Start

At last it finally came, I've been looking forward to it all year long. It's the 2035 International
science fair, the only event of the year where every great mind of the world come together to
reveal and discuss their research. For every science enthusiast out there, like myself, this is
their only chance to get to listen directly from the greats themselves. Along with me is also a
devotee and a close person of mine, Mikel. We have shared the equivelant interest since
youth and over time it has never faded. While me and Mikel were giving attention to a
speech on stage, a brute push struck me in the back, I turned around and…

Choices

a.Strike back at whoever pushed me|Fight

Using all the force I can charge into my arm, I quickly turned back and punched the guy as
hard as I can. The sound of the impact was heard across the hall where I was standing,
looking up I noticed lots of eyes where pointing at me, but the fact that I took him down was
satisfying enough to forget what was happening around me.
Security quickly came => Me and Mikel immediately got kicked out of the convention. It was
not getting kicked out that made me disappointed but rather the fact that I did not get to have
much of a conversation with Dr. Pecks. He was the main reference for my research on
curing terminal illnesses. Well, I guess this conversation will happen later or not at all. =>
Now it's been 4 months since the accident. I have never got a chance to talk to Dr.Pecks nor
got a replied letter or email. It's extremely disappointing since I never got a lead on my
research and the process still stood on the same square. To my worries, the cure to
Parkinson's might never me established.

b.Lash some words out at him|Argue

"You got a problem with your eyes, mate?" I shouted
With a stubborn attitude and a fake-deep voice, he replied "And what brat are you to raise
your voice at me?"
The feeling of rage overclouded my awareness of the situation, who is he to speak to
anyone in such an unwelcomely and disturbing manner?

[["You better take that back or else...|Heavy words]]

He and I soon found ourselves in a heated arguement. He won't issue an apology to me and
neither was I willing too, so our shouting was heard by the crowd standing nearby. Soon the
hall went into silence, with barely a breath being heard.
Apparently, due to that confrontation, we were escorted out of the convention. Sorrow and
ashamed, Mikel tried to cheer me up on our way home, what's more depressing is that I did
not get a chance to talk to Dr.Pecks, his work is my main reference for my research.

[["I'd love a good fight, but my time matters more."|Light words]]

Flicking his lips, he said "better not mess with someone you don't even know, kid." and
walked away.
[[I turned over to Mikel|Outcome 2]]
c.Stay still, try not to cause and trouble|Ignore
I just continued focusing to the stage and act like the matter was nothing, though it bothered
me that this idiot did not even offered an apology for that.
[[Mikel turned over and whispered to me|Outcome 2]]

Outcome 2
"You know who that is?" Mikel whispered
"Should I?"
"That's Casper Borzak. You know! That famous playboy-scientist who's known for his
success in creating the light-year energy source"
"Yeah, and also for his lack of sense."
We both laughed and later on put the whole thing aside. Now that we both knew who he
was, it is best not to run into him ever again.
Before leaving the convention, I was determined to have a conversation with Dr.Pecks,
whom I admire and is my reference for my personal research. Our little talk was fun and
helpful, especially for my research. Dr.Pecks' new discovery on the way human bodies react
to various new chemicals is exactly the lead I was wishing for.

Now, it's been 4 months since that day. From that conversation forward, I devoted my time
into establishing a cure for Parkinson's. At long last, all that time and dedication finally paid
off, I have done it, I have found the cure to this illness. With a success this large of a scale, I
have to bring out the news.

Choices

a.Call my mother and inform her the news|Inform Talia

Informing Mikel first is a must-do, of course. He is just as enthusiastic about science as
much as I am so I'm sure he'll feel jubilant about my success.
"Really? You've done it?" he cried.
It's almost I can hear him bouncing off that one favorite couch of his.
"This ought to be celebrated Ascher! Head out to the corner coffee shop, this one's on me."
It's actually been so long since Mikel and I went out for a coffee together, even longer than I
can remember.

[[Accept Mikel's invitation]]

A coffee would be nice, considering how long it's been since me and Mikel had one together.
First thing Mikel did when he saw me was gave me a warm welcome hug and congratulated
me on the new discovery. But there was something about his look that concerns me, it
wasn't him at all. He was quiet and somewhat discreet.
"Anything wrong"
"No little brother. Why would there be anything wrong?"
"You seem bothered. Did you talk to mother earlier today?"
"Not at all.."

