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For the time being though, it's another afternoon in the cloud city. Plenty of time to do as you like, though you've been busy as of late with some important goals. Chief among them, planting and growing things on the neighboring roof of one of the many skyscrapers tall enough to rise above the clouds. To you that's something very important, though most everyone has their goals (for you at least) elsewhere. Ever since the truth of your identity was discovered, people are still trying to come to terms with it and make some sense. The first male in... nobody knows how long?

Fortunately you have secured your place with the tribe as a capable member both in terms of skills and in solving problems. You left a message to mother if she ever comes to find you, so now it's just the process of waiting. Though, you hope to see her again but part of you understands that in the meantime you have to live your own life and not spend forever uncertain and unwilling to tie yourself down anywhere. These people you're with have been good, and you're happy to dwell with them whether you see mother again or not.

Thus, have you been trying to grow things. A unique way you can contribute to the tribe. At present you look over the few saplings sprouting from the overgrown earth atop the roof. Plenty of sun, and after some trial and error you know water is also necessary. It's a learning process like any other, but you're starting to get the hang of it with help. Now if only the others could see the value in it!

>What do you do?

>>3507782
They will once the food starts growing.

play with Daisy a bit, on the way back, pick up Kayla one more pack of food before it's night for the information she gave us

who's with us around here?

>>3507782
How's our drone?

When we get back let's visit Joan and see what she discovered

>>3507782
good to see you back

how long since the last thread IC? have we spoke with that asshole elder?

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>>3507867
>>3507842
It has been a few weeks since. Your drone has long since been fixed, and you have tried to talk to the elder Julia however it didn't really amount to much. No one agreed upon a dog warranting clothes let alone a replacement, and while you got an apology for her abuse of Daisy it wasn't a promise not to do anything like it again. Not from her, or from anyone else since as you know, people aren't too patient or kindly towards animals in the world today.

Understandably, it was a bit frustrating since you experienced firsthand how they don't treat you that seriously. It seems that they can only give you special privilege so far, before their tolerance of you as a child wears out.

>>3507827
Surprisingly as you can see firsthand, the things you have planted have already grown to start showing edible things. Fruits and vegetables. Is it supposed to be that fast? Only a few weeks and there's lush food to show for it? Well you wouldn't know, and who's to complain if it really is that easy! It's just that you only have a few plants to show for it, but in time if you could get the whole rooftop growing then surely it would provide a great benefit to the tribe.

In any case you've tended to the plants for today and while you could probably just ask someone to stay here to do it, or even have Suzy to do it, until there's more to show for it you'd rather handle this personally. In the meantime it's not like you immediately have to return home. You can appreciate the time on the roof and sit among the grasses with Daisy, show her some attention after she's had the time to recover from her abuse. You're not the only one enjoying it up here either.

"Can to... big one there?"

"Mhm. Back."

There's Nama trying to hunt one of the myriad of birds up here, and Kayla appropriately enough proving only a distraction. There's also Carmen, a former food scavenger and one of the few who sees value in what you're doing, happy to help. And the youngest Joan, just tagging along for an outing. Not the most defensible group, but then it's not like you'd expect to be attacked up here. You plan to get Kayla's last agreed-upon meal from the restaurant before you leave this building and return home, but while you're here you can make use of the building and the facilities you know it to have or whatever you wish. No rush, for anything which is how you like it.

>What do you do?

>>3507919
Warn Nama about the fake grass that we fell through last time, it's dangerous to hunt birds

Let's go back to our building, we could go to the cafeteria to take a look but the group seems a little undefended

>>3507919
Lets go back and talk with Joan

>>3507919
Take a bath, see if we can walk in the restaurant with the jammer, but pay for food anyway after it

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>>3507964
>>3507986
>>3507993
She has a bit more sense than to go running off a building edge, but you can warn Nama anyway. That said, you would like to explore the cafeteria while here, but feel it wouldn't be safe. So you can express interest in getting washed, which seems to be shared. There aren't baths here but the gym some floors lower has working showers. A bit awkward among the others but by this point everyone knows the truth about you so it's not like you need to worry about hiding anything. Plus, it seems this may be the first actual shower/wash Nama has had so that's a funny bit of a learning experience for her and a bit of a familiarity shock seeing her not covered in body paint.

After that is just your final trip to the restaurant before returning home. In the past you had already experimented going into the restaurant with the jammer but you certainly can this time as well. As before the robots seem completely unaware of you though alerted to signs and sounds of movement like you opening the door. You can't order food like this though for as much as you are able to infiltrate the place, so being returned use of your account by Joan you are able to make another big order. Fortunately with everyone getting regular supply of decent food now, there's not such an obligation for you to be feeding the tower and paying for it. But while here you can at least get an early and quality dinner for everyone. And most of all, to finally repay the debt to Kayla for her telling you the truth of what happened to Daisy.

After that, well it's just the usual nervous trip back across the gap between the skyscrapers, by way of hanging metal carriage from steel cables drawn across.

---

"Oh, hello Alexa! Did you enjoy yourself over there?"

It's the usual fuss upon returning for you and anyone having gone out really, but once you get a chance to untangle yourself from the attention you can make your way to the healthcare ward with the younger Joan to meet her mother. You had allowed her to make a copy of the medical records stored on your necklace so that she could look them over when she was able. It's been a few weeks now and you know she has, that she said you could come to her with any questions when you were ready and had the time. Well, now seems as good a time as any and given her chance to not only read over what she could but to also think about it all.

"Well it is a lot you know, and it's not organized... made easy to look at. But I can tell you what I found, if you want anything specific?"

She could try and give her general impression but that may take time. Instead, well you do have particular interests and questions, so maybe you want to ask them first? Hopefully she can answer anything you want to know...

>If you like you can put forward any questions about the medical records to her, as well as a roll to see if she was able to find anything relevant.

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>3508056
questions:
why are we the only one?
what she discovered about mother and that other woman that said she was mother
what about the necklace?
who else knows about us?
did she find any new information about new people?

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>3508056

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>3508056
Is the process different from extra lives?

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>3508056

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Whew, took a bit to write this out properly

>>3508129
>>3508121
>>3508114
>>3508072
>74

You can sit and have a talk with Joan in her room then, after she takes you there when you ask her if she's learned anything. You don't want to get your hopes up too much just in case, but you can't help but feel some anticipation for... anything, really. More than what you already knew; nothing.

Fortunately, while she doesn't have all the answers, she does seem to have figured out a good deal from the medical records and info. And educated guesses, what she couldn't find for sure.

"Some for only other?"

"Exactly what I wanted to know, most of all when I started. The woman in the video, Zsofia, was aware of the problem with all of us. We know she was a doctor of robotics, and I think that may be where the problem lies. Over and over in the recordings and her notes she brings up the clouds but she wasn't talking about those ones outside. No, ones you can't see, from... tiny, small small robots, little machines you can't see. It sounds like nonsense, but I remember in the hospital, not my department but they had problems with... well, whatever they are. These tiny things."

She's not wrong, that it does sound like nonsense, and neither you nor anyone in their right mind would ever normally believe her. But you swear you can recall, now that you think about it in this way, some things mother had said about why you had to be so careful. You thought she was making things up to scare you, but this could explain that.

"...what'm do?"

"Lots of things I think, they're so small they could be inside people even and they wouldn't know. They can help people and keep them healthy, but they can also hurt people, like the clouds. Or, it seems they also kill any men they find... only... only humans though. Something from the big war, from the times before. Like ah... um..."

"Weapon?"

"-right. Something to kill on purpose. Well Zsofia couldn't, or didn't think she could stop them everywhere, but could stop them somewhere. A long time, longer than you've been alive, she and it sounded like others too, worked to find a way to do that. Your necklace, a little thing inside it." instinctively you grab at the thing around your neck, but she takes it in her hand to hold up, "Something in here, stops the tiny things around it. You're wearing it, you said you always have? Stops them around you."

While you probably don't understand half of what she's saying, you can sort of make some vague sense of it in your head. At least that explains why mother's number one rule of all was to never take off your necklace, and why you got sick, so quickly even when it was stolen from you. Some tiny things would have to be everywhere if you could get so sick within some seconds of losing the necklace.

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All this care for your sake though, it starts to stir some serious doubts within you. If Zsofia wasn't your mother then why would she care so much about this and do so much, spend so much time to try and accomplish just one little thing in one necklace only for you? That sounds like something a mother would do, but... you want to ask Joan but when you start to bring that specific point up, you can see she gets uncomfortable and tries to dodge the subject. Either because she doesn't know, or because she remembers how upset you got last time when she talked about who... she thought, your mother really was. You could try and press her to talk about it, but you can see she would rather not and instead answer your other questions.

>What do you do? How important is that detail to you? Or just don't bother her and learn about the rest.

>>3508190
press her, is that mother?

about the necklace, can we make more, for more people? maybe Suzy could help us, ask Joan what she thinks

>>3508190
Nanomachines? Can we test the jammer? See if it would keep us safe from them too, that could be useful if someone takes the necklace again.

Ask if we can make more boys, and if we do, will the machines get them? Can we make more necklaces, or someone can?

After this we should look for Jess to relax and talk a little, things are getting heavy.

>>3508190
Ask about everything she got from the thing.

>>3508198
Get to know who the real mom is

>>3508209
And then mop about it to our girlfriend, she lost her mother too, she gets it...maybe...

>>3508198
>>3508226
>>3508209
Well it comes down to the matter then of, are you prepared to listen to what she has to say? You weren't willing to even consider or tolerate such talk before, but a few weeks later to think on it, are you willing now?

Do you even want to know, if what she says about mother is true?

>>3508231
Mother is mother, she raised us, we just want to know if that woman from the video was our mother before mother came around

>>3508231
How about we ask her to tell more about the woman, not that we are admitting that she is our mom but she seems to know a lot and cared for us, so we want to know her better.
She was a roboticist, maybe she was from Coned?

>>3508243
this sounds good, we want to know more about her because at least she was someone that cared about us, even if she is wrong about being our mother(maybe one day we will stop denying it), she can be someone like Kim for now.
maybe watch a few videos of her talking.

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>>3508240
>>3508243
>>3508249
Very well then, we'll pick up from here tomorrow when we resume as this will likely be my last post of the night. If Alexa is willing to listen then, he can see what else Joan knows.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing! Also will try for an earlier start, as this was begun later than the usual runtime.

>>3508371
prepering for a rough one, even if it's just more info

Guys, we should look into that necklace to see if mpre cam be done

We should talk with Jess about that thing we said last thread, if we haven't already

And if the farm is going well we should go to that place Vicky wanted to go

>>3508850
All good plans

We will have to investigate that necklace more, maybe if we discover where that woman is from we can learn more about it

>>3508371
Ask Joan where Zsofia came from before she was in the shelter if she knows, what was her place or tribe, maybe she mentions something about her people or missig her place

>>3508371
Continuing here in a bit. Also here's a pastebin with the previous threads and some various information. Some of it needs to be updated which I'll do when I get the chance,

https://pastebin.com/5V4GdagC

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>>3509177
>>3508850
>>3508249
>>3508243
You've given it time, and while you're not any more accepting of whatever the news might be, you're at least tolerant of hearing it now.

"Joan... who'm Zsofia?"

"I... she's your... she's your mother. At least, the woman who gave birth to you, as much as that man from the times before, Alexander is your father. She says her plan at first was to just make the necklace for herself so that she could have sons... but after having you, she couldn't... she loved you too much to just let you die. That's why you have it, and why you're the only son she had."

You know who raised you, it was your mother and she'll always have that position in your life and your heart. But it is a bit tough to cope with knowing that she's not your biological mother, as much as you understand and can differentiate such a concept. A heavy blow but when else would you get to know the truth like this? You learn from Joan that this Zsofia woman had once belonged to place called the Uncouncil (which is a known place still) but left in order to try and have you in secrecy and safety under the circumstances that she did, out of worry for anything going wrong or you being discovered. For as much as Joan will say of her though, she avoids any topic of what happened to her and though it isn't made clear from the information and recordings, it seems Joan has a guess of her fate but doesn't want to say.

