Part 9
The game will give us a second chance to back out of owing Boss Wick a favor, but the decision has been made.
Talan: Yes. I accept your offer.
Boss Wick: Very good. My surgeon will have you fixed up in no time. I will notify you when the Favor comes due. This way, please.
Talan heads into a back room.
Surgeon: Yes - what's the problem?
Talan: Well... nothing... but you don't exactly...
Surgeon: I could get Bruno, if you'd prefer. He's fully qualified as well, although sometimes he isn't quite as careful as he should be...
Talan: No, that's... that's OK.
Some time later...
Surgeon: ... ... ...
Talan: Hahahahaha!
Surgeon: Do you want me to get Bruno?
Talan: haha... uh.
Some more time later...
Talan: Not that I know of. Why?
Surgeon: You have a pretty bad rash on your shoulder. I'll apply a dermal patch, that should help.
Later still...
Talan: Well, thank you very much!
Talan: "Wickie?"
Surgeon: Good DAY, sir.
Talan: Hehehehe... Wickie... hehehe...
Talan finally leaves.
Talan: Well - now the Agency knows where I live.
Arden: You mean they didn't before? I'm surprised they don't keep records on that sort of thing...
Talan: It's... sort of a long story. This sector isn't going to be safe for long.
Arden: Then let's get moving! You... You're not limping!
Talan: ... ... ...
Arden: Ok, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. Whatever.
Talan: Arden, listen...
Arden: ... ... ...
There are a bunch more NPC's around now, so let's chat with a few of them.
Talan: How did you...?
Bum: Oh, he's got connections everywhere...
Talan: *gulp*
Talan: Uh... you did?
Man: Yep - they had his picture on the vidcasts. I guess he lives out here somewhere!
Talan: Um... he does?
Man: Yeah! Hey, you look sort of familiar...
Talan: It's been good talking to you... I'd, uh... better get going...
Man: *squints*
Talan: Yeah, it's probably all dirty money anyway.
Large Man: Hehehehe, you think so? Yeah, this brand of antenna is top of the line! You can't just BUY this sort of thing. I wonder if the assassin lives here? He's probably made a career out of ending the lives of important figures! That's why he can afford an antenna like this! He was probably paid tons of creds to kill the Director!
Talan: Well, I see you've got it all figured out.
Large Man: I should've been a detective. I'm so good!
Talan: Hmmm... it says "CATCH THE KILLER!" and has a picture - it doesn't look anything like me... this portrait is ugly!
Woman: Well, are you just going to stand there or do you want to buy a sign?
Eh, why not.
Woman: Here you go - show your support for the Agency by holding this sign high!
Talan received SOUVENIR SIGN.
Talan: Mmmm... I'll do that.
Since there's nothing left to do here, let's go back into the car.
Talan: Hmmm... I'm not sure...
Arden: Talan, there's someone behind us - I think it might be an Agency vehicle!
Talan: OK, we've just got to play it cool.
We're given on option here. While we can go back to the other sectors, there isn't much left to do in Lashe City. So let's leave this dump.
Talan: OK - let's say goodbye to Lashe City!
Talan: If I can just make it down this road, through the tunnel, and then over the bridge I can make it out of the city! I think it's time to see how fast this baby can go!
Time for the absolute worst minigame in the entire game. In all of the times I've played this game, I haven't managed to succeed at this even ONCE. It needs to be seen in all of it's terrible glory.
So have a video of it.
Thankfully, once you fail enough times at it, the game takes pity on you and allows you to skip it.
Dem duke boys are in a real bind. Let's see how they get out of this one.
Talan: I think we'll be okay...
Arden: You think so? Yeah, maybe we'll -
Talan: Arden, look out! AAAAAGHHGHGHH!!
The car crashes into the wall, but Arden and Talan manage to bail out just in time!
Arden: Yeah, I think I'm OK. That was quite a crash, though.
Talan: They'll be here any second - we've got to keep moving.
Arden: Well, I guess this is goodbye to Lashe City - at least for now.
