The Let's Play Archive

15 Days

by SelenicMartian

Part 16: Sweet Sixteen

: Previously we stopped a few frames away from looking at the portrait of Churchill.





: Or better still: What do you FEEL when you look at these works?

: What do I feel..? (pauses) They give me the creeps.

: Really? Then you have an astonishing feel for the soul of these pictures. These pictures, though they're so different, they have three things in common. Can you guess what they are?

: The artists are dead.

: Correct. That's one. But more important is: Their owners are dead too. And third, the most important thing:



:



Seriously, we need a hammer and sickle here.

: (pauses)

: What do you say to that?

: (is silent)

: Isn't that one unique collection? Strongly autobiographically assembled. Hand-picked according to my own quite personal standards of justice.

: Those are your standards? You collect pictures that have belonged to your enemies?

: I collect pictures from DEAD enemies.



: Does anyone in the world of 15 Days store art properly?

: (pause) That's horrible.



: She wouldn't want her father to have so much hate inside of him. How did these people die?

: I know this much, they all became ill very quickly. And died in agony.

: And you're happy about that?

: I've told you what I think about my enemies.

: You are happy. Have you... I mean... Were you the..? Did you...

: I think you've seen enough. And you're tired... It's bedtime. I'm going to retire. We can talk more in the morning. Provided, you still wish to stay here.

: I don't know. I won't be able to shut my eyes.

: Yeah, the facial animations are very limited.

: Oh yes you will. Don't be afraid. Think about what I have told you. Really think about it. And think of YOUR OWN enemies. Then you'll understand me. You'll find my daughter's room by the entrance. I wish you a good night.

: Good night.





: Cathryn tries on the hellish background to see if it fits her style.



: Back in control. The obvious course of action is to check out that locked door again.



: I've never seen any remote, but let's look for it.



: By the way, leaving the gallery is a bitch. See the exit icon in the corner near the map button? That thing covers most of the usable hotspot. You actually have better odds of hitting it to the bottom right of the big map circle.





: "Out into the park" lands us all the way out here. Let's look at the car, the statue and the cable car.

: Hmm... My dad had exactly the same car.

: Blatantly flash. Typical new money.

: But that's cool... He's got a cable car.

: This whole area is entirely optional to visit. Our objective is back in the villa.



: The door opening transmitter sounds just like the thing we were looking for.

: That's the transmitter that he opened the gate with.

: Not shown, because that would require animating a door opening in a scene. This never happens.



: The remote vanishes right when I click to pick it up, but Cathryn still reaches for the thin air half-way to the table to hammer in the bad animation quality.



: Let's see where it works





: It looks hellish grim...



: No game, that's Robert very clearly shouting "Is somebody there? Help! Get us out of here! Quick! Quickly! Get us out of here, please! Help! In here!"



: That's coming from the cells...

: That's coming from Robert, who sounds very lively for once.



: There's nothing to see here except for one door and the device next to it.



: No, it's a film projector. Looks like a complicated puzzle. I'd better leave it for later.



: Jackpot! The cell door is the only spot in the game with whooping four options of dealing with it.





: I can hear something... They're in there!

: Who's is there with Robert? Her father?



: A solid metal door...





: Heck, how do you get the damned thing open?



: Robert? Robert! Are you in there?

: Cathryn?

: Yes, it's me.

: Cathryn! You're heaven-sent. How did you get here?



: Fuck! No! Why? WHY?!

: Open the door!

: Mr. Stern? What...

: I'll explain it to you once you've opened this damned door!

: You'd better!

: Robert. Are you both well?

: I've been better! Open this damned door, will you!

: OK, OK, calm yourselves down. I don't know quite how the door opens, but I'm getting there...



: Are you ready for another exciting puzzle?





: Well, House of Tales didn't have the budget for one. Thank fuck.



: There is no animation for this door opening either.



: OK, where is that sonofabitch.

: He's sleeping.



: You'd better not do that. You're unarmed and he's... dangerous.

: Dangerous? The guy's completely nuts! Have you seen his gallery?

: Yes, I have. It's gruesome.

: Gruesome barely describes it. Did he tell you what happened to the owners?

: Yes of course. They're all dead.

: He had them all killed. He poisoned them. And can you guess what he used?

: (is silent)

: A tiny poisonous fish?

: The copies that our friend McBride had painted for you. He placed little balls of water-soluble plastic on the picture, always just before the pictures were sent back to their owners. And inside these balls was Polonium 185, an extremely unstable radioactive isotope. After 48 hours the humidity released the isotope. It decays within minutes without leaving a trace and is absolutely deadly.

: OK, hold on.

1. If it decays within minutes, how does it stay in the capsule for 48 hours?
2. If it kills within minutes, how does a film thin enough to be dissolved by atmospheric humidity keep it from killing everyone? Or from being detected, for that matter, because radiation detectors aren't too pricey and are installed in most buildings of national importance just in case.
3. I'm sure, Henston died before the 48-hour period elapsed.
4. Polonium-189, the closest known isotope to this "185" has a half-life measured in fractions of a second.
5. This is obviously inspired by the 2006 polonium-210 poisoning of an ex-FSB/KGB guy in the UK. The difference is, that guy swallowed the stuff. Polonium is incredibly deadly, but most of its effect comes from alpha radiation, i.e. it shits protons. Most humans are well protected from this type of emissions by their skin. You need to bypass it for the full effect.