In any case besides the information, she is more than willing to allow you to look over the recordings and such so that you can get a personal idea of who this woman was. Probably better than just being told by Joan, if you actually do care about knowing what kind of person Zsofia was. In your own time perhaps, but there's the other pressing questions first and foremost.

"This'm keep safe from no-see clouds," you hold up the necklace, "can to make other?"

"I... I don't know. I'm a doctor for people, not machines. Maybe it could be possible, I think if anyone would know it would be the Empress. But I worry that your necklace could not be fully understood in order to be copied, without deconstructing... breaking it apart. If it stops working... well you would die, yes? I don't think it's worth that, if so."

Well you'd be inclined to agree with her if that's the case. Her reasoning is that it's not worth risking possibly the only living male for a gamble at copying the necklace, whereas you don't want to risk dying for it. The alternative then, could you make more boys yourself? Again something she can only guess at since not even Zsofia had any idea about that. While Zsofia was a robotics doctor though and only understood that field, Joan is a healthcare doctor and understands, has familiarity with people and extra lives. Whether you could make other boys or not is somewhat irrelevant, because she believes it would still have the same risk as the Red Cross; either a person will have a daughter, or they will mutate as the tiny machines try to kill the son.

>Do you want to learn or try to figure things further out with her? As you know, Joan is learned but having another person to bounce ideas off always helps her, and you're smart enough for your age. Though, with all this info it does weigh heavily on your shoulders, and a break from it all might be appreciated...

>>3509651
Oh, so the mutation is the result of a boy coming up? Or is it just random chance from the process they use at the red cross, does she know more about that process, could the process be the cause or is the boy coming the cause?

If we can't create more boys then there is no point is there? Because when we go everything goes back to how it was.

>>3509651
Fuck I thought that boys were just aborted, but they create monsters? Fuck

How far is that place, could we try to visit it to see if she left any information behind? If she didn't leave it there we should go back to our shelter and look there for something or a clue

Ask Joan how far is that place

>>3509675
Thats the thing, the important thing is not Alexa, it's the necklace, that's what they would grab

>>3509651
We have a roboticist, Suzy, she could take a look without breaking it appart, we can try the jammer too, maybe conect it to power source and have the person always wear it.
Maybe Suzy can take a look to see if there are any hidden files, Zsofia would have to save the necklace plans somewhere


We will need many Jess cudles after this

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>>3509721
It's not the necklace itself is the matter, it's just an info tag from the Red Cross. It's something that Zsofia did to it, modified it, that is the source of the value. If you want to you could let Suzy interact with it, or the roboticist who arrived a couple days prior to fix the robots. As far as you know though, would it be risk-free?

>>3509692
>>3509675
>>3509697
Well mutation occurs roughly half the time when making an extra life, as far as Joan knows when the environmental tiny robots try to kill the developing boy. Certainly it's not a choice, no one would willingly reject or choose not to have a boy in the state of the world, it's just an understood risk. And as folklore and legends would suggest, after mutation able to have sons but of course the Red Cross isn't going to work with any mutants when the creatures are so hostile. In a related way, it's also why people who have more and more daughters are considered special or revered; half of anyone opting for an extra life devolve into mutants. Someone like Maria who has undergone the process three times and not mutated, three daughters, is exceedingly rare and hence why Joan suggested Maria as the best candidate for any trials on trying to make another person together.

In any case you're naturally interested in this place Zsofia came from, technically her tribe would be your "true" tribe by way of biological descent. And interestingly, according to Joan it's not all that far away, to her memory roughly the same distance from here as the Coned facility. And the building itself is tall enough that during a storm or on a very windy day, it's not immersed entirely in the clouds. The place itself though, from what she's heard, is kind of an official place and carries a lot of traditions from the world before. Like the Army or the Red Cross, she's not sure what manner of rules or protocols they have in place or how they would react to you if they found out.

But then again... they are family, right? They were Zsofia's family, at least.

>What do you do?

>>3509790
Well, if the specialist is around we can ask Harbody about it when he wakes up, but if he doesn't know we should ask Suzy, she isprobably grateful for helping her get fixed and the trade things given.

Tell Joan we would like to visit that place and for her to organize a trip with the adults.

Go find Jess, get confort

>>3509838
Agreed, we can ask Hardbody to take a look, he will at least know what it is, if he doesn't we risk it and ask Suzy

>>3509790
well, we should go to our shelter again, see if the army is there, and if they are not give it another look
then we should visit Zsofia's place, but not reveal ourselves or our relation to her

and this>>3509838

Just a heads up but I have to duck out for a little bit but will resume when I get back.

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>>3509838
>>3509865
>>3509895
It seems to you that if you lived your entire life inside your shelter, and on top of that it doesn't seem like Joan noticed anything secretly left behind, then the chances of finding anything there from Zsofia are pretty slim. You can still return there if you want, just that you probably won't be holding your breath for discovering any lost secrets.

As for a trip to this other place, that could be possible but Joan isn't hopeful. It's not like a trip to a few skyscrapers over (one you yourself made on your own originally), but an actual fair distance. Relatively speaking in terms of the size of the city it's close, but still would take easily twice as long if not more to reach there, than it did to reach your shelter. An endeavor like that isn't to be taken lightly and normally only to the Red Cross for extra lives would the tribe ever consider such a thing. You can ask her and try in any case, but you might not be able to expect approval or support for such a thing... depending on how urgent it is to you, it may require some other means.

For now though you can at least thank Joan for her help and everything she's done for you with the medical data. She's always happy to help with anything you need, so this is just another thing for it. Despite it all though, the help was... not all that helpful. You learned a lot but it's also a little depressing to say the least. While you want to follow up on what you now know, possibly with Hardbody or even the visiting roboticist, you also could use a shoulder to proverbially cry on. Spending the rest of the evening till dinner, or even after with Jess, would be welcome.

>Which do you prefer?

>>3510137
Is hardbody online? If he is go to him, if he isn't let's seek our Jess's shoulder

>>3510137
See hardbody about the necklace, after it have dinner with Jess and stay with her after it, we learned a lot today and we could use the company

>>3510173
This seems good, lets talk to Hardbody and then seek our girlfriend

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>>3510179
>>3510173
>>3510164
It's not too late that you can't manage both things, so first of all is checking on Hardbody.

"Well you must really care about this old clunker, you want it fixed up so badly!"

The visiting roboticist, presently staying on the same floor as the junked construction robot, is still busy fixing Hardbody after his head was crushed. She's been working on it a few days now on and off, though the biggest focus of course was restoring Suzy to working order since she was a functioning robot at least. And only earlier today apparently after doing a full check, was the roboticist satisfied with the repairs. And, Suzy herself of course.

"I'm tellin ya boy-"

"Shhh!"

"Right right, my bad. I'm tellin ya kid, don't be blowin your time here! I mean these are all good folks, sure. But imagine the sorta life we could be livin!"

"And other this?"

Ever since she discovered the truth about you, Suzy has constantly been pestering you to run away with her and even apparent threats to kidnap you. She seems of this delusion that if you were to go elsewhere your full value could be recognized, and you wouldn't have to stay here sorting through old cell phones and computer junk. If her robot "imaginings" have any merit, she wants to take you to a more powerful or more wealthy group and give you to them, apparently you'd be "living pretty" for the rest of your life. No doubt the conditions here among your new tribe are pretty dismal all things considered, but you wouldn't want to abandon them just so you alone could have a good life... right? Though unrelated to what Suzy says, it does have some merit towards the ideas Olivia keeps feeding you, about why you shouldn't settle for anything less than being in charge.

And if that were to interest you, well why shouldn't you be in charge of the most powerful group around? It's not like anyone else has any spare males sitting around.

"Cummon kid, I'm beggin ya! This ain't the life for ya here! Ya one of a kind!"

"No to joke Suzy, here home."

Leaving her to sizzle her circuits in frustration, you return to the communal floors to join other gathering for dinner. Thankfully you can find Jess easily enough where she surprises you with a covert kiss, before pulling you along by the hand to sit with her and your other friends to eat. It seems they plan on having some fun after dinner, but you'd kind of wanted to just have the evening together with Jess after the rough bit of news from Joan. Though you wouldn't want to impede on her fun, she enjoys spending time with you plenty as well.

>What do you do?

>>3510273
Let's go to the party with her, maybe we can distract ourselves, tell her we want to talk with her after it alonw, maybe she can sleep over, we shpuld even tell her about Suzy's proposition

>>3510273
Let's not sour the mood....yet

Enjoy the time with our friends and Jess

>>3510285
Supporting

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Took a little bit to properly write this out,

>>3510285
>>3510300
>>3510351
No need to put a downer on things, especially when spending time with your friends will probably cheer you up anyway. So you try to push your concerns down for the time being and just enjoy yourself. Talking and laughing over dinner with the others, then hanging out in one of the communal rooms with some games. It seems they roped Nama and Aranza into trying out some of the old video game setups, since neither of them have ever played any such games before apparently. Fun enough watching those two older, yet faring terribly at actually playing the games, but getting hooked nonetheless. All the more fun as well, when you find out that the girls are familiar enough with the electronics involved to setup multiple TVs and consoles, so that not only a few people can play while everyone else has to watch.

Of course some colored drinks would be appreciated too but if the adults caught any children drinking there would be some trouble for sure. Still, a good few hours of fun, till your immediate friends want to call it quits for now. Olivia particular, does want to get a few drinks before bed and you end up in another secret maintenance space with her, Jess, and Nama ironically enough since she's new to this whole exploring thing.

She and Olivia sit by a busted ventilation shaft which drops down who knows how far into the building, and they have fun tossing things down and playing a guessing game about the drop, in between bouts of some one-sided play fighting since Nama is both an adult and a skilled combatant. But Jess is happy to sit aside with you, arm around you and talk about what's on your mind if you like. Between a covert kiss now and then that is when the other two are too occupied to pay attention.

But how honest do you want to be with Jess about this? Or rather, how much do you care to tell her of what you found out?

>>3510426
Tell her about what we found out, of mother and of how we survived, tell her we know how to make new people but it's still very dangerous, but the necklace, the same that keeps us alive could help
we are very worried and confused, maybe we should discuss this at our room

>>3510426
Tell her what we discovered about our past

>>3510426
Talk to her about what we discovered, start with our past and then move to the future, ask what she thinks about it.

>>3510426
I am happy that none of them ever do anything overtly sexual about it, because then they're the sexiest pair of women I've ever seen. At least you're on the other side; in this context, it feels like it's only natural. At least they can get away with it, since we're living inside them, so why should they be surprised? There's only one kind of sexual tension between Jess and Ruby, if you want to call it that—in her case, to give her a boost for the trip. (Well, we've barely gotten through one kiss!) In the same way that you're not likely to be able to enjoy a sexual session with this couple, you should be able to enjoy one with Jessica and Ruby. This could take the form of a cuddling session that ends with an orgasm and/or some gentle massages that endear you to your partner. You're welcome to just enjoy a simple kiss, and that's it, right?

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>>3510467

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>>3510459
>>3510440
>>3510435
You don't mind hanging out with the others, but if you are to talk seriously about this you would prefer to do it in your room to be able to sit down with Jess. In the previous weeks and by now, you've become intimately familiar with one another perhaps recklessly so, but what can you expect of young love? Though your relationship is more than just what the two of you get up to in private, Jess is still as much your friend as ever and she can tell when something is bothering you and you just want to talk.

"So'm two mother? Hmm... one for reals and other."

"Mother, and... Zsofia."

