Messages

Objectively I know that KQV is a terrible game, but it's one of the first games I remember playing and I get the warm fuzzies just looking at it. Even hearing the title music makes me want to run out and play it again.

LET ME CHIP IN

I HAVE CREATED A FUNCTION TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR BATTLE SYSTEM

Code: ags

function addHp(int amount)
{
  playerHp += amount;
  if (playerHp > playerMaxHp) playerHp = playerMaxHp;
}

GODSPEED BROTHER AND BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR BATTLE SYSTEM

[>Check FRESH PAPERWORK to see if there's anything interesting]

>Check FRESH PAPERWORK to see if there's anything interesting

You sort through the piles of paperwork. It's incredible how boring it all looks.

>Check if Jimmy is in the office

Who knows, maybe Jimmy came in to work today, despite how wildly out of character that would be! You put a call through to his office. No one answers.

You are not surprised.

> Check your computer and answering machine

You check for new messages. You have quite a number of inter-office memos, dull calendar reminders, and about two dozen messages from Alex, who will never leave you alone. You have little inclination to respond to any of them.

[> Look up the Lawless file on your computer]

> Look up the Lawless file on your computer

According to the documents, he dealt in smuggled weapons out of his secret shop in the Lower City. He was also known to tinker in weapon design. Rumours said he was trying to build some kind of super-secret superweapon. He vanished without a trace three years ago, and no traces of him have been found since. Until now!

> type "Blonde Jack" and "Lovely Parrot" into Google

You've never heard of any kind of thing called Google. Maybe it has something to do with the mysterious Inter-Tube Network the techs sometimes talk about.

> Place a quick call to Waterloo to thank him for saving your butt and to let him you've recovered nicely

It seems only right to let Jimmy know you've recovered, especially since he saved your butt and everything. You ring up his home phone. It rings for a while. You feel a bit nervous - it's been a long time since you last spoke to Jimmy. You wonder what he'll think of you calling him up like this.

You get his answering machine. "Hey, Jimmy here, leave a message, I'm probably drunk." Beeeeep..

You hang up. Some other time.

[> Look at the dead body and say , "a human with a robot head isn't as cool as a robot with a human head!"]

> Look at the dead body and say , "a human with a robot head isn't as cool as a robot with a human head!"

You shake your head sadly. "A human with a robot head isn't half as cool as a robot with a human head," you say. "Actually, now that I think about it, both would be equally terrifying."

> Be glad you still have a head on your shoulders.

You tap your own head for reassurance. You really like how it's attached to your neck.

> Ask if they could determine which frequency the head computer was tuned to

"So," you say, "this head-computer. Is there any way you could figure out what frequency it was tuned to?"
"I'm working on a trace right now," says Kim. "I'll make sure to call you up if I find anything, but it could take a while."
"Fair enough."

>punch the body in the shoulder and say "See ya 'round"

You give the corpse a friendly punch, as if to say that there are no hard feelings, you had a good run, better luck next time. "See ya round," you say. "I'd better get to work."

>Go to your office

You are in your OFFICE. Your DESK is here, piled with FRESH PAPERWORK. Sheesh. A few days off the job, and the backlog is already piling up.

> find out everything you can about Blonde Jack

You have a seat at your DESK and switch on your COMPUTER TERMINAL. It only takes you a moment to access the COMPREHENSIVE CRIMINAL DATABASE available to all police investigators. You look up Blonde Jack.

According to the entry, not much is known about Blonde Jack. His ties to a dangerous weapon smuggling ring are well documented, but he has never been arrested. Sources state that he is often seen frequenting a small cafe in the Lower City, a place called THE DRUMMER'S REST for some reason. It's believed that he owns an apartment somewhere in the Lower City, but recently took up residence in the penthouse of the Magical Wonders Casino and Hotel.

[>slap your face]

>slap your face

You decide not to slap yourself in the face. It seems both painful and pointless.

