America Ever After: Act I

"The year is this year. The day is this day. The time? I don't know. Irrelevant. Not like I'm going to be late to a meeting, or a party, or a date. Life doesn't have those anymore. Life doesn't have much of anything anymore. They're all gone. Billions of humans. Perished. To what? The flu. The //flu// ended us. Not a meteor. Not the zombie apocalypse. It was the flu. A cough worse than the Plague. All that's left are the doctors who were smart enough to avoid it, and those immune to it. The doctors don't have much time left. It's airborne now, in it's final stages. They'll be gone soon too. I'm with one doctor. Doctor Tripp. He locked me in this room. Called me PATIENT ZERO. But I'm no patient. I'm a lab rat. A test tube. A frantic, forlorn hope for salvation. He's tested my blood for weeks. Maybe months. Who knows? When it began there was a team of doctors and scientists and armed security to back him up, but now, they're all gone. He's all that's left. I'm done being in this box. I miss the wind outside hitting my face. I miss the smell of my city. I miss freedom. I'm leaving this place." [[Today.|Password]]

<center><h2>''America Ever After''</h2> //Act I - Cold, Bitter Wind// Episode 1: Today V4.4.1</center> <hr></hr> //Note. This is not your typical choose-your-own-adventure, in that your choices will never lead to failure. All of the paths will lead to an ending. There is no canon ending. The timelines run together and separately all at once. So if you die, perhaps that's the real ending, and if you arrive at some mushy bright-sky with a ton of hope and possibility, perhaps you messed up along the way. It's impossible to know.// It is only possible to decide, and continue based on those decisions. So try your best. Survive. Create your end. Or don't. ''This is your canon.'' [[We All Lose in the End - Begin Story|Chapter Page]] [[Skip to Chapter 2]] [[Disclaimer and Changelog]] <hr></hr> (set: $all to 0)

A small room. One opaque window. A rusted, metal door. Linoleum tiles. A tiny blue clock ticking away the days beside a red intercom. In the corner is a toilet and next to it on the floor is a small drain for the showerhead above. You're on a bed; if it can be called that. The bed is a skinny, rotten cot atop an iron frame. You open your eyes. You scan the room. The overhead intercom beeps. [["Hello?"]] [["Good morning."->"Hello?"]] [[Say nothing.->"Hello?"]] (set: $energy to 1) (set: $poison to 0) (set: $hygiene to 0) (set: $tripp to true)

"Good morning, ''Salvation''. Glad to see you're finally awake. You decided to sleep in today." [["Not much point in waking up."]] [["I've been awake. Just didn't feel like opening my eyes."->"Not much point in waking up."]] [["Screw you."->"Not much point in waking up."]] [[Say nothing.->"Not much point in waking up."]]

"You're in a good mood." The intercom cracks. "I'll be in shortly with your breakfast. But first I have a few questions for you. Feel free to just answer back with your choice." [["Got it."|Test]] [[Say nothing.|Test]]

The intercom beeps. The room goes silent. You stand up, and walk over to the toilet and shower. [[Take a shower.]] [[Take a dump.]] [[Drink some water from the toilet.]]

You pull your gown off and throw it on the floor. The shower is on in an instant. It rains lukewarm water all over your pale flesh. //No sunlight for so long//, you realize as you rinse your hair. Time passes. You turn off the water and air dry. [[Drink some water from the toilet.]] [[Go sit on the bed.]]

You pull up your gown and sit naked on the toilet. You push out a small bit of dark matter and flush it. The toilet paper is like sandpaper. It rips as you wipe, covering your index finger in feces. [["That's gross."|"That's gross."]] [[Immediately stand up to shower.->Take a shower.]]

You cup your hand in the toilet and take a long sip. It's delicious. Best water you've had in days. [[Go sit on the bed.]] (set: $energy to 3)

You walk back over to the bed. A small photo sticks out from beneath the mattress. [[Grab the photo.]] (set: $photo to 0) (set: $trustTripp to 0)

You wipe your hand on more toilet paper, and since you have no soap, you dip your fingers in the toilet water to clean off your finger. You pull your gown down. [[Go sit on the bed.]] (set: $poison to $poison + 1)

It is a picture of you, a woman, and a child. The child clutches your hand. You all seem happy. [[Keep the photo.|Family Memories]] [[Screw that kid. Toss the photo.|The Door Opens.]]

