Part 98: Blackwell Epiphany - Update 21

Update 21

Yesterday, Joey discovered that Madeline was intending to destroy herself through the use of a spiritual vortex - and that the resulting explosion would level Manhattan. For the first time this series, things have gone beyond individual lives. The entire city needs saving from Madeline now.

Rosa and Lauren



With Joey's gentle but constant prodding for Rosa to get up, she was able to tear herself away from the view of the Universe, and convince Lauren to join her. The music here is actually The Void, but you know what, we've heard that track enough this game. I want to listen to Rosa and Lauren, so that's what we're going to listen to.

So. Are you married? Kids?
No.
Dating anyone?
Is this really the time for this?
I have to ask this stuff. It's in the aunt manual.
... No. I'm not seeing anyone.

Hahaha These two really are sweet together, even if it's somewhat depressing to see just how vastly different they are from one another.



I have some pictures. And I still have that teddy bear.

Rosa brings up her beloved Griff, the P.I. bear However, Lauren has some disturbing information for her.

Really. Did it work?
...work?
I thought it would help prepare you.
Prepare me? How?
You know - the hat and tie?

Hahahaha, holy shit



Rosa is horrified

You're KIDDING.
So it didn't work.
No, it didn't work.

Rosa delivers this line with a perfect mixture of disbelief and anger

Well, I was new at the mom game. Sue me. So how is Joey these days?
He's... Joey.
Huh. I guess that says it all. Come on. Let's move it.



Rosa and Lauren rounds the corner to the ledge Rosa discovered yesterday.

Sure, I guess.



Hmph.

Hahaha



Rosa manages to scramble up, and then offers her hand to Lauren.

...

Lauren, however, finds herself drawn back to the perch she's been sitting on for the last several decades.

Come ON. I'm not leaving you here.
*sigh* Fine.

Fortunately, Rosa's voice seems to do the trick, and Lauren takes Rosa's hand and hoists herself up the ledge.



As they make their way along the ethereal path, Lauren seems to hesitate.

...
Auntie? Are you okay?
Nothing. It's just...

Something is definitely bothering her.



As Rosa continues, Lauren lags behind, before turning around and starting to head back.

What?
We need to keep moving.
It hurts. Don't you feel it?

I guess the pain isn't numbed so much here?

Yes. But I can't stay here. And neither can you.

Lauren looks on at Rosa, and seems to take strength in her resilience.



As they continue along the path, the pain increases.

Yeah. Let's keep moving.

The path seems to be converging on the bright light - the passageway between our world, and the next plane of existence.

It's so... beautiful. But cold, somehow.



As they enter the light, Lauren speaks.

After I'd send a ghost off, I'd just sit and stare. Try to make sense out of it. Wonder what was on the other side.



Suddenly, the light dims, and Rosa and Lauren find themselves in Rosa's nodespace. I guess they were on the other side before?

I'm dead out there. Aren't I? Back in New York.
Yes. I'm... sorry.
I should have realized. I've had this conversation so many times.

Here, back in reality, Lauren is a ghost. She's dead. Rosa, on the other hand, is still alive.



As we're used to seeing with ghosts, Lauren's mind clears up a bit once she's in this place.

Someone trying to take over my mind. It... cracked my head open. Let the universe pour through. It... hurt.
I know. It happened to me.
A part of me escaped. Hid. Out there in the void. Anything to get away.

She looks over to her niece.

You brought me back.

Rosa can respond in multiple ways. She can comment that it was a joint effort:

We brought each other back.
I just gave you a boost. You didn't really need me. But of course... you never really did, did you?

She can say that Lauren is family:

You're family. What else could I do?
*sigh* You're as sappy as your father. I wish... you could have met him.

Rosa did meet him, for the first five years of her life, but anyway. Finally, she can indicate that Lauren would have done the same in her shoes:

You would have done the same.
Maybe. I wasn't quite myself. But when I'm honest with myself... I never DID know who I was.

So, here we are, in the void. Lauren's a ghost, and she needs to finally move on.

Auntie, I think...



I know how this works.

After all this time, it's time for the Bestower to help her predecessor move on. Lauren tries to settle on her final words.

Say hi to Joey for me, huh? And tell him... You know what? Don't tell him anything. It'll drive him crazy.

Oh man, hahaha



With that, Lauren heads on to the next world, not as someone trying to deny their own death even in the next place of existence, but as a spirit ready to move on, as it was meant to be. Rosa watches as she leaves, and then returns through the portal to reality.



As Rosa returns, things are definitely not what they normally are Her eyes glow a blinding bright light that fills the room, and obviously pains Rosa.

Holy...!
Jesus. Red? Is that you?
Joey? Oh my God, my head...

Joey's concern for Rosa is overriden by his joy at hearing her voice again.

You're back? You're really back?
I... think so? Where am I? And... what am I wearing?
Short version. You're in the looney bin. You wouldn't believe what's going on out there...

Before Joey can fill her in, however, Rosa's eyes glow a bright white again



Jesus, that's not normal. After speaking, Rosa's eyes dim back.

Ah. Yeah? How'd you know that?
Um. I think it's the universe pouring into my head.

So that's still happening, huh? That's not good, although it does seem to be helping Rosa out somewhat, giving her access to the composite knowledge of the Universe. Joey, however, is confused.

... What now?
It is how both Lauren and Patricia met their end. Their mind could not take the pressure. Their souls hid in the void until they died. I found my way back.

Her eyes dim again, while Joey looks on with obvious concern.

Ow.
You're not... gonna relapse, are you?
No. It's... bad, but not as bad as before. I can control it. Kind of.

Control it? I guess that could actually be quite useful, even if it's very obviously bad for her.

Well, we'll deal with that later. Can you get out of that jacket?
Urf. Um. No.
Okay. First things first. Let's get you out of here.



