Part 47: Junpei's Plan

Part 47: Junpei's Plan



If you go to the global flowchart, you can normally jump to any node there, but they're all dimmed out right now. Except for this one in the Rec Room, that used to be a lock.



That's where we came from.



Sure enough, we're going to a node that comes off of one where we didn't get three "1"s. The 99.537% Reality.



"Jump to here" has a whole new meaning now.







We join in right after the dice roll. We don't see the results themselves but we know they're not good. I guess these poor fools were doomed anyway so sending them to die in the Power Room isn't so bad.

Music: Strain 2nd Mix



Um, I...uh...







Up to here, the scene is the same. But then...









All the guns lock in on our trio again.

Music: Tough Decision (Make Your Choice)



Hurry, Junpei! What was your idea?!





Some kind of collision, and Akane cries out.







Carlos, put Akane in the fireplace!

Huh...?

JUST DO IT!



Something, presumably Akane, is dragged across the room.





Carlos and I are going to be your shield wall.





What are you talking about...?!

The bullets shouldn't hit you if there are two bodies in front of you.

Not sure that's really true given the volume of bullets we're talking about here, but whatever.

B-But if you do that, then you'll...!





Listen, Carlos and I will protect you and...die.







Before we die we just need to SHIFT to another history.



Once you hear all of the X-Passes, Akane, you should follow right away--

The X-Passes...?



In this history, five are already dead. Phi's the only other one alive. That means five X-Passes will be revealed.



Then there'll be seven...

No...



The guns turn and lock in again.







The guns spin up, preparing to fire...







We can't go back now.







That plan is actually solid.



Okay, let's do this then!

That other version of C-Team that thought they were so lucky getting all "1"s, is going to be very surprised to get dumped back in here and shot up.



Let's protect Akane no matter what!

I'm counting on you, Carlos!

No, no no no no no...!



There was actually some foreshadowing here. When we examined the fireplace while doing the puzzle room, there was a comment about it being able to fit one person inside.



Just one, though.



Someone in the thread was wondering how we could end up with more than three characters escaping to go on to the events of VLR, if the X-Door can only open when six characters are dead.



Going and getting the X-Passes from an alternate timeline seems like a possible way around that limitation.



Generous splashes of blood as the bullets strike home.

Music: CQD: BAD END



The guns retract. Did the plan work?



The smoke slowly clears.



Hi, computer lady.















[Computer Lady:] That is all.

The first five are the same was what we saw in the three "1"s scene. SAVE for Carlos the firefighter, and DOLL for Junpei and the Jumpy Doll. Both of those last two are new ones that we haven't seen before.





Akane's covered in blood again. Maybe I should have a counter for that?



She's sobbing, rather upset.





Not the cleanest of plans, but she does have the X-Passes now.







And Akane takes off for less-bloody surroundings.



We're still not done!



Time to break through the lock that stopped us in The 0.463% Reality.



Guess the version of C-Team that rolled three "1"s wasn't so lucky after all.

Music: Morphogenetic Sorrow (Mix 3)



What in the world were you thinking!



What's your problem?



It's not okay!

That whole last scene reminded me of the Trash Disposal Room, with Sigma just casually telling Diana to shoot him like it was no big deal.



Not you too, Carlos... I can't believe you!



Funny, she turned that line back around on him.



When we were in 6th grade, you faced those rabbit-killing middle school kids alone... There were probably other ways of handling it, but you rushed right in.





But that way of thinking is completely wrong!



Being the sole survivor does not make me happy!









Carlos is just going to give them a moment.



I'm sorry...





Missing Lip Animations: 36



On your left hand.

Oh, here we go.



Missing Lip Animations: 37





What's the matter...?







Junpei...!



She's still crying, but I guess they're happy cries now?



Haha, Carlos.



Thank you... Thank you so much... But...







Oh, you're right... It looked like the left from my side so...







I'll do it officially after we escape from here...

I understand. So, until then--



It's been put on reserve.





Who's the better murder couple? Junpei and Akane, or Eric and Mira?





Music: Solitary Snail





Yes.



Kind of like how each team gets their memories wiped after each fragment. Maybe they've really been shifting along with us the whole time?



But I'm used to it. It's all there.





The resonance effect is new. As I mentioned earlier, in VLR, the presence of a strong SHIFTer suppressed the abilities of others around them. Sigma and Phi were co-strongest, to the point that Junpei (as Tenmyouji) couldn't access the morphogenetic field at all.

I think the in-universe explanation of the resonance effect is that Carlos has subconsciously trained his abilities so much as a firefighter, that he has so much excess "bandwidth" when accessing the morphogenetic field, that it actually spills over and allows him to enhance the abilities of others near him. Which would make Carlos a stronger SHIFTer than Sigma and Phi, or at least that his firefighting was better training for him then the events of VLR were for them.

Maybe Carlos is right on that edge before being so powerful that one succumbs to Reverie Syndrome...like his sister...



Those with the ability to SHIFT-- There are three of us here, so...





Why have three SHIFTers gathered in a place like this?



True...





The numbers are increasing?



Akane nods again.