Doctor Tripp enters the room. He's a small man with blonde hair. Normally, he'd be wearing a suit to protect himself from the possibility of disease. But he's given up on this precaution. He wears a polo and jeans, as if off-duty, and the collar of the polo is caked in dark, dry blood. He holds an aluminum tray in front of him. On the tray is a sandwich and a few old pieces of celery. He sets it down on the bed next to you. [["You get uglier and uglier every day."|Retort #1]] [["Thank you. It looks great."|Kindness #1]] (if: $photo > 0)[Hold up the photo. [["When will I see them again?"]]] (set: $poisonFood to 0)

He spits on your face. The blood from his saliva stings your eye. [[Spit back.|Retort #2]] [[Wipe away the spit. Say nothing.|He Leaves the Room]]

He flails backward, clearly caught off guard. He wipes the mucus off of his face and lets out a grunt of disgust. [["Now walk that snot out of my room."|He Leaves the Room]] [[Now's your chance! You attack.|Attack #1]]

You put the picture in your lap and think about the days of old. After that trip down memory lane, you push the photo under your leg in the knick of time. [[The Door Opens.]] (set: $photo to 1)

"When the time is right. I understand you miss them," he responds. A brief moment of silence passes between you two. He looks down at the food and takes the tray back. "I'm going to return in a second. I forgot something." [[He Leaves the Room]] (set: $poisonFood to 1) (set: $trustTripp to 2)

"You don't have to lie," he says, before pulling a small rag out of his pocket and coughing on it. He folds the bloody rag up and slides it back into his pocket without examining it. He scratches his head. "I know this is a difficult situation we're in." [["No dip, Sherlock."|Retort #1]] [["It is. I just want to know that I'm going to leave here."|Kindness #2]]

"I understand your concerns. Truly. I do. But I can't let you leave until I'm able to synthesize a cure. Otherwise, all of this will have been for naught. Do you understand?" [["Yes."|He Leaves the Room]] [[Attack him.|Attack #1]] (set: $trustTripp to 1)

He leaves the room. The door slams behind him and he seals it to keep you in. The room is silent and the air sits heavy. You are alone. (if: $poisonFood < 1)[[[You look at the food. The bread is molded. The vegetables are extremely dry. Grab the tray.|Grab the tray]]] (else:)[[[You look at where the food once was, and your stomach growls. Now what are you supposed to do?|Look at the Window]]]

As you stand to attack him, Tripp punches you square in the neck. You collapse on the bed in pain. [[Well, that was stupid...|He Leaves the Room]] (set: $trustTripp to 0)

You look down at the rotten food. It's better than some of the other stuff he's brought you, but something isn't quite right. [[Eat it anyways.|I'm starving]] [[Inspect the bread.|Examine]]

You look at the window. It's black, and you can't see through it at all. You're hungry and a little tired. (if: $energy < 2)[You're also thirsty!] [[Things keep getting worse and worse...|Time Passes #1]]

You take a massive bite from the sandwich. The ham is a little crunchy, but you don't care. It's delicious. [[Eat some celery]] (set: $poison to $poison + 3) (set: $energy to $energy + 1)

You pull the bread off the sandwich and notice white dust on top of the ham. The dust is very fine. [[What is it?]] [[Whatever, I'm hungry.|I'm starving]]

The celery isn't half-bad. You eat it greedily. Your stomach is content, and you feel good. Who cares if you don't exactly know what you ate? [[It's sooooo good!|Time Passes #1]] (set: $energy to $energy + 1)

Yo... it's crushed glass. "What the-," you whisper. [[Eat it anyways.|I'm starving]] [[Throw the tray.|Throw the tray]] [[Set the tray down next to you]]

The tray slams against the glass window. The glass doesn't feel a thing. Now you're hungry and your room is a mess. [[Get some sleep|Time Passes #1]] [[Clean it up.|Time Passes #1]]

You carefully set the tray down next to you, putting the bread back on the sandwich. Your stomach growls angrily. [[Sleep|Time Passes #1]] [[Pace the room|Time Passes #1]]

Some time passes. "Stand By Me" begins to play over the intercom system. [[Dance]] [[Stay on the bed]]

You dance, swaying back and forth to the smooth voice of Ben E. King. All of the bad thoughts go out of your head briefly. The only things that exist are you and the music. You make your way back over to the bed as the song ends and sit. [[Feels good to let go.|Tripp Returns]] (set: $energy to $energy + 1)

You don't move. There's no cause for celebration. You're trapped God knows where and now music is playing? It's like being in the waiting room for Hell. [[Tripp Returns]]

Tripp reenters the room. (if: $trustTripp > 1)[He carries a tray of food. The food looks fresher. No mold on the bread. Carrots instead of celery, and they look delicious. [[Take the tray]]] (else:)[Tripp pulls a small folding chair in behind him. He unfolds it and sits down in front of you. [[Silence]]]

You put the tray on your lap. Your stomach growls in anticipation. "I felt bad. Feeding you slop. Especially since we have so much food left. Well-err, I have so much food left." [["It's just you left?"]] [[Eat the food]]

