Let's Play: To The Moon (Part 10—Beta-B)

Music - Having Lived

Eva is sitting on the bench, tired and wondering. As she thinks, images of Johnny's past float by.

It doesn't make sense...
...Why did the machine have no effect?

With Izzy, talking about River's operation and the funds to build the house...

Johnny's registered wish to go to the moon was successfully transferred, yet...
...There wasn't even a trace of him wanting to go to the moon after the transfer.

With River in the book store, discussing childhood books...

Unless... unless a secondary condition was changed in the process.

With his mother, as a kid...

...Only then, would the same desire produce two different outcomes at two different points in time.

River sitting on the stairs at school, reading about lighthouses, with the platypus at her side...

There's no denying that River played an important role through it all...

Sitting with Nick at lunch, discussing River and people in general...

If there's anything that could've caused the core to change, she would be the top suspect.

River, examining the dead rabbit on their wedding day...

...But out of all things, what exactly caused it?

Sitting with River on her deathbed, holding the blue and yellow rabbit...

River...
...Just what exactly did you do?

Birds can be heard flying away.

Ah... The sun's rising.



Eva gets up.

(We don't have much time left...)
(...I wonder if Neil came up with anything.)



Can I just take this moment to say... this game is absolutely beautiful. Although I consider that previous scene to be a bit narmy (with how pixelated Eva is and the cheesiness of the dialogue), it's still got some sort of a charm to it that I can't put my finger on. Look at that sunrise in this scene. That's honestly one of the most breathtaking things I've seen in video games in a long time. And it does it without any sort of complicated technology or convoluted gameplay mechanics or anything--it just puts you in this world and asks you to enjoy it. The way it handles its atmosphere is truly amazing, with the limited but beautiful graphics and the soothing music and the heartwarming story... it really is special.

Talking of "special," let's find Neil.



As we walk towards the door, some birds fly by.
You see, it's little details like that I love. Let's head in. As we do so, Eva turns around for a moment.

(...Ugh, you can smell that squirrel Neil ran over all the way from here now...)




No, I understand that part, but--
Short pause.
...Okay. Did you confirm it in his records?
Another pause.
And why again was this information not made available to us?
Or the medical doctor, for that matter!
Where did you get that coffee?
Shhh!
Are you speaking with headquarters?
Yes! I'll fill you in after!
Now shhhhhhh.
...

If we examine the rabbit (something I didn't think to do in my first playthrough)...

I thought I left this at Johnny's bed.
Oh, yeah, where did you find that?
I thought you shhh'ed me.
Temporarily unshhh'ed.
Oh, ain't I lucky...
Well, I found the rabbit in the lighthouse last night.
There're a bunch more of them there. And in the basement, too.
Ah... hm.
Short pause.
Alright, resume shhhhing.

Wonder how that dialogue changes if you choose Neil in the beginning. Anyway, I turned the light on for him. Speaking as Eva, it's not good for him to sit in the dark all the time, and I want the best for him even if he is a compulsive jerk. :I

Anyway, we're free to roam the house for a bit. It's helpful to note Johnny's heart gauge has turned yellow now, probably indicating deteriorating health.







How is John doing?
Barely hanging on. What are you two doing?
We just... we just couldn't make any progress.
You'd better be soon... we don't have long.
If you're looking for your colleague, I think he's in the kitchen.

Already seen him. Anyway, let's check out those paintings down there again.



A painting of a lighthouse by the cliffside.
A painting of a woman holding something yellow and blue.
A painting of an animal... of some sort.
A casual painting of three people.

I checked the chest down in the basement that I mentioned at the beginning of the game. It's still locked.

Let's progress a bit.



...But maaa...
...I dun wanna go tuh school...
Pretend Tommy's asleep there.
...It's Sunday, dear.
Lily throws a blanket over them and turns to Eva.
Shhh, let them sleep.

She walks out of the room and sits herself at the dinner table.



I really should've watched those two last night... they were up late.
Well, it's not an everyday circumstance.
I suppose...
Oh, was there something you wanted to ask?

> [Lily]
[Tommy and Sarah]
[Future]
[No more questions.]