>Use HANDHELD DATA DEVICE

You switch on the HANDHELD DATA DEVICE. It seems someone has hastily purged the drive, because only one message remains. It reads: "another flaw to correct meet at usual place tomorrow night only thirteen days left to wait". It was sent by someone calling themselves "The Lovely Parrot". Mysterious!

> Tell Paisley "Waterloo saved my life and avenged me, so I think I'll go with him as my partner!"

You drop the news. After all these years, you still want no partner other than Jimmy.
Paisley rolls his eyes. "God, I was afraid you'd say that," he says. "Fine. Have it your way. Waterloo's off today, you can give him the news tomorrow."

> Savor the reaction of Paisley.

You bask in the moment.

> Go down to the tech lab

You make your way to the Tech Lab, where mobs of scientists are crowded around countless blinking terminals and dangerous prototypes. In the far corner of the room, you find a DEAD BODY on a table. The body appears to be missing its head. KIM is studying something on a terminal nearby.

> ask them what they found out about my shooter

"Found anything?" you ask.
"Yeah, a few things," says Kim. "This is a weird one - it looks like an actual, organic body, with some kind of computer plugged into its nervous system. It looks like it was receiving signals from an external source, and probably transmitting data as well."
"Bizarre," you say. "Anything else?"
"We did a DNA check on the body," says Kim. "We have a match. It's a known weapons smuggler, Mark Lawless. He disappeared a few years back, and we never picked up any leads."
"Apparently someone chopped off his head and stuck a computer in there," you say. "Did he have any connections to Blonde Jack?"
"No idea. You can probably access his file from your office terminal."

[> Wince painfully and think ,"Maybe I ought to start carrying a gun, Or at least wear a bullet proof vest".]

> Wince painfully and think ,"Maybe I ought to start carrying a gun, Or at least wear a bullet proof vest".

Briefly, you consider breaking your Vow and carrying a weapon on your next mission. You reject the thought immediately. It might be a good idea to track down a bulletproof vest, though.

> Take bus to office

Taken!

> enter flamboyantly demanding to be brought fully up to speed on all the latest happenings in the case

You sweep in through the front door, strike a pose, and yell "Okay everyone, I'm back! What's been going on?"

Lola glances at you from behind the reception desk and raises her left eyebrow slightly. "I think Captain Paisley's in his office," she says. "He's been waiting for you."

>check the surroundings for potentional suspicious gas mask wearing hitmen

Still feeling a bit paranoid from that one time you got shot, you check your surroundings. It looks pretty clear, but you can never be too careful. The gas mask people could be anywhere.

>scratch yer left buttcheek

It was a bit itchy.

>Mutter darkly about having to catch the bus when you're been wounded in the course of duty

You do have a personal sky-car, but unfortunately you left it at home.

>Mutter darkly about an interminable number of things

For several minutes, the air is filled with the sound of dark muttering. Carol ignores you and continues to play Solitaire. You are wounded and slightly annoyed.

>Get a grip, stop muttering darkly

You finally give up.

> find out from Paisley what the hell is going on

You head into Paisley's office. He's buried in a pile of reports, but his expression turns to joy the moment you walk in.

"Deadhand!" he says. "Good to see you back on your feet. It was touch and go for a while there."
"So I've heard," you say. "What happened?"
"One of our agents pulled you out," says Paisley. "He also managed to track down your killer, somehow. I guess."
"Impressive," you say. "Who was it?"
"Waterloo," Paisley mutters, darkly. "But that's not important. Angelo, I know things got a little rough there, but are you willing to keep going on this case?"
"Of course, Captain," you say. "A little thing like being shot to death won't hold me back."
"Good. Here's where we stand. Tech Lab's been studying the guy who shot you, and he's an odd bird - you might want to check in with them. We still haven't heard anything about Blonde Jack. He never returned to the penthouse - he seems to have disappeared entirely. If you can track him down, that would be excellent. Oh, and your attacker was carrying this. You might find it useful."
He gives you the HANDHELD DATA DEVICE that you discovered in the penthouse.
"One more thing, Angelo," he adds. "After last night's disaster, we've decided to assign you a partner, just in case things go sideways again. I recommend Percy Sniff. He's a smart, reliable guy who plays by the rules."