Tripp pulls a needle out of his pocket. The needle has caked blood inside the syringe. It's old. "I need a bit more of your blood." [["Not with that dirty needle."|Bad 1]] [["Okay. Fine."|Draw Blood]] (if: $trippTrust > 4)[[[Do you really need more of my blood?|Kindness 5]]]

He leans over and grabs a carrot off the tray. It crunches in his mouth. He winces in pain as it slides down his tender throat. "Yeah, just me. Getting kinda lonely back there. But I've got to keep looking for a cure. I can't die like this." You see for the first time how worn out Tripp is. His eyes are purple and sunken, his throat is swollen. "I feel bad keeping you in here. I don't want you to think I'd do this if I had any other option." [["Let me out. I won't leave the facility. I just don't want to be stuck in this room anymore."|Ask to Leave]] [["We aren't friends, Tripp.|Backstep #1]] [[Eat the food]]

You look down at the tray. The food looks good enough. [[Eat]] [[Examine|Examine 2]]

"I suppose that wouldn't be the worst thing. But I would have to have your word that you aren't going to try anything funny." [["Scout's honor. I'm not going anywhere."|Ask to Leave 2]] [["Do you think I'm going to try to kill you or something?"|Sarcasm 1]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 2)

"I wasn't insisting we were. I was only trying to empathize with your situation. Excuse me for trying." [[Eat the food]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust - 1)

You slowly eat the food. Tripp doesn't speak while you eat. The ham and cheese sandwich is filling and the carrots are delicious. You can't eat them all. Your stomach is extremely sensitive because you're a bit malnourished so you down what you can and leave the rest. [["Not gonna lie. That was terrible."|Backstep 2]] [[Thank you, doctor.|Kindness 3]] (set: $energy to $energy + 5) (set: $firstmeal to 1)

You pull the bread off of the sandwich. The ham looks fresh, and the cheese, provolone, looks like it was sliced from a block. It's been a couple months since the world ended, but it looks like Tripp got this recently. "What? Did you think I'd poison you?" [["You never know."|Backstep 2]] [["No, of course not. i just wanted to see what I was eating. Thank you for the food. It looks great.|Kindness 4]] [[Say nothing|Backstep 2]]

"My pleasure. I do feel a bit bad about keeping you in here. Especially for so long. I never meant for this to go on for so long." [["Let me out then. I won't leave the facility. I just don't want to be stuck in this room anymore."|Ask to Leave]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 1)

"We should probably get to the real reason I'm here." He takes the tray from you and throws it on the ground. [["What the-?"|Silence]] [[Say nothing|Silence]] (set: $trippTrust to 0)

"Your words mean a lot. I know it's hard being nice to me after all of the pain I'm putting you through. I don't want it to be this way. I never meant to keep you here this long." [["Let me out then. I won't leave the facility. I just don't want to be stuck in this room anymore."|Ask to Leave]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 1)

"Let me think about it. If I can figure out a way to keep the entrance locked down so I don't have to worry about you sneaking out then I guess letting you out of this room won't be so bad. That okay?" (if: $firstmeal < 1)[[["Take your time."|Eat 2]]] (else:)[[["Take your time."|Silence]]] [["It's not okay. Let me out right now you ugly roach."|Backstep 2]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 1)

He clears his throat. "I wasn't thinking that. But now I am." [["Sorry, bad joke. I promise I'm not going anywhere."|Ask to Leave 2]] [["Monsters get murdered. Know what I'm saying?"|Backstep 2]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust - 1)

You slowly eat the food. Tripp doesn't speak while you eat. The ham and cheese sandwich is filling and the carrots are delicious. You can't eat them all. Your stomach is extremely sensitive because you're a bit malnourished so you down what you can and leave the rest. You set the tray down next to you. [[Thank you, doctor.|Silence]] (set: $energy to $energy + 5) (set: $firstmeal to 1) (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 3)

Tripp pulls a taser from his pocket and jolts you. The pain is immediate. It runs up your side in waves. You fall to the floor next to the cot. [[He gets down next to you|Draw Blood 2]]

Tripp runs his hand down your arm to locate the vein. He finds it, jabs you with the dirty needle and takes a good amount. "Thank you for making this easy." He leaves the room, and the chair behind. [[Now what?|Time Passes 2]]

Tripp looks down at his hands. Tears form in his eyes. "I guess it is pretty hopeless at this point." [["There's hope, doctor. Don't give up. Take the blood."|Draw Blood]] [["You have to accept that you're going to die."|Kindness 6]] [["You're on your way out. Nothing will save you."|Backstep 3]] [[Say nothing.|Kindness 6]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 5)