As it stands now, we'll lose six billion lives... I assume mankind has sensed that, and is adapting...



There's no way there are tens of thousands of SHIFTers.





But we signed up for Dcom of our own free will. But maybe we just think that, and in actuality...



It's highly possible.

Damn. What is that bastard thinking?







It'll all be over once we get out of here anyway.

You're right.

We couldn't care less what Zero has planned at this point.



We need six X-Passes. We know five of them already, so...



One more... Akane, tell us one of the other X-Passes.





The first five are pre-entered. We just need to enter the sixth one.



Easy.



Uhh....



Wait, is the X-Pass wrong somehow...?















Music: Divulgation 2nd Mix



No way...

But why...



[Computer Lady:] X-Passes from alternate timelines...are not applicable.

Timely explanation from the computer lady.







More accurately, the X-Pass is only determined at the moment of a character's death, based on the method of their death. Thus why each alternate history has a different X-Pass for each character - they died differently each time.



No...

Well, so much for that plan.



It's not all bad. They're all still alive, at least. I still don't get why they had to SHIFT out of the Power Room fragment, though.



Junpei starts laughing maniacally.



Missing Lip Animations: 38

Now this is hilarious. How perfect!



Why did we even struggle through all of that just now?

It's okay, it was a good plan, it just didn't work out. Now we just need a new plan.



Those guns turned my body into Swiss cheese,





All we did was die in vain?!

Well, technically, you sent alternate versions of yourselves to die in vain. You're not dead yet.







So, just one person needs to die...

What..?







Music: Extreme Urgency (What Will You Decide?)

Junpei takes off running across the Lounge.

Wait, Junpei!

Hey!



Carlos and Akane chase after him.



Junpei reaches the door.



Oh, hey...you look...different...











The screen shakes several times here.





Junpei!





The voice is the same, but something is off. Still high-pitched like a kid, but flat, monotone.





Shouldn't Zero just zap us through our bracelets or something then?









Uh-oh, Akane, I think he heard you...



That's...a lot of force.





Holy shit, man.





Any more of those punches and...





Are we about to have a second instance of an entire team getting murdered by someone on Q-Team? (The first one was D-Team getting killed by a shadowy Mira-like figure after the Healing Room.)

This is...



Flashbacks! To Q-Team getting executed...



How is Carlos seeing this, though? We've seen Diana able to flashback and view Q-Team and C-Team executions before. Are Carlos and Diana morphogenetically connected to the others?



Remember the gold door behind the family portrait in the Pod Room?



Maybe now we have a way to do something about it?







A white flash, and Carlos dodges.





How did I see Q-Team...

There are six scenes that have to be viewed in order to unlock the Power Room fragment, which eventually leads here.



Four of them are obvious. Infirmary > Correct, Trash Disposal > Shoot > Live, and Rec Room > All 1s form a linear path to this scene. And Trash Disposal > Shoot > Blank > Drink forms the branch off of that path that leads to the Power Room.



The fifth required scene is watching Q-Team get executed. So that Carlos can have a vision of it here.



If I die now--



Junpei--



And Akane--

The sixth required scene?



There must be a way...!

Well, we'll see that one in a minute.



Some way to survive this situation...



After all...





I could SHIFT...!

The sixth required scene is our next destination.



But there's no way I'm leaving Junpei and Akane behind!









Dammit, I don't have time to think.



Then--!



Carlos screams as he desperately tries to SHIFT out of there.



Well, I didn't see a game over screen, so I guess we made it. What the hell was that all about?



We're not off the rails yet, though.



Remember that lock way back at the beginning of the LP, after the "Carlos's Sin" scene in the Pantry? We're about to bust it wide open. That's the sixth required scene, by the way.



No getting off this train once it's left the station.



I'm sorry... I couldn't...avenge you...

As before, the last few shots are repeated. It's been 35+ updates since we first saw this scene, so a refresher is appreciated.









Oh, hi, other Carlos.



Fade to white as this Carlos is replaced by the previous Carlos.

Music: Portentousness 2nd Mix





He seems a little surprised by his surroundings.



No... Why is Akane...



Carlos gets an info-dump from the morphogenetic field about the last few blood-filled minutes of this timeline.



Don't forget about Junpei!



I...killed her...



The one who did was me from this history!



Carlos suddenly realizes his hand was cut off and his arm is bleeding profusely.



I need to do something at least...



Might as well hold onto this.





Good thing the Infirmary is in Ward C, I guess.



Did he get the anasthetic out of the bracelet somehow?



Excellent question.









That vision I saw... I have to tell Q-Team...







More cheese thrown in.





Figuring out who that kid is.





Fade to black...



Another fragment completed!



Seems like we made a lot of progress and discoveries there.



No new fragments unlocked. However, do you remember how we learned in the Pod Room that it takes place in the same timeline as the "Carlos's Sin" scene. And how we hit a lock after giving the "I Don't Know" response?



Well, that's another lock opened up. We don't have to go there right away, but I'll add it to the poll. You know, just in case.



So after all that, we still have seven new fragments and six replays available. Select the story fragment.



Extras:

Two text files this time.