A Stylish Distraction
There’s a knock at the door. Caelan enters. His expression is calm, but resolute. He gives you and Tinker a slight nod – just enough to send Tinker into a joyful spin. “Caelan! I’ve got a hundred new ideas for camouflage tech and—” Hiram clears his throat. Morrigan raises an eyebrow. Seraphina smirks. Without another word, Caelan withdraws with them into a side room. You hear muffled voices – but there’s no chance to make out what’s being said. Tinker twirls impatiently while you wait.
After a while, they return. Caelan steps forward, his gaze steady. Three pairs of eyes settle on you. Morrigan speaks first. “Bastet has found Gart. He’s in the Scrapyard Halls – still intact, but not for long.” Hiram nods. “Which means?” Seraphina rolls her eyes. “That you need to put the site online. The citizens must see the announcement, and Cobol needs to believe the rebellion starts here. Then he’ll focus on you…”
Morrigan continues, “…while he’s distracted by your website, Bastet can rescue Gart.” Tinker projects a plan onto the wall: arrows everywhere, a critical timer, and the note: “If Cobol escalates – RUN.” Hiram exhales. “In short: the site has to hit hard. No fluff. Just a declaration that demands attention.” Morrigan places a hand on your shoulder.
“So go. Upload the site at flamegreenwood.org. We need a domain that looks official. If you don’t know how…” Tinker buzzes excitedly. “I’ll show you!” No pressure. Just a revolution, a high-risk diversion, and a ticking scrapyard deadline.
Time to launch your code.
The Sparks of Rebellion
The room is silent. Hiram, Morrigan, and Seraphina stand around you, all eyes fixed on the screen. The upload is complete – now all that’s left is to wait. Tinker buzzes nervously in the air as you refresh the site in the browser. Then it happens: the first sign-ups appear. One, two, five… a dozen. The numbers rise slowly, but steadily.
A voice crackles through the comms. It’s Caelan. “The flyers are everywhere. We’ve posted them on walls, lanterns, and in the darkest alleys. But the best part? The big display boards are ours now.” A burst of static, then a live broadcast flickers onto one of the monitors in the lab. Cobol’s towering propaganda screens no longer scream his iron commands – they now show the message of the rebellion.
Caelan exhales into the mic. “I see small groups. They linger in the shadows, whispering to each other. They’re afraid. But they see the signs – and they hear us.” Morrigan nods with quiet satisfaction. “Then it began. The city is starting to wake up.” Hiram folds his arms. “Now we have to bring them together.”
Seraphina leans back against the table with a sly smile. “And distract Cobol. But don’t worry – this is going to be a show.” The rebellion is no longer just an idea.
It’s here.
It’s now.
And you just took the first step.
A Spark Becomes a Flame
Seraphina approaches quickly, her coat fluttering behind her. Relief and curiosity are written across her face. “Good news. Bastet has freed Gart. He’s safe – and you’re officially the best distraction strategist I’ve ever met.” Tinker buzzes around you in excitement. “I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!”
Seraphina chuckles softly and raises a hand. “But they’ll be late. Gart had an idea. He didn’t tell me what it was, but you know him – once he’s set on making something even better, there’s no stopping him.” She leans against the table, arms crossed, watching the screen where the website’s visitor count keeps climbing.
“And here? The city is beginning to move.”
A voice crackles through the comm. It’s Caelan. “The Grand Plaza in front of the cathedral is filling up. At first just scattered groups – but now there are dozens. They’re talking to each other, whispering at first – then louder. And they’re standing in front of the machines.”
Seraphina turns to you. “Peacefully. No panic. They’re just standing there, refusing to be moved.” Morrigan steps forward, her voice calm but resolute. “This is the moment Cobol has to respond. And we must be ready.” Hiram looks out through one of the small windows, down at the streets of Ironspire. “The people have chosen not to whisper anymore. Now it’s up to us to make the next move.”
You take a deep breath. There’s no turning back.
The rebellion is no longer just a shadow in the dark – it now stands in the light of the city.
The Flame Prevails
You step onto the grand plaza. The people stand shoulder to shoulder, silent, peaceful – in their hands, lights flicker like stars in the darkness. Before them, Cobol’s massive machines loom, their metal bodies still menacing, their eyes still glowing red. Tinker buzzes excitedly toward you. “Connection to Gart established!”
The hologram flickers – and there he stands. Slightly dented, but upright, beside Bastet, who’s pressing against him so tightly it looks like she might fuse into his frame. Seraphina steps onto a large platform, directly in front of the machines. Her coat flares dramatically – clearly intentional.
The guards don’t move. They stand stiff as statues. But their fingers rest on their weapons, ready to strike down the rebellion.
Gart looks at you through the projection. “This is it. I’m connecting to all the machines. I’ll overwrite Cobol’s programming.” You hold your breath. The seconds stretch endlessly. Then – it happens.
One by one, the robots lower their weapons. Metal blades and gun barrels clatter to the ground. Their hearts – once glowing red – begin to pulse, shifting into a warm, golden orange.
A moment of silence.
Then, a whisper spreads.
Quiet at first, then louder – until the people embrace, full of relief.
Even Cobol’s colossal systems begin to flicker. The red commands fade away, replaced by a new, freer code. The revolution is won – and not a single drop of blood was spilled.
A New Beginning
The streets of Ironspire – once cold, grey, and filled with the deafening march of machines – are now alive.
People laugh, call each other’s names, dance beneath the flickering glow of the lanterns. A soft hum lingers in the air, as if the city itself is breathing again.
And then you see them.
Gart and Bastet make their way through the crowd.
Gart, still a little dented, but with a sparkle in his glowing eyes. Bastet trots proudly ahead of him, her tail raised in triumph.
For a moment, time stands still.
Then you run to each other – and without hesitation, you fall into an embrace. Gart chuckles softly. “So… it actually worked.”
Bastet presses against you, purring louder than the celebration around you. Tinker buzzes with joy, spinning euphoric circles in the air.
Seraphina leans against a lamppost, a satisfied smile on her face.
Hiram nods, as if he expected nothing less.
Morrigan gazes into the distance – at the new sky above a freed city.
The rebellion is over.
And the future?
That belongs to you now.