iStory:The Agent/chapter 403 alternatives

This page notes the different possible versions of chapter 3 of The Agent.

All cases (I)

Rachel Mills has been given a special mission by the Hunter and has stumbled on REBEL's use of codes hidden across the Internet to reach out to allies and fugitives. REBEL witnesses Rachel's discovery and threatens to expose Rachel's secret to the world. Rachel also gains a new partner, and is blackmailed into participating in one of REBEL's missions.

Now, Rachel notes to herself the military-issue 12-gauge shotgun that is being pointed at her head from five feet away. She guesses that two seconds has transpired and that the man holding the shotgun plans to pull the trigger. Rachel also notes that REBEL has been trying to kill Rachel all day, and begins recalling prior events, starting with what occurred about a week earlier.

In Rachel's recollection, she jumps into the passenger seat of a van Danko is driving, and Danko asks where she was. Rachel replies that her boot lace snapped and she had to fix it. Danko then hits the gas, leaving an area where Rachel thinks cops would soon arrive. Rachel makes eye contact with Jason, her new partner, in the van's rear seat, and wonders if either Danko or Jason suspected what she had been up to.

A couple days later, Rachel is practicing firing her weapon at the shooting range with Jason. She notes to herself having been there a long time--that Jason was starting to look tired, but she was used to the practice having practiced shooting holes in stuff as therapy since the day in Pinehearst when she found out about her condition.

Jason starts up another round of firing. Rachel watches him shoot, placing his elbow low in a way she recalls a lot of Navy SEALs do. She watches the intensity on his face, under the ear protectors and goggles, and figures he wants to beat her bad. When Jason places down his pistol and stops the timer, he gets an eighty-six percent, and challenges Rachel to beat it. However, Rachel replies that she is done for day, and is tired. Jason insists that Rachel shoot the targets, but then Danko walks in and interrupts them.

Rachel recalls that a day ago, one of the fugitives had made it all the way to his apartment, almost killing him. Some of the agents started looking at Danko differently, but she didn't. Danko rewarded that loyalty with an assignment.

In the firing range, Danko tells Rachel and Jason to get their gear together--that the will depart on a plane in fifteen minutes. Rachel asks where they are headed, and Danko answers that they are headed to Costa Verde to find the fugitive, Alex. As Danko tells him this, Rachel's cell phone beeps with incoming text messages back on the shooter's bench, and Rachel figures that REBEL knows as well what is happening.

Rachel disregards her phone and tells Danko that she will get him. Danko then informs Rachel they think that Alex had help escaping them before, and that the cheerleader is in the same town. He also instructs Rachel to inform him if they can find any evidence that the cheerleader is involved, and await further orders.

Danko leaves and Rachel turns around to get her beeping cell phone, but Jason is already holding it. She asks for it back, snatching it from him, and Jason asks if she just got a text. Rachel confirms she did, and Jason asks if she is going to read it. However, Rachel ignores that question, presses the shooting range button and begins firing. She imagines they are fugitives and impresses Jason with her precision, noting that she comes there a lot. Jason compares her to a killer robot, pulls off his eye protection and tosses it on a table. As Jason leaves, Rachel drops her cell phone in a trash can, thinking that would be the end of REBEL's interference on her mission.

Upon reaching Costa Verde, Rachel and Jason meet the lead agent at a command truck. The lead agent comments that they are Danko's go-to boys, and Jason clarifies that Rachel is but he just carries the bags. Rachel asks for the latest intel, and the agent informs them of three leads. The first lead is Alex's car, for which they haven't found anything in their first look, but the agent guesses they might have better luck. The second lead is that the target spent a lot of time with the local beach crowd, so they might have an idea where he is hiding. The third lead is that his apartment might hold some clues, as agents are watching the place but no one has searched it yet.

Jason comments that since it's after lunch, local time, they might not be able to hit all of the leads that day. Rachel responds that they need to get moving, then.

Options (I)

The player gets to choose whether Rachel decides for them to head first to the abandoned car, the beach or the apartment.

Option 1A: Rachel decides they should head to Alex's abandoned car...