You can go over what you learned from Joan, and in a way you're talking for your benefit as much as you are hers, but she's a good listener regardless. Of how your mother hid away and worked for a long time in order to have you, and what the problems behind everything are. She can sympathize, in having lost her own mother not so long ago to mutation. But her bigger concern is the health difference between you and... well, everyone. The tiny machines, the reason why she can take a bullet, why she can eat little to no food and still survive well enough, why her injuries heal so well and she never gets sick. All of these things that she shares with everyone else, but you don't. If only there was some way for you to share the kind everyone else has without dying from it.

"To make for others, can to help?"

"No good try to break. You for only, live and good."

Most of the revelations come back to the necklace, and while you imagine some different possibilities to have it benefit other people, Jess is far too concerned for your own wellbeing to want to risk it. She'd rather have you alive, she makes clear, than to risk you even if it means saving anyone. Perhaps selfish you could say, but how can love be selfish? On the other hand, it lines up with Suzy's plans. If you could have a better life together, Jess would be more than happy for that even if it means leaving everyone behind. Sure enough the tower is her home, she's part of the tribe. But the only family she has left in the world is her baby sister, who Maria is more capable than she is of taking care of, and she cares more about the two of you than the tribe, for as much as she does truly care for them.

Mostly, she thinks everyone else capable of living and suviving without her, they always have. Not like she's some direly important member that would be missed. Not like you, but then this was your idea wasn't it? Or Suzy's, but you brought it up. In any case she takes your hands in hers with a smile, and leans forward to kiss you; whatever you want, she would support.

>What do you do?

>>3510505
Based Jess, hug and hold her tight.
Tell her that no metter where we go they would want us to make new people, and that is risky

Lay down with her, today was tough.

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>>3510550
You can take it easy for the night then, a good night's sleep after everything today would be welcome.

In any case this will probably be my last post for the night then, but we'll continue from here tomorrow. Till then you can figure out what your next priority is then for tomorrow, and moving forward considering what you know now.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

>>3510505
>>3510593
Enjpy Jess company, get confortable and make each other feel good, assure her that whatever we do she'll come with us.

For tomorrow, probe Kim about visiting Zsofia's place, and ask Suzy to see if she can figure out more about the necklace

>>3510593
Ask Jess how she thinks we could be in charge, what could we do or offer for them to let us lead and try to solve this

Tomorrow we can talk to Suzy, or Hardbody, preferably both, about the necklace and if they know how it works, if they can discover anything about it

> Try to learn from Robotocist and help fix hardbody.

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>>3510859
>>3510764
>>3510735
You wonder how any sort of leadership could be obtained, and ask Jess as much. While Suzy seemed to have some vague ramblings of an idea though, Jess isn't really sure. While she imagines you could withhold on helping to make any more people till your demands are met, that's not really being in charge of anything. Same with offering the help for orders heeded; neither of these are leadership, they're just exchanges. Trade, basically. If you were capable enough then maybe you could attain a leading role but it probably wouldn't be here or any place which is safe and stable and has content people.

Her only guess is that you get people to support you over whoever is in charge, but then how would you be able to do that?

Something to think about as she nudges you, eager towards bed. Till now you've both come to understanding about the relationship, and more educated about the full process, Jess seems about as risk adverse as you are but that doesn't mean you can't both enjoy yourselves and share intimacy. Anything short of the full process is fair game, and after several weeks together you've both gotten good at satisfying and making each other feel good. More than a few panting sweaty sticky messes together, to say the least. Which admittedly feels something... like wasted potential? You've understood from Jess, and overtime, how direly people strive for just a chance at some sticky milk from the Red Cross and the value it has in the world now.

But as much as you enjoy being together, it's easy to not let it bother you too much. Any concerns and brooding over the matter fly out the window when clothes come off.

---

Fortunately your door locks so you've taken to, no need to worry about people barging in and finding you and Jess in bed each morning. Still the usual wakeup call every day though of so and so pestering you to breakfast. Maybe they think you lazy for sleeping in, but what they don't know... you don't care if you come off as lazy when in truth you and Jess can share more time together after waking up. A plenty welcome way to start the day with a spring in your step!

Well, enough about the rude fun two youngsters can get up to in private, the day ahead awaits! The usual scheme of sneaking out of your room one after the other, and then meeting for breakfast. After getting something to eat though, you have some priorities in mind. There's the matter of the necklace, and the potential to try and learn from the roboticist at her craft. As well, your desire to return to what is perhaps your true "home", where Zsofia came from... but how would you go about getting there? Kim, maybe the one to talk to since she organized your returning to the shelter.

>What do you do?

>>3511944
Let's see how hardbody is doing, see how fixed he is and get to talk with him about the necklace, if he is still out we can talk to Kim then, explain to her about how the necklace keeps us alive and how if we could have more, there would be more boys and no mutation risk

>>3511944
Let's see the roboticist and ask how our robo friend is, maybe help him a little

>>3512022
this, we need hardbody up and running before we talk with Suzy about the necklace, if she finds out that she can make her own boy with someone else she might decide to just take the necklace, we need him to protect us.

if he is not ready we can talk with Kim about going out

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>>3511976
>>3512022
>>3512068
You can part ways with Jess for now then while you see about this business, she's fine to take Daisy as well. Finding your way down a few floors then, you're able to approach the roboticist while she toils away and other tribe members bring her what scrap they can at her request. An educated woman like Joan, she has many useful-looking gadgets and items as well as a pair of robot guards should the need arise.

"...c-can to help? Is'm friend of."

"Hmm? You wanna watch? Sure thing hun, here, bring me that wifi ant- er... the flippy thing, that one there."

Although it takes her some effort to make room for you and try to work in a way that you're not excluded, the roboticist is happy to show you what she's doing and try to involve you. In fact you can try to help and learn from her if you like, and make a roll for the effort.

Unfortunately she says if Hardbody is to be fixed at all it will take a couple more days still at least, but you can still participate when you're able. And, your chance if you wish it, to talk with her or ask her anything.

>Otherwise you can see how well you help/learn for awhile, then go seek out Kim. In any case it seems you're avoiding Suzy with this issue, on second thought?

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>3512136

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>3512136
don't discuss the necklace with her for now

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>3512136
If Suzy wants to talk ask her about that other place, and how can't we help people here since we like them, and ask her how could we be in charge here or there

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>>3512174
>>3512180
>>3512205
>77

"So you do know your way around a circuit board? I knew the scavengers here specialized in electronics, but I didn't know they taught their kids!"

While it's naturally much more complex than fixing a drone for example, in many ways the process and skill are the same and you're able to learn and help out more than just spectating without a clue. You can see however, why something like this is best left to a specialist with adequate skill and knowledge rather than just something tinkering around and seeing what works.

For a couple hours after breakfast then you can help her out, till the roboticist takes a break for awhile and you can thank her for letting you be involved. While you're around here there's Suzy too, whom you still appreciate the presence of but have grown to be a little cautious of due to her independence for a robot and motivations.

"Who's the what now?"

"How for charge to other place?"

"I'ont know bout being in charge but ya can live it up, better than the up tops here. And once ya there, how hard can it be to take over? Hell I'll do it for ya if we get that far. How safe can the Empress be?"

Best to keep the necklace matter secret for now. Suzy has her plans based around her need to find replacement parts, and it wouldn't surprise you if she prioritized that over everything else. She seems so certain but you feel that it's all driven by her robot logic to remain operational.

---

"...no'm. Never ever. Too big danger."

"Please Kim, big please! Most big!"

"No'm! Already for to take home, big trouble. And other, and now?"

Having located Kim overseeing the scavenging effort as folks depart to the other buildings, she's always happy to see you and set time aside to talk. Her news is not so happy though, as much as it clearly pains her to deny you. She has a good case though, they did spend so much effort to return you to your shelter, all under the assumption that it was the most you would ever need from them and after remain content to settle down here. And not to mention how recently it was. Now you want to go on yet another venture because you're unhappy, and it's even farther, AND it's towards an official group? She's not personally refusing you, but letting you know that there's no way she could ever see anyone agreeing to this. Even for the case that you make to her about the necklace.

"Want for? Get more people, lots more then can to take over other, and all!"

The safe answer on her part and what her plans had roughly always been, if the tribe numbers could increase and to press other people and groups into service with you, then a powerful force could be formed. One that could, say, travel to the Uncouncil building and hold all the cards rather than the other way around. You know why she wants such things, but it's too much for you and what you're focused on, so small a matter as your necklace itself. Maybe you could ask her a different way, but how could she be wrong about what the rest of the tribe, or at least the leaders want?

>What do you do?

>>3512279
but is too dangerous to make new people, we will lose as much as we gain

could we make allies with other tribes to increase the numbers? maybe with Vicky's old tribe? we could go with to explore that place we can open and get more people on our side, adults even, way better than babies

>>3512291
This i guess, i wanted to go there anyway and Alexa is tge only one that can open it

>>3512291
>>3512310
If making allies was so easy then you'd think everyone would have done it by now. As far as Kim is concerned, if you have any ideas on how to get them on your side then feel free to detail it.

As for venturing to this place Vicky was interested in, that is more acceptable than the Uncouncil building, however again you only just recently undertook the journey of going home to your shelter so it would have to be some time still before people were open to another journey.

>>3512336
Makes sense

I guess there is no helping it, we could run but to where? And for what? All that talk about living it big from Suzy doesn't make much sense, we'll have to wait for hardbody to try and discover more about the necklace.
Let's talk with Joan, we are ready to give it a try to whoever was the next in life for an extra life, maybe if we actually priduce one they will take us more seriously, up until now we are only potential

>>3512363
Let's do it, if they want it so badly

>>3512363
we can fast forward some time until hardbody is fixed and our crops are bigger before doing that, we may even learn more from the specialist, those things may get them more appreciative of our efforts, specially the new food source

>>3512377
>>3512363
You want to go through with that? Next in line, or who Joan thought was best?

>>3512382
You can always skip ahead sure. Anything you want to focus on during the interim, so that you can roll for it and see how you do over the coming days?

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>3512438
focus on learning with the roboticist and helping Carmen with the plants

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>3512438
I'm wary of using Maria since we like her and this is a risky thing, she did enough with 3 I think, so I'm going with next in line if it's someone we don't know

Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>3512438

>>3512454
Well her recommendation was either someone with experience, or someone outside the tribe like Vicky or one of the newer members. But there's also always just next in line.

>>3512450
So learning and improving those skills.

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>3512438
Take the next in line, focus on learning robotics

>>3512466
Vicky would work

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>3512438
For robots

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Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>3512534
>>3512467
>>3512461
>>3512454
>>3512450
>61

Another week or so it takes then, as you get through the days understandably a little frustrated but well enough to help and learn what you can. When you're not busy with Carmen tending to the expanding garden, you're with the roboticist repairing the robots. Hardbody she is able to fix after several days, meanwhile the construction robot turned out to be comparatively more easy to fix since it only had a hole shot through its head rather than having its head crushed entirely.

In the process you certainly picked up some useful knowledge and are a little familiar now with the internal workings of at least more common robots like the sort Suzy and Hardbody are. However, you come to understand that with robots it's more than just the hardware but also a software component. You don't have any experience with computers and the roboticist couldn't really show you that easily, so you're at a bit of a loss there. Otherwise though, yeah if Suzy or Hardbody were to suffer some minor damages you feel you might be able to repair them with either one's help.

The big letdown though you've found, is that while Hardbody is restored to function again, his... "personality" or whatever you want to call it, did not survive his damage. While he is a working robot, he's sort of a blank slate now, fully capable of action but little more than response to commands. Not as though he was much capable of conversation before, not like Suzy, but at least you could talk or ask about things he had experienced. Now with all that experience gone it's like having to learn everything all over again for him. For your purpose though, if for example you needed him to protect you from Suzy worst came to worst, he would be able to do that. Or if you wanted to have the necklace analyzed, you could... hopefully without it being destroyed.

>What do you do?

