Sugarcane

<<set $lindsey = true>>Lindsey walks as quietly as she can down the leftmost passageway. Which isn't very quiet, given her giant jetpack and utility belt full of clanking apparatus.\n\nShe enters a massive room with a high, vaulted ceiling. The air is musty. It smells like slimy rags! Carefully, Lindsey raises her flare in the air...\n\n...revealing a floor covered in shattered sarcphogi and the crawling severed arms and legs of a hundred ravenous mummies!\n\nAlong the back wall, their detatched heads chatter like squirrels, and the arms and legs begin to crawl toward Lindsey, an insecapable tide of grossness and malice!\n\n[[Zap them with eye lasers!|chaptersevenlindseylasers]]\n[[Stomp on them with earthquake boots!|chaptersevenearthquakebooths]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>><<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>>Behind Lindsey, the robot horde approaches: an inescapable tide of metal and pulsating purple crystal energy! But these robots never counted on...\n\nTHE IRRADIATOR! Lindsey mows them down with a massive blast of her nuclear eye lasers!\n\nWhen the smoke clears, the robots are scorched, melting, ad sliced in half... but Lindsey's totally exhausted! Behind the Shell Industries building, a hovercar takes off and zooms away into the distance-- but Lindsey can only shake her fist at it!\n\n[[These robots are finished!|chapterthreefightisnowover]]

One of the guards holds out an index card. Lindsey squints and, with a flash anda sizzle, a pair charred holes appear in the paper. The guards yelp.\n\n"Woah," one says. "You know-- no offense-- your powers are //way// cooler than your sister's!"\n\n[["Thanks. I know."|Thanks. I know.]]\n[["Nah, we're pretty much equals."|Nah, we're pretty much equals.]]

<<set $goggles = true>>Lindsey tightens the straps on her trans-dimensional filter-goggles and takes a look around the room.\n\nFifth-dimensional travel exhaust fills the room like thick, purple smoke. A rope of it spirals up through the hole in the roof. Whoever stole her battery was capable of travelling through the fifth dimension-- possibly using it to speed their escape!\n\n<<if $rubble>><<if $smelloscope>>[[Hmmm...|chapteronesecondsearchfinish]]<<else>>[[Take a closer look at the rubble|chapteronerubblesearch]]\n[[Turn on the smelloscope!|chapteronesmelloscope]]<<endif>><<else>>[[Take a closer look at the rubble|chapteronerubblesearch]]\n[[Turn on the smelloscope!|chapteronesmelloscope]]<<endif>>

Lindsey takes out the crystal tropies and examines them closely. They're filled with wobbling trans-dimensional energies. Lindsey can almost hear them humming!\n\nShe knows that the best way to examine trapped fifth-dimensional energy is by releasing it in a controlled environment. There's probably enough extra equipment here for her to build such a control container-- but is it okay to smash Maddie's trophies? Even if they're sucky trophies for suck-ups?\n\n[[Call Maddie to ask for permission to smash all her crystal trophies|chapterfivecallforpermission]]\n[[JUST DO IT!|chapterfivenopermissionsmash]]

Lindsey grabs the powersink and hooks it up to her goggles. She can see trails of fifth-dimensional energies zooming off into the distance. With this precise data, and with enough speed, using the she could follow these through the fifth dimension and back to their source!\n\nShe throws on her jetpack and lines herself up-- and with a jerk of her jetpack's ripcord, she takes off into ANOTHER DIMENSION!\n\nThe fifth dimension is a crazy mess of neon vapors and floating meta-shapes! Lindsey struggles to keep her eyes from crossing and keeps her attention on the beams of light leading to the theives' source.\n\n[[But wait... something's ahead!|chapterfivewhatisit]]

Lindsey holds the phoe out to the guards.\n\n"Who's this?" one demands.\n\n"Uh, my contact at Shell Industries," she says. "They'll sort everything out with you."\n\nThe guard takes the phone. The moment he holds it up to his ear, his eyes cross and his mouth hangs open in a silly grin. "What is it?" the other guard asks. The first dumbly hands the phone over, and soon they're both crosseyed and slackjawed.\n\nLindsey gently takes the phone back. "Now open the gate," she commands.\n\n[[Time to find this thief!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]

<<set $wire1 = false>><<set $wire2 = false>><<set $wire3 = false>>The two halves line up perfectly, but there's multiple wires and connectors loose. It looks complicated. This kind of thing is right up Lindsey's alley.\n\nMaddie debates calling up Lindsey's Science Help Hotline.\n\n<<if $dischord lte 0>>[[Call Lindsey's science hotline|CHAPTERSIX7B3GOOD]]<<endif>><<if $dischord gt 0>>[[Call Lindsey's science hotline|CHAPTERSIX7B3BAD]]<<endif>>\n[[Stubbornly do it the hard way|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>The two sisters walk in angry silence down the hallway.\n\nAhead, they see a pair of ornate doors. They look quite ominous! The sisters trade competitive looks.\n\n[[Ready for this?|chaptersevenconfrontation]]

One of the robot's eyes goes dim.\n\n"15 seconds to self-destruct." \n\n[["Is that so? Lights out, garbage can!"|CHAPTERSIX10A3]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERSIX10C]]

Maddie kicks around some of the debris, cutting open some of the bigger stuff with the nuclear laser pen.\n\nUnder one of the bigger debris chunks is the missing half of robot head.\n\n[[Pick it up|CHAPTERSIX7B2]]

No one is inside. A tile is missing from the wall. Etched into the drywall is a short message:\n\n//LAURA AND KATIE WERE HERE//\n\nBelow it, in different writing:\n\n//SO WAS PHIL//\n\nAnd more:\n\n//SO WAS MARI//\n\n[[Check the other stall|CHAPTERFOUR3B1]]\n[[Leave the bathroom|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_bar.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>>[[CHAPTER FIVE: COMING 'ROUND WITHOUT A WARRANT|chapterfivearrivin]]

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Lindsey zooms off into the wilds of the fifth dimension! She dodges crazy interdimensional whiffs of spacedust and time color! Crashing sounds and looming shapes whirl around her like desperate goldfish in a galactic toilet bowl!\n\nSuddenly, she spies an moment of clarity in the spacetime continuing ahead!\n\n[[Blast it with nuclear eye lasers and open a path back to ordinary spacetime!|chapterfiveblastoutoftime]]\n[[Turn around and fight the robots first! They can't be allowed to escape!|chapterfiveturnandfight]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>>Lindsey aims her nuclear laser vision at the weakness in the fifth dimension and blasts it!\n\nSuddenly, she finds herself falling down through ordinary spacetime, high above the rooftops of the city! The robots are following her...\n\n... but not for long! With a crash, they all land on a skyscraper rooftop. The robots were unprepared-- but Lindsey lands on her feet! Around her, busted and smoking robot parts bounce all around!\n\nLindsey wipes the sweat from her brow and takes a closer look at the broken robots. The manufacturer's marks she finds on their carapaces are quite astonishing!\n\n[[Maddie needs to know about this!|chapterfivereportback]]

<<loopsound 'bgm_lab01.mp3'>><<set $dischord = 0>><<set $lindseyenergy = 3>><<set $menergy = 3>>It's another lazy Sunday.\n\nLindsey Zircon, world-renowed research scientist and famous superhero "The Irradiator", is relaxing by way of jetpack construction.\n\nShe's hunched over a workbench deep in her laboratory, elbow-deep in the guts of her latest model-- a blocky contraption the size of a minifridge. Sparks and jets of steaming oil are spraying everywhere!\n\nLindsey squints and welds a leaking pipe with a short blast of her nuclear eye lasers. "That's better," she grumbles, reaching for a hammer.\n\n[[What's that sound in the distance?|chapteronesuddenly]]

"I'm looking for the man in this photo." Maddie starts, brandishing the brochure.\n\nThe woman takes a good look at the brochure. "Is he single?"\n\n[[Abandon this nonsense|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"I've reviewed the evidence," Lindsey snaps. "I've got proof you did it!"\n\n"Yeah? What's the proof?"\n\n"Whoever stole my research was flying though the air at high speed!" Lindsey says. "And you're the only metahuman in town who can puch through a concrete roof and fly away unharmed!"\n\n"Well, besides you," Maddie scoffs. "And any one of the local villains could have built something to do it! There's Professor Bruisely, Zubzezza Garish, Commander Klam... What did they steal, anyway?"\n\n[["There's no way I'm telling you that!"|chapteroneconvo2]]

<<set $hole = true>>Lindsey climbs up and takes a look at the hole in the roof.\n\nWith a simple glance at the twisted rebar and powered concrete, Lindsey's brain-- trained by years in the laboratory-- is able to calculate that the thief was travelling at over a hundred miles per hour when they smashed through the ceiling!\n\nWhoever did this must have been incredibly strong and durable! An ordinary person or vehicle would have been ground into a smooth red paste by this kind of impact!\n\n<<if $footage>><<if $pedestal>>[[Hmmm...|chapteroneendofsearch]]<<else>>[[Examine the pedestal in the center of the room|chapteronepedestalsearch]]\n[[Take a look at the security footage|chapteronesecuritysearch]]<<endif>><<else>>[[Examine the pedestal in the center of the room|chapteronepedestalsearch]]\n[[Take a look at the security footage|chapteronesecuritysearch]]<<endif>>

//Lindsey huffs loudly. "Why are you being such a meanie?!"\n\nMaddie narrows her eyes and inadvertently tilts the vat even further. The nuclear concoction pours like a waterfall into their machine.\n\n"I'm NOT!" Maddie spits out.\n\n"Are TOO!" Lindsey shouts.\n\nMaddie tugs the vat, trying to yank it out of her sister's grip. Lindsey yanks back. Green nuclear liquid sizzles onto the table toward some live wires.\n\n"Look what you're doing with your big, dumb hands!" Lindsey gasps.\n\n"These big dumb hands are gonna mess you up!" Maddie screeches.//\n\n[["I don't really have big hands, do I? I don't... I don't.|CHAPTERTWO7]]

//''BOOM!'' A giant explosion rocks the room in a blast of green goop and smoke. The roof is mostly singed away.\n\nLindsey's glasses hang broken again on her face. Their cat, yowling wildly, charges at the girls blindly in the smoke. Maddie gasps and puts her hand out to stop him. The cat hits her hand and immediately goes docile. It purrs.\n\nLindsey frowns. "Did you just magically calm the cat down with your hand?"\n\nShe takes off her glasses and picks up a ballpoint pen from the table. With the flick of a wrist, she dismantles the pen, removes a sprint, and sticks it into the hinge of her glasses. In a single gesture, she reconnects her glasses, good as new.\n\n"Um, did you just fix your glasses like insta-Macguyver?" Maddie raises an eyebrow.\n\n"Yeah, thanks for breaking them!" Lindsey snaps.//\n\n[["If only my new power had worked on Lindsey."|CHAPTERTWO8]]

//"Maybe I'll break them again with my BIG DUMB HANDS!" Maddie exclaims.\n\nMaddie rears up to grab Lindsey's glasses. A nuclear beam shoots out of Lindsey's eyes and causes a tiny poof of an explosion on Maddie.\n\n"OW!" Maddie jumps back, but her feet don't touch the ground. She's floating.\n\nMaddie and Lindsey exchange a terrified glance.\n\n"FREAK!" They both shout at each other.\n\nLindsey shoots a beam past Maddie, explodes a hole in the wall with her eyes, and runs away. Maddie growls and flies out of the opening in the roof.\n\nThis was the last time they ever saw each other on purpose.//\n\n[[Maddie wipes a wistful tear from her eye|CHAPTERTWO9A]]\n[[Maddie squeezes her hand into a fist of white-knuckled rage|CHAPTERTWO9B]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_shell.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>>Maddie sniffling, does her best to take a deep breath. She glances over at the door to her right, labeled, "Amity Amp".\n\n"I need to calm WAY down." She sighs.\n\n[[Head to the Amity Amp room|CHAPTERTWO10A]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers'' on self|CHAPTERTWO10B]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_shell.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>>"Worst! Sister! Ever!" Maddie paces angrily.\n\nShe glances over at the door to her right, labeled, "Amity Amp".\n\n"I need to chill out before I rage-kick a wall." She sighs.\n\n[[Head to the Amity Amp room|CHAPTERTWO10A]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers'' on self|CHAPTERTWO10B]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>><<set $trash = true>>Lindsey fumes. She crumples the photo up and throws it back in the dumpster.\n\nMaddie was right to throw it away-- they don't have anything in common anymore! Lindsey wishes they weren't even sisters anymore!\n\nShe stomps back into the lab. There's got to be evidence here that proves Maddie was involved in the theft!\n\n<<if $workbench eq false>>[[Look at Maddie's workbench!|chapterfiveworkbench]]\n<<endif>>\n<<if $pillows eq false>>[[Flip over all the couches and search between the cushions!|chapterfivecouches]]<<endif>>

<<stopsound 'bgm_boss.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_bar.mp3'>>[[CHAPTER FOUR: SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED|CHAPTERFOUR1]]

Lindsey flicks a switch, and her boots begin to hum with magnetic energies. She cuts power to her jetpack and drops towards the driveway like a grand piano combined with an anvil! But also more deadly!\n\nRobots shatter beneath her feet, and the shock wave sends others flying back. Weird, glowing purple brain-crystals are scattered everywhere! <<if $chapterthreephonecall>> The last few robots come tottering out of the front door, and Lindsey dispatches them with a few quick blasts of her eye-lasers.\n\nThe driveway is filled with smoking robot carcasses. "Well, that was easy," Lindsey says.\n\n[[Search for clues among the wreckage!|chapterthreefightisnowover]]<<else>> But robots are still pouring out the front door of Shell Industries, stumbling over the fallen bodies of their robot peers!\n\n"CEASE HOSTILITIES," they drone. "YOU WILL BE VAPORIZED!"\n\n"Curses!" Lindsey cries.\n\n[[What will stop this robot horde?|chapterthreelame]]<<endif>>