[[Decline Mikel's invitation]]

Maybe the coffee can wait for later. I should also call my mother as well, she would be proud
to hear about what I've acomplished.
[[Inform mother|Inform Talia]]

b.Call Mikel and inform him the news|Inform Mikel

My mother's Talia, she has been my biggest supporter since day one. My whole career as a
scientist would not have been possible if she had not sold our old house for money to buy
the equipments, tools and even part of my own lab. Though I do love her with all my heart, it
really bothers me that she obviuously preferred me over Mikel, something that I personally
have been trying to talk her out of. I always consider Mikel as my role model but it is
disturbing to see that my mother's odd disticntion is still there.

Mother invited me over for dinner to celebrate my achievement, surely I wouldn't say no?

[[Decline Talia's invitation]]

Now might not be a good time to celebrate yet, maybe later will be great. Though I should
call Mikel to tell him about the cure.

[[Accept Talia's invitation]]

"Dinner sounds good, mom. I'll get Mikel over too."
"See you in a bit" she happily said.
We agreed to be at mother's house by five, can't really wait since she's making that roasted
duck that I've always loved.

[[At the dinner]]

Mother was pleased to hear about my newly found success. As pleasing as it may seem,
things got very uncomfortable the second she turned over to Mikel.
"Look at your brother, why can't you be more like him" she forcefully yelled.
Mikel sat still like an antelope in front of headlights. His faced gringed, his eyes widened and
his breath got stronger by second.

[[Defend Mikel]]
"Don't say that to him mother! He is a better of a scientist than I am, maybe he's working on
something bigger and more majorly scaled."
"If so, try to finish it before I die, will you?" she replied
Mikel looked over to me with his saddened eyes, I knew he was thanking me for standing up
to him, and taht's what anybody would do for their own blood. We ate the rest of the dinner in
a very abnormal feeling of peace, scarily quiet and intense at the same time.
[[Days later]]

[[Agree with mother Talia]]

"Exactly!" I shouted.
All of the sudden, Mikel lashes out at mother then me, rapidly swinging his punches. In the
heat of his rage, he screamed
"Steal your stupid inventions, I will. You just sit there and wait for your downfall!"
The other family members held Mikel back as he was a couple punches away from knocking
mother unconscious. I turned over to him, angrily confronting whether it was his true
intentions.
"Yes" he quietly replied.

Days later
I went back to the lab as usual to complete the full test run of my new cure. To my surprise,
standing there waiting for me behind the door was Borzak himself.
"How on earth did you get in?"
"You don't think you're the only one who knows everything, do you?" Borzak said.
My heart raced and my mind filled with hate, like I was ready to pounce on him.

Choices

a.Grab Borzak by the neck

I lost my mind and jumped on to him, grabbing his neck so hard that it nearly felt satisfying.
To my unawareness, he drew out his pistol. A bright light flashed before my eyes, and the
second I got my head up, that coward ran towards the door and got out.
[[You died]]

b.Give Borzak a warning

"Move those legs out of here, or things will get much worse than 4 months ago."
"Whatever you say then pal. Oh, and by the way, congrats on the cure, live your fame while
you can smarty."
The smerk on his face that he made before slamming the door just makes me want to pin his
head to the ground for good.
I better check the lab to be sure that idiot did not steal anything.
-Choices:

a.Check computer
Last login was by me, so that means he does not know the login password. No files in here
are missing neither.

b.Check table drawer

The paper files are all still here. Guess he did not steal these. Perhaps something on the
computer.

c.Check door keypad

The keypad was not hacked digitally nor manually. He must have known the passcode, but
how?
Nothing went missing
Nothing is missing from the computer nor the files. I guess he was just here to pay either an
unpleasant visit or he didn't have time to do whatever he was about to. Still it's strange how
he knew the passcode to gain access.

Next day
An unusual sight struck my face when I step foot into the lab, my drawer was opened and
my computer was on. To my instinct, I immediately call Mikel.
"Mikel, something bad just happened..."
"What? Hold right there, I'm coming to you!"
I did not even get to say another word then he hung up. I've never seen him rush like that
ever. As for the files, I always have a habit of locking my drawer and shutting down the
devices before leaving the room, but this was as eerie as it can get.
-Choices:
a.Examine keypad
b.Examine computer
c.Examine drawer

Examine keypad
No hacks or damages, whoever did this must have the passcode. So it could only be either
the janitor or Borzak

Examine computer
The digital plans and tests are all gone.

