Phase Q/Heartland
“Bring in the prisoners.” The guards march you and a lineup of others down the hall. A door opens, and you are pushed in. Other prisoners are led further down the hall. The guard forces you into a chair.
“Identity.” The interrogator runs a bioscan. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
You recognize the voice of the interrogator.
“I witnessed the internal operations of a Flowriser node.”
“Oh?” The interrogator raises an eyebrow.
From the pin. Strange.
“Sir, yes.”
“And what did you witness?”
As you describe your observations, the interrogator jots down notes by hand. When you finish, the interrogator pulls out a separate piece of paper, scribbles a note on it, and hands it to the guard. “Take the prisoner to regional for debriefing.”
When you arrive at the regional command, your treatment changes suddenly. Gone are the brusque movements, the random hits.
An officer takes you into a well-appointed room, and talks to you almost like an uncle.
“We’re flushing out the filth, ” he explains, “and building a clean slate. Your information has helped us clear the heartland.”
Your body pounds with pain, while your brain swims in confusion.
“Would you like to help your country?” the officer asks you.
You agree.
“We want to let the people know that we have a solid hold on the security of the state. It’s important for people to feel safe, comfortable. We’ve had a number of media reports questioning the efforts of our soldiers. Even civilians are getting injured. We want to show the people, we want the people to understand the sacrifices necessary for us to build a stable country.”
The officer outlines a campaign of public service announcements featuring injured civilians. You sign the forms, and feel relief on getting sent to med.
The patient next to you moans. “I should never have got into this!”
You look at him warily.
“Who darkin' cares about some stupid different path?! I should have just gone to work for my dad.”
The wounded Flowriser groans in agony. With a thin moustache sprouting, he looks barely out of his teens, still a boy. Both legs are missing, and bloody gashes and burns cover much of the rest of his body.
A radio stream provides at least some distraction. The newscaster announces additional victories against the Flowrisers.
“Four more nodes were shut down in dawn raids today. A government spokesperson said that this marks the last stage of cleaning-up operations. Officer Franklin Hall stated at a press talk that ‘the criminal cells are being dismantled, and anyone misguided enough to have joined one has made a mistake for which they are now paying.’ Operations are expected to continue throughout the week.”
As the agonizing screams continue next door, you gaze around the room. A green light catches you by surprise, blinking at intervals on the ceiling, between two rows of fluorescent lights.
Phase Q: An interactive adventure.
