... Or is she really? You are "Catherine Mayweather," aren't you?

Mayweather. Catherine Mayweather.
Huh?
Is that your name?
Why do you ask?
I've seen it in one of the documents. You worked for Sidereal, didn't you?
...Briefly. I didn't even know where this office was before the dream I just had. And I definitely wasn't important enough to earn my place on the lifeboat, it appears.



That revelation gave us a few more topics of conversation. Let's start with the obvious: "why hide it?"

Why hide it? Why conceal that information?
Isn't it obvious, David? Sidereal caused it. All of it.
The Moon?
Yes. And... more than that. I wasn't directly involved. But you can imagine I don't want to be shot in the face by a stranger for mentioning that my employer has accidentally destroyed the world.

Fair point, but we aren't revenge-prone. "What else are you hiding" from us?

What else are you hiding?
Nothing. Jeez, David.
I'm sorry, but I think you know more than you say. That turned out to be truth in the past... and I think it's still the case.
Alright. You don't have to trust me if you don't want to. Just help me get to that ship.

David seems pretty sure that "the ship is gone," because surely all would have launched by now, no?

So from the documents I've found it seems people from this office were evacuated to the launchpad. Wouldn't that mean the ship is long gone?
It's not gone.
How do you know?
Dreams, David. I also keep having them.

So "where do those dreams come from," exactly? David isn't the only dreamer: Maggie seemed to know some stuff, and even Cate is sticking to her precognitive story.

Where do you think those dreams come from? How is it even possible?
I believe those are visions... sent by someone.
I'd think you're crazy if I didn't have the same thoughts myself...
Maybe we're both crazy then.
Well, that's always possible.

If the visions are sent by that creepy creature sketched by the test subject we read about, then what is it? What was Sidereal's plan and how did it involve the Moon? Anyway, that's all we got from Cate. I think we should head back inside and show her Barry's body. He deserves a burial, or something.



Barry... I'm... I'm sorry, David. Poor man.



We can ask her about the Sidereal office itself, so let's do that before we get to burying Barry.

This place is terrifying. And dangerous.
Oh, come on...
I mean it. Remember what happened on the roof?
Let's not stay here any longer, then. How about that? We have things to do.



Yeah, we should bury Barry. I don't see why we can't bury him alongside his wife, but we don't seem to have the option to do that. His final resting place will be here, and while it will be simple, we won't forget him.



We have to go.
Farewell, friend...
Goodbye, Barry...

(Interaction - Simple grave) He sleeps calmly, watching the sky through the hole in the ceiling above him.

Before we leave, I want to try one last thing. If you'll recall, there was a pipe on the second floor that was too heavy for us to move alone. Maybe with Cate alongside us, she can help pull it down?





Sadly, nothing we do works, and Cate doesn't give us an option to help out. I head back downstairs, gas up the truck (which was in the red, if you'll recall), and prepare to head out...



We have unlocked a new area for us to explore, the hunter's lodge, and gained visibility (but not access) to the Sidereal outpost. Our inventory is full and we could refill our gas container, so the plan for next time is to head to the gas station to refuel, stop by the house to drop off some items, and then go to the lodge in search of supplies. Make sure to press F to pay respects to Barry.

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Main Menu

When we last left our intrepid explorers, we explored the Sidereal Plexus offices in the city and learned the location of the outpost, but lost Barry in the process. Goon Regallion made an interesting comment about Sidereal Plexus's website, too, so check that out! Anyway, we must press on if we want to survive the night.



The plan is to eventually visit the lodge, but first I'll hit the gas station to refuel our container, and the household to drop off unnecessary items.



But en route to the gas station, our eagle eyes spot fresh tracks going to the gas station... Let's check it out.



Exploration

More survivors! ...Who are pointing guns at us.

Wha... who are you?!
Hands in the air! Now!
Relax guys, we're just...
HANDS. IN. THE. AIR. NOW! (Cody raises his hands in the air.)
(Raises his hands in the air.) All right, all right... There, okay? Cate, would you...?



Please don't shoot us! We're innocent!
It's okay, Cody. They're not going to shoot us.
Who are you?
My name is David. This is Cate. And...
Alright, save it. You can explain everything to the Sarge.



I'm very much in favor of that.
Let's start with this. Who are you and what are you doing here?



We can answer in three different ways: to say we're just travelers, that we're a family... or that it's none of this guy's business. I want to answer honestly for the "real" run, but let's mess with this jarhead first, shall we?

It's none of your business who we are.
That's where you're wrong, son. You snuck into my camp, and your life is now in my hands. I'd choose your words more carefully if I were you. But fine. Let's have it your way. May I have your names at least?
Look. We were just looking for supplies, okay? Name's David.
Cate.
That's Cody.
Hello.

* * *

We're just looking for supplies. My name is David. This is my wife, Cate.
David...?
Relax, dear. I got this.
Sure. Dear.
Ahem. So, as I was saying. That's us. That's our son Cody.
Um. Yes. Hello.

* * *

We're just travelers. We're looking for supplies.
So you're looters.
That's a harsh word. We're just trying to survive. My name is David. This is Cate. That's Cody.
Hello.
And you're just looking for supplies.
Yes. Can I ask you the same question?
Sergeant First Class Franklin McWillis. And this is my squad. Josh, Mark, Steve and Paul.
So... you're with the army?
We ARE the army. All that's left of it, it would appear. There is no more government. No more HQ. We're on our own.
You're still wearing uniforms, though.
That's what keeps us together, son.
What are you going to do with us now?




Sorry about that. You never know these days. It's good to meet a friendly face for once.



Sarge McWillis isn't a bad guy, and seems to be fine just talking. We have a few topics of discussion: we can point out he has a wounded person, ask him where he'll go, ask if he knows of any interesting places, chat about the Moon, and reveal we know about a spaceship. I'll exhaust the topics from left to right, starting with the wounded guy.

What happened to him?
Who, Steve? We were attacked. A small group of bandits. Nothing we couldn't handle. But Steve was wounded and is not doing well. We don't have anything to treat him with. I was hoping we'd find something here, but no luck.
What do you need exactly?
Some bandages. And something to disinfect his wounds.

We already have some bandages, but I don't think we have any disinfectant, off the top of my head. We'll keep an eye out: one good turn deserves another, no? What's the next for your unit, Sarge?

So what's your plan, Sarge?
We're headed west. This is our final stop before we attempt to take on the desert that lies beyond this place. I guess you're traveling in the same direction? You could join us if you want.



We get an option to tell him we're going east, so I'll say that first.

Actually, we're going east.
East? That's a terrible idea.
Why?
We just came from there, escaping a dreadful storm. It's hell, I'm telling you. Thunderstorms like you've never seen before. The rain is acidic. It burns skin. Trust me, you don't want to go east. Not today at least.



Another topic, asking how we can survive the storm. What advice can this military man give us?

Do you have any ideas on how we can survive the storm?
Damn it, son! Why are you so stubborn? If you have to stay, dig some ditches around your hideout to lead the water away. Also, maybe talk to Paul. He's our technician, and I know he has some scientific instruments that might help you. But don't expect our help for nothing in return. We have our own needs.

Hmm, maybe patching up Steve in exchange for an instrument could be a fair trade? We'll see what Paul may need, though. How about "interesting places," Sarge, know of any?

Have you seen any interesting places worth exploring? We're looking for things to fortify our hideout.
Hm. There's a construction site south of here. My boys saw it when they scouted the area, but we're not sure what's there. Maybe you'll find something useful there. Here, let me mark it on your map...

We'll check out our map, and vote on where to go next, when we're all done here. Back on topic: how about "the Moon," looking fine, huh?

The Moon is falling on our heads.
Yeah? Wow, I didn't notice. Maybe I was too busy trying to look after myself and my squad, because the DAMN MOON EXPLODED AND IS FALLING ON US.
What I meant was... It is going to crash into Earth. Like, really soon.
Good.
Good?
It's all gonna end. It has to. This whole nightmare. Let me tell you a story, okay?
Sure...
Our squad was helping with evacuation. We were on a chopper, hovering above a football stadium where people had gathered. We were picking up the wounded to get them to safety. Suddenly, BAM! Another earthquake started and everything went to hell. Literally. The ground split open, bursting out red flames. Do you know The Bible?
I'm not an expert.
I wasn't a religious man either. But after seeing all this... After seeing a whole stadium of people being swallowed by Hell itself in one chomp? It was then that I realized. There is no hope. Nothing is going to end well. This is judgment day. The final chapter of mankind.

Yeesh, that's some traumatic stuff, Sarge. But good news, we have a "spaceship" and willing to take your gang with us!

We have... we might have a clue to where to find a spaceship.
Yeah? What'd you need that for?
To... to escape.
To escape? You're out of your mind. Where would you escape?
Well, there's a space station. Supposedly.
Son, I understand you want to survive at all cost. But this is being delusional. The entire world is dead. This isn't something you just escape from. You can't. There is nowhere to go. There is no magical kingdom, no wonderful utopia waiting for survivors. No space station will save you. Don't let anyone fool you like that.



We get another prompt: to ask Sarge to come with us. Will he?

Don't you want to come with us?
David... a word please?
What is it, Cate?
We can't just offer a ride to everyone we meet. Cody, I get it, he's with us. But we can't take more hitchhikers. We don't know what condition the ship is in. How much fuel there will be. How much air reserves. There might be a strict weight limit.
It's okay.
Hm?
I wouldn't want to go anyway.
But... the world is doomed.
I've come to terms with that.
And your men? They have the right to decide for themselves, right?
Right. But we're a team. A squad that keeps together, no matter what. Why don't you ask them yourself?
Right now I'm asking you.
Okay. So here's my answer. Good luck with your plan. I mean it. But we're staying.

Maybe not everyone is willing to go down with the ship, as it were, and is willing to go up with the ship. In any case, that's all we can chat about with Sarge for now, so this is "goodbye."

So... you're letting us go?
Yeah. You're not the bandits we mistook you for. Sorry if we scared you. We'll head off soon after the sunset. Until then, if you need anything, just ask.
Okay...

09:15 am: We met a squad of soldiers led by Sarge. They are stationed in the restaurant and might offer us some help.



Before we go chatting up Sarge's men, Cate and Cody have stuff to say about Sarge. Let's ask them for their hot takes.

About Sarge...
What about him?
You have any thoughts about him?
He can be useful. He and his men.
You really think of them as some kind of... resource?
It's not like we can join forces with them. They have their own group, and we have ours. We should focus mainly on our own survival. If they can help us, I'm fine with that. They aren't even helping us for free, so like I said, everyone thinks about themselves.



Cate may be cynical, but I think she's got a point. Sarge at least thinks the escape plan is a bunch of hooey, so there's no harm in helping each other out in fair exchange. Cody, what do you think?

So, what do you think about Sarge?
I think he's a brave general, and he fights the bad guys.
Sarge. Not a general. Sarge, as in sergeant.
Oh. I thought that was his name! Anyway, I wish I was in his squad! I'd have a cool gun, and I'd be fighting the bad guys with General Sarge!
Guns are not for kids.
I'm not a...
So, when are you leaving?
What...?
When are you leaving to join Sarge and his men.
I... no! I don't want to go! David! Cate! I didn't mean it!
Calm down, Cody. You're not going anywhere.
Phew...
Cate. You seriously have to stop saying stuff like that.
Hahaha. But did you see the look on his face?

That was mean-spirited, Cate. Cody's still at an impressionable, imaginative age. Leave him be. But, back to business. Steve, the wounded soldier nearby, is willing to talk to us.

Uhhh... What do you want?
Are you always this friendly?
Only with bullet holes, ma'am.



You're one to talk about friendliness, Cate. In any case, we can ask Steve if he'd like to come with us, and how he's feeling. Let's ask first how he feels.

How do you feel?
How do you think I feel? Like a kitchen strainer. *cough*
Is there anything we can do to help?
If you have a clean bandage and something to disinfect the wounds, that'd be great.

Yeah, yeah. That's on our agenda. Wanna come with us?

Do you want to come with us?
Are you willing to carry me? *cough*
I'm done.
Okay. Fair enough. (After choosing "Goodbye.") Bye.

Okay, so that's the two soldiers in here. Let's meet the other three outside.



Josh is the brown-skinned soldier on the left, Mark is the big white guy on the right. I'll start with Mark first, because I think the last soldier must be guarding the back of the restaurant to the left.

Hi.
Can't talk. I'm on guard duty.
I'll make it quick...



We can ask Mark his opinion of Sarge, and if he wants to join us. First, his opinion of his CO.

What do you think about Sarge?
Good leader. Honorable man. Trusted friend.

Mark is a man of few words, but he respects Sarge. Will he leave his unit behind for our ragtag team?

Do you want to come with us?
Why would I?
We... might have a way out of this mess.
You're one of those crazy sect people, right? Aliens will come and help you ascend... you only have to commit mass suicide on top of a hill. Am I right?
No, no, no. Nothing like that. We'll find a spaceship, and...
I knew it. Crazy sect people...
*clap* *clap* *clap*
(After choosing "Goodbye.") I should go.

Failed your persuasion check big time there, David.

Hi.
Hm? What do you want?



Second verse, same as the first.

What do you think about Sarge?
He's okay. Wait, did he send you to ask me?
No...
Then why do you want to know?
Just curious, I guess.

Maybe Josh is more willing to come along?

Do you want to come with us?
Where?
We... might have a way out of this mess.
Great. Have you discussed it with Sarge?
Well... I'm discussing it with you.
I'm not a deserter. And I don't want becoming one to be the last thing I do.
(After choosing "Goodbye.") Carry on, soldier.

The call of duty runs deep in Josh's veins, but I'm sure I also wouldn't just drop everything and my crew to join some strangers claiming to know a way out. Time to head to the back of the restaurant to see if we can't find Paul, the last squaddie.



There he is. He seems like a smart man. Is he willing to help us, or even to come with us?

Hi.
David, eh? I'm Paul. I'm the team's main engineer.
Engineer, huh?
Nice to meet you.
Is there anything you need?



Given his technical expertise and Sarge's recommendation, we can tell Paul we want to survive the storm, and of course, ask him if he wants to join us. What can you do for us, Paul?

We want to survive that storm.
Why don't you just come with us and avoid the whole thing?
There's no time. Escaping the storm means we lose too much of tomorrow to travel back.
If I were you I'd make sure the house you're staying at has a lightning rod on the roof. And if it doesn't, I'd make one.



We can ask Paul if he could give something to us for the storm, so of course, let's ask!

Do you have anything that might help with the thunderstorm?
Well, I have something... They're called Storm Catchers. Experimental devices created by...
Sidereal Plexus?
How did you know?
Lucky guess.
Anyway, this technology actually repels thunderstorms.
Can we have them?
Well... I'm not sure.
Come on, you're not staying here for the storm, right? So you don't really need them.
Yeah, but why should you have them?
Because we want them?
You know what? Prove me you actually deserve our help.
David, why don't we just...
Calm down, Cate. Please. We'll think of something.

Figures it wouldn't be that easy. I assume the way to prove we deserve the Storm Catchers is to help Steve out by patching up his wounds. We can badger Paul about it though!

What's with those Storm Catchers?
I still don't know if I should bother helping you. Prove you're worth the effort first.

Okay, okay. Well, Paul, wanna join up?

Do you want to come with us?
Negative.
We could use your technical knowledge, Paul.
Can you take all of us with you?
Uh... probably not.
Then, as I said. Negative. We're a team.
How remarkably noble... and stupid.
(After choosing "Goodbye.") Bye.
See ya.

I wonder what Barry would do now.
He'd probably say something depressing.
...
I'm sorry. Didn't mean to...

That's about all we can do for now at the restaurant. Sarge pointed out a construction site south of here, so we have a couple of options as to where to go next time. I'm going to return to our original plan to stop by the gas station and refuel, then the hideout to rearrange our inventory.

Hey, Cate!
Oh, no.
Do you want to see what I found?
No.
It's... aww, okay. But it's really neat. Hey, so maybe you want to guess what it is!
Is it a pebble? Or a dead insect?
Hmm. I'm not sure. Could be either.
Just don't eat it, okay?



Inside

This is what I'm currently going to take with us, goons. I left the full tank of gas on Clifford's trunk, but am taking some general equipment with me while leaving behind some stuff to make room for anything we find.

(Sings.) I went to the Animal Fair... The birds and tigers were there! The big baboon by the light of the moon... Was combing his auburn hair!

Thanks for the song to lift our spirits up, Cody! We have just one vote today, readers.

Which new place should we visit first? We can go to the construction site, or to the hunting lodge. I personally vote to visit the construction site first: Sarge said he and his team were wounded by bandits from the east, and this is south. I'd rather search a place that was scouted out away from potential post-apocalyptic pirates out for plunder.



Going to the construction site would take us 13 minutes from the house on Clifford for 10% gas used (60 minutes on foot).



Going to the hunting lodge would take us 15 minutes from the house on Clifford for 8% gas used (45 minutes on foot).

So, where to?

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Investigation

Our intrepid readers decided we should head to the construction site first to explore, then the lodge! Let's get going.



This is the construction site. It doesn't look like much, and rather than any soundtrack, the only ambient sound is the wind whistling through creaking metal. From where we're standing we can go to the site itself, or a construction equipment parking lot to the right. Cate and Cody don't have anything to say here about the place, so I'll go into the parking lot first to check out the perimeter.

Hey, Cate. Do you think Barry is in heaven?
N-... Never know. You never know.
Maybe we will see him when we go to space.
Maybe.



A couple of tractors... and what looks to be a dead animal, probably a dog, in front of one of them. Hidden to the right behind the second tractor is a hole in the wall, but before I go into it, I'll back out and head into the site proper.

Cate, do you miss Barry, too?
Sure.
You don't look sad.
Listen... I know Barry was a friend, but we barely knew him. So just get over it. Just don't think about it.



The main entranceway has a few things to interact with, and our companions have something to say about the site now!

Any thoughts, Cate?
Let's find what can be useful for us and leave. Except for some materials, I'm not sure if there is anything for us here.

Do you like it here, Cody?
Wow! So cool! There are so many things here... What does that machine do? Oh! And that one? Hey, look! This thing looks dangerous...
Don't touch anything Cody!
Hey, hey! Look at that!
CODY!

What kid doesn't like to play with construction stuff? There's a scaffolding to climb to the right, as well as more of the site to look at, another conspiracy magazine on the wheelbarrow, a welding kit on a platform above us, and a tarp to be picked up here.







Aliens...?
*sigh* No, David. No aliens. Don't believe in everything you read. Even if... it's not far from the actual truth.
It isn't?
Let's move, David.

We already guess that Cate is an "alien" herself, if we are to believe there is dimensional travel afoot. Think of the possibilities of combining different dimensions' computing power, labor potential, and creative thinking. Progress would skyrocket... if capitalism didn't get in the way.

A folded sheet of tarp (4 kg). A big, folded sheet of thick tarp. It's heavier than it looks.

(Interaction - Welding kit) I can't reach that.
(Interaction - Rusty scaffolding) Ouch! This metal is rusty and covered with spikes. I'm gonna cut my hands and bleed to death if I try to climb it.
(Item - Rope with hook on welding kit) It's a delicate piece of equipment. I can't just toss a hook at it in hopes of pulling it back!

Head right, party! Looks like that welding kit will have to wait.



Not much to see here. There is a spool of wire near Cate's feet, but it looks like those slabs of concrete are blocking the path to the left.

Cate, why are you so serious and scary?
So kids won't ask me stupid questions.
Does it really work?
It doesn't seem to...

(Interaction - Spool of wire) It's stuck under that large heap of concrete.
(Interaction - Concrete slabs) It's big and heavy... and it's in the way.
(Interaction - Crane generator or crane) I can't reach that.

Maybe that hole in the wall in the parking lot leads back here. Time to double back.



Sure enough, that hole in the wall gets us around the concrete.

(Interaction - Crane generator) It's out of fuel.

Good thing we've got a full tank of gas on hand! A quick jaunt back to the car and I grab the fuel canister.

(Item - Gas canister on crane generator) I've fueled the generator. Now I just have to start it.




After pulling the cord, the generator begins to belch black smoke. And you bet your buns we're climbing the crane ladder. I want to move that stack of concrete elsewhere so we can get that sweet, sweet spool of copper wiring.



We're pretty high up, but we can access the controls and the box of cables decently enough. Can David even operate this thing?

(Interaction - Box of cables) Some electrical cables inside.
(Item - Screwdriver on box of cables) There's no need to fiddle with this.



Interacting with the crane's control gives us this menu. Since the crane head was to the right of the concrete slab, moving it to the left, then down, then clamping the concrete bars should do it.

The system has detected a collision.

Hmm, the crane moved left but since it struck the concrete slabs it just moved back. Maybe I need to move it up first?



Much better. Now to move it left, then down, then clamp.



The system has detected a collision.

OKAY FINE, open the freaking crane "mouth" first then!




Now it seems we're good. The crane moved up slower, so I assume it's got a grip on the concrete slabs.

(Interaction - Crane controls) I've already lifted what I wanted. I'm done here.




Swaying ominously, the concrete slabs give up their prize... I turn off the generator, just in case.

A reel of wire (2.2 kg). A long reel of conductive wire.

This seems to be everything doable and lootable in the construction site right now, so I'll head back to the gas station to refuel our gas canister, then go to the lodge. I have to remember about that welding kit and the rusty scaffolding, and while I'm on the subject, the locked lab door in the Sidereal office basement.



Covering Ground

One gas detour later, we arrive at the lodge. It looks undisturbed. The front door is right there, and there's a path to the back. Of course, Cate and Cody have thoughts on the place.

So, what do you think of this place?
It's not that great. Could be easily compromised. Door is gone. Even if we secure the windows, it would still be easy to get inside.
Do you always have to give me those tactical explanations?
What else do you want from me? I never say how I feel. Not even to my therapist.