Examine drawer
All my files regarding the Parkinson's cure research are gone. Nothing of it is left, not even
the drafts…

The suspect
Mikel bursts through the door harder than a mad bull.
"What was it!" he screamed with his panting lungs.
"My work, my research..it all went missing..."
"How? I told you to invest in a safebox and now look."
"That's not the point right now. The keypad was accessed via code and not by digital nor
manual hacking, while the computer showed that the last login was me. This means that
whoever did this knew me very well to know the passcode"
"And who do think it is?"
"Well...the janitor? And Casper Borzak."
"Borzak? How could he knew the passcode."
"I don't know, but a few days ago he was here, just standing in my lab."
"That snake! He must be it."
"As much as I want to punch the sack out of him, we have to consider all options and
evidence."
"If it's fine by you, then it's fine by me little brother."
-Choices:
a.The janitor
b.Casper Borzak

The janitor
"I went in at 9pm last night to give the floor a sweep and mop, the work took only 15 minutes.
I swear I wouldn't dare be in there longer than that, let alone touch your files and computer,
sir."
He's been working long enough for me to know that his words can be trusted. The old man's
a good person and father, he wouldn't do such a thing.

Casper Borzak
If this case has to deal with a billionaire playboy-scientist, the chances of succeeding are
low. To sue a powerful man as Borzak is not an easy task. Maybe it's time I consider calling
for help.
-Choices:
a.Don’t call for help
b.Call for help

Don’t call for help

It's too dangerous to involve the police or anyone else, not even Mikel. Borzak's position can
get us all arrested, even killed if we're not careful. I alone shall prove him guilty and make
him pay for what he did.

Spy on Borzak
My plan was to spy on Borzak, specifically from outside his mansion, to learn of his time
table and find out if there are any suspicious actions or locations he might go to. Due to the
law of no trespassing within a 10 yard radius, I won't be able to go get a clear look from this
distance, and I don't want to risk breaking the law as well.

Call for help

Luckily, the police department agreed to cooperate with both me and Mikel. From now until
the end of the case, Celestil and Hudnik are sent to work on the case. Celestil is an
experienced FBI and part-time artist, while Hudnik is an Armanian-American detective with
23 years of experience in solving cases. With a team like this, I was sure we will prove
Borzak is guilty and bring him to justice.

The team
We decided to divide tasks in order to further progress the case. I myself am going to look
over everything the tea is doing, that way i can update what progress we have made.
-Choices:
a.Celestil
b.Hudnik
c.Mikel

Celestil
"You're computer stats showed that someone indeed hacked into the files, that must be why
you found no one logging in your password. Now I just have to trace back the signal and
hopefully get a pinpoint on the location of its source, that's when we'll capture whoever stole
your files."

Hudnik
"The last three days spying on Borzak resulted in nothing. We was not calling anyone nor did
he leave his mansion. For now, he's still clean, but don't worry my friend, we'll get him
eventually."

Mikel
"This is as much files as I can gather. You really have to keep these in a safe place, at least
a safe box or something. Who knows when another strike like this will happen again."

Celestil got a lead

"The signal leads back to an abandoned warehouse 2 miles off the east-side border of the
city."
"Lock on the warehouse, we're paying whoever this is a visit" Hudnik said.
Next thing I knew, we were already on our way to catch the thief. Mikel had some personal
business so he stayed behind the lab to get it done. My heart's beating harder than ever
before, I can feel the adrenaline rushing rapidly through my body. Everything happened so
fast at that point, it just felt like yesterday that we gathered as a team and start working on
this case. But now, catching this guy is what I need to focus on. It's coming, the finish to this
frenzy, I can feel it.

