Part 51: Key of Fortune
[BGM: No Escape from Here]
Surprise, we're in a Saw game now!
Anyway, if it wasn't obvious, it's only Bad endings and the S ending for this one...
...so let's get the other Bad endings out of the way first. There's obviously more to this “puzzle” than just sitting there trying keys, and these Bad endings will show us the way. (Regallion, Quackles, PepperedMoth, and Cloacamazing's guesses results in this outcome.
It was still not the right key, but I noticed something strange this time.
I held the lock closer to my face and tried another key: in and out.
A dim, red light flashed inside the keyhole!
That must be a wireless sensor! This was not a regular mechanical lock.
I took out my PDA and started scanning for nearby devices.
Bluetooth, infrared, WiFi... anything!
Finally, I saw a server named LOCKOFLUCK appear on my PDA's screen!
But... I needed 50 minutes to crack the administrator password.
The final grains of sand had dropped into the bottom half of the hourglass.
An excruciating pain exploded in my chest. The letters on the PDA were getting more and more blurry.
I dropped the PDA onto the pile of keys. It made a clinking sound and I collapsed onto the pile.
I felt warmth beneath my nose.
I wiped my face with my hand. Blood.
Damn it, I found it too late.
As I said, there's more to this than meets the eye. We now know that we need to give Jimmy 50 minutes to crack the password, so he has to discover quickly; let's try a different arrangement.
Maybe this one will help? (NyoroEevee's guess results in this ending.)
[The user has been granted administrative privilege.]
After 50 minutes I finally cracked the administrator password.
The lock was actually an electric lock that just looked like a mechanical one.
It was connected wirelessly to a remote server named LOCKOFLUCK through a nearby router.
The server was the real “key of luck”.
The program that controlled the lock had been set to unlock it when there had been 2000 attempts with any key.
However, no one in this fucking world could do it 2000 times in an hour!
That bastard almost had me fooled.
I spent a little more time changing the “2000” to “1” in the program, and re-executed the program.
Now all I had to do was try it one more time and I could finally get out.
However, just when I was about to insert the key into the hole, an excruciating pain exploded in my chest; I couldn't even hold the key in my hand anymore.
I dropped the key onto the pile. It made a clinking sound and I collapsed onto the pile.
The final grains of sand had dropped into the bottom half of the hourglass.
Damn it, I'm so close......
Close, but no cigar! The solution for this puzzle is honestly pretty funny:
...we're literally arranging the pieces so that 'the goddess of fortune had never favored me, BUT....' starts things off, because that in turn makes the internal logic read as 'i'm usually not lucky, BUT...' and that guarantees that Jimmy has enough time to hack the password and open the gate!
We also need to put the key piece at the very end, because logic dictates having that there means he didn't take too much time hacking the password and could put the final key in before the poison in his system spreads too far- it's all about making Jimmy as lucky as possible here.[BGM: Escape]
“Beep”!
The lock opened with a crisp electric beep.
Yes! Thank God I hadn't been fooled by how it looked.
I wiped the sweat off of my forehead with my sleeve and disconnected the wireless connection between my PDA and the lock.
50 minutes ago I'd had a sudden epiphany after trying a few keys without success. I took out my PDA and tried to scan for nearby devices.
That was how I found my chance to survive.
The lock was actually an electric lock that just looked like a mechanical one.
It was connected wirelessly to a remote server named LOCKOFLUCK through a nearby router.
The server was the real “key of luck”.
To have laid out such a trap, it could only mean one thing. Pi had secretly investigated me and knew that I was a hacker.
That bastard almost had me fooled.
It took me 50 minutes to crack the administrator password for the server.
Then I was able to find the program that controlled the lock.
The setting on the program indicated that the lock would only be opened if there were 2000 attempts.
In other words, it didn't matter which key I tried. All I needed to do was to try 2000 times with any key.
However, no one in this fucking world could do it 2000 times in an hour!
Except a hacker. <(￣▽￣)>
I pushed open the gate.
The humid air and the clear night sky made me feel like I had never felt before.
A paper bag was taped to the other side of the gate, with a note reading, '”Antidote I”.
In the bag there was a syringe filled with some unknown liquid, and a car key.
Are you fucking kidding me?!
Antidote I?!
That bastard!
An excruciating pain exploded in my chest. I had no choice but to inject the first “antidote” into my arm.
I had to keep going.
I had to find him.
I struggled to stand up, sweat all over my body, and pressed the button on the key fob.
A beeping sound came from a car not too far away. The headlights blinked twice.
…
[BGM: Silence]
Hey lazy ass, how much longer are you going to sleep?
Shush, dumb brother... I don't want to get up yet... Ever since Fluffy's been gone, you've been acting like this. You don't eat anything. You don't go to bed on time. You'll get sick if you keep going like this. That's none of your business... Ah! I just remembered! I heard that the zoo has got some polar bears recently! Want to go take a look?
