Badge and Bullet 9 [Quest]

File: Item Screen.png (37KB, 1296x467px) Image search: [Google]

37KB, 1296x467px

>>44962707

>>44962707
>"Why was the Covenant here?"
I'm still deciding whether I liked this quest more before the massacre and plot, than pursuing this.

>>44962707
>>"Why was the Covenant here?"

>>44962707
>Other
Be smug as fuck

ye

>>44963075
>"Why was the Covenant here?"

"Some of our high ranking members have fingers in the PD. They send a little money your way and while the bankers count it up, they get to move a little merchandise. It's how it's always been. Doubt a grunt like you gets any of the drippings though. The mayor was in on the take too, if I heard right."

This is disquieting, to say the least. You don't know how many offices are compromised, but you'd like to think at the very least the Chief is hard enough to not take a bribe, even from classier operations like the Covenant.

You continue to question him a while longer, but he doesn't seem to have anything else useful. After so long, you let him go back to the main ballroom, and wrap up interrogations for the night.

When you return to the other investigators, you each compare notes. Almost none of the others found anything useful, and even Samson only managed to learn that the champagne that had been poisoned was pre-poured long before being served. This meant that whoever dropped the dose in could have done so within a large window of opportunity. You are forced to sit on your hands until results arrive, and by then it's morning, and most of the attendees from last night have taken to dozing off in the ballroom.

You do notice that a couple of the older gentleman have gone out of their way to sit in a dark corner, away from direct sunlight, along with their cronies.

The tests come back, and reveal that the poison was simply dropped into the champagne. Rare stuff, and lethal even in small doses, meaning whoever dropped it in only needed a tiny bit per glass. They could have carried the stuff in something as small as a suitcase and had plenty to spare.

>Investigate the glasses
>Investigate the bottles
>Other

>>44963435
>Ask Ramirez to investigate the glasses as we investigate the bottles.
I wish we have a push around guy who we tell to do everything. If not get the nearest person to do it.

>>44963878
I think he is dead, did he not get shot by a silver bullet?

>>44963878

You ask Samson to go over the glasses while you check the bottles for something to go on. He agrees, and the two of you split up.

You find most of the bottles in the garbage, and have to fish them out to get a good look. You take a good whiff, and find a trace of the poison, but just a faint one. After some thought, you fish a cork out of the can too, and your suspicion is correct. The poison was injected via syringe through the corks. That narrows down whoever did this to people who had access to the pantry.

After returning to the scene, you confirm with Samson what you've learned.

"I'll have them round up the staff. Odds are one of them knows something, we'll just have to press them again."

Samson does as he promises, and you and the other investigators take the staff back to be interrogated again. You find out every person who could have gone into the pantry, but it doesn't narrow things down much, leaving a total of twenty people. At the very least, nobody on staff tonight has managed to leave, so the culprit must be among them. You just need to decide where to start weeding them out

>Search for the syringe
>Press the staff hard
>Check surveillance
>Other

>>44964196
>Check survillance,
Maybe our hardware can copy it. Check the blind spots in the survillance systems, under the cameras, in ventillation shafts, etc.

>>44964196
>Search for the syringe
>Press the staff hard
>Check surveillance
A friend of ours died tonight, No one wants to be on the recieving end of pissed off con.

>>44964301
>>Check survillance,

You and Samson move to the security office, and go over the tapes from the kitchen. After about fifteen minutes, where only three staff members handled the bottles, something flies across the screen. A few seconds later, the camera goes out. You send Samson down to check it out, and sure enough the thing is busted. Someone tossed something at the camera pointed at the bottles, almost definitely in preparation for the crime. That's one possible lead down.

>Go back to questioning the staff
>Search the building for the syringe
>Other

>>44964530
>srynge
confessions can only come under the weigh of evidence. See where the champagin went after the camerabreak. Its unlikely to be found in the trash can, maybe its duct taped to somewhere maybe in the ventillation

Could it have been teleported out?

>>44964530
Get people to search for the syringe while we question the three that were around when the camera broke. They might have seen what caused it.

