Toggle Background Color
Update 11: The Refuge Library
Distant
Goons? I had another dream... Mama was there.
Did you see her?
Yeah, we saw her.
Into the Light
She made me pancakes!
I... think it was my birthday.
Cuz people always get their favorite food on their birthday! A whole lot of it! Do you have a birthday, too?
I do! It just passed not too long ago, actually.
Oh! Then... what's your favorite food?
Is it pancakes?
Wait, DO you like pancakes?
Oh you better believe it! This conversation alone is making me want to whip up a batch. They're so fattening but soooo good!
Me too!
On my last birthday, I ate ten of them.
I was so full I didn't eat anything else that day...
My mama makes the best pancakes!
And some of the neighbors make really good noodles.
And oh! One of our neighbors makes a lot of bread.
Do you have any neighbors?
Well, I live in a city so... yeah plenty of them. When I lived in the country though I didn't. The neighborhood was so spread out that my closest neighbor was a football field away.
Oh uh, my neighbors don't share any food with me.
That's not very nice of them...
Our neighbors and my mama take turns making food for the whole village each day.
Everyone also takes turns doing chores and watching the little kids!
I don't need to be watched anymore, though. I'm old enough to help out!
...
I miss everyone... I've been gone for a while now, haven't I?
I wonder if they're worried about me...
Aww, poor Niko. The journey is starting to get to them. Not too much longer of a trek until we can save the world and send them home though.
Eh? The elevator is still open? I've never seen an elevator hold the door open that long before.
That... sure took you a while, huh...
Oh GOD! You were waiting for us the whole time?? It's been like a week dude!!
Oh, shoot! You've been waiting this whole time?
And... holding the door open?
Well I uh... didn't want to be rude...
I'm sorry, I should've told you to go on ahead...
Eh, don't worry about it.
Pretty Nice Day
......
......
......
.........
.........
.........
Sure is taking a while...
m-hm!
Oh, maybe we can chat to pass the time, then?
YOU HEARD ME??
I mean, sure...
Alright, Goons, should I...
Resuming the awkward silence takes the least amount of time, but just means you have to wait another 15 seconds until the elevator ends. Going through all the questions will take longer, but hey - dialogue!
Let's ask about his job.
So... what do you do at your job?
You seem really busy!
I...uh...
I fix lights, mostly.
But now I also deliver and refill high-energy phosphor to structures that need them.
High energy?
Oooh!
...Do we know about that? I don't think we've seen anything like that yet...
We used to have a small army of delivery robots doing that...
But lately a bunch of them have been breaking down?
So until they fix them, I'll just have more work on my plate.
I haven't slept in so long...
When will the robots get fixed?
I have no idea, it's all up to the scientists over at the labs.
Oh?
...Never a good sign when the smart folks are worried.
Well uh, maybe it's not a big deal? Even if it is, we've got the sun! That should surely ease everyone's minds... right?
Let's ask about the city next.
This city is very big!
It's smaller than it looks. Getting pretty crowded too... First there was the refugees from the Barrens, and now more Glen folks are moving in too.
Oh?
It's just safer here, y'know? I mean, it's not a haven by any means.
That square stuff that we just saw? We get more of that here than anywhere else, apparently.
I noticed...
Hmm, could that have to do with the Tower? The city surrounds the Tower so maybe the lack of sun is causing some sort of breakdown around the place and slowly making it's way out?
The landmass itself is still holding up.
Which is good, since there isn't much solid land here in the first place.
Well uh, I don't think the lamplighter has any time to go to the library based on what he said about his job, but... let's ask him about the library.
Can you tell me about the library?
I'm supposed to go there!
Oh yeah, that's one of my main delivery spots. Those reading lights are pretty high-maintenance.
But I always feel out of place surrounded by smart people!
Well, I guess you're pretty smart yourself, so you'll fit in fine.
You and the Goons.
On Little Cat Feet (Ground)
Niko!
...Right. See you around, kid. Gotta run now!
