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   "Somewhere else?" "Uh, yeah..." "You're not giving me much to work with, kid." "Miss Jackson, are you certain that he was with you last Monday night?" Chance blinks. She looks surprised. "Oh no! I'm sorry, I thought you said Thursday." I'm not sure how anyone could make that mistake... She looks at Detective Gurski with an apologetic smile and giggles. "I guess I didn't really think things through bursting in here like that." "Now there's a surprise." Jupiter's dry utterance is juuuust loud enough for Chance to hear her, but the barista cheerfully ignores her. I'm going to assume there's a history here I don't know about. I'm also going to assume I don't want to know about it. Detective Gurski turns to Jupiter. "I'd like to see the video you mentioned earlier." "Of course. Follow me." Gurski points at me. "You come with us." "I what?" "I'm not letting you out of my sight, kid. Now get up and let's go." "Right." I scramble to my feet and follow him out the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chance slip away from the group. Looking for her boyfriend, I guess.  A lone laptop sits on one of the counters. Jupiter strides up to it and types in a password. "Right here. David and I are the only ones with clearance to view the security footage, so none of the others have seen this." The screen lights up with the video that I found hidden at Mr. Auten's place last week. There's not much to it. Just someone who looks like me walking down the main hallway. "Well, that's not very subtle." "It's also not me." "Then who is it? Your evil twin? An android?" "I don't know!" Detective Gurski sighs and turns to Jupiter. "Could you give us a moment?" He grabs my arm and drags me to the corner of the room. "Listen, kid. You're on really thin ice here." "I thought- no, we ALL thought highly of you and your sister. But who's to say you haven't changed these last three years? You disappeared without a trace, and two people have died since your return." "The worst part is, all of these deaths tie back to your history. You don't think that's at least a little bit suspicious?" "But I didn't-" "Even if you didn't kill them, you're involved. Give me a good reason why I shouldn't just arrest you now." Aki places a firm hand on his shoulder and looks him directly in the eye. "And you know what that means." "I'm well aware of what it means. Are you?" He releases his grip on me."What are you doing here, anyway?" Aki holds up her phone. "You texted me an order to come right away." She doesn't bother to hide the sarcasm in her voice. "And when my handler says jump..." "I meant why are you at the University of Edgewater? I wasn't informed that you were on assignment. And where are the others?" "With their tour guide, as they should be. We're here on official business. I called it in this morning." She folds her arms across her chest.  Schulz!? "Hang on, she's involved?" Aki and Detective Gurski look at me, surprised. "She's the one in charge of our little work program. Didn't I tell you?" "No. You never mentioned she was part of this." "Then how do you know her?"
Aki's eyes light up. "Ooh, Kan. You bad boy. I didn't know it was like that." "It's not. WE volunteered for it. Unlike you, I didn't have to get arrested before I decided to work with the police." Aki shrugs. "Our way was more fun." "Yeah, that's one word for it." Detective Gurski rolls his eyes. "Anyway, as delightful as this game of compare and contrast is, we do have more pressing matters. So maybe one of you two wants to fill me in?" Aki coughs and shoots a meaningful glance over my shoulder. Jupiter is leaning against the wall staring at us. David and Nathan peer in through the doorway, trying hard not to look conspicuous. They're all staring at us. We're too far away for them to have heard our conversation, but they're definitely curious about what we're talking about. "Outside, then." The tone of his voice says there's no room for argument. "Lead the way, Officer." Detective Gurski gives me one last look before he and Aki exit the lab. David and Nathan scramble to get out of their way, stumbling into the lab like some sort of slapstick routine. Once they untangle from each other, they quickly take up posts on either side of Jupiter.  "Um, okay... so, yeah..." No response. Great. The room falls silent and I struggle for something to say. Or do. Or... I don't know. Aaron's voice echoes from the hallway, breaking through the silence. He swings the door open and sings a little fanfare. Naoki and Li Mei stand behind Aaron. They look relieved to see me. "Oh, hey. Found my group! Heh..." "Uh oh. Looks like something bad happened." His finger hovers instinctively over his camera, ready to capture whatever bad moment might occur. “He's the one who stole our research last Monday." "No, he's not. He's my host student." Jupiter points to her computer screen. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." He turns to me with a hurt expression on his face. "Kangai, did you really steal from us?""NO!" I roll my eyes. "I know what it looks like, but it's not me!" "Then how do you explain it?" Naoki raises his hand timidly. "U-um..." "Who are you?" "Kizaki Suitani..." "My other host student." Aaron casts him a sideways glance. "You're not a thief too, are you?" "Hey, the jury's still out on me, you know!" "That's hardly the point." "UM!" "What? If you have something to say, just speak up." "Oh. Okay." Naoki approaches the computer and points at the person on the screen. The guy in the video has solid dirty blond hair, unlike mine. I still have the remains of when I dyed my hair black last year. Naoki had pointed it out the first time we watched it, but we just assumed the video was taken before I dyed my hair. If this video was taken last week, that might actually count as evidence in my favor. Jupiter crosses her arms. "And what if he dyed it after this video?" "But wouldn't he dye all of his hair in that case? Or get it cut?" "I suppose... but it's still a flimsy alibi." "And that's currently all he's got going for him right now." "Hey, it's better than nothing!" "I mean, it's enough of a difference to think it might be someone else, right?" "We'll see after the police sort it out." Jupiter sighs. "Don't you two have somewhere to be? Like office hours in the library?" "Oh!" "Right." "Dios mío, do I have to remind you of everything? Try not to keep your students waiting too long." The two of them scurry out of the room and slam the door shut behind them. The room falls into an uncomfortable silence, punctuated only by the sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway. Before their footsteps fade, the bell in the center of campus begins to ring. "And now they're late." "Um..." “Something wrong?" "I'm not sure." Naoki frowns. He looks troubled. "What's not the same?" He turns away from Jupiter and whispers to me. I shrug. "Sounds the same to me. It's probably nothing."  "If you care that much, go check it out." "Umm..." He bobs his head back and forth as if he's having trouble making a decision. "What's wrong?" "I was just wondering if there was something special about the bell that just rang." "Not particularly." "Are you sure?" "Uh huh. Let's go." "But what about Haru? Maybe we should wait for her." "You go ahead. We'll let her know where you are when she gets back." Naoki thinks about it for a moment before nodding. “Okay. Let's go." Aaron and Naoki leave, and the room again settles into yet another uncomfortable silence. That seems to be the theme of the day. Now might be a good time to try to convince Jupiter I'm innocent.
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Oct 12, 2022 22:00
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Let's request a side quest!
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Oct 13, 2022 06:28
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The first option seems incredibly redundant, so let's offer to help.
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Oct 13, 2022 14:07
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Definitely offer to help, there's no use sounding like a broken record.
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Oct 14, 2022 09:46
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  "I'm really sorry about all the confusion. If there's anything I can do..." "No. Not really." "But..." "Listen, there's a lot going on right now. Even if you're not the thief, the research has still been stolen. And since I'm the one who has to do damage control, I don't have time for anything else." Aki pokes her head into the room and flashes me a teasing grin. "I'm not sure how to answer that." "You could say "yes."" "And where's the detective?" "Out. He said he had to call someone." Aki tosses herself casually onto one of the stools and spins around. "Where's my brother?" "Um, he went off to the clock tower with Aaron." Why?" Her voice tenses up. "Said the chiming sounded funny. He seemed really bothered by it, so I told him to go check it out. No big deal. It was probably nothing, but-" "Nothing!?" Aki stands up so quickly that she knocks her stool over. Even Li Mei looks a little worried. She turns to Li Mei. "Are you getting anything?" Li Mei shakes her head apologetically. "Then we're going." Aki strides out the door without another word, and Li Mei follows her obediently. "Um... I'm just gonna..." Jupiter waves me off absentmindedly. "Just go."  "Which way did they go?" "Um... I think this path is the shortest." I point to a narrow path that cuts across the campus to the clock tower. Wordlessly, Aki takes off in a flat out run, feet pounding against the concrete. Li Mei follows without question. Her steps are smaller than Aki's but she seems to float effortlessly above the ground.  Li Mei glances over her shoulder and notices me struggling to keep up. She slows her pace a bit, holding a spot somewhere between Aki and me. My heart is pounding harder and harder. Since when was running this difficult? Aki disappears over a hill, and I find myself gasping for breath as I slow to an uneven jog. My head is throbbing too. What's wrong with me? As I drag my feet along the ground, I realize that Li Mei has stopped moving. She stands at the top of the hill, clutching her stomach. If she and I are both feeling this sick... I reach the top of the hill, and we both stand in the shadow of the clock tower. Li Mei gives voice to what we both already know. My kansei and hers are both churning in the presence of a dead body. Someone who died recently, from the feel of it. "Listen, if you wanna stay out here, I can tell Aki you're not feeling well." She shakes her head. "I will go." I take a deep breath and steel my nerves. "Then let's go together." She nods, and we approach the tower. I look around the small room, but there's nothing here. The sound of voices floats down from above us. It must be upstairs. Li Mei and I look at each other and nod. The two of us laboriously climb the wooden stairs up to the top of the bell tower. With each step, I find it harder to breathe. I can't remember being this tired before. Whatever this death was, it must have been brutal to leave such a strong emotional imprint. I reach the top of the staircase and freeze. In the far corner of the room, Naoki sits curled in a trembling ball. His face is stained with tears. Aki is kneeling next to him, holding him close and whispering words of comfort into his ear. The mouth of the bell has nearly removed his torso. The body hangs precariously over the edge of the tower. The edge of the bell is still dripping with blood, and splatters of crimson trail down the tower walls. Aaron paces back and forth, speaking a jumble of frantic words into a phone. A voice at the other end of the phone tries to calm him down, but he grows increasingly agitated. "No no no no, you don't get it! It's Dr. Johansen!" My stomach threatens to abandon me entirely, and I'm suddenly glad that I didn't eat any lunch yet.   "Huh?" Aki's voice snaps me out of my daze. She's staring directly at me. Naoki lies in her arms. His body is shivering, and his eyes are shut tight. "You need to go. Your kansei is going to overpower you if you stay any longer." I nod and turn away. She's right. I sit on the top step of the staircase and breathe slowly, trying to get my bearings. Li Mei sits beside me. She looks sad, and terrified, and very, very, confused. "Are you okay?" She starts, and blinks a few times, as if I've surprised her. "…" "Are you okay?" She pauses to think carefully about her answer and sort out her emotions from ours. "No... No, I am not okay." "Yeah... me, neither." We both stare down the long staircase of steps that we so painstakingly ascended. Neither of us wants to turn back to face the grotesque body. Finally, Li Mei takes a deep breath and stands. "We need to leave." "Yes." The longer we stay here, the worse it's going to be. We make our way down the staircase carefully. With every step, I can feel the weight of the dead lifting slightly. I can still hear voices echoing through the stone tower. Aaron sounds even more frantic than before. Something warm splashes against my cheek. Ugh... I suddenly feel sick again. No... No, please... I didn't touch the body, but I've still come into contact with the deceased... My kansei is already creeping into my mind. I bite my tongue, trying to force myself to stay conscious, but I can feel my knees buckling under me. "Kangai!"    I brace myself for the pounding that this man received, but it doesn't come. Instead, every part of my body screams with pain. I instinctively tighten my jaw, and my jaw complies. Wait... since when was I able to control my actions during these visions? There's something wet in my throat. I try to cough it up. In the distance, I can hear the faint echo of someone coughing. Is that me? I hear frenzied voices. Who's talking?  Aaron stands nearby, open-mouthed. His phone slips from his hand and lands on the stone floor with a dim clatter. I can hear it, but it sounds so distant. I turn my head slowly. Where's the body? I don't see it anywhere. As I look around the room, realization sinks in. I try to speak, but my throat is filled with blood. Little more than the sound of choked bubbling escapes from my lips. Aki looks like she's saying something, but my vision is starting to blur. Before I can do anything else, the world around me fades away. I see faces, now. People I don't recognize. Voices I don't know. There's a weight on my chest. I'm sinking further and further, and the weight keeps pushing harder. Bright colors fill my vision, and my body feels like it's on fire. Everything feels like it's spinning faster and faster. I scream, but I don't hear anything. Finally, the world turns black.    I take a moment to inspect it more carefully. It's modestly decorated, but the colors appear carefully selected to be as uninteresting as possible. I'm lying in a bed. The mattress is equally bland. Not terribly comfortable. Not terribly uncomfortable. All in all, I've never seen a room quite so... neutral. "So. We meet again." I turn my head to see Li Mei sitting in a chair beside my bed. "Hey. What happened?" Aki leans against the wall at the far end of the room. Her arms are crossed, and her expression remains casual. "Don't say any more. Someone might be listening." Her eyes briefly flick towards the mirror set into the wall. Right. I hope Jupiter and her team aren't “observing" me right now. That would be all kinds of creepy. I give Aki a small nod and turn my head to face the ceiling again. "Where's, um... Kizaki?" "He's sleeping at the dorm." "Is he okay?" "No. No, he isn't. He's overwhelmed, and sick." "I'm sorry." I turn my head back and forth to inspect the bland room. "So what am I doing here?" "Resting. Aaron's in his bed. Kizaki's in the other one. We figured you'd like a proper place to rest other than the floor." "Thanks." Aki allows a thin smile to crack across her face. "Thank Li Mei. She's the one who did most of the heavy lifting." She sounds terse. "Is there something I'm missing?" "What are you talking about?" "I mean, are you mad at me or something?" Aki's expression tightens. "You let my brother go off on his own. You let him experience that horror." "I LET him go? Since when was I his babysitter? In case you haven't noticed, he's a grown adult! He's not a child to be doted on!" Li Mei glances at me, then Aki. She looks worried. "I'm well aware he's not a child, but I'm not sure you understand that! You're the one who dismissed his concerns! If you trusted his judgment, you wouldn't have sent him off on his own like that!" "That doesn't change the fact that it was HIS choice to go!" "Kangai..." "You know what? I think you're angry because he went and did something without your precious permission!"    Li Mei stands quickly and places herself between us. "Stop!" It's the first time I've seen her look so determined. "You are both scared and confused, and you're mistaking it for anger. We only have each other. Please do not destroy what we have." "Li Mei..." Li Mei nods at Aki. "Go see him. He needs you." With a sigh, Aki steps back and shakes her head. "You're right." She smiles sadly at Li Mei. "I'm sorry for making this hard on you." She takes a moment to regain her composure before speaking again. "We'll have to talk later, Kan. About what happened at the tower." "Oh, right. Yeah..." Aki nods and shuts the door softly behind her. Li Mei sits at the foot of my bed and stares at me with wide eyes. "You're hurting." "A little. I'm still not sure what happened." "Blood." Li Mei's voice is so quiet, I almost missed what she said. "What?" I lean towards her, and she lowers her head to meet mine.  