Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[AntiAntiMatter]

Go in bedroom.

[quip]

Go Commando roll into bedroom.

Fix'd

[Argonnek]

You go up to the door to your room, which you closed on the way out. You press your back against the wall next to it and pull out your sharpest, most weapon-like lockpick. You place your hand on the knob, and silently turn it. Slamming open the door, you dive through and land on the opposite side of your bed. Quickly getting up, you start waving your pick around like a knife.
There is no one. Only the room as it was when you left. The music you heard is coming from inside the top drawer of your cupboard. Opening it, you see that it's a cell phone, and it's ringing. You pick it up and accept the call.

"Hello?" you say tentatively.
"Hey! John! You finally got around to checking out your new digs, eh?" It's Mr. Baker.
"Uh, yeah."
"Good. Now, you had a blue sedan, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Heh, well, no, you don't."
"What?"
"You know how there was this huge earthquake that the city barely survived?" ha ha, very funny.
"Earthquakes don't destroy cars," you dutifully inform him.
"No, but falling buildings do. Come back to the office and I'll get you a new one, alright?"
"Okay..."
"Great! See you in a few minutes." He hangs up.

Why is he spending so much on you? No CEO is that generous. There must be something up.
You go downstairs and out the door. You navigate your way through the traffic-leaden streets and sidewalks to the Carson office. Parked in front is a shiny new sedan. This one, however, is silver and unscratched. It's a nice car, but a part of you feels mildly disappointed. A Ferrari or Porsche would have gone more with the theme of events so far, you feel.

Spoiler: You take a picture with your phone, so you remember not to scratch it up too much. (click to show/hide)

Mr. Baker Walks out of the front doors and greets you with a smile.
"Hey, Johnny boy! Whaddaya think?" He grabs your hand and shakes it vigorously.
"Uh..." You try to come up with the words.

[Lillipad]

This:
"Is this a dream, or maybe a vision? No, this is definitely real."
Seems appropriate to say.

[AntiAntiMatter]

"Thank you very much, sir."

[Kadzar]

"When will you be wanting my immortal soul, exactly?"

[Argonnek]

"Thank you very much, si- er, Mike. But one question, why are you being so nice to me?"
"Nice? This isn't nearly as nice as I could be!" He walks over and puts his arm around your shoulders. "Besides, y'know the fifteen percent loss of staff I told you about? Almost all of them had your old job! I feel that every employee of mine is extremely valuable, even if I don't know them personally. That's why you're now an executive coffee boy! It's pretty much your old job, but with a fancy suit and better-tasting coffee!" As he says this, he extends his arm and looks into the distance.
You gape for a moment. This man is clearly insane. How the hell is this firm still in existence? Maybe that room was filled with gold bars. It would make more sense if your company was just a front for some precious metal smuggling ring. Your boss has no concept of the value of things.
"How can our company afford any of this?" You blurt out.
"Huh? What do you mean?" He looks at you quizzically.
"The car, the apartment building, that suit you had made for me, all of the extravagance! It makes no sense!"
"Oh, I see, you're worried about that stuff? Okay, I'll explain. Have you ever wondered why I'm in charge instead of some guy named Carson?"
"Not really, a lot of places do that."
"Maybe, but this is a special case."
"How so?"
"Stop interrupting and I'll tell ya." He gives you a pointed look. "Okay, you've noticed by now that we have a lot of money. Recently, the stocks for metals have been rising at an exponential rate. This is because a huge cavern has been discovered under the city, with ridiculous amounts of metals in it, and investors want a part of the action. One of our guys saw this coming, and made sure we would pull out a huge profit because of it. According to him, he wouldn't have noticed the trend without a fateful cup of french roast, which you delivered."
Part of you recognizes how absurd that is, mostly because he didn't explain why he was in charge.
Thinking for a moment, this reminds you of the... thing... that you felt under the city during your hospital stay.
"Hey, Mike," you start.
"What's up?" He replies instantly.
"Where did they discover the entrance to the caverns?"
"According to the news reports, it's about a mile out from the city. Just go out along Peach street until it turns into Rock road. There's a dirt path leading to the big cave that they found that connects to it. Why?"
"Just curious." It wouldn't be hard to go there and check it out, assuming Mr. Baker will let you leave.

[AntiAntiMatter]

Thank him for his generosity, then go and find and explore the caverns.

[Gatleos]

Thank him for his generosity, then go and find and explore the caverns.

Before you explore them, meditate outside and see if you can sense anything in there.

[Urist McCheeseMaker]

What Gatleos said. Also, if something nasty is lurking under the city, you don't want to go into a cavern only a mile or so out without protection. Bring something to defend yourself with. Preferably more than one, if you can carry it without arousing suspicion (not sure if this world has American- or Europe-based laws).

That, or go hang out somewhere for a bit and relax. All this chaos can't be good for one's sanity.

[Hubris Incalculable]

Ermmm... I think that the first thing would either be to finish work for today, or to ask Mike for leave, before we go down to the cave. Mike's being VERY nice, for now, but clearly has some loose screws, and we should be careful not to give his mood cause to swing the other way.

[mcclay]

While going to the caveren. Tke of the licensens plate of the car and do Grand theft Real life. When you get there put the license plate back on.

Dear god, waht if Jethroe's in the carven (the one from evolution) that would be terrfiying!

[Argonnek]

That, or go hang out somewhere for a bit and relax. All this chaos can't be good for one's sanity.

...Sanity?


"So, Mike, do you mind if I take this for a spin?"
"Sure! Why not? You need a suit if you're gonna fit in with the rest of the executives anyway, so wait until they give you a call when you're suit's ready. I gave them the number of your cell." He pats you on the back and goes back inside.

You open the driver's door and take a seat. It's comfy, more so than your old car. The dashboard also resembles the control panel of an F-16. It's confusing at first, but you find the most important bits. You turn the key and the engine starts. Moving out onto the streets, you try to find Peach street, but the broken husks of buildings, and the resulting deadlock, keeps you from moving more than two miles an hour. You switch on the radio, and patiently wait it out while the national guard directs the traffic.
It takes two hours, but you eventually find Peach and escape the rubble-filled city. You drive along, and at an intersection you notice a dirt trail leading to the nearby mountain range. Turning onto it, you drive through the pretty scenery and come up to a large hole in the ground. You park off to the side and get out.

A man with a mustache and lamp helmet walks out of the abyss and greets you.
"Welcome to the Cavern of Wonders! Would you like a tour?"
"Uh, sure, but I have one question. Does the tour include the cavern system found under the city?"
"Unfortunately, that system is still being fully explored. No tour group will go there, but we do have the extended tour, which goes near the entrance to it. If you're interested, the next extended tour will begin at the entrance in twenty minutes."

[Gatleos]

Snap his neck, take his clothes (and mustache... somehow), and infiltrate the caverns in a tour-guide disguise!

[Lillipad]

Let's take the tour and get "lost" midway.

Jethroe

Jethro. You mean Jethro. This is Jethroe. And this is Jethro.