Talan: Yeah. For now.
Arden: But after this place has cooled down, I'm coming back to save the Vipers. And you're coming with me.
Talan: They're probably already dead...
Talan: Yeah, I'll... I'll come back.
Arden: So it's settled! Let's go.
Talan: I wonder why I don't feel any safer?
Welcome to the world map! There are a few places we can go to, but let's follow this road for now.
Welp, let's head North instead.
There's a town next to a bridge. The bridge is blocked off, and we can't go past it until we visit this town.
Talan: Hi. This place... it's different from Lashe City, isn't it?
Man: I don't know, I've never been to Lashe. I don't think I'd like to live in a big city. I've got everything I need right here!
Talan: Yeah.
There's a Spa here that acts like an Inn, so we can rest here to heal up. There's also an actual Inn in the town, but it has the same price as the Spa, so there's no real reason to go to it.
Talan: Well, as a matter of fact, I happen to work for the Agency, so I know about the Advocate. Maybe I can help!
Little girl: ... ... ...
Talan: Well, you know about the Shortage 30 years ago, right?
Little girl: ... ... ...
Talan: Yeah. Well, anyway, the Agency needed to build the Catch Colony so we could get our energy from space. But they needed an efficient way to build it - the Agency got a brilliant scientist called Eisen to design a computer program that could be connected to every facet of the construction: This was the Advocate.
Little Girl: I know all of that! I need details!
Talan: Well... um...
Little Girl: I thought a geezer like you would know more - you were alive then, right?
Talan: No, actually, I wasn't born then! I'm not really that old...
Little Girl: What-ever! I guess I'll just ask my grandpa.
Man: qualified, and is a lot more loyal to the Agency than Yun's mayor ever was!
Talan: Uh... yeah. Is it that obvious?
Woman: Yes. It's the way you seem to smell the air - as if you've never breathed clean air before.
Talan: ... ... ...
Woman: You should stay. Although the Agency would like to believe otherwise, living in a big city isn't good for you.
Talan: I bet you're right! You have no idea what's been going on for me recently! First, I was -
Woman: I'm sorry... I'm in a bit of a hurry.
The woman goes into the building.
Talan: So people really are the same all over.
The place that the woman just entered was a weapon shop. I didn't get anything...
But I did want to point out that Talan can equip a Shillelagh which I thought was pretty awesome.
This dude will stop us if we try to go up the mountains.
Old Lady: If I was twenty years younger...!
Talan: *Shudder*
Let's go meet this Dr. Vago.
Talan: No, I'm from... Lashe City, actually.
Man: Really? I haven't had visitors from Lashe in a while. You just have to come in and tell me the latest news!
Talan: Well, I don't know -
Man: I won't take no for an answer! Right this way... I never caught your name.
Talan: Oh, it's... Talan.
Man: A pleasure to meet you, Talan. My name is Vago, and I'm the physician for this village. Come in, come in!
Talan and co. follow Dr. Vago.
If we hadn't taken Boss Wick on his offer, Dr. Vago would have been the one to fix Talan's ankle.
Talan: Uh... sort of. Actually, I work for Delcentric, but these days the Agency basically pulls the strings, so, yeah. Anyway.
Vago: I see. Well, the Agency is certainly very good at pulling strings. It's made them a fair share of enemies, I imagine.
Talan: That's right! Too bad I had to get caught in the middle - I mean...
Talan clams up.
Vago: Why don't you tell me all about it, Talan?
Talan: I wouldn't want to... bore you with the details...
Talan jumps at this accusation.
Talan: I never said anything about running!
Vago: You're not very good at concealing your motives, Talan. It's a good thing you ran into me, rather than someone more... accepting... of the Agency's role in world power these days. Start from the top, and maybe I'll be able to help you.
Talan thinks this over for a second.
Vago: No doubt.
Talan: It all began in my rundown apartment in Sector 35. I had overslept, and I needed to hurry to work...
The screen fades to black...