Lost Programmer

Image

Hipster.jpg

Encounter Conditions

If you haven't killed the poet on the Quad.
If security hasn't been issued the Kill Order on your ass.

Initial Text

As you wander around the room, waiting for a station to open up, you see a man standing apart from the rest of the room. He's shifting slowly, as though he wants to jump into conversation.

Summary of Choices

  1. Give him the Code - Unlocked by offering to help with his project. He will pay 50 creds each for (in this order), a search script, filtering script, remote indexer, and remote command script. He will also give you an Omnitech learntop after you give him the last one. He then moves to the Happy Hour and out of the computer lab, too.
  2. Talk to him
    1. Talk computers
      1. Better get to work - Complains that he doesn't know where to start.
      2. I'll help - Starts Coding Assistance quest
      3. Walk away - Nothing
    2. Talk Eclipse - Mentions that he can't take Eclipse until he's got this project done. Also that Midgard security guards don't harass Eclipse users like they do other druggies.
    3. Talk art - Describes how the art museum was closed for repairs after his friend the 'ghoul artist' started a riot with his display.
    4. Talk poetry - "Naw, that's more my buddy Dave's thing. Head out to the Quad sometime. You can't miss him."
      OR
      if you've owned his buddy with satirical poetry gain ? XP and he laughs about it
    5. Let him talk - Lets him drone on, makes him happier, 2 will XP
    6. Make excuses - Nothing
  3. Search his backpack - If buffed Reflexes≤5?, get 2 XP in Reflexes. If Reflexes≥11? get 1-3? of: ancient candybar, battered cred chip, Castor Capsule, Half Of A Sandwich, Omnicola, pep pill
  4. Leave him be - Nothing

Choice Text and Results

Give him the Code

If he wants a search script but you don't have one

He shakes his head. "Sorry, but I need some search script for the next project. Gotta catch up for the whole semester!"

If he wants a search script and you have one

He nods. "Awesome! This is exactly the search script I needed. D here I come!"

"Well, that's fifty cred well spent. And if you want to help me make a filtering script, there's more where that came from!"

You gained 50 credits!

If he wants a filtering script but you don't have one

He shakes his head. "Sorry, but I need some filtering script for the next project. Gotta catch up for the whole semester!"

"Oh, damn. I actually totally forgot. The professor gave us some code to help out… something about not having to reinvent the stack, whatever that means."

He transfers the code over to you. "You're welcome to 'em. They're not doing anything for me."

You found: 2 variations of networking functions

If he wants a filtering script, and you have one

He nods. "Awesome! This is exactly the filtering script I needed. C here I come!"

"That was pretty damned awesome. I mean… if you want to keep helping… I've got some more cred. The next project's some remote indexer, whatever the hell that means."

You gained 50 credits!

If he wants a remote indexer but you don't have one

He shakes his head. "Sorry, but I need some remote indexer for the next project. Gotta catch up for the whole semester!"

"Oh, damn. I actually totally forgot. The professor gave us some code to help out… something about not having to reinvent the stack, whatever that means."

He transfers the code over to you. "You're welcome to 'em. They're not doing anything for me."

You found: 2 variations of networking functions

Or, subsequent times:

He shakes his head. "Sorry, but I need some remote indexer for the next project. Gotta catch up for the whole semester!"

"Hopefully that code's helping. I never could figure it out."

If he wants a remote indexer, and you have one

He nods. "Awesome! This is exactly the remote indexer I needed. B here I come!"

"The last assignment I need to do to get an A is to write a remote command script. I mean… I don't need an A, but it'd be awesome. You know, pull up my GPA and all that."

You gained 50 credits!

If he wants a remote indexer, and you have one. BUT the only one you have is currently running on your computer.

If you want to drop by with that remote indexer when you're done with it, that'd be awesome. It looks like exactly what I need.

If he wants a remote command script but you don't have one

He shakes his head. "Sorry, but I need a remote command script for the next project. Gotta catch up for the whole semester!"

If he wants a remote command script, and you have one

He nods. "Awesome! This is exactly the remote command script I needed. A here I come!"

"Well, that's the last of it. I'm set! Thanks so much! Now I can get back to drinking at the Happy Hour and taking Eclipse." He chuckles, but you have a feeling he's not actually being sarcastic.