He seems to be in a hurry...
Well... there was the fact that he waited a week for us to go down and elevator with him 
I guess we should hurry too, Goons!
People are counting on us! Let's go find that library.
Yup! We should. Let's take a look around and get our bearings of where to go.
Taking a few steps behind us and we find a robot just standing in the street.
[BEEP BOOP]
Beep boop.
...Good conversation!
Well look at this dapper gentleman! Maybe this guy is worthy of following up the intellectually stimulating conversation we just had with that robot.
Sigh...
You alright?
Ah, the messiah. Perhaps this is a sign. Tell me, do you think you can fix the world with the sun?
Honestly, I don't know...
I've been getting mixed messages...
I know.
I... think...
Niko posting a thread in E/N asking for advice on how best to deal with the burdens of trying to save the world.
After all, the Goons helped me get this far.
I will take your faith for an answer, then.
What do you mean by that?
It means whatever you think it means.
Hmm, a bit cryptic at the end there buddy. Regardless, the conversation actually did get a bit deep. People in the refuge seem to be a bit introspective about things I guess.
Going to the right of the elevator and we walk down a long street with little in the way of things to look at/talk to. We finally reach this fork in the road but, despite the signs, we don't want to go where the arrows are pointing just yet. That takes us to a different part of the city, whereas the library is just a bit further ahead.
That open door isn't the library, but is worth a bit of investigation to find...
An aquarium! With a bunch of fish and... a shopkeeper with a fishbowl on their head. What??
Oh, hey there.
You have a lot of fish!
Yeah... I'm worried about them.
Oh?
I heard something about how the square particle stuff just took out a major pipeline. I guess I should take advantage of the running water while I still can...
Jeez, the squares just randomly shut off the water for the day? That's strange as hell. They seem to really dislike the infrastructure for the place a lot. I wonder why? Oh well, there's nothing else to do in here besides look at the fish so let's head back into the streets.
The stairs are where we need to go, but let's chat with the paperbot and see what's happening in the city.
[EVENING NEWS! EVENING NEWS! ARE YOU HERE TO PURCHASE A COPY?]
...No?
Newspapers are for grown-ups!
[GROWN...UPS?]
Yeah!
[WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?]
It means people who aren't kids!
[KIDS?]
...er... aren't you a kid?
[I AM A ROBOT.]
Right...
See sometimes the robots have personalities and sometimes they literally beep boop. Are these bots 'tamed'?
[STRANGE SOUNDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM THE SLUMS. THEIR SOURCE IS UNKNOWN. THESE SOUNDS HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS "FAINT BLEATING" BY THE AREA'S RESIDENTS.]
...Are there goats in the slums??? Uh... anyway, let's move on.
Ah, and we arrive at a giant structure on the outskirts of the city. This must be the library.
[HELLO PERSON. THE LIBRARY IS UP AHEAD.]
Thanks!
We've finally reached the library! Just think, not too long ago we were in the swamps of the Barrens and now we're just a little bit away from figuring out how to find and get into the Tower! Before we head on in, let's check in with that woman next to the building.
...
To be honest, I'd rather the former. A quick death promises the least pain, don't you agree?
...
...Yikes. I guess this person has just accepted the end times and has welcomed it. Well uh, let's get out of here before Niko gets depressed.
Library Stroll
The library is actually quite big! There's a decent amount of people to talk to in this place, so first let's look at the right side.
Oh... looks like some bots are putting up old books.
[HELLO, PERSON.]
Hi.
[RESHELVING IN PROGRESS. PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR POTENTIAL FALLING BOOKS.]
I will!
Oh, right, sorry Niko! Let's continue on, there's nothing else in this section so let's try the other side.
.....WHAT??!?
Wh-I didn't say anything.
Well stop staring at me then!
I was just looking at your book...
Yes. You are in a library. There's books. In the library.
Um...
....Go bug the chatty one upstairs.
He just glared at me.
I don't think we should bother him anymore, Goons.