"You're working for her, I knew it!" Schmieling cries.\n\nBefore Maddie can answer, he slumps to the ground in tears. He curls up in fetal position and rocks around in his spilled beer, bawling. Amazingly, no one in the bar even turns around.\n\n"Why can't sh-sh-she just leave me alone?!" He sobs dramatically.\n\n[["What are you talking about?"|CHAPTERFOUR7B]]\n[[Resort to using ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERFOUR8C]]\n<<if $drink eq true>>[[Throw a drink on this fool|CHAPTERFOUR8D]]\n<<endif>>

Maddie shoves Schmieling's keepsake box back in her pocket.\n\nShe glances back up at the whiteboard. Stupid drawings aside, it appears Lindsey was working on some sort of equation.\n\n[[Erase her work|CHAPTERSIX7C3A]]\n[[Solve it for her|CHAPTERSIX7C3B]]

<<set $memento = false>>Maddie chucks the keepsake box behind her.\n\nShe glances back up at the whiteboard. Stupid drawings aside, it appears Lindsey was working on some sort of equation.\n\n[[Erase her work|CHAPTERSIX7C3A]]\n[[Solve it for her|CHAPTERSIX7C3B]]

So... whoever stole Lindsey's research must have been a strong robot capable of travelling through the fifth dimension!\n\nA much as Lindsey hates to admit it, that doesn't sound very much like her sister.\n\nLindsey sits down at her computer and begins to look up recent news about fifth-dimensional research. Surprisingly, it seems that a firm here in the big city is already researching it! After a few minutes of poking around, Lindsey confirms that this same company has a history of robot-construction contracts with various foreign military organizations!\n\n"Sounds like they're my guys," Lindsey says, smirking. She rushes to grab her jetpack.\n\n[["Let's see what they have to say for themselves!"|Chapter Two]]

There's only one thing in the laboratory workshop that seems to have a lock on it: the giant glass case filled with the awards Maddie's won from the city, country, and planet for her work with good vibes!\n\nSome of the awards are made of gold and silver. others are carved out of crystal. Enticed by equal parts curiosity and resentment, Lindsey walks up to the case and takes a good look inside.\n\nBut her trans-dimensional filter-goggles are still on. And when Lindsey gets close, she sees a faint purple glow around the crystal trophies-- fifth-dimensional energies!\n\n[[Open the case!|chapterfiveopenthecase]]

The whiteboard is covered in Lindsey's chicken scratch. There's a cartoon doodle of Maddie flying by the power of what appears to be toots.\n\n[["Real mature, sis."|CHAPTERSIX7C1]]

Maddie opens up the brochere.\n\n//TRAVELING THROUGH THE FIFTH DIMENSION AND YOU\n\nBrought to you by Shmieling Inc.//\n\nThere's a photo at the bottom of the page.\n\n[[Turn the page|CHAPTERTWO13A]]\n[[Look up Shmieling Inc on the Internet|CHAPTERTWO14A]]\n[[Take a closer look at the photo|CHAPTERTWO14B]]

Maddie saunters over to the jukebox. A depressing romance song is playing. A tiny, pathetic disco ball is spinning above, twinkling dim lights over a haggard middle-aged man in a dirty lab coat who's leaning over the jukebox, having an inebriated conversation with it.\n\n"You- You know why I like you?" He points at the jukebox with his beer-holding hand. "You always know what I wanna hear. No, nooo, you do. You do. You'd nnnnever screw me over. Nope..."\n\n[["Excuse me, Dr. Schmieling?"|CHAPTERFOUR4A]]\n[["Pull yourself together, man!"|CHAPTERFOUR4B]]\n<<if $drink eq true>>[["You look like you need a drink."|CHAPTERFOUR4C]]\n<<else>>[[Go buy this guy a drink. He looks rough.|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]\n<<endif>>

<<set $dischord = $dischord -1>>Maddies spots a sparking piece of machinery in a tree up ahead. She grabs it.\n\n[[Inspect it like a scientist|CHAPTERSIX3A]]\n[[Throw it like a boss|CHAPTERSIX3B]]

Maddie jogs back into her workshop and digs through her boxes of Scientist Weekly. She pulls out an old issue. On the cover is a headline about reaching the fifth dimension and a photo of the same man featured in the brochere.\n\n[[Open Scientist Weekly to the article|CHAPTERTWO14B3]]

<<set $photo = true>>Inside the article is an interview with a scientist named Frederick Schmieling.\n\n[[Refer back to the brochere for more clues|CHAPTERTWO13]]\n<<if $company eq true>>[[Go check out the old site of Schmieling Inc.|chapterthreechecksite]]<<endif>>

"Oh, right!" He exclaims and reaches inside his shirt.\n\nFrederick reaches inside his shirt and pulls out a small metal case. Who knows how it was staying in there.\n\n"It's a time capsule I made. If you can open it, it will have the answers you're looking for. Unfortunately, you-know-who stole all my tools to open it myself." Frederick sighs.\n\n[["Thanks..."|CHAPTERFOUR10]]

<<if $cooperation>>Remembering the great things they've accomplished today, Maddie is filled with feelings of cooperative virtue! She holds out her hand, helping exhausted Lindsey up off the ground.\n\n"It's time to use it," Maddie says. "Our ultimate move!"\n\n"Yeah," Lindsey agrees. It's been over a decade since they last used it-- but now's the time!\n\n[[DO IT!|chaptersevenultimatemove]]<<else>>Lindsey collapses back on the ground, exhausted. At first, she waves Maddie away. "I don't need your help!" she shouts.\n\nAnd at first, Maddie doesn't want to help her-- but the horde of robots is bearing down on them. "Oh, get up," Maddie snaps, helping her sister to her feet.\n\n"I wish we didn't have to, but now may be the time to use it," Maddie says. "Our ultimate move!"\n\n"Yeah," Lindsey agrees. It's been over a decade since they last teamed up to use their ultimate ability-- but now it's all or nothing!\n\n[[DO IT!|chaptersevenultimatemove]]<<endif>>

The door to the lobby busts open, and in pours a phalanx of angry robots!\n\nThese robots have glass-domed skulls containing pulsating purple crystals!\n\n"LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS," the robots drone. "SURRENDER! SURRENDER!"\n\n"No way!" Lindsey shouts. She throws her jetpack back on. Time to fight!\n\n[[Zap the robots with a blast of NUCLEAR LASER VISION!|chaptherthreefightinsidetwo]]\n[[Punch the robots with the ExoArm!|chapterthreefightinsideone]]\n

<<set $menergy = $menergy -1>>"Friend detected." The robot sounds.\n\n[["That's right. Now tell me everything you know."|CHAPTERSIX11]]

Maddie hurries down the catacomb passageway, her flare held out to illuminate the path. Soon, she sees another glow-- a familiar purple light in the distance!\n\nShe hurries ahead into a room filled with mounds of glowing, pulsating purple crystals! Robot snakes slither up and down the piles, hissing white robotic noise! They turn to face her, fanning their robotic cobra-hoods!\n\n<<if $earthquake eq true>>[[Use super strength to defeat them!|chaptersevenmaddieearthquake]]\n[[Use robot-calming techniques!|chaptersevenmaddieearthquake]]<<else>>[[Use super strength to defeat them!|chaptersevenmaddiestrength]]\n[[Use robot-calming techniques!|chaptersevenmaddiecalm]]<<endif>>

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>"It's okay, I guess."\n\nThe two sisters walk together down the hallway. Ahead, they see a pair of ornate doors. They look quite ominous! The sisters trade looks.\n\n[[Ready for this?|chaptersevenconfrontation]]

Dr. Schmieling takes the brochure. His entire posture droops as he realizes what he's holding.\n\nHoarsely, he asks, "Where did you get this?"\n\n[["I found it in my lab. Any ideas how it got there?"|CHAPTERFOUR7A]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>Lindsey quickly rigs together a control-dome to smash the crystals in. She sets it up around the workbench. Then she lines the workbench with all of Maddie's crystal trophies. Trophies for saving the city, for ending world hunger, for calming riots and promoting international goodwill...\n\nShe grabs a wrench and SMASHES THEM ALL TO PIECES!\n\nWith her goggles on, she can see whisps of flourescent fifth-dimensional energies flying through the air! However, the arms of the control-dome catch them and store them in power sinks!\n\n[[Time to investigate!|chapterfivecrystalssmashed]]

Maddie twists the robot's head every which way, searching for some kind of killswitch for self-destruct mode.\n\n"45 seconds to self-destruct." The robot hums.\n\n[[Bargain with the robot|CHAPTERSIX10A1]]\n[[Empathize with the robot|CHAPTERSIX10B]]

<<set $table = true>>Maddie checks under the table. Nope, nothing here but dust! Ew! She chides herself for missing it on her last dusting.\n\n[[Look around more|CHAPTERTWO11B1]]

"Hey, back to Earth, buddy!" Maddie snaps her fingers a couple times in front of Dr. Schmieling.\n\nDr. Schmieling jumps, startled, and cowers against the jukebox.\n\n"What do you want?!" He cries.\n\n[["Answers!"|CHAPTERFOUR5B]]\n[["Hey relax, I'm just a, uh, fan of your work?"|CHAPTERFOUR5A]]

The brick house of a woman rears up toward Maddie like she's about to spread some batwings and go full on beast-mode.\n\n"Hold me back, ladies! Hold me back!" She shouts to her friends.\n\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERFOUR3D1C]]\n[[Back away very slowly|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

Using the trans-dimensional filter-goggles, Lindsey lines herself up with the fifth-dimensional smog-trail. She tugs on the ripcord and starts her engines-- then launches herself into the FIFTH DIMENSION!\n\nTravel through the fifth dimension is surprisingly easy! After spinning through an endless void of pinwheeling neon clouds, Lindsey arrives with a crash back in our ordinary world of the first-through-fourth dimensions.\n\nShe looks around-- and realizes that she's in Maddie's spotless laboratory! Grudgely angers bubble up inside her! Did Maddie send the throbbing purple-crystal robots to attack her?! It seems out of character... but she wouldn't put it past Maddie! She's a horrible jerk!\n\n[[Time to look around!|chapterfiveletslookaround]]

He sticks his hand in his right coat pocket. He pulls out another bouquet of junk: colorful pens, a coin purse in the shape of a cat head, fake mustache, and a small plastic unicorn.\n\n"Nope, that's not it either."\n\n[[Keep waiting patiently. This is quite revealing.|CHAPTERFOUR8A2]]\n[["Can this move a little faster?"|CHAPTERFOUR8A4]]\n

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"Yeah, radioactive lasers are pretty awesome," Lindsey says. "Can you buzz me in now?"\n\nThe guard hits a button and the gates to Shell Industries open!\n\n[[Sweet!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]

<<set $ltable = true>>The sun catches on something shimmery on the work table. Maddie sweeps the mystery debris closer.\n\nIt looks like the glittering remnants of a crystal, possibly part of the robot's brain. There is no sign of crystal use in Lindsey's lab besides this evidence.\n\n[[Look around somewhere else|CHAPTERSIX6]]

Maddie scans the room for clues.\n\n[[Check under the table|CHAPTERTWO12B]]\n[[Check the potted plants|CHAPTERTWO12C]]\n<<if $floor>>[[Read the brochure|CHAPTERTWO13]]\n<<else>>[[Check the floor|CHAPTERTWO12A]]<<endif>>

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<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>><<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>>"I never needed your help, anyway!" Lindsey shouts.\n\n"Fine!" Maddie shouts back.\n\n"FINE!" Lindsey hangs up and stuffs the phone back into her utility belt. Without Maddie's help, she'll have to resort to powers!\n\n[[It's time to blast the gate!|chapterthreepowers]]

"Alright, robot," Maddie begins, "tell me everything you know."\n\nThe robot whirrs with computational noise.\n\n"Negative." The robot replies. "Enemy possession verified. Self-destruction mode activated. 60 seconds-- counting down."\n\n[[Look for a button to deactivate self-destruct|CHAPTERSIX10A]]\n[[Try using reason|CHAPTERSIX10B]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERSIX10C]]

Dr. Schmieling rocks back and forth on the floor, mumbling to himself, "One of hers! One of hers..."\n\nHe no longer responds to questioning.\n\n<<if $drink eq false>>[[Go look for a way to snap him out of it|CHAPTERFOUR2]]<<endif>>\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERFOUR8C]]\n<<if $drink eq true>>[[Splash some sense into him with a drink|CHAPTERFOUR8D]]<<endif>>

Frederick's eyes glaze over.\n\n"It feels like a millenia ago," he starts. "My company was just beginning to get traction. Little did I know, the woman who had stolen my heart was also about to steal my life's work. If you found this brochure, she's fulfilled what I set out to do... without me."\n\n[["Who did this to you?"|CHAPTERFOUR8A]]

Dr. Schmieling timidly takes the brochure. It rattles in his trembling hands.\n\n"She sent you here! Was my life's work not enough?! What does she think I have left?!"\n\n[["Who are you talking about?"|CHAPTERFOUR6C]]\n[["I work for no one!"|CHAPTERFOUR8B]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord +1>>Maddie erases the equation. And the toots.\n\n[[Go look around somewhere else|CHAPTERSIX6]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord -1>>Maddie solves the equation. Child's play!\n\nShe erases the toot cloud from cartoon Maddie's butt and replaces it with a stream of hearts.\n\n[[Go look around somewhere else|CHAPTERSIX6]]

Maddie sighs reluctantly. Time to call up Lindsey.\n\nBut before she can do anything, her phone rings-- Lindsey's calling HER!\n\n[[Woah!|Chapter Seven]]

