Prelude To The Stoning

[a_louse]

1. [Roger wasn't present at Unity Group much for the past few days... But now he suddenly reappears, looking like a man who's been very busy with something important lately. Without a word, he throws a picture on a desk - a low-quality photograph, showing a Megadeus skulking in the shadows, between two buildings. What little can be seen of the robot is covered in bandages.]

It's how I suspected. He's back. Schwarzwald is alive.

2. [this happens shortly before the mission, and is locked to ??? only]
[Roger received a tip from Angel about Schwarzwald's whereabouts - it's surprising the woman knew about all this, but she's always been a mysterious lady. The negotiator arrives at the scene, which turns out to be a big, fancy party at the top floor of one of Paradigm's most luxurious buildings. Everyone is wearing masks, and Roger also receives one - but while the crowd engages in debauchery, most of them completely drunk, he stays away from the party and looks around. There is a reason he came here.]

Comments

[a_louse]

Who knows. Rather than the bandages, I'm more interested in what's underneath.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I was just shocked by the obvious.

...It's big at least. How well can you guess what a megadeus does just by looking at it? Would bandages even be a useful disguise?

[a_louse]

Schwarzwald is smart enough to know this. Which means there's something about this Megadeus we could see clearly if the bandages weren't there. They're hiding a surprise.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

...I'd have preferred it if he was just going for a mummy theme, but you're probably right. I wonder what it is.

[a_louse]

I know one thing for sure; this Megadeus is the reason for his appearance.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

So his burns, or whatever he hides under those bandages, were caused by it? Do you mean directly or just that it happened while he was trying to get his hands on it?

[a_louse]

The power of a Megadeus is not one that's easy to obtain. It burned him when he tried to unlock it.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Just what are Megadei? They don't seem like normal giant robots.

[a_louse]

That's a very good question. I'd like to know as well.

All I know is that they're remnants of the world before Paradigm lost its memories. And that they seem to have minds of their own.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Paradigm in general is weird. Everything seems to work in ways they shouldn't.

[a_louse]

It's not hard to notice, is it? Even if you lived your whole life in the city, there are some things that just feel odd. Wrong.

I'm sure Schwarzwald realized this as well.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Let's hope he was unhinged to begin with. Otherwise we'll probably end up with a lot of Unity Group going insane if it's an effect of the truth.

[a_louse]

Seebach was an obsessed man from the start. I doubt his Truth will affect the rest of us the way it affected him.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Probably not. But I imagine you can guess why I'd be worried. It relates to messing with people's memories and we've seen enough magic, psychic powers and government brainwashing programs that being concerned is only natural.

[a_louse]

It's unlikely. If Schwarzwald could brainwash people into following his Truth, we would meet at least one of his followers already. And yet, he's alone.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

I didn't mean Schwarzwald doing it. I mean the truth, whatever it is, doing so itself.

[a_louse]

My answer doesn't change. Whatever might the truth be, it enchanted Schwarzwald alone.

[itbelongsinamuseum]

Let's hope that's it...And that the truth isn't too scary.