The warehouse
Hudnik and Celestil to the first lead to the entrance. The surroundings were noiseless as if it
felt like something bad was about to happen. I tried to push that feeling aside since we're so
close to ending this nightmare. Upon entering the warehouse, everyone noticed a blue light
emmiting from the far corner with a lumpy shadow slowly manifesting as we walk closer
towards it. I turned around to find this ginger-haired man who looks nothing short of a typical
redneck sitting in front of a highly-advanced computer setup. One that looks perfect for
infiltrating other's computers.
"Hands where I can see em'!" shouted Celestil
He shoots up from his couch, his arms raised high while still holding the mouse.
"Who are you?" Hudnik questioned
"E..Ed..who are you what are you doing here I didn't do anything wrong I swear"
He was scared, it was obvious. He was not armed so I told Celestil and Hudnik to put their
guns down. I tried to calm Ed down so that he would explain clearly everything to us.
"I am Casper's assistant..."
"Were you the one who hacked into Ascher's computer? Cause that setup you got there sure
looks like its made exactly for that." - said Celestil
"N..no...I mean yes, yes...it was me..."
His stuttering almost made it hard to make up whatever he's saying. Or trying to say.
"Was is Borzak behind this?"
"N..n...no..it was n..not him"
"Then who?"
"S..someone else. I don't know o..okay, I j..just got a call from an anonymous person asking
i..if I wanted to make more money"
"And just like that you accepted the job?"
"C..C.Casper never gave me a decent p..paycheck. S..so I was short on income..."
"You have any idea who it might be?"
"No..his voice was all d..deep and slow"

The phone call

Just as then, my phone rang. It was an unknown number.
"Hello Ascher"
On the other side is a low-toned, synthesized voice, almost like the one Ed described.
"First and foremost I want to congratulate you for taking your time to go all the way here."
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"Nothing personal. Just evening the odds. Now as you may have noticed, the piece of
garbage you've just found has proven to be useless. But don't worry, I'll save you the trouble
of cleaning it up."
Celstil, Hudnik and I all got shocked when a bullet came flying through the glass window and
right into Ed's head. The poor guy did not even had time to react.
"Your welcome"
Those were his last chilling words before hanging up.

Back to square one

That was it. We lost our best lead on the case. We thought we had him but no, we didn't. In
fact, all that hard work had gone to waste just because we were careless for one second. I
took the night off in hopes of stop blaming myself for our failure today, though I don't know
where to go to comfort myself.
-Choices:
a.Mikel’s house
b.Lab
c.Home

Mikel’s house
I rang the doorbell but no one answered the door. I guess Mikel is off somewhere dealing
with his personal problems that he mentioned earlier.

Lab
For now there's nothing more to do. Celestil and Hudnik also took the night off and I felt bad
for them more than for myself.

Home
Mother was the first one to greet me as soon as I walked through the door.
"How did everything go?" she happily asked
"We screwed up mom. We had the lead in our hands and then...lost it"
I threw my phone across the room and just dropped like a ragdoll onto my bed. The feeling
of getting to lie down after days is both satisfying and uncomfortable at the same time.
Really makes it hard to decide which feeling I should go with.
-Choices:
a.Check phone
b.Talk to mother

Phone
All I got was a recording from my call to Mikel the night the files went missing.
After talking to Talia
"Mikel, something bad just happened..."
"What? Hold right there, I'm coming to you!"

Talk to Talia
"Mind if I sit?" - mom said
"Sure mom"
"So...nothing worked out the way you planned huh?"
"Not at all, we screwed up bad, very bad."
A quietness took over the room for a moment.
"The night you called Mikel, he was here in this house. You were speaking pretty loud so I
could hear what you were saying. I was surprised that Mikel knew where you were just by
you saying you needed his help."
"Wait wait...say that again"
"H..he knew where you were just by..."
"He knew where I was..even though I didn't tell him where I was..."
"Sweetie is there something wr.."
"Gotta go mom, love you thanks a lot!"
And there I was rushing out the door. I didn't want to think about it, but it just hits me so hard.
Could Mikel be the one behind this?

Call the team

I quickly informed Celestil and Hudnik about what I've just discovered and told them to meet
up at the lab. Now, I cannot think of mercy nor second-thoughts, all that's in my head is
getting my life's work back. And this time I have to do it right. Now, the files can be anywhere
in either Mikel's lab or his home. Since he was not home earlier, we better check before he
comes back.

Go to Mikel’s house
No lights seen through the windows, so Mikel must still be outside since he always sleep
with a nighlight. Hudnik managed to pick the door lock and let us in. In his room, I cannot
believe in my eyes what I saw, there it was, all my paper files regarding my research sitting
on his desk. I was filled with joy, almost like a 5-year-old kid who just found his lost lollipop.
"There are no computers or any digital devices to store your digital files" - said Celestil
"Then they must be at his lab" - replied Hudnik
"We'll head there now. This has to end..."
Mikel’s lab
My brother's lab does not require a keycode to gain access. Still he just likes to use the
old-fasioned lock, which Hudnik picked open as if it was a baby's toy. Like we predicted, his
computer was sitting right in front of us, Celestil was able to bypass the password and open
up all the recent files that has been dowloaded into the computer. I was not surprised when
she found it, at that moment I was just relieved to know that my work did not disappear of the
face of the earth forever.
The only thing left to do is take all the evidence for trial.
-Choices:
a.Take pictures of evidence
b.Walk out of the lab

Evidence
I've taken what I needed. Now to bring this back to the police station.

Walk out of lab

I opened the door and Mikel was right there, standing there as cold as a stone. It's almost as
if he intentionally waited for us, our limbs went numb, our veins went cold and our souls just
froze. Coming from behind him are two buffed men who looked like private army soldiers.
"You hired them?"
"Yea, pretty sweet huh?"
"Out of everyone we doubted, we never thought it would be someone close to us. Why you?"
"I am so sick and tired of mother praising you all the time. You got all the love and affection,
while I was faced with ignorance. Think about it! Mother never complimented me on
anything, because of you! You took it all!"
"I stood up for you during those times! You think I wanted all the love and affection?"
"I don't give a damn anymore! It does not matter any longer since I have all your research
now. The world will now know me as one of the greatest scientist to ever live!"
He's busy talking, maybe it's best if we…
-Choices:
a.Fight back
b.Do not resist

Fight back
I fell forward really hard to break free of the henchman's grasp. Celestil and Hudnik also
followed. But when the two were reaching for their guns, the henchman's already got the
nozzle pointed at us.

Do not resist
It's clear that we were outnumbered, so fighting back will probably get us killed. Best if we
play by his game and wait for the right opportunity to strike. That's easy to say but not so
easy to do, these guys are at least 3 times stronger and military trained. Celestil and Hudnik
also stayed calmed, they too realized we cannot push our way out of this. I was expecting
them to take us somewhere else and not leave us here, obviously Mikel....

Gain conscious
Urghh...a blow right to the head, didn't see that coming. My head got all fuzzy while trying to
make up where I am. I looked down and saw myself being tied up to a pole along Celestil
and Hudnik, so Mikel probably don't want us dead. The two slowly woke up soon after, now
is the time to find a way to get out quickly.
-Choices:
a.Look at surrounding
b.Scream for help
c.Check your pockets

Look at surrounding
The room is just gloomy and empty. All there is are a window and a metal pipe sittning in the
corner. I doubt that I can even reach for it.

Scream for help

"Helllllppppp!"
"Somebody help ussss!!!"
No one could hear us.

Check your pockets

Neither of us could barely reach our handsfull into our pockets, but it's worth a try.

Celestil’s pocket
"I've got nothing."

My pocket
"Nothing in here that will help"

Hudnik’s pocket
As Hudnik reaches for his left pocket
"I have a small razor blade!"
"Yes, that will work." I replied as Hudnik slowly cuts the rope.

Break free
We finally got ourselves untied all thanks to Hudnik. Now to find a way out of here. The main
door was not locked at all to our surprise, seems like these 'private army' don't have the
brightest bulb.
"Damn, that's a lot of guys out there" Celestil said
Behind the door must be around ten guys walking around. Mikel must have had them stay
here in case we got out.
"There's a lot of corners and walls in the warehouse, we can use that to our advantage.
Either we can go silent and take out one by one or we can go loud and take them many at
once."
-Choices:
a.Go loud
b.Stay silent
Go loud
We decided to go all out and fast, time is not something we should waste. We sneaked to
their weapons cache for guns, and with all taht we've got, we started shooting everyone.
Mikel's henchman are started to be taken out one by one, things were going well until
Celestil cried out
"Guys...I'm hit, I'm hit!!!"
Me and Hudnik tried to take out the rest of these bastards and ran over to Celestil.
"Her wound is bad, without a medic she won't make it." Hudnik claimed as he checks her
wound.
"No, you guys go after Mikel. Wherever he is right now, there will be more to be dealt with,
can't let any of you go alone."
-Choices:
a.Leave Celestil
b.Stay with Celestil

Leave Celestil
If we really want to end this, I have no choice but to leave Celestil here...this hurts me just as
much as it hurts her.
One of the guards was half awake, Hudnik found him then picked him up to interrogate.

