The First Step

Saga: Prologue Arc

Prerequisites: Previous missions in Arc

Summary: The player is left to his own devices and allowed to explore the city freely. There are some small side-quests to persue and some minor plot revelations to be found at the local library, as well as a few hidden goodies scattered about the area, though none of it is particularly relevant or essential to advancement of the current mission. Once the player leaves the city, they are ambushed by Intimidators on the route out in an inescapable location, and the mission ends once the player is eventually subdued, leading straight into the next.

Script:

Psi wakes up in Courage's flat once more. Synn speaks up as soon as the player leaves the apartment.]

Synn: You know, "Psi", I never really did get around to asking what your really name is. Psi: I thought you said not to talk about it?

Synn: Well, I already know what it is, Mr. Eric, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to be formal about it.

Psi: Oh. Okay.

[Brief pause while realization sets in.]

Psi: ...wait, what? How the hell did you figure that out?

Synn: That's easy, Jean. I'm a mind reader.

Psi: Really? Why didn't you tell me that earlier?

Synn: Well, considering we share the same body and all I kinda figured it would come naturally, like it did when you started flinging rocks at Courage. I can't blame you for not noticing though, it's kinda subtle.

Psi: So it's just that simple? Focus on someone and I can tell what they're thinking?

Synn: Well, not quite. To be honest you're kind of an easy target because you're essentially in my head too, but on anyone else I can't exactly dive deep into other people's minds and extract whatever I want. Just their surface thoughts at that moment in time.

Psi: So let me get this straight: to get what I want to learn from him, I have to tease the thought out of hiding. Like say, I could figure out a passcode from someone who's already typing it in, or... hell, you found out my name just by asking me about it, didn't you?

Synn: Why... yes, I did. That's surprisingly astute of you. Some of this might come second nature to you yet.

[The game adds a Topic on Jean Eric, and explains Psi's telepathic mind reading as a means of extracting further Topics from other people in certain situations.]

Synn: Well, we'd better get going. You can do whatever you feel will help us in the city here, but make sure to leave enough time to head back to the mountain later. There's something I want to check out back there.

[An objective marker is added pointing in the direction of the Hero Cave, along the same route the player arrived in South City through right when the game started. All the base-level sidequests in South City become active once the player has control, which are entirely seperate from this mission and are not necessary for completion, but come with their own set of goals and rewards. If he hasn't been confronted yet, Akumaryu will continue to stalk the player just like he did in the previous mission, with all the same effects if he's caught in the act.]

[If the player happens to pass by the Library again, Psi will start running towards it outside of the player's control...]

Synn: Um, Psi? What are you doing?

Psi: booksbooksbooksbooksbooksbooksbooksbooks

Synn: PSI!

Psi: [Stops running] Huhwhat? I got a bit distracted there.

Synn: What are you doing?

Psi: Going to read a few books. What's it look like?

Synn: When we could be investigating how we ended up like this?

Psi: Who's to say this isn't part of the investigation?

Synn: Yeah, but... they're BOOKS. Couldn't we go explore someplace or interrogate someone or just something less boring than this?

Psi: We could. But I wanna read, and I'm not letting you have a say.

Synn: Oh god, someone just kill me now.

[Through reading up on certain books in the Library, it's possible to get Topics on Denuo, some of its landmarks and some other basic history. By presenting other Topics gathered from other places to the librarian, it is possible to unlock further material to bolster them, though none of the Topics gathered thus far will yield anything.]

[After the player eventually leaves the city, A pair of Intimidators suddenly spring out of the background on either side of Psi, blocking any means of escape.]

Psi: What the hell!?

Synn: It's an ambush! We'll have to fight them off!

[More Intimidators continue to jump into the improvised arena. The player is not actually expected to win - the level ends as normal once the player is defeated, but they can get a rank bonus depending on how many enemies they take down before then. On the offchance that the Intimidators actually run out of people to send out, though...]

Synn: Come on! I can take anything you guys can give!

Psi: Are you sure that's all of them?

Synn: Well it's not a good idea to stick around and find out. Let's get back to town before more of them show up!

[A small tranquilizer dart suddenly strikes Psi in the neck from behind.]

Artemis: It's a little late for that, I'm afraid.

[As Artemis walks onscreen, Psi pulls the dart out and looks at it.]

Psi: Is this... what I think it... [Psi collapses in mid-speech, and starts dozing off, causing the screen to slowly fade to black.]

Artemis: I don't know what the hell's gotten into you, but you've got a lot of explaining to do. Pray that I'm in a good mood when that time comes.

[Level ends as normal.]