It's locked shut tight. Not even Maddie's super-strength can rip it open!\n\nBut Maddie knows her sister's lab has some kind of equipment that could help pull this thing apart.\n\n[[Let's go there!|Chapter Five]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>>Lindsey sweeps her nuclear eye lasers across the floor! The crystals shatter and the snakes fry and sizzle!\n\nLindsey grins. If only her sister could see how awesome THE IRRADIATOR is!\n\n[[What's ahead?|chaptersevenmeetup]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>Lindsey hooks up her phone to her jetpack's emergency broadcast device and zooms over the top of the robot horde!\n\nAs they shoot at her and wave their robot claws, Maddie's calming, soothing rays bathe the landscape in positive vibes! Although the robots are uneffected, whoever's controlling them clearly gets a big dose. The robots begin to power down!\n\nAs the last robot collapses to the ground, a hovercar takes off from somewhere behind the Shell Industries building and races off into the distance. Lindsey shakes her fist after it, but she's too exhausted to follow.\n\n[[The fight's over! These robots are scrap!|chapterthreefightisnowover]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>Maddie smirks evilly to herself.\n\n"I'm taking note of this. I won't forget!" Schmieling waves his finger.\n\n[["Now empty your pockets, this is a stick-up and I'm Lindsey Zircon. Pew pew! I ride on a jetpack."|CHAPTERFOUR8B]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>><<set $pillows = true>>Lindsey leaves the pillows and couches tumbled all over the place.\n\n"Serves her right," she grumbles.\n\nBut now Lindsey has a key!\n\n[[What does it fit?|chapterfiveonceyou'velookedateverything]]

<<set $smelloscope = true>>Lindsey takes the smelloscope down from its shelf and hooks it up to her nose. Suddenly, the room's hidden smells hit her in the brain like a brick-- oil, steel... and a strange smell like... like rocks?\n\nWhoever stole the perpetual-motion battery must have been made of metal! Possibly they were some kind of robot?\n\n<<if $rubble>><<if $goggles>>[[Hmmm...|chapteronesecondsearchfinish]]<<else>>[[Take a closer look at the rubble|chapteronerubblesearch]]\n[[Take a look at the scene of the crime through a pair of dimensional filter-goggles!|chapteronefifthdimension]]<<endif>><<else>>[[Take a closer look at the rubble|chapteronerubblesearch]]\n[[Take a look at the scene of the crime through a pair of dimensional filter-goggles!|chapteronefifthdimension]]<<endif>>

Lindsey begins tearing apart the remnants of the zapped robots. She discovers that the glowing crystals in their brains are emitting pulses of high-energy radio waves!\n\nLindsey cannibalizes a few robot bodies and rigs up a massive radio reciever, using twisted robot legs and arms for antennas, and a severed head for a signal source. Thinking about the principles behind her sister's Cooperation Amp, she's able to increase the signal strength. It begins to form the sound of a strange voice-- a villainous voice that Lindsey recognizes!\n\nThe whole place begins to wobble, and finally it shatters! Lindsey zaps into existence in our fourth dimension and finds herself falling out of the sky over the rooftops of the city. Firing up her jetpack, she stabilizes her flight and reaches for her phone.\n\n[[Maddie needs to know about this!|chapterfivereportback]]

Maddie reviews the three connectors while holding the green wire.\n\n[[Connect the green wire with the brain symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CFAIL]]\n[[Connect the green wire with the crystal symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CFAIL]]\n[[Connect the green wire with the eye symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CWINC]]\n[[Go back|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_city.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_garish.mp3'>>[[CHAPTER SEVEN: THE FINAL SHOWDOWN|chaptersevenbeginning]]

The ground is littered in ridiculous things that make no sense to be stored in a person's pockets. One thing catches Maddie's eye-- a silver case.\n\n[[Pick up the case|CHAPTERFOUR10]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_garish.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_boss.mp3'>>Together, they kick down the doors and charge into the next room!\n\nInside, Zubezza Garish-- known at her day job by the secret identity Sally Smithers, director of the National History Museum-- is sitting on an ancient Mayan throne on top of a giant mound of pulsating purple crystals. Around her stand legions of obedient crystal robots!\n\nShe cackles. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," she says. "I'm surprised it took you this long! You must hate each other even more than I suspected!"\n\n"Cut to the chase, villain," Maddie commands. "Why did you steal our research?"\n\n"To make this," Zubezza cries. She holds up a glowing contraption-- Lindsey's perpetual-motion battery hooked up to Maddie's Amity Amp! Around it crackle bolts of purple crystal energies!\n\n[[OH NO!|chaptersevenohno]]

Maddie swoops around the room, punching snakes in thier crystal brains! Fragments of glowing purple crystal fly everywhere, and the snakes tie themselves into robo-knots in their death throes!\n\nMaddie dusts crystal specks off her knuckles and saunters towards the next door. Take that, Zubezza!\n\n[[What's next?!|chaptersevenmeetup]]

Maddie opens the door.\n\nTHE ENTIRE AMITY AMP IS GONE!\n\nThat thing was the size of an elephant! Not something you can just walk out of a room with.\n\nMaddie stares at the empty room in disbelief.\n\n[["How did Lindsey get payback so fast?! Argh!"|CHAPTERTWO11A]]\n[["Something fishy is going on..."|CHAPTERTWO11B]]

Maddie inspects the robot head pieces. There are three wires and three connectors.\n\n<<if $wire1 eq false>>[[Connect the purple wire|CHAPTERSIX7B3CPURP]]<<endif>>\n<<if $wire2 eq false>>[[Connect the grey wire|CHAPTERSIX7B3CGREY]]<<endif>>\n<<if $wire3 eq false>>[[Connect the green wire|CHAPTERSIX7B3CGREN]]<<endif>>\n<<if $wire1 eq true>><<if $wire2 eq true>><<if $wire3 eq true>>[[Power on the robot head!|CHAPTERSIX8]]\n<<endif>><<endif>><<endif>>

Maddie places her hand on her forehead and closes her eyes. After a moment, she frowns and looks at her hands.\n\n"This isn't enough. I need more power. My amplifier should do the trick."\n\n\n[[Head to the Amity Amp room|CHAPTERTWO10A]]

<<set $drink = false>>The address for Schmieling Inc. leads Maddie to a seedy bar, built on the ruins of the old Schmieling lab.\n\nShe stops in the doorway. In front of her, a burly, bald bouncer wearing sunglasses indoors is up in arms with a hulking, mustachioed, leather-clad guy.\n\n[[Shrug and breeze past them|CHAPTERFOUR2]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers'' to break up the fight|CHAPTERFOUR1A]]

"What's the name?" the first guard asks, pulling out a clipboard.\n\n"What?"\n\n"What name did you make the appointment under?" the guard asks. "Because I //know// you're The Irradiator, and I definitely don't see that name on this schedule."\n\nLindsey feels her face reddening. "Okay," she says. "Whatever. That was a lie."\n\n"Then you can't come in," the guard says with an obnoxious grin.\n\n[[Curses!|chapterthreedecidewhattodo]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>>Lindsey squints, cutting down the front row of robots with a blast of her nuclear eye lasers! The robots wail in robot agony, spilling oil all over the ground! Thier sparking corpses ignite the oil, and soon everything is on fire!\n\nBut other robots are pouring in though the door! They don't care about fire. Each robot that falls is replaced by twenty more!\n\nLindsey dashes out to the driveway and rockets up into th air, but the robots follow her, shooting bolts of electricity from their arm-cannons! \n\n[[Spray the robots with caustic acids!|chapterthreeohno]]\n[[Activate the Earthquake Boots and drop on the robots from the skies!|chapterthreeohnoagain]]

The sisters converge on the National History Museum. Hovering in the air, each pretends not to be surprised.\n\n"Well, OBVIOUSLY it was the National History Museum," Lindsey says.\n\n"Uh, yes. I knew it all along."\n\nThe sisters split up and pace around the museum grounds. They meet up at a loose manhole near the back of the museum.\n\n"This looks suspicious," Maddie says.\n\n"Exactly what I was about to say!"\n\n[[Down under the museum!|chaptersevencatacombs]]

The sisters join hands. A strange energy begins to glow around them!\n\n"Sister power, activate!" they shout.\n\nSuddenly, a forcefield forms around them! They are totally invonvible-- robot shots reflect away, and Zubezza's crystal energies have no effect!\n\n"NOOOOOO!" Zubezza shouts.\n\nThe sisters divebomb her! There's a MASSIVE EXPLOSION!\n\n\n[[BOOM!|chaptersevenwin]]

<<set $menergy = $menergy - 1>>Maddie rushes through the room, slapping snakes and calming them down! All around the room, the snakes roll over like puppies and wriggle in calm delight!\n\nMaddie saunters over to the door. Zubezza Garish won't be able to handle this!\n\n[[What's next?!|chaptersevenmeetup]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_lab01.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>>[[CHAPTER TWO: THE PLOT THICKENS|CHAPTERTWO1]]

Lindsey cranks the throttle down and soars up into the air, above the skyscrapers. Far below, she can see a disturbance rippling along the streets of the city-- pedestrians staggering, cars honking, and trash flying through the air! That must be the theif!\n\nShe tracks the mysterious villain above the rooftops. When they emerge into an open plaza, Lindsey dives! "STOP, you JERK!" she shouts. "That's MINE!"\n\nBut the thief doesn't listen! One moment they're streaking along the surface of the road-- the next, a nearby manhole cover is clattering, and the thief is gone.\n\nLindsey crashes to the ground, splintering the pavement and startling nearby pedestrians. Her jetpack is way too big to fit down the manhole!\n\n[[Curses!|chapteroneattackfail]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>"I know who stole our stuff!"\n\n"Who is it?" Maddie demands.\n\n[["Well..."|Chapter Six]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>Maddie appears startled. "Uh, thanks," she splutters. She and Lindsey sit there for a moment, staring at each other.\n\nIt's super awkward. At the same moment, they both reach to hang up.\n\n"Well," Lindsey sighs, "Time to solve this one the old-fashioned way!"\n\n[[It's time to look at the clues again!|chapteronesearchagain]]

The pool-playing lady laughs at you and turns away.\n\n[[Whatever.|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

<<set $pool = true>>The pool player turns around. "Let me guess, you looking for your wussy nerd friend?" She grunts.\n\nMaddie bobs her head nervously.\n\n"Bring a quarter with you," she snorts, "I think he's almost out."\n\nThe woman motions over to the jukebox.\n\n"Better yet, buy that sap a drink and hope he passes out."\n\n[[Thank the lady and back away|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

The pool player snaps a cue in half. Without turning around, she bellows...\n\n"You got a problem, toots?!"\n\n[["Nope, no problems here."|CHAPTERFOUR3D1]]\n[[Don't back down-- speak her language|CHAPTERFOUR3D3]]

<<set $pool = true>>Maddie puffs up her chest. "Yeah I got a problem! And now my problem is your problem. Tell me where I can find Frederick Schmieling!"\n\n[[Throw a chalk cube for good measure|CHAPTERFOUR3D3A]]\n[[Flip a pool table|CHAPTERFOUR3D1B]]

Lindsey snaps her fingers, and her patented ExoArm Assisted Strength Watch unfolds, forming a sturdy exoskeleton around her arm!\n\nShe reaches for the nearest hefty object and finds a half-melted heatsink. The gears in her ExoArm groan, and with its added strength, she hurls the heatsink through the ragged hole in her roof at one hundred and seventy miles an hour!\n\nThe heatsink strikes the theif a glancing blow. But whoever-it-is spirals for only a moment before regaining control and vanishing in the glare around the sun!\n\n[[Curses!|chapteroneattackfail]]

Maddie stomps back into the workshop and dials Lindsey on her holoprojector.\n\n"Please enjoy the music while your party is reached." Says a mechanical voice.\n\nObnoxious, tinny electronic dance music blasts through the speakers. It lasts an uncomfortably long time. No one answers.\n\n[[Go back to the Amp room and look for clues|CHAPTERTWO11B]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_shell.mp3'>><<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>FLASHBACK:\n\n//Young Maddie and Lindsey giggle as they take turns connecting wires on an elaborate piece of machinery. In front of them lies a brand new opened "My First Science Kit" box. Also in front of them, a case of biohazardous chemicals.//\n\n[["If only we could have stayed that way forever..."|CHAPTERTWO4A]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord +1>>Maddie punches a vial. It smashes into smitherines and burns her fist.\n\n"I guess that was my nefarious karma for the day." She grumbles as she nurses her hand.\n\n[[Move stuff around with a piece of drywall|CHAPTERSIX7A1]]

Maddie severs the eye wire completely. A series of squeaks and whistles sound from the robot.\n\n"I'm blind! I'm completely blind! I have no body and no sight, but I'm aware of everything! I'm a vegetable!" The robot screeches.\n\n[["Tell me everything you know!"|CHAPTERSIX11]]

[[CHAPTER ONE: LAZY SCIENCE SUNDAY GOES SOUR|chapteronerelaxin]]

Lindsey searches in her utility belt for a sonic gun, a plasma wrench-- anything else she can use to fight these relentless machines!\n\nHowever, all she finds is her phone. And it suddenly occurs to her... what if she called Maddie for help?\n\n[[Don't! Maddie is a jerk! Lindsey can handle this alone!|chaptherthreedon'tcallsisteratall]]\n[[Call Maddie and grovel for help!|chapterthreecallsisteroptwo]]

The hunk of machinery appears to be a piece of robot head with a purple crystal inside.\n\nMaddie raises an eyebrow. Lindsey's lab may have more answers.\n\n[[Take it to the lab|CHAPTERSIX4]]

"I'm very sorry," the recorded voice states, "I didn't hear that. Can you please repeat your message?\n\n"If you are experiencing a nuclear emergency, please say, ''EMERGENCY''.\n\n"If you are experiencing any other science problem, please say, ''OPERATOR''."\n\n[["ARRRRGH! I SAID OOOPERAAATOR!"|CHAPTERSIX7B911]]\n[["ARRRRGH! What if I had a real EMERGENCY?!"|CHAPTERSIX7B911]]\n[[Give up and do it the hard way|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>"Uh, yeah, she is pretty cool," Lindsey says. "Now, let me in, okay?"\n\n"Sure thing," the first guard stammers. He slaps a button, and the gates begin to open. "Head right on in."\n\n[[Sweet!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]

