Part 24: Avenge Your Loss

When we last saw Jonathan and Ed, they'd chased the car bombing biker away from AMM and are at a rail station. You know what would really sell me on an exciting chase sequence? Slowing shit down so Ed can play tour guide.

A train station, huh?
Yeah, a maglev. This is Beyond's public transportation system. It runs across the entire colony, with a top speed of 300 miles an hour.

Look; Blood Trail

Look! White blood. This is his. It leads to the station.
Let's get Victor to analyze it. If it's AP, he should be able to identify the owner.
I'll let you get it.



...Oh, wait, we have an analysis syringe? I guess somebody forgot to mention that. Okay, sure, why not. Maybe we have a whole crime kit somewhere in the... crashed car we left behind. Or something.

He must be hiding here somewhere. If he's even still alive.
Yeah. Let's take a look around.

Yeah, like the alley in the Prologue, we have to examine all the places that the biker could be before we can advance. So... here, let me summarize what happens. You look at bushes/the sign/the glass/the stairs and Ed goes, "Yeah, he could be there!" and again apologizes for not being able to draw his lift gun.

Then!

There he is! Behind that pillar!



It's another shootout like the first in the game (see Update 3). The biker will take cover and pop out of different sides of the pillar, sometimes kneeling, sometimes standing. Hit him enough and he runs behind the signboard.



This is a little trickier since his two major areas of cover are farther away, but yeah - again, he pops out standing or kneeling on either side of cover. Lock on and keep firing.

He eventually runs under the stairs...



Same deal. This time...





How the hell can anyone keep going like that?
It doesn't make sense. He's gotta be on something. Let's go!

But then, the train arrives.



He's gonna get on the train!
Get Meryl and Dave over to the next station!
Right!



You don't have to yell, chief, we can hear you fine.
We're already here.
Where?
B Block of the Residential District.
We're still chasing this guy. He's gonna get on the linear rail. We're at Central Port Station. Get over to South Garden!
Copy that. We'll be there in 5.
We're counting on you!
We'll be there. ... Things are finally getting interesting around here, Dave. It's like being back in FOXHOUND.
Amen to that. Just enough time to finish this burger too.

Dave, you are the fuckin' best.



Go Inside

Head for the platform! We should still be able to catch him!
What about tickets?
My badge works as a remote ticket.
You guys get to ride for free, huh?
Stick to me and we should make it through together. Move!



Alright, watch out for civilians.
Where is he?
These are the only ticket gates. He's either here or on the train.
No blood anywhere.

Look; Woman in Pink

Is this him?
That's a passenger. She looks like an office worker.

Look; Woman in Pink

C'mon, Jonathan, the guy we're after's wearing a bike suit.

I'm going to spare Jonathan the embarrassment of expressly examining Trilby, the other woman, and the two in the background even though they're clearly not the biker, but you have to make sure in order to get to the next scene.

The Local R Line train will depart momentarily.



Should we get on?
We can't! We don't know if he got on or not!

At this point, you have to examine the train, the pillars, and the turnstiles to determine that a) the biker doesn't appear in those places and b) he might be on the train, but he might not, and we can't be sure! Do that and-



The biker fires at us, which mildly surprises the guy in the trench coat.



Everybody get down!



We get into a very brief shootout - the biker only comes out of the left side of the pillar. Hit him a couple times and he runs for the train.



He got on the linear! Hurry, before the doors close!

Get on train

This is the last car of the train.



"Bleeding guy comes running in with a gun? Look, I'm really invested in this article," says that blonde woman. Nobody can really be bothered by this, which I think is a good indication of how exciting commuting on a space colony can be. Even that old guy looks nonplussed.

Police! Nobody panic! C'mon, you bastard....

Look; Older Man

He's an elderly salaryman. He's probably got a weak heart. Don't do anything to scare him.
Salaryman?
Yeah, it basically refers to a businessman who works for a company. They call them "salarymen" in Japan. Almost all of them pick one company for life and stay with it until they retire. They're very loyal to their company. It becomes a part of their life. Their attitude towards work is different from Westerners'.
I could never do something like that. This something else Tokugawa's brought onto the colony?

Talk; Salaryman

Where'd the guy in the bike suit go?
He ran into the next car. What did he do?
He was speeding... and ran a bunch of lights.
Speeding?
He didn't buy a ticket either. And he disrespects his elders.
Huh?

The woman is reading a magazine, so Ed figures she didn't see anything, and the other guy is listening to music, so Ed figures he missed everything. So let's move onto the next car.

Go to next car

Let's move to the next car.



