SERGEANT NPC CONTACT

[cartesio]

The Lodge is located on the hills near the town, large and strange. It contrasts a lot when compared to the rest of the town -- its gray and white walls are quite the change from the vibrant and colorful Cartesio, the plants and bushes that are planted on the lower levels of the Lodge only make the contrast more obvious. There are many windows, but no matter how much you look you don't see anyone passing behind them. If you didn't know better you'd think it was completely empty.

But it isn't empty. The Sergeant is there.

You won't get too far into the Lodge before you encounter the Sergeant. There he is in the lobby, standing in front of a door that leads deeper into the building. No matter at what time you come or what you do, he'll always be there, reading self-help books, or with a mirror, practicing his next speech/confrontation. When he's not facing all of you at once, he seems to be easier to talk with.

Want to bother him?

Comments

[cartesio]

He lives here.

[Simple answer, he figures]

[robitussin]

Yeah, I got that, but... Why does he live here? Why isn't he back home?

[cartesio]

He is home. He wasn't authorized to leave the town, so...he's home now.

[Welcome to Cartesio, Natalie Goodman]

[robitussin]

[She groans, running a hand through her hair.]

I get that your whole thing is being evasive and obnoxious, but can you for once just tell me what the hell is going on?

[cartesio]

It's exactly what you hear. Going back home and leaving the town are opposites.

If you stay in this town at the end of May, you will stay in this town. Possibly for the rest of your life. Them's the breaks.

This will be your home.

[robitussin]

So... He's here because he didn't leave the last time this happened? The time when Sakura and Millium were here.

[cartesio]

Pretty much. Sakura, Wayne and Millium were given a second chance, while the rest stayed and started new lives here.

[robitussin]

But... He said he moved. He made it sound like it was his choice.

[cartesio]

I admit I took some...liberties with a few details in his memory. He doesn't remember anything of what happened, other than arriving to this town, meeting everyone else, and... [He tilts his head] That's pretty much it. Everything else was left intact.

[robitussin]

Why the fuck would you do that?!

[cartesio]

I felt bad for him.

[robitussin]

So you trapped him here? Why wouldn't you let him go home if you felt bad for him? I mean his real home, the place he was before, not here!

[cartesio]

......

[The shadows retract, until they seem like they're about to reveal his facial features. For a moment they stay there, before extending back over his face.

He shakes his head]

I have my reasons. You shouldn't question too hard what you saw. He's a resident of Cartesio now, and that's the end of this story.

[robitussin]

...Would it have been worse for him for some reason if he didn't come here?

[cartesio]

Nothing he couldn't have handled on his own. Just his life.

[Several games of Trails of Cold Steel]

Look, can we chalk this up to me wanting to imprison him in the town forever or something like that? That'd be fantastic.

[robitussin]

No, we can't! You can't just trap people here forever because you feel bad about stuff that they're completely capable of handling!

[cartesio]

I can. And the same will happen to you all if you don't leave Cartesio by the end of May.

So you better try your best if you want to leave this town someday.

[robitussin]

My life isn't even that bad! You don't even have the stupid 'I felt bad' excuse for me!

[...]

Wait, is that the reason you chose us all?

[cartesio]

No, that has nothing to do with this. What I did to Rean was led by my personal feelings, and although I feel ashamed about that, it's something I decided on my own free will.

Everything else is according to our plans and protocols.

[robitussin]

Can't you, like... un-decide it or something? Just give him his memories back and let him go home?

[cartesio]

...you know, if I "un-decide" this, I'll have to go with what was expected I'd do with them.

[robitussin]

Which is...?

[cartesio]

Death.

[What else?]

They weren't supposed to stay once the test run was done. I was supposed to eliminate them, instead of giving them the chance to live here. I'm already likely to get into a lot of trouble for doing this.

So if you really want me to 'un-decide' this, then alright, I can. But you'll be the one to explain to Millium why Rean Schwarzer will be completely obliterated. Not even his spirit will remain.

[After all, Sakura has said so: there are no spirits in Cartesio]

[robitussin]

[She blinks, surprised, then shakes her head.]

That's - bullshit! Why couldn't you just let them go home after the test run or something?!