Anyway, let's get this over with.

: That... can't be true.

: Sorry Cathryn. It's true. They broke into my studio. They prepared the pictures just before they were going to be shipped.

: The idea's not a bad one. Using this method he could reach really well protected people. And what's more, still have the original painting as a trophy.

: I was right Cathryn. I told you so..

: Where do you know all this from?

: He told me himself.

: And that's Jack last chance to be a detective going down the toilet. He didn't uncover the plan, it was explained to him.



: I want to have you killed yesterday. Continuing with the "Jack is a late addition" theory, Cathryn's dad could have been here. He'd be the one who sold Elengi the radioactive shit, and now came here (ferrying his car to this one-street island) to stop the murders involving his daughter, and then got captured.

: And you Robert? What's he got in store for you?

: He wants to hang on to me. I'm supposed to keep working for him. He wants to keep on doing the same deals. With other thieves.

: I can't believe that he's really done all that.

: You like him? He is a total psycho nutcase. A serious criminal. and you... You're not much better. You're next, on account of your being an accessory. Just so we understand each other.

: Is that the thanks I get for getting you out of here?

: You also got me in here, sweetiepie.

: (is silent) Well great.

: I suppose, whoever was ordered to kidnap Robert was passing by again, saw another guy there, and grabbed him too for heck of it.

: Yes, absolutely great. And now give me your cell. I need to call Washington.

: No, I need it. Mike's waiting for my call.



: No... You wait here. I've got to go up and call Mike. I've placed a mine at the petrol station in the village. We'll blow the thing up and vanish out of here.

: And how are we going to do that? You suggesting we should swim to Tahiti, maybe?

: It's full of soldiers outside. There's a chopper on the roof. We'll take that.

: Does anyone know how to fly that?

: And we're going to leave that evil swine here? No way.



: I'll be back in a minute.



: No, not here. The battery will go flat straight away... I have to give him the way through the minefield.

: Fine.



: Mike! Where are you!

: You've got a nerve! We're in a boat. And there's quite a swell, I'm telling you!

: Mike, the battery could give up the ghost an any moment, so listen to me.

: Have you found McBride..?

: Yes, I have. Later, OK? Listen Mike, it's important!



: OK!

: When you're at the beach, sneak up the path to the petrol station. It's left on the main road.

: OK...

: There's a mine attached to the left pump. You'll have to fasten your mobile to it... but carefully. One phone call ought to be enough to set it off.

: That's not how they work!

: You want me to lose my phone?

: We don't have any other option. You then have to find your way to the villa. I'll open the gate when the mine explodes and the soldiers start running to the petrol station! Have you got that!?

: What if Megabase calls Mike?

: Petrol station, telephone, villa. Cool, yep! And now tell us how we get past these damned mines!

: OK, now listen... If you head for the large bay, you'll see a rock to the north east...

: We can see it..!





: OK, OK... WE'RE THERE!







: Bernard still has lines?

: Can you see the soldier? We have to get him out of the way somehow...

: Or overcome him.

: Who you fooling? I'm not Bruce Lee.

: There... He's going...

: He's off on patrol.

: Right let's go then, Quick!



: This epic segment of 15 Days involves walking Mike to the mine. There's no challenge to it.



: OK, on three. One... two...



: Come on, let's do it...



: The final push. Sacrificing the ScummVM phone to the mine.

: OK, good... I'm doing it. And then we're out of here. What's going on with the soldier?

: I can't see him.

: Hope this works.



: Right then, now let's go. Off to the villa.





: Wasn't she supposed to open it after the explosion?



: My god... What does this guy live like?



: Shut up and come on!

: Here's a video of the sneaking, because I'm certain this animation was made for just this one scene of the game.








: We're in control of Jack for the very final gameplay section. Our objective is... to walk to the other side of the room.



: And... If they don't make it?

: (is silent)



: Oh yeah? And what makes you so sure?





: Holy crap, I didn't know the game could even render that many characters in the same shot.

: Thank god!

: OK. Good. Is the telephone is position?

: Of course it is. OK and now tell me what's going on here. What... is all this?



: Er what..? Cathryn, what does this comedian want from me?

: We don't have any time for this nonsense. Bernard: Call Mike's telephone. Now. Mike, run and get the chopper ready. And then let's get out of here.

: Mike can fly now?

: Just one minute! FIRST we'll...

: Too late.









: Bah, great. And now what..?

: Now, let's get out of here!

: Just a moment please...



: Put down the weapon Mr. Elengi.

: Mr. Stern. I don't accept instructions from dead men.

: You want to shoot us? All of us?

: I regret it greatly. Bus as you know: sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do.

: Nonsense! You DON'T have to do that.



: Is this addressed to Jack?

