Monsters Outside

>Ask the doctor if he could send you just the lab equipment, and you and Alyssa do the tests on Malia yourselves. Also, ask Malia if and how she's interacted with the other monsters, and how they responded.

Cobra-Doc: ABSOLUTELY NOT. We need a sterile environment and frankly I don't know how capable you are at running tests to identify microbes.

That said I suppose we /could have Alyssa take samplewith simple equipement but we'd need a way to send them back to the HQ lab. The sewer route is likely one way.

You: Then what if I sent you samples?

Cobra-Doc: How?

You: I mean, maybe I can just put some samples in one of the cylinders you sent me and then I flush my toilet?

Cobra-Doc: As ludicrous as it sounds, that's actually feasible.

Alyssa: What, you got people in the sewers just waiting to collect stuff?

Cobra-Doc: Well, the sewers are actually monster-free. Despite their transformation, they are still repelled by the awful stench down there. As for staff, we do have a team down there to both make sure they're safe and transport objects into Costovo's apartment. Hm. Okay. Let's start with something easy. There should still be some material near your front door, right Costovo? The 'gunk'?

You: Yeah?

Cobra-Doc: Okay, just put some of it into one of the cylinders I sent you and flush your toilet.

(You spend a few minutes doing just that. As you do so, you ask Malia about the monsters outside)

You: Malia, when you saw the monsters outside, did they try to attack you?

You hear her silent voice.

“I had to run. They're scary. They've grabbed me lots of times before. I had to make slime to escape. Can make it slippery or sticky to protect myself.”

You suppose there are some perks to being a big slug. Making slime sounds useful in a city full of monsters that want to touch you. You flush the sample down the toilet.

You: You know, I never would have thought my freakin' toilet would be my connection to the outside world.

Cobra-Doc: Well, I never would have thought I'd be analyzing samples delivered via flushing, so I'm right there with you. All right. I'm going to have every scientist in the Ministry of Health testing this sample. With luck, we'll be able to figure out what infected Malia. I'll also send a request to the military to parachute in some weapons to your apartment building for Alyssa to use. I don't know when they'll be able to get that for us, could be days thanks to bureaucracy, but you're going to need all the help you can get.

You: Okay, we'll be waiting.

(Audiotalk ended)

Just as you're ready to take a break, you hear knocking at the front door. Malia coils herself into a circle, while Alyssa raises her gun. The ex-soldier shouts.

“Who's there?!”

The voice that answers back sounds like a very angry old man.

“You are never safe.”

Whatever's behind the door slides a letter under the door's gap.



The letter is squirming. Alyssa aims at it.

Hang on, more letters?

Wait.

Uh oh.



Alyssa opens fire at the letter-monsters. Malia extends several tentacles and tears them apart. However, there are just too many of them and three of them are coming for you.

You trick them into stepping into your makeshift trap. They're electrocuted and turn black. Good thing you did this earlier!

One of the letter-monsters manages to open the door.

Oh God.

A wall of flesh completely blocks the doorway.



The monster extends its arms and grabs Alyssa's rifle, clicking as it confirms that it has run out of ammo. One arm grabs hold of Malia, squeezing her brain. It cackles and talks to you.

“Do you think you are special, Costovo? Everyone else has joined, but you remain. What makes you think you deserve their protection? I was just a mailman. I lost everything, Costovo. I used to send you bills. All I want to do now is make you like me. Nothing else can make me happy, COSTOVO!”

As you stare at the monstrosity before you, you remember your hand grenade. If you can throw it into his mouth, you can kill him. IF you can throw it into his mouth. You risk killing Alyssa or Malia. You don't want to lose the only two friends you have in this goddamn building.

You could retreat into the bathroom. Or you could try attacking him with your knife or club. All of his arms are busy. If he moves to stop you, your friends could act. Malia's already making lots of slime and given the chance she'll get out of his grasp. Alyssa's also looks like she has a good chance of breaking free.

You could also try poisoning the monster. Throw sewage into his mouth like a monkey. Maybe he'll back off if he swallows a fistful of crap.

>_