Maddie winds up for the pitch. A green light flickers on the machine chunk. Maddie thinks she hears a robotic voice.\n\n"N...Nooo..." It moans.\n\n[[Take a closer look at the potentially sentient machine|CHAPTERSIX3A]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_boss.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_city.mp3'>>As the smoke clears, the sisters see that they're standing in the bottom of a massive crater. The National History Museum is destroyed, and priceless treasures lie in heaps around them.\n\nBut Zubezza Garish has been KOed! Her endless robot hordes are smashed to pieces!\n\n<<if $cooperation>>The sisters turn towards one another, full of cooperative spirit!\n\n"Good job," Maddie says.\n\n"You too," says Lindsey.\n\nThey shake hands. "Let's Tie Zubezza up and call the police," Maddie says, "Then get something to eat. Do you still like Thai food?"\n\n"I love the crap out of Thai food," Lindsey says, wiping ash out of her eyes.\n\n[[THE END|The End]]<<else>>The sisters turn to each other.\n\n"Uh, good job, I guess," Maddie says. "Irradiator."\n\n"Whatever. You too, Captain Calm."\n\n"Should we call the police?"\n\nLindsey kicks a rock across the floor of the crater. "I guess so. And we should probably tie this lady up, too."\n\nAlthough they've come a long way today, the sisters still have a long way to go. Dischordant feelings still fill their grudgely souls!\n\nBut at least the world is saved, right? So there's still another chance!\n\n[[THE END|The End]]<<endif>>

"Okay," Tobiah confirms.\n\nTyping can be heard in the background.\n\n"A set of schematics have been sent to the phone you're using to call this number. Is there anything else I can help you with today?"\n\n[["You have schematics for putting together a broken robot head? Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"|CHAPTERSIX7B3B3]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_shell'>><<set $dischord = $dischord +1>>FLASHBACK:\n\n//Young Maddie and Lindsey giggle as they take turns connecting wires on an elaborate piece of machinery. In front of them lies a brand new opened "My First Science Kit" box. Also in front of them, a case of biohazardous chemicals.//\n\n[["If only I could have noticed her jerkishness sooner..."|CHAPTERTWO4B]]

<<set $wire1 = true>>A purple glow beams from the crystals.\n\n[["Sweet!"|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<set $wire2 = true>>A whirring starts buzzing from inside the robot head.\n\n[["Sweet!"|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<set $wire3 = true>>The robot's eyes spark on, glowing green.\n\n[["Sweet!"|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<set $workbench = false>><<set $trash = false>><<set $pillows = false>>Maddie's laboratory is //disgustingly// tidy. Not a speck of dust can be found on any surface. Lindsey leaves a trail of oily footprints across the floor as she tiptoes into Maddie's workshop.\n\nCaptain Calm herself, however, is nowhere to be seen! "She must be out," Lindsey sighs. There's no one here to accuse or interrogate... but there's plenty to investgate!\n\n[[Look at Maddie's workbench!|chapterfiveworkbench]]\n[[Look in her trash compactor!|chapterfivetrashcompactor]]\n[[Flip over all the couches and search between the cushions!|chapterfivecouches]]

Maddie swings back her sassy brown hair with a huff.\n\n"Seriously, how are we related?" Maddie mutters to herself.\n\nThe very thought of Captain Cooperation, as Maddie was known to her fans, //stealing//... it was infuriating. Maddie swore Lindsey was always trying to ruin her reputation.\n\nMaddie feels her rage building.\n\n[[Count down from ten|CHAPTERTWO2A]]\n[[Rage-throw the nearest inanimate object|CHAPTERTWO2B]]\n

<<stopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_city.mp3'>>[[CHAPTER SIX: SCIENCE FRENZY|CHAPTERSIX1]]

Maddie reviews the three connectors while holding the purple wire.\n\n[[Connect the purple wire with the brain symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CFAIL]]\n[[Connect the purple wire with the crystal symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CWINA]]\n[[Connect the purple wire with the eye symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CFAIL]]\n[[Go back|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<if $cooperation>>Maddie and Lindsey sink to the ground, exhausted.\n\n"It's time to use it," Lindsey says. "Our ultimate move!"\n\n"Yeah," Maddie. It's been over a decade since they last used it-- but now's the time!\n\n[[DO IT!|chaptersevenultimatemove]]<<else>>Maddie and Lindsey sink to the ground, exhausted. They're too angry to look each other in the eye!\n\n"I wish we didn't have to, but now may be the time to use it," Lindsey says. "Our ultimate move!"\n\n"Yeah," Maddie agrees. It's been over a decade since they last teamed up to use their ultimate ability-- but now it's all or nothing!\n\n[[DO IT!|chaptersevenultimatemove]]<<endif>>

"I like your style, cowgirl." The pool lady gives Maddie a nod.\n\nShe continues, "If you're looking for your scientist buddy, check the jukebox. And if you're not, maybe I'll buy you a drink."\n\n[["I, uh... heh... Okay, bye!"|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

<<set $menergy = $menergy - 1>>\nMaddie reaches out with her eyes closed and tries to touch the lady. Right in the boob-- so awkward. But it works!\n\n[[Awkwaaaard...|CHAPTERFOUR3D1B]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"... and I'll prove you did it!" Lindsey shouts. She hangs up and stomps back out to the laboratory. What a self-righteous jerk her sister's turned into!\n\n"Time to show the world who she really is," Lindsey fumes.\n\n[[It's time to look at the clues again!|chapteronesearchagain]]

"Hang on, hang on!" He insists.\n\nHe opens his coat and crams his hand inside the inner pocket. He pulls out EVEN MORE junk: a receipt for nine cranberry vodkas and a beer, another receipt for nine cranberry vodkas but no beer, a vintage stopwatch, and an origami crane.\n\n"Gotta be around here somewhere..."\n\n[[Keep waiting patiently|CHAPTERFOUR8A3]]\n[["Oh for the love of Bob!"|CHAPTERFOUR8A4]]

Before Maddie can do anything, the walls begin to shake and shatter, as if disturbed by a powerful earthquake! Bonedust falls, and then blocks of ancient stone! A cascade of rubble pours down from the ceiling, smashing all the robot snakes and burying Maddie in debris!\n\nIt takes a while before she climbs out from underneath, but all the snakes are smashed and the crystals are buried. Maddie flings the boulders aside and continues along the passageway.\n\n[[What's ahead?|chaptersevenmeetup]]

<<set $lwhiteboard = true>>Maddie uses the pen to cut open Schmieling's silver case. Inside is a time capsule's worth of ticket stubs to museum exhibits, love notes signed "Zuzu", and other varying mementos of Schmieling and a sleek, older woman with distinctly elaborate eyebrows-- presumably "Zuzu".\n\n[[Put the mementos down|CHAPTERSIX7C2A]]\n[[Pocket the mementos|CHAPTERSIX7C2B]]\n

A cheesy jingle plays through the phone speaker. A recorded voice comes on.\n\n"Thank you for calling The Irradiator's Super Science Help Hotline!\n\n"If you are experiencing a nuclear emergency, please say, ''EMERGENCY''.\n\n"If you are experiencing any other science problem, please say, ''OPERATOR''."\n\n[["Emergency"|CHAPTERSIX7B911]]\n[["Operator"|CHAPTERSIX7B3B1]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"NO WAY!" Lindsey shouts. "I'm trying to solve this mystery! Don't you want me to figure this out?"\n\n"I'm trying to solve this, too! And I'm not smashing any of YOUR stuff!"\n\n"Fine!" Lindsey shouts. "You suck!"\n\nMaddie is silent for a second.\n\n"You better not be using your stupid //soothing rays,// Captain Calm," Lindsey snaps. "You know they don't work on me!" She hangs up in a huff!\n\n[[Time to smash some trophies!|chapterfivenopermissionsmash]]

Maddie holds up a reflective piece of glass to show the robot what shes done. Never has a ruder picture been drawn. Any human in the room would be horribly offended. Even Maddie has a hard time looking at it.\n\n"15 seconds to self-destruct."\n\n[["That's it, hope you like pirates."|CHAPTERSIX10A2B]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERSIX10C]]

<<set $workbench = true>>Lindsey takes a good look at Maddie's all-in-one workbench. It's totally clean, and all the drawers are locked!\n\n[[Bust the lock!|chapterfivebustthelock]]\n[[Don't destroy Maddie's stuff!|chapterfivedontbustin]]

<<set $menergy = $menergy - 1>>Fellas, fellas," Maddie puts her hands on the shoulders of the two battling patrons, "Why can't we all just... get along?"\n\nBouncer Bro and Biker Gramps relax into a hug and begin slow-dancing.\n\n[[Mission accomplished. Walk past them.|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

Lindsey activates her ExoArms! With a clap, she creates a shockwave that sends the snakes tumbling back! While they're distracted, Lindsey smashes their crystal brains with her boots!\n\nLindsey laughs triumphantly! If only Maddie could see how awesome it is to be THE IRRADIATOR!\n\n[[What's ahead?|chaptersevenmeetup]]

The far-off whine turns into a mighty crash! \n\nLindsey hardly has time to turn and look before a shockwave roars through the laboratory, knocking over heaps of electronics and sending pands of caustic experimental chemicals flying!\n\n"Holy crap!" Lindsey shouts, crawling out from under a heap of toppled shelving units. "What in the WHAT was that?"\n\nThe crashes and bangs continue. They are coming from the direction of Lindsey's Sterile Lab-- where she keeps her prototype perpetual motion battery!\n\n[[Someone's in there!|chapteroneattack]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"I know who really stole our stuff!"\n\n"Who is it?" Maddie demands.\n\n[["Well..."|Chapter Six]]

<<set $earthquake = true>>Heedless of the structural damage it could cause in an ancient catacomb made out of stacked-up bones, Lindsey activates her earthquake boots! With a stomp, she creates a shockwave that rattles the floor, sends bones tumbling down the walls, and smashes all the mummy bits and their skulls into ash!\n\nLindsey laughs triumphantly! If only Maddie could see how awesome it is to be THE IRRADIATOR!\n\n[[Meanwhile, Maddie...|chaptersevenmaddieright]]

"Sister," she begins...\n\n[["I need to apologize."|chapterfiveapologyafterfight]]\n[["Well, you're off the hook for now."|chapterfivenoapology]]

"No, we don't have ketchup, and most certainly not in the ceiling," the old man hoots, "but boy, does that take me back to my days at the nickel shop..."\n\n[[Give up-- this guy couldn't tell a question from a dog bark|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]

The old man slowly lifts a glass to his ear. The glass still has ice in it. All the ice falls out. Slowly. Gramps doesn't notice.\n\n"EH?!" He yells at a volume inappropriate for the distance between them.\n\n[["I SAAAID..."|CHAPTERFOUR3A2A]]\n[["Ah, forget it."|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]

Frederick unloads every pocket he has left. He has a LOT of pockets.\n\nNow also on the ground: a few tea bags (probably chai), a cell phone, an elementary school ID of young Frederick still wearing a bowtie, a fake ID citing Frederick as a senior citizen, several movie ticket stubs charged at "Senior" discounted price, a bag of cheese puffs, and a set of dog tags.\n\n[["Seriously?"|CHAPTERFOUR8A4]]

Lindsey turns around to fight, but before she can do anything, two tons of angry robot flying though metaspace at seven hundred miles per hour crash into her! Spacetime bends and snaps under the pressure!\n\nSuddenly, she finds herself falling down through ordinary spacetime, high above the rooftops of the city! The robots are following her...\n\n... but not for long! With a crash, they all land on a skyscraper rooftop. The robots were unprepared-- but Lindsey lands on her feet! Around her, busted and smoking robot parts bounce all around!\n\nLindsey wipes the sweat from her brow and takes a closer look at the broken robots. The manufacturer's marks she finds on their carapaces are quite astonishing!\n\n[[Maddie needs to know about this!|chapterfivereportback]]

There's a lot of debris on the floor, but nothing in particular stands out.\n\n[[Look around somewhere else|CHAPTERSIX6]]

An imposing woman is analyzing the tables. \n\n[["Excuse me, ma'am? I was hoping you could help me find someone."|CHAPTERFOUR3D1]]\n[["Hey you!"|CHAPTERFOUR3D2]]\n[[Come back later|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

Maddie closes her eyes and counts backwards from ten. With each number, she takes one step back. On "one," she bumps into a stack of boxes.\n\n[[Inspect the boxes|CHAPTERTWO2A1]]

"Anyone in here?" Maddie calls out as she pushes the men's bathroom door open.\n\nNo one responds.\n\nHesitantly, she walks inside. As she lets go of the door, she notes a sticky residue on her hands.\n\n"Ugh..."\n\n[[Open Stall 1|CHAPTERFOUR3B1]]\n[[Open Stall 2|CHAPTERFOUR3B2]]\n[[Bail on this nasty mess|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

The oldest bartender alive is cleaning the counters of the bar in an outfit that was probably given to him on his first day in 1892.\n\nA buxom woman, over-dressed for this rundown joint, sits at the bar with fresh mascara running down her face. She's telling her life story to the unresponsive old relic.\n\nThere's no sign of Dr. Schmieling.\n\n[[Ask the bartender about Schmieling|CHAPTERFOUR3A2]]\n[[Ask the woman about Schmieling|CHAPTERFOUR3A3]]\n[[Find somewhere else to look|CHAPTERFOUR2]]\n<<if $drink eq false>>[[Order a drink|CHAPTERFOUR3A1]]\n<<endif>>