He drops the needle on the floor. The waterworks ensue. Tripp cries like a baby without a nipple. [[Grab the needle. Break the syringe. Slit his throat.|Attack 2]] [[Hug him.|Kindness 7]] (set: $trippTrust to $trippTrust + 3)

Tripp looks up, angry. His eyes are red as Pennywise's balloons. [[Draw Blood]] (set: $trippTrust to 0)

You quickly reach down, grab the syringe, crack the glass with your fingers and jump up. (if: $energy > 6)[[[You pull back Tripp's hair, and run the jagged glass along his throat.|Attack 3]]] (else:)[[[Your body jolts in pain and you fall to the ground.|Subdued]]] (set: $trippTrust to 0)

Tripp attempts to push you away, but can't. In this emotional state he is weak and ineffective. He cries into your arm for some time. [["There, there."|Road to Freedom]] (set: $trippTrust to 20)

You barely break skin. Tripp screams and jumps up. A small taser falls out of his pocket and clatters to the floor. [[Grab it.|Attack 4]] [[Beat him to death with your bare hands.|Attack 5]]

Tripp leans down next to you with a taser in his hand. He pulls your arm free, quickly locates a vein, and jabs you with the needle. You are too weak to fight. [[Where did I go wrong?|Draw Blood 2]]

You grab the taser and zap him over and over again. His body jolts and writhes on the floor. Blood leaks from his mouth. He stops shaking. You lean down to check his pulse. It's stopped. The tase plus the sickness was too much for him to handle. [[You're free.|Freedom]]

You grab him, turning him around and pushing him to the floor. You punch him over and over again. Your fist pounding into his flesh until he can't fight back anymore. Eventually he stops responding. You don't stop. You keep punching. You haven't felt this way in a long time. [[You feel free.|Freedom]]

He violently jabs the needle into your arm and draws blood. You feel the stab, but can't stop him. Your body tremors in pain. Tripp leaves the room. Dazed, you lay on the ground for some time. [[Time Passes.|Time Passes 2]]

You have passed the tutorial. You understand your life, ''Salvation''. From here on, the story will get more dangerous and the choices more dire. You will never see Tripp again, no matter the decisions you made. But everyone and everything you do from here on out will effect your journey. Good luck. In the future to skip the tutorial and go to Chapter 2, simply enter the password: Tripp. [[Onward|Freedom 2]]

He pulls something from inside his pocket. You look to see what it is. In his hand is a ring of keys. "Take them. Go. Far from here. Don't look back." [[Take the keys.|Freedom]] [["I'm not leaving you. Not like this. Come with me."|Road to Freedom 2]] (set: $trippTrust to 50)

"There's nothing out there for me. The world is... gone. There's no one. I'll go out there to die. I don't want to die out there." [[Nod. Take the keys.|Freedom]] [["We will find a way. Trust me. You can't die in here."|Road to Freedom 3]] (set: $trippTrust to 75)

"Go. Please. Just go." Tripp cries. You can stay or you can go. It's your choice. [[Stay forever.|No Hope Left 1]] [[Take the keys. Leave this place.|Freedom]] (set: $trippTrust to 100)

Your fate in the facility was never known. Your story did not continue from there. Did you die there? Did you live? It is impossible to tell, but one thing is for sure. It's not the way it has to end. <center><h2> ###Game Over (link: "Restart")[(reload:)]

You doze off. But something breaks through your slumber. There's a light above you. It beckons to you in a soft voice. "The door will open when it's time." The light grows until it consumes everything. The ceiling, the walls, the bed and the floor around you all disappear into that hungry light. They fade into its insatiable appetite, leaving you floating in bright white. A wading pool of luminescence grows around you. The voice that called to you only moments before moves further and further away from this white space. You have three choices. Hang on. Let go. Fight back. Is this the end of your journey? On the floor of a prison cell? [[Hang on.|The Way Out]] [[Fight back.|The Way Out]]

<center><h2>(set: $password to (prompt: "What is the password?:" , "Enter Password")) (if: $password is "Oedipus")[[[Continue|Episode 1]]] (else:)[You are wrong. [[Try again|Password]]]

You awaken. The room has barely changed. The chair where Tripp once sat is still there. The door is locked behind it. You are on the bed. The chair is made of wood. You notice a small splinter on the side. [[Break the Chair.]] [[Don't waste your energy.]]

You pull the chair up to your chest and quietly snap off the leg. With the stake in your hand, you may have a chance to escape. What should you do? [[Hide Behind the Door.]] [[Wait on the Bed.]]

