UniverseDelta

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<<set $character to "None">> ^^Content Warning! Universe Delta contains descriptions and themes of death and violence. Proceed with caution.^^ ! <center> This is Universe Delta. <img src="https://strawbyfields.neocities.org/gameassets/img/universedelta.png" width="400" height="400"> </center> The year is 5555X. The Greater Galactic Syndicate has set up a small, yet busy, starport located in the orbit of the star Ampule. A good few ships are docked for repairs, and roving merchants line the cramped streets. You are a... [[Tall Thing]] [[Bird Thing]] [[Bug Thing]]

<<set $character to "Cricket">> !! <center> Your name is- it's complicated. <img src="https://strawbyfields.neocities.org/gameassets/img/cricket.png" width="300" height="300"></center> To yourself, or others of your kind, your name is -.-./ (KrriKriiK). But for outsiders... Let's say your name is Cricket. You're a rather strange type of critter, personality aside. Not a thing people see a lot of out here, adorned with many pairs of legs, feathered antennae, and a fuzzy exterior that's often labelled "cute". ...But aside from that, you travelled here to sell your wares! Hop to it! [[Continue|cricket1]]

<<set $character to "Ioleo">> !! <center> Your name is Ioleo Mori. <img src="https://strawbyfields.neocities.org/gameassets/img/ioleo.png" width="300" height="300"></center> Others may call you abrasive or withdrawn, but you just call yourself an Aakak. A feathered sort of thing with sharp horns and a crest that stands proud from the back of your neck. Your crew consists of much of the same. Or... soon to be former crew. You've grown tired of the work. Today, Ioleo Mori wants to turn over a new leaf. [[Continue|mori1]]

<<set $character to "Rikki">> !! <center> Your name is Rikki From The Post On The Skyway. <img src="https://strawbyfields.neocities.org/gameassets/img/rikki.png" width="300" height="300"></center> To many, you are simply known as Rikki Post. You pride yourself on being an expert Avus engineer! That is, you're the feathery kind of beast with flightless, yet dextrous, claws. In fact, you're actually heading out to another contracted project right about now. Something about an old ship needing repairs. [[Continue|rikki1]]

!!! Packing Up. It's been a long time coming, but you're leaving. Gathering up your stuff and stopping this for good. You've been working with these no-good idiots for a long, long time. You're sick of it. When you were younger, and a bit more desperate, being a "mercenary" as you called it then wasn't so bad. Now? You're sick of being a space pirate. Sick, sick, sick. <<if $deadioleo is "true">> It makes your stomach crawl. You want out. <<else>> You're tired. <</if>> You're just about done hauling your (few) bags out of the cargo bay when... [[You get interrogated.|interrogationa]]

!!! Let's Do Repairs! Shaking out your rust-stained feathers, you start making your way over to the ship. It's not as if you haven't had a good many strange or quirky jobs throughout the years... you're a seasoned engineer, after all! But... something about this job strikes you as off. Hells, the client didn't even state their ship's name! That's weird! Usually crews are all over that stuff, "Oh, us? We're the S.S. Flotation!" "Me? Tch... The Longhorn's Majesty!" and other frankly bizarre monikers. But, hey, a bird takes any job she can get! Especially on the starport. <<if $deadrikki is "true">> You could stand for something interesting, for once. <<else>> You get the feeling it will be eventful. <</if>> [[You see the ship ahead of you.|interrogationa]] [[You take a quick detour.|interrogationb]]

!!! Setting Up Shop! With a skip in your steps, and a chirp from your mandibles, you stride on over to the main gathering area of the starport. You say "main gathering area" because you're really not sure what to call it. It's not a //marketplace// per se, but you don't really think theres a better spot for you. I mean, look! Theres a bunch of people in the ship bay next door! Perfect for selling! You flop down in a cozy spot, removing your stuff from the pack that rests on your back. You're something of a collector, yourself, but well travelled! You've plenty of interesting knickknacks from a plethora of different locales. Especially lots of stuff from your home planet, which you've heard is rare and hard to come by. [[You sit and wait for someone to come up to you|interrogationb]]

