[X] Dip that STUPID GLASS ORB FULL OF MOISTURE into the fountain, then bring it in to the freezer. Maybe if you freeze it it will be easier to shatter.
You'll show this ORB who's boss! You'll never get beaten by a simple ORB, goddammit! It occurs to you that ORB is a pretty funny word, and you whisper it aloud to yourself a few times and giggle while Mari looks on in confusion. "Orb!" you cheerfully exclaim to her, giggle a little again, and then go to put the glass ball deep in the WALK-IN-FREEZER like the BIG STUPID MARBLE it is. Now, you have to leave the orb for a little while to allow it to reach the temperature you desire and get the right sort of consistency to crack it open.
... That makes you feel like you're on some sort of demented cooking show.
[X] Yeah, it's probably that important. And you need to set a good example for Owen anyway.
- [X] Blood in the machine, one at a time.
[X] ... And then just for kicks, see what happens if you put two of the kids' blood in at the same time. Let's say Mari and yours, why not.
[X] All three: Prick fingers on TRIDENT to extract blood, and analyze it following linkhyrule5's plan
"All right. Fine. Since you
really need my blood, I guess it's okay if I just-"
"Get on with it," Mari interrupts, glaring at Owen. "Don't be a bloody wimp."
After some more deliberation, Mari finally bullies Owen into pricking his finger, and then proceeds to prick her own like it's nothing. She then raises an eyebrow at you expectantly. "Well. Go on, then." You don't really want to, but you'd be a hypocrite if you didn't reach out, and.... ow! Ouch! Hecking... frick! Wow! That really hurt! You wave your finger around while whimpering a little. Mari rolls her eyes at you. Eventually, you recover from your GRIEVOUS INJURY, and one by one, feed blood samples into the machine, starting with Owen's.
Blood Analysis said:
ASCENSION IN PROGRESS: MERCURY ASCENDANT
STAGE 0
CONCENTRATION: 1.0%
ACTIVE AGENT: #2
Then, Mari's.
Blood Analysis said:
ASCENSION IN PROGRESS: JUPITER ASCENDANT
STAGE 0
CONCENTRATION: 1.0%
ACTIVE AGENT: #6
Finally, yours.
Blood Analysis said:
ASCENSION IN PROGRESS: SATURN ASCENDANT
STAGE: TRANSITIONING
CONCENTRATION: 5.0%
ACTIVE AGENT: #7
Huh. You try MIXING your BLOOD in different combinations, as sentence you never thought you'd think would apply to your life, but get nothing but MORE TECHNICAL GIBBERISH.
[X] Examine the FILES in the file cabinet.
The FILES are grouped into two sections - PAST SUBJECTS and PRESENT SUBJECTS. You decide to peruse the first category to begin with.
Each 'past subject' file has a photograph of a child, along with their name, place of birth, age, and pages upon pages of medical information. A small paragraph on the second page has been written detailing how the children - although they're referred to as 'assets' were obtained, signed by one R. Stockholm. The majority of them, it seems, were homeless children taken from the streets, orphans taken from care homes, or impoverished children taken from their families and declared missing. Another small report has been affixed to the end of each file, detailing the status of the children: ALIVE, DECEASED, or, in a few cases, UNKNOWN, as well as a number of technical terms you don't understand about them having been exposed to serums and chemicals.
Meanwhile, the 'present subject' files - wait. These are all empty. Every single one. The only thing left in this section of the cabinet are a few folders labelled 'Art Therapy - property of Dr. Ankara'. Two files in particular catch your eye - 'Art Therapy with Kala' contains, as you'd suspected, several red crayon sketches similar to the ones you've already seen. 'Art Therapy with Marinette' contains blueprints for various devices. The ones that stand out to you are a flamethrower, a jetpack, and what looks like a futuristic suit of armour meant to encase someone entirely. She's annotated this last one with 'If I wear this nobody can touch me.'
[X] Open/examine the purse to see if there's anything in it.
You take a look in the PURSE. It contains pretty ORDINARY THINGS, mostly. Most of it is PRETTY BORING, things like MAKEUP and TISSUES, as well as a SUDOKU PUZZLE that's barely been started - only THREE NUMBERS have been filled in! Shameful!
[X] Using your INCREDIBLY REFINED ARTISTIC SENSIBILITIES provide a critique of Dr. Helsinki's SILLY DRAWING.
You stare at it with a very serious expression on your face and stroke an imaginary beard, which is what you imagine professional critics do. After about ten minutes of considering carefully all the aspects of an artistic work - tone, composition, lighting, colour - you write down your critique on the back of the drawing with your GREEN MARKER.
Artistic critique said:
I'm very sorry to say, Mr. Dr. Helsinki, but all in all this work of art simply does not meet any of my standards. This isn't even fit to decorate a hamster's cage, even if the hamster wouldn't probably just eat it if you tried anyway. All in all, with no offence intended, I give it no stars out of ten. Very not good, needs improvement.
Yours sincerely, Lucy Calloway.
[X] Mari: HIW the clock, why did it stop and can we wind it up again?
-[X] Could the GEARS from the TOY ROBOT come in handy?
You ask Mari to take a look at the CLOCK - she explains that part of the MECHANISM is missing. She thinks that there's something else wrong with it too, but she'd need to find some GEARS to fix it before - oh! Working nimbly, she disassembles the clock and puts it back together with the GEARS. Now repaired, the hands of the CLOCK begin to turn, making the expected ticking noise - but hey, that clicking doesn't sound healthy. Click, click, click, CLICK! After only a minute of operation, one of the hands snaps clean off the face of the CLOCK. This CLOCK HAND is very ornate, though, and the more you look at it, the more you're starting to suspect that this CLOCK HAND isn't a CLOCK HAND AT ALL! It's a KEY!
[X] Examine the SMALL HOOK - can you dismount it from the wall?
The small hook is quite happy where it is, and resents your attempts to try and hurry it along life and remove it from its comfort zone.
Unfortunately, it cuts off after the researcher's notes.
[X] Mari: HIW the information.
That CLASS MACHINATION doesn't work on abstract data, only on physical mechanisms!
[X] Ask Mari to open the secret panel of the drawer.
With a great deal of TAPPING and OTHER MYSTERIOUS HAND ACTIVITY, Mari pulls up a PANEL that you couldn't even tell was THERE! Underneath it is a single PHOTOGRAPH depicting Dr. Ankara at what seems to be a PARTY with her arm around someone else.
