Part 5: Update 5. Five Beers, Please
Last time on 15 Days we've encountered a puzzle:
Now let's see how the game itself explains what we need to do.
...
... ...
Oh. Right.
It doesn't.
15 Days does not explain any of its minigame puzzles. You're supposed to figure them out on your own, which isn't hard really, seeing that all of them are primitive and recycled.
Here we're supposed to connect the PC at the bottom to the PC at the top by building a connection chain through the nodes. Each node has a price tag. Presumably, we should not exceed a certain total. A certain total we only find out after failing the puzzle once.
Apparently, reaching 25 is bad. Fine.
There's also this timer ticking down in the corner of the screen. It starts at 2 minutes and when it hits zero...
Is it bad? It's a hacking minigame, and we ran out of time. It's got to be something bad...
After another 30 seconds I realise it is a button. Pressing which...
...solves half of the puzzle for you via the magic of an "autorouter". The solution doesn't even go away if you press the reset button to restart the chain.
Why the fuck is the hint button labelled "Disconnect", not "HINT", "Autorouter", or "Click here!"? The most mediocre hidden object games get this right.
: Hah, these amateurs!
: Yeah, Mike, House of Tales suck at puzzles. Also, animation, sound, writing, and staying in business.: Voilà, The whole plan, beautifully cleanly labelled and all of the security systems are there too.: "All of the security systems"? You mean, the whole "Bernard and the cameras" sequence was completely bloody pointless? Fuck you, 15 Days! 
: Children?
: : You know who's just hacked the superhumanly protected network and Wilbur & Thompson then? Super-Mike, Master of the Digital Tides! No, don't thank me. It's just my daily bread, making the impossible, possible.: They never expected him to beat their security by disconnecting and pretending he's not interested. And I didn't expect the game to use so many commas in Mike's last sentence.: 
: You just said we shouldn't thank you. Come on, turn it off.: Ha, great. You guys are real smartarses.
: We're back to Cathryn. I'm going to make her look at everything Bernard has examined.
: Uh. Let's do it. The ants, the statue, the golf ball...: A strange installation: I'm not sure what he's doing there.: Is it big, or am I small?: That's what she said. 
What? She did!Now for the ice cream and the evening sky picture.
: Sweet.: It looks somehow melancholic.
: Exploring the exhibits here - first this orange object and then the metal sculpture. There's that door you need to finger, too.: It's... orange.: Audacious construction.: A fingerprint activated lock.
: The cellar accessible though the stairs right behind the orange crap offers the same two piles of junk and the door.: Just a heap of old crap.: Grim...: Locked.
: New hotspots to examine. There's a large picture and a wooden sculpture with child.: An old musical instrument. Cool: Heck, that depiction of the Virgin Mary's gathering some dust.: If that's Virgin Mary, who's the other guy, with a boner? Regardless, time for a chat.
Great, we can't leave now.
: The guy was looking at her a second ago, but he turns to face away as Carthyn delivers her first line. He wants it all to end as much as I do.
: Do I know you... ?: Tony! How's Maude? What about little Rachel? She must be going to school by now!
: Yeah!: I don't believe it. Cathryn! My God you're...: ... grown up? Come on, say it!: Yeah well... Yes! Really grown-up. You're looking good. God, how long has it been?: Seven years Tony. You had that ridiculous moustache back then. Looked like a porn star.: Oh my God, you remember that... Well. Maude forced me to shave it off. I feel completely naked. Don't look at my face!: You look great.: You too.
: Are you used to this dialogue interaction style yet?: Tell me, what are you up to now? Are you still studying?... No, you must have graduated ages ago, right?: Yeah, well, it was a difficult journey. Definitely. But I did it. At some point they just didn't want me there anymore.: And now? Are you working? Still doing guided tours? Got a family?
: Oh yeah, that's right. You had those friends... you're still living with them? Weren't you going to start a revolution or something...? Did you manage?: Sure. Don't you read the papers?
: Luckily, he didn't assume they stripped the Big Ben.: Exactly. In cold blood. With a sawn-off stiletto heel. And now we're planning the ultimate economic crash.: Getting all you you lot fired for incompetence.: Well done. Burn down the Ministry of Culture while you're at it. They've just cut my wages for the third time.: I'll make a note.
: Not "Information", completely different.: And? How did things pan-out here? It was probably hell here without me.: Worse that hell. We had this break-in five years ago. After that the place was converted into some kind of Alcatraz.: I saw it's full of cameras now.: Yep. At the same time they fire half of the guards. The cameras see more and cost less. Next month they're kicking Stevens out. Remember him?: Stevens? No.: Yeah, poor sod. Used to teach art at a secondary school. The sacked him for being drunk. He dried out and started working here - they needed some poor fool to change the hard drives as long as the system was just semi-automatic.: And now it's completely automatic?: That's right. Now there's just patrols into the security room, no permanent crew. He's already got his papers. Now he's getting drunk every day. He's in the pub by 5 o'clock.: Oh dear.
: And you? Are you worried about losing your job?: We're all worried, aren't we? I mean, have a look around. Everyone's wondering who's going to be next to go. They're scared of terrorists, thieves, burglars, criminals. They cling to the feeling that they're safe, that there are heroes watching over them. And well, I'm one of these heroes. Maude and I bought a house three years ago. I need the job.: You won't lose it. I'm sure.: Huh! The director has already warned us. The people leaving now won't be replaced and if you make a mistake, you're out.
