Let me experimentMake your choice
[[Choose 1->Mode 1]]You have activated Mode 1You have activated Mode 2You have activated Mode 3You are the Eraser. You deal in mental assassination. Your targets should never know you are coming - and after you're done, they'll never know anything ever again.
Tonight's mission is a big one. You've been assigned a target, Victoria Times. Her file states that she's some kind of tech genius; she used to work for Everest, one of those giant Corps that run half of the world with their computing inovations. Now she works for Diana Inc - which runs the other half.
That would be Miss Times's problem. Everest's CEO, Miss Catarina Saber, has decided that Times knows too much about Everest's internal operations and future designs to be allowed to go over to their bitter rival - at least, with all that knowledge in her head. So she has reached out to hire you to erase the problem. Tonight.
Obviously, this won't be easy. The CEO of Diana Inc, Miss Zera Shields, knows exactly how valuable Times is, and has put no small amount of work into protecting her at the head office. Not only will security be on high alert, but you'll also have to locate your target inside one of the largest office buildings in Artemis City - and time is of the essence. If you can't get this tonight, Shields will have more than she needs to ruin Everest's profits for the next decade - and Saber will cancel your contract.
Your employer is desperate, but also concerned you might not be able to do the job.
They shouldn't be. You are the Eraser. This is what you do.
[[Begin->Entrance Choice]]
(set: $SecurityClearance1 to 1)
(set: $CubicleID to 1)The parking garage is situated on the underground levels of Diana Tower, and even during the height of day it's poorly lit enough to smuggle an army of elephants through unseen. As the sun sets behind you, you have more than enough shade to hide your silent entry down the ramp into the building.
Your first barrier is, fittingly enough, the security barrier at the entrance, the one that controls which cars come in and out of the parking lot. You would expect it to be a digital affair, a few sensors and parking passes, wholly automated and mechanical, especially at a tech company like Diana Incorperated - but your research into the building revealed that it is in fact a manned station, with a member of security present there at all times.
Currently, there's a Security Guard sitting in the booth with her feet up, apparently watching TV on her tablet. You could write a book on the number of ways you could sneak past her, though actually reaching her without being detected would be difficult.
Something else attracts your eye, though. Across the parking lot, you can see a Young Woman fumbling with her handbag as she exits the stairwell from the building proper, and starts walking towards one of the few remaining cars left in the lot. Looks like one of tonight's late night workers is finally heading home. How convinient.
So, you have a few options here.
Obviously, you can just [[Sneak Past->Garage - Sneak By]] both of these women - neither of them are observant enough to catch you, and between the cloaking fibers in your coat (a little trick from ERASER that hides you from cameras for a few seconds) and all the shadows in here, nothing is going to spot you if you sneak over to the stairwell and slip into the building now.
You could also use the distraction of the woman's car leaving to sneak over and [[Pick The Lock On The Security Booth->Garage - Security Booth]]. Neutralising a Security Guard now will mean you don't need to deal with her later, and you might be able to use her equipment to tap into the building's security network...
Or, if you're quick, you can [[Intercept That Woman->Garage Encounter]] at her car. If she works in the building then she probably has security clearance you can use in your infiltration. Plus she's not bad looking, and as you know ERASER is always willing to collect extras they can use to line their pockets...You catch sight of your reflection in the glass as you walk up to the entrance. Most people would think that a white trailing jacket and hood would attract attention, but you've found that more often than not eyes tend to just slip over you. Urban cameoflage, as it were. The only people who really see you are the atentive - and you should be avoiding them anyway. Security cameras are another matter, but fortunately your jacket has enough cloaking fibers woven into it that cameras don't pick up more than a blur from you - for a few seconds, anyway...
Then the doors to Diana Tower slide open, banishing those absent thoughts on your uniform, and revealing the lobby of Diana Inc. As expected at this late hour, the place is empty, though decently lit. Marble floors - terrible for crossing silently - stretch off towards the main reception desk, with a few seating areas dotted around the place for people waiting for appointments. Most of the corridors leading into the rest of the building are closed off behind locked doors - you can see the glowing red lights on their latches from here - and the walls are decorated with modern art. Rather normal, for a big company.
Unless you can get a key card somehow, then the only way you can see of getting further into the building from here is a large winding staircase that leads to an upper floor, situated just behind the reception desk.
The only inhabitants you detect in here are a pair of women over at said desk - one seated behind it, presumably a receptionist, and one leaning on top of it from this side, holding a casual conversation. A late night worker, possibly. A quick scan with a heat sensor in your pad reveals no one else.
The pair at the desk haven't spotted you yet, though if you hang around too long that's going to change. You're going to need to get past them if you want to get to those stairs, though. Alternatively, surely at least one of these two has the security clearance you need to get further into the building...
You pause for a moment as you decide your next course of action...
You could simply [[Hide->Reception - Wait]]. There's enough furniture in here that would allow you to duck for cover, both from the ladies at reception, and from the security cameras watching the lobby. If you wait a little bit, one of the women is sure to leave, and then you'll only have to deal with one of them.
Alternatively you can try to make use of their conversation to sneak past while they're distracted. If you move fast you'll be gone before the cameras notice you, and these women don't look that attentive - maybe you can [[Get Up The Stairs->Reception - stairs]] before they spot you.