Polar bears? There have always been polar bears at the zoo... Oh, but these are not just common polar bears! I hear that they are leased from a Brazilian zoo, and they have green fur!
… Really? Really. The zoo has even doubled the price of their tickets. If you come with me today, I'll pay for the tickets. The bears are only here for a few days; it would be a shame to miss them. What do you say?…
[BGM: A Family Matter]
… It was just a dream. I knew it...
When did I ever have a brother?
Oh, what time is it now? … It's only ten? Still quite early... I should go and find something to kill time.
Surprise, we can actually poke around the room here!
I'm just going to rotate through the stuff we can look at, starting with the windows on the right and working our way left. The view outside is still so upsetting... Everything is red and it's still snowing... when will it stop? I wonder what the snow tastes like...Next, the plant.
By the way... I don't think I have ever watered this. How is it still growing so well?Next, the cushion on the chair.
There's a lot of dog hair on this pillow. Is it Master's hair? Should I wash it?Next, the books on the floor.
When did I pile all of these books on the floor? Let me see what they are... The Story of the Isle of Dogs... Midnight Convenience Store... 428@DEEP... Square Lightning... The Assassin... Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic Processes... I don't remember having any of these books... I know I have forgotten many things, but that last one doesn't seem like a book I would read... Could it belong to someone else? But there's no one else here besides me and Master... It must be his, then.
The Story of Inukoku... That sounds interesting. I'll give it a read tonight.Next, the letters on the desk.
It is the Master's job to handle these letters and help the humans. He always stacks the ones that he has read on a shelf.
Every time I bring him tea and snacks I secretly take one with me to read in my spare time.
He never notices one or two missing out of so many.
Although... I'm surprised by how many I've collected. It's a miracle that he hasn't caught me yet... Wait. There seems to be a note in the middle of the letters...
Omni-Dimensional Probability Generator... Instruction... Manual... What is this? It seems like the manual to some machine.Attention...
1. DO NOT misplace the instigator pen...
2. All requests must be entered as text...
3. All descriptions in the requests must be objectively accurate...
4. The energy consumption is irreversible.
Hmm. The doodled sketch on this note... looks a lot like Master's writing. Hmm... There's more below... Addendum... Sample Applications...
[Telepathy] The user who holds the instigator in an isolated environment is able to exhibit identical behavior to someone external to the environment.
This feature is achieved by modifying the target's behavior to be identical to the user's behavior, not by reading the target's mind.
Divination/Memory Tampering] The user who holds the instigator is able to foresee other people's future behaviors, and reveal the past of unknown strangers.
This feature is implemented by modifying the target's future behaviors or past history. It cannot actually predict the future or tamper with one's memories.
Warning: Altering objective past events could lead to unpredictable chain events. Please operate with extreme caution.
This... sounds like what Master has been doing... Oh... there's more...[Resurrection] If it is possible to identify the objective events that have led to the target's death, that death can be prevented by altering the causal links among the chain of events.
[Teleportation] Ability to teleport. The distance of teleportation does not impact the amount of energy consumed.
[Time Leap] Unverified.
Teleportation! That sounds so cool. If I could do it I would immediately teleport myself to a sunny beach! The view of this place is terrible. Although, what does “Time Leap” mean?
Hmm... I don't understand...[Weather Manipulation] The user who holds the instigator is capable of changing the weather and the geographical features of a location. Warning: Using this feature may consume a significant amount of energy and even potentially destroy the ecosystem. Please operate with extreme caution.
[Transfiguration] The person who holds the instigator can change their appearance or that of others. Unlike standard transfiguration, this feature allows the user to change into another species entirely, such as a cat or a dog.
… Change into a dog...
Is that why Master can speak?! No, no, no... what am I thinking... this note is probably the confused musings of an extremely bored and imaginative person... Master can speak because he's a god. And why would a god need a machine? Hahahaha.Next, the doll on the table.
This is my favorite doll, Buka! Although I have the feeling that it has not always been here. How long has she been here? Oh well, it doesn't really matter. I'm glad you are here with me~Next, a drawer in the bookshelf on the far left...
Hmm? What's this?
Is it a storage box? I don't know how to open it. What exactly is this?*bzzt*
Hmm? It's just a die! Why did I think it was something else? Was I... hallucinating? Oh well.Lastly, a book on the bookshelf.
It's a photo album. Why aren't there any photos inside? Ah! It's that late already?! I should go to the kitchen now, or Master will scold me! Should I make osmanthus cakes or pumpkin cookies today? Master prefers pumpkin cookies, but I like osmanthus cakes better... Hey, maybe I should roll the dice. Yes! If I get more than a 1, I'll make osmanthus cake~*clatter*
The die circled around on the table before finally stopping, with nothing but one big red spot facing up.
…... Okay, fine... I'll make osmanthus cake tonight~…
[BGM: Lost Memories]
NEW MESSAGE: Jumanji
…
[BGM: No Escape from Here]
Jumanji
The Antidote I you just injected will allow you to breathe for two more hours.