[> Ask the doc if the bionic stomach will allow me to eat anything I want]

> Ask the doc if the bionic stomach will allow me to eat anything I want

"Will the bionic stomach allow me to eat anything I want?" you ask.
"In theory, you could already eat anything you want," says the doctor, "as long as you could get it past your lips. The bionic stomach is slightly more resilient to bullets, but we still don't recommend eating poison or anything."
"So, no?"
"Not really."

> lament "DOH!"

"DOH!" you lament.

>Examine doctor

A portly fellow with a reassuring medical aspect. Receding grey hairline, slightly sunken eyes, fatherly smile on lips. He's not wearing a stethoscope around his neck, which completely shatters all your mental images of doctors.

>Tickle moustache

You can't reach the doc's moustache, so you tickle the bare spot on your lip where a moustache would be, and reminisce about that one time you grew one in order to infiltrate the Secret Society of the Moustached Men. Those were the days!

>Tickle nurse

You have a feeling she would not react favourably.

>Ask if they know who did it

"One more thing before I get back to work on this case," you say, sitting up and swinging your legs onto the floor. "Do you know who shot me?"
The doctor glances at the nurse, who shrugs.
"No idea," he says. "Our job is pretty much just pulling the bullet out."

>Say "By Gwapthar's Hammer, I will avenge... um... ME!"

"It doesn't matter," you say, as the dramatic musical score swells behind you. "I'll find him, whoever he is. And I will have my revenge."

A short time later, you're standing at the bus stop outside the hospital. The bus swoops in and you climb aboard.

Your first thought was to return to your apartment, but now that you're in transit, you wonder if it might be a good idea to stop by the station first. Paisley would probably want you to check in.

[>Look at POTTED PLANT and say "Hi, Chuck!"]

>Look at POTTED PLANT and say "Hi, Chuck!"

As potted plants go, it looks pretty typical. You offer it a friendly greeting.

It doesn't respond.

>Examine Nurse

You study the nurse carefully. Middle-aged, short brown hair, stern expression, glasses, doesn't seem terribly interested in you.

>Ask Nurse what happened to you

"Nurse," you moan, "what has happened to me?"
She glances down at you. "Ah, you're awake," she says crisply. "Wonderful. I was beginning to think you'd be asleep for a week."
"A week?"
"I'll call the doctor."

> Tell nurse you can't think clearly and have lost your memory

"Nurse," you say, "this is a bit embarrassing, but I can't quite remember who I am right now."
She rolls her eyes and consults a clipboard. "Your name is Angelo Deadhand," she says. "You were admitted three days ago. You've undergone some fairly extensive surgery - I'll let the doctor tell you about it."
Oh, right. You remember now. You were shot. That was certainly unpleasant.

The DOCTOR stomps into the room, stroking a majestic mustache. "Mr Deadhand," he says. "And how are you feeling?"
"Just a little groggy," you say. "Give it to me straight, Doc. How bad was it?"
"Pretty bad," the doctor acknowledges, "but you pulled through all right."
"Don't pull any punches, Doc. Did you give me any bionic limbs?"
"Well," says the doctor, "we did have to give you a new bionic stomach."
"Will that give me any superpowers?"
"Probably not."

[>Take a headache tablet]

>Take a headache tablet

You scrounge around for a headache tablet. Popping one, you find that your mind becomes clear. You remember the past - and you can see into the future. The whole world is laid bare to you. All of history, past and present, becomes clear. You suddenly understand the purpose behind humanity's existence, and you see the final destination of the universe, burning in the distance like an ancient star.

At least, that's probably what would happen if you had a headache tablet.

But you don't.

> look self

Groggily, you have a look at yourself. Most of you is concealed beneath a stiff white blanket. You seem to be wearing a hospital gown.

