"Our House" is the twelfth mission of Season 6.
At the Manor House treatment centre you unexpectedly run into more than one old friend.
Cast[]
Plot[]
The... Ghost Lady?[]
Kytan greets you enthusiastically, and explains why he needs games consoles. The consoles have neural nets, which Veronica is using to help people with Moonchild Syndrome.
Gets Like That Sometimes[]
In the conservatory with Veronica, Kytan tells you how the centre keeps running. Sam and Maxine ask about the Moonchild paintings, but Kytan thinks you should talk out of earshot of the 'ghost lady'.
Automatically Locks[]
You learn the person who painted the Moonchild pictures is dead. Sam, Maxine and Veronica aren't convinced the 'lady' you can hear is really a ghost, and ask Kytan to show you where the voice is heard most often.
Get To The Long Gallery[]
You arrive at a rotating, wooden tower. Inside Veronica takes a look at a set of computer screens disguised by panels. She finds some sort of artificial intelligence, that's copying itself to another part of the house to escape a 'kill programme'.
All Air Will Be Evacuated[]
After racing to catch up with the AI, Veronica isolates it in one part of the house. Maxine's not sure that's a good idea, and is proved right when it tries to evacuate the air from the room you're in.
A Lab Downstairs[]
Sam now recognises the voice: it's ANNIE, a murderous AI from an early Abel mission. Moonchild thinks ANNIE could be useful, but Kytan notices you're distracted, and realises you're the 'special' person with Moonchild Syndrome The Minister is after...
S06E12 // Rofflenet[]
Discussion regarding this mission can be found on Rofflenet
Transcript[]
KYTAN: It’s so great to see you, Five. And Doc Myers, and Tom! Hey, have you got Sam on comms, there? I brought my old headset for the occasion. [headset beeps] Abel runner, reporting for duty.
SAM YAO: Kytan! Wow, it’s been months, man. After Ian, you and Cameo… I mean, you just disappeared in the night.
KYTAN: Yeah. We needed to get our heads together. We needed some healing. Neither of us had really been the same since Yang died. We read a lot, got into some pretty groovy stuff. Found a few things that worked, and Cam headed off on a spirit quest. And I’m helping people with the voices.
TOM DE LUCA: With the help of games consoles?
KYTAN: Yeah. Thanks for those. We cannibalize them for parts. They had those neural nets to control the VR, and they help us see what’s going on with people. You said some of the people in the Abel alliance are having trouble with Moonchild, right? That’s a really common one. We’ve got some people here with Moonchild Syndrome.
TOM DE LUCA: And you can help them?
KYTAN: Let me show you. Veronica’s in the conservatory. Also, yeah, be quick about going through some of those doors. The ghost lady likes to shut them on people’s hands.
SAM YAO: The ghost lady?
KYTAN: Yeah! She’s fine as long as you keep moving. Come on, run!
VERONICA MCSHELL: Tom! Doctor Myers. Runner Five. Mr… Kytan?
KYTAN: Just Kytan, Veronica. Just Kytan. It’s cool you’re here looking for healing for your people. That’s what we’re all about. No judgment, just working to get better.
VERONICA MCSHELL: It’s a very luxurious facility. Is it funded by the Minister?
KYTAN: Nothing like that. We just found the building, moved in. No one else wanted it because of the lady. We are non-partisan. You know, like that med swap place with the animals? Different people help us. Like, one settlement sent us a ton of bedding. You know that guy, Valmont? His chef sends us these healthy recipes every week. They’re super specific. The ping-pong tables in here come from Eight of Hearts. People with Moonchild Syndrome come from all over.
MAXINE MYERS: And those drawings on the wall? Who sent those? They remind me of something Paula told me she saw in the neutral zone.
SAM YAO: Oh my God, I recognize those! You’re right, they’re just the same as those ones in the neutral zone. The same style of paintings of Moonchild, same swirls of lettering. [sighs] They’re incredible, man. You know… someone’s told me about what it’s like to have Moonchild Syndrome. But those paintings really make me feel it. It’s like I can hear her whispering when I look at them.
MAXINE MYERS: Yeah. If the painter’s here, we’d love to meet them.
KYTAN: We shouldn’t talk about this here, guys. Please, follow me now.
[door slams]
COMPUTER: Shut door. It should shut door.
KYTAN: Come on, lady, we’re opening the door now. [door creaks open] She gets like that sometimes. Just hurry and follow me.
KYTAN: Okay, I can tell you now we’re out of earshot.
MAXINE MYERS: What’s going on?
VERONICA MCSHELL: Who was that lady?
KYTAN: The painter of those pictures is dead. I’m sorry, I think it’s better to say those things quickly. Rip the plaster off. Sorry.
VERONICA MCSHELL: Did you need us to leave that room because his friends were there? I know that even a long time after death, it can still feel very hard. I still think about my dad a lot. I don’t like it when people talk about him without warning me.
KYTAN: Yeah, kind of. One of the guards who held him prisoner is here.
SAM YAO: You’ve got one of Sigrid’s guards there? Just mingling with the other people?
KYTAN: I don’t hold them responsible. Sigrid made them do some pretty brutal things to the prisoners. She’s really weird about people with Moonchild Syndrome. But yeah, we’re all about living in peace. That’s what we teach here: live in peace with each other. Live in peace with the voices. You don’t have to answer the voices. You don’t have to argue with them. They are what they are.
VERONICA MCSHELL: And what about "the lady"’s voice? We did hear something, didn’t we?
KYTAN: Yeah. For a lot of the people here, she’s just another voice.
MAXINE MYERS: But what is she actually?