Rachel and Jason meet two agents at Alex's car. The two agents watching the car inform them that Alex has not shown up, and it should be okay to take a look around. Rachel notes to herself that the agents look bored, but are taking it in stride as professionals. Rachel and Jason agree that Alex is unlikely to return to the vehicle, so they take a look around the street. While they are looking around, Rachel notes to herself that ditching the vehicle does not seem like something Alex would do on his own, and suspects the Claire was involved in helping him escape. Jason spots a security camera on the corner of a nearby self-storage facility pointed at the side street where Alex's car had passed, and lets Rachel know about it. Rachel notes to him that there isn't an office in the storage building, so the camera must be remotely operated. She then instructs Jason to call back to base and find out if they can hack the archives for the camera footage. While he calls, Rachel wanders the street, trying to place herself in their shoes to figure out where they would head next. A couple minutes later, Jason catches up with Rachel and asks what she is doing. After Rachel explains, Jason says that Rachel is good at that, noting seeing her performance in training. Rachel asks what they found, and Jason says they found something and are going to stream it to him in a second. Jason's cell phone then buzzes and he comments that someone is texting him. Rachel guesses that it is REBEL. The player then gets to choose whether Rachel bumps into Jason's arm or snatches the phone from him. Option 1A.1: Rachel bumps into Jason's arm, hard... ...and Jason's cell phone falls to the pavement with a nasty-sounding crack. Rachel says she is sorry, claiming she slipped, and Jason picks up his phone. He finds the screen is cracked, and notes he just got the phone. The player then gets to choose whether Rachel goes with Jason to the beach (jump to Option 1B) or Alex's apartment next (jump to Option 1C). Option 1A.2: Rachel snatches the phone from Jason... ... and he asks for it back. However, Rachel just turns her back to him and opens the text message, which reads "DONT DO THIS RACHEL." The player can then choose for Rachel to hit "Delete" and wait for the video or drop the phone. Option 1A.2.A: Rachel hits the delete button and waits for the video... While she waits, Jason comments how it was her who freaked out when he picked up her phone, but Rachel still ignores him. The video file then comes in with a beep, and Rachel opens it. In the video, Rachel sees Alex's car and a blonde, female, Caucasian passenger, but then the file gets deleted and a new text message appears, "STOP NOW OR ILL HAVE TO TELL". Rachel then hits delete again just as Jason reaches and grabs the phone back. Jason asks where the video is, and Rachel says that it was blank and for them to resend it. After staring at Rachel a moment and her staring back, expressionless, Jason dials the base again. He relays to Rachel that the tech can no longer find the video, but swears it existed. The player then gets to choose whether Rachel goes with Jason to the beach (jump to Option 1B) or Alex's apartment next (jump to Option 1C). Option 1A.2.B: Rachel drops Jason's phone... ...and it falls to the pavement with a nasty-sounding crack. Rachel says she is sorry, claiming she slipped, and Jason picks up his phone. He finds the screen is cracked, and notes he just got the phone. The player then gets to choose whether Rachel goes with Jason to the beach (jump to Option 1B) or Alex's apartment next (jump to Option 1C).

Option 1B: Rachel decides they should head to the beach...