What's wrong, Cody?
I don't like this place. The trees here look scary. I think I saw a monster over there.
Monsters don't exist. Oh, wait. There were those huge spiders. So yeah, maybe they do exist. Now I'm not feeling comfortable either.
W... what? I'm even more scared! We have to hide before the monsters find us!
Great work, David.

Maybe we should head to the back first to make sure we're not ambushed by spiders.



This place sucked even before the world was destroyed.

An outhouse with flies buzzing all over the toilet and a bloody spatter behind a tall tree is all there is to see here, but the tall tree seems to be climbable. Let's explore the lodge proper first.



The lodge seems homey enough. There's quite a bit to look at here.

(Interaction - Painting) The painting depicts a wolf or a large dog on a snowy hill. There is a human settlement in the distance. Night is dark and the sky seems hazy. I think I've seen this picture somewhere before...
(Interaction - Fireplace) The fireplace is empty, with a thick layer of ash on its walls and floor. It smells like burnt wood.
(Interaction - Couch) No time to sit down now.
(Interaction - Deer trophy) One of the antlers is skewed. I can't reach it.
(Item - Crowbar on deer trophy) This seems long enough to be able to push the antler. There was a loud click somewhere in the room...
(Interaction - Scratches) There are some visible scratches on the floor as if something was pushed back and forth repeatedly.




Nice, there's a floor safe here! Pushing the trick antler back into position unlocked it. What's our reward?

(Interaction - Floor safe) There was a revolver in the safe. There is still something there. There was a box of rifle ammo in the safe. There is one more box inside. There was a box of revolver ammo in the safe. The safe is empty.

A revolver (2 kg). A small handgun with a 6-cartridge cylinder. It's not loaded.
A box of rifle rounds (1 kg). A box full of rifle ammunition.
A box of revolver rounds (1 kg). A box full of revolver ammunition.

David's got some extra firepower. Let's load up the revolver, just in case...

A revolver (2 kg). A small handgun with a 6-cartridge cylinder. It's fully loaded with 6 bullets.

I feel like maybe Cate should carry this weapon. She already has a pistol, but if she runs out of ammo and we need to fend off those bandits Sarge mentioned, she could use this to keep covering us.

You might need this.
Thanks. I already have a gun. Remember?
Right.

Damn it Cate, work with us here. There's still a pantry to check out in the lodge, but since my inventory is full, I'm going to dump some stuff in Clifford's trunk first...



Now this is my kind of pantry: full of stuff to grab! A bottle of whiskey, a broomstick, three wooden boards, a can of wood sealer, and a couple of interactable objects are here.

Let me know if you find any coffee, okay? I can't even remember the taste. Only addiction remains...

(Interaction - Broken window) I can see the back of the lodge from here.
(Interaction - Can of sealer) The liquid in this can is dry and useless. Something has been covered with it though, as the lid was left open.
(Interaction - Electric socket) The socket won't solve any of my problems without anything to plug in.

A broomstick (1 kg). An old wooden broomstick.
A wooden board (3.5 kg). Wide wooden board, treated with some sort of sealer, judging by the smell.
A bottle of whiskey (2.5 kg). A big bottle of strong whiskey.

Fancy a drink, Cate? Cody?

Maybe some other time. I need to keep my mind focused. But to tell the truth, I wouldn't mind a glass of wine.

Wow. Really? Can I?
David, you shouldn't...
Aww...

This whiskey would definitely serve as a disinfectant for poor Steve. Now that we've gotten everything here, I'll go climb that tree...




Hmm. Nothing to be done up here, it looks like. Maybe it'll help us in the future? Since we're all done with the lodge for now, I'll head back to the restaurant and see if we can't help out Sarge's men in exchange for that gadget Paul is carrying around.

You can do it Cate. Just a little longer. Great. Now I'm starting to talk to myself.



Exploration

What's up, gang? Don't mind us, we're just here to do some triage work on your pal.

You again.



Now that we have what Steve needs, we can ask Sarge how Steve is doing.

How is Steve doing?
We still don't have everything to treat his wounds.
What do you need exactly?
Some bandages. And something to disinfect his wounds.
(After choosing "Goodbye.") I should go.
Good luck!

We've got just what the doctor... err, Sarge, ordered. Let's hand Sarge the bandages and bottle of whiskey.

I'd better give any medical supplies directly to the wounded guy.

Huh, really? I would think it'd be better to give the stuff to someone who can actually apply it, David, but you're the boss. Here you go, Steve!

(Kneels next to Steve.) This bandage should help...
Yeah... thanks.

(Kneels next to Steve.) I guess this could be used to disinfect the wound...
Whoa, wait. That'd be a waste of fine whiskey.
Oh, come on. You can have the rest of it.
That's it - we can now properly mend your wounds, Steve. Can you help, Cate?
Why, because I'm a girl it automatically means I'm a nurse?
It's okay. I'll do it.



Hey, Steve is looking much better without him bleeding all over the place. Let's talk to Steve and Paul again, as I'm assuming we're in their good graces now.

Yeah?
How do you feel now?
Better. Thanks. I owe ya. *cough*



The "Storm Catchers" option is no longer grayed out, so Paul should be willing to assist us.

What's with those Storm Catchers?
Well since you helped Steve, I feel obligated to help you in return. So here they are.

A Storm Catcher (1 kg). This device supposedly repels thunderstorms, especially if three of them are installed in a triangle a few miles around the protected area.



Okay, but "how do you use those Storm Catchers," Paul?

How do you use those?
Okay, so there are three Catchers in the set. Each of them has to be mounted on a high spot. The higher, the better. Also, each of them needs electricity to function. In order to make them work, you have to place them all within a few miles of each other. Try forming a triangle around your hideout.



We can ask Paul about a "restaurant pylon," but I'm thinking we can set them up on top of that tall tree at the lodge, on top of the crane at the construction site... and maybe here, too? If not here, then the RV camper to the east, maybe?

Would putting a Storm Catcher on the hamburger pylon outside this restaurant work?
It's not very high, but with nothing else but desert around, I guess it would be fine. There should also be electric cables there. You'll just need to power it. I guess it's a good spot.
Can you help us put a Storm Catcher there?
Uh, I don't know. Ask Sarge is that's possible.



Might as well ask Sarge to help us install the Storm Catcher here.

Paul gave me those... Storm Catcher things.
Ah, yes. He told me about those.
Yeah. So, I'm supposed to install them somewhere high above ground. Form a triangle around our base.
Sounds like a plan to me, if Paul says it'll work.
This restaurant's pylon sign isn't very high, but it's surrounded by mostly empty space. It should be sufficient, according to Paul. Could you help us get it up there? We don't have a ladder of anything like that.
Hm. How about we trade?
What do you have in mind?
We're low on ammo, and our guns are in critical condition. Bring me a firearm and some bullets, and I can order my men to install this thing for you up there. Do we have a deal?
I guess we do.

We can ask Sarge, "What was the deal, again?" So let's do that!

What was the deal again?
Bring me a firearm, preferably something compact, and some spare ammo for it. Then give me the Storm Catcher, and we'll put it on top of the restaurant's pylon sign.

As it happens, the revolver and its box of bullets we found at the lodge sounds just like what Sarge asked for! Let's offer them to him.

This revolver should do. It's in perfect condition. Where did you find it?
I have my sources.

This ammo will do.

Now, Sarge, about "our deal..."

So what's with our deal?
You've done your part. Just give me the Storm Catcher, and we'll put it on top of the restaurant's pylon sign.

Here you go, one Storm Catcher!

Okay. I'll tell my boys to put that on the pylon for you. We'll also power the pylon so the Storm Catcher actually works.
Thanks, Sarge.
No problem. But remember... you still have to install two more Catchers to form a triangle around your base.

10:29 am: Sarge ordered his men to install one of the Storm Catchers on top of a hamburger pylon by the restaurant.

Let's go talk to Paul just to make sure it's done...

Sarge said it's okay for you to help us with the pylon.
Awesome. Just hand the Catcher to Sarge then.

Been there, done that! So this seems to be everything for Sarge's "fetch quests." We patched up his man, got the Storm Catchers, traded a gun and ammo for one of them to be installed, and have finished up everything else that I can think of. So, I think it's time for us to do some preparation for the night. We have three votes today, everyone.



First, where should we put the remaining two Storm Catchers? We need to form a triangle around our base with them, and to put them up as high as possible. I'm thinking the construction site and the lodge are contenders, between the crane and the tall tree in their respective places. But there's also a plug at the RV wagon further east, and maybe Barry's old place has a plug too?



Second, how should we prepare the farmhouse for the night? Pictured here is everything we picked up today. We could probably put the wooden boards treated with sealer on the windows, or cover them with blankets or the tarp we got... Obviously we should dig trenches with our shovel, and I'll lock the doors, close the fireplace flue and the attic window, and maybe put something on the ladder leading to the attic, if possible. Is there anything else you can think of doing?

Third, is there anyplace else I should explore, or try doing for today? We do have plenty of time and some fuel reserves, so if you want me to check out any other places, or item interactions, now would be the time to say!

[Olive Branch]

Exploration

Sounds like we have a plan. We'll be putting up the remaining two Storm Catchers up at the construction site and the lodge, and then do what we can in the farmhouse itself to prepare for the thunderstorm.



The first thing I want to do is run back to the farmhouse to pick up some items. If you'll recall, there was an outlet in the pantry of the lodge near the broken window. Goons rudecyrus and cant cook creole bream both pointed out we have an extension cord and that electricity could run through those. Whether there is electricity at the lodge is another story, but we have a full tank of gas in case we need the generator to run. The copper wiring can probably serve as makeshift attachment to the crane's wire boxes, I'm assuming, so that we can feed the generator's electricity on the ground up to the Storm Catcher on the top.



Inside

This seems like a good set of items to take out. I left the Storm Catchers in Clifford's trunk, so don't worry about them. We'll worry about waterproofing the house later. To the lodge!




Covering Ground

David manages to plug in the extension cord and toss the other end out the window as planned. Time to head outside and take it up with us.





The plan is coming together. Just have to attach the Storm Catcher now.



Well, dang. Let's take a gander around the lodge...

(Interaction - Electrical outlet with extension cord) Actually, I don't think I'm going to need this anywhere else at this point.

I do what I can to start the power up again and fiddle with the outlet, but come up short. We may have to come back here later with a battery or something.

Hey, Barry. Do you think we'll make it to space?
Oh, no. The kid has lost it. Cody... you know Barry didn't make it, right?
Huh? Yeah, sure. I know. I just like talking to him like he was still alive. Makes me feel better. He says hi, by the way.



We'll do the next best thing and try out the construction site again.





I start the generator up and climb the ladder, but on attaching the Storm Catcher to the box of cables, David gets a shock. Thankfully, neither he nor the Storm Catcher are damaged. I forgot the basic rule of electricity: don't plug stuff into a live current! I'll just run down, turn off the generator, reattach the Storm Catcher, then turn the power back on...



(Interaction - Storm Catcher on box of cables) A Storm Catcher device is installed here.

11:29 am: I installed one of the Storm Catchers on top of a construction crane.

Awesome. That's two for three. I'll head back to the lodge afterwards, because I'm sure I'm missing something... What about the welding kit here in the construction site, do we have anything on hand that we can use to grab it?

(Item - Broomstick, wrench, or crowbar on welding kit) Poking it won't help. There's gotta be a way to get in there and pick it up.

Dang, no go, and no other items on hand are any help. I think we may need to do a bit more exploring around the areas we didn't visit, and maybe bring our entire inventory over here to test things out... if we have the time. Given that we already have plans to shore up our shelter, I'll handle those first, then give grabbing the welding kit the old college try.

I'm bored. Play with me.
No. I'm busy.
But you're not doing anything...
Still no.
Pleeeeeease...
Eh...
It's a simple game. One person has to guess what the other sees. You start by saying "I spy with my little eye..."
I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter S.
Sand?
Good job, you won! Now go away.
Yaay! Hey, wait a minute...




Investigation

I first dig ditches around the house, since that's key to surviving any flooding.

01:31 pm: We dug some ditches around the base.

(Interaction - Ditches) Ditches await the storm water.
(Item - Shovel on ditches) I've already dug the ditches.

The ditches actually run around the front of the house and down into the road. Nice touch.



Inside

Next is the helicopter. Goons SSNeoman and serefin99 asked us to prioritize the giant hole in our house caused by the helicopter, and the big folded sheet of tarp we got may do the trick.

(Item - Tarp on helicopter) I should try to cover it from the outside.




The Moon's looking mighty mean, and you bet we're covering up this gap in our defenses.

I've put the tarp over the helicopter. It covers most of the hole.
(Interaction - Helicopter) The tarp covers most of the hole.

01:59 pm: I covered Cate's helicopter with a tarp to stop water from leaking in.

That's the helicopter dealt with. Next, making some sort of lightning rod. The broomstick isn't being much help, but as goons Regallion and rudecyrus pointed out, the copper wire can probably be used as a replacement.




I've installed a lightning rod.
(Interaction - Chimney) I hope this lightning rod will protect us from the thunderstorm.

02:30 pm: I installed a lightning rod on top of our base.

And what do you know, it works perfectly. We used up all the copper wire, though. By this point, the screen is starting to flash white with lightning, and distant rumbles of thunder can be heard. Atmospheric, but also tense. We don't have much more time to waste.

02:30 pm: I closed the roof hatch in the attic.

Not forgetting to pick up after ourselves! But... speaking after picking up after ourselves, the moment I head down, I take pause. On checking the thread again for our to-do list, I noticed Regallion pointed out the tarp may just slide off in the rain, so I head back out there and try using the duct tape on the tarp.



Now the tarp is held in place nicely.
(Interaction - Helicopter) The tarp covers most of the hole. It is held by the duct tape.

02:51 pm: I covered Cate's helicopter with a tarp and secured it with duct tape to stop water from leaking in.
02:51 pm: I closed the roof hatch in the attic.

Yeah, Regallion is more on the ball with safety than I am! So far, we've got the ditches dug, the helicopter tarped and taped, an impromptu lightning rod set up, the hatch closed, and two out of three Storm Catchers operational. All that's left is the final one, but something tells me we'll need the welding kit back in the construction site to deal with it, and that means somehow making it up the rusty scaffolding. Before I get to that, though, I am going to remove the window reinforcements and blankets to make room for the wooden boards with sealant.






So far so good. I have a feeling the blankets may be thick enough to cover the rusty nails in the scaffolding, so I'll be taking them with me. I'm also taking plastic wrap and window netting, just in case.



Unfortunately, it's all in vain. David shoots down all my ideas with the items we have on hand. I guess we should check out the RV and roadblock to the east; maybe we'll have better luck there?

You know what I miss?
What do you miss, Cody?
I miss Barry's stories. He had, like, a story for everything.
Indeed he did.



Exploration

The RV has a fuel inlet and a plug of its own, but David didn't want me fussing with the extension cord or pulling down the Storm Catcher from the lodge after I had set it up, so maybe this is a red herring. Still, I'll try fueling the RV and turning it on...

I've started the RV's engine.
(Interaction - RV's driver's seat) The engine is already running, but the RV is too damaged to move. I guess it's staying here.



I'm getting a little desperate at this point. I don't think the welding kit is obtainable for this day, and I can't shake the feeling that I've missed something at the lodge. There was no obvious generator or indication of power, so how exactly did the lodge get it? I decide to go back there with our stack of items, just in case something can help out.



Covering Ground

And on arrival, I take a damn good look at the roof of the lodge again. I had noticed that "star" on the leafy roof when we first got here, but in my haste to explore around I actually didn't bother to look at it more closely, or to mention it on the previous update when we got here. Just what is it?

(Interaction - Roof covered with leaves) Solar panels...?
Yeah. That's probably how they kept the lights on at night.
Solar panels don't work at night...
Come on, David. Don't be stupid. They store the power during the day.
Hey, I knew that. I was just joking.
Anyway, I can barely see those panels under all those dead leaves. I doubt they collect anything.
Well, I could climb the roof using the porch railing, but I need something to help me remove those leaves.
Can I climb it, too?

God, I feel stupid. I had literally moused over everything earlier on except the dang roof! And what do we have to sweep away the leaves? A broom!




(Interaction - Solar panels) Since the leaves are gone, the solar panels receive all the light they can get.

05:01 pm: I installed one of the Storm Catchers on a tall tree in the forest by the lodge.

For someone who was pixel hunting pretty damn hard earlier on, I didn't pixel hunt an entire roof with a glinting hint on it. The good news is, even with the sun setting, David feels confident that the roof will store enough power for the Storm Catcher to operate. I think all we have to do to end tonight is to board up the windows, so I'll run back home after a quick pit stop at the gas station to refuel yet again.

Cate, how did the Moon explode?
Bad people did it. By accident, but still.
How can you break the entire Moon by accident? What were they doing there?
I don't know. Word is they were mining. God knows what they found there.
Monsters?
Maybe.
Ooh! You were supposed to say monsters aren't real!
They are very real.
David! Cate is being scary again!!!



Inside

Okay. Time for the final preparations. Let's duct tape these boards on the windows, and for good measure, drop the restaurant flag on the hatch leading up to the attic, just in case.

(Item - Wooden board on window) It's just hanging there. I still should do something to attach it to the wall around the window.



05:51 pm: I installed a sealed board in one of the windows.



06:20 pm: I installed sealed boards in some of the windows.



06:49 pm: I installed sealed boards in all of the windows.



A flash of lightning and crack of thunder splits the sky as I survey our household. Let's run down the prep list, shall we? Ditches dug. Storm Catchers installed. Lightning rod made. Helicopter tarped and taped. Windows sealed up with wooden boards. All entrances and hatches shut and locked. I think we're good to hunker down for the night; we won't be needing to fuel the generator for lighting or electricity, as we'll be getting plenty of it outside.



I'd say we're ready. For fun, I'm going to equip the rifle, as goon Shei-kun said to shoot the storm with our gun. Do your worst, storm!



Long Nights

Loud thunder was sounding all around, preceded by sudden and sharp flashes of light. With them, the first rain drops fell on the wastelands. It was not a life-giving water the dry land had been thirsty for. It was saturated with burning acid, as if Earth decided to clean its surface of life before the Moon did.



Its special magnetic field pushed some of the clouds (5%) away from the region.



Its special magnetic field pushed some of the clouds (5%) away from the region.



Its special magnetic field pushed some of the clouds (5%) away from the region.



You formed a triangle around your base, shielding it from the storm and reducing its power by an additional 20%.

That's the Storm Catchers done, and we've already got a solid reduction in storm power!



Driving away some of the water protected you from being flooded and reduced the threat by 15%.



Thanks to your efforts, you prevented some water (20%) from pouring into the house.

Wow, the tarp prevented more water than the ditches from flooding us? That really was a priority! And a damn good thing I was reminded to duct tape it down.



That was a good idea. It stopped 10% of the water from pouring in.

I'm surprised the hatch being closed didn't matter during the snowstorm in the second day, but I'm not complaining.



That was a good call. Lightning struck the house, hitting it directly. If it wasn't for the rod, the roof would have taken a serious hit. This lowered the threat by 20%.

I wonder if the house would have been set on fire without it? In any case, awesome work, gang! With this last 20% taken care of, we did a perfect job of securing our hideout for the night!



Another Sunrise

You prepared your hideout perfectly and it paid off. Not only did you survive, but you also had some good rest last night. [+5 kg permanent carry weight bonus]

Oh yeah, you bet we got some good rest. Thank goodness I went back to the lodge again and took another look. Had we not, I have no idea how much the boarded windows would have prevented the rain from coming in.



This is it. The final prophetic dream, if the Moon is scheduled to crash down on us. Let's look outside, which isn't so dark as it is on fire...



...Huh. This wasn't what I expected. Let's try the door again.



It was locked before I checked the window. Out we go.





Majora's Mask called, it wants its Moon back. This is endgame, goons. Tomorrow is our final day to survive. I know some goons (looking at you, Bregor) have been hoping for some violent deaths so far, but if we stick around today, we are definitely going to get one.

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Is it?
Yes. I've seen it. This time there is no way to survive this.
We know where the ship is.
Come on, Cate. How is that going to save us? Maybe if you tell me more about that space station, the story would be more believable. But so far?
Just a little longer, David. (Turns around to face David.) Let's go to that outpost. It's pretty far away, so we'd better take a car.
And is there going to be a spaceship?
Yes!
Like, a real one? And we're going into space?
Exactly!
I want to go to spaaace! (Runs around David and Cate.) Woooo!

There is no music playing, just the wind blowing by. Cody continues to run around the two adults as I stare up at the Moon. Do we even have an option to wait until the evening?

This time waiting for the evening is not a good idea. I have to find a ship and launch it before it's too late.

Fair enough, David. I can't speak with Cody while he's running around, so I walk up the path and back down to bring our companions back to a "reset" position. Obviously they have things to say about today.



Investigation

Cate is up first. We can ask "about today", and Cody.

So, today is the day.
Yes. We either fly or we fry.
I can't believe you're able to joke about Earth being destroyed. Then again... I can hardly believe the Earth is being destroyed in the first place.
Well, yes. This world is lost. There is nothing we can do. Just escape.
I guess you're not sharing any more details on our actual plan of what we do once we take off?
Listen. Right now taking off isn't even certain. The ship might not fly, or it might explode in the air if it's damaged. There are a million things that can go wrong. So, yes. Let's focus on those things now. You'll learn about everything soon enough.

We know by now that Cate plays her cards very close to her vest, but David's a long-term planner. At least let us mull on the plan on the drive over to the launchpad, Cate. "About Cody," then.

I was thinking about Cody and...
Geez David. What do you want me to say? That I like him? Yes. I like him. There. Are you happy now?
Well... yes. I still think you overreacted. I just wanted to ask...
He's a good kid, David. Okay? I'm surprised he is still holding up. After all that happened. A lot of adults would have had a breakdown, yet he's still going. It's admirable.