She reaches out and places her hand on mine for a brief second before flinching. My head is still throbbing. It must hurt her too much simply to touch me. "I'm sorry." "No..." She turns away from me. I can tell she wants to say more, but she's struggling to find the words. We sit in a tense silence for a minute, avoiding eye contact. "Listen-" Li Mei shakes her head. "Please just rest." She smiles and rests her hand gently on mine again. "I will be near." "Thanks." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. This time, sleep comes easily. Gone are the bright lights and the weight on my chest. I feel like I can breathe again. I'm not sure how long I sleep, but by the time I wake up, my mind is a lot clearer. "Whoa..." I sit up slowly. My body feels stiff. I look around the room. Li Mei is in the chair beside me, sleeping. Even in sleep, she sits upright, hands folded neatly in her lap. If it weren't for the subtle motion of her breathing, I'd mistake her for a work of art shaped by a master artisan. The lighting is still neutral. I can't tell if it's day or night.  I reach out and place my hand gently on Li Mei's. Her skin feels cold to the touch. "Li Mei!" Her eyes fly open, and in a single unbroken motion, she leaps to her feet and snatches up the pen on the table.  "Whoa! Whoawhoawhoa!" I curl up on the bed and hold my hands up in self defense. "It's just me." "..!" She looks surprised. "I didn't mean to startle you, it's just... I thought you might be sick or something." Li Mei blinks a few times, as if she's just waking up for the first time. "Something wrong?" She tosses the pen back on the table and averts her gaze. "No." Okay, I get the hint. Conversation over. "How long was I out for?" She points to the bedside table. Unsurprisingly, Team Science has refrained from leaving a clock in the room, but the phone that Aki gave me is sitting next to the lamp. I pick it up and look at the screen. It's 5:00pm already? "Wow... did I really sleep that long?" Li Mei nods. "Where are the others?" "Gone." Okay. I dial Aki's number. The phone only rings once before she answers.  "Evidently. Where are you?" "Back at the dorms. Taking care of Kizaki right now." Kizaki? Hm, someone else must be with her if she's calling him that. I can hear the faint sound of frenzied music in the background. Some sort of video game? "Aaron's with you, isn't he?" "Got it in one. How are you feeling?" "Like my head just got bashed in with a giant bell." She laughs, but it's forced. "Yeah, this day didn't turn out quite like we planned, huh?" "I'm sure it went well according to SOMEONE'S plan." She's quiet for a moment. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing. Why don't you come back to the dorms, and we can chat about it?" "Sounds good. I'm starving, though." "Cafeteria's still open. Do you have your card?" I check my pocket. "Yeah." "The two of you should get some food, then. Come back when you're done." "Sounds good." "Talk to you later." "Later." I hang up and turn to find Li Mei looking at me expectantly. "Aki says we should go get something to eat." "Okay." She turns and walks to the door. I walk slowly, carefully placing one foot in front of the next. I'm still feeling ill from... whatever that was. Li Mei halts in her tracks, and tilts her head to the side. "What's wrong?" She glances at the door to the main lab. There's some sort of sound coming from inside. It sounds like someone talking. No... it's more panicked than that. Is someone in trouble? I run to the door and throw it open. A blur of fur darts between my legs and into the hallway. Before I can react, Li Mei steps forward and scoops it up in both hands. It's a small, white rabbit, with shining red eyes. Li Mei carries it back into the lab. Jupiter runs forward and lifts the rabbit from Li Mei's hands. She walks it back to a small cage, lowers the rabbit in, and shuts the door tightly. "Haaaa!" Jupiter leans back against a cabinet and sighs. "Crisis averted."  "It's okay. You can look." Li Mei nods, and I can see a faint smile on her face. She leans down until she and the rabbit are eye level with each other. The rabbit turns to her, and its nose twitches. Li Mei scrunches up her nose to mirror its actions. "Looks like you've made a friend." Li Mei nods once and leans in even closer. Jupiter smiles. She looks a lot more relaxed than she did this morning. "You look happy." "Happy might be pushing it, but I'm definitely feeling better. Sometimes it's hard to keep a cool head when dealing with all the administration. Especially when the second in command slacks off all the time." "Second in command?" "David. He's supposed to be in charge of inventory and making sure everything is where it belongs." She points at the rabbit. "Like making sure all the rabbits' cages are locked properly." "I see he takes his job very seriously." "Indeed." "So what's up with the rabbit, anyway? Are you giving it a super soldier serum? Gamma radiation?" "Nothing so dramatic. Just examining the effects of some drugs on various organs." "Oh yeah? Curing cancer, huh?" Jupiter rolls her eyes. "Hardly. What's the phrase? Too many cooks in the kitchen?" "Um, too many cooks spoil the pot, I think." Jupiter considers the phrase for a moment. "Cancer isn't the only disease in the world, but it looks like it if you see what drug companies spend money on." "So you're not in it for the money?" "I have enough already." Jupiter brushes the question aside. "So, um... how exactly do you examine the effects of these drugs anyway?" Jupiter stares at me sympathetically before glancing at Li Mei. Li Mei straightens up and faces her calmly. "Do not worry on my account.   "Oh." I stare at the floor and kick at it a few times. That killed the conversation pretty fast. "So, um... about earlier..." "Don't worry about it. You're not the prime suspect anymore." "What? You mean my name is cleared?" "Yes. I calculated the thief's height based on his surroundings and matched it to you." "What?"  "Oh. Well, that's good. I think." "Good for you, perhaps, but now I don't have any leads." "Must be rough trying to take care of the lab. Especially after what happened to Dr. Johansen." Her eyes darken.  "What are you talking about? Did something happen to him?"  
HydroSphere fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Apr 2, 2023 |
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Oct 24, 2022 00:05
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The question here is who is trying to keep it quiet. If it's Aki, we want to keep up the charade. If it's not, we probably want to tell her. I'm going to assume Aki would have directed us to not talk to anyone about it if they were keeping it secret, so I say tell her he died and maybe earn some trust.
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Oct 24, 2022 14:36
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Yeah i don't see any reason to lie here.
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Oct 24, 2022 17:43
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   "What? You're kidding, right?" "Not really. I'm sorry..." Wow. That was probably the worst way to inform someone of a death ever. "What happened? Was it here?" "Yeah. Aaron and, um, Kizaki, were the ones who found the body." "First his old research is stolen, and now this..." Jupiter begins to absentmindedly chew on her nail. "What? What are you talking about?" "I can't be sure, but..." She stands abruptly. "I'm sorry, but I have a lot of work to do. Can you both leave now?" Li Mei casts a final longing glance at the rabbit before following me out of the lab.  I guess dinner rush doesn't happen until later. Either that, or most students are avoiding this place. Ha. That instills a lot of confidence in me. Li Mei and I each grab a tray and pick out food for ourselves from the buffet. I ignore the first few trays loaded with greasy hamburger patties and opt for a bowl of tomato soup with a heap of fruit on the side. From the color, I'm not sure how long the fruit has been sitting out, but I don't get the luxury of being picky. Li Mei follows me closely, choosing to sample a small piece of everything. She arranges the bite-sized pieces of food in even rows on her plate. We offer our cards up at the register, and a bored looking college student swipes them both without bothering to check for ID. It's probably better that way. The ID that Aki supplied me with the other day feels like a lead weight in my pocket. She guaranteed it was government issued for my special situation, but I don't want to take any chances if I don't have to. "Hello." "Glad to see you're sampling the local fare." Shawn observes Li Mei's plate. "Smart girl! Trying everything at once. Wish I had thought of that." Chance bounces up to us and wraps her arms around Shawn. "Sorry I'm late." Chance turns and plants a dainty kiss on Shawn's lips. "Um..." "Kangai, this is my girlfriend, Chance." I choke back my surprise. "O-oh... that's... cool?" Shawn looks at me, puzzled. "Do you guys know each other?" "Kangai was at the shop last week when that terrible murder happened!" "Ouch, man. That's rough." "You could say that." "And everyone at the lab was harrassing him today. They mistook him for a thief!" "Yikes, dude. If I had been there, I would have cleared everything up as quickly as I could." "It's fine. The misunderstanding's been cleared up." "Oh. Boss! I just hope this doesn't reflect badly on the school." Chance nods enthusiastically. "It would be great if you came here!" They both stare at me expectantly, wide smiles on their faces. I feel like I'm in a used car lot. "Um... This school is neat?" Neat? Yeah, that sounds convincing... Li Mei tugs my shirt urgently. "Um, I think we should get going... we're both pretty hungry." "We won't keep you." "Thanks. See you tomorrow." Shawn and Chance leave the cafeteria, arms entwined. As soon as the door shuts, Li Mei turns to me. She looks worried. "What's wrong?" "That girl was there before." "Before?" "At the coffee shop. She was there." "Oh, yeah." "Kind of a weird coincidence, huh?" Something in the back of my mind tells me it's not just a coincidence. In fact... "Hang on." Li Mei freezes, midstep.  Li Mei's expression suddenly turns cold, and I instinctively brace myself. "She's a liar." Li Mei strides toward the cafeteria door with strict, calculated steps. "I will speak with her." "Hang on, what are you planning?" No response. "Wait!" I grab for her wrist, but she spins around and slips her hand from mine. "You can't just go in there and confront her about it!" "…" "You're right, okay? Chance... well, she lied to us." Li Mei's gaze is blank. She refuses to move. "But we don't have any proof! She could just say she heard my name somewhere around here. We have to find a way to catch her." Recognition slowly flickers back into Li Mei's eyes. "Kangai..." "It's okay. We'll figure this out together. We'll find a way to catch her. But for now, let's just eat, okay?" Li Mei nods. "Yes." I scan the cafeteria for a place to sit. In one corner, David and Nathan share a table. They alternate between a huge pile of cheese-covered fries and the disordered pile of papers that litter the table. Looks like they're working on something. "Let's join Nathan and David." Li Mei nods, and we approach them slowly. They seem pretty engrossed in their work. "Um, hey..." They both look up at the same time.  “It's the Not Thief!" "Not Thief?" "Yeah, Jupe said she cleared your name." "So instead of the Thief, you're the Not Thief!" And here I thought Aki had terrible naming sense. "My name's Kangai. This is Li Mei." "That works too." "Wanna join us?" "If it's okay." Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" The two of them hastily shove their fries and papers to one end of the table. Li Mei slides into a seat, and I sit across from her. "Um... aren't you getting your papers dirty?" I point at the pile of papers sharing table space with the cheese covered fries. "Eh, it's no big. The students won't notice." "Students?" "We're grading papers." "You mean, those belong to students?" David shoves a handful of cheese fries into his mouth. "Yeah. Gotta turn them back tomorrow. Grades are due soon." I try not to look skeptical, but Nathan doesn't miss the expression on my face. "Don't worry. We'll be careful." As I watch them sort out papers, it looks like Nathan's the only one actually being careful. David's pile of papers is peppered with grease stains and bits of cheese sauce. I feel bad for his students. "So, where yins from?" "Oh, um... I was born in Edgewater." "Cool! Me too. Go Soundlings!" "Yeah. Go Soundlings." I half-heartedly pump my fist. Is that a sports team I should know? "And where are you from, Li Mei?" "China." David perks up. "Oh! Aaron's from China too! I think." "Really?" "Yeah. He's Thai, isn't he?" "Um..." "That's Thailand." "Taiwan and China are- never mind. It's complicated." "Anyway, point was, I was wondering if you guys knew each other." "…" "Do you have any idea how big China is?" "I was kidding, man." That conversation fizzled out quickly... "Are you both planning to get into biology in college, then?" And Nathan saves the day before uncomfortable silence can take hold. Li Mei nods. Nathan turns to look at me expectantly. "Oh! Um... I guess so." "Well, you must be considering it pretty seriously if you're here." "Do you have any questions about the program?" "Yeah. What's it like working with Dr. Johansen? I mean, what's his research about?" "You won't be seeing him unless you're a grad student." "He doesn't even lecture anymore. We run all his classes." "Busy with his work, then? What exactly does he do?" "Lots of junk." "Mostly modern medicine. Ways to heal the body faster." "Or grow organs based on your own tissue!" Isn't that what Mr. Auten was working on before he died? I glance at Li Mei. She's looking back at me. A silent nod passes between us. She's thinking the same thing. Again, Nathan notices our expressions. "Something wrong?" "Um, I seem to recall Auten Engineering working on something similar."  "Do either of you know why he left?" David and Nathan exchange uncomfortable glances. "Well, you didn't hear it from us, but Auten and his partner, Shen Guan, were part of some super hush-hush project." "The government was funding the whole thing, but something bad happened." "And by "something bad" we mean someone died. It's not official, but that's the only reason they'd shut it down so suddenly." "Auten started his own company, and Shen Guan disappeared." Nathan lowers his voice. "I heard that he moved to China where he could continue his research." He glances sideways at David. "Maybe we should ask Aaron if he's seen him." "Ha ha." "Do you know anything about the old project? Like, what it was about?" "You'd have to ask Jupe for the details." "Yeah, she's the only one who's seen the old project files." "Well, her and Johansen, but he doesn't seem to be around right now." My expression freezes, and I nod. Clearly I'm not supposed to be talking about Dr. Johansen's death yet. David shrugs and pokes at a fry without much enthusiasm. "It's basically Jupe's lab these days." "Hey, at least she named you second in command." David rolls his eyes. "Yeah, like THAT means anything. She's still in charge." "If you don't want it, I'll take it." Nathan laughs and gives David a teasing punch in the shoulder. Li Mei tenses up and suddenly seems very interested in her last few bites of food. "Anyway, kiddos, we've got to finish this before morning recitations." He motions to the stack of papers on the table. "We won't keep you any longer. Thanks for talking with us." "Any time." Li Mei stands, offers a quick bow, and the two of us leave David and Nathan behind to finish their grading. "What's wrong? I noticed you didn't like something they said." She nods and takes a small breath. "There is fear and frustration, but they're too close. I cannot tell which is which." "So they're not as happy here as they claim." Li Mei nods. I laugh derisively. "In the end, no one is." The two of us take our time walking back to the dorms. Li Mei remains silent, but I can tell she is thinking about something. "What's on your mind?" "Is it real?" "Is what real?" "You're talking about Auten's work growing organs?" She nods. "I don't see why it wouldn't be. I mean, it's not the body that makes you a person. It's... you." "I'm not sure if I can explain it. But people aren't fashioned in a lab. Not the part that matters, at least. So, yeah. I think it's real." She takes in my words silently and spends the rest of our walk deep in thought.   "Uh, yeah..." We briefly make eye contact, but I still feel bad about our argument earlier today. "How's Naoki?" "He'll live. He's resting in the room right now." Aki kneels in front of Li Mei. "Are you okay?" Li Mei nods weakly. "I am well." "Don't lie." She touches Li Mei and the young girl's body visibly relaxes. "You're not alone. Stop behaving as if you are." Aki takes both of Li Mei's hands in hers. "Do you want me to sit with you?" Li Mei looks surprised. "But Naoki..." "You were both there. You both need a break. Do you want me to sit with you?" "Please." Aki turns to me. "I'm going to stay with Li Mei until she goes to sleep. After that, we need to talk."