!!! Interrogation. You see another person, of a type different than yours. <<if $character is "Ioleo">> She's some kind of feathered thing, the kind you see around occasionally. The similarities between you only make you itch. She's coming up to you... What could she possibly want? She starts to speak. <<else>> He's quite an odd looking fella, with a tall stature (non uncommon for his type of critter, you've gathered). What piques your interest, though, is his scar-covered nature. You see a mark that crawls up, up, up his neck and splits his lip in two. What a mean face! But... He's coming out of the cargo hold, so you figure he's part of the crew. You ask him for more details. <</if>> "Hey, are you a member of this ship's crew?" <<if $character is "Ioleo">> You grimace, pondering a second for what to answer. "Yes," you say. Hopefully soon enough it'll be the opposite. <<else>> The scarred-up fellow somehow makes an even nastier face than his resting one, but still answers you. "Yes," he says. <</if>> "Great! I'm the engineer here to repair the ol' hunk of junk here! Mind telling me a bit about her?" "No." "Huh? What, are you scared of-" <<if $character is "Ioleo">> She looks at you for a second, pausing. Her feathers seemed to stand on end, but you weren't sure at what. Just as you're about to turn, she continues. <<else>> You were about to taunt the guy, until a glint caught the vision of your tri-eyed gaze. Tucked into the folds of his clothing was a little badge. You've seen it on the news. Thats the badge of... <</if>> "Space pirates... you're a space pirate." It's barely any more than a whisper, but audible to the two of you nonetheless. <<if $character is "Ioleo">> You remember your insignia badge. You're still wearing it, fool! Idiot! But... You... have a chance, here. You could really, truly get rid of this thorn in your side. But who's to say this won't cause you trouble even if you're washing your hands of this all? [[Confirm]] [[Deny]] <<else>> You look up at him, nerves tingling in your feathers. He starts to say something. <<if $pirate is "true">> "Maybe I was at some point. Today was supposed to be the end of that. I'm quitting." "Quitting?! Being a pirate?" "Keep it down! But... yes. And you're going to help me," He says to you, an odd sense of finality in his voice. //This just got interesting.// [[You lean in and listen to him.|Confirm]] <<else>> He shakes you off, glaring. [["No."|Deny]] <</if>> <</if>>

!!! Questions, Questions. <<if $character is "Cricket">> You see a figure approaching! Yay! You adjust your legs, clean your antennae a little- it's best to look presentable after all! You realize its one of those people with the three eyes, which is a little odd to you as someone with compound eyes. Either way, you make sure to send a wave her way. You're pretty sure the gesture is universal. She stops right in front of your blanket and peers down curiously at your wares. <<else>> Your eyes are drawn to the most busy place in the port. A little detour wouldn't hurt, right? You head over and look around a little, before spotting an interesting individual. A Burrowing Bug! They're not a common type to meet, especially in obscure starports like this. Seems like a trader or salesperson of some sort. They give you what must be a wave with one of their three-clawed limbs. You stop right in front of their blanket and peer down curiously at the spread. //Yeah, most of these are illegal imports.// <</if>> "You've got quite the selection here, little salesbug." "Yes! I do!" <<if $character is "Rikki">> Ooookay? You can't help but be a little suspicious. There //has// been word of space pirates hanging around here. A bug with a bunch of contraband is... Well, it's kind of- it's INCREDIBLY strange. And probably maybe pirate behaviour. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the recent space pirate sightings here, right?" They seem to give it some thought, before answering you. <<if $piratecricket is "false">> [["Well, you see..."|Tell the truth]] <<else>> [["Actually..."|Lie]] <</if>> <<else>> She glares at your collection a little. Ow! Despite trying to be so nice, too... You try not to let it get you too down though. A poor customer interaction at the start of the day ruining the whole day? That's just unprofessional! What she says next really perplexes you though. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about the recent space pirate sightings here, right?" Well, no. But maybe she'd be more interested in buying something if you said yes! [[Lie]] [[Tell the truth]] <</if>>