Then again, maybe you should [[Listen In->Reception - Listen]]. Sure, it's unlikely they're talking about anything important, but maybe office gossip has something to say about the new hire Miss Times? At the very least, you might learn something. Of course, the downside is you'll have to get a bit closer.
You won't be hidden from the cameras for long - better choose an action quick!This route isn't ready yet - check back in a later update!You slip underneath a row of chairs with the practiced grace of a gymnast, and buckle down to wait. Snippets of innane conversation drift over your head, echoing through the empty lobby, but after a few minutes you hear the distinct sound of high-heels clipping over marble, and the ding of elevator doors. When you peak out from your hiding place, the worker has gone - there's just a bored looking receptionist at the desk, typing at her computer.
And you weren't idle during the wait, either, using your time to observe and track every camera in the room, working out their blindspots with a little help from your pad. You're now quite confident that you can sneak right through this room and up those stairs with absolutely minimal chance of being spotted. Are you going to [[Sneak Upstairs->Reception - stairs]]?
Or are you going to remain in the lobby a little longer to take care of a loose end? The Receptionist isn't your target, but she was clearly hired for her looks, and you're well aware that the ERASER network is always looking for easy marks to turn into easy profits - in fact, keeping an eye out for such people is your secondary objective, no matter your assigned job. As long as it won't interfere with your mission, you can collect as many 'bonus' targets as you think you can get away with... And you're pretty sure you can [[Grab the Receptionist->Reception - Ambush]] without any issue, if you so choose...The Woman is paying more attention to her handbag than her surroundings, hunting around inside for her keys. She feels safe in this environment. She's done this walk dozens, maybe hundreds of times. She knows the guard's name, knows where to step to avoid the occasional puddle of oil, she knows this territory well.
She's never been the focus of a predator before, and it shows. She gives no indication that she senses your presence, not even a glance over her shoulder. She's completely oblivious as you stalk her, jumping from cover to cover, using the few cars left in the lot to mask your aproach, creeping steadily up behind her. The guard she trusts to keep her safe never even looks up from her tablet.
You catch up with her just as she reaches her car. She she's selecting her keys, you're selecting your tools. You pull out your most trusty device - a black visor shaped like a pair of legless glasses. Like you, it's called the Eraser. It does the same thing you do.
As the woman finally clicks the lock and pulls the car door open, you gracefully reach around from behind her and, with a motion practiced thousands of times, slap the visor over her eyes.
She has, perhaps, a tenth of a second to feel shock and confusion - and then the visor lights up with a dazzling, blinding white light. It's impossible for anyone to describe exactly what she sees in light, though - because anyone who has ever seen it in person has their mind wiped clean, all trace of personality, memory, individuality scoured away by the wash of white. And she is no exception.
You feel her body shudder once against you, your arms wrapped around her and guiding her to sit in the drivers seat of her car as her mind is bleached away. Then she goes still, her mouth slightly open, body relaxed in her chair as she starts to drool onto her chest. You pluck the visor away, revealing her eyes are now blank white orbs - as empty as the mind behind them. You have no idea why the visor does that, but it makes it very easy to tell when it's done its job.
The woman has been erased. Now there's just a hollowed out drone sitting in a car.
Sliding the visor away back into a pocket, you pluck out a pair of almost invisible wireless headphones and pop them into the drone's ears. Her mind may be wiped, but she still possesses the ability to follow instructions. Someone back at ERASER HQ will guide her out of the building and over to a pickup point. Then they'll analyze her body and determine what kind of programming to give her before they sell her off. That's the normal ERASER procedure.
None of that matters to you, of course. You're just here for your mission. Speaking of - you snatch a Level 1 Keycard that was hanging around the drone's neck. This should get you past the lowest levels of security at least.
Now, what's your next move?
[[Leave->Garage - Sneak By]] with your new access card - head into the building and start your infiltration properly?
Or [[Deal With The Security Guard->Garage - Encounter 2]], a potential witness? She probably didn't spot anything, and you're risking raising your Alert Level if she spots you trying something, but she is a loose end...Carefully, you crawl out from under your table and weave your way through the twisting maze of chairs around the room towards the elevator. The indicator at the top says that the car is at this level - probably from Dana's trip down - so you just need to get in. Fortunately, all that takes is the press of a button.
The elevator doors opening are louder than you hoped, and you pause, listening to see if the pair by reception heard you - but a burst of laughter assures you that the distraction of the video is still holding up. Confident, you creep into the elevator, and let the doors slide shut behind you.
Naturally, there's a camera in here - but this one's easy to reach before your cloak runs out. You jump and slap an E-patch against it - allowing someone back at ERASER HQ to hack into the camera's wifi signal and set it to loop. Now the camera, and this elevator, belong to you.
Well, that may be speaking too soon. Getting into the elevator was easy, but getting out will be much harder. The buttons all require a security card to activate, which you don't have - yet. Fortunately you came in here with a plan.
The next five minutes are spent stretched out in the roof of the lift, arms and legs pushing out against the walls to remain aloft, and out of sight of the door. A trival position for the Eraser, and one far more comfortable than huddling underneath a small table. All you have to do is wait, perfectly still, all but invisible, until...