You lay there and await your fate. Time passes and it feels endless. [[I'm going to die here...|No Hope Left 1]]

You hide behind the door. Tripp looks around the room, confused. [[Kill that miserable fool.|Attack 6]]

You wait on the bed. Tripp enters. His gait is a bit more labored than before. He doesn't notice the chair. "Why won't you get sick? What makes you so special?" [["I'm not special."|Kindness 8]] [["Time to die you old bitch!"|Attack 6]] [[Silence|Tripp Approaches]]

<center><h2>''Chapter II: Fairview''</h2> //[[Begin|Free at Last 1]]//

<center><h2>''Chapter I: Tripp''</h2> //[[Begin]]//

The air is thick. No birds caw like they did back in The Great Before. Wind whistles through your hair. The breeze feels nice. [[The Long Walk begins.|Long Walk]] (set: $energy to 3) (set: $poison to 0) (set: $hygiene to 3) (set: $hunger to 3) (set: $food to 0) (set: $fish to 0) (set: $backpack to false) (set: $gun to false) (set: $decisionone to 0) (set: $markofsin to false)

"I'm so afraid to die. I haven't lived such a great life." He coughs. "I'm probably going to Hell. I'm afraid." [["Hell is where you belong."|Retort]] [["There is nothing to fear but fear itself." Hug Tripp.|Road to Freedom]]

Tripp is unable to fight. You smash the chair leg into his head and beat him to death with it. He struggles for only a moment, but succumbs to his fate. Darkness overwhelms him. [[You are free.|Freedom]]

"I don't know what else to say to you but that I'm sorry. I can't just let you leave. I have no choice but to keep you here and continue my work on a cure. There has to be a cure." [["You're gonna die, old man. Accept it."|Retort]] [[Beat him to death.|Attack 6]]

Tripp grunts. He exits the room. He locks the door behind him. You sit there with nowhere to go. Time is endless. [[It never ends.|No Hope Left 1]]

You travel down the empty two-lane road, leaving the nightmare of Doctor Tripp and the Facility behind you. The sun is low on the horizon, you think it must be a little past three in the afternoon. A road sign tells you the town of Fairview is another five miles down this road. Do you make camp for the night, or continue on? [[Turn in for the night.|Camp Building]] [[Continue on.|Long Walk 2]]

You have the option to camp in the woods or near the street. If you camp in the woods, you have the added security of being in the trees, but you have to be careful about fires and/or creatures like snakes. If you camp near the road, you could be susceptible to survivors with cruel intentions. Make your choice. [[Camp in the Woods.|Forest Camp]] [[Camp near the Road.|Road Camp]]

The path to Fairview is clear and easy. As you approach the small town, you can see the steeple of a white church. You think back to the days of old, when people would go there for worship. Were you a religious person? [[There is no God.|Godless]] [[I believe in God.|Believer]] (set: $store to false) (set: $church to false) (set: $inn to false)

You walk into a small clearing. There are a number of trees, a small babbling brook, and a ruined log. The sun is starting to set. Plan wisely. Where to begin? [[Sleep on the Ground.|Ground Sleeper]] [[Construct a Fire.|Fire!]] [[Look for Fish.|Fishing]] (set: $chance to (random: 0,10)) (if: $logic is 1)[(set: $chance to $chance+1)] (if: $intelligence > 5)[(set: $chance to 10)] (if: $luck > 5)[(set: $chance to 10)]

You find a small patch of grass beneath the highway to sleep under. You make a makeshift bed out of the fauna and lay down. It's still kinda early, but there isn't much around to do. [[You Sleep.|Ground Sleeper]]

You sleep on the ground among the bugs. You're gonna smell great in the morning. [[Blessings...|Day Two]] (set: $energy to $energy+1) (set: $hunger to $hunger-2)

Using the wood from the broken down log, you set a pretty nice fire just as the sun sets on the horizon. At least you don't have to worry about the cold tonight. (if: $fish is 0)[It's too late to go fish now.] [[Time for Bed. Sleep on the Ground.|Ground Sleeper]] (if: $fish is 1)[[[Time to eat! Cook the Fish.|Tasty 2]]] (set: $energy to $energy+1)

You walk over to the stream and look down into the water. There are a number of large catfish. (if: $chance > 6)[[[You catch a fish.|Nice Catch!]]] (else:)[[[You can't catch a fish.|No Catch]]]

Now that that's out of the way... [[Continue to Fairview|Long Walk 3]]

(if: $decisionone is 0)[The path to Fairview is clear and easy. As you approach the small town, you can see the steeple of a white church. You think back to the days of old, when people would go there for worship. Were you a religious person? [[There is no God.|Godless 2]] [[I believe in God.|Believer 2]]] (if: $decisionone is 1)[You head back to Fairview. Daylight sure makes the town look less haunted. [[Where to?]]]