"Sure. I'll wait here." Aki takes Li Mei's hand and leads her to their room. I throw myself on the couch and groan.   I close my eyes and exhale slowly, but my muscles are still tense. I carefully review the events of the day, trying to place them all in order. My emotions won't stop churning inside of me. Or maybe that's dinner... "You okay?" I open my eyes slowly to see Aki sitting next to me. "I've been better." "Where's Li Mei?" "Sleeping, finally. It took a while to calm her down." "Calm her?" "Reverting?" "Forgetting herself." "But when I project thoughts, I do it selectively. When I touch her, I clear away everyone else's emotions and project only her own." "But when you do it, doesn't that mean you feel everything she feels?" "It hardly matters." She scratches her cheek and glances away from me. "So... you wanted to talk?" "Yeah. About what happened earlier." "I'm sorry." "As am I. I've been expecting you to know everything about us, but I haven't been completely open with you." She takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. "So. It's open season. Ask what you want, and I'll answer you honestly." A hint of a smirk plays on her lips. "Within reason." "Okay. Why don't you like Naoki looking at crime scenes? You said I didn't understand." She nods once. "Kan, what's the worst moment of your life? Do you remember it?" "Of course I do. I lost the person I care about the most." "How clearly do you remember it?" "I still remember everything that happened, but I guess it doesn't hurt like it used to. It's been a while." "Naoki's kansei is a double-edged sword. It's not just that he has a perfect memory. It's more like he stores up all of his experiences." "If he reads a book, he doesn't just memorize the words. He actually memorizes what it feels like to read the book. That includes the temperature of the room he was in, or how he felt when he read it." "So what happened today..?"  She lowers her head and buries her face in her hands. "I can't let that happen anymore." "Anymore?" For a moment, Aki's body tenses up. She finally relaxes with a rueful chuckle. "I did promise open season." She sits up and clasps her hands in her lap. "Our mother died during childbirth. All the doctors ever said was that there were... complications. It hit our father pretty hard. At first, he tried to be a good dad and raise us alone, but I guess the stress got to him. He started drinking. And then..." She stares at her hands.  "That's when I first noticed Naoki's kansei. He'd wake up in the middle of the night, screaming in pain. He remembered every detail. Every strike, as if it was still happening." "I don't know when my kansei appeared, but as soon as I figured out what I could do, I started trying to control it." "You can master your kansei if you work at it. I couldn't force him to stop, but I learned how to redirect his anger." "Redirect it? To who?" "…" Aki says nothing, but she instinctively clutches her arms against her chest. "I'm sorry." "Eventually, one of our teachers noticed and called Child Protective Services. I thought that was our escape, but they wouldn't let us stay together, so..." Her gaze turns to the room where Naoki lies. "So you ran away." "Yes." She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. "I don't suppose I have to tell you what it was like." "I guess not. But when I ran away, I was alone. I didn't have to look out for anyone else." "By that same respect, you had no one to look out for you, either." "I didn't mind being alone." "I'll pretend I believe that." "Ha. Thanks." Aki leans back against the couch and stares at the ceiling. "Anything else on your mind?" "What happened to me? I mean... I think I was in Dr. Johansen's body. Like... I don't know. Possessing it?" Aki wrinkles her brow. She defintely looks troubled. "Have you ever had a blood reaction before?" "I don't know." "Kansei is made more powerful through physical contact. Blood contact amplifies that." "Yeah, Li Mei mentioned that, but I'm not sure what she meant." "When you relive someone's dying moment, you're basically already inside their head. So it makes sense that a blood reaction would put you inside their body entirely." I shudder. "Well, I hate it." "Yeah, blood reactions tend to be fairly overwhelming. Honestly, I'm surprised you've never had one before." "Well, I can't say my experience with my kansei has been very thorough. I do my best to avoid anything dead if I can help it." "Well, you've done a really poor job of that this past week." "Yeah, I've noticed." Aki frowns and stares at the ceiling. “You might not want to hear this." "Open season, right?" She looks at me sadly. "Whatever's going on, it's about you." "I was afraid of that..." "Miko hasn't told us anything about you, but I know he knows more than you've shared. And the fact that he's here proves this is a special case." "What do you mean?" "We're not supposed to notice, but he's not really a proper member of the police force here. He was assigned to catch us, and all he ever really does now is make sure we don't get in trouble." She grins. "Or cause any." "So he came because it was about me? I don't think he was expecting to see me, though." "Well if he didn't come for you, he came because there's something important here he has to watch over." "And we came here to investigate Auten, who also died shortly after I returned." "So whatever is here really is connected to you." I groan. "Why? I don't even know any of these people!" "Then the question is, how do they know you?" I bury my head in my hands. "I don't think I want to know." "I don't think we have a choice." "Yeah. I know." Aki places her hand against mine and I feel as if I've just taken in a breath of fresh air. My shoulders feel lighter, and the leftover sickness from today dissolves. "What are you doing?" "Filtering your thoughts. It works for the others. I assume it's working for you too." I smile at her. "Yeah, it is. I haven't felt this way in a long time." Aki wraps her fingers around mine and lowers my hand. "Good." Aki's voice gently breaks the silence. "Tomorrow's going to be rough. You should get some sleep." "Yeah... I guess so." I let my hand slip from hers, expecting the weight of the day to flood back into my mind. Instead, the feelings creep sluggishly into the edges of my mind, but with a stubborn thought, I push them aside. Aki beams at me. "You'll be able to hold onto yourself longer each time." "That sounds ideal." "See you in the morning." Aki waves cheerfully, but her eyes look weary.  
HydroSphere fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Mar 26, 2023 |
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Nov 4, 2022 00:53
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Oh dear i can't imagine what kind of PTSD you'd have if you could never forget anything unpleasant, ever. It's like remembering that time you shat yourself in high school, except in perfect clarity and forever, geez.
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Nov 4, 2022 15:52
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Given the setup I was expecting to learn that the Kansais were artificially created, but it sounds like Aki and Naoki awakened to theirs naturally. Maybe the connection is that Kangai's was the result of an experiment, and he wasn't aware?
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Nov 7, 2022 20:52
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Also it's funny how Li Mei talks about being made from "Manmade" organs, which, like, i get what she's trying to say, but also, every loving human is man-made.
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Nov 8, 2022 17:46
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Did someone say murder? That sounds... interesting! Jisei - Kinda crazy that Chance just straight up poisons you if you mention the USB drive. That... doesn't really make sense, though. We don't have it. We don't know who has it. We haven't seen it and don't know any of the details of what's on it. Killing us does nothing to get it to her. She has no motive to kill the player character. More importantly, the coffee shop is closed and there's a detective right there in the shop. Killing someone in a closed coffee shop with poison points to one suspect. It's not exactly subtle, and Chance's real personality is supposed to be more clever than that. That's only going to draw attention to her, which I presume she doesn't want if she's pretending to be a bubbly, naive barista as cover. Kansei - It seems unsatisfying that you can either solve the murder, or else get the true ending. Especially since the true ending says "you solved the murder!" when that's the route you can't solve it on. - I also have to agree with the idea that getting the true ending by prioritizing trust with the gossip mag reporter isn't intuitive. Yousei - I'm not sure what Chance's motive for involving herself here is. It seems like that would again, draw unwanted attention to her. Especially given how the heck did she know we were here and in custody? Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Nov 24, 2022 |
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Nov 24, 2022 19:18
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Content warning - allusion to suicide. I grit my teeth and silently curse whoever invented the cell phone before answering.  "What?" Gurski sounds amused. "You know I hate that name." "Just be glad I haven't told Aki about you. She'd have a field day." "Your generosity is overwhelming. I assume there's a reason for this call other than your desire to start the day with the melodious sound of my voice?" "Excellent deduction, kid. You'll be a brilliant detective yet." "Ha." "Everyone thinks it was an accident at the bell tower." "And?" "And we need you to do what you're good at. Find the killer before this blows up. Talk to everyone around him and figure out who did it." "All while hiding the fact that this was a murder in the first place?" "Yes. You can handle that, right?" "I know the drill. What about the others?" "You're a team, aren't you? If you need any help, you can text them or me." He pauses for a moment. "Try not to make any calls, if you can. You never know who might be listening." I glance up and see Aaron hunched over his desk, staring blankly in my direction. "Good point." "That's dire. Is there something you know that I don't?" "Probably. Now go to work." I roll my eyes. "You want fries with that?" Gurski snorts. "Yes, but make the soda a diet. I'm watching my weight." He hangs up before I can come up with a retort. I pocket my phone and sigh. Aaron's voice lacks the energy he had yesterday. "Police. They said not to talk about Johansen's death." "You mean his murder?" "…" I sigh and nod. "Yeah. His murder." Aaron nods and spins slowly in his chair until his legs bump listlessly against the desk. "I knew it. Something like that couldn't have been an accident." He sighs. "Well, I won't tell anyone. I don't want to talk about it at all if I don't have to." 
Stop by the bell tower and check out the crime scene if you can. It is very early right now. Talk to the students and learn more about Dr. Johansen.
 Examine books on the upper left shelf: A collection of textbooks with long titles, and a yearbook from Western State University.Examine books on lower left shelf: An English to Thai dictionary and some science fiction novels.Examine books on upper right shelf: Some math and science books. They all have "pre-owned" stickers on them.Examine books on lower left shelf: A book about computer programming. The inside cover says it belonged to some guy named Kevin.Examine left bed: Aaron's bed sheets have the Western State University logo on them. Isn't that the University of Edgewater's rival school?Examine right bed: A towel hanging off of David's bed.Examine the chairs: The chair spins around easily. Hours of fun for the whole family.Examine the window: The view out of the window faces away from the campus. It's rather uninspiring. Aaron slumps over his desk, resting his head in one hand and doodling a series of spirals in his binder with the other. "You look busy." He snorts derisively. "Suuuper busy. These spirals won't draw themselves." "If they did, that would be weird." He groans and throws his pen across the room. It rolls sluggishly across the carpet before lodging itself in a pile of discarded clothing. "This is so stupid!" "Stupid?" "Stupid! Super stupid!" He runs his fingers through his hair furiously, as if he's trying to find something to hold onto. "Dr. Johansen. I mean..." He pounds his fists on the desk. "That was not a thing I wanted to see... ever." He pushes himself away from the desk and starts to stand up, but he gives up halfway through and slumps down in his seat again. "Didn't like that pen, anyway." He traces out the spirals on his paper with his finger. "How are you okay with this?" "What?" He clutches his camera for comfort. He points at me. "And you look like you just had the best night's sleep of your life." "Really? Because I can tell you I didn't." I could add that sleeping after a death experience is usually the worst part, but it's probably best to keep that to myself. Aaron lets out a long, weary sigh. "But you're fine now." "Hardly. I guess I'm just better at hiding it." "Yeah?" "I've seen a lot of junk. Stuff that people like to pretend doesn't exist." I sit down in the chair opposite Aaron. "And the hard part is going on with life. I mean, how can you, when you see such an ugly side to humanity?" "Yeah. I know that feeling..." "Then you know that it's not something you're ever fine with." "You just know that there are still important things to be done, so you have to stand up and keep going." "Sounds like you've got some experience in that area." I sigh and prop my head in my hand. "Well, I tried quitting once. Quitting everything, I mean. Someone very close to me didn't let me." "So now, I keep going. No matter what happens, I have to." "Well, whoever that person is, they have my thanks." "Oh, are you feeling better?" "Um... sort of?" I laugh nervously. "Sort of is better than nothing." "I just don't know if I can handle this much longer." "Handle what?" "All the secrets. Yesterday, the police said I couldn't say anything about Johansen's death. Jupiter called last night to see if I was feeling okay, and I didn't even answer the phone. I didn't know what to say to her. And now everyone knows, but we still have to pretend it was an accident." He buries his head in his hands. "They're my friends. I can't lie to them. I... I wouldn't know how." "Yeah, it's asking a lot of you." "Yeah. Us." This undercover thing is annoying. I think I liked it better when I just didn't talk to anyone ever. "You know, maybe you should take it easy for a while. Rest. You don't have to be up right now, do you?" "No, but..." "You said you don't want to be awake right now. So don't be." "I-I shouldn't." "I think maybe it's best if you do. If you want to talk, I can come back later. But for now, you need rest." "I guess that makes sense... still feels super stupid. I feel like a wimp." "You should never feel like a wimp for caring about human life. It's not as if having a high tolerance for blood and guts is something to be proud of." "You might be the only person who thinks that way." "Better than no one at all." Aaron nods and stands slowly. "I guess... I'll try to get some sleep then. Maybe everything will make more sense when I wake up."   Examine the sofa: A couch. This one is pretty comfortable. I wouldn't mind sleeping here.Examine the photo: A photo of an old building. According to the label, it was the first building on the campus.  "Okay?" "Right. Stupid question. Sorry." Li Mei smiles and shakes her head. "Not stupid." "There are not many here, so it is quiet." "Is that why you're here? There are fewer people?" Li Mei shakes her head. "Aki instructed me to protect Aaron." "Why?" "He may come to harm." Now that I think of it, Aaron and Naoki were the first to find the body, but Aaron knows everyone here pretty well. He's probably the most likely to remember something to tie the killer to the scene. Aki was right to worry for his safety. But why Li Mei? "I will not allow him to be hurt." Li Mei seems to have picked up on my concern. "I trust you'll keep him safe. But I'm more worried about whether or not you'll be hurt." "Why?" "Because I don't want you to get hurt. Obviously." Li Mei's eyes grow distant. "What?" "Please do not worry for me." "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm going to worry about you. You're my friend and my teammate. We're supposed to take care of each other." "Are we friends?" "You really have to ask? Of course we are!" "Then you are my first friend." "What about Aki and Naoki?" "Aki says we are family." "You can be both, you know." "Then I think we are both." "And Detective Gurski?" "He is not family." Ha. That's Aki's influence for sure. Maybe I should leave that topic alone for now. "Um... have you ever met Schulz?" "Who?" "She's the one in charge of this, um... work program. Aki and Detective Gurski were talking about her earlier, and I was wondering if you'd ever met her." Li Mei's eyes light up with recognition. "Yes! I have seen her!" "Oh? Does she ever come over to the apartment or anything?" Please say no. "Visits are rare. She is often busy." Yes, I gathered as much based on her presence... apparently everywhere. "Then when did you meet?" Li Mei holds up her hands and begins counting on her fingers."We first met for my demonstration. I did not hear what she said, but I knew she was very impressed." Demonstration? "I did not understand her words at the time, but she was very..." Li Mei frowns, as if she can't quite find the word she's looking for. "On fire?" "That sounds about right." "Then after Aki and Naoki took me in, we met again. She seemed happy to see me." "Whoa. Schulz happy? That's a new one." "Maybe... it was relieved? As if she no longer had worry." "Wait, you knew her before Aki and Naoki?" Li Mei nods plainly as if I just asked the most obvious question in the world. "What exactly do you mean by demonstration? And what was your hearing?" "That I may not speak of." "But you just did..." "I am instructed not to share my former work. And I have given you no such knowledge." "Yeah... I guess you didn't.... You take things pretty literally, don't you?" "Do I?" "Why do you sleep in a closet, anyway?" "It is more safe." "More safe than what?" "Sleep is vulnerability. It is foolish to be exposed." "Um... I'm not sure I understand. Do you think you're going to be attacked while you sleep?" "Do you not?" "Oh... Um, I guess I never thought about it." Great. I'm never going to sleep easy again. "I don't suppose you've got room for two in that closet." "…" "Okay, that didn't come out right at all. Let's just pretend I didn't say that." "Do you have any idea who the killer is?" Li Mei shakes her head. She looks disappointed. "I guess killing intent isn't really an emotion, huh?" "Often there is anger. Or bitterness." "Hm, that's true..." Li Mei's eyes are downcast. "What?" "Aaron is truly distressed, but he also holds anger. Jupiter is frustrated and tired. She feels as if she is alone." Li Mei hesitates. It's obvious she's not sure if she should tell me what's on her mind. "What are you thinking?" Aki and Naoki are angry too. Aki is angry because she feels as if she has failed. Naoki is angry because he feels he is not strong." "And what about you? Are you angry too?" "I do not wish to be, but I am not sure." "So what do you think of Nathan and David?" "They are..." She tilts her head to the side. "Humorous?" "You think they're funny?" “They speak in jokes." "What about that resentment you were talking about? Are they angry too?" "Disappointed." "About what? They look like they're having fun." Great. So... everyone's in a bad mood. That's reassuring.