You know, it's pretty unusual for someone like you to work here.
With two children and all, I mean.
It's not that bad, really. There's a school bus that passes through here.
But how did you even end up here?
Well... a few years ago, my husband passed away.
What happened?
He was in the army... they were the last batch to be deployed overseas.
Sorry to hear.
Lily turns away.
...I panicked. Our savings were low, and the job market was grim.
Johnny saw the ad and offered me this job. I accepted with gratitude.
This place was peaceful, too... it helped me with my grieving.
Doesn't the government issue grants to war widows to help them get back on their feet?
Lily turns back to Eva.
They do. And eventually, I received aid.
But by then, Johnny was starting to have trouble on his own... he needed my help.
Tommy and Sarah like this place, too. And so we stayed.
As for Johnny... he was glad as well.
She turns away again.
...We're going to miss him.
I think deep down, he really wanted a family.

[Lily]
> [Tommy and Sarah]
[Future]
No more questions.

So what are you going to tell them about John?
I... I don't know. I'll probably make something up... but it's no use.
Kids are smart nowadays; they'll figure it out.
Might as well. It's the nature of life. There's nothing to hide.

[Lily]
[Tommy and Sarah]
> [Future]
No more questions.

This is your full time job, isn't it?
What will you do when this is over?
What else is there to do?
Find a job in the city and live on, I suppose.
It's a shame, though... I'm going to miss Johnny and this place.
Maybe I'll come back to visit every once in awhile.

[Lily]
[Tommy and Sarah]
[Future]
> No more questions.

We start to walk away, but...

Oh, hey...
Eva turns back around.
Before Johnny fell unconscious, he told me that you two would probably be coming soon.
He said that he probably wouldn't get the chance himself, but...
...He wanted me to tell you thanks for him.
So... thank you.
...

Let's see if Neil has anything to say.



The music fades. Neil sets down the phone.

...Hm.
What is it?
It seems like our little Johnny here has some hidden records from the old days.
...Hidden records?
Hidden medical records, to be exact.
Music - Warning (AKA best track ever)
Apparently, during his youth, he was administered a large dose of enhanced beta blockers.
And what luck! They tend to have this little side-effect on a curious thing called memories.
Eva walks off a bit.
Beta blockers...
...Johnny didn't have a heart condition, did he?
Apparently not.
Which leads one to wonder... if the 'side-effects' were intended to be merely just that to begin with.
And in such a large amount...
Its impact on his memories at the time of administration must've been significant.
...You think that's what kept us out of his earliest memories?
Well it's not the machine, I'll tell you that.
The maintenance department yelled at me for scolding them.
...So what now?
I was just given the reconfiguration frequencies; that should get us past the blockers.
And once we're in his childhood, it might finally be early enough to transfer his desire for it to work.
Eva runs up to Neil.
Then what're we waiting for?
But just one thing...
...Of course. There's always that one thing.
In order to activate the new frequencies, we'll need a trigger.
A trigger?
Something that exists strongly in the bridging inaccessible memory.
And we'll need to give it to John, for him to stimulate his memory internally.
But what do we know of that? We've only gotten a glimpse of his childhood memories.
And even if we find a childhood photo or something... John's unconscious.
Yeah... back to square one.
The music fades.
...
...
Neil facepalms.
You know, this job hasn't been such a pain in the arse for me since Nora's case last year.
Eva looks away.
...Likewise.
This is killing me... I'm going out to get some fresh air.
Neil walks out, then rushes back in for something very important.
Ahem... forgot my coffee.
He walks back out with his coffee, looks back at Eva for a moment, then closes the door.
...

Received Note: Beta Blocker

Note: Beta Blocker
Description: A drug with the side effect of dampening memories by interfering with stress hormones.

Let's see what Neil is up to.




He walks out of the house, then rushes back in.