You catch a catfish. You head back to camp. [[Eat the fish Raw.|Tasty 1]] [[Start a fire.|Fire!]] (set: $fish to 1)

You aren't able to catch a fish. It's too dark to make a fire. [[Sleep on the Ground.|Ground Sleeper]]

You eat the delicious fish. There aren't any resources around for you to make a bed, so... [[Sleep on the Ground.|Ground Sleeper]] (set: $hunger to $hunger+1)

You chow down on your perfectly cooked catfish. You have nowhere to sleep besides the ground. [[Time for bed!|Ground Sleeper]] (set: $hunger to $hunger+4)

<center>(set: $password to (prompt: "What is the password?:" , "Enter Password")) (if: $password is "Tripp")[[[Skip Tutorial]]] (else:)[You are wrong. [[Try again|Skip to Chapter 2]]] <small>Please be aware that by skipping the tutorial you will auto-select your stats and be unable to change them for the course of the game. This may cause you to miss some choices.</small> [[Exit|Episode 1]]

''RECEIVED GOD'S BLESSING'' You take a moment to say a quick prayer and then continue down the road. As the sun sets, you arrive on the outer edge of Fairview. [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $faith to 1) (set: $logic to 0) (set: $decisionone to 1)

''RECEIVED POWER OF LOGIC'' You take a moment to think about God and your atheism and then continue down the road. As the sun sets, you arrive on the outer edge of Fairview. [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $faith to 0) (set: $logic to 1) (set: $decisionone to 1)

(if: $store is false)[You wander over to a storefront. It looks ransacked but you can't really see. The glass windows and door have been shattered. Do you go inside? [[Enter the Store.|FS2]] [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]]] (if: $store is true)[You've already checked the store. [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]]]

You approach a small motor inn. There aren't many cars. You do notice that there's a light coming from one of the rooms on the second floor. //How odd//, you think. There's no electricity anywhere else in the town. There must be a candle lit in the room. Which means there must be a person in there. [[Go to the Window.|I2]] [[Search the Inn Office.|I3]] [[Go to the Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $roomkey to false) (set: $sparekey to false) (set: $couple to false)

(if: $church is false)You enter the small church. There isn't much to see besides a skeleton of a man long lost in prayer. He holds a small Bible in his hands. Do you take the Bible? [[Yes.|Bible]] [[No. Go to the Store.|Fairview Store]] [[No. Go to the Inn.|Fairview Inn]]

You carefully navigate the dark aisles but come up empty-handed. It seems like everything here has already been taken. [[Check the Office.|FS3]] [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]]

You enter the small office and find a bottled water. You chug it down quickly and then sit. Well, at least you found something. [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $hunger to $hunger+1) (set: $store to true)

You slowly approach the window outside Room 206 and look inside. A man and a woman are asleep in the bed. On the far side of the room, you can see three machine guns. They are heavily armed. (if: $roomkey is false)[[[Try the Door.|Locked]]](else:)[[[Enter the Room.|Room206]]] (if: $sparekey is true)[You have a room key, but it's not the right one.] [[Search the Inn Office.|I3]]

(if: $sparekey is false)[The office is pretty neat, all things considered. You enter. There are a number of keys hanging on a small board. The corresponding room numbers are written above each set of keys. There are a few rooms with keys still hanging on their hook, but most are missing. [[Look Around.|I4]] [[Take the Key for 207.|Wrong Key]] [[Take the Key for 208.|Wrong Key]] [[Take the Key for 209.|Wrong Key]]] (else:)[You've already taken a key. The rest won't do you much good. [[Look Around.|I4]]]

It's locked. Now what? [[Search the Inn Office.|I3]] [[Go to the Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] It's too dark. Danger could be lurking. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]]

(if: $couple is false)[You slowly enter the room. You can hear the soft snores of the man and woman in the bed. [[Bash their Skulls in with a Gun.|Killer]] [[Take a Weapon and Exit.|I7]] [[Wake them up.|I8]]] (if: $couple is true)[You've already checked the room. [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] That's enough excitement. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]]] (set: $chance to (random: 0,10)) (if: $logic is 1)[(set: $chance to $chance+1)] (if: $faith is 1)[(set: $chance to $chance-5)] (if: $strength > 5)[(set: $chance to $chance+4)]

You notice a small drawer with SPARE written on it. You open the drawer and find a number of labeled keys. [[Take the spare key for Room 206.|I5]] (if: $sparekey is false)[[[Take a random key.|Wrong Key]]]

''RECEIVED KEY'' You take a key to a motel room. It's too dangerous to sleep here, but you could always try. [[Look Around.|I4]] [[Go back to the Window.|I2]] (set: $sparekey to true)