> look around

Your eyes adjusting to the light, you examine your surroundings. You are lying in a BED in a small, extremely sanitary room. Beside you is an array of COMPLICATED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT that appears to be monitoring your vital signs. There is a POTTED PLANT in the corner. A NURSE is here, checking something on a display.

> inventory

You aren't carrying anything!

[> Take a moment to revel in avenging Angelo and the dead security guy.]

> Take a moment to revel in avenging Angelo and the dead security guy.

You give the limp body a satisfied kick. Victory is sweet.

> Search badguy for evidence.

You quickly rummage through his pockets. Besides the gun, all he's carrying is some kind of handheld data device. You snap it up.

> Ask if Pauline and the tech team at HQ can dismantle the android / cyborg to recover any data or memory.

"Hey Pauline, you still there?" you say.
"You bet, cowboy," says Pauline. "I've been watching on the security cameras. That was quite a piece of work you just did."
"My pleasure," you say. "You guys want to have a look at this thing? It's all a little too technical for me."
"I'm already itching to dismantle it," she says. "I think Paisley's sending someone in for pickup right now."

It's getting hard to hear over the sound of that helicopter.

> Call HQ to Tell them that you caught the badguy

You switch your communicator back to Paisley's channel. "Hey, boss, I got my man," you yell. "How are things?"
"I'm not pleased, Jim," says Paisley grimly. "I'm not pleased at all."
You feel a blast of air as the helicopter lands right next to you. The crowd starts to cheer. The chopper door opens and Captain Paisley himself steps out.
He does not look pleased.

> Ask them if Angello's doing any better and chew out Paiseley for sending him on a dangerous mission completely unarmed!

"Hey, boss," you say cheerfully. "How's Angelo doing?"
"He's being moved to the hospital," Paisley grinds out. "Waterloo, I need to have a very long chat with you about all this."
"I can hardly wait," you say. "But I have to ask, boss - what were you thinking, sending Angelo out on a job like this without any kind of weapon? God knows I'd have loved to lend him one."
"You know Deadhand," says Paisley. "He never did like guns. Get in the chopper. Boys, collect that corpse, we'll have our people go over it. And god, someone please tell this crowd to shut up!"
You step into the chopper, pausing for a single moment and waving to the crowd. They seem pretty excited. The last thing you see before the chopper lifts off is the bright flash of a news camera.

Hard to say for sure, but you're guessing you made the front page.

..................................

You wake up slowly, unsure of who you are. Soft pastel colours swim in your vision.

Where are you? Who are you? What's going on?

If only you could think clearly.

>

[> disarm the badguy!]

> disarm the badguy!

You leap into action, stealthy and silent as a serpent. Or a drunk bear that just woke up from hibernation, that's probably a more apt analogy. Tipped off by your total lack of subtlety, Gas Mask Guy shoots you and runs away.

The Exoskeleton's Bullet Detectors whir into action, unleashing a shockwave of outward force that deflects the bullet and throws all the junk in the plaza into a whirlwind. You start to run. You have to hand it to Gas Mask Guy - he's fast.

But not fast enough.

> Say "Let's find out who this joker really is!"

"Let's find out who this joker really is!" you say jubilantly, pinning him to the ground with your enormous weight.

>Clear the area.  At least, keep them at a safe distance - you don't mind the attention.

"Citizens!" you roar. "I'm going to need everyone to take a few steps back! I'm about to unmask an INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS CRIMINAL, and I could never in good conscience put ordinary civilians in danger!"
Everyone takes like one step back, craning their necks to see what's going on. At least two reporters from Channel Six News are pushing their way to the front of the crowd.

> pull off the badguy's gas mask

You pull off the gas mask with a single mighty yank.

For a moment, all that can be heard is the low mutter of the crowd and the click-flash of the Channel Six News cameras.

>Act really surprised (even though you're not) if the bad GUY turns out to be a GAL

You do not need to feign surprise. In fact, you don't even need to feign horror.
There is no head beneath the mask. Instead, twin video cameras stare back at you, mounted on a small black box affixed to the man's neck. A voice emerges from a small speaker set in the box.
"Goddamit," it says wearily. "Do you know how expensive these things are?"