IT SMELLS!!
...Quit barging in and out of doors.
Music - Warning (AKA best track ever)
The roadkill, Eva! It smells!!
Eva facepalms and Lily walks over to see the commotion.
I know. It's your fault for running over it.
What's going on? The children are still sleeping.
Eva looks up in realization.
Wait a minute...
The last memory, the one we were stuck at--
It was the same smell!
Music - Beta-B
What are you two talking about?
The olfactory receptors are directly linked to the brain's limbic system, Lily!
Don't you see what this means!?
I'm--... what?
He means that smell is arguably the most effective sense for memory recall.
We can use it as the stimulant to bridge his childhood memories!
And the best part... Even though Johnny is unconscious, he's still susceptible!
I... I think I'm missing some vital contextual info on this whole thing.
Alright, this is good... this is awesome.
Now you just need to go fetch a piece of the roadkill.
Yes, I'll just--
Wait, why should I fetch it!?
You're the one who ran over it!
Exactly. I've already done my part.
The music fades and Eva facepalms. (She's gotta have a tattoo at this point.)
...Oh, you miserable bastard.
Um, if it helps any, I...
Eva and Neil both look at Lily.
...I have a pair of gloves you can borrow.

The scene abruptly ends and we're left alone with Lily.



They aren't really disposable gloves, but that'll probably change after this.

I would just like to note that Eva's menu and overworld sprite even shows her wearing the gloves. They thought of everything.



Let's head out to the car.

As we do so, two inconspicuous squirrels inconspicuously scramble down the inconspicuous hill. Inconspicuously.

(Huh... Déjà vu.)

Interestingly, they put the accents in déjà vu, but not in an earlier instance of the term in a previous update. So they didn't exactly think of everything.



(The kind of things this job gets me into...)
...
(It's not safe to just bring in a piece of germ-infected roadkill like this.)
(There's a valved container in the car; it'd at least make its odour controllable.)

As we open the car door, we see a shot of Neil in the house, looking out the window.



He turns around, walks forward, then starts to run.

Where are you going?
Neil looks back.
I...
...I gotta go take a leak.
He runs out.
...

...Classy, Neil.



(What a mess... the crash shook everything up.)
(Let's see...)
As she searches around, something rolls out of the door without her noticing.
Ah... here it is.

Received Valved Container.

(...Now to get some of that dirty roadkill...)

The Valved Container doesn't seem to have a description. Anyway, let's pick up the kill of the road.

(Uggghh...)

Received Contained Roadkill Odour.

Contained Roadkill Odour also does not have a description. C'mon, man, didja think we wouldn't check? :I
Anyway, as we were leaving, I picked up the thing that rolled out of the car...



...
(This...)
(...Painkillers?)
...

She pockets them.



Oh, hey.
Music - Between a Squirrel and a Tree
Haven't heard this song in awhile.
Did you get the roadkill?
It's ready.
Neil spreads his arms wide and beams.
Great! Go get it set up; I'll be right back.
He starts to leave.
Neil.
He looks over at her. She holds out the pills.
These painkillers... I think they're yours.
Hey!
He snags them from Eva's hands and backs away.
May I ask why you are on them?
...I wasn't going to tell you, but...
He scratches his head and facepalms.
...Oh, this is embarrassing.
A few days ago, I walked into a concrete wall.
You... just walked into a wall like that?
What can I say? I was in deep thought.
You know how deeply I think.
...These are some rather strong pills, Neil.
And it was a rather strong concrete wall.
'Twas a match made in heaven, I say.
...
...Anyways, you got the roadkill, right?
He turns back towards the house.
Let's hurry. John's dying back there.
Neil...
...You aren't addicted, are you?
Neil stops. He turns around.
Are you kidding me?
He turns back towards the house.
I'd overdose before I'd sink to that level of contrived mess.
The music fades.
...

He walks off. Eva stands for a moment. She starts to walk, looks around a bit, then continues walking, slowly. The screen fades to black.


Music - Warning (AKA best track ever)

...So when we get to that exact point, I will send the signal.
When I do, I want you to release the valve for about three seconds.
Certainly.
Eva walks to the machine and faces Neil.
About time you showed up.
Have you made sure the germs are sealed off?
Fully sealed and filtered.
Not like it'd matter to a dead man.
She puts her helmet on.
You should know that Johnny's condition is deteriorating fast.
Neil turns to the Doctor, who looks at them both.
This might be your last chance, you two...
...Whatever you do in there, good luck.
Neil walks over to the couch and picks up his helmet.
Luck's the last thing we need.

He puts his helmet on. His and Eva's helmets glow, then Johnny's does as well. The screen briefly brightens as the machine is heard starting up, and then it goes black. A bell chimes.