The doors slide open, and Dana steps in.
[[Wait...->Elevator - Ambush 2]]This floor looks to be the lowest level of office space - which, naturally, means it's the space for the lowest level of office workers. Looking around, you see rows and rows of open plan, efficiently managed cubicles - or that's what all the posters slapped up around on the noticeboards claim.
It's unlikely anything important is stored on any of the computers here in this digital jungle. And it's just as unlikely that anyone important works on this floor. You won't be finding your target here. Still, perhaps there's something useful you can do here...
There are a few glowing lights from some of the cubicles - likely workers burning the midnight oil. Perhaps one of them is worth [[Investigating->Office Cubicles]]...
May as well head [[Upstairs...->Cafe]]
Did you have more business [[Downstairs->Reception - Revisited]]?
(if:(history: where its name contains "Elevator - Ambush 2")'s length is 1)[[[Return to the Elevator->The Elevator]]]This floor seems to be the inhouse Cafe - Diana Inc's attempt to create a 'fun' office environment for their employees, according to the corperate posters you see around the place. Obviously at this hour the place is closed, and the only food available is out of a set of vending machines off in the corner.
(if:$SecurityClearance1 is 1)[The stairs up are blocked by a security gate. You're going to need to find a way to fake security clearance before you can get past it.](else:)[Your card opens up the security gate. [[Climb Up->Legal]] towards the Legal Department?]
(This is as high as the Demo goes so far - stay tuned for further updates!)
(if:(history: where its name contains "Elevator - Ambush 2")'s length is 1)[[[Return to the Elevator->The Elevator]]]The Legal offices of Diana Inc are better furnished than the lower levels. There are actual windows up here as well. Judging by the view, you're about a third of the way up the tower now.
The carpetting isn't exactly plush, but it's sufficient to mask your footsteps as you carefully explore the area. Like most places in the building tonight, these offices are mostly abandoned - but there are a few women here burning the midnight oil. The finest legal minds that money could buy work in this company. Of course, if they are unfortunate enough to meet you tonight, they probably won't be maintaining that distinction...
There's a Security Patrol that moves around this floor pretty regularly. You can avoid them for the moment, but if you try to get anything done up here they'll almost certainly get in the way.
Upstairs is the security office. Are you ready to [[Head Up->Security]]?
Or do you still have things to do Downstairs?The security offices take up an entire level of Diana Tower, and every bit of it is applied. The people who work here exist almost soley to keep people like you from getting into this building. The fact that you're here is more of a testemant to your skill than any flaw on their part. There are many people like you - but there's only one Eraser.
Unlike most floors in this building, this place is still mostly active, with a good sized crew of security officers manning cameras, supervising patrols, and doing their part to keep the security network functioning. It will be very difficult for you to act here.
Despite the high activity and security, getting upstairs to the [[Lounge->Lounge]] is pretty easy. Maybe the officers don't want any big hurdles between them and their doughnuts...You've entered one of Diana Inc's corperate relaxation areas - this floor has a few nice treats for higher level employees. The main hub of the floor is a large lounge/restaurant area with multi-level seating, coupled with a fine view out over the city - if you were to guess from looking out, you'd say you're maybe half way up the tower here.
There's also a few other entertainment options, like the cinema, the arcade, and the sauna, which are... interesting places to include in a tech company, but who's to judge?
Not you, at least - you're just here for your target.
Getting further upstairs is going to be difficult without higher level clearance, though. The security barriers in front of the stairs look serious - probably so they can better track how much company time their employees spend entertaining themselves rather than working...
[[(Cheat Anyway)->Software Dev]]The name on the sign that welcomed you to this floor is Software Development. This is where the software branch of Diana Inc designs and produces its finest works. Programs made here will be translated into dozens of languages and shipped to all corners of the earth.
If there's anywhere you're likely to find your target, Victoria Times, it's here.
This area is rather well furnished, with plush carpets and nice paintings hanging on the wall. An 'inspirational environment' for the programming wizkids who get a job here - at least, that's what someone wrote in your research dossier, so that's what you think of the place. You take your dossiers very seriously.
Naturally, since there's not many people around tonight, and you have so many places to hide, you've got full run of the place - unless you do something big enough to get security called up, at least.
But if you want, you can still search [[Higher->Tech Dev]]...Technology Development - on this floor lies the heart of the physical branch of Diana Inc. Here, revolutionary technologies are designed and prototyped before being mass produced elsewhere and sold to millions. Here is where they designed the Hype!olyta system, the voice activated personal assistant computer system that people use to run their entire houses. This is where the Diana brand flying drones (the robots, not the kind you deal in, though similar) were first created and deployed.
Someone wrote in your research dossier that this place is the root of all evil, and that if you have the chance you should do something to punish the people who work here for that. You're not sure what that means, but if it was in your dossier it's in your head. You'll keep an eye out.
This floor mostly consists of various labs that, one must assume, are all in the process of developing advanced technologies (potentially even ones of equal to your own ERASER tech). Most of them are empty and dark, thankfully, though not all...
Climbing higher than this is going to require higher security clearance, though. The only things above here are the Executive levels...