I think it will rain tomorrow.
   Examine fountain: A rather large fountain. Hm... if there's no obvious source of water, can you call it a fountain?Examine map: This map of the campus should help me find my way around.Examine library: The library. A sign on the door says it's open 24 hours a day.Examine bell tower: Dr. Johansen died here. It's off limits to the public now.Examine bench: According to the plaque on the side, this bench is made out of recycled plastic. Donated by the Tasse family. How generous.Examine tree: There's a squirrel in this tree. It doesn't seem scared of me at all. It's also kind of fat.Examine car park: Faculty parking only. From the look of the cars, the paychecks here aren't that great.  "Feeling a lot better after last night. Thanks." "Glad to hear it." "We're going to have to tread carefully today. Now that everyone knows Johansen's dead, the killer is probably going to be on edge." "Be careful, okay?" "Do you really think Aaron's in danger?" "You mean, why did I leave Li Mei to watch over him?" "Well, yeah. I mean, I guess Aaron's the most likely to remember something incriminating, but..." "But you don't think it warrants a 24 hour bodyguard." "It's just weird." "It's better than leaving him alone now and regretting it later. Besides, there's also the other option..." "Other option?" "He could be the killer. If that's the case, I don't want him running away." "Can Li Mei really stop him from running away? She's... kind of small." "That's the least comforting thing I've heard all day." "It's still early." "Any ideas who the killer is?" "It's a little early to be asking that, don't you think? But if you want my initial impression, there's something about this whole setup that makes me feel really uncomfortable." "Besides the body smashed up in the bell tower?" "No, that's basically it." She paces back and forth. "Even if Naoki hadn't heard something wrong, the body would have been discovered fairly quickly. The bell tower is maintained pretty regularly, so whoever did this wasn't concerned about hiding the body." "Maybe they didn't plan to kill Dr. Johansen?" "You think it was an accident?" "Well, not exactly... Of all the planned murders I've seen, they usually fall into one of two categories. There are clean murders: like poison; and there are messy murders, like strangling and stabbing. The messy murders are ones that are very personal. Whoever is doing it wants to feel directly responsible for the death. The scene itself is very messy, but the weapon is very impersonal. You can't feel your victim die if you're watching them getting smashed by a bell. So why do it? Why would anyone choose the bell as the weapon?" "Maybe it was available. The murderer didn't plan it out, but he or she jumped on the opportunity when it presented itself." "So it may have been an accident, but more likely, it was a crime of opportunity. Sort of like how a normal person doesn't think about stealing cars, but if you pass one with the keys in the engine, it's tempting." "Normal people don't think about stealing cars?" "Please tell me you're joking." "Sure, why not?"      "I'm afraid reanimated corpses aren't my area of expertise." "That's okay. We're talking weaponry, anyway." "In the case of a zombie apocalypse." "We were debating whether it's better to carry a gun or a sword." "Assuming you're only allowed one weapon." "Guns have a longer range, and they're deadlier." "But swords don't run out of ammo, and they're quieter." "Except you have to get within biting distance to even use a sword! Hello infection!" "So wear armor. And what are the odds you're going to hit the head of a moving target with a gun, anyway?" "Pretty high if you actually practice, and sure easier than trying to cut a zombie in half." "Hey, I know how to handle a sword. I've been training for years!" "Not to rain on your parade, but if there were a zombie apocalypse, you'd probably be killed by other humans long before the zombies arrive." "What?" "Zombies are hardly different from pack animals. They just multiply faster. In a situation with limited resources and the threat of multiplying predators, the first thing you'd do is stock up on resources, right?" "Well, yeah..." "As will every other person on earth. Someone will probably kill you for your food and weapons before you even see a zombie." "Has anyone ever told you you're a really gloomy person?" "It may have been mentioned once or twice." Examine books on the closer desk: A bunch of worn school books. Looks like Nathan's.Examine books on the second desk: A bunch of intro to biology books. I think they're David's.Examine plant: Some sort of plastic plant. It's kind of dusty.Examine left picture: One of the mountains from nearby.Examine second from left picture: Some local scenery from outside of Edgewater.Examine third from left picture: A photo from a nearby forest.Examine right picture: There's a Japanese resort near the base of this mountain. My family vacationed there a long time ago.Examine bookcase in the back: A collection of computer science books. I have no idea what any of this is.Examine second bookcase from the back: Philosophy and psychology. Huh. Criminal psychology. Wish I had that one back in the day.Examine third bookcase from the back: A shelf full of books on social sciences. No doubt Schulz ignores half of the content in the law books hereExamine fourth bookcase from the back: Language books. Mostly intro courses, it seems.Examine fifth bookcase from the back: Books on math and science, most with uninspired covers.Examine sixth bookcase from the back: Technology and applied science. There's a book here about raising cowsExamine bookcase at the front: A series of books about arts and recreation. Fun.  I've got office hours soon. Was there something you wanted to know?" "Not much. Just feeling kind of weird, I guess. Especially with what happened yesterday." "Oh, you heard about Dr. Johansen?" "Y-yeah..." "That's a terrible way to go, accidentally falling off the tower like that." "That's what happened?" "That's what everyone's been saying." "Not like it makes any sense for him to be up there in the first place, but whatever." "You don't seem that cut up about it." "Everyone dies eventually. Feeling bad won't bring him back." "So, how long have you been a student here?" "Maybe... three years?" "I only came here for grad school. Got my BS in Steel City. Nathan's been here the longest. Technically, he's got seniority on this team, but Jupiter was a lot better with the undergrads." David snorts and glances in Nathan's direction. Nathan flits among the students at his table, pausing once in a while to offer an exasperated sigh. "He's terrible at teaching. No patience for it. I think he expects everyone else to be like him." "How so?" "He learns everything the first time around. I guess you could call him a natural." "Unlike the rest of us who actually have to study." I'm jealous already.   "Oh?" "You know, the locking you up and stuff." "Eh, don't sweat it. It's not the first time." Nathan coughs. "Oh. Okay." Right. Probably shouldn't have shared that little tidbit. "Did Dr. Johansen have any quarrels with anyone recently?" "Not that I can think of. Why?" "Just curious. I was researching him before I came, and I saw that some people disagree with his research." "There will always be dissidents, especially when you're a trailblazer." "But personally, I think he was a great man with great ideas. We all believed in his work. That's why we're here." "Although..." "Although?" "He and Jupiter were definitely arguing about something last week." "Oh? Do you know what?" "Sorry, I didn't listen in too closely. She doesn't get angry too often, but when she does, it's best to just hide!" "So how long have you been a student here?" "Um... this is year seven, I think." "Did the whole undergrad thing, then stuck around for the grad program as well." "Wow. That's... a long time to stay at the same school." "Not if you enjoy it. I don't understand why some people think they have to keep moving around or do new things." "Maybe it's for the experience?" "But to what end? We can say experience, experience, all we want, but isn't it just a way to cover up how unhappy we are with our own situation?" "It's not always like that. What if people just really enjoy it?" "So you're a wandering sort of guy. No place to call home and all that." "Um... you could say that." "Is it because you enjoy it, or because you're not happy with anywhere you've been?" "I don't know. Both? Why does it matter?" "Even a ship needs a harbor to come home to when the ocean is rough." "I'm not saying you have to settle down and start a family or anything, but I hope you'll be able to find a place to anchor yourself."    "Um, hey." "Hey, Kangai. Looking for something?" "Yeah. You, actually." "Mission accomplished. Can I help you with something?" "Just wanted to talk." "About?" "Dr. Johansen." Jupiter leans and folds her arms. "About his death, you mean. Did you see the body?" I nod. "How was it? How did he die?"
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Dec 13, 2022 00:24
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Call it an accident.
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Dec 13, 2022 18:36
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When's Gurski ever been good to us? MURDER
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Dec 13, 2022 22:01
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Accident. My thought is people are more likely to start clamming up if they think it was a murder; even someone who isn't the killer may hesitate to mention a detail if they think it incriminates a friend.
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Dec 14, 2022 16:19
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Accident. Definitely agree it'll be easier to get info on the dude when people think a crime hasnt been committed .
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Dec 15, 2022 08:36
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  "I think it was an accident." "He should have known better. The bell tower is dangerous." She frowns. Something's clearly bothering her. "Honestly, I don't understand why he was there in the first place. He had no reason to be." "Yeah, that is kind of weird." Jupiter studies my expression carefully. She looks suspicious. "Are you sure it was an accident?" "Well, I could be wrong. I mean, I'm not an expert or anything..." Yeah, way to backpedal. Now she'll definitely believe you. "This is bad." "How so?" She raises an eyebrow at me. "Because a great man just passed away in a tragic way." "Oh. Yeah..." Way to go, man. As if you could make it any more obvious that this is normal for you. She probably thinks I'm some kind of sociopath, now. "What about Aaron? How's he doing?" "Not so well..." "I should probably visit him sometime to see how he's doing." "He didn't look very happy when I last saw him. I think he just wants to sleep for a bit." She nods sympathetically. "He deserves some rest." "Do you know why someone would want Dr. Johansen dead?" "No se. He was always good to us, and never spoke ill of anyone. Maybe it's an extremist who hates his genetic manipulation research." "He could have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." "You're throwing out ideas, but you don't sound very convinced by any of them." "The truth is I cannot think of anyone who didn't like him." "So, you and Chance don't get along?" "What makes you think that we don't get along?" Her voice oozes with sarcasm. "Okay, bad question?" "No, it's a fair question. Just not a pleasant thing for me to discuss." "Sorry. Forget I asked." "No, it's fine. If you stick around, you'll find out about it sooner or later." "I'd rather you hear it from me, instead of over the rumor train." "Chance is an undergrad who was given special permission to join Dr. Johansen's team. I argued against it, but David vouched for her." "She's certainly smart enough to work on the project, but she lacks emotional and mental maturity." "She behaves like a child when things don't go her way, and she's manipulative. More than once, the girl has tried to pit members of the team against each other with gossip and lies." Jupiter sighs heavily. "How so?" "Last year, Shawn stepped down as head of Dr. Johansen's lab. Said his work for the school was taking up too much time. Chance told me I'd be a perfect replacement and she encouraged me to petition Dr. Johansen for the spot." "But you got it..." "I did. And then I discovered Chance told Nathan that the spot should have been his, since he has seniority. She told him that if I hadn't pressured Johansen into picking me, he would have had it." "I tried to smooth it over with him, but I think he's still a little bit hurt." "And, of course, it's gotten worse ever since I started dating David." "What?" "She and David used to be together. After they broke up, David and I started seeing each other."
 "After that happened, I asked Dr. Johansen to remove her. She's destructive." "But she's still here." "Yes." "I see..." "If she were willing to take her work seriously, I'd appreciate having her around." "But right now, it feels more like she's trying to tear us apart." "There isn't a member of this group she hasn't tried to manipulate in one way or another."  Examine sinks: A row of sinks. There's a collection of beakers piled in one.Examine binder: A binder filled with scribbled notes. This handwriting is near indecipherable.Examine microscope: This microscope is probably expensive. There's nothing on the slide.Examine flask: There's nothing in this flask. Well, except air, I guess.Examine petri dishes: Some petri dishes with some sort of gel in them. Is there something growing in here?"Examine tissues: It's a box of tissues. Not too exciting.Examine laptop: A laptop labeled "Property of University of Edgewater." It looks kind of old.Examine shelves: A row of bottles filled with some sort of liquid. They're all labeled with really long words.Examine lights: Fluorescent lights. Nothing unusual about them.Examine printer: A printer. I should examine this further.Examine the printer again: There's a row of printers against the wall. The furthest one has a blinking red light. "What's wrong with your printer?" "Ignore it. It broke nearly half a year ago, but we rarely touch it. Dr. Johansen is the only one who keeps trying to use it." The screen on the printer reads “(1) print job in queue." Hm... did Dr. Johansen try to print something? It may have been important. If I fix the printer, I can see what he was working on. I glance at Jupiter. I probably shouldn't try to fix this thing while she's still here. She mentioned wanting to check up on Aaron. I bet I could convince her to go see him, but I don't know how much time that will buy me. Is there a way to stall her after she leaves?
Try not to give away too much information. We don't know who we can trust. Come talk.