She didn't even let us ask the question. Whatever.



Cody, my boy, what do you have to say "about today?"

You look anxious.
I can't wait. I wanna go to space already! Also, Cate says the Moon is gonna hit Earth today. Can we watch that from above? Because that sounds, like, really dangerous.
Sure. We will be safe in our spaceship. In space.
Can I tell you a secret, David?
Sure.
I'm scared. Like, almost all the time. I'm just trying to think about going to space so I don't think about the end of the world...
Cody...
What?
I just want to say I'm proud of you.
Umm... for what? For being scared?
Fear is something we all feel, Cody. Feeling fear doesn't mean you're not brave. And you're the bravest kid I've ever met.
I am?
Yes. And I'm sure you'll love it in space!

Cody is one awesome kid. He's too young to understand now, but even Cate appreciates his composure. Speaking "about Cate," Cody...

You still think Cate is mean?
Yup! She wouldn't be Cate if she wasn't a little bit mean. Maybe it's her way to show she likes someone. You know... like she tries to be a badass, which is pretty cool, but at the same time she has to show her friends that they are on the same side.

That's a generous and optimistic take, Cody, and I hope you're right. There are some people out there who don't act in the way you hope they do. Anyway, that's it for the companion conversations for now. Before we head off to the outpost, I'm going to run back inside the house and consider what to take with us.



Inside

We should take anything Sidereal-related, as well as our tools. I think we can afford to leave behind most of this stuff, but you never know when you'll need an assortment of things to solve an unforeseen problem. And of course, Eve the bird is coming.

How are you feeling?
I'm sad.
We can't let what happened slow us down.
But... but Barry...
Listen, he's gone. Crying won't bring him back.



Next stop, the outpost.



Oh, definitely! We can afford to sightsee a little bit.



Exploration

They were using this bus to move their people to the launch site.
Too bad their driver didn't know how to drive. Looks like they abandoned it here and continued on foot.
Maybe they left something valuable behind.

My thoughts precisely, David. But before we go inside, I want to see what Cate and Cody think of this spot.

What do you think about it? Why is it even here?
What do I think about what? They had a transport, but they got into trouble. Nothing more to explain.

What do you think, Cody?
I think I know what happened here.
Yeah?
Yeah. I saw it in a movie. There was a policeman and a bad guy. And the bad guy put a bomb on a bus. And he was like, "If the bus stops, the bomb will explode!" BOOOM!
This bus doesn't look it exploded.
Because the policeman defused the bomb!

I did not expect a "Speed" reference here, props to the writer for reminding me that great movie. If you haven't watched it already, you all really should. Great 90s action fare. Into the bus we go!



As it turns out, there is an item here, a key sitting on the back seat of the bus. It has a small label on it.



A key with a label (0.1 kg).

Hot damn, that's got to be the key we need to open that lab in the Sidereal offices all the way over in town. I'm definitely going back there, but not right away. I want to see what the outpost will demand of us. On we go.

Eh. I kinda miss that old grouch.



Wasteland

You mean... this?
What did you expect? I told you. The location of this facility was confidential. Don't look for any bright neon lights or signposts.
Yeah, but still...
Come on, the whole place is underground. We have to get inside. There... might be security measures waiting for us.
Great.



I don't like the sound of that "security measures" bit. We have that one worker's ID, but if we have some sort of biometric scanner to bypass we'll have to call this visit a wash and head back to the Sidereal Plexus office to explore their labs. Cate and Cody both have things to say about the outpost.

We're here, Cate. The outpost. Are you happy?
I will be once we launch our ship into space.
Anything I should be concerned about here?
Like I said... defense mechanisms of some sort. Also, nothing here has been used for quite a while, so don't expect things to work.

What's on your mind, Cody?
When will we go to space, David?
Just a little longer.
Are we going yet?
No, not yet.
Are we going yet?
Not yet.
And now?
Still not.
How long can you keep going?
Till the end of the world?

Powerful dad energy, David, I groaned.

(Interaction - Left silo) A silo. A pair of silos, actually.
Yes. One of them still houses a rocket with a shuttle.
How do you know? Why didn't they take both when evacuating?
I just know they didn't. Trust me.
I trust you!

(Interaction - Right silo) Shouldn't at least one of the silos be open now that they've left?
It closes automatically to prevent unauthorized access.
Like a garage door?
See? It wasn't that hard.

Cate, you came out of this base, or one like it, didn't you? Or did you dream about it and for some reason don't want to share? Whatever, the cat will be out of the bag soon enough. Let's get in there.



Not gonna lie, getting some serious Fallout vibes here. There is a silo hatch, a corpse, a door with a scanner, and a radar on the roof with an access panel to interact with.

(Interaction - Hatch) This thing weighs much more than I'll ever be able to lift.
(Interaction - Corpse) This man looks like he's been burnt. The corpse looks melted, and the sand around it turned into glass shards.



Oh, shi--

<PROVIDE A VALID ID CARD> <YOU HAVE 5 SECONDS TO COMPLY>
This doesn't sound good.
<5... 4... 3... 2... 1...>

I hastily pull out Jacob Salmann's ID card from our bag and use it on the scanner.



The door opens without any fuss. I didn't want to die here, and I'm really glad I had the foresight to bring the card with us. I bet we'd have been turned into a human torch like the poor bastard next to us. Before we head inside, I want to check out the radar up there.

(Interaction - Radar) I think it's supposed to be rotating. I guess it's broken.
(Interaction - Radar's access panel) A metal plate is held by some screws.

I use the screwdriver on the metal plate, and off it pops.

A metal plate (2 kg). A flat piece of lightweight metal allow.

(Interaction - Radar's access panel) One of the parts looks burned. It says "duplexer" on it.

Maybe we have to fix the radar to help us take off without crashing. We aren't going to be finishing "Come Fly With Me" anytime soon without a replacement.



I really want to go inside the base, but what other sorts of nasty surprises await us? I'd rather be safe than sorry, so we're going to head back to the Sidereal Plexus offices to check out Lab 13. Maybe it'll have more items that will come in handy here. We can refill our gas container on the way back to the outpost.



The Waste's Mystery

Here's Lab 13, with the door unlocked. What secrets are you hiding?



The lab space is smaller than I thought, but there's lots to look at here.

(Interaction - Either PC) It's not powered. Or it's broken. Or both.
(Interaction - Piece of paper near right PC) This is a list of... hmm... patients? Yes. Sleeper Clinic patients. Each has another name assignd in a "visitor" column. I recognize those. Those are Sidereal Plexus officials. Why do they match coma patients with visitors? Cate...?
Ugh. I regret ever working for them. I had no idea.
No idea about what?
I'll tell you later. We have to focus on other things now.



A set of vials (0.1 kg). Each vial has a label with symbols.
A set of vials (0.1 kg). Each vial has a label with symbols.

Cate's still acting all strange, but David seems fine to go along with it. We also found these vials with chemicals inside them. On the left is a chemical mixer.



We have the vials we need to make... some sort of chemical, maybe a draught or something, but I have no idea what the procedure would even be. Nobody who worked in Lab 13 thought it necessary to leave the recipe lying around. Maybe we'll find what we need back at the outpost, because this little detour proved fruitless for now.



Alone

I head solo inside the outpost, as Cate and Cody don't have IDs of their own to bypass the camera. There is a fusebox that seems to power the door, an engine with a transmission belt, and an elevator.

(Interaction - Elevator) Nothing happens... I think there is no power.
(Interaction - Transmission belt) This large engine surely moves something big, however it's not moving at the moment. With a proper tool I could remove the transmission belt.



The elevator line is down. I have to find a way to restore its power... and while I'm at it, I should disable this doormat before someone gets hurt.
(Interaction - Either power source) I can't remove it. I have to redirect the power.

Yep, it's another minigame. Clicking on each square spins it around, so I guess the objective here is to connect the power source on the top left to the elevator fuse on the bottom right.



Wow, I am BAD with electricity.

Whoa!!! I've caused a short circuit.
Ouch! I have to watch out for those damaged squares.
Damn it. Gotta be more careful.
No, not again!

So if I keep messing up and connecting to the blown squares, David loops those four comments. Each time I cause a short circuit, the entire pathing of the cables is scrambled, forcing me to restart. So, let's avoid those squares, shall we?



And there we have it. The killer doormat is deactivated, and the elevator is functional again.



Why didn't we just jump over it?

Good point, Cody, but this is safer. Cate and Cody once more have thoughts on the area.

So, we're finally here.
Yeah. It's not over yet. The worst is yet to come.
You know how to lift the spirits up, Cate.
I'm just being realistic. We got here and that's great. We've been through a lot, but it's still far from over.

Do you like it here, Cody?
Uh... It's kinda spooky in here. Can we just go to space now?
We're working on it.

(Interaction - Fusebox) Doormat is disabled, the elevator is powered. There's nothing I want to change here.



I decide not to mess with the engine and its transmission belt yet and call the elevator. Let's go deeper into this base.



When the elevator first arrived on this floor the lights were off, but as soon as we step out of it they kick in. There are a couple of doorways here and the corridor leads further down to the left. I'll enter the right room first.



Lights still off. There's a piece of paper and a switch here.

A chemical formula (0 kg).



Well, this will definitely come in handy when we go back to Lab 13 and play chemist. More efficiency with fuel is never a bad thing, as Barry would have attested to. Now, let's hit that wall switch!



Uh, a trajectory map?
Why does it go to the Moon? (Walks closer and into the projector's light.) We are not going to the Moon, are we? You said we're going to a space station.
I never said the space station wasn't on the Moon.
WHAT!? But the Moon is going to...!
You've gotta be kidding. Please tell me you are.
...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Moon going to hit us in less than twelve hours? (Turns to face Cate.) Why the hell would we want to go there?!
It's the only way. You have to believe me.
(Turns away from Cate.) I don't know if I have any reasons to believe you. You promised us safety. You promised us an escape. You said you wanted to leave this planet.
Those aren't the exact words I used. How can I explain it to you? (David turns to face Cate.) There is something in that Moon base that will help us. Sidereal has a base there...
What could possibly help us if we reach the Moon an hour before impact? And wasn't their Moon base destroyed in the mining accident?
(David turns away from Cate.) It was. But they have another base on the Moon. It's called Sidereal Plexus One and they... how should I put this? How do you think Sidereal has all this technology? Private space shuttles. Moon bases. Electric doormats. Weather drones. Heat absorbers. The means to accidentally blow up the whole damn Moon.
I'm not sure I follow.
They're getting that technology from other worlds.
Like... other planets?
No. Other Earths. They are in contact with other versions of Sidereal Plexus. A vast network of connections, across the endless universes. Constantly discovering new versions of the world as they go. Our world is merely one page in an enormous library of worlds they have access to.
Do you expect me to believe all that?
I don't really care if you do. Help me off this planet or get out of the way.
Please don't fight... Even if we're going to die, we can be together... Right? I... I don't want to be alone again.

So our multiverse theory checks out. David may not believe Cate, but I do. Given all the secrecy and shady dealings Sidereal's been up to, as well as those e-mails suggesting Cate is not even from this version of Earth, chances are good that the Moon base is home to some sort of dimensional portal or gateway. But we'll get there when we get there. There's quite a bit to look at in this room.

(Interaction - Switch) The projector is already on.
(Interaction - Presentation screen) I can't believe we are doing this...




The presentation material FAQ still has that veneer of corporatespeak that gives me the willies. "You are likely to survive intact?" "Nobody will be left behind, as long as they present value to the company?" We already know Sidereal is willing to do some crazy stuff in the name of... Profits? Advancement? Global domination? Nothing good, I'm sure. Also, Cate knew there'd be a spare... Does that mean that this isn't her first interdimensional escape rodeo?

An access card (0 kg).



This access card seems really important. We'll definitely hold on to it.

A remote controller (0 kg).




Sounds to me like we need to unscrew this remote, then!

(Item - Screwdriver on remote controller) I've removed the batteries. Without them, the remote is useless.

Batteries (0 kg). A handful of batteries.



Nothing more in the presentation room. Walking further down the hall lights up the rest of this section. The door here is locked with a fingerprint scanner.

(Interaction - Doorway) It's locked... probably with that fingerprint-reading lock.
(Interaction - Fingerprint scanner) It's a fingerprint scanner. Let's see if it recognizes me.



That's what I thought.
(Item - Access card on fingerprint scanner) There is no slot for a card here. It looks more like a fingerprint reader.

Either we'll need to add David's prints into a database, or find some poor sap's disembodied hand and use it to unlock the door. I prefer the former over the latter.



Main Menu

Walking further down the corridor turns on these lights automatically and reveals the spaceship behind the glass, and the gang heads forward to the display window to gawk at the ship.

There it is.
LOOK AT THAT!!!
I told you it'd be here.
IT'S A SPACESHIP!
I'm sure you hadn't doubted me for a second.
I admit... this looks impressive. It's like a regular space shuttle but smaller... and more fancy. It IS promising.
Can we go inside?!
Don't celebrate just yet. There's space for two rockets in this silo. See? One launch pad is empty.
So they took one shuttle and left the other one behind. Why?
Maybe one was sufficient. Remember, they weren't trying to save as many people as possible. They were just saving who they thought was worth saving. Or the other one was broken. Anyway, a bit of time has passed. The ship requires a general inspection before it's even remotely safe to use.

09:16 am: We found a spaceship. A small shuttle with a rocket. Let's hope we can make it fly safely. What can we do to improve the condition of the ship?

We can check out the spaceship, and there's a door to the right with a card scanner. I assume the access card we picked up will grant us access.

(Interaction - Spaceship) A spaceship is attached to huge rocket engine units. The shuttle itself looks similar to the ones used by NASA, yet it's smaller and somehow seems more... modern? This must be a design by Sidereal Plexus. I haven't seen it anywhere before. Anyway, that's our ticket out of here. Or at least that's what I hope.
(Interaction - Doorway) It's locked.
(Interaction - Card scanner) There's a slot for an access card.






For fun, I try feeding the blue access card we grabbed from the office complex, but it's a bust. The red access card does the trick. The staircase seems to lead to the hangar.



I hope nobody's acrophobic. It's a long way down.



The base of the spaceship is easily accessible by the stairs. There is a fuel catalyst console to access, an empty launchpad to the right, a broken elevator engine, an "up" button for the elevator, a socket, and a crack on the ship to interact with here.

(Interaction - Launchpad) This launchpad is empty. To put it simply, that ship has sailed.
Or lifted off, to be more precise.
(Interaction - Ship crack) Hey... this fin is cracked. This can't be good, right?
What? Where?!
Here, see? (Cate walks up to the ship.) You think it's serious?
Looks like it might be. Best case scenario, we will lose a lot of thrust from air resistance.
And the worst case?
We explode during the ascent.
Oh.

Hey, we have duct tape, we can fix that, right?

(Item - Duct tape on ship crack) Maybe nails or duct tape were good before, but I'll need something more professional here.

But duct tape fixes EVERYTHING! Okay, fine. We did pick up that metal plate from the radar dish's access panel, though. That will work, won't it?

(Item - Metal plate on ship crack) Great, but I need something to create and air-tight seal over this crack.

Sounds like it's a job for the welding kit at the construction site, though I'm still unsure of how to get it. We may still be lacking the item we need to make the scaffolding safe to climb.

(Interaction - Socket) This is a high-voltage socket for specialized equipment.
(Interaction - Elevator button) Hmm... I hear the engine working, but the elevator doesn't seem to move.
(Interaction - Broken elevator engine) Without a transmission belt, this engine is useless...

We do have a transmission belt upstairs near the entrance. We'll go get it later.

(Interaction - Fuel catalyst console) This console has an inlet for catalyst fluid that will be injected into the fuel tank.

Thanks, Cate. We did find the formula to make an efficient fuel catalyst, but without the thing itself, this console can do nothing for us right now.



We'll do the next best thing and get this transmission belt. I want to keep looking over the spaceship we'll be taking up.

A transmission belt (0.2 kg). A rubber belt that was used to connect two rotating parts of an engine.



Grant us access to the ship, o powerful belt!



It's a good thing the ship is accessible and the door's open. What awaits us inside?



You tell me. I don't know much about spaceships. I always imagined it would be more... horizontal.
It can be confusing, but the ship will rotate to horizontal position after we launch.
Still, it kinda looks like some sort of a space bus with all those seats.
Its purpose was to drive people to and from the Moon. It kinda IS a space bus. Anyway, look around for any systems that seem to be missing.
How will I know if a system is missing if it is not there?
Come on, David. You're smart. It's not rocket sci- Well, actually it kinda is.

There are a few things to look at in this cramped space. The main control console is above us, an installed filter with blue wires coming out of it, a set of circuit boards, and the ladder leading downwards. I'll investigate this ship from top to bottom... literally.

(Interaction - Main control console) Are we ready to launch?
David, the silo's hatch is still closed. We can't launch until we find a way to open it. Or do you want us to crash even before we take off?



Filter's good, at least. Wouldn't want to go in space breathing just my own carbon dioxide.



List of stuff to find: one "nav chip."



The bottom of the ship has more things to interact with: a toolbox, a socket, a missing system, installed air tanks, and a storage compartment.

(Interaction - Toolbox) (Opens the toolbox.) I've found a glue gun in the toolbox. It seems to be out of power. There is nothing interesting left in the toolbox.

A glue gun with no batteries (0 kg). It's a battery-powered glue gun. While there is a tube of glue inside, there is no power to heat it and melt the glue.

(Item - Batteries on glue gun) The glue gun now has working batteries. They won't last for too many uses, though...

A glue gun (0 kg). It works by melting the glue into sticky goo that quickly dries.

(Interaction - Socket) This is a high-voltage socket for specialized equipment.



Add "engine calibrator" to the "to find" list.



Good, that's one less worry. What about that storage compartment?



Yeah?
I found some space suits.
Good. Those are emergency suits in case the shuttle fails to dock to the Moon base.
Should I take them?
No, leave them there for now. We might need them later.

(Interaction - Space suits) Space suits are staying here. We might need them.

That's all the ship had. I wonder if the glue gun and metal plate can combine to fix the crack on the ship?

(Item - Glue gun on ship crack) Yes, gluing the crack in the spaceship's hull is totally going to help.

No need to bust out the sarcasm on me, David. Leave that to Cate. Anyway, that's all we can do here. We have to fix the ship's crack using the metal plate (and probably the welding kit), find a nav chip, and find an engine calibrator. Since I can't do anything more here, I figured that since there's no way to open the fingerprint scanner ourselves, maybe Cate is authorized to access the room?



She does have an option to do it! We can ask her, "Could you scan your finger?"

There's a finger scanner on that door.
Yeah, so?
So... since you know so much about Sidereal I thought you could...
David, I...
Oh, come on. You wouldn't have any idea about this place if you weren't somehow involved.
Even if I was, do you think I'd still be here if I was important enough for them to save me?
Humor me.



Happy now?

Actually, I'm not. I really was hoping Cate's data would help us progress, but now I'm stuck. I don't believe we've found any fingerprints of Sidereal Plexus workers... except maybe for that one dead guy in the offices. But how will we lift his prints all the way over here? In any case, we have one vote today.



Where do we go next? I can only think of going back to the construction site at some point to pick up the welding kit, but we still don't have any protection for our hands. I kind of want to visit the restaurant to see if Sarge or his team left anything useful behind, but I also see the value of going back to the Sidereal Plexus office in town now that we picked up the recipe for making some catalyst fuel (if that is indeed what the chemicals we picked up make). Let me know what I should do!

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Wasteland

The votes were pretty close, but visiting the construction site is our priority. Then, we can hit up the restaurant, and finally the Sidereal offices. But goons rudecyrus and cant cook creole bream pointed out a possible handprint on the crashed Sidereal bus that we could try using the glue gun on, so we'll do that first since it's on the way.




As it turns out, the smudge on the glass is indeed a mark left by a human handprint! Good eyes, you two! Will the glue gun idea work?

(Item - Glue gun on smudge) Glue gun melts the glue into a moldable goo. I've put some of it on the window. Now I just need to wait a moment for it to dry... Meanwhile, the glue gun has run out of power. I guess remote controller batteries don't last too long.




Sorry, Maple Leaf and Shei-kun, no using the glue gun on the Moon this run. Now, to scrape off this fingerprint... I figure our kitchen knife is the right tool for the job.

(Item - Kitchen knife on glued smudge) There! I have a perfect impression of this guy's fingerprint.

A fingerprint impression (0 kg). A fingerprint of a Sidereal Plexus researcher, molded on a piece of dried glue.

We may not need to go to the Sidereal Plexus offices to slice up the dead man's body after all. Logically, the person in this bus should be authorized to access the secure door in the outpost, whereas the dead worker in the offices was expendable, and thus not authorized. That said, we still have to make a second pass to the offices and try to make the chemical formula. Next stop, the construction site.



I don't recall seeing these metal bars here before... These are the same types of metal bars we picked up way back in the first day when we were dealing with the mutated spiders. What use could they serve today?

Metal bars (9 kg). A set of strong metal bars. The gaps between the bars are quite large.

The welding kit is still unaccessible, and there are no extra glue sticks around here, or batteries. Time to move on to the restaurant and see if Sarge and his men left anything behind.



Exploration

The soldiers are gone, but they did, in fact, leave something behind... Protective gloves!

Protective gloves (0.1 kg). A pair of leather biker gloves.

There can't be a clearer signal to try the construction site and its rusty scaffolding one more time.



I go back to the construction site and use the protective gloves on the scaffolding. David gets no prompt to climb, he just scales up like a monkey and I have a new space to explore up the precarious beams. There is a round metal buckle on the support beams to the left, which looks pretty solid.

(Interaction - Buckle) This was used to pull heavy weights up and down. Maybe this could help me somehow.