Stay with Celestil

While we were trying to stop the bleeding, we were unaware that one of the guards was still
awake. Soon after we were surrounded by the back-up that he called over.

Stay silent
Using the walls anh tight corners, we took out the guards one by one as silent and discreet
as possible. It's safe to say everything was going smooth and according to plan. Moments
later, every guard is down but we want to waste no time to go after Mikel.

Interrogation
"Tell us where your damn boss went!"
"I aint telling you nothing"
Pissed and impatiently, Hudnik beat up the guy with no mercy. I almost felt pitty for the guy...
"Stop...stop...I'll tell you everything I know..."
"10 seconds"
"I overheard he's going to some warehouse outside the city, That's all I know, I swear!"
"Thanks"
And finished off with a hard blow to the forehead to knock him out cold.

Go after Mikel (With Celestil)

We quickly got into the guard's jeep and speed our way to the old warehouse. On the way, I
started to have mixed thoughts and emotions. It's not hatred nor rage, not after I understood
why Mikel did this. Instead, I felt sorry for him, all this time he was mistreated badly. After this
whole thing is over, hopefully there's a chance I can give for him to redeem himself...
We could barely see anything as we step in, last time we're here it was quiet, this time it was
even more than that, to the point it scares me down the spine. Hudnik thought we were
fooled by that guard back there, but no...
The lights suddenly went on, and again we were greeted by guns. Celestil and Hudnik
quickly pulled me back behind the wall next to us. We aggressively fought back but was
outgunned. Hudnik took the chance to go all out at them, risking his life to take them out.
I did not dare look when he took them on by himself, the gunshots just kept coming like
rainfall, and then it stopped. I turned my head around to see him lying there motionless, my
heart stopped at that moment, to see another of my friends go down like this.
"You go after your brother, I'll stay here with Hudnik" - Celestil said
I nodded and immediately ran after Mikel.

Go after Mikel (Without Celestil)

Arriving at the warehouse, I started to have mixed thoughts and emotions. It's not hatred nor
rage, not after I understood why Mikel did this. Instead, I felt sorry for him, all this time he
was mistreated badly. After this whole thing is over, hopefully there's a chance I can give for
him to redeem himself...
We could barely see anything as we step in, last time we're here it was quiet, this time it was
even more than that, to the point it scares me down the spine. Hudnik thought we were
fooled by that guard back there, but no...
The lights suddenly went on, and again we were greeted by guns. Hudnik pulled me back to
hide behind a wall next to us. We aggressively fought back but was outgunned. Hudnik took
the chance to go all out at them, risking his life to take them out.
I did not dare look when he took them on by himself, the gunshots just kept coming like
rainfall, and then it stopped. I turned my head around to see him lying there motionless, my
heart stopped at that moment, to see another of my friends go down like this.
"Hey..hey...you're gonna be alright"
"We need to call a medic this time...I ain't leaving you like what we did to Celestil"
"No, you have to go after him, we've gone this far not to back down now.."

Stay with Hudnik

Mikel used this opportunity to sneak out the back path and got away.

Leave Hundnik behind

I bit my own teeth as I left Hudnik back there, thinking whether I will be able to forget myself
for this…

Final confrontation

Mikel was in the room where Ed get shot, gathering everything to leave.
"Mikel! You don't have to do this"
"Yes, I do. You can't stop me now little bro, the world will soon know me as the man who
changed the revolution of science. An you...you'll be nothing more than a remnant in this
family."
With a gun in his hand, Mikel to the first shot. He and I engaged in a tense gun duel, I was
being careful not to kill him, but he just seem like he doesn't care at all.
The firing stopped when we both ran out of bullets. I didn't hesitate to attack Mikel with my
bare hands at all, and jumped onto him with my hands on his throat. Mikel tried really hard to
fight back and it was not easy. I got the upperhand when I got a hold of his arm, it gave me
the leverage to flip him over and pin him down and knock him out.
At that point, it was over. I have retrieved research still safe and sound, but at what cost...