>>44964707
>>srynge

You have all available hands spread out and begin searching for the whereabouts of the syringe. If you can find it, you might even be lucky enough to pull off prints, meaning you'd know exactly who used it.

An hour goes by. It becomes two. Two become four. Finally, long after sunrise, someone finds it hiding in the bathroom, inside one of the roof panels. You bag it, and send it for analyzing.

Things don't go well for long though. Just as you finally feel you've gotten a break, there is a commotion in the ballroom. The attendees have been getting antsy for a while, but now it seems they've resorted to physical altercation.

You and some others stride through the crowd toward two people in a shoving match. One seems to be fighting much harder than the other, when suddenly he gets a good grip, and shoves his opponent sideways. There is a mad scream, and as the light through the window runs over him, you see his entire body burst into bright flames. There are screams, and the entire crowd shuffles backward away from the writhing, burning mass on the floor. You call for an extinguisher, but before anyone can even point one out, the fire dies, and the man is left a burnt husk. The pusher comes to the forefront of the crowd, breathing heavily, and cries to them.

"You see! Filthy inhuman monsters! All of them, together, planning to kill us and take what's ours!" You already don't like where this is going, and motion for two officers to grab him. "The cops are corrupt! They're in with them! They let machines and monsters push us around, and now they want to silence the only voice we have!" He is wrestled to the ground and cuffed, continuing to spew his speech as he is dragged away to an isolated room.

The crowd is restless, and they begin whispering. Samson approaches you from behind.

"We'd better deal with this. If this is an act of terrorism, it's only going to make keeping a lid on things harder."

>Calm the crowd
>Interrogate the killer
>Other

>>44965568
>Interrogate the killer

>>44965568
>Interrogate
Loud enough, so the crowd hears
"You! Murderer! you are coming with us for assault and murder, as law and justice demands"

>>44965568
>Calm the crowd
an angry crowd is bad right now.

>>44965605
>>Interrogate the killer
You let Samson and the others handle the crowd, while you go directly to the killer's room for a chat.

When you find him, he is cuffed to a chair in a supply closet. Now that you see him up close, you notice his uniform. He's one of the staff. He looks at you as if you had personally taken time to murder his dog, going so far as to grit his teeth until his gums have begun to bleed a little. When you shut the closet door, he begins cursing you.

"Fucking pile of shit, scrap headed Con! I won't snitch to a fucking machine!" He seems intent on yelling.

>"Sir, I need you to calm down."
>"Shut up! You'll talk when I say you can talk!"
>Wait for him to settle
>Backhand
>Other

>>44965838
>Wait
He will tire himself out. Examine him in the meantime

>>44965838
>Wait for him to settle
Patience is a virtue.

>>44965908
>>Wait for him to settle

You find a wall to lean on and check your phone for a few minutes while he rants. Eventually, he runs out of either steam or insults to use on you, and quiets down. He's still simmering, certainly, but he's at least taking a pause. You stand up straight and begin questioning him.

Who are you? Where do you live? Why did you do it?

He bullshits you at every turn. It seems he isn't going to cooperate unless you can put some pressure on him.

>Violence
>"We've got the evidence we need. Talk, or it'll only get worse." (Lie)
>Other

>>44966134
Is he a vampire? Can they turn into bats?

>>44966134
"Look, I lost people in this, people who i felt were family, i don't care if you hate cons currently but i know you like 'ordinary' humans,right? Well one of my best friends died thanks to this, my mechanic and my partners little sister was almost killed by this as well, both ordinary humans.

I don't care what you want but if you don't help me stop this more people, not cons nor anything, else will get hurt"

>>44966194
Failing that then "Enhanced" interrogation, make use of our zapper as needed (we got that fixed right?)

>>44966171
They cannot

>>44966171
Just because if he can, we can tell him confidently, that we got him on video right before the camera broke.

>>44966134

>Other

>Calmly, in an apparent mockery of old cop movies where things in the interrogation room are about to get nasty, we start neatly rolling up the sleeves of the clown suit. If the suit resists folding, we remove it, fold it nicely, and drape it over the back of our chair.