Rope with hook, don't fail me now!




Success! Come to daddy, welding kit!

A welding kit (1 kg). Welding equipment, together with a welder mask.

This should be sufficient to fuse the metal plate on the ship. On we go to the Sidereal Plexus offices once again, this time with the chemical formula in hand. We won't forget to grab our rope with a hook on the way out.




The Waste's Mystery

I use the two sets of chemical vials we had grabbed here on the mixer. The chemical formula has been added to the lower left for reference, and the vials all have labels on them to indicate their composition. Time for a new minigame to replicate the formula! I can add up to three chemicals at once in the mixer before being forced to push the button. We need four blue dots, two red twin stripes, and three black bars.





These three chemicals have the values necessary... I hope. The mixed liquid on the tray smells like battery acid.

(Interaction - Liquid) It looks like a liquid of some sort.



(Interaction - Chemistry flask on liquid) I've put it into the bottle.

A bottle of catalyst (0.5 kg). Chemical mixture that is supposed to increase fuel burning efficiency.

This is everything we really planned on getting outside of the ofices, I think. Time to try the outpost out again, and refuel Clifford on arrival.



Alone

I'll use the bottle of catalyst on the fuel catalyst console and welding the metal plate before trying my luck with the fingerprint-locked door.

(Item - Bottle of catalyst on fuel catalyst console) I've poured the catalyst into the injector.

11:19 am: I added catalyst to the fuel.

(Interaction - Fuel catalyst console) The catalyst is already injected into the ship's fuel.

Awesome. Now to do a bit of amateur welding on that dangerous-looking crack.

(Item - Welding kit on crack) Yes, a welding torch will do. But I need to plug it in to power... and I need some material to cover the crack with.
(Item - Welding kit on socket) I've plugged in the welder kit. It's powered. Now I just need some material to weld.
(Item - Metal plate on plugged welding kit) This will do nicely. I have to put the plate directly on the surface I want to patch.



11:49 am: I patched the hull on the outside of the ship.



This is looking good. David has the skills that would have paid the bills... if only we knew what his job was before all this apocalyptic nonsense went down.

(Interaction - Welded crack) It's not aerodynamically perfect, but it will have to do.

On to the fingerprint-locked door. We'll grab our welding kit on the way out.



(Item - Fingerprint impression on fingerprint scanner) Well, here goes nothing.



I am very relieved my logic panned out, and great call by rudecyrus and cant cook creole bream to investigate that smudge in the bus more closely. That's twice now that I missed crucial details panning my mouse over places!



With a squeak of metal, the door opens... Venture forth, gang!



This is a storeroom of some kind. There are two "weird devices" we can interact with here. If we're lucky they're the pieces we need to make the ship go!

A calibrator (2.5 kg). A device used to calibrate engines so they give a steady, even thrust when fired.
A LiOH filter (2.5 kg). A lithium hydroxide filter.

Well... we needed the calibrator, but not the filter. We're still missing the nav chip. I'll go install these two pieces if possible.



(Item - LiOH filter on installed filter) The LiOH filter is already installed.

11:49 am: I installed a missing engine calibrator.




I'm glad we've got this installed, but I feel like we're missing something here. There is no way for me to access any sort of silo door controls with the rooms we have unlocked, so I figure there's got to be another floor in this bunker we can't access. What comes to mind is that big engine which gave us the transmission belt: if I put the belt back on it, will the elevator access another floor? It's worth a shot.




I explore around with the belt back on the big engine upstairs, but this isn't the solution...



But this is. There was another door in the metal ladders leading down to the ship! Ugh, this is the third time I screw up looking at a screen closely. Twenty minutes down the drain, but thankfully we have plenty of time to spare for my screwups.



Finally! I feel really dumb at not having noticed this entire room earlier in our first pass through here, but there's no harm done. There's lots to look at here. From right to left from the door: a mainframe computer, an opening with electronics beneath the computer, the silo's hatch control, a radar screen, a diagnostic screen, and a fuel mixture control.

(Interaction - Mainframe computer) A part came loose. I'll take it. I hope it wasn't important.

A duplexer (0.2 kg). An electronic device commonly found in radio and radar communications systems.

This is the part we need for the radar dish up top.

(Interaction - Mainframe computer) Hmm... there is a part at the bottom that seems to be open.
(Interaction - Opening with electronics) I took a part out of it already. I don't want to mess with it more.



Interacting with the silo hatch controls gives us this option. Hmm. No, not yet. I don't want to mess with this until we got the ship all fixed up. What about the radar screen?



Well, the radar won't be any useful to us anyway, right?
Probably not. But on the other hand...
I mean, it's not like there are any planes left in the air.
Or helicopters. But who knows, David, who knows.

I absolutely agree with Cate here. Better safe than sorry. This game likes throwing us curveballs. What does the diagnostics screen tell us?



Nothing we didn't already know about the silo hatch, but we need the fuel mixture. The chemical formula we had was for the catalyst, not the fuel itself. Thankfully, there is a fuel mixture control console at the far end of this room, which means we could solve this problem here and now.



It's another minigame. Pressing the plus icons under each bar adjusts the level on that bar as we calibrate the fuel mixture's components. Let's mess with this a little...



That was actually a pretty easy puzzle.

12:09 pm: I adjusted the fuel mixture to be more efficient.



Wasteland

The duplexer we found should be installed, clear skies or not.



The radar dish begins to rotate.

(Interaction - Radar) I've fixed it.

Alone



We need this transmission belt back to access the ship later. The radar still rotates without the big engine having the belt.



The control room now beeps with the radar's pinging noise... Something is out there.



An airplane? An actual, flying airplane?
Wait a second.
Okay... why?
Hush... See any difference?
No. Should I?
Yes, if it was flying you'd see it move. It's not airborne.
I thought radar was supposed to be detecting things up in the sky.
Yes. It also detects active transponders. Beacons installed in aircrafts.
So... we're looking at a possible location of an airplane on the ground?
Yes. Somebody didn't disable their transponder, which might indicate a crash. Give me your map. I'll estimate its position based on the radar's readings.

We just unlocked a new place to explore, I think. And if we can't find a nav chip in this bunker, then a plane should have something of the sort, right?

(Interaction - Radar screen) The plane is still there, in the wastelands. Cate has already plotted its position on my map.



Just going to install the transmission belt back on the elevator before we go...

Wasteland




Clifford's fully gassed up for this drive, and we are definitely leaving a two-hour window to get through security in time to board our flight.



Covering Ground

Believe me I've seen worse.
I don't doubt that.
The plane seems to be mostly intact, so it's a good landing in my book.
Did it belong to the Sidereal fleet?
Most likely. And whatever is was carrying might still be on board. Come on.
I liked the spaceship better. Can we go back to the spaceship?
Later, okay?
Ugh!!!

Cate and Cody have opinions on the area, as always. Cate, you go first.

So, what do you think of this place?
Someone really should take some more flying lessons.
Yeah. Too bad not everyone has a god-given talent when it comes to piloting. Or landing.
...I will pretend I didn't hear your tone, David.

Ice cold, David. You've been around Cate too long. Cody, what about you?

Do you like it here, Cody?
No...
Why not?
Airplanes are boring.
Whoa, now. I wouldn't say...
I liked airplanes, but now... I think spaceships are much cooler!
He's right, ya know.
Shut up.

That's a double dunk on poor Cate, but I know how it feels when other people disparage your tastes. Sometimes it comes off as judgmental of the person and their own opinions. In any case, there are a few things we can look at here: the buried plane itself, a sand dune, and the plane's cargo door the dune is covering.

(Interaction - Buried plane) That's a lot of sand. The whole nose of the plane is buried.
(Interaction - Plane's cargo door) The entrance is covered with a whole lot of sand. I'll have to get rid of it first.



Absolutely not. We have a shovel for a reason.




That's better. In we go.




The cargo hold of the plane has several crates labeled different numbers. The cockpit has a dead pilot and a blinking light that must be the transponder sending out a signal. I'll work back to front.

(Interaction - Any crate) This crate is sealed shut. I won't be able to open it with my bare hands.

The crate order is 7, 2, 6, 3, 4, 1, 5. I imagine the crowbar will make short work of them.



Let's see what's inside...

(Interaction - Crate labeled "7") What's this? A heap of electronic chips.

An electronic chip (0.1 kg). It says "Nav Chip" on the label.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "7") One navigation chip should be enough.

No way it can be this easy, can it? We have time to spare, so I'm going to keep opening crates...



I've opened another crate.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "2") Enormous amount of pipe gaskets.

A gasket (0.2 kg). A flat rubber gasket to stop pipes from leaking.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "2") I don't really know why I need those anyway.

This probably won't help us at all, but I'll take it.



Another crate is now open. I hope I'm not wasting too much time on that.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "6") Nuts and bolts. I'll take a handful.

Nuts and bolts (0.2 kg). A handful of nuts and bolts.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "6") I don't need any more.

Another pointless item.



Maybe this crate will be more interesting...

(Interaction - Crate labeled "3") Air tanks. Not many of them, but they seem large and quite heavy.

Air tanks (8 kg). They sure weigh a lot for just being air.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "3") I already took some tanks. The ship has limited capacity for those anyway.

Air supply isn't an issue with the ship, but let's take it all like a true pack rat.



I must admit, this is getting addictive. I already wonder what's in the sixth one.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "4") A lot of instant noodles...

Instant noodles (0.2 kg). A pack of instant noodles.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "4") Not really. The ship won't take off if we eat too many of those.

How do you like to eat your instant noodles, goons? With or without the sauce? Seasoning? What flavors of noodles do you like?



Huh. Maybe one more?

(Interaction - Crate labeled "1") Copper wires. I'll take some.

Wires (0.2 kg). A handful of copper wires.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "1") I took enough already.

Copper wiring could have been useful... another time and place.



Looks like I'm out of crates to open.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "5") A whole lot of voltmeters.

A voltmeter (0.2 kg). This device measures the voltage of electrical installations.

(Interaction - Crate labeled "5") One voltmeter is good; two is too much.

I don't know if we need this either... But both our backpack and Clifford still have room to carry junk. Let's head back to the front of the ship and interact with the pilot's body and the transponder.

(Interaction - Pilot) Is this person dead?
It would seem so, kid. Let's see if he had something that might be useful to us...
W-wait. What if he comes back to life? AND BITES YOU?
Cody...
Relax, David is a professional. He has searched like a dozen corpses.
(David touches the pilot.) Aaaaa!
What? What happened?!
DID IT JUST MOVE?
Cody...
Wanna wait outside, Cody?
No, I want to see that...



This is a humorously-written choice. Being paranoid does nothing, but if we touch it...

Just a piece of paper. Cargo manifest. Let's take a look.

A cargo manifest (0 kg).



It would've been useful to have this before I cracked open every crate... but then again, I'd have made David open them all anyway, like a true adventure game protagonist.

(Interaction - Pilot) This poor guy can't help me in any other way.
(Interaction - Transponder) (He touches the transponder.) That thing flashed for long enough.
(Interaction - Transponder) The transponder is already disabled.

I think this takes care of everything the ship needs. We have to go back to the outpost, load up the missing nav chip on the ship, and open the silo doors. Then... blast off!



Alone

Back into the ship we go to install the nav chip.

02:48 pm: I installed a navigation chip.




(Item - Air tanks on installed air tanks) The air tanks are already installed.

Sure enough, the ship has what it needs. All systems green inside, the crack is welded shut, and it has fuel and catalyst. Back to the control room to open the silo doors and give the radar screen one last look.

(Interaction - Radar screen) The radar doesn't detect anything else.



Insert klaxon sounds here...



Or not. What's causing the silo doors to be stuck, the sand on top of them? We may have to brush it away... Or could it be the transmission belt, yet again? Time to swap out the belt one final time.




The moment of truth. Time to go back down to the computer and press the button.




03:08 pm: I opened the launch hatch.

With a ceremonial pouring of sand, the silo hatch doors open. We can finally get out of here when we're all done!



The diagnostics say everything is good to go! Time to spend another twenty minutes replacing the belt...



Wasteland

(Interaction - Open silo hatch) The ship is down there waiting for launch.





Alone

Sand's gotten in everywhere, but the ship itself is fine.



The moment of truth: are we good for takeoff, Cate?

Are we ready to launch?
I've made some calculations, and we barely have enough fuel to get to our destination. We have to limit our weight... and you seem to be carrying a lot of stuff with you.
I like picking things up. You never knew when you're gonna need a water sprayer.
Well, now you have to say goodbye to your belongings. Take only things that weigh, say, one kilogram in total.
One kilogram. Fine.

Well, goons, you've heard her. We have a limit of one kilogram to take to space with us. Since all systems are go, we can take off and leave this doomed rock. I want to head back to the homestead to show all items we currently have on us, and in Clifford's trunk too.




Inside

I must have missed these sticky notes earlier... Or they were added when we were out? Spooky.

(Interaction - Sticky note 1) Some phone numbers are listed on this piece of paper.
(Interaction - Sticky note 2) I think they never bought that milk.








For fun, I'm just showing the damage that was caused by last night's thunderstorm. I appreciate the artist's rendition of acid rain eating away at the house. But that's enough of earthly matters. We have only one vote for this update.




What do we take to space with us? Pictured above is Clifford's inventory and our storage chest at the shelter, as well as what's already in our backpack. Remember, we have a ONE KILOGRAM limit of weight to carry. I will carry the floppy disk and Eve the dead bird, no matter what. Combined they weigh 0.1 kg. We have 0.9 kg of weight to play with. I kind of want to bring the instant noodles for a snack, too, but nothing else really calls to me!

[Olive Branch]

Inside

The votes for what to take to the Moon were all pretty close, but I'll load up what I can in the backpack before we blast off. That means that we're taking the floppy disk, Eve the Bird, the instant noodles, the paper clip, the duct tape, the kitchen knife, the voltometer, the copper wires, and the keys. Sadly, ditching Cate for extra weight is not an option, as much as some of you were demanding we just take her out. The rifle is way too heavy to take along (weighing a staggering 5 kg) as is the crowbar (1.5 kg), so both are going to be left behind, and the glue gun was used up. With our backpack cinched and carrying the maximum possible, it's time to blast off into space!



Wasteland

The silo is open, and ready for us to take off.

(Interaction - Left silo) A silo. This one turned out to be empty.
(Interaction - Right silo) A silo. It has our ship inside.



Alone

Houston, we are ready for takeoff... But it turns out we're taking more than we can handle. It seems Cate wants us under the weight limit of a kilo, so I'm going to leave behind the voltometer in favor of the keys. Sentimentality over practicality, with apologies to bbcisdabomb. Now, let's interact with the controls again, this time under the weight limit.

Are we ready to launch?
Ready when you are, David.



Let's arm ourselves with the kitchen knife. There's nothing else we can really take as a weapon that's light enough... Time to go.



Long Nights

All systems green? Well... some systems were green. You didn't have time to check every last nut or seal, like people did before launching rockets in the old days.




Five... Four... Three... Two...



One...! Zero!




The seat next to him was empty. At least you've kept the kid safe like the big old man wanted.

Thank you for all your help, Barry. Rest in piece with Maggie. We'll take care of Cody.




"Would you look at that?" smirked Sarge, slowly shaking his head. "That kid actually did it. Good luck with whatever you find there," he added, before he turned away. The whole squad decided to open their last bottle of whiskey and drink it as the world around them started falling apart.

Semper fi, Sarge. Country roads take you home. :patriot:




The composition was perfect. Maximum efficiency meant a lot of thrust and a smooth ascent.



With its help Cate was guided with a set of numbers, angles and coordinates, which is always better than just guessing.



It precisely calibrated all the engines, making them really well-coordinated.



With your repairs, it proved to add almost no air resistance. Cate managed to compensate for the slight aerodynamic changes with her piloting skills.



It caused the main rocket to burn fuel quicker, but it also made the reaction much more powerful.




Another Sunrise

We survived perfectly, as in the last two nights! Now it's up to Cate to guide us into the Moon base safely.




The ship approaches the Moon, avoiding loose debris.





We land safely like a plane, but is that a hole on the runway?




Oh god!





Thankfully, despite the sudden loss of the wheels and scraping to a stop on the runway, it seems the ship is still in one piece...





The landing was good, even if we wrecked our ride. Everyone is safe... for now. Welcome to the Moon, goons.

[Olive Branch]

There is no soundtrack on the Moon, only a warning klaxon. The ship periodically shakes as the Moon rumbles and breaks apart under our feet. Cate and Cody both seem to be okay, but we need space suits, too.

(Interaction - Hatch or storage compartment) I should check up with everyone before I start doing anything else.

All right, let's talk to both of them to make sure they're actually okay.

Cate, are you alright?
Uhh... that wasn't one of my best landings.
I've never seen you do any better.
Could be worse though, couldn't it? In my defense, it was my first time landing on the Moon.

Cody, you okay?
Uh... I don't know.
Can you stand?
I think... What's that sound? Are we going to die?
We're losing air, David. Now is the time to use the space suits.



With Cody and Cate up, we can actually ask them what they think of the place, which I think is kind of funny given the situation.

Wow. We made it. We actually made it.
I never doubted we would. But... I guess I owe it to you... Come on, let's move. It's not safe in here.

How are you holding up?
Uh, I feel dizzy, and I don't like spaceships anymore. Can we go outside yet?
You're probably right. We should hurry up.

Why not try opening the hatch without a spacesuit? What's the worse that could happen?

(Interaction - Hatch) It'd be a good idea to wear a space suit before opening this door.

Earlier in the thread, and throughout it, Bregor pointed out we were lacking in King's Quest-like deaths. Now, I can tell that's because the game is trying to keep the player alive and locking out actions that would be fatal outside the night. In an older adventure game, doing something as stupid as opening a hatch without accounting for air supply would be an instant game over. How game design and the times have changed. Right, then. On to the storage compartment to get those suits.



There they are. Everyone, into the suits!



Looking dapper. I'm surprised they had a child-sized suit ready to go... maybe Sidereal Plexus employed some short people? Cody periodically adjusts his helmet, which keeps slipping down.

(Interaction - Storage compartment) I already have a space suit.

Let's get out of this shuttle.





Wow. This is quite a sight, even if we're going to die if we don't hurry. Those hab shelters must be the Moon base Cate wanted us to go to. Before we do, let's talk one more time with the gang.

I still can't believe we're here...
You'd better start believing. Being on the Moon is the least of the unbelievable things here.
What do you mean by that...?
Let's get to the Moon base I'll show you.

We're on the Moon, Cody!
Look at me! I'm in space!
Yes you are!
Yay! This suit is too big for me.
Maybe a bit. I think you're doing great, though.
But what now?
Let's keep going. Just stay close to me!
Okay!

(Interaction - Crashed shuttle) There's no point going back there...

On to the Moon base...



We face an airlock and its opening mechanism.

(Interaction - Airlock) I have to find a way to open this door.



One more puzzle. We need to rotate these layered rings until the dark patterns on each ring segment make an unbroken line.




The moment I finish this relatively simple puzzle, the door opens.

(Interaction - Airlock manual override mechanism) The airlock is already open.



Great, because I'm almost out of oxygen...



Let's look around.

Our inventory is accessible again, and for bringing Eve the Bird into space, I get an achievement! The base rumbles and the lights flicker in and out with the Moon's shudders. We may not have the clock to worry about, but we still need to find a way out of this second rock. Let's talk to our friends, starting with Cate.

So, what do you think of this place?
It's... bigger than I imagined.
Really? It doesn't look that huge...
Look around, David. Most of this is impossible with current technology. Hell, I doubt it's even possible with whatever technology would be available 50 years from now.
So... what does that mean, exactly?
It means Sidereal Plexus likes to borrow technology from other places.

What do you think of this place?
I don't know. This place is cool, but I'm also scared. Is there a name for this feeling?
Hmm. You're... awestruck?
And a bit dizzy.

We have two options: a passage to the left, and one to the right. Left to right seems good to me!



Cate?
Sleeper pods.
Why are people here? You said they all left. You said they went to a different dimension or something.
They did. This is what they left behind.
Cate, you said they escaped!
They did, David. Check out their neural activity monitors. They are flat. Because their bodies are here, sleeping. But their minds... left this place. They traveled through the Realm of Dreams and already woke up in safety, months ago. Pods just sustain their empty bodies here. Not that it's required, but if for any reason anyone wanted to get back, they still can. At least for now.
Wait... I've got some questions.



Oh, you bet I've got questions, which David may just ask. We can ask about the sleeper pods, what happens if their body dies, what the Realm of Dreams is, and why the sleeper pods have to be on the Moon. Again, left to right is my order of questioning. What are these "sleeper pods" you speak of?

So... it's some sort of hibernation?
Yes, so the body doesn't die while the consciousness is elsewhere.

That... was short. Okay, but "what happens if the body dies," Cate?

What happens if the body dies?
In any normal circumstances, your mind would die, too. But Sidereal has discovered something. I don't know what it is exactly, but they can completely separate the mind from the body. So when the Moon hits Earth and everything here blows up, it won't matter to them.

I think my bigger question here is, whose bodies are they inhabiting in the other dimension? Are they taking over a coma patient's body, like those conspiracy magazines suggested the testing was being done on? Does their mind just happen to land on a host body shared by the same person, and you have two consciousnesses sharing the brain, or are they melded together? Maybe these questions will be answered later. For now, what exactly is the "Realm of Dreams?"

Realm of Dreams?
A poetic name, but quite graphic. Sidereal has discovered that the human mind is capable of accessing this... place. A vast network, connecting every mind. As it later turned out, it reached far beyond every mind in the world. It can connect minds across universes.

So it's some sort of Jungian collective consciousness, or psionic network that our brains can attune to. Thing is, what else connects to it? We got hints that there are other intelligences out there, watching these mind travelers... So "why do sleeper pods have to be on the Moon?" Actually, we probably already know the answer to this one from the FAQ in the outpost.

