Part 23: Extra 3

BGM: Anomalous Sepulcher
Halfway through the flowchart! The comparisons for this update are going to be the stations and train interior.













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On the way back from the lab, you're given the option of talking to someone during the ride back to the lounge. For the update itself, we spoke to E, but this time, let's see what happens when we talk to the other two, starting with Jasmine.

BGM: Silence


What do you think is behind that door? I know there's some weird tube in the middle. It looks like it's full of liquid, too, but I couldn't see very well from the angle...

Maybe they're trying to revive the dinosaurs. You know, rawr and stuff.

She huffed indignantly.



I say it was random, but not like that. It's not like it was truly random. It was clearly set up.

She sounded almost disappointed that the puzzle was lame, but I knew what she meant; why even make a room like that accessible if there was nothing to do...? Was it just to see the locked door?

Companions, please pay attention to the train. We're arriving shortly.

He was right. As he called out for us, we both abandoned our topic.

And that's it for if we talk to her. The other option is talking to Agnos.



Almost right as I approached him, he inquired about our findings. Perhaps he was very interested in leaving this place, and I couldn't fault him.

No, not particularly. It was really strange, though. It was a science room or something like that. I'm not super good with any of that stuff, so I couldn't say exactly what it was used for.



Was she trying to tell me not to mention the heavy door to him? I hoped he didn't notice how awkward the end of my discoveries was. He stroked his little beard over the thought I gave him to ponder.

Interesting. A laboratory... I'm sure you've realized that we may not be in the metro anymore by now, correct? Or, perhaps, better said would be...



I nodded a little. Was it the secret laboratory, then? I couldn't tell. The old man did have a point, though: the purpose behind making that laboratory available to us was nebulous at best.

And that's that. No matter who you talk to, neither Simon nor Jasmine end up telling Agnos about the locked room- though if you talk to E, you tell HER about it, but nothing ever comes of that.

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There are two different points on this half of the flowchart where you can ask people questions (or bring up topics of discussion) while traveling to a different station, so I'm gonna grab those here now for completion's sake.

The first one is when you decide to team up with Marco, on your way to the library. The topic we chose to discuss was the diversity in age among the group, but there are a couple of other options to choose from:

-Smiley's identity




That mask? It's really frightening. I certainly wouldn't want to eat lunch with him.

I mean, you can't tell what he looks like inside. Maybe he's handsome.

Maybe, but there's a reason why he's concealing himself, no? I think there are only three possibilities as to why.

He enumerated them all while the twins listened.



Second possibility is... he's someone one of us knows, but isn't in the group. He might be a relative, or someone with some kind of notoriety who wouldn't want to be seen.

Like a celebrity? You really think someone with such high fame would do that?

Possible. I've seen a lot of “eccentric billionaires”.

At the word “eccentric”, my mind instantly jumped to A and E. I felt bad for thinking about them, as if they were the only eccentrics in the world.



Hey, stop that! We're not in a horror movie. Though you look right at home in one.

Maybe we're not in one, but our situation is pretty dim...

Like I said, he'd be right at home.

I shook my head in disbelief. Marco just never stopped making jokes and references. I really wondered how that dunce got a master's degree in sciences.

-The train's direction



Yeah, I was. You noticed it too, huh? The direction we're going in. Doesn't make any fucking sense.

Why do you say that?

Think about it, M. We were moving towards the north side before, but our destination is down from the midpoint. We're going towards the south now, or southwest if you prefer.

Eh? We were?

For once, that left him speechless. I nodded.

Yeah, that's definitely weird. I don't know what's going on, but... The whole train changed directions in the span of a moment.

[

What do you mean?

She's saying we switched trains, but we just forgot. I don't really feel like I forgot anything, personally, but whatever.

He waved dismissively at the air with a hand.

Next station's coming in shortly.

-The current time



It's 6PM. Wait, fuck. My watch is broken.

He was looking at his arm. More precisely, under the fold of his cuff was a large watch. Even if nobody wore those anymore, older guys still had their quirks.

If it broke earlier, we're probably 6:20PM or so. I think when we were in the train before, it was somewhere around 5PM. More or less, at least.

I wonder how long this game is going to take... At least I have a good excuse for missing out on work time.



Oh, shut up.

Hmm... somehow, that time feels wrong to me. It's not correct.

What do you mean?

I think it should be earlier? I guess I was abducted earlier than you guys, then.

Before I could really ponder on what this meant, we arrived at the next station.

The other conversation is when we agree to go to the lab with Agnos- last time, we asked him about his relationship with E, as well as the stuff he has in his bag.

-A's age, and their age gap



That is correct. It is a fact that is both a gift, and a curse. I have the experience of life, but so little time to do anything with it.



It's even more difficult for many to imagine it, especially for people like... the twins, for example.

Ah, yes, our difference in ages is quite a gap. Interesting, isn't it?

The age gap?

Partially. What's most interesting is the fact all eight of us are composed of so many different age groups. Teenagers, young adults, a slightly older adult, a middle aged man, and myself.

I didn't know who the slightly older adult was supposed to be. Order of elimination, it wasn't the twins, Ray, or A. That meant... the slightly older adult would be Jasmine, Marco, E, or myself. I knew for a fact I was the same age as Jasmine and Marco. That left E. This old man knew her. I was sure of it.

Glad we're all on the same page finally, Simon.

-No topic, only silence

I chose to sit down for the time being, and avoid asking him anything. Instead, I decided to think for a bit. There might be a few outcomes from the coming discovery. I wondered if he would choose to trust me after he figured out we concealed that door.



Anything on your mind, young man?

Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about this place...

I see. Please, don't let me interrupt your thoughts then. We'll arrive shortly enough.

And that's that.

Next update, we start down the other half of the flowchart!