Duely noted!! Let's annoy someone else.
It seems there are no subjects he does not write about. Quite the renaissance man, don't you think?
I guess so!
But he's been focusing on documenting the world, as of late.
Oh?
They say this city is the last bastion of civilization. Soon, these books may be the only thing we have to remember the rest of the world by.
...ah.
The author may be a renaissance man, but I prefer the classics of antiquity *puffs on bubble pipe*.
Let's see... this area here is mostly historical accounts, the reference section is downstairs, and, uh... I'm not sure where the children's section is... sorry!
That's ok! I'm not really looking for books.
Oh! Are you here to... look for the Author, then?
...no?
Oh, that's good! Er, I mean... that means you won't be disappointed! I've been volunteering here for months, and I've never seen him, not even once! He works together with the head librarian on publishing, so you'd think he would at least show up once in a while...
But... he doesn't?
Yeah... he seems kiiinda reculusive... which is weird for a guy who supposedly travels the world. Maybe it's just around people... I mean, I don't think many people have ever seen him in person... or know what he looks like! Everyone's heard OF him through secondhand accounts, though. Oh! But he did reply to my letter that one time! I got it framed immediately.
Nice.
Sounds like the Author is a popular guy around here. It also looks like the books the people are reading have clovers on the covers of them. Sounds like the same guy we're looking for. If he works with the head librarian then maybe if talk to them, we can find the Author.
Ah, of course, a man with binoculars for a face. I mean, WHAT!?
I heard he can travel all over the world with a flying machine! That's how he gathers material for his books.
Wow!
Y'know, I've tried looking for the flying machine with my binoculars for ages! Never saw such a thing, though...
But... the binoculars... are your face... Moving on before I lose my sanity talking to this... person.
...
Okay, having a book for a head at least makes some sense in a library.
Um...
Don't worry, these are my own books. That I wrote. I just pulled them off the shelves to modify them. I have to cross out some sections... most sections...
Eh? How come?
Cuz otherwise they'll think I copied HIM.
Him?
The Author! I mean, I really don't see the point of writing anything anymore! The Author is just gonna write about the same thing, and then everyone will love it! And nobody's gonna remember the books that came out before his!
Oh uh...
I can see why people go nuts over his stuff. That guy's got major talent. But... it just... hurts, y'know? It's never fun when people call you a copycat for something you wrote about first.
I can see that...
People call me a cat all the time!
Even though I'm a person, and cats are pets... and mousers. I sure hope people don't think I eat mice...
Heh, then I guess we're in the same boat, kiddo.
Niko is real obsessed with not being called a cat. Though yeah, I wouldn't want people thinking I eat mice either.
And even then, it's still too similar! Looks like I'll just have to accept my fate...
Well, I guess being called a cat isn't all bad...
...as long as people don't assume you eat mice.
You know, if you wrote the book and more than half of the book is basically the same as the Author's book... maybe he plagarized you? And you could take him to court? This dude seems to have enough money that he'd probably give you some hush money... or kill you, 50-50 shot honestly.
On the other side, we seem to have found a book club! Only the biggest of dorks are here, except I missed this week's meeting so not all of the dorks are there.
The head librarian just released a bunch last week!
Oh?
They're big compendiums, you'll see them if you look around. Kinda different from his earlier works, though. I'm used to reading his travel logs and novels, mostly. Oh, and picture books, those too.
I like pictures!
There are two books in here that we can interact with and read for some interesting information. We'll finish up talking to the club members first, though.
I... don't know?
Have you read his stuff yet? If not, you should! There's a couple of his books in this room that aren't occupied yet. Hurry before someone takes them!
We will! Jeez. Give us a chance to talk to people first.
In fact, he has put out more books in one year than most authors do in a lifetime. According to the head librarian, there is still a large amount of material he has written, but not yet published. One cannot help but to wonder where he can get so much done in so little time. I did the calculations, and the numbers simply do not add up.
Maybe he...
...can stop time?
No such mechanism exists in this world.