...and they arrive near a local sand-side restaurant where the surf crowd hangs out when the surf isn't calling. Rachel spots a clump of young men and women in swimsuits draped over the wooden seats outside the restaurant, and begins to head toward them. Jason asks if she is serious, and Rachel answers that she always is. He then tells her to compare what they are wearing. Rachel then notes to herself that Jason and Rachel are in dark suits and glasses, while the surfer crowd is dressed in rags. She also notes that she wasn't much of a surfer girl while growing up, southern California or not, and often got into fights at school with this crowd. After considering, Rachel responds that they will put the fear of God into them, but Jason notes they are most likely to get ignored as in the film Point Break. Rachel then surprises Jason, saying she hasn't seen that film. Jason then looks around and points to a nearby surf shop, where a rack of women's swimsuits are in front. Rachel refuses to get into a swimsuit disguise, but Jason insists saying they can go shoot lots of stuff later to fix her karma. The player then gets to choose to either proceed with the disguise or head to Alex's apartment. Option 1B.1: Rachel agrees to get and wear a disguise... After purchasing and getting into a swimsuit, Rachel approaches the surfer crowd on her own. As she says hello, she thinks the plan isn't going to work. Rachel notes the girls sizing her up like a circling shark and the guys smiling like she is long-lost family. One of the guys, who has stringy blonde hair, replies a hello to her, asking if she is visiting a while. Rachel responds that she is, sort of. She also notes that she is there to meet her cousin Alex, and asks if he had seen him. The guy says he had, and then one of the girls speaks up that he hasn't been around that day. Rachel tells the girl they were supposed to meet, but she tried calling his place and he's not there. The guy replies that he guesses she's stuck with them, and asks what Rachel drinks. However, Rachel ignores him and asks if they have any idea where he might be. The girl notes that Alex's friend, Liliane, hasn't been around either, suggesting she should check with her. Rachel then replies that she will do that, asking where Liliane lives. After getting Liliane's address, Rachel returns to Jason and he asks if she had any luck. She tells him to keep his eyes up, and notes that Alex has a friend that is also missing. Realizing his idea worked, Jason complements her work and grins. Rachel responds by telling him to be quiet and drive. Upon arriving outside Liliane's house, Rachel is dressed in standard gear again and instructs Jason to keep watch outside. He replies that he can't cover the whole house and asks if she wants to call for a team. Rachel says no, and for him to just watch the back of the house. She adds that she doesn't expect anyone to to flee out the front. Rachel exits the car, walks up to Liliane's front door. While walking up the front lawn, she notes the toys in the front yard and suspects Liliane lives with her family. After knocking on the door, Rachel overhears Liliane's mother ask what she has done now in the next room. A moment later, Liliane appears at the door, a short, cute girl with beach-blonde hair and blue eyes. Rachel picks up that Liliane is more afraid than surprised, asks her father, who had answered the door, to speak with Liliane alone. The father says no, but Liliane says it's okay. He then leaves the front room after his daughter answers him that she doesn't know what it is about. Liliane whispers to Rachel that she can't believe Rachel came to her home. Rachel talks with Liliane and learns that Liliane is a government informant, and had a drug charge or something from a party at her community college. Danko's men had called and given her a way out in exchange for her help. They told her Alex was taking some special steroids or something, and she was supposed to report if she noticed him do anything weird. She had called in some tips right before he had disappeared, and now she is afraid to leave the house. While Rachel continues talking with Liliane, Rachel spots a scrolling text bar appear across the bottom of a big-screen TV in the living room. A kid's movie kept playing in the background, but a little boy noticed the text and called to his mom that the TV is broken. Rachel sees that the scrolling text is showing her name in caps. The player then gets to choose whether to say she needs to leave or ask Liliane if she knows where Alex might have gone. Option 1B.1.A: Rachel decides to leave... ...and Jason meets her back at the car. She tells Jason it was a dead end--that Liliane works for them. Jason then drives himself and Rachel to Alex's apartment. (jump to Option 1C) Option 1B.1.B: Rachel asks if Liliane knows where Alex might go... ...and Liliane asks Rachel if she knows about "the girl". Rachel asks what girl, and Liliane explains that one of her friends at the comics store said a girl came in before Alex ran off. Rachel notes that he didn't tell her people about any girl, and Liliane replies that her buddies had scared him so he didn't mention it. Liliane adds that he didn't know her name, and just saw some blond hair. Rachel figures it is Claire, but doesn't think it is any kind of proof that she could offer Danko. The TV continues to scroll text, even quicker now. Rachel ignores the TV, but a woman arrives to the living room and is surprised by it. Liliane then comments that Alex is out there now, and will sue the government if he comes after her. Rachel replies that sounds like a plan, says goodbye, and leaves. Jason meets Rachel back in the car and asks how it went as they drive off. Rachel notes that her proof is real thin, but it sounds like Claire Bennet was there. Jason then asks if she wants to call it in, but Rachel replies that they should check the apartment first. (jump to Option 1C) Option 1B.2: Rachel decides they should to Alex's apartment... (jump to Option 1C)

Option 1C: Rachel decides they should head to Alex's apartment...

Upon entering Alex's apartment, Rachel is shocked by how cluttered it is. They both set about searching through the place for half an hour and then meet up to trade notes. Jason and Rachel agree that the place is a dump, and Jason notes he didn't find any evidence that Alex had been contacted. Rachel says that she found one pay-as-you-go cell phone with a long-dead battery. Jason responds that it is odd that he lives in SoCal and doesn't have a working cell phone. Rachel replies that he may own multiple phones, and that she also found a laptop. Rachel notes finding the laptop on top of more stuff than under, and suspects he might have used it occasionally. Jason then finds the power supply in some laundry and boots it up. A mail program opens automatically and begins downloading. Jason comments that Alex has lots of unread mail, and then notices that the emails are disappearing. Rachel spots a tiny LED glowing on the edge of the laptop cover and realizes it's a webcam. Next, Rachel says hello to REBEL and Jason asks what she just said. Then, a new email arrives in the in box with the subject line "Leave now Rachel!". Rachel tells Jason to turn off the laptop, explaining that someone is hacking and deleting the files. After Jason closes the laptop and ejects the battery, he begins cursing himself for a second, and Rachel tells him she is going to go call Danko. Rachel goes to the alley behind Alex's apartment building to use a pay phone that is there. She notes to herself not using a pay phone in years, recalling the closest thing being large public comm units at her base in Iraq. Rachel had used one to call her grandfather once after she got deployed, hoping to trade Marine Corps stories, but her grandfather didn't want to talk about anything military-related. While authenticating herself to Building 26, she feels someone close behind her. Rachel says for Jason to give her a minute, but then feels something pressed hard to her back. Someone tells Rachel to hang up the phone or he'll kill her, so she does so. A minute later, he allows Rachel to turn around and talk with him. The man says his name is Dave, and that he is worried about his son, Alex. Rachel could tell he likely served in the military in his past, but is now balding and gray-mustached. Dave asks what to know what she did with his son. He says there are no warrants or news about him, and the cops and FBI don't know about her. Rachel notices he is holding something under his coat, but doesn't know what. It is now nighttime and the alley is dark except for a bare bulb over a nearby door. She spots a car she guesses is Dave's parked in the shadows, and suspects he was watching the building to find Alex and found her instead. Rachel tells Dave that she doesn't know why he thinks she knows anything, adding that his son is probably just hanging out somewhere. Dave replies that he heard about the comic book store, and that a cop asked about tickets, but the city doesn't know anything about it. He then asks who her people are. Rachel replies that she isn't at liberty to say, and tries to escape. Dave tells her to stop and reaches for something under his jacket. Rachel knocks Dave aside and gets about five feet from him when she hears him clock a 12-gauge shotgun and stops still. Dave levels his shotgun on Rachel's face as she turns around. He tightens his finger, and Rachel fears he is about to kill her. She then feels a now familiar strange tingle start, her adrenalin pumping as she closes her eyes and prepares for something. But then Jason arrives and tells Rachel to look out. Then, all the lights on the block simultaneously turn off, and Rachel notices nearby air conditioners are also winding down. Rachel, Jason, and Dave stand in the darkness while their eyes adjust, and then Rachel or someone moves, and Dave fires his shotgun at Rachel. The blast passes through the air where Rachel was standing, and Rachel realizes she has teleported onto the roof of Alex's apartment building. Rachel watches Jason scream at Dave in the dark below, pointing his pistol in Dave's direction. Then, Dave lets go of his gun, kicks it away, and lays down on his face. Rachel then looks up and around the city, noticing that the whole city's power grid has been knocked out. She assumes that REBEL has saved her life; and guesses that when she finds out the cost for doing so, she will wish she was dead.

All cases (II)

Coming Up on iStory Next week, Rachel Mills' pursuit of the fugitive Alex takes a dramatic turn. Jason doesn't appear suspicious of her, but Rachel's fears grow. And REBEL's silence lengthens... REBEL continues reaching out to people with abilities by any means possible. Who is listening?...

Notes

• The optimal path is using first Option 1A.2.A, so that Rachel can see a video file of Alex and blond girl that might be Claire. Rachel should then follow Option 1B.1.B to learn from Liliane that a comics store worker saw a blond girl talk to Alex just before he disappeared. Rachel will then proceed to Option 1C.
• A flash screen displayed on the last page of this chapter gives a phone number, 800-709-0829, on a sticky note marked "TAP??". Participants can call that number and leave a message on Tracy Strauss's voice mail.
• The backgrounds of this chapter contain several items colored inside a circle of the same single color. It is unknown whether these items have any significance to the story. The items include a yellow exclamation mark, a set of blue notes, a red-colored brain, and a green-colored fist.

Trivia

• In the original version of chapter 403, released February 24, 2009, the chapter ended with Jason Pierce finding Rachel being held at gunpoint and telling her to look out, and the following prompt:

Coming Up on iStory On Friday, Rachel is faced with a choice between life and death, truth and lies. The result will shock even her... Also this week, REBEL continues reaching out to people with abilities by any means possible. Who is listening?...

• On Friday, February 27, 2009, the prompt was removed and chapter 403 continued with a city-wide power blackout.