"Machines and monsters, right? Scrap-headed, I think you said."

>Start running one hand down the metal body of his chair while circling him.

"See, I think you're confused. You've mistaken me for someone who gives a damn about absolutes. About the right, and wrong, of things.

Yesterday, you would have been right.

Today, I'm going to have to go explain to a Con why her owner, who treated her like family, is never coming back home again. Today, I'm going to have to bury friends, and loved ones. Today is not your lucky day."

>Hold up our fist in front of his face.

"Start talking."

>Spark the Tickler.

>>44966194
seconded.

>>44966194

He sneers, and spits a bit of bloody saliva onto your foot.

"Fucking filthy whores, spreading their legs for machines and monsters, every single one of them. I'm glad they're dead, they get to rot in hell with the rest of the disgusting filth that dies tonight."

>"You didn't know her like I do."
>"They don't sound like the monsters to me."
>"You shut up right now."
>Hit him
>Other

>>44966719
>Other
So there are others.
What is going to happen tonight?
let's not lose our cool. That helps no one.

>>44966719
>dies
Died, not dies

>>44966719
Did you know you got some of the mob killed? They're apparently not too happy about that.

>>44965838
Treat me like less of a person than you are, one more time creep i dare you.

I havent seen these threads since the runaway girl where i got accused of being romantic. Whatd I miss?

>>44967569
Read the archives.

>>44967214

Again, he seems unphased in his hate.

"That's the idea, scrap-head. The mob, the police, the government, all in bed with freaks like you. I did the world a favor. I cleaned up those stains on our society."

The guy feels like a wall. But wall or not, he just confessed. It might be time to wrap this up, and book him. If you can find his prints on the syringe, you'll have everything you need to put him on death row. On the other hand, if you keep this going too long, information is only going to leak in the worst way.

>Book him
>Keep him talking
>Other

>>44967569
The mechanic died, we are interrogating a person related to this fact, we were romantically involved. some other shit happened. I think there was a underground base at some point and a shotgun. Oh and we got a taser

>>44967674
Taser? Hype

>>44967655
>Keep him talking
Who would give a loser like you poison that potent? I'm surprised you didn't manage to kill yourself with it.

>>44967655
>keep talkin
He is just a wild dog. WHO put him up to this and who supplied the poison?

>>44967687
It is in our ARM. shit is cash

>>44967739
>>Keep him talking
>Who would give a loser like you poison that potent? I'm surprised you didn't manage to kill yourself with it.

"Hah! 8275 Hampton street, apartment 3, a little girl will answer, looks about four years old, but she's eighty seven. The password is 'Fly me to the Moon'. She'll take you right to her fucking lab, the stupid bitch. Daylight, poison, hell fucking crack cocaine! The whore mixes it all up right there in that empty house, pretending to be a cute little girl. Probably fucks for money too. Go ahead, haul her in. It's another freak out of the way."

Somehow you believe him. It might be good to get this info to Samson.

>Tell Samson right away
>"Did you work alone to do this?"
>"Tell me who's pulling the strings or I'll fry your balls like tempura."
>Other

>>44968016
>Other
Where the hell did you learn that? Who told you where she lives?

>>44967687
>>44967901
It also blew up the first time shutting us down, getting us captured, then almost getting our head drilled.
That was less cash.

>>44968060
>>Other
>Where the hell did you learn that? Who told you where she lives?

"I was there. I picked up the poison, took it right out of her little hands. You've got everything you need right? I'm proud to get locked up for the cause. It'll show people who're too afraid to stand up that there are people who'll fight to send all of you filthy freaks back where you came from."

>Arrest him
>Talk to Samson
>"I'm from New Mexico, buddy."
>Other

>>44968565
I'm from Pound town.
>RKO out of nowhere

>>44968565
>"I'm from New Mexico, buddy."
and you're not going to get any attention. Everything you've done here will be swept under the rug and life will go on and you will have wasted your only chance to affect the world in any way.

>>44968565
>I'm from new mexico
How did you disable the camera?
>Call samson
Go immidiatley to the girl, she might be half way out of town already!