>Ask:WHO ARE YOU?  WHO DO YOU WORK FOR?  WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?!?!

"WHO ARE YOU?" you demand. "WHO DO YOU WORK FOR? WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?!?!"
"You can call me the Lovely Parrot if you like," he says. "My favourite colour is purple. They wouldn't let me wear a purple suit, though. Too conspicuous. That's all I'm going to tell you. Oh, one more thing. The Reckoning Of Your People Is Coming, Mortal. You Will Look In The Face Of Your Fellow Man And See Only Terror. Your Feeble Fingers Grasp, Pathetically, At What You Call A Victory. But You Have Already Lost. You Stare Now Into The End Of Your Kind And All You Know And Love. Goodbye."

>Demand answers.  Apply persuasion techniques if necessary.

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" you shout, slapping him around a little. It has no effect. The body is limp as a rag doll. Even the twin cameras seem dull and silent.

> arrest the badguy

You quickly place the corpse under arrest.

You can hear the sound of an approaching helicopter.

[> If the suit has a cloaking device activate that]

> If the suit has a cloaking device activate that

Now why doesn't your suit have a cloaking device? You can't believe you didn't think of that. You'll have to talk to the Tech Lab kids RIGHT AWAY.

> hide yourself before the bus arrives

You look for something suitably bulky to conceal yourself behind. The Ticket Dispensers look sufficient, so you stomp over to one, ignoring the clamour of the crowd. Nobody could say that you're hidden, but you're at least a little less obvious.

>Wait for the bus

You wait for about six seconds. The bus is already pulling into the station.

>Search for guy in a gas mask

He's the first one to step off the bus. Stylish suit? Gas mask? Is that a pistol he's carrying? What is this guy's problem?

[> record quick Last Will and Testament]

> record quick Last Will and Testament

You hastily whip out a scrap of paper and inscribe your Last Will and Testament, leaving everything to your beloved lab/golden retriever, Poofy.

> Fire up the jetpack and go fly off to catch the badguy!

No time to waste! None whatsoever! You fire up the jetpack without a second thought and blast straight out into the casino. You are moving extraordinarily fast and it is nearly impossible to steer. There is some collateral damage. Slot machines are smashed. Blackjack tables are overturned. The carpet is set on fire. You blow through the wall in a haze of shattered glass and and wood chips, and moments later you are flying through the sky-streets of Future City.

You somehow manage to adjust your course to more or less follow the bus rails towards the Upper City Central Station. At this wildly unsafe speed, you should arrive there well before the next bus does. So long as you don't crash into anything. The jetpack is very enthusiastic about flying in one direction, but it is sluggish and reluctant when the time comes to change course. If a flying car pops out in front of you, things could get a little explodey.

Luckily, no cars fly out in front of you, and you arrive safely at Central Station. The platform is abuzz with life even at this late hour, colourful crowds swarming on and off the endless chains of buses. You have no idea how to land, so you just switch off the jetpack and hope for the best. You crash down on the platform and leave a mighty crack in the concrete. Several newspaper vendors topples over in the ensuing shockwave. You stand up and peer through the fog of fluttering pages.

[> Ask Pauline if she could find out which bus he took or if he is still on the bus.]

> Ask Pauline if she could find out which bus he took or if he is still on the bus.

"What bus is he on?" you ask. "Is he even on the bus? What colour is the bus? Tell me everything about this bus, Pauline!"
"It's Number U237," she says. "It should be stopping at Central Station in about two minutes. Hang on, I'll try to get the feed from the bus."

> Ask her if she can find out any info on who was renting the penthouse

"Once you're done with that, I'd like to know more about who's staying in the penthouse here," you add.
"Registered under the name of Blonde Jack," she says. "That's all the hotel records show. Ah, here we go. Yeah, he's on the bus. It'll be stopping soon. You might want to hurry if you're hoping to meet him."
"Thanks, Pauline," you say. "You're the best."

[> Quickly look at the screens and see if any of them has a badguy in a gas mask in them.]