>>3512583
Let's talk with Suzy then, with hardbody present, so they can take a look at it without it being destroyed

>>3512583
Let's have them take a look at it

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>>3512630
>>3512611
Without letting on too much information, you ask if Suzy and Hardbody could take a look at the necklace, without deconstructing it yet. As it is, Suzy can't really discern what is inside although she can tell that it has some sort of "security clearance" on it, something she explains to mean important or secret. Hardbody by contrast though, as a police robot is equipped with the utility to be able to scan and analyze something as small as the necklace. After performing said scan, he rather immediately starts regarding you as special and referring to you by the name of "Secretary-General" or whatever that means.

Of course you need Suzy's help for a lot of it, basically to translate language from the old world to simplicity that you can understand. From what you can figure though, it seems that there is some sort of identifying device placed inside the necklace, like a chip the sorts that robots have inside them. This chip is such a high amount of security clearance though that robots able to detect it, automatically can't respond in a hostile manner, something called "diplomatic immunity" which Suzy has trouble explaining to you and just describes it as very important. Naturally you want to know if it can be copied or something like that, but judging by the way Hardbody reacts to you, the very nature of the device that renders machines inoperative towards it would also prevent machines from taking it apart or copying it. At least not machines like Hardbody or Suzy... or those super tiny invisible ones Joan talked about, you suppose.

The remaining option you think then, would be if you could find others? Perhaps even at the place Zsofia came from, it's probably where she got it in the first place. Hardbody can't answer to this, though Suzy thinks it's possible at least. Probably very difficult and very rare though, if it's something of such high clearance that a police robot will not tamper with it.

>A bit of a disappointment, but not complete bad news? If there are others like the one you have out there, then you would just have to find them, not even need to copy them to have more.

>>3512731
that's reassuring, maybe there is more and they just don't realize what it is since there is no more boys around

let's get on with the experiments, damn

>>3512731
It's ok, we did what we could here

the last thing we can do is show the software that we installed in Joans computer and ask him if there is anything hidden in there

>>3512780
Sure, couldn't hurt, but I think we already figured this thing out.

Let's explain it to Joan

>>3512799
>>3512780
>>3512763
>>3512583
>1

Maybe not all hope is lost. As far as you're aware the device within your necklace can't be duplicated, at least not by robots, like Suzy or Hardbody. But if there are more out there, supposing you ever find them that would be all you need. It's not a great chance to hope for, but an actual tangible goal to strive for. Now if only you knew how to go about finding such things...

"Oh, Alexa and... friends?"

Satisfied with the analysis of the necklace, you ask Suzy and Hardbody with you to check over the medical records on Joan's computer. Well, it could be any computer you suppose but Joan has hers already setup and ready to go. She's surprised naturally, to see you show up in the healthcare ward with the two robots, but she's accepting enough to show you to her room that the two can have a look over her computer. And in the meanwhile, a chance to talk to her after, while the robots check what they can.

"So you want to try it then? Alright then, if you feel ready, I mean don't feel like you have to or anything!"

You had brought this up with Joan before so she's had the time to check. Depending on when you're intent on getting this through with would determine who the other will be. At the moment, Vicky incidentally is able. Otherwise if you'd prefer, another week or so and Miriam would be able, the original person next in line to go to the Red Cross. Your choice of anyone really, if you've accepted your role in this.

>What do you do?

>>3512855
It can be Vicky if she's willing, if she's not we can wait for Mirian

>>3512861
ok for me

>>3512855
let's see what the duo can find

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>>3512861
>>3512868
Joan hadn't bothered to go beyond asking anyone if they weren't willing.

In any case, you give the robots a chance to scan through the medical records, naturally much faster than any person. As it turns out, each of them can uncover something Joan wasn't able to uncover. Hardbody detects a classified communication taking place between this city and another far away in another place of the world, though it was ended of course when Zsofia went into the shelter. Again Suzy has to dumb down Hardbody's analysis, but it seems Zsofia was trying to obtain access to a secret and secure building belonging to that other city, or "country" you're not sure which. Interestingly she was given the access, however it seems she never made it there and settled to your shelter instead?

Suzy on the other hand was able to find the actual records from the Red Cross when Zsofia went there, for what was required to make you. It's not of much importance to you it seems, but it's still a decent wealth of information nevertheless and valuable to Joan since she came from there. She could look it over, maybe get an idea of what took place, and she imagines similar to the process she went through with her daughters.

Otherwise then, this will be my last post of the night but we'll resume here tomorrow. In the meantime you can make the final decision, as well as if you've any idea moving forward. You are learning more and more after all, but you feel more and more constrained by the tribe in regards to how the city seems to be growing out around you with your expanding potential... and ambitions towards it.

Till then, thanks all for playing!

>>3513036
If we were to go somewhere, maybe that building where Zsofia came would have more of the chips?
Is there any adult that would be willing to come with us maybe?

>>3513036
Yeah, maybe getting in charge here or exploring would be best, we should make sure they can grow food and are ok after trading their things tho, I would feel bad otherwise, maybe give them a new life for that

>>3513123
>>3513676
Resuming in a bit here, but you can roll if you like to see who might be willing to accompany you if there's no larger support for it.

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>3514087
Maybe some of the outcasts like Grace and Chaya

But I agree we have to at least leave them with some things

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>3514087
don't know about leaving but let's check at least

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>3514087

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>3514087

>>3514100
>>3514103
Righto yeah, that would make sense. And you're committed to this with Vicky?

Just getting a bite to eat currently, should be back shortly and we'll continue.

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>3514087

>>3514154
I think yes, its risky, if she wants it of course

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Alright, back now. Later than usual but hey, Friday night, and we can still get along with some anyway.

>>3514100
>>3514103
>>3514104
>>3514110
>>3514189
>60

If the tribe, or those in charge won't approve of it, then perhaps you could organize your own effort to leave? You're not hopeful but you'd have to expect only people who may not get in trouble for sneaking away with you, otherwise upon return you can't expect it would go well for them.

Something to think about, as you follow after Joan then and she just affirms everything you already know, leaving you at one of the individual rooms they have for intensive care though naturally it's hardly ever used. Not long after and Vicky is brought to the room, while Joan obviously giddy about it all tries to linger and make herself useful however she can but Vicky just shuts the door in her face. Looking around at the room, obviously better conditions than where she's being kept, she takes a seat on the bed beside you with a sigh when she feels it comfier than her own.

"So'm kid. We do this? You doctor say you'm make extra life?"

"Erm... no'm extra life, new person."

You're not exactly sure of the difference between the two yourself, but it seems good enough for Vicky. A prisoner of the tribe, it's not like she's doing anything else here in captivity and the chance at another person when it's more than her gang could manage to afford in a year even? Seems like a scam to her but if it's possible she'll try whatever. Though, she has no clue of what is supposed to happen, they just told her to wash and clean after the dirty work they normally have her doing. Thus she defaults to you knowing what to do, which... you think you do but you're naturally nervous and quite embarrassed. Maybe for the best with her rather than risking anything with Jess or someone important to the tribe like Joan. But you any Vicky have always been on rocky terms; even if there's no longer a hostility between you two, it's hard not to always remember her threatening you, her attack on the tribe, and destroying Hardbody.

At least she doesn't have her robotic arm though. Still hard to tangle with your relationship and feelings with Jess, and what your expected role is to be.

>What do you do? How... invested shall we say, do you try or care to be?

>>3514483
Reluctabtly, we plan to leave, obviously wishing to come back but not certain about it, and would not want to let them empty handed.
Try to do most ourselves, the part to get where we need.

>>3514483
Do it out of duty, like it's a deal. focus on the result.

>>3514483
I think Alexa would probably feel bad about this, it's not like he could understand but at the back of his mind he wishes it was Jess, but he fears the risks

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Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>3514499
>>3514515
>>3514519
Whew, apologies for the delay but that took a lot to write out properly. So much that I figured to just put it in a pastebin, for length reasons.

Certainly not for any other reasons.

https://pastebin.com/Cu0Eesv4

>What do you do?

>>3514639
>94

Is that good or bad?

Well, if she has a new person she would be week and vulnerable as Joan said, and that could put her in danger, say that as much for her and that we plab on getting back too, if she still wants to go we can grab her arm for her, where is it anyway?

>>3514639
That would be ok, I'd still want more people but she can come, we can try to grab her arm but only give it to her after we are out of here, so she can't hurt no one here.

So, for now it's Vicky, Jess, Suzy and whoever else we can convince to come?

>>3514639
she can still become a mutant eventually, a mutant with a mech arm would be bad, maybe give her the arm after we make sure she won't change? but either way, she is welcome to come

make sure to leave the crops running steadily and teach Carmen how to do them before going

>>3514694
oh
and we can't forget to leave a message for those who'll stay, like our friedns Olivia and Maria, Joan and Kim

telling them that we will try to find a way to make things safer and better and that we will be back, they don't need to worry, we know this seems foolish but it's something we have to do

>>3514726
>>3514721
>>3514694
>>3514677
Well you can no doubt make more arrangements before you leave for sure, it's not like you're striking out tomorrow. Before it was something you just considered after learning more from the robots and the medical records Joan has. But hearing from Vicky that she'll come with you, hearing an actual person say it, is starting to make you consider it for real now. Her arm is in one of the workshops being studied and intended to be given to Aliyah, but it wouldn't be difficult to steal before you leave and give back to Vicky so she's returned to full capability.

These are all things you have in mind, preparations before you leave though. Anything to do with Vicky while you're here with her and in agreement about leaving together? And, after what you just did together of course. Otherwise if not, you can proceed from here as usual.

>>3514768

Ask her if she ever tried to have extra liver and that we hope she is alright

Talk to Joan on the way out, tell her we are fine and everything was ok.

Search for Daisy and Jess, play around a little and then train some more fighting with Nama, we'll need that

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>>3514768
Just a heads up but this will probably be my last post for the night then, but we'll continue from here tomorrow with any more responses in the meantime.

Till then, thanks all for playing!

>>3514768
ask Joan how long to know if it worked and if it did, how long to know if she'll turn

tell Jess that Vicky wants to come and she's a downworlder, see what she thinks
start gathering supplies and stuff at our hidden stash in our room

>>3514768
spend some time with her and get to know her better before we leave here, maybe she is coming with us so we should learn more.

things like, did she ever had an extra life, how was the process if yes
does she still holds a grudge about what we did to her?
a bit about her story too, like how she lost her arm

>>3514768
Ask her if her secret place is too far, we could pass by there to see if we can find anything useful before we go to another place.
Ask her why she wants to go, we thought she was content by living above the clouds.

Going to be continuing in awhile now, just a heads up.

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>>3514802
>>3515189
>>3515394
>>3515851
It's just what needs to be done as far as you're concerned, your love is for Jess and that hasn't changed. But it's hard not to feel a bond with Vicky afterward, strengthened all the more now that she's cooperative in your plan. Feeling able to rely on an adult like this is all the more reassuring, and while what needed to be done has been done... you'd like to lay with her for awhile more, feel the togetherness. And she doesn't seem to mind, holding you close.

"...have extra life fore?"

"Hm? No'm, want to for I'm only Vicky but... old home, Downtown, not have much for Red Cross."

Given what you saw of Downtown and how desperate she and her tribe were to attack here, you can imagine how it would be hard for them to afford extra lives when already it's hard just to get by. You saw the trains bringing food, water and necessities to people, enough to survive but nothing else. That said, you feel some ease on your heart being able to talk to her like this.

"...Vicky? Is still mad from fore? From... happen?"

"...nah, not for Alexa. Mad for old tribe, they'm turn bad to me. You just only care for you tribe."

Something of an odd inverse, enemies before but now this special connection, and planning together. You suppose together as you are like this, there's no better time to get to know each other better. You get to talking and learn what her life was like growing up in Downtown and living with a gang, how hard it was and how tough she had to be to get in charge, and how she had to do bad things to stay in charge. But that's life for people down there, so the transition to life up here where for example she doesn't have to sleep with a knife at the ready expecting attack in the night, is a significant one which she's still adjusting to and never could have imagined what it would be like. Odd that in a lot of ways she reminds you of mother, that same kind of life and those same kinds of stories, and rough skills and experiences she knows.