''RECEIVED ROOM 206 KEY'' You have the key to a room not on the board. [[Go to the Window.|I2]] [[That's enough for tonight... Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (if: $sparekey is true)[[[Go to a vacant room.|I6]]] (set: $roomkey to true)

You enter a vacant room with the key you found. This is probably a dangerous place to sleep with your neighbors nearby. Do you sleep anyways? [[Sleep in a Bed!|Bed Sleeper]] [[Go to the Occupied Room.|I2]] [[Search the Inn Office.|I3]] [[Go to the Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]]

(if: $chance > 4)[You take one of the guns and smash the man's head in. You stand over him and brutally bludgeon him to death. The woman wakes up and jumps out of bed, but you run over to her and throw her to the ground. You bash in her head too. (if: $sparekey is true)[[[Head to a vacant room.|I6]]] [[Check their things.|Search206]] [[Eat their corpses.|Cannibal]] [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] That's enough excitement. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]]] (else:)[You trip and fall to the floor. [[Did they hear that?|I8]]] (set: $couple to true) (set: $markofsin to true)

You take a gun and some ammo and exit the room. (if: $sparekey is true)[[[Go to a vacant room.|I6]]] [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] That's enough excitement. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $gun to true) (set: $couple to true)

You wake up the couple. They jump out of bed, screaming, naked, and run to their guns. They pin you onto the ground and torture you for hours. It ends in a bullet in your brain. Welp... <center><h2> ###Game Over (link: "Restart")[(reload:)]

You sleep peacefully. [[Day Two|Day Two, Side B]] (set: $energy to $energy+3) (set: $hunger to $hunger-2)

<center><h2> ###Game Over - More Coming Soon (link: "Restart")[(reload:)]

You take the Bible. You tuck it into your gown. [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Look for Shelter.|Fairview Inn]] (set: $bible to true) (set: $church to true)

You search their things. You find ammo for the guns and some canned food. You also find a small backpack that you throw over your shoulder. (if: $sparekey is true)[[[Head to a vacant room.|I6]]] [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] That's enough excitement. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $gun to true) (set: $food to 2) (set: $backpack to true)

You eat their raw flesh. It's delicious. (if: $sparekey is true)[[[Head to a vacant room.|I6]]] [[Check their things.|Search206]] [[Look for a Store.|Fairview Store]] [[Go to the Church.|Fairview Church]] That's enough excitement. [[Make Camp Outside Fairview.|Camp Building]] (set: $hunger to $hunger+3)

<small> //Disclaimer: This story is in ALPHA which means it is incomplete, not tested, or proofread. If you notice formatting or spelling errors, please report them to whomever gave you the link. There is currently no way to save your progress or track your inventory. This functionality will be added in a later update. Please check back periodically for changes. Due to the frequency of updates you may need to clear your browser's cookies for the game to update once changes have been made. The below changelog is to help you track such changes and updates.// Version 1.0: Initial Program. Slides 1-3 produced. (3/18/19) Version 2.0: Formatting Changes. Slides 4-11 produced. (3/18/19) Version 3.0: Item System Added. Energy System Added. Slides 12-13 produced. Choice System Added. (3/18/19) Version 3.1: Slides 14-20 produced. Dialogue Effects Added. Trust System Added. Formatting changes. (3/18/19) Version 3.2: Changelog Added. Disclaimer Added. Introduction reduced. Slides 21-28 produced. Hidden trackers configured. (3/19/19) Version 3.3: New hidden trackers added. Slides 29-61 produced. (3/19/19) Version 3.3.1: Loop corrected in "Food 2" Matrix. (3/19/19) Version 3.3.2: Cleaned up language. (3/20/19) Version 3.3.3: Added Password to Play. (3/20/19) Version 3.3.4: Modified Password. (3/25/19) Version 4.0: Finished tutorial. Added chapter title pages. (7/24/20) Version 4.0.1: Grammar and transition fixes. (7/24/20) Version 4.0.2: Bug fix (7/25/20) Version 4.1: Added Chapter 2 Forest Camp Slides. Updated Password Page. (7/25/20) Version 4.1.1: Added option to skip tutorial. (7/25/20) Version 4.2: Added Fairview Store and Road Camp. (7/25/20) Version 4.3: Fairview Slides and Bug Fixes. (7/25/20) Version 4.3.1: Bug Fixes. (7/25/20) Version 4.3.2: Chance variables added to Room 206 encounter. (7/25/20) Version 4.4: Added principal stats. (7/25/20) Version 4.4.1: Game Over Screen. (7/25/20)</small> [[Go Back|Episode 1]]

''RECEIVED POWER OF LOGIC'' You take a moment to think about God and your atheism and then continue down the road. As the sun sets, you arrive on the outer edge of Fairview. [[Where to?]] (set: $faith to 0) (set: $logic to 1) (set: $decisionone to 1)