>>44968812
>>"I'm from New Mexico, buddy."
>and you're not going to get any attention. Everything you've done here will be swept under the rug and life will go on and you will have wasted your only chance to affect the world in any way.

"Are you kidding me? Those newshounds are sick. They'll put my face up on every channel, in every language! People will know me better than they know the governor of their own fucking state! But that's not what counts. All that counts is I got it done. I'm done talking to you, come get me when you're ready to make me famous."

True to his word, he clams up, merely humming some sort of nursery rhyme to drown out your voice. Eventually, you get tired and dial up Samson, telling him to find the girl he mentioned.

Another hour of babysitting the perp, and Samson calls you back. The girl is caught, and the perps story is confirmed. A lab made out of a bedroom, with all sorts of hard shit packed up and ready to move. The girl must be a witch to have gotten her hands on enough supplies for it all.

Soon, the Chief comes personally to drag the perp away in cuffs. You follow, and listen as the crowd murmurs, already spreading rumors before he's even out of the building. Russo approaches you, her little sister's hand in hers. The poor thing is trying her damnedest not to fall asleep standing up, and Russo doesn't look too good herself.

"Hey, Sir. I heard about that guy from some of the other investigators. Hard to believe someone would be willing to kill so many innocent people just to get at a few he doesn't like."

>"Some people are just sick, Russo."
>"He'll get what's coming to him."
>"I hope the bastard fries."
>Say nothing

>>44969162
Doubt it was a lone wolf Russo.
He said something about being a snitch.
This is going to get worse before it gets better.

>>44969162
If the world made sense ide not be smart enough to give you an answer Russ. Some people have just gone too far in their own heads to ever really look reality in the face.

Note: Is it possible to give a false statement to rob him of much of his fame? At least until we can make him dissapear into the legal system.

>>44969308

Russo nods. With the killer caught, the rest of the attendees are free to go, for now. As people clear the ballroom, you and the other detectives, Russo, Samson, Davis, and the Chief, all stand together beside the door.

The lot of you bow your heads solemnly in remembrance of Dean Pedroni and the other victims from the force. Cops die every day, but when it's someone you know, it's a lot harder to swallow. After things die down, you all go your separate ways. Russo heads home to put her sister to bed, promising to see you tomorrow at work.

You hop in a cab and ask the driver to go around to Silver Sands. At the very least, you should tell Rosie. When you arrive, you pay the driver and head in through the side door.

You find Rosie standing at attention by the front door. She stares silently out the front window, hand hovering just above the closed sign, probably waiting for Ella to come home and tell her to open the store. When she hears you approaching, she turns around and greets you warmly.

"Good afternoon, Detective. Is my owner home? We are very far behind for opening time, and I'm afraid we may have already lost customers today. Perhaps she is under the weather? Should I prepare her bed and a remedy?"

>"She'd dead, Rosie."
>"She's not coming home. I'm sorry."
>"Ella was murdered last night by a fanatic."
>Other

>>44969687
>"She'd dead, Rosie."

>>44969687
>"She'd dead, Rosie."

>>44969687
She's not coming home, I am sorry

Give it us straight Qm. If we choose to go to Elli instead of blocking the exits, or would have brought her to the table, could we have done anything with the poison?

>>44969878
>"She'd dead, Rosie."

Rosie says nothing. She doesn't move, or react in any real way. The few moments you spend looking into the lamps of that empty headed bunch of bolts are as awkward as they could ever be. When she finally does respond, you're taken somewhat aback.

"I see. I am going to be reset then, as I am not sentient, and law dictates that I cannot be permitted to roam without direction. This is upsetting." You're surprised to know she could be upset. "Detective, if I may ask, how did my owner die? Did she feel pain?"

>"She didn't feel anything, Rosie. It was over quick." (Lie)
>Tell her the technical truth
>Tell her the brutal truth

>>44970294
"She was victim of a terrorist attack against the police force by a group of anti-non-human extremists, she died by a poison which induced damage to the lungs, I am sorry but there was nothing we could do.