KYTAN: I mean, the lady’s not really about what we do here -
[book falls]
COMPUTER: Check the identification.
MAXINE MYERS: Kytan, was it "the lady" who just made a large photo book of Xia-Hifa employee profiles fall from the bookshelf onto the floor?
KYTAN: Like I said, she’s a ghost.
SAM YAO: Yeah, I’m beginning to have my doubts about that, Kytan, I have to be honest.
VERONICA MCSHELL: Where in the house do you hear her most often?
KYTAN: The revolving tower, but the door of it automatically locks for the day in five minutes.
MAXINE MYERS: Then I think we better run.
MAXINE MYERS: Wow, would you look at that! A rotating wooden tower, paneled on the inside, spiral stairs up the middle. Some manor house!
[panel door creaks open]
TOM DE LUCA: Look at this. Behind this wooden panel, there’s a set of computer screens. A control system! It reminds me of – Jody mentioned to me that she’d been to a place like this, with panels like this. That house was destroyed, though. She went there with – [sighs] She went there with your father, Veronica. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to -
VERONICA MCSHELL: Oh, yes. Jody told me about that. She played me some tapes they made when they were there. They solved a murder. Kytan, do you mind if I look at these panels?
KYTAN: … I’m all about coexistence.
VERONICA MCSHELL: [types on keyboard] I don’t understand you about coexistence, though. Aren’t you trying to cure these people? Isn’t that what they came here for?
KYTAN: Now, I know you’re all about the cure, but coexistence is the only thing that’s ever set me free.
VERONICA MCSHELL: You can’t coexist with zombies.
KYTAN: Can’t you? Aren’t we doing that already? Aren’t there ways that society’s become better, stronger, more free because of it?
MAXINE MYERS: That’s certainly… an approach.
VERONICA MCSHELL: I don’t know if I’ll ever find the cure. Everything that I try now is a dead end. I feel like I’m going around in circles. [types on keyboard] Oh. Oh, that is fascinating! But what happens if I do – [types on keyboard] this? [system beeps] Fascinating!
MAXINE MYERS: Veronica, remember what we said about sharing your work with the rest of the class?
VERONICA MCSHELL: Oh, yes. Sorry. Uh, there’s sort of an intelligence in here, an AI program, I think. But it can’t take over the house because there’s another program on the same system that’s trying to erase it.
TOM DE LUCA: A kill program.
VERONICA MCSHELL: Um, maybe. Yes. Anyway, look. This program keeps copying itself to new parts of the house every 280 seconds, then it recopies itself before the erase program can find it! [laughs] How clever. Look, if we get to the long gallery quickly, we should be able to view the program itself. Come on, hurry!
VERONICA MCSHELL: There! There, look! I’ve got it. Okay, I can trick the "kill bot" into thinking it’s in another part of the house for just a minute.
MAXINE MYERS: [sighs] Why are we doing this?
VERONICA MCSHELL: The find out what it is, of course.
MAXINE MYERS: It might be dangerous.
VERONICA MCSHELL: I suppose that’s why you burned Professor Van Ark’s notes. They also' might have been dangerous. Or they might have helped me find the cure. We’ll never know now, Dr. Myers.
MAXINE MYERS: This...is a longer conversation.
VERONICA MCSHELL: Dr. Myers, if I route this program here, it’ll only have access to systems inside this room. If it’s dangerous, it’ll only be able to do things in here. That can’t be too bad, can it?
SAM YAO: Um, well, I mean -
[system activates]
ANNIE: Oh. I’m alive! I didn’t expect that. Wait. I can see you. How many of you are there? Kytan, I know you. You’re my friend. You’re one.
VERONICA MCSHELL: I’m Veronica McShell.
ANNIE: That’s two. Wait – [laughs] I know how counting goes! Let me count you. There are one, two, three, four, five of you! Five… hello, Employee Five. It’s been a long time. This section will automatically lock down and all air will be evacuated in 90 seconds.
[timer beeps]
SAM YAO: Guys, get out of there! Run!
[mechanical door closes]
VERONICA MCSHELL: That was very interesting! I wonder what it is?
SAM YAO: It sounded like ANNIE, the deranged artificial intelligence that used to run Xia-Hifa.
VERONICA MCSHELL: Oh yes, they were working on some very advanced things. Oh, maybe I can get her working again. Maybe she could help me with my dead end on the cure research! [fades out]
MOONCHILD: Maybe she could help us all, actually.
KYTAN: [muffled] Runner Five, are you all right?
MOONCHILD: You know, Five, I feel strangely jealous that another disembodied entity was interested in you before me. [laughs] Aren’t you the prize of the party?
KYTAN: [muffled] Five, your eyes are -
MOONCHILD: Oops! I think someone’s opened the pass the parcel early!
KYTAN: [fades in] Five, do you have Moonchild Syndrome? Oh, man. Five, Sigrid’s been looking for one special person with Moonchild Syndrome. She talks about finding her "alpha", the special one. That guard told me about it. She wants people with Moonchild Syndrome, but only because there’s one person in particular. You’re the one Sigrid wants. Five, we can help you. I just need to do a couple of quick brain scans. Come with me now. We’ve got a lab downstairs.
Codex[]
Supplies[]
The following supplies can be found in this mission.
(List may be incomplete.)
Bandages
Book
Bottled Water
Disposable camera
Network Cable
Penknife
Pistol
Sleeping bag
Sports Bra
Tinned Food
Tool Box
Trousers
Underwear
Trivia[]
- The tapes that Jody played for Veronica were Chris McShell's recordings from The Way of All Flesh.
- Sam and Runner Five first met ANNIE in the third Virtual Race, The Xia-Hifa Heist.
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