[[(Cheat and go higher)->Executive Offices]]The Executive Offices are what you would expect from the highest level executives in one of the richest companies in the world - opulent and expensive. The place is finely decorated to give the entire floor a feeling of warmth and friendliness.
Presumably to disguise the people who actually work there, your research dossier said.
This floor is mostly deserted - the highest paid workers are the ones who get to go home earliest, after all. Still, some of the offices have people in them - late working executives, and their personal assistants, at the very least.
Security would need a really good excuse to come up to this level.
There is one floor left between the Executive Offices and the Roof - the office of the CEO herself, Catarina Saber. Getting in there without her personal permission is going to be difficult indeed.
[[(Cheat anyway)->CEO Office]]The office of Catarina Saber, the infamous head of Diana Incorporated.
This place is like stepping into another world. This isn't an office in a building - it's the antechamber to a throne room. Fountains spew crystal clear water over the heads of people entering through the door, creating misty rainbows as a gateway into this new realm. Gold framed portraits hang on vibrant walls in between sculpted marble pillars over plush red carpets...
This is the home of a woman who has infinite money, and wants you to know it.The EndgameDouble-click this passage to edit it.First things first - you need to decide how you're going to get in.
Diana Inc is a big company, and thus, justifiably, its head office is one of the biggest buildings around. The Diana Tower is a sky scraper that dwarfs everything else, dominating the horizon for as far as you can see.
It's a smooth structure, every wall made of shimmering mirrored glass, with rounded corners that stretch up into the air well past the point of practicality. The building itself is shaped like a smooth lower case i, part of the logo for Diana Inc, blossoming out at the very top to form the bubble-like cap to this monument to ego.
That was a rather unprofessional thought, but it was included in the dossier prepared for you to plan your way in, so you've no choice but to think it.
Somewhere in that tower is Victoria Times, and it's your job to scrub her mind clean. How you go about it, though, is up to you.
The first option is the most obvious. You can, naturally, walk in through the [[Front Door->Front Door]]. You're going in late, so there won't be any crowds to see you, though you will have to deal with the locked front gate, and a likely suspicious reception desk. Far from impossible for someone like you, and direct has its advantages. Once you're in you'll have to start looking for a way to ascend, since Times is probably hidden in the executive area near the top of the building.
Alternatively, you can take the [[Back Door->Garage]]. Head in through the garage. It'll attract less eyes, though you'll still have to deal with security cameras and the like. In theory if you go this way you won't have to encounter anyone at all, unlike going through the front door - though there's always a chance you'll encounter an employee leaving at this late hour. Still, that just means you might get a chance at grabbing their security clearance. They won't mind, if you don't leave them with one. Like with the front door, you'll have to start heading up towards the executive areas once you're inside.
Finally, of course, there's the most direct route, [[The Roof->The Roof]]. Skip the entrances and the stairs, you can climb up the side of the building all the way to the top, and then make your way in from the roof entrance. This route is definitely the least likely to attract security's attention, so long as you avoid all of the security cameras. It's dangerous, though, and you'll be making your way down once you're in instead of up.
The sun is setting. Night will soon arrive. Which way in will you choose?You slip silently across the marble floor of the lobby, careful not to make a sound (difficult, but not impossible), avoiding any eyes that might fall upon you, and dash up the stairs to the next level...
(if:(history: where its name contains "Reception - Wait")'s length is 1)[You don't think anyone saw you...](else-if:(history: where its name contains "Front Door")'s length is 1)["Huh..." You hear a voice drift up from below. "Did you see that?"
"See what?"
"I thought I saw someone on the stairs for a moment."
"Really? There shouldn't be anyone else here."
You may have been spotted...]
[[Upstairs...->Office]]Ducking down among the small forest of chairs that litters the lobby, you move closer to the women chatting at the desk, focusing on moving swiftly and silently. It takes a few moments, and for one worrying moment you were worried that you'd been picked up by a camera, but soon enough you're uncomfortably huddled beneath a fancily inefficient coffee table, now in range to listen in on the still oblivious pair. Hopefully the strain will be worth it.
"So it ends up as a twenty minute presentation, and she spent the entire time leering down my top, and after it's done she can't remember a single word I've said, I swear to you!"
"Ohhh, Dana, I'm so sorry..." The Receptionist pats the Worker's (Dana's?) arm comfortingly. "I know you worked hard on that. What about Miss Travers, did she have anything to say?"
"Oh, Gina already knows all this crap," Dana sighs, still slumped on the reception desk. From here you can see she's got one of those disposable paper coffee cups in her hand that she's trying not to spill. "She seemed to like what I'd done, but it's not like it matters, you know? She's not my boss, Hydie is. Not that I wouldn't switch in a heartbeat, mind you, but Gina already has an assistant, and lord I wouldn't stick anyone with Hydie, let alone Jenny."
Names. They may be useful to know for later, but probably not.
"Oh how is Jenny doing these days? She hasn't been down here all week, I've been worried..."
"Jenny? Oh she's doing fine - she's got that big project for the Fergerson contract to prepare for, her and Gina are both in the office 24 7 right now getting it all ironed out, at least when they're not down in legal sorting through paperwork."
"Ahh, that explains it." The Receptionist giggles. "As long as she's doing okay. Hey, did you see the video I emailed you?"
"Hah! I haven't had time to look at my emails all week. Why, is it good?"
"Oh it's the cutest thing! Here, I'll show you - you're still on your break, right?"
"Oh, don't worry," Dana shakes her head. "I've got another five minutes before I need to get back in that elevator, and I'm going to milk every last one of them for all it's worth. Lemme see that vid..."
... The conversation trails off into inane cooing over some kitten doing something cute on the internet. There's no more useful information to be obtained. Your muscled, crammed in beneath this overly expensive table, protest greatly at the waste of time that all of this was. And now you have no choice but to Wait until Dana leaves...
... Or you could take a chance and try to [[Sneak Over To The Stairs->Reception - stairs]] from here. You've already wasted enough time, right?
... Alternatively, now that you know that Dana will be leaving via the elevator, you could sneak over and [[Hide Inside The Elevator->Elevator - Ambush]] to steal her security clearance. That's pretty risky, but if you succeed you'll have elevator access to the building, and it would speed up your hunt drastically.
What will you do?The reception is silent, the air filled with only the low din of distant passing traffic, and the occasional pitter patter of keys as the lone receptionist quietly gets on with her all-nighter. She's not expecting anything exciting to happen tonight. There are no guests in the log book for her to expect, no people passing through at this late hour. Even the other workers still in the building are more likely to head out through the garage downstairs - she has a lonely evening in front of her.
At least, that's what she believes. If you were given to speculate - which you are not, ever the professional, but if you //were// - then you'd quickly assess that if this woman ends up in the hands of your organization, she's going to be spending a lot of time with a lot of other people in some very intimate ways. Such is the fate a beautiful woman who ends up Erased. But then, she won't really be herself any more then, will she?
Still, it's her perception of the facts that matters - because thanks to her perceptions, she's understandably quite bored. Why wouldn't she be? It's not like anything exciting is going to happen. It's not as if there's an agent of a secret organization watching her at this very moment planning her capture, is it? So the receptionist isn't paying attention to her surroundings - she's just browsing through her internet tabs on her phone. Anything to while away the hours.
She doesn't see the white shadow leap over the reception desk behind her, vanishing beneath it in the crossing of an instant.
And thus unaware of any approaching danger, she yawns and stretches, glancing at the clock for a moment. Grumbles, and mutters about how she has another six hours of this, and how she really is just wasting her life on this job. A fit of irritation takes her, and she swings around on her chair, spinning it once for a full rotation before coming to rest back at her desk. She didn't see the white shadow slip back behind a partition, out of sight.
The motion doesn't dispel her building irritation. For a moment she taps her fingers on her keyboard again, but it doesn't help. Finally, she breathes in and jumps to her feet, stalking along to the near end of the reception desk, where a pot of still hot coffee awaits.
Behind her, her chair squeaks as it sways with the momentum of her departure - before it goes suddenly still.
"Why did I take the night shift?" She mutters to herself, pouring the contents of the pot into a personal mug with 'Go Getter!' written around the side. “God, I’d rather be anywhere else, be doing anything else. I wish something interesting would happen around here.”
And like a djinn of eld, you rise up behind her and grant her wish. Before she even realises you’re there, a visor is slapped over here eyes, and-
''//FLASH//''
The go getter mug slips from her suddenly limp fingers as her mind winks out, replaced by an empty white void. You catch it before a drop has spilled, carefully returning it to her hand and sliding her fingers around the handle. She no longer has the mental ability to hold it without guidance, but you firm up her grip, and she doesn’t have the ability to let it go either. You steer her back to her seat and sit her down, parking her exactly where she’s supposed to be. Her blank, white eyes stare forward into nothingness, her mouth open and starting to drool, but no one’s going to notice anything strange from outside, and the cameras shouldn’t spot anything weird either.
You can probably collect this drone on your way out, but just in case you stick a speaker into her ear so that someone from HQ can command her as needed. She can’t think for herself anymore, obviously – her free will was wiped clean at the same time as her mind and personality – but she can follow orders just fine.
As you step back, you note with some measure of pride that erasing her mind didn’t leave so much as a mark on her, not even to smear her makeup. She’s just as pretty as she was when you walked in. You’re still not one to speculate, but if you were, you’d think you earned quite a nice bonus for picking this one up.
[[Head Upstairs->Reception - stairs]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Elevator - Ambush")'s length is 1)[[[Return to the Elevator->The Elevator]]]The lobby and reception area. From the front door marble floors - terrible for crossing silently - stretch off towards the main reception desk, with a few seating areas dotted around the place for people waiting for appointments. Most of the corridors leading into the rest of the building are closed off behind locked doors - you can see the glowing red lights on their latches from here - and the walls are decorated with modern art. Rather normal, for a big company.
(if:(history: where its name contains "Garage")'s length is 0)[](else-if:visits is 1)[As you enter the room, you hear the sound of doors sliding closed, and as you look to the source you see the elevator is starting to rise. If you'd gotten here a bit faster, you might have been able to sneak aboard...](if:(history: where its name contains "Reception - Ambush")'s length is not 1)[A receptionist is quietly working away at the front dest. If you want you can still [[Deal With Her->Reception - Ambush]]]
[[Head Upstairs->Office]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Elevator - Ambush 2")'s length is 1)[[[Return to the Elevator->The Elevator]]]Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Pad/Tablet
E-Patch
Eraser Visor
White HeadphonesYou perch in the shadows over the door to the security office and wait. It isn't long before the low rumble of an aproaching car fills your ears. A moment later a car slides past you, the window open and the familiar driver leaning out.
"Hey Sasha, fancy letting me out of here?"
There's a muffled laugh from the other side of the bullet proof glass that lines the security booth. "I dunno Penny, you got clearance to leave this lot?"
A groan from the driver. "Oh come on, don't make me get my badge out, I've had a long day..."
"Ohhh, or maybe you're smuggling something out! Got the new Hype prototype hidden under that top of yours?"
"Sasha!" Now the driver is laughing too. "Like they'd let me near that stuff! Anyways, lemme go, I've got a long drive home and I know Mike forgot to put dinner on again..."
"Ouch! Okay, okay, get a move on, and give that no good husband of yours a good seeing to from me, 'kay?"
Whatever the driver says in reply is lost under the reving of an engine, and the car pulls away, off into the night. The driver will probably never realise how close she came to you. Neither will Sasha the security guard, but that's for very different reasons. Three reasons, specifically.
The first reason being that you picked the lock on the security door with ease as soon as the car rolled up.
The second being the device you are now pulling out of your pocket - a small visor made of black glass, made to fit over a persons eyes easily.
And the third reason is that you are very, very fast.
So fast that Sasha never even has a chance to react as you spring up behind her, wrapping one hand around her mouth to muffle any potential screams, the other slapping the visor over her eyes and holding it there so it can do its work.
The flash of white light around its edges tells you its already doing exactly that, but the way her body goes stiff in your arms, muscles all tensing at once before going lax, tells you it's already finished. Sasha the security guard is gone - now there's just a blank drone in a security uniform.
You pocket the visor again, and push a pair of wireless headphones into the newly wiped drone's ears. Someone back at ERASER HQ will act in the place of her mind now - at least until they can extract her back to a storage warehouse. Were you less of a professional, you might wonder what this one will end up as - an enforcer, perhaps? Or maybe she'll be programmed as a bodyguard for a VIP. She is quite cute - she could end up getting set up as a sex doll, or just a common whore. It's up to ERASER to decide all that now - she'll never decide anything ever again.
But you are professional, resolutely so, so you ignore the drone's pure white eyes and turn back to business - snatching the former woman's security keycard from the desk. Level 1 Access, apparently. It won't get you everything, but it'll open a few doors for you inside. That's really all you need.
Now it's time you headed [[Inside...->Garage - Sneak By]]You sneak over to the office booth and start work on picking the lock. It's not exactly quiet work - it's a rather heavy duty bolt - but you figure that if you're lucky the guard isn't paying attention, busy watching her shows on her tablet.
It's when the lock is yanked away from you by the door opening, and the guard stares out at you with confusion written on her face, that you realise luck might not be with you tonight after all.
"What the- Hey!" She goes for her radio, intending to call for support. You obviously can't have that.
A lighting fast kick strikes the device out of her hand, and sends it skidding across the concrete. She stares at you in shock, and then draws her baton, brandishing it at you threateningly. "I don't know who you are," she yells, "But you're trespassing on private property! Get down on your knees now, or I'm going to have to use force!"
Ironic. She's the one who's going to be spending time on her knees, if you know your employers. Of course you'll have to take her down first...
That won't be hard though. You can tell from her stance, from the way she holds her weapon, from her eyes... She's trained in basic combat, yes - probably takes a few martial arts classes - but she's no warrior. Certainly not like you. Her defeat is already written in stone.
You wonder if she realises that as she swings at you, only for you to grab her wrist and haul her off balance. The two of you struggle for a moment, her baton going flying, before she manages to break away from you. She retreats a step, arms held up defensively, and for a moment you size each other up.
Then she slowly topples sideways, eyes rolling up in her head. By the time she hits the ground, collapsing in a boneless heap, foam is already beginning to form on her lips. You quickly check her over, examining the patch you slapped on her neck in the brief second you tangled. It's on properly, steadily injecting a potent combination of chemicals straight into her bloodstream that were currently turning her brain to mush.
It's a small pity. The woman wasn't anything compared to you, but she had a good foundation for combat. HQ could have turned her into an enforcer or a security drone. Now, though, with those chemicals in her system, the only thing she'd be good for now was a simple sex drone - only able to follow the most basic of commands. Still profitable, but her potential was wasted.
Oh well - such was the price of your hubris. You'd have to be more careful in the future.
Stepping over her fallen form, you pick up her radio, and hear someone asking for the former guard to report in. It seems they noticed the disturbance. You do your best to fake her voice as you reply to them, telling them all is well down here. You think they bought it, but you wouldn't be surprised if security were a little edgier around the building tonight....
Well, whatever. Your job hasn't changed. You snatch the former guard's security pass from her neck - she won't be needing it anymore, after all. Hopefully it'll be of some use to you as you [[Continue->Garage - Conquered]]...Most people wouldn't think a white, trailing outfit like yours could blend in with the shadows so well, but they aren't professionals. You glide through the parking lot with ease, evading every security measure Diana Inc set in your path, picking the lock on the staircase in seconds.
Without even so much as a glance back, you step inside and close the door behind you. The stairs lead upwards, into the tower proper - and ever closer to your true target for tonight.
[[Up You Go...->Reception - Revisited]]You step back into the elevator. Dana is drooling over in the corner. It doesn't look like anyone has joined her yet.
What floor will you go to?
[[Reception->Reception - Revisited]]
[[Office Level->Office]]
[[Cafe->Cafe]]
Legal
Security
Lounge
Software Development
Technology Development
ExecutiveDouble-click this passage to edit it.As you enter the room, you hear the sound of doors sliding closed, and as you look to the source you see the elevator is starting to rise. If you'd gotten here a bit faster, you might have been able to sneak aboard...Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.Double-click this passage to edit it.(set: $SecurityClearance1 to 2)
[[Go back->Cafe]](if:$CubicleID is 6)[(if:(history: where its name contains "Office Cubicles - Catch")'s length is 1)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle. You don't find anything, but you do catch a glimpse of the woman you left to get brainwashed by her PC. From your quick glance, it looked like she had a hand under her skirt - her training must be proceeding along nicely!](else:)[You go to do a quick search of a random cubicle, but pause at the door. It looks like there's still someone working here - a night owl still modifying her spreadsheets. No need to bother her - unless you with to [[Collect->Office Cubicles - Catch]] her...] (set: $CubicleID to it + 1)](if:$CubicleID is 5)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle, but you don't find anything useful...(set: $CubicleID to it + 1)] (if:$CubicleID is 4)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle, and find a cereal bar! Isn't that nice?(set: $CubicleID to it + 1)](if:$CubicleID is 3)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle, but you don't find anything useful...(set: $CubicleID to it + 1)](if:$CubicleID is 2)[(if:(history: where its name contains "Office Cubicles - Hack")'s length is 1)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle, but you don't find anything useful...](else:)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle, and find someone's left their computer on! It might not be much, but you can probably [[Hack->Office Cubicles - Hack]] into the network and look around...](set: $CubicleID to it + 1)](if:$CubicleID is 1)[You do a quick search of a random cubicle, but you don't find anything useful...(set: $CubicleID to it + 1)] (if:$CubicleID is 7)[(set: $CubicleID to 1)]
[[Go Back->Office]]
Double-click this passage to edit it.No loose ends. Very well, how will you go about this? The security booth isn't the highest level of tech, but the guard has a live connection to the security team in the building - if she sees you coming you're going to raise at least a little alert in Diana Tower.
You can [[Pick The Lock->Garage - Pick Lock]] on her security booth easily, of course - though that might draw some attention if you aren't lucky.
Or perhaps you can [[Lure Her Out->Garage - Lure]] of her little safety zone. You have that drone in the car after all - she could make a good distraction.
Which will you choose? Or you can just forget about this risky venture and head [[Upstairs->Garage - Sneak By]] into the main building.Mechanics:
Profit - collected drones
Alert - Times you raise suspicion
SecurityClearance - Level of access to the buildingWhy not make use of the new drone? It's what she's for, after all. You give her some orders - simple ones that her simple brain can understand, and then return to the shadows, ready to seize your opportunity when it comes.
The drone starts up her car - the knowledge of how to do so still within her, even if she couldn't access it for herself - and reverses out of her parking space, carefully driving towards the exit ramp. But before she can get there, the car goes dead, the engine spluttering out and the lights going dark completely.
The following silence lasts a while, but eventually the guard either becomes concerned for her friend, or decides that a car blocking the road in and out of the garage isn't going to be good for business. "Hey, Penny?" The voice comes out over the speakers, the woman looking through the window in concern. "Penny, everything okay?"
There was no answer. Obviously. Penny no longer existed.
After a few moments more, though, the door to the booth rattled, and then was pushed open, the guard stepping out and looking at the car curiously. Her approach was cautious - not exactly professional, but not completely careless. Her knock on the window was efficient, and to the point. "Penny, I can see you in there. You alright?"
It didn't matter. The guard had a brief, brief moment of confusion as she bent down to peer through the mirror, and saw a blank, white eyed drone who looked like her friend sitting silently in the driver's seat, before your arm around her neck yanks her head back, and then your visor is slapped over her eyes.
''//FLASH//''
White light pours out around the edges of the visor, and the powerful muscles that the woman had spent so long cultivating go lax in your grip. By the time you remove the device and slide it back into your pocket, she's gone - and there's only a second white eyed drone in this garage with you.
It's always nice when a plan works out. You take the former guard's security pass from around her neck - level 1 clearance, that should be useful - and then shove her into the car, letting her lay face down on the back seat. HQ can take over from here - the two drones will soon be processed and ready for their new lives serving... Well, whoever buys them, most likely.
You, though, have a date with another woman high up in this tower. So it's probably time you [[Get Moving->Garage - Conquered]]...
You wait until the doors close, keeping very, very still, just above Dana's awareness. It takes an irritatingly long time, but eventually they slide shut, and the elevator begins to rise.