> Quickly look at the screens and see if any of them has a badguy in a gas mask in them.

You have a look at the screens. They all show idyllic scenes of reckless gambling and quiet hallways. Nobody seems to be lurking around in a gas mask.

> Place a phone call directly to Pauline

Clearly, you're going to have to take matters into your own hands. You fiddle with your radio controls and put a call through to Pauline.
"Oh, hey, Waterloo," she says, sounding sleepy. "Are you out tonight? I didn't think there was anything going on."

> ask her if she can hack into the security system of the hotel and scan for any footage of the badguy in the gas mask

"Kind of an emergency situation," you say. "Pauline, could you do me a big favour?"
"Sure thing, cowboy. Hey, are you the guy Paisley's been yelling at for the last ten minutes? He seems super mad about something."
"No idea. Look, I'm at the Magical Wonders Hotel and Casino. Do you think you could hack into their security system and check something out for me?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute."
You wait for Pauline to work her computer magic. It takes about fifteen seconds.
"I'm in," she says. "What are you looking for?"
"Whoa, that was fast."
"Yeah, they use SuperSafe Security and they haven't changed the password to their database in like eight months. I'll let you ponder the irony after you tell me what you're looking for."
"A mysterious man in a gas mask who attacked someone in the penthouse and then fled via the window."
"Right. Just give me a few minutes."

> See if you figure out which screen corresponds to the penthouse

You go through all the screens again. None of them seem to display the penthouse. Now that you think about it, it would be kind of weird if they had live video feed right into all the hotel rooms.

"Okay, I think I've found your guy," Pauline says. "He gets off the bus on the landing pad at 10:37 and goes into the hotel. He's in the lobby and talks to the receptionist for a minute. Then he gets into the penthouse elevator at 10:39 and I lose him. Next time I pick him up is at the base of the building, near a maintainence door. He drops down from above somehow and shoots a security guard. Ouch. Then he circles around the building and gets back to the landing pad at 10:49, gets on the next bus and sails away into the sunset."
"What time is it now?" you ask.
"11:05."

[>Goto Security Centre]

>Goto Security Centre

You cross the casino, attracting a number of stares en route, and leaving some permanent cracks in the polished flooring.

You are standing on the CASINO FLOOR. To the west is a door labeled "Employees Only". It is guarded by a grumpy-looking fellow in an ill-fitting Magical Wonders Hotel and Casino uniform. His name tag reads "Herb." To the west is the LOBBY. There seem to be a lot of SLOT MACHINES everywhere.

>Talk to Herb

"Evening, Herb," you say, attempting to make a gesture of peace with your hand.
Herb looks at you and then does a double take. "Jesus shit what the fuck christ," he gasps.
"Now then, Herb," you say sternly. "There may be children present." This is unlikely, given that you're in a casino, but whatever. "As you probably know, I'm a super-important government agent and I need to see some security footage, and I need to see it with extreme quickness."
Herb scratches his saggy chin. "Yeah, I guess. Follow me."
He escorts you through the door and into a small room absolutely packed with glowing terminals showing a live feed of every area of the hotel. The number of buttons and flashing lights is slightly overwhelming.
"Okay, good luck, I need to get back to work," says Herb sourly, slouching away.

>Examine Security Footage

You hesitantly touch one of the terminals.

Nothing happens.

[> Ask Receptionist to describe "Blonde Jack"]

> Ask Receptionist  to describe "Blonde Jack"

"Describe this Blonde Jack person to me, then," you say.
"Um, okay." She thinks for a moment and then gives you a detailed description of Angelo Deadhand. Wait, so Angelo was Blonde Jack all along? The plot thickens!

>Tell Receptionist that you're with the government and that time is of the essence

"I AM with the government!" you say. "Time is of the ESSENCE!"
"Do you have any ID or something?" she says. "I just really don't want to get fired."

> tell her that they'll send her to Gitmo to be water boarded for harboring a dangerous terrorist

You don't even know what Gitmo is, probably because you never paid much attention in history class.

