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Encounter Conditions
Have not successfully walked past the guards today (HQ Elevator is unlocked instead)
Initial Text
A wide security desk forms a bit of a bottleneck on the way to the elevators. The guards behind the desk are glancing at people's badges as they pass, occasionally making a circular gesture with their forefinger that seems to mean "your badge is backwards."
Other than that, they're just chatting among themselves and greeting those workers they recognize.
Summary of Choices
- Just listen - information
- Pass out classic lattes (with classic lattes) - lose 5 classic lattes, allows you to walk past
- Offer horrible black coffee (with horrible black coffee) - lose horrible black coffee, allows you to walk past
- Share your cheese fries (with cheese fries) - lose cheese fries, gain 3 XP Will, allows you to walk past
- Walk past - gain 10 Lobby Alarm or, if you have given the guards any of the above: unlocks HQ Elevator, stops this encounter for the day
- Run past - gain 10 Lobby Alarm, fight 2 Internal Security (baton) (win: 10 HQ Alarm; lose: deactivated ID)
- Back off - Walk away
Choice Text and Results
Just listen
The guards are chatting among themselves, passing arguments back and forth in a practiced manner. "Screw that Lattes! stuff, man. You need real coffee. Kind that'll degrease an engine."
"Yeah, I should just wash down my cheese fries with battery acid."
"Man, I know you're only hard on Lattes! because the sommelier won't give you his number."
"Ugh, only if he lets me buy him some better cyberware. But the point is, you can't wash that down with a latte… so you should just give it to me."
Pass out classic lattes
With 1-4 classic lattes:
Although one of the guards turns down Lattes! with a shake of his head, the other five people at the desk sound excited. You might need to grab a few more classic lattes before you have enough to share.
With 5+ classic lattes:
You pass out some lattes. One of the guards takes a swig and smacks his lips "this would be fucking great with cheese fries," which earns a glower from his only coworker who turned down the drink.
(Lose 5 Lattes! classic lattes, allows you to walk past next time)
Offer horrible black coffee
Only one guard takes you up on the coffee offer, the others looking at the cup with trepidation. "Oh, yeah, this is the good stuff," he mutters theatrically as the others roll their eyes.
(Lose 1 horrible black coffee, allows you to walk past next time)
Share your cheese fries
"Cheese fries for everyone!" one of the guards exclaims.
"Homemade too," the next one over grins as he grabs a piece.
"This is the real shit," another takes a large bite. "Did you make this crust from scratch?"
You've earned 3 XP in Will
(Lose 1 cheese fries, allows you to walk past next time)
Walk past
Without any ID badges:
???
With a downtown ID badge in inventory or equipped:
You show the guard your badge, but he doesn't seem particularly impressed by the likeness. He hits a button under the desk and you can hear a chirping alarm overhead.
And if you have a downtown ID badge equipped:
You feel your badge grow warmer as if there's a chemical interaction labeling it a deactivated ID.You've gained 10 duration of Lobby Alarm.
Or, if you've given the guards cheese fries, Lattes! classic lattes or horrible black coffee today:
The guards nod as you pass, barely glancing at you.
(Replaces this encounter with HQ Elevator encounter for the rest of the day.)
Run past
You hear a shout of "hey!" as two of the guards from behind the counter run after you.
You've gained 10 duration of Lobby Alarm.
(Fight 2 Internal Security (baton), gain 10 HQ Alarm if you win, deactivated ID if you lose)
Back off
They do seem to be paying a fair amount of attention, so you back off for now. Sadly, this brings you no closer to any of the elevator banks at the back of the lobby.