<<set $pirate to "true">> <<if $character is "Ioleo">> "Maybe I was at some point. Today was supposed to be the end of that. I'm quitting." "Quitting?! Being a pirate?" "Keep it down! But... yes. And you're going to help me." You kind of hate being so upfront. But you can't deny it's kind of refreshing. The idea of being free of all this. <<else>> It almost seems like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. <</if>> You both decide it's better to move. Wouldn't want to be seen out in the open. There //are// space criminals around. <<if $character is "Rikki">> Ioleo, you learn his name is, leads you to behind the ship. With a twist of his claw, he undoes a screw and opens up a secret compartment that lets you access the inside of the ship. That's DEFINITELY a safety hazard but there are also bigger problems at hand. You look at him cautiously. <<else>> You exchange a little bit of information as you lead her to the back of the ship, including names. You show Rikki a secret entrance into ship, as you explain how you'll need her help. <</if>> "So, you're saying the captain's quarters has a log of your activities? Wouldn't you wanna... //not// write that down?" "Pirates are a prideful bunch of scoundrels. It comes in handy now, though." <<if $character is "Rikki">> He pauses, before continuing. <<else>> You pause, before continuing with the explanation your plan. <</if>> "You can use those engineering skills of yours to get into the quarters. There's a hydraulic lock, but the captain says it's been loose lately. You might be able to... I dunno, tinker. You can get it open." "Sounds easy enough." [[Continue|infiltration]]

<<set $deadioleo to "true">> <<set $deadrikki to "true">> !! BAD END Just as you are concluding your brief, kind of awful, conversation... <<if $character is "Ioleo">> You feel the Avus woman stumble onto you. You look down and see something dark spreading through her feathers. You hear a voice. "Can't have anyone getting too suspicious, right, pal?" You look into the eyes of one of your (former?) crewmates. You see your own blood in the reflection of his eyes. Your neck hurts. "Right, pal?" You can't breathe. <<else>> Suddenly, it hurts. It @@.shudder;hurts.@@ You fall. Something cushions your fall. You don't what it is. Your back feels wet. There's a hole now there, you think. There's someone saying something, you think. There's- <</if>> [[It feels like a dream.|start]]

!! BAD END "Actually, I'm a space pirate! Yep! That's where I got all these!" <<if $character is "Cricket">> It takes you a few seconds too long to realize the authorities have approached, even as you continue to spout absolute nonsense. They quickly detain you and take your product with them. Confiscated. <<else>> You don't say a peep as you see the cops come up from behind the Burrowing Bug. So much for spilling secrets! You do let out a few under-your-breath profanities as they detain you as well for interrogation. Dangit! <</if>> [[You wonder how this could've gone better.|start]]

<<set $piratecricket to "false">> !!! Nope! "Nope! I don't know that that is!" <<if $character is "Rikki">> Oh. Well this was a waste of time! [[Go to the ship|interrogationa]] <<else>> As soon as the words leave your mandibles she makes a face and leaves. Aw man. You just have to wait for more customers. In fact, you see a large group of people coming your way! They're baring their teeth... which you've heard is how many "smile", so surely this is good! You chitter at them as they arrive. "Hey little guy, how 'bout you give us all that stuff you've got with you? Looks like it's weighing you down!" Hmm.. That's not right! You start to speak, to deny them, but... "It wasn't really a question," one of them says, scooping up your stuff and making off with it. //Hey!// [[Let them go.]] [[Chase them!]] <</if>>

!! BAD END Now how are you supposed to get money? [[You think about second chances.|start]]

!!! Give Chase! You scramble after the thieves as fast as your legs can carry you. Your spiracles ache from the strain. For a brief second you think you lost them, until you see them head into a large starship parked in the repair bay. Aha! You'll have your wares back yet! <<if $defend is "true">> You enter the ship, only to hear a commotion. The thugs have cornered someone. You think this guy just kind of looks like another thug though. [[Help him!]] [[Run away!]] <<else>> [[Continue|lost]] <</if>>