Maddie grabs the bobbing solar-powered flower from her desk and throws a ripping pitch across the room.\n\nThe flower smacks into her bulletin board, knocking several papers loose. The flower lands upright, bobbing happily-- mocking her with its smile.\n\nOn the bulletin board, a newspaper article is now visible. Two elementary-aged girls hold hands in the photo above the article. The girl with glasses is crossed out in red pen.\n\nIt's an article about Maddie and Lindsey, two everyday girls with a love for science that had slingshotted them through college before they had even hit their teen years.\n\n[[Sigh and touch the article nostalgically|CHAPTERTWO3A]]\n[[Crumple up the article|CHAPTERTWO3B]]\n

<<set $plant = true>>Maddie walks over to her favorite potted plant. No clues, but there is a super cute ring in the dirt that must have fallen off her finger last time she moved it around.\n\n[[Put the ring on|CHAPTERTWO12C1]]\n[[Look around more|CHAPTERTWO11B1]]

SISTER POWER ACTIVATE\n\nA STORY ABOUT COOPERATION AND EXPLOSIONS\n\nWRITTEN BY LAURA MICHET AND KATIE WELKA\n\n[[BEGIN|Chapter One]]

<<set $floor = true>>Maddie paces around the floor looking for clues. She spies a booklet lying on the far side of the room.\n\n[[Pick it up and read it|CHAPTERTWO13]]\n[[Pick it up and keep looking around|CHAPTERTWO11B1]]

"Self-destruction terminated."\n\nMaddie pats the robot's head.\n\n"Homing beacon activated."\n\n[["Perfect! This will get me to Garish's secret lair!"|CHAPTERSIX12]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>"We've each got our specialties," Lindsey says. "Can you buzz me in now?"\n\nThe guard hits a button and the gates to Shell Industries open!\n\n[[Sweet!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]

It's a flying V of crystal-brained flying robots! They're bearing down remorselessly on Lindsey, thier cold robot eyes narrowed on their goal!\n\n[[Blast the robots with a beam of radioactive eye lasers!|chapterfiveblasttherobots]]\n[[Save the energy and try to escape!|chapterfiveescapetherobots]]

Lindsey walks as quietly as she can down the leftmost passageway. Which isn't very quiet, given her giant jetpack and utility belt full of clanking apparatus.\n\nSoon, she sees another glow-- a familiar purple light in the distance!\n\nShe hurries ahead into a room filled with mounds of glowing, pulsating purple crystals! Robot snakes slither up and down the piles, hissing white robotic noise! They turn to face her, fanning their robotic cobra-hoods!\n\n<<if $earthquake eq true>>[[Zap them with eye lasers!|chaptersevenlindseyearthquake]]\n[[Punch them with the ExoArms!|chaptersevenlindseyearthquake]]<<else>>[[Zap them with eye lasers!|chaptersevenlindseysnakefry]]\n[[Punch them with the ExoArms!|chaptersevenlindseybootstwo]]<<endif>>

<<stopsound 'bgm_city.mp3'>>WRITING BY [[LAURA MICHET|http://www.lauramichet.com]] AND [[KATIE WELKA|http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=18741120]]\n\nSOUND BY [[PHILIP FOSTER|http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=17678228]]\n\nCREATIVE COMMONS PHOTOS:\n<html><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mxcl/465256952/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Jukebox</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-i-k-e/4782008274/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Gate</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/burningmax/4956554644/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Fifth Dimension One</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/burningmax/4956541214/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Fifth Dimension Two</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/burningmax/4955924839/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Fifth Dimension Three</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brookswashere/8495561920/sizes/o/in/photolist-dWHYzw-9vcn6Q-bnELRX-byQkVt-b1hit8-aoM2aZ-9xTRbp-9qHynZ-biUsUZ-aRP2dD-8JRtan-9E6xWJ-9oQMYu-8NCV8V-8NG1Km-7B4tgu-dxfEYj-9sttDJ-8LeVAC-8hE1Ms-8Ea62J-9Ew2qv-9EyW49-9rtMQM-9kT7Cn-9G3kz2-8ey5BK-8dW5Ai-8dW9hR-8gu3tr-7Fift4/">Natural History Museum</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/grantwickes/8117101821/sizes/o/in/photostream/">City Street</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-i-k-e/3871786056/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Lindsey's Lab</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/m-i-k-e/3871057833/sizes/o/in/photostream/">Maddie's Lab</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/klearchos/4676077922/sizes/o/in/photolist-88d849-9tjfVs-91fBVC-8mBqKa-8mBrWH-8mEwJd-8mEwXQ-8mExsU-aEHvdN-8HELjd-aR8hU6-bFqKSt-8Ht2k4-88d52m-8Gr6vx-8GufqU-8Guhky-8Gr7Bp-8Gr7QH-8GuemQ-8Gr5a6-8Gr4U8-8Gr66z-8Gugms-8GugL5-9wLjtz-bs5xJV-bs5rS2-bs5CsH-bs5yg2-bs5w2r-bs5ziP-bs5xZ6-bs5tJR-bs5ASa-bs5C74-bs5wtp-bs5pjR-bs5ubB-bs5t3c-bs5v38-bs5uC2-bs5spH-bs5zY4-8fdGCm-8fdK2J-dq6j1x-dq6iwk-dy7Nxb-8Gr47t-8GufFJ/">Catacombs</a>\n|\n<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwilde/4249637067/sizes/o/in/photolist-7twv3B-7tTFWA-akRssf-95LN8A-8P7JCw-bC1wcW-a2e2oE-8DnpLU-8DjihB-dAYTHd-8DnptY-8Djivg-8DjizB-8DnpBC-8DjiEe-a1wGri-e992kV-8DnpQj-7MdkcL-dQ63AF-b6i6Xi-8nmFyY-9vc2Zm-9ihk9p-dxCWBy-9woPNk-8x2e5t-7K9QKU-bJ5osM/">Flashback</a></html>\n\n\n\nCreated for iamagamer jam, June 2013, Mountain View

<<set $ltable = false>><<set $lfloor = false>><<set $lwhiteboard = false>>Maddie flies over the city street toward Lindsey's lab. A trail of destruction suggests the lab is in pretty bad shape.\n\n[["Good!"|CHAPTERSIX2A]]\n[["Poor Lindsey."|CHAPTERSIX2B]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>><<set $pillows = true>>Lindsey flips the couches back over and sets the pillows up approximately in the same places they were before. She can't be too sure. Pillow arrangements are not her strong suit.\n\nBut now she has a key!\n\n[[What does it fit?|chapterfiveonceyou'velookedateverything]]

<<set $rubble = true>>Using her ExoArms, Lindsey sifts through the heavy pieces of rubble lying on the floor. She finally finds one with some strange, claw-like gouges in it.\n\nWhoever busted through the roof must have had strong claws, probably made of metal!\n\n<<if $smelloscope>><<if $goggles>>[[Hmmm...|chapteronesecondsearchfinish]]<<else>>[[Turn on the smelloscope!|chapteronesmelloscope]]\n[[Take a look at the scene of the crime through a pair of dimensional filter-goggles!|chapteronefifthdimension]]<<endif>><<else>>[[Turn on the smelloscope!|chapteronesmelloscope]]\n[[Take a look at the scene of the crime through a pair of dimensional filter-goggles!|chapteronefifthdimension]]<<endif>>

<<set $chapterthreephonecall = true>>Lindsey quickly taps in her sister's phone number.\n\n"Hey," she mutters. "There's these dumb guards here at Shell Industries, I'm trying to get past them but they won't let me in and I don't want to fry them with my laser eyes but I think Shell took my research--"\n\n"Slow down," Maddie snaps. "What do you want from me?"\n\n"Beam some of your rays over the phone!" Lindsey whispers. She runs down the driveway, just ahead of the tide of clanking death-bots. "Soothe whoever's controlling these things!"\n\n<<if $dischord gt 5>>"No," Maddie snaps. "You've been treating me like crap! Why should I help you?"\n\n[["Please forgive me, Maddie! I promise I'll make it up to you!"|chaptherthreepleaseforgiveme]]\n[["Fine! I'll solve this by myself, you jerkface!"|chapterthreeokilljustfight]]<<else>>"Fine," Maddie sighs. "But you owe me one, okay? Hand me over!"\n\n[[Okay!|chapterthreeshesaysyes]]<<endif>>"

Lindsey saunters in through the gates and up to the lobby of the enormous building. She goes straight up to the front desk, where a nervous-looking receptionist gives her jetpack a terrified stare.\n\n"Hey," Lindsey says, "Could you hook me up with whoever here's in charge of trans-dimensional transportation?"\n\n"What?" the startled receptionist stammers.\n\n"Whoever's in charge of the fifth dimension."\n\n"Uh, one second," the receptionist says, backing away from the desk. "I need to, uh, figure out who that is."\n\n[[No choice but to wait!|chapterthreewaiting]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lyndseyenergy - 1>>Heedless of the dangers of releasing radioactive energies in a metadimension overlapping ordinary space, Lindsey releases a blast of her nuclear eye lasers! Robots explode all over the place! The ineffable innumerable colors of the fifth dimension swirl like the depths of a pirate witch ocean cauldron!\n\nEverything is super crazy!\n\nBy the time space and time coalesce back into something vaguely understandable, Lindsey and the busted-up robots are falling in a holding pattern through an infinite kalidescope-tube of bizarre dimensions. By swmming her arms and legs around, Lindsey can maneuver through the cloud of dead robot debris. Maybe they'll provide her some way to escape this hellish timetube!\n\n[[Search for a way out!|chapterfiverummagerustedrobots]]

Maddie lands daintily inside the lab. Like a lady. Nothing is disturbed.\n\n[[Investigation time|CHAPTERSIX6]]

"What is it now?" Maddie snaps.\n\n"Uh, I'm inside your lab," Lindsey says.\n\n"What?!?"\n\n"Hold on! I followed a fifth-dimensional smog-trail here. Someone with fifth-dimensional travel capabilities was in here not too long ago, weren't they?"\n\n"Yeah," Maddie admits. "They stole something I was working on. A next-generation Cooperation Amp."\n\n"Well," Lindsey proudly announces, "I've discovered that they left fifth-dimensional residues on the crystal tropies in your display case! If we smash the crystals--"\n\n"WHAT?!"\n\n"If we smash them, we can figure out where these energies originated!"\n\n"You're the only person besides Zubezza Garish who has ever threatened to smash my crystals," Maddie shouts. "Of course you can't! Those are TROPHIES that I EARNED! Now get out of my house!"\n\n[[Get angry back!|chapterfivenoapologies]]\n[[Apologize!|chapterfiveapologize]]

"My love, gooone, gone away. Took everything I had. My CD Collection, my schhhematics for crosshhh-dimenshhhional travel... evvverything."\n\n[[Hand him the brochure|CHAPTERFOUR6C]]

Lindsey flicks a switch, and caustic cooling fluids pour out of the back of her jetpack! They land on the robots and burn away their tough exoskeletons!\n\nSoon, robots are breaking and tumbling all over the driveway. Weird, glowing purple brain-crystals are scattered everywhere!<<if $chapterthreephonecall>> The last few robots come tottering out of the front door, and Lindsey dispatches them with a few quick blasts of her eye-lasers.\n\nThe driveway is filled with smoking robot carcasses. "Well, that was easy," Lindsey says.\n\n[[Search for clues among the wreckage!|chapterthreefightisnowover]]<<else>> But robots are still pouring out the front door of Shell Industries, stumbling over the fallen bodies of their robot peers!\n\n"CEASE HOSTILITIES," they drone. "YOU WILL BE VAPORIZED!"\n\n"Curses!" Lindsey cries.\n\n[[What will stop this robot horde?|chapterthreelame]]<<endif>>

<<set $menergy = $menergy - 1>><<set $earthquake = false>>Maddie rushes through the room, slapping mummies and calming them down! All around the room, the mummy bits roll over like puppies and wriggle in calm delight!\n\nMaddie saunters over to the door. Zubezza Garish won't be able to handle this!\n\n[[Meanwhile, Lindsey...|chaptersevenlindseyright]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>><<set $workshop = true>>It wouldn't be nice to fry all of Maddie's stuff!\n\n...besides, that would be //super obvious// evidence that Lindsey was here without permission! There's probably plenty of other evidence that Maddie was the thief!\n\n<<if $trash eq false>>[[Look in her trash compactor!|chapterfivetrashcompactor]]\n<<endif>>\n<<if $pillows eq false>>[[Flip over all the couches and search between the cushions!|chapterfivecouches]]<<endif>>

Lindsey knows she needs something to calm herself down. She heads slowly back to the break room in her laboratory and brews up a pot of peppermint coffee.\n\nSighing, she heads back to the ruined Sterile Lab. Chunks of broken concrete, ripped wires, and crumpled sheets of metal lie everywhere.\n\n"All right, jerk," Lindsey grumbles. "It's time to figure out who you are!"\n\n[[Search the perpetual-motion battery's pedestal|chapteronepedestalsearch]]\n[[Examine the hole in the ceiling|chapteroneholesearch]]\n[[Take a look at the security footage|chapteronesecuritysearch]]

<<set $pedestal = true>>Lindsey kneels down and takes a look at the perpetual-motion battery's pedestal.\n\nThe battery is Lindsey's greatest invention-- and a total secret. She's not ready to show it to the world yet! Even worse, it's incredibly dangerous-- inside its sleek metal housing, two black holes orbit each other at incredible speeds, forever! That's why she keeps in here, on a special energy-dampening pedestal.\n\nBut someone's ripped the pedestal half-off its base! The lock has been smashed, too. It would take incredible strength to do this!\n\n<<if $footage>><<if $hole>>[[Hmmm...|chapteroneendofsearch]]<<else>>[[Examine the hole in the ceiling|chapteroneholesearch]]\n[[Take a look at the security footage|chapteronesecuritysearch]]<<endif>><<else>>[[Examine the hole in the ceiling|chapteroneholesearch]]\n[[Take a look at the security footage|chapteronesecuritysearch]]<<endif>>

