Final Investigation

[bathymetric]

Good morning, New Rapture. You may yet see the sun today.

But before that, there's work to be done. The Mayor has sent you some sort of ultimatum, though as usual was reluctant to explain herself. You're going to meet her, to some end? It's unclear. But one way or another, you're aware that things are ending today. Spirits may be low, but at least there's that. After a night of bowling, you're probably ready for this.

As you wake in the morning, though, each suite will find something unexpected in the common area, something that absolutely wasn't there last night: an envelope, addressed to the surviving members. An attached note on the outside reads as follows:

Good morning, citizens of New Rapture. In accordance with new directives from Designations: Misfire, Space Dandy, et al. I have been asked to deliver this. Please use the included to lift your spirits, and feel free to use your new bathysphere access to gain what information you can before you face the Mayor. You know what the key does, I gather, and the card will grant you access to Fontaine Futuristics Headquarters, where the Mayor currently resides. If you do not gather information properly, you will be unable to do what she is about to ask of you. Your friends will be watching.

Included in each envelope is a silver key, a limited Hall of the Founders bathysphere access card, and a copy of this letter. Your friends are counting on you. Go rally in the Hall of the Founders and get ready.

It's time for one last investigation.

Comments

THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, FONTAINE FUTURISTICS

[bathymetric]

[ Group A, you're up!

Up a flight of stairs, you emerge in the room that takes up most of the second floor of the Fontaine Futuristics factory: The Mayor's office. It's real fancy and cushy, with a lot of nice furniture and a big imposing desk at the center. You're also probably going to get exposed to the least dust of anyone in this investigation, so like thank god (or whatever you have in your hell world, Mielle) for that. ]

[sastruga]

[Mafuyu is taking the lead as teen lesbian duo steps into the office, turning briefly to Mielle.]

...It seems fine, but. Still. Watch your step.

[It doesn't hurt to be careful. Even now. Especially now, rather. So, walking further into the room, she decides to just go right towards that desk. Let's take a look see!]

[bathymetric]

[ The desk! Probably the best option for you, given the fancy multi-monitor computer setup the Mayor has going on. Like... way fancier than any other technology you've seen in this place. ]

[honeyedtea]

... This is a bit excessive, isn't it?

[ Anything interesting on the screen? ]

[bathymetric]

[ Right now it's pulled up to a bunch of security camera footage of New Rapture, so that's relatively interesting? But you're going to have to rifle through her files to get stuff from the computer, it looks like. ]

[sastruga]

[Probably all they're seeing on the footage right now is what the rest of the squad is doing, huh? Well, after doing a quick scan to make sure there's no shenanigans there, Mafuyu will go ahead and switch to wherever Ms. Mayor stores her files.

Probably not a handy folder saying "TOP SECRET, SURVIVORPOOL DO NOT LOOK"...]

[bathymetric]

[ So! There are a bunch of files in here. The first ones that will catch Mafuyu's eye specifically are probably a folder of high-end audio editing software files. There's also a folder titled voice diary and an audio file titled Titles. The text files on here all seem to be deeply encrypted, and will not open. ]

[sastruga]

[...She'll go ahead and open up the Titles file, first.]

[bathymetric]

[ An audio file plays! It's the Mayor's voice, unmodified. She sounds much more human this way. ]

And our merry little band is all together. Time to make them hate me. Eleanor, I know you don’t actually care about this, so I’m just going to talk out loud through this process because you have nothing better to do anyway.

Gunnar and Jack were fools, but there were things to be learned from them. One is that the weird joke titles work. Slight dehumanizing influence, confusion, unsettlement… plus it’s just flat-out funny to call a grown man “Poor Little Woof Woof” in Fontaine’s stupid accent. I just have to be willing to commit to calling him that, unlike Gunnar with his foolish pride.

Now, let’s think… Adaman. Young kid, thrust into a leadership role, worthy of dignity and tradition… let’s go with a Disney joke. “Diamond in the Rough.” He won’t get it, but someone out there will appreciate it.

And while we’re on the Disney kick, Aiba. Ai2Eye. Why not? If I put too much thought into any of these, the effect is ruined.

Brett Riebach. Our prodigal podcaster. Let’s play on his anxieties a little. Orphaned Work. I bet I can break him down by the third murder. Poor guy.

Floyd. What kind of eel goes with the last name Leech? I feel bad for the kid. Eel, so he remembers.

[ It goes on like this for a while - if there are any in particular you’re curious about, I can let you know (like, you know, yours and Mielle's), but that's the general idea of this one. ]

[sastruga]

[Against her own better judgement, she would in fact listen to hers and Mielle's, so lay it on her.]

cw suicide mention

[bathymetric]

Mafuyu Asahina. Clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, textbook emotional abuse case from her family, particularly her mother… wow, Gothel would be proud. … Marionette. Let’s see if the puppet can find her strings and cut them.

Mielle Roscent. Or is that Roscente? This translation doesn’t exactly work miracles, does it? Saintess is the obvious one. Find your fangs, little viper.

[honeyedtea]

She sounds quite... different.

[sastruga]

That's... not...

[Her mom isn't...

...

No. No, that isn't important right now. She'll leave this be, for the moment. Let's take a look in that voice diary folder...]

[honeyedtea]

[ While the person who knows how to use a computer gets on that, is there anything to be found by rummaging around in the desk? ]

[bathymetric]

[ Sure! So first things first, there's a stylish black jacket on the back of the seat, which is still a little warm. ]

[honeyedtea]

[ ... OH THAT'S REALLY CREEPY SOMEHOW??? Yeuch, body heat... ]

Whoever was here before seems to have only stepped away quite recently...

[ Anything in the pockets? ]

[bathymetric]

[ There's a silver cross necklace! Congrats, Mielle, you finally found Jesus! ]

[honeyedtea]

... Oh, that's actually quite pretty...

[ SHE'S JUST STEALING IT???

theft aside, what else is about that she can have a look see at? ]

[bathymetric]

[ Would you like to rifle through some fuckin drawers, Mielle? ]

[honeyedtea]

[ she would LOVE TO!!! ]

[sastruga]

Oh. We should take the jacket, then.

[teen girls just wanna steal]

[honeyedtea]

It's not as though she's using it... would you like to wear it?

[sastruga]

Do you think it'd look good...?

[honeyedtea]

Yes...! It'll be safer if we stay close to each other...

[ And probably less efficient but. Don't worry about it. ]

AREA CLEAR

[bathymetric]