''RECEIVED GOD'S BLESSING'' You take a moment to say a quick prayer and then continue down the road. As the sun rises on the horizon, you arrive on the outer edge of Fairview. [[Where to?]] (set: $faith to 1) (set: $logic to 0) (set: $decisionone to 1)

<center><h2> ###Game Over - More Coming Soon (link: "Restart")[(reload:)]

"That's the last question. Try to put a smile on. You have no reason to be-" the doctor coughs. A brief, but deep cough. The mucus in his throat is thick, thick enough to hear when he tries to say, "No reason to be upset." [["I'll try my best."]] [["Is that a cough, doc? That's not good."->"I'll try my best."]] [[Say nothing.->"I'll try my best."]]

"These questions are pretty simple, personality based. Just trying to get a better understanding of how your psyche is holding up in here." He coughs. Choose your answers wisely. You cannot change your answers without a full restart. "You are in the woods and a bear attacks. What do you do?" [["Fight the bear with my bare hands."|Strength]] [["Stand perfectly still until the bear retreats."|Luck]] [["Climb a tree to get out of the bear's reach."|Intelligence]] (set: $strength to 0) (set: $intelligence to 0) (set: $luck to 0)

"Interesting." [[Question 2]] (set: $strength to $strength+1)

"Interesting." [[Question 2]] (set: $luck to $luck+1)

"Interesting." [[Question 2]] (set: $intelligence to $intelligence+1)

"You're chopping onions and suddenly you cut off one of your fingers. What do you do?" [["Use the blood as a nice marinade for the onions."|L2]] [["Put it on ice and get to the hospital."|IN2]] [["Glue it back on."|S2]]

"Huh." [[Question 3]] (set: $strength to $strength+1)

"Huh." [[Question 3]] (set: $luck to $luck+1)

"Huh." [[Question 3]] (set: $intelligence to $intelligence+1)

"You're out in a public place and a man coughs, but you don't have a face mask to cover your face. What do you do?" [["Rip a small piece of fabric from my shirt and use it as a makeshift mask."|IN3]] [["Cover my face with my hand until I'm away from him."|L3]] [["Kill the man. No fears of spread from a dead man."|S3]]

"A violent one..." [[Question 4]] (set: $strength to $strength+1)

"That's pretty smart." [[Question 4]] (set: $intelligence to $intelligence+1)

"Hmmm." [[Question 4]] (set: $luck to $luck+1)

"Okay. Listen carefully for these next three." You hear a page flip. "A man kills your child. How do you respond?" [["Follow up through proper protocols of the law."|IN4]] [["Brute Force. Kill the man."|S4]] [["Poison the man's wine in the night, and hope for karma to do the rest."|L4]]

"Anger issues..." [[Question 5]] (set: $strength to $strength+2)

"Good luck with that." [[Question 5]] (set: $intelligence to $intelligence+2)

"That's a new one." [[Question 5]] (set: $luck to $luck+2)

"You find the vaccine for the superflu, but resources are scarce and you can only save half of the world. Who do you prioritze?" [["Elders. They are more vulnerable."|IN5]] [["Children. They are too young to die."|L5]] [["Only the people I like."|S5]]

"Too bad they didn't find one." [[Question 6]] (set: $intelligence to $intelligence+2)

"Too bad they didn't find one." [[Question 6]] (set: $luck to $luck+2)

"You are despicable." [[Question 6]] (set: $strength to $strength+2)

"You're the President of the United States, and you have the option to warn your country about the upcoming pandemic or to let them die and profit from their death. Which do you choose?" [["Profit. They deserve to die."|S6]] [["Help my people. Only a monster would deny warning the country of the threat of pandemic."|IN6]] [["Is this really a question on the test? Pretty sure everyone is dead, so there's your answer."|L6]]

"Monster." [[Last Question]] (set: $strength to $strength+2)

"If only all leaders thought like you." [[Last Question]] (set: $intelligence to $intelligence+2)

"I'll write that downn then." [[Last Question]] (set: $luck to $luck+2)

"Final question. What is the meaning of life?" [["Whatever you make of it."|Purpose]] [["There is no meaning."|Wayward]] [["Happiness."|Happy]] (set: $wayward to false) (set: $purpose to false) (set: $happy to false)

"Noted." [[Post Test]] (set: $purpose to true)

"I sure hope you're wrong." [[Post Test]] (set: $wayward to true)

He coughs. [[Post Test]] (set: $happy to true)

<center><h2>[[Continue|Freedom 2]] (set: $strength to 3) (set: $intelligence to 3) (set: $luck to 3)

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