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>"Okay, fine," Maddie sighs. "Hand me over."\n\nLindsey holds the phone out to the guards. "Who's this?" one demands.\n\n"Uh, my contact at Shell Industries," she says. "They'll sort everything out with you."\n\nThe guard takes the phone. The moment he holds it up to his ear, his eyes cross and his mouth hangs open in a silly grin. "What is it?" the other guard asks. The first dumbly hands the phone over, and soon they're both crosseyed and slackjawed.\n\nLindsey gently takes the phone back. "Now open the gate," she commands.\n\n[[Time to find this thief!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]\n\n[[THEY LET HER INTO THE BASE!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]

The box reads, "My First Science Kit." It is worn and dusty. A message is written on the side:\n\n//GIRLS ONLY!\n-Maddie and Lindsey//\n\nThere are hearts all around the message.\n\n[[Hug the box and reminisce about the old days|CHAPTERTWO3A]]\n[[Scoff and roll eyes|CHAPTERTWO3B]]\n

//Lindsey picks up a large vat of green nuclear-looking liquid. As she struggles to lift it, the tape comes loose on one side of her glasses.\n\nMaddie leans in and helps hold the vat of green liquid while Lindsey re-tapes her glasses. Lindsey smiles at her sister. \n\nMaddie and Lindsey hold the vat together to pour the nuclear goodness into their project.\n\n"I can't wait to take this to the science fair." Maddie beams.//\n\n[["It was harmless comment. I wasn't trying to be a glory hog."|CHAPTERTWO5A]]

"Come on, robot, I know you can understand me. Just tell me what you know and my sister and I will rebuild you to be even better." Maddie begs.\n\n"30 seconds to self-destruct." The robot outputs blankly.\n\n"That's it." Maddie huffs.\n\n[[Fray its eye wire|CHAPTERSIX10A2B]]\n[[Draw a rude picture on its forehead|CHAPTERSIX10A2A]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERSIX10C]]

The stall is empty. On the wall is a sharpie-scrawled drawing of an angry woman. Below, it reads:\n\n//For the worst time ever, call Zuzu//\n\nThe phone number is mostly unreadable.\n\n[[Check the other stall|CHAPTERFOUR3B2]]\n[[Leave the bathroom|CHAPTERFOUR2]]

"...or I'm gonna have to call up my sister," Lyndsey warns.\n\nThe guards stare at her. "Who?" one finally asks.\n\nLindsey gives an exasperated sigh. "My sister, Captain Calm," she snaps.\n\n"WOAH! Your SISTER is CAPTAIN CALM!?" one of the guards shouts.\n\n"She's pretty cool," the other one says.\n\nLindsey feels like she's about to melt in embarassment! The guards like Maddie //way// more than they like her!\n\n[[What?!? The Irradiator is WAY better than stupid Captain Calm!|chapterthreeembarassing]]\n[[Take it in stride. These chumps will learn how awesome The Irradiator can be!|chapterthreetakeitinstride]]

<<set $earthquake = true>>Heedless of the dangers of using super-strength in a cramped underground environment constructed of fragile materials, Maddie swoops around the room, punching mummies to death! Fragments of busted mummy fly everywhere, and the mummy skulls chatter in dismay!\n\nHowever, the force of her punches cause the walls to rain bone dust and huge chunks of rock to fall from the ceiling!\n\nMaddie dusts slimy mummy residue off her knuckles and saunters towards the next door. Take that, Zubezza!\n\n[[Meanwhile, Lindsey...|chaptersevenlindseyright]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>Lindsey quickly rigs together a control-dome to smash the crystals in. She sets it up around the workbench. Then she lines the workbench with all of Maddie's crystal trophies. Trophies for saving the city, for ending world hunger, for calming riots and promoting international goodwill...\n\nShe grabs a wrench and SMASHES THEM ALL TO PIECES!\n\nWith her goggles on, she can see whisps of flourescent fifth-dimensional energies flying through the air! However, the arms of the control-dome catch them and store them in power sinks!\n\n[[Time to investigate!|chapterfivecrystalssmashed]]

<<if $cooperation>>Remembering the great things they've accomplished today, Lindsey is filled with feelings of cooperative virtue! She holds out her hand, helping exhausted Maddie up off the ground.\n\n"It's time to use it," Lindsey says. "Our ultimate move!"\n\n"Yeah," Maddie. It's been over a decade since they last used it-- but now's the time!\n\n[[DO IT!|chaptersevenultimatemove]]<<else>>Maddie collapses back on the ground, exhausted. At first, she waves Lindsey away. "I don't need your help!" she shouts.\n\nAnd at first, Lindsey doesn't want to help her-- but the horde of robots is bearing down on them. "Oh, get up," Lindsey snaps, helping her sister to her feet.\n\n"I wish we didn't have to, but now may be the time to use it," Lindsey says. "Our ultimate move!"\n\n"Yeah," Maddie agrees. It's been over a decade since they last teamed up to use their ultimate ability-- but now it's all or nothing!\n\n[[DO IT!|chaptersevenultimatemove]]<<endif>>

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"WHAT?!?" Lindsey shouts. "You like a CALM LADY? That's your idea of a COOL SUPERHERO?"\n\n"Woah, calm down!"\n\nLindsey just gets louder. "No, this is crap! Some lady projects rays of positive vibes, and you're all like, 'Woah, that's the coolest thing I've ever seen'?"\n\n"Hey, lady, this isn't an appropriate way to--"\n\n"No, forget it," Lindsey fumes. "Forget about this crap! You like your calm superhero lady, you can have her!" She storms off down the driveway.\n\n[[Now what?|chapterthreedecidewhattodo]]

Lindsey fumes! This was clearly the work of her sister, Maddie Zircon-- known to the public as Captain Calm!\n\n"This is an outrage!" Lindsey shouts. "This is the last time I'll put up with her shenanigans!"\n\nLindsey stomps over to her holoprojector and dials up her sister's laboratory!\n\n[[Time to settle this!|chapteroneconvo1]]

"It's Zubezza Garish!" Lindsey exclaims. "She's been controlling the robots that have been attacking me this whole time! her robots stole your stuff!"\n\n"Agreed," Maddie says. "My investigation gave the same results."\n\n"I'm gonna squash her," Lindsey shouts.\n\n"You?! I'm gonna smash her too," Maddie exclaims. "I've got a robot head that's telling me exactly where she is."\n\n"I can follow fifth-dimensional exhaust trails directly to her secret hideout!"\n\n"Whatever!" Maddie shouts.\n\n"WHATEVER!"\n\nThey hang up. Each flies off!\n\n[[To Zubezza's lair!|chaptersevenlairarrive]]

<<set $floor = false>><<set $table = false>><<set $plant = false>>Maddie composes herself and begins searching the room. Certainly there must be a clue here somewhere.\n\n[[Check the floor|CHAPTERTWO12A]]\n[[Check under the table|CHAPTERTWO12B]]\n[[Check the potted plants|CHAPTERTWO12C]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord -1>>This time Lindsey has gone too far. Captain Calm is losing her cool.\n\n[[Grab the phone and dial that punk|CHAPTERTWO11A2]]

Like a robbery victim, Dr. Schmieling empties his pockets to the ground.\n\n"Just take it! Take everything I have! That's what you two want, isn't it?! Take it!"\n\n[["This guy..."|CHAPTERFOUR9]]

<<set $menergy = $menergy - 1>>Dr. Schmieling scratches his head and straightens his posture.\n\n"You know what?" He poses with a newfound sense of zen, "I want to give you everything I own. Take whatever you like."\n\n[["Thanks..."|CHAPTERFOUR9]]

"I can't. I can't speak of it. Here, this is all I can give you. It's all I have left."\n\nFrederick reaches awkwardly in his left coat pocket and pulls out a handful of stuff. From his pockets comes a miniature stapler, an 80's workout VHS, and a pipecleaner model of himself that is surprisingly lifelike.\n\n"No, that's not it."\n\n[[Wait patiently|CHAPTERFOUR8A1]]

Cheesy hold music plays briefly, then an operator picks up the line.\n\n"Thank you for calling The Irradiator's Super Science Help Hotline! My name is Tobiah. How can I help you today?"\n\n[[Explain the robot problem|CHAPTERSIX7B3B2]]

Lindsey hooks up her phone to her jetpack's emergency broadcast device and zooms over the top of the robot horde!\n\nAs they shoot at her and wave their robot claws, Maddie's calming, soothing rays bathe the landscape in positive vibes! Although the robots are uneffected, whoever's controlling them clearly gets a big dose. The robots begin to power down!\n\nAs the last robot collapses to the ground, a hovercar takes off from somewhere behind the Shell Industries building and races off into the distance. Lindsey shakes her fist after it, but she's too exhausted to follow.\n\n[[The fight's over! These robots are scrap!|chapterthreefightisnowover]]

"Like an //ion//, I'm ''positive.''" Tobiah confirms.\n\nMaddie groans.\n\n"Alright, little //neutron//. Call back any time. For you it's ''no charge''!"\n\n[[Hang up and assemble the robot before he says something even cheesier|CHAPTERSIX8]]

<<set $trash = true>>Lindsey heads out back to the trash compactor. This is where Maddie throws all the stuff she doesn't want people to see lying around in her spotless laboratory!\n\nUnder the pile of loose papers, shredded plastic and metal, and scraps of high-resistance ultra-cloth, Lindsey finds a folded, crumpled photograph. She unfolds it-- and recognizes it as a photo from their childhood! It shows Lindsey-- dirty, with enormous glasses-- relaxing on the grass next to her calm and tidy sister.\n\n[[Ahh... better days!|chapterfiveunangryangry]]\n[[Man, Maddie was an obnoxious, self-righteous little jerk, even back then!|chapterfiveangryangry]]

<<set $memento = true>>Maddie arrives above Lindsey's lab. There is a big hole in the ceiling, still a little dusty from whatever crashed through it.\n\n[[Land gently|CHAPTERSIX5A]]\n[[Land like a boat anchor|CHAPTERSIX5B]]

Maddie attempts to empathize with the robot. She positions herself as the nice sister. The robot has no direct response.\n\n"45 seconds to self-destruct."\n\n[[Bargain with the robot|CHAPTERSIX10A1]]\n[[Use ''Super Calming Powers''|CHAPTERSIX10C]]\n

Maddie poses with one hand on her hip in stylish superhero form. \n\nWith the robot piece in her other hand, <<if $memento eq true>>and Schmieling's case in her pocket,<<endif>> she takes a quick read of the room.\n\n<<if $ltable eq false>>[[Check out the work table|CHAPTERSIX7A]]<<endif>>\n<<if $lwhiteboard eq false>>[[Inspect the whiteboard|CHAPTERSIX7C]]\n[[Search the floor|CHAPTERSIX7B]]<<endif>>\n<<if $lwhiteboard eq true>>[[Move some things around on the floor|CHAPTERSIX7B1]]<<endif>>

"If only you'd teamed up, you could have held this awesome power, instead of me," Zubezza cackles. "But then, its true capabilities would have gone undiscovered. Ever since I unlocked the true power of ancient Mayan crystal vibrations, I've been able to control minds and robots alike! This super-powered Amp will let me control a //world// of minds! A //WORLD// of crystal-brained robots!"\n\nLindsey and Maddie grit their teeth! They can't allow this to happen!\n\n<<if $dischord gt 0>><<set $cooperation = false>>Uncoordinated, without cooperation, the sisters charge Zubezza!\n\n[[Get her, girls!|chaptersevencooperateenergy]]<<else>><<set $cooperation = true>>They share a determined glance, and leap forward! Zubezza will have to fight them both together!\n\n[[Get her, girls!|chaptersevencooperateenergy]]<<endif>>

The assembled robot rattles to life. Its green eye lights blink periodically.\n\nShe notes a manufacturing label on the back of the head, belonging to Garish Industries.\n\n[[Interrogate!|CHAPTERSIX9]]

Lindsey gives the closest robot a punch with her ExoArm, shattering its domed head! Glowing, shattered crystals pour out onto the carpet, and it keels over, beeping its last!\n\nBut other robots are pouring in though the door! Each robot that falls is replaced by twenty more!\n\nLindsey dashes out the front door and rockets up into th air, but the robots follow her, shooting bolts of electricity from their arm-cannons! \n\n[[Spray the robots with caustic acids!|chapterthreeohno]]\n[[Activate the Earthquake Boots and drop on the robots from the skies!|chapterthreeohnoagain]]

<<set $ring = true>>Maddie puts the glimmering crystal ring on. The crystal was originally part of her trophy collection, but she had it made into a ring as a more personal memento. It's a pretty cool ring.\n\n[[Look around more|CHAPTERTWO11B1]]

Lindsey slowly descends from the sky onto the front driveway of Shell Industries-- the only corporation in the big city that's been researching travel through the fifth dimension. If she's right, these are the guys who stole her perpetual-motion battery!\n\nThe corporation's compound is protected by a eighteen-foot wall with a forcefield dome on top-- standard stuff. A small guard house sits by the gates, with two guards inside.\n\nLindsey marches up to the guard house. "Hey," she says. "Can you open the gate?"\n\n"D'you have an appointment?" the first guard asks. She can see his eyes flicking toward the jetpack.\n\n[[Cajole the guards!|chapterthreecajoling]]\n[[No time for this crap! Threaten the guards!|chapterthreethreaten]]

Lindsey leaps for the door to the Sterile Lab and kicks it open...\n\nJust in time to see a blurry figure zoom away through a hole in the roof!\n\nIn the center of the room, the massive buffer pedestal that holds the perpetual-motion battery... //is empty!//\n\n[[Grab the jetpack! Chase that sucker down!|chapteronejetpack]]\n[[Activate the ExoArm! Knock the thief out of the sky!|chapteroneroboarm]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>>"She saved my beauty salon from a pack of mind-controller wolves." The woman beams.\n\n[[Feign enthusiasm|CHAPTERFOUR3A3A]]\n[[Abandon the conversation|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]

