Monsters Outside

Try to remember the exact toppings and ask whoever to recall them.

If it states wrong, that's not pizza. If it states correctly, Pizza time!

You ask the entity one more time.

“What are the toppings on it?”

With the same level of desperation as before, it answers.

“Pepperoni and tuna with onions. Please take it.”

That's... exactly what you ordered.

As Alyssa and Dr. Cobra shout at you to keep the door closed, you open the door.



What in the world?

The slug-like blue creature is definitely holding a slice of pizza. It's... filthy.

You can see an enormous brain inside its gelatinous form.

You can also see some weird blue gunk covering your front door. The stuff must have stuck the door in place.

You notice a hole in the floor. Did this creature just break through it? It looks like it melted away.

The blue entity speaks again.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. All I remember is this pizza, your name, your address, and- and... I can't remember anything else. Please take your pizza. I'm sorry this is all I could save.”

You take the slice of pizza. She hesitates for a moment, and she talks again.

“20 dollars please.”

You roll with it and give her 20 dollars from your pockets. She takes the money and puts it inside her body. You only have 10 dollars left now. Never in your wildest dreams would you ever think money would still have any use here.

She talks to you with the friendliest tone you've heard from her.

“Thank you. I hope you enjoy your pizza.”

You nod slowly, and decide to carry the conversation.

“So. You really did just want to deliver pizza.”

She doesn't move as she continues speaking.

“I'm sorry. It's all I remember so it must be important. I don't remember anything else.”

You try to find more answers.

“Are you sure? I mean, um... Okay, don't get angry but you're not a human anymore.”

Her voice sounds like she's about to cry.

“I know! I know! I don't know what happened to me. All I can remember... is just... I woke up with a box of pizza in my hand, then something ate everything but one slice. I just. I thought. I know it's stupid but I thought... I thought if I sent it I'd be... I'd remember.”

You hear Alyssa shouting from behind the front door.

“Costovo! Are you okay? I can hear you talking! Who are you talking to?”

You walk towards your front door and remove the gunk.

“Alyssa, you can come in. Don't, uh, don't shoot.”

Alyssa gets inside, and screams as she sees the former pizza delivery-girl.



“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT???”

You take some time to explain. After everything's been made clear, or at least as clear as you could possibly make it, she contacts the doctor.

COMMSOUND AUDIOTALK
Ver. 1.1.4
(all conversations monitored by Government under Emergency Act)
(You are speaking with Friend Alyssa and Friend Cobra-Doc)

Alyssa: Doctor, are you seeing this?

Cobra-Doc: I am, and it's fascinating. I've never seen anything like it.

You: So neither of you can hear her?

Cobra-Doc: We couldn't hear anything but your voice for a while. Can you ask her to speak to us?

You: I'll try.

(You talk to the slug-girl)

You: Hey, um, can you try saying 'hello' to my friend here?

Alyssa: Holy crap.

You: You can hear her?

Alyssa: Yeah! She said hello!

Cobra-Doc: Incredible. I didn't hear anything. The audio feed didn't register anything.

Alyssa: This is wild. What is she? Some kind of, er, mutant strain? Did the virus mutate and turn her into a telepathic slug?

Cobra-Doc: I don't know, and I cannot say for sure without examining her. Hm. I have an idea. I can try to find clues to her identity. I'll search the records for anyone employed with the pizza services here. Which restaurant did you order from, Costovo?

You: Wingnut's Pizzeria.

Cobra-Doc: Give me a moment. I'll contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

(Ten minutes pass)

Cobra-Doc: Fascinating. It appears the creature in your room is Malia Anders. She was the only pizza delivery staff they had. Nineteen years old, no known living relatives.

Alyssa: Any clues as to why she's like this?

Cobra-Doc: None that I can see, but I'll ask for security footage for the roads between Wingnut's and Costovo's apartment. We might be able to see the moment she got infected by whatever this is.

You: Okay doc, we'll wait for you to find more clues.

Alyssa: This is surreal, man. I mean, even more so than before. We got a huge telepathic slug-girl.

You: At least she's not dangerous.

Alyssa: Yeah, for now. I'm going to keep a close eye on her. Hey, you.

(Malia wriggles. You can't hear anything she's saying)

Alyssa: Yeah, you. I just had a chat with my friend, Doctor Belinda Cobra. She says your name is Malia. Does it ring any bells?

(Malia crawls towards Alyssa)

Alyssa: Okay, at least we're on the right track. Doctor, what in the hell are we supposed to do about this?

Cobra-Doc: I'm going to ask the military to send a team to pick her up tomorrow. We need to study her. Her coloration, her abilities, she might have been infected by a completely different bioweapon.

Alyssa: You got more infected people to send?

Cobra-Doc: No. I'm going to send a team.

Alyssa: Are you serious? You're gonna risk more people out here?

You: Hang on, why are you sending a team to pick her up and not me?

Cobra-Doc: You are still uninfected. The ONLY uninfected civilian in the damn city. She is already contaminated. I already made a promise to keep you safe, so I won't take any chances. Malia is a different case. We need to know what transformed her!

(You hear Malia speaking to you)

“Costovo I don't want to go. I don't want them to take me. If they try to take me I will run.”

You: Doctor, she doesn't want to be picked up.

Cobra-Doc: What?

You: She says if you try to take her, she'll run away.

Cobra-Doc: Fine. Then I'll have the team set up a lab in your apartment. We got military personnel who can run tests.

Alyssa: That is such a monumentally bad idea. We don't know how many monsters are hiding out there.

Cobra-Doc: The risk is worth it. We need to know what caused Malia to transform like this.

You: Don't I get a say in this? This is my apartment.

Cobra-Doc: An apartment for which you pay rent.

You: Whatever! Look, why don't we wait for the two infected people to get here before we decide on anything?

(You hear a notification on your cellphone. An email!)

You: What the hell? I just got an email from... Hades!

“From: Trollmaster Hades
To: You (Costovo Elmada)

Subject: Your friends? GOT EM! THEIR GUNS TOO! AHAHAHHA

We caught them. Your two friends. The traitors in hazmat suits. Yes. Yesyesyes You know the ones I'm talking about!

Sorry buddy boy but you're going to have to make do with no more backup.

And wow you got a bodyguard! MISTER BIG V.I.P. EH

Not fair, you guys get guns! GUNS! I don't even have one! Oh wait we just got two nevermind

We gonna eat them now. Kinda ew but we not picky. BYE”

You: Oh no. DOC! Trollmaster Hades! His monsters caught the two infected people you were sending me!

Cobra-Doc: Damn it.

You: How the hell did this happen?

Cobra-Doc: I don't know. I'm going to have to ask mission control in the military section. They were the ones monitoring them.

Alyssa: See! I told you! It's not safe!

Cobra-Doc: Fine. I'll request a goddamn APC.

Alyssa: They'll still need to get out of the vehicle! They'll be vulnerable!\

You: Um. Why don't we just wait until the city's clear?

Cobra-Doc: And what if there's another bioweapon on the loose out there? We need to know what this is! Rrrrggghhh... I'm going to make a request to the military. This discovery shouldn't be ignored.

(It sounds like the doctor's determined to send someone out to study Malia. You could just give up, or you could try to convince her to be patient and wait until it's safer out there. You could also tell Malia to run and hide, so Dr. Cobra won't have a reason to send more people out.)

What are you going to do?

>_