2.9 KiB
Character State: ch-06
Marcus Thorne
Location: Interstate 75 South, crossing the Florida-Georgia line; 110 miles from Cypress Bend. Physical: Tremor in left hand (Status: Acute/Persistent); eyes bloodshot from "The White Noise" (strobe-lighting sensory over-stimulation); dehydration level high. Emotional: Critical System Failure. The "clinical detachment" has shattered; he is experiencing recursive guilt loops specifically tied to Sarah Jenkins’ voice. He is now operating on "autopilot" instinct rather than tactical logic. Active obligations: Protect the Alpha-7 physical drive; reach the Silas Vance property. Open loops: Marcus has intentionally disabled his vehicle's transponder, triggering a "Kinetic Recovery" flag from AQ. Arc: 45% — The psychological tether to corporate metaphors is fraying. He no longer sees himself as a "lead dev" but as a "glitch" in Julian’s perfect map.
Julian Avery
Location: Avery-Quinn HQ, Neo-Chicago / Command Center. Physical: Composed, monitoring the "Terminal Efficiency" heat maps. Emotional: Irritated. The "Marcus variable" is no longer a throughput issue; it is a reputational risk. Active obligations: Execute the "Regional Optimization" (Blackout) to flush out Marcus. Open loops: The authorization of Tier-3 "Private Recovery Specialists" (mercenaries) to intercept the silver sedan. Arc: 25% — Julian is transitioning from passive monitoring to active, localized suppression of the Georgia-Florida corridor.
Sarah Jenkins (Digital Haunting)
Status: Audio/Visual hallucination. Legacy: Her voice has shifted from a "memory leak" to a persistent "system prompt" in Marcus's mind, providing the moral friction he cannot optimize away.
World State: ch-06
NPC Memory
- Florida Highway Patrol (Station 4): ALERTED — A BOLO (Be on the Lookout) has been issued for Marcus’s vehicle, masked as a "wellness check" for a high-value corporate asset.
- Gas Station Clerk (Valdosta): REMEMBERS — Marcus’s tremor and the "Chicago plates" on a car that shouldn't be traveling during a grid-throttle event.
Faction Attitudes
- Avery-Quinn Corp: AGGRESSIVE — They have moved from "Data Recovery" to "Asset Liquidation." The Southeastern grid is being used as a tactical hammer.
- The Rural Populace: FRANTIC — The extended "Great Dark" is causing localized civil unrest at fuel pumps and grocery stores.
Active World Events
- The Great Dark (Phase 3): TOTAL THROTTLE. AQ algorithms have successfully isolated the regional sub-grids. Communication is now limited to high-priority corporate "shrieks."
- Terminal Efficiency Protocol: APPLIED. Power is being diverted from hospitals and streetlights to maintain the "Search-and-Index" logic towers tracking the Alpha-7 drive.
- The Humidity Warp: The physical environment is degrading Marcus’s hardware (laptop/deck), introducing thermal throttling that mirrors his internal mental state.