>Tell Receptionist that the Exoskeleton is your authority

"I may not have any ID on me," you say, "but what I do have is this suit."
You flex the arm parts. There's an impressive pneumatic hiss as the powered shafts compress.
"Only top government agents wear this suit," you say. "It is an incredibly advanced piece of technology, created by our finest scientists. It is worn only by the most important government agents. It is designed to hunt. It is designed to make me invincible. And yes, it is designed to kill."

> Forget to mention that you're not really supposed to be using it right now

"I am totally authorized to wear this suit," you add. "There is no doubt that my boss would approve of me wearing it. I am not in violation of any kind of direct order right now."

> Mutter darkly under your breath about Paisley in particular and bureaucracy in general.

The suits are always trying to keep you down. Well, you'll show them. You'll show them all.

"Okay, I guess," says the receptionist, breaking your reverie. "The security center is on the other side of the casino. I'll tell Herb to let you in."

[> Think, "The guy in the gas mask must be the badguy mentioned by the couple in the hot tub!"]

> Think, "The guy in the gas mask must be the badguy mentioned by the couple in the hot tub!"

You connect the dots. A horrifying picture is forming - a picture of a bad guy, wearing a gas mask, who shot some people and then fled the hotel. A chill runs down your spine. Clearly, you are dealing with a professional.

> Ask Receptionist  if she has a picture of this "Blonde Jack" to show you

"Do you have a PICTURE of this Blonde Jack you could show me?" you inquire.
The receptionist blinks. "Um, I don't think so," she says. "We don't usually take photos of the guests."

>Tell Receptionist you'll need to visit the hotel's surveillance center and look for any video of said badguy.

"In that case, I'm going to need to look at some surveillance photos," you say. "I'm on the trail of a dangerous villain. He has guns. He's a bad dude. He shoots people."
"Um," she says. "Are you with the police or something? I don't know what the policy is of just showing people surveillance footage. You probably need a warrant or something."

[> save game]

> save game

Game saved LOL JK SAVE GAMES ARE FOR THE WEAK

> Have a flashback to see if you remember passing any badguy with a gas mask or gun

You rack your brains. The killer could have been any member of the cheering crowd in the lobby, and you'd have no way of knowing! Now if only the killer was wearing something distinctive. Like a gas mask. Sadly, you have no way of knowing that.

> Tell HQ to hack into the building's surveillance system and see if it has any traces of the badguy in the gas mask

You return to the radio. "Captain," you say, "I need you to tell Pauline to get her haxxors onto the interwebs or whatever and check the hotel's surveillance tapes for a suspicious figure, probably armed with a gun."
Captain Paisley sounds like he's on the verge of having an apoplectic fit. "WHAT THE SHIT, WATERLOO," he roars. "You are wearing the Exoskeleton, aren't you? Admit it! You are! Take a damn step back, Waterloo, and think about what you're doing! I don't want this to be..."

You stop listening. Hopefully he'll cool down in a few minutes and ring up Pauline.

>Follow orders, try to be inconspicuous and don't leave the hotel

You decide to follow orders, keep it low-key and stick to the hotel.

>AS IF!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!

>Intimidate anyone looking nervous

You rumble back into the lobby and check for nervous people, to whom you could potentially talk smack. The crowd seems to have cleared out, unfortunately, and the only person left is the receptionist.

> Ask Receptionist who went up to the Penthouse before Angelo

"Say, ma'am," you say, clomping up to the desk.
"Oh jesus, I thought you were in the penthouse," she says, dropping her jar of nail polish.
"I'm done in there," you say. "FOR NOW. Right now, I want some answers. Who else did you let into the penthouse today?"
"Well, there was one guy," she said. "Blonde Jack. He's staying in the penthouse right now."
"WHO ELSE?" you demand.
"Also Blonde Jack's personal assistant," she says. "Kind of a weird guy, but whatever, he swore up and down he was legit."
"What did he look like?"
"No idea. He had a gas mask on or something. This has been a really weird night for me, okay?"