To raise another point can't i take ownership of you? I am a sentient con and i would imagine that to be legal?"

>>44970294
she suffered but it was rather brief.

>>44970294
"I wish she wouldn't have"

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>44970370
>>44970438
>>44970473

>>44970506
Now I feel like an ass for stealing the vote of the first anon who thought out things well

>>44970579
Honestly i am fine with it, i do write-ins for any quest i can, Tides of ages for example is some of my best work.

>>44970473
>"I wish she wouldn't have"

Rosie tilts her head down toward the floor. She must have picked it up from Ella.

"I am sorry, Detective. It is disquieting to hear such things after being assured that my owner would return. It seems I have no further purpose. But, if I may be bold, I do not feel that resetting myself is the course of action I wish to pursue. Rather, I would like to keep my memories of my owner. This would be against the law, of course, but I feel the need to ask."

Rosie's right. Letting her go is against the law. She contains personal information about Ella, her family, her friends, and her customers. To keep her around would be to potentially violate Ella's rights. Still, there are ways.

>"You can live. Go here, they'll take care of you. You won't be free, but they won't wipe you either." (Hand her the Rivet Club Card)
>"I'll hide you. We'll figure out a way to change your ownership, but we have to move quick."
>"I'm sorry. The law is the law. I can give you a few hours to say goodbye, but I have to bring you in for a wipe."
>Construct Only Ending

>>44970695
>"You can live. Go here, they'll take care of you. You won't be free, but they won't wipe you either." (Hand her the Rivet Club Card)

>>44970695
>Construct Only Ending

What's this a MYSTERY box but no really

"You can live. Go here, they'll take care of you. You won't be free, but they won't wipe you either." (Hand her the Rivet Club Card)

>>44970695
>>"You can live. Go here, they'll take care of you. You won't be free, but they won't wipe you either." (Hand her the Rivet Club Card)

>>44970695
>you can live
"This is what Ella would want, I'm sure."

>>44970774
Mystery box might be the option of combining together.

>>44970797
>Mystery box might be the option of combining together.
Aw, you guessed

>>44970797
No way man, we need to let Ella go.

>>44970760
>"You can live. Go here, they'll take care of you. You won't be free, but they won't wipe you either." (Hand her the Rivet Club Card)

You find your wallet somewhere in all the polka dots, and fish out the Rivet Club card. They're only issued to sentient Cons, but you hope Daisy and Sal will make an exception. You step forward and hand the card to Rosie, who takes it and inspects it closely. She seems to focus on it intently, using one hand to hold it and the other to trace the raised letters with her index finger. After a minute, she looks back up at you.

"I thank you, Detective. But... if it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you escort me? I'm..." She pauses, unable to find the word. You know it though.

"Afraid." You say.

"Yes." You agree to take her. She grabs a few things from around the shop, trinkets mostly, to remember her home, and puts them in a bag. After locking up, she moves close to you and wraps her arms around yours. She's an Asian make, so the two of you together look almost like lovers, walking together in the light of sunset. Rather than take a cab, you decide to walk, and spend a few hours alone with your thoughts.

When you do finally arrive, it is nearly midnight. Crickets play their tune of love as the sound of distant cars echo across the city. You approach the Rivet Club with Rosie, and flash the card to Sal, who lets you enter without a word.

Inside, the Club is fairly quiet. Most people seem content to listen to the music tonight. You bring Rosie to the bar, and introduce her to Daisy.

"Hello, dear. I am happy to welcome you. We will need to swap out some of your parts, so that you cannot be easily tracked. Is zis okay wiz you?" Rosie agrees, but demands to keep her insides intact. Apparently, Ella designed Rosie's internal layout herself.

You give Daisy all the information on Rosie you can, and she calls over one of the Cons from the main room.

[cont]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Df_oQG5Qpk

>>44971156

After a short discussion out of earshot, the Con and Daisy come back to you and Rosie. It turns out, the fella is something of a mechanic himself, and agrees to take Rosie into the back and change out her more identifiable parts. So long as they scrap the old stuff, and she changes her vox, she should be safe. Rosie hesitates, but looks to you for courage, which she seems to find.