   Examine plant: A potted plant. I wonder whose job it is to water these.Examine couch: This couch smells strange. How many people have sat here?Examine lights: These lamps are powered by solar energy collected on the roof. Solar power. How forward thinking.  Shawn waves at me from across the room, his arms making broad sweeping motions above his head. "Yeah, it was okay I guess." "Was there anything you wanted to do today? Anything you wanted to try?" "Um... not really. I thought I'd just wander around campus and talk to people." "You don't want to sit in on any classes or anything?" Right. Class. That's a thing I'm supposed to care about. "Oh, well... I guess I might do that." "No pressure, man. Just a suggestion." "After all, this is supposed to be your experience. So experience it however you want." "Oh, um... except for the bell tower. That's off limits for now." "There was an accident there last night. I heard that someone died." "Does this happen often?" "What? No way, man! I swear this has never happened before!" "Man, you've got to be going through the worst college experience ever. First you're nearly arrested, then someone dies?" "I don't know. I think it's a really accurate representation." "Hohohoho! That's a good one. You don't let anything get you down, do you?" "Uh... sure." "So, did you have anything else you wanted to know about?" "Do you know anything about Dr. Johansen?" "He's old." "Besides that." "He's brilliant. Did you know that the military hired him for a top secret project about twenty years ago?" "It's not very secret if you're telling me about it." Shawn lets out a hearty laugh and leans forward, resting his arms on the table. "Good point." "No one knows what it was about, but my parents were students here at the time." "Did they work on the project?" "Nah, they weren't even bio majors." "But when people in military uniforms keep going in and out of the biology building, people notice." "Not so subtle, huh?" I wince at the thought. "Hopefully not." "But that's all in the past. These days, the University's focused more on sustainability than military." "Sustainability?" "Yeah. Renewable energy, small carbon footprint. All that good stuff." "Don't know if you noticed, but we've got a fleet of bikes placed around campus. Any student can use them. Reduces the need for driving between this campus and the main one. Plus, it's a good workout." "How generous." Shawn laughs nervously. "That's what they tell me." "I heard you used to be the head student in the lab." "Those were not my best days." "That so?" "I got the job because I had seniority, but it wasn't a good fit." "How so?" "Well, it was a lot of work. Lonely work." "I prefer work with a more social angle. Working alone in the back room isn't fun in the slightest!" "That's why I love being a student liaison. If I weren't, I wouldn't get to meet a cool guy like you!" "Okay... thanks?" I'm not sure why he sounds so excited about getting to meet me. "So... when did you start dating Chance?" "Huh... pretty recently. A couple months, I guess?" "I don't think she's very serious about it, though. Seems more like a rebound thing. Or maybe revenge." "And you're okay with that?" Shawn shrugs. "You never know until you try." What does he even mean by that? "You don't mind being used?" "Hey, most girls date me for my money. I thought she was going to ask me to fund her singing career at first." "That's kind of a depressing outlook."A brief flicker of disgust moves across Shawn's face, but it's quickly replaced by his ever optimistic smile.       "... I'm coping..." "That doesn't sound too positive. You sure you shouldn't still be back at the room resting?" "If I stay locked up thinking about it, it will just get worse. It may not be my kansei, but I can still feel Aaron's emotions when I'm near." "I have to be here around people with more positive emotions. Having bright memories will help balance the darker ones." "How I feel is the culmination of my experiences, so I have to keep filling my life with positive things." "Really? So... do you watch horror movies or anything?" "No, not really. They've never really held much interest for me, though." "I've seen enough terrible things in real life - there's no need for me to watch it as entertainment." "Are you okay with talking about what happened, then? I don't want to have to bring up bad memories." "The memories are always there, and I'd like to do what I can to help." "I don't want to have to hide all the time..."
Mr. Gurski will probably want to hear a report from you sometime.If you haven't checked the printer in the lab prior to this discussion, Naoki sends this text instead: Have you explored everything? It might be a good idea to look around.
 "Aki told me about your father. I'm really sorry." "So am I." "You can't blame yourself for what happened." "No? Every time I look back on it, I keep thinking that I was such a coward. I just wanted to pretend that it wasn't happening. I guess I thought that if I wished hard enough, it would just... change." "Do you ever think about him?" "It's impossible not to. I remember everything." "Right. Sorry..." "What is, is. You can't change the past." Naoki pauses, and I see a faint flicker of recall on his face. He takes a slow breath, and forces a smile. "What about your father? Did you know him?"  "But my dad was great. He used to joke that he and Mom were trying to raise their own personal army of children." "You had a lot of siblings?" "Two sisters and a brother. I think the plan was for more, but we wound up being a real handful. I don't think a day went by that John and I didn't get into some sort of pointless fight." "Dad would make us go build something together as punishment. He said it would force us to learn how to work together." "Man, our yard had a lot of ugly birdhouses built with crooked nails. He forced us to hang them up outside our windows to remind ourselves that we don't have to be perfect to help others. And that working together is always more productive than fighting." "He really was something." "You speak of him in the past tense..." "He passed away this year. Heart problems run in his family." "Oh, I'm sorry..." "I came back as soon as I heard, but his funeral is long past." "You could at least visit his grave, right?" "I could. I was planning to, really. It's just that with everything that happened, I haven't had time to get away..." "Why don't you talk to Mr. Gurski about it? I'm sure he'll give you permission to go." Mr. Gurski? "I don't know. Every time I talk to him, he seems a little... cranky." "It's not you. I think Aki just has that effect on him sometimes." I just wish she wouldn't fight him so much. I know she's trying to protect us, but she carries too much of the burden alone. And in the end... we let her.
Um...sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable talking about our history. ^_^;;
 “Any idea who killed Dr. Johansen?" "It's hard to say... I don't really know much about the outside circumstances." "But you remember the crime scene. Anything important you can think of?" "The door to the bell tower was locked, and my card didn't work on it. Aaron had to let me in." "So only an actual student of the school could get in there." Naoki nods. "And then... Aaron went up the stairs first. I almost tripped over him at the top when he found the body. The blood was still pooling. It hadn't coagulated at all, so..." Naoki swallows as he realizes the meaning of his words. "That means that when the bell destroyed his body, he was still alive. But it doesn't look like he was trying to get out of the way at all." "He must have been unconscious when it happened." I sure hope so... "Turns out Nathan really wanted to be in charge of the lab, but Dr. Johansen appointed Jupiter instead. Nathan's been pretty unhappy ever since." "That's not good. Do you think he killed Johansen as revenge?" "Li Mei says that there's definitely resentment bubbling around Nathan. It's possible." "Killing Dr. Johansen might be an act of revenge, but wouldn't he be more likely to kill Jupiter instead?" "At least... if he did something like that, then he'd be able to get what he really wants." "Hm... good point." "Still, it's probably a good idea to keep an eye on him. Even if he's not the murderer, he might take this opportunity to do something rash."
Shawn doesn't seem very worried about what's going on, but I think it's just a show of confidence to keep the students calm.
   Examine bin: The sign on the trash reads "Biodegradable Waste Only.”Examine plates: The remains of someone's spaghetti. The bowl is empty. Who just leaves empty plates lying around? A cold slice of pizza. A salad. I would say it's more my speed, but this one looks awfully wilted. I think I'll pass.Examine red stain: Hm. Someone spilled ketchup.Examine bread: When was this bread baked? It looks kind of hard...Examine machine: A sign on the machine reads "Out of Order." Someone has scribbled "what do we pay all that tuition 4?" on the bottom.  "You mean that someone died last night?" "Shawn says the police are calling it an accident, but I'm worried..." "What if there's a murderer running around campus?" "That's kind of an extreme outlook. The chances of that are pretty slim, you know." "That's true..." "Besides, if there is one, I know you'll catch him!" "What?" "You were amazing at the coffee shop last week! I can't believe you managed to figure out the murderer so quickly." "You're like a genius detective or something!" "I think I'm more "something" than "genius."" "My what?" "Every detective needs an assistant, right?" "It'll be perfect! I mean, we've already solved one case together." "I'm not sure I agree with your definition of "together."" "We could go around and solve all kinds of mysteries. It'll be fun!" "I'm not sure I agree with your definition of "fun," either." "See? We already have the witty banter part down." "This isn't some TV series where we get to run around having adventures and shooting guns at attractive people." "Fine. Ruin my fun." "There's nothing fun about someone dying - accident or not." "Just trying to lighten the mood. You really are a sourpuss." "So if you really think this is a murder, who do you think did it?" "That's a good question. Hmm... who could it be?" "You think Dr. Johansen was killed, but you don't even have an idea of who it might be?" "Well, I don't want to implicate the wrong person from the start!" "I'm not going to go point a finger at the first person you mention, you know." "Well, if that's the case... I guess I'm most suspicious of Kizaki." "What?" "He was at the coffee shop last week too!" "I didn't notice him at first because he blends into the background so well. But don't you think it's suspicious that he was in both places?" "Um... you and I were in both places too..." "But you solved the case, and I know it wasn't me. So that leaves him." "But he helped catch the killer." "OR, they were working together, and he decided to let her take the fall." "Think about it. Dr. Johansen and the victim from last week both worked with Auten Engineering. Maybe he's trying to finish what she started." "Besides, I hear he's the one who discovered Dr. Johansen's body. Don't they say that whoever finds the body first is the most suspicious?" Wow... she actually has a point. Sorry, Naoki. "Why don't you and Jupiter get along?" "Because she's fussy and controlling. Obviously." "That was a quick answer." "She just doesn't like the fact that an underclassman can be part of Dr. Johansen's special team." "So she'll take every opportunity she can to give me a lousy job. Last week, I had to scan all the old research files to be stored digitally." "Bo-RING." "That's really all there is to it?" "Of course. I didn't do anything to make her mad, so that must be it!" Well, that's definitely not the answer I got from Jupiter. Conflicting stories. Oh joy.    Detective Gurski quickly positions himself between me and the bell tower. "You're on guard duty? Seems kind of dull for someone of your status." "Life isn't always about what's fun." "That much I know." "So what are you doing here?" "Investigating, like you told me to." "Well, you can't do it here. Crime scene is closed." "You're kind of tying my hands, here." "I told you to dig into his research." "Besides, haven't you had enough trauma here, already?" "Don't tell me you're trying to protect me." "That's not actually in the job description, is it?" "Does it matter? I still do it." "Anyway, if I can't go inside, I guess I should go." "You're welcome to look around. Just don't cross the police line." "I should probably get back to the lab, anyway. If I follow our original assignment, I might be able to find a thread." "Original assignment?" "Yeah. Figure out what Mr. Auten was up to." "Up to? Seems like all of his business affairs were in order." "He may have been doing a little more on the side..." "We searched his house pretty thoroughly, but they couldn't find anything that we didn't already know about." "Um..." Before we left, I swiped a hidden SD card with some of Auten's files on it. None of us had been able to decipher the contents of the files, but Aki insisted that we keep my find a secret. "Now would be a good time to tell me if you know anything."
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Dec 26, 2022 02:12
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Nah
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Dec 26, 2022 13:21
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I think I can believe that Chance's childishness isn't an act, that would explain her incredibly stupid and impulsive poisoning of Kangai at the coffee shop if he just mentions the existence of the card. Hmmm... I think we can trust this guy, we've worked with him. Confess that you might have obtained an SD card.
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Dec 26, 2022 14:18
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Confess. They're basically on the same team at this point.
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Dec 26, 2022 23:05
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I appreciate that Naoki texts you things while you are actively talking to him.
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Dec 30, 2022 19:38
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  Detective Gurski groans. "You took evidence from the crime scene." "Um... yes." He shakes his head. "Aki's rubbing off on you." "Hey, I didn't exactly know who to trust, okay?" "You still don't trust me?" "You're my handler. How do I know you're not reporting all my dirty little secrets to a board of men in black suits sitting in a dark room?" "I usually give the reports on casual Friday, so no black suits." "If I tell you I'm not, would you believe me?" "…" "What about if I remind you that I still haven't arrested you yet?" "Okay, but..." "And that I didn't tell Schulz that I saw you pocket something at Mr. Auten's place right before that mess with Kevin?" "Wait, you knew?" "Of course I knew. It IS my job to notice these things."
Thanks for being honest with me. I'm glad I can still trust you.As far as I'm aware, this text message can't be seen in-game as the conversation automatically continues, text messages can't be read during a conversation and Gurski immediately sends another text at the end of this conversation. "Why didn't you say anything about it?" Actually, I think I just did. So what was it?" "An SD card. Mostly a bunch of documents and formulas that we couldn't decipher." "Documents you'll be handing over to the proper authorities, I'm sure." "Uhh... yeah. I was definitely going to get around to doing that." "What else?" "He also had the video from today." "The one of you breaking into the lab?" I cough pointedly. "Right. The one of someone who looks like you breaking into the lab?" "Yeah, that one. I don't know how he got it, though. Didn't Jupiter say that hardly anyone has clearance to the security footage?" "No doubt Dr. Johansen had that level of clearance." "If Dr. Johansen is the one who sent the video to Mr. Auten, then that confirms the video is linked to their old research." "But that doesn't explain how it's linked, or who that person is." "Well, I kind of hoped we'd be able to ask the good doctor about that." Gurski's expression darkens. "If I were the paranoid type, I'd be inclined to say that someone is trying to stop you from getting answers." "And are you the paranoid type?" "If I were, I wouldn't tell you." "Fair enough." "So you basically came here to dig through Dr. Johansen's research and possibly find out what else Mr. Auten was working on." "That's the idea, yeah. Aki set us up with some sort of high school student program where we get to experience college life or something similar. But when we got here, Naoki sensed that something was wrong. I thought it was nothing, but-" "Yeah, I know that NOW." "Anyway, he sensed something was wrong, we found the body in the tower, and you probably know the rest." "More or less. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to return to the crime scene." "Yeah, I should probably get going..." "Keep me updated."
Chance is kind of weirding me out. It might be a good idea to keep a close eye on her. If you see anything out of place, tell me first. I saw a butterfly. Everyone here seems to think Dr. Johansen's death was an accident. D:
  "Was that really Dr. Johansen in the bell tower?" "Sure was. They haven't, um... reconstructed everything yet, but they did manage to match one of his remaining prints." "Any prints not his?" "A few here and there, but I'm not optimistic. Nothing that looks like it was left by the killer." "Great. Another dead end. Um... I didn't mean it like that." "Are there any suspects?" "You mean other than you?" "Hey!" "…" "Okay, that's fair. You're not going to arrest me again, are you?" "Couldn't even if I wanted to. Schulz says you're untouchable." "I'm going to pay for that one, aren't I?" "Being in her debt is not a pleasant situation. And if she agreed to give you clearance to Auten and Guan's research, she must be very serious." "Wait, she's in charge of that too? How much is she involved in?" "I don't even know, and I'm-" He sighs. "It's beyond my pay grade." "And to answer your first question, no. So far we haven't found anything that could be linked to the killer." "Naoki said that you need an ID card to get in. He says his didn't work, but Aaron's did." "That at least narrows it down to students and faculty, but that's still a lot of names." "It's probably safe to assume it was one of the grad students. No one else knew Dr. Johansen would even be here." "I spoke to Naoki about the scene." "And? Did he remember anything?" "He says the blood pattern looked like Johansen was still alive when the bell struck him. But it didn't look like he was trying to move out of the way, so he was likely unconscious." "The killer probably knocked him out and assumed that letting the bell do the dirty work would cover up anything else." "That means whoever killed him didn't actually have to be there at the time of the killing." "Pretty much." "But Naoki didn't hear anything strange when we first arrived, so whoever did it had to have placed him there sometime within the hour after we arrived." "That's a pretty narrow window. Try to find out everyone's alibi for that time."