That you know of...
Is that actually possible in your home dimension?
Nah, I just saw it in a movie once.
About... superheroes and stuff. I haven't seen any superheroes in this world.
I've seen a lot of robots, though!
Well, I guess robots are more plausible than superpowers...
True!
I'm good with no superheroes to be honest. The robots are cute and fun, and superheroes are all sarcastic or brooding. I'm good with wholesomeness.
Actually, it's mostly pictures!
Oh?
Yeah! The author doesn't only write books, he also illustrates them! Sometimes he makes books out of only pictures.
Neat!
Ok, NOW we'll look at the books.
A big book with a black clover on the cover. The title says "A Comprehensive Guide to Phosphors".
Hmm, so the red phosphor sounds like it's the least reliable of the phosphors... despite it being the power source of the city holding majority of the world's population! Great!
The title says "Emergence of New Ecological Niches In A Post-Sun World".
Those are the creatures that are the only reason life exists for majority of the world's species. Kinda funny, in a horrific way.
Continuing to the back of the library and this bookbot is who we need to talk to before we can see the head librarian. So we'll check out the two areas to the side first before speaking with it.
Ah, just a coffee pot.
Coffee is for grown-ups!
Hey! I had coffee as a kid! Granted, I had it with a lot of milk and sugar to the point that the coffee was basically a flavor in my sugar-milk concoction.
I'm on my 3rd cup. I can't feel my limbs...
Um...
BUT I HAVE TO STAY AWAKE. I NEED TO FIND OUT HOW THIS BOOK ENDS...
Ummm....
CURSE THE AUTHOR AND HIS BEAUTIFUL CLIFFHANGERS...
M-moving on. There's no one else in the library to talk to! So let's hit up that book bot.
[OH. YOU ARE THE MESSIAH. WELCOME.]
The just utter casual tone in how that bot said it. Like someone at the DMV who's been working there for 30 years looks at someone's drivers license and says "Oh, you're Jesus Christ."
When I first entered the city, a big robot told me to look for a library on the surface! This is the same library, right?
[AFFIRMATIVE.]
Oh, goody!
Well... we're here... what do we do now?
The big robot only said there'd be clues here...
[THAT IS A QUESTION FOR THE HEAD LIBRARIAN, GEORGE. ALLOW ME TO CALL HER]
Phone Ring
[SHE IS NOT PICKING UP.]
Is she... not here?
[SHE IS HERE. SHE IS IN THE ARCHIVAL ROOM UPSTAIRS. WHEN SHE IS CONCENTRATING ON HER WORK, SHE WILL IGNORE ANY AND ALL PHONECALLS... FOR SEVERAL DAYS.]
Yikes!
Can you go get her in person, then?
[LEAVING THIS POST IS NOT IN MY PROGRAMMING.]
Then... can I go myself?
[OF COURSE. THE ARCHIVAL ROOM IS ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE STAIRWELL BEHIND ME.]
Gotcha, thanks!
Wow, genuinely surprised it's gonna be that easy! I was sure the bot was going to send us on a wild goose chase to be able to get up those stairs.
[UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY. LIBRARY CARD REQUIRED FOR FURTHER ACCESS.]
Wait, what?
[LIBRARY CARD REQUIRED FOR FURTHER ACCESS.]
I don't have a library card, though!
Where can I get one?
[THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE HEAD LIBRARIAN, GEORGE. ALLOW ME TO CALL HER.]
Phone Ring
[SHE IS NOT PICKING UP.]
I figured...
Are you sure you can't just... let me through?
[LETTING YOU THROUGH WITHOUT A LIBRARY CARD IS AGAINST MY PROGRAMMING.]
Wh-
Even in an emergency?
[MY PROGRAMMING IS NOT FLEXIBLE. I HAVE NOT BEEN TAMED.]
Oh.. boy! Time for a... wild goose chase!! We need a library card, except the only person who hands them out is also the person we need the library card to see!
...My head hurts.