Part 7

Frig it. Let’s rap with Dark Wolf at the Lone Wolf bar again.




Oh hey, Amber’s still sitting there. Let’s have another unnecessary exchange with her.




Amber

Hi, Amber.

Hi! You’re back.

Yeah, I get around.


The bar

I like this bar. Nobody hassles me. I can sit and drown my sorrows. You know about my divorce.


Marriage

You know about my divorce. I’d rather not discuss it again. Are you married, Blackstar?

No. Never.

Never is quite a strong word.

Well, my lifestyle would never work in a marriage situation.

Why not?

Not stable enough.

That doesn’t make much sense.

Let’s drop it.

Ok. Sure.


With conversation this interesting, I guess you can forgive the game’s other shortcomings.


Drinks

You want one? Sit down, and I’ll order us a couple of beers…

No thanks. I have work to do. But I appreciate the offer.


Her job

I’d rather not talk about my job.

Sorry. Just making small talk.




Forget that. Let’s see if Dark Wolf is more talkative in this episode.




The bar

Blackstar, running a business promotes inner strength.

But don’t you get tired of it?

No. Structure and determination fuel my desires. Opportunity only knocks so often.


Reservation

Our true home. Haven’t been back in years. Must go someday soon.


Your mother

Blackstar, I refuse to discuss your mother again. Seek the elders.

Yes, Dark Wolf. I’m sorry to bring it up again.


The tribe

Safe and sound. Our small village is well hidden, no?

It sure is. You have no idea.


Your father

Can you tell me about my father?

Young child, your mind torments you. You must find peace.

I’ve tried.

Not enough, Blackstar. Golden Sky died when you were only two years old. You don’t remember.

Golden Sky. I remember that name. So beautiful. Was he a good man?

Brave. Honest. A leader. He lost his life in a battle for your mother.

Tell me more.

No. Speak to the elders.




Dark Wolf is a jerk. He’s told us to go see the tribe a few dozen times now (and left a message on Blackstar’s answering machine that the tribe was meeting late in episode 1), so let’s go find them.




By the way, they’re meeting in that little blob of trees on the bottom right. I hope that doesn’t mean this is the whole reservation.




Where I’ve placed the hands on the screen – that little divide between trees – is the way to the tribe. Again, a hotspot to a new location that wasn’t there in the first episode, with nothing to point you towards it.

Oh, plus despite Dark Wolf telling us to go here, we can’t. Not yet. The hotspot simply isn’t there. After we’ve done some other, unrelated stuff, we can come back here. That’s some game design, Tommy Vitacco.




Screw it, I’m going back to the computer store. Blackstar actually has a reason for it!




Entering Cyberia…

Ignore the dark sky. Apparently it’s daytime now and the computer store is open.





Also, they had that glass case that I smashed, repaired really quickly. Let’s have a chat with the stunted beast behind the counter.










Actually, Blackstar could use some help. That floppydisk needs to be decrypted.




This floppy has an encrypted message on it. Can you read it?

Maybe. Hold on a second while I mess with it on my machine. I have a program to unscramble it.

…I’m close… it’s working on it now… getting close… very soon…

Got it! It’s a standard text file. You want me to read it?

I’d rather view it in private.

Ok. Here, look at the screen.

It says… first the father, Golden Sky, dies at my hand.

Now the mother, Red Star Rising, suffers my vengeance. The power in me grows. Who is next!


I love the idea of this mysterious, melodramatic villain making a text file with three lines and then encrypting that so no one will discover it.


Mother… father… why did it end up like this? We should thank this geek for his help.

Your welcome. Thanks.


The consistent misuse of “your” really annoys me.


One more thing. Could you destroy the disk?

No problem. Let me hold this huge magnet up to it… there you go. No more data!


Let me hold this huge fantastic magnet up to it, just as long as you don’t ask me to animate it.


Please discard it.




Alright. That’s one “mystery” solved. But there is one other thing.




The cop gave Blackstar a reel-to-reel audio tape from Cam. And Mike from the music store owes a favor…




Sup Mikeee




What’s up

Hey, dude. Gonna start jammin’ one of these days?

Yeah. Give me some sticks and I’ll bang on that punks head.

Most violent, dudesicle!


The noise

All I hear is music.


Groupies

Sleazy bitches… most of them.

Nice attitude.

Hey, you asked, man.

That I did.


I think Blackstar’s hypocrisy just gave me a nosebleed.


Equipment

You need some equipment?

You still deal with reel-to-reel tapes?

Whoa, most certainly, dude! Most stuff is digital these days, but you can’t ignore the past.

So, if I had a reel-to-reel tape, you could play it for me?

No problemo, dude.

Any charge?

For you? Nah, you’ve helped me enough in the past. Just give me the reel and you shall hear.

Sounds good. Thanks.




Alright, let’s hear this.

Can you play this thing? I want to listen in private.

Uh, no problem, dude. Put these headphones on. That cool?

Not bad.

k, let me load this up. Ready… listen up.

The quality sucks on this tape. Wait… what’s this…

…you like that… you bitch… tight enough for you… oh yeah… that’s good…

This is disgusting.

…you don’t like us Pale Face… miss the reservation… show you my tomahawk… whore…

Freaks… no respect for human life.

…Red Star Rising… stupid name… cold steel… hot lead… soft skin… join as one…

Red Star Rising? My mother’s name…

…sailed into the wrong harbor… click… you served well… now you die… bang…


That’s the calmest gunshot I’ve ever heard.


No! Why… why… her…

Blackstar… hey dude… you lost it there for a sec… you cool?

Yes. Destroy this tape. Now.

Ok man, I’ll erase it. Dude, you look freaked out, man.

Make sure it’s erased. I’ve got to get out of here…




Shocking stuff. By the way, remember that video Blackstar saw at the end of episode 1? You know, the one in which his mother was raped and killed? I’m not sure if Blackstar does, considering how shocked he was from listening to the tapes just now. Also, I don’t know how Cam thinks he’s helping Blackstar by continuing to feed him horrifying material without letting him know where it came from or who found it.




Oh well. Decrypting the disk and listening to the tape constitute enough action to let Blackstar visit the forest clearing where his tribe has gathered.

Back to my real home.




This is a sad business.




An elder has summoned me. We will be welcome…

OK. let’s go in.




There’s my Native American brothers. On the left is Running Water.

Her mind is elsewhere.

I getcha




His meditation should not be disturbed.




Maybe that’s because his name is such an invitation to jokes. Let’s talk.




Whoa, I think I'm having that dream about Steven Tyler and Terrence Trent D'Arby's staring contest again.


The tribe

Blackstar. Darkness surrounds you. Why do you come?

To see the tribe.

You are not welcome here. It was wrong to come.


Oh, I like this guy a lot.


Fierce Wind, I am not here to fight with you. I came to see Sacred Bear.

She does not want to see you.

I shall ask her myself.


Youth

Brother, I will never forget the humiliation at your hands.

Jealousy still haunts you, Fierce Wind. Give up the past… live for today.

The attitude of Pale Face. Tradition and honor no longer possess your soul. You are a disgrace.

Insult’s do not bother me, brother. [neither does inappropriate use of apostrophes, sic] Our mother… and revenge… now possess my soul.

Oh, did I mention? Fierce Wind is Blackstar’s dusky brother. As I mentioned at the start of this LP. Blackstar is the white child of Native Americans. If he’s adopted, it’s never mentioned. I like to think he himself doesn’t realize he’s white.

You will die young, Blackstar. Remember… you were warned.

So be it.


Reservation

Our home… your memory.

I plan to go back soon. Whenever Mother’s death is settled.

You will not be welcome. I suggest you stay away.


OK, I guess this spot of forest isn’t the reservation after all.


Your mother

Mother was taken from us. You know that. Her soul longing for our sacred burial grounds.

I am searching for her killer.

Leave it be. Her fate was sealed long ago.

Not in my eyes, Fierce Wind. Vengeance shall be mine.

What will it prove, brother?

Nothing. Justice must be served… and I am it’s agent.


That’s all we’re getting out of Fierce Wind. What a sensible prick.




The chant should not be interrupted.




Well. Looks like Fierce Wind was wrong. Let’s chat with Sacred Bear.




How she is

Blackstar! Home at last, you are well?

Fine, Sacred Bear. How is your health?

Good, child. My spirit refuses to fade.

I am pleased for you.


Your mother

Your mother? Red Star Rising?

I miss her.

Child, such a sad heart. You must release the demon of pain which squeezes your soul.

What can you tell me about her, Sacred Bear? Dark Star will not tell me anything.


Dark Star? Try to at least get names right, Blackwolf.


Oh, Blackstar, your mother was precious. Very kind. Loved you and your brother so much.

I was so young.

True, child. She loved your father dearly. Problem was… another man loved her as well.

Another man?

A Pale Face. Never knew his name. Your mother met him once… but once was enough.

What do you mean?

He followed her to the reservation. Got into a fight with your father… and killed him.

My father was killed?

Yes… the man killed him. Your father fought well. But skin will not stop a speeding bullet.

He shot him in cold blood… over my mother?

This is true. While your father died, the man took your mother. We never saw her again.

The tribe let him go?

Blackstar… we are a peaceful tribe. One man with a gun is more than we can handle. I’m sorry.


This tribe fucking sucks.


Thank you, Sacred Bear. I feel better knowing the truth.

Here, child. Take this with you. It’s part of a photograph of your mother ad father.

Part of a photograph?

That evil man… he ripped the photo in half. Took the part with your father. For a souvenir…

I will search for the other half, Sacred Bear.


The tribe

The tribe misses your presence.

I will come back more often, I promise.

Please do, Blackstar. Mend your troubles with your brother.


Your father

A great warrior, Blackstar. And a great father to you and Fierce Wind.

I never knew him.

His spirit resides insie you, child. You are so like him.

I miss them both.

They soar on delicate wings now. Ever waching… ever guiding… you will sense their love.

Thank you for the kind words, Sacred Bear.




So, we now know a bit more about the fate of Blackstar’s parents, though still no leads to follow up on. Guess we’ll do some more wandering!