Why do the sleeper pods have to be on the Moon? Why even bother flying here if all they do is put you in a pod?
Their pods are extremely susceptible to any interference. Especially radio waves. Humanity used to produce a giant mess of electromagnetic waves of various frequencies. Radio broadcasts, TV, communications. I can go on and on. Sidereal found it next to impossible to come up with a location desolate enough for their sleeper pods to work as intended. Faraday cage shielding was partially effective, but it was apparently causing some side effects. Early experiments led to some awful failures. They finally came up with the idea that the only thing that would shield the sleeper pods well enough would be...
The Moon.



We get a new option to as about "other interferences," which is just as well... after all, do we have aliens to worry about, too?

What about Moon-Earth communication? What about radio waves from space? Don't they interrupt the sleeper pods?
Sidereal's own communication devices work on frequencies outside the harmful spectrum. Space radiation. Damn it, David. I don't know! They must have found a way around it. I'm not a physicist.

Thanks for the explanations, Cate. Time to end this conversation, so "goodbye."

So, that's our way out. We get into those pods and we dream our way out of here. Wake up somewhere safe.
I'm not sure how I feel about that idea. But then again... what do we have to lose?

But whose body do we wake up in? Our own? That would be wicked strange, for our mind to materialize our body like some sort of freaky cloning experiment. There are four empty pods we can use (probably for Barry, if he had survived somehow...), a black access card lying on the ground, and a diagnostics screen on the computer displays on the left.

(Interaction - Any empty sleeper pod) This pod is empty... but closed.

An access card (0 kg).



There isn't even a picture of the owner on this access card. Odd.



Look at the small amount of system memory on use here. 90 megabytes are sustaining this many pods? Now that's efficiency. Note also the fact there are no floppies in the drives... and we happen to be carrying one. Before I try using it here, though, I want to explore the other side of this facility. Maybe Cate knows something?



She does. We can tell her "the controls are locked."

The controls are locked.
We've gotta unlock them, fast. I think it can be done in the control room.
If you say so.

(Item - Floppy disk on console controls) The console seems to be locked.

That's all we can do here. Let's head to the right passage.



Uh... the Earth is looming closer with every passing moment outside the windows, and debris is starting to fly around outside. I'm scared this is a hidden timer of sorts, so let's not dawdle. This room has a card reader and a base control computer. The access card we got may be used in the reader, but what about the computer?

(Interaction - Card reader) There's a slot for an access card.



No go on the base control computer, so maybe we need to use the access card first.



There we go.



Do it. We can't sleep our way out of this one otherwise.




(Interaction - Base control computer) I've done all I had to do here. Time to move.

Time to move indeed. Let's shake our butts back to that sleeper pod console and run the diagnostics again.





No, no, no. Check that again. Maybe it was just a glitch.
It still says "phase controller corrupted."
It has already happened. It keeps happening.
Cate? You're not making any sense... Cate?
Yeah?



Four more topics of conversation come up, all related to the diagnostics and Cate's reaction. Working from left to right. First off, "what's the 'phase controller'" you mentioned?

What's the "phase controller?"
It's a system designed to transmit human consciousness to a selected target.
Target? A human in another world?
Yes. Usually an otherwise braindead clone they've prepared especially for this purpose... or a patient in a coma, in the worlds like ours, where cloning has not been developed yet. This is how they used to navigate between worlds. Go to sleep here, target a sleeping human vessel in another world and wake up there.
I'm not sure if this is more terrifying or more unbelievable.
If that controller is disabled, we can't select a target body or world.

So they would either target a clone of the host that is braindead, or a coma patient, as I suspected... Clones I can understand, but with coma patients? Talk about a violation of individuality, of consent, of your very freaking being! So "what's the 'emergency merge mode'" all about?

So what's the "emergency merge mode?"
When the primary phase controller is disabled, a backup system kicks in. It targets a random world and a random sleeping person.
Without their consent?
Yes. However, for some reason, when this happens you almost always end up in your own body. But in a different world.



A few more options pop up, but we'll get to those in time. Let's keep going left to right. Next up, "where will we go?"

Where will we go?
Well, without the phase controller, two things can happen. We can end up in limbo, in the dream world, without bodies to return to. Or we can wake up in our own bodies in a different world. A different version of our world.
Like... one where all this never happened? A world where there was no lunar explosion in 1996?
Hopefully... Yes, hopefully.

That doesn't inspire much confidence. After all, you said "it has already happened." "What do you mean 'it has already happened?'"

What do you mean "it has already happened?"
I'm... not sure. The dreams we both had. Warning you about incoming threats. Showing me where the Sidereal office building was. Those might have been our own memories. From our past lives. That would mean I've been through this. We all have.

Time to ponder those new conversation options. First, "are we going to remember any of this?"

The computer says something about memory loss.
Yeah. When your mind ends up in your own body in a different world, this is what happens. You merge. Your current memories... become distant. Like a dream that you've forgotten.
It doesn't sound like we're going to make it in one piece after all...
It's better than dying completely, I guess.

Time for the big question. The one that, if we have been doing this before, must mean something. Are we causing or experiencing "a paradox" of sorts, Cate?

But if my past me warned me about the incoming events, who warned him? Another me? Who warned that other me? When did it all begin?
As far as I know, the number of worlds might be infinite. It's better not to think about it.

Maybe Cate's right. You might as well ask existential-level questions in that case. Time to say "goodbye."

We have no other choice, David. We've got to use those pods, whether they're fully operational or not.
Can't we fix the damaged systems?
Even if we knew how, it would probably take days. We definitely don't have that much time. Let's do this. Quick. This whole place is falling apart.



Three sleeper pods open and await us to enter. We now come to what I feel is a choice: do we enter the pods without the disk, or with it? I figure entering without the disk is a "bad end" of sorts, so I'll do the best thing I can for this Let's Play: to go into the pod without inserting the floppy and see what happens, and then load this save to insert the floppy we've been carrying around.

(Interaction - Any empty sleeper pod) I think I should ask others if they want to go first.

* * *



On to the floppy-less ending! We can tell Cate that it's "time to sleep."

Time to sleep, right? Or should I go first?
It's okay. Remember to turn off the lights. And promise you won't do anything stupid.
(Cate walks to a pod.) Have I ever done anything stupid?
Hah, you're funny.



Survival

Umm... Never change, okay?
Okay...
See you soon.
Goodnight, Cate...
Alright David, so... Here we are. At the end of the road. Or is it the beginning? I wouldn't have made it here if it wasn't for you.
Are you getting emotional now?
Hah. I think I've spent too much time with you.
Where do you hope to wake up?
In a bed. In a world where they have a Moon and lattes.
I hope that's what happens.
Me too. Bye, David. Until we meet again.
Just don't point your gun at me when we do, okay?
Can't promise that.



(Interaction - Cate's sleeper pod) You are where you wanted, Cate. Let's hope you were right about all of this.
(Interaction - Any empty sleeper pod) I think I should ask Cody to go first.



And now, we can tell Cody it's time for bed. "Time to sleep, Cody."

Cody... It's time.
I don't want to sleep.
I know, but we all have to.
I won't be able to sleep now. I'm too scared.
This machine will help you. Come on. Don't be scared.
What will happen? Where will we go?
(Cody walks to a pod.) I... don't know. But it's going to be alright.



I don't want to be alone again.
You won't be. Wherever you wake up... I will find you.
Promise?
Promise.



(Interaction - Cody's sleeper pod) Sleep well, little prince.

This is the conversation order we get when we put Cate to sleep first. But now, let's go back and see what happens if we put Cody in first...

* * *



Goodnight, Cate. (Cody repeats the same dialogue with David as before.)

(Interaction - Any empty sleeper pod) I think I should ask Cate if she wants to go first.

Nothing else changes between me asking Cate to sleep before Cody and now. The only change is that she doesn't say goodnight to Cody and ask him to stay the same.



Initiate the "bad end," please!



Well god damn it, what now?



Oh, great. Now we need to head back to the main console...



Long Nights

The vocal part of "Long Nights" begins to play as the Earth approaches even closer! We need to get to that base control computer now!



We have no option but to reroute power!




(Interaction - Base control computer) I've done all I had to do here. Time to move.



Cracks begin to appear on the glass... We're entering orbit!





David flings himself into the hallway as the blast doors close and electric power surges begin to spark all along the corridor...

(Interaction - Right passage) The blast door has sealed that part of the station.

No time to spare, let's activate the pod and get going!




The pod closes on David's sleeping body...










It all felt so real... I feel like something is missing. Like I didn't do something important. But what? A blurry memory that disappeared too fast. I... don't remember. Well, I guess it was just a dream.



Mourning







Main Menu






And that's the bad end, dropping us right into the main menu after the credits roll. But we know what that "something important" we didn't do was. Time to go back in time and insert that essential floppy disk in there!

* * *



And we're back before we put everyone to bed.

(Item - Floppy disk on console controls) I've inserted the "PHASE CTRL LITE" disk into Drive B. The computer reads it...




I hope this is going to make things better...



Before we tell Cate to go to sleep, we can tell her we "inserted a 'Phase Controller Lite' disk" in the computer. What does she think about it?

I've inserted a special disk into the console.
What disk?
A disk I found in the Sidereal Plexus office. The computer says it will increase the memory transfer, or something like that. Do you think it's gonna help?
Yeah, I guess so. Even a single helper program like this could make a huge difference... If our memories are transferred intact... Or at least in a greater, more consistent rate... This could be huge, David. This might actually save us.

Good end, here we come? I put our party to bed, as before, with no changes in dialogue. The same sequence with the power going off and needing to reboot it takes place...




And now, time for the real end.










It all felt so real... I feel there was... something more in that dream. Something... sad... and important. Why do I feel like this already happened? Yet something is different. I'm gonna find out what.

The credits roll as they did in the bad ending, but...



The main menu has changed. The Moon is now upon the Earth. There is no more "New Game," but "The Awakening" as an option. Old memories, new body. Old memories... new body...

[Olive Branch]

Wake up? But we haven't yet. This feels... weird. I don't like this dream...



We fade into a strange, half-lit living room. The wind whistles through the shattered window.



David, the lone survivor we control, walks into the frame from the darkness on the right.



The game helpfully gives us our controls: left-click to interact, right-click to examine. The items we find will have their descriptions written up from this examination.



We try the sturdy-looking door, but it's locked, as David points out. So how about that window? It's dark outside...



Oh god! With a shatter of glass, a swarm of locusts bursts through the window and bite David into a lifeless corpse.



What a nightmare... It all felt so real. I feel there was... something more in that dream. Something... sad... and important. Why do I feel like this already happened? Yet something is different. I'm gonna find out what.

But it was just a dream. David is in fact alive and well, and camping out in the desert. It's a bright morning, the sun is shining, and the moon is cracked in half. Just another day in the post-apocalypse... But how odd. Why did David say this already happened? I can't shake a feeling that... Nevermind. Let's check out our campsite.

(Interaction - Tent) I think this tent served me well long enough. It's too damaged to keep using it. I'll just leave it here.
(Interaction - Campfire) That campfire kept me warm through the night. There's nothing left of it now.
(Attempting to move) I'm not going anywhere without my trusty backpack.



Let's take that backpack, which acts as our inventory.



It appears we can carry up to twenty items, but only 30 kilograms (that's about 66 pounds for the American audience). The heavier our load, though, the more time certain actions will take to carry out, like climbing out of a ditch. I have this sensation that David should be able to carry more, but I don't know why. So how about that broken moon, eh?

(Interaction - Moon) It's shattered, just like all the dreams humankind ever had...



Moving east towards the wasteland causes a strange dark cloud to grow in the horizon...

(Interaction - Dark cloud) I don't like the look of this cloud. It seems to be moving this way. I think my nightmare might have been more than just a dream. I still have a couple of hours, but I have to find a shelter... fast.



David has a journal! As the game helpfully points out, we can check our current progress and David's movements throughout the day here.



I have to find a place to hide.

David just started his journal. A couple of things of interest: the year is 1996, and David thinks the remains of the moon are getting bigger every day. Could this mean the moon is on a collision course with Earth? If so, we may just be screwed from the get-go... Right?



But David has to get moving. Staying put means no fresh food or water, and no shelter for the night. So let's head east into the wasteland.



We don't get far before we run into some ruins in the distance, and closer, a great wall spanning the desert.

(Interaction - Ruins) Another ruin slowly swallowed by the desert.

Let's approach that wall. It seems there's an outhouse or shed and a hole in the wall we can go through. Let's check it out.



I don't have time to walk around this wall. There's gotta be a faster way to get to the other side.

[While your time is limited, keep in mind it only advances with certain actions. You will be warned each time before that happens. When you find a hiding place and prepare it for the night, use the clock icon to finish the current day.]

Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive has a clock mechanic. As the game points out, some actions we can take use up time, and how much time we spend depends on what we're doing. For the moment, I'll be taking decisions on my own about using up time, but later on, I'll give the thread leave to make decisions for me. Haven't we been doing that for some time, though...? Well, anyway. How about that hole, David? Can you fit through?

(Interaction - Hole) If only that hole was a bit larger I could squeeze through to the other side of that wall...

Let's check out that wooden fence.



You bet we're taking that wooden pole out!

A solid wooden pole (1 kg). Quite sturdy looking round pole.

How about the shed?



Hello there, that's a sledgehammer head.

A sledgehammer head (15 kg). A heavy hammer head. Useless without a handle.



By clicking on one item and then using it on another... We can combine those two items!

A sledgehammer (16 kg). A big, heavy hammer.



The only way through is by widening the hole! Get to work, David.



David swings the makeshift hammer three times, widening the hole enough for him to go through.




We are through the wall, but as we continue to walk east...






Well, that sucks. The sledgehammer could have come in handy. But that's another point this game is making: we can't carry everything we want. Sometimes we'll have to leave things behind. Thankfully they'll stay where we left them. In this case, though, the sledgehammer will be left behind in the sands.




And as we keep heading east, the game tells us we have to march on. And so... We do. Again? We march on again...? This isn't the first time we've done this, is it?

Main Menu

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



Main Menu

After hiking through the wasteland, David finds a farmhouse that could serve as a shelter. What about that sign?



A gas station 1.5 miles away. We should find something of use there, even if other survivors have gone through it.




David refuses to explore away from the house for now, though. So, up we go!



Yes, this will do nicely.



The house has a path leading to the front door, and one to the rear. Is it open?

(Interaction - Door) It's locked.
(Interaction - Window) I have to break that glass if I want to get inside.

The house is inaccessible. David isn't confident enough to using his elbow to smash the glass, and breaking the door down would make this place less of a shelter. Why not explore the rear path?



The back of the house has a rear door and the remains of a greenhouse, held together with rotten planks and rusty nails. The path continues further right.

(Interaction - Door) It's locked.
(Interaction - Greenhouse) I could recycle some of the nails that hold this greenhouse together, but I need a tool for that.

The back door is also locked, and we have a secondary objective: get some nails. I have this strong sensation that they'll be important... somehow. Also, there's something on the greenhouse.

A water sprayer (0.5 kg). It could be used to spray plants with water, if I didn't have better things to do. And if I had any plants.

This is absolutely craftable as a weapon of some sort, whether against the locusts or some other threat.



The path leads to a bright-red barn and tractor. There's also an irrigation pipeline running out of the barn and into the fields beyond.

(Interaction - Tractor) Months spent out in the open took its toll on this tractor. It's completely ruined. There isn't even anything to salvage.
(Interaction - Water irrigation system) These pipes seem to cover a lot of area, surrounding the house with the irrigation system.



The barn is still standing and its machinery looks functional. There's a pickup truck in here and a pipe, too. I bet it can shatter the window!

A short pipe (1 kg). A short, metal pipe.

(Trying to interact with anything) I should find a way to get into that house before I start fiddling with things in here.

David is still restricting my exploration abilities. I can't mess with anything here, with the exception of the car's trunk.



We can store items in the car's trunk. I bet that if we fix it up we'll be able to drive it around with our stuff in it. It's big and red, like Clifford the Big Red Dog... Now why did I think that? There is also a haystack covering the pipes. Maybe there's a needle in there.




Kicking the haystack a few times reveals the pipe running under it, but with the big holes in it, we can't say it's in working order. Anyway, time to use the pipe against the window.



Investigation

David smashes the glass of the window with a big swing, then brushes away the remnants of the glass clinging to the frame. He is nothing if not fastidious with safety.



Inside

Staying here might be a good idea, but I only have a few hours to convert this ruin into a fortress before my nightmare catches up with me. I should look around and explore. That road sign might be a good start.

We enter the house through the window, and it's absolutely the house we dreamed of. Now we just have to watch out for the locusts that turned David into a human buffet. At least it's not, say, giant spiders... David says we should go explore, but the next order of business is exploring this house and the barn. Our journal got updated, too.

7:53 am: I found an abandoned house that looks like a good place to stay... I should go out, explore down the road and look for something to fortify this place with...

(Interaction - Photo) This photo of an old lady was taken years ago. The colors have faded a bit, but her warm smile is still clearly visible.
(Interaction - Kindling basket) The kindling box is empty.
(Interaction - Fireplace) The fireplace is empty. Only some ashes from previous uses still scattered all around in it. I also think the chimney is clogged. I don't feel any air draft. That's actually good news... at least for now.



[You can also just drop them on the ground - they will not disappear.]

This storage chest lets us store items in it, like an item box in Resident Evil games. Since we only have a carrying capacity of 30 kg, being able to store items we don't need in here will help us travel light. There's something already inside, so let's grab it.

A hammer with a broken handle (1.8 kg). It's useless until I fix it somehow. World seems to be full of broken hammers.

Looks like this is everything in the living room. I bet there's a kitchen in the back.



I don't know how I knew that.

(Interaction - Oven, closed) I've opened the oven. I've also switched it on, but nothing happened. There's no power.
(Interaction - Oven, open) I've closed the oven and switched it off.
(Interaction - Fridge) (David opens the fridge.) The fridge is empty. After such a long time without electricity, I'm relieved to know that.
(Interaction - Sticky note 1) Some phone numbers are listed on this piece of paper.
(Interaction - Sticky note 2) (The sticky note says "BUY MILK!") I think they never bought that milk.

Hanging on the rack, and glinting in the sunlight, is a set of house keys! Now we can unlock the doors, but we shouldn't forget to lock them again afterwards, just in case. That's it for the kitchen, so I'll check upstairs.

House keys (0.1 kg). A set of house keys, for both front and back doors.



The upstairs of the house looks like it served as a bedroom and office space. The window here is broken, which we should fix later to avoid the flesh-eating locusts. There's also a ladder leading up to a ceiling hatch to what I'm certain is an attic.

(Interaction - Window) A nice view around the wasteland, with the Moon hanging above like an executioner's axe.



It's locked, and I can't find any means of opening it.
(Item - House keys on ceiling hatch) There is no lock in that hatch. I think it might jammed rather than locked. Nothing I can do about it for now.

So the attic is unaccessible. A pity. I guess the only thing that could shake it open is... a helicopter crashing into the house? No, that's just a silly thought. Maybe we can use some sort of tool on it later, since David can't reach the handle or shove the door open. What about the desk with the broken computer and stack of papers next to it?

(Interaction - Papers) There was a paper clip holding several sheets of paper together. The documents themselves don't hold any useful information. Just some invoices for farming equipment.

A paperclip (0 kg). It looks really useful. I'm sure it would be helpful if I was writing a letter.
A stack of documents (0.5 kg). Some financial documents, invoices and bills, mostly for farming equipment.

(Interaction - Computer) The screen is all cracked and the case seems partially burnt. This PC won't work.

Damn! Now how is David going to post in forums like a goon if he can't lounge in front of a screen all day? Ah well. There is a bathroom to the left.



The bathroom looks functional, but something tells me we won't ever use it. The window here is also broken. Yet another thing to fix in our quest to avoid death by a thousand bites.

(Interaction - Mirror 1) You talking to me?
(Interaction - Mirror 2) Mirror, mirror, here I stand. Who is the fairest in the land? Probably not me.
(Interaction - Mirror 3) That's me. I should probably wash myself. If only I had the time...
(Interaction - Mirror 4) I can see each and every day spent on the wasteland reflected in this face.
(Interaction - Mirror 5) This mirror has probably seen better looking faces.
(Interaction - Bathtub) There's no time to take a bath, unfortunately.

Between referencing Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle and not taking literally five minutes to wash himself, I think it's official, guys. David is a goon. Let's drag our filthy meatbag body back to the barn.



Investigation

Ahh... Smell that morning hay. Plenty to look at in here.



Interacting with the generator gives us this. We can pull on the starting cord but David says it's out of fuel. Leaving it on "off" and trying pull the cord has David say we need an output first.

(Interaction - Water pump and irrigation control system) It seems to be dead. I think it's powered by that big generator next to it.
(Interaction - Pestice inlet) I could use this to add something to the water that will be pumped to the sprinklers.

Fuel's what we need to make things go here. I'm guessing that the oven in the house will turn on if we have the generator running with the output on "house," so if we had, say, a cold snap tomorrow, we could heat ourselves up. The irrigation system could also serve as a sort of insect deterrent if we had some pesticide. So what about the car?



Step one to being a mechanic: know your ride. Yes, let's investigate the car.

Well, the car could be started, I guess. But it doesn't look very good. Obviously a wheel is missing. The ignition coil is busted. It has no fuel.

To do: find a spare wheel, an ignition coil, and fuel.



Okay, now that we know what we need for the day, I figured I'd leave the next step to you, goons. I'm taking every item for the upcoming trek. The question is, what way out of the house shall we explore first: east or west?



Clicking on either direction brings up this map. It's 8:08 am, and we have 11 hours and 52 minutes before night falls.