Something I noticed while getting us to the proper point in the game--the note on Neil has changed.

Note: Dr. Neil Watts
Description: A pretty cool guy.

How much do you wanna bet that that was changed when Neil rejoined us after the horse fiasco :I




Music - Warning (AKA best track ever)

Let's go.



We get all our memory links automatically this time, since we've already been here. However, I spot Johnny in the bedroom.

Checking the desk he's at...

A dusty pile of Animorphs books sit here.

And now we activate the memento.





The eerie humming resumes behind the background music.

To think that this little thing's causing us so much trouble...
...I just want to kick it to outer space.
I suppose all we can do now is to send the signal and hope.
Well... ready?




The screen fades and we return to the real world, where the Doctor sees the signal and rushes to release the valve.








Then we return to the memory, where the screen shakes violently and flashes blue.

Something's happening...
Quick, send it again!

Neil sends it again, and--





Music - Beta-B

The screen shakes even more violently and flashes red. In the real world, the Doctor and Lily are panicking. A high-pitched beep occurs every few seconds.

Doctor, something's wrong!
What!?
She rushes around the bed.
...Take over for me, Lily.
Lily rushes around the bed to take her place.
His condition has been destabilized... Intake levels must be reconfigured.
She messes around with the controls a bit.



A loud boom sounds as the screen flashes brighter red. The whole area is bathed in red light.

What's happening to this place!?
...It's been destabilized.
She calmly walks over to Neil.
Get out.
What?
Get out of his memory. Now.
What are you talking about?
If the system doesn't restabilize soon, the shock might permanently damage whoever's in here.
You've got to be kidding me...
Why aren't you getting out, then!?
I can't, Neil!
If both of us get out under this state, all our work will be reset...
...There won't be enough time to redo all we've done before Johnny--
Oh, you freakin'...
...Don't pull that contrived crap on me!
This ain't a movie and you're no hero, you're just being a moron!
Eva crosses her arms.
Then why are you being one too? Get the hell out of here!
Screw that! If you're gone, they'll probably pair me up with Alistair!
He turns around and facepalms.
Do you know how badly he smells!?
Worse than the roadkill!
Eva turns her head away.
Damn it, Neil... This is what I get for helping you cheat through the entrance exams.



The music fades out and a dramatic crescendo rises, then stops abruptly. The room grows brighter and turns silent.

...
Doctor...?
The doctor turns away from the machine and towards Lily.
...I think we're okay, for now.







Back in the memory, the screen turns from red, to black and white, to color. Then it passes over to Eva and Neil, still arguing.



...and guess what? Your carrot cake sucks!!
...Hang on.
If you're about to ask, "Did I just spend what I thought was the last few moments of my life arguing with the village idiot about my cooking?" then yes, yes you did, Eva.
Yeah! And, at the last Christmas party, you--
He stops and looks around.
...Oh.
Oh.
C'mon... let's go before that happens again.
Neil turns around and sheepishly rubs the back of his head.
Um, you know that I didn't mean to...
Y'know, call you a moron, right?
You know that I did, right?
Neil turns around and says nothing, then we're back in control.



There's really nothing we can do in here right now, so maybe the best course of action is to go back through the memento and come back the same way to get where we're supposed to be.

...Here goes nothing.










...Ooooor have it transport us over here anyway. I knew that would happen. :I
Anyway, there are birds chirping merrily and Johnny's just sorta hangin' around on the swing.

Wow, I can't believe that worked.
So we actually made it...
...But now I'm not sure if I'm going to like this place.
What do you mean? It seems peaceful enough.
Music - Warning (AKA best track ever)
Neil, did you notice something odd in Johnny's room earlier?
Er, what?
There was something strange in there. Did you not see it?
I... I suppose not?
...
Nevermind... I just hope I'm wrong.

We regain control. It's worth noting that when I paused to save here Johnny's health meter had turned red, and his heartbeat is faster.




Using underlines to differentiate between the speakers.

Wow, that sounds fabulous!
I know, right? You've got to take them there one day!





Sheesh, the time overlap's getting out of hand.
Look at how many of him there are! It's like a zoo!
...Mm-hm.



All thanks to this little fella's sacrifice.
...I hope.

As we walk further down the road to the right a bit...

cutscene: