View topic - Epilogue: Coffee and Cigarettes

unforum
a.r.g.b.b

Welcome!

New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.

Website Restoration Project

This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.

Announcements

This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.

This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.

Our Esteemed Contributors

The time now is Tue Nov 12, 2024 2:23 am
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)

View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum

Calendar

Forum index » Archive » Archive: Deus City » DC: Deus City

Epilogue: Coffee and Cigarettes

Page 1 of 1 [9 Posts]

Author

Message

TGI Fridays
Veteran

Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 123

Epilogue: Coffee and Cigarettes
The Brotherhood in Blue District

The no-nonsense voice of Grey District's Female Intellicorp Newscaster matches her pinstripe grey suit more than her rosy red lips.
"There was a surprising international legal policy turn-around today as Yellow District's Senator Moore has signed into international law the merger between Pancorporate International and all its subsidiaries, long-standing as the 3rd largest conglomerate in the world and the United Myriad Nation's mega conglomerate, "The Trans-Euro Federate Business Commission", forming what is now the largest mega-corporation in human history. Not only will this merger will bring the senator to a 53% majority status in the 'United Western Governmental Committee for Law and Commerce' as well as Majority Leader and Incumbent Presidential status within our own Corporate Senate, it will also grant Phillip Moore absolute diplomatic immunity in the whole of the Western World."

I stare at the screen in front of me. Now that the rain's stopped, Sam's is almost empty tonight, and I am pretty much alone with the news feed netcast reflecting in my steely grey eyes, and echoing in my gristly ears. It's dark but for the series of dim hanging cones of light above the dozen or so tables mixed with the glow of the thin flashing table monitors. Against the brick wall, on the small dark red-orange stage sits a Ska band made up of the four worn and haggard old men like me. The window behind the bar casts very little light into the dark empty dry street. The Orange "Open" Sign glows in the window.

"In light of his new world influence, and the current scandalous chaos which is engulfing the Red District's Mercer enterprises - upon today's shocking confirmation of evidence regarding the Senator Thomas Mercer identity theft and murder scandal - Yellow District's Senator Moore reacted to his son-in-law's indiscretions by immediately evoking his new majority status and bringing strong corporate injunctions and fines upon the late Senator Mercer's now disgraced empire."

The Female I-corp Newscaster is now smiling broadly. The newscast is alternating between exclusive clips of the actions described and newscaster herself, as I watch emotionlessly while the newscaster's voice continues.

"The Corporate Senate is now in the process of seizing the Mercer Empire's holdings and its assets in order to ensure that the general population will not be affected by the recent irresponsible mismanagement of Sci-corp and Medicorp's subdermal Identity chip technologies among others. Senator Moore has declared that he is dropping most of his smaller lobbies, casting aside his former stance on the Global Defense Network among others, in order to concentrate his efforts on ushering in a new era through a unified network of peaceful trading and commercial oneness which everyone is calling a new 'world order'!

"In light of this positively charged and refreshing political climate, Senators Tang Fujimoto, former majority leader of White District's "Defensecorp" and many other smaller corporations in Deus City are moving forward with the long anticipated world defense network to ensure that 'a permanent peace for all nations will be inevitable.' This means good news for all Grey District's IN-CORP Workers as the building contracts and network interface protocol licensing will be drawn up quickly, and it is expected that within the next year at least 4 billion new industry jobs---

The sound of the newscast cuts off instantly when I tap the screen once with my left hand. I rub the week's worth of stubble on my face and work my way up to the messy salt and pepper mop I keep up top. Needs a trim. My well-worn, large light brown trench coat almost hides my sturdy body, but my stoic face reveals no emotion. Under my coat I'm wearing the same wrinkled white collar shirt over my white sleeveless undershirt. It is now haphazardly tucked into my brown slacks. An unlit cigarette dangles from my mouth. There is an open new pack of cigarettes and a steaming black mug of coffee next to the keyboard.

I make no apologies.

I watch the muted monitor for a moment as the now silent Newscaster wordlessly continues her newscast. The caption reads: "Crime at all time low thanks to Transcorp security and Grey District's Senator Alexis Wright". A scrolling marquis at the bottom of the screen reports: "Wright industries stock at an all-time high due to hard working men and women of Grey District's In-corp."

I hear the band leader count to three as the broken down group launches into a soft instrumental ska number version of Pink Floyd's "Welcome to the Machine." I can't help but think that they sound tired. Defeated.

I've been called a lot of things...I double tap the monitor, it pops to my familar Icorp desktop. I move my finger over to the envelope icon and touch it. Instantly a digital window opens filling three fourths of the screen with the Intellicorp intranet browser and its ads and articles. They read: "Transcorp security investigates actual murder!", "Fanatic claims recent accidental death of priest might be linked to mysterious God-Killer", "Stock prices soar!", "Buy Black Vodka", "Detective Paul Kropp awarded honorary shareholder status for his heroic patriotism in the line of duty", "National test scores linked to enriched soda beverages", "Shop I-Corp clothing catalogue for practical and affordable work wear".

All new, all the same.

I pull over the keyboard and type "special override mediapass" letter by letter into the location bar where the black cursor flashes.

Slob...

A smaller text window replaces the menu, the white pulsing cursor flashes in the black text entry field. The page is sterile, utilitarian. The way I like it.

My keystrokes are quick now, automatic. Eight keys sound off as seven asterisks bloom into place before replaced by the text: "Waiting for subcue identity chip confirmation".

I pass my right hand and with it my digital identity under the monitor. A digital chitter sounds. Then displayed is: "Verified".