: How's Maude doing? Is she working again?: The director was generous enough to give her a cleaning job. She polishes the whole place once a week. At night.: Sounds like a tough break.: Yeah, but she's a tough girl. She's working tonight be the way. My night off.: Ah-ha, and that means?: Whadda you think? Time for the pub! I'll take over from Stevens there as a worthy replacement.: Oh dear... And the children?
: Don't look like that. My nephew's looking after them. That means... he's secretly watching my DVDs and emptying my fridge.: That's what babysitters are for.: Hey... why don't you come along?: What - on your pub-crawl?: Yeah of course! First I'll get you really drunk... and then... we'll talk about the old days.: Hmm. That sounds great. You're married Tony.: Technically, he is a married Tony, but a comma wouldn't hurt.: Oh. Damn. I'd completely forgotten. Well, whatever... then we'll REALLY talk about the old days. Hmm? What do you say?
: OK Tony. I've gotta go.: What about this evening?: We'll see. Otherwise we can meet up soon.: Damn. If I'd only kept my moustache.: Just get me a black cat, and some duct tape, and some maple syrup...: See you later Tony.
: We can leave! Run, Cathryn, run!
: : Ambient noise + headsets. You know the drill.: : Met an old friend of mine.: 
: He's over in the pub on the other side of the street.: : You stay in the van Mike. I'll do this. You can have a beer afterwards.: 
: I can't believe the "ine" letters are not stolen from the pub's front. Anyway, we can check out the window, the book store and the chalk board.: Hmm... There doesn't seem to be all that much going on yet.: Nice.: Ah... the pub's open.: We're going in.: Hi!
: (whistles)
: Henry, leave it... What can I get you sweetheart?: Let me see...
: What's with the art prints?: Fine Arts Pub... I think I get it.
: The back of the pub is also explorable.: Pah. I don't really wanna think about beer after last night.: Last night? Wait, have they already started celebrating? How much is left of the 2 million?There's a snooker table through the door in the back.
: It's rather more something for Bernie...: Any comments on the bottle rack?: I'm already getting a headache just looking at that stuff.: Let's chat with the barman: A cup of tea please.
: Barely audible. The background music is merciless.: Shut it Henry... a cup of tea for the lady. On its way.
: Nice pub. I like it. Is it your place?: You wanna buy it, sweetheart?: Is it on the market?
: Sounds attractive. How much?: A mere 40,000 quid. Plus two ninety for the tea.: Then let's start with the tea.: I tell you what, darling, if you buy this dump, : You can pay off your own tab first, Stevens.
: Let her drink tea in peace.: Don't be like that! Let's have a drink! : His wife's on the family program at Alcoholics Anonymous.: You're a scumbag Chuck. Come on girl. Don't listen to that tattooed idiot. Have a drink with me.: Stevens, you're harassing my guests.: It's alright. I think he's rather sweet.: Takes all sorts...
: Cathryn moves over to the drunken git. For the next dialogue all lines are barely audible over the repetitive background music.
: Ha. Hey Chuck, see this? You and your tattoos can take a running jump, mate. The girl knows a real gentleman when she sees one, hey?: What are you drinking?: What ARE you drinking?: His fourth Guinness.
: I'll have a Guinness too please, Chuck.: I like this girl! Come on Chuck, pull her a pint!
: You work over there in the museum?: No not really.
: Cathryn's gulping sound is louder than both her voice and the the music. In addition to being out of sync with the animation.: Sorry. What are you going to do after that?: Yeah, well, I guess I'll be keeping me old mate Chuck company more often.
: Stevens seems to use the same gulp sample. Either that or it was Cathryn again.: It's alright. You see girl, since the break-in, the management has installed all kinds of security. Humans are too fallible for them. Don't see enough. Don't hear enough. Go on holiday. Make mistakes.: Which break-in was that?: A couple of cheeky fellas cleaned out half the Turner exhibition, didn't they. They bribed a couple of guards. The paintings were apparently for some weapons maker, but they could never pin it on him. Anyway, the museum then decided that the human guards are the weakest link in the security system. Then they started to move everything over to automatic surveillance.: I've never heard about that case...: Yeah, well... they kept it hush-hush for a while. They thought they might have been able to uncover something bigger, that's why they kept it quiet.
: Well. I'd better be off. I was nice to meet you... Henry.
: Oh yeah... I'm... Tracy. Well then...: Whadda you say Tracy? Can I see you again? Can I have your number?
: Handwave. This is not the Tracy you're looking for.: Wait a minute. What about your tab?
: Hey, I pretty much own shares in your bloody pub. That makes me your boss Chuck. Have a think about that while I'm taking a leak.: There you go Chuck. The pub's already sold... 
: Now, see the two glasses on the bar?: OK, I've got my glass.
: I get distracted by the mini banners near the camera.Anyway. Now we use our glass on Stevens' gla...
Who the fuck is Steven?
And then it plays in reverse.
: Surely, no one is going to notice that HER glass is missing, or ask about that tea she ordered. Or need any clear prints on that glass she grabbed.: So, the glasses have been swapped over. Time for me to go.: OK, guys... maybe I'll see you around.
: Well, Chuck is blind.: Sure. I'll let you know.: Let us go!First, I check out the glass in the inventory.
: Yep. Steven's. Dubbed and everything. Oh, and Chuck's neck seems broken.
: Then off home.
: This is the second map use in the entire game.
This update covered about 15 minutes of footage but let's stop for now. A big talk is coming. Here's a genuine subtitle from it.
P.S. The drinking scene comes as a bonus right up to the "Steven's beer glass". The first gulp comes shortly after the 1 minute mark.