Have you talked to everyone about where they were during 10:00 and 11:00?
  Examine door: The doors are shut. The police probably don't want people trying to peek inside.Examine windows: It's impossible to see in the windows. They're too high up.Examine police car: A police car. Good for letting everyone know to stay far away.   "Naoki says you try to handle too much on your own. I think he's worried about you." "What does that even mean? I'm fine." "It means that you try to shoulder everyone else's burdens, but you never share yours with us. Last night, you filtered Naoki's kansei. And Li Mei's. AND mine! You're putting so much strain on your body!" "So?" "So it's not healthy, okay? Naoki and Li Mei have you to lean on, but who do you have?""Kan... I think you're misunderstanding..." "Look at Naoki. He's a genius. He can master anything he looks at. Li Mei's practically psychic, and the way she fights..." "At the most I can push people in a direction they already want to go. I'm so far behind..." Aki pauses. It looks like she wants to say something, but she's not sure if she should. "Kan, you took over that man's body. That's not-" She shakes her head. "Even with blood contact, I can't tell someone else what to do. But you... you just took over. You're amazing, too." "But when I look at these amazing things you guys can do, I see how much it tears at you. How hard it is to stand up under the weight of it." "But I can make it go away. Just for a little bit, I can help." "Can't I help?" "I'm not saying not to help. I'm just saying that your brother is worried you're trying to do too much on your own." "He's worried about you. So am I..." "Then what would you have me do? Leave you to deal with the pain of your kansei alone?" "Why not just trust us to help you once in a while?" "Including you?" "I don't know. Maybe? I mean, I'm stuck with you guys for a while, right?" "You make it sound so dire." "You want to help so much? Get back to work on this case." "That I can do."    "This is the library, right?" "Yeah." "Then I'm pretty sure I'm not lost." "It's just that you come in here a lot, but you don't seem to be looking for anything in particular." "I'm just... exploring." "You seem more like you're going in circles." Okay, there's a little bit of that in there. "You're not bored, are you? You need something to do?" "There are bikes?" "Yeah. Every few years, Shawn's family donates a fleet of bikes to the school." "Anyone who wants to use it can just grab one and bike around campus." "That sounds like it has the potential to go very wrong very quickly." "Yeah, the bikes get wrecked or stolen pretty fast." "But it's still cool! The Tasse family is probably the most awesome family ever." "Rich, smart, and environmentally responsible. The whole family is a triple threat." "And Shawn's the only eligible bachelor of the whole bunch." "Honestly, if Jupiter cheated on me with him, I wouldn't mind at all." "TMI, man." "Okay, so basically Shawn and the Tasses are perfect and rich." "Shawn and the Tasses!" "Sounds like a great name for a band." "I call dibs on lead guitar." "Man, I wanted lead guitar." "Then next time, be faster."  "Where were you yesterday morning between 10:00 and 11:00?" "Um... around?" He shrugs. "I don't remember things." "Could you at least try?" "Um... Jupiter says we have to be at the lab at 10:00 every day. So I guess I was there. Just like every other morning." "Did you see anyone else at the lab yesterday morning?" "Yeah. You." Oh. Right. "What about Nathan?" "Well, yeah. We share one of the smaller labs, so we were both there all morning." "And Jupiter?" "Um... I don't think I saw her until you showed up." "That was a lot closer to 11:00, though. You didn't see her at all before then?" "Nope." "So... you and Chance used to date?" "Haha. Well aren't you nebby? Who told you that?" "Jupiter..." "Figures." "It didn't end too well?" "I'm hard pressed to think of a way hot coffee to the face is a good thing." "Why did you break up?" "She said I wasn't being supportive enough, so she broke it off." "Honestly, I think she was just looking for a reason." "Then why the coffee?" "Um... well Jupe and I went to the coffee shop where she works. Chance asked if Jupe was her replacement and I told her she'd actually have to matter for me to need a replacement." "Mature." "Well I never claimed to make intelligent life decisions." "So you weren't just dating Jupiter to get back at Chance?" "Of course not!" "Sorry. I'm not trying to be skeptical. It's just..." "It's just you don't see how someone as studious as Jupe would date a slacker like me?" "Well..." "Listen, man. I like Jupe, so I asked her out. She said yes, so I guess that means she likes me." "And I don't know if it's going to work out or not, but I had to at least give it a shot." "Haven't you met anyone like that?" "Like what?" "Like you don't know if it'll be a good fit, but you know you'll regret if you don't try." "Um... I don't know. I guess I never thought about it." "Well you should. You don't want to miss out on cool stuff because you're not looking for it."   "Where were you yesterday between 10:00 and 11:00?" "At the lab. We're supposed to be in at 10:00 every morning to check on our work." "Then we have classes to teach at 11:00." "But if I remember correctly, we ran into you, instead." "Yeah, I seem to recall that." "Did you see anyone else?" "Yeah, David was there the whole time." "And Jupiter?" "Can't say I remember seeing her at all. Sorry." "Aren't you and Jupiter on bad terms?" "Who told you that?" "I was just wondering. I mean, she got the job you wanted, after all..." "Okay, yes. I was mad that Johansen appointed her, and things were really weird for a while. But we worked it out. That's what people DO." "So you're totally fine now?" "I haven't seen any indication of anything to suggest otherwise." "What about Chance? Wasn't she unhappy that Jupiter got the job? I heard you were talking with her about it." "She was just being supportive. I needed to blow off some steam, and she was there for me." "You couldn't talk to David about it?" "Of course not. He totally had the hots for Jupe, even back then. No way I was going to tell him about it."     "Where were you yesterday morning between 10:00 and 11:00?" "Here at the lab. Why?" "Just curious." “Strange thing to be curious about." "Well, I got here around 9:00. I was the only one here at the time. I always check the labs to make sure everything is in order before I start working." "Is there any way you can prove this?" "Sure. I logged in using my student ID." Jupiter leans over her laptop and types a few lines onto the keyboard. "Look. You can see the time when I logged in right here." She points at the screen. The monitor is lit up with a list of log in and log off times. Sure enough, she came in at 9:00 yesterday. "What about the others? When did they come in?" Jupiter taps a few more keys. "According to the system, Nathan and David logged in at 10:00 as usual. Aaron didn't, but he got special permission to stay behind and wait for you." "Did you see either Nathan or David yesterday morning?" "I didn't see either of them until I met you." "So even though they logged in, they may not have been here. For instance, one of them could have used both cards." "I wouldn't be surprised if they did." "I try to give them freedom to show that I trust them, but... such a thing can be abused."    "Where were you yesterday morning between 10:00 and 11:00?" "Giving you a tour, then working at the main office, if I recall correctly. Why do you ask?" "Oh, um... just trying to remember. I'm kind of in shock after what happened last night." "Oh, it really is a tragedy, isn't it? You know, if you want to talk to a grief counselor..." "No, that's not it. I just... It's nothing. I'll be fine." "If you say so." "Did anyone else see you after you dropped us off at the dorms?" "I guess? I went straight to the office, but class was in session so there weren't many people out. So maybe? Maybe not?"
  "Where were you yesterday morning between 10:00 and 11:00?" "I'm not a suspect, am I?" "Everyone's a suspect." "Ooh! You're taking this really seriously." "Just tell me where you were?" "If you must know, I was at work. I don't have to be on campus until noon, but I wanted to bring Shawn lunch." "So I guess I arrived here a little after 11:00." "Did anyone else see you before then?" "I don't know. Maybe?" "What does it matter? You're just going to suspect me anyway." "There's no need to be hostile about it. I'm just asking."     "Hey, if I get Jupiter to visit, can you stall her for me?" "Stall?" "You know... keep her busy. Talk to her and stuff." "I am not skilled at talking..." "You talk with me just fine." "You are not the same." "How so?" "You are family." "Then think of this as a mission. This is part of solving the case." "Aaron's still resting right now, but as soon as he's ready, I'll send Jupiter your way. Can I count on you?" "I will not fail."
Aaron still sleeps. Call later.
 "Have you ever had a blood reaction?" "…" Li Mei looks to the side. She seems uncomfortable. "Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it-" "Yes." "Right, no problem. I won't ask about it any more." "No. I meant... I have..." "Had a blood reaction? What happened?" Li Mei's eyes grow distant, and I wonder if I've dug into a memory that I shouldn't have. "I forget." "You don't remember what happened?" "I forget who I am. For a time... I am no one." "You mean you black out?" "I hear thoughts of another. They fill my head until I no longer hear myself." "You can actually hear that person's thoughts? Not just feel their emotions?" She nods numbly. "I'm sorry..." "As am I. I did not understand what I was doing until then."     "I talked to almost everyone about their alibis for 10:00 to 11:00." "And?" "Well, Shawn was our tour guide for most of the hour, then he says he went to work at the University Center. I remember he left Aki and Li Mei at the lab for a while. Chance says she was at work the whole time. Aaron's still sleeping, but I assume he was in his room all morning. Jupiter says she was in the lab for the entire hour, but no one saw her. David and Nathan were in the lab together that hour. Computer logon times confirm all three of them in the lab." "Aaron and Chance seem to have the shakiest alibis, then..." "True, but... I don't know if either of them have a motive." "From what I can tell, Dr. Johansen treated both of them very well." "Well, it's not like the others are airtight, either. Even if other people saw Shawn at the Center, there's still the gap of time after he left Aki." “And just because a computer confirms a login doesn't mean that that person was there." "So what next?" "Search for motive. But do try to be discreet. Hang onto your cover for as long as you can." "Right."
Everyone has an alibi, but some of them could probably be faked. Try to confirm all the alibis you can. Aaron stirs.
    "Hey, feeling better?" "I want to throw up less. Does that count?" "I guess."
Aaron seems unwell. I think he had a nightmare.
 "Can you think of anyone who might want Dr. Johansen dead?" "Pfft... no." "Okay..." "I don't think he stayed in any place long enough for anyone to hate him." "What?" "He was always zipping around the world giving talks and stuff. The only person here who he really spoke to was Jupiter. She's basically in charge of everything."He pauses for a moment to consider a thought. "Maybe Nathan will get the job now." "Nathan?" "Dr. Johansen appointed Jupiter as head researcher here, even though Nathan's been here longer." "I heard he got super mad about that." "You weren't here when it happened?" "Nah. I only transferred here last semester." "Who told you about Nathan?" "Um... David, I think. He's my roommate, and he intro'd me to everyone when I got here." "Has Dr. Johansen been acting strange lately?" "Strange how?" "I don't know. Distracted? Scared?" "No idea. Only met him twice, and he was p-busy both times." "But I guess him coming here is kind of strange..." "Oh? Why is that?" "He was supposed to be on a European lecture tour, but he cut it short to return." "I'm not sure why. I heard that he never cancels a tour." Something must have brought him back in a hurry. "Do you remember when he decided to come back?" "Hm... sometime last week? Hard to say. Sometimes the days just run together." "And he didn't say why he canceled it?" "Nope." "Where were you yesterday between 10:00am and 11:00am?" "Here. Sleeping." "Sleeping?" "Well, usually I'm supposed to be at the lab, but I got an exception because I was supposed to meet you." "So... I slept in." "Did anyone see you?" "I wouldn't know. I was asleep." "David was probably long gone by then. If he wanted to get to the lab on time, at least." "Do you remember anything from yesterday that might help figure out who killed Dr. Johansen?" "I'm trying not to remember ANYTHING from yesterday, you know." "Sorry to dredge up bad memories so quickly, but it's important." "I know it's important. Doesn't make it any more fun. Let's see... didn't see anyone I know on the way there. Kizaki looked p-worried, but he didn't say much. Wait... on the way out, I saw Chance's car drive by." "Are you sure?" "P-sure... there's a kind of dent in the back shaped like a pumpkin. Or maybe a squash. But she was leaving the campus... which is weird, you know?" She told me she didn't arrive on campus until after 11:00. Why would she be leaving? "I dunno. I could be wrong."    "Didn't you say you were going to check up on Aaron?" "Ah, sí! Is he awake now?" "Yeah. He was when I last saw him." “Excellent. If you don't mind, could you step outside?" "What?" "I really don't feel comfortable leaving you alone in the lab." Uh oh. Didn't see that one coming... "Don't worry. I'll be back soon." I glance around and tentatively give the front door a tug. Locked. Go figure. The back door is locked too. Obviously. No way I'm going to find the code this quickly. My only option is to break in. Ha. Like I'd even know how. I'd have to be some sort of criminal... I'm afraid to ask, but Aki might... No way. There's no way she can do something like that. I glance up at the clock tower in the distance. This might be my only chance. I guess it couldn't hurt to ask.  "You don't know how to break into a building, do you?" "Which building are you talking about?" "Um... the biology lab..." "That's a pretty high security building. It'll be difficult..." "But you can do it?" "Of course not." I knew it. "Naoki can." ...I probably should have guessed that. "So should I go talk to him?" "No need. He's already on his way. Meet him behind the lab." "And bring him this." Aki tosses something to me, and I catch it in both hands. It's a pocket-sized screwdriver. "A screwdriver? You just carry one of these around?" "You never know when you'll need to put up a lot of shelves." "Okay then."  "I believe you need this?" I hand Naoki the screwdriver and he immediately begins to unscrew the face plate on the security pad. "So, um... you learned how to break into places..." Great conversation topic. "Circumstances were different." Naoki doesn't bother to look at me as he removes the plate and pulls out a tangled collection of wires. "Yeah, no. I get it. I mean..." "I'm sorry, but could you just give me a moment?" "Right. Sorry." Naoki sorts out the wires in the box and picks out two. "We only have a few seconds of time, so as soon as I open the door, hurry. I'll have to stay out here to reset the alarm so no one gets suspicious." "Got it." Naoki takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "Go." The door clicks, and I fling it open.  Hm, there's a sticker on the front. It's got a phone number for customer service. I pull out my phone and dial the number. It plays an unmemorable jingle for a few agonizing seconds before someone answers. "Um, hey. I've got this broken printer... was wondering how to fix it?" "Please wait one moment, sir." I pace back and forth as the cheesy hold music plays. I don't have much time here... It's going to be extremely awkward if someone walks in on me while I'm still on hold. "Thank you for holding. How may I help you today?" "Um, I've got this printer that isn't working... model number TD4715." "What color is the blinking light?" "Red." "That means the ink heads need to be cleaned. It's a common problem with that model. Hold down the power and the stop button at the same time for three seconds." I push down the indicated buttons and wait. The printer starts whining and something inside begins to spin. "Okay, it's making noise..." The printer whines a little longer, and the paper feed begins to spin. "Oh, hey, I think it's printing. That was easy!" "Is there anything else I can help you with today, sir?" "No, I'm good." "Would you be interested in taking a fifteen minute survey about the service you received today?" "No thanks." "Are you sure? You will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift card to-" "I'm fine. Thanks." "Thank you for calling Harvard Packette." I hang up and hover around the printer. It whirs and sputters, but so far, nothing's printing. Come on... "Thank you!" I snatch up the papers and make a mad dash for the exit.  I turn and race for the front door. I slam my shoulder into it and stumble out the lab, hoping that Jupiter didn't see me. Alright, what was Dr. Johansen trying to print here? I hope this isn't a chain letter or something... Hmm... it looks like a formal suspension notice. Dr. Johansen was going to suspend one of the students?  