Washout...

The small text window is replaced by a larger white field broken into three sections. A horizontal bar at the top displays the words: "Welcome to City Mail Feed - N. Sawyer, detective 2nd Class." A vertical bar at the left has three file folders, labeled: "In", "Out", and "Draft". The central space, which extends to the bottom right of the screen displays the message in a double sized font. The message flashes: "No New Mail."

Antique...

I finger the handle of the cup of coffee with my right hand, then bring my left hand up and lights the cigarette stuck in my mouth with a flick of my shiny antique metal lighter, before slipping the lighter back into my coat. My first cigarette in days is glowing and burning away with fire as I take a long, slow, drag.

I don't deny it... After all, I got into this business when I was still young enough to care.

Without exhaling I take a swig of my coffee.

Before the mega-corporations made life totally unlivable. Before the skin-chips went live and Big Brother started tracking what our preferred brand of toilet paper was before we ever bought it.

I exhale the smoke then take another long drag.

I guess it started when selling all the public utilities, public education, and public government to the highest private sector bidders actually made sense to a starving economy with a dying educational system and morally ambiguous national identity.

I remove the cigarette from my mouth with my left hand, and look long and hard at it.

The corps' ushered in a new kind of world. A world where it made sense to have an Instant bank account, credit card, medical history and personal G.P.S. tracker all rolled into one little digital signature.

I follow the slow descent of the still-lit cigarette with my eyes as I drop it into my coffee. Then I push the mug away from myself to the other side of the table.

One injection was the price of admittance to Eden.

I tap the Cafe monitor twice more without so much as glancing at it. It goes instantly black, and I don't care. I stare vacantly ahead and exhale my last drag of smoke.

They said the truth was spherical, that tolerance was finally made possible, and that religion was obsolete. Too few argued. Why have faith in a godless world when man's utopia was within reach?

Sam steps in front of me with an odd smile and delivers a fresh cup of coffee. Decaf.

The crime rate dropped like a lead weight, those who were afraid of the omniscience of the chip were more afraid of starving. In a short generation, peace finally came. Who am I to judge?

I close my eyes and strain against the pain of my broken ribs as I lean forward into my hands, cupping my face then run my fingers through my hair again, my coat sleeves falling to my elbows.

I let my arms fall to the table. The bloody gash in my right arm is still oozing with thick blood that hasn't quite clotted.

Somebody once said technology progresses too fast for blame to be posted to any one identifiable man, but sometimes, when everything else is burned and blown away, identity is all you have left...

I reach over with my left to the handle of the mug I was fingering before and drag it back to my side of the table, then turn my right palm up to take one more look at its improbable contents. Balanced in it is a tiny bloody subcue identity chip. My digital identity.

To me though it's all just like some dark dream, the kind where you lose yourself to something else and find yourself asking who am I?...

I use my thick left thumb and forefinger to pick up the subcue chip from my right hand and follow the slow descent of the still bloody chip with my eyes as I drop it into my coffee.

Around here they just call me...

The chip plops into the hot black liquid with a tiny splash. The black liquid engulfing me as I sink to the bottom of the mug. Then I push the mug away from myself to the other side of the table.

It's not like it's the first time I changed my identity.

?

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 1:25 pm

Transtar
Decorated

Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Posts: 165
Location: Annapolis, MD

Its not Foo,Fujimoto or any Brackin, any other ideas, I got a ton of credits to burn?

Edit: Not Brother Theo or Brother Theophilus

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:30 pm

notgordian
Unfictologist

Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 1383
Location: Philly

Other stuff it isn't:

Will Forth
Ethan Sedgewick

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:53 pm

Transtar
Decorated

Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Posts: 165
Location: Annapolis, MD

Just got it... Black kharma and 1000 prestige

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

DEUS EX MACHINA

gets you:
Are you serious? Ok, fine... I will return soon true believers: www.conspi<<>>

You have received positive Karma.
You have received 1000 Prestige.

You have received 10000 Credits

Interesting

Edit: viewing the source gave this as the web addy:
www.conspi ERROR DATA CORRUPT - CHECK TEMPORAL TRANSMISSION LOG
with 3 sets of pointy brackets

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:58 pm

TGI Fridays
Veteran

Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 123

Transtar wrote:

Just got it... Black kharma and 1000 prestige

Spoiler (Rollover to View):

DEUS EX MACHINA

Nice...and apparently black karma gives you access to all the puzzles. Smile

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:33 pm

Transtar
Decorated

Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Posts: 165
Location: Annapolis, MD

TGI Fridays wrote:

Nice...and apparently black karma gives you access to all the puzzles. Smile

Yeah, just finished all the puzzles, nothing special happened, looks like thats it

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:03 pm

TGI Fridays
Veteran

Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 123

Man, it's disappointing that red/yellow agents are unable to complete the epilogue. Who would have thought my little puppet would have finished with higher prestige than me. Sad

At least it looks like they're already gearing up for the next project.

Conspi...hmmm....

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:16 pm

Lazy Hook
Guest

I'm wondering if that is not the only answer that can be given?

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 7:05 am

VQ.Wavecrest
Veteran

Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 124
Location: Philadelphia, PA

I can't access it to tell you if I'm right, but I'm guessing that if it's not the only answer (and the other puzzles weren't always set in stone, so it's possible), it might be a person or another phrase.

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:36 pm

Display posts from previous: Sort by:

Page 1 of 1 [9 Posts]

Forum index » Archive » Archive: Deus City » DC: Deus City

Jump to:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum