[I had such a good time playing/writing that first solo game, that I’ve decided to keep posting until Leonard either buys the farm, or reaches a conclusion so satisfying that it just screams ‘STOP NOW!’.
Hey MODS, is there a way for me to edit the thread title? I couldn’t find anything in the FAQ.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s…]
BLADE RUNNER: SONATA - Episode 002
LEONARD GRAVES (Cityspeaker)
Strength C
Agility B
Intelligence B
Empathy B
Health 5
Resolve 5
Firearms C
Mobility C
Stealth B
Observation A
Connections B
Insight C
Specialties Musician
Promotion Points 7
Humanity Points 3
Chinyen Points 5
* * *
PROLOGUE
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..”
The rain had finally tapered off. That figured, since the service was now over. Umbrellas started snapping closed in front of me as their owners began to disperse. This opened up a view of the headstone that, here at the back, I’d been previously denied.
ISABEL GORETTI
And to the left of that a slightly older one, but not by much.
MIRKO GORETTI
In a way, you could say that they’d finally made it Off-world, after all.
I turned and followed the modest gathering down the narrow path between the headstones and toward the parking area. There my spinner waited, and beside it stood a man with a scowl.
Mendez.
I groaned under my breath and proceeded forward. Mendez’s eyes darted around nervously.
“Graves. I tried to call, but your KIA was off, for some reason.”
“I was attending a funeral, Mendez,” I said flatly. “And don’t you mean ’The Wick’?”
He frowned. “Hey, I had my doubts about you collaring Wainright before, but you were right on the money with the Goretti thing, and that TV show. You’ve got the scar to prove it.”
I touched the remains of my upper left ear. “And yet I’m not hearing a ‘sorry.’ So what gives?”
“I need your help.”
From his jacket he produced a manila envelope, out of which he shook a little stack of glossy, eight-by-ten photographs. The element common to all of them was Mendez himself, indulging in various acrobatic acts with various women. I’ll spare you the details.
“Shit, man, put those away!” I hissed. “This is a cemetery! Isn’t bringing stuff like that around here… sacrilegious, or something?”
[CASE BRIEFING TABLES: SM017 - Blackmail, involves replicant sympathizers, previous investigator killed or missing, involves fellow investigator]
“I’ve been getting one of these pictures in the mail every day for a while,” he said, stuffing the envelope back into his coat. “No idea who’s sending ‘em.”
“You’ve been busy,” I sneered. “I had no idea you were so popular.”
[CIPHER TABLE: SM016 - Method: resist, focus: location]
[LOCATION TABLE: SM021 - Maze-like factory]
“That place on Wexler,” he said, “I’ve been going there.”
“Lulu’s Labyrinth? Mendez, that place is lousy with Replicants.”
“I know, but they come cheaper and, well, since my divorce… I got needs, ya know?”
“You got problems is what you’ve got. Soliciting Replicants? Reputational harm is about the best you can hope for.”
“That’s where you come in. Follow the trail. Figure out what they want, and I’ll get it.”
“Why would you ask me, of all people?”
“Everybody knows we hate each other. If you spill the beans, I’ll just say you’re lyin’.”
“Why would I lift a finger for you?”
“I’ll lay off the ‘Wick’ stuff. Vouch for ya. I’ll owe you a favour!”
I looked at him sideways. “Thanks for the little slideshow Mendez, but respectfully, find yourself another Blade Runner.”
“I did - Novosad”
That made sense to me. If I had a dirty little secret that needed mopping up quietly, I’d talk to Trish Novosad, too. Professional, sympathetic, and nonjudgemental, she was a good egg.
“And what progress has she made?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard back from her in five days.”
I could’ve slugged him. I wanted to tell him to go work the case himself, but of course, working your own case yourself isn’t really a thing - no objectivity for one thing, and secondly, everyone involved clams up when you come sniffing around.
And now Mendez had gone and got a good detective mixed up in it.
“I’ll see what I can find out, Mendez,” I said. “For Trish. And you’re damn right… you will owe me one.”
Mendez nodded low, then watched me walk around to the driver’s side of my car and slide in. He was still standing there as I lifted off and soared away.
-
- Rachael's Spinner
- Posts: 21
- Joined:
Re: My first solo game, in fiction form
DAY 1: MORNING (Scene One)
Not even lunchtime yet and I was headed for the sleaze-pit that was Sector 1. The first place anyone would go after a funeral, right?
I couldn’t believe Mendez had been soliciting Replicants. Granted, hiring a Replicant sex worker was not illegal. But it’s usually career suicide for Blade Runners, at least the human ones. For the same reason that you don’t want shoplifters driving armoured cars.
I descended to the street in front of Lulu’s, which towered above me. The whole deal with Lulu’s Labyrinth was that it was designed to be architecturally incomprehensible to anyone who didn’t work there. No two floors had the same layout, there were stairs where there shouldn’t be stairs, and to top it all off, all the walls and ceilings were lined with mirrors. A funhouse of the most salacious kind. Construction on the place had begun practically the minute it was confirmed that Replicants were coming back into production.
Inside its walls, even at this early hour, you could already feel the vibe. Girls- and boys-for-hire sprawled on low couches, looking at me as though I might be a most delicious and juicy morsel. I felt my face get warm as I stiffened and walked past them, toward the old guy at the front desk.
“Lulu in?”
He looked at me, sighed, and pressed a red button in the desk. A buzzer sounded. This was clearly not the old codger’s first rodeo. Presently a short, wide woman of approximately fifty years appeared. She was all cleavage and makeup and flaming red curls, but her expression was all business.
Clearly, she needed no introduction. “What can I do for you, officer? You’re bringing down the mood in here.”
I said, “I believe one of your escorts is blackmailing a member of the LAPD. I have questions.”
She scanned the lobby, then tilted her head toward the back. “Follow me.”
I followed Lulu into the back cluster of offices, staff lounges, and the like. The handful of escorts scattered around here certainly did not have the piercing gazes that the ones in the lobby’d had. The woman led me to a room with filing cabinets on the left, and a bank of monitors on the right. The action on these screens looked a lot like that in Mendez’s photos.
Lulu waved her hand at them. “I provide the space, detective. And my kittens provide the entertainment. However your friend chooses to enjoy that entertainment is on him.”
I swallowed. “Everyone’s being recorded?”
“There are totally private rooms on the upper floors, but those come at a premium. The regular rooms are wired for picture and sound, to discourage any of the clients from getting out of line behind closed doors.”
“Your clients don’t mind that they’re on camera?”
“Mind? Hell, most of them love it.”
“And who operates these cameras?”
“No one.”
“No one?”
“If there’s an incident in one of the rooms, we roll the tapes back and pull the footage. Beyond that, no one’s generally in here. I used to have someone watching the feeds 24/7, but I kept having to fire them, for obvious reasons.”
“So, any of your escorts could just waltz in here at any time?”
“Theoretically, yes. But the last thing any of my kittens wants to do on their break time is watch the competition, detective.”
I took a moment to activate my KIA, pulling Mendez’s photo from the LAPD mainframe. “Do you recognize this person? Name of Mendez?”
“Oh yes, he was a regular for a while, and then just stopped. Cold turkey, as they used to say.”
I kicked myself for not bringing Mendez’s blackmail photos with me, to identify the girls. “Did he have a favourite escort?”
Lulu moved toward the filing cabinets, and ruffled through one of them. “Mr. Mendez certainly liked his variety, but I thought I saw a pattern emerging.” She studied a sheet. “Ah yes. Alexis. After his first visit with her, it went like this: somebody new, Alexis. Somebody new, Alexis. And so on.”
“Is Alexis here? I’d like to speak with her, if possible.”
“Of course.” She called down the hall to one of the escorts standing around the coffee machine. “Brandon, dearest! Please show our fine detective to the Indigo Room.”
Not even lunchtime yet and I was headed for the sleaze-pit that was Sector 1. The first place anyone would go after a funeral, right?
I couldn’t believe Mendez had been soliciting Replicants. Granted, hiring a Replicant sex worker was not illegal. But it’s usually career suicide for Blade Runners, at least the human ones. For the same reason that you don’t want shoplifters driving armoured cars.
I descended to the street in front of Lulu’s, which towered above me. The whole deal with Lulu’s Labyrinth was that it was designed to be architecturally incomprehensible to anyone who didn’t work there. No two floors had the same layout, there were stairs where there shouldn’t be stairs, and to top it all off, all the walls and ceilings were lined with mirrors. A funhouse of the most salacious kind. Construction on the place had begun practically the minute it was confirmed that Replicants were coming back into production.
Inside its walls, even at this early hour, you could already feel the vibe. Girls- and boys-for-hire sprawled on low couches, looking at me as though I might be a most delicious and juicy morsel. I felt my face get warm as I stiffened and walked past them, toward the old guy at the front desk.
“Lulu in?”
He looked at me, sighed, and pressed a red button in the desk. A buzzer sounded. This was clearly not the old codger’s first rodeo. Presently a short, wide woman of approximately fifty years appeared. She was all cleavage and makeup and flaming red curls, but her expression was all business.
Clearly, she needed no introduction. “What can I do for you, officer? You’re bringing down the mood in here.”
I said, “I believe one of your escorts is blackmailing a member of the LAPD. I have questions.”
She scanned the lobby, then tilted her head toward the back. “Follow me.”
I followed Lulu into the back cluster of offices, staff lounges, and the like. The handful of escorts scattered around here certainly did not have the piercing gazes that the ones in the lobby’d had. The woman led me to a room with filing cabinets on the left, and a bank of monitors on the right. The action on these screens looked a lot like that in Mendez’s photos.
Lulu waved her hand at them. “I provide the space, detective. And my kittens provide the entertainment. However your friend chooses to enjoy that entertainment is on him.”
I swallowed. “Everyone’s being recorded?”
“There are totally private rooms on the upper floors, but those come at a premium. The regular rooms are wired for picture and sound, to discourage any of the clients from getting out of line behind closed doors.”
“Your clients don’t mind that they’re on camera?”
“Mind? Hell, most of them love it.”
“And who operates these cameras?”
“No one.”
“No one?”
“If there’s an incident in one of the rooms, we roll the tapes back and pull the footage. Beyond that, no one’s generally in here. I used to have someone watching the feeds 24/7, but I kept having to fire them, for obvious reasons.”
“So, any of your escorts could just waltz in here at any time?”
“Theoretically, yes. But the last thing any of my kittens wants to do on their break time is watch the competition, detective.”
I took a moment to activate my KIA, pulling Mendez’s photo from the LAPD mainframe. “Do you recognize this person? Name of Mendez?”
“Oh yes, he was a regular for a while, and then just stopped. Cold turkey, as they used to say.”
I kicked myself for not bringing Mendez’s blackmail photos with me, to identify the girls. “Did he have a favourite escort?”
Lulu moved toward the filing cabinets, and ruffled through one of them. “Mr. Mendez certainly liked his variety, but I thought I saw a pattern emerging.” She studied a sheet. “Ah yes. Alexis. After his first visit with her, it went like this: somebody new, Alexis. Somebody new, Alexis. And so on.”
“Is Alexis here? I’d like to speak with her, if possible.”
“Of course.” She called down the hall to one of the escorts standing around the coffee machine. “Brandon, dearest! Please show our fine detective to the Indigo Room.”
-
- Rachael's Spinner
- Posts: 21
- Joined:
Re: My first solo game, in fiction form
DAY 1: MORNING (Scene Two)
This young Brandon led me back out to the lobby and past those of Lulu’s ‘kittens’ that waited for business there, and to an elevator. We got in.
“What floor, please?” asked the elevator’s buttonless and screenless control panel.
“Champagne,” Brandon replied, and we rose. It was kind of fascinating - they really didn’t want you to know where you were, or where you were going. Soon enough the elevator car levelled out, and announced, “Champagne.” The doors opened.
There were hallways going in all directions here, and the mirrors completely covering the walls, doors, and ceilings were certainly disorienting. They also ensured you got a real good look at the passing merchandise - whether you wanted to or not. I hoped my time here would be brief.
Brandon brought me to a door, numberless, mirrored and identical to all the others. Certainly nothing about it said ‘Indigo Room.’ I just had to trust that the young man knew where he was going. He knocked, and then melted away.
A moment passed, then the door opened. Here was a woman apparently fresh out of the shower, clad only in a towel, with another one around her hair, concealing its colour. She was a real jaw-dropper. If she looked this good in just a couple of towels, I didn’t even want to imagine what she might look like dressed up to the nines (or down to the zeroes, for that matter).
“Alexis?”
She studied me. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. If you want to make an arrangement, I’ll have to clear it with Lulu.”
“It’s nothing like that,” I said, presenting my badge. “I’m Leonard Graves, LAPD. I just have a few questions.”
She turned away and went to sit on the bed, the implications of which were not lost on me. I entered, leaving the door open, and took in the room. It was windowless, as I expected - you only had to see the building’s exterior to know that Lulu’s Labyrinth had very few windows. The decor was tasteful, but generic and impersonal. You got the sense that these escorts were not permanently assigned to any particular room. That fit the motif.
There was a little table near the bed, with two chairs. I took one of those, and held my KIA up for the girl. Mendez’s picture was on the screen.
“Do you know this person?”
She leaned forward to get a better look, and, no doubt, to give me a better look at what was hidden under that towel. I really wanted out of there.
“Oh yes, that’s Julio…Mendez, I think. He was a regular of mine, for a while.”
“But not anymore?”
[CIPHER TABLE: SM106 - Method: conceal, focus: love]
“No, but it’s probably just as well.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“He was falling in love with me. He never said as much, and he’d certainly tell you otherwise, but… a woman knows.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
She looked as wise as she was beautiful. “It can be dangerous.”
“Did Julio ever make you feel unsafe?”
[CIPHER TABLE: SM016 - Method: protect, focus: connection]
“No, but I did feel it was necessary to let him know that I was happy with our relationship just as it was.”
I called up another photo on my KIA, this one of Trish Novosad. “How about this officer? Recognize her?” This time I held the KIA out at arm’s length, so that she wouldn't have to lean forward again. One more of those, and I might be getting out the credit card.
“Never,” Alexis said.
I slipped the KIA back into my coat. “Someone’s attempting to blackmail Detective Mendez. Would you happen to know anything about that?”
“Absolutely not! He was one of my best clients.”
[CLUE TABLES: SM018 - Photograph, corrupted, connects to an unknown or mysterious person]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS TABLE: SM010 - Confident]
Nothing to go on. I cast my eye around the room for something, anything that might resemble a lead. And miracle of miracles, what I’d thought was a crumpled up piece of stationery on the table was actually a photograph. I picked it up and smoothed it out, Alexis looking on in silence. In the photo was Alexis, looking radiant, and a handsome, smiling young man.
“Nice photo,” I remarked, “who’s the fella?”
“My boyfriend. My ex-boyfriend,” she corrected herself. “He had… irreconcilable issues with my work.”
“If it’s just so much garbage now, can I have it? It’s nice.”
She stood, gracefully communicating that our little chat had come to an end. “It’s all yours, officer.”
I thanked her for her time and, on two very shaky legs, beat it out of there.
* * *
“Graves? What have you got?”
I was back in my spinner, which was currently being pounded by morning rain. Mendez's face was on the vid-phon.
“I just talked to Lulu and your friend Alexis. Has anyone made any demands, yet? And any word from Novosad?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s driving me nuts!”
"Those photos you’ve been getting,” I began, and told myself that there weren’t two reasons I was asking this question, “is Alexis herself in any of them?”
“No, and I wish she was! That Alexis was one to tell the grandkids about!” He roared laughter. Real tough talk from the ol’ softie, but I let it go.
“I’m going to check out a couple of things, and get back to you.”
This young Brandon led me back out to the lobby and past those of Lulu’s ‘kittens’ that waited for business there, and to an elevator. We got in.
“What floor, please?” asked the elevator’s buttonless and screenless control panel.
“Champagne,” Brandon replied, and we rose. It was kind of fascinating - they really didn’t want you to know where you were, or where you were going. Soon enough the elevator car levelled out, and announced, “Champagne.” The doors opened.
There were hallways going in all directions here, and the mirrors completely covering the walls, doors, and ceilings were certainly disorienting. They also ensured you got a real good look at the passing merchandise - whether you wanted to or not. I hoped my time here would be brief.
Brandon brought me to a door, numberless, mirrored and identical to all the others. Certainly nothing about it said ‘Indigo Room.’ I just had to trust that the young man knew where he was going. He knocked, and then melted away.
A moment passed, then the door opened. Here was a woman apparently fresh out of the shower, clad only in a towel, with another one around her hair, concealing its colour. She was a real jaw-dropper. If she looked this good in just a couple of towels, I didn’t even want to imagine what she might look like dressed up to the nines (or down to the zeroes, for that matter).
“Alexis?”
She studied me. “I wasn’t expecting anyone. If you want to make an arrangement, I’ll have to clear it with Lulu.”
“It’s nothing like that,” I said, presenting my badge. “I’m Leonard Graves, LAPD. I just have a few questions.”
She turned away and went to sit on the bed, the implications of which were not lost on me. I entered, leaving the door open, and took in the room. It was windowless, as I expected - you only had to see the building’s exterior to know that Lulu’s Labyrinth had very few windows. The decor was tasteful, but generic and impersonal. You got the sense that these escorts were not permanently assigned to any particular room. That fit the motif.
There was a little table near the bed, with two chairs. I took one of those, and held my KIA up for the girl. Mendez’s picture was on the screen.
“Do you know this person?”
She leaned forward to get a better look, and, no doubt, to give me a better look at what was hidden under that towel. I really wanted out of there.
“Oh yes, that’s Julio…Mendez, I think. He was a regular of mine, for a while.”
“But not anymore?”
[CIPHER TABLE: SM106 - Method: conceal, focus: love]
“No, but it’s probably just as well.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
“He was falling in love with me. He never said as much, and he’d certainly tell you otherwise, but… a woman knows.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
She looked as wise as she was beautiful. “It can be dangerous.”
“Did Julio ever make you feel unsafe?”
[CIPHER TABLE: SM016 - Method: protect, focus: connection]
“No, but I did feel it was necessary to let him know that I was happy with our relationship just as it was.”
I called up another photo on my KIA, this one of Trish Novosad. “How about this officer? Recognize her?” This time I held the KIA out at arm’s length, so that she wouldn't have to lean forward again. One more of those, and I might be getting out the credit card.
“Never,” Alexis said.
I slipped the KIA back into my coat. “Someone’s attempting to blackmail Detective Mendez. Would you happen to know anything about that?”
“Absolutely not! He was one of my best clients.”
[CLUE TABLES: SM018 - Photograph, corrupted, connects to an unknown or mysterious person]
[CRITICAL SUCCESS TABLE: SM010 - Confident]
Nothing to go on. I cast my eye around the room for something, anything that might resemble a lead. And miracle of miracles, what I’d thought was a crumpled up piece of stationery on the table was actually a photograph. I picked it up and smoothed it out, Alexis looking on in silence. In the photo was Alexis, looking radiant, and a handsome, smiling young man.
“Nice photo,” I remarked, “who’s the fella?”
“My boyfriend. My ex-boyfriend,” she corrected herself. “He had… irreconcilable issues with my work.”
“If it’s just so much garbage now, can I have it? It’s nice.”
She stood, gracefully communicating that our little chat had come to an end. “It’s all yours, officer.”
I thanked her for her time and, on two very shaky legs, beat it out of there.
* * *
“Graves? What have you got?”
I was back in my spinner, which was currently being pounded by morning rain. Mendez's face was on the vid-phon.
“I just talked to Lulu and your friend Alexis. Has anyone made any demands, yet? And any word from Novosad?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s driving me nuts!”
"Those photos you’ve been getting,” I began, and told myself that there weren’t two reasons I was asking this question, “is Alexis herself in any of them?”
“No, and I wish she was! That Alexis was one to tell the grandkids about!” He roared laughter. Real tough talk from the ol’ softie, but I let it go.
“I’m going to check out a couple of things, and get back to you.”
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