!!! Infiltration! You both head further in. The captain's quarters are uncomfortably far in, making the infiltration agonizingly nerve-wracking as you have to watch your step as to not get caught. Eventually, you reach the aforementioned door. The hydraulics in the lock whine like a beast in pain. "Let's put this thing out of it's misery." <<if $character is "Ioleo">> Rikki bends down and starts pulling some nails and pins out from her feathers. She gets to work, fiddling with the door's lock. <<else>> You hunker down and fetch your tools from the most convenient place- your feathers. Carefully, you start the process of disengaging the lock. <</if>> "This'll take a minute or so, Ioleo, so make sure that-" Speak of the devil. You can hear footsteps approaching. <<if $character is "Ioleo">> [[Check it out]] <<else>> Shoot! You try to go faster, any faster. You see Ioleo go to check it out. You hope for his safety. [[Faster, faster, come on!|waiting]] <</if>>

<<set $defend to "true">> Your frill stands on end. Standing there in the hall is your crew. Your //former// crew. Shoot, you think. You can't possibly take on all of them. <<if $crickethelp is "true">> <<set $defended to "true">> Out of nowhere, you see the pirates turn to something behind them. Through the cracks of the crowd you see... a... fuzzy? worm? thing? You're not quite sure what it is, but it's got their attention. Whatever it did, it worked. Most of them go running after it as it zips out of sight. The ones who remain are distracted enough to knock out with a few unexpected hits. [[You go back.|free]] <<else>> You try to [[fight.]] <</if>>

<<set $crickethelp to "true">> !!! Suddenly...! You come to his rescue! You chirp, drawing the attention of the evildoers to yourself. Now they're all looking at you. @@.shudder;Now they're all looking at you!@@ You run as fast as your little legs can carry you, for a second time. You twist and turn through the labyrinthian halls of the starship, just hoping to get them off your tail. <<if $deadcricket is "true">> You get a sense that if you don't get away, it would be Very Bad. <<else>> You forget about getting your stuff back. <</if>> Eventually, you lose them. [[Continue]]

!! BAD END You're not dealing with this today! Or ever again, considering all your stuff is now gone. [[What a shame.|start]]

<<set $deadcricket to "true">> !! BAD END You get lost in the maze of the ship, trying to find those damned thieves. Where did they go? You find out, eventually. You also find out how it feels to have your shell crushed under someone's claws. You can feel it crack. And then- [[The air feels light.|start]]

!! BAD END You're no saint, you know that. But you'd rather go down fighting what's wrong than living an evil life. You realize quickly what is about to happen when they grab you by the horns. You're piloted like some sick kind of rodeo, horns as handles to smash your head in the walls and floor of the starship over and over and over and over @@.shudder;and over and over and-@@ [[Your neck hurts.|start]]

!!! Waiting... <<if $defended is "true">> Finally, it's open! You look around nervously, waiting for Ioleo to return. You hear commotion, and try not to imagine the worst. [[Continue|free]] <<else>> You wait, and wait, for Ioleo to return. You hear some sort of commotion down the hall. You hear footsteps coming towards you. Many footsteps. [[Continue|caught]] <</if>>

!! BAD END The pirates approach. They already have blood in their feathers, in their fur. You try not to think about where its from. You fail. You try to run. You're outnumbered. They catch you and they hurt you and they- "Got a little too curious, huh?" [[You feel something fading|start]]

!!! Freedom. As soon as you realize you're both safe and the door is open, you grab the log and get out of there. <<if $character is "rikki">> It seems whatever commotion happened took the pirates with it. <<else>> It seems that bug managed to lure the crew away. <</if>> "So, what, we take this to the authorities?" [[Continue]]

!! THE END. With the pirates' activity log now public, they could not hide from the authorities anymore. While some, inevitably, got away... Ioleo didn't have to worry about being tied down by his dark past anymore, and with it gained a new friend and companion in Rikki. Eventually, Cricket had ran into them again as well. The Aakak and Avus thanked the bug graciously. And while it may be far from perfect... ! This is Universe Delta. Thank you for playing, $character [[Try Again?|start]]

Character: $character