Part 9: Memory Check

Update 9: Memory Check



Maybe the intersection has some clues this time.



Let's look at the memorial first, then talk to the kid.

*Memorial*


*Conversation: Boy*
: (Could that be...?)





: Say, did you hurt your hand in a traffic accident yesterday...?

I haven't really brought it up before, but Ethan really has a thing for using flashbacks to obviously know more than he should.

: I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.
: Oops--sorry about that. I'm Ethan Kairos.



That was...easy. That kind of invalidates the whole point of "don't talk to strangers".

: Okay...Jacob. Were you in an accident here yesterday?
: Uh-huh...and my dog Lucky died. So I was bringing him some treats.
: (This is the boy, all right--the same one from my flashback.) Jacob, do you remember what kind of car caused the accident?
: Nuh-uh.
: Oh, okay...
: But it had a refrigerator on it.
: It fell on top of Lucky.
: A refrigerator, huh...?
: (Loaded onto a flatbed, maybe? So it might have been a truck...)
: That truck carrying the fridge--do you know which way it came from?
: ...Ummm...

: (So it must have come right through there... I seem to remember the road was kind of on a slope...)
: Got it. Thanks, Jacob.
: Sure. I'm going home now. Bye.
: Bye!

Jacob leaves. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but this confused me for a while, as I thought this meant there's a new spot on the town map. Turns out it's just another screen hidden inside the Intersection area.





: (Maybe one of the people from my flashback can tell me.)

This is pretty easy. Who do we know was near the scene of the accident?

On our way there, we run into this at the Intersection:



: Mrowrrrr...
: (Huh? That cat has the same markings as Sox.)
: Mrowr!
: Wait a second...Sox? Is that you?
: Mrowr.

I miss Trails in the Sky's cat-dictionary.

: (What's Sox doing all the way out here?)
: Mrowrrrr!!
: What is it? Hey...what have you got there?



Ethan: (That light--the color... It looks just like the Hollow Pen! Where could Sox have found something like this, anyway?)
Sox: Mrowrrrr...
Ethan: !!!



Ethan: Whoa! What the--!? (Where'd it go?)
Sox: Mrowrowr.
Ethan: That ball of light--did...did it get sucked up into the Pen?
Sox: Mrowr.

Here we're introduced to the 'chrons'. These are noted as falling out when someone uses the Pen to change the past, and they refill one of your Pen's twelve uses. This is the last reason it's hilariously easy to avoid losing, because these can be farmed pretty easily so long as you know the standard locations.

The trick is that it's always outside, and it may be more likely at Hole locations. Standard spots to collect them are outside Ethan's house, the garbage dump, Chronos bike rack, the intersection, and the alleyway. I think the park's available as a location as well, but it's been a while so I may be wrong on that. Regardless, it's not hard to find him if you're specifically looking, though you may need to do a quick camera pan to make sure he's not hiding. With this, we have basically infinite Pen uses to do whatever we want.

: (Hey...I feel...a little lighter, maybe?)
: ...Mrowr.

Sox runs off.

: Hey, Sox...?
: (Where'd he go...?)

Not pictured: me refilling my other use of the Pen at the Chronos bike rack. Detour aside, we get back to our original task.



*Chronos*

: Oh, er...I just...
: Your friends have all gone home.
: They sure did look bummed out. What happened?
: (Bummed out...? Oh--because I changed the past...)
: ...Bummed out, eh?
: So? What's up?
: Actually, Olivia, I need to ask you something...
: Ooh! You want to know if I like you?
: N-no! That's not it at all!
: Ha ha ha! Gotcha! Aw, you're blushing! How cute is that? You don't have to be shy around me. C'mon, what is it?
: ...Um, so...I'd like to ask you...



*Question: Do you know about the accident at the intersection?*
: I mean, you told us about it. I'm just checking to see if you forgot.
: Oh, yeah--the accident yesterday. The one where the dog was killed.

*Question: Do you remember seeing a truck in the alley?*
: A truck? In the alley?? Ummmm...
: (Doesn't look like she remembers much at all.)
: (Let me ask her something else.)



*Question: Do you remember seeing a person in the alley?*
: A person? In the alley? Last night?
: Yes--she had a sweatshirt with hearts on it and her hair tied up like this...
: ......!
: Aha! That's who it was! Sara!
: Huh?
: Sara Tenneson. She works at the library. That's right--we passed each other in the alley last night!
: (Sara, from the library...I should talk to her.)
: Thanks a lot, Olivia.
: Huh? That's all you wanted?
: Yep, that's all. See you later.
: Okay! Come again!

She probably thinks we're crazy now. Oh well. To the library!



*Outside Library*


: (Oh, yeah...I should give Emily her glasses.)

We'll be prompted like this (and get the option) every time we enter this area from the map.



: (It's Sara...)
: (At least, that's what Olivia said. ...Better talk to her.)
: Er...
: Yes?
: Yesterday, at this intersection...
: Yes, there was an accident.
: And it involved a truck...
: Yes, that's right. Did you see it, too?
: (I knew it! She's the woman from my flashback!)
: (Totally not what I pictured, though.)
: ...Actually, I'd like to ask you a few questions.



*Question: Do you know about the accident at the intersection?*
: Just making sure you don't have extremely short-term memory.
: Of course I remember. A refrigerator fell off a truck, right?

*Question: Do you remember seeing a truck in the alley?*
: I saw that truck before the accident happened.
: I wish I'd been able to warn the driver...



*Question: Do you remember what time that was?*
: It happened just as I'd gone out to buy more soy sauce...
: I'd say about 8:40.
: 8:40, eh? (Got my time!)
: Thank you very much.

Thus informed, we clear up our flashbacks, especially the relevant one.



So let's solve our problem. To the alley we go!

In the intersection on the way there, we find someone surprising.



*Conversation: Morris*
: Morris...?
: Oh, hey, Ethan.
: What are you doing here?
: I heard about it at Chronos and, well...
: You mean...about the accident?
: Uh-huh... That poor dog...
: ...... Did everyone go home already?
: Yeah, pretty much right after you left.
: Oh...
: I'd better head home, too. See you around.
: Yeah, see you.

And he leaves. Back to the alley we go.

{Soundtrack: Silence}



: (And the Pen is glowing too. I should be able to do something!)



: (I'm going to save Jacob's dog!)



: (...That's what it said in that letter--the one that came with the watch. The holder must have the Time... So that's MY Time. Will I lose my Time by using the Hollow Pen...?)



: (...But Jacob's dog would still be alive if it weren't for me...)



===







*Examine*
: (So this truck's carrying a refrigerator, eh?)



Ethan: (Someone out there is moving--someone besides me!)
Ethan: Wh-who's there!?