Part 43: Accounting Errors
Part 43 - Accounting Errors
It's time to take another brief trip into the ~Non-Canon Zone~ in order to cover the two other ways we could've handled the end of Blitz's personal mission.
It should be noted that getting the "best" resolution requires finding the three clues relating to Plotz and Grinder. If you find two or fewer, Blitz in his eagerness to send Hasenkamp to an early retirement will have none of it:
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Someone's forgetting their place. Well screw Blitz, if he's not gonna listen to us then we're not gonna listen to him.
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[He turns to leave.]
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See, it's totally fine. When we get outta here, you'd best be groveling and apologizing profusely for all the crap you've pulled today, Blitz.
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That's funny though, pretty sure we're supposed to be on the other side of that thing before it closes again.
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Aw man, backstabbing we're used to but do you have any idea how much Blitz is going to rub this in our face now?
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Now here's someone who definitely didn't make an appearance last time, hard to miss a lad of that size.
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[The name comes out in a hushed voice. Blitz sounds terrified.]
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[His voice is deep and breathy. He sounds distinctly unhealthy.]
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Once we get out of here we'll show you "personal" you rotten
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Welp nevermind, turns out the big man was packing an Ares Plot Pistol, famed and feared for its power to take out anyone in a single shot as long as they're currently engaged in dialogue or other plot-related activity. Poor bastard never had a chance against one of those.
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[The troll leers at you through the security grate.]
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Kinda with Meat Grinder on this one, he's probably the least trustworthy-looking guy we've met and we get betrayed like three times a week. Last time being literally like two minutes ago. ...We need to find a better line of work.
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Alright, enough of this crap. Screwing over Hasenkamp and Blitz is one thing, can't say they didn't have it coming, but we didn't endure those two all night just for some obese bastard to try and kneecap us right before the finish line.
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[Meat Grinder raises an eyebrow, his jowls quivering.]
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At least he died surrounded by what he loved, the sound of grinding meat.
For completion's sake, here's another way the above conversation can potentially go as it branches quite a bit:
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[Meat Grinder turns to leave, the plastic box cradled in his arms. Hasenkamp's body lies cooling on the ground.]
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[His doughy face contorts itself into a grin.]
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Still satisfying the second time.
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Think we already know where this is going.
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This timeline also finds us accosted by a group of Landenberg thugs, but this time we're on our own for obvious reasons. The Enforcer is missing from the enemy lineup to balance things out some, but by my math one against three are still worse odds than two against four, especially since the 65 HP Captain and Grenadier are still around.
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The Matrix fight against Plotz is identical except for whatever reason the node controls are reversed from before, with Blitz controlling the ones on the right and Plotz the ones on the left. This time around Plotz also got the first turn, which made things a bit more annoying.
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The meat space strategy is unchanged from before, but if you were playing a worse solo class like a Shaman then this could get pretty hairy. The turrets are obviously nice and arguably necessary for less capable combatants, but they have a hard time punching through heavier armor like the Captain's, doubly so when the target is behind cover.
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Eventually Plotz goes down like the poor excuse of a cyberwarrior he is, but this time he leaves something behind for Blitz to pick up.
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A digital avatar dropping a program like a piece of loot is a new one, but I'm sure it makes sense in-universe. An unmistakable aura of a consolation prize can be felt around this piece of Schrödinger's software.
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A second group follows the first just like before, getting greeted the same way by the enthusiastic turrets. This bunch is missing the Captain who was there the last time which is quite welcome.
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We deal with them the usual way. While it may not otherwise reflect reality, Leyline-boosted fire burns just as hot in the Non-Canon Zone.
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It's nice that you don't have to walk away with nothing even if you didn't manage to do this mission the "right" way. You always get either the mystery box or the program, though never both.
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And so this chain of betrayals has reached its inevitable end, all that scheming and subterfuge earning these two nothing but early graves. A tale as common as dirt, here in the shadows.
****
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Now what if we just saved ourselves all that trouble and went for a more pre-emptive approach?
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His line's slightly different if you take this path after already having figured out what's really going on:
quote:
Great. Now I've got to kill you *and* Grinder. What a god damned waste of time.
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[Blitz's voice crackles in over your commlink.]
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We know how this goes. Plotz makes his appearance, gets cyberbullied out of his own system and Blitz takes control of the turrets. Plotz also drops the program which bodes ill for poor innocent box whose only crime was being in the wrong safe at the wrong time.
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The major difference between this and the previous path is that neither Meat Grinder nor the Landenberg goons make an appearance. Instead the climactic battle will be a one-on-one fight against Hasenkamp, who for some reason has gotten extra HP but lost all his armor during his transition to villainhood. Can you sense a duel for the ages brewing, a clash of the titans, history in the making?
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Well I sure hope not because Hasenkamp's odds at beating us in single combat are about the same as, well, an accountant's when going against a powerful mage. His role at this point is pretty much to provide an easy mode conclusion to this mission in case you can't handle the difficulty spike that is the Landenberg assault. What a fall from grace, guess the grandkids are going to have to make do with audiobooks from now on.
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Otherwise the conclusion's the same as in the previous path, though I personally call bullshit on the box being destroyed by turret fire when its carrier went down before a single turret even got a turn. I guess this is also the only path where Blitz doesn't get to say "I told you so" which arguably makes for the best outcome of them all.
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That covers the alternate conclusions to this particular run, we'll return to reality and go over the different rewards next time.