<<stopsound 'bgm_lab02.mp3'>><<loopsound 'bgm_boss.mp3'>>[[CHAPTER THREE: SHOWDOWN AT SHELL INDUSTRIES|chapterthreeinvestigatin]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord + 1>><<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>>"I don't need your help, anyway!" Lindsey shouts. "You're a terrible person!"\n\n"Well, you're worse!"\n\n"Shut up!" Lindsey hangs up. Behind her, the robot horde approaches: an inescapable tide of metal and pulsating purple crystal energy! But these robots never counted on...\n\nTHE IRRADIATOR! Lindsey mows them down with a massive blast of her nuclear eye lasers!\n\nWhen the smoke clears, the robots are scorched, melting, ad sliced in half... but Lindsey's totally exhausted! Behind the Shell Industries building, a hovercar takes off and zooms away into the distance-- but Lindsey can only shake her fist at it!\n\n[[These robots are finished!|chapterthreefightisnowover]]

Nothing happens.\n\n[[Reevaluate the robot pieces|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

Lindsey thinks-- how on earth is she going to get inside the lab?\n\n[[Powers-- violent powers-- are the only way to get inside!|chapterthreepowers]]\n[[Call Maddie and ask for help!|chapterthreecallsister]]

Maddie reviews the three connectors while holding the grey wire.\n\n[[Connect the grey wire with the brain symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CWINB]]\n[[Connect the grey wire with the crystal symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CFAIL]]\n[[Connect the grey wire with the eye symbol|CHAPTERSIX7B3CFAIL]]\n[[Go back|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

Lindsey staggers through the rubble, looking at the charred robot husks. The pulsating purple crystals lie shattered on every surface. In some places, they're vibrating and making a small but irritating humming sound.\n\n[[Are these the robots who stole the battery?|chapterthreesearchtherubble]]

The guard blushes. "Uh, I'm sorry to hear it, miss--"\n\n"Are you The Irradiator?" the second guard blurts, leaning into the window. "I've seen you on television!"\n\n"Uh-- why, //yes,// I //am// The Irradiator," Lindsey says. She realizes she's slouching, and stands up straighter. "Yes, and I need to get into Shell Industries today."\n\n"Are you investigating a crime?" one of the guards asks.\n\n"Oh, definitely," Lindsey says.\n\n"Can you fry someting for us? With your eye-lasers?"\n\n[["Sorry, not today. Crime doesn't sleep."|crimedoesntsleep]]\n[["Maybe something really small?"|somethingreallysmall]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord +1>>Maddie spin-drops to the floor like a bag of concrete. She hits the ground with a gargantuan THUD, so hard, a couple of floor tiles bounce up.\n\n[[Excellent|CHAPTERSIX6]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>><<stopallsound>><<loopsound 'bgm_boss'>>Before the guards can do anything, Lindsey whirls around and blasts the gates with a beam of NUCLEAR LASER VISION! The guards scream and duck for cover as steel melts all over the driveway!\n\nLindsey pulls the throttle on her jetpack and leaps through the gap. But on the other side, the doors to Shell Industries are already opening...\n\n...to reveal a phalanx of angry robots!\n\nThese robots have glass-domed skulls containing pulsating purple crystals! "LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS," they drone. "SURRENDER! SURRENDER!"\n\n"No way!" Lindsey shouts. Time to fight!\n\n[[Zap the robots with a blast of NUCLEAR LASER VISION!|chaptherthreefightinsidetwo]]\n[[Punch the robots with the ExoArm!|chapterthreefightinsideone]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>><<set $earthquake = false>>Lindsey sweeps her nuclear eye lasers across the floor! The severed mummy heads give raspy groans of pain as their gross dusty bodies catch on fire and burn to ash!\n\nLindsey grins. If only her sister could see how awesome THE IRRADIATOR is!\n\n[[Meanwhile, Maddie...|chaptersevenmaddieright]]

//Lindsey picks up a large vat of green nuclear-looking liquid. As she struggles to lift it, the tape comes loose on one side of her glasses.\n\nMaddie leans in and helps hold the vat of green liquid while Lindsey re-tapes her glasses. Lindsey smiles at her sister. \n\nMaddie and Lindsey hold the vat together to pour the nuclear goodness into their project.\n\n"I can't wait to take this to the science fair." Maddie beams.//\n\n[["But nooo, Lindsey couldn't just let me have this one moment."|CHAPTERTWO5B]]

Lindsey gives the ruined Sterile Lab another look. Where else can she look for clues?\n\n[[Take a closer look at the rubble|chapteronerubblesearch]]\n[[Turn on the smelloscope!|chapteronesmelloscope]]\n[[Take a look at the scene of the crime through a pair of dimensional filter-goggles!|chapteronefifthdimension]]

Beneath the National History Museum are a network of mazy catacombs!\n\nLindsey and Maddie pace around in the dark. Lindsey lights a flare. The red light illuminates walls made of stacked skulls!\n\n"Can I have a flare?" Madde asks.\n\n"Fine," Lindsey sighs.\n\nDown the passageway, they find alcoves filled with stacked sarcophogi and crumbling coffins. Heaps of ancient bones and stolen relics from a hundred cultures line the walls!\n\nEventually, they come to a split in the path.\n\n"We should split up," Lindsey suggests quickly.\n\nMaddie agrees. "What way do you want to go?" she asks.\n\n[[Lindsey goes left and Maddie goes right!|lindseyleftmaddieright]]\n[[Maddie goes left and Lindsey goes right!|lindseyrightmaddieleft]]

"I'm sorry," the recorded voice states, "I didn't hear that. Can you repeat your message?\n\n"If you are experiencing a nuclear emergency, please say, ''EMERGENCY''.\n\n"If you are experiencing any other science problem, please say, ''OPERATOR''."\n\n<<if $dischord lte 0>>[["Operator"|CHAPTERSIX7B3B1]]<<endif>><<if $dischord gt 0>>[["I SAID OPERATOR!"|CHAPTERSIX7B9112]]<<endif>>\n[["I SAID EMERGENCY!"|CHAPTERSIX7B911]]\n[[Give up and do it the hard way|CHAPTERSIX7B3C]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>><<set $trash = true>>Lindsey smiles, remembering the days when she and Maddie got along. Back before the accident...\n\nOh well. Lindsey sticks the photograph in her pocket and heads back to the lab.\n\nThere's got to be evidence here that explains the robots' link to Maddie's lab!\n\n<<if $workbench eq false>>[[Look at Maddie's workbench!|chapterfiveworkbench]]\n<<endif>>\n<<if $pillows eq false>>[[Flip over all the couches and search between the cushions!|chapterfivecouches]]<<endif>>

Maddie heads for the door.\n\n[[It's time to investigate!|Chapter Three]]

"Gosh, I don't know," Maddie snaps. "The way it sounds, anyone can waltz into your laboratory if they want to! You need to step up your security!"\n\n"You expect me to anticipate people punching thrugh my roof?"\n\n"Listen, sister," Maddie says, in that obnoxious, lecturing tone of voice she has. "You've got to always be one step ahead of the bad guys! Professor Klam can bend steel with his bare hands, and Zubezza Garish can apparently shatter glass with her voice! Only last week, when the mayor and I--"\n\nLindsey throws her paper coffe cup at the holoprojector screen. "I don't want to hear about your lunches with the mayor," she shouts. "I want to find my per--"\n\nThen she remembers that her research is secret, and stops herself.\n\n"...Your what?" Maddie asks.\n\n[["There's no way I'm telling you that!"|chapteroneconvo2]]

Maddie takes a look around the bar.\n\nDirectly in front of her is a low-lit bar counter with plenty of open stools.\n\nOn the left is a grungy narrow hallway leading to the restrooms.\n\nIn the far corner is a brightly-lit jukebox. It's a little hard to see from where she's standing.\n\nOn the right are a couple of pool tables. A small tournament is going on.\n\n[[Check the counter|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]\n[[Check the bathroom|CHAPTERFOUR3B]]\n[[Check the jukebox|CHAPTERFOUR3C]]\n<<if $pool eq true>>[[Check the pool tables|CHAPTERFOUR3D0]]\n<<else>>[[Check the pool tables|CHAPTERFOUR3D]]<<endif>>

Before Lindsey can do anything, the walls begin to shake and shatter, as if disturbed by a powerful earthquake! Bonedust falls, and then blocks of ancient stone! A cascade of rubble pours down from the ceiling, smashing all the robot snakes and burying Lindsey in debris!\n\nIt takes a while before she climbs out from underneath, but all the snakes are smashed and the crystals are buried. Lindsey flings the boulders aside and continues along the passageway.\n\n[[What's ahead?|chaptersevenmeetup]]

"Um, it's Madeline." Maddie corrects, surprised he at least kind of knows her.\n\n"EH?!" The old man honks.\n\nMaddie takes a sip of the drink. It is 100% alcohol. Yum?\n\n\n[[Thank the bartender and move on|CHAPTERFOUR3A]]

<<set $company = true>>Maddie uses her cell phone to look up Schmieling Inc. and finds a few articles about it.\n\nThe company is defunct; flattened by tragedy. The company's billion-dollar lab was robbed of hundreds of secret documents, as well as most of its equipment. The robbery was never solved, and the company never recovered.\n\n[[Refer back to the brochure|CHAPTERTWO13]]\n[[Check out the photo in the brochure|CHAPTERTWO14B]]\n<<if $photo eq true>>[[Go check out the old site of Schmieling Inc.|chapterthreechecksite]]<<endif>>

Lindsey quickly taps in her sister's phone number.\n\n"Hey," she gasps. "I'm being chased by this army of robots and I tried smashing them all but there's just too many and I think these are the guys who stole my research--"\n\n"Slow down," Maddie snaps. "What do you want from me?"\n\n"Beam some of your rays over the phone!" Lindsey shouts. She runs down the driveway, just ahead of the tide of clanking death-bots. "Soothe whoever's controlling these things!"\n\n<<if $dischord gt 5>>"No," Maddie snaps. "You've been treating me like crap! Why should I help you?"\n\n[["Please forgive me, Maddie! I promise I'll make it up to you!"|chapterthreepleaseforgivemeagain]]\n[["Fine! I'll solve this by myself, you jerkface!"|chapterthreeirefusetoapologize]]<<else>>"Fine," Maddie sighs. "But you owe me one, okay? Hook me up to a sound system!\n\n[[Okay!|chapterthreealreadycalledforhelpfightworks]]<<endif>>

The photo shows a middle-aged scientist with his arm around a human-sized robot. The scientist is wearing a cheesy labcoat and bowtie, with memorably sparse hairs matted to his head.\n\nMaddie snaps her fingers. "I know this guy!"\n\n[[To the bookshelf!|CHAPTERTWO14B2]]

<<set $pillows = true>>Lindsey busts out her ExoArms and begins flipping over all the couches. Coins and bits of shredded paper fly everywhere!\n\n"Just goes to show," Lindsey cackles, "Everyone's couches are a mess!" Take that, Captain Calm!\n\nAfter flinging pillows all over the room, Lindsey finally finds a small misplaced key. "Aha!" she cries, and sticks it in one of her belt pouches.\n\nPillows still litter the room.\n\n[[Clean everything up|chapterfivepillowsback]]\n[[Leave it like this, for when the Clean Queen gets back!|chapterfivenopillowsback]]

The two sisters emerge from their tunnels.<<if $lindsey eq true>><<if $earthquake eq true>> Maddie is covered in earthquake dust!\n\n"Did you do that? Did you cause that earthquake?!?"\n\n"Uh..."\n\n[["Yes. I'm sorry."|chaptersevensorry]]\n[["Haha, yes! I'm awesome!"|chaptersevennotsorry]]<<else>> "I busted some mummies," Lindsey says.\n\n"Whatever. I had some robot snakes on my hands."\n\n"Okay."\n\nTogether they walk down the hall. Ahead, they see a pair of ornate doors. They look quite ominous!\n\n[[Ready for this?|chaptersevenconfrontation]]<<endif>><<else>><<if $earthquake eq true>> Lindsey is covered in earthquake dust!\n\n"Did you do that? Did you cause that earthquake?!?"\n\n"Uh..."\n\n[["Yes. I'm sorry."|chaptersevensorry]]\n[["Yeah, so what?"|chaptersevennotsorry]]<<else>> "I took care of some mummies," Maddie says.\n\n"Whatever. I busted some robot snakes."\n\n"Okay."\n\nTogether they walk down the hall. Ahead, they see a pair of ornate doors. They look quite ominous!\n\n[[Ready for this?|chaptersevenconfrontation]]<<endif>><<endif>>

<<set $dischord = $dischord - 1>>"Look, I'm sorry," Lindsey says. "I know this is tough. But it might be the only way to get our stuff back!"\n\nMaddie is quiet for a second. "All right," she says. "Whatever."\n\n"Thanks," Lindsey says, but Maddie's already hung up.\n\n[[Time to smash some trophies!|chapterfivesmashwithpermission]]

"My research is a secret," Lindsey huffs. "It'll change the world. Probably earn me a couple Nobel prizes."\n\nMaddie shrugs and waves her hand dismissively. "Well, you can't expect me to help you find this thing if you don't tell me what it is-- and if you spend the whole time insulting me! I deserve an apology."\n\n[["...fine. I'm sorry."|chapteroneapology]]\n[["No! I deserve an apology from YOU!"|chapteronenoapology]]

