Part 183: BCP 12 - Luminous Bracelet

X-394 is a big facility, full of mysterious creatures known as Abnormalities. Many of these Abnormalities can do very bad things if they're handled improperly, and it's vitally important that our agents know just what may happen if they're careless. What's a manager to do?



Episode 12: Luminous Bracelet

Music: trailer


Hi! I'm Paul! Just your everyday plucky employee of Lobotomy Cobotomy, here today to talk about Luminous Bracelet!



Luminous Bracelet is a TETH level tool Abormality, taking the form of a bracelet.

A glowy bracelet, right Miss Hod?

That's right, Paul! Hence the name, Luminous Bracelet.

Well then! Time to slip that baby on and see what it does!



You know, I never thought about it before, but it's weird that this thing is as big as my head.

Just put it over your wrist, and it'll size itself properly. I don't know why it works, but it does.

How user-friendly!



Gee willikers, Miss Hod, we've got red arrows! That means my Fortitude's increased, doesn't it?

It should! Let me check!



Well, would you look at that? You've gained 15 Fortitude!

I'm BURLY!

In addition to that, the Bracelet heals its wearer shortly after picking it up-it restores 2.4 HP exactly 3 seconds after it's acquired.



That sounds handy! Does it happen again?

It does! It just takes 3.40282347e+38 seconds to do it.

Wait… but that's… _{carry the four…} that's over a million billion trillion years! I'll be dead way before that happens!

It takes some time to recharge while in the possession of an agent. For some reason, though, returning it to its cell will fully recharge it.

It sounds like some kind of screwup! Well, but I just have to hold on to it until then, right? Maybe I'll be able to see the future!

Oh Paul, don't be silly. The bracelet can only be held by those in need. If you hold it for too long without a need for its healing, there's going to be consequences.

But its healing doesn't even work!

The bracelet doesn't know that.

Uh-oh! Does that mean I'm in trouble?

That depends. Starting 15 seconds after the bracelet is equipped, a one-minute countdown starts. So long as you take HP damage in that time, the timer freezes and resets to 60 seconds when you're back at full health. How long has it been?

Uhh… _{carry the four…} Seventy three seconds, Miss Hod?

Oh my. That's not good at all!



Yowie wowie! I sure did pay for my greed and hubris! With face tumors!

You sure did! Please keep this sort of thing in mind the next time there's any talk of raises.

Demanding more than what we're owed makes us greedy! And that means the next person dying horribly could be you! Make sure to be a good employee!

Well, that's all the time we have today. Thanks for joining us! And remember…

Knowledge is just pain plus observation! Have a great day!


Music: Aspire


Good evening, future Managers. I trust you all enjoyed the day's adventure? I've just been indulging myself with a mystery. You see, even on loops where no one died, I would always be told that we suffered our first death. This clerk-they looked different each time? But they made the good coffee. I remember that clearly. They deliver coffee. I enjoy it. They die.

But this loop, they never arrived. There was no coffee waiting for me. When I asked Angela about it, she said that the employee in question was no longer with the company. But isn't that odd? Surely you've noticed by now that our clerks are a fresh crop every morning-even the survivors do not return.



The answer is obvious. The play requires our first casualty to come during Day 3's work period. Should it be earlier than that, a subtle adlib occurs, with it being acknowledged on Day 4. Otherwise… a sacrifice is needed. That clerk, designed to stick in our minds, serves no purpose aside bringing us coffee and promptly dying.

Why would I write in such a character? I asked myself that, and the answer was simple: Because the script needed it. For the sake of a good story, people simply have to die. There's no suspense if the audience knows that everyone will be alright, nor can there be any true growth without the possibility of loss. For that purpose, I can only assume I've made that thing into a murderer, countless times over. Then again, given what happened to poor Benjamin…

Well, I suppose that too falls into the footsteps of the play. For now, this old man shall cease his ramblings.

Manager, you did not mention the Abnormality at all.

It's tripe. What more is there to say? Take it out only to put it immediately back in.

...Of course, Manager.

Next time's featured Abnormality…


New Guidelines/Story

Luminous Bracelet