Police! Everybody stay calm!
Something's going on here.
Look! More blood. He can't be far away.

Look; Blood Trail

More of his blood in here.
This is his alright. And it stops here. Looks like he tried to mess around with it.

There's another salaryman in the foreground.

Where'd the guy in the bike suit go?
I... I don't know anything! It doesn't involve me.
He's acting weird.

That guy in the brown is also wearing a bike suit, but...

Look; Other Biker

That guy's wearing a bike suit! Maybe he's taken off his helmet?
I think he was a little bigger than this.

Talk; Other Biker

You. Did you see a guy come in here? He was wearing a bike suit like you.
I don't know anything. I didn't see anyone. Honest!
Why don't I believe you....

What about that guy in the back?

Look; Trench Coat Guy

He's not wearing a helmet. He's got a coat on. This isn't him.

Talk; Trench Coat Guy

You there. Seen someone in a bike suit here?
You mean that kid behind me?

The guy in the back on the right is shaking for some reason. He's middle-aged.

Talk; Middle-Aged Man

Hey, you. You see a big guy come in here a minute ago?
My... my coat....
What? What about your coat?
I.... It's nothing.
What's with these people?

There's also that young couple.

Talk; Young Man

You see a guy in a bike suit?
Ask someone else, will you?
They're all acting weird.
Yeah, seriously.
What exactly's going on here?

Talk; Young Woman

Can you help us, ma'am? We're looking for a guy in a bike suit.
Please, help us!
Help you? Hear that, Ed? Everyone of them's bananas.

You actually have to go around again, but it's more of the same - they all seem too afraid to talk, or claim they haven't seen anything.

Real helpful crew we got. He might've threatened them.
Meaning he's among them?
Where'd his helmet go? It couldn't have just disappeared.



So you're probably comparing this picture with the last one, wondering how the helmet now appears behind the middle aged guy. The answer is that it doesn't. It just sorta pops in and the effect is jarring as hell.

Look; Helmet

Jonathan, I see his helmet!
There he is! Freeze!

Jonathan actually does pull out his gun, but the middle aged man immediately interferes.



And because this kid has apparently lived in a rail shooter all his life, he jumps out in front of a gun-holding policenaut.



What?!
He's over there wearing my coat!
Your coat?



Ed, where, exactly? Could really use some specifics...

So anyway yeah, it's another very short gunfight - the biker doesn't even try to dodge here, you just hit him a few times and he runs off.



I don't believe this! This guy ain't human! No fucking way!
We're almost at the next station!

Go to next car

We can't let him get away! Move to the next car!



Oh shit, a hostage! And even worse...

Chris?!



What are we gonna do?
South Garden, South Garden Station.
We're pulling in!



Please!
I will kill you.

The biker throws her down and runs off.



You okay, Chris?
Yeah. Thanks.
Let's go!
No! Don't leave me by myself!
You're safe now, Chris.
I'm scared.
He's gonna get away!
Ed, see if Meryl and Dave are here.
Right.



Copy that. We got him.
We're in position, chief.
He's wearing a black bike suit. Big guy. You can't miss him.
I told you, we got him. Unless you want us to wait for you?
Watch it! This guy's no joke!



Don't leave me!
The doors are gonna close!
You'll be fine, Chris. Okay?
C'mon!



See his eyes, Ed? He didn't blink. It's him. Those are his eyes.

Suddenly Ed's radio signals.

Hey, it's Meryl. This is Ed. What's your status?
Chief, we've cornered him by a store outside the station!
Alright, we'll be right there!
Damn! He's got a hostage!
*bang* *bang* *bang*
Dave!
Shit! Let's go!



Dave!
Chief! Dave's... Dave's....
Dear god, no....



Jonathan... chief.... He got me. I screwed up. So much for... going for non-vitals, huh?
Yeah.... That doesn't work with him.
It's like... some bad dream. Guess I should've... worn that vest after all.
Where'd he go?
He dragged the hostage inside here. He was carrying a bomb!
Jonathan... chief.... It's him. His shooting... the way he moved....
I knew it.
Yeah. Redwood... from AP.
Can't you do something for him, chief?
I wanted to go Home. I wanted to... see Home.
Dave....
Meryl.... Meryl, you there?
I'm here, Dave.
There's something... I've been meaning to tell you. Hamburgers... aren't my favorite thing in the world, you know. Never told anyone before.
Hm?
You, Meryl.
What?
I've always loved... the way you smell.
The way I smell?
You smell like... the earth. I actually told you. At least... I'll die happy.







You ready?
Hell yeah.
One... two....
Three!