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Feb 7, 2023 23:05
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Obviously Naoki, he has all the memory, all the time.
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Feb 7, 2023 23:24
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Aha, confessing to Gurski was the right move, because he already knew anyway. That string of numbers is probably a student ID or something along those lines. Naoki seems like the best one to ask about this.
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Feb 8, 2023 03:37
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Naoki's perfect memory should be able to help. Still, Aki says she wants to help more, even though she's already helping plenty, and Gurski texted you to tell him things first. Maybe whoever we pick first will trust Kangai more.
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Feb 8, 2023 07:35
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Naoki is the most logical choice imo, so let's go with him. Surely Gurski won't mind, it's not like we're hiding info from him so much as delaying it.
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Feb 8, 2023 08:18
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I'm gonna go with Gurski here. The string of numbers is probably a student ID; Gurski could probably make a call a find out whose.
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Feb 8, 2023 15:20
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Did you find anything in the lab? If you did, let's look at it together. I did as you asked. What did you find?
  "Looks like there's something of a soap opera going on here." "How so?" "Well, Shawn used to be lab head, but that role was passed on to Jupiter even though Nathan wanted it. Jupiter is now dating David, but David used to date Chance, who is currently dating Shawn." "I don't suppose you drew out a chart for this?" "Not really." "With relationships like this, I can only assume that people are going to want to point fingers at each other." "Take any accusations you hear with a grain of salt." "Hm... gralt?" "I'm not feeling it." "So... any negative feelings still brewing?" "I think so. Nathan's a bit raw about things. Jupiter's definitely still unhappy. Strangely enough, David's pretty relaxed about the whole situation." "He doesn't mind that his ex is with Shawn now?" "He and Nathan are actually really positive about Shawn." "To hear them tell it, he's some sort of Prince Charming." "Hmm... Prince Shawn...ing? No, that's all wrong. Hang on, I'll figure it out."
I've got it! They could call Shawn Tasse the “Shawntasy.”
 "I found this note queued in the printer, but I'm not sure what all these numbers are for." "Let me see." I hand the sheets of paper to Aki and she flips between them quickly. "It's an access log. A list of who logs into the computer and when. But all of these time codes have the same ID number." "The first page is a student suspension notice. The ID must match the intended recipient." "I don't suppose you have any idea who this was meant for." "Sadly, I have not taken it upon myself to seek out everyone's student ID number." "It's probably private information, anyway." "Is there some way we could find out whose number that is?" Aki grins. "There's always a way." "Let's go." "Where?" "To see my brother, of course." Aki strides along the walkway silently and I fall into place beside her. Her eyes take on a distant look for a moment. Talking to Naoki, no doubt. "Are you up to it?" "Up to what?" Naoki nods wearily at the two of us. "I've had worse." He tries to speak reassuringly, but he sounds worn out. "Kan found something. Looks like a student ID number. Was thinking we could do a lost and found, if you're up to it." "That's not a problem." Aki looks worried, but she nods and hands the printouts to him. He glances at the strings of numbers. "Okay." "Anyone we need to look out for?" "Look out? We're not going to break into anything, are we?" "Nothing like that. Sometimes, acquiring information is as simple as pretending you already have it." "Shawn's in there. If you can talk to him for a bit, that would help." "Consider it done! Come along, Kan." Aki throws the front door open and marches in. I follow her, but Naoki hangs back from the two of us. "Shawn! So glad we could catch you. Kangai and I have a very important question for you." "Sure. Ask me anything." "Can you minor in bagpiping here?" "Minor in what?" "Bagpiping. You know..." Aki holds her hands up and mimes playing a set of bagpipes. "Like the instrument..." "Um... I would have to look that up for you..." "We'd appreciate it!" "I'll be right back." With a contented smile, Aki seats herself in a chair and leans back as if she's waiting for someone. The front door swings open and Naoki enters. He approaches the information desk timidly and waits for the bored looking guy at the counter to notice him. "U-um, excuse me... I seem to have misplaced my student ID..." The guy snorts through his nose and gives Naoki a smug look. "I can get a replacement here, right?" "O-oh. Sure, that's fine." Naoki fumbles with his wallet and counts out a few bills. "The number is, um... 147732100... 2... I think." He recites the number from memory, and the worker types it into his computer. "Looks like my cue." Aki pulls out her phone and taps the screen. Naoki's phone starts ringing, and he answers it quickly. "Hello?" "Did you know a hummingbird can fly backwards?" I raise an eyebrow at Aki and she sticks her tongue out at me. I don't think I'll ever understand her. "And upside down." "You found it? Where!?" "I'm kind of craving ramen. What about you?" Naoki pauses for a moment before laughing. "I thought I already looked there!" "No, no, it's okay. Thanks. I owe you one!" He hangs up and turns to the guy at the counter. "Um, looks like I don't need one after all." The worker sighs and returns to idly surfing the internet. "Time to go." Aki waits for Naoki to leave before strolling casually to the door. Naoki beams. "So what now?" "Well, the ID belongs to Nathan. Talk to him, I guess?" "What, I'm just supposed to walk up to him and ask if he killed Dr. Johansen?" "Well, I was thinking more of tying him up and hanging him off a tall building. We could call it aerial motivation." "Let me guess... aerivation?" "Nope. Motivaerial. Nice try, though." "Yeah, I'm just going to tell Gurski about it." "Your loss. You go see Miko. I'm heading back to the student union to see if Shawn's got an answer about that bagpiping minor."
Turns out you can't minor in bagiping here. Disappointment. But hey, juggling is fair game! You talk to Nathan yet?
  "I think Nathan might have a good motive for killing Dr. Johansen." "What makes you say that?" "Um... well, I found this note in the printer. It's an expulsion notice." "Nathan was going to be expelled?" "Supposedly for unauthorized access to confidential files." I hand the papers to Gurski and he glances over them quickly. "That's his student ID number on the second page." "And how do you know this?" "Um... it might be better if I don't tell you that." Gurski arches an eyebrow, and it's not hard to tell he already has a solid idea of where I got the information. "Right. Well, getting kicked out of school is a better motive than anything else we've got. Let's talk to him." "I think he's at the library right now. We can meet there to talk to him."  "So anything else I should know about this Nathan guy?" "Um, not much comes to mind. He's a TA for most of Johansen's classes, but the students don't seem to like him that much." "He and David get along pretty well, but I hear he and Jupiter are still on rocky ground. I think he feels undervalued. Like he deserves more recognition than he's getting." "Could be a motive to steal the doctor's research and sell it off to a competitor who might value him more. And if Dr. Johansen reported him, that would be a permanent mark on his record. He wouldn't find work anywhere." "That sounds a lot more like a motive." He pauses momentarily to offer a word of advice to a guy who looks especially feverish. "Um, hey Nathan." Nathan barely bothers to glance in my direction. "No. It really can't. We need to talk about Dr. Johansen, but..." Gurski nods at the group of students who have all stopped working to listen to our conversation. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" "They just wanna talk about something. Private, I guess." "I could take care of your students for a bit." A teasing grin spreads across his face. "But you'll owe me dinner." Nathan waves him off absentmindedly. "When do I not?" Nathan scans the library quickly before motioning for us to follow him. "Over here." He leads the two of us to find a remote corner of the library. "So what did you want?" Gurski holds up the first printout. "Do you recognize this?" "I'm afraid I can't help you with that. What is it?" "It's an expulsion notice. Dr. Johansen was planning to expel you for unauthorized access to confidential information." "Were you selling it to another research facility?" Nathan snorts through his nose. "You're joking, right? I haven't heard anything about this." "Is that so?" Gurski shows him the second page. "Because I've got an entire page of login times with your student ID that says otherwise." "What the-?" Nathan leans in and squints at the page. His eyes widen as soon as he realizes what the numbers mean. "But that doesn't make any sense!" "It makes a lot of sense to me." "This is the first time I've seen this! I never go back to the lab that late." "And will the video evidence back that claim?" "Can you explain all of these logins?" “No. I don't keep track of when I log in because there's a computer there to do it for me. As you know." "And you're telling me that in this case, the computer must have gotten it wrong." "Uh, yeah, no. Don't blame the computer. It's more likely that someone else used my card to log in." “They've never been able to keep up with us. Maybe he wanted to give them an edge." "Plus, he keeps misplacing his card, so he borrows everyone else's cards all the time. Including mine." "Why don't you try asking him about it?" Detective Gurski and I trade glances. Nathan's alibi doesn't sound very compelling, but we can't refute it. "Are we done talking? I've really got to get going. I've got a lecture in..." He looks at the clock. "Negative three minutes." "You may go, but I'd strongly advise you not to leave campus." Nathan rolls his eyes. "Like I have time to." He turns on his heel, scoops up his bag, and dashes out the door. "So what do you think?" "I don't know if I believe him, but it couldn't hurt to talk to Aaron." "I think he's still in his room." "Lead the way."
We're talking to Aaron now, right? Jupiter came. She is truly concerned for Aaron's well being.
  Li Mei looks up at me hopefully. She sounds serious. "Yeah, I did." "That is good." "You did a good job stalling Jupiter for me. What did you talk about?" "The rabbit. I wanted to know if it is well." "Oh..." "Why are you sad?" "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be. But it's sad to think that it's going to die, isn't it?" Li Mei shakes her head and smiles kindly at me. "All pass away in time. You understand." "I do. That's why it hurts. Sometimes in my dreams, I can still see the memories I've taken from those who have died." "None of them expected to die. None of them thought their lives would be so short..." Li Mei places a gentle hand on mine. "None ever do."
I hope the rabbit is well.
 "Did Jupiter say anything else while she was here?" "We spoke of her time here." "Yeah?" "We also spoke of Shawn." "Whoa. How'd he come up in conversation?" "He lead before her. It did not make him very happy. His family chose that path for him. He hates his family." Li Mei stares down at her hands and watches with a sort of distracted fascination as she locks her fingers together. "I do not understand." "Understand?" "Family is not for hating." "Of course not. But sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes people do things they shouldn't." "But why?" "Because we're human, I guess. People are complicated."Li Mei nods an eager agreement. "Very."
There is much turmoil. Someone is scared.
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Apr 2, 2023 22:10
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wait, i am confused - weren't we voting for Naoki? But we went to talk to Aki?
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Apr 2, 2023 22:21
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Clever use of social engineering to get the name associated with the student ID.Regallion posted:wait, i am confused - weren't we voting for Naoki? But we went to talk to Aki? The actual choice was Aki AND Naoki versus Gurski.
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Apr 2, 2023 23:38
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Very clever, indeed. Also realistic that the person paid to verify just didn't care how suspiciously Naoki went about it. A normal person would lead with their name or an alternate ID, not a long string of numbers.
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Apr 3, 2023 01:42
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 "Hey, Aaron?" "Yo, yo. Something up?" "Um, we kind of have to talk about something." "'Kay." Aaron drops his pen on the binder, and pushes himself away from the desk. "Wheeee..." He spins in his chair a few times, and finally slows to a stop. His hand reflexively moves to his camera and he snaps a shot. "'Sup?" "Have you ever borrowed Nathan's ID card?" "Yeah, all the time." "Why don't you use your own?" "Does it matter?" "In this case, it kinda does." "I lose mine a lot. Leave it in the lab, wrong pair of pants. Stuff like that. It doesn't matter which card you use to log in as long as you do, right?" "Do you recognize this?" Detective Gurski holds up the printouts and Aaron leans in to get a good look at it. "Uhhhh..." He squints. "Yeah, not really. What is it?" "An expulsion notice." Aaron's eyes widen. "That's no good." "No, it really isn't." "The data suggests that Nathan has been accessing files he shouldn't be. But we have reason to believe you were the one using it." "Whoa whoa whoa whoa..." Aaron holds up his hands in self defense. "I-I didn't do anything like that!" Gurski tosses the pages on Aaron's desk. "You're from Western State, aren't you?" "Yeah?" "I hear Edgewater University and Western State are bitter rivals." "Oh, uh..." Aaron suddenly looks very uncomfortable. "You still think of yourself as a Western State student. Just look at the stuff you keep in your room." "Yeah, but..." "So, what was the plan? You transferred here to steal information and send it to your friends across the state?" "NO!" Aaron folds his arms across his chest. "What do you mean?" Aaron looks down and fiddles with the settings on his camera. "We moved on from growing organs a long time ago." "What?" "The organs we were producing were failing. Hard. But we figured out how to encourage the body to grow certain cells over others. Which means that given the right stimulation, the body could regrow its own organs instead of us having to make new ones." "Self regeneration?" "Guided regeneration, and even that was limited. No new arms or anything crazy." He looks up and his finger twitches instinctively over his camera. "We haven't really gotten it working, yet... but the theory is solid!" "Plus it has plenty of applications beyond organs. Like growing healthy cells instead of cancerous ones." "But the research here would probably still be of great interest to anyone at Western." "As if. Western wouldn't steal anything from Edgewater, even if they could." "What makes you so certain?" "We've got our school pride. Stealing research is like accepting help from the enemy." "With all your dedication to Western, why did you even transfer here?" "Clearly not for the excellent grad student program." "You know, there's stuff more important than school loyalties." "And for you, that would be..?" "My boyfriend lives ten minutes from here." "We got tired of the long distance thing when I was at Western, so I moved." "Do the others know about this?" "Well, duh. They've all met him." "In fact, I was with him during each of the login times listed on the timesheet here." "You remember all the dates and times you were with him?" "Although these login times are only every other week for some reason." Either this is a coincidence, or whoever used the card waited for Aaron to leave before stealing the information. On top of that, if Nathan knew why Aaron switched schools, why did he suggest something different? Detective Gurski and I trade glances. The look in his eyes says he's thinking the same thing I am. Aaron picks up on our silent exchange. "Something wrong?" "Uh..." "Do your lab mates know about your weekly gatherings?" "Yup. I invite them every time, but they don't really want to go. Why?" "One of your classmates suggested that you transferred schools to steal information." Aaron's expression tightens. "You mean Nathan." "Well..." "You just asked if I ever use his card." I sigh. "Yes. We mean Nathan." "Well, you should probably know that EVERYONE uses his card. He and David hate getting up early to go to lab, so they trade off." "How so?" "They take turns waking up early and signing in at the lab with both cards. That way, they get to sleep in every other day." "That sounds like a convenient little racket. And you're not part of this?" "I actually like waking up early." I keep forgetting people like that exist... "So do you want phone numbers for my alibi, or something?" "Not at the moment. Just... don't go anywhere. We might have more questions later." "Sure. I've got nowhere to be."  "Detective?" Li Mei steps into our conversation. "What's up?" "Why do you not ask Aki and Naoki for aid?" A thin frown spreads across the detective's face, as if he's just taken a bite out of something very bitter. "I'd rather not..." "They will find the truth." "Li Mei's right, you know. Aki and Naoki can help." "I know, but..." "What's wrong? You've been fine with using them before. Why are you trying so hard to sideline them now?" "Because I don't want them getting hurt!" Gurski's patience snaps, and I take an involuntary step back. "We all know the risks of doing this. They've probably faced worse. You aren't making any sense!" "Because this mission doesn't make any sense! Why here? Why THEM?" Gurski tightens his fists and for a brief moment I wonder if he's about to punch me in the face. However, he proves better at keeping his emotions in check than I've ever been, and he instead opts to turn away. "Okay, now I'm REALLY confused. Who are we talking about?" With a frustrated sigh, Gurski shakes his head. "Never mind. The two of you are right. This'll go faster with them working on it." Gurski quickly regains his composure and he turns back to face me. "We're going to recheck everyone's alibi for these dates. I'll speak to Nathan." "You talk to Jupiter, and tell the twins to take David. Li Mei stays with Aaron just in case." "Can do. See you soon."