Yeah?
Don't you dare scare me like that again.

It's good to see that these two have really developed a strong bond after these four years together Unlike in Convergence, where you got the distinct sense that Joey was interested in Rosa's wellbeing primarily because he was scared of being stuck in an aslyum again, by this stage he seems to actually care about her. It's a lovely bit of character development, and in many ways feels much healthier than his attachment to Lauren.



Joey, I don't think I can get out of this thing. I can barely move.
Don't worry. There's got to be something around here that can help. Somehow.

I'm not sure there is - this room is pretty bare. Joey and Rosa exchange glances.

She's awake. Now we just need to get her out of that jacket.
I don't know how, but I think he helped bring me back. No time to thank him yet, though. We need to get out of here.

Rosa isn't content to wait for Joey to think of something, and continues her struggling.

Urf. Almost moved that time. Come on. You can do this.



With an enormous effort, Rosa manages to wiggle an inch or two across the floor. It's not much, but it's something.



Meanwhile, Joey heads out into Bellevue to see if he can find something to help her.

Asylum Danger



As he emerges in the storage room, however, the entire building starts to rattle and shake.



He quickly ducks back to Rosa.

This whole building is shaking!



As Rosa tries to think about what's happening, the lights come back on in her eyes.

The entire city has fallen unconscious. We're the only ones awake.

Everyone else is unconscious? That's pretty dramatic

We're the only ones? Why?
We have both been to the void. We are immune to most of its effects. But we will not survive if and when the energy reaches critical mass.

Her eyes dim out again.

Ow. Damnit.
All right. This new ability of yours? Scaring the crap out of me.

Hahaha Actually, it's a very fair call.

Still. One crisis at a time. We need to get you out of here.



Joey floats around the hospital looking for something to help Rosa. Sure enough, everyone is unconscious, just like Rosa said.

I can't do anything to help him.



Doc Quentin is out cold as well. Joey ignores him, but spies an object on the floor.

A scalpel. Must have fallen out of the tray.



Time to take advantage of his one power. Joey scoots up behind the scalpel and sends it sliding out of the room with a series of deep breaths.



He continues it on it's way down the corridor.

Good thing they wax these floors pretty regularly.



Finally, he brings it to Rosa's door. There is a flap down the bottom, but Joey's breath isn't strong enough to send the scalpel through the flap.



Back in the cell, Rosa continues writhing around as best as her straitjacket will allow.



Inching her way over to the cell door, she sticks out her foot and holds the door flap open with her toes.

It's a small door flap. I think it's for food trays.



With the flap open, Joey is able to send the knife in, hopefully avoiding Rosa's feet



Summoning what remains of her strength, Rosa folds herself up and slices the straitjacket open on the scalpel. She's free!

My arms are gonna be numb for days. I don't want to be NEAR that thing ever again.
It's just rags now. Good riddance. This room is locked tight. I don't think I'm going to be much help, here.
Right. It's up to me, then. There's got to be a way out of this place. There has to be.

Joey tries to offer support.

Just try and keep calm. We've been in jams worse than this.
...
All right, maybe he haven't. I'm trying to be supportive, here.

Hahaha Now, Rosa doesn't have her phone or anything here, so that scalpel is her only inventory item. She tries using it to get out the door, but...

All that does is scratch the lock.

...there's no dice there. If only we had a paperclip!



She tries cutting away the wall padding, hoping to find a way out of here, but as Joey discovered earlier, there's only old piping on this side. Rosa grabs the bit of pipe anyway.



On the back wall, Rosa discovers the vent Joey has travelled through a few times, which leads to the storage room.

Looks like it was part of an old ventilation system, before this room was converted into a padded cell.

The scalpel doesn't make a dent on the vent, but what about the pipe?



Rosa jams it in the vent, and with a small effort, manages to pop it off. We're breaking out of here!



Rosa crawls through the vent and kicks her way to freedom You know, considering the first puzzle of Legacy was to trick a dog into barking because she was too scared to speak to her own neighbour, Rosa has come a hell of a long way. She's had several action girl moments so far in Epiphany! Joey doesn't give her any time to enjoy her badassery though.

Kid, we don't have time to stick around here. Move it!
I'm going as fast as I can!

They look around the storage room.

First thing is to get her some proper clothes. She wouldn't last two minutes outside in this weather.



Rosa cracks open the closet to see if she can find anything.

And my clothes. Thank God. You mind?
Right. Right.

She quickly changes...



...and coat-wearing Rosa is back!

Let's go.
I'm right behind you, sweetheart.

As Rosa exits the door, she hears what sounds like a small explosion. Shit is obviously getting worse outside.

Murderer on the Loose



The only thing I can do to help him is to stop Madeline.

Rosa quickly scouts out Bellevue, but there's nothing here for her.



On the way out, she stops to consider the vortex.

She looks a bit unsteady. I guess with everything that's happened, I can't blame her.



Fortunately, the key from the closet allows her to access the elevator. I guess it was there as an adventure game puzzle mechanic to prevent you from trying to leave without your coat.



Exiting Bellevue, Rosa has three destinations for some reason. It's strange, because there is clearly only one place to go, and Rosa won't even attempt the other two.

I can't go home. Not yet.
The police can't help with this.

Obviously, we're off to Grace Church to put an end to all this.


Join me tomorrow for the dramatic conclusion of Epiphany. Will Rosa and Joey manage to stop Madeline, and save New York? Will Rosa be able to tap into her newfound powers? It all comes to a close tomorrow night. Don't miss it!






No Word of God update tonight, sorry guys. To make up for it, there will be a double dose after tomorrow's update - since there will be plenty to talk about when whatever final reveals Epiphany throws at us are unveiled. See you all then!