To the east is a roadblock, with a 15 minute travel time. Heading that way could probably net us an ignition coil, and it also appears to be a dead end, so we could turn right back around if we don't find anything. To the west is a destroyed bridge, with a 15 minute travel time. The gas station is beyond here, and that's probably where we'll find plenty of the supplies we need to survive the first night, as well as gas, obviously.

Please vote on the way we should go. I somehow find the need to head east pressing, but have no idea why. Still, I think 30 minutes to go and come back to the house, and then keep going west, is a fair use of our time.

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!

Almost everyone said to head east, so let's get a move on and investigate that roadblock!



Wasteland

It looks like these men put up a fight and killed a bunch of the insects. But they didn't stand a chance in the open.

This is a nasty scene to find. Let's see if the bodies have anything of worth on them, they won't need it anymore.

(Interaction - Left corpse) Something shines between the pieces of torn bag that he was carrying. (David bends down and picks something up.) There was a strange remote controller in the corpse's bag.

A remote controller (1 kg). The label says "Sonic Repellent Device RC."

(Interaction - Right corpse) There is a small leaflet tucked between the folds of the ripped clothes.



So to deal with the locust swarm, we have to use the sonic repellent device. Fair enough. However, there is no indication here as to what sort of locust we're facing. Still, I feel we'll find out what sort it is soon enough. That being said, there's a red wrench just sitting next to the right corpse. It was used to splatter a whole bunch of insects.

(Interaction - Wrench) Let's hope it will be more useful to me than it was to them.

A wrench (1 kg). A heavy but handy tool.

(Interaction - Car) I have to take a closer look to check out this vehicle.



We can spare 15 minutes to check the condition of this car.

The car is busted, so it's not going anywhere. One part that seems to be fine is the ignition coil, but getting it out won't be easy. I could remove the ignition coil from this car, but I need an adjustable wrench to do that.

What do you know, we have just the thing.

(Item - Wrench on car) Well, let's see...



Yikes, 45 minutes is a long time, but I will go for it. If we get the car running, we'll save time driving distances rather than walking them... Or maybe, just maybe, we could use our legs? Who knows if gas is at a premium in the wasteland.

I've removed the ignition coil from the car.

An ignition coil (0.2 kg). An ignition coil, crucial to start a car's engine.

(Interaction - Car) There is nothing useful left here.

(Interaction - Left corpse) There is nothing useful here.

On a second look, I find a dead insect that isn't as squashed as the others. Maybe if we investigate it, we'll find out what sort of insect it is?

A huge dead insect (0 kg).



Hmm. What teethy pincers it has. The way its legs are bent may also be key to identifying the sonic repellent device's settings. Good thing we can carry it in our bag. We do need a name for our new locust friend, though! Now that we're all set here, time to check out those other cars up ahead.



A pest control truck would be ideal to get some pesticides or information about locusts, right?

(Interaction - Truck) The back door is locked.
(Item - House keys on truck) These house keys won't fit. I'll need to break it open.
(Item - Pipe on truck) The pipe was good for smashing windows, but it's too broad to fit between the door and the rest of the truck.

We'll need a prybar or crowbar or some other metal tool to bust this truck open. We have everything we need from this area for now, so it's back to the house and barn for a little mechanical work.



Investigation

Big red pickup, we're here to fix you up. Use the ignition coil on the truck, David!

I've installed a part.



Now, go west, young man!



Wasteland

The bridge being out means we'll have to climb through the ravine every time we want to cross. There are a few things to check out here.

(Interaction - Planks) I can't take those planks with me, but they could probably be useful right here by the bridge if I had the proper tools...
(Interaction - Wrecked car) This car has been wrecked beyond repair. Maybe I could take its wheel off if I had a wrench... which I happen to have!



Once again, always explore off the beaten path. Let's get that wheel off.

Apart from almost falling off the cliff once, all went well. I got the wheel.

A car wheel (2.5 kg). A car wheel taken from a wrecked pickup truck.

This isn't everything we can find here... The shovel on the back of the pickup truck could come in handy.



David, you... you snapped the handle off. That shovel could have been useful.

A wooden handle (0.2 kg). It's a small wooden handle.

It's all good, though. As it turns out this handle is a perfect fit for that broken hammer we've been carrying. I combine the two items and we get a new hammer!

A hammer (2 kg). Small, robust, and almost completely useless without nails.

(Item - Hammer on planks) I need nails to do this.

Yeah, I figured we couldn't just build a bridge by using the hammer on the planks without nails. Luckily, I recall the greenhouse has some nails, so I'll get them on the return trip. For now, I figure we won't need much to cross the ravine. I'm dropping everything but the wrench and weightless items.



Two minutes to cross the ravine? I'm sure I could cross it faster than that. Let's go!



After climbing to the other side, the ten-minute walk to the gas station is simple enough.



Exploration

Nothing looks out of place here... Time to investigate the gas station shop. I just hope we don't come across any locusts.



The shop seems deserted. There are plenty of goodies in the room, so let's grab what we can! I see a hunting rifle on the ground, a pile of cash on the ground, a gas canister, and more! First things first, gimme that rifle.

A rifle (5 kg). A hunting rifle. It has 6 bullets.

10:35 am: I have a hunting rifle and some bullets. Not a perfect weapon against those bastards, but it will probably help. What else can I do to prepare?

(Interaction - Trinket stand) There is a lighter here that could be useful.

A lighter (0 kg). It's still working.

(Interaction - Cash) Well, you never know. Maybe it's going to be worth something again someday.

A wad of cash (0.1 kg). A wad of pretty much useless pieces of paper.

(Interaction - Newspaper and magazine stand) A newspaper from long ago sits in the magazine stand.





Yowza. The moon's explosion is most definitely the corporation's fault. I doubt that a single meteor could cause such devastation and break the moon to pieces without it being big enough to get detected by science teams around the world, even in 1996.



After grabbing the bag of charcoal, the game strongly hints we won't need it. Whatever, we can throw it in the storage box, or maybe use it to light a fire? No harm came from being a bit of a pack rat.

A bag of charcoal (10 kg). A bag full of barbecue charcoal.

(Interaction - Gas canister) It's empty. Well, the container might be useful.

An empty gas canister (1 kg). An empty canister.



The crowbar is stuck in the cash register and seems to be wedged firm in there. Nothing to be done but take the time to get it out, because I want to break into that pest control truck.

A crowbar (1.5 kg). A sturdy, handy tool that can be used to break things.

Very good. What's in the back room, then?



Not much to loot other than plastic wrap, window nets, and metal bars. I bet these would work wonders to block locusts from entering through the broken windows in the farmhouse.

A plastic wrap (4 kg). A roll of plastic wrap.
A window net (4 kg). A strong and durable window net.
Metal bars (9 kg). A set of strong metal bars. The gaps between the bars are quite large.

I'm holding off on taking any of these window-covering candidates yet. They are really heavy, and I think we may need to leave what material we use for the windows up to a vote. Speaking of windows, there is one facing the parking lot of the gas station, so let's head there.



A small rock lies on the ground, and a big fuel truck tanker is just hanging out here. Time to get a pet rock!

A small rock (1 kg). A small, round rock.

(Interaction - Fuel valves) There is a valve from which the fuel should flow. But how do I open it?



In attempting to use the wrench on the fuel valves, David succeeds in opening them, but without a container of some sort the fuel just spills on the ground. The solution? Put the dang gas container under it first, then use the wrench!



Much better. Given that both the pickup truck and generator need gas, we may have to do two trips here, or more, if we want to get all the window stuff.

A full gas canister (10 kg). A canister full of fuel.

That's about everything we can grab right now from the gas station. We're carrying 29.2 kg of stuff, so let's pop over to the farmhouse and drop some things off. We can make a few passes to grab the items we left behind on the bridge, as well.



Wasteland

Dang! All that weight in the bag is really hampering David's climbing ability. Getting the bridge fixed up is probably going to save us a lot of time.



I grab everything I left in exchange for the bag of charcoal. With that shift in weight, we can head home and do a bit of car maintenance and inventory storage.



Investigation

Foreseeing the success of "Top Gear," David takes time to add the wheel to the car and and gas it up!

I've installed a part.



I've fueled the car.



Our car is now ready for action. Driving to the gas station or any other place will be way, way faster than walking there.






By using the crowbar on the greenhouse's supports, we get the option of getting some nails. Sure, let's get as many as we can!



David rips all four supports down, but trying to use the crowbar further just results in him telling us there are only rotten planks left.

Broken planks (2.5 kg). A stack of broken planks. Withered and rotten, they don't make for good building material.
A handful of nails (0.1 kg). Some are bent, some are rusty, but probably could be used to, well, nail stuff.

Inside



I store everything but the tools, gas container, and nails in the storage box. Let's head back to the broken bridge and make us a path so we may collect all the goodies we left behind!



Wasteland

Building the bridge will take time, but we still have plenty of it.



Not bad, David. Let's drop off everything we've got on hand, minus the gas container and wrench, here. Then we can go grab the window protection from the gas station. It'll take us a few trips given our weight limit, though.



Exploration

I have come for thee, window protectors!



Wasteland

Looting the gas station took us a bit of time, but look at all the stuff we've got! Time to ferry all of this over to our storage box, then head over to the roadblock to break into the pest control truck. I'll be sure to take the locust and sonic repellent device, too...



The sun is starting to set, but we still have a couple of hours to spare. The crowbar does a neat job of busting open the truck's doors.



Alone

There are four lockers in here. Let's open them all. Any locked ones should be forced open easily with Mr. Crowbar.



The first and second lockers have some pesticide cans, and the second locker, which was locked, also has some duct tape. The third locker is empty, and the fourth has a note and a weird device which says "Sonic Repellent Device." Before we touch anything else we should read what that note says.

A pest control truck sticky note (0 kg).



Okay. We have our little locust buddy chilling in our pocket. Comparing it to the sticky note's information, we can see that its characteristics of bent legs, serrated mandibles, and long wings make it a match to the 200 kHz frequency. We should grab the pesticides too, just in case.

A can of pesticide (2 kg). The label says that it's a strong pesticide that is harmful to all bugs and insects. And life in general, I guess. It should be used after mixing with water.

And now, contending with the wrench and crowbar as "most likely item to be useful in the post-apocalypse," duct tape!

Duct tape (0.1 kg). Water resistant, strong and durable. They say there isn't a thing that can't be repaired by using a lot of duct tape. If it can't be repaired you're probably not using enough duct tape.

That leaves the sonic repellent device last.

A sonic repellent device (2.5 kg). The label says "Sonic Repellent Device." This device is supposedly used to fend off bugs and insects.

We have the remote controller for this thing, and the device itself. Now, how to set it... Maybe combine them together?

(Item - Remote controller on sonic repellent device) I should put the sonic device somewhere on the ground first.

Okay. We'll decide where to best place it when we get back to the farmhouse. Now that we've looted everything here, I'll head back there and reorganize our inventory.



Inside

We're back home safely, but I have a flash of inspiration with the sprayer. I fill it with gas... and then add the lighter to it with the duct tape!

A sprayer filled with fuel (5 kg). It could be used to spray things with fuel, I guess...

A flamethrower (5 kg). A water sprayer turned into a flamethrower. It could be used as a weapon. I'd better hold on to it.

05:33 pm: I built a makeshift flamethrower. Might come in handy in case they get inside the house.

Why bother trying to swing at locusts with a wrench or shoot them with a rifle when you can burn them all to ashes? Anyway, we should also gas up our generator if we want to power up the pesticide dispenser and fix it up. I head back to the gas station to refuel and come back with a full tank of gas. But actually powering up the generator is your decision! It's time for us to set up for the night. There are four votes for you to consider today.

First, how should we protect ourselves for the night? Given that we're facing locusts, I figure covering the windows with window netting is our best chance at preventing locusts from getting in. Plastic wrap is too flimsy, and the metal bars have gaps that are way too big. I also want to drop the sonic repellent device outside the house and get some pesticide flowing by powering the generator. Anything else you can think of?

Second, what weapon shall we arm ourselves with for the night when we have finished fortifying the place? I want to equip our handy-dandy flamethrower and torch any flying bug that gets inside.

Third, what shall we name our car? For some reason, I figure "Clifford" is a good name, but have no idea why. Of course, if other inspiration strikes, let me know!

Fourth, given our budding entomology hobby, what shall we name our little dead locust buddy? He strikes me as a "Gregory" like the cricket from Dragon Ball Z!

[Olive Branch]

The votes were for netting for the windows with the reinforcing of duct tape but without nails, protecting ourselves with the flamethrower, and doing whatever else I can to protect ourselves. The names of the car and locust were not nearly as close, but it looks like we'll be going with the names of Comrade for the pickup and Capitalism for the locust, as suggested by Shei-kun! It's long past time we begin hunkering down for the night.



Inside

(Item - Window net on windows) It's just hanging there. I still should do something to attach it to the wall around the window.
(Item - Plastic wrap on window with window net) There is something else in the window. I should remove it first.

Like before, attempting to layer plastic on the window netting results in nothing. We'll stick with just duct tape.




05:53 pm: I installed a net in one of the windows.

Now to do the same thing to the computer room and bathroom windows, since little Capitalism shows us these locusts can fly and put a serious hurt on anyone they happen to come across.




06:13 pm: I installed a net in some of the windows.




06:33 pm: I installed a net in all of the windows.

Now that our last line of defense is secured, we should worry about setting up the first and second lines: the sonic repellent and the pesticide. The device can be dropped outside our front door.



06:33 pm: I put out a Sonic Repellent Device. It should scare off some insects. Let's just hope I configured it to the right sound frequency... Will this be enough?



Using the device's remote control on the device itself allows me to adjust the sound frequency it emits. According to my analysis of Capitalism's morphology and the post-it we found last time, 200 kHz is the frequency we need to set it to so that Capitalism's buddies can't come around and eat away at our flesh.



There we go. The device is all set, all that's left now is the pesticide!



Investigation

We need to fix up the broken pipe with plenty of duct tape, gas the generator, and prep the pesticide dispenser.



I've put enough duct tape here to make it last until the end of time. Well, until Thursday, that is.

When has layering a ton of duct tape over a hole NOT worked?

I've fueled the generator. Now I just have to start it.



We set it to "water pump." Now to start it by pulling at the cord a few times...

It choked but didn't start. Let's try that again...
Come on, start already!
Finally! It's running!



Pesticide on the pipe, check!



The water irrigation system seems complex, but it really isn't. I press the "mist mode" button to spread the pesticide far and wide, rather than poisoning the groundwater.

(Interaction - Standby button) I want to switch it on, not off.
(Interaction - Ground watering button) There is no need to water the ground. It's not like I'll grow any crops here anyway.
(Interaction - Overnight mist spray irrigation button) This should cause the night sky to be soaked with dense mist.



Pressing the sprinkler buttons raises or lowers the efficiency of our irrigation. This is the classic minigame where pushing one of the buttons on or off activates that button and any adjacent to it. I manage to light up all the sprinklers for maximum efficiency, which means fewer locusts out to get a quick meal from our tender muscles.

06:38 pm: I scheduled the water sprinklers to put out a wall of mist with some extra pesticide solution. Can I improve my chances somehow?



As a matter of fact, we can. I notice that there's a second inlet for a pesticide can, so I lodge the second can in there. We'll have us twice the number of dead locusts! That's about all we can do, but since we have an hour and 22 minutes remaining, I decide to give David a bit of exercise and jog back to the gas station to refuel the gas canister before calling it a night.



Inside

Our fifth... fifth? No, first. First night in this farmhouse. Doors are locked, pesticides are set, repellent's active at the right frequency, and the windows are netted and duct taped. Pick up that flamethrower and slosh that gas tank, David! Prepare for the coming of the locusts!



Long Nights

You found a hiding place in an abandoned farmhouse...



Despite being old and faulty, the sprinklers worked perfectly, fully covering the air above the fields with a dense mist. As a result, 32 insects were stopped by the sprinklers.



That's the first line of defense breached! The pesticides did a great job taking out the locusts that weren't affected by the mist itself. That's 80 locusts dead so far.



It was placed near your hideout, so the signal was strong. The device seemed to be set to the correct frequency, fending off 50 insects.

Analyzing Capitalism's husk was a valuable service. Now it won't be needed, but we'll carry its carcass around just the same, as a reminder of what we went through.




Doors were closed and locked, of course.



Out of 14 insects that tried to enter the house through that window, 14 were stopped.



Out of 14 insects that tried to enter the house through that window, 14 were stopped.



Out of 14 insects that tried to enter the house through that window, 14 were stopped.



Success, ladies and gentlemen! I thought we'd need the nails to fortify the windows, but it turns out just duct tape is enough to mend EVERYTHING. Why hasn't some sort of super strong flexible tape been invented to patch the moon together? Some sort of "Flex Tape," if you will? Perhaps this roll is the fabled roll of super-tape?



Another Sunrise

You went to bed early and had a well-deserved rest, allowing you to regain some strength. [+5 kg permanent carry weight bonus]



Perfectly done. Now we can have a good morning free of problems, and-- Wait. Is that the sound of a... helicopter?



God DAMN IT.

[Olive Branch]

Alright, and with that, the migration is complete!

[TuxedoTed]

I can't wait to see what happens to these post-apoca-pals.

[Olive Branch]

There is goon participation in this entry!



In our dreams, we fade into the half-lit living room once more. David walks into the frame from the darkness on the right. As before, the door is locked. If we investigate the window, we'll die horribly, but we have no choice.



Aaagh! The burning, the burning! A powerful wave of heat shatters the window, striking David down and pushing him back with great force.



The sun's rays are so strong, David's skin reddens, shrivels, blackens, then begins smoking. He is dead in seconds...



The helicopter's impact rocks the farmhouse, waking David up from his dream of death and throwing him off the bed. Dust kicked up by the crash hangs in the air and the attic's jammed access door loosens and falls to the ground.

What was that? The attic...?

Inside



Our plan to survive this day: don't burn to death. Also, to check out that crash. There's no reason to go downstairs for now.



The attic's first room is pretty bare, but it does have an extension cord, which I'll take.

An extension cord (0.3 kg). A few meters of cord with an electrical socket at one end.



There is also a hatch that leads outside to the roof. I open it and climb out...



The helicopter isn't leaking fuel nor is it on fire, both positives for the crash. But is the pilot alive?



Hey, she is! She's armed and pointing the gun at us, but surely a cool head should prevail.

Whoa. Easy. Nice landing.
Considering the fact it was flying on fumes, and half of the controls were broken, I'd say I did a good job.
Well then... glad you're okay. Sorry for your helicopter.
It wasn't really mine. Sorry for crashing it into your house.
It's not really mine. Hey, you think you could lower that gun now? I mean you no harm.
(Pulls the gun up.) Hmpf. You look harmless alright.
Thanks. My name is David.
Catherine. Or just Cate.
Do I... Do I know you?
What? No. I mean... (Lowers her arms to her sides.) Okay, this IS awkward.
Yeah.
Maybe we were on the same train or a bus one time, back in the old days. Or something like that.
It was something else...
Anyway. Do you think you could help me with something, David?
How could I say no to a pretty lady with a loaded gun in her hand.
I'm trying to get somewhere. An outpost.
What kind of outpost?
The one that could help me leave this place. Leave this world.
Are you sure you didn't hit your head during that crash?
They have a spaceship.
Oooh.
...I still have this gun, you know.
Wait, you're serious about the spaceship?
Dead serious. Sidereal Plexus. The corporation. They owned a whole fleet of ships. When things went nasty they used those ships to evacuate their top researchers and some of the richest people off the planet. I know for a fact there is still one ship left on Earth. And I plan on using it to escape. You can come with me if you want.
Wait a minute. That's an awful lot to process.
Listen. I can take you there and you'll see for yourself.

...Why do I get the feeling we've seen this woman before? And her talk of a spaceship... It rings pretty true. Whatever the case may be, there's really no reason for us not to join forces: either there is a spaceship that will get us out of here and we survive, or there isn't one and we die by lunar impact.



We can ask Cate questions about our situation. I'll start with the leftmost topic of discussion: "Who are you?"

Who are you, exactly?
Just a girl trying to survive.
Okay, but what's with the spaceship, the outpost and all that stuff? You seem to know an awful lot.
Listen. I'm a person who's going to escape this hole before it goes to hell. With or without you.

As it so happens, we want to escape too, and we have just the tool to help us get around. Cate, have you heard about Communism, our "car?"

There's a pickup truck in the barn.
Are you trying to impress me or something?
Well... we could use it to get to that outpost of yours.
I guess we could.

Good, she's on board to ride the red wave. Let's ask about "The Moon."

Do you think the Moon is going to destroy the Earth?
I don't think it. I know it. The Moon's orbit has been unstable ever since The Incident.
I've noticed lately that it's been getting bigger every day.
Yes. It's going to fall down and wipe everything out. It's going to turn the whole planet into a ball of molten lava. Nothing can survive, no matter how deep and tough of a shelter you have.
Do you know when...?
In three or four days.
WHAT?! I thought it's more like... years away.
I'm sorry. But that's the main reason we have to get to that spaceship.

Three more days to survive, huh? Okay. What about this "spaceship" that can get us out of here?

So... what kind of spaceship is it? Like... a giant ark that can travel between stars? Like in the movies?
No, nothing like that. It's a small ship, capable of getting to Earth's orbit. But that should be enough.
But what happens next? Once we reach orbit.
There's... a space station.
You're not making it all up as you go, are you?
I'm telling you. There is a space station where everyone went. That's our destination. But don't worry about that for now. First we have to survive for long enough to actually get there.

Again, I get the sensation that this is not just Cate's possible concussion talking. Why does a space station on the Moon sound so plausible, outside of the whole mining capacity? This "outpost" she mentioned also seems familiar to me.

So... what is this outpost of yours?
It's a small research facility with a spaceship launch platform.
Okay... where is it?
I don't know.
What do you mean? You said you can take me there.
Yeah, but it's not that easy.
Why?
All the helicopter's navigation systems got smashed to bits when I crashed. And this outpost doesn't exactly have a bright neon arrow pointing to it. The fact that it remains a hard-to-locate place is our only chance of finding a ship still there.
So, what do we do then?
We have to find it... at some point. Let's try to stay alive until we do.



We can ask Cate about anything of interest she saw while flying, can't we? David, why don't you "show your map" to her?

I have a map. Maybe looking at it would give you a clue where that outpost could be?
Hmm... no, sorry. However...
What?
While flying over this area I saw some places that looked interesting. Here. Let me mark them for you. Okay, so... let's see.




Maybe this information will turn out to be somewhat useful.

Sure it would. Restaurants have food, and houses have people. If we band together, nothing can stop us, whether it's giant locusts or collapsing rooftops! I'm feeling good about Cate, so let's tell her about "yesterday's dream."

I know that this might sound weird... but I had a bad dream yesterday, and it came true. A swarm of deadly locusts has moved through this area, eating everything in its path. Well, the dream ALMOST came true because I died in that dream. In reality I took it as a warning and prepared myself for the threat.
A dream, you say?
Yeah, I know. But I'm not making that up. That really WAS some sort of prophetic dream. It saved me because I knew what to expect. I don't even believe in stuff like that. I'm not a crazy person.
I do believe in dreams.
You do?
Yes. Does it make me a crazy person? I don't know. But I think sometimes dreams can guide us or help us find a solution that we otherwise can't find.



Cate seems accepting of our visions. David, tell her about "today's dream" and of your transformation into a human steak.

So, tonight I had another dream. I was still here in this house and all of a sudden there was a... heat surge. It got so hot it... it killed me on the spot. I think this might happen tonight. I must sound like a lunatic, I know. But trust me... I know I'm right.
We're gonna find out ourselves if you're right.



That about covers what we can discuss with Cate. Time to say "goodbye" and prepare for the day.

Let's go then. We should prepare for your prophecy.
And what about that outpost?
It's out there. We'll keep a look out for it.

Cate has joined our party! First thing we should do is talk with her again, see if there's anything more of interest we can pry out of her.

Cate?
Yeah?



We can discuss a couple of new topics. First we'll ask "about this place."

So, what do you think of our hideout?
It's decent. High-ground advantage, solid walls, not too many windows.
It has a large helicopter-shaped hole in the roof, though.
...Your skillful observations amaze me.

Cate has probably had military training given the way she talks, but she certainly has a tongue she can lash with. What "about today," Cate?

It's getting hot...
Your dream seems to be fulfilling itself.
If that's the case, there's going to be a surge of extreme heat right after it gets dark. What could have caused it?
Well, Earth's climate is a chaotic mess. This sort of thing happens more and more frequently now. It's probably a temporary event. Temperature should be back to normal tomorrow.
I hope we get to see that happen.
Of course we will. As I said, David. I have plans. Places to visit. A spaceship to grab. Risk of heat stroke ain't gonna stop me.
(After saying "goodbye.") I'll be back.
I'm sure you will.

08:00 am: I met the helicopter pilot. Her name is Cate. She says she knows of an outpost with a spaceship that could be used to leave the planet. I have no idea what her plan is... and she isn't very talkative about it.

Cate will definitely follow us around. I get the sensation she doesn't trust us to share much of anything. Ah well, let's grab the screwdriver and check the helicopter.

(Interaction - Helicopter wreck) This machine is totally wrecked. There is nothing I can do about it.

A screwdriver (0.1 kg). A handy tool.



Cate doesn't follow David to the roof, but that's fine. There's a chimney here, and we can interact with the helicopter too. Getting a fire going would be a foolish waste of time and would just add to our misery, so I don't think we need to fix the flue.

(Interaction - Helicopter wreck) It has crashed into the house, making a big hole in the attic.
(Interaction - Chimney) It seems the chimney is clogged by something inside. I can't reach it.



We'll worry about fixing up the house for the heat later. We can leave behind the Sonic Repellent Device remote control, but we'll take our tools to help us out. I want to build a bridge so glorious Communism can ride over the ridge leading to the gas station.



Investigation

There's a hazy sheen of heatwaves on the horizon and a bunch of dead locusts scattered about the front of the farmhouse. I'll grab the Sonic Repellent Device and stash it as a memento.

A sonic repellent device (2.5 kg). The lights are not blinking anymre. I think it stopped working. I don't need it anyway.

Ugh, this place stinks... Or maybe that's you, David? When was the last time you bathed?



The back is also full of dead locusts. Capitalism is everywhere.

Of all the places I could have crashed into... don't mind me, just talking to myself.




The front of the house has more dead locusts, the haze of heat, and of course, a big helicopter through it. Let's talk to Cate about the road.

What do you think of this place?
It's... a road.
Yeah.
Want me to, I don't know, review the quality of the asphalt?
Why are you like this?
I don't like stupid questions.
I was just trying to start a conversation.
Well that was a weak attempt.

Cate is a poor conversationalist, but I get the feeling we'll have better company soon. Let's drive Communism to the destroyed bridge, as we can't access any new places before we hit their adjacent spots.




Wasteland

Are you sure you know what you're doing, David? Just kidding... I'm sure you don't know.

We know too what we are doing! Anyway, Cate, what do you think of the bridge we built?

How do you like the bridge, Cate?
It's more like a gangway. If we make a second one like the first, it would be crossable with a car, I think.

Okay, let's go ahead and do that...



I'm sure more hands would help save time here, but I get the feeling walking to the house and restaurant, hoping to find more people, and then coming back here would take longer than whatever help they could provide to take this time down, so let's just build us a second bridge now!



Much better! Cate?

Isn't this a nice bridge?
It'll have to do, I guess. Oh, don't give me that look. Fine. I'm so proud of you. Should I also pat your back?

Cate, you do realize you helped, too? I mean, I did the lion's share of the work, but this is your handywork too. Now, be quiet, as David's mind roils with possible decisions, and he must get advice! We have just one vote today, goons.

Where should we go to first: the restaurant, or the ruined house? I personally vote to visit the ruined house as it's closer.



Going to the ruined house would take us 4 minutes on Communism for 5% gas used.



Going to the restaurant would take us 5 minutes on Communism for 6% gas used).

I'd ask whether we should ration our use of Communism and its gas, but something tells me fuel will not be a problem. Besides, we must take Communism wherever we go. It is our duty to fight back against the Moon's fall with ruthless, total communism. Plus, it has some storage capacity, and we can't say no to that!

[Olive Branch]

Realized there was one more missing update, but the votes were already tallied in the SA thread, haha. A TRUE update will go up this week.

[Black Robe]

My first bookmarked thread in this new and scary place. I don't know how anything works here! Suddenly I know how David feels!

[omerta]

Kinda interested to see where this is going. I like the setting so far.

[Anarchist Wine Snob]

Missed opportunity to just post the second run and vaguely refering to the first, Olive Branch.

Excited to see where this crazy adventure will take us next!

[Seraphic Neoman]

Here we go again again?

[Drakenel]

oh shit oh shit, what do we doooo

Well, here's to hoping we survive.

[Olive Branch]

First off, apologies for taking so long to get to this update. I was working on a personal translation project that was very important to me, and had to finish it as soon as possible. I only wrapped it up a few days ago. But now, I can continue the Let's Play, and here at the LP Beach with the beach bums, no less! Not that we did this in any other location (right, Anarchist Wine Slob?)... Anyway, the votes for this decision were very close. By a single vote, we are going to visit the restaurant first. It's about time we revved up Communism, put Cate in the passenger's seat, and driven off into the road of fury that this land has become.



Exploration

The burger restaurant seems relatively quiet. Just about the only things moving here are the burger flag in the hot breeze, though you'd expect it to be hanging limp in a day like this, and the restaurant's window curtains. The door of the restaurant is open and the back is accessible, but there are some leaflets glued to the asphalt with dirt and half-melted paper pulp right here in the parking lot. Before we check those, what's Cate's opinion of the place?

So, what do you think of this place?
I saw it from the helicopter and thought it didn't look too bad. Now I know better.
You've gotta admit it looks solid...
With all those missing windows? It doesn't have any of the advantages of our hideout. It's also pretty much completely looted.
There might be a thing or two left...
Let me know if you find any coffee, okay?





Cate, could this have something to do with the outpost you're looking for? Because it says "Sidereal Plexus."
Just because it says "Sidereal Plexus" doesn't mean anything. Sidereal Plexus has more branches than you can imagine. I had no idea they were running a facility like this, for instance. But it's only more disturbing when I think about it...
Why?
Forget it. It doesn't matter. Let's keep going.

I don't know why, but I feel that this "sleeper clinic" for Sidereal Plexus is more important than Cate is giving it credit for. Important enough for... something. But we'll leave that nagging doubt behind and investigate the restaurant.



Hey, there's a kid here! He is tugging at the restaurant's locked kitchen door... He must be hungry. Let's see if we can talk with him.



I'm warning you! I know how to fight!
Calm down... we're not here to hurt you.
Yeah, this man over here is pretty harmless.
Alright, okay, whatever! I'm not afraid of you!
My name is David. This is Cate. You can calm down, Cody. We're friends.
How do you know my name?
I... don't know. It just came to me.
Stay away! I don't know you. I think. Go away, or else!



Huh. How did we know this kid's name? And was that a glimmer of recognition in his eyes? Well, in any case, we get to talk to Cody now. Let's start with a little light ribbing, because nothing is as bummy as David trying to intimidate a child. "Go away or what?"

Go away or what?
I'll beat you up!
Oh no.
Yeah! So... stay away! Please.

It's cool, Cody. We'll stay away. Where are "your parents," Cody?

Where are your parents?
...Nowhere. I'm on my own.
I'm so sorry...
Don't be. I've always been on my own. I know how to take care of myself.

That's rough, kid. But you must be resourceful to have survived this long, so "what's behind that door?"

You seem to be really persistent on opening that door. What's behind it?
What do you think, stupid? It's a restaurant, duh.
You think there might be some food there?
For sure!

Yeah, he's hungry. Why don't you "come with us?" We can get you food!

Let's team up. The weather is going to get really dangerous at night. You have better chances with us.
Do you have any food?
Maybe...?
Then MAYBE I will team up with you. If not, I have better chances on my own.

David may just have scarfed down the rest of his rations, because our pockets are empty. As we have no food to give the poor kid, this is "goodbye" for now.

Later.

If we try to interact with him or any other part of the restaurant...

Stop! Don't come any closer! Go away!

Looks like he's claimed this whole place as his own, but not the back!



Plenty to interact with here, between the dumpster, the flagpole, and the door into the rear of the restaurant.

(Interaction - Door) It's locked.
(Item - Crowbar on door) The door looks very sturdy. There's gotta be a way around it.
(Interaction - Window) I could probably squeeze through it. But I can't reach that high...
(Interaction - Rope) The flag's rope is stuck. It's held by a metal clamp. I have to release it first.
(Interaction - Rope clamp release mechanism) A part is missing. I need something with a round profile that could act as a lever.
(Item - Wrench, crowbar, or screwdriver on rope) It doesn't fit. I need something with a round profile that could act as a lever.
(Item - Short pipe on rope)This pipe fits perfectly into the opening.



With the proper application of force on the pipe, we manage to free up the rope and the restaurant's flag. As for the pipe, though...

(Interaction - Short pipe) The clamp is already released. It seems that the pipe is stuck here for good.

A restaurant flag (0.5 kg). A big and thick sheet of red fabric with a picture of a tasty hamburger. I miss hamburgers.
A rope (2 kg). A few meters of strong rope.

Can't win 'em all. Let's continue our poking about here.

(Interaction - Dumpster) (Struggles to move it.) It's too heavy.
(Item - Crowbar on dumpster) This won't help me with pulling the container. I'm still not able to do it on my own.



To solve this puzzle, we need's Cate "help pushing the container."

Could you help me push that trash container?
David, do you have any clue how stupid your ideas are?
See that window over the door? I could squeeze through it, but I have to be able to reach it first.
You should have started with that. I'll help you for the sheer fun of watching you try to squeeze through that window.



Sure. Now see if you can climb it without breaking your leg.
(Interaction - Dumpster) I've already got it where I want it.



Cate must be disappointed, because David's got inside the kitchen just fine! There is plenty to look at here, including an air conditioner, which will definitely help us keep cool. There's a can of meat just sitting out in the open, and by opening a locked cupboard with the crowbar I find a kitchen knife as well, which could be a good weapon or tool.

A portable air conditioner (10 kg). Big and heavy air-conditioning device with an exhaust pipe. It's portable but needs to be installed near an opening like a window, so the pipe can lead the hot air out.
A can of meat (0.3 kg). The label claims it contains delicious canned meat, expiring in two weeks. Luckily we won't be around to see this.
A kitchen knife (0.1 kg). A rather blunt kitchen knife.

(Interaction - Back door) It's locked. Besides, it's blocked by a garbage container on the other side.
(Interaction - Front door [before getting can of meat]) I'd better take some food with me while I'm here.
(Interaction - Window) I don't want to climb back up there.
(Interaction - Freezer) There's no food here. Only some weird tile-shaped objects. I wonder what those are...

A Heat Absorber Tile (TM) (0.5 kg).





This is a great find! We'll need all the cool we can get I just have to be careful not to drop it or activate it too early.

(Interaction - Freezer) There is nothing left in the freezer.
(Interaction - Beverage fridge) It's locked, and the glass seems to be hardened.




If I choose to use the hammer or wrench on the fridge I get the first option, but using the crowbar gives me the second. Why not bypass the glass entirely? There are two bottles of water in there that will keep us hydrated.

A bottle of water (0.5 kg). A small bottle of drinking water.

09:54 am: I have a bottle of water prepared to prevent dehydration.



We've picked the kitchen clean. The only way out is through the very door Cody was trying to open. I hope we don't scare him too badly.




We have four options to use here, three of which are just to mess with Cody. We can say we're the owner of the restaurant, that we're a wizard, that we're David's twin... or that we used the back door. I'll show each joke answer before the honest one.

I'm the owner of this restaurant.
Really?
Absolutely.
Umm, I didn't mean to steal anything.
I'm not sure about that. I'll be watching you.
Umm, okay. I don't suppose you're open for business?
Not really. Sorry.
Umm... did you find any food in there?

* * *

I'm a wizard. I can teleport.
Really?
Absolutely.
I don't believe you. Prove it. Teleport over there to the window.
Can't. I'm, err. I'm out of mana points.
Umm... did you find any food in there?

* * *

Huh? What are you talking about? We have never met before.
No, I talked with you!
Oh, you must be mistaking me for my twin brother David.
...Ha, ha. Sure. You ARE joking, right? Umm... did you find any food in there?

* * *

I used the back door.
Oh, I didn't know there was a back door.
Well, more like a back window.
Wow! You're like a burglar.
Come on. It's all abandoned anyway. Wait, why am I even explaining myself to you?
Umm... did you find any food in there?

All right, enough messing with the poor starving kid, David. Here you go, Cody, a can of meat! And it's not even expired yet!

Here. Take this.
What? Is that...?



(Shakes the can of meat.) But... uh... how do I open this?
So that's how you've been taking care of yourself.
Hm, hand it back. I'll open it for you somehow.
I'm hungry...

(Item - Crowbar on can of meat) Alright, I know crowbars open a lot of things. But not this time.
(Item - Hammer or wrench on can of meat) That's going to crush it, not open it.




The only two items on hand that can open this can of meat are the screwdriver and knife I found, and the knife is faster. Use that Hanzo steel, David!

I've opened the can of meat.

An opened can of meat (0.3 kg). Yuck. Looks and smells like dog food.

Here. Take this.
What? Is that...?



Wow! You are a good person after all.
I wouldn't say "good." Maybe a bit clumsy and soft.
Come with us, Cody. You'll be safer. We might even have more food.
Awesome!

09:59 am: We found a starving kid, Cody, and gave him some food.



Welcome our new "post-apoca-pal," as TuxedoTed so fittingly put it! While Cody is just a kid, he seems enthusiastic and willing to help us with time-sensitive tasks. We can talk to him the same way we can do with Cate. First, let's ask her what she thinks "about Cody."

What do you think about Cody?
Eh, poor kid. It's a miracle he has survived this long.

Yeah, she's right about that. Who knows how the locusts missed him? Well, Cody, let's get to know you better.

Hey there.



We can ask Cody about each place we visit and the day, as we can with Cate, as well as about the Moon, Cate herself, and his age. First, let's ask him what he thinks "about this place."

What do you think of this place, Cody?
When I saw it from a distance I thought they'd have hamburgers. I like hamburgers...
You don't look like you've had many. All skin and bones.
I didn't find any hamburgers here, obviously! You kinda know the rest.

That we do, boy-o. What "about today?"

It's hot, isn't it?
Yes... it's really hot. I'm melting! Is there any lake nearby? Or maybe a pool? Yeah, a pool would be amazing. Can we look for one?
I don't think we have time for that...
But it's sooooo hot! I'm sure I could swim the pool faster than you!
I give up. I won't even try. Congratulations.
Yaaay, I won!

David is good with kids, being young at heart himself. Speaking of youth, "how old are you," Cody?

Hey kid, how old are you?
I'm not a kid, okay? I'm twelve.
Is that so?
Alright, I'm ten. So what! I know how to take care of myself.
I'm sure you do.

Ten years old, and already fated for death. Then again, wasn't Link as young when he faced "the Moon?"

Have you noticed the Moon getting bigger each night?
No. Is it?
Yes.
Why?
Because it's coming down. Right at us.
Whaaat? But... wouldn't that... be bad for us?
Yes. It is.
David. Stop scaring him.
How bad...?
We're going to be just fine, Cody.

Cate shows a surprising tenderness towards Cody to not make him panic. So what do you think "about Cate" now that you've met her?

What do you think about Cate?
She's nice.
Just that? Simply nice?
Nice. And pretty.
Alright, let's stop it there.

David can't stand it when people compliment those mean to him. So, Cody is not guarding the restaurant, meaning we can check out the restroom.



Oh god! Kill them! Kill them with fire!

(Interaction - Spiderwebs) Oh no. No, no, no.
Are those the same bugs that have been scattering around your hideout?
Nasty creatures. They almost ate me yesterday.
Well, too bad they are blocking our way now.
Do you think we can do something to get rid of them?
Honestly? This looks almost like a hive. I think we should come back tomorrow. The temperature will either kill them or force them to move. So let's just get back here later.

Yeah, we could take Cate's advice and wait until tomorrow, or we could run back to the hideout, grab the flamethrower, and torch these little bastards to kingdom come. It's what I'd prefer, at any rate. That's about it for the restaurant for now.



Next time, the ruined house!

[Olive Branch]

I know this LP has been very slow as of late. I apologize for making everyone wait. I'll do better as I get settled into my new routine once work starts again!



Covering Ground

As we arrive at the ruined house, we spot another survivor sitting near a garage. The middle-aged, dark-skinned bald man seems to be crying. I ask Cate and Cody their impressions about the place before we interrupt the poor man.

So, what do you think of this place?
You want me to be honest?
Wait, no. Forget I asked.

Do you like it here, Cody?
This place feels nice.
But it's a ruin.
Yes, but it... feels like a good place. Maybe we could stay here?
Not a chance.
Aww... but why?
Maybe in your next life, okay?

I don't want to check out the ruin without first talking to the man. He's got to be crying for a reason, right?

Hey.
Please leave. Just... leave me alone.
I mean you no harm.
Yeah, he's pretty much harmless.
Cate, please... My name is David. The boy over there is Cody. You don't look too good. Can you tell us what happened?
I'm Barry. It's about my wife. She... She didn't make it. Last night... she died. Why... God? Why her? It should have been me. It should have been me. And she is still there, in the house. I don't know what to do.
...
Come on, David. Let's go. This guy had enough.
Wait... Barry.
What do you want?
Have we met before?
I don't... Wait, I... Did I meet you at the gas station before the world ended or something?
What's going on, Cate? Why do I keep feeling like I've been here before?
Dreams, maybe...?
No... I mean, yes. But there is more to it.
Well, whoever you are, what do you want?



This guy... Why do we also think we met him? Have we met him? We haven't... right? Cate's explanation of dreams doesn't seem far off, but it also doesn't seem too close, either. Maybe this weird sensation we've been having will be addressed sometime. In any case, I don't want to leave this guy to die from the heat about to slap us, and so I'll ask him to "tell me about your wife" so we get to know him better.

Tell me about your wife.
She was the most kind and wonderful person I've ever known. She was my entire world. And now she's gone. I failed her... I couldn't protect her. It should have been me.

I'm sorry to hear that, brother. Would you like to "come with us?"

You'd better not stay here. The temperature at night is going to get crazy. Come with us. We can help each other.
Sorry. I see no reason to keep going. I might as well stay here and wait for death. Then I can be with my wife again.



We can now tell Barry that "your wife would want you to live." I'm sure she would, too.

I'm sure your wife would want you to live. You should keep memories about her. And you can only do that while you live.
Why do you care so much if I live or die? You don't even know me.
True. But we all have better chances to survive if we stick together.
I... I can't. I can't leave my wife like this.

I don't know what to tell the man to get him to come with us. I'll wish him "goodbye" for now.

That's all for now.

I'll interact around the house a bit, see what we can do.

(Interaction - Garage) It's locked and I doubt if I could pick or lever that lock. I need a key.
(Item - House keys on garage) It won't fit.

Barry said his wife, or more accurately, her body, is in the house. What if we try to enter it? Maybe we can do something for her as a funeral rite.



Why?
Because it's mine. Leave.

So what if it's yours?

I told you. Don't go near that house.
Sorry.
Please go away.

No, I'm not sorry. Get in there, David.

Stay away!
Uh.
David, why don't we just kick his sorry butt?
Not exactly my style.

Pretty please, Barry?

Please go away.



Okay, Cate, you're so eager to kick his butt, how about you do it... verbally? "Keep him busy" while we sneak inside.



Hey. Umm... How are you?
My wife has just died. And how are you?
Alright. I'm sorry. No, I mean it. I'm really sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about her?
No. I don't know. I can't believe it happened. My sweet, sweet girl. She was so kind. So good. She didn't deserve to die.
I'm... I'm sorry. This must be painful...
(Attempting to talk to either of them) They're busy talking. Let's keep it this way.

While Cate tries her best to play friendly concerned neighbor, we make our move. Time to go inside Barry's home.



What was once a happy home is now a funeral parlor. There's an old-fashioned phone on a desk to the right, rubble blocking a doorway, a couch with a blanket, a book, and a bedsheet, a painting on the wall, a closet, a fan, and Barry's late wife.

(Interaction - Phone) All phone lines have been dead for quite a while now.
(Interaction - Rubble) The other part of the house has collapsed. Nothing but a pile of rubble left...
(Interaction - Painting) A lighthouse by the seashore. The sky is dark and the sea seems deep and cold as they foamy waves wash the sand around the unlit lighthouse. For some reason this painting makes me feel uneasy.
(Interaction - Book) It's a book titled "The Mysticism of Dreams."





A blue blanket (0.5 kg). It's thick and heavy. It's also a bit dusty and hasn't been washed for quite some time.
A bed sheet (0 kg). A thin white bed sheet. I can still smell flower fabric softener.



In the closet there are two coats, a green one and a tan one. Not that we'll need to stay warm tonight, but why not take them anyway?

A warm coat (0.3 kg). Not really my color, but it's thick and warm.
A warm coat (0.3 kg). It's a bit large, but it's thick and warm.

(Interaction - Fan) Hmm... something rustles inside this fan, like a bunch of loose screws or something. I think it's broken.

A broken fan (2.5 kg). An electrical fan. Something rustles inside. The device is probably damaged somehow.

(Interaction - Barry's wife's body) She has a small locket on her neck.

A golden locket (0 kg).





(Interaction - Maggie's body) I hope Barry doesn't leave her like that.



We've taken what we could from Barry's home, and the locket around Maggie's neck should be enough to convince him to come with us. What could go wrong from taking jewelry off a dead body?



The back of the house has a propane tank with a small hose attached, probably used as the kitchen's fuel supply. We may need this if we're going to juice up our fan and our air conditioner...

(Interaction - Propane tank or hose) First I have to disconnect the hose from the tank. The ends are tightly secured with some lug nuts. I need to disconnect them first.
(Item - Wrench on hose) I've disconnected the hose from the propane tank.

A propane tank (10 kg). A tank filled with propane.
A short hose (0.1 kg). A short rubber hose with screwable valves. Good for transmitting gas or liquids.

Right. Time to throw this stuff on Communism's truckbed, and relieve Cate off her duties.

Well, I've gotta go for now.
Uh-huh...

Barry surely won't mind us showing him his dead wife's locket, right? The note inside should be proof enough she would want him to live!



Where did you get it?
Uh... there's a note inside. I thought...




Tension

...There is a note inside... I think you should read what it says.
DID YOU SNEAK INTO MY HOUSE AND TOUCH MY WIFE?!
Stop it!
DID YOU?!
Barry, wait!
(Points the gun at Barry.) STOP IT!
So you go through her stuff like a SCAVENGER?! You're SO dead!!!
I'LL SHOOT YOU!
PLEASE STOP SHOUTING!
NO! WAIT! Barry... just read the goddamn note!!! Do it, please. Just... Read the note.



Survival

(Cate lowers the gun.) I'm sorry for taking that, but I thought you should have it.
No, no... I'm sorry. (Sits down.) I shouldn't have gotten mad like that... If it wasn't for you, I probably would have never seen my wife's final words. It's her handwriting for sure, but... when did she write it? How did she know?
Sometimes people can... sense things before they happen. Right, David?
It's almost like I read a goodbye letter. A letter that you've delivered. Thank you.



Thank goodness David was able to keep everyone calm. The note is kind of weird, as Barry points out, which means Maggie must also have been a prophetic dreamer, as well as her book on dreams. We can now ask about a "burial" for Maggie.

Your wife deserves a proper burial.
I... I can't. I just can't look at her like this. Lifeless. Cold.
I'll bury her.



This man has just lost everything. Show him some respect. I'm not going to ask for your help with this. Just don't try to stop me.
Eh... I'll help. I just hope we don't waste too much time.
Do you have a shovel, Barry?



There.
Thanks.

Thank you, Barry. We'll grab that shovel and get to digging Maggie's grave.

A shovel (1 kg). A shovel. Good for digging.

Covering Ground





(Interaction - Grave) ...



(Interaction - Maggie's body) I should find something to cover the body with.

We can shroud her with the bed sheet from the couch.



(Interaction - Maggie's body) Cate... could you help me move Barry's wife?
Yeah, sure.
Let's take her outside.



(Interaction - Maggie's body) I should get Barry to come here before I bury her.

Hey.
Yes?



Maggie's "burial" is going to start, Barry.

Come on. It's time.
Okay...



Of course she did. Come on, Barry. Let's go.
Where?
We've got a plan. Sort of. The first part of this plan is to survive tonight.
Alright. I'll do it for her.
Hey, mister?
Yes?
I'm Cody.
Hello, Cody. I'm Barry.



(Shakes the can of meat.) I left some for later, but I can share!
That's sweet of you, but I'm not hungry right now.
Eating makes me happy, and I thought it would also make you happy.
Heh... (Turns to David.) Is he your son, David?
No. We found him by a restaurant near here. I'll tell you all the details later.
Cody, you're a good kid.
I think I'll eat that food now...
Go for it. Come on, David. Lead the way.

10:50 am: We helped a man named Barry to bury his deceased wife. He decided to follow us.

(Interaction - Grave) Rest in peace.

Barry has joined the party, now that we've gotten his wife buried at last. What do Cate and Cody think "about Barry?"

Are you upset about Barry?
No. Not at all.
I know that look.
Really? We've known each other for how long? Several hours?
Maybe. Still...
Fine. That guy is annoying me. I know he lost his wife, but it's all he talks about. I'm tired of that. We have more important things to do than listen to a mourning man.
That's kinda harsh.
I'm harsh. Get used to it.

What do you think about Barry?
I don't know. He seems nice. But sad.
He lost his wife, you know.
I would give him something to cheer him up... But I don't have anything.
Let's just give him understanding and our company.
Will that be enough?
I hope so!



Now that Barry has joined us, he has several topics of conversation to discuss. I'll go from left to right, so tell me "about this place."

So, that was your home, huh?
Yes. I lived here with Maggie for almost ten years.
Ten years in a place like this? Wow.
Cate!
Hey. It used to be a nice place, really. Before it partly collapsed, at least... Maybe it wasn't much even back then. But for us, it was everything. Our little place on Earth.

I wish we had a place of our own, Barry. What "about today?"

It's getting really hot...
Yeah. I'm all sweaty.
I can tell.
I've always handled high temperatures poorly... Are you sure it's gonna get worse? Temperature usually drops in the evening...
Not this time. The worst heat will be just after sunset.
That's not normal.
Nothing here is, Barry.

It seems like Barry has no real advice to give. We'll have to stay cool both in body and in mind... This was all caused by "the Moon," you know.

Have you noticed the Moon getting bigger each day?
Yes. I reckon our days are numbered.
They are indeed. But I'm not giving up that easily.
Good for you.

That's because we got "a spaceship," Barry!

So, the plan is to find a spaceship and escape.
A spaceship.
Yeah. I know it sounds crazy. But look around; the whole world is crazy.
It's Cate's plan, isn't it?
Yes.
What do you think about it?
I'm not sure. It's a longshot, but there is no other hope.
We've got nothing to lose, right?

Only our lives, good man. But "Cody" has a lot to live for, let's talk about him.

What do you think about Cody?
Poor boy. All alone in this world.
From what I understand he's an orphan.
It's a miracle he has survived this long. Without his parents, alone in this messed up world... Life wasn't easy on him. I hope things will change now. You keep that boy safe, David.

If we have "Cate" then we can certainly keep him safe, don't you think?

What do you think about Cate?
I'm not sure. She seems to be hiding something.
You realize I'm literally next to you, right?

It's not as if you're a stranger to snark, Cate. We can also tell Barry that "our car uses so much fuel." Barry, any ideas to help make Communism run smoother, faster, and stronger?

Our car uses so much fuel. I don't think it's normal.
There might be a number of reasons for that... From fuel injectors to incorrect tire pressure. There might also be something wrong with the engine.
Could you take a look?
Sure.



By all means, educate the masses, Barry. We have nothing to lose but our chains... of inefficient fuel usage!

There. Now it should use much less fuel.

Each party member is essential to helping us survive, and time is the only resource that matters. Since we've got a lot of party members, we can try to fix that broken fan. Between a gearhead, a survivalist, a kid, and a packrat, we can find a solution, no? Let's use the screwdriver on the fan.



One hour to fix this fan? Well, I did just say time is the only resource that matters, and investing in it now will pay off in the night. I don't fancy turning the team into puddles of goo under a heat lamp.

A fan (2.5 kg). An electrical fan.



Great, all is fixed up and ready to go. Our next stop is the roadblock: I'm sure we can salvage some more stuff out there with Barry's help!

[Maple Leaf]

The sprites in this game are a lot more entertaining in motion. Look at her noddle arms

[Quackles]

It's great to see you back. This game is super interesting.

[Shei-kun]

Glad to see you back! I love that Cate's first thought is "If I use gun Barry will be distracted."

[TuxedoTed]

Oh, animations. The future is here.

[Olive Branch]

There is reader participation in this entry!



Exploration

We head to the roadblock to explore further with a complete party, but I decide to stop by each landmark before getting there to chat with the group. Barry has something to say at the restaurant, so we stop by here first.

What do you think of this place?
You know, in all those years living just a bit down the road, I never visited this place.
Any particular reason?
Maggie... My wife was a great cook. You should have tasted her steak. Or her grilled chicken with pasta. She was... She was... Anyway. I never ate here. But looking at this place from up close, I don't think I missed much.



The gas station is next.

So, what do you think of this place?
I saw it from the air and regretfully realized they probably don't have any helicopter fuel. Apart from the fuel tank, this hole is pretty much useless. Let's take what we came for and move on.

Do you like it here, Cody?
It smells weird. It makes me dizzy.
It's gas. Fuel. There's a lot of it in the tank.
Can we go somewhere else?
We will... just a sec, okay?

What do you think of this place?
I used to fuel my car here often. They had good prices but the fuel quality was terrible. I don't think it has changed much since then.
Not that we can be fussy about it.
Sure. It's a miracle this fuel is still here.



After that, it's the destroyed bridge.

Wasteland

How do you like the bridge, Cody?
Hmm... it could use some paint.
We don't have any.
Yellow would be nice. Or green. I like green.

This bridge is almost like the end of the world never happened, am I right?
Well... How do I break this to you? This... isn't necessarily the finest bridge I've seen in my life. But, okay. It looks sturdy enough for a car to cross it. I'll give you that.

(Interaction - Car wreck) This car has been wrecked beyond repair. No need to waste my time on that.



Investigation

We head back home to drop things off, too. What does everyone have to say as we head up there?

Do you like it here, Cody?
Umm, you mean here? On this road? No... I don't like it here. It's windy and there's nothing but sand all around.

What do you think of this place?
I used to take this road when travelling from my place. It looked so much different not too long ago. There was a countryside here, you know? Cattle in the pastures, crops growing high up all around... Good times.





Inside

It's so cool!!!
It's not my home. I found it deserted.
Oh. It's still cool! Can we go upstairs? I saw a helicopter sticking out of it.
Calm down, Cody!
So, this is the place you stayed at?
Yes.
It's... big. Looks solid.
Despite Cate's best attempts, it still stands. And I think it can provide us with the protection we need. At least until we figure out what to do next.
I knew the people who lived here.
Really?
I'll tell you about them if you want.

It's not like we have the luxury of time to sit around and swap stories from before the apocalypse, but I've never been against hearing gossip.

Do you like it here, Cody?
Yeah, it's awesome! It's huge and looks comfy and it has a helicopter on the roof! Why would someone build a house with a helicopter like that?
It wasn't built like that. The helicopter is Cate's addition.
Oh. Cate's so cool!
Thanks.
Yeah, it takes real talent to crash into the only house in the middle of the desert.
I was trying to... You know what? Fine. I'm talented.

What do you think of our hideout, Barry?
What can I say? It's okay. It's bigger than my house used to be. I think it was a nice place before the world ended.
It's still a good shelter.
A shelter, yes. Home? No. It used to be a home for some people. It's now like an empty shell of a turtle that once lived.
Oh, Barry. I didn't know you were so poetic.



Barry, who were "the people who lived in our hideout?"

You said you knew the people who lived in our hideout?
We weren't really close, but we spoke on occasion.
What happened to them? I always wondered. The house was locked, and I didn't find any bodies. So, I guess the set of keys I found must have been spares.
They left. The military was still trying to evacuate civilians from endangered areas until they realized there were no safe areas left.
Didn't you want to go with them?
We refused. Maggie wanted to stay. Now I wonder. What if...? Then again, I have no idea what happened to the ones who left. I hope they're alright. But I doubt they are.

Maybe the people who lived here were munched by locusts, but there's no evidence of that. Cody likes helicopters, so why not give him a close look at the one rammed straight into the attic wall?



It's so awesome!
I flew it, you know.
She flew it IN here.
Helicopters are cool. Can I get inside?
Not the best idea, kid.
But...
Don't touch it. Don't even come near it.
But why...?
Because it might fall. I wouldn't want you to fall and hurt yourself.
Soon after my wife died I heard your helicopter. I walked outside just in time to see you fly over the house.
Yeah. I wasn't sure if the place was abandoned or not.
Why didn't you land there if you were low on fuel?
I was trying to touch down this baby since I had flown past the city. It was not particularly operative.
Are those... bullet holes?
It's a long story.

Whatever reason Cate may have, it doesn't change the fact we can't really insulate the house due to that big hole. I don't think simply covering it up would prevent the predicted heatwave from cooking us alive. We'll have to think about what to do with our equipment later, and move on to the roadblock as we have nothing else to do here...



Investigation

Well, nothing else to do outside of gassing up the generator in the barn and setting it to "house," that is.

I've fueled the generator. Now I just have to start it.
The generator is running again.



Inside

Now that the lights are on, we know we could hook up our fan and air conditioner unit if necessary. I'll run back to the gas station to refuel our canister, and then head to the roadblock.



Wasteland

The two bodies are gone, possibly eaten to the last morsel by flesh-hungry locusts. There are tire tracks here now, though...

(Interaction - Tire tracks) These tracks weren't here yesterday.
The road ahead is blocked. Maybe someone was trying to go around the crash site.
That's possible, I guess.
Let's follow the tracks and see where they take us.
That's my life motto.



The tracks lead to an RV. Perhaps we'll find some other survivors...?



Exploration

Looks like their trip didn't end well... I wonder what happened.
My guess is their car broke down. RVs are not the best suited for off-road travel, you know.
They set a camp and then... The locust swarm got them.

Damn, what a bad way to go. They're only partially eaten by the locusts, so I wonder if the swarm had its fill from the two dead bodies back on the road. Let's chat up the group.

So, what do you think of this place?
Like I said, they must have gone off-road to get past the roadblock. And their suspension didn't survive that. Consequently, neither did they.

What do you think about this place?
I wonder where those people were going. Like... there's nothing here!
And? Any ideas why they were here?
Maybe... they wanted to hide a treasure. Hey, do you think there's a treasure here or something?
I doubt that...
Maybe let's dig?
Maybe let's not.
Awww. Pssst. David. Distract her. I'm gonna dig!
I hear you, kid.
Uh oh! Abort! Run away!

What do you think of this place?
This place smells of death. Like most of the world, actually... making it a pretty ordinary place, I guess.
I hope some stuff here will be useful to us.
Well, surely it won't be useful to the previous owners. Looking at all those deaths I can't help myself but wonder: How did we... survive up to this point?
Maybe it was destiny.
Destiny. Hah. Or blind chance. And nothing more.
Not everything is pointless, Barry.
Yeah? Well, my wife's death was pointless.
I'm sorry.

Grieve away, Barry, but don't take it out on us. Still, Cody and Barry recognize this place is ripe for looting. Besides the RV, there's also a rock formation and a cave.

(Interaction - RV) Well, let's see...



Three minutes doesn't strike me as nearly enough time to investigate everything thoroughly, even with a team of three other people helping, but let's trust we don't overlook anything.

The engine seems fine, but the suspension is busted. The RV is not going anywhere, and I don't think there is anything I can do to fix it. Also, the internal battery for appliances seems to be working, but I don't know how much juice it has left. The battery is charged when the engine is running.

We might as well fuel the RV after picking it clean. It's not as if we have any other use for this full canister we're lugging around.

(Interaction - RV fuel inlet) I could pour fuel through that.
(Interaction - RV electrical socket) The socket won't solve any problems without anything to plug in.
(Interaction - RV hook) The hook is attached to the RV with big bolts.
(Item - Wrench on RV hook) I've detached the hook.

A hook (0.5 kg). A big, metal hook.

(Interaction - Body in the car) He's dead. No valuable belongings.
(Interaction - Body outside) He doesn't have anything interesting. Not much I can do for that poor guy.
Are you sure you don't want to bury him? Because we have sooo much time on our hands.
Cate... we buried Barry's wife to help him.
So why are they not worth getting their own funeral?
Don't be snarky, okay? Of course they're worth it. We just don't have the time.
Hear that? Sorry guys, it's past our grave-digging time for today.
Whatever, Catherine.

Oh, is that how it's gonna be? Shovel, I summon thee!

Did you really want to dig for treasure, David?
I, uh...
Great. Looks like I have TWO kids on my team.

Yeah, a big kid who's got a lot of tools in his bag which have literally kept us alive so far, lady. Whatever, let's go inside the RV proper.



Not a bad setup for an RV, honestly. Plenty to grab here, so let's fill up our backpack.

(Interaction - First aid kit) There is some stuff in this first aid kit. There was a bandage in the first aid kit. There's something more here. There was a thermal blanket in the first aid kit. There's nothing else in here. Previous owners must have used it all.

A warm jacket (0.3 kg). A bit small, but it's thick and warm.
A warm jacket (0.3 kg). Smells a bit odd, but it's thick and warm.
A green blanket (0.5 kg). It's thick, heavy, and also stained with what I hope was tea.
A bandage (0.2 kg). A roll of clean bandage. I'd better keep this in case someone gets hurt.
A thermal blanket (0.1 kg). Low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin silvery sheeting.

How's our potential ride? Check it out, David.



Damn, what a shame. Any comments, gang?

It must have been fun riding through wastelands with this thing.
Well, its end certainly didn't look like fun.
Every road ends somewhere, Cate.
My road ain't ending in the dust of a wasteland thanks to a broken car.
Maybe sometimes it's not about where it ends, but rather how it goes?
Nah. Only losers say that. Don't say that.

Do you like this RV?
It's cool! Can we take it? We could travel the world!
I think it's broken.
Well, there aren't too many nice things to see anyway, so it's okay...

Isn't it a nice RV?
Looks cozy. I could probably repair it if we had a few days... which, of course, we don't have. Not that it would be better than a well-fortified house anyway.



Now that we've gotten the whole RV looted, we should check out the cave and rock formation outside.

(Interaction - Rock formation) This rock formation is full of cracks and holes, but it looks really sturdy and stable.
(Interaction - Cave) It's at least 7 feet deep. I don't want to jump in there.
(Item - Hook on rope) I've tied the rope with the hook.

A rope with a hook (2.5 kg). A few meters of strong rope with a hook attached to one end.



Now that we've used our intelligence to best a seven-foot drop, time to enter and check it out.



Inside

This cave is empty as all get-out, but David's comment is very intriguing. Because of the coming heat, this cave could actually serve as a substitute for our house! We'd need to bring down the air conditioner and fan down here, but I have some ideas about how to do that... What do the others think about the cave?

So, what do you think of this place?
David, if you were looking for a place that I couldn't compare to a hole in the ground, you've found it. This is literally a hole in the ground. There is nothing here, just severe cold.

What do you think about this cave?
It's cold in here!!! ...cold in here! Echo! Echo! Gekko! ...ekko! Tee-hehehe! hehe!

What do you think of this place?
It's cold, like Cate's heart.
Hey!
What? It's an accurate description.
I think I have to agree.
You could have said it's dark, like our future. Or its bottom is as hard as life has recently become. Or that it's shallow, like our current discussion.

I am definitely going to keep the cave in mind for tonight, I think. Let's get out and grab the rope.

(Interaction - Rope and hook) I've removed the hook from the crack. That rope might be useful elsewhere.

Okay. We took everything not nailed down and there isn't anyplace else for us to explore or get useful items from today. The last thing to do is "reset" the house by removing the stuff from our window frames.





The barricade was not salvageable.

It's time for us to consider our options.



These are all of our items and inventory. There are three votes for you to consider today.

First, where should we settle for the night? We camped out at the house the previous night, but with the discovery of the cold cave, we actually have a viable second place to sleep. The cave sounds better for its cool protection for me.

Second, where should we put the air conditioner and fan? I have a sneaking suspicion that we can use the extension cord on the RV and put both machines in the cave.

Third, how else can we keep everyone cool? Giving our three party members bottles of water should keep us hydrated and avoid the worst of sweating. I would also like to try to find a way to cover the mouth of the cave to protect us from the sun's rays.

[Quackles]

Can you cover the cave mouth with the thermal blanket?

(I'm also voting for the cave.)