The sisters punch and kick together! Maddie flies and smacks robots in the face! Lindsey sprays fire and acid across the horde!\n\nBut they've been fighting and solving problems all day long. Their superheroic energies are beginning to run low! <<if $menergy gt 0>><<if $lindseyenergy gt 0>> However, they've cooperated and shared their skills enough today that both have just barely enough energy to take Zubezza on together!\n\n[[She'll regret stealing thier stuff!|chaptersevenbothhaveenergy]]<<else>>Maddie still just has barely enough energy to take Zubezza on-- but Lindsey is exhausted!\n\n[[Oh no!|chaptersevenmaddiemore]]<<endif>><<else>><<if $lindseyenergy gt 0>> Lindsey still just has barely enough energy to take Zubezza on-- but Maddie is exhausted!\n\n[[Oh no!|chaptersevenlindseymore]]<<else>> In fact, neither of them has any energy left at all! They can barely fight-- let alone use their superhero powers!\n\n[[Oh no!|chaptersevennoenergy]]<<endif>><<endif>>

The holoprojector rings for a few seconds before Maddie picks up. Slowly, an image of her face and her tidy laboratory resolves onto the screen.\n\n"Why did you do it?" Lindsey demands, shouting into the mouthpiece. "Why did you steal my research??"\n\nMaddie's Captain Calm persona holds firm. "Slow down-- I didn't steal anything from you," she sniffs. "I know you always assume the worst in people, but I don't steal! The city trusts me!"\n\n[["I've reviewed the evidence! Of course you did it!"|chapteroneifnotyouthenwho]]\n[["Okay, if you didn't do it, then who did?"|chapteroneofcourseyoudid]]

Lindsey scrambles back over to her new jetpack and throws it onto her back. Staggering under its weight, she positions herself beneath the ceiling hole and pulls hard on the rip cord!\n\nThe jetpack roars to life, dragging Lindsey up into the sky. "Come back here, you JERK!" she shouts after the fleeing theif. "Do you have any idea what you're messing with?!"\n\nThe theif doesn't seem to be interested in obeying. Whoever-it-is spirals down toward the street, hoping to lose Lindsey in the busy streets of the big city!\n\n[[Zoom over the rooftops and dive on them from above!|chapteronedodgeone]]\n[[This jetpack has superior maneuverability! Follow them down!|chapteronedodgetwo]]

<<set $drink = false>>Dr. Schmieling drops his beer bottle. It shatters on the ground. He doesn't flinch.\n\nHe takes the colorful drink and downs the entire pint of alcohol like a shot. The parasol, olive, cherry, pineapple slice, and hibiscus flower plunk onto his face, then slide back into the glass as he thumps it onto the jukebox.\n\nHe lifts one finger as he opens his mouth, his eyes half-mass, "Mmmyou here to shhhteal my ideas too?"\n\n[["Who stole your ideas?"|CHAPTERFOUR4C1]]\n[["I'm here because I found this."|CHAPTERFOUR5C]]\n

Someone with the power of flight, super speed, and ultra-durability and strength?\n\nBased on this evidence, Lindsey knows the thief could only be one peron...\n\n[[Who is it?!?|chapteronemaddie]]

The scientist fumbles with his half-tied bowtie, rubs his eyes, and stares at Maddie in disbelief.\n\n"You know who I am?" He asks, smoothing out the scraggly hairs on his head.\n\n[["Of course! May I call you Frederick?"|CHAPTERFOUR5A]]\n[["Cool it, Romeo, I saw you on a brochere."|CHAPTERFOUR5C]]

//Lindsey tilts the vat at a steeper angle.\n\n"If you submit it this year, I'm not old enough to compete! I'll have to compete next year with something else!" Lindsey pouts.\n\nMaddie shrugs. "We make all kinds of cool things together. We'll make something else."\n\n"I want to show THIS!" Lindsey cries.\n\n"Oh yeah, and what if new technology comes out and this is totally obselete next year? It has to be shown now or it might not be shown at all." Maddie retorts with a mostly level head.//\n\n[["I should have just agreed to wait, but..."|CHAPTERTWO6]]

//Lindsey tilts the vat at a steeper angle.\n\n"If you submit it this year, I'm not old enough to compete! I'll have to compete next year with something else!" Lindsey pouted.\n\nMaddie shrugs. "We make all kinds of cool things together. We'll make something else."\n\n"I want to show THIS!" Lindsey cries.\n\n"Oh yeah, and what if new technology comes out and this is totally obselete next year? It has to be shown now or it might not be shown at all." Maddie retorts with a mostly level head.//\n\n[["I should have just agreed to wait, but...|CHAPTERTWO6]]

"Lady," the second guard says, his voice trembling a little, "If you treat us that way, we're gonna have to deny you entry!"\n\n[[Curses!|chapterthreedecidewhattodo]]

Lindsey slowly removes her goggles. Her face is splattered with oil and red with windburn from the flight across the city. She tries fluttering her eyelids, but ends up blinking twitchily instead.\n\n[["Of course I have an appointment!"|chapterthreeappointment]]\n[["Sorry, uh, handsome. I don't."|chapterthreehandsome]]

A cheesy jingle plays through the phone speaker. A recorded voice comes on.\n\n"Thank you for calling The Irradiator's Super Science Help Hotline!\n\n"If you are experiencing a nuclear emergency, please say, ''EMERGENCY''.\n\n"If you are experiencing any other science problem, please say, ''OPERATOR''."\n\n[["EMERGENCY!"|CHAPTERSIX7B911]]\n[["OPERATOR!"|CHAPTERSIX7B911]]

<<set $dischord = $dischord +1>>Maddies spots a sparking piece of machinery in a tree up ahead. She grabs it.\n\n[[Inspect it like a scientist|CHAPTERSIX3A]]\n[[Throw it like a boss|CHAPTERSIX3B]]

<<set $lwhiteboard = true>>On the whiteboard tray, there's a complicated-looking pen. It's some kind of pocket-sized nuclear laser cutter.\n\n[[Take the pen|CHAPTERSIX7C2]]

<<set $lindseyenergy = $lindseyenergy - 1>><<set $workshop = true>>Lindsey slices through the locks with her nuclear eye lasers! The drawers spring open!\n\nInside, Lindsey finds a lot of blueprints, neatly rolled and stacked. She opens one up, and finds the specs for a new Cooperation Amplifier-- something even more powerful than the one that cured world hunger!\n\nLindsey seethes, and rolls the paper back up. "Whatever," she says. "My perpetual-motion battery will be a //way// better service to mankind than a //good vibes generator!//"\n\n<<if $trash eq false>>[[Look in her trash compactor!|chapterfivetrashcompactor]]\n<<endif>>\n<<if $pillows eq false>>[[Flip over all the couches and search between the cushions!|chapterfivecouches]]<<endif>>

"Oh of course," the first guard says, looking a little disappointed. "Of course. Head right on in!"\n\n[[Sweet!|chapterthreeinsidethebase]]

The work table caught most of the ceiling wreckage. Drywall, wood splinters, and other construction materials litter the surface.\n\nIt appears as though Lindsey was building something when the crash happened. There are several corked super-vials on the table. A few have been smashed and are leaking various nuclear liquids that have melted sections of the metal surface.\n\n[[Clear some junk away|CHAPTERSIX7A1]]\n[[Break the rest of the vials, mwahahaha|CHAPTERSIX7A1A]]

Lindsey sighs. "Look, guys, this is serious," she says. "Let me in right now, and I'll make this easy on you."\n\n"Or what?" the second guard asks.\n\n[[Namecheck your sister!|chapterthreenamecheck]]\n[[Threaten them with violence!|chapterthreethreatenviolence]]\n

Lindsey puts on her trans-dimensional filter-goggles and scans the scene of the battle. Purple smog is everywhere! Definite signs of fifth-dimensional travel!\n\nIn fact, she can see the smog trail reaching up into the sky! She might be able to track it back to its source!\n\nLindsey puts her jetpack on and tightens the strap on her goggles. "Watch out, thief," she mutters. "You cross the Irradiator, you get... irradiated!"\n\n[[Let's see where it goes!|Chapter Four]]

<<set $drink = false>>Dr. Schmieling stumbles to his feet, soaked in alcohol.\n\n"I know who you are, you know!" He sobs. "You're Lindsey Zircon!"\n\n[["Why yes, yes I am."|CHAPTERFOUR8D2]]\n[["Actually, I'm Maddie Zircon. Now start making sense, pronto!"|CHAPTERFOUR8B]]

<<if $cooperation>>Moving as one, the sisters punch and kick the crap out of Zubezza and her robots! They calm robots and burn holes in them with laser vision! The sisters are on fire!<<else>> Despite their uncooperative uncoordination, they've go more than enough superheroic vim and vigor to handle an army of robots and their villainous commander! They punch and kick! They calm and zap!<<endif>>\n\nSoon, Zubezza realizes that the tide of the battle is turning against her. Lindsey sees the villain running away. "Let's get her!" she shouts.\n\n"Yeah!" Maddie agrees.\n\nThey divebomb Zubezza and give her one, last, mighty hit!\n\n[[BOOM!|chaptersevenwin]]

Maddie turns the page.\n\n//Traveling through the fifth dimension is no easy task, and the emotional tolls it takes on a person can be trying. Lucky for you, you're a robot! You're not a person at all. So relax! You'll be fine.\n\nIf you're reading this manual, you are one of the first robots selected for the fifth-dimensional travel trials. Congratulations! The power of crystals will soon be rocketing you through time and space in a way you never thought possible.//\n\n[[Turn the page|CHAPTERTWO13B]]\n[[Go back|CHAPTERTWO13]]\n

Maddie turns the page.\n\n//We hope you've found this brochere helpful in answering all your fifth-dimensional travel questions. For more information, contact Schmieling Inc.//\n\n[[Close the brochure|CHAPTERTWO13]]

Lindsey slips off her heavy jetpack and dumps in on the floor. Oil starts to pool on the carpet, but she doesn't care. If these chumps really did steal her perpetual-motion battery, they'll have more to worry about than the carpets!\n\nAfter a few minutes of waiting, Lindsey starts to hear a strange clomping sound-- like feet marching along a corridor. She tenses up!\n\n[[Who is it?|chapterthreewhoisit]]

<<set $lindsey = false>>Maddie hurries down the catacomb passageway, her flare held out to illuminate the path.\n\nShe enters a massive room with a high, vaulted ceiling. The air is musty. It smells like slimy rags! Carefully, Lindsey raises her flare in the air...\n\n...revealing a floor covered in shattered sarcphogi and the crawling severed arms and legs of a hundred ravenous mummies!\n\nAlong the back wall, their detatched heads chatter like squirrels, and the arms and legs begin to crawl toward Maddie, an insecapable tide of grossness and malice!\n\n\n[[Use super strength to defeat them!|chaptersevenmaddiestrengthmummies]]\n[[Calm their ancient deadbrains!|chaptersevenmaddiecalmingmummies]]

The woman pauses her blubbering for a moment.\n\n"Are you related to Lindsey Zircon, the science superhero? The Irradiator?" She asks hopefully.\n\n[["Yes."|CHAPTERFOUR3A3A]]\n[["Unfortunately."|CHAPTERFOUR3A3B]]

Defeatedly, he accepts the brochure. He takes one look at it and his lower lip quivers.\n\n"W-why... Why would you give me this?"\n\n[["I found it. I was hoping-"|CHAPTERFOUR6C]]

<<set $drink = true>>The rickety old man pulls several liquors from the shelves. Each time he reaches, it looks like he's about to crack at the seams and crumble into dust.\n\nHe pours the liquors into a glass with the accuracy and grace of a drunken T-Rex. Alcohol splashes onto the freshly cleaned counters. Maddie senses a cycle.\n\n"On the house for you, scientist lady, Maybelline."\n\n[[Take the drink|CHAPTERFOUR3A1B]]

Maddie impatiently waves the brochure in front of Dr. Schmieling. He squeezes his eyes shut and holds his hands up in front of his face.\n\n[["Can you just look at this, please? It's not gonna hurt you."|CHAPTERFOUR5C]]\n[["Look at it! LOOK AT IT!"|CHAPTERFOUR6B]]

Dr. Schmieling blushes and nods.\n\n[[Hand him the brochure|CHAPTERFOUR6A]]

Lindsey dives after the thief! Together, they roar down the street, dodging lampposts and traffic lights!\n\nThe thief banks hard around a corner. Lindsey's going too fast to follow! She throws a couple of levers and switches, brakes hard, careens off the windows of an office building, and turns to chase!\n\nBut now the thief is further ahead. "Stupid machine," Lindsey shouts, leaning on the throttle.\n\nBut the new jetpack isn't quite good enough yet! It coughs, sputters, and then shuts down with a whine. Lindsey crashes to the ground, splintering the pavement and startling nearby pedestrians. She hurls off her jetpack and kicks it across the street!\n\n[[Curses!|chapteroneattackfail]]

<<set $footage = true>>Lindsey steps into her coat closet. She tugs on certain coathooks in a secret pattern. Behind the coats, a door opens into her secret security booth!\n\nThere, footage from all around her laboratory is gathered and stored. Already, an alert is playing across several monitors: WARNING! EXCESSIVE SPEEDS IN THE STERILE LAB!\n\nLindsey sits back with her coffee and watches the footage. She sees the thief crash in through the roof, spraying dust, splinters, and sparks everywhere. They dart over to the pedestal and dash around it in a circle, wrenching the glowing perpetual-motion battery from its housing!\n\nLindsey slows the tape down and advances it frame by frame, hoping to pinpoint the identity of the thief. But they're moving so fast, the camera didn't catch their face! "Damn it!" Lindsey curses.\n\n<<if $pedestal>><<if $hole>>[[Hmmm...|chapteroneendofsearch]]<<else>>[[Examine the pedestal in the center of the room|chapteronepedestalsearch]]\n[[Examine the hole in the ceiling|chapteroneholesearch]]<<endif>><<else>>[[Examine the pedestal in the center of the room|chapteronepedestalsearch]]\n[[Examine the hole in the ceiling|chapteroneholesearch]]<<endif>>