Let Aki know that she and Naoki need to talk to David.
  "Yes and no. But you're on the case now. Officially." "Finally! Why the change?" "We've hit a little bit of a dead end. Remember that ID number I found?" "Yeah. Nathan's right?" "Yeah... except Nathan claims someone else must have been using his card. He said it was probably Aaron." "But Aaron denied it, and he's got an alibi. He also said that Nathan and David use their cards interchangeably, so..." "So we've got evidence of a crime and no one to pin it on." "Gurski says you and Naoki are supposed to interview David." "Convenient.” “Well, it shouldn't take long for us to figure out what's up. Where is he?" "The library." "Good." Aki's eyes close for a split second and she nods lightly. "Let's get going, then." The two of us move across the campus at a brisk pace, stopping outside the student lounge where Naoki waits for us. He looks pleased. "Yup. Interrogation." "Who?" "David. Still trying to figure out the approach." "What are we looking for?" "We found evidence that someone's been stealing information and selling it off to Edgewater's rival school, Western State." "Hm... why don't we try a home invasion?" "Am I lifting?" "That's usually easier. Unless Kan wants to try?" "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Besides, I have to go talk to Jupiter." "Fair enough. But we'll teach you how to lift a wallet someday." "You mean steal?" "Shouldn't you be interviewing Jupiter right now?" "Shouldn't YOU be interviewing David right now?" "Well, I would be if you weren't keeping me here talking to you." I wave Aki off with an exaggerated sigh. "I'm going. I'll meet you guys outside the library, okay?" "See you there."   "Hey, do you have a moment?" "I do, but please make it brief. I have a lecture soon." "Have you ever used Nathan's ID card to log in?" "You mean that childish game they play, swapping cards with each other?" "No. I do not partake in it." "But you know about it?" "They think they can, how is it said... defeat the system?" "I know they do not always arrive on time, but it is wiser to let them believe they are winning. Otherwise, they may devise a trick even harder to keep track of." "Fair enough." "And... I don't suppose you come here to work late?" "Of course I work late. You know that." "How late?" "Maybe 10:00 or 11:00. Why do you want to know?" "Someone's been logging in every other week. Late. Like, after midnight late." "Yes, Nathan. I brought that to Dr. Johansen's attention." "Is that what this is about?" "I'm not sure. But we think whoever was logging in with Nathan's card was selling off information. Maybe to Western?" "I find that difficult to believe." "But I cannot say it is an impossibility. I will search the records more thoroughly later, but for now I must leave, or else I will be late for my lecture." "Right, I get it. I'm leaving now." I leave the lab before Jupiter can politely kick me out.    "Did we keep you waiting long?" Aki and Naoki approach from the library. They look excited. "Eh, not really. I'm afraid I didn't learn very much, though. Still no idea who was using the card." "What? How'd you get him to confess?" "Um..." "We're very convincing." Aki smiles proudly. "Uh huh. So he was the one selling information off to Western?" "Um, yeah... not so much. He was the one logging in with Nathan's ID, but..."  "Seeing how far the test scores have fallen since their talk, I'm inclined to give David the benefit of the doubt." "Except now we don't have a motive anymore." I groan and rub my forehead. I can definitely feel a headache coming on. "Maybe we're coming at this the wrong way." "How so?" "Well, we've been trying to find a motive and tack it to a person. Maybe we should try finding someone with the opportunity, then we can work out the motive. For instance, Nathan and David were together in the lab, so they alibi out." "Actually..." "What?" "David confessed that he didn't go to the lab yesterday morning. He said it was Nathan's turn to wake up early, so he slept in. He didn't see Nathan until almost 11:00." "Can we believe him? Aaron said he was asleep for most of the morning, so he can't confirm it."   "In other words, we're back at the beginning." Aki sighs and shakes her head. "Fine. Divide and conquer. We're talking to everyone again." "David just left to teach class, and Nathan's still out, too." "Jupiter said she's got a lecture to teach." Aki closes her eyes and lets out a quiet breath. "Well, I just told Li Mei to talk to Aaron." "That leaves Shawn and Chance. Which one do you want?" "Um... Shawn, I guess?" Maybe if I'm lucky he'll give me a free pen or something. "Alright. We'll talk to Chance." "Meet you back at the fountain afterwards?" "Sure." Shawn is reclining in one of the chairs, absentmindedly scrolling through something or other on his phone. "Um... hey." "Yo! You look like you've got an important mission." "Um, kind of. I just have a few more questions about yesterday." "More? What else is there?" "Just double checking a few things. No big deal." "Well, feel free to ask away." "You've... never used Nathan's ID card to log in anywhere, have you?" "What? Why would I do that?" "It was just a question." "Well, it's kind of a weird question..." The door to the student union opens and Li Mei enters. She looks serious. Her eyes light up as soon as she sees me. "We have found something..." "You mean you and Aaron?" Li Mei nods and hands me one of the photos that Aaron snapped yesterday. Wait, this was taken yesterday? I don't remember seeing that bike... Someone must have been in the tower when Aaron took this! "Oh, is that one of Aaron's photos?" "He's a little overzealous sometimes. I can ask him to tone it down if you want." "Actually..." I point at the bike in the background. "Is there any way of telling who uses the campus bikes?" "Not really, man. I mean... it's not like we tag 'em or anything." "Sorry. Wish I could be more help." Li Mei frowns and takes a step towards him. "No." "Huh?" "Is there anything you're not telling us?" Shawn laughs nervously. "It's nothing important. Just..." "If it's not important, you shouldn't have any problem telling us, right?" "And?" "When the first fleet started getting worn out, the school sold them off to students. That was maybe five or six years ago." "My family donated a new set, but they're a different color." "Wait... if that's the case..." My mind is churning. There's only one person who could have been at the bell tower during the time Dr. Johansen was killed. Li Mei and Shawn stare at me expectantly. "You have it!" "What's up, man?" "I know who the killer is!" "What killer?" "Dr. Johansen's!" "Hang on. You're telling me someone murdered him?" "Someone definitely murdered him, and Aaron managed to capture the killer's bike in this photo!" "You're sure of that?"
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Apr 4, 2023 22:27
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Hmmm... I have no idea. Guess I need to go back and look.
So... the culprit must be: **** Nathan ****. Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Apr 5, 2023 |
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Apr 5, 2023 00:13
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I just want to blame Chance (and Liam)? As far as I can tell, everyone was around in the lab (Jupiter, David, Nathan), giving tours (Shawn), or hosting (Aaron). Only Chance wasn't involved, and it takes a decent amount of planning and time to do the clocktower stuff. Sure, nobody has verified alibis for the 10-11am period, but it'd be dicey timing for any of them to be at the tower and be on-screen. Tour 1: Bell strikes 10am. Shawn and the group pass by the bell tower. Dorms: Group splits up into girls/boys. Shawn is with the girls. Tour 2: Aaron takes Kangai and Naoki to the lab. Picture of bell tower and bike taken. Shawn seems to have taken Aki and Li Mei to the lab ahead of time. He is not present at the lab. Lab 1: Kangai investigates alone but is caught by Jupiter. Jupiter, David, and Nathan interrogate Kangai. Lab 2: Gurski and Chance arrive. Lab 3: Aki arrives. Aaron, Naoki, and Li Mei arrive. The bell tower rings again [11am], but it sounds weird (because Johansen was inside). This theory pretty much ignores our entire investigation phase and the question of bike ownership, but the printout ID / expulsion docs were a wild goose chase. Still, I think the story wants us to blame Nathan. If we're forced to base the theory on "whose bike is it?", then Nathan makes the most sense since he's been here long enough (year 7) to buy a bike 5-6 years ago. This guy's been on-the-outs (with his students, with lab leadership roles, and with the lab romance drama). He also benefited from a fake alibi with David. Not sure about motive, but it could be another Chance manipulation.
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Apr 5, 2023 10:41
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Chance is almost certainly the one stealing info, but I'd bet she's (again) not the killer. The bike seems like it'd have to be Nathan's.
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Apr 5, 2023 15:05
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 "Nathan did it." "Nathan? Do you have any proof?" "Yes. That's his bike in the photo." "But how can you tell?" "You said that those bikes were sold off to students five years ago. You and Nathan were the only students here at that time." "There are plenty of grad students who were here five years ago." "But none on this campus. The main campus maybe, but not here." "If you wanted a bike, you'd just buy a new one." “You hate being associated with your family, so there's no way you'd use their famous bikes." Shawn's eye twitches, but he doesn't reply. "Nathan claimed he was in the lab all morning, but he doesn't have a real alibi." "Jupiter says she didn't see him until later, and David was sleeping in his room. Nathan could have logged in at 10:00, left to meet Dr. Johansen, and snuck back in later without anyone knowing. And David would have to lie to back up his alibi if he wanted one too." "Are you sure? I mean... he seems like a pretty great guy." "Yes. I'm certain." Shawn sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. "Well, I think he just got done teaching a class, so he's probably in the sleep lab." "The sleep lab?" "Yeah. He lives off campus, so he usually crashes there for a while before his next class." "Are you sure?" "Definitely. He wouldn't be anywhere else." "Thanks. You've been a big help." I turn to leave, but Shawn grabs my shoulder. "Hang on." "What's up?" "Well, if he's really the murderer, don't you think it's kind of a bad idea for you two to confront him?" "I think we can handle it." "But why take the risk? Maybe you should go get that cop to help you out. He doesn't know you're after him. There's no hurry." "Actually, that's where you're wrong. The longer we wait, the more he's going to think about running." "Okay, but..." "We're going now." Li Mei and I leave before Shawn can protest anymore. "What was that about?" I turn to Li Mei. "Something doesn't feel right, does it?" Li Mei shakes her head. Both of us feel uneasy, especially after seeing Shawn's swift departure.  Shawn must have had second thoughts and given him a call. Nathan looks up at us, and I see panic flash across his face. He turns and runs back into the building. "Go around!" Without hesitation, Li Mei sprints around the side of the building. I run for the front door and throw it open before it can close all the way.  "Let me go." He pulls his light sword out and points it directly at me. "You can't threaten me with a prop sword..." With a determined grunt, Nathan smashes the blade of his sword against the floor. The end shatters in a small rain of glass shards. He points the jagged glass blade at me and turns it slowly. The sharp end glistens in the bright light. "Okay, I may have spoken prematurely." I take a slow step towards him. "Can you just tell me why you killed Dr. Johansen?" Nathan glares and tightens his grip.  "And you do?" "I deserve it more than you!" Nathan races towards me and swings his sword at me. I jump back, but the glass tears into my shoulder. I clutch my shoulder and feel something warm between my fingers. I hold my hand tight against my shoulder to slow the blood, and try to ignore the sting. Guess he wasn't kidding about all that sword training... "It's not fair!" Nathan's practically screaming by now. "Why do you get to have it when I can't?" He swings the shattered blade at me again. I stumble back, barely escaping another cut. "What are you talking about!?" With an angry cry, he thrusts the sword towards me, driving the glass into my thigh. My leg collapses under my weight, and I take a desperate limp backwards. Blood rushes from my leg faster than I thought possible. "Wh-what..?"   Blood pulses relentlessly from the cut in my leg. He must have sliced through something major. Nathan lifts the sword over his head and brings it down on my head.      Nathan releases the sword with a terrified squeak. Li Mei inspects her hand calmly and flexes it. It's still impaled on a long shard of glass. Her gaze turns to Nathan and with another inhuman shriek he turns and runs. Li Mei takes chase and overtakes him easily. With a fluid motion, she kicks his legs out from under him, and he falls to the ground. I can barely make out Nathan's terrified cries, but Li Mei looks disturbingly calm. "Li Mei..."  He lets out a grateful, sobbing moan, and scrambles away from her, desperately clawing at the tiled floor.  I take a shaky breath. "I really underestimated him, but I'm trying not to be too cut up about it." It's supposed to be a joke, but neither of us laugh. Li Mei presses one hand against my open wound and pulls out her phone with the other. "I think it might be too late for that..." It's even harder to breathe, and my head is starting to feel light. Li Mei stubbornly shakes her head and dials a number on her phone. Whatever conversation she has sounds like little more than frenzied sounds to my ears. As soon as she hangs up, she places her other hand on my leg.   I think that was supposed to be a joke too, but I can't tell anymore. Why am I even trying to tell jokes right now? "I'm cold, Li Mei. I don't think..." Li Mei cuts me off with an emphatic cry. Her body shivers, and I realize that with all my blood on her, she's probably having a hard time even staying conscious.          
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Apr 11, 2023 00:06
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Well that blows. I guess we should have instead said "it must be you, Shawn." Maybe that would force him to toss Nathan under the bus to save himself, and that would keep him from warning the other guy.
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Apr 11, 2023 00:17
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Oh, li mei is literally an android? Okay then.
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Apr 11, 2023 07:52
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| # ? May 3, 2024 00:39 |
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What? Both Shawn and Nathan? Can we just blame Chance already? She's turned the whole lab against each other.
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Apr 11, 2023 09:05
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