Mr. Quantuple: So, they had these grand plans to spice up their theme park with A.I., and I had made a proposal that would involve sentient robots. Heidi: Truly sentient? Mr. Quantuple: Yes, the most lifelike robots ever seen. It would be groundbreaking. I delivered a rough prototype. Heidi: And?
We see a flash-back with the Faceworld crew scoffing at one of the robots seen during the Faceworld adventure, but without any guns. Mr. Quantuple: They couldn't believe the robot was truly sentient, and thought it was a scam. Someone deliberately broke the prototype, causing it to misbehave. Then they scrapped the original plans and severely watered it down to rely on tried-and-true contemporary A.I. tools.
Mr. Quantuple: As if that wasn't bad enough, they violated the original contract and only paid me a fraction of what was promised. However, in the meantime I had planted backdoors in their whole inventory and planning system, their security practices were laughable. Max, at Zhang: Did he just call our product “watered down?”
Mr. Quantuple: Them insisting on this ridiculous need-to-know principle, made it rather easy to swap things around and alter programming without anyone noticing it before it was too late. Zhang: The A-10 Warthog was also your doing then? Mr. Quantuple: Oh yes, I had a lot of fun. Those cameras had to go somewhere…
Heidi: You have a strange concept of “fun.” Someone has been killed, and it could have been much worse. A failed project does not justify murder. Mr. Quantuple: It's not just this project, I have had enough of this world, the whole of it! There seems to be this wave of incompetence these days, growing stronger and stronger, idiots replacing knowledgeable people.
Mr. Quantuple: I wanted to use Faceworld to expose this problem, and I think I succeeded. But almost nobody got the point — because again, they're too much of an idiot! Only you three seem smart enough to reach a higher level… Max: Ehh… thanks, I guess?
Story arc: Lifted
SONAIS 139 - Saturday, February 8, 2025
Mr. Quantuple: Despite somewhat enjoying this chit-chat, I think it is getting time to push the button. Max: Wait! We still have so many questions! Mr. Quantuple: You will have to find the answers on your own.
Lightning bolts shoot towards the chair Mr. Quantuple is sitting in, engulfing him in blinding light while he has a painful expression on his face. SFX: BZZZZZZZZTTTT CRAAAACK
The whole office has gone pitch black. Someone 1: What the heck happened? Is everyone all right? Someone 2: Yes, I am OK. Someone 3: Me too, but power seems to be out, maybe across the whole floor. Someone 2: Time for the smartphone flashlight.
We see our hero's faces lit by flashlights. One of the lights shines on Mr. Quantuple, who is not moving. Heidi: Is he… Max: Yeah, he is pretty dead. He did not lie about that.
Zhang: I think we'd better not stay here. Someone may soon figure out that the power surge came from here, and if they find us here with this dead guy in this totally FUBAR situation… Max: I agree, let's get the heck out of here. Adil, can you hear us? Adil? Hello?
We see the team heading towards the door of the office, where there is a little bit of light from emergency lighting. Heidi grabs one of the machines on the way out. Zhang: No damn way I am taking the elevator again. Max: Probably not possible anyhow with the power outage. Why isn't Adil answering? Heidi: We can't just leave here with so few answers. Let me take at least something.