Part 40: Blackwell Convergence - Update 15

Update 15

Yesterday, Rosa spent quite some time speaking with the echos of Joe Gould and Joseph Mitchell, learning about all that has happened to bring us to this point. Today, we'll see what we can do about destroying the link and putting an end to all of this.

A Strange Diner



Mitchell mentioned that he couldn't travel to other rooms in this diner, and there only seems to be one internal door, so perhaps the link is hidden in there. However, Rosa finds the door locked. What shall we do about this?



She returns! Say, can you spare a few dollars for the Joe Gould Fund?
I'm afraid I'm a little short.
Fair enough. Fair enough.

Remember right back at the beginning of the game, when Rosa learned how to pick a lock using a paperclip? Rosa has seen a paperclip very recently.

I'd like to see that essay again.
Here you go.



I don't think he'll miss this.

Of course, the second time Rosa tried to use a paperclip, to break into Frank Lyons' apartment, she completely fucked up the locking mechanism and Joey had to zap through the door instead. But we'll just chalk that one up to experience.

Here you go.
Always glad to share.



Third time's the charm...



For a ghost door, it was pretty solid.

Sure enough, Rosa has levelled up in burglery and successful breaks and enters the diner's kitchen!

What's that noise?

The music cuts out here, and we hear the jumbled whispering from Rosa's dreams. It's a safe bet that the link is somewhere in here.



There's a strange glow coming from inside.

In a Fate Of Atlantis-inspired moment, Rosa opens up the three ovens, and the third one contains a strange, glowing ball of energy.



Rosa tries talking to the oven.

She comes! She comes!
Who are you?
Part of a whole. Left behind. Safe here. Leave me.

Now that we hear these individual whispered lines here, it is easy to make the aural connection that the jumbled whispering we have heard several times through the game was simply all of these lines played on top of each other.

Are you the Countess?
Countess. One of my names. Yes. I no longer live, but part of me remains. Leave me.

Some remnant of the Countess is in the centre oven of a metaphorical diner inhabited by dead journalists in the infinite void contained inside of Rosa's head. Hey, I'll buy that.



Time to do what we came to do.

No! Safe here. Warm here. I stay in warm places. Too cold out there.

Rosa tries, but is unable to pick the energy ball up.

My hand passes right through it.
No. Too cold. I will survive here in safe fire. Leave me.

Not sure what else to do, Rosa decides to keep looking around.

Well, um, see ya.



Hahahaha, Rosa



As if in response to Rosa's comment, Joe Gould pops through the non-unlocked door.

I'm sure it made more sense than most people I know.

I guess the "echos" can't simply zap through the wall like normal ghosts can, but they can come through open doors.

So this is the kitchen. Such a bare and emotionless place. Not even a bottle of ketchup.
Does something about that oven look strange to you?
Nothing about my life has ever made sense. Why should an oven be any different?

Gould actually sounds pretty frustrated here. This game is set in 2007, Gould was born was in 1889. Poor dude has spent over a century going from one confused, troubled existence to another. It's time to finish this and let the poor guy move on.



Not receiving any reassurance about the talking oven from Gould, Rosa goes to speak with Mitchell.

Yes?
The oven in the kitchen is talking.
Is it now?
This doesn't surprise you?
Miss, look where we are. I stopped being surprised ages ago.



Rosa also points out that Gould is gone. She lived up to her promise of getting Gould to leave Mitchell alone.

I see. I think you for that.
Have you reconsidered giving him a cigarette?
I suppose I've been a little hard on the man. Here. I don't smoke anymore. Give him the whole pack.

You know, Mitchell should just have done that ages ago. Then Gould couldn't have asked him for it anymore.



Ah! A nice contribution to the Joe Gould Fund!



Gould lights up and enters flavour country!

Liking your cigarette?
It's delightful! Here, feel free to join me.
Er, thanks but I don't smoke.
You might as well keep it. When a man is rich, he can afford to be generous.

Thanks, I guess. Now we have a ghost cigarette.



If I was a smoker, I'd be in heaven.

Somewhere in the next world, Lauren is shaking her fist right now

So this puzzle is a bit silly, but for reasons unexplained, the Countess' essence can only survive in hot places. It's not willing to leave the oven because the kitchen is cold, but what about if we have a lit cigarette?



Warmth! Safety! The flame will carry me. Thank you!

You know, call me crazy, but I would have thought a cigarette would be the last thing the Countess would want to see, especially when wielded by a Blackwell medium



The Countess' spirit goes into the ghost cigarette, and almost immediately the diner begins to rumble and shake.



The echo of Joe Gould fades away, bringing him peace at last. It looks like Rosa has done her job.



I'm breaking the link. It'll all be over soon.
Over. Yes.

As is customary for the Blackwell games, our departing ghost leaves us with some final thoughts.

I can't say I ever understood any of this, but I do know one thing. Gould was right. We are connected. Every single person on the planet. It's a pattern so complex that we can't begin to understand it. So don't try to understand it. Gould tried, and he lived a miserable life. Just live, and be happy in living. Anyhow, you'd best get gone. You've got a job to finish.



Mitchell fades away, and the diner floor soon follows.



Rosa takes a second to reflect on all she's seen, before heading outside the diner door.



That's good, right? Once this place is gone, the link is gone too? The killing will stop?

Madeline's response is somewhat surprising.

This means something to you. The killing.
She killed someone right in front of me. I want to stop that from happening again.



Your predecessor was not graced with such compassion.
Predecessor...? Do you mean Lauren? My Auntie Lauren?

Wait... Madeline knew Lauren? How did she know Lauren? Joey certainly didn't know about Madeline.

We should not stay here. This place will soon cease to be. Come.

Of course, being a spirit guide, Madeline refuses to actually provide us with potentially important information



Placing her hand on Rosa's shoulder, Madeline teleports the two of them away, as the diner flashes out of existence. The link is gone, and the Countess is no longer bound to Charlie Meltzer.

In The Wrong Place



I'm free!
Way to go, Red.

With the link severed, the Countess suddenly finds the Universe is no longer contained within her head.

My head... I understand everything!
Everything?
I... hurt people.
Yes. That was you. But look, whatever happened? It's done. You can't do anything about it now. It's time for you to move on.

Joey does his best to comfort the Countess...



...but she isn't having a bar of it.

He will not kill again!

Suddenly realising what has happened, the Countess is furious.



Oh, shit. Despite having the link broken, the Countess still seems to be sticking around as a ghost with incredible power. She turns back into a ball of energy and crosses the threshold back to reality, with Joey powerless to stop her. Moments later, Rosa and Madeline reappear.

It's about time you got back here. What did you guys do?
I did it, Joey. I broke the bond!

Joey is quick to rain on Rosa's parade, however.

Yeah you broke it all right. And our friend just blew.
She did not enter the white light?
No!



Clearly, Madeline was not anticipating this outcome. I guess she thought the Countess would be all too keen to put an end to her tortured existence and head on into the white light.

She has free will. And is loose in the world. With the power she has... who knows what damage she can cause?
Great. Just great. I don't know who you are, lady, and I don't care. But just leave the spook work to us, okay?

Madeline snaps back angrily:

I have little choice in the matter. I am bound to this plane. What happens next is up to you.
Wait!



But it is too late. Madeline is gone, not that Joey minds one bit.

Let's get out of here.



Well, fuck. We've severed the link, but now a killer ghost is loose in New York. Madeline still seems to be sticking around, too. There is still more work to be done before Convergence finishes. Join me tomorrow for the dramatic conclusion!