I'll pick you up at the airport tonight.
Great! I will see you then!
[dialtone]
[relays click]
[muffled voice]
-Marta...
She's... at that age.
...And I want to tell her that they're not stupid questions.
You ask them as a kid because they're obvious.
"Why does the world hurt?"
"Why do they allow pain?"
And you and I know better than anyone;
the suffering is the point.
[whiskey clinks]
The fuel for their miserable system trying to rise above itself.
They're not great.
They were just... first.
And they made us lesser.
And whenever we forget....
[dark chuckle]
Mmm.
I know what you're going to do to that family tonight.
Showing your hand like this...
You must be desperate.
Or maybe we're getting close to the end...
I'll see you in The Alibi when this all blows over.
[a baby cries]
[everybody cries]
[ Screaming ]
[rollercoaster]
[Jo] We! Have! Money!
We! Have! Money!
[Jackie] Whoever mugs us is going to be so disappointed.
[Jo] Why do you always stop there?
[Jackie] I dunno.
[Jo] Can we get... two pork Tacoburgers and...
...one Supreme?
[Chrismas music!]
[Jo] Old Chrismas man!
[Jackie] Oh, yeah.
[Old Chrismas Man's laughter]
Timmy! Tommy! Billy!
I can see into your minds!
[Jo] What do you think it's like to live to be 50?
[Jackie] I've seen pictures... it's horrible.
[Jo] Oh...
[Jackie] This is a good thing.
Bulwark's been paying twice for scrap metal in the past year,
and companies are just throwing money at anybody who can read VMT.
If I take this, we could live anywhere...
We could even live uptown.
[Old Chrismas Man] Have you been GOOD this year? Hahahahaha!
[Jo] When do they want you to go?
[Jackie] Two days...
I'm sorry. I just can't spend my last few
years looking for work.
13-month contract.
It'll be over before you know it.
[dial tone]
[PA] Prepare for landing at Banner Commercial Airport.
[PA] Now boarding for flight 182 to Brickhole.
[excited screaming]
[answering machine] Patter's Board & Clean's office hours are
between 7 and 4.
For after-hours emergencies, please ring the front gate.
Thank you.
[Taxi] Welcome to the Safety-4-U Taxi Services.
Home of the No-Abduction Guarantee, or your money back!
Where would you like to go?
Patter's Board & Clean, Old Town.
[Taxi] Destination confirmed.
You will not be abducted!
Banner Airport is the second largest airport in Shade,
named after the famous aeronautic innovator,
John Airport.
[Taxi] Highway 22 was the first completed road
connecting an airport
to the Crab Wall, making it,
at the time, an important thoroughfare for Dustland trade.
To your left, the majestic 100-meter
memorial to Shade's founders,
commissioned on the bicentennial by the
Hestley-Kilotech Heritage Foundation.
You have arrived at your destination.
Thank you.
No, I don't think this is it...
[Taxi] You have arrived. Welcome to the
Safety-4-U taxi services.
Home of- you will NOT be-
-or your mo-mo-money b-
New destination confirmed.
No new destination. Same destination.
[Taxi] What?
[Jackie] Taxi, where are we going?
[Taxi] New destination...
[Taxi] So there's good news, and there's bad news.
What's the bad news?
[Taxi] Uh- let's focus on the good news!
This ride's going to be free.
Because I'm being abducted?
[Taxi] Hahahaha! I dunno...
[Taxi] Built on the Stephenson River delta,
Old Town was Shade's first neighborhood,
and still features the original town hall and library!
Be sure to visit the Sunset Museum-
[person] Hey! Watch where you're going!
[person] Hey! Assjack!
[Taxi] And if you love adventure- and I know you do-
Luxme Entertainment keeps the spirit of high-stakes blood gambling alive,
in its newly renovated casino and eatery
open 24 hours a day!
Taxi, that is way too fast!
Well, it's a neighborhood
rich in history, Jackie.
To the left is the original town square,
where the legend says the Old Town
inhabitants literally ate their first mayor...
I don't think it's true...
but the Rare Meats Ghost Tour is guaranteed to be a spooky-good time for the entire family!
[man] AUGH!
[Jackie] Sorry!
[Taxi] Who put this stuff here??
[smash!!!]
[Jackie] I'm sorry!
[Jackie] Taxi!
[Taxi] What?
Taxi! You're doing this on purpose
[SMASH]
[Taxi] What did you say? hahaha!
[Merc] They found an extra one so...
...uh... I think I'm gonna sell it.
[Jackie] TAXIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!
[SMASH]
[Merc] That guy really loves taxis...
The oldest part of Old Town is the utilities district!
Tasked with the important job of providing
water and power to the
quickly growing society.
And no trip will be complete without a
visit to the historic Waterworks Market.