"You can have this laptop too. I'm not gonna need it anymore."

You found: OmniTech learntop

You gained 50 credits!

Talk to him

He happily chatters, making small talk in the way only those avoiding work can. He'll probably go on for quite a while if you let him, but doesn't seem opposed to you steering the conversation.

Talk computers

"Man, it sucks. I have to take this class to fulfill a stupid gen ed requirement for my art degree." He sighs.

"Like I need to program art, right? But, yeah, I suck with this stuff. I'm like four projects behind and I'm totally gonna fail. Then I'll have to take it again next year… This sucks, I just want to pop a couple Eclipse and chill, ya know? Not bang my head on this stuff."

Better get to work

He shakes his head sadly. "Yeah, I just have no idea where to start. It's cool, though. I'll figure something out."

I'll help

His jaw drops open in shock and he actually lets himself smile for a second before reverting to his practiced frown. He pulls out his comm to double-check the assignment.

"That would be so awesome if you'd help. I need to put together a search script for class, but there's something about handcoding and… and… well, it doesn't make any damned sense. I can totally pay you if you help."

Walk away

See Walk Away

Talk Eclipse

He sighs. "You've got no idea how much I want some Eclipse right now. No idea."

"I can't until I finish these stupid projects, but you know… it opens up the mind's eye… like you can see… I dunno, it's like a whole other world. Like, we had this foreign exchange student last year and she used to just pop a couple and walk down by the docks and write down 'the song of the waves.' I thought she was crazy, but I heard it too. It's so… different, you know?" He drifts off for a bit, staring into space wistfully.

"But you know the weirdest part? Weirder than those creepy dogs or her music? The security guards… it's like you could take it right in front of them and say 'MMmmmmm I love Eclipse' and they'd just ignore you. Weirdest shit."

Talk art

He blinks a couple times, as though surprised you're interested, and lets you steer the topic towards art. "Yeah, it's actually kind of a crap time for art on campus. You hear about the museum?"

He pauses for a second and leans forward conspiratorially. "Yeah, a couple weeks ago… they had an exhibit by one of my classmates. Next big thing, they're thinking. Only he shows up with these crazy paintings… blood and hooked chains and cannibals… not that there's anything wrong with that. You know… sometimes you've gotta go over the edge."

"But, well, apparently some folks at the opening thought it was, uh, offensive. Big riot broke out. Two guys got killed by security guards. The inside of the museum got trashed."

"Anyway…" he leans back, looking a little more comfortable with the subject matter. "They've got it all sealed up now for repairs, trying to get new exhibits. Next morning nobody could find him… the painter, that is. Turns out he took a fistful of Eclipse and wandered off. Not that I blame him. It's a good time."

Talk poetry

If you have encountered the Horrible Poet and chosen "Respond with worse" with satirical poetry or vicious poetry equipped

He chuckles. "Yeah, I totally saw you own my buddy Dave on the Quad. He's got his whole performance art thing goin', but you took it to a whole 'nother level."

You spend the next few minutes basking in honest praise and respect. It's… nice.

You've earned 4 XP in Will

Otherwise

He shakes his head. "Naw, that's more my buddy Dave's thing. Head out to the Quad sometime. You can't miss him."

Let him talk

You let him talk… and talk… and talk. Eventually he burns himself out and actually tries to get some work done.

He seems to be in high spirits by the time you leave.

You've earned 2 XP in Will

Make excuses

See Walk Away

Search his backpack

With a certain reflexes?

You slip your fingers into his backpack and pull the first objects you touch. As you try to reach deeper, he shifts a bit and glances over his shoulder.

You pretend to be interested in something else.

You found: get 1-3 of ancient candybar, battered cred chip, Castor Capsule, Half Of A Sandwich, Omnicola, pep pill, caramel bar

Leave him be

See Walk Away

History

Before April 14, 2013, some text changes:

I'll help:

[…] "That would be so awesome if you'd help. I need to put together a file scan for class, but there's something about a file interface and an automation routine and… well, it doesn't make any damned sense. I can totally pay you if you help."

Give him code:

Replace search script with file scan, filtering script with security updater, remote indexer with optimizing code and software firewall with remote command script.

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