"-and old Vicky turn monster?"

"Yep, I'm try and keep her good but she pull off arm, see?" she can sense your curiosity and guides your hand to touch where her arm had once been. "Only for the train, did get robot arm. Help trade for help."

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Well that answers that question, morbidly so. And all the more worrisome imagining the risk to her, and anyone else you might make a new person with. In any case she's also interested to know about you, surprised to say the least at hearing you spent most of your life in a shelter of a few rooms. She finds it a little funny that you only emerged recently but by luck ended up here when you could have perhaps ended up with her instead, odd little turn of events of what could have been. Because of the proximity of both her old tribe's home and the tower here, to your shelter, you also get around to asking about the place she'd been interested in. Given the connection you have together now she's more willing to talk about it and be truthful with you, as it turns out more significant than she'd led to believe before. If she's right, based on old stories about the place, it's a building from before even the world before. One of the first tall buildings to be built, it was important to people in the world before because of this so they made systems and robots to maintain it. Like the Empress's tower and the few other old-old buildings, it's still in more or less perfect condition because of this, but also because of this no one can get inside. Seeing how the Empress lives and basically rules over the city now because she was able to get inside her building, Vicky can only imagine what it would be like if anyone could get inside this one she knows about.

"...heya, wanna see?"

"Can to?"

Rubbing your back to gauge your interest, she helps you off her as you pull apart and sit up together. Exposed from under the bed covers now and a feeling cold for it, she notes the mess between you after what was done and makes an effort to clean the both of you up a little before getting dressed together. You have to look first and check outside, but waiting for the coast to be clear you can try to navigate the back rooms of the healthcare ward till you can find another way out rather than just emerging into the main area again with everyone else. You have to guide her to the nearest exterior of the building and show her the cloudy skyline, help her get her bearings since she isn't used to the view. But eventually by keeping to the exterior windows the two of you can find your way around to another side of the building where she stops you fast and bangs on the window.

"-ah! There, see! I know'm it from old pitcher."

"All lights one?"

Sure enough you can manage to pick out which one she means, not that there's so many buildings taller than the clouds anyway. You've seen it before in your time living above the clouds, but you'd never given it much thought and merely believed it yet another building with another tribe in it. Though, if Vicky is to be believed and the stories she heard are true, then it's actually just the automated systems keeping it lit up and maintained...

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A chance for your imaginations to run rampant, as the two of you stand side by side, watching out over the clouds of your world together.

>What do you do? That is, any changes besides what you already suggested?

>>3516311
Damn, that building could well be a place like the empress's that would allow us to bring people and rule.

Tell Vicky that that's the place we want to go, and we will get her arm for it as well as supplies to reach there and people to come with us.

Thank her and say that we hope she get's a new Vicky and we are very sorry if she doesn't she is not bad as we thought, that looks like a nice place.

Vicky is nice

>>3516311
Hug vicky, that is a place we can go.
Let's go back to Joan before she has a heart attack.

>>3516311
Jess will love that shit.

Stay a while with Vicky looking out.

Maybe Trish and the thief girl would want to come too.

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>>3516356
>>3516374
>>3516394
You'd never paid much attention to Vicky's idea, not seriously, but actually seeing it is something else. Her plan, however farfetched, is a lot more appealing now.

"Wowo... will to go there and Vicky!"

You give her a hug, half excitement for this new prospect, half appreciation for her. You had a rough past together, and she's rough around the edges, but you're glad to have gotten to know her like this. Of course your hug catches her off guard as her reaction is delayed, but she ends up bringing her lone arm around you and returning the hug.

"...Victoria. Is'm all name."

"Alexa... Alexander my'm."

It feels weird saying it yourself as you don't think of it as "your" name, and technically it isn't you suppose. But it is the full name, like Vicky's own. And so you hug her for awhile more, both looking at the cloudy gleaming skyline before she rubs your back and suggest to return, best not cause any trouble. You'd thought to just go back yourself but it makes sense that Vicky, still considered a prisoner, can't just be left alone to wander. So you find your way back, and manage to get into the healthcare ward again, to the sound of shouting.

"-where he is, and I swear if she hurt him in any way!"

"Joan! Hiya. Here am."

She'd obviously been tearing apart the place looking for you, and when she catches sight of you she rushes to and picks you up in a relieved hug, looking you over anxiously for any sign of harm before eying Vicky suspiciously.

"We'm just only..." you try to come up with some excuse as to why you were out of the room.

"-come to look for you. Done it has."

She'd been worried before but hearing this Joan immediately becomes quite happy instead, hugging you again and expressing how proud she is of you and such, asking if there were any problems and causing you to turn red from embarrassment over it.

"She'm give me sticky milk inside, so new person now?"

"He, he give... or gave. But maybe. It takes about nine months... moons for it to happen but we will know much sooner than that. And if it doesn't, you can just try again. I would think, during this time the more it's done the more likely it is to happen. The hospital only does it once but they only have so much to give, it's not like Alexa can run out."

Eeesh, well that fluttery feel in your chest. Not just the thought of doing that with anyone who wants to make a new person, but maybe more than once? Well either way, Joan of course wants to talk to you, both of you and ask about it all for her own understanding. But after that view with Vicky over the clouds, you're feeling quite anxious to start planning and stocking for the potential journey. And of course, to see if anyone else will come.

>What do you do?

>>3516525
Answer Joan questions about it, let Vicky go, then, after it we can ask the others

>>3516525
Let's probe the girls about leaving, bring Jess along to help with atlrguments

>>3516591
Just checking to be sure but is your plan still to try and reach the place Zsofia came from, or are you shifting instead towards Vicky's idea?

Because either one are likely to net you different results.

>>3516594
looking at everything, I thing we should at least look Vicky's place first, it's probably closer and if it's preserved for so long it probably has good things for us to use before we go to Zsofia

>>3516842
More or less, it's a matter of which, would you intend to return here. If for example you'd seek to go to Zsofia's place and then return, you probably would not even want to bring Jess along since upon return they could expect trouble for leaving with you.

Doing something like betting Vicky's place will turn out well though, and not plan on returning, then that would be more appealing because you'd essentially be settling a new place. In any case you can ask around, subtly, and see who might be interested in coming with you.

For the former, of venturing to Zsofia's place, the youngest Joan would go with you to watch your health, while Grace and Trish could be convinced to go if you could offer them with some incentive.

For the latter, of venturing to Vicky's place, Joan herself would want to come with you and Grace and Trish would without needing incentive, while a few others could be convinced with incentive. Though, inevitably some will want to bring their relatives too.

In all cases, Nama and Aranza would accompany you regardless. Nama because she seems to think you're worth protecting now that she knows you're a boy, and Aranza feels responsible for your life after the fiasco in the train station. And of course your friends, several of whom would be glad to accompany you though it's questionable about bringing other kids along.

So it's not like you're on your own but one idea is certainly more appealing to some than the other. It would appear to rely on, what your priority is and how large of a group you want to risk traveling with. Because even if more people are willing to travel with the preferable option, you can still choose how many or few you actually want to bring.

>>3516869
hmm, ok
I think we can go to Vicky's place, I trust it's a good place and whoever comes with us will see us in a different light, a leading position and will take our commands more seriously, that can help us moving on and will allow us to lead like Olivia said earlier, Zsofia's place is kind of a long shot, and people would probably not be able to accompany us there, after we settle Vicky's tower we can then go there to see if we can find more chips

>>3516881
Very well then, depending on what you can promise and how many you care to bring, you can probably manage a decent group. It won't be an easy journey for sure, but with time to prepare you could leave when it's best for you.

With this in mind then you can count on already;

>Suzy, who's always looking for easy replacement parts
>Vicky, who specifically does not want a single one of her traitorous old tribe present
>Joan, who intends to leave her two daughters here to continue her work with this tribe
>Grace, who has no family left here
>Trish, who's just looking for a better life than Downtown
>Aranza, who thinks you could recruit some more people from Downtown
>Nama, who also seems to want to seek out her tribe for added help
>Jess, who wants to bring the younger baby Jess
>Olivia, who's fine to tag along with you

Beyond that if you want to try and convince anyone particular, you can make a roll to gauge their interest. Which will of course be improved if you can offer incentive enough.

Otherwise, yes as said you can start preparing even tonight and determine when you want to leave.

>>3516898
Seems good to me, we start preperaing now and leave as soon as we have enough food and supplies, maybe a week's worth, try to teach evrything we can to Carmen so she can continue growing food for this tribe after we leave, maybe one day we can invite Kim and the others to live with us

>>3516898
That's probably all the girls we can safely bring along
about the requests, we can pass by Nama's tribe if it's on the way, but the goal is the tower
and we can bring baby Jess if Joan can take care of her

>>3516525
another question to Joan
Is there a way, or a time, when there is little chance of new people when we do this? she mentioned we had to wait a week for Mirian and we are curious why, just asking because we would like to try that with Jess but not risk her turning into a monster, just love-fun like Vicky said

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>>3516907
>>3516910
>>3516928
You and Vicky can answer Joan's questions then after the fact, a bit embarrassing particularly for sitting in the same bed all the while. Thankfully though Joan is actually only seeking clinical understanding so her questions aren't invasive and akin to a typical checkup. Really just confirming the theories she'd had about the process now that you and Vicky seem to have figured it out finally. If everything is as she believes, then all is well and hopefully things turn out for the best, and you're capable of helping make new people without any issue.

In any case she does a quick physical check of you out of habit, before she's willing to let you go, and discuss things a little more with Vicky personally. Since after all, she's taking all the risks. Incidentally though, you have your own curiosity and ask her what the whole reason was for having to wait for a certain time to do this with Vicky. As far as Joan knows though based on her books, there's only a certain time when the process can work for women, and it would seem besides that time nothing can happen though she's not sure if the process is ever totally risk-free.

Not that you want to let out your relationship with Jess, hence asking in the subtle way you did, but it's something to consider. Otherwise then she's willing to let you go, where you can start asking around and making preparations for your plan;

>>3516594
>>3516869
>>3516898

As for the younger Jess, she's still a baby but not an infant, a few years old so it's not as though she needs constant intensive care. Joan can of course care for her but it's not like it would be required.

In any case, you can probably give it a week to prepare then, both in terms of secretly organizing people and for gathering supplies. During this time you can teach what you can to Carmen so she can continue to grow for the tribe, but if you have any other imperatives for the coming week you want to focus on or take care of, till the time you go, you can specify and then make a roll for their chances.

---

In the meantime, this will probably be my last post of the night then. Just a heads up that I will be busy much of tomorrow so may not be able to run. I would hope to, but if so it will probably be quite late if at all so a shorter session. But consider it a day in accordance with the upcoming week till you leave and your chance to plan through it, and what comes to pass.

Otherwise, thanks all for playing!

>>3516956
Thanks for running

during the week we can try to learn more with the roboticist or the drone girl since we won't have access to them later and stock up on spare parts for our drone too

before we leave we should make a party to invite our friends that are staying, we won't tell them what but we would like to see them happy and playing before we go, we can see each other in the future but we are not sure

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>3516956
Search the scrap piles with Suzy for other things that can be traded downtown, here they don't value much but down there they can be valuable and we can use it when going to the other place.

Leave a message to Kim, and our other friends that will stay, tell them that we are very thankful for what they did and that we will repay that, we are trying to make the new people process safer and once we do that we will come back to help them, the new food Carmen is growing should be good for them and for trade and the part of our money that is with Kim will probably let them buy new lives while we are away, we hope that they can forgive us and trust that we will do what's best for them.

during the week we try to learn with the roboticist while she is here, and then learn more weapon's training with hardbody after she leaves

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>3516956
Rolling for prep and getting some more girls we know

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>3516962
my roll

Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>3516956

>>3516956
another question for Joan:
how does she know when it's time and when it's not time to make a new life
we'll have to keep this discreet so we can discuss with Jess later

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3516956
So we are really going eh? Oh well...