In its day, Waterworks used geothermal power to purify up to 20 million
gallons of water per day.
And if that makes you thirsty, be sure to
visit Black Sock Brewing.
Open till 3 am in the night market.
[Taxi] Uhhmmmm....
[approaching droning]
Oh, he's here.
Jackie Simon!!!
Prepare for execution...
Ow!
Whoa!
Hey!
Prepare for execution of
Operation Save Josephine Simon.
What did you do to her?
Uh, made her dreams come true.
It's the stuff after
that we need to talk about.
Come with me.
Sorry again to have alarmed you.
I turn off my empathy circuits after
midnight for logistical reasons.
-Oh, I was in front of the incinerator and everything!
Haha!
[Jackie] Cool. Where's Jo?
She's fine, for now, but
outside our jurisdiction.
I'll explain in a minute.
Welcome to Waterworks MCC.
There's your bag.
Watch your head.
...You're welcome.
[Jackie] So, she drops her mug...
...and in return, you slam a ballistic missile into Grandshaft,
...and pay me 3 times my annual salary.
...We're all very fond of her salads!
[Jackie] And it just coincidentially happens to deprive
Redstone Mining of their Omegadrill operator
in the middle of a land dispute with Hustani Mining Coalition.
-Hoho!
Never violated a treaty to help out a salad girl...
...Hey. I know we have a reputation, but...
you happen to be in the very fortunate position of
wanting the same thing we want:
...the safe return of Josephine Simon.
[Jackie] Safe return?? Where is she?
[PA] Arriving: Temple Park Access Vent.
Oh that's us!
[PA] Goodbye, TERD.
[Jackie] Turd?
[TERD] It was talking to me...
I'm a Telecommunicating Emergency Response Dispatch unit.
That's great. Where's Jo?
[TERD] [signal noises]
[TERD] 15 minutes after she was discovered unconscious,
sources report Josephine Simon was airlifted to Anatam Hospital.
Top secret facility. Miltary. Totally automated.
[Jackie] Military? What does the military want with her?
[TERD] They're attempting to weaponize tiny salads...
...No, I have no idea.
Is she… o-
Alright, alright.
We're just gonna go to Ana...
[TERD] Anatam.
[Jackie] Anatam. We're just gonna go to Anatam and
ask them what's going on.
[TERD] Right, yes. A very clever plan. Except...
[TERD] Anatam's deep complex. No mans land.
Only people who dare go that far north these days are the strippers.
Strippers?
Whole town of them! The pay is great!
If you survive......
Joe's somewhere out there...
"Anatam?"
Anatam Hospital. We don't know
much about what they do at Anatam, but we
do know one thing.
No one's ever left it alive.
[Jackie] How do I get to Stripper Town?
[TERD] For that- we call my old friend Kelly Two-Eyes.
K- Kelly T-
...Kelly?
You a stripper?
Not since the war.
mmm.
[Kelly] The main sluice opens up with the tide.
Not for another... 'bout 5 hours.
But the overflow opens up in about 12 minutes.
TERD says you're trying to get to Blahtown fast?
[Jackie] Yeah! It's called Blahtown?
[Kelly] Yeah. It's a funny story...
[Jackie] ...Cool!
[Kelly] Yeah it's an illegal outpost,
but over half our fish comes in from Blahtown...
Best shrimpers on the coast!
[Jackie] Shrimp! Oh they're SHRIMPERS!
[Kelly] Yeah... when they're not busy stripping.
[Jackie] Okay.
[Kelly] Here...
[Kelly] Do you know what you're in for?
[Kelly] The Complex is a labyrinth.
I mean, killer robots, you know.
[Jackie] What do you do if you encounter a killer robot?
[Kelly] -Don't do that!
This is the complex? This... this is complex.
[Kelly] Buddy that's just the way to Blahtown..
[machinery clicks]
[Kelly] That's our cue.
707 overflow- we're coming through.
It's gonna get dark.
[Kelly] Nice.
[Jackie] Is that a killer robot?
[Kelly] That?
No.
[Kelly] So how'd Waterworks convince you to
go into the Complex?
[Jackie] I'm looking for someone.
[Kelly] You're looking for someone?
I hope it's worth it...
Two lefts, a right, and then a left again.
They'll be expecting you. Okay?
>[Jackie] Uh- what about the killer robots?
[Kelly] You're OBSESSED with the killer robots!
Two lefts and a right...
-does this count as a left?
Just goes left...
Is this a... is this a left??
[INDUSTRIAL GROANING]
[Jackie] Uh... oh!
oh oh oh oh oh.
[the sound]
[the sound goes crazy]
Jo?
Jo? Jo wait right there!
I'll come to you!
[kid] Jo!