Now there's no escape.
You decide to begin your work tonight not by relying on your ever trusty Eraser - the visor you usually use to wipe a target's mind clean - but instead by using a different tool. A pair of thick white headphones. The visor, after all, is a precise device, one that needs to be placed exactly right in a moment of disorientation for the victim - something you can't be entirely confident in doing from this angle holding yourself to the roof. So instead...
You lean down and shove the headphones over Dana's ears, activating them immediately even as she looks up at you in shock. The effect is... slower than the visor's. You have the opportunity to see her eyes widen in surprise at seeing you above her, to see her arms rise to try to tear off the gift you've given her. To see as her eyes begin to grow confused, start to dull as the low note the speakers are pumping into her ears starts to rise in pitch, hitting a frequency she and she alone can hear - one she's never heard before. You watch as her hands slowly drop to her sides, her mouth drawing open as she gapes at you - and then, eyelids fluttering, as the pitch reaches its highest point, and the synaptic pathways in her head that govern her memories and ability to think shudder and shut down... Her shoulders slump, and she goes still, her eyes fading to complete white.
You drop down from the ceiling and retrieve your headphones. The thing that once was Dana doesn't need them anymore - her mind has been reduced to mush. She doesn't need her elevator access either, come to think of it, and you snatch her keycard off of her neck - ah, and the security clearance that comes with it, very nice. This should get you access to most of the building.
For the former Dana, you provide a much smaller speaker, slipping it into her ear for HQ to deal with. She'll remain here in the elevator for now - it's unlikely anyone else will notice her before she's been retrieved. And if someone does stumble in on her, you've left a few tricks in her pockets for HQ to command her to use. It shouldn't be an issue.
And now you have elevator access to most of the building! Where would you like to go?
[[Reception->Reception - Revisited]]
[[Office Level->Office]]
[[Cafe->Cafe]]
Legal
Security
Lounge
Software Development
Technology Development
ExecutiveWith no one left in the Garage but you - at least, no one else with a mind of their own - you head for the door to the stairs at the back. The way into the building is now wide open.
Without even so much as a glance back, you step inside and close the door behind you. The stairs lead upwards, into the tower proper - and ever closer to your true target for tonight.
[[Up You Go...->Reception - Revisited]]You quickly hack into the office network. As you suspected, there's not much you can used in here, but you do take the opportunity to send a few obviously false reports to security - with any luck they'll think there's a bug in their system, and start ignoring it. That'll be handy for you if you trip any digital traps later...
[[Go Back->Office]]The mousy haired woman pulling an all-nighter isn't on your list of targets - which makes her a bonus for you. You don't need to turn her into a mindless drone. You just want to.
As you approach her cubicle, the woman stands unexpectedly, and you just barely manage to dart under a desk before she turns around. In a distant corner of the office, a printer rumbles to life, and she tiredly stumbles off in that direction.
Well now. You may as well take advantage of this opportunity. Slipping over to her computer, you retrieve a slender white USB drive from an inner pocket and slide it into a free port. Almost instantly, a new window opens up on her desktop, a program running for a few seconds, before vanishing innocently. Once it's done, you retrieve the USB, and retreat back into the shadows.
You have faster and easier methods to use than this, yes, but you also endeavour to keep your skills sharp, and that usually means varying things up from time to time.
By the time the worker has returned, you're well hidden and properly shielded. All you have to do is lean back and listen.
You hear the creak of her chair as she sits back down. You hear the roll of its wheels as she shuffles back into her desk. You hear her sigh as she anticipates another few hours of monotonous grind. Then you hear her lean towards her mouse...
There's a flash of light reflected off the wall in front of you, and you know that she just moved her cursor. And you know that the instant that she did, a bright kaleidoscopic pattern of white and black light lit up on her screen. A pattern that, unless she had rather specific and intense mental training, she is now sitting completely entranced by. Even you wouldn't want to look at that screen directly right now.
Of course, after a minute or two of exposing her to that, the program dials it down a notch. You see the light dim on the wall, and take that as your cue to exit your hiding place. The scene that greets you is exactly the one you expected. The woman is staring helplessly at her screen, just as trapped now as she was the moment she activated the trap. Her mind is currently trying to wrap itself around a concept bigger than it can actually think, and everything else is falling by the wayside. Which does have the side-effect of leaving her mind rather impressively open for new ideas...
You plug some headphones into her PC tower and hook them into her ears. Soon, mentally soothing binaural tones are washing into her head - soon to be followed by words, orders, commands that will become the foundation of her identity. The program has already reached out to HQ - they'll be deciding just what is to become of this woman. Maybe she'll be made into a corporate mole. Maybe she'll be picked up and turned into a standard drone. That's not for you to decide, nor care.
Still, you can't help but smirk as you give her one last glance, enjoying the way the swirling black and white spiral reflects in her eyes - her former life cast down into its depths, never to return.
And with that, you leave her to her enslavement, and head [[Back to Work->Office]]...
Hi there! Welcome to my game. Sorry it's not complete yet, but please feel free to explore the content that's present already - and hey, if you enjoy it, let me know!
[[Begin the Demo->Entrance Intro]]