I'm waiting for you at the location marked on the map. ッ
Some smaller letters had been written below, circled by some curls:
Jumanji
I almost wanted to tear the map that he had left on the steering wheel into pieces.
What's wrong with this psycho?!
Freaking Jumanji?
Referencing such an old movie, he must be an ancient freak!
And I don't even have a fucking driving license!
I banged my head on the steering wheel and let the horn scream out my frustration.
Yet, a few minutes later, not even a bird seemed to have been disturbed, not to mention any human neighbors that might have shown up to yell at me.
Sigh.
Fine. It was just driving, right? I had seen it in movies!
I tried to recall the controls in all of the racing games.
Oh, and scenes from Initial D, of course.
I stepped on the brake, shifted the gear and turned the ignition...
After a series of teeth-grinding screeches the engine finally started. It sounded exactly like an old man with asthma.
The car started to move forward slowly.
I held onto the wheel for dear life, and I was able to guide it out of the warehouse!
I didn't scratch the wall, nor did I bump into the electrical pole!
I kept going, stopping and starting numerous times along the way. After following the map for 20 minutes I finally began to see other cars on the road as well. It was getting more crowded around me.
At first, I thought that traffic had been slow simply because I had gotten closer to the city, but I started to realize that something wasn't right.
There seemed to be too few people, and too many cars.
I turned on the radio, and the anchor happened to be reporting the news.
”College students are gathering on the streets to oppose the recently proposed controversial draft of the education bill. At the moment, the protesters are moving towards Mong Kok. The police have arrived to maintain the peace during the protest. Several blocks are currently closed to regular traffic, and impacted areas are seeing a significantly increased travel time. All drivers should remain alert to the road conditions and try to avoid these areas...”
A protest?
An alarm went off in my head, but it was too late.
This cranky old car was stuck firmly in the middle of a traffic jam; I had nowhere else to go.
Temporary roadblocks had been placed at several crossings that could have been used for turning.
Several police motorcycles were parked nearby, their lights blinking red and blue.
The policemen were directing the traffic and the cars were moving slower than the pedestrians.
If I kept going like this I'd be dead before I got past this block.
I checked the map again to confirm the route Pi had drawn...
Balls! He did it on purpose!
Fine. If he wanted to play Ed Gein, I would play Toretto, then!
I had nothing to lose!
I turned the wheel full to the left and stepped on the gas as hard as I could.
The car knocked the roadblocks away and continued into the street.
I kept slamming the horn at the damned college students in front of me.
Soon, I heard sirens screaming behind me.
The policemen who had just been smiling at me a few seconds ago were now coming up towards me on their bikes.
If they caught up with me I wouldn't get to restart the game.
I got through the street as fast as I could and turned onto a road that I was familiar with.
Finally, there were no more damn protesting students.
A light had just turned green 200 meters ahead of me.
Very few people ever used that crossing, so the green light typically only lasted for 10 seconds.
I knew this as I had to go through it every time I went to the supermarket.
However, as the other direction was a truck exit off of the freeway that usually had a lot of cargo trucks, the red light would last for one full minute.
I glanced at the speedometer. I was going at 45km/h, aka 15m/s.
I had to get rid of the policemen here!
I drove at the same speed for 100 meters.
I stepped on the gas harder, accelerating and increasing my speed 4 times over.
I drove another 100 meters.
I stepped on the brake hard and reduced my speed by half.
In my wildest dreams I never thought that I would be involved in a car chase with some policemen.
I definitely had not imagined that I would be driving an old piece of junk that might just fall apart at any time.
Still, the engine seemed to be roaring with confidence.
I felt that the car was trying to tell me that he used to be a beast, too!
The car and I flew over the crossing, leaving a stream of black smoke behind us.
Oh crap... I had gone too fast, too soon...
The policemen had sped up after me and gotten through the green light, too!
I wouldn't be able to find another chance to get rid of them later.
More and more police had joined the chase...
In the end I was blocked by two police cars at another crossing.
The blinking lights almost made me blind. I was surrounded by numerous officers and their guns. I had no choice but to step out of the car with my hands held behind my head; I got slammed onto the hot engine cover.
“Sir, you have the right to remain silent. Everything you say will be used...”
Hearing those lines, that I had only heard on TV and in movies, did not excite me as I had expected.
Then they said I had been accused of unlawful driving, speeding, vandalism of public property, murder...
Wait, murder?
They brought me behind the car. The trunk was open.
I saw all kinds of knives, handcuffs, shovels and tools in it. Some of them had sinister looking red liquid on them.
What the hell?
I could imagine Pi sitting on a sofa, sipping a glass of red wine and mocking me.
He must be the sickest, most devious serial killer ever!
I didn't have much time left, at least not enough to convince the police that I was innocent.
Sitting in the back of the car, all I could do was pray.
My Goddess of Fortune, please show me some miracles!
Jimmy
***
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