Hey all just a heads up that we will be continuing today, in a couple hours time.

>>3520125
>>3518495
>>3517709
>>3517578
>>3517499
>71

The roboticist already left by now, she fixed up the construction robot last and then took her leave, job finished. As an alternative though you can spend the time with Mia learning what you can before you go from her. Incidentally, working close with her allows you to talk candidly about your plans and pique her interest. Like some of the others, if you can offer her enough incentive then she'll come with you as well. She's not a roboticist sure, but she has the skills for all manner of consumer electronics at least. Plus, between her and Suzy you can collect a small but growing pile of valuables over the coming week which will fetch a good exchange in Downtown if you need it.

Otherwise, you can make it through the week without much issue, taking care of your last efforts and putting your affairs in order. A goodbye, for the people who helped you most and you've come to think of as a second family. It pains you to leave them, but between Vicky's idea and your own goals for possibly more high-clearance chips, the effort is a lot bigger than you or them to just stay here forever. Hopefully someday soon you can make contact again or even return, on good terms.

---

After another big storm a little over a week later, and having made the preparations, you take that as a sign to depart. Everyone else is on the same page, so the plan you've worked out is for everyone (probably in two trips) to cross the gap to the other skyscraper and from there take the working elevator to the sub levels, and Downtown beyond that.

After breakfast then everyone is set to meet by the metal carriage to cross the gap, again not all in one go so it's not as suspicious. Doubly so with everyone carrying lots of goods. After eating you manage to gather your things in your room then and pack your bags ready to go. Daisy perking up though draws your attention to the door.

"Heya Alexa, sit some for time? Talk some, look is!"

Aliyah is there, friendly and wanting to spend some time with you. She also brought something special, something sweet from the traded rations. While of course you don't want to refuse her, you don't want to be late for everyone and the plan to depart. You can thank her and say maybe another time, but Daisy growls when you get stopped short by her trying to leave the room.

"...sit some, Alexa. You'm stay."

Her grip on your shoulder isn't painful but she is firm with you, in not letting you out of the room as your mind races for what she could mean, for how to respond.

>What do you do?

>>3521347
Listen to her, what she wants to talk about?

Sit close to the hatch, in case we need it we can try to escape in there, don't think she will fit

>>3521347
shit shit shit
listen and stall, if we are late someone will come looking, there is no plan if we are not there.

>>3521380
support this, escape route is important

>>3521380
supporting

>>3521423
>>3521402
>>3521380
Rather than fight against her you agree to what she says... not like you can refuse her anyway. So you take a seat with her and listen as she talks just about some mundane stuff related to breakfast that you can see, even she isn't interested in. Eventually she exhausts that line of conversation but doesn't bother to continue it, just sitting there with you and tapping her fingers on the old table.

"Um... Aliyah?"

"Hmm?"

"Can to... go?"

"Mmm no, we stay. You'm friend can to, but no'm with you."

It seems far too suspicious for her not to know, but you can wonder how she knows all you want, the fact is she isn't letting you leave. And she's just sitting here to keep watch of you and force you to stay; basically your jailer. That's distressing enough as it is, but you worry all the more when she seems aware of your "friends", and particularly why it's been awhile now and as you'd have assumed none of them are here to fetch you. Could it be... is Aliyah not the only one aware, and others are dealing with your friends in another way?

In any case she doesn't engage you much, though you could try talking to her but she's obviously just here to keep track of you and make sure you don't leave your room.

>What do you do?

>>3521546
Shiiiiit

Go fot the tunnel try to reach our friends

>>3521546
Fight our way out, they may hurt Jess

Knife and run, it can't hurt her much

>>3521576
>>3521561
Want to roll for the effort? She's an adult and one of the tougher ones in the tribe. Also that, you had promised you were going to steal Vicky's arm for her.

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>3521590
first we have to leave this place I guess, then we can worry about the arm, our friends have Suzy so the must not be in too much of a deep shit and we haven't heard shooting yet

try to leave here any way we can and go for the arm

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>3521590
if she catches us, point our knife to our neck, she can risk us getting hurt

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>3521590

>>3521590
We have to try, if we fail to get out we can try to reason with someone else

Rolled 44 (1d100)

>>3521602
>>3521609
>>3521616
>75

You will have to try and struggle against her then!

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>3521621
Arg, fucked up the roll

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>>3521622
>75

Probably because she wasn't expecting it, but you subtly manage to call Daisy over to you innocently enough and pick her up. Then without warning you bolt for your bed, to crawl under it. Aliyah isn't sure what you're doing at first so doesn't really react if it means you can't leave the room. But when she hears you actually clamoring around under the bed and pulling up the crawlspace hatch, she panics and tries to get down and crawl after you. By the time you drop Daisy down and try to climb below yourself, she grabs your leg but with only one arm you struggle and kick against her till you get her face and with a yell she lets go.

"Alexa! Here now, or will to kill Daisy if catch!"

Your heart freezes at the threat, causing you to hesitate while she tries to crawl into the hatch after you, but in the end you just get more resolve for it and decide you have to escape no matter what. Thanks to being smaller than her then and knowing which way to go, you quickly traverse the crawl space and manage to bust through the hatch to the closet of the lower floor, taking Daisy in your arms as you drop down. It's some pain to clamor out of there but before long you're navigating the hallways and trying to get down to the communal area where you can reach the gap crossing. You do encounter some people along the way who greet you and such so you wonder if only Aliyah or a few are hostile to you. Deciding to take the risk then, you make a quick detour and hastily find and grab the arm in one of the workshops. There's no way you can do it sneakily though so you just have to grab it and run as some of the adults pursue you.

When you reach the gutted side of the skyscraper though, exposed to the outside from where the bundle of steel cables run over the gap to the other building, you can see the metal carriage ready to go but those of you who'd planned to leave together are caught and being held by about an equal number of the adults. You would have hoped course Suzy could just beat down anyone, but she along with several others must have already crossed over so they waited to catch your group when it was effectively split in half.

"-lexa!"

"Alexa? What for here? Aliyah to... argh, hear now Alexa, no trouble. Just only stay, you'm family now."

One of the elders obviously hadn'y expected to see you, but she takes control of the situation and tries to talk you into cooperation. It's not like a life or death situation, not like they busted out the guns for this, but the adults are armed with the usual crude melee weapons in order to try and restrain those remaining of your group. Probably just to catch and later discipline them. Sadly, you notice Kim present though when she sees you, she's visibly upset... ashamed?

"You'm stay, them all go if want. Or to back, we'm let over. But you'm just only stay."

Willing to allow your group to leave, which they wouldn't without you anyway, or to forgive them and let them return. But, only if you stay of course. They can afford to let go some traitors in their eyes, but they can't let go of you.

>What do you do?

>>3521653
Kim, I must go, I want better for the tribe but you don't understand, you can come with, we'll get more things and then more of these
Show the necklace
It makes having babies safe, it helps everyone but obly I can take more.
If I die just take the necklace and make another boy, please let go

>>3521653
Show her our message
Tell her we are not leaving forever, and that we love her and are thankful, but if we want to help everyone we must go and find the chips

>>3521653
Ask if we are a prisioner like Vicky, we are going and they can help us or go against, offer them to come together, if more come we will be safer and they can find more things for the tribe, we even promise to give more lives, since only we know how to do it.

>>3521694
>>3521704
Kim's not in charge here, should just indicate, she's merely present. Though if you want to try to appeal to her still you can.

>>3521722
Appeal, she is the first person we trusted, tell her so, and tell her to trust us now, if she helps us it will be better for everyone

>>3521710
This is good too, they can't force us to give lives, but we xan offer them if they help, they can send people tpgether to make sure we won't just run away

>>3521710
supporting

>>3521735
>>3521748
>>3521710
You're not a prisoner apparently, but it's made clear that you can't leave. It was one thing when you wanted to return to your shelter, but now they're aware you're setting out to settle elsewhere, what could be permanent? Who would ever be so foolish as to let you go, knowing what you are. Naturally they want to know what can be done to make you happy that you wouldn't want to leave, they're willing that much but letting you go is off the table. At least as much as they say.

Knowing it's mostly all they value you for, you can offer extra lives but if you're willing to provide them as a means of affording your departure, then double the case of why would they let you go when they can have you here to provide extra lives as long as you stay? It's just too much of a risk for you to ask of them, when they could instead keep you here and belonging to the tribe; you are after all by all accounts, potentially the most valuable thing in the world now.

It's a hard, and distressing compromise to consider but if it means the freedom and/or forgiveness of the rest of your group you want to consider it. Though you can try to appeal to Kim in any case, and you can tell she hears you and wants to respond but... you'd have to wait and see if it came to a fight, whether she heeds your plea...

>>3521763
What we want is to go there, and they can come with us, we promise we will help them, and even share, like we always did but they can't keep us from going
they have to trust us, we always shared and helped, now is their time to help us

if they won't do it we can try toforce our way out, and beg for Kim for help

>>3521763
Fuck this, tell Kim she needs to help us and to trust us, tell one of the adults to take us hostage, clear the way for the basket to cross

>>3521778
They can't, won't just abandon their home though. It's not like you can get the whole tribe to pack up and relocate, let alone a majority of the adults.

Part of the problem as well, is that they'd already planned and made exchanges based on their assumption that you would always be living with them. If you aren't around, then they're in the hole pretty bad for it. You can promise of course, but if you were in their place, would you take the risk?

>>3521787
Or you can resort to force!

>>3521791
That's why some of them can come as insurance, we never betrayed, always helped, tell them some can come with and see what we get, they'll have a lot of good things, and the tower is way closer than the Red Cross.
Fuck, let's lie even, Joan is coming with us, tell them we think that what we need to start making the new lives is up there but they wouldn't let us go.

>>3521797
Lie is good, they don't know shit about it.
That tower is from old-old world, from the time there were men around, we will find men stuff up there

>>3521791
Propose another expedition, they can send some girl with guns to ensure we won't just run off, they know where we are going.

I'm interested in knowing who ratted us out too, but that comes later

>>3521816
>>3521797
>>3521805
>>3521821
Now that's a clever idea, them going with you instead. They weren't really in a bargaining mood much at all, but it's reasonable enough that Kim can speak up in your favor and get them to reconsider. If you can accept that then, basically swapping your group for them, then they'll agree to that; they take you to where you want to go, accompany you there till they're certain it's safe that you can remain, maybe provide some extra lives in the process, then they'll return and your group can join you. That's reasonable to them.

Though is that something you're willing to accept? You could probably convince them to let Vicky come along since she knows the way, maybe Joan too if extra lives is a sideline idea so her being around makes sense. But everyone else, would have to stay as you go instead, with an escort of the tribe to seek out this place and determine whether your plan is feasible. Otherwise you may have to resort to force to get out of this.

>>3521842
The more the marrier?

Vicky needs to go since she knows the way, Joan to help and Jess because we say so, the others wait here and go later how does that sound?
Alyah can't come tho, she said she wpuld kill Daisy

>>3521842
Can we roll to convince them to let all the group go, along with their escorts? No one in our group besides Vicky is a fighter so there is no risk of them turning and if they stay things can be bad for them, besides, when we arrive there and they see it's safe and come back it's better that we don't stay alone

>>3521842
Tell them the trip is dangerous, its better if both our groups go together, and Suzy is a robot, she's very handy down there. Let's just go as a group, we know this started bad but we all can walk away better if we just cooperate

>>3521856
Trish, Aranza and Nama are also experienced in downtown and they aren't even from the tribe, they can be useful there, poor Grace has nothing here and Olivia and baby Jess an go with Joan, it will be alright, our group is small

>>3521863
>>3521861
>>3521856
>>3521855
Sure then, you can try to bargain with a roll.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>3521869

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>3521869
Fuck

Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>3521869

>>3521889
>>3521887
The second time someone fucks my roll with a one, fucking hell!

Bartering is fucked, we'll end up going with them dammit

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>>3521887
>>3521887
>>3521887

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>>3521889
>>3521887
>>3521879
>1

Well, you can't do much more bargaining than you already managed. It's true that there's strength in numbers and some of the group you convinced are experienced in what lies ahead, but they are convinced that Vicky should be enough of a benefit. So in the end, it seems you should count yourself lucky you get this much to begin with, but it'll just be Vicky and Joan accompanying you. They had also intended to send a scavenger as always, but Kim volunteers for that role. Even though she's in a leadership position of the tribe now, she always was a scavenger before so it's not like they can deny her.

It's only natural there would be a lot of upset, both from you and your chosen group. But you'll just have to cope with it for now, hope this plan works out, and then you can see them again after. A rough time of basically having to cancel the plans up front and say goodbye to everyone when you were so close to leaving. But some solace, in your belief that it is only temporary, as you set out with Vicky and Joan, and Kim and an armed escort...

---

This will probably be my last post of the night then, but we'll continue tomorrow with the journey then to the building Vicky knows. Though it isn't how you'd hoped, you are at least going and ideally in time, everything will work out if it all goes well for you.

Till then, thanks all for playing!

I didn’t support this trip and leaving the tribe before this, it felt really sudden and out of the blue when a few voters decided that we needed to immediately leave now because of reasons. But now that we are apparently not allowed to leave I wanna tell these girls to go fuck themselves and leave. Amazing what shit dice rolls can do to change opinions and outcomes.

>>3521926
Tearfully say goodbye to Jess and promise we will come back, we always do, tell the ones that stayed to stay together, maybe move in with grace on the lower level and take care while we are out there

>>3522062
I was planning on leaving permanently, but they wouldn't let us go to other places, my plan was to show them the good things we found and then convince them that what we were doing was right, but now I guess they shat the bed

>>3522062
I'm on the same boat, I saw little reason to move, and now after that 1 they are probably going to make us share whatever we find, which sucks.
They should send Suzy along too, she is not part of the tribe and can do whatever she wants.

>>3522132
We have learned a lot and they wanted us sitting on our ass, that's shit, we have to find more of those things

>>3522874
>>3522132
>>3522068
>>3522062
Going to be resuming in a little while now, in the meantime though you can make a roll if you like for the first leg of the journey then to reach Vicky's building.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>3523220

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>3523220

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>3523220

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>>3523255
>>3523266
>>3523281
>96

Fair enough to ask for Suzy along, it's true that the tribe doesn't own her and with a personality of her own she can do what she likes, so they can't stop her from tagging along.

In any case then, after some trips down through the working elevator, you and the escorting group work your way into Downtown once again. The familiar sight of the old and cramped tunnels on the way to the subway lines. Fortunately as luck would have it, you face no notable troubles on the way, and that same group of people who'd been living in the sublevels before must have moved on; there's nothing stopping you all from going the way you're most familiar with. Such that, after only a couple of hours you reach the same train station from before, where you met Aranza. A familiar sight and a welcome break from the dark tunnels devoid of life. Some folks even recognize some of your group even, and you're all welcomed back pretty quickly.

A chance to stay perhaps overnight as the adults talk it over, and Vicky has to speak with who she can down here and try to learn which direction and route to go in, to reach the sublevels of her target building. You could try and urge everyone on though if you didn't want to stay, otherwise while here you'd have the rest of the afternoon and evening to do as you wish. Well, afternoon and evening but there's not really days or nights down here.

>What do you do?

>>3523362
See if we can trade some of those consumer goods we got if they were not apreended, for something better than our knife just to be sure, if nothing like that, maybe a map of the town or some other gadget that could be useful like our jammer

Talk to Vicky, say we are sorry things are this way, make her promise to help us get the others

>>3523362
Ask Kim, how did they knew.
Say that all we wanted was help everyone but they always treat us like a thing that is valuable, we don't want our friends to be mutants

>>3523362
Hey all, apologies but just had an errand crop up that I have to duck out for a bit. We'll continue right when I get back, but in the meantime you can just figure if there's anything extra you'd like to do while here in the station before setting out again.

>>3523400
Supporting
Trade for something to make noise if we can too, worked last time against the mutant

Listen to that radio girl and the news, maybe they will talk about the R-mee

Back now, resuming shortly.

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>>3523423
>>3523412
>>3523400
On the way you can talk with Vicky, since without Jess or your friends around, she's the person you closest with. It's not your fault of course that things are the way they are so she doesn't blame you and accepts your apology even if she thinks it's unnecessary. Really she's just disappointed, upset that you weren't able to get her arm back. She knows you tried, but all of this was predicated on that promise otherwise she wouldn't be here. Still, you have a special bond now, and you're still going to make a new person together. For the sake of that, she promises to help you as you wish.

A big relief for you, as you walk and end up holding her hand, having someone here you can trust and rely on.

---

Some of the group haven't been down here, certainly not to the train station so like your own first time, they're having to adjust. You may as well feel right at home though after only an hour, where you're already trying to barter and trade for what you took from the scrap piles. They took Vicky's arm from you but didn't notice this stuff at the bottom of your bag.

And some good that it is, you are able to trade for a rechargeable stun gun, probably quite handy to have in a pinch but also best of all no one else is aware you have it now. When not in contact it also makes a loud scary crackling noise too, so might come in handy to startle enemies.

After stashing it away, you return to the others where you can find Kim, and sit with her to talk. As guilty as she looks, you see it relieves her to know you're not angry with her.

"...why is all know plans for to leave?"

"You'm ask all around, some lot people no want go. No big secret."

You suppose she has a point there, you were clever about being sneaky in how you asked people, but you damn near asked everyone about leaving so enough of a case for them to realize you were planning something.

---

"...and with that big ol storm outta the way, it's back to lookin and lootin! So keep ya eyes open and ya ears up!"

You're awakened the next... "morning" by the sounds of Roxy on the radio, Suzy listening to her as usual. While the others get up for the day ahead and make ready to leave, you listen in to see what you can hear. Most of the news is general stuff about the city, like the storm which would be pertinent to everyone. Ironically though she does actually mention some things about the army, and people seeing them around and causing trouble. She merely cautions against them and expresses probably a city-wide shared dislike.

Good to know you're not the only ones with a bad experience.

>Anything else you want to take care of in the station? Or just head on out, for which you can roll the next leg of the journey.

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>3523574
let's keep going

Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>3523574
Keep an eye out for loot

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>3523574

Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>3523574

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>>3523583
>>3523589
>>3523610
>>3523616
>95

Once again, a fortunately risk-free journey lies ahead of you. It seems Vicky did her homework well, and got a lot of good help from the station during the time you were there. She both was able to regain her bearings from here in Downtown as to what she's familiar with from having lived around here, and also able to get some directions on the way to the building for which is known to have secure sub-levels such that people normally avoid it.

But perfect for what you need. A full day of travel this time, according to Suzy, a good many hours of traversing the tunnels of Downtown while avoiding trouble where you can and stopping for rests every so often. But even going mostly blind, Vicky seems to know the way and having a subway map helps a ton. For a long time you and some of the others wanted to call it for the day and find a place to camp overnight, but Vicky's insistence gets you all the rest of the way there...

...at least to where she thinks it is.

"See here?" you pass through some more maintenance ways till eventually meeting rather sturdy and smooth walls with only an intact metal frame door that has obvious signs of abuse and attempts at forced entry over years, yet remains sealed.

"Sub Level Access Point." Joan reads the notifications around the door, and notes some sort of security measures in place

"If this is it, and we can get in... what comes next?"

For sure you do have to get inside, but you have a feeling that since Vicky wanted you for this, you'll be able to. But do you want everyone to enter the place together, only some few people (or even only you), maybe try to carefully explore the place one floor at a time or seek an elevator and travel above the clouds?

>What do you do?

>>3523648
Get inside with Vicky Kim and Suzy first, tell the others to guard it

>>3523648
Lets explore this first level with everyone, close the door behind us and look for an elevator, when we find it we go up the clouds with it, just our friends ehile the others wait

>>3523688
This, find somewhere safe inside where they can camp and try to get up the tower

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>>3523674
>>3523688
>>3523699
At the very least, everyone can get inside. Thankfully you've not encountered any trouble on the way here, but consider that a blessing. Vicky and Suzy do at least, themselves Downtowners. Why leave the others waiting outside a proven secure door, when really any moment something like a mutant could happen past. You know it because it happened to you.

"Some idea for to open?"

Vicky defers to you now. She got you here, her plan, but now it's up to you to play your part. You were the one that could use the elevator, the restaurant. Now to figure out how to get in here.

"Um... some number?"

There's some sort of device in the wall next to the door, as well as a camera above. It sure takes you awhile, with Joan supervising, and together you're basically just hitting everything you can. Eventually though after following a line of options you think, and then pulling out your necklace and holding it up clear for the camera to see the barcode, there's a hiss and a creak but the door does slide open to your relief and Vicky's amazement. No doubt amazing, to see her long term plan now starting to fall into place like this.

---

Inside the sub-level of the building, it's more service ways as you know but in here it's all clean and well-maintained. From the machines to the wires, pipes and plumbing, it all looks cleaner than you've ever seen any place. Only Joan and a couple others who've been to the Red Cross seem to know that level of maintenance to everything.

For now then the escorting group can just hang out down here. Remaining on the alert just in case, but with the door closed behind they shoudn't have to worry about anything other than what is already in the building. While you, Vicky, Suzy, Kim and Joan can go on ahead to try and scout what you can, carefully, and seek out further access to the building.

"...by the Green Queen..."

"Wowo! Some mazing!"

"Look some... like fore times?"

The few of you can slowly but surely navigate your way up and up through the foundations of the building, with Suzy's help going in front. Eventually though after what seems like an hour or so at least, you emerge in what you would have thought was just going to be more service areas but instead is... a fully maintained building lobby just like something out of the world before.

"Up-up?"

"No'm... find for some robots to help."

You want to seek out if there are any elevators and head above the clouds, but Vicky thinks it's more important to make use of any systems in place first thing of all. All the while, Kim and Joan marvel at and touch the walls and Suzy looks outside to the dense clouds beyond the multi glass doors.

>What do you do?

>>3523721

Let's find a map then, like the one we found when we fell on our building, try to see if we can find those systems, but don't mess with them, let Suzy take a look

>>3523721
see if we can find anything good down here before going up

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>>3523737
>>3523745
Just a heads up that this will probably be my last post of the night then, but we'll continue from here tomorrow as you start to explore the building more and figure out how to interact with it and whatever remnants there are of the world before.

Till then if you like, you can also roll to see if you come across anything interesting while you're down here. In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>3523780
Thanks for running

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>3523780
The place is very nice, promissing

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>3523780
Rolling to make it 3

>>3523961
Niiiiiice

>>3522068
Yeah, this is lame. I never wanted to leave permanently, I miss one session and the retard vote takes over and fucks us over completely.

>>3524074
At least this place seems good, we can go back I think

Going to get dinner now, but we'll continue when I get back. Just a heads up.

>>3524991
Back now, continuing shortly.

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>>3523963
>>3523961
>>3523791
>98

Although you're curious to see what awaits above you, at the very least you know for sure that here the lobby there's a wealth of potential treasures already. You have all the time you need to explore, and Vicky has something in mind anyway, so no need to rush. With that in mind, the lot of you filter out through the area looking around for what you can. Some good news that it sounds like Kim found the elevators, but while exploring near the front of the lobby you find a reception desk to which your approach seems to summon a robot from a side room.

"Greetings-"

Instinctively you scramble to hold out, and up your necklace with the robot code label.

"-Mr. Secretary-General! How can I be of service?"

You're not sure what to make of it, but you approach and interact with the robot. It seems to be trying to register you as a guest but when you ask who is in charge, the robot appears confused. After several checking attempts, it withdraws from the reception and soon returns with another robot. As far as you can tell, with no active owner for a period of many years it would just default to the present occupants as it had done already. But with the necklace to identify you, that would seem like it supersedes everything; such that, the robots register you as the highest present VIP and acting owner.

No idea what that means, just that it has to do with the necklace, but both robots ask you what you would like done.

"What for?"

"The previous acting VIP guests, Sir. Would you like the premises cleared for itinerary evaluation?"

"...Joan?!"

Your first instinct is to call Suzy to translate but you're not sure how the robots would all interact. So Joan will have to do, her language grasp should be good enough. After having it repeated, as far as she can tell, some... one or ones, have been living in the building (probably above the clouds) and the robots want to know what to do with them since you're the new highest privilege person. In a sense, the acting owner even.

>What do you do?

>>3525293
ask for more information, how many are there and what are their titles?(checking to see if they have necklaces too, they have to have entered some way)

>>3525299
This, ask since when they are here

Ask for a map and for what kind of places they have too

>>3525293
How many people and where they are?

do they have cameras like our drone to watch them? so we can have a better idea of what we are dealing with

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>>3525304
>>3525299
>>3525366
Accordingly, by the sound of things there are twenty seven people currently within the tower (not counting those on or below this floor as you make the effort to ask). The system now counts them as guests though, as they had been when they first somehow found a way inside the tower you assume. By statement of the robots, there's no indication that any of the people are important, they were just some lucky Downtowners who in time past must have found some unknown way inside. Eventually after enough time the system of the building just registered them as the owners but without proper position, like your necklace gives you, they could be superseded by anyone as you have now done. Simply, it would appear that you're just the only people to make it inside after those original ones.

"Maybe the building wasn't locked down when they first came inside, and it closed up behind them? Or... the requested it to..."

"Can to see them?"

Joan has a pretty good idea but you want to actually get an impression of them. It seems they're all dwelling on a few upper floors and there is indeed footage of some of them. With a set of screens behind the reception, the robots show you live camera shots of the other people. Just dwelling, living their lives, about as normally as the scavengers you know lived in their tower. However obviously seen, the people here have a better quality of life with the building system still working.

"Just only... some normal people."

Fortunately for them it was you who came in here, rather than Vicky getting in here when she was with her gang. Rather than fighting and throwing them out, you could either approach them or simply ask them to be evicted nicely by the robots. Though it is a bit of a guilty feel since who knows how long they and their ancestors have been living here, their home. You care most about yourself and those you know, but you're not wantonly hostile. Just, a consideration how you want to treat these people.

While you think it over you can request a map of the building and knowledge of any places within. Like with the old skyscraper with working elevator that you're familiar with, you get a lot of names of groups from the world before, things which don't mean anything to you. However by the sound of things, there is at least one restaurant, something called a "club", some residential floors, and an "observation" deck. So not completely offices. A little paper booklet you get, which you can only guess might have been for people visiting the building to know about it.

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In any case, by the time Vicky finds you again, she suggests having the other people thrown out. This is your place now, right? Joan and Kim are on the fence and could agree either way. You admit that would be the simplest method, even if morally a bit wrong, but something also makes you wonder if these people couldn't be used or be valuable in some way? Especially when you have such power over them.

>What do you do?

>>3525393
Request a robot escort, go up there and meet these people, see who they are and how did they get in here

>>3525399
agreed
let's talk with them

tell them who we are(but not what) and ask them to gather so we can speak with them all

let's learn how they survive and deal with this tower, they can be useful

>>3525404
>>3525399
Just you alone? With escort of course.

>>3525404
+1

>>3525414
bring Kim Joan(for the speech, its possible they talk like robots by now) and Suzy, I guess vicky can come too but I think she will want them defenestrated

>>3525414
Follow the prevoius plan, our friends go up, the others wait here.


If we bring people here we would be the de facto ruler, we could evict anyone we wanted at anytime.

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>>3525435
>>3525421
>>3525404
>>3525399
You can have the others come up here then, Kim volunteers to go fetch them from the sub levels while the rest of you can go up the elevator to meet these inhabitants. You already know the way to the elevators and the lifts themselves are quite impressive and nicer than the other one, though it takes some figuring out to realize that they are push button elevators rather than having some sort of fancy system in them. You know the floor to head to though, so eventually can count and find the right one to press with Suzy's help.

---

"Aw, I like this."

The condition of the building continues to wonder the lot of you, though it's only a matter of time till you reach the right floor and begin to look around for anyone. The two escorting robots though know the way, till eventually you start to see signs of habitation and finally other people. Upon sighting the robots though and Suzy, they all drop down in reverential bows, heads to the floor either in respect or fear to look and the fact that you're not... you get pleas and noises made to grab your attention and gestures to get down as well.

In any case the escorts make clear the situation and that they have been registered as guests while you are the VIP. All of these things that you'd heard already and finally are starting to understand a little... but seems completely lost on these folks. With a sense of their behavior you ask Suzy and the robots away for the moment, so that the guests will at least bother to look up and act normally. When they can though they cautiously crawl or pace towards you, curious but also fearful of any moves you make.

"...hiya? Am to here, new for."

"Hm, hm. Other?"

"Cloud, mhm."

You'd thought they might be able to communicate like Joan, but instead they can hardly communicate at all, like Nama. These people are well fed and appear healthy, and well dressed. But behaviorally they are very primitive and inexperienced.

"Why come like dum dums?"

"Look at their bodies, their weight. They eat well, here maybe. And the building, closed off from the outside. Maybe they don't... maybe they've never met anyone else? Maybe they don't need to, they can just survive here in the building."

Well they have to at least venture outside in order to visit the Red Cross, they span a range of ages. But if that's the only journey they ever made, and otherwise spend their lives locked up here and basically babied by the building systems treating them like guests... perhaps this is the most they ever developed, or as far as they devolved.

Though not actually stupid it seems, as they try to find one among their number and push her towards you all to investigate. Just so isolated that they possibly have no interaction with the outside world, no exchange of information, language or culture. Even in your shelter, mother came and went... imagine if she never did, after who knows how many generations?

Joan lowers to one knee and holds out her hand as the designated brave one crawls to approach. They make contact with their hands, but then she scrambles back among the others and they huddle together fearfully, gesturing and whispering single words and noises.

>What do you do?

>>3525499
offer them a place to stay amd engame is some theto

>>3525499
Ask them how they entered

>>3525499
See if they have a doli daymendgioff

>>3525499
Ask the brave one's name, tell her to look afound mastland, prolicyse n add i db. Iu cy uhh

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>>3525524
>>3525530
>>3525534
Did english just turn off or something?

>>3525554
Kek
Mosrly see what we can discover, damn how i fucked up thos posts, ask about what we can, like how do they get more people and stuff and explain we run the tower now.
It's intriguing since if they are so primitive how do they make the trip or find trade goods

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>>3525614
>>3525527
Ok that's better to understand now. We can pick this up tomorrow then, when you try to interact with these inhabitants and learn what you can from them. Either way though, as far as you can tell you're in charge of this building thanks to the necklace and being recognized. Something to think about maybe, and how it might affect your plans.

In the meantime, thanks all for playing!

>>3525499
This will be tough

Ask the robots for guest records? Do they mark down when people come in or go out?

They are all in the same floor right? So we could potentially just leave them be while we explore and occupy the floors above?

Call a robot over, they seems to regard them as leaders, show them that we can boss the robot around, giving simple orders to it, that will probably transfer whatever authorithy they have to us, and if they drop down to bow just tell them there is no need and they can stand up.

If worst come to worst and we can't communicate we can try again later when we bring Nama over.

>>3525621
This place is old af, and they have cameras, maybe they work like our camera and the robots have the videos.
We could see the videos from before the world end, or even see what happened, at least inside. We can ask them to show us images of these people arriving or coming in and out of the building

>>3526490
that would be awesome if possible, see the old world here

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>>3525759
>>3526490
>>3526778
You have actually, a rather clever idea of checking the records from the past. This building is in more or less perfect shape, including surveillance. You know a bit about cameras from your drone, so maybe there's someplace anything caught on camera is kept? You can ask the robots as much and are relieved to hear that indeed there are such records kept. The unfortunate thing is that by the sound of it, they only keep records as far back as a certain amount of time, twenty five years at a time so anything beyond that you won't find.

It's certainly something to check out later though, if and when you return to the main floor.

"When for to come here?"

"Mhm, mhm. Fore."

There's some murmurs among them for a response till they can come to agreement, but the answer is less than you'd hoped for. Just something about some time in the past that none of them are sure of or can agree on, and gestures outside to something.

"Well they're not causing trouble, they don't seem dangerous?"

Joan whispers among the lot of you about them. You'd thought so too, if these people have always been here, whether or not it's right to kick them out do you even need to? Maybe you could live in this place together, if they just keep to a couple floors or so, when the building itself has more than you can count. Plus, not an eager thought but if need be they could contribute towards a forming community here. You've seen how Nama was able to adjust to a more civilized tribe, maybe these people can too?

"Look here, this'm."

You request for the robots back, and very visibly give some orders to them to show you're in command. Seeing that causes a lot of anxiety and visible concern among the people, and as expected they just defer to you and drop to a position of worship. You can try to let them know it's alright, even try to help them to stand up and make some physical contact, but that seems to upset them that the robots or one above the robots would seem to stoop down to their level to interact.

A complicated issue then, and probably not one you can easily deal with now. In time, you can try to help them adjust to the new order of things, if you don't just throw them out. Your hope, that they can adjust at least, since from them you see the potential for your own tribe... but you'd like it if it were a benevolent situation rather than you ruling over them with fear and control. In any case Joan suggests exploring elsewhere, but so far your main concern about the isolation and security of the building has already been met at least.

>What do you do?

>>3526994
Let's go to the upper levels, explore it, try to find any name that sounds like ours, secretary general, or boss or chief or something, there is where the good stuff is

>>3526994
explore the roof and the last few floors, try to see the tribe's tower

>>3527032
+1

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>>3527032
>>3527045
>>3527049
For the time being, you can let these folks alone. They seem to have their own little society, ecosystem almost, contained within this building and possibly only these floors. They're not bothering you, so you can figure it out better later. Suzy volunteers to stay and watch them though, and how they regard the robots, as they might as well not have any idea that she's different from the others.

Together then with Vicky and Joan, you can continue on up to the very highest floors and check each one for anything important in particular. Interestingly one such floor does seem to have something like a museum about the original owner of the building who had a couple floors entirely to himself and his family, so a showcase is there of what he lived like. Though you have no timeframe of what this means, since according to Vicky the building was already very old when the big war happened. Also, because it wasn't actively lived in as opposed to just showing something off, it's not like you can find any goodies hidden away for anyone. To live here would be something special for sure but it would first have to be made livable. Compared that is, to the residential floors where people were still living up till when the big war happened.

"Wowo, look for!"

It's the observation deck that amazes you though, all of you in fact. The building itself is one of the taller ones remaining in the city so even in the previous skyscraper you didn't get a view like this.

"Ah, look see! Empress's tower, there."

"Aaand... there, that one's home. You see, Alexa?"

Both Vicky and Joan find their own sights to see, one of the tallest remaining building in the city, and another of the one you came from. Quite the sight to say the least, certainly the most impressive one you've ever seen. It's not enough to just see from the observation deck though, you want to go all the way up to the top!

Ah, but it doesn't seem there's really any floors higher, the elevators don't go higher at least. Vicky is able to find a back hallway though with a maintenance access to the roof, when she heard your eagerness and started looking. You can go with her if you like, though Joan cautions you because of the shape of the building; as far as you know the top was a spire, not a flat top for walking on like other buildings...

>What do you do?