: It was most stimulating talking to you and I like you a lot. If Mr. Odila had informed me some what better about you, then this matter could have turned out rather differently. Do you have anything you still want to say?



: Yeah!

: As you like.

*SMACK! THUMP!*



: He meant me.

: What's with this game and knocking people out?

: Well done.

: I know.

: Now let's go. Let's bag him up and take him with us.



: Come on you guys, Come on! Onto the roof. We have to get to the helicopter. It's all starting outside. Someone could be here any minute!

: What's going on with the pictures?

: We haven't got time!

: OK, let's go then.





: Look, it's Mr. "Bad Aim" Odila!

: Quick!!



: Mike pulls out a gun, and the ending starts.











: I believe, this is the only subtitled pre-rendered cutscene of 15 Days. It's done appropriately badly.





: Wasn't Mike supposed to fly?



: Dammit, Mike, not this kind of flying.



: I've got no idea what Bernard is doing.



: Jack is looking busy hitting switches on the chopper's radio.





: Odila's aim stays true... to his idiom. Oh, and the gunshot sounds are out of synch with the flashes. Of course.



: Somehow there's a sound of bullets hitting metal. Odila probably shoots the pad repeatedly.





: As we fade out, let's remember all the plot threads left dangling.

1. The supply of polonium is not cut.
2. The swapped painting from Paris has probably killed another victim by now.
3. Odila is still at large.
4. Gerard is still selling drugs.
5. Cathryn still hates her dad.
6. Robert is probably irradiated.
7. Bernard, who existed in the plot solely for the betrayal, is still a gambling prick.
8. Mike's ego is still rapidly inflating.

Neither the cable car nor the volcano window of the villain's lair played any part in the ending.

But at least we've bagged Elengi.

Watch the video of the great excape








: What's this? It's the epilogue, of course. With the music from the start of the game.



*DOORBELL*



*MORE DOORBELL*



*EVEN MORE DOORBELL*



: What the hell is wrong with Robert?

: The cops.

*DOOR BANGING*

: Open up! Police!

: Dammit. You're right.

: Door ringing and banging is basically the soundtrack at this point.

: Jack grassed us up.

: It's his job.

: OPEN UP!

: What are we gonna do?

: Hmm. I'll open the door.



: Huh. I told you. Don't trust the cops.

: Hey, relax. Is that how you talk to an old friend?

: Friend... ?

: Maybe we should sit down first. Or do we have to discuss this at the door?

: Sure.



: What is this crap then? We know our rights, Jack. Save us the lecture.

: This is the writer's last chance to save the plot.



: Look, there is a message on the machine again.

: That's a joke, right?

: No joke. Unfortunately your arrests will have to be cancelled.

: What..? what happened... ?

: Raila Elengi was released two days ago. Military aircraft from the diplomatic service have flown him out of the country. The destination is secret.

:

: WHAT... ?

: He... hasn't been charged... ?

: He's free. It would seem that he has influential friends.

: But he...

: I know what he did. It looks like he did some special people a favour.

: He only killed the British PM. Nothing a blowjob or a gold watch can't get you out of.

: He left a message for you Cathryn.



: He would like a picture of you. For his collection.



: He wants me dead.

: He probably wants all of you dead.

: (keeps quiet)

: (keeps quiet)



: (is surprised)

: Great.

: So what do we do now? What are the cops doing?

: They'll start looking for you soon.

: Pah. That won't take long. They'll only have to read your report.

: I've deleted my report and put in for a vacation. I'm gonna rewrite everything. You won't be mentioned. We're gonna delete you from all the systems. We're gonna cover all the tracks.

: We?

: We. I'm unemployed. I need a new job.

: You mean...

: A receptionist! Jack is good with phone calls.

: (stays quiet)

: How long have we got?

: Don't. Say. It.



: AAAAAAH! You motherfuckers!

There is that bland first-person shooter/puzzle called Twin Sector, which reveals in the very end that the twin sector is actually the destination for its sequel. Which was never made. Can you see the pattern?



: That was the ending. A cliffhanger with absolutely nothing resolved.



And the credits are set to the mumbling song that played when Jack was in the Fine Arts Pub.



Martin Ganteföhr and Stephan Naujoks, you suck. Stay away from writing.

Wait, MOTION CAPTURING? Who were the models? The IKEA dummies?



Ah, my bad. I initially thought they'd got some music from the London Eye, but in reality the "original soundtrack" of this game is registered with YouTube for the sake of making some pennies from ads. As if anyone would be dumb enough to LP this crap.

I have to admit, the sound design is, indeed, original. Took three people, huh?



Skipping the management part of the publisher credits we proceed to the failures of Localization and Testing.



Why is this in the credits of the English version?



At last. It's over... or is it?





Uh...



What?



No... NOOO!



You know, how after the end credits many games restart and go back to the title screen? 15 Days does the same... only they forgot that there was no title screen and no title menu. The game just starts all over again.



Fuck off, 15 Days. You're done.

Here's most of the epilogue, the credits and the seamless looping.



Thanks for watching. Now go and play a better game, like Limbo of the Lost.