You wait at the bar for a couple of hours. You don't take a patch, and instead enjoy the music while you stare blankly at the back wall of the club. When at last Rosie returns, she has a new, admittedly less fancy chassis. The Con who worked on her wipes his hands with a rag, and tells you some about her new parts.

"Her insides are the same, though it was tricky to keep them intact while replacing the outer works. Her owner didn't serial her though, so they must have been custom. Either way, should be fine so long as nobody comes looking for her too soon. I swapped her vox too. I tried to convince her to go with something a little more exotic to help her hide, but she insisted on keeping the same accent."

You turn to Rosie.

"I'm sorry to have put you through so much trouble, Detective. I wish I could thank you, somehow."

>"No need. It's what Ella would have wanted."
>"I'll think of something, don't worry. Cons have plenty of time to think."
>"Forget about it. I'm going to."
>Other

>>44971403
>No need
It was as much for Ella as it was for us.

>>44971403
>"No need. It's what Ella would have wanted."

>>44971403
>"I'll think of something, don't worry. Cons have plenty of time to think."
Oh also. Welcome to sentience.

>>44971675
This

>>44971675
It might be a bit early, let's not jinx it yet.

>>44971675
>>"I'll think of something, don't worry. Cons have plenty of time to think."
>Oh also. Welcome to sentience.

Rosie recoils. Her hand rises up to where a human's mouth would be, and she looks over to Daisy as if she could help in some way, before turning back to you.

"Detective, I assure you that I'm not... I can't be like you. I'm just a store clerk. Miss Dubois, er, my owner never had such lofty ambition for me. You're mistaken. You must be."

>"You're alive, Rosie. Can't you feel it?"
>"Fine. When you wake up, call me. We'll talk."
>Shrug

>>44972194
"I struggle to believe that you would be able to react to some of the things that have happened if you were not sentient"

>>44972194
>>"You're alive, Rosie. Can't you feel it?"

>>44972194
Being alive takes some getting used to but you're among friends here and they should help you with it.

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>44972233
>>44972248
>>44972357

>>44972357
>Being alive takes some getting used to but you're among friends here and they should help you with it.

Rosie doesn't say anything, but it seems she's begun to understand what her sentience means. With that, you decide it's time to head home. As you say your goodbyes, Daisy leans over the bar and asks Rosie if she'll take a new name, to go with her new life. Rosie looks to you, but you offer no answer. After a long pause, she seems to brighten up.

"If it's okay, I'd like to be Ella from now on. I think Ella is my favorite name."

It hurts, in a way. But it's her choice. You don't tell her it might be in poor taste, since it's obvious it comes from a place of love. At any rate, it's getting late, and you've got work in the morning.

You wish Daisy, Sal, and Ella good luck, and head back out into the night. You catch a cab home, and wash up before sitting down to go into low-power.

Two months ago, your partner Joshua Ferris died of a gunshot. Last night, your good friend Ella Dubois was killed by a mass murderer. And tomorrow, Russo, Samson, the Chief, and everyone else you know will be on the line, same as always. You can't save this city, or the world. You can only take things one case at a time.

You are a Construct, an autonomous creature built from steel, and given life by ancient magic and modern ingenuity. Unlike most, you have mistakenly achieved sentience, and have received civil rights. You are also a detective with the city police.

That'll wrap this quest. I'd like to say I'll be back, but my schedule isn't going to be very liberal for a while. Still, I really and truly appreciate every person who took time to participate, and I hope each of you got something out of my writing, even if it's a bit rough most of the time.

I might come back sooner or later, and I'll update the twitter if I do, but for now I gotta say goodbye, and I hope all of you have a good night.

I'll be around a little longer, but you don't have to stick around.

>>44972949
Thanks for running. Very noir ending.

>>44972949
Thabnks for running, this was my fav short quest. I really liked the setting too.

One thing; could we have savesd Ella or Dean afetr they were poisoned? Or we could just have watched them kick the last?

>>44975433
Honestly?

Yes___